I've recently began Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, and I am sorry to say, it is not looking so good.
I've begun to see it as a chore to read, rather than a source of enjoyment, as it did not meet my expectations, whcih may have been uncommonly lifted due to unwavering praise of the novel throughout history.
The trials of a group of girls and their mother in their adventures to obtain a husband are very, shall we say, trivial to me.
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Friday, December 21, 2007
New Moon- Stephanie Meyer
Yes....isn't it suprising that it's not a classic? But I'm sure to others it will be in the future.
Introduction:
New Moon is the second book in the Twilight series, revolving around the life of Isabella Swan, a teeenage girl who had recently moved to be with her father in the small town of Forks. There, she falls in love with the mysterious Edward Cullen, who in turn is revealed to be a vampire. Don't worry folks, Edward is passionately in love with her too. That's what causes a problem what with his lusting-after-her-blood thing.
In New Moon, however, the story is 'broken' off into three rather important plots that are not only carried out through the book, but through the remainder of the series.
Summary:
After a fiasco at Bella's rather unwanted birthday party where her blood causes mayhem at the Cullens' residence, Edward tells Bella he has moved on, doesn't want to be with Bella and is literally moving away- in fact, the whole family is. Bella's torment over the loss of her Edward appears to be sucking the life out of her, until one day, she rekindles her friendship with Jacob Black, a boy from the Quilette Tribe. However, Jacob soon has troubles of his own, and on top of helping her friend, Bella also receives news that her Edward is in danger. Not only that, but a character that may have seemed insignificant in Twilight, returns to further stir things up in Bella's already very complicated life.
Note: Spoilers are present in the review below.
The Good:
I do love the plot. The idea of a vampire so passionately in love with a dainty human being like Bella awes me. Excites me. The use of mythical creatures tied into the plot works so well, and Meyer really has modernized it- no more garlic and holy water crap for me! The way she builds the plot and doesn't end it in the one book is fantastic- it really draws the reader into the next book (which is called Eclipse if any of you were wondering).
Another thing Meyer is impeccable at is her character development. Any good author can make us understand their characters, but there is...always something more to Meyer's then any ordinary novel. Bella and Edward's love is so strong it's so...violent. Pardon the use of the word, I don't mean anything by it literally, but the way they are tied to one another is shown really well in this book, where Bella deals with the pain of not having Edward around. Meyer also makes full use of her characters, and I really did warm to all of them, even the 'baddies', because they were so well created! The first word that comes to mind with this book is 'Classic'. Indeed, Meyer's style is something that everyone can feel comfortable with, even those antifans of fantasy, as she doesn't over do her magic too much, but focuses rather on her characters and there relationships.
The Bad:
As much as I like the storyline, it was rather predictable. For example, Jacob's werewolf abilities were guessed by me rather early on in the story. Not only because of the hints in the book, but also because it's the common enemy of a vampire. I guessed the second part couldn't be helped, as Meyer was loosely sticking to mythology. I could also sense the Jacob's impending love for Bella, and the blurring lines in their friendship, and knew it would lead on in the next book.
Also, though the plot is fantastic with Bella and Edward facing one obstacle after another, the structure was rather poor. It was as if Meyer had blended in three different books into one.
First I thought the book was about Bella reviving her relationship with Edward, and then I thought that maybe Jacob Black with his love for Bella and werewolf issues would be a subplot, not to mention Victoria, the mate of James the tracker, who is back to reap her vengeance, but suddenly the royal-like family called the Volturi appear, and warn the Cullens that since a human knows their vampire secret, she must be bitten or die? Let's add in the conflict between the werewolves and vampires for good measure too.
It became a bit messy jumping here and there, as the focus moves on one issue to another. Though I can sense that this is all preparation for the next book, which I have a feeling will better New Moon, it really did appear like there were multiple stories in one book.
What I am trying to say here is that though all the events in the plot are related, in fact, they relate to the overall plot of the Twilight series really well, they were very poorly linked.
However, the ideas Meyer has are quite original and fascinating, and it's the ideas that make a great author, not the structure of a book.
Introduction:
New Moon is the second book in the Twilight series, revolving around the life of Isabella Swan, a teeenage girl who had recently moved to be with her father in the small town of Forks. There, she falls in love with the mysterious Edward Cullen, who in turn is revealed to be a vampire. Don't worry folks, Edward is passionately in love with her too. That's what causes a problem what with his lusting-after-her-blood thing.
In New Moon, however, the story is 'broken' off into three rather important plots that are not only carried out through the book, but through the remainder of the series.
Summary:
After a fiasco at Bella's rather unwanted birthday party where her blood causes mayhem at the Cullens' residence, Edward tells Bella he has moved on, doesn't want to be with Bella and is literally moving away- in fact, the whole family is. Bella's torment over the loss of her Edward appears to be sucking the life out of her, until one day, she rekindles her friendship with Jacob Black, a boy from the Quilette Tribe. However, Jacob soon has troubles of his own, and on top of helping her friend, Bella also receives news that her Edward is in danger. Not only that, but a character that may have seemed insignificant in Twilight, returns to further stir things up in Bella's already very complicated life.
Note: Spoilers are present in the review below.
The Good:
I do love the plot. The idea of a vampire so passionately in love with a dainty human being like Bella awes me. Excites me. The use of mythical creatures tied into the plot works so well, and Meyer really has modernized it- no more garlic and holy water crap for me! The way she builds the plot and doesn't end it in the one book is fantastic- it really draws the reader into the next book (which is called Eclipse if any of you were wondering).
Another thing Meyer is impeccable at is her character development. Any good author can make us understand their characters, but there is...always something more to Meyer's then any ordinary novel. Bella and Edward's love is so strong it's so...violent. Pardon the use of the word, I don't mean anything by it literally, but the way they are tied to one another is shown really well in this book, where Bella deals with the pain of not having Edward around. Meyer also makes full use of her characters, and I really did warm to all of them, even the 'baddies', because they were so well created! The first word that comes to mind with this book is 'Classic'. Indeed, Meyer's style is something that everyone can feel comfortable with, even those antifans of fantasy, as she doesn't over do her magic too much, but focuses rather on her characters and there relationships.
The Bad:
As much as I like the storyline, it was rather predictable. For example, Jacob's werewolf abilities were guessed by me rather early on in the story. Not only because of the hints in the book, but also because it's the common enemy of a vampire. I guessed the second part couldn't be helped, as Meyer was loosely sticking to mythology. I could also sense the Jacob's impending love for Bella, and the blurring lines in their friendship, and knew it would lead on in the next book.
Also, though the plot is fantastic with Bella and Edward facing one obstacle after another, the structure was rather poor. It was as if Meyer had blended in three different books into one.
First I thought the book was about Bella reviving her relationship with Edward, and then I thought that maybe Jacob Black with his love for Bella and werewolf issues would be a subplot, not to mention Victoria, the mate of James the tracker, who is back to reap her vengeance, but suddenly the royal-like family called the Volturi appear, and warn the Cullens that since a human knows their vampire secret, she must be bitten or die? Let's add in the conflict between the werewolves and vampires for good measure too.
It became a bit messy jumping here and there, as the focus moves on one issue to another. Though I can sense that this is all preparation for the next book, which I have a feeling will better New Moon, it really did appear like there were multiple stories in one book.
What I am trying to say here is that though all the events in the plot are related, in fact, they relate to the overall plot of the Twilight series really well, they were very poorly linked.
However, the ideas Meyer has are quite original and fascinating, and it's the ideas that make a great author, not the structure of a book.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Hello.
Aside from the boring title, I can't really guarantee anything with this blog....because I'm not very good with following up with things I start.
My intentions in creating this blog was to write about the books I've recently read...however the rate I read books has slowed substantially...whether this is because the standard of the books I have been reading has increased or whether it is because my interest has been eroding quickly... (which I fear very much, as reading is reall the only damn thing I'm good at) it is nevetheless true that I seldom read books properly now, unless it is the book in a series I have already known is good.
But, I suppose this is an interesting project, so I decided to test it out.
Forgive me if I stop in a week, or a month.
Moreover, though it may appear so, this blog is not only intending to review, but also to discuss the contents of the book and their themes (if I can be bothered! I am very lazy). Therefore spoilers will be present, and I will try to warn you off them. However I'm only human, I forget too.
This is the rather pathetic introduction I have to this blog, and all I have to say is, enjoy!
*I am also overseas at the moment so posting may be slow... as the amount of books in english here of ...shall we say substance are rare unless purchased.
I have purchased 1, and brought along 2.
So we shall see how it goes.
Regards,
Bibliophile
My intentions in creating this blog was to write about the books I've recently read...however the rate I read books has slowed substantially...whether this is because the standard of the books I have been reading has increased or whether it is because my interest has been eroding quickly... (which I fear very much, as reading is reall the only damn thing I'm good at) it is nevetheless true that I seldom read books properly now, unless it is the book in a series I have already known is good.
But, I suppose this is an interesting project, so I decided to test it out.
Forgive me if I stop in a week, or a month.
Moreover, though it may appear so, this blog is not only intending to review, but also to discuss the contents of the book and their themes (if I can be bothered! I am very lazy). Therefore spoilers will be present, and I will try to warn you off them. However I'm only human, I forget too.
This is the rather pathetic introduction I have to this blog, and all I have to say is, enjoy!
*I am also overseas at the moment so posting may be slow... as the amount of books in english here of ...shall we say substance are rare unless purchased.
I have purchased 1, and brought along 2.
So we shall see how it goes.
Regards,
Bibliophile
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)