Writer's Block: Tea for two
Nov. 16th, 2011 05:37 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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Cheating, utterly cheating and going with my dear, beloved Three Musketeers. An off day, obviously, as I am not capable of fighting against the Cardinal's Guards, although I'd totally be up for a fencing lesson.
Partly I just want to know what it was like to be one of them for a day.
~~~~
That answer may somewhat give away my answer to this.
Book Meme - Day 14 - Favourite book by your favourite writer
Because, although, yes, I have read 'The Count of Monte Cristo' more often, that's because I own that, while The Three Musketeers at home is my Mum's copy, it's still my favourite.
I think it's mostly the characters who are grand and large and fantastical, while being utterly human with flaws and graces. They're so horribly real, wonderfully real.
It's also an interesting book as from the start, it's made quite clear that heroic != good, good != kind, and that it's possible to be just as brave as our heroes and still oppose them (see Rochefort).
The structure is also quite clever because there is no villain (I do wish various adaptations would remember it, the Gene Kelly one certainly did). Yes, the Cardinal opposes the Musketeers, but that's just because he happens to oppose the King. And you know, it's quite clear he's actually a better ruler than the King.
Everyone gets a character, from one shot minor characters, to the servants (why yes, it's a grand adventure with servants with emotions and drives of their own), to the antagonists. It's such a wonderfully immersive experience.
Then you have the ending, the most gloriously bittersweet ending, where the four inseparables part because that's what life does, nothing lasts forever.
I love this book.
Day 1 - The best book you read last year
Day 2 - A book that you've read more than 3 times
Day 3 - Favourite series of books
Day 4 - Favourite book in your favourite series
Day 5 - A book that makes you happy
Day 6 - A book that makes you sad
Day 7 - Most under-rated book
Day 8 - Most over-rated book
Day 9 - A book you never expected to love
Day 10 - Favourite classic book
Day 11 - A book you hate
Day 12 - A book you used to love but don't any more
Day 13 - Favourite writer
Day 15 - Favorite male character
Day 16 - Favorite female character
Day 17 - Favorite quote from your favorite book
Day 18 - A book that disappointed you
Day 19 - Favorite book turned into a movie
Day 20 - Favorite romance book
Day 21 - Favorite book from your childhood
Day 22 - Favorite book you own
Day 23 - A book you wanted to read for a long time but still haven't
Day 24 - A book that you wish more people would've read
Day 25 - A character who you can relate to the most
Day 26 - A book that changed your opinion about something
Day 27 - The most surprising plot twist or ending
Day 28 - Favorite title
Day 29 - A book everyone hated but you liked
Day 30 - Your favorite book of all time
All of this makes me quite sad to have missed the new Musketeer movie in the cinema, although I have been informed that, with the honourable exception of the sword fights, it's ever so very terrible. Except I still want to watch it, if only for Porthos (Ray Stevenson!!) or because they appear to actually be giving Aramis face time.
Cheating, utterly cheating and going with my dear, beloved Three Musketeers. An off day, obviously, as I am not capable of fighting against the Cardinal's Guards, although I'd totally be up for a fencing lesson.
Partly I just want to know what it was like to be one of them for a day.
~~~~
That answer may somewhat give away my answer to this.
Book Meme - Day 14 - Favourite book by your favourite writer
Because, although, yes, I have read 'The Count of Monte Cristo' more often, that's because I own that, while The Three Musketeers at home is my Mum's copy, it's still my favourite.
I think it's mostly the characters who are grand and large and fantastical, while being utterly human with flaws and graces. They're so horribly real, wonderfully real.
It's also an interesting book as from the start, it's made quite clear that heroic != good, good != kind, and that it's possible to be just as brave as our heroes and still oppose them (see Rochefort).
The structure is also quite clever because there is no villain (I do wish various adaptations would remember it, the Gene Kelly one certainly did). Yes, the Cardinal opposes the Musketeers, but that's just because he happens to oppose the King. And you know, it's quite clear he's actually a better ruler than the King.
Everyone gets a character, from one shot minor characters, to the servants (why yes, it's a grand adventure with servants with emotions and drives of their own), to the antagonists. It's such a wonderfully immersive experience.
Then you have the ending, the most gloriously bittersweet ending, where the four inseparables part because that's what life does, nothing lasts forever.
I love this book.
Day 1 - The best book you read last year
Day 2 - A book that you've read more than 3 times
Day 3 - Favourite series of books
Day 4 - Favourite book in your favourite series
Day 5 - A book that makes you happy
Day 6 - A book that makes you sad
Day 7 - Most under-rated book
Day 8 - Most over-rated book
Day 9 - A book you never expected to love
Day 10 - Favourite classic book
Day 11 - A book you hate
Day 12 - A book you used to love but don't any more
Day 13 - Favourite writer
Day 15 - Favorite male character
Day 16 - Favorite female character
Day 17 - Favorite quote from your favorite book
Day 18 - A book that disappointed you
Day 19 - Favorite book turned into a movie
Day 20 - Favorite romance book
Day 21 - Favorite book from your childhood
Day 22 - Favorite book you own
Day 23 - A book you wanted to read for a long time but still haven't
Day 24 - A book that you wish more people would've read
Day 25 - A character who you can relate to the most
Day 26 - A book that changed your opinion about something
Day 27 - The most surprising plot twist or ending
Day 28 - Favorite title
Day 29 - A book everyone hated but you liked
Day 30 - Your favorite book of all time
All of this makes me quite sad to have missed the new Musketeer movie in the cinema, although I have been informed that, with the honourable exception of the sword fights, it's ever so very terrible. Except I still want to watch it, if only for Porthos (Ray Stevenson!!) or because they appear to actually be giving Aramis face time.
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Date: 2011-11-16 06:28 pm (UTC)