Massive Update, aka Vacation = Reading

Oh, I so fail on updating.

Drift and Mastery by Walter Lippmann

We're all adrift in the churning sea of modernity, blah blah blah, more "Lost Generation" bullshit.

When America Was Great by Kevin Mattson

America was once great. Now it is not. You have the conservatives to thank for that. True facts.

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

Number 3 on my reading challenge. Overall, it was pretty enjoyable. It's not the "new Harry Potter" as everyone is touting it to be (I don't think anything ever will be.), but it was still a fun read. The characters were interesting, especially the "mythical" ones, and the plot was exciting. The writing wasn't very sophisticated, but hey, it was written for 11 year old boys. I also felt like it was too predictable; the plot twists weren't really surprises at all (at least, not for me). And I don't buy the argument that "it's a children's book." There's no reason why a book written for a young demographic can't be innovative and well-written. I most enjoyed Riordan's imaginative and modern rethinking of the gods and the things associated with them, especially Hades. The Lightning Thief was fun and light, so I plan on reading the rest of the series too.

Bonus critique: The movie sucked balls. I have no idea who wrote the script, but I know that they were on crack when they did so. Every element of the book was changed, even things as basic as the characters and the entire plot. It was a ridiculous, embarrassing adaptation. Although, I will say that the younger actors did well with what they had. I hope Riordan kicked the movie studio's ass.

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

Number 4 on my challenge. This novel is sheer, beautiful genius. It is well-praised and frequently-purchased for a reason. It is heartbreaking, terrifying, and thought-provoking all at once. McCarthy's prose feels more like poetry, and some passage just hit you in the gut, like this one: "Borrowed time and borrowed world and borrowed eyes with which to sorrow it."

Some people might be put off by the lack of "context" or an explanation about what freaking happened to the world and why people are eating each other. For me, however, it just added to the desolate mood of the whole novel. Since the characters have no future, they have no real past either, and even their present is a mere paltry sham of existence.

I embarrassed myself by reading the end of this novel in public. The guy in the airplane seat next to me was pretty freaked out when I almost started crying. I recommend this book to everyone, seriously--everyone. It is that good.

Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters by Jane Austen and Ben H. Winters

Number 5 for my challenge. It's no secret that I LOVED Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. I thought I would be equally pleased by the latest Quirk Classic, Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters. But it was not to be so.

Certainly, part of the reason I liked this less that P&P&Z is because I prefer the original Pride and Prejudice to the original Sense and Sensibility. However, I felt like Winters' adaptation went too far. P&P&Z was most definitely a Jane Austen novel with zombies plopped in, but Winters changed so many things about the original text that at times, it was unrecognizable as a work of Austen. Instead of being Jane Austen with some sea monsters thrown in, it became the Ben H. Winters' novel of sea monsters, pirates, island natives, and undersea adventures with a dash of Jane Austen thrown in.

I also feel like Seth Graeme-Smith had a much better understanding and appreciation of Austen's original work and characters than Winters. I mentioned in this blog post that the alterations in P&P&Z feel natural because Graeme-Smith has such a good grasp of the characters. That is definitely not the case with S&S&SM.

I really wish that this book turned out better, but I still intend to continue reading Quirk Classics. Dawn of the Dreadfuls looks awesome, and Android Karenina is supposed to be filled with steampunk. Yay!