Reading/Book Pet Peeves

[Twik]

It's interesting if you listen to the director's commentary track on "How to Train Your Dragon". Apparently, they had started with a premise about a prophecy and a chosen one - and then said, "Nah, it's been done. Let's have Hiccup just be a guy who happens to make friends with a dragon."

[Lynn2000]

I think that there needs to be a moratorium on "The Chosen One" or "The One" for about a decade.

Sure, you can have a hero who has any number of heroic traits. But let's skip the blahblahblah about how he was prophecied to appear in the darkest hour, etc., OK? He just showed up without warning - is that not dramatic enough?

I will give an exception to the "Tales of Symphonia" game, where there actually is a valid, plot-driven reason, why two cultures designate unfortunate individuals as competing "Chosen Ones". But if the prophecy could just as easily be dispensed with, dispense with it.

But, but, without a prophecy, the author wouldn't have an excuse to write bad poetry!

Exactly! Usually those riddles or prophecies turn out to be rather lame. I've never understood why, if the prophet was supposedly on your side and trying to help, s/he would speak in riddles anyway. Why not just say, "Dude, it's you, but if you don't learn how to defend yourself, a lot of good people are going to die looking after you before you can do your mystical thing. So start training already."

And, in the things I've read anyway, there's sometimes forced ambiguity about who the Chosen One is, maybe even specific other people that it could be... Except you're 99% sure it's the main character, and in the end, it is. I don't think it's a spoiler by this point to say that Harry Potter was indeed the Chosen One, for example, but I thought it would have been awesome if, at the very end, it turned out to be another character, who fit all the criteria of the prophecy, surprising the heck out of everyone. Which would certainly not have negated Harry's contributions to that world at all, I don't think. I saw something similar in another popular tween book series that I just finished reading--kept hoping maybe it would turn out the main character wasn't the Chosen One after all, and then he was.

[Ms_Cellany]

I think that there needs to be a moratorium on "The Chosen One" or "The One" for about a decade.

Sure, you can have a hero who has any number of heroic traits. But let's skip the blahblahblah about how he was prophecied to appear in the darkest hour, etc., OK? He just showed up without warning - is that not dramatic enough?

I will give an exception to the "Tales of Symphonia" game, where there actually is a valid, plot-driven reason, why two cultures designate unfortunate individuals as competing "Chosen Ones". But if the prophecy could just as easily be dispensed with, dispense with it.

But, but, without a prophecy, the author wouldn't have an excuse to write bad poetry!

Exactly! Usually those riddles or prophecies turn out to be rather lame. I've never understood why, if the prophet was supposedly on your side and trying to help, s/he would speak in riddles anyway. Why not just say, "Dude, it's you, but if you don't learn how to defend yourself, a lot of good people are going to die looking after you before you can do your mystical thing. So start training already."

And, in the things I've read anyway, there's sometimes forced ambiguity about who the Chosen One is, maybe even specific other people that it could be... Except you're 99% sure it's the main character, and in the end, it is. I don't think it's a spoiler by this point to say that Harry Potter was indeed the Chosen One, for example, but I thought it would have been awesome if, at the very end, it turned out to be another character, who fit all the criteria of the prophecy, surprising the heck out of everyone. Which would certainly not have negated Harry's contributions to that world at all, I don't think. I saw something similar in another popular tween book series that I just finished reading--kept hoping maybe it would turn out the main character wasn't the Chosen One after all, and then he was.

Neville won Miss Congeniality.

[KenveeB]

I think that there needs to be a moratorium on "The Chosen One" or "The One" for about a decade.

Sure, you can have a hero who has any number of heroic traits. But let's skip the blahblahblah about how he was prophecied to appear in the darkest hour, etc., OK? He just showed up without warning - is that not dramatic enough?

I will give an exception to the "Tales of Symphonia" game, where there actually is a valid, plot-driven reason, why two cultures designate unfortunate individuals as competing "Chosen Ones". But if the prophecy could just as easily be dispensed with, dispense with it.

But, but, without a prophecy, the author wouldn't have an excuse to write bad poetry!

Exactly! Usually those riddles or prophecies turn out to be rather lame. I've never understood why, if the prophet was supposedly on your side and trying to help, s/he would speak in riddles anyway. Why not just say, "Dude, it's you, but if you don't learn how to defend yourself, a lot of good people are going to die looking after you before you can do your mystical thing. So start training already."

And, in the things I've read anyway, there's sometimes forced ambiguity about who the Chosen One is, maybe even specific other people that it could be... Except you're 99% sure it's the main character, and in the end, it is. I don't think it's a spoiler by this point to say that Harry Potter was indeed the Chosen One, for example, but I thought it would have been awesome if, at the very end, it turned out to be another character, who fit all the criteria of the prophecy, surprising the heck out of everyone. Which would certainly not have negated Harry's contributions to that world at all, I don't think. I saw something similar in another popular tween book series that I just finished reading--kept hoping maybe it would turn out the main character wasn't the Chosen One after all, and then he was.

There was a twist like that in the Percy Jackson books. Percy was kind of the guy they meant, but the whole prophecy wasn't referring to him.

[Redwing]

Neville won Miss Congeniality.

This is why a like button would be great for this board!

[cwm]

Neville won Miss Congeniality.

This is why a like button would be great for this board!

Yes. I laughed so hard I got strange looks from people.

[Twik]

I've always wondered, who's doing the choosing?

[cwm]

I've always wondered, who's doing the choosing?

Some guy on a rainy planet with a cat. He holds all the power, you know. The title of the president of the galaxy is really just a front...

[Girlie]

I've always wondered, who's doing the choosing?

Some guy on a rainy planet with a cat. He holds all the power, you know. The title of the president of the galaxy is really just a front...

If you are implying that I married the guy who controls the universe, I really wish he'd given us a bigger house. 

[mbbored]

<snip>
Guys, you may have talked me into this.

PLEASE let me know what you think. I'd love to hear the groans and moans.

Wow, just wow. Normally I have a glass of wine with my evening book but just the first chapter alone killed so many brain cells, I didn't want to impair my judgment further. My summary of the book:

Toll booth collector meets man in sketchy bathroom at a Medieval Times dinner theater, immediately goes into the stall with him and is magically transported to another century. Cool, let's play scrabble in a really improbable way! Oh no, she's stuck in the middle ages and has to be his harlot! Thank goodness she studied medieval stuff at fancy school. Oh well, as long as she has to have scrabble with bad dude, she's going to be the best. Let's use that convenient camping knowledge to build a torture rack in her bedroom. Bad dude turns out to love being submissive and assigns her a personal bodyguard to protect her. Even though she's not supposed to play scrabble with bodyguards, she immediately has very improbable scrabble with Darcy-like guard and they declare their undying love for each other.

Blah blah blah. She is so good at scrabble she becomes immortal and can travel through time. She challenges bad dude to a completely-not-racist-and-inoffensive yo mama contest in Trenton, NJ and they tie. Bad guy then jousts with his henchman/mortal enemy at Medieval Times place and instantly loses, so he dies. To celebrate, she and Mr. Darcy play scrabble in the back of her Geo Metro in a parking lot.

[cwm]

<snip>
Guys, you may have talked me into this.

PLEASE let me know what you think. I'd love to hear the groans and moans.

Wow, just wow. Normally I have a glass of wine with my evening book but just the first chapter alone killed so many brain cells, I didn't want to impair my judgment further. My summary of the book:

Toll booth collector meets man in sketchy bathroom at a Medieval Times dinner theater, immediately goes into the stall with him and is magically transported to another century. Cool, let's play scrabble in a really improbable way! Oh no, she's stuck in the middle ages and has to be his harlot! Thank goodness she studied medieval stuff at fancy school. Oh well, as long as she has to have scrabble with bad dude, she's going to be the best. Let's use that convenient camping knowledge to build a torture rack in her bedroom. Bad dude turns out to love being submissive and assigns her a personal bodyguard to protect her. Even though she's not supposed to play scrabble with bodyguards, she immediately has very improbable scrabble with Darcy-like guard and they declare their undying love for each other.

Blah blah blah. She is so good at scrabble she becomes immortal and can travel through time. She challenges bad dude to a completely-not-racist-and-inoffensive yo mama contest in Trenton, NJ and they tie. Bad guy then jousts with his henchman/mortal enemy at Medieval Times place and instantly loses, so he dies. To celebrate, she and Mr. Darcy play scrabble in the back of her Geo Metro in a parking lot.

This is the best summary I've ever read. The only thing that's missing is the absurd language used.

[wolfie]

<snip>
Guys, you may have talked me into this.

PLEASE let me know what you think. I'd love to hear the groans and moans.

Wow, just wow. Normally I have a glass of wine with my evening book but just the first chapter alone killed so many brain cells, I didn't want to impair my judgment further. My summary of the book:

Toll booth collector meets man in sketchy bathroom at a Medieval Times dinner theater, immediately goes into the stall with him and is magically transported to another century. Cool, let's play scrabble in a really improbable way! Oh no, she's stuck in the middle ages and has to be his harlot! Thank goodness she studied medieval stuff at fancy school. Oh well, as long as she has to have scrabble with bad dude, she's going to be the best. Let's use that convenient camping knowledge to build a torture rack in her bedroom. Bad dude turns out to love being submissive and assigns her a personal bodyguard to protect her. Even though she's not supposed to play scrabble with bodyguards, she immediately has very improbable scrabble with Darcy-like guard and they declare their undying love for each other.

Blah blah blah. She is so good at scrabble she becomes immortal and can travel through time. She challenges bad dude to a completely-not-racist-and-inoffensive yo mama contest in Trenton, NJ and they tie. Bad guy then jousts with his henchman/mortal enemy at Medieval Times place and instantly loses, so he dies. To celebrate, she and Mr. Darcy play scrabble in the back of her Geo Metro in a parking lot.

I love yo momma jokes. I am so tempted to get this book just for that part, but considering the bookshelf of books I want to read that I haven't gotten to yet I think I will pass.

[magicdomino]

She is so good at scrabble she becomes immortal and can travel through time.

So, being a dominatrix turns you into a TARDIS?  Who knew?

[mbbored]

<snip>
Guys, you may have talked me into this.

PLEASE let me know what you think. I'd love to hear the groans and moans.

Wow, just wow. Normally I have a glass of wine with my evening book but just the first chapter alone killed so many brain cells, I didn't want to impair my judgment further. My summary of the book:

Toll booth collector meets man in sketchy bathroom at a Medieval Times dinner theater, immediately goes into the stall with him and is magically transported to another century. Cool, let's play scrabble in a really improbable way! Oh no, she's stuck in the middle ages and has to be his harlot! Thank goodness she studied medieval stuff at fancy school. Oh well, as long as she has to have scrabble with bad dude, she's going to be the best. Let's use that convenient camping knowledge to build a torture rack in her bedroom. Bad dude turns out to love being submissive and assigns her a personal bodyguard to protect her. Even though she's not supposed to play scrabble with bodyguards, she immediately has very improbable scrabble with Darcy-like guard and they declare their undying love for each other.

Blah blah blah. She is so good at scrabble she becomes immortal and can travel through time. She challenges bad dude to a completely-not-racist-and-inoffensive yo mama contest in Trenton, NJ and they tie. Bad guy then jousts with his henchman/mortal enemy at Medieval Times place and instantly loses, so he dies. To celebrate, she and Mr. Darcy play scrabble in the back of her Geo Metro in a parking lot.

I love yo momma jokes. I am so tempted to get this book just for that part, but considering the bookshelf of books I want to read that I haven't gotten to yet I think I will pass.

It's all of 200ish pages and took me about an hour to read. I thought of it as an off-brand malt beverage as compared to my usual wine drinking habit. Fun for its trashiness but one is enough to last me for months.

[Bethczar]

She is so good at scrabble she becomes immortal and can travel through time.

So, being a dominatrix turns you into a TARDIS?  Who knew?

Wow, I really want to start watching Doctor Who now!