Synopsis: Back of the book had a good (interesting, promising) synopsis but I can't find it online. Will update later.
Remarks: I think the mark of a good book (or read) is that the author fully fleshes out the characters and their motivations for most (if not all) of their actions, feelings, thoughts. I'm extremely fussy about this - this and you know .. short stories that end just to end at page #10.
After the death of her husband, Etsuko, lives with her husband's family - consisting of her father-in-law and her brother/sister-in-laws, along with the servant boy Saburo and a servant girl Mxxx (name - forgot!).
For a reason, which isn't quite explained fully, her sibling-in-laws dislike her. This is never explained - this intense immediate dislike they have for her - besides a stray one-line sentence about how they dislike how she is too graceful, refined and it insults them because they are not. Etsuko senses this but does not let it show and acts with full of respect, grace and performs her duty every day. This plot point? It would have been great if it went into detailed and showed how living in such an environment affected her.
Her father-in-law of course takes an unhealthy interest towards her and acts on it once he gets his opportunity. She feels it is her "duty" to succumb to his advances every night. He is just a randy old bastard who suddenly in the later sections of the book wants to see her happy or wants her to want him [how likely]. Their relationship should have been a pivotal part of the plot but it is surprisingly not.
Etsuko finds escape from all of this by daydreaming about the servant boy Saburo. She starts obsessing about him - although in a very faraway discreet manner. Her infatuation with him, the reasons for it and why it kept escalating is entirely implausible and confusing.
Saburo himself? Seemed like a very weak character - weak drawn and weak in itself. To all her (tame) advances, he basically shrugs them off. If he was a man in this day and age he'd just go "Whatever ..". You don't see why Etsuko would ever find anything to like in him. You don't see why Saburo didn't have alarm bells dinging in his head about why this woman is taking an interest in him - again with the "Whatever .." attitude. He is like that with everything, everyone in his life.
For example in the beginning, she gives him socks after noticing that his were worn - he throws them away immediately .. in the trash .. in the house. Why? he says something about how it is improper but just smiles sheepishly when she asks him about it and tells him she found it in a trash and it is so disrespectful. They then have a mini tug of war over the sock. I'll shut up about the sock now but that's how infuriating their conversations, interactions were.
Her relationship with her husband was problematic - he had extramarital affairs, he died a painful death from some illness (i forgot, it's been awhile since I read it). But she still wanted his love so perhaps this is why she let herself be used by her father-in-law and allowed herself to believe in this fantasy of love with Saburo. "Thirst for love"? Get it? :)
Anyway we wend our way through this somewhat convulted (but thankfully short) plot. Yakichi (name? father-in-law) likes Etsuko and expects that she will like him one day somehow. Etsuko likes Saburo. Saburo knocks up servant girl. Yet Saburo feels nothing for anyone/anything. Then we get to the shocking ending. Shocking in its utter suddenness - like literally out of left field, which is easily rectified in like .. 5 seconds. Then everyone goes off into the very vague sunset. Yakichi gets what he wants. Etsuko remains listless like so but is bound to Yakichi from that point on.
I'm being vague too but then no one would read the book if I told them about the exact ending right? :) Although maybe no one should read this. It's one of Mishima's first books and everything is very raw - it's more like an outline with so many different plot points here there .. but nothing expounded.
Rating: 1 out of 5
After reading about 2 (or 3) of Palahniuk's books I am done. His style is always the same - and annoying. I find his books the most difficult to read and get through. Unfortunately I have two more of his books on the bookshelf to read .. ugh!
Promptly sold this off since I didn't want it on my shelf any more. As cheap as possible to get it off my hands.
2. Fragile Things - Neil Gaiman
A collection of short stories but I found them extremely lacking. All the typical things about short stories that I hate - unresolved, quick endings (just to end them, like on a dime).
Did not find even one story noteworthy.
3. Bone: The Great Cow Race (Vol. 2) - Jeff Smith
More Bone! In colour. Gosh really really love these.
4. I Am A Cat - Natsume Soseki
New favorite author? Definitely.
One of the best books I've read - and it's something I can see myself re-reading often. You'll find yourself laughing out loud or chuckling a lot. Very witty and pompous little observations by the cat.
5. Animal Farm - George Orwell
One of those must-read classics.
Very quick read. Didn't find it too compelling - and a little simple, but that was perhaps the point with all the different layers and such.
More Bone! No need for a review.
The thickest volume so far .. and a real steal at like RM 35 - 40.
1984 - George Orwell
One of those "must-read" classics everyone tells you about.
It
thankfully was not disappointing (major disappointment in that class of
classics you must read because it's sooo good, omg = Catcher in the Rye
-- i actually burned the book because it was so slim and I paid so much
for it .. which doesn't make sense but .. that's how much it pissed me
off)
This book was a good read but have to admit that I wish
I had read it earlier - we've now been spoiled with loads of sci-fi
movies/books that all take elements from this book.
Mishima's Sword - Christopher Ross
I'm not a huge fan of Mishima, the author or person, although I did go through quite a bit of his work in the past few months.
This book surprised me because it was well .. interesting. I like to call it a travel book that just happened to have a quest to find Mishima's sword - yes that exact sword.
It has some insight into Mishima (the man, the author) but not so much for something that has his name boldly as the title of the book. Nothing new - that you haven't read about him online -- so if you're a major Mishima fan then you may not enjoy this so much.
Sky Burial - Xinran
A bittersweet little love story.
It's quite short - the pages just fly by since there's huge spacing at
the edges of pages, wide spacing, short chapters - but you'll be
completely absorbed by the story.
Tells the tale of a woman
who travels to Tibet, looking for her husband who after a week/days of
their marriage disappears. She does not lose hope or give up, thinking
that God cannot possibly rip him away from her after such a short time
of happiness. She will not come back or give up hope .. until she finds
him.
Y: The Last Man - Motherland [#9]
Second last of the series - if it goes according to plan, i'm new to graphic novels so I'm not sure how that works.
Lots of things are revealed in this one, so it cannot be missed.
You can see how they're going to wrap things up. Cannot wait.
Bone: Out From Boneville [#1]
I'm so glad I picked this
up. It's perfect. Very much like the stuff I used to read when I was a
kid - Asterix, Tin Tin etc. Some people may find it too simple but I
love it. The dialogue is great as well.
Also if you do want to pick this up, do not buy the one-volume edition or the older editions. You must read them in full colour!
April 2007
It's been awhile since I read this. Do remember that I read it very quickly - in one evening. And possibly as such did not enjoy it as much as I should.
Could not connect to the writing style - or the chaptering. I hate short chapters.
My brother really loved it though.
Another one of these expose (omg, how shocking!) type books. It's about the hotel industry and how you the guest won't know what's actually going on in the hotel - or in your room, before it gets "sanitized" right before you check-in.
The author decides to create a fictional hotel, with fictional staff.
As such there isn't a particular story here but the staff act as a narrator - for example, they'll all crowd around the concierge as he tells a tale about Guest X who checked in that one time and did something sordid/naughty/funny. Or the actual narrator, the guy who works at the front desk, sees something that reminds him of an event that happened sometime back.
Didn't like it honestly. It was so tough to plod through.
Sgt. Frog - Volume 9
The English-translated version of Keroro.
I can't quite get into it because the very "English-speaking" slang going on, so much so that I can't equate Keroro with Sgt. Frog (ever)
Thought it was pretty spot on. I am that practical (boring) .. live in my head (theories, thoughts) .. small circle of loved ones .. like alone time etc. Used to think (when I was younger) that it was such a bad thing but you know, I kind of like the person I'm turning out to be .. even if she is boring/practical and what-not. Being me is not (and never was) a bad thing unlike what certain people made it out to be.
I also like how it's somewhat contradictory - my personality. To get this twice (in both)
- Your independent streak allows you to make decisions efficiently and to trust your instincts
Independent streak? Moi? I thought it was stubbornness aka "You were such a stubborn little girl". My mom will always tell me that I'm stubborn. Ever since I can remember. She'll tell me that the reason why I have two "parts" in my hair i.e. where your hair .. umm .. swirls from. It's like a sign of stubbornness she says (like an old wives tale sort of thing). Har har mom - and no after close to 30 years it still isn't less funny to everyone.
So take the test .. and tell me what you got. Did it fit?
Have not posted on Vox in awhile .. and basically you know what that means. I've not been reading! Not completely cold turkey .. though maybe there was a 3 week stretch where I didn't read at all - got caught up in other stuff. Guess 3 books in a month doesn't count as "not reading" anyways since it's way past the national average anyways, eh? :)
April 2007
- Perfume - Patrick Suskind
- I Am Muslim - Dina Zaman
- Hotel Babylon - Imogen Edward-Jones
- Sgt. Frog - Vol. 10 (manga)
May 2007
- Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
- Mishima's Sword - Christopher Ross
Book buying. Have been stellar with it .. as in, not buying any books at all. Actually headed to the Big Bookshop Sale a few weeks ago, browsed everything and didn't pick a single book up. Afterwards sitting in the car it hit me .. "Did I just do that?". Have not headed to the numerous book sales either. Have not stepped into a bookshop in a long long time.
I have sort of been focusing my energy into other things - as well as my wallet! - but maybe that's not a good excuse to put off reading right?
Apologize (again) for the lack of updates .. mostly I have been busy with so many things [good, ALL good!] that I haven't been able to read. I did finish one book about two weeks ago or so - Hotel Babylon which I read in about 2 days. Have not picked up another book since.
For April .. I only read 3 books .. how horrible. There's no excuses for not reading during the drive to work .. since I just tend to stare into space :) Maybe I need that time to clear my thoughts since I need to focus it all elsewhere when I get home .. who knows .. but I can't seem to get back to reading regularly.
The goal of reading War & Peace? Seriously .. the only thing it's ever given me is two of these deep knocks onto both of my thumbnails (and on one index finger) .. and so these three have a weird notch on the nail [i so hate those!].
I was on a reading break hence no updates here [sorry about that].
I did read I Am Muslim by Dina Zaman yesterday. It was interesting and I read it in about 2 hours (late). You can guess why lately I don't seem to read i.e. late nights = no mood to read in the car in the mornings or on the way home (when I'm thinking about the workout I have to do once I get home). That's also another reason why I don't read in the evenings. Weekend reading is also non-existent since I've been excessively busy with loads of other things.
This is a badly written post. I am out of .. blogging .. mojo.
Books Read
1. Perfume - The Story of a Murderer - Partick Suskind
2. I Am Muslim - Dina Zaman
Movies Watched (that I can remember)
1- Perfume
Still dislike the ending, though I dislike the movie 10x more .. it just twisted it up completely. Grenouille was never about people (or women, desiring them .. he does not even see them as people) so the final flash when he's making love to his "first" was wrong - and it gave everyone a whole other picture of why he made things end the way he did i.e. he was heartbroken at never being loved/belonging (so wrong!).
2 - The Holiday
Soooo good. Love Kate Winslet. Hate Jack Black (could they not have gotten anyone else for Kate?). The stories were all mushy too-cute junk .. but it felt good to watch.
3 - The Black Dahlia
Horrid. Waste of time.
4 - RV
More enjoyable than #3 if you believe it
5 - The Guardian
Pretty good despite not ever being a fan of Mr. Kutcher - he totally tones it down and he can actually not act in his usual "acting" manner.
6 - The Prestige
A little slow in some bits but so very very good.
7 - Hollywoodland
Pretty good too
8 - Epic Movie
Entertaining although it's somewhat flat and not as entertaining as compared to Scary Movie 1 - 4 (or more?)
9 - When a Stranger Calls
It could have ended in maybe 5 minutes if the girl had any brains but then of course there would not be a story. It was entertaining nonetheless.
10 - The Benchwarmers
Uhh .. no ...
11 - Bloodrayne
Uhh .. double no ...
Synopsis: Survivor, genius, perfumer, killer: this is Jean-Baptiste Grenouille. He is abandoned on the filthy streets of Paris as a child, but grows up to discover he has an extraordinary gift: a sense of smell more powerful than any other human's. Soon, he is creating the most sublime fragrances in all the city. Yet, there is one odour he cannot capture. It is exquisite, magical: the scent of a young virgin. And, to get it, he must kill. And kill. And kill...
Remarks: It was a good easy read. The author definitely has a way with words and knows how to write.
About the content? I've read books with stranger, weirder, more grotesque characters so it didn't quite bother me .. that the protagonist of the book was someone "unlikeable" [some people could not get past this, it seems as the reviews show].
What didn't work for me was the implausibility of certain things - how the scent of a virgin, budding woman would be so intoxicating to Grenouille. I ignored this little factoid most of the time .. because if not it would annoy me - it's strange how it's a major part of the plot but it's not that important (i feel) since I was more interested in Grenouille exploring and perfecting his craft.
Even worse is how later on how it totally bewitched the crowd to the point of insanity. The final segment of the book just went downhill for me from that point on.
It's a good book but not great.
Rating: 4 / 5
Currently Reading: - Watership Down by Richard Adams
List of Completed Books (2007) - #18
Synopsis: As the dramatic climax of The Sea of Fertility, The Decay of the Angel brings together the dominant themes of the three previous novels: the meaning and decay of Japan's courtly tradition and samurai ideal; the essence and value of Buddhist philosophy and aesthetics; and, underlying all, Mishima's apocalyptic vision of the modern era, which saw the dissolution of the moral and cultural forces that throughout the ages nourished a people and a world.
The time is the late
1960's. Honda, now an aged and wealthy man, discovers and adopts a
sixteen year old orphan, Toru, as his heir, identifying him with the
tragic protagonists of the three previous novels, each of whom died at
the age of twenty. Honda raises and educates the boy, yet watches him,
waiting.
Remarks: Liked the conclusion to the series although much prefer the previous books, this did not seem to be the best one in my opinion.
One thing I'm not sure I get is .. in the final few pages .. Honda goes to meet the Abbess of Gesshu (Satoko from Spring Snow), and basically .. with one line, makes you rethink every single thing that's happened in the past 4 books! It didn't feel like a cop-out or feel like you've had the rug pulled out from under you .. but .. well, I'm still trying to go back and digest all I've read (again) .. and "get" the ending. Maybe it's not something to get .. which makes it absolutely brilliant.
I loved the friendship (or obsession) Honda has with Kiyoaki. I tend to think of it more as a friendship, that he can't get his friend out of his mind or that his friend is not too far away from his thoughts. When he, an 80+ year old man, climbs up towards the temple .. he wants to do it on his own - just as Kiyoaki had done so and suffered as he did when he was 20. The only single thing that's been constant in his life, that he's actually felt something for (not in the way, but read my previous reviews about the other books) .. is Kiyoaki - who he basically knew for just a handful of years. I loved that.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Sea of Fertility
- Spring Snow - 400 pages
- Runaway Horses - 421 pages
- The Temple of Dawn - 352 pages
- The Decay of the Angel - 240 pages
Note - this is probably the final book I'll read for this whole "1-year reading challenge" (unless I finish with Perfume in about 2 days - up to page 60+ from this morning .. so maybe). This makes it a total of 102 books in 365 days. Not too shabby.
List of Completed Books (365 days) - #102
List of Completed Books (2007) - #17
Recent Comments
-
SengMing said:
pointing out the sense of alienation, loneliness, me vs. the world in most of Murakami's books and characters?yeaps you got... read more
on Quickie Reviews - May 2007 -
justlena said:
I think it has everything to do with whether you can relate or "get" Holden - I couldn't identify with... read more
on Quickie Reviews - May 2007 -
SengMing said:
But I imagine that my first reading when I was a coming of age male has a lot to do... read more
on Quickie Reviews - May 2007 -
DMBainbridge said:
Wow, very interesting opinion on The Catcher in the Rye. I actually love that book. But I imagine that my... read more
on Quickie Reviews - May 2007
Just bought this the other day and was so happy reading it. Thanks for the tip. It does look so... read more
on Bone Volume 1: Out From Boneville