Comments on: Telling Tales http://blogs.slj.com/printzblog/2012/09/14/telling-tales/ by Karyn Silverman and Sarah Couri Fri, 26 Apr 2013 01:03:10 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: A Taxonomy of Adaptations | crossreferencing http://blogs.slj.com/printzblog/2012/09/14/telling-tales/#comment-7886 A Taxonomy of Adaptations | crossreferencing Tue, 25 Sep 2012 14:07:05 +0000 http://blogs.slj.com/printzblog/?p=1277#comment-7886 [...] [...] [...] [...]

]]> By: Mark Flowers http://blogs.slj.com/printzblog/2012/09/14/telling-tales/#comment-7836 Mark Flowers Sun, 23 Sep 2012 21:47:23 +0000 http://blogs.slj.com/printzblog/?p=1277#comment-7836 Just finished this one this afternoon. It's not a top contender for me, but I did want to chime in, because I really disagree with Tess's reading. I thought Michaelis did a really excellent job of showing Anna's inner struggle over the rape, and I didn't think for a second that she (the author) was apologizing for or approving of Anna's decision. Yes, we were meant to understand *why* Abel did what he did, but Abel himself states that it can never be forgiven, and that judgement was never refuted by the book, in my opinion. As for Anna being milquetoast - I actually think that was exactly the impression we were supposed to have of her. That she was utterly boring and dull, until this intriguing event happens and she begins to come out of her shell and start to look around the world for the first time. My problems with the book were entirely plot/suspense based. Basically, I thought that with all of the red herrings Michaelis built up that it was just ridiculous that the ending was, "oh, actually the most obvious solution of all is the right one - sorry for leading you astray." There were so many other ways the story could have gone (even into a magical realism one, which was what I was hoping for) that to settle on, Abel killed everyone to protect Micha was completely mundane (and, had it not been for the over-written subterfuge, could have been predicted by p. 50 or so). Just finished this one this afternoon. It’s not a top contender for me, but I did want to chime in, because I really disagree with Tess’s reading. I thought Michaelis did a really excellent job of showing Anna’s inner struggle over the rape, and I didn’t think for a second that she (the author) was apologizing for or approving of Anna’s decision. Yes, we were meant to understand *why* Abel did what he did, but Abel himself states that it can never be forgiven, and that judgement was never refuted by the book, in my opinion.

As for Anna being milquetoast – I actually think that was exactly the impression we were supposed to have of her. That she was utterly boring and dull, until this intriguing event happens and she begins to come out of her shell and start to look around the world for the first time.

My problems with the book were entirely plot/suspense based. Basically, I thought that with all of the red herrings Michaelis built up that it was just ridiculous that the ending was, “oh, actually the most obvious solution of all is the right one – sorry for leading you astray.” There were so many other ways the story could have gone (even into a magical realism one, which was what I was hoping for) that to settle on, Abel killed everyone to protect Micha was completely mundane (and, had it not been for the over-written subterfuge, could have been predicted by p. 50 or so).

]]> By: Karyn Silverman http://blogs.slj.com/printzblog/2012/09/14/telling-tales/#comment-7669 Karyn Silverman Tue, 18 Sep 2012 22:19:36 +0000 http://blogs.slj.com/printzblog/?p=1277#comment-7669 @Tess - Huh. I read the scene differently. Look at pp 280-282 in the ARC (hopefully final pagination matches). Anna is imaging the experience of going for a test (for STIs), and in her imaginary conversation the word rape is referenced. And while one part of her wants to deny it, the other part says "And that's what it was." So there is that section, when she is a wreck, and I thought the way Anna can't focus or connect, the way she retreats into herself, the way she wants to deny it but can't all felt very genuine. And then, starting on p 294, she tries to find a way to reconcile the fact of this terrible thing with the intense emotions she still feels for Abel. This is icky and disturbing, but I believed it. It's proof of Anna's brokeness -- I think Anna is pretty screwed up, and that's there from the beginning; she doesn't quite function like everyone else, does she? And then there is the point when she decides to give him another chance, and while I do not, as an adult who works with teens, as a woman, feel happy or comfortable with that decision, I absolutely believe it of Anna. The one truly unrealistic moment is there moment of happiness right before the ending, but I forgave that as a minor flaw under my reading. It plays very differently with your interpretation. So while I stand by my reading of the book, I can totally see how it can be read a different way, and now my discomfort is significantly increased. As are my reservations about this dark horse. Hmmm. Won't someone else read it and chime in?? @Tess – Huh. I read the scene differently. Look at pp 280-282 in the ARC (hopefully final pagination matches). Anna is imaging the experience of going for a test (for STIs), and in her imaginary conversation the word rape is referenced. And while one part of her wants to deny it, the other part says “And that’s what it was.” So there is that section, when she is a wreck, and I thought the way Anna can’t focus or connect, the way she retreats into herself, the way she wants to deny it but can’t all felt very genuine. And then, starting on p 294, she tries to find a way to reconcile the fact of this terrible thing with the intense emotions she still feels for Abel. This is icky and disturbing, but I believed it. It’s proof of Anna’s brokeness — I think Anna is pretty screwed up, and that’s there from the beginning; she doesn’t quite function like everyone else, does she? And then there is the point when she decides to give him another chance, and while I do not, as an adult who works with teens, as a woman, feel happy or comfortable with that decision, I absolutely believe it of Anna. The one truly unrealistic moment is there moment of happiness right before the ending, but I forgave that as a minor flaw under my reading. It plays very differently with your interpretation.
So while I stand by my reading of the book, I can totally see how it can be read a different way, and now my discomfort is significantly increased. As are my reservations about this dark horse. Hmmm. Won’t someone else read it and chime in??

]]> By: tess http://blogs.slj.com/printzblog/2012/09/14/telling-tales/#comment-7643 tess Mon, 17 Sep 2012 23:28:03 +0000 http://blogs.slj.com/printzblog/?p=1277#comment-7643 I hated this one. It wasn't for any literary reason, really. It just disgusted me on a base level. When I got to the rape scene I was pretty so-so on the book so far - I found a lot of the prose a bit clumsy and overwrought (really, I only need to hear "soap bubble" once to get it, not a dozen times in the first chapter) and I thought Anna was milquetoast and insipid, which I wouldn't have minded if that was the author's intention but I'm pretty sure we were supposed to like Anna. So, hovering around B/B- territory. And then I read the rape scene. More importantly, I read what came after. And I was absolutely appalled. I hated how it was centered around Abel's past, Abel's suffering, Abel's perfect torment. I hated that Abel was still portrayed as a tragic hero. I hated how Anna went back to him and that was portrayed as a good thing because, hey, he's a solid guy and he's had a tough life. And I don't think brief lip service to it Never Being The Victim's Fault and the "unreasonable" Anna blaming herself made up for the implication that if she hadn't rushed him, he wouldn't have raped her. It made me sick, honestly. So I don't consider this a Printz contender; it crosses the line from "portraying a rape from the point of view of a character who's having non-PC thoughts" to "rape apology." And I don't think it's even particularly well-written. I'm sorry for the rant, The Storyteller just really upset me. I hated this one. It wasn’t for any literary reason, really. It just disgusted me on a base level.

When I got to the rape scene I was pretty so-so on the book so far – I found a lot of the prose a bit clumsy and overwrought (really, I only need to hear “soap bubble” once to get it, not a dozen times in the first chapter) and I thought Anna was milquetoast and insipid, which I wouldn’t have minded if that was the author’s intention but I’m pretty sure we were supposed to like Anna. So, hovering around B/B- territory.

And then I read the rape scene. More importantly, I read what came after. And I was absolutely appalled. I hated how it was centered around Abel’s past, Abel’s suffering, Abel’s perfect torment. I hated that Abel was still portrayed as a tragic hero. I hated how Anna went back to him and that was portrayed as a good thing because, hey, he’s a solid guy and he’s had a tough life. And I don’t think brief lip service to it Never Being The Victim’s Fault and the “unreasonable” Anna blaming herself made up for the implication that if she hadn’t rushed him, he wouldn’t have raped her.

It made me sick, honestly. So I don’t consider this a Printz contender; it crosses the line from “portraying a rape from the point of view of a character who’s having non-PC thoughts” to “rape apology.” And I don’t think it’s even particularly well-written.

I’m sorry for the rant, The Storyteller just really upset me.

]]> By: Maureen E http://blogs.slj.com/printzblog/2012/09/14/telling-tales/#comment-7639 Maureen E Mon, 17 Sep 2012 21:29:51 +0000 http://blogs.slj.com/printzblog/?p=1277#comment-7639 Okay, you've convinced me to give this one a second try. I started it and got to about page 25 and gave up. But...I know Leila from Bookshelves of Doom also really liked it and that's enough to get it out again. Okay, you’ve convinced me to give this one a second try. I started it and got to about page 25 and gave up. But…I know Leila from Bookshelves of Doom also really liked it and that’s enough to get it out again.

]]> By: Wendy D. http://blogs.slj.com/printzblog/2012/09/14/telling-tales/#comment-7635 Wendy D. Mon, 17 Sep 2012 17:47:11 +0000 http://blogs.slj.com/printzblog/?p=1277#comment-7635 Just ordered it and will read it this week. Just ordered it and will read it this week.

]]> By: Hannahlily http://blogs.slj.com/printzblog/2012/09/14/telling-tales/#comment-7634 Hannahlily Mon, 17 Sep 2012 16:26:38 +0000 http://blogs.slj.com/printzblog/?p=1277#comment-7634 Ok, you convinced me. I didn't read the post (because I haven't read the book!) but I just ordered The Storyteller for my library. Ok, you convinced me. I didn’t read the post (because I haven’t read the book!) but I just ordered The Storyteller for my library.

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