Movie Review: Where the Wild Things Are

On October 16th, the movie Where the Wild Things Are came to theaters. As many readers know, this movie is based on the book by Maurice Sendak which bares the same title and has become a huge best seller among children and adults alike. The picture book tells the story of an unruly young boy named Max who is sent to his room without supper. While in his room, he imagines being transported to a land with a mysterious forest that houses numerous imaginary animals. When Max arrives on this foreign land, the monsters declare him their king and they create a "rompus". They romp for many pages in the book until the monsters become tired. Max makes them dinner and as they sleep he becomes homesick and eventually returns home to his room. The plot is simplistic and the majority of the book revolves around Sendak's gorgeous drawings.

 In the film version of Where the Wild Things Are, Max is an unruly and misunderstood child who bites his mother and runs away into the forest. While in the forest, he creates an imaginary land where he can be king of giant wild monsters. The monsters are hesitant to allow Max to be their king, but they eventually consent. As is written in the book, Max and the monsters begin to rompus until Max decides to create a kingdom for himself. All of the monsters work to construct a kingdom in which they can all be equal in live in house made out of twigs. Still, there are certain monsters that do not get along with others and conflicts arise between the monsters as well as between Max and the monsters. Max soon learns the importance of family and having a mother who cares about him. He decides to leave the imaginary land and return home to where his mother is waiting for him.

Where the book is easy to describe and clearly a masterpiece of children's literature, the movie leaves a lot to be desired and does not embody the wonder and awe that is told in the picture book. The film includes all of the events in the book but it then embelishes the story in a way that waters down the message that is created in the book. The book's moral is that one's imagination can be fantastic and help them get through uncomfortable times, but there is no replacement for actual life. However, the movie's moral appears to be that family is important and those without family are lacking and will remain downtrodden. Though these morals don't conflict with each other, they certainly tell a different story.

In regards to the filming of the movie, Where the Wild Things Are seems to be a victim of the all too contemporary "indie filming" in which it feels that the camera man is filming the movie from a personal camera that he is holding on his shoulder. The shots are wobbly and I often felt naseous due to the jostling of the camera. However, the filming of the monsters was certainly interesting. The costume artists were able to stay very close to the depiction of the monsters that is given in the book. Still, the monsters in the book are unattractive and at times scary. Therefore, those in the movie were the same. Perhaps it is snarky, but I felt that it was hard to watch an hour and a half of ugly monsters that had no few redeeming qualities.

Lastly, is the issue of turning a twenty page picture book (in which over ten of the pages are strictly pictures) into an hour and a half movie. A large portion of the movie consisted of distant stares between the characters and long pauses in which the characters appeared to be reflecting on something. These scenes do not add depth to the movie nor did they move the plot along. Still, they were not cut from the film. The movie was laden with these scenes which in turn made the viewers bored.

Though the reviews on this film have been mostly positive, I have to disagree with that assessment. I found this movie to be an epic disappointment. The filming, story line, and acting were all of lesser quality than I had expected. The costumes were the movie's only saving grace, however, these even become tiresome after a while. Overall, I came to realize why the book has been in publication for almost 50 years and there has never been an attempt to turn it into a movie. The reason being that the proper medium for this tale is a picturebook and not a major motion picture. The story and its characters do not translate well to the silver screen.

-DLP

Reading Challenge Update: Mythology

About a week ago, I finished the first book in the Once Upon a Time Challenge. We had chosen to begin with Mythology and so I ran to open the play The Invention of Love by Tom Stoppard. I had read this play a couple of years ago but was unable to finish it because of time constraints. However, I soon realized that I may have cast the book aside not because of time constraints but because the play was just not good! In fact, it has taken me almost a week to even write this review because I have been conflicted on how to describe it and how to phrase my reactions to the story.

The Invention of Love tells the life story of the poet A.E Housman as seen from his eyes after he has died and is traveling down the River Styx. He watches as scenes from his life are played out in front of him. Many include his professors and fellow scholars at Oxford University as they express their views of Housman. It soon becomes clear that Housman's life was complicated by his homosexuality. This is further clarified in the second act in which Oscar Wilde becomes a character in the play.

Though the plot seems simplistic, there are a great deal of underlying themes that make the play an interesting read. Stoppard litters the play with allusions to mythology and classical literature. Classical creatures such as Hades make various appearances as Stoppard connects mythological tales to Housman's life. It also explores the mythology of life and how people view their own lives as they live it as opposed to reflecting on it after the events have occurred. Stoppard allows Housman to talk to his younger self as well as the other characters in the play which creates an interesting tension and dynamic.

Despite Stoppard's quirky way of storytelling, there is no saving this play. The classical allusions come off as being bombastic and simply an excuse for Stoppard to brag of his knowledge on the subject. At times Housman's soliloquies are overblown and merely a lecture on mythology. The theme of homosexuality is nothing new or introspective and actually feels like a cheap trick used to "increase ratings" (as they do on television shows). Overall, I was under-whelmed. I was hoping for more mythology and less narcissism.

-DLP

Reading Challenge Update: Fantasy

As stated in the previous post, I have taken on two challenges! I have chosen the City of Embers as my fantasy novel for the Once Upon a Time Challenge as well as my dystopian young adult novel for DystopYA Challenge. Being that it is a young adult novel, I will also read the sequel and consider both books to count as my ONE fantasy novel for Once Upon a Time.


First, it is impotant to know that I am not an avid fan of fantasy. I have always shied away from it at libraries and bookstores. Whenever I have been forced to read fantastical novels, by either professors or presuassive friends, I have enjoyed the various selections. I believe that certain fantasy can help shed light on our contemporary society by describing an entirely fictional civilization. Sometimes, it is easier to see the faults in our own society through the eyes of a fantastic world. However, there are the other kinds of fantasy that may make the average novel reader uncomfortable or perplexed. It is for this reason that I have kept away from this genre. Yet, both of these challenges have thrown me to the wolves!

The City of Ember is the story of a city that is lit entirely by artificial light through light bulbs. In the first chapter, the reader is told that the city was built by the Builders and was expected to be in use for only 200 years. At the end of 200 years, a metal box holding instructions on how to evacuate from the city will open and all of the citzens will be led to another city. However, the metal box was misplaced over the years and never found.

The tale begins in the year 240 when the lights in the city are beginning to flicker and the citizens are experiencing blackouts in which the lights would go out for various periods of time. In addition, there are food shortages across the city and there seem to be some unethical affairs happening within Ember's government. Eventually, the two main characters in the novel find the remnants of the instructions and must piece together the clues on how to evacuate the city.


For a non-fantasy reader, I found this book to be perfect! One of the problems that I have with fantasy books is that the names in the novels are complicated and hard to pronounce. However, all of the names in this book are very simple. In addition, the plot does not seem to be too far-fetched. There was no magic, enchanted items, or supernatural powers. Instead, the story focused more on the characters and the puzzles that they encountered. Despite the fact that it is a young adult novel, I found both the plot and the characters to be very compelling and realistic.


I would highly recommend this story to anyone who is timid about plunging into the overwhelmingly large amount of fantasy novels. In addition, I would suggest this to readers who enjoy dystopian novels such as Brave New World or 1984 but want a more simplistic novel. For those who enjoyed reading The Giver when they were younger, the City of Ember will certainly bring you back to those days. Lastly, the City of Ember is in fact part of a four book series that include People of the Sparks, The Prophet of Yonwood, and the Diamond of Darkhood. I will also read People of the Sparks as part of both of these challenges.

-DLP

DystopYA Challenge Begins!

In addition to doing the Once Upon a Time Challenge, I have decided to try my hand at the DystopYA Challenge that is being hosted by Books on the Nightstand. Books on the Nightstand is a blog and podcast about books that is done by two avid readers who happen to be employed by Random House and have access to hundreds of books each year. I have found this blog and podcast to be extremely helpful in guiding my wandering literary interests.

This month, they have started a reading challenge in which people must read three dystopian young adult novels by December 31st. The guidelines are simple and basically state that the book must be about or take place in a dystopian society which is defined by the American Heritage Dictionary as "An imaginary place or state in which the condition of life is extremely bad, as from deprivation, oppression, or terror." The website gives a few recommendations to help guide the challengers.

For myself, I have chosen the City of Ember series. There are four books in the series of which I will be reading two. The final selection that for this challenege has not yet been determined. Being that the Once Upon a Time Challenge requires us to read a fantasy novel, I will use City of Ember to fulfill both challenges.
For those who are interested in the dystopYA challenege, visit the Books on the Nightstand website and sign up...there may even be prizes!

-DLP

Reading Challenge Update: Fantasy

I have very mixed feelings about the fantasy genre in the challenge. On one hand, I really enjoyed the Harry Potter books, but I think J.K. Rowling managed to do something very different than other fantasy writers. On the other hand, I generally do not care for texts about fantastical worlds vastly different from my own. I just don't care. It isn't interesting to me. But I tried to read Ursula Le Guin's A Wizard of Earthsea with an open mind.

I found getting into the novel really difficult because I did not know which details were important to the overall story. I read the Wikipedia entry on fantasy literature for guidance and I found this part interesting, which references a paper by Ursula Le Guin, in which she "presented the idea that the language used in high fantasy is the most crucial element, because it creates a sense of place... She [emphasizes] that language which is too bland or simplistic creates the impression that the fantasy setting was simply a modern world in disguise." This idea helped me keep reading the book, but knowing this made me laugh at many of the passages, like "...the other children called him Sparrowhawk, and so he came by the name that he kept in later life as his use-name, when his true-name was not known." (6) Passages like this frustrate me because the author creates an overly complex world and consequently an extremely complicated way of describing this world. It makes me think, "so what?!"

Underneath Le Guin's circuitous writing style is rather bland story, which seems contradictory to the idea that fantasy presents an more exciting world than the one we inhabit - an escape. The primary character, known as Duny, then Ged, but mostly Sparrowhawk pursues knowledge and power to selfish ends, only to learn that those more wise than he were right - those with power must use it carefully or upset the balance of the world. While Sparrowhawk is a wizard in a world of much magic, the balance of good and evil is the primary concern. In this particular rendering of balancing the good and evil in the world, Sparrowhawk uses his power unknowingly and unleashes a dark, evil spirit into the world. He must conquer this spirit somehow in order to balance the world order, but also to release himself from a life lived in fear. The evil spirit he unleashes is different from evils that escaped from Pandora's box in that it does not seem to wreak havoc on the world, but pursue only Sparrowhawk. {spoiler alert} In the end, Sparrowhawk discovers that when he faces the evil spirit and recognizes it as part of himself, he becomes whole and thus vanquishes the evil spirit.

I felt underwhelmed at the end because the build up to Sparrowhawk facing this evil spirit felt contrived and then the end petered out. It seemed like Le Guin was tired of writing, so the book ends with Sparrowhawk and his companion returning home. There is no huge action sequence or big reveal. Sparrowhawk conquers the spirit and the story is effectively over. Part of why I felt disappointed was that, while it took me about a third to book to become interested in the story, once I did, I was curious about Earthsea and how it all connected and wanted to know the truth behind the shadowing evil spirit that haunted Sparrowhawk. The more I wanted something to happen, the less it did. Sparrowhawk would confront the spirit somehow and would grow weak and then wake up in a bed because some other power saved him. None of these details are explained further or linked together. Furthermore, the characters are one dimensional, lacking introspection. In a fantasy novel I expected some high adventure, which to me means action. If I'm not reading action, I'm looking for some serious self-exploration and I found neither in Le Guin's text. Perhaps all the characters and places of Earthsea are only hinted at because Le Guin had a series in mind, but I prefer books that can stand on their own as well as a part of a larger whole.

After reading A Wizard of Earthsea I conclude that high fantasy is not my preferred genre. Perhaps other forms of fantasy, like the Harry Potter novels are more my style. Reading the description of Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell suggests to me that this might be a fantasy-esque book I might like. I am interested in elements of magic and what role magic may have in this world, but less about an isolated world of magic.

- KER

The Boston Book Festival

Yesterday I attended two lectures at the first ever Boston Book Festival. I heard about this all day, free event about a month ago at a Boston Arts Preview Event and I have been excited ever since. A day dedicated to books and people who love them? In my own city? I am so there.

I attended "The Future of Reading," hosted by David Pogue and "Thrillers and Killers," hosted by Jessica Stern. Apparently "The Future of Reading" was THE lecture to attend because when I arrived there were absolutely no seats remaining in the Rabb Auditorium at the Boston Public Library. Those of us who arrived out of breath at the last moment were shown into an overflow room (more of an annex) where a live feed of the lecture in the Rabb was on display. While I wish I had a better view of some of the powerpoint presentations that accompanied the talk, I did not need to see, but listen. The lecture was fascinating. Described in the program as a "look into the future, new technology will be showcased by Steve Haber of Sony, Neil Jones of Interead and Mary Lou Jepsen, founder of Pixel Qi. Google's Jon Orwant and Digital Librarian Brewster Kahle of the Internet Archive will add a big picture perspective on how digitization may change everything."

Moderator David Pogue was dynamic and guided the discussion well, summarizing the key players in the field of e-readers and information digitization. Google's Jon Orwant gave an enthusiastic talk on Google's mission to digitize all of the world's published text and make it available and accessible. Similarly, Brewster Kahle of the Internet Archive spoke about digitizing through the library system and the implementation of bookmobiles globally to make literature accessible. Within the scope of the Internet Archive, a book can be printed and bound in said bookmobile for less than a dollar and so the Internet Archive effectively gives copies away. Kahle showed a picture of a man living in a third world company, who, through the bookmobile, came to own his first book ever. That is amazing and incredibly powerful.

Part of the challenge organizations like Google and the Internet Archive face in digitization of all these texts is copywright law. To summarize, about 10% of all published material is in the public domain, which very simply means that it has been a really long time since it was published, so no one person owns it anymore. Another 20% of all published works are currently in print and under copywright law, so those texts cannot be shared through the same free methods as that first 10%. What this means, is that about 70% of all the texts ever published are out of print, but under copywright, so they are not easily accessible unless a library has it or it's hidden in the treasure trove of a used bookstore. Eventually, organizations like Google and the Internet Archive want to make all this information accessible to everyone. In terms of research, learning and sharing knowledge, this mission is wonderful, however, there are severe copywright ramifications. Maybe a writer only cares about getting his/her ideas out in the world and losing royalties is no issue, but other writers need to make a living wage and want sole ownership over their product. Does the pursuit of knowledge and curiousity trump another's right to profit from their creative product?

The other half of the lecture featured folks like Steve Haber of Sony. Haber spoke about Sony's new e-reader, somewhat trying to sell his product. Pogue questioned the compatibility of file formatting on different e-readers, like Amazon's Kindle and Barnes and Noble's Nook, and the superiority of one e-reader over another. Additionally, Pogue highlighted the relatively small number of available digital texts compared of all published works. Furthermore, e-readers have a long way to go to become truly accessible. Haber and Kahle spoke about the idea of lending e-books to friends or through the library system and Pogue indicated he would like to resell e-books, much like one would a hardcopy. As it stands, an e-book is a static product, not easily shared. It was really exciting and fascinating to hear about the vision for digitization of text and where people in the field see the relationship of the reader to the text going. Many proponents of e-readers in general feel that e-readers promote more reading because the device allows the reader to interact with the text in a dynamic way with the ability to highlight, lookup words and learn more about the people and places featured in texts. Creating this complex reading system will take time, but could completely change the way we read.

The second lecture I attend, "Thrillers and Killers" fell short of my expectations. The write up about this panel reads "Spies, operatives and terrorists: what makes them tick and why do they fascinate us?" yet the discussion quickly devolved into a general talk on the art of writing, led by superfan Jessica Stern. While Stern may be extremely accomplished, she did not lead an effective and interesting discussion, but rather let the panel ramble and mumble through half-answers to non-probing questions. None of the authors offered much insight into the pyschopathic characters the panel topic hits towards.

Unfortunately I did not have the opportunity to explore the Boston Book Festival and all it had to offer, but I will definitely be back next year.

http://www.bostonbookfest.org/

- KER

Reading Challenge Update: Mythology

I finished Mourning Becomes Electra the other day and I loved it. Mourning Becomes Electra is a 1930s play by Eugene O'Neill, based on and inspired by Aeschylus' trilogy The Oresteia. The original story features characters from ancient Greek myths, specifically the curse on the House of Arteus, which involves Agammenon and his descendants, a final installment in a long line of gruesome crimes. In The Orestia, like other Greek plays (Odepius Rex, Antigone), the writer explores themes of man defying the wrath and omniscience of the gods, as well as the role and relationships of family in one person's life. The tangled web of family creates complex stories in Greek mythology, which is rife with incest, patricide and pride. Many of the characters are vengeful, like the gods they worshipped.

Eugene O'Neill distills themes of familial avengence and pride, stressed and complicated by war in an updated, American setting. Mourning Becomes Electra takes place in a New England home at the end of the American Civil War. O'Neill mirrors the murderous acts (wife kills husband, son kills mother at sister's behest) in a jealous, secretive and prideful family. Where Aeschylus utilizes the Furies, deities of vengeance, O'Neill employs the more modern concept of self-blame and guilt. O'Neill also streamlines the complex Greek culture and extended timeline, collapsing his version into the span of one year. However, O'Neill maintains clear parallels to The Oresteia so that the original sheds light onto the updated telling.

I confess, I have yet to read The Oresteia, but a few google searches equipped me to see the throughlines from the original apparent in Mourning Becomes Electra. O'Neill writes a gripping story that I strongly recommend. By updating conflicts and themes present in Greek myth, O'Neill demonstrates that the urgency of family, revenge and pride is still upon us. A primary idea in both tellings of this generational story is that of philos-aphilos, which means, "love-in-hate." The murders in both texts are committed not against an external enemy but against a part of the self. O'Neill and Aeschylus explore the complex ties of child to parent and how that relationship defines the individual identities of said family members. At the time Aeschylus wrote, protecting the family name and line was of utmost importance, so a son must avenge his father. In Mourning Becomes Electra, the son feels closer to the mother, and as such cannot see her for her betrayals to the family name. His identity is so linked to his mother and her approval, that he blames himself completely for her death, though he never perpetrates physical violence against her. Additionally, the story is further complicated by the mother's loyalty to her lover, which she takes while her marriage is still intact. This puts her own needs and desires as an individual above that of her children or family. Betrayal runs rampant in Mourning Becomes Electra, like its Greek counterpart, resulting in rash behavior.


I really enjoyed reading Mourning Becomes Electra and strongly recommend it to readers interested in American playwrights. O'Neill beautifully transplants ideas from another era to a period in American history. In that vein, I also suggest Mourning Becomes Electra to those interested in texts that offer retellings of classic stories. I think that this reading challenge involving mythology, fairytales, folklore and fantasy really lends itself well to that interest. There are numerous retellings of classic Greek tragedies and myths and legends like King Arthur.

Up next: Fantasy (The Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula Le Guin)

- KER

House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski

I read House of Leaves this past summer and loved every minute of it. I bring it up now because as I thought more about "Sleep No More," I see some similarities. House of Leaves asks more questions than it answers, deviates from linear story telling and requires the full attention of the reader, much like "Sleep No More." Both works force the audience to notice everything in order to find answers and piece the story together. I enjoyed both "Sleep No More" and House of Leaves because I got as much out of the experience as I put into it.

House of Leaves is a story within a story where sanity quickly flies out the window and Danielewski seeks to make reading the novel experiential. He creates a house in which a mysterious door appears, leading to a dark hallway that exceeds the proportions of the house in which it exists. As the inhabits of this house explore the hallway, it shrinks and expands in ways that the narrator speculates reflects the explorer's pyschological fears. The becomes experiential not only because Danielewski weaves a mesmerizing narrative, but as the hallways change, so does the formatting on the page. While this may sound like a gimmick, it is completely absorbing and exhilarating. I spent quick a few mornings on a packed train furiously turning my book this way and that, trying to keep up with the action as it unfolded.

Like "Sleep No More," House of Leaves demands an active audience - one that will probe and stay the course as the narrative seemingly falls apart. The stories that each tell have no resemblance to each other, but they both represent forms of art that push our boundaries and expectations of what theatre or a novel should be.

- KER

Review: Jar of Fools

Jar of Fools by Jacon Lutes tells the story of a magician and his mentor. Ernest, a magician in his 20s or 30s is out of a job and down on his luck when his old mentor, Al, arrives on his doorstep. Al has run away from a retirement home and doesn't have the sharpest mind anymore. When the two men get in a scuffle with some other men, a stranger named Nathan throws Ernest and Al into Nathan's car. With Nathan's daughter, Claire, the foursome decide to live out of Nathan's car. Parallel to this story is that of Ernest's ex-girlfriend who is still heart broken from their breakup and decides to start her own journey.

Yes, this graphic novel is as confusing and convoluted as it sounds. The entire book is very text-heavy which does not work for graphic novels. The majority of the pictures are close-ups of the character when they are speaking to each other. For a graphic novel that is uncharacteristically text-heavy, there is little actually said or developed. Out of the six characters, only Nathan develops.

In addition, there are as many plots as there are characters and in only 142 pages, none of the plots are rightfully resolved. There is the issue of an aging mentor revisiting his alcoholic and downtrodden aprentice; a heartbroken love story; the mysterious disappearance and possible reappearance of Ernest's brother; the repercussions of a messy divorce; and homelessness. Typically, graphic novels choose a theme or plot that is less complex than that of a full-length novel. That way, the story can be explored textually as well as visually. All of these themes could not be appropriately handled in a 142 pure-text novella. Therefore, it is no shock that it was unsuccessful in the same-length graphic novel.

Though this Jason Lutes graphic novel did not live up to its potential, do not let it deter you from his other works. The series Berlin, of which only two of the eight are out in America, is one of the best graphic novels I have ever read. The series takes place in Berlin right before WWII. The characters are beautifully portrayed and all give a different view of the city on the verge of disaster. Unlike Jar of Fools, Berlin is a must-read for all graphic novel and/or history lovers. It is everything that Jar of Fool isn't, and a lot more!

-DLP

Review: A.R.T brings you Punchdrunk's "Sleep No More"

"Sleep No More" is based loosely on Shakespeare's Macbeth, in which London based compnay, Punchdrunk, interprets the bard's tale and creates a theatre experience. Known for transforming abandoned buildings into a performance space, Punchdrunk seeks to involve their audiences. Rather than passively watching action, Punchdrunk requires their audience to actively pursue the story and more importantly, make choices. The American Repertory Theatre (A.R.T.) brought Punchdrunk to Boston as part of the Shakespeare Exploded series of A.R.T.'s 2009-2010 Season.

Punchdrunk's latest transformation is the recently abandoned Old Lincoln School in Brookline, making the "Sleep No More" experience part museum, part performance, part haunted house and part create your own adventure. Audience members are released into the school in small groups, with each group beginning in a different place. Some are sent down an empty hallway while others are ushered into certain rooms. Nearly every former classroom in the four story building is an element of the overall set. Audience members are free to wander through empty rooms and riffle through the books, notes and bedsheets lying around, although the low lighting and heavy fogging make extensive reading difficult. The eerie Hitchcook-esque music piped into each room and hallway add to the somewhat sinister nature of the evening, as do the white masks every audience member is asked to don.

What makes "Sleep No More" an amazing theatre experience is the create your own adventure element. I was free to roam empty rooms and revel in the incredible attention to detail, wondering what it all meant. While I roamed through graveyards (or gardens), bedrooms and offices, actors were performing a wordless interpretation of Macbeth elsewhere. When a friend led me into a large room (perhaps a former cafetorium?), I was privy to a slow motion, pantomimed banquet scene. The actors movements are incredibly fluid and mesmerizing, using dance and fight choreography to illustrate Shakespeare's drama fraught with tension. While some audience members followed actors from room to room, trailing specific plot threads; others held steady in a particular room, waiting for the next moment or situation to unfold.

I spent about an hour and a half exploring The Old Lincoln School, knowing I had missed plenty. I left knowing next to nothing about the "plot" of "Sleep No More," except that it certainly is not linear. Walking home, it was clear I will need to return to learn more, take in details I originally missed and create my next adventure.

http://www.americanrepertorytheater.org/events/show/sleep-no-more


- KER

The Rompers Reading Challenge Update: Mythology

Mythology is defined in the Merriam-Webster dictionary as:
mythology (n.): a body of myths, as that of a particular people or that relating to a particular person; a set of stories, traditions, or beliefs associated with a particular group or the history of an event, arising naturally or deliberately fostered.

This is the genre that we will be starting with. After much searching, Karen has chosen to read Eugene O’Neill’s Mourning Becomes Electra and Dani has selected Tom Stoppard’s The Invention of Love. Obviously, these are both plays and it will be interesting to see how they relate and treat mythology.

There will be an update once The Rompers have finished reading their plays.

The Rompers Reading Challenge

First, some background information on “The Rompers”: Though Karen and Dani have been friends since they were 12, it was not until last year that they took their first vacation together. Dani’s parents rented a house in Chatham for a week and Dani and Karen were given a loft room with bunk beds. They obviously dubbed this room the “romper room” and declared themselves “The Rompers”. In this room, they shared their love for fine books, terrible movies, brilliant plays, and the importance of judging others. With that said, when Dani and Karen write of themselves as a joint entity, they will call themselves “The Rompers”.

And now for the challenge! The Rompers decided that reading books compulsively was not enough for them. They had to create a challenge for themselves that would push them out of their comfort zone and make them think more about themed readings. Therefore, they decided to research what are known as “Reading Challenges” in which a person is given a certain amount of time to read either a certain number of books or a list of books in a selected genre.

After much discussion, The Rompers selected the “Once Upon a Time” challenge which consists of reading four books in each of the four following areas:

Fantasy

Folklore

Fairy Tale

Mythology

The Rompers will choose two separate books to read and then convene and write about their experiences and the books that they chose. The start date for this challenge is October 18^th and it must be completed by December 31^st. Wish us luck!

Review: Mineral Palace

It is hard to believe that The Mineral Palace is the first book that Heidi Julavits has ever written. Though the reviews on Amazon.com are not that favorable (but who reads that nonsense anyway!), I found the book to be everything that I look for in a novel.

The story is set in Colorado in the 1930s during the dust bowl. I was a bit hestiant to read this novel at first because I tend to shy away from novels set during the Depression, but I am so glad that I took a chance on this. Though the dust bowl is present, Julavits using as an atmospheric device as opposed to a historical period. The action in the book is dark and the characters are fatally flawed and then the dust clouds roll in and blanket the town in grim. It is perfectly fitting! The plot is not complex, a woman follows her husband from the north into the undeveloped state of Colorado in the south. They bring with them their child and marriage that is hanging on by a thread. Once in Colorado, her husband gets a job at a clinic and she decides to write for the local newspaper. The story is really about the people that she meets in this town and the emotional rollercoaster that they bring her own. There are the wealthy and snobbish well to do, as well as the poor and down on their luck prostitutes and drunkards. In the middle of this destitution, the woman's baby falls ill and no one believes her. This is a heartbreaking tale from all aspects.

Though the plot is simple, the characters are extremely complex and beautifully developed. As the novel is progressing, the reader knows that it is barreling towards some horrible conclusion. However, it is still a surprise even once it arrives. What I found most interesting was that even once I had finished the book, I still felt haunted by the characters. I still often think about them and the choices that they made and I feel as if the book hasn't truly finished for me because I am still trying to understand their characters. This is not a weakness of the book, but instead a strength. It is very rare that I find a book that continues to haunt me after I return it to the library.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed Sherwood Anderson's Winesburg, Ohio or Michael Lesy's Wisconsin Death Trip. Basically, if you enjoy reading about the trials and tribulations in small-town America...this is the book for you!

-DLP

Review: It's a Good Life if You Don't Weaken

One thing that all readers should know about me is that though I love graphic novels, I am extremely picky. However, this graphic novel was perfection! It tells the story of Seth who is depressed and feels lost in the world until he discovers an obscure cartoonist named Kalo. Though there is little information on this man, Seth decides to devote years of his life to discovering the man's true identity. He even goes as far as to find Kalo's house in a small town and visits the man's family. As he does so, he also returns home to his mother and brother and find himself traveling to his childhood house. Though this is far from being a "coming of age tale" (I hate that phrase), Seth certainly does develop throughout the story. His search does not change his identity, but it does help him understand himself better.

Though the book is set in Canada, I felt that the scenes were familiar and could be found in any country. The pictures are drawn in shade of blue and black that help illustrate the dark and depressed mood of Seth. There are also numerous drawings of houses, landscapes, and cityscapes. I found these to be incredibly interesting. In many graphic novels, I feel as if the artist uses landscapes as filler pictures for when the action is stopped. However, in this book, I felt as if drawings of these scenes were photographs of the setting. Many were bleak or lonely which, of course, reitterated Seth's view of the world.

In many graphic novels, the art will override the text. However, this book was superb in the exquisite blending of the two. Seth's observations were philosophical and I felt that they pertained to all people at any point in life. His conversations with his friend Chet, were also enlightening to his character as well to how people interact in a friendship. Though Seth was not a completely likeable character, I did find myself enjoying his company, philosophies, and observations.

If you do decide to read this book, it is extremely important that you read the ENTIRE book. At the end of the book, there are cartoons that Kalo supposedly created as well as a picture of him. Lastly, there is an "about the author" with a photograph of Seth. In order to get the entire flavor of the book, you must read until you hit the back cover!

The reason for this is because Seth makes the reader believe that there really is a cartoonist named Kalo who drew these cartoons and is shown in the photograph at the end. However, this is not true! There is no cartoonist named Kalo. Though the story of him as a man, is probably true for other cartoonists, he is a completely fictional character. Still, Seth's mother and brother are true to life. In this way, the graphic novel is semi-autobiographical and the reader must discover what is true about the author and what is not.

Clearly, you can understand why I had trouble putting this book down and would read it into the early morning hours. The story is exquiste, the pictures are divine, and the relationship between truth and lies is always an interesting debate to struggle with in a tale. I recommend that everyone go out and request this book from your library. For those of you unsure of graphic novels, this is an easy read that will not confuse you. In fact, it reads a lot more like a novella than a graphic novel. For those of you who love graphic novels (like myself), you will be blown away by the text as well as the pictures. It really is the complete package!

-DLP

Now Playing: David Mamet's Speed the Plow

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to see Speed the Plow which is currently playing at the New Rep in Watertown. For those who don't know, Speed the Plow was written by David Mamet who is most famous for his play Glengarry Glen Ross. Mamet's plays typically center around a high stress work place such as a producer's office in Hollywood, a real estate agency, or the oval office (just to name a few). His characters are ordinary people who become tragic due to their place of employment or work relations that push them to the extreme. Though I have seen three of his plays that all have this similar theme, I still found Speed to Plow to be extraordinary!

In regards to the plot, a movie producer named Gould is debating with his friend and colleague the importance of money versus art. Though the two agree that it is "art" thatis most important, it is clear that money is what rules both of their lives. The rising action occurs when Gould bets his friend that he won't be able to have sex with his new secretary. In order to bed her, Gould gives her a book that was given to him as a "courtesy read". The woman falls in love with the book and its message and convinces Gould to throw away his cynical view on art and Hollywood and produce the film. I will not go further with a summary for fear that I will ruin something.

As is typical with Mamet, the scriptis filled with swears and at times confusing conversations in which the characters talk extremely fast and cut each other off. However, it is all part of the show! And this production of Speed the Plow was a fantastic show! The play runs for an hour and a half with no intermission and  have to say that at the end of the play I was even begging for more. Had an intermission been inserted, the stregnth of the play would have slacked and the final scene would not have been as riveting and influencial. The power of the entire play is centered on three characters and the actors and actress who were chosen for this production were flawless! They captured Mamet's language exquisitely while also embodying the characters to a tee.  Mamet's plays are only as good as the actors in them, and I have to say that this was one of the strongest casts I have seen. The set and costumes were plain and sparse which were perfect for they did not distract the audience. Though the plot sounds tragic, and that's true!, it is also comedic. As is typical with Mamet, he pushes all of his characters to the extreme while still allowing them to possess an excellent sense of humor. Unlike other plays, the comic relief is built into the script and does not take place in its on separate scene or plot line. Instead, the characters are both tragic and comedic and have to embody other aspects. Though this can be extremely challenging, especially in only an hour and a half, the cast of the New Rep pulls it off spectacurlarly!

I would recommend this play to anyone! I would say that everyone should go and witness this genius playright with his exceptional cast. However, I understand that times are tough and people have to count their pennies. Therefore, I would recommend that you rent Wag the Dog. In this movie, Mamet takes on the movie industry once again in a tragic and comedic way that will have you hysterically laughing. It stars Dustin Hoffman and Robert DeNiro and does not disappoint! (The cast also includes, Denis Leary, Kirsten Dunst, Anne Heche and Willie Nelson). The tale is one that we are all familar with, president has sex with a girl scout and the press will have a field day! However, the president's public relations has to keep the entire issue at bay. How do they do this? Hire Dustin Hoffman, a Hollywood movie producer, to create a war and convince the American public that it is real. Interestingly enough, this movie came out in 1997, a whole year before the Clinton and Lewinsky scandal broke. As is typical with Mamet, the film is as upsetting as it is humorous. I urge everyone to go out and watch it. It was change your view of movies, America, and prove Mamet's worth in our contemporary society.

-DLP

Another word about Errol Flynn

Like I mentioned in my review of Errol Flynn's autobiography, I grew up watching "The Adventures of Robin Hood" over and over. After finishing My Wicked Wicked Ways, I had to see my favorite Flynn feature films again. I watched "The Adventures of Robin Hood" the other night and loved it. The story is played for laughs and all the characters are one dimensional, yet it was great! (And not just because it reminded me of being 5 years old again.) Still in the early part of his career, Flynn plays the perfect swashbuckler - dueling with gusto and laughter. The two disc edition offers outtakes and commentary on how some of the special effects were done. While the night scenes clearly look like they were shot during the day, it was interesting to hear in which scenes a stunt double stood performed vs. Flynn himself. In his autobiography, Flynn boasts a great deal about performing many of his own stunts, particularly in this early time of his film career. "The Adventures of Robin Hood" was a great trip down memory lane for me and great fun to see a film from Hollywood's Golden Age.

- KER

Review: My Wicked Wicked Ways: The Autobiography of Errol Flynn

I grew up watching Errol Flynn movies like "The Adventures of Robin Hood" and "The Adventures of Don Juan," knowing nothing more about the actor than his name. I started reading this book out of general curiousity, but I was quickly blown away by the story. This autobiography reads like an adventure novel with a little introspection on the side. Allegedly Errol Flynn had a ghostwriter who stayed with him for six weeks, mooched off his estate, asked a lot of questions and produced this book. Regardless of who actually wrote the text, it is a great read. Every period in Flynn's life is full of shenanigans, exploration and living life.

In a sense, Errol Flynn was the Tucker Max of the 1930s, 40s and 50s. With little regard for the effect of his behavior on others, Flynn sought to live life to its fullest, satisfying all his desires, given the vast wealth he amassed as an actor. However, Flynn rises above the ranks of an asshat like Tucker Max because he does not pursue women for the sake of pursuing women, he does so as an adjunct activity to exploring the world and all it has to offer. Flynn left school for the jungles of New Guinea in order to make his own way and discovered the occassional woman along the way. Flynn admits to his excessive drinking in his later years, but also identifies it as a symptom of his depression and dissatisfaction with his career and creative production. In all of his stories, the adventure, the joke, the boat, what he learned about humanity become the focus, rather than his debauchery. He muses on the dynamics of Hollywood and the effect of fame on his life. Often Flynn longs for his days of anonymity in Tasmania and New Guinea.

While Errol Flynn emerged as THE swashbuckler of film in the 1940s and 50s, he reveals himself to be no different than anyone else searching for meaning in his life.

- KER

Review: Wicked by Gregory Maguire

A little backstory: I picked up Wicked because I watched ShowBusiness, a documentary which explores the backstage stories of creating original musicals, specifically Wicked, Taboo, Avenue Q, and Caroline or Change. While that documentary is a story for another day, I will say that it piqued my interest. I started listening to music from Wicked and wondering about the story in general. In school I really loved novels that explored another version of a popular story or character, particularly novels that retold fairy tales, like many of Robin McKinley's novels (Beauty, Rose Daughter). So I admit, I read about the musical version of Wicked and it sounded like everything I wanted to know about the back stories of tertiary characters from The Wizard of Oz.

My point is, I really wanted to like Wicked. I thought it would be up right up my alley, but I was seriously underwhelmed.

The text reads quickly, yet nothing happens. I found many of the characters to be one-dimensional, angsty and uninspired. There were few traces of the original characters on which they were based. The protagonist, Elphaba, the alleged "Wicked Witch of the West" emerged as a passive girl with low self esteem who maintained a sense of righteousness and individuality, but in a "rebel without a cause" sort of way. Truly, she takes up the causes of others because she doesn't actually know who she is. Maguire boiled the Wicked Witch down to misunderstood with a lifetime of misperceived intentions. She was not the cackling witch high in her tower, she is a woman who felt slighted by her family and friends for years and took out all her anger on Dorothy, who landed in the wrong hot mess.

Maguire subtitles his book "The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West" and that it is - but it no more interesting than a chronicle of any person's life and times. While Maguire fleshes out the world and tyrannical rule of Oz, he seems to lose his way. Is this a book about the background of Oz and it's characters leading up to Dorothy's arrival? If it is, why are the stories about the Tinman, Scarecrow and Lion so murky and convoluted? If this novel is truly an exploration of how a person's actions and choices can be so misconstrued, why are the links between Elphaba and the politics of Oz so lazily drawn?

Maguire goes to great lengths to create this parallel universe with University, revolution and class struggle, and places Elphaba at the center of this, yet the point is lost. Elphaba is misunderstood - she is not really wicked: she is doing her own thing. Elphaba as an individual could be interesting, but Maguire needs to dig deeper. Maguire provides events in Elphaba's life to show all the times she was misunderstood, but Maguire fails to build on that. He does add several tertiary characters and plots that sort of explain the state of Oz, which we all know from L. Frank Baum's original tale. And that is why Wicked feels so murky - Maguire creates a complex world without explaining why it matters or how the elements are connected. Furthermore, Maguire does not write a compelling enough text for the reader to do the legwork. There also are not enough details for the reader to piece together. The big reveal of why and how Elphaba came to be born green is anticlimactic. By page 300 I felt like Prince Humperdinck in The Princess Bride when the castle is under attack during the wedding "skip to the end."

- KER

Introduction to Candid Culture

Two best friends, a lifelong obsession with reading, storytelling, research, art and life. Both grew up to major in English and become avid theatergoers. Willing to read anything or watch any performance to discover the work for its own merits, we intend this blog to offer insights into the books, performances, people and scenes we encounter. We may praise, glorify, berate and degrade that which we experience. We will not limit ourselves to the literary or the artistic; we judge all of life. Here we hope to provide reviews, musings, short stories and plays in order to offer you some candid culture.