| Monday, January 05, 2004 |
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Book Report
If you've been following this blog, you'll know that I've picked up reading again, thanks to J.D. Salinger, whose Catcher in the Rye I've yet to read. Here's a rundown of books I've read recently, and I don't care if I bore you!! HAHA!! XP
The Man with the Dancing Eyes by Sophie Dahl
Do you know she's Roald Dahl's granddaughter? (And she's the plus-sized model who did the really controversial Opium perfume ad where she posed naked and stuff. I think she's quite spunky, really, though I'm in no way for naked modelling...so call me a prude! xP) That's really why I borrowed this out of curiousity. Well, it's hardly a book. You can't even call it a novella. It's so short I finished it in half an hour, hardly enough to get acquainted with any of the characters enough to even like them. It doesn't draw you in, make you feel concerned and involved. At the end, I thought, gee, so typical. Fairytale ending. Boring. One thing that struck me, though, was this line: "Pierre shrugged innocently as Mr Beaney began to laugh, and surrendered to the feeling of being swept away by something much bigger than she." The something here is this guy...and I thought, Gee...why not God? He's inifinitely more reliable than another human...last gripe, the books had all these "artsy" drawings...that, well, I couldn't really appreciate.
The Christmas Letters by Lee Smith
Really good. The kind of book one can imagine being made into a movie. Basically chronicles the lives of three generations through Christmas letters written by three women (Letter writing is not a man thing? I don't think I've even had a male friend send me a personal email!), grandmother, mother, daughter. Somewhere down the middle I thought, Ok, waaaay too much sap even for me...where's the drama?? Where's the bad news?? Where got this kind of fairytale one?? Then it came. Divorce, infidelity...haha. Though I don't agree with some of the views of the author (Cohabiting before marriage is ok????) it was a nice read. Real.
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Fantastic, tragically beautiful. I really like the language and description. Somehow (I'm being picky), but I think I prefer writers past as compared to contemporary writers...especially European ones. I don't know, they're somehow more interesting and...tortured? Neurotic? Lol. I probably have not read enough to make any credible comments on modern writers, but sometimes it's like they insert a sex scene just for the sake of it. Ok, I've totally digressed. Anyway, The Great Gatsby belongs on a Must-Read List.
Pet Peeves or Whatever Happened to Doctor Rawff?? by ?? (Can't remember)
I found this in the Orchard library, and when I'd finished reading it I was thinking, What is a children's book doing there?? Well, it's kinda funny but just totally ridiculous...more for primary school kids. Where's the storyline??
And this is not really a book...
The Far Side Gallery by Gary Larson
It's actually a collection of comic strips. I found it unfunny, tasteless and offensive. It might suit you if you have a twisted sense of humour and you find...erm, giant insects funny??
The Heroic Life of Al Capsella by J. Clarke
Funny and amusing in a low-key manner. I think teens can identify. You know how there's this saying that adults can never imagine what being a child/teenager is like even though they were once one? Not this author. The blurb: "All Al Capsella wants is to be normal. But in spite of his heroic effort, he faces a crippling pair of obstacles: his parents."
Choice cuts: "I explained patiently that parents didn't walk to Parent-Teacher Night; they went in cars. If you wanted to take a walk, then you did it on Sunday afternoons, along the jogging tracks in the reserve.
"And I suppose you wear Adidas tracksuits," said Mrs. Capsella scornfully.
Mr. Capsella stood on the pavement with a puzzled expression on his face. He didn't know what we were going on about; he honestly didn't have a clue. "What does Adidas mean?" he asked.
Touching, too. For despite Al's seeming nonchalance (like how he calls them Mr. and Mrs. Capsella, as if they weren't really related) and exasperation with his parents, he does care about them. Don't we all? =)
Currently Reading...
Health and Happiness by Diane Johnson
"From the bestselling author of Le Divorce" it says on the cover. Well, ok lah. What I wanted was Le Divorce, but the library by White Sands seems to only carry two books by Diane Johnson. So I borrowed this...well-researched, definitely. Blurb extract: "Here is one woman's harrowing and hilarious journey through America's perilous health-care system amidst our never ending quest for health and happiness." I'm aware that I've been rather critical so far, and I havent' finished the book, but I don't get it. What's so hilarious. And the sex scene is pointless. "Thickly juicy". Yuck. That's just so crass and crude. Ok, so it's tons better than all those trashy romance novels that are more like soft porn that are actually available in libraries. Still. Well, that's one thing to pick on. The other thing is over-flaunting of the research. Not every reader know what a thrombosis is, and there's hardly any explanation. I took Bio., so I know, but I don't know what is "auxillary". No explanation whatsoever. Can get rather tedious because of this. I should just borrow Le Divorce from somewhere.
Hello, you still there?? *prod* Oi, asleep ah?? |
posted by esther @ 2:10 AM  |
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