Blue's Movie And Book Reviews

Godslayer - Jacqueline Carey

noreply@blogger.com (Blue) — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 17:00:00 +0000

Sequel to the Banewreaker.

ISBN: 978-0765350985
format: Paperback
pages: 416
publisher: Tor Fantasy
pub. date: 2006-06-27
started reading: 2009-03-28
finished reading: 2009-03-29

This concludes Carey's short forary into a Tolkien-esque work. More so than even the first book, the too obvious elements from The Lord Of The Rings becomes almost burdensome at times and I found myself skim reading sections with the thought of 'Oh yes... and this is where Frodo... er... Dani... must made a decision and... '. It is sad that a writer as gifted as Carey couldn't develop more originality in this story.

However, unlike Tolkien's work which was designed to be strictly a strugle of good vs. evil, Carey retells the classic battle... but from a multitude of shades of grey. The reader is drawn into understanding that the 'bad' people in the story were made that way as much by the choices of those who would profess to be good, as by their own hand.

Carey also begins to explore the idea that the counterbalance is needed in the world and that for all things to flow in order, with no chaos, is to lead to stagnation and eventually... death. It is the battle of wills, the cycle and flow of death and rebirth, that gives life its meaning.

So... if you're looking for a deep and unique tale... I would advise you look elsewhere. If you are looking for a well written retelling of a set of archtypes that adds more depth to the classic versions, this is a good read for you.

Banewreaker - Jacqueline Carey

noreply@blogger.com (Blue) — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 17:13:00 +0000

A battle about a wounded god, the multi-race forces aligned against him, and his own allies struggle against prophecy.

ISBN: 978-0765344298
format: Paperback
pages: 512
publisher: Tor Fantasy
pub. date: 2005-08-02
started reading: 2009-03-19
finished reading: 2009-03-27

Carey should have stuck to the Kushiel series. That series is one of my favourties, whereas this book is a retelling of the Lord Of The Rings. And while it is arguable that Carey is in someways a more enjoyable writer, even her deep and wonderful character development from the Kushiel series is only softly mirrored in this book where the characters seem at times almost too contrived.

I can only hope that this is a piece of writing that she did before Kushiel and that made its way to publication after she achieved some degree of success.

It's good enough to be enjoyable as a light read, but certainly not what I would expect.

The End Of The Alphabet - CS Richardson

noreply@blogger.com (Blue) — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 07:57:00 +0000

Looking for a quick read, and a moralistic story, this title jumped off the shelf at me.

ISBN: 978-0385663410
format: Paperback
pages: 160
publisher: Anchor Canada
pub. date: 2008-01-08
started reading: 2009-02-27
finished reading: 2009-03-05

I enjoyed this book, though it didn't live up fully to my expectations. That said, given the awards it had won, my expectations were set abnomally high.
This is another first time author. Looking back through my recent month's reading and I have to admit that first time writers seem to be well worth it lately. Whether more people are writing, or there are better editors, I know that the books I've read by people new to the field are some of the best I have come across yet. Fantastic!

This book is writting in a different sort of style and occassionally it becomes hard to follow. Not in the same way that Blindness was hard, but rather in the way that you can lose yourself listening so someone else describe a conversation they had with someone. You know how it goes...

So I said to him How are you, and he said Good, so I said That's great and your wife. Who? Your wife, is she good. It's been a while. Yes it has. She is good then? Yes, though sometimes I wonder about her. It's hard. Who? My wife.

Odds are good that as I dropped the descriptions of who was talking you had to work to puzzle it out occassionally. Expect to do that a lot in this book.

The book is however well written and touching at points as it chronicles the dying days of a 50 year old man given a life sentence with illness and his wife who accompanies him on his last expedition to see the places that held value for him in his life. Though that makes it sound like the protagonist of the book is the 50 year old Ambrose, I felt in the end, that it is his wife - named Zipper - who is the real hero of the novel.

Though I found the book dragged a bit in the middle, it is a short read and most people could read it in a solid afternoon or over the course of a few days on the subway commute to work.

Beyond The Shadows - Brent Weeks

noreply@blogger.com (Blue) — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 07:44:00 +0000

Another simply amazing trilogy completed. And room for the possibility of a follow up series.

ISBN: 978-0316033664
format: Paperback
pages: 720
publisher: Orbit
pub. date: 2008-12-01
started reading: 2009-02-22
finished reading: 2009-02-26

This was the action-packed conclusion to the Night Angel Trilogy, and perhaps the best thing about it that I can say, without simply repeating my praise for the previous two books is that, unlike many authors whose writing begins to drag towards the end, Beyond the Shadows picks up pace as you go.

By the end of the book the timeline seemingly whips by in a blur and yet, it is a controlled blur with Weeks nicely glossing over things that you don't need at that point (such as day by day character development of well established protagonists).

All in all, a satisfying read and a series I would recommend to anyone looking for a little light fantasy reading with good character development and a gripping plot.

Shadow's Edge - Brent Weeks

noreply@blogger.com (Blue) — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 06:50:00 +0000

The perfect killer has no identity.

ISBN: 978-0316033657
format: Paperback
pages: 656
publisher: Orbit
pub. date: 2008-11-01
started reading: 2009-02-19
finished reading: 2009-02-22

Once again, Weeks writes a book that is hard to put down. Though some of the twists and turns you see coming, in general I found that he manages to catch you off guard just often enough to keep you guessing and engaged. This is the sort of book for people who like a read that you can't put down to go to sleep at the end of the day.

While this is very much a classic tale of Good vs. Evil, what makes it compelling is all the shades of grey inbetween... after all, our hero is a killer, his best friends a mixture of royalty and street vermin, and his idol the most feared man of all time... or maybe not.

Filled with fun characters, it is a good continuation of the first book in the series.

The Way Of Shadows - Brent Weeks

noreply@blogger.com (Blue) — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 05:54:00 +0000

Who doesn't love assassins?

ISBN: 978-0316033671
format: Paperback
pages: 688
publisher: Orbit
pub. date: 2008-10-01
started reading: 2009-02-17
finished reading: 2009-02-19

Ooops... and by assassins, I mean wetboys. What's the difference you ask? Well, an assassin has targets, cause sometimes they miss. A wetboy has deaders... cause they don't.

This first book in the trilogy starts off as so many fantasy stories do, from the Hobbit to Star Wars, with a small and seemingly helpless protagonist that grows to become a hero. The classic rags to riches story, only the riches are not in gold - though sometimes they are, but are in the experience, strength and character of the hero.

This book, like the other two that follow it in the series, weighs in at a hefty 600+ pages. However, it does anything but drag, and one can only imagine that had Robert Jordan attempted the same story, we would have had a twelve volume series.

Weeks is a first time author and, as with many of the other first time authors I've read recently, it is an amazing first effort. While many of the characters are somewhat cliche at times, they never feel stagnant or like pale imitations of other stories but remain fresh and enjoyable.
Part coming of age, part romance, part adventure and all intrigue, this is a good read and sure to be enjoyed by anyone who loves those genres.

The Tipping Point - Malcom Gladwell

noreply@blogger.com (Blue) — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 06:52:00 +0000

Probably my least favorite of the Gladwell books, but also his first and the one that paved the way for the rest.

ISBN: 978-0316346627
format: Paperback
pages: 304
publisher: Back Bay Books
pub. date: 2002-01-07
started reading: 2009-01-28
finished reading: 2009-02-06

This is yet more pop sociology, but as with Galdwell's other books that I read, it is entertaining.

The entertainment stems mostly from the core premise of the book which is that little changes can have big effects; when small numbers of people start behaving differently, that behavior can ripple outward until a critical mass or "tipping point" is reached, changing the world.

When I was in Grade 9 I did an independent project on Chaos Theory. While there is a lot behind Chaos Theory that is quite interesting and unrelated to this, the 'pop' association with Chaos Theory is that if a butterfly flaps its wings in Japan, a tornado hits Kansas.

We've all heard of that, and some part of us loves the idea that a small thing can have huge effects. And why not? As our understanding of the scope and scale of the universe grows, and as there are more and more of us every year, it is a naturally human sort of sentiment to want to believe that something small - like ourselves - can have a huge impact in something large - like the world.

Gladwell's thesis that ideas, products, messages and behaviors "spread just like viruses do" remains a metaphor as he follows the growth of "word-of-mouth epidemics" triggered with the help of three pivotal types. These are Connectors, sociable personalities who bring people together; Mavens, who like to pass along knowledge; and Salesmen, adept at persuading the unenlightened.

This part of Gladwell's book, while a little restrictive for my liking, was the most enjoyable for me. When he breaks off to talk about Seasame Street and Blue's Clues, I will confess that I got largely bored. It is clearly an area that Gladwell had a passion for, but that section of the book felt like an attempt to take what could have been a small anecdote and turn it into a compendium of childhood psychology.

Given that Gladwell's background is really as a columnist, and this is his first book, I think the obvious conclusion one can draw is that he hadn't quite mastered the medium and made the change over from small his roots as writer of articles for the New Yorker, to his new and more prestigious role as the trendy author of popular sociology books.

The Name Of The Wind - Patrick Rothfuss

noreply@blogger.com (Blue) — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 06:52:00 +0000

This is quite possibly the best fantasy novel I have bought in years.
ISBN: 0756405890
format: Paperback
pages: 736
publisher: DAW
pub. date: 2008-04-01
started reading: 2009-01-16
finished reading: 2009-01-24

This novel spoke volumes to me.

From the moment I read the inside cover I was captivated. It is the story of a hero of epic proportions, told by himself.

I have stolen princesses back from sleeping barrow kings. I burned down the
town of Trebon. I have spent the night with Felurian and left with both my
sanity and my life. I was expelled from the University at a younger age than
most people are allowed in. I tread paths by moonlight that others fear to
speak of during day. I have talked to Gods, loved women, and written
songs that make the minstrels weep.
You may have heard of me.

I think it is the 'You may have heard of me' that does it for me. It is a statement at once both cocky and egotistical, and yet when you hear it said in your head, you get right away that the character is not egotistical, but is simply stating a fact. Similar to how Superman might say 'I'm pretty strong' or how Michael Jordan might say 'I can play basketball'.

The story flashes back and forth between the present and the main character's retelling of his life. The flow is expertly done and at no point did I, as the reader, feel lost or confused with the changing time frames.

The development of the character though is what sets this book apart. It tells the story of a hero as a person. Not quite a full on anti-hero, but you get a glimpse of a character who is at once great, and at the same time internally conflicted, prone to doubt and despair, who is not always honourable - though he'd like to be, and so on. In short, a character who is like you and me. A good person who does not always do the 'right' thing because, like us, he is learning as he goes through life... as much from his failures as from his successes.

The story is about take a hero of legend and unravelling the person within... and perhaps the greatest joy of the book is discovering that when you take the hero and strip away all the idolized imagry and add in all the untold bits... that though you are left with a man... there is a heroic element there still.

It's also a romance novel. Oh, and one of the best epic fantasy novels of the last few years. And... hmm.. actually, Patrick says it better himself

So what *is* the structure then? Fuck if I know. That's part of what's taking me
so long to figure out. As far as I can tell, my story is part autobiography,
part hero's journey, part epic fantasy, part travelogue, part faerie tale, part
coming of age story, part romance, part mystery, part
metafictional-nested-story-frame-tale-something-or -other. - Patrick Rothfuss

Ya... exactly that Patrick.

On a personal level, many of the internal struggles that the character goes through mirror thoughts of my own. Like the main character, I have held many names in life, and paid in different ways for each one.

Whether or not you like 'fantasy' this is a book that I think anyone could pick up and enjoy.

One word of caution though... this is the first in a trilogy and Rothfuss is an extremely talented writer who believes in quantity and quality. Meaning... you may end up like me and waiting a while for him to complete the series. But I promise you, it will be worth the wait.

Blink - Malcolm Gladwell

noreply@blogger.com (Blue) — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 06:38:00 +0000

The second of Gladwell's books, and the second one I've read as I work my way back through them in reverse order.

ISBN: 978-0316010665

format: Paperback

pages: 320

publisher: Little, Brown and Company
pub. date: 2006-12-04

started reading: 2009-01-10

finished reading: 2009-01-15

Blink was, to me, in many ways a more enjoyable read than Outliers.

I still maintain my skeptisim for the book and it's presentation of observations as scientific fact. And yes, I'm aware of the scientific principle and how what I just said is the worst sort of contradiction (experimentation and observation being key to the scientific process). However, once again, the book presents a lopsided view in an attempt to prove its thesis.

That said, the principles in this book were much easier for me to buy into in some areas. Especially in the small micro-mannerisms and ways that we pick up on things without being aware of it.

One of the things I like best about Gladwell's books is that he manages to find connections between disparate fields of study.

The idea of Blink is that we make snap judgements based on a lot of factors that we may not be aware of consciously, but that do exist. The more we are aware of them, and of the biases we hold, the more we can actually train ourselves to understand and respect our own 'gut' feeling.

As someone who relys on his gut to make a lot of decisions in life this book was a great fun look at how my own internal processes might work and I did feel that I took something away from it. Additionally, Gladwell does often quote his sources so that interested readers (like me) can go and look up the studies that he quote... and find other discussions around them, both to support them and to counter them.

One of the best take aways for me though personally was the idea of 'less is more' when making decisions. How we are overwhelmed with information in this day in age and sometimes all that additionally analysis and data gets in the way of the right solution. This is something I can personally relate to in my ability to overthink problems in my life at times, and in how I am most effective when I trust my judgement to zero in on the key two or three factors and make decisions based on that.

Gladwell's own joy in discovering the hidden connections and commonalities between fields is evident in the writing and is ultimately what leads to the success of this book however.

Outliers - Malcolm Gladwell

noreply@blogger.com (Blue) — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 06:18:00 +0000

I had heard a lot of hype about Malcolm Gladwell's books and decided to try his latest.

ISBN: 978-0316017923
format: Hardcover
pages: 320
publisher: Little, Brown and Company

pub. date: 2008-11-18
started reading: 2009-01-02
finished reading: 2008-01-08

Let me start by saying that I bought this book expecting something in the line of Freakonomics. That is, in my view, a book of clever and entertaining insights that attempt to use various studies and observations to prove a point. Interesting and thought provoking, and good conversation material, but classifiable as entertainment and not real science.

Perhaps it is my background as a mathematician, but the is a small part of me that always remains bothered by the appraoch these books take and where they try to pass off what they do as 'fact'. You know the saying, 'a little bit of information is dangerous'? These books are good examples of that where they give you one side of the arguement and arm a legion of 'experts' in your city with what they now know as the way the world works. Crude and silly generalisations abound in Outliers and it does worry me that many people will take what he says as gospel without first challenging it in their own minds and looking for the exceptions to his... well... exceptions!

That said, the books are very engaging and well written. Gladwell has a knack for telling interesting anecdotes that build on each other and support his thesis.

The main thesis of Outliers would appear to be that no one owes their success only to themselves, but rather it takes a unique combination of events - right place, right time, right person - to make success happen. Using figures from Bill Gates to Wayne Gretzkey, Gladwell shows how those same people in different places and times might never have risen to the spots they did.

While this seems intuitive to me, I acknowledge that our society today tends to equate success to the individual and their talent and Gladwell's call to pay attention to the fact that those people had a lot of 'luck' along the way helps to bring people down off the pedestals we place them on, and in so doing, reminds us all that our own success lies in looking for those opportunities that are around us.

So perhaps if Gladwell has any words of wisdom, it is that any of us can be successful, if we can recognize the hidden and unique factors building to our own success.

Personal Demon - Kelly Armstrong

noreply@blogger.com (Blue) — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 18:50:00 +0000

Toronto based author Kelly Armstrong's latest in her Women of the Underworld series follows Expisco half-demon Hope Adams.

ISBN: 978-0553806618
format: Paperback
pages: 384
publisher: Spectra
pub. date: 2008-03-25
started reading: 2008-12-30
finished reading: 2008-12-31

It could be that I'm a bit of a sucker for the whole supernatural plot line, or that Kelly Armstrong is maturing as a writer, or the fact that I just watched the first season of True Blood recently, but I found this to be one of the best books in the series thus far.

The book is told mostly from the perspective of Hope but there are some chapters from the viewpoint of Lucas Cortez, the reluctant heir to the largest supernatural corporation in the world.

Hope has appeared in previous books in this series, and though most of the books can be read independantly and still be enjoyed, a lot of her relationship scenes with the werewolf Karl benefit from the reader knowing the backstory. I particularily liked the characted of Karl, in part I think because I have a soft spot for the archtype of a thief with a heart of gold. Their awkward discussions and embarrassment with each other following their former failed relationship were well written.

I found that this book to will be a success with some of the women I know who like a little titilation in their reading. While no romance novel, there are enough steamy scenes to keep most of my female friends thoroughly engrossed. That said, the world Armstrong creates where humans live in ignorance of the thousands of shamans, witches, wereolves, vampires and demons that walk among them is compelling and well created.

Armstrong's characters fell very real in the dilema's that they face and how they evolve.

While not a deep read, this is a great book if you want to pick up something casual and walk away feeling entertained.

Axis - Robert Charles Wilson

noreply@blogger.com (Blue) — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 02:42:00 +0000

Axis is the sequel to Wilson's Hugo award winning Spin.

ISBN: 9780765348265
format: Paperback
pages: 368
publisher: Tor Books
pub. date: 2008-06-03
started reading: 2008-12-28
finished reading: 2008-12-29

It may be my upbringing on classics by Heinlein, Asimov and Bradbury that leave me feeling that too often these days, Science Fiction as a genere has merged too seamlessly with Fantasy that it is often hard to tell them apart and the 'in betweens' often leave me feeling disappointed with few good authors able to blend the two successfully. As a result I have a definate bias towards books which more clearly adhere to one genere or the other (though I'm more than willing to take recommendations of authors able to tread that middle ground). Further, I fully admit to being more a fan of fantasy than of science-fiction.

Hence the reason I really enjoy it when I do come across a modern science fiction book that captures me.

Axis was an excellent follow up to Spin. While I generally find it very hard to get into sequels where the cast of characters and time period have changed, Axis smoothly takes you back to the world Wilson created in Spin. Or, to be more precise, to the same universe as the setting of the story takes place on The New World which is only briefly introduced at the end of Spin.

Once again, the story centres on the Hypotheticals and their gross manipulation of time and space and the impact that that has on the human race. Wilson attempts to introduce some subtler questions of morals and ethics into the literature, however I find that these attempts are half hearted at best, and the primary focus of the book remains on the overwhelming answer to the question of 'what is out there?'. One exception which I felt was, given the opportunity for a type of immortality... would you take it? Or let it pass you by? Especially if you had already lived a life longer than any other human...

I personally enjoyed the secondary plot of the romance between Lise Adams, her ex-husband Brian, and her lover Turk. There were times when the confusion and second-guessing that comes with this territory is played out well in the actions and thoughts of the characters.

In the end though, it is the final few chapters that left me with a very hollow - and almost spine tingling creepy - feeling as I closed the cover.

What do you call those things you encounter in life that are so much bigger than you? You could call them gods, but what if you understand them? We understand the weather - how it is formed, what causes it, we can even predict it - yet it never fails to awe us in its power or surprise us from time to time. Is it a god? The ancients seemed to think so and yet today we feel we are enlightened and wrap it in words of science and understanding. And still... it is so much more powerful that us, that no matter how well we feel we understand it, we will forever be humbled by it.

In much the same fashion, Wilson's Hypotheticals - small microscopic, inorganic machines that permeate the known cosmos - represent a force that, no matter how well the mechanics of it are understood, remains difficult to define its relationship with humanity. Are they gods? Are they unthinking machines? And what other things are out there that we have yet to discover?

All in all, while not as thought provoking, and somehow smaller in scope than Spin, Axis remains a good follow up, and a worthwhile read.

One last thought... There is a third book in the series forthcoming called Vortex. I can't imagine what else he could explore... unless he actually intends to pursue the 'hypotheticals have a conscience'... which, to me, would detract from the merit of the first two books. I like that it's not really conscious, but is like a force of nature - immense... powerful... and not really 'human' or 'god'. It just 'is'.

My only hope is that the third volume is set on Mars and explores in more depth the Martian society of humans that evolved outside of the Spin, and gives us a closer look at how a few million years of human evolution changed us.

The Carrot Principle: How the Best Managers Use Recognition to Engage Their Employees, Retain Talent, and Drive Performance - Gostick & Elton

noreply@blogger.com (Blue) — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 04:29:00 +0000

This was a book recommended to my by the CEO of my firm. While the core message of the book was something I found admirable, overall I found that the book echoed the title - needlessly long and cumbersome.

ISBN: 9780743290098

format: Hardcover

pages: 224

publisher: Simon & Schuster

pub. date: 2007-01-02

started reading: 2008-12-22

finished reading: 2008-12-25

The core message of the book is that in order to get the best out of people that you manage, you need to reward them. This doesn't mean you need to do so with tangible things (though depending on the person, that may be the solution), but just that in general, a little recognition goes a long way.

There. In the space of a two sentence paragraph I have told you most of what you will take away from the book, and odds are good that if you have been in a managerial role for any length of time, this is something you already know.

The book does go on at some length about the qualities of good leadership, and provides concrete recommendations for how to reward people (both in terms of frequency and raw cash value) however I found most of their statistics to be the sort of pseudo-science that often offends my delicate mathematician sensibilities.

When people start tossing around numbers like '80% of employees aren't...' and '65% of people feel that...' and then drawing conclusions from it, I can't help but be reminded of the satirical cartoon that proudly states '95% of all statistics are made up'.

While the authors of the book certainly have an impressive pedigree of consulting experience with companies like KPMG and DHL, it does not unfortunately make their knowledge applicable to all companies and all situations.

One of the telling signs comes from Chapter 10, which really should be an appendix and not a chapter. It is a listing of 125 suggestions of ways to reward employees. They preface the chapter with a statement that 'not all of these will work for your company, or with your people, so these are just recommendations'.

What these are really is the other 30 pages they needed to flush the book out and satisfy the publisher (and the end consumer) that what they were buying had some content to it. In otherwords, there is a limit to how far you can wordsmith a simple idea and heavy amounts of filler was required to make this a book and not a pamphlet.

The authors themselves seem aware of this in how they set up a lot of the chapter introductions with excuses and quid pro quos. Part of me can't help but think that perhaps their best lesson is that if you want to make a lot of money, invest in taking one simple idea and transforming it into a business book and sell a million copies.

Kudos guys for escaping the consulting world. This is not a book I would recommend.

Blindness - Jose Saramago

noreply@blogger.com (Blue) — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 04:56:00 +0000

I bought the copy with the movie tie-in cover. The book was recommended to me by a close personal friend, and was well worth the read.

ISBN: 9780156035583

format: Trade Paperback

pages: 352

publisher: Harcourt Trade Publishers

pub. date: 2008-08-15

started reading: 2008-12-21

finished reading: 2008-12-17

The first thing I noticed upon starting Blindness was that there is no significant amount of punctuation. No quotes, few paragraph breaks, and in general appears to be one long unbroken paragraph of text on the page. For someone who reads a lot, and as a result, relies heavily on the ability to skim read text and pick up the content, being faced with page after page of unbroken text provided a serious impediment to my reading of the book. The first day I picked it up in fact, I read only 4 or 5 pages before giving up in defeat and wondering if I really wanted to read this book or not. In the end, I thought to myself, Sure, why not? After all, it was recommended by someone whose opinion I trusted. Though I was left wondering afterward if this would prove to be a sign that our tastes in this regard were anything but similar. Even so, the next day provided me with a significant amount of downtime that I didn't want to spend in front of the computer so I went back to the book. I can say that Saramago's writing style is in fact something that you get used to after a while. By the end of the book I was confidently skimming through it as I normally would, having picked up on the fact that conversations often had a larger than proportionate number of capital letters.

But the book iteself? It is an interesting insight into the break down of society and how quickly we return to more primal natures... at least, that is what the general reviews online say. Personally, I found something lacking in his view of how things degenerate, though I have been unable to put my finger on it. Perhaps it is that some of the scenarios seem contrived. Perhaps it is how long it takes for the doctor's wife to suffer a break with her persona and how complete it is once she does. Perhaps it is the odd mix of an almost lightheated storytelling voice mixed with darker imagery and messaging. Regardless, there is something to the book that I found to be lacking. More positively perhaps was how the story speaks of the love that persists and develops under those circumstances. And overall, the characters are carefully developed and I think most people who read the book will find a mix of those that they can relate to, love and hate. Also, in one particularily good scene, the doctor's wife finally breaks down in tears as she has the opportunity to finally find release. This stuck me as one of the truest moments in the book as it speaks to how she had to take on a completely different persona during the crisis... and the inevitable balancing of the scales that happens when those images of yourself need to recombine. This is how people get through crisis. They adopt a different image of themselves. For her, it was murderer, nurse, caregiver and much more. She condoned and lived through things that the normal persona of her would never have allowed. Moreover, not only lived through it, but endorsed it, and felt it. It is a great story highlighting how the actions and thoughts that one takes can direct our emotions and physiology.

There are many parts of the book that I feel I still missed out on, and some which may come across better in the original portuguese. The dog of tears for one seems to play an important role with how much it is mentioned, however the underlying meaning is lost on me. The flow of words, and Saramago's trademark style are a shock to an English reader, but I am left wondering if it is an intentional method lending itself to the confusion and decent into a deteriorating enviroment portrayed in the novel (though I suspect not since he uses the same style in his other novels), or if the style is something which would be less of a shock to someone native to his country.

The book was turned into a movie, as I alluded to by buying the tie-in cover. I have not seen the movie, and after reading the book, somewhat doubt that I will. Not only do I generally find that movies are shallow and pale reflections of the books they are inspired by, but in this particular case I can't see the movie being watchable. It would either be too grossly violent, disgusting and pornographic in some scenes to something I would willing force myself to watch - or - it would be watered down for commercial audiences to the point that the scene would lose all meaning and the context would be lost. Either way, I feel that a mainstream movies would not be able to adequately represent what was in the book.

Though it will not make my top list, for that intangible reason that I can't quite put my finger on, it is a worthwhile read and if you can get a copy, I would recommend it.

Feast Of Souls - C.S. Friedman

noreply@blogger.com (Blue) — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 05:41:00 +0000

C.S. Friedman's latest book is the first in a new trilogy called the Magisters Trilogy. It promises to be a good example of the epic fantasy genre

ISBN: 9780756404635
format: Paperback
pages: 576
publisher: DAW
pub. date: 2008-02-05
started reading: 2008-12-11
finished reading: 2008-12-14

First, let me state that C.S. Friedman is the author of one of my favorite series of all time. Or at least, one of my favorite characters. In the Coldfire Trilogy, he depiction of a man who is at the same time the founder of a 'good' religion, as well as being a person utterly consumed by 'evil', is one of the best characters to ever walk that fine line between black and white. So, when I saw she was set to release another series, I couldn't help but be interested.

Thankfully, she did not let me down.

This new world that she creates is fantastic for having created a system of magic that, by its very nature, makes every practitioner of it walk that fine line between black and white. If you could save a village at the expense of one man's life... would you? If you could spare a child from illness at the expense of 5 minutes of your own life... would you? What if it were 5 minutes of someone else's life whom you didn't know? What if you did know them?

These are the sorts of moral dilema's that Friedman sets her story against. Where two types of practicioners of magic exist - those who consume themselves, and those who consume others. The almost vampire-like ability of the second group is revealed through the main character, who just happens to be the first female to ever achieve that ability.

Add to the mix political intrigue, a rebellous prince, a love story, an ancient enemy reawakened, and a wide cast of characters and subplots and you have the sort of epic fantasy that makes the genre worthwhile.

The second book in the series is due out this coming year and I am looking forward to seeing where Friedman takes this series.

The Laws Of Spirit - Dan Millman

noreply@blogger.com (Blue) — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 03:09:00 +0000

The Laws Of Spirit was recommended and loaned to me by someone I respect, in lieu of a copy of The Way of The Peaceful Warrior (which I have yet to track down a copy of).

ISBN: 978-0-915811-93-9
format: Paperback
pages: 120
publisher: New World Library
pub. date: 1995-11-01
started reading: 2008-9-28
finished reading: 2008-10-24

While I generally like books like this, and found this one to be interesting, I can not say that it was my favorite read.

I say this in part because, of the 12 laws discussed, I found several to be 'common sense' to my way of thinking. And I found one or two, to be a little too preachy or striving for a sense of mysticism that I don't share.

The laws of unity and faith in particular I found difficult to relate to, and while I'm sure you could draw your own conclusions from this, it wasn't because of a lack of faith or empathy on my part with the sentiments expressed. Instead, I felt that this attempted to deliver the message in the way any missionary would in days gone by of telling you this is the way it is.

Some truths in life are meant to be discovered and lack any usefulness if they are presented instead of found.

The things I enjoyed about the book was its briefness. Each law was consolidated into a short story, or parable, which is related in clear and easy to understand language and example. While, in general, I prefer more grandiose books aimed at instilling ideas through epic prose (see Atlas Shrugged), it is nice to read books such as this (or The Tao Of Poo) where one can pick it up, read a single law, and put it down again and give your mind time to process and explore the thought.

The Laws of Spirit is about one man's encounter with a sage in the wooded hills near his home. Through stories, tests, and experiences in the wild, the sage challenges the man to examine 12 core principles that underlie human existence: balance, choice, process, presence, compassion, faith, expectation, integrity, action, cycles, surrender, and unity.

Movie - Lord Of War - Directed by Andrew Niccol

noreply@blogger.com (Blue) — Mon, 19 Sep 2005 05:21:00 +0000

From the moment you read about this movie, or see the trailer, you somehow know - deep in your gut - that this is not going to be a movie you go home feeling good about.

In the opening credits, in a sequence of bullet's-eye views (done in a similar fashion to the overused effect on CSI), we see its factory creation, its shipping and handling at different ports - each more questionable than the last, its arrival at the front line in some unnamed African village. We see thumb and forefinger pick it up and load it into a gun along with its peers. We look down the barrel as it seeks a target. Travelling with it as it is fired we see a boy. We enter the boy's beautiful, unblemished forehead. And we kill him.

If there's any doubt where Lord of War stands on the subject of international arms sales, it ends there in the red entry hole above a young boy's face. The image packs a raw shock. Somehow, in spite of the fact that this is exactly the sort of tactic that anyone with a brain would expect from the movie, it still makes you just the slightest bit uncomfortable sitting in your plush theatre seat with your butter-stained laps of complacentcy. And it's not merely for its assaultive POV but for the blame it drops onto...

Now wait... I don't feel any blame. All discussion about whether I should feel guilt for living in a First World country aside, I know that in the end of the day when I go to sleep the guilt that I created a bullet that killed someone half a world away doesn't weigh heavily on me. I don't work in that industry. I don't own a gun. I'm not generally in favour of violence on any level.

So why then should this scene still cause me to feel like the padding was suddenly stripped off my chair? Surely the movie is pulling this stunt in the credits to make me empathize with the poor and destitute.

Or is it? Lord of War may strike some as a pacifist's creed, and it is beyond doubt the harshest mainstream cinematic attack on the tangled morality of war in some time. Some who sit through this unflinching account of a gunrunner's global career will come away feeling sickened, guilty, indignant, baffled, or all of the above. But the film stops short of declaring war on warfare, or the men who condone and supply it.

There is no awakening for its central character — no pivotal aha when he forsakes his trade or regrets the deaths he's caused. Oh, it's hinted at... but in the end, the pragmatic, resolutely nonpartisan arms dealer played by Nicolas Cage, can't be bothered to follow a bullet into anyone's forehead, even if he sold it. He is, to his mind simply 'fulfilling another basic human need'.

The rest of the cast, who all deliver commendable performances, are comprised of his wife (the lovely Bridget Moynahan), his brother (Jared Leto) to the Interpol cop who's tailed him for years (Ethan Hawke). While I did not feel any of the actors had to exert themselves in their roles, they all play out their roles with a comfort that brings a certain sincerity to the parts. The film is not without its moments of humour either, and while somewhat dark at times, you can't help but smirk at some of the interplay between Yuri Orlov (Cage) and the people he deals with.

Niccol's films explore falsehood: The genetic deception at the heart of Gattaca, the virtual superstar in S1m0ne ('I am the death of real'). In The Truman Show, which he wrote, the protagonist himself is hoodwinked, but in every other film — all three that Niccol has written and directed — the main character is not the object but the agent of illusion. They traffic in lies.

So to though, all of his films don't draw lines in black and white. And it is this that I think causes the audience to shift uneasily in their chairs. In the end, you squirm uncomfortably because, deep down, you know that the lies you are watching on the screen are the sort of hazy gray areas that society hasn't figured out.

"Not so!" you proclaim. You are against the sale of guns to poor countries. Opposed to conflict diamonds! To drugs. To dictatorships.

Is that so? Then why do you live in a country that participates in weapons manufacture and trade?

You see, Lord of War is based on "actual events" and made with the input of gunrunners, and would like to speak the truth. Scenes of blunt atrocity are meant to jolt us, and they do. In spite of the fact that we should have been prepared for them, in spite of the fact we already knew... some mornings, it's not easy to look in the mirror when you can just look away instead.

Movie - Constantine - Directed by Francis Lawrence

noreply@blogger.com (Blue) — Thu, 07 Apr 2005 11:53:00 +0000

Constantine is yet another comic book adaptation.

While doing movies based on comic books is truely nothing new, one could recall Dick Tracey and even earlier adaptations, it seems as though every 3rd or 4th summer blockbuster for the last two years is based on a comic. This year alone promises to bring Sin City, The Fantastic 4 and others to the big screen.

Mind you, as long as they are done well, I have no problem with comic book adaptations. Though I'm not personally a fan of the Spider-Man movies, both it and the X-Men series have set the benchmark for superhero films.

Though it may be something of a misnomer to call Constantine a superhero film.

The character of John Constantine is taken from the DC Vertigo Hellblazer series of comics and first appeared in 1985, gracing the pages of the Saga of Swamp Thing by Alan Moore. Born with a gift he didn’t want, the ability to clearly recognise the half-breed angels and demons that walk amongst us unsuspecting mortals disguised in human skin, Constantine was driven to take his own life to escape the torment that this ability caused him. But he failed. Resuscitated against his will, he found himself back in the land of the living, condemned due to his attempted suicide to patrol the borders of heaven and hell, using his unique ability to help others.

True die hards of the comic may not like some of the changes the movie takes. The setting is different for one. Keanu Reeves doesn't really look a lot like the Constantine of the comic book. Then again, when has anyone who is a die hard lover of the book ever really appriciated the movie as well? A movie is a different genre for a different target market... sometimes change is neccessary, and given that about 99% or the cinema-going public won’t have read the comic, how does the film play? Well, large parts of it are great.

Shot in muted colours, director Francis Lawrence has created a suitably brooding, atmospheric-looking thriller that paces itself well. Constantine is enlisted to help a sceptical police detective, played with conviction by Rachel Weisz, to solve the mysterious death of her twin sister, a quest that will take both of them to hell and back and will involve the angel Gabriel (an androgynous Tilda Swinton) and Lucifer himself, who in this film takes the form of Coen brothers’ favourite Peter Stormare.

At the end of the day there have been better comic book films than this, but there have been more made that are far, far worse. Alan Moore has much more source material that can be drawn on, and this could be just the beginning.

Constantine looks great, has some cool moments and is a pretty good set up for what could be a franchise that has potential to get better and better.

Book - The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom

noreply@blogger.com (Blue) — Sat, 02 Apr 2005 00:16:00 +0000

This is a fun little book. I like to think of it as the perfect read for when you are travelling.

I picked up at an airport in Florida and read the entire book in the space of the 3 hour flight. In fact, it was so well timed that I had scarcely closed the back cover when the seatbelt light came on in preparation for my landing in Toronto.

The book features an 83 year old protaganist. Hardly the sort of main character I would normal relate to.

Eddie had worked for years at maintenance at Ruby Pier Amusement Park insuring the rides were safe for patrons. He did his job meticulously and everyone kind of knew Eddie, but he wasn't really close to anyone. Children seem to like him but even Eddie when he became an octogenarian reflecting back on his life felt he achieved zero. Eddie recently died trying to save a little girl. Then the book really begins.

Eddie regains consciousness in heaven where five people, one at a time, show him the positive impact of his life on others. Though his deeds may seem small, Eddie begins to understand that humanity consists of a vast series of interconnecting networks that mesh the lives of everyone.

Each of the five people have been waiting for him in heaven, and, as Albom reveals, each life (and death) was woven into Eddie's own in ways he never suspected. Each soul has a story to tell, a secret to reveal, and a lesson to share. Through them Eddie understands the meaning of his own life even as his arrival brings closure to theirs. With each meeting he relives in part that time of his life, but now the gaps are filled in.

I think the book connected well with me because of several of my own beliefs, such as: it's the little things that sometimes have the biggest impact on people's lives, there is a reason for your existance if you choose to find it, and you can learn something from everyone.

A story like this can easily veer into the saccharine and preachy, and some readers may feel that this one does in moments. Even with its flaws, The Five People You Meet in Heaven is a small, pure, and simple book that will find good company on a shelf next to tales like It's A Wonderful Life.

Perhaps one of the most profound thoughts in the book is that death doesn't just take someone, it misses someone else, and in the small distance between being taken and being missed lives are changed.

Eddie is human and likable for his foibles, fears and faults. The writing is often lyrical and fable-like. While the book is intended to be a deep commentary and thought provoking, I personally found it most enjoyable as just a relaxing read.

I recommend it to anyone looking to curl up with a good book for a few hours.

Movie - The Core - Directed by Jon Amiel

noreply@blogger.com (Blue) — Thu, 31 Mar 2005 21:31:00 +0000

I have recently begun to rent older movies which I missed in theatres.

Sadly, I have also recently begun to remember why I missed them in theatres.

The Core is a disaster movie.

No, wait... The Core is a disaster of a movie.

The 'science' used is so outlandish that a well trained chimp would see through it. The dialogue isn't any better. A complete range of stereotypes make up the crew. The emotionally intense parts are so ridiculous that they made you laugh. The special effects might have been top-of-the-line ten years ago, but, in today's climate, they look cheesy. And to finish it all off, the movie drags out far beyond the time it should. It's hard to recall another movie doing so many things wrong. Next to this, Armageddon is an example of intelligence and restraint.

The movie is in fact though, a marvel. It's so bad, it's almost entertaining. So much so that one must almost believe that director Jon Amiel sabotaged his own work, in an last ditch effort to save it.

It could also be part of why the movie was delayed... though at the time it was stated that it was sent to be re-edited to remove a scene showing a ficticious space shuttle crash, in light of NASA's own real-life space shuttle disaster.

The story is simple and has been retold several times in recent years. Bad government people have been mucking around with nature in order to develop nasty weapons of mass destruction. In this specific case, they have inadvertently stopped the planet's core from spinning, which results in a breakdown of the electromagnetic field which protects us from the sun's radiation (among other things).

Perhaps it is just the raging applied mathematician in me, but permit me if you will, to examine just one of the outlandish science ideas presented in the book: their proposed solution of burrowing to the centre of the earth and using five 200-megaton nuclear warheads to 'jump start' the core.

I won't argue the impossibility of stopping the Earth's core and will gracefully ignore the fact that the largest nuclear bomb ever built was a Russian device rated at 100 megatons and weighed a whopping 27 metric tons. I'll also merrily ignore the fact that the largest bomb currently in the U.S. arsenal is only 9 megatons. From an energy standpoint alone, five 200-megaton bombs wouldn't even come close to being able to spin a stationary inner or outer core up to full speed.

The solid iron inner core normally has a rotational kinetic energy equivalent to about 340 200-megaton bombs. The liquid metal (primarily iron) outer core surrounding the inner core has a normal rotational kinetic energy equivalent to roughly 32,000 200-megaton bombs. Assuming only the inner core had to be restarted and that 100% of each bomb's energy could be converted to rotational kinetic energy, the movie's heroes are at least 335 bombs short of the required amount.

Note that the bombs would also have to have their energy directed along a plane tangental to the earth's core for torque to be created, and I'm sure I haven't even scratched the surface (which is about all their 5 200-megaton bombs would have done).

Even Jules Verne writing well before the advent of nuclear powered submarines was closer to a realistic view of science than The Core.

On the bright side, the terranauts' ship, Virgil, is made of an impossible alloy capable of withstanding the extreme temperature and pressure found in the core. To its credit the movie calls the material unobtainium. It is perhaps one of the few glimmers that suggest that they actually knew just how bad this movie was when they were making it.

Book - Gardens Of The Moon - Steven Erikson

noreply@blogger.com (Blue) — Wed, 30 Mar 2005 18:48:00 +0000

Canadian born, Steven Erikson is a relative newcomer to the prolific ranks of fantasy novelists. A first-time fantasist, Erikson's series, The Malazan Book of the Fallen, is projected to run to ten volumes before all is said and done. And I have to admit that if you intend to read them, you will need to set aside some significant time to do so. I generally read a small novel (500-700 pages) in the space of a week, sometimes two. I started reading this series in mid-December and am only now passing the halfway point in the 4th. Thankfully I will get a break by summer as only the 5th book is out now and the 6th is not expected until 2006.

Not only is each novel quite ponderous in and of itself (they average just shy of 1000 pages a piece), but the scope and breadth of the characters, religions, entire continents of mixed cultures, and pantheon of gods leaves ones head reeling. It doesn't help a newcomer to the genre that a lot of the concepts introduced are somewhat abstract and there is a significant backstory to the series which is repeatedly hinted at but only rarely flushed out in detail.

Erikson writes epic fantasy. When writing a series, that implies among other things, the ability to create a world readers will enjoy reading about which is drawn in sufficient depth that future volumes in the series don't endlessly rehash the same themes and plots. Erikson has acknowledged elsewhere that Gardens of the Moon is not an easy read, but it includes ten to fifteen pages of maps, glossary and dramatis personae to help the epic fantasy-impaired in their quest for understanding.

Thankfully, I'm not a newcomer to the genre.

While the series at large tells the story of the Malazan Empire... a kind of fantasical take of on a Roman Empire from our own world, it is also fair to say that the book primarily tells the story of the empire through the adventures of a particular band of soldiers known as the Bridgeburners, and the seemingly ill-fated path of the aristocratic Paran family. Though hundreds of other characters are introduced and one could argue that even the Empire's struggles are merely a backdrop for a tale of a fallen god's redemption, it is around the Bridgeburners that the most delightful aspects of the story unfold.

Erikson attemps to break with convention by not drawing characters in well-defined shades of either black or white. He succeeds admirably, creating a host of characters possessed of a complexity not often found in the fantasy genre.

The heroes of the story, the Bridgeburners, are often sarcastic, witty and seemingly resigned to any task that is set before them. That said, their opposition is seldom as clearly defined. If one were to count the various factions at work in the Gardens Of The Moon, each holding their own agenda, I suspect that you would end up with easily over a dozen. What's more, just as in real life, things have a way of changing.

If you're of the mind to whitle away a few days - or weeks - with a well conceived work of epic scope, than the Gardens of the Moon is a good place to start. But you'd better get started now. Three thousand plus pages of Erikson's saga await your pleasure - and we're not even halfway there.

Movie - Hitch - Directed by Andy Tenant

noreply@blogger.com (Blue) — Tue, 29 Mar 2005 15:58:00 +0000

Many people I know are instantly turned off by any movie starring Will Smith. While I don't personally share this sentiment, I understand their reaction. They don't like the typically trash-talkin' blusting characters that he plays.

Will Smith's career, over the past few years, has become synonymous with the word "trash talkin' action". Summer blockbusters such as "Wild West", "I, Robot," "Bad Boys," "Men in Black," "Enemy of the State" and, of course, "Independence Day" are what Smith has become best known for.

But, Smith's roots go back to a wildly popular TV show called "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air". And those roots are comedy bound and yet, with his easygoing and likable manner, ideal for a romantic comedy like "Hitch." After all, the TV show which in later years was heavily influenced by Smith as he came of age, often carried more tender and touching plots along with the slapstick comedy.

As a result, Hitch turns out to be a pleasant surprise for a winter doldrums movie. It is a well-written, nicely paced romantic comedy that puts the accent on comedy.

Smith portrays Alex Hitchens, the "date doctor" or the guy you call when you need help getting noticed by the girl of your dreams. Although he doesn't promise to find you love, he will guarantee to provide you with the "opportunity" to make contact. What you do with it from there is up to you.

For guys, and ladies to I would imagine, it's easy to sympathize with Hitch's client - Albert - because we've all been in his shoes to some degree or another. And let's face it, dating is one of the world's most awkward social intricacies for the vast majority of us.

The movie is really an ensemble cast and avoids focusing solely on Smith as well, giving it a much richer feel and allowing a good deal of character development thoughout.

Cleverly writen by Kevin Bisch and directed by Andy Tenant, Hitch is a movie worth seeing.

Book - American Gods - Neil Gaiman

noreply@blogger.com (Blue) — Tue, 29 Mar 2005 01:16:00 +0000

Neil Gaiman creates in this, a magnificent modern fantasy. I use fantasy in a very classical sense, even though Gaiman sets it in a very modern surrounding. The fact that the fatasy takes place in our current world, and shows the interaction of the gods and other higher powers, puts it on a level with the traditional folktales and legends of Greek, Norse and Roman mythology or the tales of King Arthur and his knights. Which may be exactly what Gaiman hopes to do.

Gaiman has created a story that entertains while inspiring a faith of sorts, perhaps just a belief in oneself. The concept isn't particularily new -- What happens to the old gods in whom no one believes anymore? What happens when new gods arise? -- but the author makes it his own.

(For more examples of stories where old gods rise again, stay tuned for future reviews.)

Gaiman sets his novel in America -- a place where many peoples brought their gods and then turned to a sort of atheism, neither truely believing nor disbelieving -- as his canvas. Mixing cultures, sociology, theology, history, mythology, unique perspective, and slam-bang good storytelling he paints a tale that deserve more than one reading.

While a firm understanding of the various cultural mythologies is not necessary to read the book, I do think that one will get more out of it if you have at least a cursory understanding of mythology.

As for the story... well, again, it is true classic fairy tale writing. Our protaganist, Shadow has emerged from three years in prison only to find his anticipated new life swept away by the sudden death of his wife. An old con man, Mr Wednesday, offers Shadow employment as an errand boy and bodyguard. Thus the hapless, (or maybe not so hapless but definately down on his luck) protaganist is swept into a world he didn't even realize existed and one where he stands poised to unravle the secrets and be the hero who can claim redemption for himself... and possibly everyone else.

The only other comment I have is that when you reach the monologue by Sam (on page 394 of the First HarperTorch paperback printing), it is probably one of the best little monologues I've ever read. Not so much because I believe every word of it, as it embodies the jumble of contradictions and biases that we each hold to ourselves and comes out sounding very much like any of us would if we tried to truely explain our identies in a page and a half.

Excellent work Neil. Hopefully there will be another in this vein sometime soon.