Timewaster's Guide Archive

"It's a small world after all..."

Yeah, that's kind of bizzare. But that seems to happen a lot among LDS people. I mean, you guys know that Ken guy from Jeopardy, after all.

A tear of pleasure or pain?

I guess we'll find out in the review.

(Psst. I got my rice pudding. The threat to your lives has been eliminated--at least for today.  )

Oh, and thanks for answering my question, by the way. That distinction makes sense. I'll look forward to the novels when they come out in October--the original, in depth story. It really is a fascinating plot. Some of its themes remind me of His Dark Materials series.

If that was her point than I'd really have to argue she fails, especially because she keeps insisting that it is a corruption of the book to change their skin color.

I don't know if that was her point, but it seems like it. However, you are right. It is kind of ironic that she wanted to make skin color not important but has to insist that it is in order to make that point. There's deconstructionalism for you.

I have to poitn out, with 42, that the culture in Earthsea is very, very western european. Castles, a university, etc etc. It's not remotely polynesian or african or eastern or anything else except that because they live on islands they have to sail a lot.

A valid point. Which is why I agree that she has failed according to our modern, present-day standard of Multiculturalism--but I don't know about the standard at the time when it was written.

The "spirit" of the book you keep mentioning, Chimera, is very, very subjective. It's the height of egotism for anyperson to claim they have definitive understanding of an interpretation of a work, especially if that work is not their own.

But this is the author's own work! I'm arguing that she has the right to be upset at the adaptation of her own work--not that my interpretation is best. And can't the author interpret the meaning of the book she wrote? I still maintain that Le Guin has every right, in these cases, to be unhappy with the adaptations--the race of the characters being only one factor that contributed to her unhappiness, though this seems to be the topic we are arguing about now..

Granted, I agree with you that interpreting a work is subjective. And so is the idea of capturing the "spirit" of a work in adaptation. But once we get into subjectivity then anything is possible. There must be some standard. Does the adaptation have the same characters? Not just the names, but people with the same drives, weaknesses, strengths, etc. Does it have the same themes? Does it accomplish the same purpose? I guess these are things I consider when looking at an adaptation. And, if it doesn't, is there a good reason why not? Of course, I guess that is all subjective as well.

In that case, this whole argument is subjective. We're all arguing based on our interpretation of the book and what we think Le Guin meant and whether or not the adaptations were true to that. And I think this argument is just going to go in circles. But it is interesting, nonetheless.

With this tread and the Deseret Book vs. Seagull Book thread, I feel like you guys are revealing all sorts of LDS Publishing conspiracy theories.

You go stacer and HOM! Champions of the unsuspecting LDS masses! (Whether they want--or deserve--it.)

Heh. My little astronaut looks kind of like a night burglar/person in a cat suit. Maybe he's an astronaut who breaks into space stations at night, thus making him a space night burglar!

...or something.