Ruby Granger #6 Holes in tights and Victorian delights!

[tsuyu]

Thanks @Bookperuser for the title

Anyone want to recap?
I'm just working on linking the chapters of her book like last thread so they're easy to find

Erimentha Parker's To Do List
User @Satisfying Click has been reading Ruby's debut story, summaries of each chapter are linked below
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 8b
Chapter 9
Chapter 11 (no chapter 10)
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21

 

[buflesse]

-Ruby is still pretending that the holocaust memorial ad controversy wasn't a thing and has now stopped mentioning the hastily put together 'plan' to fund a memorial in an 'underfunded state school'

-her house continues to be filthy and she continues to wander round in thin summer dresses and white ballet tights, twirling in the garden etc

-she has become obsessed with surface level Victorian roleplay. Also being a scullery maid is apparently aesthetic

-her book insights are shallow and she also apparently doesn't think it's worth reading books by living authors. She supposedly reads enormous amounts but will count a 7 page short story as a book

-Martha has gone back to uni, presumably to escape the neo Victorian hellscape

 

[bublifuk]

About the Murakami quote she put in her story - the character says he only reads literature that's still relevant after the authors have been dead for 30+ years because he doesn't want to waste his time (as there's only so many books you can read in your lifetime). Not because he's living in the past, he's just pretentious (iirc, it's been a while since I read NW).

Not sure why Ruby put that on her story. She's constantly re-reading the same (children's') books? She's not exactly "smart" about how she spends her reading time then. Ironically, just before that paragraph, the main character talks about how he's re-reading The Great Gatsby for the third time, Ruby should've been able to relate to that part a lot more, but I guess it's not as dark academia as she'd like.

I checked her Goodreads stats and she does read a lot of old works but she reads just as many contemporary books: https://www.goodreads.com/review/pub_year_graph/21679362. I don't understand why she wants to fit into a stupid aesthetic so badly.

Also, I hope for her that Erimentha will be long forgotten before she even hits 30, let alone 30 years after her death.

(taken from old thread)

 

[CatCafe234]

I’m sure she’s written something very similar in Erimentha - I seem to remember Erimentha saying she only reads books published before 1960, or something ... Ruby’s probably shared this thinking she’s found a kindred spirit without thinking any more deeply about it or what the author’s trying to say about the character.

 

[Ilaariaa]

The character who says that in Norwegian Wood is a pretentious, obnoxious prick who cheats on his girlfriend lol surely Ruby understands that the quote is meant to make him come off like that? Like, you're meant to read that and think "wow, this guy is the definition of pretentious". Not to find it relatable lol

 

[Griftwood]

lol RooBee, once again missing the point

 

[moosesauna]

The character who says that in Norwegian Wood is a pretentious, obnoxious prick who cheats on his girlfriend lol surely Ruby understands that the quote is meant to make him come off like that? Like, you're meant to read that and think "wow, this guy is the definition of pretentious". Not to find it relatable lol

I was just about to say this!! A lot of Murakami's central characters aren't really intended to be likeable, or are at least a little questionable ... though Ruby's the kind of person to read Lolita and come out of it saying smth like 'Humbert's vocabulary was so large! He was so smart!'

 

[roundmidnight]

You'd expect, or at the very least THINK, a literature student would be able to understand basic characterization which, by itself, can be a criticism of a group of behaviors and ideas... I mean, I've never read Murakami, but even by exclusively reading that page anyone can easily tell that by no means is that flabbergasting way of reading books being praised. Ruby, to be a "bookworm" is to actually read books. It's not a practice in fantasizing about reading them.

 

[moosesauna]

You'd expect, or at the very least THINK, a literature student would be able to understand basic characterization which, by itself, can be a criticism of a group of behaviors and ideas... I mean, I've never read Murakami, but even by exclusively reading that page anyone can easily tell that by no means is that flabbergasting way of reading books being praised. Ruby, to be a "bookworm" is to actually read books. It's not a practice in fantasizing about reading them.

Someone a few threads ago was speculating about her being autistic/on the spectrum, and it seems possible? She seems to take everything literally, and researches her interests thoroughly but never seems to get into the heart of the subjects, if that makes sense.

 

[roundmidnight]

Someone a few threads ago was speculating about her being autistic/on the spectrum, and it seems possible? She seems to take everything literally, and researches her interests thoroughly but never seems to get into the heart of the subjects, if that makes sense.

What I know about autism is enough to make me never open my mouth about it - I know nothing. However, I do think that Ruby simply never allows herself to actually digest a book and its nuances. Moreover, she never reads anything that actually takes effort to digest (in comparison to what she usually reads). So in a sense I think that she just lacks the sensibility to not take everything so literally, as many people often do (which is totally okay if you don't consider yourself a "bookworm" to the point where it's a label of your personality). This is odd, of course, considering that she's a lit student. Anyhow, she's reading Murakami, so that in itself is a step in the right direction.

(Disclaimer: I hope I didn't sound snobbish when talking about what she reads and what she doesn't. It's not that I believe some books are above others, I couldn't be less arsed about what one reads. It's just that in Ruby's case, it's not far-fetched to think that she'd gain by reading books that are acclaimed to be good, in order to both develop a sense of opinion and taste and, in general, basic literature knowledge and, like I said before, sensibility).

 

[otravlen]

Someone a few threads ago was speculating about her being autistic/on the spectrum, and it seems possible? She seems to take everything literally, and researches her interests thoroughly but never seems to get into the heart of the subjects, if that makes sense.

long time lurker i’ve been diagnosed with autism and Ruby definitely seems as if she could be on the spectrum

(obviously i’m not a professional who could diagnose her though)

 

[wastelandbaby]

I find Ruby incredibly rigid in her reading to the point where it borders on snobbery. She seems to praise books on their reputation rather than their actual content, even in her Good Reads reviews. I remember her saying somewhere that she knows how to judge if she'll like a book - that's great, but also means she sticks very firmly to her comfort zone (aka The Little Princess). I don't know many people who read avidly who don't want to explore new genres and new authors, it just strikes me as very strange.

 

[bublifuk]

What I find strange is that Ruby barely reads non-Western literature. Her reading habits are almost a perfect mirror of her scratch off map, i.e. core Anglosphere and Western Europe. Especially for a lit student that's quite sad. Reading other perspectives (geographics-, socioeconomics-, and culture-wise) can give you so much: more knowledge, understanding and empathy, a better feel for language. All stuff that Ruby seriously lacks imo.

As Fran Lebowitz said, "A book is not supposed to be a mirror, it's supposed to be a door." So I'm glad to see her reading Murakami now (although I strongly believe that's gonna be the last Murakami she's gonna read in a while ).

 

[café au lait]

Recap: (I haven’t gotten everything, so please add anything I've missed!)

- is still oblivious to her privilege
- still hasn’t properly addressed the Holocaust Memorial Day situation, and probably never will
- still idolizes her favorite characters and people to the highest degree, and all the character traits, behaviors, etc. she bases off of those favorite characters and people are very surface-level (much like most of her book reviews, although, to her credit, her last book-related video was an improvement)
- still continues to model herself on Hermione from the first two? Harry Potter books
- is a sucker for anything boarding school-related (for more information, reference her Aesthetic Bookshelf Tour video ft. her aesthetic bookshelf and The Austere Academy, the fifth book in A Series of Unfortunate Events)
- could be best friends with Carmelita Spats (see above)
- cottageacademiadarkwintervictoriancore (who knows what aesthetic we’re on at this point)
- and a new moodboard featuring said aesthetic
- gravitates towards anything childlike or pertaining to childhood
- probably sucks the life out of her lecturers much like Erimentha sucks the life out of the people around her (poor Mr. Aldridge)
- the most hilarious reviews of Erimentha Parker’s To Do List (aka her autobiography/fanfiction about herself) by @ Satisfying Click (check tsuyu's post above for links!)
- lots of discussion on Erimentha Parker’s To Do List (ft. Grandmama and the quote of the year: "True friends are a stack of books and a loving family.")
- question: do Erimentha and Grandmama both run through fields of wheat?
- Erimentha’s To Do List is listed under Publications on her LinkedIn
- speaking of Erimentha, she is still as insufferable as ever
- some photos ft. the ever iconic boater hat from Miss Patina (which still is not fast fashion according to Ruby)
- some very interesting outfit choices for her Outfit of the Day stories on Insta
- makes Instagram posts about things like scenery, the seasons, nature, etc. that she believes are pure poetry (reference Ruby’s Instagram Page ft. the phrase “woodland floor”)
- seems to do everything simply for the aesthetic of it, even if it might not make her happy
- she had an interview for an internship and was offered two
- makes a lot of things about herself ("My seminar leaders sent it to me because they thought I'd be interested" when in reality her seminar leaders sent a mass email to everyone studying a relevant subject)
- romanticizes being tired and shows off her dark circles and eye bags for the whole world to see, most likely for the aesthetic, not knowing that a lot of people who are also tired and have them but just don’t feel the need to show it off
- rated a book one star, saying that it felt too young for her (hi, Ruby, nice to see that you read this thread just like us)
- more booklooks, her most recent one being Alice in Wonderland, I think?
- more monologues of her “acting” and reciting a bunch of stuff
- book club is still as disorganized as ever
- claims that she read 19 books, 2-3 of which were re-reads, 1 of which as a poem, 2 of which were short stories, 1 or which was an essay, and 5 of which were children’s books (it’s always about quantity)
- doesn’t seem to be very appreciative or grateful when Martha does something thoughtful for her
- didn’t do anything when her fans attacked a commenter who simply pointed out that the Victorian routine video might be a bit insensitive
- did a working class Victorian morning routine video as a Victorian scullery maid
- and apparently we will see the return of the upper class Victorian lady and the Victorian scullery maid in Ruby’s next series, Return of the Victorian Routines (Evening Version ft. upper class Victorian lady and Victorian scullery maid)
- the house was disorganized and dirty; the few seconds of cleaning in the video is probably the only cleaning it has had, and will have, for an eternity
- didn’t seem to do much in-depth research on the topic
- has holes in her tights although she could afford new ones
- claims to be obsessed with productivity but is actually pretty disorganized
- Mother Granger also uses a fake surname (Clara Raven) for her blog
- still wears quite childish clothing
- continues to twirl around everywhere and pretend to be awestruck with wonder
- “shibboleth”
- she has a new obsession with Alice in Wonderland
- she made an apron
- and wore it inside out like a dress because it looks “rustic”
- is reading a Murakami book (Norwegian Wood) and trying really hard to show everyone that she understands it
- highlighted a quote from the book in which one of the characters says he makes a rule of not reading books by an author who has been dead for 30+ years, claiming "That's the only kind of book I can trust" and "I don't want to waste valuable time reading a book that has not had the baptism of time."

 

[Ilaariaa]

Recap: (I haven’t gotten everything, so please add anything I've missed!)

- is still oblivious to her privilege
- still hasn’t properly addressed the Holocaust Memorial Day situation, and probably never will
- still idolizes her favorite characters and people to the highest degree, and all the character traits, behaviors, etc. she bases off of those favorite characters and people are very surface-level reviews (much like most of her book reviews, although, to her credit, her last book-related video was an improvement)
- still continues to model herself on Hermione from the first two? Harry Potter books
- is a sucker for anything boarding school-related (for more information, reference her Aesthetic Bookshelf Tour video ft. her aesthetic bookshelf and The Austere Academy, the fifth book in A Series of Unfortunate Events)
- could be best friends with Carmelita Spats (see above)
- cottageacademiadarkwintervictoriancore (who knows what aesthetic we’re on at this point)
- and a new moodboard featuring said aesthetic
- gravitates towards anything childlike or pertaining to childhood
- probably sucks the life out of her lecturers much like Erimentha sucks the life out of the people around her (poor Mr. Aldridge)
- the most hilarious reviews of Erimentha Parker’s To Do List (aka her autobiography/fanfiction about herself) by @ Satisfying Click (check tsuyu's post above for links!)
- lots of discussion on Erimentha Parker’s To Do List (ft. Grandmama and the quote of the year: "True friends are a stack of books and a loving family.")
- question: do Erimentha and Grandmama both run through fields of wheat?
- Erimentha’s To Do List is listed under Publications on her LinkedIn
- speaking of Erimentha, she is still as insufferable as ever
- some photos ft. the ever iconic boater hat from Miss Patina (which still is not fast fashion according to Ruby)
- some very interesting outfit choices for her Outfit of the Day stories on Insta
- makes Instagram posts about things like scenery, the seasons, nature, etc. that she believes are pure poetry (reference Ruby’s Instagram Page ft. the phrase “woodland floor”)
- seems to do everything simply for the aesthetic of it, even if it might not make her happy
- she had an interview for an internship and was offered two
- makes a lot of things about herself ("My seminar leaders sent it to me because they thought I'd be interested" when in reality her seminar leaders sent a mass email to everyone studying a relevant subject)
- romanticizes being tired and shows off her dark circles and eye bags for the whole world to see, most likely for the aesthetic, not knowing that a lot of people who are also tired and have them but just don’t feel the need to show it off
- rated a book one star, saying that it felt too young for her (hi, Ruby, nice to see that you read this thread just like us)
- more booklooks, her most recent one being Alice in Wonderland, I think?
- more monologues of her “acting” and reciting a bunch of stuff
- book club is still as disorganized as ever
- claims that she read 19 books, 2-3 of which were re-reads, 1 of which as a poem, 2 of which were short stories, 1 or which was an essay, and 5 of which were children’s books (it’s always about quantity)
- doesn’t seem to be very appreciative or grateful when Martha does something thoughtful for her
- didn’t do anything when her fans attacked a commenter who simply pointed out that the Victorian routine video might be a bit insensitive
- did a working class Victorian morning routine video as a Victorian scullery maid
- and apparently we will see the return of the upper class Victorian lady and the Victorian scullery maid in Ruby’s next series, Return of the Victorian Routines (Evening Version ft. upper class Victorian lady and Victorian scullery maid)
- the house was disorganized and dirty; the few seconds of cleaning in the video is probably the only cleaning it has had, and will have, for an eternity
- didn’t seem to do much in-depth research on the topic
- has holes in her tights although she could afford new ones
- claims to be obsessed with productivity but is actually pretty disorganized
- Mother Granger also uses a fake surname (Clara Raven) for her blog
- still wears quite childish clothing
- continues to twirl around everywhere and pretend to be awestruck with wonder
- “shibboleth”
- she has a new obsession with Alice in Wonderland
- she made an apron
- and wore it inside out like a dress because it looks “rustic”
- is reading a Murakami book (Norwegian Wood) and trying really hard to show everyone that she understands it
- highlighted a quote from the book in which one of the characters says he makes a rule of not reading books by an author who has been dead for 30+ years, claiming "That's the only kind of book I can trust" and "I don't want to waste valuable time reading a book that has not had the baptism of time."

Thank you for the super exhaustive recap

 

[CatCafe234]

What I know about autism is enough to make me never open my mouth about it - I know nothing. However, I do think that Ruby simply never allows herself to actually digest a book and its nuances. Moreover, she never reads anything that actually takes effort to digest (in comparison to what she usually reads). So in a sense I think that she just lacks the sensibility to not take everything so literally, as many people often do (which is totally okay if you don't consider yourself a "bookworm" to the point where it's a label of your personality). This is odd, of course, considering that she's a lit student. Anyhow, she's reading Murakami, so that in itself is a step in the right direction.

(Disclaimer: I hope I didn't sound snobbish when talking about what she reads and what she doesn't. It's not that I believe some books are above others, I couldn't be less arsed about what one reads. It's just that in Ruby's case, it's not far-fetched to think that she'd gain by reading books that are acclaimed to be good, in order to both develop a sense of opinion and taste and, in general, basic literature knowledge and, like I said before, sensibility).

This is what confuses me with Ruby. She’s obviously doing something right in order to be getting firsts in her university work, but whatever she shows online tends to just be a very surface-level analysis. I can’t quite work out if she’s dumbing everything down because she assumes her audience is not as bright as her, or if she’s doing that because she’s savvy and realises she has a very ‘young’ demographic (which is still a bit patronising), or if she genuinely doesn’t think about stuff very deeply, or if she’s so possessive of ‘her‘ knowledge that she doesn’t want to share it. It’s odd as what she’s presenting online doesn’t square with her results.

 

[BleepBloopBanana]

I was just about to say this!! A lot of Murakami's central characters aren't really intended to be likeable, or are at least a little questionable ... though Ruby's the kind of person to read Lolita and come out of it saying smth like 'Humbert's vocabulary was so large! He was so smart!'

I’d honestly never read the book! (I’m a science head NOT a lit head) and even I went “woah pretentious much”

 

[opal73]

She holds a book on a walk outside? Why would she not just listen to an audiobook? That's a good way to trip because you aren't noticing where you're walking.
Oh right, she just needs to prove how much of a bookworm she is.

 

[ECH]

She holds a book on a walk outside? Why would she not just listen to an audiobook? That's a good way to trip because you aren't noticing where you're walking.
Oh right, she just needs to prove how much of a bookworm she is.

Ruby always strikes me as one of those 'ebooks/audiobooks aren't real books' people purely because she can't show off what she's reading if she uses those

 

[hannah123]

I still kinda like Ruby, sorry to say, but one thing I’ve really never understood is how messy she looks. She’s always portrayed herself as this organised, tidy person with her work, but then wears clothes that are completely the wrong size, are really ill fitting to her body and usually not ironed. It came across as that’s supposed to be her look or that she doesn’t care for how she looks, fair enough not everyone has to care about fashion, but at least run an iron over your clothes if you want to be seen as a presentable and tidy person?

I would love for someone to take her to a proper salon and get her hair done, even that would make her look tidier.