You should! Of course, I'm biased because I would die for Bren Cameron. :) It is definitely full of inner thoughts (though there's really only one character's, plus his speculations on others), which I think is kind of a function of Bren's position both politically and narratively.
In-universe, the entire function of Bren's job is to be the only human in a sea of alienness that is different enough to require interpretation and translation. Bren not only has to second-guess every thing he says or does to make sure it won't cause friction with the atevi, he also has to triple-guess when reacting to atevi actions, because there's a fundamental misalignment with human logic than can kill if he missteps. His job is to explain humans to atevi and vice-versa across a dangerous biochemical and emotional gulf.
Narratively speaking, Bren's function is as a fish-out-of-water POV. He's surrounded by aliens with dissimilar instincts and emotions, so to convey this there has to be something that demonstrates the gulf. Bren's attempts to interpret atevi thoughts and motives are part of that, and the inner narratives also demonstrate his aloneness - he can't have someone who serves as a sounding board, because then his isolation and alienation are undermined. The same thing would happen if we changed POV; if you narrate from an atevi mindset, then you lose the intensity of Bren's distance AND the incomprehensibility of his alien company. (I have strong feelings about the introduction of Cajeiri, okay.)
But, uh, anyway! You asked about food!
I will say I am the most boring person when it comes to food; I live alone so I tend to cook one or two dishes on my day off and then eat them till they're gone. Whether that's curried lentils or steak tacos or pasta.
I sometimes joke that I only have one recipe, and it goes like this: put some protein and vegetables in a skillet with some kind of fat and seasoning. In another pot, make some kind of grain. Combine them and eat. :D
That covers everything from chicken stir fry over rice to lamb shawerma in pita to tilapia filets on quinoa, all of which are things I have made in the not-too-distant past. (Except maybe the shawerma? I rarely buy lamb because it's so expensive, but I love it.)
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branchandroot
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Date: 2018-10-06 02:15 am (UTC)In-universe, the entire function of Bren's job is to be the only human in a sea of alienness that is different enough to require interpretation and translation. Bren not only has to second-guess every thing he says or does to make sure it won't cause friction with the atevi, he also has to triple-guess when reacting to atevi actions, because there's a fundamental misalignment with human logic than can kill if he missteps. His job is to explain humans to atevi and vice-versa across a dangerous biochemical and emotional gulf.
Narratively speaking, Bren's function is as a fish-out-of-water POV. He's surrounded by aliens with dissimilar instincts and emotions, so to convey this there has to be something that demonstrates the gulf. Bren's attempts to interpret atevi thoughts and motives are part of that, and the inner narratives also demonstrate his aloneness - he can't have someone who serves as a sounding board, because then his isolation and alienation are undermined. The same thing would happen if we changed POV; if you narrate from an atevi mindset, then you lose the intensity of Bren's distance AND the incomprehensibility of his alien company. (I have strong feelings about the introduction of Cajeiri, okay.)
But, uh, anyway! You asked about food!
I will say I am the most boring person when it comes to food; I live alone so I tend to cook one or two dishes on my day off and then eat them till they're gone. Whether that's curried lentils or steak tacos or pasta.
I sometimes joke that I only have one recipe, and it goes like this: put some protein and vegetables in a skillet with some kind of fat and seasoning. In another pot, make some kind of grain. Combine them and eat. :D
That covers everything from chicken stir fry over rice to lamb shawerma in pita to tilapia filets on quinoa, all of which are things I have made in the not-too-distant past. (Except maybe the shawerma? I rarely buy lamb because it's so expensive, but I love it.)