![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lodessaWe interrupt this post for the following announcement:
Law and Order: UK. Starring Freema Agyeman and Jaime Bamber. I could not be more excited.
And now, back to our regularly scheduled programming.
Books Read so far in 2008
1) The Darkangel (The Darkangel Trilogy, Book 1), Meredith Ann Pierce (YA, Sci-Fi/Fantasy)
2) Lady Friday (The Keys to the Kingdom Series, Book 5), Garth Nix (Children's Lit, Fantasy)
3) A Gathering of Gargoyles (The Darkangel Trilogy, Book 2), Meredith Ann Pierce (YA, Sci-Fi/Fantasy)
4) Unmanned (Y: The Last Man, Volume 1), Brian K. Vaughn (Graphic Novel, Dystopia)
5) The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, Junot Diaz (Contemporary Literature)
6) Cycles (Y: The Last Man, Volume 2), Brian K. Vaughn (Graphic Novel, Dystopia)
7) Closing Time (sequel to Catch-22), Joseph Heller (Contemporary Fiction)
8) One Small Step (Y: The Last Man, Volume 3), Brian K. Vaughn (Graphic Novel, Dystopia)
9) Safeword (Y: The Last Man, Volume 4), Brian K. Vaughn (Graphic Novel, Dystopia)
10) Ring of Truth (Y: The Last Man, Volume 5), Brian K. Vaughn (Graphic Novel, Dystopia)
11) Girl on Girl (Y: The Last Man, Volume 6), Brian K. Vaughn (Graphic Novel, Dystopia)
12) The Pearl of the Soul of the World (The Darkangel Trilogy, Book 3), Meredith Ann Pierce (YA, Sci-Fi/Fantasy)
13) Paper Dolls (Y: The Last Man, Volume 7), Brian K. Vaughn (Graphic Novel, Dystopia)
14) Affinity, Sarah Waters (Gothic Fiction, Queer Fiction)
15) Kimono Dragons (Y: The Last Man, Volume 8), Brian K. Vaughn (Graphic Novel, Dystopia)
16) Motherland (Y: The Last Man, Volume 9), Brian K. Vaughn (Graphic Novel, Dystopia)
17) Good Omens, Neil Gaiman/Terry Pratchett (Apocalyptic, Religious, Humor)
18) Legends in Exile (Fables, Volume 1), Bill Willingham (Graphic Novel, Urban-Fantasy)
19) Mort (Discworld Series), Terry Pratchett (Fantasy, Humor)
20) Animal Farm (Fables, Volume 2), Bill Willingham (Graphic Novel, Urban-Fantasy)
21) Storybook Love (Fables, Volume 3), Bill Willingham (Graphic Novel, Urban-Fantasy)
22) March of the Wooden Soldiers (Fables, Volume 4), Bill Willingham (Graphic Novel, Urban-Fantasy)
23) The Mean Seasons (Fables, Volume 5), Bill Willingham (Graphic Novel, Urban-Fantasy)
24) Homelands (Fables, Volume 6), Bill Willingham (Graphic Novel, Urban-Fantasy)
25) Arabian Nights (and Days) (Fables, Volume 7), Bill Willingham (Graphic Novel, Urban-Fantasy)
26) Wolves (Fables, Volume 8), Bill Willingham (Graphic Novel, Urban-Fantasy)
27) Sons of Empire (Fables, Volume 9), Bill Willingham (Graphic Novel, Urban-Fantasy)
28) 1001 Nights of Snowfall (Fables, non-linear), Bill Willingham (Graphic Novel, Urban-Fantasy)
29) One Hundred Years of Solitude, Gabriel Garcia Marquez (Magical Realism)
30) Deadeye Dick, Kurt Vonnegut Jr. (Contemporary Fiction, Apocalyptic)
31) The Wall: And Other Stories, Jean-Paul Sartre (Short Stories/Novella, Existentialism)
32) The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Volume 1, Alan Moore (Graphic Novel, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Gothic Fiction)
While this has some charm to it, and I find myself attached to Mina almost immediately, and creepily shipping her with our drug addicted explorer, I feel like there is too much tell and not enough show, which is odd for a graphic novel. If this were a longer series I might think that it was going to pick up and win me over, but as it is I really just feel like there are some good ideas but it's not enough.
33) The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Volume 2, Alan Moore (Graphic Novel, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Gothic Fiction)
I came away from this volume even less satisfied than I was with the first. Subversion completely fails in favor of becoming the thing it seemed at first to be commenting on. While I appreciate a good noir ending as much as the next person, I felt like in this case it represented an erasure of any development that did happen. Really? A convent? The scene with the turning of the Invisible Man was successful in that it was disturbing but I am not sure that it had any transformative value. I still feel like we get only a shoddy caricature for Nemo. We begin to get development with Hyde, only to have it snatched away. I cannot decide whether more series would have helped my opinion of it or further damned it.
34) Dance with Me, Luanne Rice (Popular Fiction, Romance)
Despite clean pacing and prose, the sentiments of this novel and the blandness of the romance plot line doom it. The writer is clearly very competant and I feel it is a shame that she spent less time talking about the very interesting aging mother, fighting against the knowledge that she is losing her mind to Alzheimer's, and less time talking about the mystical bond between mother and child and how no pregnant teenage girl would want to abort.
Facing insomnia, I tried one night to find something light and easy to put down, something that might make me fall asleep. Unfortunately, the only moderately light thing I had on my shelf was this book (it had been a misguided present). I didn't fall asleep, and found myself reading the entire thing, despite my distaste for it.
35) No Future For You (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 8: Volume 2), Brian K. Vaughn (Graphic Novel, Urban Fantasy)
While the art is still patchy, and I am not sure that the graphic novel format is the best venue for the material, this volume was a lot better than the first. There was some character driven storyline, Dawn's problem finally seems relevant, Xander stops seeming so weird and like he is being shipped with Buffy for the most part, and of course there is the fact that it includes a lot of not only Giles but my favorite, the one and only Faith. Both Giles and Faith are used to good effect and remain very in character, I even find myself almost shipping them together. Additionally, reading this volume as a whole as opposed to in the single releases was far less frusterating, it still didn't seem like enough, but it was far less dissatisfying than only having one installment at a time, which felt like just getting the teaser before the credits of the show at best.
36) The (Nearly) Great Escape (Jack of Fables: Volume 1), Bill Willingham (Graphic Novel, Urban Fantasy)
The choice of Jack as the spin off character for the Fables series is not one I would have made. I found him reasonably amusing in the original series, but in my experience a protagonist you can't like is sort of a problem... and I enjoy Jack as a character, but he's kind of unlikeable as a person. So, while the writing and drawing of this volume was good, it doesn't have the heart of the original series and therefore is nowhere near as compelling. That said, the plot was interesting, Jack's narration was entertaining, and I was excited to finally see what happened to Goldilocks.
37) A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, James Joyce (Stream of Consciousness)
More than its literary relevance, it was my brother's recommendation that lead me to read A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man I was disappointed. While the text get more engaging as it went on, I found it mainly to be disengaging and pretentious. It seemed terribly juvenile. I think, perhaps, that it was a personal chasm more than a general one. Joyce's choices didn't resonate at all with me, but I am willing to accept that for others it might.
38) Whys and Wherefores (Y: The Last Man, Volume 10-final), Brian K. Vaughn (Graphic Novel, Dystopia)
While it was interesting, I really felt that Volume 10 ways sort of a disappointment as a conclusion of such a mostly solidly unique series. Also, it made no sense to me that all the clones would be called after the original person, which just seems like asking for more confusion. I liked the stuff with Ciba and Natalya and Hero and Second Beth, but I seriously but felt like all the pieces didn't add up to a good whole and that the romance directions they took were really quite tacky in the end. Even though I liked Yorrick's story about elementary school and was invested in his relationship with 355 the way it played out was just cliche and convenient. Overall the series was good but I feel like this volume could have been improved upon.
39) The Good Prince (Fables, Volume 10), Bill Willingham (Graphic Novel, Urban-Fantasy)
Focusing on Flycatcher, this volume actually makes you feel better about Fabletown's chances and shows the empire to be less than impenetrable. Once again the series captivated and entertained me. But this is like Fables-lite compared to many of the better volumes.
40) Superior Saturday (The Keys to the Kingdom Series, Book 6), Garth Nix (Children's Lit, Fantasy)
Book six and it only now finally occurred to me that, for a light kid's fantasy series focusing on a boy coming of age (that is pretty paint by numbers by this point), Nix is actually doing a rather good job with the female characters. So far, half of the trustees have been female, including two of the three highest ranking ones and the one to actually be helpful instead of a pain. Whether the other two are a positive thing for female characterization is debatable but at least the are active and have agency. The Will is female, the Architect is female, and both of Arthur's friends/confidants are female. Not a single swooning flower amongst them. Although I do wonder if he could have picked different sins than Gluttony, Lust, and Envy for the women (while the men get Sloth, Avarice, Wrath, and Pride). Still overall I am pleased that it is only now that I stopped to think about it, but when I did it was better than expected.
As for the book itself, it was a nice change of pace that Arthur wasn't binding his own hands with resistance to using the power of the keys and I really liked the idea of this other personality that is trying to come through with him. It was enough of a shakeup to feel less lazy on Nix's part and I am genuinely curious now to see what will become of him in the end because I don't know anymore.
However, the cliffhanger at the end was cheap and unnecessary. I promise you, Garth Nix, if we've read through all six books we are going to pick up the seventh when it comes out.
41) Idoru, William Gibson (Cyberpunk)
I had some reservations regarding this book to begin with. Some of it feels like a replay of Neuromancer, mysterious jobs, some guy with a special skill (although Laney's is much more emphatic as opposed to the technical/physical skill dealt with in the prior) who betrayed the company he worked for (although again Laney is more appealing because his was a crime of passion against the obvious evil of Slitscan instead of just greed) and is somewhat on the run and so at the mercy of mysterious employers and a team of oddities. Gibson's description of the New Tokyo is interesting and his teenage fangirls actually read as surprisingly realistic. He is very good at letting you know how much of it is bluster.
Ultimately, this book is what one hopes for from the author of a brilliant first book... better. It's cleaner, clearer, more realistic and well sketched. Gibson is working for the ending point of his own previous work, but also from the works that emerged from it. This book contains less hand waving mysticism and more of a future that I believe and characters that I am sure exist. The conclusion is clearer, less of an empty catharsis, and overall it's a better book in terms of both ideas and actual technical writing.
This book also seemed much more accessible than Neuromancer. Particularly for me (and possibly most of you, but it's really more relevant to when I was into the music scene perhaps), the teenage fangirl who gets in way over her head and eventually loses the joy of that fannishness but emerges more aware and interesting is more resonant than a bunch of people with special powers of some kind or another dealing with aristocracy who are even weirder. Everyone, down to the antagonists, is achingly human in this. It's almost as if Gibson himself is Chia, and he has seen the real Tokyo now and met his heroes and instead of platitudes transferred into brilliance there is something real and visceral and full of hope that he's taken hold of instead of just dreaming around in this book.
I tore through Neuromancer, but I have far more respect for Idoru in the end.
PS. There are totally slashy undertones.
Breakdown By Type
Graphic Novels: 25
Literary Fiction: 6
YA/Children's Fantasy: 5
Genre Fiction: 3
General Fiction: 2
Currently Reading:
House of Mirth, Edith Wharton
Movies Seen in the Theater This Summer (from favorite to least favorite):
1) The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian - Usually adaptations of books are disappointing or just so widely different that it's basically a different story, but occasionally there comes an adaptation that actually improves on the book. This was one of those. The movie teases out the character motivation and development that lay fallow in the book, rounding the characters and turns route summaries into evocative description. Additionally, I was inclined to like the film because it was beautiful, in setting and in its cast.
2) Ironman - When I heard this movie was good, I was surprised. When I actually saw it and enjoyed it as much as I did, I was shocked. I mean... he's fighting the terrorists. This is usually an instant turnoff for me and yet it wasn't here. Gwyneth Paltrow has never been a favorite of mine and I've never considered her as really attractive, but here she was simply stunning (also I wanted all of her clothes). Ultimately I am forced to conclude that it's just a really well made movie. The pacing and dialogue were good, the acting was just right as was the tone, and it was incredibly shiny.
3) Hancock - Boy did this movie exceed my expectations. I went in with a base assumption of being entertained by Will Smith that Jason Bateman would be in it. I expected it would be kind of silly. But it really wasn't; sure there were some funny lines, but I actually think it's the most serious superhero/adventure movie I have seen in I don't know how long. Will Smith didn't seen gratuitous, and in fact may I say that I feel that he is aging ridiculously well and I am far more likely to feel smitten with him now than ever before. And I loved Bateman's character... which was just similar enough to Michael Bluth not to throw me, but was more of what Michael might have been if raised by a less insane family... or at least differently insane. And there was a twist, which wasn't full of plotholes, and which the trailer didn't give away like they so often do.
4)Dark Knight - So I really liked most of the things about the movie, but it was far too long. The creators seemed not to understand that just because a scene or idea is good does not mean it belongs in a movie, book, tv show, play or whatever. It would have been a two hour and ten minute movie, and there was a perfect point to do so there. The Joker has been caught, Harvey was getting maimed, they should have left it with the Joker's escape and left Two Face to another movie. That would have been my vote. Alternatively, if they wanted to do both the Joker and Two Face they could have shortened up the beginning. Batman definitely didn't need to go to Hong Kong (not matter how cool that scene was) and seriously the setup with the Joker and the mobsters could have been explained in 5 minutes. Honestly, I might have made both these changes and left a little more time to dwell on the copycat Batmans and signs that Gotham didn't reject Batman before the movie. That said, the extraneous scenes were still good in their own right and I enjoyed the movie quite a lot. But I really do think that this movie exemplifies part of why Ironman was such a hit. It's simple and doesn't drag on for 40 minutes after what should be the end (like almost every movie to happen recently, including Casino Royale for instance). I had a secondary pet peeve, which was that both the Joker and other people kept saying how the Joker didn't plan an was just random and chaotic... but then he kept having brilliant plans. I enjoyed the brilliant plans but it seemed like a terrible inconsistency. It would have been a far better character move to show that he really didn't plan but he was just really good at improvising, like they sort of did with Harvey, but more so.
5) Hellboy II: The Golden Army - Okay, so I was seriously really excited about this movie and I suspect that had I not been it might have rated higher on my initial impression. When it comes out on DVD I will probably be more forgiving. But this was a movie that the previews really showed too much of. I still enjoyed the banter and characters, but I already knew the awesome cinematic moments that were coming and the climax didn't feel that exciting. Also, the whimsical look of the creatures, which is magnificent in Pan's Labyrinth, just contrasted awkwardly with the rough and tumble feel of Hellboy. The new addition to their team was a mistake and terribly executed and actually made my brother miss Myers. Also there was a baby plotline and while it was the least offensive execution of one I have seen in a long time it still is always a terrible idea.
6) Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull - It was enjoyable and hit all the right trigger buttons for the franchise nostalgia. I feel that if I thought too deeply about it then it would fall apart, but it was a good ride. In fact, it made me want to go to Disneyland and ride the Indiana Jones Adventure ride. So good job on that, marketing.
7) The Incredible Hulk - This was a ridiculously lazy movie. Basically they just rested on the laurels of having Edward Norton and didn't bother taking advantage of that fact. Liv Tyler is still pretty and still boring. Basically, it lacked the amazing direction of the first one (which I liked for that reason despite the other issues) and didn't give us much in return except for the promise of an Avengers movie with Edward Norton, Robert Downey Jr., and Matt Damon. They would have been better off not making a film at all because the idea of Norton as the Hulk is more interesting than what's on the screen in this case. Better direction and cinematography might have made the same plot really worthwhile, but the execution was lackluster and disappointing.
Ps. Yes I am possibly already coming up with RPF for a show that hasn't even been made yet.
Law and Order: UK. Starring Freema Agyeman and Jaime Bamber. I could not be more excited.
And now, back to our regularly scheduled programming.
Books Read so far in 2008
1) The Darkangel (The Darkangel Trilogy, Book 1), Meredith Ann Pierce (YA, Sci-Fi/Fantasy)
2) Lady Friday (The Keys to the Kingdom Series, Book 5), Garth Nix (Children's Lit, Fantasy)
3) A Gathering of Gargoyles (The Darkangel Trilogy, Book 2), Meredith Ann Pierce (YA, Sci-Fi/Fantasy)
4) Unmanned (Y: The Last Man, Volume 1), Brian K. Vaughn (Graphic Novel, Dystopia)
5) The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, Junot Diaz (Contemporary Literature)
6) Cycles (Y: The Last Man, Volume 2), Brian K. Vaughn (Graphic Novel, Dystopia)
7) Closing Time (sequel to Catch-22), Joseph Heller (Contemporary Fiction)
8) One Small Step (Y: The Last Man, Volume 3), Brian K. Vaughn (Graphic Novel, Dystopia)
9) Safeword (Y: The Last Man, Volume 4), Brian K. Vaughn (Graphic Novel, Dystopia)
10) Ring of Truth (Y: The Last Man, Volume 5), Brian K. Vaughn (Graphic Novel, Dystopia)
11) Girl on Girl (Y: The Last Man, Volume 6), Brian K. Vaughn (Graphic Novel, Dystopia)
12) The Pearl of the Soul of the World (The Darkangel Trilogy, Book 3), Meredith Ann Pierce (YA, Sci-Fi/Fantasy)
13) Paper Dolls (Y: The Last Man, Volume 7), Brian K. Vaughn (Graphic Novel, Dystopia)
14) Affinity, Sarah Waters (Gothic Fiction, Queer Fiction)
15) Kimono Dragons (Y: The Last Man, Volume 8), Brian K. Vaughn (Graphic Novel, Dystopia)
16) Motherland (Y: The Last Man, Volume 9), Brian K. Vaughn (Graphic Novel, Dystopia)
17) Good Omens, Neil Gaiman/Terry Pratchett (Apocalyptic, Religious, Humor)
18) Legends in Exile (Fables, Volume 1), Bill Willingham (Graphic Novel, Urban-Fantasy)
19) Mort (Discworld Series), Terry Pratchett (Fantasy, Humor)
20) Animal Farm (Fables, Volume 2), Bill Willingham (Graphic Novel, Urban-Fantasy)
21) Storybook Love (Fables, Volume 3), Bill Willingham (Graphic Novel, Urban-Fantasy)
22) March of the Wooden Soldiers (Fables, Volume 4), Bill Willingham (Graphic Novel, Urban-Fantasy)
23) The Mean Seasons (Fables, Volume 5), Bill Willingham (Graphic Novel, Urban-Fantasy)
24) Homelands (Fables, Volume 6), Bill Willingham (Graphic Novel, Urban-Fantasy)
25) Arabian Nights (and Days) (Fables, Volume 7), Bill Willingham (Graphic Novel, Urban-Fantasy)
26) Wolves (Fables, Volume 8), Bill Willingham (Graphic Novel, Urban-Fantasy)
27) Sons of Empire (Fables, Volume 9), Bill Willingham (Graphic Novel, Urban-Fantasy)
28) 1001 Nights of Snowfall (Fables, non-linear), Bill Willingham (Graphic Novel, Urban-Fantasy)
29) One Hundred Years of Solitude, Gabriel Garcia Marquez (Magical Realism)
30) Deadeye Dick, Kurt Vonnegut Jr. (Contemporary Fiction, Apocalyptic)
31) The Wall: And Other Stories, Jean-Paul Sartre (Short Stories/Novella, Existentialism)
32) The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Volume 1, Alan Moore (Graphic Novel, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Gothic Fiction)
While this has some charm to it, and I find myself attached to Mina almost immediately, and creepily shipping her with our drug addicted explorer, I feel like there is too much tell and not enough show, which is odd for a graphic novel. If this were a longer series I might think that it was going to pick up and win me over, but as it is I really just feel like there are some good ideas but it's not enough.
33) The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Volume 2, Alan Moore (Graphic Novel, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Gothic Fiction)
I came away from this volume even less satisfied than I was with the first. Subversion completely fails in favor of becoming the thing it seemed at first to be commenting on. While I appreciate a good noir ending as much as the next person, I felt like in this case it represented an erasure of any development that did happen. Really? A convent? The scene with the turning of the Invisible Man was successful in that it was disturbing but I am not sure that it had any transformative value. I still feel like we get only a shoddy caricature for Nemo. We begin to get development with Hyde, only to have it snatched away. I cannot decide whether more series would have helped my opinion of it or further damned it.
34) Dance with Me, Luanne Rice (Popular Fiction, Romance)
Despite clean pacing and prose, the sentiments of this novel and the blandness of the romance plot line doom it. The writer is clearly very competant and I feel it is a shame that she spent less time talking about the very interesting aging mother, fighting against the knowledge that she is losing her mind to Alzheimer's, and less time talking about the mystical bond between mother and child and how no pregnant teenage girl would want to abort.
Facing insomnia, I tried one night to find something light and easy to put down, something that might make me fall asleep. Unfortunately, the only moderately light thing I had on my shelf was this book (it had been a misguided present). I didn't fall asleep, and found myself reading the entire thing, despite my distaste for it.
35) No Future For You (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 8: Volume 2), Brian K. Vaughn (Graphic Novel, Urban Fantasy)
While the art is still patchy, and I am not sure that the graphic novel format is the best venue for the material, this volume was a lot better than the first. There was some character driven storyline, Dawn's problem finally seems relevant, Xander stops seeming so weird and like he is being shipped with Buffy for the most part, and of course there is the fact that it includes a lot of not only Giles but my favorite, the one and only Faith. Both Giles and Faith are used to good effect and remain very in character, I even find myself almost shipping them together. Additionally, reading this volume as a whole as opposed to in the single releases was far less frusterating, it still didn't seem like enough, but it was far less dissatisfying than only having one installment at a time, which felt like just getting the teaser before the credits of the show at best.
36) The (Nearly) Great Escape (Jack of Fables: Volume 1), Bill Willingham (Graphic Novel, Urban Fantasy)
The choice of Jack as the spin off character for the Fables series is not one I would have made. I found him reasonably amusing in the original series, but in my experience a protagonist you can't like is sort of a problem... and I enjoy Jack as a character, but he's kind of unlikeable as a person. So, while the writing and drawing of this volume was good, it doesn't have the heart of the original series and therefore is nowhere near as compelling. That said, the plot was interesting, Jack's narration was entertaining, and I was excited to finally see what happened to Goldilocks.
37) A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, James Joyce (Stream of Consciousness)
More than its literary relevance, it was my brother's recommendation that lead me to read A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man I was disappointed. While the text get more engaging as it went on, I found it mainly to be disengaging and pretentious. It seemed terribly juvenile. I think, perhaps, that it was a personal chasm more than a general one. Joyce's choices didn't resonate at all with me, but I am willing to accept that for others it might.
38) Whys and Wherefores (Y: The Last Man, Volume 10-final), Brian K. Vaughn (Graphic Novel, Dystopia)
While it was interesting, I really felt that Volume 10 ways sort of a disappointment as a conclusion of such a mostly solidly unique series. Also, it made no sense to me that all the clones would be called after the original person, which just seems like asking for more confusion. I liked the stuff with Ciba and Natalya and Hero and Second Beth, but I seriously but felt like all the pieces didn't add up to a good whole and that the romance directions they took were really quite tacky in the end. Even though I liked Yorrick's story about elementary school and was invested in his relationship with 355 the way it played out was just cliche and convenient. Overall the series was good but I feel like this volume could have been improved upon.
39) The Good Prince (Fables, Volume 10), Bill Willingham (Graphic Novel, Urban-Fantasy)
Focusing on Flycatcher, this volume actually makes you feel better about Fabletown's chances and shows the empire to be less than impenetrable. Once again the series captivated and entertained me. But this is like Fables-lite compared to many of the better volumes.
40) Superior Saturday (The Keys to the Kingdom Series, Book 6), Garth Nix (Children's Lit, Fantasy)
Book six and it only now finally occurred to me that, for a light kid's fantasy series focusing on a boy coming of age (that is pretty paint by numbers by this point), Nix is actually doing a rather good job with the female characters. So far, half of the trustees have been female, including two of the three highest ranking ones and the one to actually be helpful instead of a pain. Whether the other two are a positive thing for female characterization is debatable but at least the are active and have agency. The Will is female, the Architect is female, and both of Arthur's friends/confidants are female. Not a single swooning flower amongst them. Although I do wonder if he could have picked different sins than Gluttony, Lust, and Envy for the women (while the men get Sloth, Avarice, Wrath, and Pride). Still overall I am pleased that it is only now that I stopped to think about it, but when I did it was better than expected.
As for the book itself, it was a nice change of pace that Arthur wasn't binding his own hands with resistance to using the power of the keys and I really liked the idea of this other personality that is trying to come through with him. It was enough of a shakeup to feel less lazy on Nix's part and I am genuinely curious now to see what will become of him in the end because I don't know anymore.
However, the cliffhanger at the end was cheap and unnecessary. I promise you, Garth Nix, if we've read through all six books we are going to pick up the seventh when it comes out.
41) Idoru, William Gibson (Cyberpunk)
I had some reservations regarding this book to begin with. Some of it feels like a replay of Neuromancer, mysterious jobs, some guy with a special skill (although Laney's is much more emphatic as opposed to the technical/physical skill dealt with in the prior) who betrayed the company he worked for (although again Laney is more appealing because his was a crime of passion against the obvious evil of Slitscan instead of just greed) and is somewhat on the run and so at the mercy of mysterious employers and a team of oddities. Gibson's description of the New Tokyo is interesting and his teenage fangirls actually read as surprisingly realistic. He is very good at letting you know how much of it is bluster.
Ultimately, this book is what one hopes for from the author of a brilliant first book... better. It's cleaner, clearer, more realistic and well sketched. Gibson is working for the ending point of his own previous work, but also from the works that emerged from it. This book contains less hand waving mysticism and more of a future that I believe and characters that I am sure exist. The conclusion is clearer, less of an empty catharsis, and overall it's a better book in terms of both ideas and actual technical writing.
This book also seemed much more accessible than Neuromancer. Particularly for me (and possibly most of you, but it's really more relevant to when I was into the music scene perhaps), the teenage fangirl who gets in way over her head and eventually loses the joy of that fannishness but emerges more aware and interesting is more resonant than a bunch of people with special powers of some kind or another dealing with aristocracy who are even weirder. Everyone, down to the antagonists, is achingly human in this. It's almost as if Gibson himself is Chia, and he has seen the real Tokyo now and met his heroes and instead of platitudes transferred into brilliance there is something real and visceral and full of hope that he's taken hold of instead of just dreaming around in this book.
I tore through Neuromancer, but I have far more respect for Idoru in the end.
PS. There are totally slashy undertones.
Breakdown By Type
Graphic Novels: 25
Literary Fiction: 6
YA/Children's Fantasy: 5
Genre Fiction: 3
General Fiction: 2
Currently Reading:
House of Mirth, Edith Wharton
Movies Seen in the Theater This Summer (from favorite to least favorite):
1) The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian - Usually adaptations of books are disappointing or just so widely different that it's basically a different story, but occasionally there comes an adaptation that actually improves on the book. This was one of those. The movie teases out the character motivation and development that lay fallow in the book, rounding the characters and turns route summaries into evocative description. Additionally, I was inclined to like the film because it was beautiful, in setting and in its cast.
2) Ironman - When I heard this movie was good, I was surprised. When I actually saw it and enjoyed it as much as I did, I was shocked. I mean... he's fighting the terrorists. This is usually an instant turnoff for me and yet it wasn't here. Gwyneth Paltrow has never been a favorite of mine and I've never considered her as really attractive, but here she was simply stunning (also I wanted all of her clothes). Ultimately I am forced to conclude that it's just a really well made movie. The pacing and dialogue were good, the acting was just right as was the tone, and it was incredibly shiny.
3) Hancock - Boy did this movie exceed my expectations. I went in with a base assumption of being entertained by Will Smith that Jason Bateman would be in it. I expected it would be kind of silly. But it really wasn't; sure there were some funny lines, but I actually think it's the most serious superhero/adventure movie I have seen in I don't know how long. Will Smith didn't seen gratuitous, and in fact may I say that I feel that he is aging ridiculously well and I am far more likely to feel smitten with him now than ever before. And I loved Bateman's character... which was just similar enough to Michael Bluth not to throw me, but was more of what Michael might have been if raised by a less insane family... or at least differently insane. And there was a twist, which wasn't full of plotholes, and which the trailer didn't give away like they so often do.
4)Dark Knight - So I really liked most of the things about the movie, but it was far too long. The creators seemed not to understand that just because a scene or idea is good does not mean it belongs in a movie, book, tv show, play or whatever. It would have been a two hour and ten minute movie, and there was a perfect point to do so there. The Joker has been caught, Harvey was getting maimed, they should have left it with the Joker's escape and left Two Face to another movie. That would have been my vote. Alternatively, if they wanted to do both the Joker and Two Face they could have shortened up the beginning. Batman definitely didn't need to go to Hong Kong (not matter how cool that scene was) and seriously the setup with the Joker and the mobsters could have been explained in 5 minutes. Honestly, I might have made both these changes and left a little more time to dwell on the copycat Batmans and signs that Gotham didn't reject Batman before the movie. That said, the extraneous scenes were still good in their own right and I enjoyed the movie quite a lot. But I really do think that this movie exemplifies part of why Ironman was such a hit. It's simple and doesn't drag on for 40 minutes after what should be the end (like almost every movie to happen recently, including Casino Royale for instance). I had a secondary pet peeve, which was that both the Joker and other people kept saying how the Joker didn't plan an was just random and chaotic... but then he kept having brilliant plans. I enjoyed the brilliant plans but it seemed like a terrible inconsistency. It would have been a far better character move to show that he really didn't plan but he was just really good at improvising, like they sort of did with Harvey, but more so.
5) Hellboy II: The Golden Army - Okay, so I was seriously really excited about this movie and I suspect that had I not been it might have rated higher on my initial impression. When it comes out on DVD I will probably be more forgiving. But this was a movie that the previews really showed too much of. I still enjoyed the banter and characters, but I already knew the awesome cinematic moments that were coming and the climax didn't feel that exciting. Also, the whimsical look of the creatures, which is magnificent in Pan's Labyrinth, just contrasted awkwardly with the rough and tumble feel of Hellboy. The new addition to their team was a mistake and terribly executed and actually made my brother miss Myers. Also there was a baby plotline and while it was the least offensive execution of one I have seen in a long time it still is always a terrible idea.
6) Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull - It was enjoyable and hit all the right trigger buttons for the franchise nostalgia. I feel that if I thought too deeply about it then it would fall apart, but it was a good ride. In fact, it made me want to go to Disneyland and ride the Indiana Jones Adventure ride. So good job on that, marketing.
7) The Incredible Hulk - This was a ridiculously lazy movie. Basically they just rested on the laurels of having Edward Norton and didn't bother taking advantage of that fact. Liv Tyler is still pretty and still boring. Basically, it lacked the amazing direction of the first one (which I liked for that reason despite the other issues) and didn't give us much in return except for the promise of an Avengers movie with Edward Norton, Robert Downey Jr., and Matt Damon. They would have been better off not making a film at all because the idea of Norton as the Hulk is more interesting than what's on the screen in this case. Better direction and cinematography might have made the same plot really worthwhile, but the execution was lackluster and disappointing.
Ps. Yes I am possibly already coming up with RPF for a show that hasn't even been made yet.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2008-07-24 11:56 pm (UTC)THANK YOU I'm trying to get over the fact that they killed Two-Face and this will always nag me. Because dfhslfhsafhdflhadsjklhsa Aaron PWNED all as Harvey Dent, it was perfectly tragic and he could have rocked it as the next major villain.
I'd almost say yet again, the Batman franchise wastes Two-Face if his story arc hadn't been so thematically important to the film, and Harvey Dent so well done (almost I think more so than the Joker IMHO. Joker was cool but Harvey I was invested in and his fall really hurt, and yes btw, I agree the Joker is a planner, he as ALWAYS been a planner. He ALWAYS has insanely awful yet brilliant plans. He's a mad dog for sure but a clever mad dog. I think though maybe the meant that he doens't have an agenda outside fucking things up).
Indiana Jones hurts if you think about it, but so do the other three, so I'm ok with it all =P
I like Hulk more than you, though agreed the direction of the first one was utterly brilliant. I like the story though and I was surprised by that because I've enver cared for the Hulk.
Iron Man was great and I enjoyed that they managed the terrorist bit wihtout feeling too preachy. It was utterly predictable though, but well crafted, which IMHO makes it ok. I don't need every movie to have a surprise from nowhere.
I've not seen the others. I'm trying to see Hellboy, will probably see Hancock on DVD and swore off all future Narnia films after the first one felt (to me) like a cheap Disney cash in.
no subject
Date: 2008-07-25 12:38 am (UTC)Yeah, I agree. He has little plans but no Big Plan.
And they never confirmed Harvey's death! Bruce survived the fall; so could he. He could totally come back in the next movie.
no subject
Date: 2008-07-25 12:42 am (UTC)They can appeae me though by casting Lance Henriksen (Bishop from Aliens *points to icon*) as Mr Freeze and do *that* character justice.
Or being totally politically incorrect and have Poison Ivy as an eco-terrorist and totlaly mock the hell outta the trendy green movement (not that I'm anti-helping the environment just when bottled water commercials are telling me how green they are my head hurts)
no subject
Date: 2008-07-25 02:19 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-07-25 02:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-07-25 02:18 pm (UTC)Possibly that is what they meant, and it certainly makes sense with what happened but I very much feel that is not what they said, and therein lies the rub for me. In general the movie was doing well at showing things and really should have left off speechifying about them because it only undermined the actual effect of the action.
I like the story though and I was surprised by that because I've enver cared for the Hulk.
See I do like the story... I just felt like it could have been executed so much better and I feel cheated by the fact that they did not bother.
That is exactly what I think about Iron Man. It was comfortable being what it was instead of overreaching and botching the whole thing.
Well I really deeply enjoyed Prince Caspian, and the first one had been a complete blank to me. I didn't hate it but it just wasn't very interesting. Sort of like the first Harry Potter movie which just is utterly lacking in creativity or tone. So it might be worth a DVD watch.
no subject
Date: 2008-07-25 12:00 am (UTC)I liked the League books, although they weren't quite what I expected and seemed to be deliberately overdense.
I'm sorry you found the Y conclusion disappointing. I think it was a very good, interesting ending, and I really don't know how I would have made it more satisfactory (besides, well, you know).
I suspected that I wouldn't like reading a Jack-centered book, and you appear to confirm that suspicion. But I might check it out just because of the crossover (Goldilocks is alive!). And I am terribly amused that the latest trade is called The Bad Prince. Hee.
I remember loving Portrait of the Artist.
Iron Man was great, and I'm glad you liked Hancock! Most people I know violently hate it. I still want to see it.
With The Dark Knight, I think that, yeah, I would take out the Hong Kong businessman stuff. It didn't add a whole lot. And, yeah, the Joker clearly planned things, but I don't think that makes him any less fearful as an agent of chaos. He's just organized chaos, is all. Crazy plans are still crazy.
I really liked Hellboy II. And Indy 4 was fun.
I still want to see The Incredible Hulk.
no subject
Date: 2008-07-25 02:27 pm (UTC)Regarding the Y conclusion. It wasn't so much what happened that I was disappointed in as much as the way it was presented in the book. The actual resolution happened in like 10 pages and then it was like ps. all this stuff. Which to me was sloppy storytelling. They could have said the same things in a different structure and I would have been a happy girl.
Basically if you read the Jack spin off expecting the depth and resonance of Fables you will be disappointed, but if you read it for some fun clever entertainment you will be fine.
I think you have to read Portrait of the Artist at the right stage in your life. My brother also really loved it but I think I am just past the point where the pretentious sense of urgency of one's life at 18 or whatever seems deep or relevant. I would probably have liked it 5-10 years ago. Either that or maybe there is something inherently male in its enjoyment.
I really don't know what people were expecting with Hancock but i know it actually exceeded my expectations and I think people need to chill.
It wasn't so much that I didn't like the Joker's characterization as that I felt like people's description of it was totally off. I loved the intricate plots and wouldn't want to take them away but if you are going to have them you have to stop saying that the Joker is not a planner.
Honestly, I think you will like the Hulk movie just fine. It's not fundamentally flawed or anything... just not up to the standard I was hoping for.
no subject
Date: 2008-07-25 01:36 am (UTC)Sadly I haven't been the movies as of late except for Indiana Jones, which I agree with you. It's an enjoyable movie and shouldn't be taken too seriously. I'm a huge fan of the original three and I found nothing wrong with it. Obviously my only tiff is the use of CGI which was never an issue with the previous films, because they didn't use any (or if they did it was hardly noticeable as opposed to the recent one). But, it's Indiana Jones. It's an adventure and you gotta love it.
Now this has me itching to go to Disneyland to go on the ride, as well. Then again, I've always loved the ride anyway so, whee. ;)
no subject
Date: 2008-07-25 02:32 pm (UTC)Seriously, if I hadn't missed way too much work recently I would be on 5 (Well detouring to get to the non construction part. Are you as excited as I am for that to be done?)on my way to ride that wonderful ride over and over again right now.
no subject
Date: 2008-07-25 09:35 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-07-28 01:58 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-07-25 03:00 am (UTC)What did you think of One Hundred Years of Solitude?
no subject
Date: 2008-07-25 02:36 pm (UTC)I liked it a lot. Because I read it over like a month's time, mostly in half hour sections, I definitely felt the effects of the passage of time and how Marquez was painting a picture more than telling a story in some ways (because it's about the sum of the parts rather than the journey). I think I liked Of Love and Other Demons more in some ways because it was a tighter narrative, but it was nice to get lost in a book and not have it suddenly be over just when you most were enjoying it.
no subject
Date: 2008-07-25 10:37 pm (UTC)how Marquez was painting a picture more than telling a story in some ways
That's a really good analogy! And it really does feel like "painting" -- stroke by stroke.
One Hundred Years of Solitude is one of my favorite books, because the kind of story it tells is the kind of story I most like reading, I guess, the story of a family and a place more than of any individual relationships or, you know, plot. And I love Ursula, who reminds me of my great-grandmother (and thus, transitiviely, of Olenna Tyrell a bit...) I haven't read Of Love and Other Demons. Of the rest of Marquez that I have read, Autumn of the Patriarch was probably the one that stood out the most (I was on a dystopian kink one summer, and read that and 1984 and Brave New World and Zamyatin's We (which kind of paled by comparison with everything else)) -- but nothing comes close to the love I have for One Hundred Years.
no subject
Date: 2008-07-28 02:05 pm (UTC)One of my main issues with going to the movies these days is Jeremy always doubles the price by buying movie theater snacks.
Ursula was definitely my favorite character and I'd kind of expected the book to end either at her death or with her somehow still alive.
Oh dystopian kicks. I've actually more than once considered a dissertation on dystopian and/or post-apocalytic lit.
I've been meaning to read more Marquez for a long time and I'd started Love in the Time of Cholera back in fall of 06, but I accidentally left my copy in a coffee shop in Chicago and haven't replaced it yet.
no subject
Date: 2008-07-27 01:47 am (UTC)-I really miss the love I had for early "Fables." It's still an excellent series, but it feels like it's a very different book now. I kind of really miss the post-modern feel of the early issues, and while I still enjoy the series now, it feels like an ordinary fantasy.
Randomly, since you're a comics reader and a mythology fan, are you reading "Age of Bronze?"
-"Dark Knight" really was too long. And other than the hype, that's what kept me from loving it. There was a point, about half way through, where I was thinking, "This is really good!" And then the ending dragged on and on, and my early goodwill towards it slowly died.
-"No Future For You" totally made me want Giles/Faith fic the way the actual series never did, and it remains my favorite arc of the Buffy comics. And then I kind of stopped reading once Faith left. Why can't we have a spin-off focusing on Giles' and Faith's adventures?
-"House of Mirth!" I shall look forward to reading your review of that. :)
no subject
Date: 2008-07-28 02:19 pm (UTC)I'm actually really new to reading comics. Should I be reading "Age of Bronze"?
That was totally my feeling. (Although I did steal out briefly to go to the bathroom at what should have been the ending point and that helped a little with the growing resentment and it went on and on.)
I seriously don't know why we can't have the Giles/Faith adventures. Faith has always been one of my favorite characters and I just feel like at this point she's a lot more interesting to follow than Buffy and wasn't the point of the ending that Buffy was supposed to not have the world on her shoulders anymore really? I haven't read past NFFY because I got tired of reading the singles because there is so little in each one and am just waiting for the trades now.
I'm almost done with House of Mirth but I keep putting off finishing it because I know how badly it ends. Which is a testament to Wharton's making me care.
no subject
Date: 2008-08-04 06:36 am (UTC)You should definitely be reading "Age of Bronze." Or, you know, at least give it a try. It's a retelling of the Trojan War that incorporates many different variations of the myths and makes the characters come alive. I did a mini-review and posted some scans for it here (http://prozacpark.livejournal.com/56732.html) a while ago.
I stopped reading after NFFY, too. I...just find it hard to care for most of these characters now. I kind of like to pretend that Buffy ended after season five. But Faith remains interesting to me, and I hope that we can get a series about her in one form or another.
I love the ending of "House of Mirth." I had some issues with the books and wasn't completely in love with it, but the ending redeemed much of it for me.
no subject
Date: 2008-08-04 04:33 pm (UTC)I really wish we would get a Faith series or some kind, but it seems like that ship has sailed. And yes, just not the interested in everyone else.
I meant badly in the sense of tragedy not in that it was a problem for me that it ended that way. I always have weird conflicted feelings about Wharton, but I think I am supposed to.