still, the thing with MR's flavour of internalized misogyny (and homophobia) is that i can't fully bring myself to call it a flaw in her novels, because it's not something you can remove without making the works unrecognizable.
Never heard it expressed like this before but I think you're absolutely right. I have this love/hate relationship with MR, because she's an absolutely brilliant, compelling writer who pulls this stuff over and over again - and it only becomes more clear the more of her novels you read. But it is what it is, I guess. We can't choose who or what to love - Hilary obviously can't, and neither can I, the reader.
Having said that, some people actively enjoy the batshit element as well. legionseagle started calling Julian and Elaine, Baby and Mama Fruitbat.
hilary's just agreed mentally to birth & swaddle her very own manbaby for the rest of her days, spiritually accepting the hallowed calling of her sex that she's been denying for so long-- it's ghastly, and beautiful, as only MR could make it.
And yet, MR's overwrought symbolism notwithstanding, how much of this is Hilary deceiving herself in yet another way? No doubt Julian will be a trial, and require rather firm handling, but is it really such a sacrifice, coming down to it, to spend your life with a hot, wealthy, talented young man who worships you as a goddess? Really?? Hilary, and MR for that matter, may believe that he'll leave her when he grows up a little, but I don't believe it for a moment. Plus WWII may well accelerate the maturation process (I have committed fic...)
once again, it's hilarious how love in MR novels is this supernatural force that takes hold of two people who barely know each other and who in fact may actively harbour delusions about each other, until they collide in a spectacular payoff that narrowly prevents one of them dying. and by hilarious, i mean stressful. for me.
Yup. Love is always sort of a disaster in Renault novels, a sacrifice, a surrender, a lessening. Which is weird because allegedly she wrote romances! She doesn't seem to have much believed in it.
Anyway, congratulations for enduring to the bitter, cavey end. Always happy to discuss further thoughts - and perhaps you might find some of the fic a bit less infuriating. We have quite a bit, given what an obscure book it is.
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Date: 2015-09-30 05:20 pm (UTC)still, the thing with MR's flavour of internalized misogyny (and homophobia) is that i can't fully bring myself to call it a flaw in her novels, because it's not something you can remove without making the works unrecognizable.
Never heard it expressed like this before but I think you're absolutely right. I have this love/hate relationship with MR, because she's an absolutely brilliant, compelling writer who pulls this stuff over and over again - and it only becomes more clear the more of her novels you read. But it is what it is, I guess. We can't choose who or what to love - Hilary obviously can't, and neither can I, the reader.
Having said that, some people actively enjoy the batshit element as well.
hilary's just agreed mentally to birth & swaddle her very own manbaby for the rest of her days, spiritually accepting the hallowed calling of her sex that she's been denying for so long-- it's ghastly, and beautiful, as only MR could make it.
And yet, MR's overwrought symbolism notwithstanding, how much of this is Hilary deceiving herself in yet another way? No doubt Julian will be a trial, and require rather firm handling, but is it really such a sacrifice, coming down to it, to spend your life with a hot, wealthy, talented young man who worships you as a goddess? Really?? Hilary, and MR for that matter, may believe that he'll leave her when he grows up a little, but I don't believe it for a moment. Plus WWII may well accelerate the maturation process (I have committed fic...)
once again, it's hilarious how love in MR novels is this supernatural force that takes hold of two people who barely know each other and who in fact may actively harbour delusions about each other, until they collide in a spectacular payoff that narrowly prevents one of them dying. and by hilarious, i mean stressful. for me.
Yup. Love is always sort of a disaster in Renault novels, a sacrifice, a surrender, a lessening. Which is weird because allegedly she wrote romances! She doesn't seem to have much believed in it.
Anyway, congratulations for enduring to the bitter, cavey end. Always happy to discuss further thoughts - and perhaps you might find some of the fic a bit less infuriating. We have quite a bit, given what an obscure book it is.