Me and the Devil

I was pretty excited about this book when I read about it in a magazine. The magazine of course sang its praises and talked about how edgy and controversial it was going to be. Even the cover has quotes from various celebrities touting it almost as a crash course in philosophy, with pearls of wisdom that will forever alter one's perception of the world around him or her. I may be exaggerating slightly in terms of the praise, but it definitely preset some high expectations. My first clue should have been that the praise was not coming from book reviews, but from celebrities who were probably friends with the author. 

The book was incredibly disappointing. Basically, the narrator, Tosches, doing the whole Bret Easton Ellis a la _Lunar Park_ meta - narrative thing, is dissatisfied with his life. He is aging and living to die. Oh, and he's also cooking really fancy food and wearing really nice clothes while doing it. It is rather mysterious that he has no income, except from writing royalties. Hopefully the novels the narrator wrote were better than this one. Suddenly, and for no logical reason whatsoever, he meets girls at bars who are interested in him. They also like to be bitten in the thighs and allow him to drink their blood. Apparently, all it takes is to quote some obscure Latin philosophy and tell them about it. Once that happens, it's carpe diem baby. If you're single, take note. This is sage dating advice. But be direct. Nothing is more awkward than an unwanted bite in the thigh.

As blood - sucking and manipulating young virgins (in one case) is not exactly healthy behavior, he spends the rest of the novel dealing with the effects of what he has done / is doing. He would also like to tell you how much he has read, how much food he likes to cook, how much he spends on all of this, and how much philosophy he knows.

I found this less a novel than the ramblings of a guy trying to show off his knowledge. I felt that throughout the book he was trying to get me into bed and drink my blood, just like the girls. Pagan rituals are an interesting plot device, but they must go somewhere. These went nowhere. So, no, Mr. Tosches, I won't follow you back to your apartment, no matter how delicious your food is.

2/5

Harry Potter: The Final Two Books

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows


Hello everyone!  I hope you had a great holiday and an excellent start to 2012!  Although it's supposed to be the end of mankind in a mere 11 months, I must say that it's been an auspicious start.  I can't wait to see what happens this year!

So, I finished both of these books quickly while on my break from school.  I've already posted a review about the first five books, but as I already mentioned, I picked these two up after an almost seven year hiatus.  I absolutely loved both of them.

I know I probably approached this whole series, especially the conclusion, incorrectly.  I took almost all of the mystery out of the books.  I saw The Half-Blood Prince on HBO over the summer and was fairly underwhelmed.  Seeing the movie probably delayed my finishing the series earlier.  I will say that I enjoyed the movie much more after reading the book, though.  The penultimate novel in the series mostly deals with Harry learning about Voldemort's past, and most of it had to be left out of the movie.  However, knowing the extended back story helped me appreciate the elements that were preserved in the movie.  

The interesting part of this series is that I actually liked the sixth book more after reading The Deathly Hallows.  I appreciated how important Snape was, and really understood what an awesome character Rowling created.  I would argue that Snape is the best character in the entire series.  If you decide to read this, it doesn't become apparent until near the end, but he's actually become one of my favorite characters ever, not just in the Harry Potter books.  While the conflict between Harry and Voldemort takes center stage, Snape's revealed role in all of it is poignant without being a club to the head, and was revealed gradually throughout the series.  It's clear that Rowling knew how this whole series would end before it did, and her writing to achieve such an amazing conclusion should be discussed more.  Of course, I can't discuss it here because I don't want to give it away.  But, if you would like to have a conversation about it, leave a comment!

Because it's so late in the series, I don't want to spend any time reviewing any of the plot.  Really, just read them.  As a former literary snob, this series will make you remember how much fun reading can be, and when it's done well, how much it can teach you about yourself.  I spent years thinking this was essentially a children's book.  While it does not contain the literary content of something like a Joyce or Tolstoy novel, the story is fantastic with a clear sense of voice, a complicated story line, and incredible characterization.

Just like everyone else, I was sad to let Harry and the gang move on to finer literary pastures.  It would be great to continue reading, but just like a Friends reunion show, continuing after such a strong ending and regular season, so to speak, inevitably taints the series if the sequel isn't extraordinary. 


All I can say is that I hope I can share these books with my children some day.  Provided, of course, that they aren't literary snobs too.

The First Five Harry Potter Books

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix


Having just read the final two books in the series, I feel that it's important to rehash some of my feelings about the first five books.  I read all of these books in the summer of 2004, over what probably amounted to one month total of reading nothing but Harry Potter.  Let's say July.  These books became popular around the time I started high school, and of course got progressively more popular as the series continued.  I read all five of them in a rush, got burned out (probably), and did not finish the series until yesterday afternoon.  So, the following section is not necessarily a review of the books, per se, but a self-examination about the gap that occurred between finishing Order of the Phoenix in 2004 and finishing The Deathly Hallows at the end of 2011.

My career as a reader, especially as someone who enjoys reading and enjoys tackling challenging books (with the exception of Ulysses, which I have read but still do not understand) has, unfortunately until recently, been marked by a fair amount of snobbery.  This is not something in which I take pride, but for which I must take responsibility.  My views of Harry Potter, even in 2001 when I read the first book the first time, were really no different.  I generally enjoy the fantasy genre, but any book I read will be compared to Tolkien's work.  I can't help it.  Knowing that this book was written for children, and having that reaffirmed after having actually read it, caused me to look down my nose at the series and any future contributions to the series by Rowling.  Sure, it's entertaining, but is it Lord of the Rings?

In 2004, I decided to go for it.  One of my good friends couldn't stop talking about it, so I read them.  Truthfully, I couldn't put them down.  The Goblet of Fire is easily my favorite of the five mentioned above, and I think I read it in three days.  Then came the unfortunate Order of the Phoenix.  I read it quickly, but at the end I realized I hated it.  The final battle scene is pretty spectacular, but the character of Harry Potter is reduced to a sniveling mess who abuses his friends and constantly plays the victim.  I finished it, and decided I wouldn't pick up the new books, which were coming out pretty soon after I finished Order.

In retrospect, it was because I hated Harry so much in the fifth book that I didn't want to read on at the time.  As this is the universal story of good vs. evil, I knew that good, meaning Harry, would prevail, no matter what disadvantages he had against Voldemort.  And, being a senior in college with my self-righteousness in full effect, I thought that it was a ridiculous notion that a lowly student would stand a chance against the most powerful wizard in the world.  Did I mention I hated Harry in the book?  At the time, I would have rather Harry suffer an accident and have Ron and Hermione finish the quest than Harry take the credit for defeating Voldemort.  To me, he just didn't deserve it, and I wanted Volemort to finish him just so I wouldn't have to listen to him whine any more.

I let the Harry Potter summer phase out like a summer crush moved to a far away city, never of course forgetting my intense feelings at first, but purposely allowing them to fade because there was no longer any contact between the two of us.  I chalked it up to cliches like "putting away childish things" and focused on finishing my senior year.

I'm going to review the final two books over the next week or so, but I feel it necessary to express my regret that I ever felt this way.  Was this brought on by how great the last two books, and especially the last book, were?  Yes.  But because of my ignorance and my insistence that if something is written for kids and does not approach the glory of LOTR, it is not worth reading, I delayed an extraordinary adventure for seven years of my life.

That was stupid.  Order of the Phoenix isn't the best, and Harry Potter is a fairly pathetic character throughout the whole novel.  I should have recognized, though, that I was entertained enough to read the book in about five days and overlooked its flaws to continue reading the series.  It was ridiculous to try and compare LOTR to Harry Potter.  They are not the same books, and they are not written for the same audiences.  It took a while, but I have learned to appreciate novels as they are, as sole creations.  All stories may borrow from each other, but no one would confuse the LOTR trilogy with Harry Potter.  They are both fantastic on the basis of themselves.  One is not inferior because the other exists.  It took seven years, but I'm glad I realized it.  Plus, these HP fans are crazy.  If I continued arrogantly deriding the series because it wasn't LOTR, I'd probably fall victim to at least one Unforgivable Curse.

These books are absolutely great, and I can't wait to tell you about the last two.

After Two and a Half Years, Let Me Re-Introduce Myself

Hello everyone,

It is interesting to revisit this blog I started several years ago, mainly because so much has changed in my life. When I first began this blog in the summer of 2009, I was just beginning a new career and was done with school, at least as a student in a classroom, for the immediate present. I was preparing for my first year of teaching, which, in retrospect, I probably should have been doing more instead of writing book reviews. However, as I had just finished school, and actually enjoyed analyzing literature, I figured that practicing that skill would indirectly help my students. I suppose that it did, but I did need to focus on the more concrete and immediate needs of my first classroom experience rather than a theoretical journey into the already explored annals of literary criticism. Oh well. That was almost three years ago now. I suppose I should move on and save that advice for those potential readers who are considering teaching as a career. I must say, before I get to more personal matters, that I love teaching. I made the right choice, and despite my laissez faire attitude toward setting up my first classroom, it all worked out, I learned a lot, and I think I may be a better teacher now because of it.

At the time I was also living in Baton Rouge, LA. I am now a resident of sunny Tampa, Florida. It is December 19 and the highs are still approaching the 80's. A generally beautiful climate, but as someone who appreciates the gloomy overcast days of mid-December, where the cold air is present and conscientious enough to nip but not bear down with pointed fangs, I have to admit I get nostalgic. I'm sure they're still present here, but all the same, I'd like for them to present themselves.

Longing for a more tangible winter aside, I do truly enjoy living here. I'm with my amazing girlfriend, I have a great job teaching senior and freshman English, and there is tons to do, although I am often too tired at the end of the day to take advantage of all of it. The new year is approaching, though, and cliches abound. I am no exception. However, I have made significant changes in my life, though they do not depend upon the calendar change of the new year specifically. I would like to think that this may be the year my changes actually coincide with the literal new beginning and fresh start for all the transgressions, missteps, and indulgences of the former year.

That being said, my birthday is the 22nd, so for me, that is technically the new year. I wanted to get in the habit of writing before I "start over," to get in the routine. Here I am, ready to go on Monday, December 19.

If you're reading this, you probably got here from my Facebook page. I realize the pretension involved in writing something like this. A blog implicitly states that I feel my opinion on whatever proffered subject is valuable enough for anyone to want to read. In this particular case, I will focus on books because they comprise such an important part of my life. There was a time when I may have thought my opinions were unique snowflakes. I don't believe that anymore, and I actually shudder reading some of my earlier writing. I'm not devaluing my opinions, but I know that no one should value his or her own over another's. Anyone reading this has just as much right to say how he or she feels as I do. And, that's what I hope you do.

Louisiana, though not my birthplace, is basically my home. The pull of cities like Baton Rouge, New Orleans, and Lafayette will always exist. I love where I live, I feel lucky to actually live and work in a vacation destination for many, but those places, no matter how much of my life I spend here, or if I spend the rest of my life here, will always be a place I can call home in some ways. Tampa is where I belong now, but my past, even though it is scattered across the United States, belongs almost exclusively to Louisiana. My friends there mean the world to me, and I hope that this can remain a way for us to stay in touch.

In a lot of ways, I am writing this for myself too. This is a way for me to think more critically about the books I read, which makes me appreciate the amazing art that literature is. However, should you choose to read this, I hope that you will take the time to comment on what I say. My opinions are just that: opinions. I love having discussions about literature and debating. You can even call me names. I won't be offended. I've probably been called worse.

If you choose to read this regularly, I'm honored. But, I would be just as honored to hear what you think too. Thank you and I look forward to what is hopefully a long-standing writing relationship!

Glamorama

Glamorama

Bret Easton Ellis

This has definitely turned into the summer of Bret Easton Ellis! I only have one book left to read by him, but he does have another coming out next summer. I had pretty high expectations for this one before reading it, especially because I had read reviews online that compared it to American Psycho. However, in some places I found it to be a disturbing rehash of a lot of the same themes.

The plot (or narrative) follows Victor Ward (who is also a character in The Rules of Attraction) as he tries to repair his modeling career. To do this, he escapes to Paris for a few months (I think, the concept of time is not clear in this book). While there, he meets some old friends and unwittingly gets involved in a terrorist organization. You're probably thinking this sounds a lot like Zoolander. Well, it's much smarter than that, although I do love that movie.

The book's strength is again Ellis' writing ability. He handles a concept with which many of us thought at one time or another with incredible skill. Basically, Victor imagines that he is in a movie throughout the book. He imagines reshooting scenes with characters, speaking with the director about how to act when he is told certain information, and even where to go. He claims to receive a script every morning, which he reads sometimes but more often just chooses to be surprised. Eventually this costs him, because he messes up a few "scenes" and makes a dangerous situation worse.

The arc of the story is far too complicated to discuss here, but suffice it to say if you like fast-paced books, you may want to look elsewhere. Like American Psycho, the narrator describes what he sees with minute detail, whether it is the guest list at a party (the name dropping here is funny, but it can get old after a while) or a sexual encounter. The violence is also quite horrific at time as well, but because Ellis sets Victor up to be somewhat of a materialistic imbecile, I questioned Victor's attention to suffering.

This is certainly not a bad book, and if you like experimental literature that plays with style, time, and narration, I would certainly recommend it. I've reviewed Ellis all summer, so I won't repeat myself here. If I had read this before American Psycho, I might have been more impressed. When I finished reading it, though, I had the eerie feeling I'd seen most of it before.

Rating: 3 / 5

New Posts Soon!

Hey everyone!

I promise to post some more book reviews soon! I'm reading / have read some really great stuff that I can't wait to tell you about! I'll also try to finish up my top 10 list in the next few days. Thanks for reading and see you soon!

Steve

It

It

Stephen King

This book was nearly at the top of my reading list this summer. When I was a kid (probably about 12 or 13) I wanted to read it, but because of the content my parents told me to wait until I was older. Considering its length (almost 1100 pages), I couldn't really read it without them knowing. However, as I got older, I guess I just forgot about the book. While I have read many Stephen King books, for some reason I never got around to reading this one in my adult life. I've even read some of his least acclaimed works, which seems funny to me because this is one of his most famous novels.

Naturally, then, I had high expectations when I began reading this one lazy summer afternoon. Unfortunately, I think I missed the window of opportunity for this novel in my adult life, at least in terms of the famous "fright factor." Had this been my first Stephen King novel, I probably would have found it quite disturbing. Pennywise the Clown is certainly an amazing villain that truly showcases King's imagination for the macabre. However, I found his technique fairly repetitive throughout. He tends to do the same thing when he's trying to scare you, meaning that he always begins with an innocuous event or memory that is suddenly interrupted by a grinning, horrifying image.

This is not to say that the book did not have its moments for which King is famous. Despite my familiarity with his work, he occasionally surprised me. But, the strength of this novel does not rely on how often he scares you, but on the reality of the characters he creates. In lesser hands, this novel could have been nothing more than a Tales from the Crypt short. It is superior to King's other works in that he takes time to let the reader get to know the characters, specifically the gang that works to stop the unmentionable evil that haunts Derry, Maine. Additionally, he gives some insight into the human villains as well, occasionally adopting their points of view. What is actually more frightening in this novel is not the clown (or whatever form It chooses to adopt) but human behavior in the face of this evil. Many in the town choose to ignore it, run away, or even worse, accept it as part of life.

I don't want to spoil anything for those of you who would like to read it. This is not my favorite King novel, but I would agree it is one of his best. It is certainly a significant time investment, but if you are willing to trudge through it (and unfortunately, there is some trudging to be done) I think you will find the novel worth it. Despite its long-winded moments and minor side-stories (whose relation to the main story is tenuous), it all comes together brilliantly in the end. It has a reputation of being one of the best horror novels ever written, and I could certainly see it meriting that acclaim. However, it deserves just as much credit for King's reflections of childhood, of experience, of best-friendships, of love and fear, and of growing up and moving on.

If you are a Stephen King fan who has not read this book, you won't find many surprises here. If you have not read any of his work, this book is a great starting point (although I would recommend The Shining, The Stand, Carrie, or Cujo first). Regardless of how you feel about Stephen King, though, I would say that this book would probably be enjoyable for almost anyone. The ending of the novel is absolutely heart-breaking in a way that I could never have predicted. While it is marketed as a horror novel, Stephen King's power is his ability to make a living, breathing novel out of a ghost story. It is no exception to his brilliance as a writer, and though it was not one of my personal favorites, I don't think I will ever forget what happened in Derry, Maine.

4 out of 5