Help offset server costs by donating. This is totally optional. Any overages will go to library fines or new books.
Nameless Fae Q1: Comfort or challenge?
This isn't a deep book, by any means. This isn't a book that gives great insight into the human condition, or has something to say about the state of the world. It doesn't present grand ideas or have a sensawunda. This book does not challenge the reader, in any sense.
But that's not the only reason for reading. My wife recommended this book. She generally reads for a short time in bed, as a way of unwinding before going to sleep. She wants something light and gentle to help her relax. Other people will read while commuting or doing chores, again to relax or feel good.
Which leads to three questions for you.
First, did you enjoy the book? Not our usual fare, but did it pass the time pleasantly? What did you like about it?
Second, the commercial aspect. What do you feel about this style of book and its place in the publishing world?
Third, is this art? Do books like have "artistic" merit?
Comments
I enjoyed it more than I was expecting to
and indeed I thought the first third was pretty good... but then it faded (for me as a reader) and kind of lost the plot for the sake of the sex. But I'm guessing that the target reader may well be more interested in these factors the other way around.
I totally get the notion of reading for unwinding, though my favoured object for that is fast-paced trashy space opera with no regard for the niceties of science, rather than romantasy... but I can see how a book of this kind would suit a lot of folk.
Regarding the style, I felt it came over very strongly as a kind of fan fiction - the basic "rules" of how Fairy worked, the different kinds of denizens thereof, and the relationship to the Mundane... all these and more were seemingly agreed conventions so that the reader knew how things worked. The originality is - again like fan fiction - in taking these standard elements and arranging them in a personal manner.
The publishing world - I have a fairly cynical view of this, and am sure that publishers take books on because they will earn money, rather than having artistic or literary merit. That said, I also feel sure that books of this genre will struggle to get the serious attention of the various standard literary prizes, in exactly the same way that SFF did once. All of a sudden, SFF became OK to talk about, and serious trad / litfic writers feel OK about grazing the fringes of them. Maybe the same will happen here, and we'll suddenly find Kazuo Ishiguro or his peers dabbling in the Fae
I rather liked this book. It was very much what I expected, and it didn't disappoint me. The characters were engaging, the setting was interesting, and the situation worth my interest. The writing was solid, and didn't leave me confused or bore me. It was light as merangue and tasty. This style of book is more popular than most would think. It has it's place and there are many more in the same market. Is it art? I wouldn't know art if it bit me on the nose, and I don't particularly care.
Personally I really didn't like this book, except as entertainment. I would read certain passages to my wife and there were times where we nearly had tears laughing so hard at it. I didn't feel like the stakes meant anything, the characters felt like cardboard cutouts of tropes, and the "romance" was either super cheesy or cringe-worthy.
All that being said, it felt to me sort of the same way I feel about some older cheesy SF. Tropes, the good guy is generally going to win and get the girl, and if it's a Silverberg book then you'll get the same amount of sex. So these types of books exist in all types of genres. My adult daughter had never heard of this book but when I told her how it was structured, the character types, the plot etc, she said it was pretty much exactly like a number of other books she had read.
In terms of the commercial aspect of it, I don't have too much to add there. Publishers need to publish to the audience. I would expect nothing different. There is a bit of feedback loop in that the audience determines the publishing, which in turn puts out less in sub-genres, which means less people read those etc, but I can't blame a publisher for earning their income off what is new and hot at the moment.
Is it art? I am like @clash_bowley in that I feel like I am not too qualified to answer that. I know that it holds very little artistic merit for "ME", but that's a very personal take.
I should also add though, that I read one other romantasy (I think it could be considered as such) book called The Everlasting by Alix Harrow. That book was fantastic and one of the best books I read in the past year. It also just won the Locus award for Best Fantasy Novel. So, for me, a romantasy book can actually be really well done and interesting when it veeers away from the cozy side.
We read her Ten Thousand Doors of January in the club a while ago - I picked it having thoroughly enjoyed it though I'm not sure everyone agreed with me