Ok, I have a confession to make. I love Star Wars. (Hides). So, no, its not just nerdy guys who dress up and talk about droids and shpaceships, its also girls who look normal and talk normal and hide their inner geek really, really well... but no secret is forever.
It started when I was 11 and my friend told me about this really amazing movie with these cute bear creatures (Ewoks in the Return of the Jedi), and this amazingly epic story. I found the 'Return of the Jedi' novel in my aunt's book case and read the whole thing to the soundtrack of Rehman's Kadhalan (again a second rate track over all... but that's a recurring theme here).
I don't remember exactly when or where I watched the movies. I remember avidly watching the trailers on Star Movies when they were re-released sometime in the 90's.
I remember reading the other novels at Landmark and Odyssey. Sneaking behind the science-fiction bookshelves and sneaking peaks at the storyline.
I think I finally saw the movies only afterwards when they turned up on Star Movies every Friday night. I remember being in college and watching lightsaber fights when I should have been doing my Engineering Drawing (no wonder ED turned out so badly).
I never got sucked into the whole prequel thing(for which I thank a merciful god). I watched them, and they were ok, but I could happily set them aside as just another impossible action movie.
But there was a whole world of Star Wars books about the kids! I tell you the lead characters had kids! And a whole lot of extra characters (most of them terrible- but the whole thing is not about the plot- or characterization for that matter... ). The literary value of these books is so low as to be negligible. Why then can I not stop reading them? The latest I read was Outcast by Aaron Allston. *sigh* It was easier (And less shameful) when I was 12 and just obsessed with The Sweet Valley twins.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Monday, April 13, 2009
Short stories
It takes real skill to compress into a few pages a story that could stretch for a mile. very few authors actually write decent short stories.
I recently read a bunch that were like a side-dish to the amazing "Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell" by Susanna Clarke called "The Ladies of Grace Adieu". A little creepy and quite amusing, t really gives depth to the world that she created.
Another set I read was Richard Adams' "Tales for Watership Down". When I picked it up I actually thought it was "Watership Down" itself, but it was instead a very readable set of short stories.
The best part of these stories is that, even not knowing the entire context, the stories make sense as stand-alones. They could easily be part of Aesop's fables, or an general anthology that doesn' belong to a particular fiction universe. The tales they tell are universal, they make as much sense in their world as they do is ours. (The same cannot be said of Beedle the Bard which is so unorigial its painful - but I won't go into that here).
I also read Robin McKinley's "Beauty" . I usually enjoy her work. Her characters are usually original as are her takes on the fairy tales. This one though, felt like it was simply a longer and slightly more boring version of Disney. She had a few interesting 'extras' on the set- but hey so did Disney!
I recently read a bunch that were like a side-dish to the amazing "Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell" by Susanna Clarke called "The Ladies of Grace Adieu". A little creepy and quite amusing, t really gives depth to the world that she created.
Another set I read was Richard Adams' "Tales for Watership Down". When I picked it up I actually thought it was "Watership Down" itself, but it was instead a very readable set of short stories.
The best part of these stories is that, even not knowing the entire context, the stories make sense as stand-alones. They could easily be part of Aesop's fables, or an general anthology that doesn' belong to a particular fiction universe. The tales they tell are universal, they make as much sense in their world as they do is ours. (The same cannot be said of Beedle the Bard which is so unorigial its painful - but I won't go into that here).
I also read Robin McKinley's "Beauty" . I usually enjoy her work. Her characters are usually original as are her takes on the fairy tales. This one though, felt like it was simply a longer and slightly more boring version of Disney. She had a few interesting 'extras' on the set- but hey so did Disney!
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
100!
My 100th blog! Its time to celebrate! Champagne pops!
Anyway, here I am sipping champagne (or rather coke zero) and blogging about The Autobiography of Henry the Eighth by Margaret George .
Its an excellently researched historical piece. While it seems to varnish over Henry's cruelties, its important to remember that this is written as an autobiography by a man in the 15th and 16th centuries. I think Margaret George does a very good job of not judging him by our comtemporary standards, instead leaving him to be judged by the stadards of a time when the king's word was law.
One of the places where this disconnect between our times and Henry's stands out absolutely clear is in his belief that Anne Boelyn was a witch. Of course, we modern people know that there is no magic and no witches, but to Henry, in a world of superstition and unreason, it may not have been that obvious. And, if he was eager to get rid of her, how easy for him to see what he wanted to see!
The book brings out also the strange coincidences that guided Henry's life- that he brought up as a priest, never expected to marry, broke with the Catholic Church and married six times.
It does seem that the author romanticezes the king, but remember that this is written as his autobiography. As powerful and certain as he was of his own rightness in all things, it is hardly likely that he would have portrayed himself as a violent and intolerant monarch.
And the book really does bring Henry's court to life, with all of its supporting characters, his six wives, his friends, his children, the impact they each had on Henry's life. The characters all seem very realistic (except strangely, Elizabeth who seems precocious far beyond her age- I realise that she's now more legend than fact, but it would be nice if one person could write her normally, without all this foreshadowing.)
Anyway, the book runs into almost 1000 pages, and took me about 8 weeks to get through! It was gripping though, for all the time that it took.
After Henry the Eighth, I took up "Wyrd Sisters" by Terry Pratchet for some light reading. A spoof on Shakespeare's Tragedy's Hamlet and Macbeth, it was increadibly funny (as all his books are).
I went and picked up "Watership Down " and "Pillars of the Earth" from the library yesterday, so looking forward to a long week reading them
Anyway, here I am sipping champagne (or rather coke zero) and blogging about The Autobiography of Henry the Eighth by Margaret George .
Its an excellently researched historical piece. While it seems to varnish over Henry's cruelties, its important to remember that this is written as an autobiography by a man in the 15th and 16th centuries. I think Margaret George does a very good job of not judging him by our comtemporary standards, instead leaving him to be judged by the stadards of a time when the king's word was law.
One of the places where this disconnect between our times and Henry's stands out absolutely clear is in his belief that Anne Boelyn was a witch. Of course, we modern people know that there is no magic and no witches, but to Henry, in a world of superstition and unreason, it may not have been that obvious. And, if he was eager to get rid of her, how easy for him to see what he wanted to see!
The book brings out also the strange coincidences that guided Henry's life- that he brought up as a priest, never expected to marry, broke with the Catholic Church and married six times.
It does seem that the author romanticezes the king, but remember that this is written as his autobiography. As powerful and certain as he was of his own rightness in all things, it is hardly likely that he would have portrayed himself as a violent and intolerant monarch.
And the book really does bring Henry's court to life, with all of its supporting characters, his six wives, his friends, his children, the impact they each had on Henry's life. The characters all seem very realistic (except strangely, Elizabeth who seems precocious far beyond her age- I realise that she's now more legend than fact, but it would be nice if one person could write her normally, without all this foreshadowing.)
Anyway, the book runs into almost 1000 pages, and took me about 8 weeks to get through! It was gripping though, for all the time that it took.
After Henry the Eighth, I took up "Wyrd Sisters" by Terry Pratchet for some light reading. A spoof on Shakespeare's Tragedy's Hamlet and Macbeth, it was increadibly funny (as all his books are).
I went and picked up "Watership Down " and "Pillars of the Earth" from the library yesterday, so looking forward to a long week reading them
Sunday, April 05, 2009
Hairspray!
I continue to be absolutely addicted to Broadway shows, and when Hairspray came to Reading I absolutely had to go.
So many causes close to my heart. While the biggest theme may have been desegregation, I was completely charmed by "the fat women can win too" storyline! Especially in this day and age of holding people up to an entirely impossible standard of beauty.
The songs were sweet, but not particularly memorable. Musicals are so Hindi movie-like. The end is obvious almost from the start, and the music is only the path to get to that happy sappy ending.
I really liked the characters of Tracy's mother (Edna Turnblad- the 'drag' role) and Motormouth Maybelle, both sharp, witty and wise. Why is it always the supporting cast that steals the show?
And of course, I loved the whole age of 'big hair' (I wish it would come back- no more taming my mane to some semblance of order).
I'm going to get movie next I think, its supposed to be just as funny, considerably shorter(which is alwys a plus) and less expensive than the ive show (two pluses for that), and more contemporary.
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