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Book rec: Gossamer Axe
16.
Gael Baudino: Gossamer Axe
An Irish mortal-turned-immortal harpist-turned-guitarists forms a Heavy Metal band to rescue her lover from the realm of the Sidhe.
When I first heard the premise for this book I found it hard to take seriously. It sounded heard to pull off, to say the least. And yet, Gael Baudino somehow does it. Yes, the book becomes a bit preachy at times and silly at others, but it mostly works, and she always pulls it back so that it does. The main character is thoroughly enjoyable because she is competent, confident, and purposeful in what she does. The biggest hit with me was the author's music theory framework for her magic system, it's not often that you read about anyone using phrygian mode anymore.
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In the book, I found her dianic neopaganism a bit preachy at times I did enjoy the bit about the inner goddess and sex-as-giving to someone who needs intimacy and emotional connection rather than has sexual gratification. It's a concept that rings so true and I wish it were more common in literature.
Sex used to disturb me a lot growing up because I came to view it as an act of physical contact perpetrated by an active, dominant, controlling man to a passive, permissive, submissive woman not giving her consent. When I first encountered sex as something shared and enjoyed (somewhere in MZB's oeuvre, I believe) I was deeply intrigued, and I think this book would have been excellent for me at that age.
Most of my books are also still at my parents' place. My room is a storage/guest room and the books aren't bothering anyone, though there is still over a meter of books that I haven't gotten round to even over there and I'm not sure I ever will.
Hopefully I'll have a library room at some point. :D
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You can put everything into words so perfectly.
Thiiis has nearly made me cry each time I've read it. Thank you. I always feel as if I'm bumbling with my words and never quite expressing what I want to--or at least not expressing it clearly, coherently, and cohesively--so hearing this meant the world to me. It's a wonderful reminder that sometimes I can do it right!
Totally agreed on the dianic neopaganism; I remember thinking that even as a young reader. I'd definitely be interested in reading it again more than half a decade later to see what I picked up on.
I came to view it as an act of physical contact perpetrated by an active, dominant, controlling man to a passive, permissive, submissive woman not giving her consent.
I'm trying to remember how I used to view sex, at least in literature. I've always known about queer people in real life; my role model growing up was a lesbian and, while the idea of sex never interested me, I did always have the idea that it was something two consenting adults did because they found something they liked in it. I think the first time I ever read sex was in The Princess Bride. I can't remember much of it except that I was quite interested in it--and in Buttercup more than her partner. I loved the idea of how much pleasure she was getting from it. I'd like to re-read that one, too, I think; I must have read it for the first time when I was 12 or 13.
My rather large 'to read' collection of books is upstairs in my parents' house, still in my old bedroom (which is now a storage/guest room, so I suppose the same situation!). It's just about the only thing I actually have left there and I made the deal with my mother that it could stay because there was no way I'd be able to fit the shelf in my tiny little bedroom. She's also a bit more excited now that she's knows it's a "to read" pile and that she is welcome to grab any book from it at any time.
Mmm a library room. I'd love to have one with a hidden door.