New Addition

I haven't been blogging very much in the past couple of months, a fact which was recently pointed out to me by my better half.  With the changes at work and a recent addition to our little family, there has not been much time for reading books or writing about them.  A month ago we adopted a rescue dog and our change in lifestyle and her adaptation to our household took up a lot of spare time.  

For some time, I had been lobbying to get a dog, much to the chagrin of my significant other. I insisted that if we adopted a dog, I only wanted a dog from a local rescue organization. Onyx, our two year-old Staffordshire Terrier, came to live with us about a month ago on a trial basis. We don't really know all that much about her past, just that she was found as a stray in Los Angeles and picked up by animal control before being rescued by a California organization. Before we had chosen Onyx, I went through a number of websites for animal shelters in California, looking for the perfect pooch, and the amount of pitbulls and chihuahuas were staggering.  Onyx's foster mother said that one in every six pitbulls in California ends up in a shelter at some point in their lives, and chihuahuas have simply been overly bred.  

We were both happy with Onyx and decided to see if she would be a good fit for us as a couple.  Along the way, moments of frustration and tears transpired in a way that I was definitely not prepared for, as Onyx dealt with terrible separation anxiety and I felt guilty for putting her through it.  She also fears a particular type of dog and this stems from the fact that she has been attacked twice in the last few months.  We live in a city where people will often walk their dogs off-leash if given the opportunity and there are dog owners who should not be taking advantage of lax leash laws.  Due to her fear of dogs with that puppy-like bouncy energy, we are cautious and walk our dog with a mesh muzzle.  Though this is a preventative measure and Onyx is a sweetheart 99% of the time, you would not believe the wide berth that other dog owners give us when they see what to the naked eye appears like a small pitbull wearing a muzzle.  

Whatever the stigma is, I am happy to have her and will work on correcting some of her more troubling behaviours.  And I have to cut this blog entry short, because someone needs a belly rub! 

The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton

I cannot quite remember what compelled me to buy The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton at the booksale and why I recently began reading it.  I think that I thought that I might be a good story without the mental challenge of some of the books that I have been  reading recently. An escape, and a mystery with enough substance to keep me interested.

I must admit that I underestimated how good this book is.  With the fuss and bother of the Christmas season, I was not able to read as much as I would like, and yet I made time to read it every night.  The reason why I stayed with it, getting through about 20 pages a night, is because the plot is so riveting. In the beginning of the book, a young girl is found on a busy dock in Australia, alone and unwilling to tell anyone her name.  This girl grows into a woman, who is driven to discover her identity and how she ended up in Australia that fateful day.  The mystery takes both Nell, the girl found on the dock, and her granddaughter Cassandra on a quest which leads them both to the Cornish coast of England, with a lot of unanswered questions.

The narrative is structured interestingly, with the investigations of Nell, Cassandra and the secrets of the mysterious authoress, Eliza Makepeace, being presented in parallel.  It is a intergenerational story in which a lot of characters each have their own axes to grind (for want of a better term).  Right up until the last pages of the story, one is still putting the pieces together and I was riveted in a way that I have not been for quite some time.  Doing everything I can to avoid chores and gardening, I made a concerted effort to carve out time to finish this book, and I was rewarded when all of the questions I had were answered.  At every turn there were scandalous discoveries, which kept me intrigued and thinking about the book throughout my regular work day, and each revelation is revealed tantalizingly slowly.  

I am going to wrap up this blog entry, more in the interest of not revealing any more of this plot than I absolutely have to.  Needless to say, I highly recommend that anyone looking for a compelling mystery pick up The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton.     

Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff

As soon as it came out, I wanted to read this book.  Stacy Schiff's Cleopatra: A Life had lingered in the back of my mind for far too long, and I pounced on it the moment that I saw it in my sister's bookcase.  

I always had a fascination for Cleopatra as a woman and a ruler, and harboured a sneaking suspicion that a lot of the literature written about her was probably more the result of an over active imagination than actual facts.  A lot of the myths about Cleopatra are explored through Schiff's analysis of what few texts exist from her era, and she confirms some of the thoughts that I had when hearing about her life story.  Often times female political prowess and female sexual power are viewed as interchangeable, and Cleopatra has borne the brunt of this stereotype.  Her romantic conquests include two of the most influential figures in Roman history, which has positioned her as a kind of sorceress/seductress, rather than the charismatic, savvy person she really was. 

Schiff makes a number of points which allow the reader to question the Cleopatra portrayed by her Roman biographers.  One of the theories that resonated with me, was the connection which existed between Cleopatra and Julius Caesar centred around the fact that neither had anyone else who could relate to their demi-god statuses.  It would be a lofty, but lonely position.  The other lure that Cleopatra possessed which is not often brought up in contemporary accounts, is the vast amounts of wealth in the Egyptian coffers.  Cleopatra was the richest ruler in the entire world, and so keeping her pacified would be one of the chief aims of her would-be collaborators.  She could and did bankroll the ambitions of Mark Antony, and as such, he treated her as an equal.  

The other portion of the story of Cleopatra that always seemed false is her death at the hands of the asp.  It seems doubtful that anyone would choose to commit suicide with a six-foot long snake, rather than drinking poison.  Schiff puts forth the idea that someone would have smuggled poison into her quarters, and this is far more plausible.  Though the image of a snake is more dramatic, than a swift death at the hands of a potion.

I will not go into any more detail, but needless to say this book is a fascinating portrayal of Cleopatra which is rare in its frankness.  

When You Come Back, I Won't Be There

In my day-to-day life I tend to put a lot of my energy into my job, home and whatever familial drama happens to surface (usually at the worst time).  Needless to say, when I do stop to smell the roses, I morph into a jellyfish-like creature who watches reality television.  The other thing that is relevant to this discussion is the fact that I do not have cable and take the time to seek out my favourite shows online.  I make a point to watch what I do.  

One of the shows that I tune into faithfully is America's Next Top Model, and I have watched both the British and Canadian spin-offs.  Normally I don't write about particular television programs, but the current cycle of ANTM has been disappointing enough to spur me to devote a blog post to it.  In order to talk about my current issues with the show, I will go back to a previous post I wrote about the book Reality Bites Back.  This book discusses ANTM at great length, and how it promotes unhealthy body image, racism and the idea that a group of women will inevitably turn on each other.  There are opportunities for genuine conversations about these topics between Tyra and her young protegees, but instead the focus is on tears, fights and the quest to overcome difficult pasts.  

Over the years, several models have been criticized for weight fluctuations, deficiency in height, or the appearance of a lack of effort.  In some cases, they are pretty cringe-worthy for anyone in possession of critical thinking, and so going into this cycle I lost some of the enthusiasm that I once had for the show.  What eroded my enjoyment even more was how the producers have gutted the usual cast members: Nigel Barker, Jay Manuel and Miss Jay Alexander.  Whether they all happened to want to pursue other goals, or Tyra tyrannically banished them, there is something to be said for keeping long-time characters so that the audience has a sense of familiarity.  

These casting changes, in addition to the new format which allows fan votes to count for who will be eliminated, make for a very different season than those previous.  It is almost like the show is either trying to evolve (and alienating fans in the process), or the rats fled the sinking ship and ANTM had to make some necessary changes. Whatever the real story is (and I do not think I will ever hear the real truth), this season is below par and I will not be going out of my way to see where the show is headed next.   

Elizabeth and After

After reading the first book in the Twilight series, I wanted to dive into something completely different.  I opted to read  Elizabeth and After by Matt Cohen, a book set in a small town outside of Kingston, Ontario.  

.The story centres around Elizabeth McKelvey, a teacher who dies tragically and shapes the   lives of the three men closest to her in life.  She is always in the background of the narrative, quietly influencing the decisions of her son Carl, husband William, and former lover, Adam.  Her absence seems to be as powerful as her presence may have been had she lived.  Up until late in the novel, the reader does not get Elizabeth's perspective and her thoughts and feelings are described through her effect on these men. Their reactions to her actions and death are how Cohen presents her as a silent (for the most part) central character. I found this to be the most fascinating aspect of the book, as I am accustomed to stories told from a first person point of view, centring around an interesting protagonist.  

The male characters, whose lives are continuing to be impacted by the loss of Elizabeth, are interesting studies in denial and self-destruction.  Each in their own way, they cope with their grief and try to struggle through their remaining days.  Carl is particularly adept at getting into scrapes and causing collateral damage to the women in his life.  He is the subject of much conflict when he returns to town, and his strain of the narrative provides the most suspense. Especially in the latter hundred pages of the novel, where the action comes to a head.  I personally related to Adam Goldsmith, who always seems on the outside looking in, but who plays a vital role as tensions intensify between Carl and just about everyone.  

If I am totally being honest, I would say that I had my struggles getting through this book, reading twenty pages here and there, taking my sweet time.  In my mind I know that this is due to my restless mind, rather than the quality of the writing or the way that I related to the characters.  Despite my frustrations, which were with myself, I would recommend this book as an interesting study in the effects of grief, on both a family and a small community.

PAX 2012: My Weekend At Video Game Mecca

In any relationship, there are sacrifices made by both parties for the betterment of the union.  My sacrifices usually involve video games in one form or another.  With great anticipation (he practically vibrated with it), my boyfriend and I went to PAX 2012 this past Labour Day Weekend.  For the uninitiated, PAX (the Penny Arcade Expo) is the biggest non-industry video game conference in North America held every year in Seattle.  Since its humble beginnings, PAX has now expanded, with a second conference in Boston called PAX East and a third in Australia.  The appeal of PAX is that it gives video gamers the ability to try video games before they are released to the public and allows them to interact with developers.  Swag is another bonus.  

Needless to say, I am not a fan of video games and cannot stand it when my boyfriend sits in his favourite comfy chair, pressing buttons for hours on end.  There are some notable exceptions, like Assassins Creed, which has a cinematic quality and an engaging story, but for the most part, the dialogue is forced and the storylines are far-fetched. This being said, when a person's significant other is a passionate lover of the medium, then you learn to make the best of it.  In this spirit, I got up early to get in line and jogged towards the Halo 4 display when the doors opened, because that is what you do for those you love. Standing around in lines and people watching, became surprisingly amusing.  Despite all the studies which say that video games promote violence, I must say that the gamers I came in contact with were all very friendly, swapping opinions and tips.  The costumes were also very interesting as well, though I had no idea which game they were associated with.  

My favourite part of the conference was attending the panels that included game developers talking about their creative process.  The similarities are quite striking between writing a book and producing a video game, and I found the connection to be very interesting.  I went to a panel discussion which focused on games which were cancelled or otherwise not released to the public.  Like in literature, some ideas are never fully realized for various reasons, and seeing the mixed successes of video game developers fascinated me in particular.  Often times, it takes many revisions to produce the final product and thus there is a lot of crossover between video games and other artistic mediums.  

Though you won't catch me wielding a fake wooden AK-47 (on sale this year in the Skybridge kiosk) at next year's conference, I do admire the passion and creativity that gamers display.  If only I knew what they were talking about.       

Okay So Far: The Twilight Series

For a while I had avoided reading any of the Twilight books, because I enjoy a good night's sleep and am suspicious of popular books. Sometimes people equate commercial success with boring, safe writing, and I am usually in that camp. My friends convinced me that I should at least give the Twilight books a chance before rendering a verdict.

Stephenie Meyer is inspired by literary classics such as Wuthering Heights and Pride and Prejudice and the influence is very much apparent in the plot, characterization and setting of the first book in the series.  In Wuthering Heights, the moors provide a dark presence which almost serves as a character in an of itself.  Twilight features the scenery of the Pacific Northwest and its near-constant state of rain, is essential in creating the dreary mood of the novel.  Arguably this is is not executed as well as the Gothic Wuthering Heights, one still gets the general idea that this effect is what Meyer is trying to achieve.  

The other work which Twilight owes a debt to is Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. Clearly, Edward's character is deeply rooted in the tradition of brooding, aloof, but ultimately good heroes that was originated by Austen.  Though Edward falls short of the Mr. Darcy standard, an alert reader can definitely spot the similarities.  I see the appeal that such a character would have with grown women and teenage girls alike, and Meyer is clever to use a time-tested formula. Personally, I am not all that enamoured with standoffish, yet perfectly formed men, maybe based on the negative effect that they had on my love life before I hit age twenty-five.  After that, I basically went over to Team Jacob, before such a thing even existed.  

I was pleasantly surprised, however, with the character of Bella.  The movies don't really fully delve into her quirks and clumsy nature in the way that the book does, and it is a bit of a shame.  Her humanity and utter ordinariness are at the heart of the narrative and allow the average person to connect with what her character is going through.  I think that Bella is one of the rare rays of sunshine in this somewhat dreary story, although I think that she is a bit quick to set her sights on immortality.  I'm not sure how good an example it is that Bella wishes to give up her family and friends in favour of a boy that she hasn't known for all that long.  Maybe being close to death every moment she is with Edward serves to enhance their time together.  Who knows.  

I've only read the first book in the series, and I am under the impression that it is just a warm-up for the books yet to come, thus I don't want to be too hasty in passing judgement. At the same time, I have to be honest and I felt like the book was just satisfactory and borrowed a bit too much from classic works.  I would have liked Edward to be a more three-dimensional character, and for the scenery to be better utilized. The uniquely depressing quality of the Pacific Northwest (I live there and therefore I can say it) could be more thoroughly described and used to create a more mournful mood.  What I will say is that I plan on slowly making my way through the entire series, rather than making this my final verdict.  Though biased, I am still fair.