|
|
[Narnia Content Note: Depression, Misogyny, Death by Exposure]
Narnia Recap: The trio have met the Green Lady and are now obsessed with going to Harfang.
The Silver Chair, Chapter 7: The Hill of the Strange Trenches
I've mentioned throughout this book that I really like the traveling parts of this tale. I like travel tales, probably because I can't travel so there's a vicarious interest there. I was one of those who really liked the bits in The Hunger Games where Katniss had to, like, iodize water or whatever because I think shit like that is cool. One of my biggest gripes when I tried to read the unabridged version of Journey to the Center of the Earth (it's awful) was that they took meat and biscuits "enough to last six months" but "of water, not a drop". Instead they took gourds expecting to find all the drinkable water they'd need on the way. Gah!
I mention all that to now mention this: I'm in a spring cleaning mood because of the nice weather, and I've been reading a lot of DIY organization sites which are a real head-trip for me, but in a good way. I got to a tip about storing nails and screws and tiny things in DYMO labeled Altoid tins and I was like "aha! something I can do!" because fuck putting up shelves and things on my nice empty walls. (Empty walls for the win, is all I'm saying.) Anyway. I was startled and pleased to realize that there is an entire industry of used Altoid tins on eBay and you should never throw your Altoid tins away because you can sell them for, like, a dollar each.
Why? you ask. Because survivalists and campers and such have all these lovely instructions for making first aid kits and camping kits out of Altoid tins. I read up on several of these and was fascinated and very amused to find that the survivalist kits recommend carrying condoms in the Altoid tin because a condom can hold a gallon of water. One, I am dubious about this measurement. Two, I was sad to see that not every instruction site mentioned getting condoms which are not pre-lubed or spermicided, as this seems an important detail to neglect like that. Three, one site suggested that in the absence of purification tablets, a day in the sun will kill all nasty things in the water, and I'm dubious about this as well. Four, mostly I really just want condoms to be handed out at, like, Boy Scout meetings in order for the Texas politicians to have a fit, because this would amuse me.
Shut Up!
|
|
|
[Narnia Content Note: Racism, Animal Cruelty, Misogyny]
Narnia Recap: Jill and Eustace are on an adventure with Puddleglum.
The Silver Chair, Chapter 6: The Wild Waste Lands of the North
Sorry I haven't updated sooner; life got busy and then Husband got sick (and still is, poor bab) and Jill ended up taking kind of a backseat for awhile.
Chapter 6 is difficult to pull apart because it's simultaneously sorta empty and full at the same time. Not a lot happens, but we're finally on our journey and there's a lot to see and look at, and in terms of just "reading for enjoyment", this is probably my favorite chapter in all of the Narnia series just because we're finally allowed to look around us for a little while and drop all the theologies. The problem is that Lewis couldn't drop both the theologies and the racist xenophobia so... hang on to your hats.
The chapter opens with the trio setting off over the moor. The going isn't hard but it's clearly not comfortable, and a decent balance is struck between the two, I think. Again I'm reminded of the traveling bits in Lord of the Rings, which I also liked because there's something fundamentally nice and warm and cozy (to me) to be found in reading about long cold wet travels when you're in your warm dry comfy home.
Shut Up!
