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The Italian: or the Confessional of the Black Penitents by Ann Radcliffe. This is another of the Austen "horrid novels", which I have decided to read. I have been reading this at night - slowly, just a chapter or two at a time - and I'm *finally* done. This was, um, slow going. Nothing happens for the first 60 pages, and then little bursts of action alternating with more of nothing-happens. I didn't care too much about the characters, who were basically blank slates. Radcliffe did have several figures here who were basically stolen straight outta Shakespeare - the garrulous peasant/servant who is trying to be helpful, but instead rambles for a page instead of telling you the time-sensitive information he's got? Yeah. Shakespeare did it better. Oh, and I did totally guess the Mysterious Seekrit Identity of a particular character who had no reason to be there other than that she would really turn out to be Our Fair Heroine's Long-Lost Mother. (There, now I've spoiled it for you if you read it. Sorry.)

Time to give myself a little break before charging back into the next one of these. :) Fortunately, the rest on the list are written by folks other than Radcliffe - I think I'm a little Radcliffed out right now.

8 Things Meme

From scottahill, an 8 facts meme:
Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.
At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
Don't forget to leave them a comment telling them they're tagged, and to read your blog.

( cut for memage )

Tagging: allthatjazmyne, journeywoman, kouredios, megastoat, nyssa23, sanj, tea_dragon, xen_opus, and anyone else who feels like it. (I hate tagging people! Do it if you wanna! Don't if you don't!)