On the subject of Jeanette Wintersen, I am not too familiar with her work, having only read “Written On The Body”, but she strikes me as the most depressing woman on the planet. It stands to reason Jenny, that if you were expecting something in her style and you picked a Wodehouse, you would have been dsappointed.

I’ve heard very good things about the TV show. Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie did it together, and I know they play off each other beautifully, or they have done in everything I’ve seen them in.

Were they short stories? I think I might do better with short stories. So far, the novels haven’t had enough to them to leave me feeling completely satisfied, but that might not be a problem with short stories.

Yes! Exactly! I know that words are not the whole battle, but I think they can be a fairly vital part of the battle. And you do have to pay attention to what words are being used. “Retard” used to be okay; “cisgender” was not always a thing. I HAVE ADAPTED.

That woman sounds maddening. Did she say “I’m not racist but…”? I was just talking with my sister and her boyfriend the other day about people who say “I’m not racist but…” It is rarely a sign that what’s about to come out of their mouths will be awash with tolerance and good taste.

It sounds good! Lucky you commented and reminded me about it, because I’d forgotten to update my TBR list with these titles.

I can second that GreenGrassRunningWater is excellent.

I’ve noticed that people sometimes almost seem to get mad at me for minding those things in older books, but I can’t help the fact that I’m a person from 2010 reading it today and realising just how awful it is.

Yes! This just happened to me today! And it really annoys me, because it’s not like they get a free pass just because they lived in less enlightened times, or whatever. People back then knew what racism and prejudice was, they just chose to perpetuate it instead of, uh, not.

(But the woman I was arguing with basically refuses to believe anyone is racist, even when they use racist terms and so on. “Because that old person grew up during a time when it was okay to say “darkie/nigger/other racial slur” to a black woman! She didn’t mean to be racist it’s just what they said back then!” YEAH, BUT IT IS NO LONGER THAT TIME. CHANGE.)

>:(

Don’t start with this one! Read Psmith instead!

I guess my thing is, calling someone “a product of their time” can often be a way of excusing people for failing to think critically. Wodehouse was writing in the 1930s. It wouldn’t have been as easy for him to be racially sensitive as it is for, say, me, but it wouldn’t have been impossible. Like I said to Nymeth, he went for the easy laugh using racial stereotypes, and he didn’t need to. Hrmph.