Answers to Me Meme
Sunday, 03 April, 2005
I'm feeling a little better today and have started taking extra Vitamin C to get over this wretched cold. My mother thinks that it might be allergies given that she and my father both have truckloads of them so that's something I ought to get checked out some day. I still reckon it's a cold because my head still feels all groggy and dysfunctional and I should probably listen to my body and go to sleep (like this site recommends). Anyway, before I do, here's my answers to my meme:
1. If you could be any character from a book, who would you be and why?
Harry Crewe from The Blue Sword (Robin McKinley). She has a giant cat for a pet (Narknon); the king gives her a warhorse called Sungold (called “Tsornin” in his language); she's taught swordplay and riding in six weeks; she is first in the lapruns, she inherits Lady Aerin's sword, Gonturun; she becomes a King's Rider; she saves the kingdom; and, of course, she gets the guy in the end. (I hope I haven't spoiled it for you!)
I was going to say Beauty from Beauty (Robin McKinley), but on reflection, Harry would be much cooler to be.
2. Which book do you wish you had written and why?
The problem with this question is that any book I put down in answer means that I cannot then enjoy reading it. If I wanted to have written it, I know it would have been difficult and frustrating. So I think it must be something worthwhile—something that I would be proud of accomplishing at the end. I think I would say Possession (A.S. Byatt) because it is clever, beautifully written, diverse and engaging. Plus it won the Booker prize. And I'd just like to be as smart as Byatt.
3. What book(s) have you wanted to change the ending of?
I'd have to agree with Guan that the ending to Snow Crash (Neal Stephenson) is truly awful. So is the ending to The Diamond Age. But I wrote this question with Little Women (Louisa May Alcott) in mind—I was thinking about how most people wanted Jo to end up with Laurie in the end and didn't think that Amy was deserving of him. If Dead Poets Society wouldn't you have wanted Neil to live and for the boys to have started a revolution?
I'll have to say that I am still sore at J.K. Rowling for killing off one of my favourite characters in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. I understand why she did it and I do kind of admire her for having the gall to do it but I would still change the ending and bring him back!
4. What is most important to you in a book and why?
Story/Plot?
Story and plot is the MOST IMPORTANT thing for me in a book. And it has to work and work well. It has to be told well. It has to engage me. It has to be consistent and true to the characters (which is why that scene where Harry goes walking around Hogwarts at night without his invisibility cloak in Harry Potter and the Prisoner from Azkaban is so completely stupid that the writers should probably be taken out and shot. I think this is why I have never been completely captivated by Neal Stephenson and why I have absolutely no respect for David Eddings (who, I've been told, just recycled the same plot line into a different series), Isobelle Carmody (who still has not finished the Obernewtyn Chronicles) and Robert Jordan (whose Wheel of Time Series is probably aiming for infinity at this rate). Okay, I know I've probably offended a heap of people out there who have different reading tastes to mine ... this is why you ought to do the meme!
Character?
Character for me is not as important as plot. Isaac Asimov seems to pull off his works brilliantly with having little character development. Ditto Neal Stephenson. Ditto J.R.R. Tolkien (though I understand what he was doing with his characters and respect his choice). I would prefer it if the characters were more well-rounded and less two-dimensional. I would like to be able to identify with them in some way (Robin McKinley and Orson Scott Card do it very well). It's hard for me to read a book about a character I despise.
Language?
Language plays a fairly major role so I'd probably place it before Characters and after Story/Plot. I think it's because bad writing simply detracts from the whole reading process (I'm pointing the finger at Raymond E. Feist, Sara Douglass and those absolutely awful Shadow books written by Chris Claremont and George Lucas which claimed to be a sequel to Willow but kills off my two favourite characters in the prologue [Chris should have stuck to writing comics]).
I'm not saying that the writing has to be so “poetic” that it's almost pretentious. I'm just saying that it must add to what the book is doing. In the Palace of the Peacock (Wilson Harris) is fantastic but makes absolutely no sense (descends into pomo twaddle by the final chapter). Michael Ondaatje is someone who does it well. So does A.S. Byatt, Tanith Lee and Mark Helprin. How can one be not enchanted by passages such as these?:
A forest of silver struts and perforated metallic arches surrounded Peter Lake, who reclined comfortably in a bent and fruitless grove, where riveted limbs were lit here and there by the backwash of small electric lights on the floor. The floor itself was a great half-barrel, the ceiling a grid of steel. All this was warmed by nearly visible streams of air rising above the lights, which were the stars of the constellations in the great vaulted roof of Grand Central Station - recently built with the notion of installing the sky indors to shine permanently and in green. Peter Lake was one of the few who knew that beyond the visible universe were beams and artifice, a homely support for that which seemed to float. And he had returned by craft and force to the back of the sky, where once in another life he had helped to forge the connections between the beams, to rest now amid the props of the designer's splendid intentions. He had provided himself with a plank platform of solid oak; a corner (canned goods and biscuits were stacked among the beams); a pile of techical books for late-night reading; a little lammp that had once been a star below; and a long rope on a drum, part of an elaborate escape system worthy of Mootfowl's best and brightest pupil.
Mark Helprin, Winter's Tale, Arena, London, 1984, pp. 105-106.
Ideas?
Ideas are like icing on the cake when it comes to books. I greatly admire Neal Stephenson and Guy Gavriel Kay for the way they use ideas in their books. I guess also I'm not a huge ideas person—I'm not an abstract thinker so there are parts of Orson Scott Card's Children of the Mind that I really struggled with.
Other?
I couldn't think of anything else that is important to me in a book. Perhaps packaging because I love to hold beautiful books in my hands but I'm not heaps shallow and you can't judge a book by its cover.
5. In your opinion, who is the writer who is best at:
story/plot?
character?
(Incidentally, I believe that Neil Gaiman is the one who is best at doing both story and character.)
language?
ideas?
6. Which book(s) have you most wanted to burn/obliterate the memory of off the face of the planet?
So far, just two. The first is A Sport and a Pastime (James Salter): basic plot is boy meets girl, boy and girl fall in love, boy and girl have sex, boy and girl break up. I had to read it for Uni and I totally loathed the book because it was so meaningless. I don't know why it made me feel so angry because I have other books equally as meaningless (like Jasmine by Bharati Mukherjee) but this one was just horrible. The second is A Fringe of Leaves (Patrick White) which is based on the Eliza Fraser story and reads like Jane Austen i the opening chapters. I thought this book was really horrible too for reasons I've long since suppressed. I think it was because she was so horrible and the author's attitude towards her was horrible. I read both of those right to the end when I probably should have given up. Well, I suppose you can't really when they're required readings for your Uni degree. Nowadays, I don't bother finishing books I dislike. Life is too short.
7. Describe your favourite place to read (plus essential accompaniments, etc. tea).
Like others, I love reading in bed at night but being married makes that a little hard. So I'd have to say sitting in a lovely cosy comfortable chair in the sunshine (which isn't too hot) for hours on end with yummy things to nibble and a glass of milk.
8. Which books are your “comfort” books? (ie. the ones you keep coming back to to read over and over again because you enjoy them so much each time.)
- The Hero and the Crown (Robin McKinley)
- The Blue Sword (Robin McKinley)
- Beauty (Robin McKinley)
- Ender's Game (Orson Scott Card)
- All the Harry Potter books (J.K. Rowling)
- The Enchanted Forest Chronicles (Patricia C. Wrede)
- The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exup&eacue;ry)
- The Practical Princess and Other Liberating Fairy Tales (Jay Williams)
- Jane of Lantern Hill (Lucy Maud Montgomery)
- The Blue Castle (Lucy Maud Montgomery)
- The Changeover (Margaret Mahy)
- Holes (Louis Sachar)
Much as I love Diana Wynne Jones, she hasn't stood the test of time like the others have.
9. What attracts you about your favourite genre?
My favourite genre is fantasy. I love being transported to another realm where things are just a little bit different. Life may not be easier but it certainly is more interesting, and the difficulties of life—those “dragons” that Chesterton refers to—can certainly be overcome if you know what to do.
10. Which book has had the biggest impact on you/completely changed your life? (apart from the Bible)
C.S. Lewis' Mere Christianity because it opened my eyes to what Christianity was all about. I think that book really helped me on the road to becoming a Christian.
11. Which book do you most want to see as a movie done well which has not been turned into a movie already?
Undoubtedly The Blue Sword (Robin McKinley).
Current:
seen: Moon 15/10/2009
read: The Incredibles 11/10/2009
seen: She's the Man 05/10/2009
read: I Kill Giants (Joe Kelly and J. M. Ken Niimura) 04/10/2009
read: Astro City The Dark Ages Book 1: Brothers and Other Strangers (Kurt Busiek, Brent Anderson and Alex Ross) 04/10/2009
seen: Children of Men 02/10/2009
seen: Metric (The Metro) 30/09/2009
seen: 500 Days of Summer 25/09/2009
seen: The September Issue 18/09/2009
seen: Gilmore Girls: Season 1 17/09/2009
read: Flight (Volume 1) (edited by Kazu Kibuishi) 16/09/2009
seen: Ponyo 11/09/2009
read: Batman: Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader? (Neil Gaiman and Andy Kubert) 05/09/2009
heard: Aimee Mann (Enmore Theatre) 04/09/2009
heard: Ben Folds Solo (Opera House) 31/08/2009
read: Phonogram: Rue Britannia (Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie) 26/08/2009
seen: Northanger Abbey 20/08/2009
read: The Princess Diaries (Meg Cabot) 18/08/2009
seen: The Phantom of the Opera 17/08/2009
seen: Who Framed Roger Rabbit? 10/08/2009
seen: District 9 10/08/2009
read: Shortcomings (Adrian Tomine) 02/08/2009
read: AIR Volume 1: Letters from Lost Countries (Willow Wilson and M.K. Perker) 28/07/2009
seen: Persepolis 25/07/2009
seen: Ghost Town 25/07/2009
heard: Gutter Twins (Seymour Centre) 23/07/2009
seen: Coco Avant Chanel 20/07/2009
seen: Gutenberg! The Musical (Seymour Centre) 16/07/2009
seen: So You Think You Can Dance? Australia Live Tour (Sydney Entertainment Centre) 11/07/2009
seen: Every Little Step 07/07/2009
seen: Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen 03/07/2009
seen: Synecdoche, New York 30/06/2009
seen: Charlie's Angels 27/06/2009
seen: Penelope 26/06/2009
seen: Coraline 10/06/2009
seen: The Sky Crawlers 08/06/2009
seen: The Bourne Ultimatum 07/06/2009
seen: The Bourne Supremacy 07/06/2009
seen: The Bourne Identity 06/06/2009
seen: Stick it 05/06/2009
Comment:
I don’t think it’s exclusively the change of temperature: young babies like to be cuddled up (or wrapped in a blanket or similar) as they adjust to being on the outside after so long being wrapped up on the inside.
Oh yeah, it makes perfect sense that babies would cry if you put them in a cold bed! I totally never thought of that!
I love your posts, they are so fascinating! :D
Oh Jess! There are so many good things about Sydney 
Looks like really nice adventures! I don’t really think of Sydney as a place to explore.. hmm.. you have opened my mind up to The Staycation.
I get depressed at the adrenaline crash also because then I have time to think about how shitty everything is lol.
Hmm...food for thought indeed. V. interesting, thank you for posting
lol! Karen, you’re so frank and I love it. “the non-constipating kind” of iron pills. hahaha.
i know how hard it is to not tell people the sex of your baby. I am tempted to tell strangers or acquaintances what you’re having because, as Ben reasoned with the waiter, I’ll either never see them again or it’s not like their going to tell anyone of consequence.
Thanks Kathleen! Glad you’re finding them interesting!
These posts are fascinating, Karen, and I’m happy/sad for you.
Hey Little! One of the things that astounds me is that people all over the world give birth everyday in different circumstances, and they seem to get through it. Maybe all the bells and whistles of the western world are simply that—bells and whistles, and things we do to make ourselves feel better about such a painful and momentous occurrence. I’m sure Mongolia has its own ways of looking after their expectant mums!
Great post, Karen.
As I said to you last Friday: the Toturo thing is gorgeous!
Thanks for posting about the changing relationships between friends. I’ve been struggling to come to terms with my best friend’s relationship with her boyfriend and the loss I feel. It’s been 18mths now, but I guess it’s taking longer for me to deal with because he’s not something we talk about and I don’t often see them together. However, it’s still known. It’s good to know I’m not alone or going crazy or whatever.
Also, thanks for the updates on Peanut. Can’t wait to meet him/her!
I think that your child will one day be thankful that they can read about what their mother was thinking. They won’t have to wonder if you’ve forgotten anything or just telling the good things! I think the positives are more believable when accompanied by the negatives, that’s just more realistic.
The PGP sounds really hard! Also not something that people talk about, so is it hard to get understanding from people when you need to go a little slower? Though perhaps they just expect that of pregnant women… gah, there are so many steps at MM! :(
I worry about the money stuff too… though I guess in Mongolia maybe they won’t do all those medical things so I won’t have to pay for them! 
Keep blogging! You know I’m fascinated. ;p
Thanks Miriam! That’s good to know!
Hi Karen,
Thanks for the long update. It sounds like you are experiencing very common emotions (high and low) of first-time expectant mothers.
In answer to your question about breastfeeding in 5mins - that’s pretty common. In the first few weeks as both you and baby are learning how to feed (it takes a while to get the hang of it)feeding takes a little while (about an hour for me and Alex). This was actually a blessing for me as it meant I could sit and rest for that period of time, 5 or 6 times a day! Lovely, especially as it was such a tiring time of my life, with all the adjusting that comes with the birth of a child.
The milk flow can be quite fast to begin with(often too fast for baby!) and it means they take in too much and then need to be burped, which all takes time. After awhile though your breasts will adjust and regulate themselves as they work out how much milk is needed. THey are amazing the way they work. They actually feel quite soft and empty after a few weeks and lots of new mums worry that they don’t hvae enough milk, but it is very normal, and just means your body has regulated the amount of milk it makes.
Check out the Australian Breastfeeding Association webpage - it is full of excellent information. I would recommend joining the association - you receive a magazine every 2 months, which is filled with wonderful articles. I found it very helpful (and still do after 3 years of feeding). A great bit of reading to have in your hands while sitting down to feed. You also receive an excellent book “Breastfeeding....naturally” which answers just about any question you may have about breastfeeding. I read it many many times!
Mim
Congratulations again - and it is very interesting to hear what happens!
@Sarah: Thanks for the tip RE Australian Breastfeeding Association! I never would have thought to look there. Ditto KMart: I was wondering if they did since Target don’t.
@Rae: Thanks for the tip! I’ll check it out.
@Little Rachel: Oh, I’ll definitely be up for visitors! I may not be very good company (brain-dead, etc.) but I’ll certainly appreciate visits!
@Rachel C: CONGRATS!!! So excited for you Yours sounds like a good philosophy. One day I shall have to blog about Outliers!
@CafeDave: Thanks for the tip!
@Elissa: Thanks for your kind words! It makes me happy that you and Dave were excited we were getting married! Thanks also for the prayers!
@Elsie: There are lots of other lovely things I could have said about you, but let’s not overload my readers, shall we? ;P
Aww...thanks for the lovely things you said about me! I enjoyed reading this post (as I do with all yours). xo
Congratulations to you both. I know you will be such wonderful parents. You sound WAY too sensible! 
(Sorry to read that there were some unusual comments made about your marriage! We thought it was exciting. We still have a lovely photo of you & Ben in our lovely box of special memories. (I was only 22 when married & I was 30 when we had Bonnie...)
Everyone is different! I nodded through your post. SO many people feel the curious need to share their “horror stories” which is just dreadful. I remember complaining to David who said - go find people who are positive & listen to them. Great advice, which I did. Those people still have a big place in my heart because their advice was honest & gentle.
Bless you & Ben & the little Peanut. We pray all goes smoothly over the coming weeks/months ahead. We sometimes forget what a precious little miracle life really is…
Another book from the dad’s perspective I found helpful was From here to paternity - it’s an Australian book, and was followed up with a blog.
Hi!
I’m so excited for you reading your blog about being pregnant I am 13 weeks pregnant with #2.
You’re so right about all the pessimism “advice” that you get. I got so mad about it but never found a good response. I’ve had such joy right from day one with E that I just don’t want to buy into the negativity (I’m sure kids pick up on it too!).
My philosophy was/is to be a relaxed mum and from that figure out what was best for my baby/child. Get advice when you’re not sure on things or want to know how other people approached things, read books (loved Outliers!) that aren’t all about parenting… but just enjoy.
In a sample size of one to date, I’ve had such a happy, chilled out son right from day one. People say all the craziest advice… glad you don’t do guilt
With love,
R
Thanks so much for writing more! I love hearing how you’re going and all your thoughts.
After watching my sister I agree with you that it seems the first six months are perhaps the hardest. She got quite lonely at home all day; weekends were all right because then her husband was around but it’s just as you say… one feed ends then the next begins! If you are accepting visitors during this period then I hope to use some RDOs to come have grown-up conversations!
The book review of The Second Nine Months makes me want to read it now!
Names: We have one girl name that we both like and no boy names that we agree on. But they are also top-secret… so if anyone else uses them we can’t accuse them of theft! 
Yay Peanut, keep on growing, can’t wait to meet you!
Hello! Thanks for sharing
I loved reading your pregnancy update! I am glad to hear that things are all going pretty well, and I hope the rest of your 2nd trimester is as good.
I just wanted to add, that some other blokes decided that there was not much for the fathers-t0-be, and made a couple of DVD’s just for expectant dads. They are called ‘Being Dad’and i think they are available at big W. I have both though, if you would like me to send them!
Just wanted to wish you all the best!
Love
Rae
re: gluten: no idea!! I didn’t have to go on that diet - it was probably related to the test I didn’t do.
At the risk of adding to your list of advice:
Re: maternity bras - because I’m big I had to look hard for something nice in my size and discovered the Australian Breastfeeding Association. They have a massive range online and most are (dare I say it) sexy.
Re: maternity clothes - Kmart have a nice range of basic stuff.. I only found out towards the end of pregnancy and I would have liked to know earlier!
Re: Parenting classes - if you’re at RPA you can just ring the midwives section (they’ll put you through) and ask directly.
Congratulations again
Don’t laminate your ultrasound picture That is my advice.
Congratulations! This is so fantastic!
Thanks so much for sharing all of this… people swap engagement stories but rarely pregnancy stories! And it’s kind of similar don’t you think, all this excitement leading up to a big day!
So happy for you guys! Actually never been more excited for anyone except my sister! I think it’s because I think that you will both be amazing parents and love the idea that someone could grow up in your family.
Looking forward to many more posts on the topic.
Lovely news, Karen.
Thanks everyone! I will be sure to ask for help when I need it!
Great pic!! Peanut is cute! :D
Praying for you all!
xx
:D
I had a similar sort of morning sickness.. except I threw up! I’m suitably impressed that you coped OS.. that must have been tough.
It sounds like you’re doing marvelously otherwise!
Book recommendation on something a bit less technical and a bit more human: ‘Birth’ http://www.birthnet.com.au/
Praise be to God indeed! Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful.
Congratulations, Beilharzen! Welcome to the slightly-bewildering world of pregnancy (and birth...and children...). God has blessed you greatly with this new life. We’ll be praying for Peanut’s growth and development, and for you guys as you prepare.
I’m sure you’re surrounded by baby veterans, but always happy to help with books/advice/recommendations/listening.
B&L;
Excellent job Karen! You SHOULD be pleased with yourself!
Have you discovered http://www.ravelry.com ? It is an excellent site with thousands of free patterns in its database, lots of support, tips, forums etc and of course - friends like me? Look me up when you get there - fionag77
PS Are you just wearing a bulky dress or are you sporting a bump under that dress?
oooh.... It’s done and it looks great on you! xxx
Well done on all that hard work! It looks great and will be very snuggly come winter!
Thanks for letting me know, Timo!
Hi there,
Thanks for pointing out the shortcoming on our website. I’ll pass it on to my colleagues and hopefully it will be rectified soon.
The documentary at Fashioning Now was by Holly Kaye-Smith; I’d be more than happy to put you in touch with her if you’d like.
Again, thanks for the comment, much appreciate it!
Kind regards,
Timo Rissanen
Thanks Mark! Much appreciated!
Blinks:
Via WhipUp. Easy: takes 5 min.
Jamie S Rich's advice on how to break into comics.
Via Mike Hyam. Parenting advice: how to raise your children in the Lord as a father.
Cheaper than a nursing home and they allow the elderly to stay in their own homes. Plus their children have peace of mind, knowing whether or not their parent has gotten out of bed, eaten, etc. But there are privacy concerns with such surveillance, and resistance from some of the elderly. Some love it though.
Via Luke Stevens. Father put photos of his baby son online 10 years ago and now finds out that the photo has spawned a Japanese meme.
Andy Schmidt's advice to artists and writers on how to break into comics.
Changing nightmares into dreams through therapy--particularly for PTSD patients.
Students sharing dorm rooms are increasingly bad at communicating with one another face-to-face and dealing with conflict. University administrators have spent more time trying to get them to negotiate and work things out. The parents are now more involved as well. Administrators changing procedures to get the students to own the process.
Via George. On empathy, men and women, the importance of empathy, empathy vs sympathy, and the effect the internet has on our relationships.
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Comments
Consider me memed.
yeah take lots of vitamin c and multi vitamins it will kick the cold within a week or so…
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