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The Doctor Who Franchise: American Influence, Fan Culture and the Spinoffs by Lynnette Porter
evamadera1's review
2.0
I did not know what to expect when I started reading this book. I thought that it might be interesting as it is written as an academic study on the cultural effects of Doctor Who and its spin offs, specifically Torchwood. As someone who has dabbled in the world of academia and who is also a Whovian, I thought I might enjoy this book. It is not one that I would have gone out and purchased for myself but one that I received as a Christmas gift from someone that knew that I loved Doctor Who. For that reason alone I wish that I did not have to give this book such a negative review. I hate when a well-intentioned gift does not pan out.
My first critique of the book has to do with the cover art. I know that authors often have limited input on what goes on the cover but even so, the editor or whoever made the final decision should have realized that a book that spends the vast majority of its text discussing Torchwood should have featured Captain Jack and/or another member of Torchwood instead of The Doctor, Amy and Rory. Doctor Who itself was the subject of just one chapter if I remember correctly and referred to a few other times. The cover art leads readers, including myself, to believe otherwise.
Secondly, Porter may have divided the book into separate chapters but other than splitting up the text, this does little to differentiate the topics of the text within each chapter. Several items are repeated at least twice. May of these chapter titles hint at a different topic covered within but once the chapter gets going, the reader is subjected to a rehash of something covered two or three chapters ago. For example, Porter must be obsessed with Captain Jack's sexuality because she brings it up in nearly every chapter. Once is enough.
I learned a little about Torchwood while reading this book but I also became incredibly bored and just tried to make my way through it as quickly as I could so I could cross it off my to-read list all while feeling terrible that I disliked a gift this much. I do not recommend this book at all.
My first critique of the book has to do with the cover art. I know that authors often have limited input on what goes on the cover but even so, the editor or whoever made the final decision should have realized that a book that spends the vast majority of its text discussing Torchwood should have featured Captain Jack and/or another member of Torchwood instead of The Doctor, Amy and Rory. Doctor Who itself was the subject of just one chapter if I remember correctly and referred to a few other times. The cover art leads readers, including myself, to believe otherwise.
Secondly, Porter may have divided the book into separate chapters but other than splitting up the text, this does little to differentiate the topics of the text within each chapter. Several items are repeated at least twice. May of these chapter titles hint at a different topic covered within but once the chapter gets going, the reader is subjected to a rehash of something covered two or three chapters ago. For example, Porter must be obsessed with Captain Jack's sexuality because she brings it up in nearly every chapter. Once is enough.
I learned a little about Torchwood while reading this book but I also became incredibly bored and just tried to make my way through it as quickly as I could so I could cross it off my to-read list all while feeling terrible that I disliked a gift this much. I do not recommend this book at all.
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