Questions and Thanks

allthatweseem submitted:

Hi, how are you this hopefully fine day? I stumbled upon your blog in the LBD tag a few months ago and have been an avid reader since. You consistently manage to articulate what I’m feeling about any given episode and honestly I think reading your critical responses was one of my favourite things about the series, it certainly became a big part of how I engaged with it, not to mention that it taught me how vital it is to be critical of problematic aspects in fiction. I’ve found I’m more aware now, and instead of just feeling ‘icky’ in response to something I’ve found problematic, I feel I now have a more critical framework with which to approach such things. So thank you for being a dope person and also thank you for  introducing me to the work of Courtney Milan, I downloaded ‘The Governess Affair’ as per your suggestion and absolutely loved it. I then proceeded to read all of the ‘Turner’ and ‘Brothers Sinister’ books available, it got me through a really shitty week. Can you suggest any other great romance novels/authors?

Please and thank you (also apologies for the long-windedness).

Thank you! I’m always overwhelmed when people say that my posts helped them in any way!!

ALSO YAY FOR READING COURTNEY MILAN: GREAT AUTHOR AND RAD PERSON!!

Other romance authors I enjoy include Julia Quinn, Tessa Dare,  and Eloisa James but I do a much (much, much) more in-depth set of recs here.

c submitted:

I think Lydia’s arc makes no sense because, together with the narrative, it changed to reflect the writing team’s (mis)understanding of feminism. Basically:

LBD Universe 1, aka “Feminism, what feminism?”  

Sluts exist. Lydia is one. It’s OK for her sister to ‘playfully’ call her that.

LBD Universe 2: “We hate Republicans and they hate feminists. Hmm…”

Sluts exist. Rush Limbaugh said so, too. That’s probably why our fans are so angry. “My name is Lizzie Bennet and when I said ‘slut’ I meant ‘irresponsible slut.’” 

LBD Universe 3: “We are feminister than any 19th century spinster!” 

Sluts probably exist. Mary Sues totally do. Lydia is one, so she can’t be the other. Did you catch where Lizzie called Lydia a slut early on?? Yo bitches, we’re the J.K. Rowling of feminist narratives. 

For more details see: http://berniesu.tumblr.com/post/21862916681/first-off-i-love-the-series-its-absolutely

a) WHAT THE FUCK DID I JUST READ? Oh my…… that is a degree of cluelessness I genuinely had not expected. The word ‘slut’ was a-okay until Rush Limbaugh and the misogynistic discourse surrounding the presidential election contaminated it…………?!?!?!?!?1?! I… legitimately have no words for that level of Not Getting It. Wow. It… explains so much.

b) I don’t actually believe Mary Sues exist either. I don’t like the term because, much like ‘slut’, it’s a hugely gendered one that pretty much exists only to deride and dismiss women. Fictional women in this case, but all the same misogyny is misogyny. All a Mary Sue is is a poorly written character who happens to be female — and then people started using it for any female character they didn’t like or who was competent enough to walk home in the rain without drowning. Just call her a poorly written character or a self-insert to which the writers are too attached or discuss how the writing is just shit without trying to lay it all on the shoulders of a single female character.

LOOK WHAT @ALA-AWAY MADE ME JOIN ME IN MY WEEPS

This is the thing in my folder entitled “For Rawles.” Since I am not one to argue with my past self here it is!

—


There is one thing of which he is certain: she will leave him.

One day she will look at him with contempt instead of affection, touch him in anger instead of tenderness, and speak to him with hatred instead of care.

It will destroy him; he knows this.

So he plans, and he prepares, and he begins to collect little pieces of her, memories that he selfishly hoards to himself as he prepares for the inevitable.

He traces the constellation of freckles on her back with his fingertips and follows with his lips so that he will never forget the feel of her warm skin against his.

He buries his face in her hair and breathes in so that he will always remember the scent that is uniquely hers.

He memorizes the coy smile she has when she’s about to convince him to do something he swore he would not do, the lilt of her voice when she teases him, her deep even breathing when she sleeps tangled up with him in bed, and the little wheezing snore she has when she falls asleep as he reads in the library.

Even her frustrations and tears are treasures to be savored for the days when she will scorn his presence.

He counts and saves every touch, every kiss, every fond look and word of love, curating his collection so when he has nothing left he can walk in his own private gallery of her in his mind.

He drinks her in and savors her. He waits for the end.

It doesn’t come.

Source: ala-away

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