Archive for » March, 2009 «
Before we get to the good stuff, a tiny rant. Hopefully.
So I’ve just started reading Spine-Breaking Spawn (you might know it as Breaking Dawn) and I have a bad feeling this one’s going to draaaaaaaaaaaaaaaag. I zoomed through the first three back to back. Now that I’ve had months to sit and simmer about how much I’d love to light Bella on fire, I’m sneering by page two.
Speshul snowflake syndrome is immediate with Bella in her shiny new car that Edward gave her as a pre-wedding present. And, of course, everyone’s staring at it. Everyone. Duh. So I’m wondering what it is and my cynical self is thinking a Corolla on steroids or something for all the town’s worth. Yeah, I wasn’t that far off. It’s a Mercedes. How podunk is Forks that everyone stops and gawks at a Mercedes as if they’ve never seen one before? It’s not a Bentley or an Aston Martin or a Bugati. No. A Mercedes. And it’s supposed to be some sooper dooper Mercedes too that so totally isn’t available yet anywhere in the world but of course Edward got it for his prisoner/fiancee. Because she can’t wipe her own ass without tearing out a piece of her colon, the thing’s retrofitted with iron plates and it actually IED-proof. And weights 4,000 pounds. Ok, this isn’t an SUV. It’s a sedan. Hatchback (I think). A sedan. That weighs 4,000 pounds. That thing must suck a half tank of gas every ten feet. I don’t think the old ‘57 Chevys weighed that much and those things were solid steel. So she’s driving a Hitler-approved tank. Awesome.
And of course it just wouldn’t be part of the Twitard world without numerous-yet-similar adjectives describing just how gorgeous and angelic Edward is and how sweet his vampire blood breath smells. Yak. Dude, I’m on, like, page 20. This is so not going to be good. I’ve already picked a corresponding video clip for the spine-breaking spawn part. I heart YouBoob.
Now onto the good part. This is where I was on Saturday night. Share my love with me as we gather round the warm glowing warming glow of the computer screen and listen to Dr. Denis Leary croon–
Insurance class is finally done. I can go back to a normal work week and be normally caught up every day instead of cramming five days worth of work into three with extra hours. Oh thank the gods. And as a reward I’m headed off to Mohegan Sun tonight to drink, gamble and laugh my ass off watching Denis Leary and Adam Ferrara and whomever else is performing in the Rescue Me Comedy Tour. That’s the ultimate unwind right there.
Seeing as I have nothing in the pen to comment on at the moment (my scouring of Publisher’s Weekly hasn’t really given me anything to work with lately, not for this site) and because my brain is still in recovery mode, I’m going to rely on the twitchy Lewis Black to provide today’s commentary. Enjoy.
So I’m participating in Operation Teen Book Drop this year simply because I read about it and thought it was a pretty neat idea. What it really is are the three sites in operation for this mission, readergirlz, GuysLitWire and YALSA, along with a slew of publishers and authors, come together to horde up thousands of books and drop them off to teens interned in children’s hospitals all over the country. What the rest of us do to help is gather up some books and drop them off in public
places for others to grab. Kind of like a secret Santa drop off thing. The drop day is April 16th.
I figured I’d buy up maybe five books and drop them all over the mall since, around here, that’s the most likely place teens will be to snag them. What YA books do you think I should leave around? I think The Luxe by Anna Godberson will be on the list. What else?
Mushed by insurance. I just want this week to be over. One more class and I’m done and I can go back to a normal work week where I’m not in a constant state of catching up and all that’s left is to take my exam. I wanted to take it this Saturday but the earliest I could get it without taking more time off work was next Saturday at 12:30. Better than 8 am. So next Saturday it is. Gives me a little more time to study and I might even get some writing done! Yay! The pile is getting lonely and I think I can hear it whimpering over there in the corner. I’m coming! I swear. Just a little more to go . . .
Narnia . . . where you must say good-bye . . . and where the adventure begins again.
The Unicorn says that humans are brought to Narnia when Narnia is stirred and upset. And Narnia is in trouble now: A false Aslan roams the land. Narnia’s only hope is that Eustace and Jill, old friends to Narnia, will be able to find the true Aslan and restore peace to the land. Their task is a difficult one because, as the Centaur says, “The stars never lie, but Men and Beasts do.” Who is the real Aslan and who is the impostor?
This one officially comes in a close second to THAHS. I was going ‘oh no’ for a good half of the book when the shiesty ape came into power and enslaved all the talking animals and, essentially, destroyed Narnia. But all good things must come to an end, right?
The will of the king and the children to fight in the face of adversity is provoking and encouraging. To stand up for what you believe in when so many people are ready to slaughter you for it is beyond bravery.
What kept this book being my favorite was one pretty minor thing towards the end of the book. Aslan states something long the lines of the good in the world is answered by him and the bad is answered by Tash, the nasty bird-headed god of Calormen. Yeah, not liking that “I’m the best god in the universe and all the rest of them are shit” statement. Yeah, yeah, at least he doesn’t make that god nonexistent but seeing as Aslan makes himself to me the only “good” god, that didn’t sit right with me and my non-church self.
I also spent a good part of the book trying to connect the allegorical dots. Now my education when it comes to all things churchy is pretty much nonexistent. I know the basics and that’s about it. Who are the Calormens supposed to represent? I’ve wanted to say those of Islamic faith since THAHB but considering the animal-headed god, I also want to say Egyptian but the clothes and actions aren’t necessarily matching up.
It was a really good book. The ending was nice and well-rounded but I don’t understand the reason for Susan’s outcast. So, essentially, all of them went to Narnia after they died (heaven) and Susan gets left behind because she likes lipstick? She lost faith in Narnia? She doesn’t get to heaven because she thought it was all a dream? Granted I was upset to read that she’d switched her beliefs in the land but did she not serve as she was supposed to? Apparently that’s just not enough. Aslan’s an all or nothing type of lion.
And one thing that’s been really bugging me, what the deuce is up with thirst and these books? The characters are always thirsty and looking for water to drink, even in the most inopportune moments. Here Eustace was in the middle of battle and complaining to himself about how thirsty he was. Why? I don’t get the significance and why it’s so prominent in all of the books. It got to a point where I thought it was just filler, something else for them to do but I have no idea. It was just so prevalent and at the same time so pointless.
It was a nice end to the series, though, despite its flaws and religious lessons. By this book you’re so entrenched and feeling for Narnia that when it’s destroyed you feel its loss as well.
Eh, why not, right? I recorded this last night and wanted to post it last night but YouBoob wasn’t cooperating with me and I wasn’t able to upload it until this morning. My dog makes a cameo and gives me a kind of WTF? look and then goes off screen. Look for him over my left shoulder. And be sure to turn up your speakers. At first I thought the microphone wasn’t powerful enough but I think I was just talking low.
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