Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Why did it take me so long to read this? Probably because since I was a teen, everyone who recommended it to me was a girl and I figured it was some sort of Chick-lit book about relationships and, being a guy, I wanted action and adventure. And so, from my earliest thinkings of Austen, it never quite appealed to me. Continue reading “Review: Pride and Prejudice”
The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers by Christopher Vogler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
When you “spell” a word correctly, you are in effect casting a spell, charging these abstract, arbitrary symbols with meaning and power.
Christopher Vogler’s book is, in effect, a “Hero’s Journey” for dummies, with a screenwriting angle thrown in for good measure. He makes no bones about the fact he’s basing his research on Joseph Campbell’s work, with a touch of Jungian philosophy,, all set against a Hollywood background. This makes sense, though. As any good teacher, Vogler uses a more modern language (film) in order to teach a concept which is thousands of years old. Continue reading “Review: The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers”
Monster by A. Lee Martinez
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is my third A. Lee Martinez book and I must say, I’m liking his stuff. This one is a little more serious than the other two I’ve read,, but all of his works have a certain… humanity… to them – regardless of the fact the characters aren’t always, or even often, human. In this one, at least two of the main characters are, nominally, human so that’s okay. And another is a paper gnome from another dimension (a really great creation, by the by). Continue reading “Review: Monster”
X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills by Chris Claremont
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Coming on the heels of reading “X-Men – Days of Future Past,” the theme is similar yet, I think, much better executed here. The fact that this is a one-off helps. Chris Claremont didn’t have to worry about monthly continuity, he could simply write the story he wanted to write. But then again, the X-Men have long been the Marvel stand-in for “the Other” so it’s no surprise they are the go to characters when anyone wants to make a point about intolerance and hate. This story has the added bonus of including religious zealotry and hypocrisy. Of course, as a book written in 1982, the resonance it has with today’s America and the ideology which is pushing for a theocratic government is pretty impressive.
So, overall, a bit of an easy target and a simplified answer to a complicated issue… but huge props for calling out racism in any form (and for probably the only time a certain racial epithet was uttered in a mainstream comic book, and uttered by a proudly jewish girl who is under 18 – almost as many discriminated against minorities you can jam into one character).
PS: Thanks to Doc Pockets for reminding me of this one.
X-Men: Days of Future Past by Chris Claremont
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I have to say, I remember reading these initial books when they came out in 80-81 and I remember being absolutely blown away by them. This was the introduction of Kitty Pryde, who, if you are a comic reader and my age, you had developed a massive crush on at just the right time in your formative years (it didn’t hurt she was Jewish, as I was, so, ya know, there was a bond). So it was with this sense of nostalgia I picked up the compilation
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
You know, I’m not sure if I’d ever actually read this before. I think I must have because I remember the hammerhead people (and where were they in the recent Oz film?) but I certainly didn’t remember it the same way it was. Like most people, I figure I’m tainted by the iconic 1939 film because the book, while containing most of the same elements as the movie, has much more (and actually, some less). Continue reading “Review: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz”
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This isn’t so much a story as a cautionary tale of what will happen if America (any country, really) lets religion control its politics. There’s not much in the way of plot and smarter people than I have spent a lot more time than I writing about all the allusions and metaphors. I’m glad I read it, finally, though. I’ll be honest, I hadn’t read it because I have a grudge against Margaret Atwood. It’s a personal thing, they way she denounces science fiction and then explains that what she writes is “speculative fiction” because hers doesn’t have space ships in it. I call BS on that.
It’s also interesting in that I’ve recently been on a Dystopian Literature kick and I’m fascinated by the wholesale stealing of ideas from Brave New World to this and This Perfect Day. In the end, though, I enjoyed this book. I enjoyed Claire Danes interpretation of it as well. With audio books, the narrator can save a bad one or kill a good one, but in this case, I think Ms. Danes did a great job.
Sandman Slim by Richard Kadrey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Not a bad entry in the modern magic noir genre, but not a great one either. It’s serviceable. That said, there’s a lot of moments where we as reader need to know something which is conveniently told to us in the form of clunky exposition just before we need to know it.
It’s the first of a series, and I can see how it can be a continuing story, but not sure I want to keep up with the characters.
The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Honestly had no idea how humorous this book was. It’s creepy, sure, but it’s also quite funny. I mean seriously, the Phantom refers to himself as “The Opera Ghost.” Also, the “OG” as he’s known, really is quite the superman. There’s nothing he can’t do. All in all, a fun read, but I think it’s certainly a bit of its time. Interesting to see how it’s been adapted.
Father Sky: A Novel by Devery Freeman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I first picked up Father Sky after seeing Taps, the 1981 film starring Timothy Hutton, Sean Penn and Tom Cruise based on it. The book amazed me even more than the film did.
Where the movie was an action film about loyalty, the book delves deeper into the pychology which created a loyalty for which people were willing to kill or die. In fact, they weren’t even people, really. They were kids. The leader of the revolution (sparked when they tried to close the military school where the action takes place) is a mere 15 years old. Continue reading “Review: Father Sky: A Novel”
Oceanspace by Allen Steele
My rating: 1 of 5 stars
Ouch! I’m a HUGE fan of underwater stories. Doesn’t matter what the general plot is, be it monster or character, I’ll go to it like a…well…like a fish to water. So when I first caught sight of Allen Steele’s “Oceanspace” needless to say I was very excited.
What a bad move that was. Continue reading “Review: Oceanspace”
Foucault’s Pendulum by Umberto Eco
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Eco is having the last laugh.
In Foucault’s Pendulum Umberto Eco is writing a huge joke with the whole world as the punchline. He takes everything you know about history (and quite a few things you don’t) and wraps them all up in such a way that they make sense. Or better yet, in a brilliant act of post modernism, he has his characters do it. Continue reading “Review: Foucault’s Pendulum”
Getting the Hang of Thursdays 