The Road by Cormac McCarthy | Book Review | thegirlsawthecomet

Just remember that the things you put in your head are there forever, he said. You might want to think about that. (11)

This was the perfect day of his childhood. This the day to shape the days upon. (12)

To which he and the stars were common satellite. Like the great pendulum in its rotunda scribing through the long day movements of the universe of which you may say it knows nothing and yet know it must. (14)

The dream bore the look of sacrifice but he thought differently. He did not take care of her and she died alone somewhere in the dark and there is no other dream nor other waking world and there is no other tale to tell. (32)

A person who had no one would be well advised to cobble together some passable ghost. Breathe it into being and coax it along with words of love. Offer it each phantom crumb and shield it from harm with your body. (59)

A creation perfectly evolved to meet its own end. (60)

Watch the video review here

She by Henry Rider Haggard

 'From the east to the west sped the angels of the Dawn, from sea to sea, from mountain-top to mountain-top, scattering light with both their hands. On they sped out of the darkness, perfect, glorious, like spirits just breaking out of the tomb; on, over the quiet sea, over the low coastline, and the swamps beyond, and the mountains above them; over those who slept in peace and those who woke in sorrow; over the evil and the good; over the living and the dead; over the wide world and all that breathes or has breath thereon.'

 

'My experience is that people are apt to fossilise even at a University if they follow the same paths top persistently.'

'They were before us, mother and babe, the white memories of a forgotten human history speaking more eloquently to the heart than could any written record of their lives.'

'Too much wisdom would perchance blind our imperfect sight, and too much strength would make us drunk, and over-weight our feeble reason till it fell and we were drowned in the depths of his own vanity. For what is the first result of man's increased knowledge interpreted from Nature's book by the persistent effort of his purblind observation? It is not but too often to make him question the existence of his Maker, or indeed of any intelligent purpose beyond his own?'

'The stars came out by their thousands, till all the immense arch of heaven was strewn with glittering points, and every point a world!' 

'But in life we sometimes have to lay our faith on strange altars, and so it was now.'

'Here do we write our marriage vows upon the rushing winds which shall bear them up to heaven, and round and continually round this rolling world.'

Rainbow Book Tag

TODAY was the launch of the new channel! The celebration consisted of some floor spinning and a Rainbow Books tag! Take a look here ...

Pride & Prejudice: Book & Film Review

                I will start this review with a statement that will be unwelcome by all: Pride and Prejudice is not my favourite Austen novel.

               Falling in love with the 1996 film adaptation of Emma (Oh Gwyneth Paltrow!) at the age of 10 probably didn’t help, but I can’t blame all of my scepticism on sentimentality. Its frivolous plot development compared to what seemed like a more calculated flow of events in Emma always disappointed me slightly, although voicing that was a suicidal kind of controversy .

 For me, what this author does best is caricature with a delightful profanity and deep underpinning psychological complexity - what I found in Pride & Prejudice was mainly just caricature. While Elizabeth is indeed a compelling and quick-witted protagonist, there is nothing original about a strong female lead (even in her day!) and it is Emma’s complex flaws and pure ‘spunk’ that really convinces me of Austen’s label as literary genius was merited. 
Emma made me feel like Austen was firmly behind the wheel, not just lurking in the cockpit.

                To the rescue of Austen’s early and undeveloped work however, comes Deborah Moggach. As an advisory editor, she comes several hundred years too late - but as a screen writer she is right on time. I feel like she recognises just what endears these pantomime regency characters to the public and picks out their best and defining moments – lifting spirits, giving an illusion of complexity and most of all, saving us time! I absolutely love this 2005 version.

 I have a happy recognition of the besotted state everyone gets over the BBC adaptation of 1995, and while that is a worth and lovely adaptation (yes, I have sat through it all- twice!) with much more precision and authenticity, I think this film possesses a very vital position in the world of re-tellings and serves up a completely unique homage to characters that otherwise would, for those who aren’t ‘readers’, pail in to insignificance

The Cinematography is to die for – particularly in the penultimate misty-field scene in which love is finally confessed and literary wank-banks all over the country are gratified for both young and old.

 I don’t care that almost every scene is relocated somewhere more photographic – fab.
I don’t care that scenes are omitted and accents a little wobbly.
I don’t even care that social conventions of the time were completely ignored in casting such a skinny Elizabeth – Keira Knightly can stick her twos up to my historical research any day! Casting Jena Malone in one of the most under developed and annoying roles of the story was a stroke of inspiration – nothing is brittle or flat in her hands. The way she played Lydia will actually change the way I read her character (if I ever give it a re-read).

Carey Mulligan took the character of Kitty from pointless accessory to endearing and vital supporting role. And Donald Sutherland as Mr. Bennet? Be still my beating heart. If the Regency sarcasm flew over your head in a reading of the novel, Donald is here to show you how frikkin hilarious dear old Jane really is. Because she is – I actually laughed aloud a few times watching this film, especially at the age old familiar line about Mrs. Bennet’s nerves in the beginning sequence. A film to watch again, again and again.

My only regret is that Colin Firth was not there in a wet shirt. 

The Talented Mr.Ripley: An Un-thrilling Thriller

The Talented Mr. Ripley 
Patricia Highsmith

Started: 16th January 2013

Finished: 19th January 2013

     At two hundred and ninety pages, this book had ample chance to wow me. And as an avid under-liner and highlighting fanatic, believe me - my little fingers were there, ready to play ball. But I didn't manage to attain anything particularly poignant from this non-event in my reading life. 

     I assume its intrigue lay in its interplay between the shocking and the banal  - but I think it is important to remember as a writer, conveying banality always runs the risk of the reader coming very close to 'getting' what you are trying to do, but being prevented from doing so because of being so bloody bored  themselves. 

     The story follows an interlude in the life of Tom Ripley, who seems to have very little referenced past or context. Probably the 'point' but still, dull for the reader. He is approached by a neurotic  father who wants his son, Dickie, to return to the US after having moving to a small town in Italy, making very little contact with his parents and generally 'not fulfilling his potential'. Tom, as a known (but vague) acquaintance of Dickie, is offered a free passage to Italy should he agree to go and find his friend and try and persuade him to come home. *MINOR SPOILER* (Although not if you know anything about the books rep): Tom accepts, arrives, acts with a vulnerable 'clingy-ness' towards Dickie and eventually clocks him over the head with an ore, beats him a little with it, killing him, hides the body and assumes Dickie's identity. All with an uncomfortable calmness and clinical commentary (unreliable narrative voice, yada yada). Deception and further mischief ensues - but mainly a lot of trivial descriptions about the logistics of travel, dull activities that they indulge in together and a lot of visits to cafes and hotels. 

My friend, who was also reading it, commented that the narrative tone plus crimes reminded her of Poe. I would agree to an extent, but Poe's stories often featured the additional pull of interesting killers with complex motives and an intriguing (and sometimes very witty) command of the English Language. I realise that there were probably a lot of words used in this novel - but I would be interested to see a pie chart demonstrating how many of those words were repeated. Of course, again, the lack of vocabulary could also have been a literary device, used to demonstrate the calm and hackneyed way his mind works and in turn symbolising the monotonous currents of the modern psyche and the horrific acts it can drive the average civilian to commit ... but unfortunately, this also makes this book not for me.   

The film, however, I hear features Jude Law.

Pass me the popcorn. 

Valentine's Book Covers

This month is about all things slushy and slurp-y -  we all know that!

However, if course of true love is running a little wonky for you this month, there is always a place you can turn to for some dependable tales of great loves and chivalry! That's right, my second boyfriend  - BOOKS.

Today's post is basically for myself  - to remedy all the angst I feel towards publishers who don't publish pretty enough covers for my favourite books. I have redesigned covers for some of my favourite romantic books ... all I have to do now is close my eyes and pretend that I can hold them in my hand :)

If you haven't any of these great titles,why not romance yourself with them this Valentine's Day!

... If you can spot the odd one out, we should be friends. 

And it was the beginning. And it was the end.

Hey Hi Hello, All Ye What Visit Here,

Welcome - to my new blog, to my new head, and to my new approach to books!

As some of you may know, heading over from my youtube channel justkissmyfrog, I love, review, eat, over-buy, study and hoard BOOKS.

What was first a hobby turned in to an A-level, which soon turned into a half-hearted degree choice (I started my degree doing joint honours English Lit & Fine Art), which turned into a full blown besotted state of obsession, which turned into a Masters degree in English Literature at Warwick University, which turned into ...

... well, I guess that's the point.

The next stage is yet to unravel - in March I will finish my lectures for the year, and by September I will have submitted my final Masters assignment. *awkward*
 - only awkward if you take a peek at UK employment rates at the moment, and the percentage of those in jobs with humanities degrees, and the percentage of those employees who actually enjoy their jobs.
Despite this, the optimistic (and some of you may wonder clinically unstable) part of my heart feels relatively unphased by the hear-say, and looks forward to applying for 'grown-up' jobs this September.

Anyway, besides and in light of this new horison of steel everyone seems to think I am looking at, I have decided to focus my attentions on actually making use of the skills (and otherwise) I have been hoarding in the hamster cheeks of my graduate mind up until this point. I would like to take books seriously.

That I haven't been up until this point is a topic for another post. But what I will say is that I emerge into the light of this new world of responsibility, still absolutely loving books - which is more than can be said for some of my lovely but absolutely exhausted peers!

So here it is ... 

Welcome to this space in which I will be reviewing every book I read from here on out, talking about new releases, sharing with you my thoughts and sometimes every photography (see above) about everything bibliophile drizzled.

If you succeed in enjoying this blog, please share it with other people who might, comment below with your thoughts and also don't forget to pop on to the sister channel to this blog for a book brothel of a visual calibre!