Oh. Well, somehow I forgot the detail that there's no lesbian plot or character. It's extremely disappointing to me, because that's why I read Sarah Waters. I thought part of her whole approach to writing was to re-insert lesbian characters, plots and points of view into otherwise conventional genres (where lesbian identity would be eliminated in conventional books). It also seems that Waters is turning her back on the core of her audience who really look to her as one high-quality writer who tackles lesbian topics in a serious way. To me it's the element that makes Waters as a writer special and different... as opposed to the sea of conventional books and authors out there.
Aside from all that, I'm finding this book to be very slow and so far I'm not finding myself very attached to any of the characters.
Hey bud,
Aww... did you stop reading it altogether?
I had posted in here a while ago that this novel was not going to be centered around lesbian characters. I think you might've missed it or forgot about it. SW had mentioned in an interview that she hopes she won't piss off too many of her lesbian readers by doing so.
As I see it, I don't think she necessarily wants to limit herself to lesbian historical fiction (even though historical fiction is still her main focus). I can understand the need to branch out. She is a very talented, creative writer who probably wants to explore other themes in her work. I respect that. I will continue reading
The Little Stranger... who knows, I might get really sucked into it by the time I get to the middle of it.
I hope you keep reading, bud.
~M
