Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman

I have to say that I enjoyed this book much more than The Magicians from last week.

While it was a bit confusing in the beginning, what with the seemingly random anansi stories and random character backgrounds, you learn later that it all has a point.

I see this book as a supernatural-godlike-people-meets-Mary-Higgins-Clark type of book. And I love some of her books, so once I understood that everyone mentioned for more than a paragraph had a significant, but hidden, part in the plot I really got into it.

The parts when Fat Charlie comepairs his fiance’s mother to a vampire where so funny at points that I would start laughing out loud. Of course this caused the rest of my hall mates to ask if I was alright since to them I suddenly crack up while working on some sculpture homework. (I was listening to the audiobook since I had no time for reading this week.) They would also question me when I would start saying random words under my breath. In this case I would be repeating some of the lines or words from the audiobook since it is both written and spoken in British English. This makes it very difficult not to make a sound when you hear one of the characters repeating the word ‘bullocks’ over and over again.

Spider was my favorite character. Sure he’s a jerk for a while, a huge arrogant jerk, but if tell me you don’t feel sorry for him when he’s with the bird woman then I say you aren’t human.

Alright, now let’s look at it as a book. The chapters are long. Even on audiobook I could tell that they were long. There were 14 chapters and 10 hours of book, and I know that the edition in our library is about 400 pages.

I liked that they had a concluding chapter, where you learn everyone’s ending and don’t get left to make up your own story. Let’s compair it to Harry Potter. At the end on the seventh book of the Harry Potter series you get Harry going to look for a place to sleep then a 19 year jump to when all other their kids go to school. This led to hundreds of different fan-created stories to try to explain how everything went back together after having been shattered with the final battle. In Anansi Boys you get and explanation for everyone as well as an epilogue for Charlie and his new family. This I feel is better because I know that most of the true Harry Potter fans are still very annoyed that there is no explanation.

So there is Anansi Boys. I defiantly recommend it if you are looking for a good book.

Labyrinth (dir. Jim Henson 1986)

Gosh, I haven’t seen this movie in years!

And I’m not sure I want to see it again for a few more.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s a good more for the 1980’s, but the girl complains so much that it just got annoying.

If you look at this movie in comparison to the topic of the week, spiritual education, then yes it does fit. Yeah, it’s not what you would first think of (Harry Potter) but it does have magic in it and teaches you that life isn’t fair and you can’t always take things for what they seem.

My favorite character is Ludo. If I had to choose between the three helper characters, only Ludo would be the one I wouldn’t mind taking home with me. I mean, what is she going to do with a goblin, at least Ludo can summon rocks, and he can be a giant teddy bear!

I do feel bad for the Goblin King though. He was only dong his job, and in the end many of his people go and live with the girl. 

That’s not fair.

If you were to compare this to The Magicians then I have to say that a few things. 1) The magic in the movie is less obvious. 2) The movie is on it’s own. It seems to have little to no influence from outside sources and defiantly does not reference other stories in it. 3) The movie’s plot and conflict are very easy to identify unlike the book.

While this is the required movie for the week, the in class movie and discussion is Harry Potter, much more magic related.

At any rate the movie was good. However, I would say that it is a movie to watch because of the characters and techniques of it rather than the relation to the topic at hand.

The Magicians by Lev Grossman

To those who enjoy reading books about magic, you will want to check out this book.

Okay, I say that it’s good but be forewarned, the story moves kind of slow. I mean it took literally more than half the book to find out what the conflict is in the story. I read one hundred pages the first day and when my dad asked me that night what is was about I said that it’s about a boy who goes to a college of magic but other than that I had no idea.

I will say though that I like how some parts are written. 

In the book they talk about a series that the main character loves and they way to that world is very similar to that in The Chronicles of Narnia. If you even look at the cover you can see similarities between it and The Magician’s Nephew.

But it’s not this points that I enjoyed. Rather, the other elements that were in reference to things like Quidditch in Harry Potter or hobbit-holes from The Lord of the Rings. What was awesome (at least in my opinion) was that he didn’t try to cover it up like some writer’s do, but rather made sure you got the reference by pointing it out to you. In the end he mentioned Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, Chronicles of Narnia, Scooby-doo, Star Treck, and The Lorax - at least those are the ones that I remember.

Every time that I would come across one of them I would smile and think that that was exactly what I was thinking about too. Half the reason why I kept reading the book when it got really slow was to find the next culture reference in it.

So, in the end it’s a good book, just a bit slow for me. If I want to read the next one in the series I will most likely find and audio book of it and see if that makes it move any quicker.

Well, 6 down, 10 to go.

Time Bandit (dir. Terry Gilliam 1981)

Okay, I wasn’t expecting that.

The movie was rather odd. Like I said, not something I expected. After reading the Hobbit, seeing that the in class movie is the Lord of the Rings, and knowing that the topic is heroic journey - I expected something more similar to the others, and this movie is so not like LotR.

Shall I compare the two?

Let’s start with the basics - Plot. The Hobbit’s plot line was esaplished within the first chapter - they’re going to the Lonely Mountain to kill Smaug and get back their gold. Time Bandit, well, that is a bit confusing. I mean the thieves were looking to steal things, the boy was tenthly looking for a way home, but even that just made for a jumpy plot - the goals changing for each world.

Characters. Each had a group of people that was our main focus. Each having a leader and one that was more sensible then the rest. In the Hobbit the leader was Thorin, the sensible one Bilbo the main group being 14 whenever Gandalf was not there - 7 dyeing. Time Bandit had the guy with the map as the leader, the boy as the sensible one, the group being 7 altogether - no one dyeing. 

The Ending. The Hobbit ended with the knowledge that the Lord of the Rings was to follow. Time Bandit ended with the boy thinking it was a dream only to have pictures and have his house destroyed and parents blown up by evil. Not every nice.

Well, that’s the major parts of it. 

I did enjoy that the same couple kept appearing in different times and always got interrupted.

My favorite would would have to be the one where the boy was ‘adopted.’ Felt bad that he was dragged out - would have been better off staying there after what ended up happening to his parents.

Anyway, there is the movie.

Next week we have no class so I technically don’t have to read this week, but I think I will so I don’t have to worry about falling behind later in the semester if it gets really busy.

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

Oh my goodness, I love Tolkien!

Okay, calming down. I admit I have read The Hobbit, as well as The Lord of the Rings, before. However, that was back in sixth grade - getting through all 4 books in two and a half months - I figured it was long enough ago that I could read it again.

And I did, and boy did it make me crave to watch everything again. I don’t mean just the movies, I’m talking about the extended editions of the Lord of the Rings, the countless hours of behind the scenes they have, the National Geographic “Beyond the Movie” DVD of the Lord of the Rings, even the Hobbit animated movie from 1977.

Anyway, the book. The copy that I read was my own personal copy published in 1996 with illustrations in it done by J.R.R. Tolkien himself. On the beginning flap of the cover slip is the description as well as the age range written for, the Hobbit id for all ages. From that I do firmly say that it is on the list of ‘Must Read Books Before You Die.’ 

Some basics. The Hobbit, the accurately dubbed a book for all. Getting though the book is quite easy and enjoyable. The longest chapters are in the middle, allowing you to be sufficiently engrossed in the book too much to really notice or care. The wording is simple, not too much though that you fell like you’re reading a child’s book, yet not wordy enough to confuse you.

On top of reading the book I also listened to the audio book - dramatized. It was quite entertaining. The audio was only 4.5 hours long, just enough time to complete a homework assignment. It was, however, not exactly word for word the book - but neither was it abridged, at least in my opinion. In my experience, abridged is when sections of the book are simply cut out all together. This version, while they did leave stuff out, shortened the cut information giving you only the necessities of it. On top of that, it was dramatized for crying out loud! It had different voices, sound effects, background music, basically a narrated movie without the visual. 

If you love Tolkien as mush as I, check it out.

I also watched the 1977 animated movie of the Hobbit. I’ve seen it before - actually I own a copy at home - but it’s been some time. It’s okay. If you watch it, remember that it’s 1977 and not Disney - so don’t expect the animation of be awesome. It’s funny the way the portray some for the characters. Elrond is okay I guess, but Gollum - why is he green? He use to be similar to a hobbit before he got the ring. Smog - why does he have hair where most illustrators would put spikes? Makes him look like a flying snake/cat thing. And finally - the wood-elves of Mirkwood. Thank goodness Peter Jackson didn’t look to this movie for ideas of the elves. Can you imagine Legolas looking like that?! (For all you who don’t get it Legolas is prince of the Mirkwood elves - thus the reason he’s there. If you didn’t know everyone is a royal - Legolas a prince, Gimli a prince, Aragorn an heir [though there to represent the rangers], Boamir son of the steward who is acting king till the throne is claimed, then we have Gandalf, Frodo, and Bilbo - but they’re special.)

Back to books. The Hobbit is a must read, the rest of the series...I understand if you can’t do it. Compared to the Hobbit it is much more wordy and the books have a lot more government/political information - even additional battles - that the movies never mention. Not that I fault them for it. The movies are amazing and the parts changed and deleted are fine with me. For instance, Saruman and Wormtong don’t die at Isengard. They escape and go to the Shire were they wage war upon the hobbits and when the four heros return from their adventure to Mordor they must lead the hobbits to regain their freedom. As I said I don’t mind that that whole thing was cut. However, the scene added in the extended addition of Return of the King during the celebration after Helms Deep when Gimli get Legolas to compete in a drinking game...WOODLAND ELVES DRINK! That is how Bilbo and the dwarfs escape, because they got drunk. Yet in the scene he acts like he’s clueless saying things like “I think it is effecting me.” Oh shut up. 

ha...ha....ha. So, um, yeah - that part annoys me.

Anyway, the’s the Hobbit - the book, audio book, and animated movie. Read it before you die, I insist. And go see the movie Peter Jackson is making when it comes out.

A Wild Sheep Chase by Haruki Murakami continue

So I finished the book today, told you I would. Anyway, the conclusion was very strange and the ending was almost nonexistent. I class we compared this book with Alice in Wonderland - perfect comparison. If you ever pick up this book and get confused, just keep reading because if you back up you'll only confuse yourself more.

Well, that's all I have to say for that book. Good bye horror, hello fantasy!

A Wild Sheep Chase by Haruki Murakami

I enjoyed the book. Okay, really I didn’t read it - I’ve been listening to it on audio book but sometimes that just makes it even better, depending on the reader. And truthfully I still have 2 hours left which I plan to get though tomorrow after lunch - so this post will be shorter then the others until I post the second part of my thoughts tomorrow.

But so far this is what I think.

If you’re like me and find that sitting around for hours reading a book if not enjoyable unless with certain books, then I highly recommend audiobooks. Often it will take less time and you will be able to get other things done as well. And depending on the reader you might be given different voices for the different characters (really if you love the Harry Potter books rent the audiobooks sometime - Jim Dale is an amazing reader).

So yes I listened to the audiobook, it helps with time management and getting around all those Japanese names.

But I digress.

The book in itself I wouldn’t classify as horror either. True I’m not done and it might turn out like Audition and turn into a light slasher type in the end, but from where I stand now it seems more like a mystery novel. But I’ll let you know my final call tomorrow afternoon.

It took me a while to understand what the book was about. For a while I thought that it was about the girl who died in the beginning since we say the past relationship she had with the main character. And the part with the guy and the ear model out to eat talking about her “real ears” two things: 1) I kept laughing out loud completely confusing this other boy out in the commons. 2) The way she talked about the way she hid her true ears reminded me of a scene from Star Girl when she talks about doing absolutely nothing.

Anyway, that’s all you’re getting for now. I’ll tell you tomorrow about the rest of the book.

So next week is Heroic Journey and for the reading we have The Hobbit! I love J.R.R. Tolkien and I can guarantee that next week there will be an extra long entry about the book and the movies since we are to talk about them in class. But that’s all next week. Until then you’ll have to settle with this.

(I said it would be shorter but it’s really long, oh well)