Kushner, Ellen - Swordspoint

[oyceter]

I actually started Swordspoint about three years ago, got halfway through, and abandoned it. This was largely because I found myself detesting Michael Godwin, completely confused as to why Richard stayed with Alec, given that I thought Alec was extremely annoying and rather useless and a provoker of violence at that, and angry because all the female characters were pushed to the side in favor of male ones or portrayed as temptresses, manipulators, and/or whores throwing themselves at people (with the exception of Lady Halliday).

So I have actually read The Privilege of the Sword before this, which spoiled me a bit as to Alec's true identity.

I found that this time around, with prior warning, I didn't find Michael quite as despicable. Still, I dislike him a great deal, including his self-centeredness, and I did not feel sorry for him at all with regard to Lord Horn, despite Kushner's portrayal of Horn as, well, a horndog. I still found Alec annoying, but less so after reading The Privilege of the Sword. It seems that my tolerance for alpha bastards has decreased quite substantially, and I am still appalled by Alec's willingness to annoy people so they will challenge him and Richard can kill them for him. I mean... where do I begin with the wrongness? And no, despite Alec's obvious mental instability, I do not find it romantic, and I was actually rather offended on Richard's behalf. And why is it that everyone Alec offends seems to be deserving of death?

Richard, on the other hand, I adore to pieces. I realize this is rather hypocritical, what with what happens later, but I don't care. I like that he is small and quiet and unassuming and deadly.

I feel like I should have more to say about the book, given that it is a favorite of many, but, well, I'm still not a fan, though I don't despise it like I did when I first read it.

I will admit that on occasion, I am completely bought into the romance and angst of the Richard/Alec relationship, particularly in the short story "The Death of the Duke." But usually I go around adoring Richard and tolerating Alec because Richard likes him.

In conclusion: politics? What politics? ;) (I couldn't figure out half the people and if they were related to people in The Privilege of the Sword or The Fall of the Kings or not, so I largely ignored them.) Despite adoring court politics and intrigue and maneuvering, I was sort of bored by the intrigue here. This may be because I wanted to slap most of the plotters, including but not limited to Michael, Lord Ferris, and Lord Horn. And I wanted to slap all of the nobility for using swordsmen like they did, despite a wee part of me being absolutely thrilled by the idea of swordsmen.

Links:
- rilina's review
- tenemet's review

Comments

[the_rck]

There's some comfort in knowing that I'm not the only one who doesn't adore the book. I don't dislike it or anything, but I read it years ago and then promptly forgot most of it until people around me started talking about it (years later). I recently tried a reread but gave up because I wasn't enjoying it.

My reading time is hugely limited these days-- I keep having to return books that I actually *want* to read to the library before I've opened them.

[oyceter]

Yeah.... I mean, I don't dislike it as vehemently as I did when I first read it, largely because of reading The Privilege of the Sword, but I still can't get swept away into the world of swordsmen because of above problems with the characters and the text.

[oracne.livejournal.com]

I love Richard.

I also love the Dunnett Richard.

Could it be something about the name? Or did Ellen name Richard Richard on purpose?

[oyceter]

I was thinking the same thing while I was reading it! And I had a conversation with Mely on Sat. on quiet, overlooked, responsible characters who get overshadowed by their brothers/friends/lovers/etc. and how much we adore them.

Dunnett Richard very much came to mind, as did Faramir (maybe his middle name is Richard?).

[kate_nepveu]

Hmm. This makes me realize I also liked "Death of the Duke" though I don't like Alec and thus am not re-reading _Swordspoint_.

Best second-paragraph ever, though.

[oyceter]

Me too! I was actually very touched by "The Death of the Duke," particularly the final lines. I think part of it was because there was a female character that I liked in it! I felt so bad for her, even as I was feeling somewhat bad for Alec as well.

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

You';re not alone--I did read Swordspoint with skimming, mostly noticing the Dunnet refs, as I did in those days, when Dunnet-inspired things were coming out from talented and bright women right and left. But I really enjoyed the new one a great deal--as you say, Alec was bearable (at least he had a sense of humor about himsself), their relationship is poignant, and the girls are simply wonderful. The girls, in fact, just make the story sing. And yes, Richard was always wonderful, though in this book he gains more dimension.

[oyceter]

I adore the girls in the new one. I didn't fall desperately in love with the book, but it did a lot of things that I liked, much of which addressed the things that I specifically didn't like about Swordspoint (role of female characters and women in the universe). Rather like Le Guin's Tehanu, which I, er, actually like better than the first and third Earthsea books....

[sienamystic.livejournal.com]

I also felt a bit strange about not adoring Swordspoint like most other people. I loathed Alec, for the reasons you mentioned, and it spoiled much of the enjoyment of the book for me.

[oyceter]

Yeah, me too. I mean... in the end I could tolerate him because I adore Richard and would get caught up in their Pure and True Love, but then he'd go off by himself and I would want to yell at him again.

[susanw.livejournal.com]

Count me as another one who's glad I'm not the only one who doesn't adore this book, after having it highly recommended by any number of people. I found it well-written and conceptually interested, but un-engaging, in that I felt like I was watching it from a distance, not really connecting with the characters, and I didn't finish it.

[oyceter]

Yeah, I felt a lot like that about the new book, which I liked much better than this one. I couldn't fully get in it, though, because of that distance.