Before you read any further, please note that this review may contain spoilers.
As one of my favourite movies, I figured it was time I also read The Princess Bride.
The book opens with "This is my favourite book in all the world, though I have never read it" a great hook line, but one with absolutely zero truth. Much like the movie, Goldman explains that his love of reading began when he was bed ridden and delusional with pneumonia at the age of 10. His father, a Florinese native whose English was poor, sat down and began to read A classic tale of True Love and High Adventure starting with the words "Chatper One: The Bride."
35 pages later, and the fictional introduction is finally over... So many times I very nearly stopped reading the book, or at least wanted to skip those pages. I don't feel it, or the little inserts of interruption throughout the story, added to the story at all. I think I would have enjoyed the story more without them.
The fact that I knew the story fairly well did not take away from the excitement of the book. In fact being able to visualise the characters and the settings along with the anticipation of knowing what was happening next added to my enjoyment.
I enjoyed the little comic listings of the most beautiful women in the world (and later of the five kisses), and reading Buttercup climb her way up the list as she aged. Westley, always answering all her demands with 'As you wish'. It was not until Countess Rugen, who along with her husband and a large entourage, showed an interest in Westley that Buttercup realised her affections for him. That was when Westley decided it was time to make his fortune elsewhere, and left.
I loved reading the back-stories for Fezzik and Inigo, it gave depth to their characters that you don't get in the movie. I did get a little annoyed to learn that Inigo and Vizzini should have been people of colour, and had the movie been created today, instead of almost 30 years ago, I would be far more enraged by this.
Prince Humperdink and Count Rugen were just as ruthless, if not more so, in the book. I found myself wishing Humperdink's Zoo of Death was featured in the movie. The way in which Rugen slayed Domingo Montoya and caused the scarring on Inigo's face was quite cold hearted.
The story line is very close to the movie, including the breaks where Goldman talks to his father, obviously there are differences due to budget, and technological ability, but I was very pleased to see that it pretty much held true.
Ultimately I enjoyed the book, but the fictional introduction and the interruptions throughout kind of detracted from the story for me. Next time I read it, I think I'll be skipping these parts. This is one of the few, if not only, times I prefer the movie to the book.
4/5 stars
Tuesday 24 March 2015
Wednesday 18 March 2015
Palo Alto - James Franco
Before you read any further, please note that this review may contain spoilers.
Palo Alto is a collection of short stories about a group of youths in the Palo Alto area of California, the area in which James Franco himself was born and grew up.
The book is divided into two parts Palo Alto I and Palo Alto II each containing their own chapters. The stories revolve around various teens, which all interconnect in some way. There are stories of drug and alcohol abuse, sexual abuse, vandalism and even murder.
In the first story, Halloween, we meet Ryan, a teen on probation for underage drinking. Ryan is only allowed to drive himself between school and home as part of his restrictions. On the fateful day of his tale, Ryan drives with his friend Ed to Ed's house where they proceed to drink and get high with friends before heading to a Halloween party. After an argument with his girlfriend, Susan, over the phone, Ryan leaves to confront his rival, who happens to be preparing, with friends, for a different Halloween party at Susan's house, but never quite makes it there...
Another story tells of a breach of trust between a soccer coach and his star player. April babysits Michael, while the boys father, her coach Mr B, goes on a date. Mr B returns from the date, explaining that it was terrible and then kisses April. At Hallowen, April goes out with Mr B and Michael trick or treating, after which Mr B exclaims his love for April and the two have sex, this continues to happen for two years...
I felt the stories were a bit exaggerated with the sex, drugs, alcohol and violence but being non-American I'm unfamiliar with the Palo Alto area, and American teen life in general. Ultimately the themes are something many teens face, American or otherwise, whether they go down the road of vice or head along the path of virtue all depends on the person.
Overall I enjoyed Franco's writing, its not quite the polished stories of best selling authors, but that lack of polish adds to the charm and overall feel.
3/5 stars
Palo Alto is a collection of short stories about a group of youths in the Palo Alto area of California, the area in which James Franco himself was born and grew up.
The book is divided into two parts Palo Alto I and Palo Alto II each containing their own chapters. The stories revolve around various teens, which all interconnect in some way. There are stories of drug and alcohol abuse, sexual abuse, vandalism and even murder.
In the first story, Halloween, we meet Ryan, a teen on probation for underage drinking. Ryan is only allowed to drive himself between school and home as part of his restrictions. On the fateful day of his tale, Ryan drives with his friend Ed to Ed's house where they proceed to drink and get high with friends before heading to a Halloween party. After an argument with his girlfriend, Susan, over the phone, Ryan leaves to confront his rival, who happens to be preparing, with friends, for a different Halloween party at Susan's house, but never quite makes it there...
Another story tells of a breach of trust between a soccer coach and his star player. April babysits Michael, while the boys father, her coach Mr B, goes on a date. Mr B returns from the date, explaining that it was terrible and then kisses April. At Hallowen, April goes out with Mr B and Michael trick or treating, after which Mr B exclaims his love for April and the two have sex, this continues to happen for two years...
I felt the stories were a bit exaggerated with the sex, drugs, alcohol and violence but being non-American I'm unfamiliar with the Palo Alto area, and American teen life in general. Ultimately the themes are something many teens face, American or otherwise, whether they go down the road of vice or head along the path of virtue all depends on the person.
Overall I enjoyed Franco's writing, its not quite the polished stories of best selling authors, but that lack of polish adds to the charm and overall feel.
3/5 stars
War of the Worlds - H.G. Wells
Before you read any further, please note that this review may contain spoilers.
Wasn't sure what to expect with this book, it often appears on lists as a 'must read' classic, but after the disappointment of A Clockwork Orange, I didn't want to get my hopes up.
Though it has always been on my to read someday list, it was a suggestion from a friend as the March 2015 read for our bookclub. I also added to my reading challenge list for the year. My expectations were to find this story quite dated, given the books publishing date of 1898, but I was pleasantly surprised.
Written from a first person perspective of an unnamed philosophical author, the story begins with Book One- The Coming of the Martians. The Author opens with a description of Mars and of the human ignorance that life, let alone intelligent life, could exist on other planets and a retrospective comparison of nature of (white european) human towards 'lesser beings' and the behaviour of the Martians towards humans.
He is invited to observe Mars with well known astronomer 'Ogilvy' after an initial explosion is seen on Mars. During this time our narrator witnesses a second explosion on the planets surface, and quickly relinquishes the telescope to his counterpart. He goes on to explain that there were 10 consecutive nights of these 'eruptions of gas' on the planets surface.
After an unknown amount of time, the first of the 'meteors' crashes to Earth, near the narrators home, though he failed to witness the event, apparently being consumed by his work. Ogilvy discovers the object in a pit n Horsall Common (1 on the map below), a cylinder with a diameter of approximately 30 yards (about 27.4m)
Wells highlights the human curiosity and the quest for knowledge, with the examination of the first cylinder and the surrounding crowds trying to catch a glimpse of what may be inside. Which ultimately leads to the deaths of the scientists and a significant amount of bystanders at the first crash site. He also tells of the military involvement from the discovery of the first cylinder.
The narrator tells us a little of his experience over the next few days, delivering his wife into the safety of cousins at Leatherhead, his return to, and subsequent escape from his home town of Woking, before switching to his, also unnamed, brothers account of events in escaping from London.
Book Two: The Earth Under the Martians, begins where the narrator left his own story in the previous book. Outlining his experiences, hardships and close calls during the weeks hiding from the Martians. Ending with his discovery of the demise of the alien race and his return to his, still standing home in Woking.
Overall the story was well written, I can see why Wells has been such a prominent figure in classic science fiction. I was a little disappointed with the ending, even though it is most feasible, it just felt a little abrupt.
Ultimately this classic, while slightly dated, can hold its own amongst more modern Science Fiction. It's easy to see why there was hysteria around the radio drama in 1938, 40 years after the book was published, the story is very believable, with Wells use of actual locations and references real historical events adding to the realism. Had it not been for such references to modes of transport, various artillery and monetary values, this story could have taken place at any time in living memory.
I gave War of the Worlds 4/5 stars.
Wasn't sure what to expect with this book, it often appears on lists as a 'must read' classic, but after the disappointment of A Clockwork Orange, I didn't want to get my hopes up.
Though it has always been on my to read someday list, it was a suggestion from a friend as the March 2015 read for our bookclub. I also added to my reading challenge list for the year. My expectations were to find this story quite dated, given the books publishing date of 1898, but I was pleasantly surprised.
Written from a first person perspective of an unnamed philosophical author, the story begins with Book One- The Coming of the Martians. The Author opens with a description of Mars and of the human ignorance that life, let alone intelligent life, could exist on other planets and a retrospective comparison of nature of (white european) human towards 'lesser beings' and the behaviour of the Martians towards humans.
He is invited to observe Mars with well known astronomer 'Ogilvy' after an initial explosion is seen on Mars. During this time our narrator witnesses a second explosion on the planets surface, and quickly relinquishes the telescope to his counterpart. He goes on to explain that there were 10 consecutive nights of these 'eruptions of gas' on the planets surface.
After an unknown amount of time, the first of the 'meteors' crashes to Earth, near the narrators home, though he failed to witness the event, apparently being consumed by his work. Ogilvy discovers the object in a pit n Horsall Common (1 on the map below), a cylinder with a diameter of approximately 30 yards (about 27.4m)
 |
| Map of the area Wells used, along with the approximate locations of Cylinders 1-7 |
The narrator tells us a little of his experience over the next few days, delivering his wife into the safety of cousins at Leatherhead, his return to, and subsequent escape from his home town of Woking, before switching to his, also unnamed, brothers account of events in escaping from London.
Book Two: The Earth Under the Martians, begins where the narrator left his own story in the previous book. Outlining his experiences, hardships and close calls during the weeks hiding from the Martians. Ending with his discovery of the demise of the alien race and his return to his, still standing home in Woking.
Overall the story was well written, I can see why Wells has been such a prominent figure in classic science fiction. I was a little disappointed with the ending, even though it is most feasible, it just felt a little abrupt.
Ultimately this classic, while slightly dated, can hold its own amongst more modern Science Fiction. It's easy to see why there was hysteria around the radio drama in 1938, 40 years after the book was published, the story is very believable, with Wells use of actual locations and references real historical events adding to the realism. Had it not been for such references to modes of transport, various artillery and monetary values, this story could have taken place at any time in living memory.
I gave War of the Worlds 4/5 stars.
Friday 6 March 2015
A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
Before you read any further, please note that this review may contain spoilers.
I had high hopes for this book. All the hype of it being a must read classic. And yet, I was bitterly disappointed. I had put off reading this book for years, knowing the level of violence involved, to the point that I was almost fearful to read it, (You'll see it was the book I was scared to read on my Pop Sugar Reading Challenge post) and yet, I just felt a resounding 'meh'.
The story is about fifteen year old Alex and his 'Droogs'. After a series of 'ultra-violence', rape and theft and murder sprees, Alex's Droogs turn on him and allow him to be caught by the 'Millicents', namely the police.
Alex spends around 2 years inside an over crowded adult prison, for the most part behaving himself. Assisting the prison 'Charlie' by playing music during his his sermons, Alex speaks to the chaplain about wanting to try out this new treatment he's heard about, and wants the chaplain to put in a good word for him, something the chaplain is reluctant to do. Alex gets his wish when yet another criminal is thrown into Alex's already overcrowded cell.
Fast forward two weeks and Alex is a changed man, released into the fresh air and freedom of the world once more. This new found freedom is not all it's cracked up to be, no longer can he enjoy the things he once loved...
Firstly, the slang was over the top, and in parts childish it took me quite a while to get used to. Was the slang a tool used to lessen the blow of the crimes that were committed? Would this book have been so popular had it been written in plain English? I'm not sure that it would have been.
I don't feel there was any sort of remorse, on Alex's part, for the crimes he committed. He blamed everyone else around him for his behaviour and his capture, but didn't stop to think about why he wanted to do those things, or why his 'droogs' would turn on him in such a way. Narcissist? in my experience most likely.
This book does raise a lot of moral questions. Ultimately I don't think Alex himself had any morals. Not once did he express sincere regret for his crimes, nor any empathy for his victims. Alex always seemed to be blaming everyone else for the predicaments he found himself in, whether it was his droogs, cell mates or parents etc.
I may have enjoyed it more had the ending been more about personal growth and reformation, than just 'he grew up'. That was quite the let down.
While I'm glad to cross this one off my to read list, it wont be one I'm likely to revisit.
2/5 stars.
I had high hopes for this book. All the hype of it being a must read classic. And yet, I was bitterly disappointed. I had put off reading this book for years, knowing the level of violence involved, to the point that I was almost fearful to read it, (You'll see it was the book I was scared to read on my Pop Sugar Reading Challenge post) and yet, I just felt a resounding 'meh'.
The story is about fifteen year old Alex and his 'Droogs'. After a series of 'ultra-violence', rape and theft and murder sprees, Alex's Droogs turn on him and allow him to be caught by the 'Millicents', namely the police.
Alex spends around 2 years inside an over crowded adult prison, for the most part behaving himself. Assisting the prison 'Charlie' by playing music during his his sermons, Alex speaks to the chaplain about wanting to try out this new treatment he's heard about, and wants the chaplain to put in a good word for him, something the chaplain is reluctant to do. Alex gets his wish when yet another criminal is thrown into Alex's already overcrowded cell.
Fast forward two weeks and Alex is a changed man, released into the fresh air and freedom of the world once more. This new found freedom is not all it's cracked up to be, no longer can he enjoy the things he once loved...
Firstly, the slang was over the top, and in parts childish it took me quite a while to get used to. Was the slang a tool used to lessen the blow of the crimes that were committed? Would this book have been so popular had it been written in plain English? I'm not sure that it would have been.
I don't feel there was any sort of remorse, on Alex's part, for the crimes he committed. He blamed everyone else around him for his behaviour and his capture, but didn't stop to think about why he wanted to do those things, or why his 'droogs' would turn on him in such a way. Narcissist? in my experience most likely.
This book does raise a lot of moral questions. Ultimately I don't think Alex himself had any morals. Not once did he express sincere regret for his crimes, nor any empathy for his victims. Alex always seemed to be blaming everyone else for the predicaments he found himself in, whether it was his droogs, cell mates or parents etc.
I may have enjoyed it more had the ending been more about personal growth and reformation, than just 'he grew up'. That was quite the let down.
While I'm glad to cross this one off my to read list, it wont be one I'm likely to revisit.
2/5 stars.
2015 PopSugar Challenge
Over the last few years, I have been trying to increase the amount of books I read to the level it once was. Not an easy task since adult responsibilities put a dampener on things. One way I have been doing this is to join a few reading groups on Goodreads and following along with their reading lists.
One of these groups brought up the topic of the PopSugar 2015 reading challenge. In this challenge, there are 50 book categories for you to fill with whichever reading material you like, to read during the 52 weeks of this year (There is actually one read for each week, one of the 50 categories is a trilogy).
Looking to expand my reading horizons, I give you the following... My 2015 reading list. This is of course subject to change as the year goes on (you'll note a couple of changes already). I tried to choose books that I hadn't read before, with the exception of a book from my childhood: The Enchanted Wood; and a book with magic: The Magic Faraway Tree. Both of these I'll be reading with my younger children throughout the year
1. a book with more than 500 pages A Feast for Crows
2. a romance The Princess Bride
3. a book that became a movie Fight Club
4. a book published this yearCarry On Alchemy: a story of perfect murder
5. a book with a number in the title Ready Player One
6. a book written by someone under 30 The Bell Jar
7. a book with nonhuman characters The Jungle Book
8. a funny book Life, the Universe and Everything
9. a book by a female author Assassin's Apprentice
10. a mystery or thriller Gone Girl
11. a book with a one-word title Coraline
12. a book of short stories The Bizarro Starter Kit
13. a book set in a different country The Book Thief
14. a nonfiction book The Art of Asking; or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Let People Help
15. a popular author's first book Looking for Alaska
16. a book from your favorite author that you haven't read yet ( I took a little liberty and used her pseudonym) The Cuckoo's Calling
17. a book a friend recommended Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch
18. a Pulitzer-prize winning book The Color Purple
19. a book based on a true story Call the Midwife Boxed Set: Call the Midwife, Shadows of the Workhouse, Farewell to the East End
20. a book at the bottom of your to read list The Color of Magic
21. a book your mom loves Dune
22. a book that scares you A Clockwork Orange
23. a book more than 100 years old The War of the Worlds
24. a book based entirely on its cover The Iron Trial
25. a book you were supposed to read in school but didn't (I read all my books at school, this one is from my eldest daughter's 2015 reading list) The Bunker Diary
26. a memoir Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography
27. a book you can finish in a day Marvel 1602
28. a book with antonyms in the title The Wicked + The Divine, Vol. 1: The Faust Act
29. a book set somewhere you've always wanted to visit The Sandman, Vol. 6: Fables and Reflections
30. a book that came out the year you were born Strata
31. a book with bad reviews Palo Alto
32. a trilogy (the first) The Hunger Games
33. a trilogy (the second) Catching Fire
34. a trilogy (the third) Mockingjay
35. a book from your childhood The Enchanted Wood
36. a book with a love triangle City of Bones
37. a book set in the future Cinder
38. a book set in high school The Perks of Being a Wallflower
39. a book with a color in the title Scarlet
40. a book that made/makes you cry Bridge to Terabithia
41. a book with magic The Magic Faraway Tree
42. a graphic novel The Sandman, Vol. 1: Preludes and Nocturnes
43. a book by an author you've never read before Fahrenheit 451
44. a book you own but have never read Obernewtyn
45. a book that takes place in your hometown (I couldn't find one specifically for my home town, that I hadn't already read, so I went with rural Victoria, Australia instead) True History of the Kelly Gang
46. a book that was originally written in another language The Diary of a Young Girl
47. a book set during Christmas (or similar holiday) Little Women
48. a book written by an author with your same initialsJohn Keats - Collected Poems Stormdancer
49. a play Hamlet
50. a banned book Brave New World
51. a book based on OR turned into a tv show Orange Is the New Black
52. a book you started but never finished The Silmarillion
I have chosen not to read mine in order of week, to allow for me to fit shorter books in on busy weeks and longer books when time isn't an issue. And of course the book published this year hadn't yet been published by week 4.
Goodreads has a group dedicated to this reading challenge if you would like to check it out yourself. What's on your 2015 reading list? Is there anything on my list that you love? hate? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
One of these groups brought up the topic of the PopSugar 2015 reading challenge. In this challenge, there are 50 book categories for you to fill with whichever reading material you like, to read during the 52 weeks of this year (There is actually one read for each week, one of the 50 categories is a trilogy).
Looking to expand my reading horizons, I give you the following... My 2015 reading list. This is of course subject to change as the year goes on (you'll note a couple of changes already). I tried to choose books that I hadn't read before, with the exception of a book from my childhood: The Enchanted Wood; and a book with magic: The Magic Faraway Tree. Both of these I'll be reading with my younger children throughout the year
1. a book with more than 500 pages A Feast for Crows
2. a romance The Princess Bride
3. a book that became a movie Fight Club
4. a book published this year
5. a book with a number in the title Ready Player One
6. a book written by someone under 30 The Bell Jar
7. a book with nonhuman characters The Jungle Book
8. a funny book Life, the Universe and Everything
9. a book by a female author Assassin's Apprentice
10. a mystery or thriller Gone Girl
11. a book with a one-word title Coraline
12. a book of short stories The Bizarro Starter Kit
13. a book set in a different country The Book Thief
14. a nonfiction book The Art of Asking; or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Let People Help
15. a popular author's first book Looking for Alaska
16. a book from your favorite author that you haven't read yet ( I took a little liberty and used her pseudonym) The Cuckoo's Calling
17. a book a friend recommended Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch
18. a Pulitzer-prize winning book The Color Purple
19. a book based on a true story Call the Midwife Boxed Set: Call the Midwife, Shadows of the Workhouse, Farewell to the East End
20. a book at the bottom of your to read list The Color of Magic
21. a book your mom loves Dune
22. a book that scares you A Clockwork Orange
23. a book more than 100 years old The War of the Worlds
24. a book based entirely on its cover The Iron Trial
25. a book you were supposed to read in school but didn't (I read all my books at school, this one is from my eldest daughter's 2015 reading list) The Bunker Diary
26. a memoir Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography
27. a book you can finish in a day Marvel 1602
28. a book with antonyms in the title The Wicked + The Divine, Vol. 1: The Faust Act
29. a book set somewhere you've always wanted to visit The Sandman, Vol. 6: Fables and Reflections
30. a book that came out the year you were born Strata
31. a book with bad reviews Palo Alto
32. a trilogy (the first) The Hunger Games
33. a trilogy (the second) Catching Fire
34. a trilogy (the third) Mockingjay
35. a book from your childhood The Enchanted Wood
36. a book with a love triangle City of Bones
37. a book set in the future Cinder
38. a book set in high school The Perks of Being a Wallflower
39. a book with a color in the title Scarlet
40. a book that made/makes you cry Bridge to Terabithia
41. a book with magic The Magic Faraway Tree
42. a graphic novel The Sandman, Vol. 1: Preludes and Nocturnes
43. a book by an author you've never read before Fahrenheit 451
44. a book you own but have never read Obernewtyn
45. a book that takes place in your hometown (I couldn't find one specifically for my home town, that I hadn't already read, so I went with rural Victoria, Australia instead) True History of the Kelly Gang
46. a book that was originally written in another language The Diary of a Young Girl
47. a book set during Christmas (or similar holiday) Little Women
48. a book written by an author with your same initials
49. a play Hamlet
50. a banned book Brave New World
51. a book based on OR turned into a tv show Orange Is the New Black
52. a book you started but never finished The Silmarillion
I have chosen not to read mine in order of week, to allow for me to fit shorter books in on busy weeks and longer books when time isn't an issue. And of course the book published this year hadn't yet been published by week 4.
Goodreads has a group dedicated to this reading challenge if you would like to check it out yourself. What's on your 2015 reading list? Is there anything on my list that you love? hate? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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