I actually love reading BEOWULF. It always drives me crazy to read it because Beowulf drives me insane. I get that his boasting isn't really boasting in the manner I think of when I think of the term, but Beowulf is supposed to be simply sharing the truth of his exploits. I just find him cocky, arrogant, and I desperately want him to shut up.
Of course, I love the arrogance of Robert Downey Jr. in IRON MAN! I LOVE that he tells the world that he IS Iron Man rather than hiding his identity like so many other superheroes do. I'd much rather have a hero like him than Batman!!!!
I have a lot more I could say about BEOWULF, but I just don't feel like writing it right at this moment in time.....LOL!
Great Books
To read or not to read?....that is a silly question!
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Sunday, May 27, 2012
3rd Time's the Charm: HARRY POTTER, again!
Officially, this is my 3rd time reading Book 1 of the HARRY POTTER series. It just gets better and better every time. The first time I read it, I highlighted/took note of a small handful of details--very specific details that I felt would be important in the long run. The 2nd reading, I highlighted details that revealed important "secrets" that we learn later in the series, as well as other details that really stood out to me. This 3rd time, I sill highlighted a lot.....just things that stood out to me.
One thing that's been driving me crazy throughout each reading of the series as been the misuse of subject/pronoun agreement with Indefinite pronouns. I would like to say that it must be an American editor's mistake in the "translation" from British to American English. I can't imagine, though, that between J. K. Rowling, her British editors, AND American editors that none of them caught the mistakes! And there are a quite a few. It's very disturbing to see them so rampant in a series as popular as this one.
This series, especially the first book, will go down among the great classics and will continue to be read as long as literature classes are taught. It really does deserve that. Rowling did a superb job with each individual story as well as with the series overall. Wow. Seven books overall and it appears that she didn't make any huge plot errors! That's HUGE! Especially considering that she wrote each book as they were being published....so she was writing the next one (if not already 2 ahead) when the previous one was finally released to the public. Yet she pulled the whole thing off and we, her audience, love it to the point of fanaticism.
I didn't read the books for years....not because I didn't want to, but because James kept throwing away the copies I'd been given. I'd had 3 different people GIVE me copies of the books and James threw away each and every copy. Then, finally, my British Lit class a few years ago (2009, I think it was--or was it 2010?) chose to read the book for class. That time, when I brought home a copy of the book, James couldn't throw it away because it was reading for school! Needless to say, I flew through all 7 books quickly and turned right around and read all 7 books a 2nd time! And now, I'm reading the WHOLE series for a 3rd time! And I love it just as much this time as I did the first time.
One disappointing thing about reading the series is the knowledge that even if I ever write and publish something, it'll NEVER be as GREAT, AWESOME, STUPENDOUS as the HARRY POTTER series. I guess if I'm shooting for that level of fame, I shouldn't be writing anyway. The object is to write because I HAVE to write--for myself. And I do feel that way, but nudging me in the back of my mind is still the thought that I, nor anyone else for that matter, will ever hope to achieve even 1/4 of the incredible world that is HARRY POTTER........
I am so excited to re-read the whole series--again! I'm really only NOT reading right now because Samuel's Nook needs recharging. I can read while it charges, but where we have it plugged in is right over a vent and it's cold sitting in the recliner! So I'm letting it charge for a little while before I get back to reading Book 2 again!
BTW: in case you missed that, for THIS reading, I'm reading the whole series on Samuel's Nook. It's different. I like it in a lot of ways. One thing in particular that I like is that I can, at a glance, see everything I've highlighted and all my comments. That's a really great feature. One thing I wish I could do on the Nook that I can't is have a random Notes page where I post comments and names of characters and relationships, etc. If you look on the inside front cover of Samuel and I's copy of Book 2, HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS, you'll see that I've listed all the characters in the book, including the years of the Weasleys as well as information about the different Houses at Hogwarts, and, because I've also used this book in my British Lit class, Quiz questions are listed, too--on post-its. If I had the random Notes page that I could create, I could continue with that......I'll have to dig a little deeper and see if that feature is there.
One negative about reading on the Nook is that it's actually Samuel's Nook. When he wants to read or is at school, I have to find something else to read--or do. That's really frustrating when all I want to do is read HARRY POTTER!!! I can't wait to catch up to Samuel! He's finishing up Book 6 and going to read Book 7 over the summer. I think I'll be on Book 7 before he finishes it.....I should make a little wager with him about that.....See who can finish first. Maybe if he finishes Book 7 before I do--maybe even before I even start it, he'd get.....something he REALLY wants.........hmmmmmmm. I'll have to think hard about this one because everything he really wants right now is expensive!!!!
One thing that's been driving me crazy throughout each reading of the series as been the misuse of subject/pronoun agreement with Indefinite pronouns. I would like to say that it must be an American editor's mistake in the "translation" from British to American English. I can't imagine, though, that between J. K. Rowling, her British editors, AND American editors that none of them caught the mistakes! And there are a quite a few. It's very disturbing to see them so rampant in a series as popular as this one.
This series, especially the first book, will go down among the great classics and will continue to be read as long as literature classes are taught. It really does deserve that. Rowling did a superb job with each individual story as well as with the series overall. Wow. Seven books overall and it appears that she didn't make any huge plot errors! That's HUGE! Especially considering that she wrote each book as they were being published....so she was writing the next one (if not already 2 ahead) when the previous one was finally released to the public. Yet she pulled the whole thing off and we, her audience, love it to the point of fanaticism.
I didn't read the books for years....not because I didn't want to, but because James kept throwing away the copies I'd been given. I'd had 3 different people GIVE me copies of the books and James threw away each and every copy. Then, finally, my British Lit class a few years ago (2009, I think it was--or was it 2010?) chose to read the book for class. That time, when I brought home a copy of the book, James couldn't throw it away because it was reading for school! Needless to say, I flew through all 7 books quickly and turned right around and read all 7 books a 2nd time! And now, I'm reading the WHOLE series for a 3rd time! And I love it just as much this time as I did the first time.
One disappointing thing about reading the series is the knowledge that even if I ever write and publish something, it'll NEVER be as GREAT, AWESOME, STUPENDOUS as the HARRY POTTER series. I guess if I'm shooting for that level of fame, I shouldn't be writing anyway. The object is to write because I HAVE to write--for myself. And I do feel that way, but nudging me in the back of my mind is still the thought that I, nor anyone else for that matter, will ever hope to achieve even 1/4 of the incredible world that is HARRY POTTER........
I am so excited to re-read the whole series--again! I'm really only NOT reading right now because Samuel's Nook needs recharging. I can read while it charges, but where we have it plugged in is right over a vent and it's cold sitting in the recliner! So I'm letting it charge for a little while before I get back to reading Book 2 again!
BTW: in case you missed that, for THIS reading, I'm reading the whole series on Samuel's Nook. It's different. I like it in a lot of ways. One thing in particular that I like is that I can, at a glance, see everything I've highlighted and all my comments. That's a really great feature. One thing I wish I could do on the Nook that I can't is have a random Notes page where I post comments and names of characters and relationships, etc. If you look on the inside front cover of Samuel and I's copy of Book 2, HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS, you'll see that I've listed all the characters in the book, including the years of the Weasleys as well as information about the different Houses at Hogwarts, and, because I've also used this book in my British Lit class, Quiz questions are listed, too--on post-its. If I had the random Notes page that I could create, I could continue with that......I'll have to dig a little deeper and see if that feature is there.
One negative about reading on the Nook is that it's actually Samuel's Nook. When he wants to read or is at school, I have to find something else to read--or do. That's really frustrating when all I want to do is read HARRY POTTER!!! I can't wait to catch up to Samuel! He's finishing up Book 6 and going to read Book 7 over the summer. I think I'll be on Book 7 before he finishes it.....I should make a little wager with him about that.....See who can finish first. Maybe if he finishes Book 7 before I do--maybe even before I even start it, he'd get.....something he REALLY wants.........hmmmmmmm. I'll have to think hard about this one because everything he really wants right now is expensive!!!!
Monday, May 14, 2012
Finally finished with that Dragon Tattoo Girl Series
Wow. I thought I might still be reading about the Dragon Tattoo Girl in December. This series was even harder to read--and finish--than The Lord of the Rings series last summer was for me! What makes the story so boring/difficult/challenging:
1. As I said before, it's riddled with politics. I hate anything to do with politics. I don't understand it nor do I care to begin trying to understand it. I understand just enough to know who I need to vote for and what I need to vote for. Beyond that, don't even TRY to get me involved in a political discussion. It'll be the fastest way to get me to shut up, though!!!! ;)
2. LOTS of unnecessary detail. Telling me the name brand and number of microwavable pizzas Lizabeth consumes just isn't important to the overall story and/or my understanding of her character. Describing/telling me all the times Mikael and this woman AND that woman as well as another woman--and, yes, there's still another one or two--fool around and where just doesn't make a difference to the overall plot of the story and what happens to Lisabeth. Nor do I care. I do get/understand the details described about Lisabeth's rape, but that doesn't mean that I like reading about it. But those details do help give us a clear and full picture of Lisabeth and how's she's been mistreated and abused by the "powers that be" her whole life. So while there is a lot of sexual stuff that could have been left out, I do understand why some of it had to be in the story. I just wish Larsson had chosen to leave out the unnecessary sex stuff....
3. The sheer number/volume of characters! UGH! This story rivals the wonderful book The Count of Monte Cristo in the massive number of characters named in the story as a whole. Honestly. How many of them did I REALLY need to KNOW in order to fully understand Lisabeth's victimization? The huge number of people investigating and/or working on clearing Lisabeth is enough to give me nightmares, so throwing in the vast number of people trying to destroy her is just more than a reader can handle. I got lost so often with what was going on because there are SO MANY characters in this story. And what's worse is that some of the major players in the story as a whole don't even come in to the story until this third and final book!!!!! Yet they've been there on periphery from the beginning....as a reader, I just don't know that until I get to the 3rd book! UGH! The overwhelming number of characters does not in any way endear the series to me AT ALL. I made it through The Count of Monte Cristo and the huge number of characters in that book laughing at the fact that I felt like I need a white board wherein to write the names of all the characters and their relationships with one another in order to keep up. But I still thoroughly enjoyed the book. This Dragon Tattoo Girl series just overwhelmed me and kept making me want to throw the book across the room--every time a new character was brought in to the story--sounding/looking all important to the story as a whole!!!! UGH!
4. Mikael is too perfect. All the women are attracted to him. Most don't resist, and, not unlike a man, he doesn't try to resist. Of course, it means that a couple of the women actually fall in love with him and it causes problems since he sleeps with enough women throughout the series that it's difficult to say which women (woman, I honestly think) he doesn't sleep with versus those he does. What's so ironic is that most of these women proposition HIM rather than the other way around. And his relationship with Lizabeth? He wants to be her friend, even from the beginning, but doesn't seem to care that she fell head-over-heels for him. Yet he continues to fight for her and her rights, doing everything in his power to ensure that she is proven innocent and seen as the true victim in the whole escapade. Everyone likes Mikael. No man is THAT perfect. Even if he is played by Daniel Craig in the US version of the movie, who, as we all know, is James Bond--the most perfect male specimen ever in all literature or in the movies! (Except, of course, for Rhett Butler, played fantastically by Clark Gable!!!!!)
What I actually like about the series:
1. As I've mentioned before, Lizabeth Salander is a very interesting and fascinating character. I love the dichotomy of her character in that on the one hand, she has NO social skills and doesn't seem to get along with people, while on the other hand, by the end of the series, she honestly has an army of people working to ensure that the truth is revealed and Lizabeth is shown as the true victim she has been for more than half her life. I found that I wanted to reach out to her and let her know that she doesn't have to be alone in the world--if she would just let me in--not as a lover, but as a friend. She is very untrusting, but she has great reason to be.
2. Most of the female characters are VERY likable. Larsson is very careful to show women as strong, independent fighters who don't take crap from anyone--and they get what they want in life. He shows women being mistreated and violently abused, but he also shows the determination of women not to let such things take them down or break them. It's kind of empowering. And I LOVE Gianni's character (Lizabeth's lawyer). She's awesome. She really has an incredible courtroom scene at the end of the book that is truly a page-turner! That trial helped me sit down and WANT to finish reading the book more than any other part of the series/final book!
3. There IS some great action in the series as a whole. Sadly, the action-packed parts are few are far between, but when they happen, boy howdy, look out! I especially like how Lizabeth's father is killed. I was waiting for it and not only was it a shock, but it was a good shock. It was about time someone did that man in. I am glad that Lizabeth doesn't do it because then the story would have had to end on a more tragic note.
I am very glad that I am finally finished reading this series. I don't know what I read next. I have several books I've been wanting to read, but just haven't gotten into them because I've been so determined to finish, finally, The Dragon Tattoo Girl series. Now that I'm finished, it's bittersweet because I've spent so much time with Lizabeth. Unlike my desire to continue reading anything everything about Harry Potter and I am devastated that the series has ended, I am thrilled that there will never be another book about Lizabeth---Stieg Larsson died soon after turning in the manuscript for all three books in the series! So while J.K. Rowling COULD POSSIBLY continue the story of Harry, and millions of us fans would bow down to her in deep gratitude if she would, Larsson can't possibly drag out Lizabeth's tale, making this reader happy indeed to put this series to rest......
1. As I said before, it's riddled with politics. I hate anything to do with politics. I don't understand it nor do I care to begin trying to understand it. I understand just enough to know who I need to vote for and what I need to vote for. Beyond that, don't even TRY to get me involved in a political discussion. It'll be the fastest way to get me to shut up, though!!!! ;)
2. LOTS of unnecessary detail. Telling me the name brand and number of microwavable pizzas Lizabeth consumes just isn't important to the overall story and/or my understanding of her character. Describing/telling me all the times Mikael and this woman AND that woman as well as another woman--and, yes, there's still another one or two--fool around and where just doesn't make a difference to the overall plot of the story and what happens to Lisabeth. Nor do I care. I do get/understand the details described about Lisabeth's rape, but that doesn't mean that I like reading about it. But those details do help give us a clear and full picture of Lisabeth and how's she's been mistreated and abused by the "powers that be" her whole life. So while there is a lot of sexual stuff that could have been left out, I do understand why some of it had to be in the story. I just wish Larsson had chosen to leave out the unnecessary sex stuff....
3. The sheer number/volume of characters! UGH! This story rivals the wonderful book The Count of Monte Cristo in the massive number of characters named in the story as a whole. Honestly. How many of them did I REALLY need to KNOW in order to fully understand Lisabeth's victimization? The huge number of people investigating and/or working on clearing Lisabeth is enough to give me nightmares, so throwing in the vast number of people trying to destroy her is just more than a reader can handle. I got lost so often with what was going on because there are SO MANY characters in this story. And what's worse is that some of the major players in the story as a whole don't even come in to the story until this third and final book!!!!! Yet they've been there on periphery from the beginning....as a reader, I just don't know that until I get to the 3rd book! UGH! The overwhelming number of characters does not in any way endear the series to me AT ALL. I made it through The Count of Monte Cristo and the huge number of characters in that book laughing at the fact that I felt like I need a white board wherein to write the names of all the characters and their relationships with one another in order to keep up. But I still thoroughly enjoyed the book. This Dragon Tattoo Girl series just overwhelmed me and kept making me want to throw the book across the room--every time a new character was brought in to the story--sounding/looking all important to the story as a whole!!!! UGH!
4. Mikael is too perfect. All the women are attracted to him. Most don't resist, and, not unlike a man, he doesn't try to resist. Of course, it means that a couple of the women actually fall in love with him and it causes problems since he sleeps with enough women throughout the series that it's difficult to say which women (woman, I honestly think) he doesn't sleep with versus those he does. What's so ironic is that most of these women proposition HIM rather than the other way around. And his relationship with Lizabeth? He wants to be her friend, even from the beginning, but doesn't seem to care that she fell head-over-heels for him. Yet he continues to fight for her and her rights, doing everything in his power to ensure that she is proven innocent and seen as the true victim in the whole escapade. Everyone likes Mikael. No man is THAT perfect. Even if he is played by Daniel Craig in the US version of the movie, who, as we all know, is James Bond--the most perfect male specimen ever in all literature or in the movies! (Except, of course, for Rhett Butler, played fantastically by Clark Gable!!!!!)
What I actually like about the series:
1. As I've mentioned before, Lizabeth Salander is a very interesting and fascinating character. I love the dichotomy of her character in that on the one hand, she has NO social skills and doesn't seem to get along with people, while on the other hand, by the end of the series, she honestly has an army of people working to ensure that the truth is revealed and Lizabeth is shown as the true victim she has been for more than half her life. I found that I wanted to reach out to her and let her know that she doesn't have to be alone in the world--if she would just let me in--not as a lover, but as a friend. She is very untrusting, but she has great reason to be.
2. Most of the female characters are VERY likable. Larsson is very careful to show women as strong, independent fighters who don't take crap from anyone--and they get what they want in life. He shows women being mistreated and violently abused, but he also shows the determination of women not to let such things take them down or break them. It's kind of empowering. And I LOVE Gianni's character (Lizabeth's lawyer). She's awesome. She really has an incredible courtroom scene at the end of the book that is truly a page-turner! That trial helped me sit down and WANT to finish reading the book more than any other part of the series/final book!
3. There IS some great action in the series as a whole. Sadly, the action-packed parts are few are far between, but when they happen, boy howdy, look out! I especially like how Lizabeth's father is killed. I was waiting for it and not only was it a shock, but it was a good shock. It was about time someone did that man in. I am glad that Lizabeth doesn't do it because then the story would have had to end on a more tragic note.
I am very glad that I am finally finished reading this series. I don't know what I read next. I have several books I've been wanting to read, but just haven't gotten into them because I've been so determined to finish, finally, The Dragon Tattoo Girl series. Now that I'm finished, it's bittersweet because I've spent so much time with Lizabeth. Unlike my desire to continue reading anything everything about Harry Potter and I am devastated that the series has ended, I am thrilled that there will never be another book about Lizabeth---Stieg Larsson died soon after turning in the manuscript for all three books in the series! So while J.K. Rowling COULD POSSIBLY continue the story of Harry, and millions of us fans would bow down to her in deep gratitude if she would, Larsson can't possibly drag out Lizabeth's tale, making this reader happy indeed to put this series to rest......
Sunday, May 13, 2012
That Crazy Dragon Tattoo Girl
So I've been reading the 3rd and final book in the Millennium series (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo). It's awful. Politics abounds in the series and, if you know me, you know I can't stand politics. I don't understand it. I don't want to talk about it. All political talk ever does is make people angry with one another. Friends become angry with one another. Yelling matches start. Feelings are hurt. It's just NOT worth it to me. So I avoid anything and everything to do with politics that I can.
When the STORY actually happens, you know, that crazy literary word--plot, it's actually not that bad. As a character, Lizbeth Salander is fascinating. She is definitely a victim of the government and it just keeps getting worse. I have to admit that when her psycho father is killed, I read like a speed-demon. But then as soon as that chapter was over, it was back to politics.....UGH!
I'm determined to finish this final book, but it's really taking me a long time and I just DON'T want to read it AT ALL.......It's worse for me with this series than it was reading The Lord of the Rings series last summer. I struggled through that series, but I don't think it took me as long to read each book as it is for this Dragon Tattoo Girl series.
How in the world did this series ever get on the bestseller list, let alone made into movies (Swedish and US)??? And the movies?! Oh wow. I've seen both versions of the first movie and I've been horrified to find that even the US version of the movie has as much DETAIL as it does. I honestly thought the US version would tone it down and lead up to THE PARTS, but not actually SHOW THE PARTS. Boy Howdy, was I wrong about that!!!!
And now people are reading 50 Shades of Grey and are trying to talk me into reading THAT series, even though it's being touted as "Mommy Porn." I'm tired of reading books full of sex, sexual innuendos, sadist activities, and just, well, sex. I've been told that the STORY of 50 Shades of Grey is what makes it so good, but I was told the same thing about Dragon Tattoo Girl. I don't have any plans to pick up Grey at this point.....I do have some standards, you know......
When the STORY actually happens, you know, that crazy literary word--plot, it's actually not that bad. As a character, Lizbeth Salander is fascinating. She is definitely a victim of the government and it just keeps getting worse. I have to admit that when her psycho father is killed, I read like a speed-demon. But then as soon as that chapter was over, it was back to politics.....UGH!
I'm determined to finish this final book, but it's really taking me a long time and I just DON'T want to read it AT ALL.......It's worse for me with this series than it was reading The Lord of the Rings series last summer. I struggled through that series, but I don't think it took me as long to read each book as it is for this Dragon Tattoo Girl series.
How in the world did this series ever get on the bestseller list, let alone made into movies (Swedish and US)??? And the movies?! Oh wow. I've seen both versions of the first movie and I've been horrified to find that even the US version of the movie has as much DETAIL as it does. I honestly thought the US version would tone it down and lead up to THE PARTS, but not actually SHOW THE PARTS. Boy Howdy, was I wrong about that!!!!
And now people are reading 50 Shades of Grey and are trying to talk me into reading THAT series, even though it's being touted as "Mommy Porn." I'm tired of reading books full of sex, sexual innuendos, sadist activities, and just, well, sex. I've been told that the STORY of 50 Shades of Grey is what makes it so good, but I was told the same thing about Dragon Tattoo Girl. I don't have any plans to pick up Grey at this point.....I do have some standards, you know......
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Cressida Cowell is my Hero!
The Day of the Dreader by Cressida Cowell.
Super-awesome, as usual, for Cressida Cowell!!!! I love her books! And my son does, too! I think the best part is that we read and enjoy these together! Of course it's a bit predictable. Typically I don't like books that are so predictable, but with that being said, the predictability of THE DAY OF THE DREADER doesn't detract from the enjoyment of the read in the slightest! It's a typical Hiccup and Toothless adventure--fun and a joy to read!!!!
Super-awesome, as usual, for Cressida Cowell!!!! I love her books! And my son does, too! I think the best part is that we read and enjoy these together! Of course it's a bit predictable. Typically I don't like books that are so predictable, but with that being said, the predictability of THE DAY OF THE DREADER doesn't detract from the enjoyment of the read in the slightest! It's a typical Hiccup and Toothless adventure--fun and a joy to read!!!!
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