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Review - Storm Front
Dec. 15th, 2009 11:36 pmAs I was reading Jim Butcher's Storm Front, I couldn't stop casting one of my friends as Harry Dresden. He loves these books ever so much, and convinced me to read them (though I had already been considering it). I'm starting to wonder whether he tries to be like Harry Dresden sometimes.
In any case, it took me only a couple of hours to read Storm Front. I enjoyed it. It caught and held my attention, there are hints of backstory and foreshadowing, references to classical stuff like the Sword of Damocles, and a reasonably interesting narrator voice. I can't help but think I've met this character voice before, though, numerous times. It's not quite distinctive enough for me, just yet, though it might grow on me and become more distinctive as I read more of the series.
One thing that bothered me a lot was the attitude toward women. The stereotyping of women as somehow fundamentally different to men, more capable of rage and atrocity and crimes of passion. Harry Dresden is quite casually chauvinistic -- I don't mind men opening doors for me; I mind when I get a sense of being patronised. The women aren't shining examples of strong, capable women, either. The largely physical descriptions and the gratuitous sexiness all rather put me off.
Still, it's fun and easy to read, and I'm not turned off reading the series at all. I hope it gets a little more subtle and distinctive as I go along.
In any case, it took me only a couple of hours to read Storm Front. I enjoyed it. It caught and held my attention, there are hints of backstory and foreshadowing, references to classical stuff like the Sword of Damocles, and a reasonably interesting narrator voice. I can't help but think I've met this character voice before, though, numerous times. It's not quite distinctive enough for me, just yet, though it might grow on me and become more distinctive as I read more of the series.
One thing that bothered me a lot was the attitude toward women. The stereotyping of women as somehow fundamentally different to men, more capable of rage and atrocity and crimes of passion. Harry Dresden is quite casually chauvinistic -- I don't mind men opening doors for me; I mind when I get a sense of being patronised. The women aren't shining examples of strong, capable women, either. The largely physical descriptions and the gratuitous sexiness all rather put me off.
Still, it's fun and easy to read, and I'm not turned off reading the series at all. I hope it gets a little more subtle and distinctive as I go along.
