Changing Seasons

I just finished re-reading A Great and Terrible Beauty, which I read ages ago and had mostly forgotten. I do remember that when I read it for the first time I didn't think it was the greatest book of all time. I should mention that I still don't think it is the greatest book of all time, but in re-reading it I have found myself going, several times, "This is beautiful".

I know why I didn't like it when I was a freshman in high school -- the characters weren't perfect; indeed, Pippa annoyed me, Ann was bland and Felicity seemed cliche, Gemma just bothered me, and in the end they didn't get their 'proper comeuppance'. The plot moved a little slowly for me at the time. The end came suddenly and seemed unexpected.

What a difference eight years and a world of experience and looking at media differently can do to you. A Great and Terrible Beauty is brilliant in its treatment of the characters -- Felicity and Pippa are not granted sudden redemption by becoming friends with Gemma, and even our narrator isn't above reproach. She has such real emotions -- the desire to fit in, and be the queen bee, and also to look after Ann -- pettiness is something she can go for. They are full of depths and interesting places they could go and it is a true flaw, not a Mary-Sue flaw that isn't one.

Its also beautifully written. There were so many lines that were like poetry (something I used to hate).

Anyways, I just find it so interesting the way my tastes have changed to enjoy the way things are structured and produced, how characters can't be perfect for me to like them any more, and appreciation of the imperfections is what I really enjoy these days. Sure, its to be expected, but I still find it to be cool.