tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1817835476996956670.post8694699013676089815..comments2024-03-12T09:44:18.874-07:00Comments on Howling Frog Books: Three books by Diana Wynne JonesJeanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14247515387599954817noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1817835476996956670.post-77512063298820634882021-03-28T18:46:20.173-07:002021-03-28T18:46:20.173-07:00Chris, I've wondered that myself about the smo...Chris, I've wondered that myself about the smoking! Though since an awful lot of people smoked in her day, that might be stretching. <br /><br />I love her so. You'll never find a DWJ event without me participating!Jeanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14247515387599954817noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1817835476996956670.post-76481855008925428212021-03-28T07:28:01.539-07:002021-03-28T07:28:01.539-07:00I have no idea if Diana had read Orbach's Fat ...I have no idea if Diana had read Orbach's <i>Fat is a Feminist Issue</i> from 1970 (and I have to admit I haven't, though I know of the issues raised in it) but I do know that she was gradually able to wean young male readers away from the notion that a book with a girl protagonist was really the sort of thing they would enjoy). Maybe in time she would have addressed the issue of being overweight, and I wonder if smoking was her mistaken attempt to keep her own weight under control. But I may be talking through my hat here, sorry.<br /><br />What I really meant to say before I read the comments was that I'm impressed with your dedication to the meme -- she really is a joy to revisit with all those ideas and plots and, above all, characters fizzing away in the pages.<br />---Chris ed.pendragonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02368168344020136206noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1817835476996956670.post-77446256452218918502021-03-24T14:29:41.365-07:002021-03-24T14:29:41.365-07:00I love Enchanted Glass but it's one of the one...I love Enchanted Glass but it's one of the ones I've read most recently so I skipped it this year. It had been a while since I read Power of Three so that was fun to revisit but yes, also cringeworthy for the fat stuff. 1976 was a long time ago though and fat really was a pretty generic insult at the time. Diana seems to have something extra going on with it since it pops up so often in her books but hardly anyone at the time would have blinked an eye while reading those parts. I'm glad we're finally starting to move on from that. I think I have only read The Ogre Downstairs once so maybe that will have to make it onto my list for next year!Kristen M.https://www.blogger.com/profile/02335598194501733541noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1817835476996956670.post-41385127535540730472021-03-21T04:23:48.628-07:002021-03-21T04:23:48.628-07:00The fat blind spot is bad! There is an incident in...The fat blind spot is bad! There is an incident in almost every book that makes me wince now. I didn't notice them the first time around, whatever that says about me.<br /><br />I love Power of Three anyway and The Ogre Downstairs too. Enchanted Glass did not do much for me. I suppose I should reread it to figure out why.<br />Loryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08519976394732029323noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1817835476996956670.post-31882737435102119192021-03-17T10:09:38.900-07:002021-03-17T10:09:38.900-07:00Gair is the middle kid, and Gest is his dad! (Not...Gair is the middle kid, and Gest is his dad! (Note that 'gest' means 'deed'!)<br /><br />I definitely do not love the weight comments. For the most part, though, I try to be compassionate(if that's the word?) about it. DWJ had her issues, and this was a bad blind spot for her. I suppose I have a blind spot or so myself.Jeanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14247515387599954817noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1817835476996956670.post-57384071218169687312021-03-17T06:09:33.428-07:002021-03-17T06:09:33.428-07:00The correlation of being fat with being bad in the...The correlation of being fat with being bad in the DWJ books is why I don't enjoy reading her more.Jeannehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17975028272143207826noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1817835476996956670.post-57740548111775892152021-03-17T04:51:54.462-07:002021-03-17T04:51:54.462-07:00Boy, you are not wrong about the comments around f...Boy, you are not wrong about the comments around fatness. It's seriously grim in so many children's books. I am fond of The Power of Three though -- she does such a great job of writing all these minor misunderstandings between the middle kid and the dad (I am blanking on their names, argh!).Jenny @ Reading the Endhttp://readingtheend.comnoreply@blogger.com