This revelation makes me feel a lot better. I am glad I'm not the only one mentally rifling through the identity label rolodex over this book. I'M NOT ALONE.
I might have benefitted from reading Heyer before this! I never have, not once (I have since acquired one on rec). All my concepts of romance novels are those with explicit sex scenes, and I know I'm also spoiled by fandom in that sense where they're just commonplace (unless I deliberately read about asexual characters/headcanons, which I do from time to time). My view is a pretty limited one, admittedly, which now I know to check when responding to a book. This was a nice learning experience. Expand concept of romance, self, you're no longer trapped in the sticks with no internet reading squeaky clean teen romances. Let other people live, don't be a drag, etc.
I did, actually, get told about characters later in the series, which sounds intriguing (I wonder if I know the character; if it's the one I think I am INTO IT). But I'm also on board with Barthes like 30% or something, where I don't feel like I need to sleuth into who an author is or isn't screwing before I critique a book they've written, which I was definitely told I should have done and that I DIDN'T makes me a butthead. I mean, it was really weird for me to be told that my reading was wrong because the author was ace and because I had opinions contrary to an asexual reading of this book I had OFFENDED HER HONOR and god, human sexuality is so complicated and strange and we have so many feelings about it.
On plus side, now I can make appropriate recs of this title! And read Heyer with proper expectations.
no subject
I might have benefitted from reading Heyer before this! I never have, not once (I have since acquired one on rec). All my concepts of romance novels are those with explicit sex scenes, and I know I'm also spoiled by fandom in that sense where they're just commonplace (unless I deliberately read about asexual characters/headcanons, which I do from time to time). My view is a pretty limited one, admittedly, which now I know to check when responding to a book. This was a nice learning experience. Expand concept of romance, self, you're no longer trapped in the sticks with no internet reading squeaky clean teen romances. Let other people live, don't be a drag, etc.
I did, actually, get told about characters later in the series, which sounds intriguing (I wonder if I know the character; if it's the one I think I am INTO IT). But I'm also on board with Barthes like 30% or something, where I don't feel like I need to sleuth into who an author is or isn't screwing before I critique a book they've written, which I was definitely told I should have done and that I DIDN'T makes me a butthead. I mean, it was really weird for me to be told that my reading was wrong because the author was ace and because I had opinions contrary to an asexual reading of this book I had OFFENDED HER HONOR and god, human sexuality is so complicated and strange and we have so many feelings about it.
On plus side, now I can make appropriate recs of this title! And read Heyer with proper expectations.