Book Review: The Heretic's Daughter

I was one of the first people to request the book from the library and I am so glad that I did. Coming from eastern Massachusetts, the Salem Witch Trials have always been of interest to me. I have read both fiction and non-fiction and have to say that this book is one of the best! However, it is not because it describes the Salem Witch Trials most accurately. It is also not the scariest book about the trials. Instead, it explores the humanity and inhumanity in a family and its community. The injustices of the trials are iterated as opposed to the hackneyed descriptions of hangings and malevolent witchcraft.

By creating a setting outside of Salem, Kent explores the impact that the trials had on outside communities. Unlike most writers on this topic, she focused more family life during the time and allowed the witch trials to exist in the background. I would have to say that the focus of this book is on family, community, relationships, and how they are impacted by certain events. Though Kent exquisitely described the jail and inquisitions, the issues that were explored could easily have been in any generation with any family. Overall, an excellent read for those interested in the Salem Witch Trials as well as those who enjoy reading novels on family relationships.

-DLP

Book Review: Rent Girl

I enjoyed the writing a great deal and was impressed that the "graphic" aspects of the novel did not override the plot and characters in the actual story. However, I was disappointed in the story as a whole. I found Tea's work as a sex worker extremely interesting, but as a narrator I found her to be whiny and often annoying. Though she courageously displayed her weaknesses as well as her strengths, I still could not help but want more from the characters whether it was development, background information, or some resolution. Being that it is a memoir, everything can't always be pleasantly resolved. However, every character eventually disappear without any acknowledgment that they had previously existed.

The story begins with great strength and interest as Tea describes her life as a lesbian sex worker in Boston. As her travels bring her to Provincetown and Tucson, the reader can feel that Tea is running out of steam (and so is her story). Her girlfriend, for the majority of the piece, is a self-centered and one-dimensional woman who introduces Tea to the world of prostitution. Along the way, the two meet up and live with various other sex workers and drug addicts. While the ride is rocky and the writing is smooth, the characters are emotionally limited and appear as caricatures.

-DLP

Book Review: Fun Home

To call this a "coming of age tale" would be inaccurate. Written as a memoir, Bechdel describes how her self-discovery and acceptance of her sexuality helped her understand her father and his demons. The artwork is absolutely excellent, both humorous and thoughtful. The reader feels as if he or she is flipping through an old family scrapbook. The intimacy of the story, language, and pictures creates a strong connection between the reader and the characters. Bechdel is able to balance some of the gut-wrenching moments in the book with humor that does not negate the sorrow but alleviates some of the pain.

An excellent story about family and the journey to self-discovery. As Bechdel begins to accept the fact that she is a lesbian, she is able to find greater compassion and understanding for her father who (despite being married) is also gay.

- DLP

Book Review: The Myrtles Plantation

Last month I was given an ultimatum, I was told by my girlfriend that I was not allowed to order any more eBooks on the Amazon Kindle until I had read the eight that were already on there. I suppose it wasn't really an ultimatum, but it did inspire me to start reading the books I downloaded over nine months ago. After reading some depressing books, I thought that I would go for something light. So I chose The Myrtles Plantation: The True Story of America's Most Haunted House. I have always loved scary books and movies though I do get timid at night when I have to turn the lights out (I usually end up leaving the TV on...just in case). I thought that this book would give me enough chills without any heavy lifting on my part. Well, I was right on one of those.

The Myrtles Plantation is an actual plantation located in Louisiana that has had a documented history of being haunted almost since it was built in the late 1700s. Frances and her husband Jim bought the plantation while on vacation in the 1980s. Since the first time they set foot on the premise, Frances knew that there was something wrong with the house. Yet, they still went through with the purchase and eventually opened the house to the public as a bed and breakfast. From the first night, Frances saw and felt ghosts in the house. Some had an ambiguous presence and others were more malevolent and eventually caused damage to Frances' loved ones. The ghosts ranged from slaves to children to locally prominent men. Frances spent many nights running from the ghosts and seeking residence in other people's houses in order to get out of the clutches of the spirits. Still, she refused to sell the house. Her best friend, Charles,  moved into the house to help her restore and run the property. After a couple of years, Charles became a belligerent alcoholic who went from being a good willed and high spirited man to a depressed and pessimistic burden. Similarly, Frances' once faithful husband began to waver in his affections after living in the house for a period of time. Lastly, was Frances' "adopted" daughter Joanie who Frances took in and cared for like her own. Under the Myrtles' roof, Joanie became disobedient and betrayed Frances in ways that she never thought possible. Overall, the house took prisoner all of its residents and left their lives changed forever.

In the beginning, Frances wove an incredibly enthralling tale. The ghostly appearances gave me the precise chills that I was looking for. For nights on end, I had to sleep with my TV on for fear that the ghosts would come through the Kindle and plague me where I sleep. Once I got through half of the book, it seemed that Frances began to run out of steam. The story changed from the ghostly encounters at the Myrtles to Frances' trite memoir. I was extremely sadden by this change because Frances' own story was not nearly as exciting a that of the Myrtles. In addition, her entire tone changed and became blaming and sorrowful. She was judgmental of each character that she presented and described in great detail all of their flaws. Yet, she never turned the introspection on herself. Numerous times she told the same story about how she made her own money to pay for the place and yet was never accepted into the clique in town. This was not the only story in which she complained about situations in which she placed herself. It is for this reason that I don't recommend this book to any horror fan. Instead, reread your old copy of The Shining, grab a used copy of Amityville Horror, or check out the much neglected but extremely well-told Grave's End: A True Ghost Story.

-DLP

From the Vault: High School High

The other week the betrothed and I were looking for something to watch online. We were cruising hulu unable to agree - tv show, movie, comedy, drama until finally the mouse scrolled over the description for the 1996 film, High School High and I said "if it will make me laugh, then fine." And so we watched a spoof that marries the concepts of Dangerous Minds and Airplane! For me, that night, it was sheer brilliance. I enjoyed the absurd plot that seemed to have a bit of Stand and Deliver thrown in as well. Jon Lovitz's dead pan delivery is spot on for a bumbling teacher who means well, but is incredibly socially awkward an inept, as much with his students as his is with his potential love interest. The few fight scenes are so over the top as is subplot about local drug dealers. I loved this campy movie because it knew exactly what it was doing and had no higher pretensions without having gratuitous low brow humor that failed to further plot. I chuckled my way through this movie and I recommend it for anyone who already likes Jon Lovitz and access to high speed internet - don't pay for what you can watch for free!

- KER

musings on reading

I think what we read is almost as important as when we read it. Sometimes knowing what to expect or having no expectations can alter the reading experience entirely! My aunt has often told me of a time when she has not been in the right mood to a certain book and the experience is completely ruined. On the other hand, sometimes we, as individual readers, are the wrong audience for a book. Other times, being given a book by someone special to us makes the book all the more desirable as a read. Dani mentioned in her review of Await Your Reply that many reviewers praised the book, yet she felt disappointed. Hype can ruin an okay book.

I picked up my first John Irving book my sophomore year in high school just browsing in the stacks and selected based on the cover art alone. I have loved many of his other books, but none quite so much as that first one. There is something about choosing a book on my own, for whatever criteria strikes me in the moment, that can make me fall instantly in love - with the writing and the characters. At the same time, I know I have selected books based on terrible criteria and been disappointed - like it fits in my bag or if other people see me reading it they are sure to think I am quite intelligent. I think it's really fascinating the way books can serve as wonder worlds in which to escape the hassles and stressors of our lives or make those moments profoundly worse - reading Penelope Ayers while dealing with a loss in one's own family has the power to be extremely helpful or exacerbate one's grief. Even attempting to read Bill Bryson's The Mother Tonue while overworked has the potential to be draining - there is just too much to digest. Immediately after I read Last Exit to Brooklyn I picked up The Nanny Diaries for a sharp contrast. I first read The Princess Bride at the age of 9, fell in love with the story and tried to convince my history buff of a father that Florin really did exist. I have reread William Goldman's wonderful on numerous occasions since then, including insisting that my high school book club read it and discovered my favorite passages over and over. I loved The Princess Bride so much when I was growing up that I would read it out loud to myself just to hear those passages. I also listened to the book on tape version, read by Rob Reiner. I have instructed numerous friends and acquaintances to read it and delighted every time I have found a fellow fan. At the same time, sharing my deep love for The Princess Bride has felt too personal or even, too feminine at times and the first book I ever recommended and lent to my betrothed was Cool Hand Luke, another powerful and fascinating novel. I choose it because it felt more "neutral" in that it did not have the word princess or bride in the title. After when you first start dating someone, mentioning brides may come on a little strong.

Even though recommendations and hype can occasionally ruin a book, I still hunger to share what I'm reading and am eager to find out what others have on the docket. I find myself peering over the shoulders of my fellow commuters to see what author caught their fancy or striking up conversations with coworkers with the sole purpose of determining what they are reading. It probably makes my conversational style a little aggressive, but I just have to know! As much as I shy away from certain genres, like fantasy, I love a strong recommendation from a friend, rather than making selections based on a bestseller list. Dani gave me Drawn from Life, which she held in high esteem, setting me up to enjoy it. My aunt gave me Katharine Graham's Personal History, which I am presently enjoying, albeit slowly. I remember reading Good in Bed during volunteer hours on a hotline in high school and it was the perfect antidote to the quiet office and the drudgery of Thomas Hardy's Far From the Madding Crowd, yet my delight in the novel was completely circumstantial - it is unlikely I would choose to read it today.

Anyway - any good or bad stories about how your came to love or hate or think ambivalently about a particular book? I always think about my reaction to a book in relation to the circumstances of reading it and I'm curious to hear some of your stories!

- KER

From the Vault: Magnolia

In 1999, the film Magnolia was nominated for three academy awards including best supporting actor (Tom Cruise). With such an all star cast, including John C Reilly, Julianne Moore, Philip Seymour Hoffman, William H. Macy, and Jeremy Blackman, it is shocking that it did not win more actor/actress nominations! The plot of the film is a bit confusing though similar to Crash and Happy Endings, in which various story lines are presented that appear unrelated only to link up by the end of the movie. In this film, the stories all involve some aspect of the network television industry. The story lines include:
      Tom Cruise as a seller of a chauvinistic "help book" called Seduce and Destroy which teaches men how to seduce women without feeling any emotional connection.
       Philip Seymour Hoffman as a male nurse for Earl Partridge (Jason Robards) who is an extremely wealthy network owner and husband of Linda Partridge (Julianne Moore)
       Philip Baker Hall who is the game show host for the show "What Do Kids Know" (a precursor to Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader) and father to coke addict Claudia (Melora Walters)
       John C. Reilly plays a police officer who meets Claudia when he is called to her house on a noise complaint.
       William H. Macy plays Donnie Smith, the winner of "What Do Kids Know" in the 1960s who is now forgotten and facing money troubles.
       Jeremey Blackman as Stanley who is the current leading contestant on "What Do Kids Know" but is about to buckle under the pressure.

Each story is extremely tragic and there is little levity in the entire movie. With the running time passing three hours, this film can be best described as oppressive. For those who love depressing movies, tragic characters, and superb acting...this film is absolutely for you! However, be aware that there is an extremely odd event that occurs within the last half an hour of the movie that made me cock my head to the side and wonder "what is the director thinking?!" Still, it does not distract too much from the film's story. All of this is typical of the director Paul Thomas Anderson who is responsible for such modern classics as There Will Be Blood, Punch-Drunk Love, and Boogie Nights. If nothing else, watch this movie for Cruise's performance alone. His depiction of an insane chauvinistic pig is so much like his current personal state that it is a wonder it was more than ten years ago and not filmed yesterday! Though it's longer than most viewers would like, or even be able to stand, it was worthwhile.

-DLP

1001 Books Challenge: Interview with the Vampire

This month I choose to read Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire for the 1001 Books Challenge. I've had this book on my shelf for nearly two years, after picking it up at a used book sale. I think I bought it on the heels of the Twilight craze and while I have no desire to read anything by Stephanie Meyer, I felt curious about vampire myth and legends. I do not usually gravitate towards books with supernatural elements and felt some trepidation about Anne Rice's reputation (or rather, perceived reputation) for horror stories. I read Stephen King's The Shining in high school, but only during the daylight hours and to this day refuse to watch the film because Jack Nicholson's crazed face on the cover gives me the creeps. When I read Jay's Journal, one of the "true stories" published by Beatrice Sparks about a young man who becomes involved with a Satanic group, I had to put it in a drawer in my desk because the subject matter disturbed me. I felt like Joey on Friends when he put his copy of Little Women in the freezer because he felt sad that Beth died. To sum up: I was not sure if I would like Interview with the Vampire and wondered if the book would scare me. It didn't and I did.
Rice writes at a languid pace as the vampire Louis details the circumstances that led him to become a vampire and the ensuing events. I was surprised to discover that Rice steers away from the horrifying and into the introspective. Louis becomes a vampire out of self-loathing in his human form, but manages to carry the anxieties of humanity into his eternal life. While the narrative is certainly one sided, Louis appears to struggle with the morality of vampires sustaining on blood and killing others. Louis' angst takes form in his unwillingness to take human lives for many years, sustaining himself on vermin and small animals, whereas his creator and mentor kills humans for pleasure. Yet, Rice's depiction of this is minimal and far from gory. Instead, Rice focuses on Louis' search for knowledge and understanding. Much of the mystery of the novel stems from Louis' desire to learn the origins of vampires and search for meaning in the eternal life. Rice's version of vampires removes the frightening element of their existence by portraying Louis, a self-reflective soul who desires purpose and an understanding of a world order - if one exists.

I enjoyed Interview with the Vampire and while it ends with a bit of a cliffhanger, as it is the first of The Vampire Chronicles, it stands alone. I felt complete with the story, with no compulsion to continue the series. The supernatural world with its cloaks and daggers and mysteries hold my interest little, so I have no need to follow Louis' interviewer deeper into vampire lore. The novel contains exciting passages and events, without becoming scary, which I appreciated (as a long time scardy-cat). Well worth the read!

- KER

From the Vault: In the Bedroom

With the Academy Awards coming this month, I thought that I would watch some movies that had been nominated for the award in the past few years. While most people are familiar with past winners, few remember those that were nominated but did not win. Therefore, I started with In the Bedroom which was released in 2001 and was nominated for five academy awards including best picture, best actor, best actress, and best supporting actress. The plot of the movie centers around the Fowler family which is comprised of Frank Fowler, his mother and his father. Frank is a 20 something year old who is spending his last summer at home before going to graduate school. His plans are complicated when he falls in love with an older woman who has two children and an extremely abusive husband from whom she is separated. For the first half of the movie, Frank struggles with his decision to go to college and believes that he may defer his enrollment for another year in order to spend more time with his new love. Frank's parents disagree with his choice and fear that his relationship with his older girlfriend will jeopardize his entire future. When tragedy strikes, the once "perfect" family is severed and they must try to find their way back to each other.

The acting in this film is superb and is clearly worthy of its various nominations. The first half of the film was extremely close to perfection. The rising action created such tension between the characters that it spilled out of the TV and made a large pit in my stomach. However, once the film reaches its climax it appears that it has few places to go. Being that it reached its peak early in the film, there is almost an hour in which the two main characters looked at each other with knowing glances and did little else. Yet, the last ten minutes move so quickly that it leaves the viewer wondering why such action was delayed for so long! Overall, the acting is great, the plot is certainly intriguing, but the pacing makes the movie seem lacking and not well thought out.

-DLP

1001 Challenge: Moll Flanders

For this month, I chose Moll Flanders by Daniel DeFoe which is similar to last month's selection (Fanny Hill). The plot of this novel is best summarized by its extended title: "The Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Famous Moll Flanders, Etc. Who was born in Newgate, and during a life of continu'd Variety for Threescore Years, besides her Childhood, was Twelve Year a Whore, five times a Wife (whereof once to her own brother), Twelve Year a Thief, Eight Year a Transported Felon in Virginia, at last grew Rich, liv'd Honest and died a Penitent. Written from her own Memorandums." More specifically, Moll's life started off tragically for when she was born she was immediately given to a nurse by whom she was raised. Moll's mother was convicted of a petty felony when she was pregnant and was sent to a Virginia plantation right after Moll was born. When Moll's nurse dies, Moll is sent to live with a prominent family where she learns how to be a "gentlewoman" along side the daughters of the family. She then falls in love with one of the sons in the family and becomes his mistress. When Moll is jilted by her lover, she is forced to marry his brother. This is her first marriage in a long line of tragic marriages and failed relationships.

Though this story had more substance than Fanny Hill, I was a bit disappointed because it was written 30 years after Fanny Hill yet there were few improvements made to the story. While Fanny Hill was more crude and sexually explicit, Moll Flanders was more character driven. Still, there are few difference between the two. Both women are naive and deceived by the world in such a way that causes them to act in immoral ways in order to survive. Though this is exciting at first and both women appear almost adventurous, it gets tedious. Still, both of these novels were revolutionary for their time and should be regarded as such. However, I think for my next selection I will steer clear of this literary period and try to find novels that do not revolve around prostitutes and wayward women.

-DLP

Book Review: Await Your Reply

Dan Chaon's Await Your Reply has been discussed and reviewed in almost every newspaper and magazine from the most prominent in the country to your everyday bloggers like myself. It was also on numerous top ten lists for 2009. Clearly, it has something about it that attracts readers and I just had to know what that was. Unfortunately, I was a bit disappointed because after all of the rave reviews I found this book to be a bit lacking. Of course the plot was compelling, the issues addressed were extremely intriguing and thought provoking, and the narration was exceptional. Still, I found something about it to be dull.

Basically, there are three stories that all revolve around the same theme: identity and its fluidity. The first story is that of a college dropout named Ryan who is introduced to the reader as his hand is being cut off by a mobster of some sort who is after his father. The reader soon finds out that Ryan and his father have had a troubled past that has just recently been revealed to Ryan. The second storyline follows that of Miles who is trying to track down his long lost brother. Miles believes that his brother is a paranoid schizophrenic or something of the sort and only receives sporadic correspondence from him. Yet, whenever he does receive one of his brother's cryptic letters, Miles spends weeks and months trying to locate his brother. It is one of these trips that opens Miles' section. Lastly, is the storyline that revolves around Lucy and her boyfriend (and high school teacher) George. Lucy has little family and finds solace in George's affections. It is for this reason that the two decide to run away together and start a new life.

Each of these story lines runs independently throughout the book until the finally all come together in the last few pages. Yet, an observant reader could easily see their connection much earlier. I thought that each story as extremely compelling. The characters were well developed and the atmosphere was perpetually heavy. The majority of the novel read like a thriller which made me speed through it in only a couple of days. Once I got to the end, I was a bit unsatisfied. All of the events that I predicted had some to fruition and I felt that there was little surprise or intrigue towards the novel's conclusion.

The overall story was unique in that it dealt with issues of identity theft and fraud. While centuries of writers have written of issues involving identity, this book delves into the modern issues of identity and how easy it has become to manipulate one's identity using technology. Though I don't believe it was one of the best of 2009, I did find it to be extremely interesting and it raised questions that I think people will continue to battle with for decades.

-DLP

Now on DVD: Away We Go

Months ago, I saw Away We Go in the movie theater and thought that it was cute and humorous in the way that made me smirk but not laugh out loud. I decided to watch the film again with my girlfriend who had not seen it. I am so thrilled that I did! Whatever I thought was lacking in my first viewing, I was able to better understand the second time I saw it.

The plot is simple. Burt (John Krasinski) and his girlfriend Verona (Maya Rudolph) are two thirty-somethings who believe that they have never exactly gotten their lives together. When Verona finds that she is pregnant, all of their insecurities are brought into the foreground. The couple believes that they cannot raise the child alone and therefore decide to travel across the country (and into Canada) to find a place near family or friends that feels like home to them. With each stop on their trip, Burt and Verona come to realize that there is no such thing as normalcy and that the best family is one that you make yourself.

I found the plot to be pretty predictable but that did not stop me from enjoying the film. Krasinski and Rudolph fit their characters perfectly! Their vignettes in various cities spotlight Jeff Daniels, Alison Janney, Jim Gaffigan, and Maggie Gyllenhaal each of whom do and exceptional job in depicting various views on parenthood. Though this film is not laugh out loud funny, I definitely giggled numerous times and smiled for almost the entire two hours. It is tender in all the ways a good movie should be. It shares many of the same themes that Juno does: pregnancy is not the end of the earth, in fact, it can help you find yourself and those you love. Overall, it's worth a viewing...maybe two.

-DLP

Movie AND Book Review: Thank You for Smoking

I chose to read Thank You for Smoking when I stumbled upon it at a book sale and was able to pick it up for 25 cents. Ever since then, which was about a month ago, I have been dying to read this novel and I am thrilled that I finally found the time!

The plot of Thank You For Smoking revolves around Nick Naylor and his work at the Academy for Tobacco Studies in Washington D.C. Basically, he is the spokesperson for the company and spends the majority of his time defending cigarettes and trying to debunk the “myth” that cigarettes are bad for people. Though the majority of people would find this job to be immoral, Nick is able to pull it off splendidly to the point that it appears he actually believes the lies that he tells the public. Nick is as alienated in his personal life as he makes himself in his professional life. He is divorced and though he helps to support his ex-wife and son, he has little to do with either. The majority of his support comes from the self-proclaimed “Merchants of Death”, also known as the Mod Squad, which is made up of Nick and his two closest friends one of whom is a lobbyist for the alcohol industry and the other is a pro-gun lobbyist. Nick’s boss and co-workers are even less helpful in giving him a moral balance to his character. BR, Nick’s boss, is driven solely by money and power and has no qualms about casting employees aside if they refuse to help him in either of these ventures. Even more dubious is Jeanette who is BR’s office love interest and has had her eye on Nick’s job. Though the characters are interesting in themselves, the action in the novel really begins when Nick is brought on the Larry King show where a caller threatens Nick’s life.

Overall, this is a great novel! It has everything that an enthralling tale should: sex, lies, deceit, and redemption. A lot of the humor is tongue and cheek and the majority of the dialog is sarcastic. All of the characters are cynical and do not hide their prejudices which leads to some hilarious situations. Most of all, I loved the characters. I thought that Buckley did in excellent job in making almost every character seem to be without a conscience and yet the reader is encouraged to root for “the enemy”.

Less than 12 hours after I finished this novel, I ran out and rented the movie. Though they share the same title and some of the same plot points, the novel and movie are completely different. In order to make the movie stay within in an hour and a half, the director/screenwriter took out a main character who was crucial to the novel. In doing so, the film has a completely different feel than the movie. The moral of the book is to basically watch one’s back because a friend or co-worker could be your greatest enemy. However, the moral of the movie is that you should never tell anything to a reporter even if you are sleeping with her and she seems sweet. In other words, the enemy is from the outside. Due to this, the ending of the novel and that of the film are almost exact opposite of each other. While the film eliminated a pivotal co-worker character, it added Nick’s son. Though the scenes between father and son were humorous, I don’t believe that it added anything to the movie. In contrast, the book only mentions Nick’s son once or twice which further shows Nick’s alienation from his family and any kind of love. Lastly, the novel puts a great emphasis on Nick’s relationship with the owner of the Academy of Tobacco Studies (known as the Captain). It is this relationship that gives Nick any hope for the future and the Captain acts as Nick’s only ally. Yet in the movie, the profoundness of this relationship is stripped down. Overall, I think that the movie and the book are wonderful! I fully enjoyed both. I have to say that I might have even enjoyed the movie a bit more than the book (but the jury is still out on that). However, they are so different that they must be viewed as entirely different entities that merely share the same name.

-DLP

Winter v. Summer Olympics

Ever since NBC's ad started vomiting the Winter Olympics all over every show last week, I started to wonder - what is it I don't like about the Winter Olympics? Because truthfully, every few years when the Winter Olympics roll up on the world scene I think "Tanya Harding, Nancy Kerrigan, ice skating, first grade" and then I change the channel. I am simply not interested in the winter sports; additionally, many of them look highly dangerous (the luge!) and I'm a bit of a nervous nelly when it comes to physical exertion. I walked the gym as often as possible in high school rather than try my hand at kickball. Not only do several of the winter sports terrify me, but simply put, they are not the Summer Olympics. The Summer Olympics capture my heart like no other sporting event. I suppose the Summer Olympics hold a soft spot in my heart because during the 1996 Atlanta Games my mom taught me how to write a report when I loyally followed the Maginificent Seven Dream Team that was the American women gymnasts. I adored them. I wanted to be one of them, nevermind that I was clumisly working my way through the gymnastics levels at the local Y and already too tall. Now, I watch mesmerized by gymnastics, synchronized diving and swimming. Also, my love of the Summer Olympics and indifference towards the Winter Olympics directly correlate with their timing in the television season. In the winter, all my tv friends visit with new stories each week, while in the summer I've grown tired of retreading the same ground - I'm hungry for new material, like the human interest angle on that Ukranian marathon runner. In the winter, I desire another new episode of "30 Rock" to delight me on a cold and dreary night, rather than the men's short skating program. I am not charmed by the Winter Olympics, merely annoyed by it.

- KER

Thursdays in Boston

Tonight I checked out the Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston (ICA)'s Target Free Thursdays program. I've been to the ICA once before - oddly enough last winter - and found the museum to be really cool. Set on the waterfront, but rather isolated from public transportation (in comparison to other Boston museums, like the MFA or Science Museum), the ICA is quite striking. However, the museum is deceptively small. Tonight I walked through all the exhibits open to the public and found Krzysztof Wodiczko's ...Out of Here: The Veterans Project fascinating. Wodiczko is interested in representing the war artistically, but also in a real and very raw way. Using video and sound, Wodiczko creates an experiential exhibit in which the viewer bears witness to a battle, but only through sound and the shattering of glass on the barracks window. Not only was the experience of standing in a darkened room while listening to gunshots and soldiers shouting rather transformative, but the other behavior of the other viewers made me curious. In the time I stood in this room, no one moved to the halfway point in the room. Each person contributed to the creation of an imaginary line which others did not cross. It was as if no one wanted to get closer to the wall where it was clear the action indicated by the sound took place. Closer to the wall it was too dangerous, too real. Wodiczko's piece offers time for absorption within the experience and then reflection.

- KER

Book Review: It All Changed in an Instant

Legend has it, Ernest Hemingway was sitting in a bar (predictable!) when a fan of his approached him and commented on how well he can tell a story in only a few words. He then challenged Hemingway to tell a story in the fewest amount of words possible. Hemingway shot back with “For Sale: Baby shoes, never worn”. Whether this story is true or just once of those great Hemingway myths, it is clear that a full story can be told in only 6 words. SMITH Magazine decided to use this as a premise for a project in which they asked their readers to write their autobiography/memoir in only 6 words. Only expecting a hundred or so responses, the editor of SMITH Magazine was astounding when hundreds of thousands of people wrote in. Among these entries were some famous people such as Stephen Colbert, Alison Bechdel, Yogi Berra’s granddaughter and others. These responses were then published in four different books two of which are just overall collections of the 6 word memoirs, one directed towards teens, and one specifically on love and heartbreak.

The entries are almost all different and range from the funny to the poignant. I laughed out loud when I read “failed at love, won at scrabble” and was incredibly moved by a memoir about a woman who was raped and was unable to move on making her feel as if her life was useless. I smiled at the sentence “awkward girl takes chances. Fun ensures” and even wished that I had written it! Interspersed with text memoirs are graphic memoirs which brings an interesting aspect to the book.

Sadly, many peer reviewers have not been kind to this book and have commented that it is just another “coffee table” or “doctor’s office” book. I could not disagree more. I thought that the majority of the content was extremely moving. Though each page only has about six entries, it still took the same amount of time to read as a traditional novel because you have to truly think about each memoir. I believe many reviewers view this book as being similar to PostSecret, FML, My Life is Average or Text from Last Night books. However, I believe there is a HUGE difference between these two kinds of books. I view PostSecret, FML, My Life is Average, and Texts from Last Night books as being insipid, written by frat boys/attention seekers, and overall pointless. The websites from which these book entries are culled have no authority or scholarly background. Personally, I view them as being sounding boards for those who are too lazy and/or stupid to set up an actual blog. Therefore, the books that are produced from these websites are equally useless and really have no point besides that of being funny (though even that is open for interpretation). The 6 word memoirs actually have depth and each entry has a certain amount of introspection. I found memoirs that are similar to those that I would write and some that I thought were startling which led me to think about how I would present myself in only 6 words. Being that it is sponsored and published by SMITH Magazine, it has a level of credibility about it that other books do not. It also makes people want to be more creative which is always a positive side effect to any book.

Overall, I think it is a great book and a fantastic project. I encourage every reader to get this book from your local library and then write your own! In the meantime, I am going to read it again.

-DLP

Graphic Novel Challenge: The Plot-The Secret of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion

I chose Will Eisner's The Plot: The Secret of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion as my third graphic novel for my graphic novel challenge. I am a huge fan of Eisner and found that I had read all of his other works that are in the 500 Essential Graphic Novels. However, I felt that this work did not hold up to his others.

In this graphic novel, Eisner presents the history of the "Protocols of the Elders of Zion" including how it was created as a forgery and was proven to be so on numerous occasions (even in court). However, people have used the Protocol throughout history as "proof" that Jews want to take over the world. In fact, Eisner even sites instances today in which the Protocol has been used as a way to rationalize their hatred for the Jews.

Unlike other works by Eisner, there are few characters in this book. In fact, the only "character" that exists throughout the novel is the Protocol itself and its development over the centuries. In a way, it has had its own circle of life similar to that of a human character. Eisner explores the Protocols birth, rise to fame, its trial, and eventual use throughout the world. Eisner even sketches himself into the novel as a researcher looking to write a book about the protocols. I really liked that he used this technique because it showed his own involvement in the history of the Protocol.

Although this graphic novel is extremely informative, I didn't find it as moving as the majority of Eisner's other works. For the majority of the story, I felt that it was more of a graphic history book than a novel. It also makes me wonder why this book was chosen in the 500 and other works of his were not because I find that this is not his best work. Still, Eisner always holds a spot in my heart.

-DLP

Movie Review: FAME

I recently realized that I have never seen the original FAME and as previously mentioned, I love bad movies, so I naturally decided I needed to see both the original and the remake. Sadly, the remake of FAME, released in 2009, had too many requests from the Minuteman Library Network, but the original was available. After having watched the original film 1980 FAME, I realized my palette has been tainted by movies like Centerstage and Save the Last Dance. I found FAME to be incredibly dated and the pacing too slow. I recognize that FAME is a period piece, much like Saturday Night Fever, but I don't think it stands the test of time. The story fails to resonate 30 years later. The ensemble cast is so large that it unclear how any of them develop beyond their beginnings in the audition phase. I also found myself bored while watching the movie. It may have been groundbreaking in its heyday, but I found the movie lackluster. I will be interested to compare this version with the original (if I can ever get my hands on a copy!) Also, watching FAME made me realize I've missed my annual indulgence viewing of Centerstage!

 - KER

Movie Review: Post Grad

I must preface this by saying, I LOVED "Gilmore Girls," which means I will loyally watch Alexis Bledel and Lauren Graham in anything in the mere hope of once again glimpsing the Gilmore glory. Naturally, this lead me to watching Alexis Bledel's latest career move, Post Grad. Well that and, I may have graduated from college in the not too distant past and who doesn't like to see one's life reflected in art? Ahem, I mean, mainstream culture. Anyway, I knew this movie would be bad, but hoped it would be so bad it would be good. You know, like She's All That. Does anyone else watch the whole movie just for the ridiculously choreographed dance at the prom? Oh, that's just me? Okay.

Post Grad was pretty bad as far as bad movies go - poor and wooden acting, hardly any enunciation, shallow characters, utterly unrealistic plotting and featuring Michael Keaton. Bledel plays a recent college graduate who has set her sights amazingly high without any backup plan, other than moving home with her family and scouring the want ads (she was constantly on her mac, so why wasn't she applying for jobs online?!?!). Played in the same awkward, overachiever fashion as Rory Gilmore, but minus the fabulous Lauren Graham, Bledel reveals herself to be a wooden actress with little depth. Furthermore, her character is self-absorbed and shallow. I am willing to believe that Bledel's Ryden sees her best friend platonically, even though he lurves her, but forgetting her best friend's music debut in favor of hanging out with El Guapo next door? Major friendship faux pas. The best friend's unrequited love was layed on a little thick, even for my taste and I like almost any rom-com. The film also underused the hilarious Jane Lynch and Carol Burnett, however the bits about the coffin and little brother who likes to lick people were amusing. Post Grad works best as a movie to make fun of because it is so outlandish, never mind all the female stereotypes and that she gave up her dream for a guy, blah, blah, don't make me vomit. While I had a good laugh watching Post Grad, I certainly will not rent it, but if I ever have cable again and it's on TBS when I'm doing chores...I'm not going to change the channel.

- KER

Book Review: The Sex Lives of Cannibals

In The Sex Lives of Cannibals, J. Maarten Troost writes a  travelogue of the two years during which he lived on the remote island, Tarawa. The back cover boasts this book as "the laugh-out-loud true story of a harrowing and hilarious two-year odyssey in the distant South Pacific island nation of Kiribati - possibly the Worst Place on Earth." After having read it, I can safely tell you it falls in the category of smirk and giggle quietly to yourself, which is not a bad place to be. Few books consistently make me laugh out loud, like David Sedaris' Holidays on Ice and this did not live up to that standard. However, there are definitely amusing sections of The Sex Lives of Cannibals, particularly once Troost arrives in Tarawa and recounts his adjustment to life in the South Pacific. I found the early part of this book to be too cute and over the top "tongue in cheek" clever, but once examining daily life in Tarawa, Troost's style is enjoyable to read and often enlightening about the stark differences in American culture and the I-Kiribati culture. Troost's misadventures in that remote part of the world consist of 75% of the book, but when Troost returns to the United States through the conclusion, the book becomes dull again. While Troost explores his reacclimation to American culture and subsequent, but temporary life as a yuppie, he returns to verbose, complex sentences that fail to elucidate the situation. The ending feels trite and slapped together, which diminishes the delightful middle section. Overall, the middle is the best part, so skim the beginning and the end.

- KER

Book Review: The Beans of Egypt, Maine

Carolyn Chute's first novel, The Beans of Egypt, Maine made its way onto my bookshelf last year by way of my fellow romper. Dani informed me that this was a book I simply HAD to read. It ended up on the back burner until just a few weeks ago when I finally plucked it from my library. Even though Beans came highly recommended, I had no idea what to expect. Truthfully, my mind only registered the "Egypt" part of the title and immediately associated it with the title of a 1960s children's book, The Egypt Game. I say all this because I truly did know what The Beans of Egypt, Maine would hold.

Chute instantly draws in her reader by creating scenes in which only half the story is revealed, while still making it clear there is much to be discovered. Writing short, concise scenes that work as isolated stories serving as snapshots of her character's lives, Chute weaves together a narrative that refuses to conform to a typical plot structure. Through these scenes Chute depicts her characters moving through life without judging their actions, decisions or lifestyle. The detached quality of the narrative allows the rawness of life Chute depicts to tell the other side of the story. The Beans of Egypt comprise members of an impoverished family living to survive in rural Maine. Their lives are a daily struggle. Chute seeks to show their stories, as real and as important as any other in literature today. I found the novel to be about Beans' relationships, strategies and the richness they found within their lives. While the narrator refuses to judge the uneducated, overworked and underpaid of the lower class, it is clear the perspective is one of respect - respect for the Beans' survival and resilience. Furthermore, the tone of the novel allows the static nature of the plot to flourish. Each scene in the novel reached a small climax; much like the small climaxes of everyday life - a new friend, discovery in nature, a loss. With this style and technique Chute wrote a perfect ending in which it is clear that life will continue exactly the same for the Beans - men will go to jail, die, women will have babies...it will be different men and women, but they will continue to survive, regardless of the hardships they face.

The Beans of Egypt, Maine was Chute's first novel, placing her on the literary map, but not for the reasons she hoped. There are a few scenes and one relationship in particular many critics deem incestuous. Because of these alleged instances of incest, the book became a New York Times bestseller, and in the edition I have, Chute includes a postscript, refuting the presence of incest. In the postscript Chute meditates on the possibility of rewriting certain scenes to eliminate such suspicions, but cannot bring herself to because she wrote the scenes as they represent the relationships she envisioned and instead finds herself disgusted that American culture reads incest into particular images. While it is unfortunate that the mind make that leap, I think it is naive to wish to change that association with one book. I think it is important for the scenes to stay as written and use it as a counterexample of an instance in which an associated image is inverted. There is one relationship in particular, between Roberta and Beal that I found confusing, because some of the members of the Bean family are not Beans by blood, but rather by marriage or association. While both Roberta and Beal are supposed members of the Bean clan, it appears that they are sleeping together and Roberta's growing number of children are in fact fathered by the young Beal. Is this wrong? Is this incest? While the scenes with Roberta and Beal made me wonder about the role of incest, I looked to the narrative as my guide. Because the narrative never raised the issue, I accepted that perhaps the technicalities of the Roberta and Beal's relationship were not of importance.

Chute wrote a beautifully compact novel that grabs hold of the reader's heart from the first page and refuses to let go long after the novel is finished. The life of the Beans is haunting in its raw survival, lingering in the recesses of this reader's mind. Worth the read, even the cringe-worthy moments.

- KER

Movie Reviews from the Vault: Thirteen

After watching a couple newly released movies, as previously written about on this blog, I decided that there may not be many high quality movies out there these days. Therefore, I decided to go back in time a bit and review from older movies that I have just recently discovered. Among these, is the film Thirteen which was released in 2003 and stars Evan Rachel Wood and Nikki Reed. The movie is based on Nikki Reed's tumultuous life during her adolescence.

The plot follows Wood's character named Tracy as she enters the 7th grade and becomes entranced with her wild classmate Evie (played by Reed). Evie proves to be a terribly influence on Tracy who goes from being an excellent student, blossoming poet, and sheltered young lady to a 13 year old drug abuser who loses her virginity and verbally assaults her family members on a daily basis. Tracy's mother (Mel), played expertly by Holly Hunter, is a recovered drug addict/alcoholic who is trying to save her daughter without getting sucked into back into the drug and alcohol scene herself. As Tracy and Evie become closer friends, Evie makes up lies about her past in order to stay at Tracy's house and win over her family. In addition, Tracy is trying to deal with the fact that her father has a new family and does not have time for her. Just when the tension seems to be at its boiling point, Mel's boyfriend (who is an ex-cocaine addict) moves back in after his stay in the halfway house.

With such a heavy plot, I was skeptical that the young actresses wouldn't be able to pull it all off. I was completely wrong! Wood plays her part so well that I wondered if she had experiences similar to those in the film. Holly Hunter was equally exceptional as was Nikki Reed did not in fact play herself in the film but instead played the antagonist. Once I did some background reading on this movie, I found that it had been written by Nikki Reed and director Catherine Hardwicke in six days and was originally going to be a comedy. This shocked me because the material is so tragic and raw that there isn't even enough humor for a dark comedy. It was equally impressive to read that it was written in such a short time period because the characters are very well developed. Of course it has its pitfalls, but the majority of them hit in the first half an hour of the film. At times the script feels clunky, but it never interferes with the action or emotion of the movie. Overall, it is an extremely impressive feat and worth a viewing.

-DLP

Now Available on DVD: Taking Woodstock

As a huge fan of the 1960s music, history and culture, I have to admit that my expectations were a bit high. Still, Taking Woodstock did not even come close to my hopes for this film. The plot centers around the character of Jake Teichberg and the motel that his mother and father own. The motel has been sitting vacant for years and the family is in jeopardy of losing the place to the bank. In a certain twist of fate, Jake discovers that a music festival has been turned away by two towns in upstate New York. He is able to secure a permit to have the music festival held in his own town of Bethel. Suddenly, the producers of the festival and their staff are lowered into Bethel by helicopter. With them come thousands of audience members who inundate the sheltered town with hoards of hippies. During this historic event, Jake is battling with himself and his family over his need to leave his hometown and secure a future for himself elsewhere. Though Jake never actually gets to see Woodstock or any of the singers who performed, he does meet his first transvestite, smokes his first joint, and trips on acid. Though he basically missed the entire event that he helped save, he comes out the other side an adult.

Though it sounds like a great premise, the way that the director (Ang Lee) actually created the film made it drab and boring. Jake came off as being an extremely sheltered, neurotic, and whiny boy who was caught between his own life and that of his parent's. It is clear that his relationship with his parents created a great amount of stress for him, but his personality made it almost impossible to root for him. In addition, the characterization of the audience members was entirely one-sided. While the town laughed at them and called them hippies, Ang Lee did not do anything as a director to make the audience feel differently. The only character that was in the least bit dynamic was the transvestite Vilma who was played by Liev Schreider. Even Lee's portrayal of concert producer Michael Lang seemed one-dimensional with Lang being the sage-like hippie who spoke almost like Yoda. Perhaps the most upsetting, is that because Jake never gets to witness any of the actual festival neither does the audience! To add insult to injury, none of the music from Woodstock was even played in the movie. Basically, this is a film about Woodstock without any elements of Woodstock included in it. Overall, it was a huge bust and I believe that Woodstock experts and novices will find this film to be greatly disappointing.

-DLP

Now Available on DVD: Whip It!

Last week I rented Whip It because I love Ellen Page and think that she is hilarious. Though I was a bit disappointed, I thought that the movie was not without a certain amount of charm. The plot is simple, Ellen Page (Sarah Habel) is caught between her dreams and those of her mother (played by Marcia Gay Harden). While her mother enrolls Sarah in various beauty pageants, Sarah is drawn to roller derbies and its subculture. Though she does not want to disappoint her mother, she knows that she must follow her dreams.

The plot appears extremely simple and cliched but Barrymore and Page are able to make a jaded storyline more appealing than other films in the genre. Perhaps the reason for this is because Sarah's dream does not include increasing her popularity and dating the hunky guy at school. Instead it involves a sport and culture that is often considered part of the underbelly of the sports scene (that's when it's even acknowledged at all!). Things seem to get a bit hackneyed when Sarah falls for a band member in a local grunge band. However, that storyline is fleeting and the focus is placed once more on Sarah's conflicting feelings and subsequent personal growth. The movie could have been more interesting if there was a greater focus on roller derbies and less on Sarah's own inner turmoil. Yet, the movie was not intended to be solely about roller derbies and therefore the balance between the two was handled nicely. Overall, it's a story about girl power in the least irritating and most convincing way. As Drew Barrymore's directorial debut, this film shows that she has great potential as a director in this genre. Though I would never have spent the movie admission of $10, it is a good movie to watch curled up on your couch.

-DLP

Graphic Novel Review: Shadowland

What drew me to Kim Deitch's Shadowland was the amazing pictures that had such fantastic details and were so skillfully drawn. Of course, I can also never resist a book on the circus/carnival. At first glance, the crowded and overwhelming number of pictures seemed perfect for the circus atmosphere that often time has multiple acts all running simultaneously. However, I felt that the plot and characters in this graphic novel left a lot to be desired.

Shadlowland includes ten different stories that are all set in either the circus or a carnival with the characters that are larger than life such as clowns, midgets, bearded ladies, voodoo witches the size of one's thumb and many more true "characters". The first story is about a sideshow high diving pig that has past his prime and must watch as he is replaced by a younger pig. Another story is told by the circus owner's wife, who is a midget, and the sketchy dealings that her husband (a clown who is always in makeup) makes in order to keep the circus afloat.

Deitch gives the reader an interesting cast of characters and tells each of their stories in vignettes. Still, this was not enough to keep my attention. Some of the story lines turned extremely sexually graphic which deterred me from reading them while others felt as if they had been done before. While the illustrations are what first won me over, I soon found myself overwhelmed by what was going on in the illustrations. The more time I spent hunched over the graphics, the more I forget what the plot was and had to go back to the beginning. Though each page truly embodied the atmosphere of a circus/carnival is also left the reader feeling as if there is not enough time in the world to absorb all of the pictures and their meanings. While this is not in my top list of graphic novels, I still think that it is worth the time to flip through and at least look at the illustrations.

Kim Deitch also wrote Boulevard of Broken Dreams which is on my list of the 24 graphic novels I wish to read this year. So stay turned in the next couple of months when I review one of her other graphic novels.

-DLP

Book Review: The Lost Cityof Z

David Grann's Lost City of Z:  A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon is as close to non-fiction perfection as I have seen in a long time! Though the story is rather simple, Grann's writing makes the events come alive better than any novel I have read in the recent past. Basically, the tale is about the 1920s explorer Percy Fawcett who has discovered new lands across South America in a time far before satellites, GPSs, and even radio. Fawcett is attracted to dangerous adventures especially those that take place in the Amazon. For years, he had studied the Amazon and determined that there was a lost city inside the tropics that he called "Z". Others may be familiar with this city as El Dorado. For decades, Fawcett had explored in a similar area but was never able to find "Z". Finally, in 1925 (as a man in his middle ages), he decides to find the City of Z or die trying. Along with him, he brings his son and his son's best friend. Without spoiling anything in the book, Grann announces this in his first chapter, Fawcett dies on this expedition. Yet, he does not go forgotten! For decades later, even into 2005, people went searching for Fawcett and the city. However, the majority of these explorers also never returned. After researching Fawcett and his personal life, Grann becomes infected with the "Fawcett bug" as he calls it and decides that he too must follow in Fawcett's footsteps and try to discover the city in Fawcett's honor.

Though this seems like a nonfiction thriller, it is so much more. Grann is able to place Fawcett in with his contemporaries and show the reader how Fawcett's obsession with the region made him a better explored than even the man on Shakleton's expedition. Though Fawcett is not an entirely likable guy, Grann makes the reader sympathize with his neurosis and find compassion for the man who basically forced his family into poverty in order to feed his adrenaline rush (of course Fawcett was more complex than that).

What sets this piece apart from others about Fawcett is Grann's ability to give the reader in depth knowledge on contemporary times while still making the piece read like a thriller. In addition, Grann was given access to Fawcett's family members which in turn gave him access to some of Fawcett's journals and letters that have never before been shown to people outside of the FAcett family. Grann gives the reader a history of the Royal Geographic Society that is as interesting as it is informative. In addition, he brings the reader into the Amazon with just background and description that his audience feels a connection to the region in a similar way as Fawcett did. Overall, Grann is an excellent writer and this piece really shows his abilities. In addition, Fawcett is a superb subject that keeps explorers and readers coming back for more. An absolutely delight to read!

-DLP

Now Available on DVD: My Sister's Keeper

Whether the economy and salaries go down while unemployment and anxiety rise, we should all rest assured that there is still a constant in life: Cameron Diaz can still not act. Based on the book by Jodi Picoult, My Sister's Keeper tells the story of a family on the brink of ruin. While sister Kate sits in the hospital preparing to die from her last battle with leukemia, her younger sister Andromeda is suing their parents for the fight to make her own decisions on her body. The back story: When Kate was under five years old, she was diagnosed with leukemia and there was no match for blood transfusions or organ donations. Therefore, Kate's mother and father decided to have a daughter who genetically matched Kate from whom the parents could harvest her organs and blood to ensure that Kate lived. This worked perfectly for about 11-12 years until Andromeda (the created daughter) decided that she wanted control over her own body and did not want to be subjected to tests and harvests. Of course this threw the entire family into shock and divided all members. If you are a reader of Jodi Picoult, you know that there is a twist to every story. However, this twist is not nearly as powerful on screen as it was on the page. Yet, that seems to be the motto for this film: read the book instead!!

In fact, there is little in common between the film and the book. Though the names are the same and the fact that one daughter sues the family for her medical rights is also the same, little else is. In this novel, there are in fact two twists that occur. Yet, the movie only showed one and the more boring one at that. If you have read the book, you would be outraged at the happy ending that the movie presents. In addition, the characters in the film are presented with much more heart and compassion than the cut-throat mom and extremely distant father in the novel. It seems as if none of the cast and crew even read the book. Instead, you would probably find dozens of copies of the novel being used as doorstops throughout the studio. Ironically, it is the movie that should find an alternative use. Overall...another dud!

-DLP

Now Available on DVD: Adam and Amelia

In the past couple of weeks, there has been a flood of movies that have been released on DVD. I have to admit that this is one of my favorite months of the year when all of the movies that I wouldn't pay $10.50 for, come out on DVD and I only have to spring for $5! Sadly, I should not have even spent the $5 on some of these films.

I was excited about Adam because I thought that it would be a new take on the old formulaic plot of boy gets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl back. Nope. Same formula, different characters. Adam, the main character, has Asperger's Syndrome which causes him to make inappropriate statements and seem self-absorbed. When a woman named Beth moves into the apartment below his, she is suddenly taken with his awkwardness and finds his quirks endearing. The couple go through their ups and downs, as most romantic comedy couples do, until their relationship breaks due to scandal in Beth's family and Adam's inability to be supportive. Though the interactions between Beth and Adam can be adorable at times, they do not seem to have the spark that I had hoped for. In addition, the ending did not seem to fit with the development of the characters which left me feeling dissatisfied. I would have to say that the saving point of the movie is Peter Gallagher who plays Beth's aristocratic (and shady) father. Yet, when a movie's saving grace is Peter Gallagher...you have to be suspicious. Overall, it was a dud.

Next on my queue was Amelia with Academy Award Winner Hilary Swank and Richard Gere. If there is a movie that could be worse than Adam...this is it! Though no one should be surprised because any movie that has Richard Gere is bound to make you want to cringe. Being that most people are familiar with Amelia Earhart's story, the director decided to put the plot in a blender and shoot the audience through time. This would not have been so frustrating if the scenes were longer than a couple of minutes (which they were not!). Just as the audience felt that they were settling into a scene, the director would not only change to another but would switch to a completely different decade. Sadly, there was very little background into Amelia's childhood or upbringing which made her gusto and bravado seem unwarranted. However, Hilary Swank did an incredible job playing the part. I have to say that had the movie been a one woman show of Hilary Swank playing Amelia, I would have wept with joy! She really nailed the persona and was able to show the multiple sides of Amelia's personality. Still, the director chose to focus more on the romance between Amelia and her husband which was dull not to mention that Swank and Gere have no chemistry. The movie could have been slightly improved if the director had merely decided to run the plot chronologically instead of chopped up which left the viewers saying "wait...is this the flight where she dies? wait....was that the flight where she dies?". Overall, a dud.

-DLP

Movie Review: 500 Days of Summer

I have to say, I found this movie to be a bit of a snooze-fest. I struggled to stay awake during the film, which jumped through time, yet beleagued the pace of story-telling. I could have left the room for half an hour, let the movie run and not have missed any of the plot. Joseph Gordon-Levitt resembled the wooden acting technique of Keanu Reeves and lacked all the charm he displayed in the late 90's film, 10 Things I Hate About You (maybe because I was 13 I thought he was charming). For a non-traditional love story, 500 Days of Summer was traditionally boring - unlikeable characters and no action. Stories without action can be compelling, but this was not one of them.

 

- KER

Just for fun: The Fourth Bear

In both the Thursday Next series and Nursery Crimes, Jasper Fforde creates a complex, alternate version of the UK in which there are literary detectives. The brilliance of Fforde's creativity lies in the ability to reference and connect obscure tales, poems and characters. The Thursday Next books are a lengthier series with many complex subplots, but the Nursery Crime books are pure joy. The most recent addition, The Fourth Bear finds Jack Spratt and his cohorts investigating a missing woman named Goldilocks and a chasing the psychopathic serial killer - The Gingerbreadman. I loved the first Nursery Crime, The Big Over Easy until the final moments when Fforde drew together all the references and nuances of his plot into a convoluted scheme to gain world power, which was somehow connected to the genetic re-engineering of Humpty-Dumpty. (spoiler alert: Humpty neither fell off the wall or fell victim to a malicious push - he hatched) Unfortunately, overly complicated conclusions seem to be part of Fforde's formula for the Nursery Crimes. Throughout The Fourth Bear I was delighted by the clever references and connections, impressed by the quick pace and remained interested in the politics of the police force's lack of respect for the Nursery Crime Division. And then there were 50 pages left and things started to unravel. Again, Fforde locked up the story with a world domination plot underlying all the prior twists and turns. In a way it seems like Fforde puts all these great ideas - a fourth bear! the gingerbreadman as the serial killer! goldilocks as a hard hitting investigative journalist uncovering the secret to cuclear energy! bears addicted to porridge! - and then can't figure out how to cleanly tie it all together. However, the demise of The Gingerbreadman is sure to thrill any reader and eek out a few chuckles, as is Jack's next door neighbor's - Punch and Judy. While the ending leaves something to be desire, Fforde's Nursery Crimes are a fun read with loads of silly literary references to keep everyone smiling.

- KER

Book Review: Eating the Dinosaur

This year I decided that I would make a resolution to read more essays because it is a genre in which I am completely lacking. It is for this reason that I picked up Eating the Dinosaur by Chuck Klosterman. I had read Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs when it was first published and found it rather lacking. While many reviewers found his essays to be insightful and hilarious, I found them to be littered with swears and tangential to his established thesis. Therefore, it was with great trepidation that I started this book but once I did I could not put it down! I suddenly discovered everything that reviewers had written years ago.

Basically, Klosterman has written Freakonomics for pop culture. He tackles football, basketball, Kurt Cobain, Weezer, Ralph Nader, and Don Draper all in hardcover. Perhaps the greatest testament to his book is that since reading his essays I have rethought my dislike for Kurt Cobain and all things Nirvana. On my top ten list of pop icons that I host a strong aversion to, Steven Speilberg tops off the list but Kurt Cobain comes in as a close second. However, Klosterman has made me feel compassion and understanding for Cobain. Though I still hate his music and find his fans to be some of the most obnoxious people since Jaws fans, I can now appreciate what he did for music and his role in the 1990s.

Only Klosterman can do this! He has the ability to take pop culture icons and intellectualize them which allows people who feel alienated from their generation (such as myself) to think twice about casting aside Brangelina and The Hills as insipid and unworthy of attention. It is with the perfect mixture of insight, cynicism, sarcasm, and humor that makes Klosterman one of the greatest essayists of our time.

-DLP

Book Review: Persepolis II

After reading the first Persepolis, I could not help but read the second. I wanted more about Marj and her family and the sequel gave me just that. In this book, we meet up with Marj in Austria where she has been sent by her parents in order to keep her safe and away from Iran. She is supposed to be living with a family friend and attending school. However, the family friend cannot afford to keep Marj in their small apartment and so she is sent to a convent. Her independence and rebellious spirit eventually forces her to leave and find residence in an apartment which also ends poorly. She falls in love but is betrayed which causes her to turn to drugs and life on the streets. Eventually, she returns to Iran where she finally feels at home but even those warm feelings do not last in the post-war Iran.

While the first Persepolis is about Marj’s developing identity as an Iranian during the revolution, this installment centers on Marj’s personal growth and the friction it causes with her Iranian background. She must endure extremely painful relationships in order to find a way to love herself and her homeland though both are broken (and at times seem to be beyond repair). Though Marj's travels take her across Europe and back to Iran, any reader can relate to her self-discovery and the struggles that she faces with herself and her country.

-DLP

Graphic Challenge: Persepolis

 For my second graphic novel, I decided to read Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi. I have read all of her other works but have always shied away from her most famous book. I thought that it received a great deal of hype and therefore steered clear. After reading all of her other works, I decided not to read Persepolis because I did not want to be let down. Yet, this challenge has inspired me to pick up this graphic novel and I am thrilled that I finally faced my own fears.

After rave reviews, a blockbuster movie, and a sequel there is very little that can be said about Persepolis that hasn’t already been stated. Still, I must join the cacophony of voices who have given this graphic memoir glowing reviews. As many already know, the story is about Marj (the author) who is a young girl living in Iran when the revolution begins. Her family is liberal and made up of very revolutionary thinkers, which puts them in great danger. As a ten year old, Marj watches as various members of her family are imprisoned and others are executed for their beliefs. Due to her young age, Marj gets caught up in the revolutionary sentiments that are all around her. However, she is unaware of the hazards of resisting authority and attending demonstrations that counter the government. Though her parents cultivate her passion and independence, they know that they cannot keep her safe in their homeland.

At times this memoir is troubling and frightening, yet it always remains tender and thoughtful. Despite the fact that this book is about war and oppression, it is not violent and none of the illustrations are explicit. The importance of family and close friends are lessons that readers of any age can enjoy and learn from. Perhaps the best aspect of this novel is that the reader does not need to have any knowledge of the Iranian revolution in order to understand the plot. It is also important to note that it is not your typical clichéd “coming of age” tale in which a young adult goes through a sexual awakening and suddenly sees his/her parents as real people and therefore is released from childhood. Instead, this is a true tale of maturation in which the main character finds herself and her own voice despite the rampant oppression around her. She grows up not because she finds love and has her heart broken but because she learns the true importance of family and freedom.

-DLP

Graphic Challenge: In the Shadow of No Towers

I decided to kick off my graphic novel challenge with Art Spiegelman's In the Shadow of No Towers. As author of Maus, I had very high expectations for this graphic novel that focuses on September 11th. I was not disappointed. Once again, Spiegelman has created a graphic novel that is heartbreaking and poignant while still having aspects of humor. I would not say that his style is humorous but there are elements of dark humor that make the reader chuckle at his irony.

It is in an oversize format in which the book opens vertically like a newspaper. This adds to Spiegelman's design of having each page look like the front page of a newspaper. Half of the graphic novel is formatted in this way while the other half consists of plates from 1903-1921. Though the main story is only told in about twenty pages, it is filled with such passion and insight that it could easily fill an entire 400 page novel.

There is no true "plot" in this graphic novel but instead centers around Spiegelman's own experience on 9/11 and his reflections on the event years later. Clearly, Spiegelman suffers from post-traumatic stress due to the event and the extremely emotional situations that his family was put through. Though the content is heavy, he pokes fun at the government and the onslaught of patriotism that the event caused.

Written between 2002 and 2004, this graphic novel is a reflection on that day and the horrific days that followed. At times, In the Shadow of No Towers feels like Spiegelman’s personal project that he created in order to help with his own neurosis and come to terms with his own experiences. Yet this is not detrimental to the story and at no time does the reader feel as if Spiegelman pities himself. In fact, many of his observations about himself are pretty universal to anyone who lived through that day and the emotional/political whiplash that followed.

Before reading this book, I had not read a single book (fiction or non) that even remotely touched upon 9/11. I felt that it still hangs over us and that it was too soon for any movie or book to be written. It took me a couple of weeks before I was even willing to pick up this book but I really respected Spiegelman's treatment of the Holocaust in Maus and therefore thought that I would give it a try. I am so glad that I did because his perspective and opinions matched my own. I do not know if this book is for everyone because Spiegelman certainly is outspoken about his views. For those who are willing to give it a shot, it has the potential to be extremely therapeutic.

-DLP