Star Wars: Blogs | Sunnyskywalker's Star Wars Stuff | At long last, I reread Courtship.

Sunnyskywalker's Star Wars Stuff

date posted: Jul 06, 2006 4:28 PM

At long last, I reread Courtship.

I have such a love/hate relationship with The Courtship of Princess Leia. I finally decided to reread it slowly. And take notes.

My goal was to figure out exactly why I can't just toss the book aside - I mean, it's full of horribly purple descriptions straight out of a bad romance novel! What is it that draws me to the book even as I slam my head into the desk with every other painful sentence?

I haven't gotten very far yet - only four chapters - but I think I have a partial answer. It has the potential to be an interesting conflict. It is tough to be a public figure, and there probably would be a lot of pressure on Leia to dump Han and marry someone else. There's all sorts of interesting openings to think about how well political marriages work, the nature of love, and so on. (There's also action sequences, but I haven't gotten to those yet and don't remember them very well anyway.)

But it's so frustrating. Why can't Leia think something is not quite right at first, even be a little offended at Isolder's method of proposing, and then slowly come to appreciate his better qualities and then feel confused about whom she loves? Why is everyone in the New Republic completely blinded by the Hapans' beauty? Even Han can't stop thinking about what hot stuff Isolder is. It gets old pretty quickly.

So my notes have been far more heavily weighted toward the "really, really hate that" side than toward the "hey, that's actually neat!" side. My response to that was to at least try to make jokes about it. The book really could be a great teaching tool ("How not to write romance"), and when you get in the right mood, it is pretty funny. How could it not be, when the New Republic greets foreign ambassadors with w00t horns?

I decided I might as well post my notes chapter by chapter and see what other people have to say about the book. If you haven't read it, or haven't read it lately, here's your chance to go through it in detail without actually reading it! If you feel like mocking it, grab a spork! If you like it, defend it! (I do mention when I find something I like, so I might help you out.)

I'll post the notes one chapter at a time over on my LiveJournal. The first one is up already.

http://blogs.starwars.com/sunnyskywalker/57

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	solo smelly
date Posted: Jul 06, 2006 4:34 PM This novel is one of my favourites. I loved the humor in it - especially C-3PO song dedicated to Han. Oops...hope i havent spoiled anything! Sorry! I look forward to reading more chapter analysis from you.

	anakinside1 Echoes from the Asteroid Field
date Posted: Jul 06, 2006 4:51 PM Oh dear! I forgot about the C3PO song! That was a bit much for me.... A lot of the book did go too far, but I did like seeing how the author created two societies that competely turned our gender assumptions upside down.

	Sunnyskywalker Sunnyskywalker's Star Wars Stuff
date Posted: Jul 06, 2006 5:44 PM Yeah, that's one of the things I like about it too. It's interesting to watch them clash with the more male-dominated NR, too. Depending on my mood, I either really want to send Threepio to the spice mines of Kessel for that song, or make Anthony Daniels film it so I can watch it and laugh myself silly.

Zelaskowski

date Posted: Jul 06, 2006 5:56 PM

I agree with your opinion! I pushed my way through reading it, cringing all the while, just because it was Star Wars. It reminded me more of Star Trek (which, by the way, I love!) than Wars. The song was great, but the whole gender issue seemed like they were throwing us women a bone! On another note, my copy has a different cover. No wedding dress in sight. That actually cracks me up. I see a scene in my head of Leia pulling on seams, tugging on pantyhose, cursing about heels, anything but being happy in that dress!

solo smelly

date Posted: Jul 06, 2006 6:23 PM

The cover on my book has Leia, Han and Luke dressed in the costumes they wore in ROTJ. With a rancor on it as well. I found it weird but cool that rancors could be saddled up and used as transport...

or make Anthony Daniels film it so I can watch it and laugh myself silly.

I would laugh with you!

What about the part when Threepio recites the poem to Han in the bar then translates it to Basic... then he said it was like 5 hundred thousand lines or something of it!

Sunnyskywalker
Sunnyskywalker's Star Wars Stuff

date Posted: Jul 06, 2006 6:49 PM

I have the rancor cover too. I see a scene in my head of Leia pulling on seams, tugging on pantyhose, cursing about heels, anything but being happy in that dress That would be awesome. "I look like a snow beast!"

The further I read, the more conflicted I am about the gender issue. It's really, really great that there are cultures with different gender expectations in the Star Wars galaxy, and I'm glad to see a book that explores that, but I have the same problem with it that I have with everything else in this book. It's not the concept, it's the execution.

	Zelaskowski
date Posted: Jul 06, 2006 7:07 PM Exactly! (the gender issue's execution) It's presented in an almost "spaceballs" kind of way. Too over the top to seem realistic. Obviously, as fans of sci-fi, we care capable of suspending belief, but give us good material to start down that believing path!!! I want the FANTASY of another culture or world, not a parody of one!!!

	Sunnyskywalker Sunnyskywalker's Star Wars Stuff
date Posted: Jul 06, 2006 7:30 PM Yeah. I mean, I can accept a certain amount of over-the-topness (this is Star Wars), but you have to draw the line somewhere. I've been far too excited about the little signs of a real Hapan culture (rather than a parody) that I've found so far, because there aren't enough of them for my taste.

spartanclone

date Posted: Jul 21, 2006 8:53 AM

wow you guys are harsh on this book. i really thought it was an excelent read. i will admit that at times there was a certin amount of cheese going on. but for the most part i thought i was a really cool cross section of a backwater culture. the romance parts of the books I THOUGHT were well writen in a compelling way that gave a you a genuine look at the characters reaction to love in the changing galaxy. i loved the descriptions of Dathomir. and Yoda's warning to Luke of be "repulsed by the witches". GOOD STUFF.

Sunnyskywalker
Sunnyskywalker's Star Wars Stuff

date Posted: Aug 16, 2006 3:12 PM

I'm usually more easy-going, but there are too many points in this book where I feel like the characters say or do certain things just to keep the plot moving rather than for any logical reason. (And by logical, I mean something the character might actually do rather than something the author wants him/her to do.) Why wouldn't Leia be suspicious of Hapes a teensy-weensy bit, or at least less enthusiastic about possibly moving there, after a Hapan tried to assassinate her? Because if she did get suspicious, there wouldn't be enough conflict between her and Han! I think Wolverton could have come up with better reasons for Leia and Han to argue and better reasons for her to consider marrying Isolder.

Sunnyskywalker
Sunnyskywalker's Star Wars Stuff

date Posted: Aug 16, 2006 3:15 PM

That said, I agree with you that a lot of the descriptive details are excellent. I loved the scene with Luke on Toola (despite a few cheesy moments - it really was great), and right now I'm especially loving the Tarot symbolism in the sabaac game. There's also many hints that Threkin Horm has a lot of skeletons in his family closet in chapter six which may explain a lot of his apparently cardboard/"too conveniently aiding the author" characterization.

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