Category: Books

save Harry Potter

Tuesday, 1 August, 2006 at 11:58 pm

Don’t Kill Harry!

That cracks me up. Probably because Harry Potter isn’t one of my favorite characters. I don’t really care for him. As long as she saves Ron and Hermione I’m happy.

But I have read stories where characters I’ve cared for have died. Thinking about it though, I don’t know if I would have those characters saved. Their passing adds something to the story, I suppose.

On the other hand, I’ve never read a story where the main character died. That is a bit weird, don’tcha think? Then again, I do want to see Harry die. I just think it would be … different. Something new. It would definitely make an impact. XD

Oh! I just remembered, a Neil Gaiman story had the main character die. Definitely, definitely, the character couldn’t have NOT died. It would have been a weak, lame, boring, disappointing conclusion.

On that note, hmmm … *grin*

V for … watchers or doers?

Monday, 22 May, 2006 at 2:26 pm

(This is all entirely based on my opinion of course, I’m not saying I’m right.)

I read this article by Liz Miller at bookslut.com about V for Vendetta, both the graphic novel and the movie. (Well moreso the movie than the comic.)

I have to disagree with her on the ending. The ending was my favorite part. ^^; When everyone’s marching and … I sure hope people realize this post has spoilers, considering I’m talking about the ending. When the police/military/whatever they are end up standing down and the public rushes past them, climbing over the barricade, it made me shiver, in a good way.

It’s probably because we’re looking at it from two different perspectives. She’d already read the comic, so she was set up for one ending, whereas I hadn’t and all I knew was the current political environment, so the movie’s ending was completely new and different for me.

Considering how low voter turnout is in America, I liked that idea of all these people deciding to (at least) go outside and strive for change. True, they didn’t really do anything of action. But each did show one more person who wanted something different from the government. That’s what I got out of it. Don’t sit at home and think about yourself first.

Aside from that … I’m afraid I didn’t get much out of the graphic novel. It’s probably my fault; I stayed up late reading it, so obviously my reading comprehension went down. I should read it again. One thing I definitely liked was that each person had a story, they weren’t just cardboard representations, placeholders (for example, the chancellor). There was also more of a developed relationship between V and Evey (and not the OMG kiss already! kind) that I could understand. But in the movie I liked Finch better. :b He didn’t go mad and go on an LSD trip! Although the scene where V talks to Finch reeks of a quick explanation for me now. Boo. (Actually it’s better this way. It now gives me an excuse for not comprehending it the first time. *laugh*)

Howl’s standstill castle

Wednesday, 3 May, 2006 at 11:10 pm

(First, I’d like to mention that I talked to my mom today, and she said she was looking at our city’s sanitation website where she found out that we can recycle plastics. Did you hear that? No specifications [I think it was something like 1, 2, 6 when I was a kid, lately it was 1–5], nothing, just that all-encompassing word, plastics. I can now recycle styrofoam, folks, do you realize how excited this makes me? My mom said she’s throwing out only one bag of trash every week, the trash can is so empty, and the recycling bin is practically overflowing. Oh my heart, it races.)

(On to the real interesting post.)

I finished Howl’s Moving Castle on Sunday. When I closed the book, I was grinning, the story made me so happy and thoroughly satisfied. It’s even better than the movie. Although the movie’s still good. It’s just, you know, a shortened and simplified and prettified version. And it’s a bit different than the book. I don’t know if it’s bad. It’s Miyazaki, so I’m biased. I like both the book and the movie. But I’d choose the book over the movie.

The problem I have now is, well, I finished the book! No more moving castle to read about, no Sophie and Howl to join while they go about pretending the other isn’t important. I miss the book. :( (I can’t tell if it’s sad or a sign of a good reader and a good book that I miss these characters so much.)

I just had a thought. I should go buy Castle in the Air. It’s sort of a sequel. Howl and Sophie are in it, but they’re not main characters, I don’t think. ^^’ That makes me a little happy.

I kind of wanted to point out all the differences between the book and the movie … just because. But I figure that no one would want to read it (unless they don’t mind being spoiled, or they’ve already read the book, the latter being highly unlikely). Also, I’m typing this entry up rather late, and seeing as my sleep schedule recently is already messed up enough … I shall skip the contrasting.

For now. muahahaha …

Books2Eat

Saturday, 1 April, 2006 at 2:55 pm

Wow. I wanna eat some books! (Original link http://books2eat.com/ changed ownership…) Too bad there aren’t any places near me. And I probably wouldn’t go even if there were. >.> *doesn’t wanna go alone* I’ll just have to do it next year. Or … one of these years. (Hoping they stick around.)

V (for the Guy Fawkes mask-wearer)

Friday, 24 March, 2006 at 2:15 am

Last night (erm, Wednesday night *looks at date/time of entry*) I went to see V for Vendetta with Daddy. Right when I stepped in the theater and the previews were loud (we were running a tad late), I thought, ‘Oh no, I forgot it’s a violent movie, and violent movie = loud volume which means me plugging my ears for the entire time.’ (Although there were times where it was very talky and I could unplug my ears, there were still a couple scenes where I found the background music to be too loud.)

But anyway. What do I think? I honestly cannot answer truthfully. I really have no idea. I’m biased on both sides. It’s a Natalie Portman movie! But then, it’s just another Oooh don’t let the government get too much power or else movie, with killing and explosions. It did have an interesting way of addressing it/“solving” the problem though. So … meh.

I wonder if there’s something wrong when during one scene in the movie I thought, ‘Is this Guy Fawkes mask the one that Neil Gaiman wanted from his childhood, or is it just specifically designed for the movie?’ And, looking at his August 21, 2005 entry through the handy Search function (which I will not be linking to … no showing up of my blog in his access logs, nosirree!), I suppose it is. ^^;;;

I never understood the Guy Fawkes thing. Perhaps that problem stems from the fact that I learned about Guy Fawkes (and Guy Fawkes Day, somewhat) from a children’s book by Diana Wynne Jones, called Witch Week (which I still have, and which I realized last night that I absolutely love it, despite not having read it in quite a few years). (I couldn’t quite figure it out, did he or did he not really succeed? [I never claimed to have good analytical reading skills.])

(Also, *pokes fingers together* I never thought I’d be one to develop a crush on someone whose face I never see. heh)