What I'm Consuming Now, Part 1: Books
Jul. 27th, 2007 08:24 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
missroseroseNote: The title of this post was originally supposed to be "What I'm Reading Now", but I've branched out somewhat in my entertainment choices since elementary school and there didn't seem to be a less generic word for a combination of reading/watching/playing, whichever was appropriate to the medium. And this being a capitalistic society, "consuming" felt like the best word choice, even though it's not usually specific to entertainment. But this one's relegated to books alone, because it's getting long and I should at least pretend to do some actual work this morning. Expect to see another one on movies and music eventually.
Patrick Rothfuss' The Name of the Wind: A remarkably engrossing fantasy tale. The tome-like size of the volume pretty much firmly puts it in the "epic" category, especially since it's only the first of three volumes. However, I hesitate to call it an epic because (to me at least) I tend to think of "epic" as being much more along the lines of Lord of the Rings - the sort of grand, sweeping tale that's much more about cultures and histories and languages and wars than about the individual characters who are living during these events. Name of the Wind works on a much more personal level; it's been called "Harry Potter for adults", and the comparison is not entirely unjustified. They do share several similarities in plot and theme (orphaned hero who eventually attends a school of magic while plotting to revenge parents' death), though perhaps more pertinent is a noticeable similarity of tone; mostly lighthearted on the surface, but with an underlying seriousness that becomes more apparent during its darker passages - and there are several.
Don't get me wrong, they're pretty different stories - Rothfuss' hero Kvothe is much scrappier and snarkier, closer to the classic trickster archetype than the semi-Byronic hero that Potter's turned out to be, and his adventures are most definitively his own. But one very important thing that both stories have re-found for me is the sense of joy in reading. I've never particularly regretted growing up to be a cynic, but one of the things I do miss about being a kid was being able to pick up almost any book off the shelf and enjoy it, regardless of what it was about or how well it was written. These days, it feels like the vast majority of things I read inspire a sense of "Eh, not bad but could have been so much better", or else the dreaded "Bah, I could write a better story than this." Name of the Wind inspires neither reaction, and indeed makes it a joy to once again curl up on the couch for hours at a time.
So, in conclusion? Buy it. If you like fantasy at all, if you've finished Harry Potter and don't know where to go next, even if you just like a well-written story, pick up a copy of this. Then, at least, I won't be alone and miserable in waiting for the sequel. =)
Alan Moore's and Kevin O'Neill's The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Vol. 1: Pretty classic Alan Moore - a rollicking adventure story, well-told even if it has a tendency to teeter right on the edge of "too clever for its own good". Folks have made much of O'Neill's illustrations, which are pretty obviously inspired by Victorian woodcuts, but have much more motion and life than the typical newspaper advertisement from the period. Bonus points are given for the snarky faux-Victorian formatting of the novel itself, which includes the covers of the original serialized editions as well as a monthly-circular-style Gothic-inspired story about one of the main characters.
It's a shame the movie's rumoured to be so unwatchable; it's a great concept that I think could have made a pretty awesome transition to the big screen, especially with Sean Connery in the lead. Unfortunately, by all accounts it's an awful adaptation. Chalk up another one to the Hollywood idea-destroying machine. I highly recommend the graphic novel, however, and I'm looking forward to reading the sequel.
J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Okay, so this one's sort of a gimme, and I don't really have anything new to say about it, so I'll parrot what it seems everyone else is saying: Satisfying end to the series, enjoyable novel, epilogue was a little vague and sugary-sweet but the story was good enough as a whole that I'm willing to forgive that, especially since Rowling's said numerous times how guilty she feels about all the awful stuff she's put Harry through. And for those who want more detail on how, exactly, the Wizarding world looks nineteen years later, she's done an interview where she fills in a bunch of the gaps.
One thing I will add is that I was surprised at how much new material there was in this final novel. I guess it felt like there were so many different threads to tie up that I would've been fine with a book tailored to do just that and not much more, but while there are plenty of references to previous novels and plot threads (including the confirmation of a theory that a couple friends of mine have had from pretty much book one), there's also a significant amount of new and fun stuff here, almost all of which has some bearing on the rapidly-approaching final showdown.
In addition, it becomes clear in this book exactly how badass Harry & Co. have become. In the previous few books, the sense of looming danger grows clearer and clearer, but Harry's still pretty much a kid, and while he does still fight against Death Eaters and Voldemort, there's still very much a sense of "AHHHH! VOLDEMORT! AHHHH!" that pervades whenever they're facing off. In this book, I'm not sure exactly how many times Harry's in a tight spot either with Voldemort or Death Eaters, but it's a lot more often - and he (with the help of Hermione and Ron and occasionally other friends) wriggle their way out several times without the now-expected "Dumbledore Comes To the Rescue" bit.
Also? Best. Dumbledore-explains-everything-at-the-end chapter. Ever.
(Okay, so I lied. I did have a lot to say. It's not like this'll come as a surprise to anyone who knows me. =D)
Lloyd Alexander's The Prydain Chronicles: One of my favorite fantasy series as a kid, and one that has held up pretty well even through multiple readings. It's definitely geared more towards young adults, so I can't say exactly how it'll hold up to someone who didn't read it as a kid. I can say, however, that Brian's enjoying it quite a bit (I've been reading it out loud to him), and he's never heard of it before.
While the series itself shares quite a bit thematically with "Lord of the Rings" - it's drawn from a lot of the same Welsh legends - it's also a much more character-oriented tale, and quite funny in places. Taran (the main character) starts out pretty childlike (Brian's taken to calling him "Taran the Useless"), and much of both the humour and the poignancy derives from watching his ideals of manhood and honor and war clash with the reality of such. Especially notable for a series of its ilk is one of the main themes, as put into words by a character in the second book: "There is more honor in a field well plowed than one steeped in blood." The story might be one of war and battle between good vs. evil, but Taran learns this somewhat subtler lesson, and harshly, throughout.
Christopher Priest's The Prestige: I'm about two-thirds of the way through so far, and while enjoyable, I have to give Christopher Nolan credit for taking a lot of the themes and aspects of the story and writing a much tighter screenplay with them. The book differs in some key aspects and feels much looser, especially since you're essentially reading the diaries of the two main characters- not entirely a bad thing, but not very cinematic, either.
One thing that has struck me is how very British a story this is - even more than in the movie, the book brings the themes of class separation to the forefront. In America, we tend to think of social class as being something fairly flexible; from elementary school we're taught about self-made people, and how, with enough work and education and luck, we too can make our fortunes. In Britain, especially during the Victorian period, class structure was far more rigid and closer to a caste system. Social climbers (as we see in Thackeray's Vanity Fair) were looked upon as impertinent upstarts, and there was nothing worse than the nouveau riche who had piles of cash and no idea how to behave.
I'm not quite sure where the modern-period framing story is going, and I can see why it was cut out of the movie, but I'm going to avoid making a judgment on that until I've finished the novel and therefore seen how it ends.
Patrick Rothfuss' The Name of the Wind: A remarkably engrossing fantasy tale. The tome-like size of the volume pretty much firmly puts it in the "epic" category, especially since it's only the first of three volumes. However, I hesitate to call it an epic because (to me at least) I tend to think of "epic" as being much more along the lines of Lord of the Rings - the sort of grand, sweeping tale that's much more about cultures and histories and languages and wars than about the individual characters who are living during these events. Name of the Wind works on a much more personal level; it's been called "Harry Potter for adults", and the comparison is not entirely unjustified. They do share several similarities in plot and theme (orphaned hero who eventually attends a school of magic while plotting to revenge parents' death), though perhaps more pertinent is a noticeable similarity of tone; mostly lighthearted on the surface, but with an underlying seriousness that becomes more apparent during its darker passages - and there are several.
Don't get me wrong, they're pretty different stories - Rothfuss' hero Kvothe is much scrappier and snarkier, closer to the classic trickster archetype than the semi-Byronic hero that Potter's turned out to be, and his adventures are most definitively his own. But one very important thing that both stories have re-found for me is the sense of joy in reading. I've never particularly regretted growing up to be a cynic, but one of the things I do miss about being a kid was being able to pick up almost any book off the shelf and enjoy it, regardless of what it was about or how well it was written. These days, it feels like the vast majority of things I read inspire a sense of "Eh, not bad but could have been so much better", or else the dreaded "Bah, I could write a better story than this." Name of the Wind inspires neither reaction, and indeed makes it a joy to once again curl up on the couch for hours at a time.
So, in conclusion? Buy it. If you like fantasy at all, if you've finished Harry Potter and don't know where to go next, even if you just like a well-written story, pick up a copy of this. Then, at least, I won't be alone and miserable in waiting for the sequel. =)
Alan Moore's and Kevin O'Neill's The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Vol. 1: Pretty classic Alan Moore - a rollicking adventure story, well-told even if it has a tendency to teeter right on the edge of "too clever for its own good". Folks have made much of O'Neill's illustrations, which are pretty obviously inspired by Victorian woodcuts, but have much more motion and life than the typical newspaper advertisement from the period. Bonus points are given for the snarky faux-Victorian formatting of the novel itself, which includes the covers of the original serialized editions as well as a monthly-circular-style Gothic-inspired story about one of the main characters.
It's a shame the movie's rumoured to be so unwatchable; it's a great concept that I think could have made a pretty awesome transition to the big screen, especially with Sean Connery in the lead. Unfortunately, by all accounts it's an awful adaptation. Chalk up another one to the Hollywood idea-destroying machine. I highly recommend the graphic novel, however, and I'm looking forward to reading the sequel.
J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Okay, so this one's sort of a gimme, and I don't really have anything new to say about it, so I'll parrot what it seems everyone else is saying: Satisfying end to the series, enjoyable novel, epilogue was a little vague and sugary-sweet but the story was good enough as a whole that I'm willing to forgive that, especially since Rowling's said numerous times how guilty she feels about all the awful stuff she's put Harry through. And for those who want more detail on how, exactly, the Wizarding world looks nineteen years later, she's done an interview where she fills in a bunch of the gaps.
One thing I will add is that I was surprised at how much new material there was in this final novel. I guess it felt like there were so many different threads to tie up that I would've been fine with a book tailored to do just that and not much more, but while there are plenty of references to previous novels and plot threads (including the confirmation of a theory that a couple friends of mine have had from pretty much book one), there's also a significant amount of new and fun stuff here, almost all of which has some bearing on the rapidly-approaching final showdown.
In addition, it becomes clear in this book exactly how badass Harry & Co. have become. In the previous few books, the sense of looming danger grows clearer and clearer, but Harry's still pretty much a kid, and while he does still fight against Death Eaters and Voldemort, there's still very much a sense of "AHHHH! VOLDEMORT! AHHHH!" that pervades whenever they're facing off. In this book, I'm not sure exactly how many times Harry's in a tight spot either with Voldemort or Death Eaters, but it's a lot more often - and he (with the help of Hermione and Ron and occasionally other friends) wriggle their way out several times without the now-expected "Dumbledore Comes To the Rescue" bit.
Also? Best. Dumbledore-explains-everything-at-the-end chapter. Ever.
(Okay, so I lied. I did have a lot to say. It's not like this'll come as a surprise to anyone who knows me. =D)
Lloyd Alexander's The Prydain Chronicles: One of my favorite fantasy series as a kid, and one that has held up pretty well even through multiple readings. It's definitely geared more towards young adults, so I can't say exactly how it'll hold up to someone who didn't read it as a kid. I can say, however, that Brian's enjoying it quite a bit (I've been reading it out loud to him), and he's never heard of it before.
While the series itself shares quite a bit thematically with "Lord of the Rings" - it's drawn from a lot of the same Welsh legends - it's also a much more character-oriented tale, and quite funny in places. Taran (the main character) starts out pretty childlike (Brian's taken to calling him "Taran the Useless"), and much of both the humour and the poignancy derives from watching his ideals of manhood and honor and war clash with the reality of such. Especially notable for a series of its ilk is one of the main themes, as put into words by a character in the second book: "There is more honor in a field well plowed than one steeped in blood." The story might be one of war and battle between good vs. evil, but Taran learns this somewhat subtler lesson, and harshly, throughout.
Christopher Priest's The Prestige: I'm about two-thirds of the way through so far, and while enjoyable, I have to give Christopher Nolan credit for taking a lot of the themes and aspects of the story and writing a much tighter screenplay with them. The book differs in some key aspects and feels much looser, especially since you're essentially reading the diaries of the two main characters- not entirely a bad thing, but not very cinematic, either.
One thing that has struck me is how very British a story this is - even more than in the movie, the book brings the themes of class separation to the forefront. In America, we tend to think of social class as being something fairly flexible; from elementary school we're taught about self-made people, and how, with enough work and education and luck, we too can make our fortunes. In Britain, especially during the Victorian period, class structure was far more rigid and closer to a caste system. Social climbers (as we see in Thackeray's Vanity Fair) were looked upon as impertinent upstarts, and there was nothing worse than the nouveau riche who had piles of cash and no idea how to behave.
I'm not quite sure where the modern-period framing story is going, and I can see why it was cut out of the movie, but I'm going to avoid making a judgment on that until I've finished the novel and therefore seen how it ends.
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no subject
Date: 2007-07-27 10:08 pm (UTC)I must read "The Prestige." I still need to watch The Prestige and The Illusionist, as they both intrigue me.
no subject
Date: 2007-07-27 10:21 pm (UTC)The Prestige, on the other hand, is very much a show-off-your-home-theater type of spectacle - lots of flashy electrical effects that put the subwoofers through a workout, several big-name stars in the leading roles, and a storyline not about romance but obsession. And Christopher Nolan (the director, also did Memento and Batman Begins) is a very gifted screenwriter - he's very good at the whole "show don't tell" aspect of moviemaking, and has a flair for dramatics that impress all the more because they don't feel like drama just for the sake of drama.
Let me know when you've seen them; I'd be interested in your thoughts.
no subject
Date: 2007-07-28 05:03 pm (UTC)I may look for the graphic novel... probably test-read some of it before thinking of buying, though.
At least (I can hope) the tale brings a few good books to the fore that many modern readers had not thought of reading up to now (for me it was Alan Quatermain and Dorian Grey, the latter was particularly good, in my opinion).
no subject
Date: 2007-07-28 08:29 pm (UTC)Dorian Gray was excellent. But then, I've always had a particular fondness for Oscar Wilde. It many ways, it seems like he could be called the father of modern snark. ;)
no subject
Date: 2007-07-29 04:11 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-28 04:06 pm (UTC)Usually I just avoid buying the first book until all are out, if I know in advance that it's a series.
no subject
Date: 2007-07-28 08:33 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-29 04:22 am (UTC)It also depends on the author, though... some I can wait for a long time, others, I want the next book freakin' now.