Post by Janeway Forever on Mar 31, 2009 9:30:56 GMT -5
Ok. My heart is broken into a thousand pieces right now. I'm so mad. I'm so very pissed off.
But more than anything I'm dying inside. I finished the second part of the book. And did nothing but cry, or curse throughout the whole d**n thing.
I refuse to read the first part. I won't read up to Janeway's death. I can't read it, knowing what it's leading up to.
But let me just say, for all of Beyer's talk about providing Voyager fans with closure over Janeway's death, this book falls flat. VERY FLAT.
Tom and Harry NEVER even have any visible reaction to her death at all. And they only discuss her death once after the memorial service, and that is in regards to why Chakotay hasn't gotten over it, a mere six weeks later!!
SIX WEEKS, and Tom and Harry are over it?
??
Beyer somehow fails to realize that Janeway was the rock. She was the heart and soul of Voyager. She was the guiding light to her crew. Regardless of whatever horrible things may be occurring around them, the loss of their captain, whom they believed was capable of anything, would be a crippling blow. It would be a life-altering event. Losing the captain who got them home through the Delta Quadrant, who defeated the Kazon, Vidiians, Crenim, Hirogens, Voth, Species 8472, and the Borg, would unnerve them to their souls.
It's not a situation where Tom would be wondering, six weeks later, why Chakotay was acting so strangely.
Beyer seems to have forgotten that Voyager wasn't just a crew. That it was a family. And NO family recovers from losing their mother without first mourning. And no family in mourning goes about business as usual. She doesn't even creep into their thoughts except occasionally.
When B'Elanna and Tom are reunited several months after Janeway's death, one would expect it to come up. Perhaps not at first, but certainly, one would expect it would be discussed. Nope. Not one word about her. Not one word about how she'd saved both of them from themselves. How she'd helped them become the outstanding people they now are because of the faith she put in them when they didn't have faith in themselves.
The last chapter includes B'Elanna's last meeting with Janeway. And it's tender, bittersweet - a scene I'd been waiting to see. But, in the end, it's only used to advance the Miral storyline.
Apparently, Janeway wasn't worthy of being remembered, or mourned properly by any of her crew outside of Seven and Chakotay. And for her to be treated this way, by a self proclaimed "biggest Janeway fan out there" is disgusting.
I don't know if I feel worse for Janeway or her crew in this scenario that Beyer has presented:
1) Janeway lived and died trying to protect a crew she loved so fiercely that she was willing to sacrifice her life for them. Perhaps, had she known that she'd be so quickly forgotten, she would have thought twice before offering up herself so willingly.
or......
2) But ofcourse, her crew are really the ones here to pity. They had this amazing, awe-inspiring angel of a captain. They had a woman who, at times, kept Voyager together with nothing more than her sheer will. And they didn't appreciate her. Not at all. Infact, they were so unmoved by this extraordinary woman that they couldn't even be bothered to care that she had died - saving them.
Janeway's memorial service comprised a mere 11 pages out of this book. (With Tuvok and B'Elanna made known of her death comprising another 5 or so) That's it. For the crew to say good bye. 11 pages. That's roughly 1.98% of the 556-page book. And most of that was either Pheobe Janeway, Seven, or Naomi Wildman, with a little Chakotay thrown in for good measure. I'm sorry, but I don't really care what Pheobe Janeway feels, or even how upset Naomi Wildman may be.
Especially given that we never see anything about how her death has affected Tom, Harry, or the Doctor. All of who are at her memorial service, but don't actually have anything to say, or think about it.
I don't feel like I've gotten closure at all. Rather, I feel like I've been cheated. All over again. Only it's worse, because this time, the one doing the cheating has a smile on her face. I feel like she took a gaping wound, threw a tiny band-aid over it, and wants to know why I haven't moved on yet. Meanwhile, an infection is setting in and taking over the whole body.
I'm done with star trek books. Once and for all. Books should be enjoyable. They shouldn't be like this. Now I'm off to watch some good hearted Voyager before I go manic and do something crazy. As long as I stay away from Coda, I should be good.
But more than anything I'm dying inside. I finished the second part of the book. And did nothing but cry, or curse throughout the whole d**n thing.
I refuse to read the first part. I won't read up to Janeway's death. I can't read it, knowing what it's leading up to.
But let me just say, for all of Beyer's talk about providing Voyager fans with closure over Janeway's death, this book falls flat. VERY FLAT.
Tom and Harry NEVER even have any visible reaction to her death at all. And they only discuss her death once after the memorial service, and that is in regards to why Chakotay hasn't gotten over it, a mere six weeks later!!
SIX WEEKS, and Tom and Harry are over it?
?? Beyer somehow fails to realize that Janeway was the rock. She was the heart and soul of Voyager. She was the guiding light to her crew. Regardless of whatever horrible things may be occurring around them, the loss of their captain, whom they believed was capable of anything, would be a crippling blow. It would be a life-altering event. Losing the captain who got them home through the Delta Quadrant, who defeated the Kazon, Vidiians, Crenim, Hirogens, Voth, Species 8472, and the Borg, would unnerve them to their souls.
It's not a situation where Tom would be wondering, six weeks later, why Chakotay was acting so strangely.
Beyer seems to have forgotten that Voyager wasn't just a crew. That it was a family. And NO family recovers from losing their mother without first mourning. And no family in mourning goes about business as usual. She doesn't even creep into their thoughts except occasionally.
When B'Elanna and Tom are reunited several months after Janeway's death, one would expect it to come up. Perhaps not at first, but certainly, one would expect it would be discussed. Nope. Not one word about her. Not one word about how she'd saved both of them from themselves. How she'd helped them become the outstanding people they now are because of the faith she put in them when they didn't have faith in themselves.
The last chapter includes B'Elanna's last meeting with Janeway. And it's tender, bittersweet - a scene I'd been waiting to see. But, in the end, it's only used to advance the Miral storyline.
Apparently, Janeway wasn't worthy of being remembered, or mourned properly by any of her crew outside of Seven and Chakotay. And for her to be treated this way, by a self proclaimed "biggest Janeway fan out there" is disgusting.
I don't know if I feel worse for Janeway or her crew in this scenario that Beyer has presented:
1) Janeway lived and died trying to protect a crew she loved so fiercely that she was willing to sacrifice her life for them. Perhaps, had she known that she'd be so quickly forgotten, she would have thought twice before offering up herself so willingly.
or......
2) But ofcourse, her crew are really the ones here to pity. They had this amazing, awe-inspiring angel of a captain. They had a woman who, at times, kept Voyager together with nothing more than her sheer will. And they didn't appreciate her. Not at all. Infact, they were so unmoved by this extraordinary woman that they couldn't even be bothered to care that she had died - saving them.
Janeway's memorial service comprised a mere 11 pages out of this book. (With Tuvok and B'Elanna made known of her death comprising another 5 or so) That's it. For the crew to say good bye. 11 pages. That's roughly 1.98% of the 556-page book. And most of that was either Pheobe Janeway, Seven, or Naomi Wildman, with a little Chakotay thrown in for good measure. I'm sorry, but I don't really care what Pheobe Janeway feels, or even how upset Naomi Wildman may be.
Especially given that we never see anything about how her death has affected Tom, Harry, or the Doctor. All of who are at her memorial service, but don't actually have anything to say, or think about it.
I don't feel like I've gotten closure at all. Rather, I feel like I've been cheated. All over again. Only it's worse, because this time, the one doing the cheating has a smile on her face. I feel like she took a gaping wound, threw a tiny band-aid over it, and wants to know why I haven't moved on yet. Meanwhile, an infection is setting in and taking over the whole body.
I'm done with star trek books. Once and for all. Books should be enjoyable. They shouldn't be like this. Now I'm off to watch some good hearted Voyager before I go manic and do something crazy. As long as I stay away from Coda, I should be good.
