April 4 2018
@SNL
Scene opens into a courtroom.
Wednesday, April 4, 2018
Wednesday, October 11, 2017
Truman Show Analysis
Despite the real-world promotions and advertisements that almost "give away" the secret that Truman is actually supposed to be living in a reality television bubble, I believe what we are actually seeing is Truman slowly descending into mental illness.
I'm not an expert on what type of mental illness he is suffering from, I'll leave that to someone else, but I believe I can show examples of what I believe is truly going on behind the scenes of the Truman Show.
A cautionary tale concerning the paparazzi and our obsession with fame and reality TV? A man who is battling mental illness? Or a man who is struggling and finds God at the end as his savior?
General thoughtsTruman lives a sad pathetic do-nothing life. His delusion is literally the manifestation of a man whose life is not worth watching, believing that he actually is important enough that the whole world watches and hangs on his every move. This fantasy gives his life purpose and meaning. His psychological scarring to prevent his leaving the island is now not his fault. It was imposed on him by his handlers, so instead of being a suffering loser he is an abused martyr.
Specific Arguments
- I know as the viewer we are supposed to "suspend our disbelief" with this premise, but if you think about it in a practical sense, why would this show that is supposed to be the #1 show in the world, actually exist as such? Truman does not have an interesting life. I could see if his life was Hugh Hefner, or Bear Grills, or anyone who actually did something interesting, entertaining or laudable. Think about it; even if you were a fan of Hugh Hefner, would you watch his life 24/7 as the entire world seems to do with Truman?
- Everything we see in Truman seems to happen over a 24-48 hour timespan. How can Truman go his entire life never knowing his status and, apparently, there being no clues for him to grasp, and then everything goes wrong and he gets all these clues at the same time? It starts with the prop-light that falls from overhead that the radio later tells us came from a passing airplane. Why is this so far-fetched? Debris falls from overhead machinery and planes in a busy city all the time. So if my house gets hit with a piece of debris from a plane I am actually supposed to understand that I am in a TV show?
- There is a scene as he drives to work one morning with the camera looking at him from behind the radio dials. Truman accidentally overhears the radio chatter that follows him until they change frequencies. Again, think on that coincidence. He turns on to a street at the same time he hears someone on the radio say the street name. Why is that at all remarkable? Have you ever hummed a song and then it comes on the radio or TV? Have you ever wondered "what happened to Kevin." and then Kevin calls you out of the blue for no reason? This scene that shows everyone in Truman's world having an earpiece is also critical to my next point:
- After he begins to "suspect", he traps his wife in the car and tells her to watch as he predicts the movements of a woman on a bike and a car with a dented fender that are on a "loop" and are repeating their movements. We already know there are cameras in the car and that everyone in the world can see and hear Truman, so if he told his wife to look for the lady and the car, why couldn't the repeating actions be changed or called off? Surely the "actors" in his world know where he is at all times so why would anyone obviously "circle" him repetitively and suspiciously and not know enough to vary the routine. Surely Kristoff would have told them to stop.
- It is the same with the Bus Scene. Truman, even more suspicious, wanders in a daze into the street and a bus stops so it doesn't hit him. He holds up his hand to "make" the bus and a passing car stop, which they do, supposedly proving the point to Truman. Again, what do you think would happen if I wandered into the street today and held up my hand? Watch the scene again. No one in that scene does anything untoward or abnormal. They all respond exactly how they would if a real person did that to them in real life.
- It's the same when he walks into the high-rise and sees a false back to an elevator and he hits a man in the butt with his briefcase as he runs away. If you were an "actor" in this world, it's possible, and even likely for some people that Truman will interact with them. A man he bumps into on the street, people in traffic, colleagues at work etc. He's likely to need to interact with people. So why wouldn't these people be told to act "normal"? The fellow could have objected or at least responded; "Hey" and that would have been a more normal response. And as for the elevator itself, it again assumes that in a world where everyone is focused on Truman, no one thought enough to lock the door, or to not pull away the back of the elevator prop etc.
- We see a scene where everyone in sight is staying perfectly still. Men in mid-step, women on bikes but stopped. People are frozen waiting for the arrival or Truman so they can start to move however they are supposed to move. If this was a set or stage, wouldn't people be chatting? Or having a smoke? Or dpoing something more normal before the director yells "Action"?
- And about the girl that Truman falls in love with. Lets examine that relationship for a second. She is a "trouble maker", she gets hustled off away at the dance so she can't talk to Truman and expose his truth. She is obviously a threat and is taken from him. Are we then supposed to believe that this same girl is "accidentally" sitting next to Truman at the library the following night? Why would the producers allow that, knowing she is a risk? It just would not happen in an organized controlled and structured world like Truman's.
- Even in how people, the few that there are, try to warn Truman or make him aware. They speak very cryptically with no clear message, or they speak with words that can be interpreted different ways. Why does the girl whisper to Truman at the library when she tries to warn him? If she's saving him and blowing his cover, so to speak, why whisper and be all shy about it? Why not just shout it plainly and clearly? Couldn't she have told him when they were on their way to the beach? How long does it take to say; "I know this sounds nuts, but you're really the central point of a live television program. We are all actors, you are kept unaware". Instead people shout out generalities like "Truman, its not real" and "Truman don't listen to them they lie" and other things that he dismisses. The statement XXX's father says when he grabs her from the beach "She has episodes and does this all the time" might actually be a true response.
- Commercial talk is not as "rare" as you might think. Just being aware of it, it does not take long before you hear someone around you say something that is close to TV speak. Someone raves about a new device, or clothing, it happens all the time. So Truman's friend looking at him and saying "That's a beer" in the context of the movie is supposed to be telling, but people say things like that all the time.
- Kristoff - simply put, is God. "Kristoff", Krist", "Christ". The man who controls everything. Think about their control room for a moment. In a "show" that probably takes more money and resources than most small countries, we see that there are 3 people in the control room making decisions for Truman. 3! I work in a retail store that does 5K on an average day and we have 6 people working for us. The God theory is very plain at the end when Truman hears Kristoff speaking through a loudspeaker. This is an obvious God metaphor if there ever was one. The all-knowing voice of God and the man beneath asking for guidance.
The Interesting thing is that once Truman "leaves" his show, if this would happen in the real world, he would achieve instant wealth and fame and be put under another microscope as the famous are today. Perhaps less invasive as the one in his bathroom but not far off.
Thursday, December 29, 2016
The Iliad
The Iliad
One of my all-time favorite books, and one of my all-time favorite gifts to ever receive. A friend of mine gave me this last year as a present since they knew of my penchant for books and that this was one of my top picks. 5 volumes, looks like at some point the 3rd volume had been repaired on the spine but the inner pages of all the books are in excellent condition.
And, best of all, check out the title page. I had to do a double-take on the copyright date. 1806. Yes... a true antique. Twice over. over 200 years old and still in excellent shape!
Saturday, December 17, 2016
So, Anyway... - John Cleese
by John Cleese
Doubleday Canada
September 29, 2015
Doubleday Canada
September 29, 2015
From the Publisher
The autobiography of comedy legend John Cleese.
John Cleese's huge comedic influence has stretched across generations; his sharp irreverent eye and the unique brand of physical comedy he perfected with Monty Python, on Fawlty Towers, and beyond now seem written into comedy's DNA. In this rollicking memoir, So, Anyway..., Cleese takes readers on a Grand Tour of his ascent in the entertainment world, from his humble beginnings in a sleepy English town and his early comedic days at Cambridge University (with future Python partner Graham Chapman), to the founding of the landmark comedy troupe that would propel him to worldwide renown.
Cleese was just days away from graduating Cambridge and setting off on a law career when he was visited by two BBC executives, who offered him a job writing comedy for radio. That encounter--and a near-simultaneous offer to take his university humour revue to London's famed West End--propelled him down a different path, cutting his teeth writing for stars such as David Frost and Peter Sellers, and eventually joining the five other Pythons to pioneer a new kind of comedy that prized invention, silliness, and absurdity. Along the way, he found his first true love with the actress Connie Booth and transformed himself from a reluctant performer to a world-class actor and back again.
Twisting and turning through surprising stories and hilarious digressions--with some brief pauses along the way that comprise a fascinating primer on what's funny and why--this story of a young man's journey to the pinnacle of comedy is a masterly performance by a master performer.
John Cleese's huge comedic influence has stretched across generations; his sharp irreverent eye and the unique brand of physical comedy he perfected with Monty Python, on Fawlty Towers, and beyond now seem written into comedy's DNA. In this rollicking memoir, So, Anyway..., Cleese takes readers on a Grand Tour of his ascent in the entertainment world, from his humble beginnings in a sleepy English town and his early comedic days at Cambridge University (with future Python partner Graham Chapman), to the founding of the landmark comedy troupe that would propel him to worldwide renown.
Cleese was just days away from graduating Cambridge and setting off on a law career when he was visited by two BBC executives, who offered him a job writing comedy for radio. That encounter--and a near-simultaneous offer to take his university humour revue to London's famed West End--propelled him down a different path, cutting his teeth writing for stars such as David Frost and Peter Sellers, and eventually joining the five other Pythons to pioneer a new kind of comedy that prized invention, silliness, and absurdity. Along the way, he found his first true love with the actress Connie Booth and transformed himself from a reluctant performer to a world-class actor and back again.
Twisting and turning through surprising stories and hilarious digressions--with some brief pauses along the way that comprise a fascinating primer on what's funny and why--this story of a young man's journey to the pinnacle of comedy is a masterly performance by a master performer.
Smell The Book Review
8.5 out of 10
e." P243
8.5 out of 10
Saturday, December 3, 2016
The Arabian Nights
Overall, it was an enjoyable read. I went into it knowing it was a collection of ancient myths, parables and other such lore, all framed within the famous story of the concubine Scherazade keeping herself alive by telling the king what is not necessarily a never ending story, but rather that she ends each story with a sort of: "Well if you liked THAT tale, have you heard the one about..." and then the next chapter continues.
It was interesting to read some of the original tales, or to see where they came from. Stories about genies, Aladdin and the lamp, The Seven Voyages of Sinbad, Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, the original "three wishes" kind of stories. These stories all originated here so from a historical context it was interesting when I'd read a tale and realize: "Oh! THAT'S where that came from", which is somewhat the same reaction I had when I started getting more into Shakespeare and seeing how pervasive the ideas and stories are. I doubt Disney would exist without borrowing ideas from this text!
If there was a problem for me, it is that the collection (not a total compilation by any means as I have read there are much longer versions available with much more stories), the tales do get repetitive. With the same moral, the same type of protagonist. A merchant is greedy with his clients and gets his comeuppance, a king and people in power get outwitted by simpler folk. Almost every tale has a woman who is "beyond belief in her beauty", or a young male who is beyond handsome and almost impossible to look on either of them without falling in love. Genies interfere or help etc. They got a little predictable and a little dry by the end.
Hemingway
The Last Good Country
"Do you think you'll ever make enough money writing?"
"If I get good enough."
"Couldn't you maybe make it if you wrote cheerfuller things? That isn't my opinion. Our mother said everything you wrote is morbid."
From The Short Strories
Have to blog...
Its always a great feeling to "discover" a new author. Sometimes even if that author has been around for years but you've just never had the chance to read them. It's a particular treat to find an author that has a nice extensive library to catch up with.
Such is the condition I find myself in after "discovering" Ernest Hemingway. On a whim, when I had spare cash and was building my hard copy library, I found an updated book that collected all of the short stories by Hemingway. I figured what better way to decide if I liked an author that with these short glimpses into the variety of his imagination. I started reading the stories and have been, to say the least, what is the word? "Enchanted". Captured" "hooked" at least. His prose is a little different than I expected, and I find myself surprised by the occasional n-word or other such racial slur that was a sample form the times he wrote in. But the works are almost dark, very powerful. Some of the stories I had to re-read as I felt I missed the point. His knowledge on bullfighting, camping and outdoor survival come through very strongly and he seems to be a rugged "man's man" type.
His stories are not light hearted, in fact I recall that the first 4 stories in the book involve death or a murder. Certainly tales that make you reflect.
But overall I am pleasantly surprised to have so much from this author to catch up on.
"Do you think you'll ever make enough money writing?"
"If I get good enough."
"Couldn't you maybe make it if you wrote cheerfuller things? That isn't my opinion. Our mother said everything you wrote is morbid."
From The Short Strories
Have to blog...
Its always a great feeling to "discover" a new author. Sometimes even if that author has been around for years but you've just never had the chance to read them. It's a particular treat to find an author that has a nice extensive library to catch up with.
Such is the condition I find myself in after "discovering" Ernest Hemingway. On a whim, when I had spare cash and was building my hard copy library, I found an updated book that collected all of the short stories by Hemingway. I figured what better way to decide if I liked an author that with these short glimpses into the variety of his imagination. I started reading the stories and have been, to say the least, what is the word? "Enchanted". Captured" "hooked" at least. His prose is a little different than I expected, and I find myself surprised by the occasional n-word or other such racial slur that was a sample form the times he wrote in. But the works are almost dark, very powerful. Some of the stories I had to re-read as I felt I missed the point. His knowledge on bullfighting, camping and outdoor survival come through very strongly and he seems to be a rugged "man's man" type.
His stories are not light hearted, in fact I recall that the first 4 stories in the book involve death or a murder. Certainly tales that make you reflect.
But overall I am pleasantly surprised to have so much from this author to catch up on.
Friday, July 31, 2015
Merchant of Venice
Don't get me wrong... I'm glad I found you, but if a friend of mine that lives close to Perth hadn't made an offhanded comment asking if I was going to the Shakespeare play she "heard about" near her, I would still not know you exist! I don't know who does your advertising, and I'm sure it will come down to budgets and such, but every year I see ads and posters for more local companies like "Company of Fools" and "Bear and Company" then myself and some other book/Shakespeare geek friends make plans to see the shows, but I have yet to see an ad or lamp-post poster for you guys.
But after the show I saw last week I am happy to add to your social media exposure if it helps more people know you exist and what you do.
I've driven past this small playhouse called The Full Circle Theatre on Craig street in Perth many times over the years and never known what goes on inside. The inside seems far larger once you're in it and it is a lovely old wooden theatre that used to be a car wash many years ago. Two friendly ladies greeted me and took my ticket and in a very homey atmosphere they also offer pop, snacks and coffee. A wonderful atmosphere.
"The Merchant of Venice", after The Tempest, is another one of my favorite Shakespeare plays. I think I've always loved the "Law and Order" like feel of the final big scene and how Portia finds the loophole in the bond to save Antonio's life and thwart Shylock.
Time for a flashback to high school... The biggest debate you will usually hear with this play is whether or not Shylock is a sympathetic character or not. Does he deserve his treatment? Does he deserve how he is left at the end of play; ruined, alone (abandoned and the victim of theft by his own daughter) and forced to switch to Christianity as punishment for asking that his bond against Antonio be honored? If there was ever a question in my mind, it was laid to rest this night with the performance of Joe Laxton who played Shylock. An excellent stand-out performance that convinced me once and for all that, though a little over the top in his wish for revenge, Shylock was undeserving of the treatment he was victim to before the start of the play. He was called dog and actually spit upon by Antonio in the market because of his beliefs. I loved the "If you prick us, do we not bleed?" speech which convinced me that Shakespeare was trying to buck against the accepted tradition of his time that being cruel to Jews was a good thing to do. And, not to put to fine a point on it, what kind of a genius was Antonio to sign a bond that allowed Shylock to cut out a pound of flesh, and then whine when the penalty for the bond came due?
I feel sorry for Shylock. There was a huge "hooray" by the cast at the end of play as everyone ends happy ever after with their loves. Except for Shylock who lies on the ground... broken, alone, abandoned, and forced to disavow his religion. Antonio may not have "deserved" death, but neither did he warrant living happy ever after with most of his ships returned and granted half of Shylocks lands and fortune.
There seemed to be some real chemistry between Portia and Bassanio, and it wasn't until after I got home and looked up some of the cast that I found they are actually married! The second stand-out performance for me was Kristy Angel who played Portia. I really enjoyed her and Narissa's banter and reactions as the suitors try to guess which of the 3 caskets contains Portia's picture.
Well done guys. I'm glad I found you and I look forward to other productions.
Chris
Friday, July 24, 2015
Red Nexus
Red Nexus
Benoit Chartier
Trode Publications
April 2015
ISBN - 1505870941
Trode Publications
April 2015
ISBN - 1505870941
ISBN - 13: 9781505870947
From the Publisher
Once part of the Tokyo elite, Wen Harkwell lost his status when his mother died, and now he’s forced to labor in the depths of the city, far from the easy life of the Heights, struggling to support his thirteen-year-old brother Sammy. By day he toils in a factory and by night he digs for scrap in the infamous Heap under the city. One night Wen is drawn to an old book he finds and risks taking it home—a quick decision with devastating consequences.
Soon after, Sammy is kidnapped, and when Wen turns to a friend and coworker for help, the two find themselves embroiled in a secret high-tech operation that will stop at nothing to maintain their ciphered code. When Wen realizes that the same corporation connected to his mother’s disappearance is behind the attack, he knows he must do whatever it takes to save his brother—even if it means working for the enemy.
In the vein of William Gibson and A. A. Attanasio, Benoit Chartier’s Red Nexus is a dystopian sci-fi adventure full of fascinating technology, fast-paced action, and plenty of heart.
Smell The Book Review
Soon after, Sammy is kidnapped, and when Wen turns to a friend and coworker for help, the two find themselves embroiled in a secret high-tech operation that will stop at nothing to maintain their ciphered code. When Wen realizes that the same corporation connected to his mother’s disappearance is behind the attack, he knows he must do whatever it takes to save his brother—even if it means working for the enemy.
In the vein of William Gibson and A. A. Attanasio, Benoit Chartier’s Red Nexus is a dystopian sci-fi adventure full of fascinating technology, fast-paced action, and plenty of heart.
Smell The Book Review
8 out of 10
This is the second book I have had the pleasure of reviewing for Benoit. The first was The Calumnist Malefesto. I found Red Nexus well written and an interesting take on a familiar theme. The story itself feels like a combination of The Matrix, Neuromancer and other such science fiction novels. readers are familiar with the theme of "virtual worlds" where users log in and feel like they are physically in these other worlds as they perform tasks, complete missions and suffer real physical consequences if they experience harm.
We follow the life of Wen Harkwell who cares for his brother, Sammy, after the death of their mother. Sammy turns up missing one day and Wen must enter into the heart of those he knows have kidnapped him in order to save Sammy. The story is about family and loyalty, even several hundred years in the future.
My usual rule for how I gauge the level of writing is whether or not I feel invested in the happenings of the protagonist. I found myself rooting for Wen in the search for his brother, and the battles and weapons that Wen is able to create in his virtual world is a unique twist on the "jacked in" theory of future technology.
This is the second book I have had the pleasure of reviewing for Benoit. The first was The Calumnist Malefesto. I found Red Nexus well written and an interesting take on a familiar theme. The story itself feels like a combination of The Matrix, Neuromancer and other such science fiction novels. readers are familiar with the theme of "virtual worlds" where users log in and feel like they are physically in these other worlds as they perform tasks, complete missions and suffer real physical consequences if they experience harm.
We follow the life of Wen Harkwell who cares for his brother, Sammy, after the death of their mother. Sammy turns up missing one day and Wen must enter into the heart of those he knows have kidnapped him in order to save Sammy. The story is about family and loyalty, even several hundred years in the future.
My usual rule for how I gauge the level of writing is whether or not I feel invested in the happenings of the protagonist. I found myself rooting for Wen in the search for his brother, and the battles and weapons that Wen is able to create in his virtual world is a unique twist on the "jacked in" theory of future technology.
There's some twists, some surprises, and I look forward to more from Benoit!
8 out of 10.
Chris
Play-The Tempest
Many years ago in high school, The Tempest was the first (and for years, the only) Shakespeare play that I liked. I think it was perhaps the language and scenes within the play were something that I could understand without much "translation". I knew what was going on so the story stuck with me.
Then, just a few years ago when I had my interest in Shakespeare re-kindled, The Tempest was one of the first plays I re-read. It has always held a special place for me as my gateway back into Shakespeare as an adult.
I first became aware of Bear and Company last year when I first saw them perform the Comedy of Errors. After seeing several high-production plays in Stratford, Bear and Company were one of the first to show me the "Shakespeare in the Park" experience where troupes use little more than an occasional chair or table as a prop (apart from costumes). I was hooked! I know it sounds corny, but it is true that the language of the play itself is enough to keep me invested and, when the actors are gifted, I found I didn't need much in the way of props and stage decorations to enjoy the experience.
A really fun and well-done production that I saw in Kanata in Walter Baker Park (Behind the Ron Maslin Playhouse). The players make an effort to get the audience involved in portions of the play (though for this night everyone seemed to forget the suggested water gun to scare away the rogues and were forced into variations of barking). The interactions between Miranda and Ferdinand were fun to watch and performed in a way I hadn't seen before. Past plays always seem to have them act so serious, Bear and Company made them a little more flirty and fun which I enjoyed.
Stand-outs for me were Hannah Leigh Ehman who played Miranda and Zoe Georgaras as Ariel. Ariel was a very interesting take as Ms. Georgaras obviously has some history and experience in fire-dancing which she incorporated into Ariels performances which was truly original and added to the effect of Ariel being "Magic".
I wish they performed more than one Shakespeare play, as now I have to wait all the way to next summer to see what is next! But in the meantime, for other productions, Bear and Company also perform non-Shakespeare plays at The Gladstone Theatre.
Chris
A Bear and Company production
Saturday, May 9, 2015
Dante's Inferno
An odd moral dilemma with this one.... Ironically enough with a classic epic that can be directly related to morals!
I wasn't wearing my glasses, I looked in the inner cover and saw $18.95. It's one of my favorites and $20 wasn't to much for a nice older version of this epic. I paid $18.95 (though thought this was an oddly specific price for a used book). The fellow behind the counter charged me $18.95. I checked with a friend of mine AND my wife who both said they wondered why it was priced at $18.95 after they looked in the front page.
Take a closer look... there is definitely a comma AFTER the 1 and before the 8. Did I pay $20 bucks for one valued at almost 2 grand? I looked up similar copies on eBay and other stores and the book does sell for a couple of hundred bucks elsewhere... is there something different about this edition?
Maybe I'll take it somewhere for appraisal.
But... in the meantime, I plan to enjoy owning what might be the most expensive book I've ever collected, even by accident!
Treasure Island
Another classic... this one I found near Quinte Ontario. Small little bookstore, cost me $29 but in great shape for being from 1913!
Saturday, May 2, 2015
Tennyson
I've never been a fan of re-gifting at Christmas until a few years ago....
For YEARS my mother in law in her house in Kingston had a selection of old Tennyson books as decoration in one of the guest bedrooms. I coveted those books and dropped many a hint for years... to no avail.
Then, one Christmas a few years back, someone thought it would be a good idea to re-gift something as one of the presents we each had to give someone else. I guess my Mother in Law picked my name out of the hat and for lack of a better idea she gave me the books!
There are 13 of them in all, in great shape, apparently known as the "Aldworth Editions" and are copyrighted at 1901.
Vol I - Memoir Early Poems
Vol II - English Idylls and Other Poems, Ballads and Other Poems
Vol III - Locksley Hall and Other Poems, Reprinted Poems
Vol IV - Lucretius and Other Poems, Sonnets, Translations etc.
Vol V - Idylls of the King Part 1
Vol VI - The Princess, the Cup, The Falcon
Vol VII- Maud, Enoch Arden, The Promise of May
Vol VIII - Idylls of the King Part II
Vol IX - In Memoriam Harold
Vol X - Queen Mary the Lovers Tale
Vol XI - Tiresias and Other Poems
Vol XII - Becket
Vol XIII - Poems by Two Brothers, Index
For YEARS my mother in law in her house in Kingston had a selection of old Tennyson books as decoration in one of the guest bedrooms. I coveted those books and dropped many a hint for years... to no avail.
Then, one Christmas a few years back, someone thought it would be a good idea to re-gift something as one of the presents we each had to give someone else. I guess my Mother in Law picked my name out of the hat and for lack of a better idea she gave me the books!
There are 13 of them in all, in great shape, apparently known as the "Aldworth Editions" and are copyrighted at 1901.
Vol I - Memoir Early Poems
Vol II - English Idylls and Other Poems, Ballads and Other Poems
Vol III - Locksley Hall and Other Poems, Reprinted Poems
Vol IV - Lucretius and Other Poems, Sonnets, Translations etc.
Vol V - Idylls of the King Part 1
Vol VI - The Princess, the Cup, The Falcon
Vol VII- Maud, Enoch Arden, The Promise of May
Vol VIII - Idylls of the King Part II
Vol IX - In Memoriam Harold
Vol X - Queen Mary the Lovers Tale
Vol XI - Tiresias and Other Poems
Vol XII - Becket
Vol XIII - Poems by Two Brothers, Index
Friday, May 1, 2015
Shakespeare
Another treasure from McGahern books. A Shakespeare collection from 1864. Great condition for its age.
Milton
Aaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh. What a day for a book-geek! I found my new favorite book store.
I had some time between appointments today in downtown Ottawa and visited small used book store on Laurier east of Dalhousie. A nice small store with a friendly owner, but most of the stock was relatively contemporary. Nothing wrong with that, but when I mentioned to the owner that I was looking for some older editions he suggested I try a store called "Patrick McGahern Books". I visited the store and it was worth the 3 story climb to their shop at the top of 368 Dalhousie Street. 613-230-2275.
The entire store is antique and specialized used and rare books on every subject. I made a B-Line to the literature section and lost myself for an hour thumbing through nothing that looked younger than 50 years. And yes, I smelled every book. ;-)
I had to limit myself or my wife would want to know why I mortgaged the house to buy old books... so I ended up settling on 2. Milton's poetry and a Shakespeare collection.
The Milton poetry book is "estimated" to be from 1850. I found this interesting when I spoke to the gentleman who helped me told me how they date a book that does not have a date printed in it. They go by the paper used, the quality of the book, the name of the publisher, and other factors to estimate a date. They can tell by the name of a publisher for example, if that publisher has records (which they do) on when they published an edition even if it doesn't appear in the book itself. So the company records show they printed one edition of a work in a certain year.
Either way, its cool and I like Milton, so its neat to hold a book of one of my favorites that was 110 years old before I was even born.
I had some time between appointments today in downtown Ottawa and visited small used book store on Laurier east of Dalhousie. A nice small store with a friendly owner, but most of the stock was relatively contemporary. Nothing wrong with that, but when I mentioned to the owner that I was looking for some older editions he suggested I try a store called "Patrick McGahern Books". I visited the store and it was worth the 3 story climb to their shop at the top of 368 Dalhousie Street. 613-230-2275.
The entire store is antique and specialized used and rare books on every subject. I made a B-Line to the literature section and lost myself for an hour thumbing through nothing that looked younger than 50 years. And yes, I smelled every book. ;-)
I had to limit myself or my wife would want to know why I mortgaged the house to buy old books... so I ended up settling on 2. Milton's poetry and a Shakespeare collection.
The Milton poetry book is "estimated" to be from 1850. I found this interesting when I spoke to the gentleman who helped me told me how they date a book that does not have a date printed in it. They go by the paper used, the quality of the book, the name of the publisher, and other factors to estimate a date. They can tell by the name of a publisher for example, if that publisher has records (which they do) on when they published an edition even if it doesn't appear in the book itself. So the company records show they printed one edition of a work in a certain year.
Either way, its cool and I like Milton, so its neat to hold a book of one of my favorites that was 110 years old before I was even born.
Mr. "Robert Humble Newcastle", if you're still alive and enjoying the ripe old age of 165, please contact me so I can return your book. ;-)
Thursday, April 30, 2015
William Blake 1
From downtown Ottawa:
"Blakes Poetical Works", edited by William Michael Rossetti.
I've liked William Blake since he was part of a course I took at U of Waterloo a few years back. I have more recent collections but I saw this one today from 1890. As of this writing, this edition is 125 years old!
The title page has a book-plate with the name Jane Campbell. I doubt Ms. Campbell is still with us, but if someone looks her name up and finds this, that would be cool. ;-)
"Blakes Poetical Works", edited by William Michael Rossetti.
I've liked William Blake since he was part of a course I took at U of Waterloo a few years back. I have more recent collections but I saw this one today from 1890. As of this writing, this edition is 125 years old!
The title page has a book-plate with the name Jane Campbell. I doubt Ms. Campbell is still with us, but if someone looks her name up and finds this, that would be cool. ;-)
Old Curiosity Shop
Another of the books from the used store in Nova Scotia.
Charles Dickens is one of my favorites and I found this edition of The Old Curiosity Shop that dates from 1913,
Charles Dickens is one of my favorites and I found this edition of The Old Curiosity Shop that dates from 1913,
Someone named Eileen Cantwell or (Eileen Cartwell). She lived at 47 Plaza Street in Biklyn? Can't read this one perfectly and I can't find a place named Biklyn so perhaps it is an abbreviation for Brooklyn? Over a century ago!
Don Quixote
From Bridgetown Nova Scotia I paid only a few dollars for this older edition of Don Quixote which the title page lists as being from 1941. Not my oldest book by far, but a neat older and illustrated edition in really good conditiion.
Interesting if someone looks for their own name in a search engine and finds this book they used to own from over 70 years ago. The book came with a book-plate sticker naming "Sarah Lemnon" (I think).
Sunday, March 22, 2015
Cuckoos Calling
The Cuckoos Calling
Robert Galbraith (J. K. Rowling)
Little, Brown And Company
April 29, 2014
Little, Brown And Company
April 29, 2014
The following ISBNs are associated with this title:
ISBN - 10: 0316206857
ISBN - 13: 9780316206853
From the Publisher
ISBN - 13: 9780316206853
From the Publisher
The Cuckoo's Calling Trade Paperback
A brilliant debut mystery in a classic vein: Detective Cormoran Strike investigates a supermodel's suicide. After losing his leg to a land mine in Afghanistan, Cormoran Strike is barely scraping by as a private investigator. Strike is down to one client, and creditors are calling. He has also just broken up with his longtime girlfriend and is living in his office. Then John Bristow walks through his door with an amazing story: His sister, the legendary supermodel Lula Landry, known to her friends as the Cuckoo, famously fell to her death a few months earlier. The police ruled it a suicide, but John refuses to believe that. The case plunges Strike into the world of multimillionaire beauties, rock-star boyfriends, and desperate designers, and it introduces him to every variety of pleasure, enticement, seduction, and delusion known to man.
You may think you know detectives, but you've never met one quite like Strike. You may think you know about the wealthy and famous, but you've never seen them under an investigation like this.
Introducing Cormoran Strike, this is the acclaimed first crime novel by J.K. Rowling, writing under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith
Smell The Book Review
A brilliant debut mystery in a classic vein: Detective Cormoran Strike investigates a supermodel's suicide. After losing his leg to a land mine in Afghanistan, Cormoran Strike is barely scraping by as a private investigator. Strike is down to one client, and creditors are calling. He has also just broken up with his longtime girlfriend and is living in his office. Then John Bristow walks through his door with an amazing story: His sister, the legendary supermodel Lula Landry, known to her friends as the Cuckoo, famously fell to her death a few months earlier. The police ruled it a suicide, but John refuses to believe that. The case plunges Strike into the world of multimillionaire beauties, rock-star boyfriends, and desperate designers, and it introduces him to every variety of pleasure, enticement, seduction, and delusion known to man.
You may think you know detectives, but you've never met one quite like Strike. You may think you know about the wealthy and famous, but you've never seen them under an investigation like this.
Introducing Cormoran Strike, this is the acclaimed first crime novel by J.K. Rowling, writing under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith
Smell The Book Review
9 out of 10
This novel came as a selection of one of the core members from the Ottawa Book Club. I knew going in to the book that it was published under a pseudonym by J. K. Rowling.
I had long ago promised myself to read any and all selections from anyone in the book club. With this in mind; I don't normally read mysteries, and I didn't like J. K. Rowling as I always found the Harry Potter series a little too cute and formulaic so I was a little resistant. But within a few pages of meeting Cormoran Strike I was hooked! I found the book well written, the flow of the story gripping and enjoyed it so much I purchased both the follow up to this book (Silkworm) and her first book from her post Harry Potter days, The Casual Vacancy.
It's hard to come across any mystery or "WhoDunnit" that doesn't follow a type of formula. I tend to think that every new character is the guilty party until I meet the next character and I shift my blame accordingly. It then, for me, comes down to the characters. As I mentioned earlier, I really liked Cormoran Strike. I like that he wasn't a cutout hero. He is flawed, has an artificial leg, is in too much debt, drinks to much and lives and sleeps in his office after a bad split from a girlfriend. Because of his rough appearance he tends to be underestimated by those he interviews and he uses this to his advantage. But he is also ex-military and when it counts he has keen powers of observation and knows how to ask the right questions and which information is worth recording.
I also found I was interested in Robin, Strike's new office assistant who also has a childish interest and glee in thinking of herself as a classic private detective. Or at least takes joy in working for one.
No spoilers here, but I did not see the ending coming. The book is well written, entertaining and a fun read with some likeable characters.
I had long ago promised myself to read any and all selections from anyone in the book club. With this in mind; I don't normally read mysteries, and I didn't like J. K. Rowling as I always found the Harry Potter series a little too cute and formulaic so I was a little resistant. But within a few pages of meeting Cormoran Strike I was hooked! I found the book well written, the flow of the story gripping and enjoyed it so much I purchased both the follow up to this book (Silkworm) and her first book from her post Harry Potter days, The Casual Vacancy.
It's hard to come across any mystery or "WhoDunnit" that doesn't follow a type of formula. I tend to think that every new character is the guilty party until I meet the next character and I shift my blame accordingly. It then, for me, comes down to the characters. As I mentioned earlier, I really liked Cormoran Strike. I like that he wasn't a cutout hero. He is flawed, has an artificial leg, is in too much debt, drinks to much and lives and sleeps in his office after a bad split from a girlfriend. Because of his rough appearance he tends to be underestimated by those he interviews and he uses this to his advantage. But he is also ex-military and when it counts he has keen powers of observation and knows how to ask the right questions and which information is worth recording.
I also found I was interested in Robin, Strike's new office assistant who also has a childish interest and glee in thinking of herself as a classic private detective. Or at least takes joy in working for one.
No spoilers here, but I did not see the ending coming. The book is well written, entertaining and a fun read with some likeable characters.
9 out of 10.
Chris
Ransom
Ransom
David Malouf
Random House UK
September, 2010
ISBN - 10: 0099539527
ISBN - 13: 9780099539520
Random House UK
September, 2010
ISBN - 10: 0099539527
ISBN - 13: 9780099539520
From the Publisher
A brilliant Homeric fable in miniature for our times -- a lyrical and surprising reworking of the story of the Trojan war by an acclaimed international writer.
What happens when a young prince falls in battle and his body is spirited away to be desecrated and dishonoured? His death is the battle price of another young man''s death, but what price dishonour and a father''s grief?
In this exquisite gem of a novel, David Malouf shines new light on Homer''s Iliad, adding twists and reflections, as well as flashes of earthy humour, to surprise and enchant. His version opens with Achilles, maddened by grief at the death of his friend Patroclus. From the walls of Troy, King Priam watches the body of his son Hector being dragged behind Achilles'' chariot. There must be a way, he thinks, of reclaiming the body -- of pitting compromise against heroics, new ways against the old, and of forcing the hand of fate. Dressed simply and in a cart pulled by a mule, an old man sets off for the Greek camp. Lyrical, immediate and heartbreaking, Malouf''s fable engraves the epic themes of the Trojan war onto a perfect miniature -- themes of war and heroics, hubris and humanity, chance and fate, the bonds between soldiers, fathers and sons, all newly burnished and brilliantly recast for our times.
What happens when a young prince falls in battle and his body is spirited away to be desecrated and dishonoured? His death is the battle price of another young man''s death, but what price dishonour and a father''s grief?
In this exquisite gem of a novel, David Malouf shines new light on Homer''s Iliad, adding twists and reflections, as well as flashes of earthy humour, to surprise and enchant. His version opens with Achilles, maddened by grief at the death of his friend Patroclus. From the walls of Troy, King Priam watches the body of his son Hector being dragged behind Achilles'' chariot. There must be a way, he thinks, of reclaiming the body -- of pitting compromise against heroics, new ways against the old, and of forcing the hand of fate. Dressed simply and in a cart pulled by a mule, an old man sets off for the Greek camp. Lyrical, immediate and heartbreaking, Malouf''s fable engraves the epic themes of the Trojan war onto a perfect miniature -- themes of war and heroics, hubris and humanity, chance and fate, the bonds between soldiers, fathers and sons, all newly burnished and brilliantly recast for our times.
Smell The Book Review
9 out of 10
David Malouf is a well-established author and I doubt he needs my help at this point, but I was so impressed with his book that I wanted to review it here for anyone else interested in books related to Homer's works.
I have always been a huge fan of "The Iliad" and all the books it inspired. As with other large "epics" like this there are sometimes short episodes or interactions between characters that are not always fully explained or obvious to the reader. Why does King Priam take such an ugly, simple cart and 2 asses to claim his son in such a humbling manner? Malouf delves into some of the empty spaces between chapters of the original and fleshes it out into a well written add-on. This last event (the request to ransom the body of Hector) is dealt with in a relatively brief manner in the Iliad and is the subject of this book as Malouf takes us behind the scenes to show us his interpretation of Priam's motivations.
I really enjoy when snippets of ancient text have been expanded into a larger story that stays loyal to the original work and fits so well into the larger epic. I personally think a work like The Iliad is a tough act to follow but Malouf stays true to the original and provides an entertaining and clever look into the reaction of Priam's wife and family, where they find the cart and the driver, and why he dresses like a commoner and felt free to wander through the Greek camp with a cart full of gold. This is a story about fatherhood, about forgiveness and, though a little cliché, what it means to be human amidst all of these immortal petulant gods interfering in our lives.
How far should a father go to reclaim the body of his slain son for a proper burial? Should Achilles have relented and surrendered the body of Hector? Or if he had kept the body and slain Priam outright wouldn't the war have ended right then with no more bloodshed?
Concise, well-written and a perfect fir with the original tale this is a highly recommended read.
9 out of 10.
Chris
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