Not the End of the World is a young adult book written by Geraldine McCaughrean. It's set on Noah's ark after the flood has come. The book is a story about survival in dark days, surrounded by intense religious fervor. It's about a stowaway and a little girl building up the courage to defy her father.
As an adult reader, I appreciated the thought and layers of meaning McCaughrean worked into this story. It's intense and doesn't pull any punches.
Christian readers may have issues with its biblical accuracy and portrayal of Noah and Shem as fairly crazed religious maniacs.
As for me? I thought it a dark story, but with a message of hope at the end. It was a book I needed to read and think about.
Monday, 6 October 2014
Thursday, 10 June 2010
3 AM Epiphany Challenge
I'm not reviewing the book, although in a sense the blog I'm mentioning here is a very extended review. The 3 A.M. Epiphany by Brian Kiteley is a book of writing exercises - I'm not familiar with such exercises and can't say with any authority whether those given here are particularly original or exciting compared to those in other books. What I can say is that they seem to be great fun so far, and a good way of getting to know your friends (or making new ones).
Earlier this year, Anistasya had the wonderful idea of posting the exercises as challenges on a blog, to be attempted by her friends and hapless passers-by. Most of you will have heard me/Anistasya mention the site and perhaps were not interested/too busy to join. We had a great start, but while we have a few members at present, there are not so many attempts at the challenges.
Why all the propaganda on our book review site? Because - although I'm not expecting much response - if, in a few months' time, you have some time to spare or are suffering from excessive boredom or require an epiphany at early hours of the morning, or make friends with someone who enjoys writing and would like people with whom to share, you may remember that time the iconoclast was going on and on about some writing thing - and here, conveniently, is the link: http://www.3amepiphanyproject.blogspot.com/. (Yes, I was trying to make that previous sentence long and complicated). Have a look and send us an email if you'd like to join us, and pass the message on :)
Also, I keep planning these book reviews in my head and never writing them. Sorry.
Earlier this year, Anistasya had the wonderful idea of posting the exercises as challenges on a blog, to be attempted by her friends and hapless passers-by. Most of you will have heard me/Anistasya mention the site and perhaps were not interested/too busy to join. We had a great start, but while we have a few members at present, there are not so many attempts at the challenges.
Why all the propaganda on our book review site? Because - although I'm not expecting much response - if, in a few months' time, you have some time to spare or are suffering from excessive boredom or require an epiphany at early hours of the morning, or make friends with someone who enjoys writing and would like people with whom to share, you may remember that time the iconoclast was going on and on about some writing thing - and here, conveniently, is the link: http://www.3amepiphanyproject.blogspot.com/. (Yes, I was trying to make that previous sentence long and complicated). Have a look and send us an email if you'd like to join us, and pass the message on :)
Also, I keep planning these book reviews in my head and never writing them. Sorry.
Wednesday, 7 April 2010
2 - Ginevra
Ginevra didn't make much of an impression at first, with her frizzy hair and too-big clothes with one shoulder always poking through the neck of her top kind of like I think girls dressed in the '80s, only I'm thinking of skinny high school girls, not fifty-year old Ginevra (and I won't say anything about her skinniness or lack thereof). Then I looked at her more closely, and changed my mind. Perhaps it was because she had a crooked nose and if I looked from her right side it looked a little like mine, or because she wore a pearl necklace like everyone else's mothers did. And, to be honest, my hair was just as horrendously frizzy as hers.
I used to think other kids were lucky, because they had mothers. But then, I must've got lucky because I got a mother too. More so, because I chose mine.
I used to think other kids were lucky, because they had mothers. But then, I must've got lucky because I got a mother too. More so, because I chose mine.
Monday, 22 March 2010
Red Seas under Red Skies - Gentlemen Bastards #2
Well, this is something almost unheard of - the sequel to a book a lot of us love and adore, and none of us have reviewed it yet!! In my defence, I was unaware it existed thus far - turns out my usual sources screwed up and were giving me publication notes on the 3rd title, not the second. On to the review!
Locke Lamora returns, and this time, hes a fricking PIRATE! Cue awesomeness for those of us not following the ninja way. *Spoiler Alert* This leads off near exactly from the end of Lies, so Jean and Locke are off travelling to Tel Verrar (the place Camorr fought against a few times) in order to screw over a casino, in effect. As we now expect, nothing goes right - and after very sundry and amusing side aventures, they end up in piracy and political espionage.
I'll be honest - I didn't find this as good as Lies. It's a good read and all, fun, with plenty of humour and more explanation of backstory that is sorely needed (like just wtf Locke does as a Priest of the Thirteenth) and some great character development. It sadly does not bring up or really explain the as-yet missing female Bastard, who is clearly the topic of the third book (or else Lynch doesn't know how to run a narrative), theres a frankly awful cliffhanger ending, and one of the biggest plots in the book has no resolution whatsoever. That aside, we learn about Locke's great skill in cardsharking, his surprisingly moral and ethical side, the importance of kittens on board a ship, and why you never piss off a female pirate.
Overall, this took me as many of the middle books in trilogies often do...good, but just maintaining and setting up the finale. I mean, it is good, do read (and if you can't find or borrow, let me know) but yes, be prepared for it to not wow you as The Lies of Locke Lamora did. (And in case anyone doesn't already suspect this, I have number 3 on preorder.)
Enjoy!
Locke Lamora returns, and this time, hes a fricking PIRATE! Cue awesomeness for those of us not following the ninja way. *Spoiler Alert* This leads off near exactly from the end of Lies, so Jean and Locke are off travelling to Tel Verrar (the place Camorr fought against a few times) in order to screw over a casino, in effect. As we now expect, nothing goes right - and after very sundry and amusing side aventures, they end up in piracy and political espionage.
I'll be honest - I didn't find this as good as Lies. It's a good read and all, fun, with plenty of humour and more explanation of backstory that is sorely needed (like just wtf Locke does as a Priest of the Thirteenth) and some great character development. It sadly does not bring up or really explain the as-yet missing female Bastard, who is clearly the topic of the third book (or else Lynch doesn't know how to run a narrative), theres a frankly awful cliffhanger ending, and one of the biggest plots in the book has no resolution whatsoever. That aside, we learn about Locke's great skill in cardsharking, his surprisingly moral and ethical side, the importance of kittens on board a ship, and why you never piss off a female pirate.
Overall, this took me as many of the middle books in trilogies often do...good, but just maintaining and setting up the finale. I mean, it is good, do read (and if you can't find or borrow, let me know) but yes, be prepared for it to not wow you as The Lies of Locke Lamora did. (And in case anyone doesn't already suspect this, I have number 3 on preorder.)
Enjoy!
Monday, 1 March 2010
1 - Getting the ball rolling then...
She told everyone this day would come, at dinner parties, at the beach, she even had a long and boring conversation with my ballet teacher about how it would come to this, eventually. Funny how I don't remember any of their faces, the ones who smiled politely and nodded at her mad ramblings. I will never forget her face though; I will never forget Ginevra Agostini, the woman who pretended to be my mother.
Commendations
to people who have been posting reviews! Since it has been pointed out to me that some of us have posted several times and 'got nothing'.
In completely random order:
triadofs
Hotstuff
Anistasya
Essylt
Good on ya guys :)
In completely random order:
triadofs
Hotstuff
Anistasya
Essylt
Good on ya guys :)
Reading well below my age
So lately, I have been given quite a few Scholastic Children's books to review by KiwiReviews and I am discovering that some children's authors are certainly better than others. It is difficult to judge what a child would actually think of these books, but I suspect, judging by the success of books like Artemis Fowl and Harry Potter, that kids aren't as simple as some authors assume. Anyway, my brief review of the books is as follows:
Stick Dudes - Felice Arena
A very cute and thin book for Primary School boys who can read 'chapter books' and like having pictures to accompany the text. This installment of the series is entitled 'The Secret Four-ce' and follows the adventures of four friends trying to work out who is stealing all their stuff at school. I enjoyed this one with its simple story, small twist and good feeling - if you know any little guys (maybe 7 to 10) who like to read, this one will probably make them smile.
The Shearwater Bell - Margaret Beams
A bit bigger than Stick Dudes and definitely for upper primary to early intermediate age children, this book is set in the North Island of New Zealand and follows a young girl, Rona, who has been sent to stay with her grandmother while her father is in a coma in hospital. I really loved the detail, ease of reading and yet depth that this story managed to achieve. Margaret Beams proves herself, with this book at least, to be an excellent children's writer with the ability to make sophisticate, fun stories accessible both to children and to the adults reading to them. I read this book almost non-stop, wanting to know what the secret behind the bell really was, whether they would find the treasure, and just enjoying the opportunity for an early 1800's insight into Pakeha/Maori relations through the diary of Rona's five times great grandfather. An excellent NZ based book!
39 Clues - Varied Authors
Truely a brilliant series that I highly recommend to everyone - seriously ignore the 'children's book' exterior, this is a fun, engaging adventure circling the entire globe with fascinating puzzles, snippets of history and -would you believe- character development!! I am totally hooked and can't wait for the final three books in the series so that I can discover what all this fuss and clue hunting has been leading towards. What is the great answer beyond the 39 clues?
Conspiracy 365 - Gabrielle Lord
Not quite as fun as 39 Clues nor as gritty as Cherub, Conspiracy 365 is a series that spans a year in the life of young australian, Callum Ormond. Every day is a struggle for survival and all he has to do is get to the end of the year alive, but that is turning out to be a lot harder than he anticipated. This series is quite readable, but I feel like each book makes a lot less progress than the 39 Clues books. At the end of 'February' I didn't feel like I knew much more than I did in 'January'. Also, each book ends in a life threatening, 'He's definitely going to die' cliffhanger, only to be rescued inevitably at the beginning of the following book. We know this, because the author has been contracted to do all twelve books, so callum can't die in June, can he?
EJ12 - Susannah McFarlane
Finally, a light and fluffy 'girly' spy series which, although being incredibly forumlaic, may appeal to girls between say 7 and 10. There is not much more to say about this one. If you know a adventurous young girl who is into animals, she'll probably love it. In fact, most girls in middle primary will likely enjoy the simplicity and reliable feel-good 'girl power' of the plot. No scrapes or bruises here, just believe in yourself and you can do anything!
I'm not sure why I felt that you guys needed an update on the Children's Literary scene... Maybe the answer is as simple as I miss you :)
*hugs*
- Ani
Stick Dudes - Felice Arena
A very cute and thin book for Primary School boys who can read 'chapter books' and like having pictures to accompany the text. This installment of the series is entitled 'The Secret Four-ce' and follows the adventures of four friends trying to work out who is stealing all their stuff at school. I enjoyed this one with its simple story, small twist and good feeling - if you know any little guys (maybe 7 to 10) who like to read, this one will probably make them smile.
The Shearwater Bell - Margaret Beams
A bit bigger than Stick Dudes and definitely for upper primary to early intermediate age children, this book is set in the North Island of New Zealand and follows a young girl, Rona, who has been sent to stay with her grandmother while her father is in a coma in hospital. I really loved the detail, ease of reading and yet depth that this story managed to achieve. Margaret Beams proves herself, with this book at least, to be an excellent children's writer with the ability to make sophisticate, fun stories accessible both to children and to the adults reading to them. I read this book almost non-stop, wanting to know what the secret behind the bell really was, whether they would find the treasure, and just enjoying the opportunity for an early 1800's insight into Pakeha/Maori relations through the diary of Rona's five times great grandfather. An excellent NZ based book!
39 Clues - Varied Authors
Truely a brilliant series that I highly recommend to everyone - seriously ignore the 'children's book' exterior, this is a fun, engaging adventure circling the entire globe with fascinating puzzles, snippets of history and -would you believe- character development!! I am totally hooked and can't wait for the final three books in the series so that I can discover what all this fuss and clue hunting has been leading towards. What is the great answer beyond the 39 clues?
Conspiracy 365 - Gabrielle Lord
Not quite as fun as 39 Clues nor as gritty as Cherub, Conspiracy 365 is a series that spans a year in the life of young australian, Callum Ormond. Every day is a struggle for survival and all he has to do is get to the end of the year alive, but that is turning out to be a lot harder than he anticipated. This series is quite readable, but I feel like each book makes a lot less progress than the 39 Clues books. At the end of 'February' I didn't feel like I knew much more than I did in 'January'. Also, each book ends in a life threatening, 'He's definitely going to die' cliffhanger, only to be rescued inevitably at the beginning of the following book. We know this, because the author has been contracted to do all twelve books, so callum can't die in June, can he?
EJ12 - Susannah McFarlane
Finally, a light and fluffy 'girly' spy series which, although being incredibly forumlaic, may appeal to girls between say 7 and 10. There is not much more to say about this one. If you know a adventurous young girl who is into animals, she'll probably love it. In fact, most girls in middle primary will likely enjoy the simplicity and reliable feel-good 'girl power' of the plot. No scrapes or bruises here, just believe in yourself and you can do anything!
I'm not sure why I felt that you guys needed an update on the Children's Literary scene... Maybe the answer is as simple as I miss you :)
*hugs*
- Ani
Saturday, 27 February 2010
Alright, you lot,
where are all the reviews, hmmm? (Thanks for that last one, Essyllt :) )
Unfortunately, the only things I'm in any position to review currently have names like 'On the Formation of Maars', and I'm sick of them.
Here's an idea for something a bit different, that we can do at the same time as reviews (assuming that people are still going to do reviews).
A few of us have been writing stories together - nothing epic, (and nothing that's finished yet *pointed looks at Essyllt and Anistasya*) but they're fun to do. Nothing is preplanned - someone starts off, and people keep writing (reasonably but not spectacularly long posts). Take the story in any direction you like, as long as you don't introduce too many twists in one section. We won't have a planned order, but if you find yourself writing every second post, remember to wait and give others a chance to reply.
If you're interested, please comment to say so - we'd want at least four of us to justify doing this on the blog.
Unfortunately, the only things I'm in any position to review currently have names like 'On the Formation of Maars', and I'm sick of them.
Here's an idea for something a bit different, that we can do at the same time as reviews (assuming that people are still going to do reviews).
A few of us have been writing stories together - nothing epic, (and nothing that's finished yet *pointed looks at Essyllt and Anistasya*) but they're fun to do. Nothing is preplanned - someone starts off, and people keep writing (reasonably but not spectacularly long posts). Take the story in any direction you like, as long as you don't introduce too many twists in one section. We won't have a planned order, but if you find yourself writing every second post, remember to wait and give others a chance to reply.
If you're interested, please comment to say so - we'd want at least four of us to justify doing this on the blog.
Monday, 5 October 2009
The Lies of Locke Lamora
I was going to post this as Rory, who was the last person signed in to gmail on my computer, but I'm too much of a goody-good. I haven't had much time for reading recently, but I did manage to finish The Lies of Locke Lamora, by Scott Lynch, which one of our flatmates lent to me. Sorry for the haphazard nature of the review.
The book is set in an amazing city that sort of reminded me of Ankh Morpork (at least at first), but without so much funny. It felt so realist, but so unrealistic! So clichéd, but so unique. Into this world Lynch puts Locke Lamora, who I'd love to be able to sum up in a couple of words, but really can't. He's a thief and a fraudster, but also so much more. He's ordinary in nearly every way, but so classy. Can you see a pattern here?
At its heart, however, LLL is about schemes. Plots and tricks and politics and scams and the awesomest twists and turns that leave you going OMGOMGOMGMGOMGICAN'TBELIEVEITOMGOMG!
And what did I think of it? A few points (all I have time for right now) are:
- The writing was always very good, sometimes excellent, but rarely superb.
- Lynch shows so much favouritism towards his characters, but it doesn't seem to come across badly. He's quite happy to humanise them with drawbacks and things, but when it comes to the crunch, you know they're gonna be ok, because they're his favourites. And then they're not. And then they are again. And then they're not. And then they are again. And then they're not. And I won't tell you how it ends.
- It takes about two-fifths of the book to actually get going. Until then, it's vaguely interesting and fun, but not really exciting or anything. After that, it's incredibly gripping.
- It is definitely not a children's book. Lynch doesn't seem to like telling the grotesque or overtly sexual aspects of his tales in the way that some authors do (ahem, Laurell K Hamilton and Sara Douglas), but he will throw in a few swearwords here and there, stick in some gross bits, and when a sex scene is appropriate, he'll include that too. He just doesn't seem to enjoy it much.
- It's got lots of laugh-out-loud-and-scare-your-partner-things in it.
- It's now one of my favourite books of all time. And I want the next one, Gabrielle! :D
Read it. It is well worth it.
Essyllt
P.S. If, after reading it, you can honestly tell me you guessed all the twists and turns, I will give you $10 or buy you pizza or something.
The book is set in an amazing city that sort of reminded me of Ankh Morpork (at least at first), but without so much funny. It felt so realist, but so unrealistic! So clichéd, but so unique. Into this world Lynch puts Locke Lamora, who I'd love to be able to sum up in a couple of words, but really can't. He's a thief and a fraudster, but also so much more. He's ordinary in nearly every way, but so classy. Can you see a pattern here?
At its heart, however, LLL is about schemes. Plots and tricks and politics and scams and the awesomest twists and turns that leave you going OMGOMGOMGMGOMGICAN'TBELIEVEITOMGOMG!
And what did I think of it? A few points (all I have time for right now) are:
- The writing was always very good, sometimes excellent, but rarely superb.
- Lynch shows so much favouritism towards his characters, but it doesn't seem to come across badly. He's quite happy to humanise them with drawbacks and things, but when it comes to the crunch, you know they're gonna be ok, because they're his favourites. And then they're not. And then they are again. And then they're not. And then they are again. And then they're not. And I won't tell you how it ends.
- It takes about two-fifths of the book to actually get going. Until then, it's vaguely interesting and fun, but not really exciting or anything. After that, it's incredibly gripping.
- It is definitely not a children's book. Lynch doesn't seem to like telling the grotesque or overtly sexual aspects of his tales in the way that some authors do (ahem, Laurell K Hamilton and Sara Douglas), but he will throw in a few swearwords here and there, stick in some gross bits, and when a sex scene is appropriate, he'll include that too. He just doesn't seem to enjoy it much.
- It's got lots of laugh-out-loud-and-scare-your-partner-things in it.
- It's now one of my favourite books of all time. And I want the next one, Gabrielle! :D
Read it. It is well worth it.
Essyllt
P.S. If, after reading it, you can honestly tell me you guessed all the twists and turns, I will give you $10 or buy you pizza or something.
Tuesday, 27 May 2008
Yes, I did just post one. Yes, I really should be sleeping, otherwise Ill miss shakespare lecture tuesday for the......6th week running. Oh well....
Im reviewing one of my favourite series and for all of you that judge thusly, its manga. Run away now.
Namely, the manga series Rebirth. Actually, its Manwha, being korean, but still good.
Plenty of those amusing manga moments with facefaults and out-of-proportion mouth extensions.
Basically, the story starts of with a bunch of morons (professors of paranormality...yeah, they die, we can skip them) the daughter of one of them, and the exorcist hired to help them. It starts in a place in Europe which is nothing like eastern high carpathian dracula land. Really.
Monsters attack. Humans die horribly. One monster slain by exorcist (who is laughably weak) blah blah blah, vampire emerges from monsters remains. here is Deshwitat! Call him Desh.
after a few wellplaced manlove moments, Deshwitat saves the two girls. To do this, he has to suck the blood of the father of the aforementioned daughter, turning him into a soon-to-bezombie vampire. To avoid this, he burns him and turns him into The Dust Of Death. Yes, its corny, and so very TP, but it sounds better in Korean, I hope.
So, to explain - Deshwitat and his love, Lilith (bible abuse abounds btw) were killed by his once friend, Kalutika, who has recently become a god.
He now wishes to destroy the world. Hey, why not. Theres a big arc in volumes 5-12 which goes back in time to explain all the subtleties.....Enjoy the bits where it seems one of the male characters is wearing drag queen makeup. Also a great joke using the word "Dandy".
This is a fun, violently dark story with a lot of action, sexy costumes and interesting, if a tad predictable, plot twists. Ill now list its bad points.
Occasionally, bits just dont make sense. Secondly, at times its oversimplified or repetitive (Think alex's goldfish comment earlier)
Thirdly...character wise, its a mess. Some of them are great as cliches. some are great as against type. And some...generic. Probably the worst is the one I swore was a chick for 2 books....that was bad.
On the positives - theres a few great descriptions of love in it. And no, not all violent...ok, yeah, mostly. Some are possessive, some are protective, some are just plain strange (the old lady is a bit creepy!). It is, technically, a love story (so far, may change) and a mix of religions show up. Theres some really interesting costumes in it (which the author mocks in the extras) and I actually like the female characters.
So no one thinks Im misogynistic, I will explain this.
A: I doubt any of you can match me in my anime and manga nerdiness. If one of you has endeavoured to do so, then I aplogi- well, youll agree with me.
B: Manga females, unless its shoujo or such, are often crap. Fillers. Useful, amusing, but as people? No. Not always, but often.
So, I usually hate them. Or at least, the creators for them. Here, I liked them. Millenear is a vampire writers dream! Or nightmare, depending. In fact, now that i write this, its eerily creepizoiding how similar they are to us...
Overall, its readable, enjoyable, and emotionally amusing. Nothing heavy, but fun. If anyone in Chch wants to, ask me for all the english volumes released.
Im reviewing one of my favourite series and for all of you that judge thusly, its manga. Run away now.
Namely, the manga series Rebirth. Actually, its Manwha, being korean, but still good.
Plenty of those amusing manga moments with facefaults and out-of-proportion mouth extensions.
Basically, the story starts of with a bunch of morons (professors of paranormality...yeah, they die, we can skip them) the daughter of one of them, and the exorcist hired to help them. It starts in a place in Europe which is nothing like eastern high carpathian dracula land. Really.
Monsters attack. Humans die horribly. One monster slain by exorcist (who is laughably weak) blah blah blah, vampire emerges from monsters remains. here is Deshwitat! Call him Desh.
after a few wellplaced manlove moments, Deshwitat saves the two girls. To do this, he has to suck the blood of the father of the aforementioned daughter, turning him into a soon-to-bezombie vampire. To avoid this, he burns him and turns him into The Dust Of Death. Yes, its corny, and so very TP, but it sounds better in Korean, I hope.
So, to explain - Deshwitat and his love, Lilith (bible abuse abounds btw) were killed by his once friend, Kalutika, who has recently become a god.
He now wishes to destroy the world. Hey, why not. Theres a big arc in volumes 5-12 which goes back in time to explain all the subtleties.....Enjoy the bits where it seems one of the male characters is wearing drag queen makeup. Also a great joke using the word "Dandy".
This is a fun, violently dark story with a lot of action, sexy costumes and interesting, if a tad predictable, plot twists. Ill now list its bad points.
Occasionally, bits just dont make sense. Secondly, at times its oversimplified or repetitive (Think alex's goldfish comment earlier)
Thirdly...character wise, its a mess. Some of them are great as cliches. some are great as against type. And some...generic. Probably the worst is the one I swore was a chick for 2 books....that was bad.
On the positives - theres a few great descriptions of love in it. And no, not all violent...ok, yeah, mostly. Some are possessive, some are protective, some are just plain strange (the old lady is a bit creepy!). It is, technically, a love story (so far, may change) and a mix of religions show up. Theres some really interesting costumes in it (which the author mocks in the extras) and I actually like the female characters.
So no one thinks Im misogynistic, I will explain this.
A: I doubt any of you can match me in my anime and manga nerdiness. If one of you has endeavoured to do so, then I aplogi- well, youll agree with me.
B: Manga females, unless its shoujo or such, are often crap. Fillers. Useful, amusing, but as people? No. Not always, but often.
So, I usually hate them. Or at least, the creators for them. Here, I liked them. Millenear is a vampire writers dream! Or nightmare, depending. In fact, now that i write this, its eerily creepizoiding how similar they are to us...
Overall, its readable, enjoyable, and emotionally amusing. Nothing heavy, but fun. If anyone in Chch wants to, ask me for all the english volumes released.
Well, how long has it been since I admitted I liked a romance novel? Such as say....Jane Eyre?
Its been a very very very long time. If such a time ever occured.
That has not changed. I hate this book! I despise it for a: existing and taking up valuable paper and b: becoming some sort of template to work with or against!
I swear, if anyone ever reads my works and says, "You know, this reminds me of Jane Eyre" or worse, "This writer clearly has taken Bronte into his work" (I have purposely ommited the e's thingyamabob) then I will honestly buy a gun.
Ok, a second gun. One that wont be traced to me. On to the book!
Dont ever read this for fun. If you must read it of your own volition, make it for a good cause,. like learning not to do. The language is archaic, and poor at that - Swift or Coleridge or such are better with it. The actual story is part whining part romance and part wannabe-matyr. Bad mix.
And lets not even go into the poorly chosen characters. So what if she's trying to avoid the stereotypes? All shes done is create mismatched features and a lack of cohesion. Her title character's strongest identifier is this strange idea of servitude and escape. Half the time, its a selfcreated cycle!
(Yes, I have read the damn thing)
This may be recorded as one of the key works in English literature. In fact, it is, by many of the same people who refuse to admit Poe is as well. So, what are its possible good points?
Feminist literature at its early stages. But its not.
A discussion of society at the time. Who really cares.
A womans heartrending tale of growing up in a world that hates her. Hell, you can watch that in reality. Hell, some of you lived that! (I was excluded on the grounds that no one considered my pain and suffering anything other then amusing.)
If I need to explain the plot of this then youre too interested. Dont, dont, dont read it. If you already have, forget it. Wide Sargasso Sea is considerably better.
And hey, wouldnt we all rather watch Valk make hot chocolate? Much the same..... ; P
Its been a very very very long time. If such a time ever occured.
That has not changed. I hate this book! I despise it for a: existing and taking up valuable paper and b: becoming some sort of template to work with or against!
I swear, if anyone ever reads my works and says, "You know, this reminds me of Jane Eyre" or worse, "This writer clearly has taken Bronte into his work" (I have purposely ommited the e's thingyamabob) then I will honestly buy a gun.
Ok, a second gun. One that wont be traced to me. On to the book!
Dont ever read this for fun. If you must read it of your own volition, make it for a good cause,. like learning not to do. The language is archaic, and poor at that - Swift or Coleridge or such are better with it. The actual story is part whining part romance and part wannabe-matyr. Bad mix.
And lets not even go into the poorly chosen characters. So what if she's trying to avoid the stereotypes? All shes done is create mismatched features and a lack of cohesion. Her title character's strongest identifier is this strange idea of servitude and escape. Half the time, its a selfcreated cycle!
(Yes, I have read the damn thing)
This may be recorded as one of the key works in English literature. In fact, it is, by many of the same people who refuse to admit Poe is as well. So, what are its possible good points?
Feminist literature at its early stages. But its not.
A discussion of society at the time. Who really cares.
A womans heartrending tale of growing up in a world that hates her. Hell, you can watch that in reality. Hell, some of you lived that! (I was excluded on the grounds that no one considered my pain and suffering anything other then amusing.)
If I need to explain the plot of this then youre too interested. Dont, dont, dont read it. If you already have, forget it. Wide Sargasso Sea is considerably better.
And hey, wouldnt we all rather watch Valk make hot chocolate? Much the same..... ; P
Monday, 31 March 2008
The Motorcycle Diaries: A Journey around South America - Ernesto ('Che') Guevara
The account of two Argentinian travellers exploring South America on a disaster prone motorbike is, I believe, interesting in itself, even if you don't know anything about Che Guevara. If this is the case, I'd suggest you either go and find out, or read this book first and see what you think of him before looking at the rest of the review, because I'm interested to know what sort of impression people get from it before they find out anything else about him. I haven't figured out where this review is going yet (as with the last three...) so please excuse me.
Guevara, a 23 year old medical student, leaves Buenos Aires on their motorcycle, 'La Poderosa II', in January of 1952 with his friend Alberto Granado, and returns home in September of that year minus both friend and bike. They pass through Chile, where the people are incredibly friendly, and Peru, where they get through a lot of sightseeing; then Colombia, and Venezuela. In this edition, at least, letters from Che Guevara to his parents are interspersed with his diary entries. I get the impression that these have been altered for publication, and of course it's inevitable that the translation isn't as direct as the original, but the entries are very readable - they're written with a sense of humour, and apparent honesty; Guevara doesn't hold back in telling of how they used their positions as 'doctors' to cadge meals or few nights' accomodation at the local hospitals, getting drunk and having to escape an enraged husband, their 'anniversary routine' - I hope you'll appreciate this so I'm putting it in:
"1. One of us says something in a loud voice immediately identifying us as Argentine, something with a che in it and other typical expressions and pronunciation. The victim asks where we're from and we strike up a conversation.
2. We begin our tale of woe but don't make too much of it, all the while staring into the distance.
3. Then I butt in and ask what the date is. Someone says it and Alberto sighs and says: 'What a coincidence, it was exactly a year ago.' The victim asks what was a year ago, and we reply that was when we started out on our trip.
4. Alberto, who is much more brazen than me, then heaves a tremendous sigh and says, 'Shame we're in such dire straits, we won't be able to celebrate' (he says this as a kind of aside to me). The victim immediately offers to pay, we pretend to refuse for a while saying we can't possibly pay him back, etc., then we finally accept.
5. After the first drink, I adamantly refuse another and Alberto makes fun of me. Our host gets annoyed and insists, I keep refusing but won't say why. The victim keeps asking until I confess, rather shamefacedly, that in Argentina it's the custom to eat when we drink. Just how much we eat depends on what we think we can get away with, but the technique never fails."
- Ernesto Che Guevara, 1995. The Motorcycle Diaries. 'Our hopes are dashed', p115-116. Verso: London.
Please excuse the rather long quotation and the referencing :P This is only one of the many things they come up with - a Kiwi OE seems so dull by comparison. An excellent thing about Che Guevara's writing is how ordinarily he treats his adventures (I'm not sure if this is what he actually thought - perhaps this is completely normal behaviour for South American guys in the 1950s - or if it's just a feature of his writing style); he doesn't try to excuse their actions, and writes very casually about recurrent asthma attacks, or about swimming across the Amazon to visit a leper colony.
You may have seen the film of The Motorcycle Diaries - it's good, although in some ways I think the book does more justice to the characters, being a first hand account. However, the movie does emphasise a lot of the material that Che Guevara downplays, for example the way they deal with the patients in the leper colony (normally, compared the way they're treated by the doctors and nuns), and works well in combination with the book.
Che Guevara's developing political and social views also come across to an extent - in his birthday speech at the leper colony, where he talks about a united South American identity, or when he writes of meeting a Communist couple in Chile '..what had burgeoned in him [the husband] was nothing more than the natural desire for a better life...' and the treatment of workers at a Chilean copper mine. He tells his mother about staying in a hospital in Colombia - '...by which I mean a chair to spend the night in. We aren't all that broke, but explorers of our stature would rather die than pay for the bourgeois comfort of a hostel.' Comments like these might not be entirely noticeable, though, unless you know more about his later life.
Well, I apologise profusely for the quality of the review, and all I can say now is that I strongly recommend you read this book (and watch the film), because they're humorous/entertaining, and thought-provoking; if you don't know much about South America they're also informative, and give an insight into the development of (I think) the world's most influential socialist revolutionary.
Guevara, a 23 year old medical student, leaves Buenos Aires on their motorcycle, 'La Poderosa II', in January of 1952 with his friend Alberto Granado, and returns home in September of that year minus both friend and bike. They pass through Chile, where the people are incredibly friendly, and Peru, where they get through a lot of sightseeing; then Colombia, and Venezuela. In this edition, at least, letters from Che Guevara to his parents are interspersed with his diary entries. I get the impression that these have been altered for publication, and of course it's inevitable that the translation isn't as direct as the original, but the entries are very readable - they're written with a sense of humour, and apparent honesty; Guevara doesn't hold back in telling of how they used their positions as 'doctors' to cadge meals or few nights' accomodation at the local hospitals, getting drunk and having to escape an enraged husband, their 'anniversary routine' - I hope you'll appreciate this so I'm putting it in:
"1. One of us says something in a loud voice immediately identifying us as Argentine, something with a che in it and other typical expressions and pronunciation. The victim asks where we're from and we strike up a conversation.
2. We begin our tale of woe but don't make too much of it, all the while staring into the distance.
3. Then I butt in and ask what the date is. Someone says it and Alberto sighs and says: 'What a coincidence, it was exactly a year ago.' The victim asks what was a year ago, and we reply that was when we started out on our trip.
4. Alberto, who is much more brazen than me, then heaves a tremendous sigh and says, 'Shame we're in such dire straits, we won't be able to celebrate' (he says this as a kind of aside to me). The victim immediately offers to pay, we pretend to refuse for a while saying we can't possibly pay him back, etc., then we finally accept.
5. After the first drink, I adamantly refuse another and Alberto makes fun of me. Our host gets annoyed and insists, I keep refusing but won't say why. The victim keeps asking until I confess, rather shamefacedly, that in Argentina it's the custom to eat when we drink. Just how much we eat depends on what we think we can get away with, but the technique never fails."
- Ernesto Che Guevara, 1995. The Motorcycle Diaries. 'Our hopes are dashed', p115-116. Verso: London.
Please excuse the rather long quotation and the referencing :P This is only one of the many things they come up with - a Kiwi OE seems so dull by comparison. An excellent thing about Che Guevara's writing is how ordinarily he treats his adventures (I'm not sure if this is what he actually thought - perhaps this is completely normal behaviour for South American guys in the 1950s - or if it's just a feature of his writing style); he doesn't try to excuse their actions, and writes very casually about recurrent asthma attacks, or about swimming across the Amazon to visit a leper colony.
You may have seen the film of The Motorcycle Diaries - it's good, although in some ways I think the book does more justice to the characters, being a first hand account. However, the movie does emphasise a lot of the material that Che Guevara downplays, for example the way they deal with the patients in the leper colony (normally, compared the way they're treated by the doctors and nuns), and works well in combination with the book.
Che Guevara's developing political and social views also come across to an extent - in his birthday speech at the leper colony, where he talks about a united South American identity, or when he writes of meeting a Communist couple in Chile '..what had burgeoned in him [the husband] was nothing more than the natural desire for a better life...' and the treatment of workers at a Chilean copper mine. He tells his mother about staying in a hospital in Colombia - '...by which I mean a chair to spend the night in. We aren't all that broke, but explorers of our stature would rather die than pay for the bourgeois comfort of a hostel.' Comments like these might not be entirely noticeable, though, unless you know more about his later life.
Well, I apologise profusely for the quality of the review, and all I can say now is that I strongly recommend you read this book (and watch the film), because they're humorous/entertaining, and thought-provoking; if you don't know much about South America they're also informative, and give an insight into the development of (I think) the world's most influential socialist revolutionary.
Wednesday, 26 March 2008
The Dreamers' Quartet - David & Leigh Eddings
The Dreamers Quartet: The Elder Gods, The Treasured One, Crystal Gorge, The Younger Gods
David & Leigh Eddings
David Eddings is undoubtedly one of the father-figures of fantasy fiction. He is commonly credited with inventing what is now known as “generic fantasy fiction.” As such his older works can seem a little stale and predictable if you have read vast quantities, but as the creator of it, he should still be applauded.
I wasn’t sure what this quartet would be like when I picked it up. Being Eddings I was well aware that it could be more of the same old same old. Yet from works such as The Redemption of Althalus I know it could be fantastically different.
I’ll get it out of the way now: I didn’t entirely like this series. It was relatively different to Eddings’ previous work, and had some interesting ideas flowing round in it, but it just didn’t sit right with me. I’ll get back to this point later.
Brief synopsis of the whole thing: On a planet somewhere out there in a universe is a continent called the
In the centre of this continent is a wasteland. It is ruled by something called the Vlagh. It is effectively a giant insect queen that tampers with genetics. Each time the insect nation come up against a problem the Vlagh goes into a cocoon and figures out what natural tools her next brood should be born with, and then lays a clutch accordingly. Unfortunately she is not bound by natural limitations to evolution so her children can be part mammalian, part insectoid, and so on. Anyway, like all good insects, basically their aim is to find more food, and grow the family. So their eyes have turned out of the Wasteland, beyond the encircling mountains, to the other parts of Dhrall. While the insects still only live for about 6 weeks at most, the Vlagh seems to be eternal, and directs her brood through an insect overmind setup.
Human life has not been going for all that long on Dhrall (still in the stone age more or less, some being tribal-hunting lands, some being farming communities) and the Gods become concerned about their wellbeing if the Vlagh is going to start attacking them. Thus they go overseas to find other more developed civilisations (who know about bronze, and iron etc) and recruit them all to fight in Dhrall. The Gods themselves are bound not to kill any creature, or perform activities that will knowingly bring about death – to Humans, animals, or the Vlagh’s brood – which is why they needed other people to fight for them.
Over the 4 books, 4 pivotal battles are fought against the Vlagh, with lots of extra stuff happening around them. The plot in general is rather cool, with clever conventions and twists to keep it interesting. There is a little too much dues ex machina but that’s only to be expected when you have 4+ gods involved in the world.
The characters are very Eddings typical characters. They are painted with very broad strokes. One race all seem pretty much the same except for a few characters with extra colour running through their personality. The next race can be completely different to the first, but all the same within their community. All these conflicting personalities are thrown together to overcome the big issues. It’s something that works well for Eddings.
It makes for a fair quartet. Not bad reading, and once you start you will want to know the end. But I’m just hazarding that you may want to spare yourself some pain and not bother entirely. It’s up to you.
I will say this before I start moaning. The first book was really good. Truly it was fantastic. It hooked me enough to want to read the rest of the series no matter how bad as I wanted to know the conclusion. Books 2-4 were sloppy, and not as tight or well prepared.
Now on to my gripes: My biggest one is that the storyline repeats itself. I’m not just meaning that the same things happen in each situation, I am literally meaning that you keep getting the same plot happening in exactly the same time.
Why? Somewhere between writing the first and second books the Eddings’ decided that character development could be furthered much better if we got to see the past (and present!) that moulded them. As such the reader is subjected to frequent detours and repetitious material for both main characters and minors. They’re not simply: Hold up! When this dude was young his life was like this…
They go further than that and you end up reading about the same battles, the same meetings, and the same journeys multiple times.
Now I accept this was an attempt to show that different people see situations differently depending on their upbringing and process of evolution, but it’s BORING. It could have been done well, but in my opinion it wasn’t. Hearing the same guy describe the plot of the previous books from 3-4 different points of view is not cool! It’s not needed. Hell I just read the previous books! Please don’t treat me like a moron with a 5 second attention span and the short term memory of a goldfish! Reading about the deep past is useful, reading internal responses to the current situations is also interesting, but having them simply relate the same narrative of events with only a couple of personal thoughts about it is not good.
Frankly it ruined what could have been a really good series. Sorry.
The transitions between 3rd and 1st person narrative is also choppy and unpleasant at times. There was no 1st person in book 1. It came in in book 2, and that was about when I started to think “uh-oh.”
Maybe it’s just me. Perhaps I wasn’t in the right frame of mind for the books, or not the targeted audience. Maybe you should read them to see what they’re like first-hand, as my response is evidently shrouded in distaste and bias. They are good writers, but this effort failed in structure, in plot and conventions it was right up there.
I will say this: The ending was not what I expected. I personally felt cheated, angry and let down to some degree, but also satisfied that it wasn't predictable to the end. A spectrum of feelings has been awoken in me while reading this book and perhaps that makes it epic. I love and hate it, find it interesting and boring, innovative and generic, bland and full of twists, fulfilling and emptying.
The final thing I would like to say is this: may the spirit of Leigh Eddings rest in peace in whichever world she escaped to. She provided countless contributions to almost all of David’s works, whether her name is on the front or not. It will be interesting indeed to see what David comes up with in the future, without the direct influence of his equally talented wife. Although being 76 himself he may just be ready to hang up the pen.
Wednesday, 5 March 2008
The Quest of the Fair Unknown - Gerald Morris
I feel like reviewing something. However, there's one problem with this - namely that I'm a chronic procrastinator, and I haven't actually read a book since... umm... When did Harry Potter come out? Was there a Terry Pratchett after that? I think there was... oh yes!! I read "Making Money" at Christmas. But you've all read that, I suspect. Even if you haven't, it's pretty much in the same vein as the rest, and just as brilliant. So what do I review?
Well, I guess what I do is think waaaay back... And seeing as how I'm in a medieval mood at the moment, I think of... Gerald Morris! Now, when was the last time I read one of those books...? Must have been 2006 or 2007, cos I read one that came out in 2006, called the Quest of the Fair Unknown. So I'll review that.
For those who haven't come accross him yet, Gerald Morris is definitely a light author. He takes Arthurian tales, and retells them as he feels like - sometimes he is close to the original, sometimes not very - but his writing always has a happy, slightly jovial tinge, that keeps you happy and in a good mood - these are children's books really, afterall. And they always have some way in which they relate to modern society. I think this is sometimes deliberate, sometimes not, but he loves to retell tales of excellent young women being awesome that make you make all kinds of funny noises of exhilaration while you read, which get you odd looks from everybody around you. So yes, they are a little clichéd, and coloured by modern views.
The Quest for the Fair Unknown (his 8th book) is definitely one of those tales where he takes a small story - which gets a few mentions here and there in many of the old Arthurian writers - and turns it into a novel. In this case, the big part that stems from Arthurian stories is the main character, a boy named Beaufils who has lived secluded from society with his mother for his entire life. When she dies, charging him to seek his father (a knight at Arthur's court), he wanders off into the wider world... which is all too amusing to read about... Beaufils's innocence is really rather fun, if completely unbelievable.
Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy this as much as I enjoyed Gerald Morris's other tales. It's not too bad, but it gets a bit strange here and there, and for a fun, light read, it's a bit overful with symbolism and modernity. Having said that, it's still fun, and definitely worth a read (and more than a few lols). However, I would recommend starting with "The Squire's Tale", which is the first story he wrote. Although they are all stand-alone books, each links to the other, and you understand the in-jokes better if you read them all in order...
...and the other ones are better.
Really do read these books. This kind of medievalist series is so much fun, and makes you feel all happy and bubbly, and there are enough of them to keep you going for a little while. He should have a new one out soon too, I would imagine.
Sorry for that messy review. Someone will have to come along and fix it. But I missed you all so much, I had to review SOMETHING. :P
Well, I guess what I do is think waaaay back... And seeing as how I'm in a medieval mood at the moment, I think of... Gerald Morris! Now, when was the last time I read one of those books...? Must have been 2006 or 2007, cos I read one that came out in 2006, called the Quest of the Fair Unknown. So I'll review that.
For those who haven't come accross him yet, Gerald Morris is definitely a light author. He takes Arthurian tales, and retells them as he feels like - sometimes he is close to the original, sometimes not very - but his writing always has a happy, slightly jovial tinge, that keeps you happy and in a good mood - these are children's books really, afterall. And they always have some way in which they relate to modern society. I think this is sometimes deliberate, sometimes not, but he loves to retell tales of excellent young women being awesome that make you make all kinds of funny noises of exhilaration while you read, which get you odd looks from everybody around you. So yes, they are a little clichéd, and coloured by modern views.
The Quest for the Fair Unknown (his 8th book) is definitely one of those tales where he takes a small story - which gets a few mentions here and there in many of the old Arthurian writers - and turns it into a novel. In this case, the big part that stems from Arthurian stories is the main character, a boy named Beaufils who has lived secluded from society with his mother for his entire life. When she dies, charging him to seek his father (a knight at Arthur's court), he wanders off into the wider world... which is all too amusing to read about... Beaufils's innocence is really rather fun, if completely unbelievable.
Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy this as much as I enjoyed Gerald Morris's other tales. It's not too bad, but it gets a bit strange here and there, and for a fun, light read, it's a bit overful with symbolism and modernity. Having said that, it's still fun, and definitely worth a read (and more than a few lols). However, I would recommend starting with "The Squire's Tale", which is the first story he wrote. Although they are all stand-alone books, each links to the other, and you understand the in-jokes better if you read them all in order...
...and the other ones are better.
Really do read these books. This kind of medievalist series is so much fun, and makes you feel all happy and bubbly, and there are enough of them to keep you going for a little while. He should have a new one out soon too, I would imagine.
Sorry for that messy review. Someone will have to come along and fix it. But I missed you all so much, I had to review SOMETHING. :P
Friday, 29 February 2008
Utopia - Thomas More
You'll all have heard of this book - it's the one from which the term 'utopia' is derived - I certainly had, but didn't know what it was about until starting to read. It's incredibly cleverly written; More writes as himself, giving a narrative he's heard from an explorer, which allows him to distance himself from some of the ideas - prudent for a political figure in 1500s England (he was eventually beheaded, but for different reasons). Letters to and by a (real) friend, Peter Gilles, who apparently also knows the original narrator and was there at the time, are included at the start. It seems that some readers did fall for this. But there is a lot more to Utopia than the detail and realism of the background.
The word 'utopia' apparently translates to 'no place', and the story is related by 'Hythlodaeus' - 'distributor of nonsense'. While emphasising that the idea is purely imaginary, More gives his idea of how the world should function. A more positive view is taken than the satire of Swift in Gulliver's Travels, although the basis is similar - to visit a new country and describe the political, economic, religious and social structure. While some of More's views, for example on the role of women, wouldn't be accepted now, they may have been liberal for his time. I could go on to describe other features of Utopia (an almost communist lifestyle; religious freedom), but that would defeat the purpose of reading it. Many of the ideas wouldn't be considered unusual now, but regardless of this, and particularly in context, it is thought-provoking, and, at around 100 pages, won't take too much commitment to read. Remember that this is the starting point for utopian literature!
Try to find a good translation (unless you feel inclined to try the original) - I read the 1965 Penguin Classics edition, which translates most of the Latin names; it has an interesting introduction, notes, and a glossary of names referring back to the original Latin versions and their meanings.
The word 'utopia' apparently translates to 'no place', and the story is related by 'Hythlodaeus' - 'distributor of nonsense'. While emphasising that the idea is purely imaginary, More gives his idea of how the world should function. A more positive view is taken than the satire of Swift in Gulliver's Travels, although the basis is similar - to visit a new country and describe the political, economic, religious and social structure. While some of More's views, for example on the role of women, wouldn't be accepted now, they may have been liberal for his time. I could go on to describe other features of Utopia (an almost communist lifestyle; religious freedom), but that would defeat the purpose of reading it. Many of the ideas wouldn't be considered unusual now, but regardless of this, and particularly in context, it is thought-provoking, and, at around 100 pages, won't take too much commitment to read. Remember that this is the starting point for utopian literature!
Try to find a good translation (unless you feel inclined to try the original) - I read the 1965 Penguin Classics edition, which translates most of the Latin names; it has an interesting introduction, notes, and a glossary of names referring back to the original Latin versions and their meanings.
The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists - Robert Tressel
(I wrote this review last year, so my opinions might have changed, but thought this might be relevant to the one I just did of Mary Barton).
It's a book by a guy writing under the name of Robert Tressel, and an excellent insight into socialism in early 1900s Britain. It seemed a bit simplified to me at first but after reading the introduction I must admit I missed some points. Perhaps it's not as relevant to present day New Zealand but the reasoning is still the same, and the situation is very similar in a lot of countries which still seem trapped in the industrial revolution.
The story follows a group of workmen and their families for over a year, showing the problems they're facing; and also the scheming of the bourgeoisie to exploit their employees as much as possible (names like Adam Sweater and Mrs Starvem help to overstate the point a little). Like Gaskell in Mary Barton, Tressel emphasies the suffering of the workers One of the workers, Frank Owen, turns out to be a socialist, and gives several 'lectures' to the others - telling them that they are being exploited, explaining how they're being exploited - and is generally ridiculed for it. Clearly the author was (naturally) furious with the entire system. The amount of repetition regarding this seems unnecessary, but does make the book an excellent 'beginner's guide to socialism' (from my limited knowledge of the subject).
There is also an emphasis on the frustration felt by Owen at the lack of understanding shown by the workers (the novel is based on his own experiences) - and while I can't find any specific article to back me up on this (and could be completely wrong), I think this is related to Gramsci's idea of hegemony (relying on what I recall from proofreading my sister's essay), so it appears to have been observed and documented before Gramsci (but only recognised as social control - nothing so elaborate as his theories about hegemony).
It's interesting to note that while reading the book, I somehow got the impression that the author had never actually been one of the workers he was writing about, but I was completely wrong. The person who wrote the introduction also got this impression on first reading. It's possibly to do with the somewhat derogatory tone taken towards most of the characters - including the workers - for perpetuating and believing in the system.
The life of the author is also interesting, and relevant, but something you'll find out about if you do read the book (or an introduction). In my opinion the prose wasn't particularly good, and the ideas were repeated too often - at times too sarcastic for a modern reader? but it's definitely worth the time all the same.
Before I forget: the 'ragged trousered philanthropists' are the workmen - philanthropists, because they're willing to sacrifice their - and their families' - necessities, working in unhealthy conditions for a pittance, and content to be exploited for the comfort of their 'masters'. (Ragged Trousered is pretty self explanatory).
It's a book by a guy writing under the name of Robert Tressel, and an excellent insight into socialism in early 1900s Britain. It seemed a bit simplified to me at first but after reading the introduction I must admit I missed some points. Perhaps it's not as relevant to present day New Zealand but the reasoning is still the same, and the situation is very similar in a lot of countries which still seem trapped in the industrial revolution.
The story follows a group of workmen and their families for over a year, showing the problems they're facing; and also the scheming of the bourgeoisie to exploit their employees as much as possible (names like Adam Sweater and Mrs Starvem help to overstate the point a little). Like Gaskell in Mary Barton, Tressel emphasies the suffering of the workers One of the workers, Frank Owen, turns out to be a socialist, and gives several 'lectures' to the others - telling them that they are being exploited, explaining how they're being exploited - and is generally ridiculed for it. Clearly the author was (naturally) furious with the entire system. The amount of repetition regarding this seems unnecessary, but does make the book an excellent 'beginner's guide to socialism' (from my limited knowledge of the subject).
There is also an emphasis on the frustration felt by Owen at the lack of understanding shown by the workers (the novel is based on his own experiences) - and while I can't find any specific article to back me up on this (and could be completely wrong), I think this is related to Gramsci's idea of hegemony (relying on what I recall from proofreading my sister's essay), so it appears to have been observed and documented before Gramsci (but only recognised as social control - nothing so elaborate as his theories about hegemony).
It's interesting to note that while reading the book, I somehow got the impression that the author had never actually been one of the workers he was writing about, but I was completely wrong. The person who wrote the introduction also got this impression on first reading. It's possibly to do with the somewhat derogatory tone taken towards most of the characters - including the workers - for perpetuating and believing in the system.
The life of the author is also interesting, and relevant, but something you'll find out about if you do read the book (or an introduction). In my opinion the prose wasn't particularly good, and the ideas were repeated too often - at times too sarcastic for a modern reader? but it's definitely worth the time all the same.
Before I forget: the 'ragged trousered philanthropists' are the workmen - philanthropists, because they're willing to sacrifice their - and their families' - necessities, working in unhealthy conditions for a pittance, and content to be exploited for the comfort of their 'masters'. (Ragged Trousered is pretty self explanatory).
Mary Barton - Elizabeth Gaskell
Mary Barton is another of those mid-19th century novels about the working class in industrial Britain. It is apparently one of the earliest novels of this sort, and may be worth reading for that reason alone. I'm not sure that all of you will have the patience for the melodrama, and this style of writing, but if you do it's an interesting book. The story follows Mary, her father John, their family friends and her suitors, through a simple enough plot involving a murder and subsequent trial (and some remarkable coincidences, of course). Compared to authors such as Thomas Hardy, Gaskell avoids the idealisation of working class life - in fact, she emphasises the hardships - but a strong religious element rather blunts the effect, and I expect that people with more Marxist views will disagree with her beliefs.
My political science lecturer pointed out in one of our classes that people who lead revolutions (at least the 'People's Revolutions' kind) tend to be well off - not the people that the revolutions are meant to help. This could be extended to say that authors of books protesting the 'condition of the working class' are also generally middle class and comparatively wealthy, which is interesting - hypocritical, perhaps? (Maybe this isn't the right place for that particular discussion...) Anyway, when I first started reading Mary Barton I was expecting something similar, but found that Gaskell isn't protesting inequality as much as lamenting the consequences. Her view seems to be that, while class divisions are perfectly acceptable, the wealthy should, out of the kindness of their hearts, do as much as they can for the poor. When wages are cut, it is so that the factory owners can continue cheap production and therefore stay in business, which would be beneficial to the workers. Apparently the problem is that the working class doesn't understand this, and the industrialists don't know how much their workers are suffering. This bothered me throughout the novel, enough to make me want to throw things at Gaskell, but is one of the reasons that I'd recommend reading it (it's good to know what other people think, after all).
The original title was 'John Barton', because the story was meant to focus on Mary's father and his struggle (as a trades' unionist) against the industrialists of Manchester. However, the publisher required a name change - it's easy enough to see that Mary does end up playing the main role, whatever Gaskell's intentions were. The story of Mary's two love interests (the son of a factory owner, and her childhood friend, who is a factory worker) is meant to link back to the theme of 'the suffering of the poor', and the activities of the more radical trades unionists, but in many aspects manages to detract from it. Nevertheless it's important to keep this in mind while reading the book, because John Barton makes some interesting decisions in his frustration with the industrialists, which are significant in the themes, not just as a plot device.
Another point of interest is the way the lives of the characters are described. The first few chapters, in particular, are quite readable, showing the friendships between the characters - I felt that this was later sacrificed to the plot, but at least there was something to think back fondly on while mentally throwing things at the author. The religious element surfaces most strongly at the end of the novel, with deathbed confessions and redemptions and whatnot (Gaskell was married to a minister, after all) and was another annoying feature. However, the views expressed in the novel are might be quite liberal for Victorian England (alright, so she 'redeems' the prostitute, but never condemns her in the first place).
It doesn't look like I have that many good things to say about Mary Barton but it's worth reading for a different opinion, however frustrating it may be, and I don't think any of you will have trouble with the actual writing style, and it's less than 400 pages which isn't much compared to some of the massive tomes I see you lot with. I can't say that you'll enjoy it, but hopefully it'll make you think.
My political science lecturer pointed out in one of our classes that people who lead revolutions (at least the 'People's Revolutions' kind) tend to be well off - not the people that the revolutions are meant to help. This could be extended to say that authors of books protesting the 'condition of the working class' are also generally middle class and comparatively wealthy, which is interesting - hypocritical, perhaps? (Maybe this isn't the right place for that particular discussion...) Anyway, when I first started reading Mary Barton I was expecting something similar, but found that Gaskell isn't protesting inequality as much as lamenting the consequences. Her view seems to be that, while class divisions are perfectly acceptable, the wealthy should, out of the kindness of their hearts, do as much as they can for the poor. When wages are cut, it is so that the factory owners can continue cheap production and therefore stay in business, which would be beneficial to the workers. Apparently the problem is that the working class doesn't understand this, and the industrialists don't know how much their workers are suffering. This bothered me throughout the novel, enough to make me want to throw things at Gaskell, but is one of the reasons that I'd recommend reading it (it's good to know what other people think, after all).
The original title was 'John Barton', because the story was meant to focus on Mary's father and his struggle (as a trades' unionist) against the industrialists of Manchester. However, the publisher required a name change - it's easy enough to see that Mary does end up playing the main role, whatever Gaskell's intentions were. The story of Mary's two love interests (the son of a factory owner, and her childhood friend, who is a factory worker) is meant to link back to the theme of 'the suffering of the poor', and the activities of the more radical trades unionists, but in many aspects manages to detract from it. Nevertheless it's important to keep this in mind while reading the book, because John Barton makes some interesting decisions in his frustration with the industrialists, which are significant in the themes, not just as a plot device.
Another point of interest is the way the lives of the characters are described. The first few chapters, in particular, are quite readable, showing the friendships between the characters - I felt that this was later sacrificed to the plot, but at least there was something to think back fondly on while mentally throwing things at the author. The religious element surfaces most strongly at the end of the novel, with deathbed confessions and redemptions and whatnot (Gaskell was married to a minister, after all) and was another annoying feature. However, the views expressed in the novel are might be quite liberal for Victorian England (alright, so she 'redeems' the prostitute, but never condemns her in the first place).
It doesn't look like I have that many good things to say about Mary Barton but it's worth reading for a different opinion, however frustrating it may be, and I don't think any of you will have trouble with the actual writing style, and it's less than 400 pages which isn't much compared to some of the massive tomes I see you lot with. I can't say that you'll enjoy it, but hopefully it'll make you think.
Monday, 11 February 2008
Boring administrative-y matters
You've probably all thought of this already, but just to be obvious:
What to review: anything that you'd like everyone else to know about. There's no point in reviewing something like the Lord of the Rings unless you thought it was horrid and want to warn everyone off (which would be pointless in this case since everyone's read it). Equally, there's no point in reviewing something completely obscure unless you think we should hunt it out and read it. If we're interested in discussing books, rather than reviewing them, we could put 'discussion' in the title and the tags (and remember to do spoiler alerts).
That brings me to tags: It'd be good if everyone could tag their reviews as they write them - someone else will do them if you don't, but not as well. Have a look at the tags that are already there, or make some up. It'll become useful if we end up with fifty reviews and don't want to look over all of them to find something to read.
You all have admin privileges, so go ahead and use them - in particular, you can get the blog to email you about comments (and possibly about posts, although I haven't figured that setting out yet), and add your own web comics ;) and blogs to the list of our sites. (Update: if you want the blog to email you when a new post is put up, either do it yourself under Settings-> Email and add your address, or let me know and I'll do it).
If someone's already reviewed something you wanted to write about, don't be put off - you can add a comment to their review. If you have a lot to write, and the original author doesn't mind, you could always add it to the end of their review - do mention who you are, though, and remember we won't know the review has been updated. The best thing to do might be to write another review, and add the book title to the tags of both reviews, so that we know there's another one.
When you review a book of which you are fortunate enough to possess a copy, and feel generous enough to let someone else read it, you could mention that in your post, and also whether it's in Christchurch or Wellington (or wherever else you happen to be).
Any other suggestions?
What to review: anything that you'd like everyone else to know about. There's no point in reviewing something like the Lord of the Rings unless you thought it was horrid and want to warn everyone off (which would be pointless in this case since everyone's read it). Equally, there's no point in reviewing something completely obscure unless you think we should hunt it out and read it. If we're interested in discussing books, rather than reviewing them, we could put 'discussion' in the title and the tags (and remember to do spoiler alerts).
That brings me to tags: It'd be good if everyone could tag their reviews as they write them - someone else will do them if you don't, but not as well. Have a look at the tags that are already there, or make some up. It'll become useful if we end up with fifty reviews and don't want to look over all of them to find something to read.
You all have admin privileges, so go ahead and use them - in particular, you can get the blog to email you about comments (and possibly about posts, although I haven't figured that setting out yet), and add your own web comics ;) and blogs to the list of our sites. (Update: if you want the blog to email you when a new post is put up, either do it yourself under Settings-> Email and add your address, or let me know and I'll do it).
If someone's already reviewed something you wanted to write about, don't be put off - you can add a comment to their review. If you have a lot to write, and the original author doesn't mind, you could always add it to the end of their review - do mention who you are, though, and remember we won't know the review has been updated. The best thing to do might be to write another review, and add the book title to the tags of both reviews, so that we know there's another one.
When you review a book of which you are fortunate enough to possess a copy, and feel generous enough to let someone else read it, you could mention that in your post, and also whether it's in Christchurch or Wellington (or wherever else you happen to be).
Any other suggestions?
Sunday, 10 February 2008
Dragon's Fire - Anne and Todd McCaffrey
I actually did a review for the Todd-only Pern novel a while back (Dragon’s Blood). I can’t figure out whether this one is before or after – I think before, as in this one they haven’t started their exploration of the Southern Continent.
Anyway, the brilliant thing about the Dragons of Pern series is that you can pick up any one of the books and pretty much throw yourself straight into the story. I mean there’s not much to remember for the books’ premise: Sci-fi/ Fantasy world with dragons that was colonised by our descendants escaping Earth. Sister planet orbits too close every once in a while and drops the evil life-form called thread. Dragons burn thread, everybody happy…
Dragon’s Fire involves the search for firestone – the fuel dragons need to create flames with is running out and with the next pass about 30 years away something needs to be done. Thus some heroes are discovered and the disaster accordingly dealt with in a way that keeps the reader involved, interested, and excited right to the last page. In fact the stories stay so fresh up to the end that you almost don’t see it coming, and in some ways feel a bit short-changed in not having the usual wind down.
It’s nothing special when compared to other Pern novels, but in the greater scheme of things the McCaffrey’s write brilliant fiction: The scenery is always colourful, and the culture continues around and through the plot. The characters are crafted very deftly in such a way that their character is quickly identifiable and memorable yet they still appear to have depth – it’s just that we don’t really see it (or need to).
I enjoyed it; however, there were a few things that irked me somewhat. The main characters seem a bit dumb when it comes to communication (horrid pun given that one of the guys is a mute…). There were a number of points when I was left thinking “but but why didn’t you say something??” or “how can anyone be that stupid?!” etc. Some of these reasons I may have just missed, and a few are explained later, but it seemed to me the main characters were behaving a bit too irrationally to achieve verisimilitude. This might have been at least partially due to having two writers involved and while they know intimately the world that has been created, they do have slightly different writing styles and merging each of their own bits with the other didn’t quite mesh nicely in places.
All in all it’s a good book with good twists and changes in plot, but just a tad frustrating. Read it if you like Pern and the McCaffrey’s, don’t if you don’t :P
Friday, 8 February 2008
The Angel with One Hundred Wings - A Tale from the Arabian Nights; by Daniel Horch
Oh yeah – ancient script fonts all the way for this one!
Daniel Horch has created a gem of a historical novel in this tale. Inspired by “L’histoire des amours d’Aboulhassan” from Arabian Nights (as translated by Antoine Galland), this book is set in
The tale centres around an elderly pharmacist called Aboulhassan, who has made his fortunes in his time selling potions, and has effectively retired to perfect his art of alchemy and try, with dwindling time, to find the elixir of life. His skill with potions and wisdom through a life of trials sees him somewhat reluctantly hosting afternoon talks with youths who are mostly there out of moral obligation, and also playing chess with his only close friend the Sultan (our pharmacist being one of the few men to ever win – although he tried not to…).
One youth, however, is much more interested in Abulhassan’s wisdom than most – he too is called Abulhassan, but also the Prince of Persia, the last living descendant of the royal family ousted from power by the religious clout of the Sultan, allowed to live by virtue of his parents’ loyalty to the Sultan. One fateful day, the Sultan’s mistress comes to visit the pharmacist for some perfume and meets the Prince and it is from there a story of intrigue, love and scandal develops. Poor Abul must choose which of his close friends to betray – the Sultan a long time friend, companion, and the authority of the land; or the Prince, his protégé who has grown into a man at Abul’s side.
The book is amazing – it really brings this ancient city to life, and fills it with elaborate characters in a richly decorated environment. Daniel Horch has done his research where needed, and used his imagination to fill in the rest – the story and events contained within are almost all fictional but utterly believable.
It was a pleasure to read this beautiful work of story-telling in its engaging surroundings featuring a combination of alchemy, the Koran, Islamic mystics and a touch of history.
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