Tag: Review

The Classics Club: The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

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Jekyll

  • Author: Robert Louis Stevenson

This is my second read by Robert Louis Stevenson.  The first was Treasure Island, which I also enjoyed.  However, this one is more Gothic Horror than Adventure, so I don’t feel it’s fair to compare the two.

As with Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, this is a story about the horrible things that can happen when scientists attempt to mess with nature, but instead of playing around with life and death, Dr. Jekyll seeks to “better” himself by separating the good from the bad in human nature.  The story is closer to Existentialism than Frankenstein, and it makes me wonder if Stevenson had been reading Kierkegaard or Nietzche.  Regardless of where he got the idea for his story, he’s asking the question, “What is human nature?”  My opinion is that his answer is that human beings are born into sin, and it is relatively easier for us to be evil than it is to be good.  I don’t know if I agree, but I don’t agree with much of Victorian moralizing.  However, I do see the question as interesting and relevant, especially as we gain more knowledge of the brain and its chemistry and how that affects behavior and thought.

No matter your beliefs, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a short Classic worth reading.

DNF Review: The Magic Shop

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Magic Shop

  • Author: Justin Swapp
  • Genre: Middle-Grade Fantasy

I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

I tried to get through this book.  It started out alright, but it wasn’t long until I was forcing myself through a chapter, then putting it down to read something else until I picked it back up the next day and tried again.  I suffered through three chapters like that, attempting to put myself in a frame of mind the average Middle-Grade reader might have.  I thought my adult mindset was the problem.  I talked it over with the Boyfriend and came to the conclusion that it’s not me and my adult brain.  It’s the story.

More to the point, it’s the main character, Marcus.  There are likeable characters I can’t stand (Captain America), and there are unlikeable characters I love (Lestat).  Then there are characters like Marcus.  He’s a spoiled brat.  He’s rude not only to his teacher but also to his grandparents, who are more than forgiving of his bad behavior.  He doesn’t break rules for the sake of morality or because he thinks it’s the only way to solve a problem.  He just breaks them, refuses to listen to other’s advice and his conscience telling him he shouldn’t do whatever it is he’s doing, and then gets angry when he gets into trouble or has to face the consequences.  I don’t expect all Middle-Grade characters to be copies of Harry Potter, and I’ve even questioned whether or not H.P.’s character is realistic.  While I think Marcus is a realistic character, he’s exactly the type of kid I hated while I was growing up.  On top of that, his bad behavior and poor decisions are what drive the plot.  Every horrible thing that occurs up to the point that I quit reading was a result of Marcus’ actions.  That’s just plain poor writing, and it doesn’t make for an enjoyable story.  My most constant feeling was one of frustration.

I would love to say that I think the story would have eventually gotten better, but I read a quarter of the book (according to my Kindle), which is over 500 pages long.  A story that hasn’t improved after 125+ pages (when I usually only give a book 50 pages to grab me) leaves me with no doubt that my decision to stop reading was a good one.  It also makes me question all the four-star ratings The Magic Shop received on Amazon and Goodreads and the comparison to Harry Potter and Percy Jackson in the synopsis.  While I’m not going to assume that Middle-Grade readers won’t enjoy this book or be able to relate to Marcus, I didn’t and couldn’t.

 

Classics Club: The Joy Luck Club

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Joy

  • Author: Amy Tan

I bought The Joy Luck Club years ago at a used bookstore, but it took joining the Classics Club for me to finally get around to reading it.  Doing a read-along certainly didn’t hurt either.

I think this book is perfect for read-alongs, book clubs, and college courses because it should be read a little chunk at a time and discussed in detail.  There are so many emotions and ideas to process throughout the stories of the four mothers and daughters that I think trying to read the book quickly wouldn’t allow the time and space needed to dig in deep.  I also think anyone reading this book should be prepared to want to learn more about China’s history and culture.  What little I already knew was not enough, and The Joy Luck Club prodded me to go in search of that knowledge.

What makes this book one of the top pieces of literary fiction is even when you think Chinese culture is so very different that no one but the Chinese could possibly understand, the struggles that occur between mothers and daughters is relatable no matter where you come from in the world.  Am I an expert on Chinese familial relationships?  Not a chance.  Did I see my mother and myself in those pages?  All the time.  Amy Tan somehow combines uncomfortable unfamiliarity with the feeling of looking in a mirror.  She even has the characters experience this same interchange of emotions as they find themselves realizing how different and yet how similar they are to each other.  She also turns myth into reality and vice versa.  Somehow she manages all this within the structure of a mahjong game.  At the end of every chapter, I would pause for a moment to let what I had read sink in and allow myself to feel astounded.  For once, I can safely say that this is a book everyone should read.

The Classics Club: Frankenstein

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Frankenstein

  • Author: Mary Shelley

I’ve meant to read Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein for years, and I’ve had the Barnes and Noble’s Classics ebook edition for nearly as long as I’ve owned my Nook.  The story is also included in a horror classics anthology I own, titled Penny Dreadfuls: Sensational Tales of Terror.  Since the Boyfriend and I are currently sharing my Nook, I shifted back and forth between the two editions.

My reason for finally getting around to reading Frankenstein was my recent introduction to the show “Penny Dreadful.”  It’s full of characters and references from Gothic and Victorian Horror stories.  While it’s not necessary to enjoy the show, I wanted to be able to recognize and get a better understanding of all those seemingly minor but very important details as well as know where the original stories differ from how they’re portrayed in the show.  Since, the first season includes Dr. Frankenstein and his monster as part of the storyline, I thought it was about time to read one of the most well-known classic Gothic tales.  I’m glad I did.

As with much of Gothic Horror, Frankenstein is more about what it means to be human in a world where Science seems to be constantly redefining humanity.  While Shelley doesn’t go quite as far into the realm of Existentialism as Robert Louis Stevenson does in his story, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (written more than half a century later) the beginnings of the philosophy can be seen in her work.  It’s also obvious that Shelley was heavily influenced by the Romantics, my other favorite literary period, and concerned with the route that Science and Industry were taking in the name of “Progress.”  We’re still dealing with these questions and concerns today, almost 200 years later.  Just how relevant Frankenstein still is can be seen in the long list of adaptations and re-tellings of the story that exist, and I highly recommend reading it.

Review: Doll Bones

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Doll Bones

  • Author: Holly Black
  • ISBN: 9781416963981
  • Genre: Middle-grade Horror

The above ISBN is for the hardcover edition, but I listened to the audiobook edition I checked out from the library.

One of the many things that creep me out is dolls.  So, when I read the synopsis of Doll Bones (click on the book cover to go to it on Goodreads), I thought this would be the perfect semi-scary story for me to read during my favorite spooky month.  While there were some creepy moments, the story was lacking something necessary for any horror story to scare me.  It lacked sense.

As an example, without any spoilers, there is a scene in which something horrible happens and the children think the doll, haunted by the spirit of a little girl, did it.  However, why would the doll be the culprit when the doll/spirit wants the kids to help her?  I kept waiting for a more plausible explanation.  Wouldn’t it make more sense if it had been someone or something trying to stop the kids from helping the doll?  I thought I was going to get that explanation when the kids come in contact with a woman later on in the story.  One of the kids, Zach, thinks there seems to be something a bit off about this woman, somehow.  However, nothing else happens with her and the story moves on to the next part.  That didn’t make any sense either.  Why bring it up, through Zach’s thoughts, and then not do anything with it?  I was confused enough to double check to make sure I wasn’t listening to an abridged version of the book.  I won’t go into detail about what I thought was going to happen or who the woman was because that would include spoilers, but suffice it to say I was a little disappointed.

My other reason for choosing Doll Bones is because I’ve only ever heard great things about the author, Holly Black.  As I said, the book does have its creepy moments, so it wasn’t a total dud, but I would have enjoyed it a lot more if those moments made sense in relation to the overall plot.  Perhaps the average Middle-grade reader wouldn’t notice the plot holes and would instead just enjoy a creepy “Goosebumps”-style story.  When it comes to getting kids to read more, this book is still worth a shot, especially if you can find a copy at the library.

Classics Club: Mary Poppins

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Mary Poppins

  • Author: P.L. Travers

I checked out the audiobook edition from my university’s library.  I had wanted to read Mary Poppins for years.  I thought it would become a new favorite since I loved the Disney adaptation so much.  What happened is that my belief in Disney’s inability to stick to the original story has been reaffirmed.  Mary Poppins is not the sweetheart she is portrayed to be by Julie Andrews.  She’s often cranky, taciturn, extremely vain, and sometimes downright mean to the children in her care.

Mary Poppins isn’t the only character that gave me pause.  There is a scene where a mother and owner of a bakery literally breaks off her fingers to give to Jane and Micheal’s younger siblings to chew.  While it turns out her fingers are a different baked good each time, I couldn’t get over the creepiness of it.  She’s also emotionally abusive towards her two daughters and I’m not sure how her screaming at them about every little thing was supposed to be amusing.

Each chapter of the book brought a new level of bizarre to my ears.  I was repeatedly shocked that this was, and still is, considered to be one of the best children’s stories of all time.  While it certainly wasn’t the worst book I’ve read, I won’t be bothering to read any more of the series.  I’ll stick with the Disney film, thank you.

Review: Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy

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Ophelia

  • Author: Karen Foxlee
  • ISBN: 9780385753548
  • Genre: Middle-Grade Fantasy

The above ISBN is for the hardcover edition, but I listened to the audiobook I purchased.

Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy is a perfect example of how to write a modern Middle-Grade fairy tale.  Ophelia isn’t sure of herself and doesn’t feel that she’s anyone special, yet she finds herself with the task of saving a boy from the Snow Queen.  Oh, and by the way, Ophelia, could you save the world in the process?  I loved every moment!  Every event made sense, whether it was fantastical or not, and no character, not even Ophelia, was suddenly capable of doing anything they weren’t already equipped to accomplish.  At the same time, the world of the story is full of magic, despite Ophelia’s belief that there is no such thing.

The Snow Queen is truly scary and wholly evil.  While she is not exactly the same as the White Witch in The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis, my thoughts turned to her the more I found out about the Snow Queen.  What I liked even more than that childhood favorite was the lack of religious allegory.  It also doesn’t head in the opposite direction as did the “His Dark Materials” trilogy by Philip Pullman.  The only point I found, besides being a beautiful story for its own sake, was that ordinary people can sometimes do seemingly extraordinary things, even if they have asthma and aren’t good at running.

Though the narrator, Jayne Entwistle, did a wonderful job, I know I would have loved the story just as much had I read the book instead of listening to it.  I know that sometimes makes a difference, but not this time.  I can safely recommend Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy in any format, especially if you’re a fan of Middle-Grade Fantasy, or you love the “Narnia” series.

Review: Armada

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Armada

  • Author: Ernest Cline
  • ISBN: 9780804137256
  • Genre: Science Fiction

The above ISBN is for the hardcover edition, but I listened to the audiobook I purchased.

Armada is an excellent second book by Ernest Cline, the author of Ready Player One.  I enjoyed it from start to finish and was a little surprised at how quickly I got through the book.  With Ready Player One, I felt that it took a while to get into the story due to the somewhat lengthy exposition at the beginning.  However, that wasn’t the case with Armada.  Instead, the backstory was given in little snippets when it was needed, so the pace of the story felt considerably faster.  There was also a lot of action, and the story takes place over a very short amount of time.  I can easily see the book being adapted to film.

As much as I loved it, though, I should have waited a bit longer to read it.  I finished Ready Player One not too long ago, and the main characters in the two books seem to be a lot alike.  Maybe they’re more different than I think.  Maybe the characters seem too similar because Wil Wheaton narrated both of the audiobooks.  Or maybe it’s because Ernest Cline is doing what every author should do and simply writing what he knows.  Either way, I picked up Armada too soon after Ready Player One.  That only goes for the characters, though.  While both books center around gaming, they are completely different stories.

If you loved Ready Player One, or for that matter, if you’ve read and loved Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card or other books along that vein of Science Fiction, you’ll love Armada.  This book is also an excellent choice if you’re a gamer.  I don’t know if Ernest Cline has a sequel in mind, but if he does, I will definitely read it, along with any other books he writes in the future.

Review: Uprooted

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Uprooted

  • Author: Naomi Novik
  • ISBN: 9780804179034
  • Genre: Fantasy

The above ISBN is to the hardcover edition, but I listened to the audiobook I purchased.

Uprooted is the type of updated old world fairy tale that I love.  If you stripped the story down to it’s bare bones, it could easily be the kind of story found in Grimm’s Fairy Tales.  However, Naomi Novik adds the deep friendship of Agnieszka and Kasia and a touch of “Beauty and the Beast” style romance in such a way you would think she is herself a witch, and you’ve become spellbound.  I’m not talking about the Disney version of a fairy tale, though.  This is definitely an adult book.

Besides the friendship, I think what I love the most about this story is the Wood being the enemy.  Perhaps because my all-time favorite book, The Hobbit, also includes a sinister forest, and there’s just something about the woods in general that is both inviting and slightly menacing at the same time.  There is no “slightly” where the Wood is concerned, but it does lure people into its shade when it’s not grabbing and taking them, never to return.

I highly recommend getting the audiobook and bumping up the speed a bit (the narrator, Julia Emelin, talks too slowly IMO), unless you already know how to pronounce Slavic names or don’t care.  I think the audiobook helped bring me further into the world of the story, but there were several people complaining about the narrator’s heavy accent on the Sword and Laser discussion forums on Goodreads.  Regardless of the edition, if you love fairy tales, you’ll love Uprooted.

 

Review: Irona 700

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Irona

  • Author: Dave Duncan
  • ISBN: 9781504002189
  • Publisher: Open Road Media
  • Genre: Fantasy

I received this book from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first Open Road Media book I didn’t care for.  When I started reading, I thought it would be yet another Dystopian novel and Irona would overthrow the empire somehow.  In a way, Irona believes this of herself as well, but that’s not what happens at all.  Perhaps that’s the point of the story; not everyone is capable or even wants to start a revolution.  The problem with that is it makes for a yawn of a story.

I was interested in how Irona began working within the system she had hated all her life, but I continually wondered where the story was going and why I should care.  By the 75% mark, I began to dislike Irona, and by 80%, I was thoroughly bored but determined to finish the book.  It wasn’t until I had only about 5% left that I finally found out where Irona fit in the grand scheme of things.  She is the hero of the story, just not in the way you would think, and getting there made the book seem much longer than it is (the paperback edition is 402 pages).  On top of that, the author uses rape as a signifier of true evilness, and I’m a firm believer that there are better ways to write evil without having to resort to sexual assault.  While the one rape scene wasn’t exactly disturbing to me, it may trigger others, and it certainly wasn’t necessary.

Until today, the lowest rating I’ve given to an Open Road Media book was three stars (The Broken Sword by Poul Anderson).  This one gets two stars.  It just didn’t have enough good storytelling for me to give it three.  If you enjoy epic Greek or Roman style settings or political stories, and you don’t take issue with sexual violence, maybe check Irona 700 out from the library and give it a chance.  I wouldn’t pay money for this book, though.

#COYER Scavenger Hunt #51: Read a book with a number in the title.