Comments on: Book 296: How I Live Now http://meloukhia.net/2008/10/book_296_how_i_live_now.html from beneath you, it devours Wed, 07 Jan 2009 20:37:39 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: Vicki http://meloukhia.net/2008/10/book_296_how_i_live_now.html/comment-page-1#comment-2030 Vicki Thu, 09 Oct 2008 16:23:33 +0000 http://meloukhia.net/?p=2812#comment-2030 Oh, and the cousin thing. That was very common in the past as a way to keep property in the family. One of my grandmothers inherited the family farm and was married to her cousin so the farm would not go to a stranger (it had been held by the family for about 700 years). That was not a happy marriage. Another grandmother in that line was also an heiress; she eloped with her poor cousin over family objections. Of course, in Iceland, everyone is related one way or another. Studies done there show that the most fertile unions are between third or fourth cousins. So consanguinity is not always bad. That being said, I have never had any urge to do anything of that nature with any of my cousins. But that may be because we lack enough genetic diversity..... Oh, and the cousin thing. That was very common in the past as a way to keep property in the family. One of my grandmothers inherited the family farm and was married to her cousin so the farm would not go to a stranger (it had been held by the family for about 700 years). That was not a happy marriage. Another grandmother in that line was also an heiress; she eloped with her poor cousin over family objections. Of course, in Iceland, everyone is related one way or another. Studies done there show that the most fertile unions are between third or fourth cousins. So consanguinity is not always bad.

That being said, I have never had any urge to do anything of that nature with any of my cousins. But that may be because we lack enough genetic diversity…..

]]> By: Vicki http://meloukhia.net/2008/10/book_296_how_i_live_now.html/comment-page-1#comment-2029 Vicki Thu, 09 Oct 2008 13:55:55 +0000 http://meloukhia.net/?p=2812#comment-2029 I read it as throught the lens of a narrator who was a damaged, self-abosrbed child of some privilege. I did find her fairly unsympathetic but I really kind of like people stuck in disaster sorts of books and the concept was fascinating. I read it as throught the lens of a narrator who was a damaged, self-abosrbed child of some privilege. I did find her fairly unsympathetic but I really kind of like people stuck in disaster sorts of books and the concept was fascinating.

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