18 posts tagged “review”
I love fairy tales, particularly the original versions where the bad children get eaten by monsters in the Black Forest and no one ends up living happily-ever-after. I used to spend hours reading my mother's childhood fairy tale books, which were quite a bit darker than the ones I had, and I used to read my grandmother's 1920's Oz books, which were also surprisingly creepy (one character, I remember, was cut in half lengthwise and had to walk around like that). So this book, which is more or less pitched as a dark fairy tale, sounded good to me.
I would have to say that this is one of the absolute best stories I've ever read. It's extremely dark, and is an allegory for adult life. But most of all, it captures exactly what it's like to be in the "in-between" years of being not quite a child or a teenager. In this case, it is set in 1940's Britain, so there is the added drama of WWII as well as the time period making it believable that a twelve-year-old is still fairly innocent.
Here is the synopsis from Amazon:
High in his attic bedroom, twelve-year-old David mourns the death of his mother. He is angry and alone, with only the books on his shelf for company. But those books have begun to whisper to him in the darkness, and as he takes refuge in his imagination, he finds that reality and fantasy have begun to meld. While his family falls apart around him, David is violently propelled into a land that is a strange reflection of his own world, populated by heroes and monsters, and ruled over by a faded king who keeps his secrets in a mysterious book... The Book of Lost Things.
Although parts of this book were predictable, as all fairy tales can be, it never descended into the trite or sappy. The ending, for example, was absolutely perfect - one of those stories where you shut the book and the story stays with you for days. It is bittersweet, but incredibly well done. I love Connolly's writing style, and I will definitely be checking out his other works now. I highly recommend The Book of Lost Things, and will be putting it on my wishlist to remind myself to pick up my own copy.
Oh, Margaret George. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I'm happy to report that I picked up this book, expecting a fantastic story, and was not disappointed in the least.
Before this book, George wrote historical fiction based on real people. This book is a bit of a departure, since there's currently no conclusive proof that Troy or Helen ever existed. But the story that we are all familiar with - Helen, Menelaus, Paris, Achilles, and the rest - all come alive under George's retelling. In The Iliad, Helen is either completely absent or portrayed as weak and helpless. In Helen of Troy, she is a completely human woman who lives under the mantle of prophesized doom, but risks everything for love anyway.
What is absolutely remarkable about this book is how George manages to make you feel as though there might be a happy ending after all. Up until the very sentence describing Paris' death, you think the lovers might actually escape to Egypt and live a quiet existence together. You root for them, as obnoxious as both can be, and you understand why they make the choices they do. You want their all-consuming love to continue on, which makes the horrific fall of Troy that much worse.
This is a story that should appeal to men, too: it's not a "chick book" focusing on the love between Paris and Helen. True, the story is told from Helen's point of view, but it explores every aspect of humanity you can imagine: vanity, passion, wrath, war, jealousy, treachery, family, hospitality, choice, and consequence. Best of all, George does it well. It is a 600-page book, so all of these subjects are written about in depth.
I'm also pleased to note that George included a partial bibliography at the very end of the book to describe where she got her information, why she set it in the time period she did, and how she reconciled the inclusion of the gods of Olympus with her realistic approach. This book does not include as much historical information as The Memoirs of Cleopatra did, but it is grounded in research.
When I think of The Memoirs of Helen of Troy, a book I read earlier this year by Amanda Elyot, there is simply no comparison. Helen of Troy is far superior in every way--in particular, I was relieved that George didn't make Helen a martyr and deprived her of all friendships, as Elyot did. George's characters are unflinchingly human, good or bad; Elyot's are simply unlikeable.
I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Read it!
Hey, look! I read something that was NOT set more than 10 years ago! Aren't you impressed? I know I am, because when I glanced at the summary I read the word "Puritan," knew that Gregory writes historical fiction, and thought I was picking up English Reformation fiction. Whoops.
My experience with Philippa Gregory's books have, so far, been hit or miss. The Other Boleyn Girl was fantastic, but I picked up Earthly Joys and couldn't, for the life of me, get into it.
I'm not really sure how I feel about this book. I certainly can't rave about it, but it wasn't a bad book. It was just odd.
The summary of this book on amazon goes like this:
Masquerading as a trashy novelist may solve English writer Isobel Latimer's financial problems, but it also plunges her into a full-fledged identity crisis in Gregory's flighty, overplotted novel. Isobel needs money to support her ailing husband, Philip, and his newfound interest in pool building, so when her agent, Troy Cartwright, informs her that her literary novels are earning less and less, she tells him, "If they won't pay me to write good books, then I'll just have to write bad." She and Troy invent the persona of Zelda Vere, a heavily made-up, well-dressed blonde bombshell, the opposite of 52-year-old country matron Isobel. Zelda's "survivor fiction," The Devil's Disciple, is a major hit that earns Isobel all the money she could ever need, but she finds herself increasingly caught between superego and id, between an unfulfilling loyal marriage and sexual experimentation with Troy. When Isobel sets off on her book tour with Troy, Gregory's plot takes an exotic and erotic turn, depicting a world of cross-dressing, cocaine and champagne. Returning to her home in Kent, Isobel finds Philip miraculously recovered and expending all his energy on the construction of an expensive new pool. Philip has also decided to invest (with Isobel's money) in the handsome pool man's business. Backstabbers reveal themselves, to no one's surprise, and Isobel's deliberations--should she stay or should she go?--are prolonged until an abrupt, bewildering denouement puts a stop to the runaway narrative.
Yeah. That sums it up pretty well. It's a book about the trashiness of trash fiction, but the entire book is unwieldy and trashy itself. That's not to say that I don't enjoy trash, but give me either plain trash or a "real" novel, please--I don't enjoy being preached to on one page and then reading a cross-dressing sex scene on the next. (I'm not exaggerating in the least, here.)
It did occur to me that I didn't "get" this book, but I'm pretty sure that I do get where Gregory was going with this book - she just didn't do it very well. It had a lot of potential, but the ending comes very oddly and abruptly, with very little regard for the plotline she had established in the previous 300 pages. I came away from this feeling a bit cheated.
I can't recommend this book.
I've had a lot to review lately (always a good thing!), so here's some of what I want to talk about in the next few days:
Helen of Troy by Margaret George(I'm so excited that she put out a new book!)- Through a Glass Darkly and Dark Angels by Karleen Koen
- Sony 30GB HDD Handycam
- Adobe Premiere Elements vs. Windows Movie Maker, for web-publishing
- MAC Select Cover-up Concealer (as opposed to L'Oreal True Match)
Zelda's Cut by Philippa Gregory
I just started Helen of Troy last night, which, frankly, seeing as I love Margaret George's work to death, is orgasmic. I want to savor it, but I also want to plow through it and see how she tells the story. I've also started Through a Glass Darkly, but that was put aside when my request for Helen of Troy came in at the library.
As an aside, Margaret George has written several other excellent historical novels with such attention to historical detail that it would (and did) make a history major weep:
- The Memoirs of Cleopatra
- Mary, Called Magdalene
- Mary, Queen of Scotland and the Isles
- The Autobiography of Henry VII (With Notes From Will Somers, His Fool)
I highly recommend the first two - the others I haven't had a chance to thoroughly read yet. Does anyone want to buy them for me? :D
Over the last couple of days, I've been devouring books like...well, like a college graduate who's only read somewhat dry prose for the last six months. Browsing the new book section at the library, I came across The Last Wife of Henry VIII: A Novel by Carolly Erickson. It looked intriguing (who writes about Catherine Parr, anyway? Answer: practically no one), so I picked it up.
This book was not disappointing in the least. I breezed through it in several hours: the story and Erickson's writing style are captivating. It was such a pleasure to read such truly "readable" prose that I was sorry when the story had to come to an end.
As for a summary, the title is pretty self-explanatory. Catherine Parr is often described as the wife that was the most loyal and kind to Henry VIII when he was stricken with gout, old age, and heavily overweight. Erickson does a wonderful job of combining historical reality with invented characters to give the reader an idea of how it must have been like for Catherine--to me, it was completely believable, which makes all the difference in a historical novel (please see my review of The Memoirs of Helen of Troy for an idea of what makes a historical novel crappy). The story begins with Catherine as a young girl and ends at her death. Her progression from semi-noblewoman to Queen of England and stepmother to Elizabeth I is extremely compelling.
I enjoyed this book so much that I picked up The Hidden Diary of Marie-Antoinette: A Novel, also by Erickson, today, which I finished in about two hours. This one was a little less readable, as it is truly in diary format (which hampers the narrative a bit), but Erickson has done a remarkable job of marrying fact and fiction to tell a moving story. It is not often that a book makes me sniffle, but the end of this one did. The idea of facing revolution, upheaval, and a rather cruel death is portrayed in very humanistic fashion here. Marie-Antoinette, who is so often written as a caricature of a woman, is easily relatable in this book (much like Catherine Parr).
The book itself could have been approached on a deeper, more moralistic level, but it works the way it is because the reader really feels like this is a diary of a person, not a philosophical treatise on the hypocrisy of the French Revolution--but that point does come across rather well.
I love historical novels because it's so easy to lose the human spirit in dry historical fact (which I'm guilty of writing myself). Erickson is a wonderful writer who has obviously done her research, and let it capture her imagination as her books have captured mine. I'm really looking forward to reading more from her in the future.
Lush describes their Still Life bath bomb as this:
Still Life bath bomb is so uplifting you'll feel as if you're being carried along on a flying carpet. The citrus oils are marvelous things; they do wake you up but they don't set your buzzing; they help to clarify your thoughts so you feel as though life is no longer rushing by out of control. Bathe in a Still Life bath bomb and observe the pattern which the sunflower petals make in your bath.
I bought this yesterday as I've had quite the stressful week, and figured anything that smelled as citrusy and nice would be good for lifting my spirits. I didn't want to take a $5 bath, though, so I hacked off about a third of the bath bomb with a knife. I can't comment on whether or not this fizzes, since I used such a small amount. When I got in the tub the water felt a lot softer than usual.
The scent is very citrusy, and although it's supposed to contain gardenia and sunflowers (blech), I did not smell anything floral when it hit the water. The small amount I used colored the water light yellow, and it made for a very cheerful-smelling bath. However - and you have to take this with a grain of salt since my head was very stuffed up - I didn't smell the scent as strongly once I got into the bath. For better or for worse, the scent also does not seem to linger (in this case, I was disappointed).
I would probably repurchase this, but The Happy Pill is next on my list of Lush stuff to try.
In a quest to avail myself of brand new, glittery holiday makeup, I found myself purchasing a MAC glitter eyeliner with some amount of hesitation. I've had glitterliners before, and didn't like them very much - they flaked and tugged on my lids when they dried, and were never as pretty as I'd hoped. But I like pretty much everything that I've tried from MAC, so I figured this would be a nice way to spend the gift certificate that my little brother gave me for xmas (thanks, J3ff00!).
I was very pleasantly surprised by the color and quality of this liner. First of all, it wasn't the color I wanted - I wanted Peacocky or Divine Lime (turquoise and lime green, respectively), but they were out of those. (These originally came out with the LE Idol Eyes collection, and are now out with the LE Jewelescent collection. STOP MAKING LE PRODUCTS, MAC!) But when the MA swatched it on her skin, the color was dark enough and the glitter was pretty enough that I figured, okay, what the heck. After all, I could always return it if it was horrible (by the way, that's one of the reasons I like MAC so much. You're never stuck with a lemon).
This is a neutral dark brown that I would describe as "clear" in application. I usually wear it over a regular dark brown or black liner, but the picture to the right is the liner all on its own. As you can see, it's plenty dark enough to use by itself. The glitter is fine, iridescent, and rainbow-colored. Since one of my friends got the same one at the same time and uses it everyday, I can say that, from looking at her, it is noticeable enough to be worth buying, but subtle enough that you could get away with wearing it to work. Basically, it's a fun way to add a little sparkle to your makeup without being full on Hedgwig And The Angry Inch. You'll notice that in the picture, you can just see the hint of glitter there. That's pretty much the effect you'll get with this color - unless you're in bright light or apply several layers. On the other hand, it makes my friend's eyes really stand out - you find yourself looking to see if you imagined the glitter or if it's really there, everytime she turns her head.
One word of caution: apply to your lower lids very carefully, unless you want glitter in your eyes.
So yeah, now I'm pretty much dying for Peacocky, Divine Lime, and Glamourgold (which of course is only available in a LE, sold-out set).
Yeah, so I haven't gotten to review any products or entertainment lately, because I'm in the last few weeks of my last semester ever (!!!), but I thought I'd share a couple of the more interesting academic books I've been reading.
First up, for my medieval anorexia paper, I'm enjoying Caroline Walker Bynum's Holy Feast and Holy Fast: The Religious Significance of Food to Medieval Women. I've read one of Bynum's other books before, Fragmentation and Redemption, and I find her style to be very captivating. She takes a point and argues it well, even if I don't necessarily agree with it at first glance (I was a little bemused by her sexualized descriptions of medieval religious art in Fragmentation, but it's not for shock value - she makes good points about how the body was viewed). I find her writing style to be easily "readable" - not at all dry like some academics can be.
Fabulous Feasts, by Madeleine Pelner Cosman, is a really neat book that not only describes eating customs of the medieval era, but includes actual recipes. Ever wanted to know what's in humble pie? Well, apparently it includes tripe, beef broth, wine, cumin, ginger, cinnamon, and vinegar. I don't think I'll rush out to try that one, but there are recipes for dilled veal balls, basil sauce, brie tarts, fried artichokes, and all sorts of other stuff that looks pretty good to this modern cook/history nerd. I get a little thrilled when I think about serving a semi-authentic medieval meal to someone. I wonder if anyone would appreciate it as much as I do?
So there you have it: a little nerdiness, a little history, and a lot of food references. I will, of course, report back if I have a chance to try any of the medieval recipes!
The Memoirs of Helon of Troy caught my eye in the new books section of the library, so I rewarded myself for completing the LSAT and picked it up to read this weekend. I love mythology, I love the story of Helen, and I love history - and the reviews on the book said this was a well-researched book.
The book is written in first person, and follows Helen from her childhood up until the writing of her memoirs, long after Paris is dead. What bothered me about this book is that while Helen feels very three-dimensional - she does good and bad things - is that when it was all said and done, I kind of hated Helen. She abandoned her children for a man she'd known only a few days, she loved the four children she had with Paris more than the others, and she wrote a memoir to her daughter Hermione trying to justify these acts? That didn't sit so well with me. The ending, also, was half-assed, but I won't elaborate on that in case you'd still like to give it a try.
I loved the first half of the book, though - it was full of adventure and Helen as a girl was much more appealing than Helen as an adult. When Helen is kidnapped by the Athenian Theseus and she falls in love with him, the ensuing scenes are hot. It's a little Stockholm Syndrome, sure, but Amanda Elyot writes it well - Helen didn't like her home in Sparta and this was exactly what she had been hoping for - a way to get away from it all. Helen settles into her Athenian life quite easily and her love affair with Theseus is woefully short.
It was also hilarious when Helen, who had children with three men, accused a slave girl of not being able to keep her legs shut, near the end of the book. Come on. COME OOOON.
I can't comment on the historical accuracy of this book, as my ancient mediterranean knowledge is pretty rusty, but it seemed fairly well done. I don't like Elyot's style of using Greek words in dialogue and then defining them in the same sentence. This is supposed to be a memoir to her daughter, who would ostensibly know the language Helen is using.
All in all, I would give it maybe 3 out of 5 stars. It's a fun read, but nowhere near the quality of Anya Seton's Katherine (which I finished, and was quite good) or any of Margaret George's historical fiction novels.
I feel the fashion world needs my input on what they are pushing this season. Please let me help you, designers. First, take a look at this report from Fashion Week and observe the photographs.
Now let me break it down.
1. Your Leggings Are No Longer for the Gym.
No.
2. You’ll Cuddle Up in Roomy Knits.
Can't make me.
3. You’ll Go Into a Cocoon.
I WILL NOT HIDE THE ONLY SKINNY PARTS ON MY BODY WITH GIGANTIC POOFY ANYTHING.
4. You’ll Blow Off Your Blow-out.
Because hats are big, big news.
I don't think so. Hats are for the Hamptons crowd.
5. You’ll Go Mad for Plaid.
Plaids are for slutty Catholic schoolgirls. I am neither slutty, nor Catholic, nor a schoolgirl. I am also not five, nor am I twenty, 5'10", 120lbs, and gifted with cheekbones that could grate cheese. I will not go mad for plaid. I will probably be mad AT plaid.
6. You’ll Show Off Your Ankles.
Why don't you just STAB ME THROUGH THE HEART WITH YOUR POINTY STILETTO ANKLE BOOTS, FASHION WEEK?
7. You’ll Get to Know the Lippi Cat.
Animal prints were out TEN YEARS AGO. I do not look forward to seeing more fat, middle-aged women with angry expressions and severe hairstyles thinking that they are rich and fashionable-looking in animal print. I HATE ANIMAL PRINT.
8. You’ll Wear Color Rarely, But Boldly.
Derek Lam said his collection is “about New York at night, racing through Times Square and catching flashes of color.”
I think I will wear color whenever I please, but I must note that this is the only trend that appeals to me aesthetically, so far.
9. You’ll Find a Velvet Gold Mine.
If wearing those frumpy dresses shown in the picture brings me closer to a naked Christian Bale and Ewan McGregor, I guess I could try them for an evening. Wait, that is what they meant, right?
10. Your New Black Is a Sheer Black.
Tulle is the devil. No one wants to look like they just came back from an 80's mob funeral.
Miss J's grade on Fall 2006 Fashion Trends: F.
Levity aside, I'm really disappointed in the fall trends this year - they're unflattering on 90% of women, and the 10% of women who can pull it off, the rest of the world is busy hating. If you can ruin velvet for me, fashion week - my favorite part of fall! - then you know you're worshipping the 80s a little too much. When I heard that fashion this fall would be dark, vampy, and dramatic, I was excited - but as it turns out, the only parts I'm excited about are the makeup trends. Black, and other rich dark nail colors are in; smokey eyes are big, in different colors; and red lips are back. I love dramatic fall makeup, but I'm afraid that if anyone pairs it with the fall fashion trends, they'll end up looking like they're auditioning for a Siouxie and the Banshees video.
