Great Books
To read or not to read?....that is a silly question!
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
"Don't forget to Blog! I won't remind you consistently throughout the semester, but I am reading them as I am able--and commenting. With the middle of the semester coming up in about 2 weeks, you should, technically, have 4 Blogs completed. Of course, I understand if you prefer saving your blogs for poetry or plays; just be careful that you don't forget about them and then have all 8 of your own and all 8 replies to do at once! Yikes!"
Sunday, September 26, 2010
HP....I have to say.....
Now that I've finished reading all 7 of the Harry Potter books, I am watching the movies. The first two weren't too bad. They could have been better, but overall, I quite enjoyed them. There's obviously NO WAY to follow the whole book in each movie; the movies would be too long, even for the most avid HP reader who would willingly sit through each movie, no matter how long it is!!!
The 4th movie isn't half bad. I feel that the transitions between scenes are awfully abrupt rather than smooth and flowing in a manner that makes sense to anyone who hasn't read the book.
The 3rd movie needs to be dumped in the trash, burned, and returned. What a resounding piece of C-R-A-P. That is NOT how Rowling describes Lupin as a werewolf. UGH! The movie as a whole was just plain AWFUL! Maybe it's because The Prisoner of Azkaban is one of my favorites in the series that I feel the movie version of the story falls WAAAAAAAAYYYYYYY short.....maybe it's been too soon since I read book 3 to watch the movie.......Whatever the reason is, I am SORELY disappointed in the 3rd movie. What makes it even worse is that there's no way to go back and make it right because the characters who play Harry, Ron, Hermoine, etc. are now too old and there's no way to make them look 13 again. They already look older than 13 in this movie......I couldn't even enjoy Hermoine punching Malfoy in the face!!!! Granted, that's a scene that would be difficult to ruin no matter what, but because the whole movie is just a horrible piece of screen-work, even that scene doesn't provide the sense of satisfaction that it should!!!! Thank goodness we don't have any of THE greatest scenes of the story in book 3--like Ron and Hermoine finally kissing!!!!
Soooooooo disappointing...........it made me REALLY ANGRY that the 3rd movie is SOOOOOOOO very BAAAAAAAAAAAAADDDDDDD........
I've only gotten as far as the 4th movie......I'll watch the 4th one again, but NOT #3!!!!!! Hopefully, I'll have the next 2 to watch soon.........
The 4th movie isn't half bad. I feel that the transitions between scenes are awfully abrupt rather than smooth and flowing in a manner that makes sense to anyone who hasn't read the book.
The 3rd movie needs to be dumped in the trash, burned, and returned. What a resounding piece of C-R-A-P. That is NOT how Rowling describes Lupin as a werewolf. UGH! The movie as a whole was just plain AWFUL! Maybe it's because The Prisoner of Azkaban is one of my favorites in the series that I feel the movie version of the story falls WAAAAAAAAYYYYYYY short.....maybe it's been too soon since I read book 3 to watch the movie.......Whatever the reason is, I am SORELY disappointed in the 3rd movie. What makes it even worse is that there's no way to go back and make it right because the characters who play Harry, Ron, Hermoine, etc. are now too old and there's no way to make them look 13 again. They already look older than 13 in this movie......I couldn't even enjoy Hermoine punching Malfoy in the face!!!! Granted, that's a scene that would be difficult to ruin no matter what, but because the whole movie is just a horrible piece of screen-work, even that scene doesn't provide the sense of satisfaction that it should!!!! Thank goodness we don't have any of THE greatest scenes of the story in book 3--like Ron and Hermoine finally kissing!!!!
Soooooooo disappointing...........it made me REALLY ANGRY that the 3rd movie is SOOOOOOOO very BAAAAAAAAAAAAADDDDDDD........
I've only gotten as far as the 4th movie......I'll watch the 4th one again, but NOT #3!!!!!! Hopefully, I'll have the next 2 to watch soon.........
Leaders in Literature.British Lit.
In my British Lit. classes, we have been talking about good/bad leaders. In particular, we have been discussing Beowulf, the man, and King Arthur. In one of my two British Lit. classes, we even watched the movie 300, so King Leonidas was included in the discussion of good/bad leaders, as well. I think we've had some great discussions on what makes each of these men good, even great, leaders, but also what their "tragic flaws" are. (Of course, most of us feel that Beowulf doesn't't really have the qualities of a good leader because he was just TOO boastful/proud, full of himself.)
In talking about these men and their leadership qualities, I can't help thinking about some other "great" leaders in literature and what connects them to the men we've already discussed. One of the things that stands out to me is the fact that some of these leaders became leaders not because they were born leaders or born into the position of leadership, but because of their accomplishments and/or attributes that made them [great] leaders. In the older Arthurian myths, Arthur was seen as a [great] leader from childhood on, but in many stories that a lot of us are very familiar with, Arthur was a scrawny, wimpy kid who somehow or another pulls the sword, Excalibur, from the stone when men 10 times his size, weight, and strength are unable to. Over the years following his pulling the sword from the stone, Arthur proves himself and ultimately becomes one of the greatest kings England has ever had--according to myth, of course.
In the newer stories that we watched/talked about in class, Arthur has all the qualities of a great leader even from childhood. People naturally listen to him and are naturally drawn to him. He is very charismatic and is willing to put himself in any and every situation that his own knights put themselves in. He is even angry at the end of the new King Arthur movie when 2 of his knights die, yet he somehow survives a battle that should have ended in all their deaths.
As someone looking in and watching, I would love to have someone in charge like the Arthur myths, whether we're talking about the old Arthurian myths or the newer stories that many of us are just becoming aware of because of recent movies/stories that are becoming more prominent in literature.
I honestly love/respect a man (or woman!) who doesn't run from a battle just because he/she is the leader and is supposed to be protected at all costs. Everyone knows that when the leader goes down, the battle is won--by the other side. What's that line in the movie Sahara where Matthew McConaughey's character says something about how they need to kill the snake....? So when a leader willingly goes in to battle with his/her troops, it's a dangerous thing to do because if he/she is killed, then the battle is won....by the other side.
But over and over and over again throughout literature, we see/hear stories of great leaders who are in the throes of battle: King Leonidas (300), Harrison Ford's character as the president of the US in Air Force One (I LOVE that movie and his character in that story!), Bill Pullman's character as the president of the US in the movie Independence Day (another GREAT movie with a great president I would have voted for!), and, I know you're getting sick and tired of my references to it, but Harry in Harry Potter.
Of course, as I mentioned before, Harry, as a Christ-like figure, willingly lays down his life for the sake of his friends, family, and fellow wizards/witches. He is not in the throes of the fight during the last book, but he is working behind the scenes so that when he does face his enemy, Tom Riddle (see my previous blogs as to why I'm calling him that rather than by the name you might be familiar with), he has everything he needs in order to truly defeat Riddle. If he hadn't looked for and destroyed some of the horcruxes, he would not have been able to defeat Tom even in this story and the story would have gone on. As long as there was a possibility of Tom's soul still surviving, there was no way to effectively kill him and defeat him completely.
So once Harry has everything he needs, he meets Tom Riddle face-to-face. As the last horcrux, Riddle's soul in Harry has to die so that when Harry deals the final death blow, Riddle truly dies. What a very scary thing for a boy not even 17 years old to have to face. Sure, in the previous 6 books, Harry faces terrors that no child of any age should have to face, so what's this new one after all the others? But still....to know that he has to die in order to defeat the enemy and to walk straight up to the one who would kill him, knowing that he would not walk away is one of the bravest things I've ever seen.
Leaders who are willing to give their lives for the sake of others are leaders I can respect.....leaders I want to follow.....the type of leader I hope to be if it would ever come to that........
(I honestly could go on and on and on about this particular subject, but I do believe that this is getting too long and that you've gotten my point with what is here.....!)
In talking about these men and their leadership qualities, I can't help thinking about some other "great" leaders in literature and what connects them to the men we've already discussed. One of the things that stands out to me is the fact that some of these leaders became leaders not because they were born leaders or born into the position of leadership, but because of their accomplishments and/or attributes that made them [great] leaders. In the older Arthurian myths, Arthur was seen as a [great] leader from childhood on, but in many stories that a lot of us are very familiar with, Arthur was a scrawny, wimpy kid who somehow or another pulls the sword, Excalibur, from the stone when men 10 times his size, weight, and strength are unable to. Over the years following his pulling the sword from the stone, Arthur proves himself and ultimately becomes one of the greatest kings England has ever had--according to myth, of course.
In the newer stories that we watched/talked about in class, Arthur has all the qualities of a great leader even from childhood. People naturally listen to him and are naturally drawn to him. He is very charismatic and is willing to put himself in any and every situation that his own knights put themselves in. He is even angry at the end of the new King Arthur movie when 2 of his knights die, yet he somehow survives a battle that should have ended in all their deaths.
As someone looking in and watching, I would love to have someone in charge like the Arthur myths, whether we're talking about the old Arthurian myths or the newer stories that many of us are just becoming aware of because of recent movies/stories that are becoming more prominent in literature.
I honestly love/respect a man (or woman!) who doesn't run from a battle just because he/she is the leader and is supposed to be protected at all costs. Everyone knows that when the leader goes down, the battle is won--by the other side. What's that line in the movie Sahara where Matthew McConaughey's character says something about how they need to kill the snake....? So when a leader willingly goes in to battle with his/her troops, it's a dangerous thing to do because if he/she is killed, then the battle is won....by the other side.
But over and over and over again throughout literature, we see/hear stories of great leaders who are in the throes of battle: King Leonidas (300), Harrison Ford's character as the president of the US in Air Force One (I LOVE that movie and his character in that story!), Bill Pullman's character as the president of the US in the movie Independence Day (another GREAT movie with a great president I would have voted for!), and, I know you're getting sick and tired of my references to it, but Harry in Harry Potter.
Of course, as I mentioned before, Harry, as a Christ-like figure, willingly lays down his life for the sake of his friends, family, and fellow wizards/witches. He is not in the throes of the fight during the last book, but he is working behind the scenes so that when he does face his enemy, Tom Riddle (see my previous blogs as to why I'm calling him that rather than by the name you might be familiar with), he has everything he needs in order to truly defeat Riddle. If he hadn't looked for and destroyed some of the horcruxes, he would not have been able to defeat Tom even in this story and the story would have gone on. As long as there was a possibility of Tom's soul still surviving, there was no way to effectively kill him and defeat him completely.
So once Harry has everything he needs, he meets Tom Riddle face-to-face. As the last horcrux, Riddle's soul in Harry has to die so that when Harry deals the final death blow, Riddle truly dies. What a very scary thing for a boy not even 17 years old to have to face. Sure, in the previous 6 books, Harry faces terrors that no child of any age should have to face, so what's this new one after all the others? But still....to know that he has to die in order to defeat the enemy and to walk straight up to the one who would kill him, knowing that he would not walk away is one of the bravest things I've ever seen.
Leaders who are willing to give their lives for the sake of others are leaders I can respect.....leaders I want to follow.....the type of leader I hope to be if it would ever come to that........
(I honestly could go on and on and on about this particular subject, but I do believe that this is getting too long and that you've gotten my point with what is here.....!)
Sunday, September 19, 2010
New Book.DRACULA IN LOVE
I'm a member of one of those Book Clubs where you buy so many books for 99 cents, and then get one free, and so on. When I received their email a few weeks ago announcing new releases, one of them was a book called Dracula in Love. Of course, I was immediately intrigued. I LOVE Dracula by Bram Stoker! (The book, not the movie.) Over the summer, I read the so-called "sequel" to Dracula called Dracula: The Undead by the great-great grand-nephew of Bram Stoker (I don't know how many "greats"). It was pretty good. It explored the possibility that there was more going on between the Count and Mina and it brings in one of my favorite historical figures, the Countess Bathory! This book has the theory that the Countess was actually Jack-the-Ripper. Very fascinating!
Anyway, this new book, Dracula in Love focuses on the idea that the Count and Mina were actually in love and that they'd met long before Mina was involved with Jonathan. There's the strong suggestion that Mina is the reincarnation of the Count's "old" love. Of course, this is exactly the idea that the movie version Bram Stoker's Dracula explores. This book just takes it to a deeper level, focuses on the Count and Mina, and tells the story through Mina's eyes....as she truly is rather than as the virginal purist Bram Stoker portrays her to be in his novel.
I must say that even though I haven't even gotten through a hundred pages, not even 50 pages, the read is quite interesting. I'm looking forward to finishing it! I've always thought, even before the movie or other stories were made available, that there was more going on between Mina and the Count than met the eye!!!
BTW: yes, I'm still finishing with re-reading the Harry Potter series while I'm reading Dracula in Love. I usually read 3 or 4 books at once. It keeps me on my toes!!!!
Anyway, this new book, Dracula in Love focuses on the idea that the Count and Mina were actually in love and that they'd met long before Mina was involved with Jonathan. There's the strong suggestion that Mina is the reincarnation of the Count's "old" love. Of course, this is exactly the idea that the movie version Bram Stoker's Dracula explores. This book just takes it to a deeper level, focuses on the Count and Mina, and tells the story through Mina's eyes....as she truly is rather than as the virginal purist Bram Stoker portrays her to be in his novel.
I must say that even though I haven't even gotten through a hundred pages, not even 50 pages, the read is quite interesting. I'm looking forward to finishing it! I've always thought, even before the movie or other stories were made available, that there was more going on between Mina and the Count than met the eye!!!
BTW: yes, I'm still finishing with re-reading the Harry Potter series while I'm reading Dracula in Love. I usually read 3 or 4 books at once. It keeps me on my toes!!!!
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
HARRY POTTER....I can't help it!
I'm re-reading the whole Harry Potter series. I'm currently on Book 4 and thoroughly enjoying reading the series again. I especially like the fact that I'm reading it a second time almost as soon as I finished it the first time. There's so much I missed. I'm finding that it feels as if I'm reading it for the first time because of all the details that are jumping off the page at me now.
But I am finding myself marking a consistent grammar error throughout the series that is really starting to drive me absolutely insane!!! Rowling misuses singular indefinite pronouns and their modifiers!!! It's driving me crazy! I could have let it slide with the first 2 books, but the deeper the series goes, the worse it gets! After getting the feel of things and knowing her series was well received and well loved.......considering the fact that Rowling is BRITISH--the British are famous for being strict grammarians!!!.....after having editors read through the series....and what about the screenwriters who use the incorrect singular indefinite pronouns?!
Now, maybe, just maybe, in the true English (British, I mean) translation, Rowling uses singular indefinite pronouns correctly and it's actually the American translation (we all know that there IS a vast different between the book released and read in England and the book released and read in the US) that is making the mistakes. Regardless of the excuse, there is NO excuse!!!!! It's one thing if the kids in the story use the pronouns incorrectly, but to have PROFESSOR MCGONNAGAL use singular indefinite pronouns incorrectly in simply inexcusable!!!!!!!
But I am finding myself marking a consistent grammar error throughout the series that is really starting to drive me absolutely insane!!! Rowling misuses singular indefinite pronouns and their modifiers!!! It's driving me crazy! I could have let it slide with the first 2 books, but the deeper the series goes, the worse it gets! After getting the feel of things and knowing her series was well received and well loved.......considering the fact that Rowling is BRITISH--the British are famous for being strict grammarians!!!.....after having editors read through the series....and what about the screenwriters who use the incorrect singular indefinite pronouns?!
Now, maybe, just maybe, in the true English (British, I mean) translation, Rowling uses singular indefinite pronouns correctly and it's actually the American translation (we all know that there IS a vast different between the book released and read in England and the book released and read in the US) that is making the mistakes. Regardless of the excuse, there is NO excuse!!!!! It's one thing if the kids in the story use the pronouns incorrectly, but to have PROFESSOR MCGONNAGAL use singular indefinite pronouns incorrectly in simply inexcusable!!!!!!!
Myths of King Arthur.English 241
In my Tuesday/Thursday British Lit. class, we talked quite a bit about the myths of the legend of King Arthur, in particular how vast those myths are. Most of the stories have enough similarities to have created the wonderful legend that is King Arthur, but in every story, there's something different--which should remind any audience that regardless of the consistencies, it's the inconsistensies that make King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table LEGEND, not reality.
So if King Arthur wasn't real, why is he mentioned in even factual, reputable history books? Someone today said, as we saw the movie we watched in class, that "everyone needs a hero." The truth is that the King Arthur legend is a wonderful story about a geeky kid who pulls a sword out of a stone when all the strong men of England are unable to and then he grows up to a King full of wisdom, who ends up in a tragic marriage, and has a tragic ending to his life. (The beginning of his life wasn't a picnic, either!) In spite of the odds stacked against him, Arthur rises above and even shines. What's not to love about the stories of King Arthur?! Great swords.....tragic love triangle.....best friends.....betrayal of best friends......magicians.....sword fighting.....knights.....code of chivalry......and on and on and on!!!!!
I know there's only a teeny, tiny blurb about King Arthur that we read (we didn't choose La Morte D'Arthur), but it's just too fascinating to walk away from without more......
I'm including links to several interesting web sites I found in case you'd like to read more about the legends of King Arthur. This is not a complete list. It is interesting to note the similarities as well as the differences between the different "authoritative" web sites on King Arthur! These are probably not even the best, but in doing a quick Google search, they are the ones I've found. I might include more later, but these are the ones I found for this posting.
http://www.timelessmyths.com/arthurian/arthur.html
http://www.britannia.com/history/arthur/kamyth.html
http://www.pbs.org/mythsandheroes/myths_four_arthur.html
http://www.legendofkingarthur.co.uk/
http://www.loggia.com/myth/arthur.html
http://www.angelfire.com/planet/mythguide/king_arthur.html
http://www.caerleon.net/history/arthur/page2.htm
Enjoy as many of the web sites as you choose. I just think it's absolutely fascinating and thought I'd make it a little easier on you in case you wanted to read more about King Arthur! I can't wait to get to Sir Gawain and the Green Knight!
So if King Arthur wasn't real, why is he mentioned in even factual, reputable history books? Someone today said, as we saw the movie we watched in class, that "everyone needs a hero." The truth is that the King Arthur legend is a wonderful story about a geeky kid who pulls a sword out of a stone when all the strong men of England are unable to and then he grows up to a King full of wisdom, who ends up in a tragic marriage, and has a tragic ending to his life. (The beginning of his life wasn't a picnic, either!) In spite of the odds stacked against him, Arthur rises above and even shines. What's not to love about the stories of King Arthur?! Great swords.....tragic love triangle.....best friends.....betrayal of best friends......magicians.....sword fighting.....knights.....code of chivalry......and on and on and on!!!!!
I know there's only a teeny, tiny blurb about King Arthur that we read (we didn't choose La Morte D'Arthur), but it's just too fascinating to walk away from without more......
I'm including links to several interesting web sites I found in case you'd like to read more about the legends of King Arthur. This is not a complete list. It is interesting to note the similarities as well as the differences between the different "authoritative" web sites on King Arthur! These are probably not even the best, but in doing a quick Google search, they are the ones I've found. I might include more later, but these are the ones I found for this posting.
http://www.timelessmyths.com/arthurian/arthur.html
http://www.britannia.com/history/arthur/kamyth.html
http://www.pbs.org/mythsandheroes/myths_four_arthur.html
http://www.legendofkingarthur.co.uk/
http://www.loggia.com/myth/arthur.html
http://www.angelfire.com/planet/mythguide/king_arthur.html
http://www.caerleon.net/history/arthur/page2.htm
Enjoy as many of the web sites as you choose. I just think it's absolutely fascinating and thought I'd make it a little easier on you in case you wanted to read more about King Arthur! I can't wait to get to Sir Gawain and the Green Knight!
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
English 241.BEOWULF
I have now read Beowulf more times than I can count, but I can honestly say that I find something new to enjoy about the story every single time I read it! I've always paid attention to the kennings in the story, but I've never taken the time before this reading to actually mark them all as I go through. This time, I've been marking them as I see them. There are a LOT! I think it would be fun to write a story where I use my own made-up kennings throughout the whole thing....
I realize that the language of Beowulf makes it a challenge to read, but personally, that's what I love about the story. I get easily bored when it comes to reading in spite of the fact that I love to read and will read just about anything I can get my hands on. I love it when I read a book that has action, adventure, suspense, and maybe even just a little romance thrown in. This story has it all!
Of course, Beowulf the man always ticks me off with all his boasting. But it's difficult to dislike him completely. At the heart of it, he is only telling the truth and a large portion of his boastings are in response to someone else challenging him and he's simply responding--with the truth. But still....no one can be THAT perfect! (I probably dislike him as much as i do because I see myself in him! LOL!)
I realize that the language of Beowulf makes it a challenge to read, but personally, that's what I love about the story. I get easily bored when it comes to reading in spite of the fact that I love to read and will read just about anything I can get my hands on. I love it when I read a book that has action, adventure, suspense, and maybe even just a little romance thrown in. This story has it all!
Of course, Beowulf the man always ticks me off with all his boasting. But it's difficult to dislike him completely. At the heart of it, he is only telling the truth and a large portion of his boastings are in response to someone else challenging him and he's simply responding--with the truth. But still....no one can be THAT perfect! (I probably dislike him as much as i do because I see myself in him! LOL!)
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