Notes from a bibliophile

I've never read Margaret Atwood until now. However, she's one of those authors that anyone who considers themselves well-read should probably read. Most people start with probably her best-known novel, The Handmaid's Tale, and to be honest, that's where I planned to start, whenever I got around to it. But then I saw that Netflix was making this novel into a miniseries and that it was about a true crime. Sold! Set in the 1800's, Alias Grace covers a lot of ground. Grace Marks and her family emigrate from Ireland because her father is a drunken reprobate who's worn out his welcome on his wife's relatives. They buy the entire (huge) family passage to Canada to start over. During the trip, Grace's poor, long-suffering mother dies. Grace has just become the woman of the household, and must take care of her younger siblings and evade her father's wrath, and she's not even in her teens. After reaching Canada, her father settles into his old ways, even...

If ever there was a tale that required graphic novel treatment, it's this one, and the art is incredibly well done. The story of the 47 Ronin is apparently an ancient tale, almost folklore, in that there are apparently various tellings throughout Japan. Back when Japan was a shogunate, Lord Asano was wrongly (at least in this telling of the story) accused of dishonoring a court official and was sentenced to commit seppuku. Because he was given a death sentence, all his land, his home, his belongings, and his retainers were to be handed over to the emperor. This did not sit well with his retainers, especially his head counselor Oishi, who had warned him about holding his temper. They know they must depart from the house and become ronin, leaderless samurai, but they refuse to allow this affront to their master stand. Of all his hundreds of retainers, 47 of them stand with Oishi and vow to get revenge, no matter how long it takes. And it takes a long time. During the years they w...

It had to happen. I had to run across something I didn't like. Well, here you go. I'm not sure what I'm missing. This got a lot of 5 star reviews on Goodreads, but I don't see why. It's supposed to be influenced by fairy tales. I have probably mentioned here before that I love mythology and folklore. There's no reason I shouldn't like this. Except I don't. Here's why. I have been spoiled, perhaps, by the slicker art of the other series I've read. This is very sparse. It's all sepia-tones and some whole pages go by without dialogue. It seems to operate on two levels, one with what is currently happening and one with either the traveler remembering what happened with Delphine or imagining what will happen. I feel that the Goodreads plot summary is really deceptive. They describe it as a retelling of Snow White from Prince Charming's perspective. Well, there is a point where Delphine is sleeping. God knows, if a girl is asleep it must ...

This is a new comic (first published in 2014 and in [so far] 3 collected volumes beginning in 2015) by the writer of The Walking Dead series, and it's on Cinemax if you have pay cable (I don't). It follows Kyle who apparently is being stalked by demons. Several of those near him have been possessed. A few have referred to him as the Outcast, although what exactly that entails is unclear at this point. It appears that his blood has a very painful effect on the demons, causing them to leave their host if Kyle is given enough time to maintain contact. Again, what the hell is up with that is just not clear yet. SO MANY QUESTIONS!!! It's as bloody as The Walking Dead, so if you like that series, you'll like this one. I have already checked the next volume out from the library. I just really need to know more.

I have an odd love for Neil Gaiman. It all stems from just one book: Good Omens. I ran across this wonderful little gem, I think, either right after I'd finished reading Hitchhiker's Guide or right after Douglas Adams died. However, something has kept me from enjoying other stuff of his. I was almost afraid to pick up Sandman, but I'm glad I overcame that. It wasn't the easiest read. Sometimes I have trouble following the panels, not just on Sandman, but on the other graphic novels/comics I've read. If this comes as a result of being a newbie to the medium or just that my brain is hardwired to linear reading, I'm not sure. But considering that the setting is dreams and the realm of Morpheus the god of Dreamland, I came to realize that a little confusion is probably the point. I have some stupid-ass dreams; I don't know about you. The most vivid and the most recurring are where I get chased by things. One was a falling skyscraper, another was tornadoes. T...

I haven't read a play in forever! Some people apparently have never read a play because there was a little bit of weirdness going on when this came out as "not a novel." Honestly, at this point Rowling could publish a list of her favorite breakfast cereals and I would read it with relish. But I can see people's point. Theatre is a visual medium; the setting and atmosphere is created by the lighting director, the sound director, and the scene designer. The inner workings of the character are revealed through the nuanced vocal and facial changes of a talented actor. Much of the work of the reader is taken care of by others. As such, a play is relatively sparse, leaving little work for the reader to do, and isn't that where the fun is? With all the descriptions removed, the reader is hard pressed to imagine the atmosphere of the play. Or maybe the reader just has to work harder? I'm not sure. I know that I was unable to visualize a setting and concentrate on the ...

The novel is one of my all time favorite books. I don't know if I'm crazy or weird (or if I care if I'm either), but there are a handful of books that I've spent all night/day reading and I can remember the circumstances as if it were yesterday. This is one of those books. It's not a terribly inspiring story, but here it is. I was in high school and staying over at a friend's house (whose name I can no longer remember so we were really close obviously). She had a dachshund with what she described as "a humping problem." For some reason we slept on the floor. I had visions of waking up inadvertently in a compromising position with this dog, so I had to find something to distract myself. I happened upon this book and read it all night non-stop. Despite the ridiculous circumstances, it blew my mind. Fast forward blahblahblah years and I happened upon this graphic novelization (is that a term? It is now). I remember the basics from the novel and the fi...