After having read some of Dahl's other works recently, I found this to be the bottom of the barrel. The mean spirited Twits like to mess with each other, and you spend the first half of the book solely in the company of these thoroughly awful people. Some of the tricks they play on each other are slightly funny, but none of it is as clever as we know Dahl can be.
Additionally, the the monkeys, and their friend, the bird, don't start playing any kind of important role until the book is almost over. You spend the first half of the book wondering just why the heck we're being told about these people. When the monkeys finally pull it together enough to get one over on the twits, their punishment is simultaneously overly gruesome and tamely unsatisfying. I guess this book is good for giving a young reader a giggle or two, but it lacks in charm or educational aspects, especially when compared to classics like Matilda or The Witches. Keep away from this one, guys, but a lot of Dahl's other stuff is really good.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
The Princess Bride, by William Goldman 95/100
Fans of the movie will be rewarded by reading this book, even the fans who know every line of the movie by heart. Make that 'especially' the fans who know every line by heart.
There are plenty of poetic speeches and heartfelt cooing of sweet nothings, for sure, but there's so much more. As a fan of the movie, since I was a small child, I was delighted when I discovered what new depths of information it contained about some of my most beloved fictional characters. I learned the details of Inigo's father's death, and just how Fezzik became, as Vizini found him, "unemployed, in Greenland". There are tons of things that the movie only had the time to hint at, which the book explains in full detail.
Included with this, are the author's notes which come as a result of "abridging" the earlier work, which are funny, poignant and insightful. These little asides elevate the fantasy story of sword and adventure to a meditation on life, fairness, and growing up.
There are plenty of poetic speeches and heartfelt cooing of sweet nothings, for sure, but there's so much more. As a fan of the movie, since I was a small child, I was delighted when I discovered what new depths of information it contained about some of my most beloved fictional characters. I learned the details of Inigo's father's death, and just how Fezzik became, as Vizini found him, "unemployed, in Greenland". There are tons of things that the movie only had the time to hint at, which the book explains in full detail.
Included with this, are the author's notes which come as a result of "abridging" the earlier work, which are funny, poignant and insightful. These little asides elevate the fantasy story of sword and adventure to a meditation on life, fairness, and growing up.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Neuromancer by William Gibson 90/100
This is one of those few books, that, after having read it, I felt compelled to research it. This work is considered one of the founding texts of the cyberpunk movement. As you read it, consider that it was written in 1984, years before the use of the internet was common outside of military/industrial use. Film fans will recognize the use of the word "matrix", when describing the cyberspace VR kind of environment that the main character enjoys as his play ground. There are other similar themes such as Zion, badass women in leather, and difficulty telling what's real.
"But is it any good?" It is immensely entertaining to a person who has seen the result of this book's influence in film, and some argue, in real life (the early cyberpunk movement may have been influential in naming, and possibly even shaping, many of the technologies we are so familiar with today). But more than that, it is a challenging, fast paced novel, with dense atmosphere, and cool characters.
I would happily recommend this book solely on the basis of the literary history it has created, It's just happy luck that it happens to tell a good story. The only thing stopping me from giving it marks is the fact that it is very difficult to follow in places, with the narrative hopping between real and imaginary. A valid literary device, certainly, but not for everyone.
"But is it any good?" It is immensely entertaining to a person who has seen the result of this book's influence in film, and some argue, in real life (the early cyberpunk movement may have been influential in naming, and possibly even shaping, many of the technologies we are so familiar with today). But more than that, it is a challenging, fast paced novel, with dense atmosphere, and cool characters.
I would happily recommend this book solely on the basis of the literary history it has created, It's just happy luck that it happens to tell a good story. The only thing stopping me from giving it marks is the fact that it is very difficult to follow in places, with the narrative hopping between real and imaginary. A valid literary device, certainly, but not for everyone.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Glamorama by Brett Easton Ellis 80/100
An intensely strange, and surreal novel, where the author really steps up his game. Elements of my two previous favorites of his; American Psycho, and The Informers, are combined to delightful effect in this story. Though Ellis is relying on his usual rich, nihilistic, drug and sex inundated characters, it all seems new.
This is definitely a different take on the lifestyle, with more dramatic consequences of the character's actions. There is some really tense and uncomfortable action scenes, and the main character really has some ethical quandaries. The symbolism is writ much larger, the allusions are bigger and more obvious, though some of it is a little hard to puzzle out.
If you've read some of Ellis's other works, and found yourself being bored by an endless string of events that didn't seem to add up to anything, this book If at first it seems like a rehash, wait it out until the second half. You won't be able to put it down, trying desperately to figure out just what the hell is going on. The resolution left a bit to be desired, as everything isn't wrapped up neatly, and many questions are left unanswered.
This adds to the book's mystery, however. It's not a straightforward story, but a parable. The characters and situations are meant to be symbolic representations of things in our culture, and as such, you can't interpret everything in the novel literally.
All in all, it was quite worthwhile and I enjoyed it profoundly
This is definitely a different take on the lifestyle, with more dramatic consequences of the character's actions. There is some really tense and uncomfortable action scenes, and the main character really has some ethical quandaries. The symbolism is writ much larger, the allusions are bigger and more obvious, though some of it is a little hard to puzzle out.
If you've read some of Ellis's other works, and found yourself being bored by an endless string of events that didn't seem to add up to anything, this book If at first it seems like a rehash, wait it out until the second half. You won't be able to put it down, trying desperately to figure out just what the hell is going on. The resolution left a bit to be desired, as everything isn't wrapped up neatly, and many questions are left unanswered.
This adds to the book's mystery, however. It's not a straightforward story, but a parable. The characters and situations are meant to be symbolic representations of things in our culture, and as such, you can't interpret everything in the novel literally.
All in all, it was quite worthwhile and I enjoyed it profoundly
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Dracula Brahm Stoker 60/100
This is a book to which fame has done a serious disservice. If I didn't already know about vampires, this book would have been pretty scary, and very suspenseful. But since the book relies on the "Oh, no! This is so strange! What on earth is going on?" angle for most of it's length, the suspense is non-existent to a modern audience, who knows full well what is going on. Also, the story has been told and retold so many times that even a casual vampire fan probably knows 90% of what is going to happen here.
I hate this, when this happens. Our culture is so fond of things like homage and pastiche that it can really ruin things for people who haven't experienced them yet. For instance: Citizen Kane. Do you know how many homages to Citizen Kane I'd seen before I actually saw the movie? Like, a dozen. I knew before I got home from the video rental place the answer to the mystery the movie was trying to solve. I knew quite a bit about Kane's character, and could hum along with the musical number "The Charlie Kane Song", having seen that episode of The Simpsons more times than I can count. Dracula was a lot like my experience with Citizen Kane.
Admittedly there are also some parts of the book I just flat out didn't care for. Overt religiosity is one thing, but everything was about god with these people. I don't think you can find an entire page without that word on it somewhere. Occasionally the characters are just too Victorian, worried about propriety and such when there's a bloodthirsty monster on the loose, and it's frustrating.
Having said that, If you manage to just forget what vampires are, and roll with the book; accepting it's weird little quirks from the time period, it's really very well done. The storytelling was good, the pace was surprisingly brisk for a novel of that time, and the descriptive passages were properly chilling.
Also, anyone interested from a historical point of view will be able to see some of the basis of the myth. Comparing it to some of the more modern vampire stories is really interesting.
I want to stress, this is not a bad book at all; it's just that it's the basis of many of the vampire cliches that have been overused. If you love vampires or Victorian fiction, then by all means, read it. Just don't expect to find anything new.
I hate this, when this happens. Our culture is so fond of things like homage and pastiche that it can really ruin things for people who haven't experienced them yet. For instance: Citizen Kane. Do you know how many homages to Citizen Kane I'd seen before I actually saw the movie? Like, a dozen. I knew before I got home from the video rental place the answer to the mystery the movie was trying to solve. I knew quite a bit about Kane's character, and could hum along with the musical number "The Charlie Kane Song", having seen that episode of The Simpsons more times than I can count. Dracula was a lot like my experience with Citizen Kane.
Admittedly there are also some parts of the book I just flat out didn't care for. Overt religiosity is one thing, but everything was about god with these people. I don't think you can find an entire page without that word on it somewhere. Occasionally the characters are just too Victorian, worried about propriety and such when there's a bloodthirsty monster on the loose, and it's frustrating.
Having said that, If you manage to just forget what vampires are, and roll with the book; accepting it's weird little quirks from the time period, it's really very well done. The storytelling was good, the pace was surprisingly brisk for a novel of that time, and the descriptive passages were properly chilling.
Also, anyone interested from a historical point of view will be able to see some of the basis of the myth. Comparing it to some of the more modern vampire stories is really interesting.
I want to stress, this is not a bad book at all; it's just that it's the basis of many of the vampire cliches that have been overused. If you love vampires or Victorian fiction, then by all means, read it. Just don't expect to find anything new.
Friday, May 13, 2011
Catch 22 75/100
I really didn't know what to make of this book at first, the crazy chronological shifts and outlandish characters really threw me for a loop. For the first half of the book, the kind of humor the author was employing went right over my head.
As I went on, though I finally started to get it. I remained torn between laughing at what was going on, and being pretty horrified about the world that the characters inhabited. However, the book seemed to be encouraging me to laugh, so laugh I did.
I would have given this a much higher score, if it weren't for the book's inaccessibility. It's just difficult for some people to keep up with that kind of writing, and while I appreciate the effect, and respect the techniques used, it just didn't do it for me in some places.
So, mostly a good book. Definitely worth reading,
As I went on, though I finally started to get it. I remained torn between laughing at what was going on, and being pretty horrified about the world that the characters inhabited. However, the book seemed to be encouraging me to laugh, so laugh I did.
I would have given this a much higher score, if it weren't for the book's inaccessibility. It's just difficult for some people to keep up with that kind of writing, and while I appreciate the effect, and respect the techniques used, it just didn't do it for me in some places.
So, mostly a good book. Definitely worth reading,
The Mammoth Hunters.10/100
Yeah, this book gets a lower score than TWILIGHT. And yes, I know I haven't reviewed the other books in the series yet, but this one really stuck out. The fact of the matter is, the first two books were awesome. Which is precisely why this one got as low of a score as it did, my expectations were much higher.
Up until this point, this series was a wonderful story of a woman who was learning to think for herself. Sure, things got a little dicey at the end of the second book when Jondalar showed up, and Ayla began to obsess about every little thought that might be going through his head. But I figured after that little mishap, they would start to learn from their mistakes. But in this book, both of the characters spend the whole time exhibiting the emotional maturity of twelve year olds. It was frustrating watching them time and time again fail to resolve their differences because of a minor misunderstanding, knowing full well that they have come from different places with different traditions and customs.
I spent the entire book wanting to slap the crap out of both of them, while screaming "just talk to each other already!!" Most of the time, I really felt like both characters were purposefully taking what the other one was doing the wrong way. After a while, they both seem really petty, manipulative, and self pitying. Seeing Ayla act like this, after watching her being so strong and independent for two books was a really hard pill to swallow.
If the rest of the series is the same, (I'm not slogging through another 800 pages of this, I don't have the time or inclination) then I see why it's called "Earth's CHILDREN"
Up until this point, this series was a wonderful story of a woman who was learning to think for herself. Sure, things got a little dicey at the end of the second book when Jondalar showed up, and Ayla began to obsess about every little thought that might be going through his head. But I figured after that little mishap, they would start to learn from their mistakes. But in this book, both of the characters spend the whole time exhibiting the emotional maturity of twelve year olds. It was frustrating watching them time and time again fail to resolve their differences because of a minor misunderstanding, knowing full well that they have come from different places with different traditions and customs.
I spent the entire book wanting to slap the crap out of both of them, while screaming "just talk to each other already!!" Most of the time, I really felt like both characters were purposefully taking what the other one was doing the wrong way. After a while, they both seem really petty, manipulative, and self pitying. Seeing Ayla act like this, after watching her being so strong and independent for two books was a really hard pill to swallow.
If the rest of the series is the same, (I'm not slogging through another 800 pages of this, I don't have the time or inclination) then I see why it's called "Earth's CHILDREN"
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