Reviews
Hey guys, I'm back with some reviews. I've decided to post them together so you guys don't get spammed by me. For this round, I'm reviewing Susanna Clarke's 'Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norell' and the new Stars miniseries 'Pillars of the Earth'
First up,
This book is one of my favorites and I have read it a total of 2 times (dear god its 800 pages) and I finally decided to buy it and I'm going to review it for you guys.
Here some basic info on it that i ripped from Amazon:
Summary: The book starts with a sort of magic club talking about magic when lo and behold, Mr. Norrell comes in and proves to them all that he's the only REAL magician by performing some fancy magic. From that point on, Mr. Norrell sort of becomes a celebrity and moves from his country estate to the city. The first part of the novel covers his rise to fame and then the political connections he makes in the city and well, the consequences of some pretty powerful magic that he created. The second part starts with Jonathan Strange declaring that he's going to learn magic and then later on, when he's progressed in his magicky ways (hur, I am so articulate ) and he meets Mr. Norrell who is charmed by Jonathan and the two become teacher and student. Now, I'm not going to summarize the rest of the plot because (1) there are so many details that in order for me to summarize it all, I would have to re-read it and take notes or something; and (2) well, it'd be kind of boring if I told you everything that's going to happen, isn't it? But it does get a whole lot more awesome from there. And there is a sort of villain of sorts. And I guess the book would probably be about the effect magic would have on our society (and by 'our' I mean, british society, seeing as it takes place in England ) like political effects and you know, what magic would be used for and how, well, dangerous it can be. I mean the main plot of the story is how messed up things become and how it drags a lot of people into said mess when Mr. Norrell performs that single act of powerful magic in the first part of the book.
Genre: fantasy, alternative history, and historical. The story takes place in 19th century England and it follows the normal history line with some deviations from our history (like it covers the Napoleonic wars but in a different light since people didn't use magic in the war), hence why its an alternate history novel instead of just fantasy
Characters: What I really liked about this was it just has such a vast array of interesting characters, both major and minor (Like Childermass, Mr. Norrell's servant ) and even some of the minor characters can play such a large role in the story. But I mostly like (and this shouldn't surprise anyone ) the relationship between Mr. Norrell and Jonathan Strange. It was just so 'hmm!' and I don't mean slash. Mr. Norrell is, like, ancient. I don't think I'd ever slash him with Jonathan (plus Jonathan is married and his devotion to his wife is all too clear). But I guess what I really liked about their relationship is how well they understood each other. And I guess its Clarke's fault for starting with Mr. Norrell's perspective and having sympathesize with him and such. I mean, he's such a bitter loner before Jonathan came around and it just made me really happy that he found someone who understood him and aOFNSWOJMFWSMFKSD you do not need to hear my fangirling squealing about them :S The point is that they are so real and even the most minor character is complex and lifelike.
Cons: Ok, there are few cons to this book.
1. slow pace. Its 800 pages, man. It lags sometimes. So I guess if you get bored easily then you might stop reading the book because it does lag in some places (although I do think sticking it out through the slow parts is worth it)
2. its 800 pages, man. I know that some people can't stomach reading such a long book ( I've read Anna Karenina and Moby Dick for funz so yeah, I can stomach 800 pages)
3. Style- I am not an english major and I am not going to pretend that I know something about style. What I have read though, is that its written in some sort of style similar to Charles Dickens and Jane Austen (which some people found odd/off about it). So what I'm saying is that if have read Jane Austen and you found you couldn't take any crap she was trying to pull over your eyes then this book is not for you.
Pros (a.k.a. why I like this book): This is one most developed books that I have read. There is just a lot of detail that Clarke puts into it. And if you don't understand what I mean by developed, think about Harry Potter. The Harry Potter series is very well developed in that you know a lot about the world it takes place in. You know about the lingo (e.g. slang like muggles), the politics of the wizarding world, the different factions (e.g. pureblood's ideology versus more tolerant view) and so on. Clarke puts a lot of detail into developing this world (sure, not Harry Potter level since HP has like 7 books to develop its world whereas Clarke only has one, well two if you count that spinoff).
And the EMOTIONS- man, I was invested in this novel. From the start I loved Mr. Norrell for all his faults and it broke my heart when -mumbles- so and so broke away from him. And when Clarke wanted you to feel depressed, man, you'd be depressed. She is excellent in getting the atmosphere just the way she wants it (like that Spain scene, ._.)
And the originality. If you have ever talked to me about writing, you'd know that I prefer to write some original stories (and by stories, I mean an original plot) because I like surprising people and I like being surprised. I like to guess what's coming and to wonder how things are going to turn out. And I do think Clarke' story and plot are fairly original (although it does remind me of the Bartimaeous Trilogy for some reason) and I value that in a book.
And those three points are what I consider to be the making of a good read (well for me anyway). I mean I don't ask for much, just for interesting plot and characters and BIG emotions. So if it sounds like your kind of book, go check it out. I assure you that if you stick through it, you wont be disappointed.
Ok, now for:
It's a new mini-series that airing on Stars that aired a few weeks ago. I think 3 or 4 episodes have come out already. It's based on Ken Follett's novel of the same title and it takes place in England during the Anarchy (12th century).
Some of you may know that I am a history major (or a historian-in-training as I like to say) and I do know some stuff about English history (although there are a LOT of gaps in my learnings since so much has happened there). I'm guess I;m trying to say is that some history buffs have some biases against some history based shows or movies. I mean, I really don't try to let my knowledge of the time period or events ruin the experience. WIth that being said, let's carry on, shall we?
Ok, i have watched a total of 1 episode (oh wow that's a lot, huh ;D ) and I am hooked. What I really like about this show is that it has a lot of political intrigue as well you know, your typical drama. I also like how in the first episode, there isn't any sex...at all, which was a relief to me since HBO as well as some of its brothers and sisters seem to think that there should be sex in like every single episode otherwise I'd stop paying attention (e.g. Tru Blood and The Tudors). I know that there's bound to be sex eventually but I don't like it having it showed in my face every episode especially since I watch it online there are no ways for me to skip ahead without having missed something (and probably the only one with this problem is me since I'm a prude when it comes to heterosexual pornos and smut).
What I also liked is the contrasts between the problems of the nobility and royalty with the enginner/carpenter/whatever he is's family and I will like to see how the two will intermingle. I probably would have provided a summary of the plot if I remembered any of the characters name (orz I am horrible with names even in the tudors when I knew all the historical figures, I could not figure who was who )
I think the first episode is a good start (but not the best that I've seen but its pretty good) and I do expect some good things from this show. So I say go check it out if you like this sort of stuff.
And that's it from me. And I also decided to end my lj hiatus. Its time for me to stop being a douchebag and be there for you guys. Granted, I'm not going to be on all the time since I'm going to start doing my community service and maybe do my jury duty if they decide to take me.
Until next time,
colourbine
First up,
This book is one of my favorites and I have read it a total of 2 times (dear god its 800 pages) and I finally decided to buy it and I'm going to review it for you guys.
Here some basic info on it that i ripped from Amazon:
- Hardcover: 800 pages
- Publisher: Bloomsbury USA (September 8, 2004)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1582344167
- ISBN-13: 978-1582344164
- Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.7 x 2.2 inches
- Shipping Weight: 2.9 pounds
Summary: The book starts with a sort of magic club talking about magic when lo and behold, Mr. Norrell comes in and proves to them all that he's the only REAL magician by performing some fancy magic. From that point on, Mr. Norrell sort of becomes a celebrity and moves from his country estate to the city. The first part of the novel covers his rise to fame and then the political connections he makes in the city and well, the consequences of some pretty powerful magic that he created. The second part starts with Jonathan Strange declaring that he's going to learn magic and then later on, when he's progressed in his magicky ways (hur, I am so articulate ) and he meets Mr. Norrell who is charmed by Jonathan and the two become teacher and student. Now, I'm not going to summarize the rest of the plot because (1) there are so many details that in order for me to summarize it all, I would have to re-read it and take notes or something; and (2) well, it'd be kind of boring if I told you everything that's going to happen, isn't it? But it does get a whole lot more awesome from there. And there is a sort of villain of sorts. And I guess the book would probably be about the effect magic would have on our society (and by 'our' I mean, british society, seeing as it takes place in England ) like political effects and you know, what magic would be used for and how, well, dangerous it can be. I mean the main plot of the story is how messed up things become and how it drags a lot of people into said mess when Mr. Norrell performs that single act of powerful magic in the first part of the book.
Genre: fantasy, alternative history, and historical. The story takes place in 19th century England and it follows the normal history line with some deviations from our history (like it covers the Napoleonic wars but in a different light since people didn't use magic in the war), hence why its an alternate history novel instead of just fantasy
Characters: What I really liked about this was it just has such a vast array of interesting characters, both major and minor (Like Childermass, Mr. Norrell's servant ) and even some of the minor characters can play such a large role in the story. But I mostly like (and this shouldn't surprise anyone ) the relationship between Mr. Norrell and Jonathan Strange. It was just so 'hmm!' and I don't mean slash. Mr. Norrell is, like, ancient. I don't think I'd ever slash him with Jonathan (plus Jonathan is married and his devotion to his wife is all too clear). But I guess what I really liked about their relationship is how well they understood each other. And I guess its Clarke's fault for starting with Mr. Norrell's perspective and having sympathesize with him and such. I mean, he's such a bitter loner before Jonathan came around and it just made me really happy that he found someone who understood him and aOFNSWOJMFWSMFKSD you do not need to hear my fangirling squealing about them :S The point is that they are so real and even the most minor character is complex and lifelike.
Cons: Ok, there are few cons to this book.
1. slow pace. Its 800 pages, man. It lags sometimes. So I guess if you get bored easily then you might stop reading the book because it does lag in some places (although I do think sticking it out through the slow parts is worth it)
2. its 800 pages, man. I know that some people can't stomach reading such a long book ( I've read Anna Karenina and Moby Dick for funz so yeah, I can stomach 800 pages)
3. Style- I am not an english major and I am not going to pretend that I know something about style. What I have read though, is that its written in some sort of style similar to Charles Dickens and Jane Austen (which some people found odd/off about it). So what I'm saying is that if have read Jane Austen and you found you couldn't take any crap she was trying to pull over your eyes then this book is not for you.
Pros (a.k.a. why I like this book): This is one most developed books that I have read. There is just a lot of detail that Clarke puts into it. And if you don't understand what I mean by developed, think about Harry Potter. The Harry Potter series is very well developed in that you know a lot about the world it takes place in. You know about the lingo (e.g. slang like muggles), the politics of the wizarding world, the different factions (e.g. pureblood's ideology versus more tolerant view) and so on. Clarke puts a lot of detail into developing this world (sure, not Harry Potter level since HP has like 7 books to develop its world whereas Clarke only has one, well two if you count that spinoff).
And the EMOTIONS- man, I was invested in this novel. From the start I loved Mr. Norrell for all his faults and it broke my heart when -mumbles- so and so broke away from him. And when Clarke wanted you to feel depressed, man, you'd be depressed. She is excellent in getting the atmosphere just the way she wants it (like that Spain scene, ._.)
And the originality. If you have ever talked to me about writing, you'd know that I prefer to write some original stories (and by stories, I mean an original plot) because I like surprising people and I like being surprised. I like to guess what's coming and to wonder how things are going to turn out. And I do think Clarke' story and plot are fairly original (although it does remind me of the Bartimaeous Trilogy for some reason) and I value that in a book.
And those three points are what I consider to be the making of a good read (well for me anyway). I mean I don't ask for much, just for interesting plot and characters and BIG emotions. So if it sounds like your kind of book, go check it out. I assure you that if you stick through it, you wont be disappointed.
Ok, now for:
It's a new mini-series that airing on Stars that aired a few weeks ago. I think 3 or 4 episodes have come out already. It's based on Ken Follett's novel of the same title and it takes place in England during the Anarchy (12th century).
Some of you may know that I am a history major (or a historian-in-training as I like to say) and I do know some stuff about English history (although there are a LOT of gaps in my learnings since so much has happened there). I'm guess I;m trying to say is that some history buffs have some biases against some history based shows or movies. I mean, I really don't try to let my knowledge of the time period or events ruin the experience. WIth that being said, let's carry on, shall we?
Ok, i have watched a total of 1 episode (oh wow that's a lot, huh ;D ) and I am hooked. What I really like about this show is that it has a lot of political intrigue as well you know, your typical drama. I also like how in the first episode, there isn't any sex...at all, which was a relief to me since HBO as well as some of its brothers and sisters seem to think that there should be sex in like every single episode otherwise I'd stop paying attention (e.g. Tru Blood and The Tudors). I know that there's bound to be sex eventually but I don't like it having it showed in my face every episode especially since I watch it online there are no ways for me to skip ahead without having missed something (and probably the only one with this problem is me since I'm a prude when it comes to heterosexual pornos and smut).
What I also liked is the contrasts between the problems of the nobility and royalty with the enginner/carpenter/whatever he is's family and I will like to see how the two will intermingle. I probably would have provided a summary of the plot if I remembered any of the characters name (orz I am horrible with names even in the tudors when I knew all the historical figures, I could not figure who was who )
I think the first episode is a good start (but not the best that I've seen but its pretty good) and I do expect some good things from this show. So I say go check it out if you like this sort of stuff.
And that's it from me. And I also decided to end my lj hiatus. Its time for me to stop being a douchebag and be there for you guys. Granted, I'm not going to be on all the time since I'm going to start doing my community service and maybe do my jury duty if they decide to take me.
Until next time,
colourbine