#faust.doc

My lukewarm take is that one of the greatest privileges of all is the ability to exist as the «default setting», being seen as just a person, and not as a representative of a group of people who share your gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity or cultural/religious background. Which is why the «not all men» pushback against any mention of structural sexism was what it was. Because suddenly people who were used to being the default setting were being made into representatives of their gender, having to prove that they were better than the stereotypes forced upon them. And they did not like that one bit.

What a terrible time to have sinuses

“Diversity reading where you pick books solely based on the minority demographics to which the author belongs very often comes across as self-congratulatory and somewhat insulting towards the authors” and “Some people really need to read a book written by someone from a different demographic than their own” are statements that can coexist

Unfortunately the backlash (justified) against the “opioid epidemic” has involved so much scaremongering about painkillers that people who really really should be taking painkillers (including, but not limited to, opioids) make it a point of pride that they don’t. Sir/Ma’am, you are currently immobilised in bed because of your pain and I cannot help you with it if you refuse to take even 1 g of Paracetamol. “I don’t take any medication” isn’t the flex you think it is when you’re currently in dire need of medication.

Unfortunately, R. F. Kuang keeps writing novels that seem like they should be extremely my kind of thing, but every time I read an excerpt from «Katabasis», I am violently reminded that the execution isn’t going to live up to the potential of the idea. Maybe it’s the dialogue that entirely lacks character, or maybe it’s the way she approaches the genre of fantastic literature with a discourse sledgehammer instead of a sense of wonder.