Books and TV
I've been reading a lot lately because Alex asked me to help him prepare for his exams in January. He is so nervous about his first exams, which seem to be mostly presentations. He is taking two English lit classes which in hindsight may have been too much with all the reading required. They are doing what seems mostly to be 18th century novels, including the previous Dracula and in another class he is reading Sense and Sensibility. He didn't actually have to read Dracula, just make some intelligent questions on the reports of the people who did, but talking about these reports together made me curious so I read the book. I am quite sure I watched the movie or a movie with references to it previously but I don't think I actually read the book. It was a very slow starter for me - I suspect because I am so used to watching and reading about Vampires: descriptions of Dracula in the letters did not sound so scary and the author really drew out the suspense with no mention of the word Vampire until half way in, when it finally got exciting. But once it did, I really enjoyed it, and got a bit teary in several places and properly thrilled in others. I also now enjoy much more the references in Monster Movie - where I suppose Dean was dressed up as the Professor from Holland (whom I doubt ever wore those shorts).
I also just finished rereading Sense and Sensibility which was much more enjoyable than I remembered - must be an age thing. I did feel like the happy ever after ending was a bit slipshod, like she just stuck it on there to make the reader happy. Marianne and Colonial Brandon didn't have the love vibe going at all and seemed pushed into marriage by the people around them (which doesn't make a very nice romance in the present day, even though it may have been how most people got together in that age). Edward's speech to Elinor was totally omitted as unimportant and that didn't sit well with me. I felt that the author just couldn't get it right so she skipped it LOL But I suspect from those two points that the novel is not really about romance or the relationship between the characters but a case study of various characters and their personalities and their various roles in society and a statement about social norms - people having to marry for money and being impoverished if they don't, being at the mercy of the will of parents and grandparents so they are included in the will - which at a whim gets given to someone totally unworthy... The people with the most money are the stingiest, the people who seem the most vulgar or are the kindest. Maybe the whole ending is a bit of a satyr.
In TV news I also just finished watching the first season of VWARS, and looking forward to the next season of which there is no release date as yet, I hear.
It was hilarious that they ended the season on Dr Swann doing the pull-ups and showing off his muscles. The hair was a bit too much and made me laugh.
I am pretty sure Michael Fayne is not dead but we will see.
I also just finished rereading Sense and Sensibility which was much more enjoyable than I remembered - must be an age thing. I did feel like the happy ever after ending was a bit slipshod, like she just stuck it on there to make the reader happy. Marianne and Colonial Brandon didn't have the love vibe going at all and seemed pushed into marriage by the people around them (which doesn't make a very nice romance in the present day, even though it may have been how most people got together in that age). Edward's speech to Elinor was totally omitted as unimportant and that didn't sit well with me. I felt that the author just couldn't get it right so she skipped it LOL But I suspect from those two points that the novel is not really about romance or the relationship between the characters but a case study of various characters and their personalities and their various roles in society and a statement about social norms - people having to marry for money and being impoverished if they don't, being at the mercy of the will of parents and grandparents so they are included in the will - which at a whim gets given to someone totally unworthy... The people with the most money are the stingiest, the people who seem the most vulgar or are the kindest. Maybe the whole ending is a bit of a satyr.
In TV news I also just finished watching the first season of VWARS, and looking forward to the next season of which there is no release date as yet, I hear.
It was hilarious that they ended the season on Dr Swann doing the pull-ups and showing off his muscles. The hair was a bit too much and made me laugh.
I am pretty sure Michael Fayne is not dead but we will see.