Reading/Watching Log
I have two weeks worth of watching/writing to catch up on, considering the time spent on my Thoughts on Sherlock post as well as working towards another writing deadline. Oh, and getting interviewed by Nettlestone Nell over on the Yuku Boards, which you can read right HERE.
The Prince of Soul and the Lighthouse by Fredrik Brouneus
This is another book by a New Zealander author (technically a Swedish author living in New Zealand, but I try to make an effort to read/review NZ published books) and it's odd. When I say "odd" I say it in the positive sense of the world. Like when you read Alice in Wonderland for the first time, and you're not sure whether to be charmed or disconcerted.
George Larson is a typical eighteen year old high-schooler who grows increasingly baffled by a series of strange signs. Spiders and ants spell out messages. Sheep and geese formations point out directions. He's having reoccurring dreams of his deceased grandfather turning up at his house and trying to send him out on an important mission, one in which he must "put out his lighthouse". George has no idea what any of it means and is even more befuddled when he comes downstairs one morning to find a Tibetan monk called Tenzin sitting at the table, insisting that they go in search of this mysterious Lighthouse together.
What keeps everything grounded is Brouneus's use of first-person narrative. George has a dry and self-deprecating voice that makes the increasingly bizarre circumstances remain somewhat plausible (which include gun-fights, lucid dreams zombies, Issac Newton, pop culture references, guillotines, and an eclectic mix of Eastern philosophies). It doesn't all fit together perfectly and there are some plot-threads that go unexplained, but this is lampshaded in the text itself when a character's motivation goes unexplained and she states that in real life, no one ever learns everything. Whether this is a writerly cheat or a realistic truth is up to the reader to decide.
It does pose the question though: when you read a book/watch a film, do you expect all the questions that are raised to be answered? Or are you content to have a few unsolved mysteries left behind? I suppose it all depends on context and the type of book you're reading, but let me know if you've ever read anything along these lines that either infuriated you for not giving you the answers or left you contented for the exact same reason. (Because I have examples of both in my own reading experiences).
Why You Should Read This Book: Well first of all, I'd be very impressed if you actually managed to track it down. It's not available on Amazon.com (yet) but keep your eye out. If you're interested in the idea of past lives then this might be up your alley; my favourite conceit in this novel was the idea that George had entered an agreement in one of his previous reincarnations which was being upheld in his next - despite him not having any memories of it whatsoever. Brouneus also manages to sneak in a few philosophical concepts that introduced quite smoothly and slowly, what with Tenzin telling George that one's mind has to be "stretched" before they're ready to accept life-changing truths.
Fall of a Kingdom by Hilari Bell
Believe it or not, this book had been on my To Be Read list since 2003. I've forgotten the circumstances of how and why I even put it on the list in the first place, but even after placing a hold in the library, it took months to get to me (thanks to the disruption that the earthquakes caused). But it ended up being one of those books that surprises and delights you. I loved every word.
Somewhat erroneously classified as "fantasy", this first book in a trilogy is set in Farsala, a psuedo-Arabian kingdom which is under threat of invasion from the immensely powerful empire of Hrum (which is roughly analogous to the Roman Empire). This event is depicted through the eyes of three young people: Jiaan, the bastard son of a respected commander who wants to prove himself to his father, Soraya, the legitimate daughter of the same commander (making her Jiaan's half-sister) who is being sent into exile for political wrangling/her own safety, and Kavi, a young thief and con-artist who finds himself in very sticky situation when he is employed by Jiaan/Soraya's father to watch out for his exiled daughter AND caught by a small reconnaissance patrol of Hrum invaders. To save his own skin, he offers to become a spy for them, justifying his betrayal of Farsala by his hatred of the ruling class and the Hrum's enforcement of just laws throughout their growing empire.
The only thing that places it in the fantasy genre is the setting. There is no magic or "good against evil" conflict (one of the book's strengths is that you're never like sure what side to be on: to sympathise with the defending Farsalans, or to support the genuinely forward-thinking Hrums) and for the most part it's a character-study of Jiaan, Soraya and Kavi as they try to cope with their changing circumstances. To be honest, I found Jiaan a little bland at times, but Bell is great at depicting Soraya: like plenty of spoilt young people, she's not aware that she's spoilt, and her self-centeredness does not automatically make her cruel or unpleasant. She has a great character-arc over the course of the story as she sheds some of her privileges and becomes more self-sufficient and empathetic toward others. Also, it's hard not to get invested in Kavi's impossible circumstances; there may well be nail-biting involved as he tries to negotiate both sides of the war and come out with his body and soul still intact.
I loved Bell's writing style; she's one of those rare YA authors that gives her audience the benefit of the doubt and doesn't spell everything out. As such, you need to pay attention to what you're reading, for Bell refuses to talk down to the reader.
Why You Should Read This Book: Three great characters, one intriguing set of circumstances. Admittedly, the book does take a while to get started and is quite slow-paced, but the writing is beautiful and the ending will have you immediately reaching for the sequel (no, I'm not going to wait another 10+ years to get hold of it!)
Once Upon a Time: Episode 17 "Hat Trick"
This was an usual one, but I suppose it did go a long way in justifying the use of characters such as Jiminy Cricket and other not-technically-fairy-tale characters. Turns out that there are other dimensions involved in this world, and Wonderland is one of them. (Do you think they'll ever get to Neverland? Or incorporate characters from Hans Christian Anderson?) That said, they didn't really provide much explanation as to how all these alternative worlds work, and certainly don't mention the fact that this particular dimension was the work of Lewis Carroll.
And what's with this new trend of having the Mad Hatter as a hottie with guyliner and a vaugely effeminate manner? We had Johnny Depp in Alice in Wonderland and Andrew-Lee Potts in Alice, and now this version. Okay, not that I'm complaining about the presence of cute guys on my television screens, but it's definitely turning into a pattern. As a point of reference, this is what the character ORIGINALLY looked like:
I actually got through this episode thinking that a "time-twist" would come into effect, as they occasionally did on Lost, in which the audience was tricked into thinking something in "real time" was actually a flashback. In this case I thought that the use of a new dimension meant that Regina was actually fetching something from the Hatter at the same time as the Storybrooke plot was going on (or at least, directly prior to it happening). Obviously that went out the window as soon as her father was conjured out of the box, and I ended up a bit disappointed that it wasn't the case after all.
Does anyone know why the Hatter was called Jefferson? I'm sure there's some reference to something somewhere, but I can't think what it is. And what about Grace? I suppose it's just a mystery why they didn't go with Alice. Still, the scenes in his house were pretty chilling, and the reactions of both Emma and Mary to the situation were fascinating. Emma is proactive, Mary is terrified, and yet as soon as Emma's life is in danger, Mary taps into her previous instincts and kicks ass. It was intriguing that Jefferson was completely aware of the curse that they were all under, as well as Emma taking the first steps in perhaps believing Henry's story.
And also... the pictures in Henry's book are just hideous. Could they not have splurged on a halfway decent illustrator? I feel like it's done by the same person who does the awful photoshopped Merlin posters every year.
And who was the Queen of Hearts? I can't help but suspect that they kept her face covered for a reason. My money's on Cora (Regina's mother), which naturally brings us to...
Episode 18 "The Stable Boy"
Well, it's good to know that the writers didn't feel the need to string out the secret as to Regina's hate for Snow/Mary any further than this. In fact it's been quite nicely foreshadowed, firstly with Snow admitting to Charming that she ruined Regina's life, and then with Regina telling the Huntsman that Snow couldn't keep a secret. So now we get to see the genesis of those statements, and it hung together rather well.
It was sort of an even mix of predictability and genuine surprises. On the one hand, I'm a bit disappointed that the seed of Regina's hate is yet another thwarted love story. And involves the use of another evil parent - surely there are other ways of becoming evil. Still, it was put together elegantly and it does a lot to explain Regina - and I'm glad that (like Rumplestiltskin) she's an example of evil being formed out of desperation and unhappiness as opposed to innate evil. There were references made to the reoccuring theme of finding one's happiness, and it filled in plenty of backstory.
Still, I think that it's horribly unfair of Regina to blame Snow for her mistake. After all, she was only a child, and she was actively trying to help Regina by divulging the secret to Cora in the hopes that she wouldn't lose her mother either. What's more, Snow told Regina that this was her motivation in telling Cora, so it's not like she can blame foolishness or maliciousness as the motivator. Still, I'm willing to bet that there is a lot more to this story that remains to be told. This is Regina's Start Of Darkness: she's heartbroken, furious with her mother, and feeling bitter toward a child who broke a promise and who couldn't keep her mouth shut. This is a good starting point for Regina's fall into evil, though there is a BIG gap to be bridged between what happened here and the woman we see in the pilot episode. Hopefully the show can fill in the blanks satisfactorily.
For now though it all makes sense, and the past and future clearly have a big effect on Regina: not only her mother's abuse but the bitterness that must have ensued when she sees Snow falls in love with her own Prince Charming. I hope we get Cora's backstory as well; there seemed to be hints of a tale there that could add to the deepening tapestry (if she's the Miller's Daughter, then that brings Rumplestiltskin back into the picture), and the lines: "It's my life"/"No, it's mine" were quite chilling. Also the words between Daniel/Cora concerning doing what's best for one's child (Cora genuinely seemed to believe this) which was echoed by Snow at the end (perhaps subliminately linking her in Regina's mind in Cora as the agents of her misery) and our first glimpse of a "heart-kill" were effective. At some point Regina is going to learn her mother's powers; that'll make for a good storyline.
The young actress who played Snow White was spot-on. In fact, she was more than that, she was uncanny. I was genuinely squinting at the television at times, asking myself if she was real or some sort of very elaborate and convincing special effect, because that actress just nailed all of Snow's speech patterns and mannerisms, not to mention looking exactly like her. I was genuinely astounded. More than that, she managed to sell the "cute fairytale princess" routine without going overboard into saccharine. All the awards to her.
Other good twists was the implication that Cora had organised Snow White's riding accident and the appearance of Alan Dale (aka Charming's nasty Not!Dad) as the District Attorney. But the Storybrooke story didn't interest me quite as much as the fairytale one, and the shovel subplot was a bit dull (and who didn't guess that it would be gone from the garage when Emma returned?) I suppose it fit in thematically with Regina/Emma not knowing who to trust in each world. Also, I was kind of hoping that Emma knew Sidney's game all along. I guess her lie-detecting skills only work when the writers want them to, which kind of defeats the purpose of her having them in the first place.
Oh, and Kathryn is still alive! Bwuh? Didn't see that one coming!
***
On Tuesday morning I woke up to find that it had snowed during the night, and on Wednesday the weather decided to be beautifully warm and sunny. This led to the odd situation in which everything was cold from the knees down, and warm from the waist up. As someone who is not fond of snow (or at least, the cold) I got talked into visiting the local nature reserve with my sister, and it ended up being a pretty rewarding day. Because the sun was so bright the snow up in the treetops were melting and we were surrounded by the sound of heavy snow falling from leaf-to-leaf and branch-to-branch. It struck me that rain is a very rhythmic, regular sound (as well as the fact that it falls on every surface) but this was the incredibly beautiful sound of sporadic rain falling only in the trees.
So, rather cold at the moment, but can't complain too much as everything is so beautiful.
Next on the reading list is Poison by Chris Wooding and the latest BBC version of Great Expectations. That's my favourite Dickens novel, so fingers crossed that they do it justice.
The Prince of Soul and the Lighthouse by Fredrik Brouneus
This is another book by a New Zealander author (technically a Swedish author living in New Zealand, but I try to make an effort to read/review NZ published books) and it's odd. When I say "odd" I say it in the positive sense of the world. Like when you read Alice in Wonderland for the first time, and you're not sure whether to be charmed or disconcerted.
George Larson is a typical eighteen year old high-schooler who grows increasingly baffled by a series of strange signs. Spiders and ants spell out messages. Sheep and geese formations point out directions. He's having reoccurring dreams of his deceased grandfather turning up at his house and trying to send him out on an important mission, one in which he must "put out his lighthouse". George has no idea what any of it means and is even more befuddled when he comes downstairs one morning to find a Tibetan monk called Tenzin sitting at the table, insisting that they go in search of this mysterious Lighthouse together.
What keeps everything grounded is Brouneus's use of first-person narrative. George has a dry and self-deprecating voice that makes the increasingly bizarre circumstances remain somewhat plausible (which include gun-fights, lucid dreams zombies, Issac Newton, pop culture references, guillotines, and an eclectic mix of Eastern philosophies). It doesn't all fit together perfectly and there are some plot-threads that go unexplained, but this is lampshaded in the text itself when a character's motivation goes unexplained and she states that in real life, no one ever learns everything. Whether this is a writerly cheat or a realistic truth is up to the reader to decide.
It does pose the question though: when you read a book/watch a film, do you expect all the questions that are raised to be answered? Or are you content to have a few unsolved mysteries left behind? I suppose it all depends on context and the type of book you're reading, but let me know if you've ever read anything along these lines that either infuriated you for not giving you the answers or left you contented for the exact same reason. (Because I have examples of both in my own reading experiences).
Why You Should Read This Book: Well first of all, I'd be very impressed if you actually managed to track it down. It's not available on Amazon.com (yet) but keep your eye out. If you're interested in the idea of past lives then this might be up your alley; my favourite conceit in this novel was the idea that George had entered an agreement in one of his previous reincarnations which was being upheld in his next - despite him not having any memories of it whatsoever. Brouneus also manages to sneak in a few philosophical concepts that introduced quite smoothly and slowly, what with Tenzin telling George that one's mind has to be "stretched" before they're ready to accept life-changing truths.
Fall of a Kingdom by Hilari Bell
Believe it or not, this book had been on my To Be Read list since 2003. I've forgotten the circumstances of how and why I even put it on the list in the first place, but even after placing a hold in the library, it took months to get to me (thanks to the disruption that the earthquakes caused). But it ended up being one of those books that surprises and delights you. I loved every word.
Somewhat erroneously classified as "fantasy", this first book in a trilogy is set in Farsala, a psuedo-Arabian kingdom which is under threat of invasion from the immensely powerful empire of Hrum (which is roughly analogous to the Roman Empire). This event is depicted through the eyes of three young people: Jiaan, the bastard son of a respected commander who wants to prove himself to his father, Soraya, the legitimate daughter of the same commander (making her Jiaan's half-sister) who is being sent into exile for political wrangling/her own safety, and Kavi, a young thief and con-artist who finds himself in very sticky situation when he is employed by Jiaan/Soraya's father to watch out for his exiled daughter AND caught by a small reconnaissance patrol of Hrum invaders. To save his own skin, he offers to become a spy for them, justifying his betrayal of Farsala by his hatred of the ruling class and the Hrum's enforcement of just laws throughout their growing empire.
The only thing that places it in the fantasy genre is the setting. There is no magic or "good against evil" conflict (one of the book's strengths is that you're never like sure what side to be on: to sympathise with the defending Farsalans, or to support the genuinely forward-thinking Hrums) and for the most part it's a character-study of Jiaan, Soraya and Kavi as they try to cope with their changing circumstances. To be honest, I found Jiaan a little bland at times, but Bell is great at depicting Soraya: like plenty of spoilt young people, she's not aware that she's spoilt, and her self-centeredness does not automatically make her cruel or unpleasant. She has a great character-arc over the course of the story as she sheds some of her privileges and becomes more self-sufficient and empathetic toward others. Also, it's hard not to get invested in Kavi's impossible circumstances; there may well be nail-biting involved as he tries to negotiate both sides of the war and come out with his body and soul still intact.
I loved Bell's writing style; she's one of those rare YA authors that gives her audience the benefit of the doubt and doesn't spell everything out. As such, you need to pay attention to what you're reading, for Bell refuses to talk down to the reader.
Why You Should Read This Book: Three great characters, one intriguing set of circumstances. Admittedly, the book does take a while to get started and is quite slow-paced, but the writing is beautiful and the ending will have you immediately reaching for the sequel (no, I'm not going to wait another 10+ years to get hold of it!)
Once Upon a Time: Episode 17 "Hat Trick"
This was an usual one, but I suppose it did go a long way in justifying the use of characters such as Jiminy Cricket and other not-technically-fairy-tale characters. Turns out that there are other dimensions involved in this world, and Wonderland is one of them. (Do you think they'll ever get to Neverland? Or incorporate characters from Hans Christian Anderson?) That said, they didn't really provide much explanation as to how all these alternative worlds work, and certainly don't mention the fact that this particular dimension was the work of Lewis Carroll.
And what's with this new trend of having the Mad Hatter as a hottie with guyliner and a vaugely effeminate manner? We had Johnny Depp in Alice in Wonderland and Andrew-Lee Potts in Alice, and now this version. Okay, not that I'm complaining about the presence of cute guys on my television screens, but it's definitely turning into a pattern. As a point of reference, this is what the character ORIGINALLY looked like:
I actually got through this episode thinking that a "time-twist" would come into effect, as they occasionally did on Lost, in which the audience was tricked into thinking something in "real time" was actually a flashback. In this case I thought that the use of a new dimension meant that Regina was actually fetching something from the Hatter at the same time as the Storybrooke plot was going on (or at least, directly prior to it happening). Obviously that went out the window as soon as her father was conjured out of the box, and I ended up a bit disappointed that it wasn't the case after all.
Does anyone know why the Hatter was called Jefferson? I'm sure there's some reference to something somewhere, but I can't think what it is. And what about Grace? I suppose it's just a mystery why they didn't go with Alice. Still, the scenes in his house were pretty chilling, and the reactions of both Emma and Mary to the situation were fascinating. Emma is proactive, Mary is terrified, and yet as soon as Emma's life is in danger, Mary taps into her previous instincts and kicks ass. It was intriguing that Jefferson was completely aware of the curse that they were all under, as well as Emma taking the first steps in perhaps believing Henry's story.
And also... the pictures in Henry's book are just hideous. Could they not have splurged on a halfway decent illustrator? I feel like it's done by the same person who does the awful photoshopped Merlin posters every year.
And who was the Queen of Hearts? I can't help but suspect that they kept her face covered for a reason. My money's on Cora (Regina's mother), which naturally brings us to...
Episode 18 "The Stable Boy"
Well, it's good to know that the writers didn't feel the need to string out the secret as to Regina's hate for Snow/Mary any further than this. In fact it's been quite nicely foreshadowed, firstly with Snow admitting to Charming that she ruined Regina's life, and then with Regina telling the Huntsman that Snow couldn't keep a secret. So now we get to see the genesis of those statements, and it hung together rather well.
It was sort of an even mix of predictability and genuine surprises. On the one hand, I'm a bit disappointed that the seed of Regina's hate is yet another thwarted love story. And involves the use of another evil parent - surely there are other ways of becoming evil. Still, it was put together elegantly and it does a lot to explain Regina - and I'm glad that (like Rumplestiltskin) she's an example of evil being formed out of desperation and unhappiness as opposed to innate evil. There were references made to the reoccuring theme of finding one's happiness, and it filled in plenty of backstory.
Still, I think that it's horribly unfair of Regina to blame Snow for her mistake. After all, she was only a child, and she was actively trying to help Regina by divulging the secret to Cora in the hopes that she wouldn't lose her mother either. What's more, Snow told Regina that this was her motivation in telling Cora, so it's not like she can blame foolishness or maliciousness as the motivator. Still, I'm willing to bet that there is a lot more to this story that remains to be told. This is Regina's Start Of Darkness: she's heartbroken, furious with her mother, and feeling bitter toward a child who broke a promise and who couldn't keep her mouth shut. This is a good starting point for Regina's fall into evil, though there is a BIG gap to be bridged between what happened here and the woman we see in the pilot episode. Hopefully the show can fill in the blanks satisfactorily.
For now though it all makes sense, and the past and future clearly have a big effect on Regina: not only her mother's abuse but the bitterness that must have ensued when she sees Snow falls in love with her own Prince Charming. I hope we get Cora's backstory as well; there seemed to be hints of a tale there that could add to the deepening tapestry (if she's the Miller's Daughter, then that brings Rumplestiltskin back into the picture), and the lines: "It's my life"/"No, it's mine" were quite chilling. Also the words between Daniel/Cora concerning doing what's best for one's child (Cora genuinely seemed to believe this) which was echoed by Snow at the end (perhaps subliminately linking her in Regina's mind in Cora as the agents of her misery) and our first glimpse of a "heart-kill" were effective. At some point Regina is going to learn her mother's powers; that'll make for a good storyline.
The young actress who played Snow White was spot-on. In fact, she was more than that, she was uncanny. I was genuinely squinting at the television at times, asking myself if she was real or some sort of very elaborate and convincing special effect, because that actress just nailed all of Snow's speech patterns and mannerisms, not to mention looking exactly like her. I was genuinely astounded. More than that, she managed to sell the "cute fairytale princess" routine without going overboard into saccharine. All the awards to her.
Other good twists was the implication that Cora had organised Snow White's riding accident and the appearance of Alan Dale (aka Charming's nasty Not!Dad) as the District Attorney. But the Storybrooke story didn't interest me quite as much as the fairytale one, and the shovel subplot was a bit dull (and who didn't guess that it would be gone from the garage when Emma returned?) I suppose it fit in thematically with Regina/Emma not knowing who to trust in each world. Also, I was kind of hoping that Emma knew Sidney's game all along. I guess her lie-detecting skills only work when the writers want them to, which kind of defeats the purpose of her having them in the first place.
Oh, and Kathryn is still alive! Bwuh? Didn't see that one coming!
***
On Tuesday morning I woke up to find that it had snowed during the night, and on Wednesday the weather decided to be beautifully warm and sunny. This led to the odd situation in which everything was cold from the knees down, and warm from the waist up. As someone who is not fond of snow (or at least, the cold) I got talked into visiting the local nature reserve with my sister, and it ended up being a pretty rewarding day. Because the sun was so bright the snow up in the treetops were melting and we were surrounded by the sound of heavy snow falling from leaf-to-leaf and branch-to-branch. It struck me that rain is a very rhythmic, regular sound (as well as the fact that it falls on every surface) but this was the incredibly beautiful sound of sporadic rain falling only in the trees.
So, rather cold at the moment, but can't complain too much as everything is so beautiful.
Next on the reading list is Poison by Chris Wooding and the latest BBC version of Great Expectations. That's my favourite Dickens novel, so fingers crossed that they do it justice.