Malinda Lo
Blog
Nov 19, 2008
Book report: “Graceling” by Kristin Cashore (warning: rant ahead)
Graceling is set in a world in which some people are graced with gifts. They might be as pleasurable as the grace of fine cooking, or as deadly as the one that Katsa has; she is graced with the ability to kill. Because of this grace, she becomes the tool of a corrupt king who sends her to torture or assassinate whomever he wishes. She’s not exactly pleased with this, and the story of Graceling is not only an adventure but also the story of Katsa coming to understand and master her own strength.
This was an excellent read. It was gripping, it was exciting, and it presented a very unique character. Katsa is often very angry, and the way that Kristin Cashore showed Katsa’s anger and frustration was expertly done. Because of her personality, Katsa could have come off as irritating, but I thought she was fascinating. I also loved the fact that Katsa is not a typical girlie girl — she is, in fact, one of the butchest characters in fiction I’ve read about lately. She’s especially butch in the last part of the book, which involves her battling the forces of nature and fighting mountain lions while rescuing a princess. Seriously! Katsa kicks some ass for sure.
However, she’s not a lesbian (sadly). Katsa falls in love with a sexy prince, and that romance is quite intense. I must admit, though, that romance was my least favorite part of the book. Yes, that’s partly because I felt that Katsa really should have been gay dammit! But OK, I’ll grant you that some girls who kick ass can be straight.
And Katsa’s straight but definitely does not fall into the category of typical straight heroine who wants to marry the prince. In fact, she straightforwardly says that she will never marry — women in Katsa’s world are often forced into arranged marriages and, once married, are expected to bend to the will of their husbands. So I think it’s absolutely right that she declares she will never marry. I was shocked to find that the first two reviews on Amazon called out this fact as a warning sign.
Heidi Anne Heiner wrote:
I highly recommend the novel but I have to do so with a warning. If it matters to you, the book has a rather anti-marriage message in it which fits the main character’s personality, but will be the most problematic element for some readers.
And Unity Dienes, in a review titled “Loved it! But conservative parents take note,” wrote:
Also, and this is probably the “biggie” for conservative parents, Katsa rejects the concept of marriage, and there are several times when one or another character implies that it is a yoke that will force a couple to stay together regardless of their actual feelings. Being lovers is somewhat extolled as demonstrating their real trust and commitment to one another, since they are together without being forced, and love each other enough to set each other free if the love fades.
This book may actually allow parents to discuss these themes with teens, who need to decide where they stand on sex and marriage. However, some parents may decide just to skip this one if they don’t want to deal with the issues.
OK, given that Proposition 8 passed in California, I guess I should not be so shocked that people are trying to police traditional marriage even in book reviews on Amazon. But I am shocked. I mean, come on. How many books out there are about young women who pretty much only want to get married to the man of their dreams? Have you noticed the entire genre of romance fiction? Not to mention chick lit (which I admit I do like from time to time), and countless books about teen girls and their freaking boyfriends?
I’m sorry, but one book in which a girl — who clearly sees how marriage in her society is a yoke around a woman’s neck — refuses to be someone’s chattel, is not only perfectly acceptable but frankly, I think every girl should read it. Yes, I believe in marriage, but I do not believe that traditional heterosexual marriage should be championed as the best and only relationship that every girl should aspire to.
Do I sound upset? Yes. Because Graceling was an unusual book, and it was unusual because it was about a girl who stood up for herself and rejected what EVIL men wanted from her. Would it truly be better for Katsa to see how terrible marriage was in her society and yet still want to be a part of it? I’m glad she doesn’t buy into the fantasy of (straight) marriage.
So, even though Katsa is straight (hell, because she’s straight), I recommend Graceling highly. I don’t come across too many adventures with female heroines who don’t like to wear dresses and who don’t fall in love with vampires. Go and read it; it’s a wonderful story with clear and elegant writing, admirably told.
Malinda,
I am thoroughly with you on this one. It’s like any criticism of the institution of marriage (and I too want to get married myself one day to the woman of my dreams), won’t be tolerated at all. Any idea that anyone might want anything different is squashed as somehow it’s a reflection on themselves.
I talk to my poly friends who often experience this from close-minded monogamous people who they aren’t even dating.
But I wanted to specifically comment on the bit about loving a character and then having her be straight.
I’m a scifi/fantasy nut … having been introduced to such when I was just starting to read by my father, who put Heinlein, Clarke, Asiomov, Herbert, etc in front of me … and while I know now that I totally didn’t understand half the stuff therein, along with the periods spent watching Star Trek: TNG with my Dad, I fell in love with the genre. Particular the big galactic scope space-opera stuff (although being a feminist, I have a hard time going back and rereading the old masters).
But I run into the same thing. One of the things I adored about scifi/fantasy growing up was having regular female characters that were strong/intelligent/powerful in their own right, and didn’t go launching themselves constantly trying to ‘land’ a man. So many other genres did not have that.
But the thing was, in EVERY SINGLE ONE the females, if they did have sexualities, were ALWAYS STRAIGHT. Time, after time, after time, after time, I’d find characters that, while independent and strong, would be straight.
Just desperately, I wanted to come across a gay female character that wasn’t trapped on some planet with no men (or a society, or whatever), nor a place where gender had been eradicated … just some woman with space-boots, a big gun, a sexy-uniform, and a lesbian sexuality.
*sigh*
But alas, it continues today. So sure, while it’s certainly okay for a singular book to have a character that is straight (cool that she rejects marriage, that rocks), I have found so many times now I have had a “Oh, here we go again” as yet another female character I liked goes all boinking with some male character. Again, and again, and again. Book, after book, after book.
Just a few regular characters that are gay wouldn’t be too much to ask, would it?
It just gets a tad depressing after a while is all. Particularly with the ones you just know SHOULD be gay.
Sarah, I totally hear you. It is extremely frustrating to never find any lesbians in sci fi except on planets where there are no men. Obviously there are a few exceptions (I think both Nicola Griffith and Kelley Eskridge have written such exceptions), but they are very few and far between.
Another thing I found interesting about Graceling was that there were two male characters who seemed to be a gay couple, but it was only suggested. The author has said on her blog that she won’t reveal that, but I kind of wish she would. We clearly need the visibility.
The obsession with marriage in the US continues to puzzle me. It’s such a contrast with the Netherlands, where basically no one really cares. Less and less people are getting married and more and more straight folks actually choose to have civil unions instead.
It never bothers me so much that most characters, like the one you describe, are straight, but it does piss me off that they always have to have some kind of romance. Would it really have hurt the story if Katsa did not fall in love with some prince?
I think both Nicola Griffith and Kelley Eskridge have written such exceptions
Do you mind me asking what type of scifi they write, Malinda? I’ve been enjoying a guilty enjoyment of space-opera/space-military books lately (a lot published by Baen Books as it happens)
We clearly need the visibility.
*nods* completely … I often hear “but we don’t make the straight characters come out about their sexuality!” … and of course, the obvious answer is, you don’t have to when they’re a majority. The comparison doesn’t work, because they’re not the same.
Seriously, I’ve read a book and just had a passing reference to a lesbian character happen, and I’ll spend the rest of the book desperately searching for more about that character.
Well, Natazz, I actually think the story would have been totally different if Katsa hadn’t fallen in love with the prince, so in this case, I guess the answer is yes.
Sarah, I haven’t read Kelley Eskridge’s novel, SOLITAIRE, but it’s definitely not space opera (a fun genre!). It’s been a long time since I’ve read Nicola Griffith’s SLOW RIVER, but it’s not space opera either. It’s set in the near future and involves biotechnology, and it won the Nebula Award. She has also written AMMONITE, about a planet in which a virus kills off all the men.