Book Review: The Five Lost Days

First off, I need to say that I was given this book in a member giveaway through Librarything.com where authors can give their books to members of the website in exchange for a review. Out of all of the member giveaways that I have read, The Five Lost Days is by far the best!

The reader first meets producer Michael Burns as he is traveling through the mountains of Belize with his film crew to shoot of documentary on the last living Maya healer. While Burns' crew complains about the weather and their accommodations, Burns is completely in his element. From the very start, the motley team meets some quirky natives who help guide them to the house where two Americans live. Frank and Kelly, are a married couple who moved to Belize years ago for work. Kelly works for a pharmaceutical company, trying to find new herbs that can be used in medicines. While Frank, is caught up in the violent war that is spilling into Belize from Guatemala. When Burns arrives with his cameras and lights, Kelly is more than willing to help while Frank is suspicious of the crew's intentions. Problems arise when the crew arrives at Kelly and Frank's only to find that they lost their film somewhere along the way. One of Burns' crew members breaks off from the group to go find the footage only to discover that the country is riddled with much more violence than anyone thought. It is not long before Burns and his remaining crew members find themselves at odds with the people and the unforgiving jungle. Suddenly, what began as a five day film shoot for a documentary becomes a fit for their lives.

There are several things with which I think Petrick did an excellent job. The first was how at the beginning of each chapter, there was a sketch of an herb, its name, and its healing power. I found this to be fascinating and found myself looking forward to this short passages. Second, I loved Petrick's description of the jungle and overall landscape. I felt as if it was its own character that had a back story, feelings, desires, and complicated relationships. There are few novels that I have read that have made me feel so connected to the jungle. Lastly, I thought that Petrick did a very good job in establishing these characters. I am usually leery of any novel that has more than two main characters, mainly because I can never keep more than five characters straight. However, Petrick has SEVEN main characters all of whom were wonderfully developed and very distinct from each other (even I could keep keep track).

Though I thought that Petrick did a very good job, I did have some concerns about the novel. At times, I felt as if the book was pulling me in too many directions. In one chapter, I would be introduced to a possible love triangle between Burns, Frank, and Kelly only to be thrown into a violent confrontation between a boy soldier and one of Burns' crew members. When I had come to grips with that situation, I would be hurled into the mind of the Maya healer and his loneliness only to be shot into Burns' struggle with commitment to his current girlfriend. Each of these stories were interesting, but at times they distracted me and I completed the book without really knowing what the purpose was. Sometimes it seems like a book about the hardships of producing a film, only to shift and be about the atrocities of war or how a marriage can change over a period of time without anyone noticing. Yet, my major concern was over the ending of the novel and the fact that it didn't have one. All of these great plot points keep barreling at the reader only to have the novel just stop without truly ending. I hope this is because Petrick is writing a sequel, but if not...maybe he should think about it because he has enough good material here for a series!

-DLP

Book Review: Superfreakonomics

After writing the review for Freakonomics, I thought that I would take a stab at the authors' new book Superfreakonomics which is heralded by numerous critics as being better than the original. Better than the original? I couldn't remember a time when a sequel was better than the original, so I knew I had to read it. Well, sadly, these critics were misleading for (as is typical) the original still outshone the sequel.

In the first Freakonomics, Levitt and Dunbar received great acclaim for challenging previously accepted reasons for drop in crime rate and the importance of reading to one's child. They turned such correlations on their head for many laymen readers. However, Superfreakonomics does none of that. In many ways, it falls right into the patterns that Levitt and Dunbar worked so hard in their first book to refute. Their research does not seem fresh and their perspective is not different from the mainstream. Such issues as how TV has changed the lives of Indian women and eating less red meat cuts greenhouse gas emissions are old news. This would all be fine if the book was written five years ago when we knew less about greenhouse gases and global warming, but it was written last year and already tastes a bit stale. One chapter focused on what kind of cancer responds best to chemotherapy. Though this is interesting, I didn't believe it deserved an entire chapter. Instead, it seemed to be material for a short magazine article. Unfortunately, that's how much of this book came off. That the information was not revolutionary and did not make my mind explode the way that their former book had. In addition, this book has faced a great deal more controversy over some of the evidence used in the global warming chapter. Honestly, I didn't think there was anything that out of the ordinary that needed disputing. Overall, I thought that it had grown a bit hackneyed and the research had lost the edge that good ol' Freakonomics has. I guess the "rogue" economist is rouge no more.

-DLP

Book Review: Freakonomics

When Freakonomics first came out almost six years ago, I thought that it was an interesting idea but nothing that would ever find its way onto my bookshelf. As an English literature fanatic, I could not see myself wasting time reading about economics. Luckily, a friend of mine read it and said that it wasn't so much about economics but how things are related to each other. Though this didn't win me over, he continued by saying that the authors use pop culture issues to help support their claims and that the writing is quite humorous at times. I borrowed the book and when I ran out of other things to read, I cracked it open. I was AMAZED! This book was far more than economics meets pop culture.

Levitt and Dubner draw in the reader from the beginning of the introduction where they touch upon from the issues that they will discuss later in greater depth. They breeze over the similarities between sumo wrestlers and teachers, they gloss over how abortion has lowered crime rates, and nonchalantly mention that maybe your Realtor isn't getting you the best deal. Each chapter covers a different one of these issues from why drug dealers have to live with their mother's to how the name of a child could have an affect on their later successes. Though the correlations that they draw are fascinating, none of them are outside the realm of possibility.

I was  captivate by this book like I never thought I would be. Some of the conclusions that they came to seemed a bit obvious. For the most part, reading the book made me feel like I was cracking a giant code. Of course there has been some dispute over the findings, but I didn't think that the actual numbers that they used were that important. I believe that the most important aspect of the book is that it makes you rethink any and all correlations. Since reading Freakonomics, I think about cause and effect very differently and I am no longer satisfied with the adage that X must cause Y. Instead, I follow Levitt and Dubner's example in thinking that maybe there is a third variable to which X and Y are responding. Maybe the world should be open to the possibility of there being a Z.

-DLP

Now on DVD: It's Complicated

I LOVE Meryl Streep. No really, I love her almost as much as I love Jon Krasinski. So when I heard that a movie was coming out with both of them along with Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin, I just about bought a countdown calendar. Though I missed it in the theaters, I ordered it straight onto my computer the first day it was put on DVD. I had high hopes, some of which led to letdowns, but overall I thought the movie was unbelievably cute.

Meryl Streep plays a divorcee, Jane, who is a happily single woman who owns her own successful bakery. Though she is a mother to three children, her brood has almost entirely left the nest. While at her youngest son's graduation from college, she bumps into her ex-husband (Alec Baldwin). The two have been divorced for 10 years but the chemistry between the two of them is still there. That night, the two unexpectedly have dinner together where Baldwin opens up that his new marriage is failing. Jane and Baldwin begin to have an affair which Jane believes is casual while Baldwin thinks it could be the cure to their failed marriage together. Enter into the mix, Steve Martin who plays Jane's architect who is helping her plan a renovation to her house. Martin is also divorced and he and Jane start a relationship. Of course, is is not your usual romantic rhombus because Jane and Baldwin have children. Jane is left to decide between taking a second stab at an already once-failed marriage or stepping outside her comfort zone and dating a new man.

There are as many laughs in this film as there are tender moments. Though critics differed between praise and annoyance, no one can deny the charm and charisma that these actors (and their characters) have. Perhaps the most enchanting aspect of this film, is that it is real! Families nowadays, are no longer a mom, dad, sister, brother, and dog. It's Complicated not only acknowledges these changes, but is able to make us laugh about them. Of course, it is not a deep movie with a strong message but it's not supposed to be. It's fun, light, and brings humor to today's "complicated" families and relationships.

-DLP

In Theaters: Grown Ups

Last week, I went to see Grown Ups because I had seen the billboards of young Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, etc. and had been completely enchanted! I read the reviews and knew that it was supposed to be bad, but with such comics sharing the lead...how could it be that bad?! This is me eating crow because the critics were right. It wasn't that the movie was bad bad it's just that I expected more comedy out of these comedians.

The movie opens with the five best friends winning their elementary school basketball game. It then flashes forward 30+ years to their coach's funeral where they all come together once again. Though they have kept in touch, they are clearly no longer close. Adam Sandler is an agent who is married to a designer and has two boys who are beyond obnoxious. Chris Rock is married to Maya Rudolph and is a stay at home dad though most of his troubles come from his cantankerous mother-in-law. Kevin James is married and has two annoying children one of whom is 4 years old and still breast feeding. Rob Schneider has had 5 failed marriages and tumultuous relationship with his three daughters. For his 6th marriage, he has chosen Gloria who is 30 years older than him and the butt end of many jokes. Lastly, is David Spade who is the stereotypical aging bachelor chasing tail that is arguably too young for him. After the funeral, Sandler tells his old buddies that he has rented the coach's old lake house for the week and everyone decides to stay as well. Their first night, the boys (& co.) bump into their old elementary school rivals who challenge them to a final game. In the meantime, the friends catch up and make fun of each other's lives.

This would sound like a nice summer flick where you watch actual old buddies (on and off screen) catch up in a big lake house. Being that all of them, with the exception of James, were friends from SNL, I thought that there would be a lot more chemistry between them. Even James starred in I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry alongside Sandler with some backup from other SNL alums. Yet, it felt like everyone was reading off their lines and the camaraderie was packaged (and past the expiration date). Simply put, there was something lacking. It could have been that the plot was nothing special, or even just nothing. The big clincher was whether the men would beat their old rivals from ELEMENTARY school! Personally, I don't even remember much of elementary school besides eating paste and making necklaces out of macaroni.  I thought that the diverse, and problematic, family situations would bring either legitimate drama or some good laughs to the screen. I was wrong on both counts! I have never sat through a less funny movie. Oh, I chuckled a couple of times, but Scarlett O'Hara gave me more laughs than this crew of top rate comedians. In the end, nothing was really resolved in anyone's lives. Some of the quirks in each family were straightened out, but there was little growth.

Overall, I was disappointed. Though I am not an avid Sandler/Team SNL fan to begin with, I was enchanted by the prospect of old friends coming together to exchange jokes and stories. None of that can really be found here. If you're looking for drama set in the Summer, try Beaches. If you want comedy set in the summer, watch Dawson's Creek.

-DLP

1001 Challenge: Less Than Zero

A couple of week ago, Bret Easton Ellis' sequel to Less than Zero hit bookshelves across the country to the delight of Ellis' fans and many critics. While I enjoyed the film American Psycho, I had never read anything by Ellis and was disappointed that I hadn't done so. But with the sequel coming out, I felt that it was time! I have read numerous books on sex, drugs, and disobedient teens so I had limited expectations for this novel. Overall, I thought that the novel was decent (and certainly impressive that he was only 20 when he wrote it) though had grown a bit stale with age. I can understand it’s inclusion in the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die because it completely optimized the time, culture, and lifestyle of the 1980s. Many have gone as far as to describe it as the Catcher in the Rye of the generation x-ers. I believe such a comment is a great overstatement, for though it was good and an accurate depiction of the time, I doubt that high school students will be reading it in another 25 years (or even now).

The novel follows Clay on his return home to LA for Christmas break after being away at college in Vermont. Before moving to Vermont, Clay was a spoiled rich boy whose idea of a good time was drinking, drugging, and getting laid by either men or women. Though he had a steady girlfriend, neither of them were exclusive. When Clay returns to this group of friends, who stayed in the area to go to college, he realizes that his fast and hard living is not as fulfilling as it had been. He tries to grapple with his broken family life, heal the rift and poor feelings with his girlfriend, and save his best friend from physically and emotionally killing himself. Yet, things do not go as planned and flashbacks to a happier time in his childhood make him wonder if this life in LA is what’s best for him.

Clay is part of the MTV generation who are narcissistic and self-destructive to the extreme. Therefore, the majority of the characters are not likable. In fact, I found myself having difficulty even finishing the book because I was so appalled by their behavior. When I first picked up the book, I thought that I would be ale to fly through the 224 pages. However, the subject matter and disgusting characters made me put down the book more than I would have liked. Though it was interesting, the novel does not seem to have stood the test of time. When it was released, rich kids were pissed that their once secret habits were suddenly out in the open. Yet as time passed, the 1980s became publicly known as the age of heroin, MTV, cocaine, poor parenting, and vanity. Thus making this novel proof of the values during that time but lacking in bringing any new insights to the table.

Reviews state that Imperial Bedrooms will show the characters where they are today and update the reader on each of their lives. Personally, despite some positive reviews, I am no longer interested in these characters. I did not find them to be dynamic and over the past couple of days I have almost forgotten them entirely. Overall, it’s worth I read if you have the interest and ability to appreciate it for the time in which it was written.

-DLP

Now on DVD: Alice in Wonderful

When I heard that Time Burton was pairing up again with Johnny Depp, I was more than thrilled. I think those two are the dynamic duo of my generation and when you toss in Helen Bonham Carter (as Burton typically does), I just about squeal with delight. With the economy the way it is, I didn't have the $10.50 to go see Alice in Wonderland when it came out but rest assured that I rented it the second it made it to DVD. I had such high hopes and though I read the reviews which were all not that flattering, I still held out for my cinematic Holy Trinity. Unfortunately, it failed to reach my expectations.

I was raised, as many in my generation were, on the Alice in Wonderland Disney cartoon from 1951 (perhaps because all of our parents were raised on the same cartoon when they were young). I've watched the TV show from the 1990s, seen the made for TV movies, and all of the remakes. Though I have never read the book (though I plan to as part of the 1001 Book challenge), I believe myself to be quite familiar with the story and its characters. I was hoping that Burton, in his usual manner, would show a different interpretation of the novel that we have all been saturated with since we could focus our eyes on a TV screen. Sadly, he didn't. Though there were some aspects that were not presented in some of the other adaptations, I felt that the majority of the story was the same and I was bored. I don't think that I need to rehash the story of Alice in Wonderland (girl falls down rabbit hole and finds herself in another world where things are extremely confusing at first and yet perfectly logical upon reflection and simply fantastic as quotes on facebook/myspace profiles) because we are all familiar with the characters and plot points. As usual, Johnny Depp's performance was phenomenal as was Carter's and Anne Hathaway's. The animation and backdrops were exceptional and created a sinister and creepy atmosphere that some of the other adaptations have not. Still, this did not change the fact that the story had been done before...many many tireless times.

On the other hand (though I just spent two paragraphs berating the film), I do believe that people should watch it even if it is on mute. The reason being that the effects are so fantastic that any kind of description would not do it justice. I constantly wanted to freeze frame the movie and print the images on the screen onto posters. Despite the fact that it didn't live up to my expectations, I know that I will find myself picking up a copy once it reaches the discount bins at Blockbuster.

-DLP