Rumors by Anna Godberson
Aug. 9th, 2008 09:53 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
meganbmooreFor anyone who recognizes the author’s name, yes, this is indeed Gossip Girl Does 1899 Take 2. In January, there shall be Gossip Girl Does 1899 Take 3. Except that will actually be Gossip Girl Does 1900. I will own it and read it and force you to scroll past my post read about it.
I’m not quite sure why I like these books so much, except that the things that seem to make me love it (aside from the fact that it’s well written and well characterized) normally…wouldn’t. Girls sneaking off to be with their oh-so-forbidden lovers, evil rich girls, evil maids, parental disapproval, scandals of all sorts, gossip, etc. I don’t always hate them, but they usually aren’t the draw. Am I really shallow enough that plunking the story in 1900 New York City so that there are all sort of rules and class structures and mansions and coaches and pretty clothing will completely change my acceptance of such things?Don’t answer that.
(Actually, I know I am, because so much of what goes with those things tends to feel cheap and contrived in modern settings, but make more sense in historical settings.)
So, I realized as I finished that this series will probably be four books total. For one thing, unless Godberson decides she didn’t torture her characters enough with the ending of this book, that’s about how long it seems it will taken to wrap up what’s going on. Also, we have four heroines. We have Elizabeth, the good girl who’s always good who finally says “screw it” and sets off to live her own life, Diana, the good girl who’s a little dreamy and wild who’s learning about reality fast and hard, Lina, the girl who’s probably good under her jealousy and is clawing her way up the social ladder, and Penelope, the spoiled rich girl who’s never been denied anything she wanted…and who fixes it so she does if she’s denied. So, four girls, four books. Then again, I could be thinking too simply.
Also, since the subject came up with someone yesterday: you can probably read this book without having read the first. Aside from Lina’s plotline, all the continuing plots from The Luxe are covered pretty well. I’m not sure, though, that any of the character growth for Elizabeth and Diana is really evident without having read it, and both may come across as less interesting than they would otherwise if you don’t know where they started.
I’m not quite sure why I like these books so much, except that the things that seem to make me love it (aside from the fact that it’s well written and well characterized) normally…wouldn’t. Girls sneaking off to be with their oh-so-forbidden lovers, evil rich girls, evil maids, parental disapproval, scandals of all sorts, gossip, etc. I don’t always hate them, but they usually aren’t the draw. Am I really shallow enough that plunking the story in 1900 New York City so that there are all sort of rules and class structures and mansions and coaches and pretty clothing will completely change my acceptance of such things?
(Actually, I know I am, because so much of what goes with those things tends to feel cheap and contrived in modern settings, but make more sense in historical settings.)
So, I realized as I finished that this series will probably be four books total. For one thing, unless Godberson decides she didn’t torture her characters enough with the ending of this book, that’s about how long it seems it will taken to wrap up what’s going on. Also, we have four heroines. We have Elizabeth, the good girl who’s always good who finally says “screw it” and sets off to live her own life, Diana, the good girl who’s a little dreamy and wild who’s learning about reality fast and hard, Lina, the girl who’s probably good under her jealousy and is clawing her way up the social ladder, and Penelope, the spoiled rich girl who’s never been denied anything she wanted…and who fixes it so she does if she’s denied. So, four girls, four books. Then again, I could be thinking too simply.
Also, since the subject came up with someone yesterday: you can probably read this book without having read the first. Aside from Lina’s plotline, all the continuing plots from The Luxe are covered pretty well. I’m not sure, though, that any of the character growth for Elizabeth and Diana is really evident without having read it, and both may come across as less interesting than they would otherwise if you don’t know where they started.
So, I have concluded that Godberson, despite writing very good and interesting female characters, isn’t as good with the male characters. This is less of a problem with me than it is with others, as I’m mostly in fiction for the female characters the last year or so, but when you consider that a chunk of the is driven by third parties being after the men, it gets a bit troublesome. Neither Henry nor Will is a bad character, really. Henry I’m not fond of, but I believe he loved Diana, and that they make a good couple. Will is a sweetie and commendable for his devotion to Elizabeth, but refusal (the The Luxe) to let her fears rule both their lives. It’s just that, while both work well in their storylines and are good matches for the sisters, neither much interests me as an individual character. So, while I see why the sisters love them, I get a little baffled as to why Penelope and Lina go to such lengths to get the, especially with what seem to be much better matches right beside them.
Speaking of those two, while I was lukewarm about them in The Luxe (IIRC, Lina irked me and I thought Penelope would be a great villain later, she didn’t grab me yet) they both grew on me pretty well. I flipflopped between understanding and being annoyed by her conflicting naivete and conniving ambitions. However, her becoming a con artist with Tristan at her side and climbing the ladder of High Society? I love it. Penelope, while not the worst case of it ever, is pretty much selfish desire in human form, with the position and ability to make it hers. I’m hoping she and Diana get to really go at it in future books, as she didn’t know who her rival was until near the end, where she had blackmail material.
I’m kind of disappointed that we opened with Elizabeth already having found and living with Will. From the ending of The Luxe, I was hoping that her arc in Rumors would focus on that. Still, we got to see her and Will being cute and happy before Godberson displayed her Evil Author tendencies.
Oh yes, we also learn in this book that Godberson likes to torture her characters. A lot. I was expecting one or the other of the major developments late in the book, but not both. At once. I also give her credit (a lot of it) for showing both why the final events aren't terrible, and why Mrs. Holland views them as good, and for making both viewpoints pretty legitimate.
And Mrs. Holland apparently has a Lost Love that she had to give up to marry Mr. Holland. somebody read these so we can theorize. My vote goes to either Henry's father, or Mr. Holland's sister.
I want it to be January now.
Speaking of those two, while I was lukewarm about them in The Luxe (IIRC, Lina irked me and I thought Penelope would be a great villain later, she didn’t grab me yet) they both grew on me pretty well. I flipflopped between understanding and being annoyed by her conflicting naivete and conniving ambitions. However, her becoming a con artist with Tristan at her side and climbing the ladder of High Society? I love it. Penelope, while not the worst case of it ever, is pretty much selfish desire in human form, with the position and ability to make it hers. I’m hoping she and Diana get to really go at it in future books, as she didn’t know who her rival was until near the end, where she had blackmail material.
I’m kind of disappointed that we opened with Elizabeth already having found and living with Will. From the ending of The Luxe, I was hoping that her arc in Rumors would focus on that. Still, we got to see her and Will being cute and happy before Godberson displayed her Evil Author tendencies.
Oh yes, we also learn in this book that Godberson likes to torture her characters. A lot. I was expecting one or the other of the major developments late in the book, but not both. At once. I also give her credit (a lot of it) for showing both why the final events aren't terrible, and why Mrs. Holland views them as good, and for making both viewpoints pretty legitimate.
And Mrs. Holland apparently has a Lost Love that she had to give up to marry Mr. Holland. somebody read these so we can theorize. My vote goes to either Henry's father, or Mr. Holland's sister.
I want it to be January now.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2008-08-10 09:25 pm (UTC)There's something about Tristan that I like. I'm not sure, maybe it's because he's so dastardly. I don't know.
I'm curious to see how the marriage of Penny and Henry plays out...
And How Elizabeth possibly thinks she can get Henry back for her sister.
Ewww... Mrs. Holland with the sister??? Nah, it's gotta be Schoonmaker.
no subject
Date: 2008-08-11 01:12 am (UTC)I was expecting for Henry to end up engaged or married to penelope or Will dead or otherwise separated from Elizabeth for about the last 100 pages or so, I just wasn't expecting the worst case scenario for both, which is why it was kind of a kick in the gut. (And, really, between that and the fact that Henry seems to make a semi-habit of deflowering virgins, I think I mentioned the sister/mother thing because hey, clearly Godberson isn't afraid to try pretty much anything...)
I think it's that Tristan is...honest? I mean, he's not honest in terms of telling the truth, but he's honest about what he is.
I'm wondering if Godberson is going to go the route of Henry refusing to have sex with Penelope, killing Penelope, or divorce. While I've added her to my list of authors who torture their characters, I think she has to give one of them a conventional "Happily Ever After," and I don't think Elizabeth is going to be falling in love with anyone else anytime soon.