Monday, July 11, 2005
Midnight Bayou - Early Impressions
Well, I'm 20% of the way through Nora Roberts's Midnight Bayou, the same point I was at when I bailed out of Jude Devaroux's Enchanted Land. So, how do the two compare?
First, I'm enjoying MB much more than I did the other novel. EL was entirely set in the 1800's, MB has flashback chapters to the turn of the 20th Century, but is primarily set in the early 21st. The contemporary setting is nice. The split timeline is nice.
In fact, everything is nice, and this is a problem I had with Devaroux's book, too. Everyone is beautiful. All but a few people are exceedingly charming and those folks are nefarious villains (the rapist/murderer and his apron-strings mama), and even they are beautiful (maybe a Billy Clyde Tuggle will be introduced later). Still, MB does introduce the villains early, even if they disappear for chapters at a time while we see the aftermath of their dastardly deeds.
MB has a male protagonist, and he's got it together; a little too together, but it's better than the naive yet pushy yet whiny female protagonist of EL. MB has completely unnecessary profanity (which I could do without). MB has engaging dialogue (again, perhaps too much so). The creepy atmosphere of haunted Manet Hall is good, I have less of a feel for N'Walins; I had no feel for anything in EL.
The most noticeable thing the two books have in common is a completely aggravating POV technique. We'll be going along with the main character Declan's thoughts and suddenly we'll get a thought or two from another character's perspective and then back to Dec. If it happened more frequently it'd be standard omniscient, but this is more on-a-whim than that. It annoys me.
I like Midnight Bayou, but if the POV thing is par for the Romance course, I'm not lovin' it.
First, I'm enjoying MB much more than I did the other novel. EL was entirely set in the 1800's, MB has flashback chapters to the turn of the 20th Century, but is primarily set in the early 21st. The contemporary setting is nice. The split timeline is nice.
In fact, everything is nice, and this is a problem I had with Devaroux's book, too. Everyone is beautiful. All but a few people are exceedingly charming and those folks are nefarious villains (the rapist/murderer and his apron-strings mama), and even they are beautiful (maybe a Billy Clyde Tuggle will be introduced later). Still, MB does introduce the villains early, even if they disappear for chapters at a time while we see the aftermath of their dastardly deeds.
MB has a male protagonist, and he's got it together; a little too together, but it's better than the naive yet pushy yet whiny female protagonist of EL. MB has completely unnecessary profanity (which I could do without). MB has engaging dialogue (again, perhaps too much so). The creepy atmosphere of haunted Manet Hall is good, I have less of a feel for N'Walins; I had no feel for anything in EL.
The most noticeable thing the two books have in common is a completely aggravating POV technique. We'll be going along with the main character Declan's thoughts and suddenly we'll get a thought or two from another character's perspective and then back to Dec. If it happened more frequently it'd be standard omniscient, but this is more on-a-whim than that. It annoys me.
I like Midnight Bayou, but if the POV thing is par for the Romance course, I'm not lovin' it.
Mikesell
4 Snarky Remarks:
Angie Poole, at 9:22 PM
Not for a long time Angie, but you never forget Billy Clyde. I think when Kelly Ripa started calling Trevor "Uncle Porkchop" was about the time I decided to get back in the workforce during the mid-90s.
--Chris
--Chris
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
No, Chris, POV switches every ten seconds are not typical of the genre. Nora is one of the very few authors who does that, and that's why I don't read her. Everyone else seems to love her, though.
I'm really impressed with the way you're slogging ahead. I'm almost starting to feel sorry for you.
;-)
I'm really impressed with the way you're slogging ahead. I'm almost starting to feel sorry for you.
;-)
Didn't peg you as an AMC fan. Shows how much I know :-)