Tears Tuesday: A Review of The Book Thief

"I have hated the words and I have loved them, 

and I hope I have made them right." 

- Markus Zusak, The Book Thief 

The Book Thief is about the power of words in the face of death. Zusak shows the reader this throughout the novel not only by the characters using powerful words, but by using words in a powerful way himself. He also took a subject that almost seems overdone or predictable and does something completely new with it. 

 

The use of Death seemed like a cliché to me when I first heard the novel described, but it is woven into the story in a way that is both natural and fitting. 

There are points to be given on the feminist side of things as well. Liesel is surrounded mostly by men, but she is not defined by them. She loves and cares for them but the story is her own. She is the one with the power. Though they help shape that power and her personality, they do not make her who she is. She does. 

The amount of moments in this book that make you cry will shock you. If you know about Germany, WWII, and the Holocaust you will (like me) think it won’t faze you. You might think you’ve read, seen, or heard about every possible Nazi Germany story before. But Zusak does something with this book I’ve never read before. It is those words and all the impact they hold. Zusak uses them to slice you open and pour in emotion you’ve never felt. 

Overall report: read this book. I went in thinking I would give it a 3 but after closing the book with tear streaked cheeks, I’d give it a 5.

Writing Wednesday: Darkly Dreaming Dexter, a TV show better than the original book? MADNESS.

"Another beautiful Miami day.

 Mutilated corpses with a chance of afternoon showers."

- Darkly Dreaming Dexter, Jeff Lindsay

As any aspiring writer should, I try to always read the original book of a movie/TV adaption. The only book I refuse to do this for is Big Fish because I'm too scared of the possibly of not liking it. But everything else, I want to read the original, I want to support the author. 

So naturally, as a fan of the Dexter television series I needed to read the book. I finished it Tuesday afternoon, and it took me far too long to read a book that short. I had a hard time feeling compelled to read it since I knew the outcome, at least until the book took a weird turn that didn't occur in the first season of the show. Now that I'm done, I feel weird writing a review of this book because I've never truly and completely liked a TV/movie more than the original book. Live-action and even cartoon adaptions never do the author's words justice. But that's not the case with this book. 

I could tell he was a newbie writer. Things were repetitive. For example, Dexter had to keep telling us he was an unfeeling monster. And we got it after the first chapter. It didn't need to be spelled out for us, after he murders someone. The book also felt rushed, and not thought out until the end. It was as though, Jeff Lindsay knew the beginning and ending but didn't know how to connect the two. 

The best difference is Deb. Even LaGuerta. I'm glad they get more screen time in the series, but they are better characters in the book. Rita too! Oh my gosh, she's in the book so little I almost forgot about her. There's stuff about each of the women that I love in the show, but things I love just as much (if not more) in the book that they changed. One thing I realized during the last season of the show is that it's pseudo-feminist. They try to tell us the women are strong and independent but the women all rely on the men for just about everything. The men rely on no one, not even each other. Deb is like that in the book, but LaGuerta isn't. She's more sexualized in the book, but a slight bit more badass. 

Overall, I would give the book a 2.5. Feel free to voice your opinions in the comments!

Also, I'm excited for the new season even though some think it should have ended early. What do you think?

Trash Talk Tuesday: Review of The House of the Scorpion

"Very dark indeed is his majesty when he wants to be. 

When he was young he made a choice, 

like a tree does when it decides to grow one way or the other. 

He grew large and green until he shadowed over the whole forest, 

but most of his branches are twisted."

-Nancy Farmer, The House of the Scorpion

There are some children's books that I read and my brain screams "How is this for children!?" Some people argue that children aren't capable of grasping the concept they are reading. I don't agree with that. I believe that children understand the horrors and sadness they are reading/watching/hearing but they don't have the words yet to explain their grief. I thought about this a lot throughout the course of reading Nancy Farmer's The House of the Scorpion.

I wish I had read this book as a child. It is a shocking and intense introduction to science fiction. I wanted to cry so many times throughout reading it. 

My only "trash talk" about this book is that I wouldn't call it feminist. The women were mostly bad mothers because they cared about political issues or evil or cute little girls who want to save kittens. Only Celia was a feminist character but even that could be argued. 

This was a great coming of age novel that dealt with too much for one child. Which is why I wanted to cry so often. I suggest this book for people who love science fiction and children's stories. You should also read it if you want to read a story about a character of color. 

The House of the Scorpion is about science, corruption, power, and what it means to be human. Strangely, it is both a celebration of the will to live and the acceptance of death. My overall score would be a 3.5.

Trash Talk Tuesday: Watchmen and Philosophy

"All we ever see of stars are their old photographs."

- Dr. Manhattan, Watchmen

 

Over the summer between my sophomore year and junior year of college I took a Graphic Novel class (perks of being a Creative Writing major), and one of the comics we read was Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' Watchmen and it blew my mind. I then watched the movie, and was intrigued but as usual disappointed by changes made in the adaption from book to movie. 

I also discussed the comic with several people, including my class. I was struck to find that not everyone loved Dr. Manhattan. He is my favorite character, and probably my favorite superhero. Quickly, I was taught about the theory that of the characters in Watchmen whichever one you side with, or call your favorite states a lot about your personality and outlook on life. I was told to read Watchmen and Philosophy: A Rorschach Test edited by Mark D. White. I finally read it, and while reading it I also re-read the comic and then upon completion re-watched the movie. 

Review of Watchmen and Philosophy: A Rorschach Test edited by Mark D. White:

Genius and thought provoking. I drunkenly talked about the philosophy of being stoic for hours (apparently). At first I felt as though the articles were hating on Dr.Manhattan but that changed. I wish women in relation to the comic were discussed more, there is a lot to say about both Silk Spectre's. But the philosophy was easy to understand and it gave my brain an exhausting but exciting run. I loved it. I love Alan Moore as well, and I hope to read more of his work. In response to one of the articles I have this to say: Watchmen IS literature. How is that a question?

Best articles:

J. Keeping, Superheroes and Supermen: Finding Nietzche's Ubermensch in Watchmen

Christopher M. Drohan, A Timely Encounter: Dr. Manhattan and Henri Bergson

Andrew Terjesen, I'm Just a Puppet Who Can See the Strings: Dr. Manhattan as a Stoic Sage

 Sarah Donovan and Nick Richardson, Watchwomen

For the movie, I have this to say:

Zack Snyder or whoever had the decision making power to do so, ruined the ending. I did not like or approve of the change. BUT: The music of the film was genius. If the comic could have music in it, then it would be pure perfection. The scene of Bob Dylan's Times They Are a-Changin' was an inventive way of showing the influence the Minutemen had on history, and the way we see the world today. And Adrian Vedit saying "War is obsolete" with the Twin Towers in the background was intense for anyone who was in America on 9/11.  

 I would give this book a 4.5, Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' a 5, and the movie I would give a 3.5. 

Now what should I read next?

Throwback Thursday: Two Weeks in Ireland

"If you're not drunk and half naked by this point, 

you aren't paying attention." 

- Diary by Chuck Palahniuk

 Over the summer, my family went to Ireland. My father is 100% and my mom is mostly Irish with a little bit of Italian. I like to pretend I'm 100% like my dad.

 

The photo above is a view of Dublin from the Guinness factory tasting room.

 Ireland was beautiful. The weather was what I expected. There was mostly rain but also a lot of sunshine. We drove for hours at a time so when I got sick of seeing sheep and rolling green hills, (and over a period of two weeks, the sheep were boring) I read a lot. I read Let it Snow which is three connected short stories by different authors, and I read Chuck Palahniuk's novel Diary.

So much drinking. Guinness was amazing at the factory.

Story #1: The Jubilee Express by Maureen Johnson, a review as quoted from my journal: 

"It was cute but no John Green story (who is next). My feminist side of my brain hated it. It was a girl with a crappy perfect boyfriend who feels confident when his around just because they are dating. She meets a boy, who helps her realize how awful his perfect ass is so she dumps him and makes out with the boy. I would have liked it better if she left his house, moved on from the shitty BF but did't fall for the new boy but that's just me."

    

Story #2: John Green's A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle, a review as quoted from my journal: 

"Before I say anything else, I want to say how I loved that these three stories connect in little ways. It is cute. So far the two were different stories but they intertwined in a slight way. Over a location- a waffle house with cheerleaders. 

John Green was better about feminism than the other story though mostly due to it being a male narrator. We didn't get the girl fawning over a boy inner monologue. I think when I write my young adult novels/stories I'm going to not be in 1st person to avoid this issue.

But I predicted the underlying conflict of the romance too quickly and easily. It was disappointing in that respect."    

 

 Story #3: The Patron Saint of Pigs by Lauren Myracle, as reviewed in my journal:

" It was the same as the others. Cute but not feminist at all.. A girl upset over a boy. It would have been less predictable if it wasn't connected to the other stories but I basically knew the ending from the first two short stories. Oh, well." 

So I think in July 2012, I would have given Let it Snow a 2. 

 

 

Harry Potter was filmed here!

Review of Diary by Chuck Palahniuk as quoted from my journal: 

"Just finished Diary and it was weird. Creepy even, and confusing. Those are its 3 words: weird, creepy, and confusing. I think I enjoyed it. It didn't blow my mind like Rant, Haunted, or Fight Club did. But it has a similar feeling. A feeling that creeps over and makes everything you used to find normal seem wrong. I guess that is what makes a good book. It changes how you look at life even when the book's story wasn't about that." 

I think I would have given Diary a 3. 

I loved Ireland, and I wish I could go back. But maybe with less family.  

"Most men, they'll tell you a story straight through. 

It won't be complicated, but it won't be interesting either."

- Big Fish, screenplay by John August

 I've tried to write blogs before and for some reason I always end up losing interest. This blog may not be able to keep my interest, but I'm starting it because starting over is probably better than continuing a blog I already lost interest in. 

Keep reading this blog if you are interested in hearing my opinions/reviews about the television shows I watch. Those are The Good Wife, How I Met Your Mother, Pretty Little Liars, Modern Family, The Vampire Diaries, Grey's Anatomy, Mad Men, Breaking Bad, and Parenthood. There are more but those are the ones that currently come to mind. 

My blog will also include my struggles, successes, and thoughts on writing. I will be reviewing books I read, movies I see, and new TV shows I try to start. Most of my work includes a feminist opinion, and those will be shared on this blog as well. 

The rating system I have established for myself is as follows: 

1. The lowest score. These are books/TV/ movies I have a hard time finishing because I find something about the writing, or acting unbearable. An example of a book with the score of 1 would be Twilight by Stephanie Meyer.

2. A score of a 2 means the book was readable, but I didn't care. The book either made me feel annoyance or nothing at all. Example: Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson. 

3. Maybe the book I deem a 3 isn't that well written on an English class scale but something made me love it. Example: Looking for Alaska by John Green. 

4. English class level writing but still enjoyable to any reader. A 4 should be something I gush over without any hesitation to someone who is judgmental about author choices. Example: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer.

5. Books I call a 5 should be amazing. Maybe people don't like these books but it's not without millions who love them and the chance for them to be remembered forever. My example of a 5 is The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway. 

I will officially start this blog on Monday, with a rundown of the TV shows I watched the week prior. Have a good weekend everyone!

Just finished reading: The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick 
Currently reading: Watchmen and Philosophy: A Rorschach Test edited by Mark D. White
and Watchmen by Alan Moore