InsaneJournal

I've been reading The Alienist by Caleb Carr, which a friend recommended a few years ago, and it's incredible. A psychological crime novel, to put it bluntly, but definitely with a lot more going for it than most modern thrillers. It's well-written, with a distinctive, old-fashioned style very different from, say, James Patterson or John Grisham (whose books I love, don't get me wrong, but their so-called "writing styles" are not ones I would boast of - not meaning to sound so obnoxiously snotty). The bulk of the novel takes place in 1896 New York, as the narrator likes to point out obsessively for some reason, and it's very heavily researched, staying as historically and culturally accurate as possible. Mostly, it has been the plot that's engrossed me for the last few days, intriguing and unique as it is, but I've definitely become attached to many of the characters. 

[SPOILER TO FOLLOW] In fact, I had the wild notion of writing a fanfiction from one of the side character's perspective (I forbid anyone to comment on how wild you think that notion is) and was beginning to plot out her story when I turned the page and - lo and behold, she died. To be honest, I wasn't particularly attached to her character, but she had a close relationship with one of the more major characters whom I was invested in and who was unbelievably devastated by her death. That was the relationship I had wanted to explore in a fanfiction. Reading that main character's resulting anguish brought on my first onslaught of tears for this book, and I had to put the book down, promising myself to finish it tomorrow. Anyway, I've just been kind of devastated myself and wanted to vent a bit - it's a little embarassing how much stories can affect me, and no one else I know suffers this same complex, so livejournal seems like the next best option, unless I feel like talking to myself. So, I'm hoping I can still somehow salvage a fanfiction from the remains of that situation. 

Also, I'm really sorry for being the queen of fickleness when it comes to responding/commenting/etc. I've been a little busy and frustrated lately with applying to Chinese colleges (the bane of my existence! I hate them! I hate them!) amongst other problems, so have abandoned the internet for a little while and will continue to do so. Really sorry for anyone expecting a response!

Question of the Day: Why have camcorders become obsolete? There's no other replacement, and we need them!