Return of the non-native

[vaznetti]

Thanks to the great conspiracy of secretaries, I now have a University Card and get get into the Bodleian--ah, Lower Reading Room, how I missed you! Enabler of my habit of consulting obscure hellenistic philosophers rather than reading monographs! Source of random back-issues of Latomus! It's best in summer, once you make it up there. The undergraduates are all gone, so there's plenty of space. My stalker (in fact a distinguished professor of something-or-other) is still there. So are most of the usual suspects, none of whom I know by name. Thank goodness. Eventually I'll see someone I know, but not yet.

Oxford in summer is truly awful, though. It's packed with tourists and language school students--I'm going to have to take to swinging bags of books and canned goods at knee level to clear a path for myself. And of course it's chilly and miserable more often than it's sunny and warm. The stores are full of summer clothes on sale, and frankly, it's no surprise--what you really want is a nice wool sweater.

I have very little to say for myself. The B.H. discovered Jasper Fforde, who writes strange books--sort of a cross between Douglas Adams, Terry Pratchett and Connie Willis. I suspect that either you find the idea of the Seven Wonders of Swindon and Miss Havisham leading rage counseling sessions for the characters of Wuthering Heights funny, or you don't. (Apparently the new book is out. Must go hunt it down, I think.)

Comments

[fourteenlines.livejournal.com]

I'll spare you the incoherent noises of rage over Jasper Fforde.

Suffice it to say, I have never hated a book as much as I hated The Eyre Affair.

And that includes Wuthering Heights.

(Great ideas. V. poor execution, in my opinion. And yet all sorts of people love it. Le sigh.)

[vaznetti]

Oh dear! Obviously a bad memory. I agree that the execution was clunky (although I think that they improve), but for whatever reason it didn't interfere with my enjoyment.

[fourteenlines.livejournal.com]

While I'm glad they improve (and that people get enjoyment from them), I honestly can't bring myself to pick up a copy of another in the series. My friend K. listened to it on tape and apparently it wasn't nearly as annoying that way -- at least, she didn't seem bothered by the cardboard characterizations or the sudden lapses into 3rd person POV. *g*

And hey, the other day I discovered that they'd closed down the Bybee overpass from Sellwood to Eastmoreland and completely ripped it apart. No telling when they'll be done with it. My second thought, after "bastards! I wanted to go that way!" was "Well, at least S. doesn't have to drive that way to Reed any more." (Because, you know, I'd assumed that was probably the way you drove.)

[vaznetti]

Didn't you know about the Bybee overpass? It's been closed all spring and summer. I think it's supposed to reopen around November? In any case, it was SO AMAZINGLY INCONVENIENT!!!!! Although I do now know my way around Johnson Creek Boulevard. But such a pain!

[aceofkittens.livejournal.com]

This is so weird, but Jasper Fforde, whom I'd never heard of, came up earlier today, when baogirl mentioned to me that her BF was reading him... there they were, those books, right there in her apartment. Aaah! My worlds are colliding!

[vaznetti]

I think oyu might like the books--although Shaye is right that they're kind of clunky--but you really need to go see the website. I now want a pet dodo. really.