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spooky_missThis week I have read lots of books! One of which is now on my top ten of all time list, and one of which really underwhelmed me. The other two were just funny, interesting reads.
The Life of Graham, by Bob McCabe
This is the authorised biography of Graham Chapman, late of The Pythons and one of the best comedians in this country. I’m sure most people know who he is – started training to be a doctor, but gave it up to join Monty Python, and didn’t look back. Also known for being an alcoholic and gay! This was an amusing book, and I felt that the author had done his research and wasn’t just pulling stories out of the newspapers. I felt that it did mainly concentrate on Graham being gay and an alcoholic, but I suppose aside from comedy, that was the main parts of his life (unfortunately in the part of the alcoholism!). It showed that he was a generous, funny person, who just wanted to help others. It was interesting to read about his relationships with the rest of the Pythons, and how he came to be in the comedy business at all. I’d definitely recommend it if you’re interested in Monty Python, and I’d give it 8/10.
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
This book is brilliant. Absolutely and amazingly brilliant! It is the story of a man (referred to as “the man”) and a boy (“the boy”), making their way down a road through an apocalyptic landscape, and avoiding starving to death or being eaten themselves. It is never explained what has happened to the Earth, but it is implied that it was several or even many years ago, with references to animals all now being extinct, and to the hope that on the coast there would be some kind of hope. The descriptions are just amazing, as you read you feel that you are right with them, going down the road. Some of it is horrible – descriptions of corpses burnt onto the road, or bones suggesting a recently eaten human – but it is just so powerful. This is one of those things which is horrible, but should be read (similar to the film of Requiem for a Dream – its horrible, but everyone should see it!). At the moment my mum is reading it, and I hope she either likes it or gets through it – its not really her type of book, but I believe that it is a totally essential read! I would quite like to see the film now (well, more than I wanted to see it before), but I worry about if it will spoil the picture I have of it in my head. But I definitely recommend the book – 10/10.
Life Of Pi by Yann Martel
I will start by saying that I did have some misgivings about this book – I have read some totally atrocious Booker prize winners (Cloud Atlas springs to mind!) so I was worried it was going to be overly deep and meaningful at the expense of a good story. As it turned out, it was almost exactly opposite. It is the story of Piscine, who shortens his name to “Pi” and his family, including his father who owns a zoo in India. The descriptions of this and the relationships between the humans and the animals were good at this point. The family decide to sell up the zoo and travel to Canada on a ship. Unfortunately the ship sinks, leaving Pi as the only survivor on a lifeboat with a zebra with a broken leg, a hyena, an orang-utan and a Bengal tiger! This does sound a little silly, but it is well written, with a description of how the hyena ate everything (apart from Pi!) and then the tiger ate him, and then how Pi manages to keep his authority over the tiger so he doesn’t get eaten. Then follows a description of how they survive on the sea for something like 275 days, and find a really weird island. This book is good on its descriptions, and its an entertaining story – but that’s it. I really expected more from it as a Booker Prize winner, I thought it would have some kind of substance, but it didn’t, it was just a story. It was a bit like Catcher in the Rye in that respect, I spent the whole book waiting for something deep and meaningful to happen, but then it didn’t! So although I would say that people should read it, I only give it 5/10 as it seemed to me to be missing something!
Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now by Andy Collins
This is continuation of Andy Collins’ autobiography, which started with the book “Where Did It All Go Right”, about his childhood in 1970s Northampton. This is all about his late teenage years in 1980s London. It is great for his descriptions of uni life, the music and the fashions (big hair!) and contains quite a few references to goth and post-punk, which I liked. Sometimes his style gets a little annoying, as he basically didn’t have any kind of problems and just had a fantastic time (although it also annoys me when books are just all doom and gloom – it makes me think it can’t have been that bad, as you’re still here now aren’t you!), but it’s a well written fantastic time, so its great. Recommended if you like reading about the 80s from a student point of view! 7/10
Film 15 – The Counterfeiters
This is a German film, in German, about the Nazi’s operation during the Second World War to create vast quantities of fake bank notes, starting with their own currency and moving on to British pounds and American Dollars. Based on a true story, it shows how the Nazis rounded up Jews and other people who they had sent to the concentration camps who had experience in this kind of area and made them produce the notes for them. I don’t think all of them were criminals (although the main character was), but just people who had experience of using printing presses etc. It showed how they all worked compliantly up until a point, until they realised that they would have to slow down or somehow delay the process or the Nazis would continue on to win the war. They did this through delaying the production of the dollars – continually finding problems with it, making it not quite right – until the liberation of the camp, where the Nazis ran away and the prisoners were free. I thought it was an interesting film, because you mainly just see the deprivation of the camps, and not the working areas, where they were given more food and clothes so that they were fit and well enough to help the Nazis. There was one good bit where one of the prisoners refused to wear the clothes he was given and continued to wear his prison stripes, as he did not want a jacket which had belonged to a now murdered Jew. One slight criticism was that it didn’t really make me feel any kind of emotion, which is what you almost expect Holocaust films to do, so that somehow didn’t make it as good. But it was interesting, and I do like German films which show their own history – its almost like they are facing up to what happened and what the citizens of their country did. I’d give it 6/10
Film 16 - The Boat That Rocked – with commentary from Richard Curtis, Nick Frost, Chris O’Dowd and someone else who’s name I can’t remember…the female producer I think
I’ve already watched this film this year, haha, and so have already reviewed it (see one of the previous posts!), so I’m just going to review the commentary! It was a good commentary, with about equal funny bits and "technical" information on the making of the film from Richard Curtis. There was a lot about the music they used, which was good. And Nick Frost is always good at commentaries (see also Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead!). I enjoyed it, although it wasn’t as funny as some I’ve seen, so will give the commentary 7/10
In other rather exciting news this week, I signed up for an Open University Course – Starting with Psychology – and received the course materials yesterday. I was a bit worried about how much work there would be, and whether I would be able to do it with working, as I became really unmotivated when I was at uni, but I’ve decided I am going to snap out of my laziness and get on with it! In total I have to write three 1000 word essays / question answers – and as this post is probably over 1000 words, I think I should be able to manage that. I did expect there to be some more books etc, theres just one and a dvd, but it does look really interesting. I’m planning to read each chapter through, and then read it again and make notes on it, and then look at some of my other psychology books (I’ve got a few from my mum when she was getting rid of them at work) and read around the subjects covered in the OU book. I’m really looking forward to it now, as when I’ve done this I will be on the way to getting another degree, which is my aim, as I don’t feel that my other one is good enough to get a job that I want. I’ve got a list of courses that I want to do, so my aim is by the time I’m 30 (5 years!! I feel so old now! :( ) I will have another degree. I hope by then I also will have my own house, a lovely relationship and a job which I really love, but I’ll just concentrate on the degree for now!
This weekend its Assemblage 23 and Slimelight – which should be really excellent! Katie is coming down for it – as well as the rest of the Wendyhouse, it seems, haha – and that is really great, we should know lots of people there. I love Slimelight now it has the goth floor the majority of weeks now – its just that it seems to take up so much of my weekend, as I want a lie in on Saturday and want to just sleep as I’m so tired on Sunday, so that’s why I don’t go as much as I would like to. I really should go more though – I might make some friends there and have some people to go to things in London with, that’d be great :)
I’ve just done the word count on this (as I’m writing it in Word), and its almost 1800 words! I know I go on a bit, but I didn’t know it was that much. So now I think I will end, and will be back again a few days to write about more books and films :)
The Life of Graham, by Bob McCabe
This is the authorised biography of Graham Chapman, late of The Pythons and one of the best comedians in this country. I’m sure most people know who he is – started training to be a doctor, but gave it up to join Monty Python, and didn’t look back. Also known for being an alcoholic and gay! This was an amusing book, and I felt that the author had done his research and wasn’t just pulling stories out of the newspapers. I felt that it did mainly concentrate on Graham being gay and an alcoholic, but I suppose aside from comedy, that was the main parts of his life (unfortunately in the part of the alcoholism!). It showed that he was a generous, funny person, who just wanted to help others. It was interesting to read about his relationships with the rest of the Pythons, and how he came to be in the comedy business at all. I’d definitely recommend it if you’re interested in Monty Python, and I’d give it 8/10.
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
This book is brilliant. Absolutely and amazingly brilliant! It is the story of a man (referred to as “the man”) and a boy (“the boy”), making their way down a road through an apocalyptic landscape, and avoiding starving to death or being eaten themselves. It is never explained what has happened to the Earth, but it is implied that it was several or even many years ago, with references to animals all now being extinct, and to the hope that on the coast there would be some kind of hope. The descriptions are just amazing, as you read you feel that you are right with them, going down the road. Some of it is horrible – descriptions of corpses burnt onto the road, or bones suggesting a recently eaten human – but it is just so powerful. This is one of those things which is horrible, but should be read (similar to the film of Requiem for a Dream – its horrible, but everyone should see it!). At the moment my mum is reading it, and I hope she either likes it or gets through it – its not really her type of book, but I believe that it is a totally essential read! I would quite like to see the film now (well, more than I wanted to see it before), but I worry about if it will spoil the picture I have of it in my head. But I definitely recommend the book – 10/10.
Life Of Pi by Yann Martel
I will start by saying that I did have some misgivings about this book – I have read some totally atrocious Booker prize winners (Cloud Atlas springs to mind!) so I was worried it was going to be overly deep and meaningful at the expense of a good story. As it turned out, it was almost exactly opposite. It is the story of Piscine, who shortens his name to “Pi” and his family, including his father who owns a zoo in India. The descriptions of this and the relationships between the humans and the animals were good at this point. The family decide to sell up the zoo and travel to Canada on a ship. Unfortunately the ship sinks, leaving Pi as the only survivor on a lifeboat with a zebra with a broken leg, a hyena, an orang-utan and a Bengal tiger! This does sound a little silly, but it is well written, with a description of how the hyena ate everything (apart from Pi!) and then the tiger ate him, and then how Pi manages to keep his authority over the tiger so he doesn’t get eaten. Then follows a description of how they survive on the sea for something like 275 days, and find a really weird island. This book is good on its descriptions, and its an entertaining story – but that’s it. I really expected more from it as a Booker Prize winner, I thought it would have some kind of substance, but it didn’t, it was just a story. It was a bit like Catcher in the Rye in that respect, I spent the whole book waiting for something deep and meaningful to happen, but then it didn’t! So although I would say that people should read it, I only give it 5/10 as it seemed to me to be missing something!
Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now by Andy Collins
This is continuation of Andy Collins’ autobiography, which started with the book “Where Did It All Go Right”, about his childhood in 1970s Northampton. This is all about his late teenage years in 1980s London. It is great for his descriptions of uni life, the music and the fashions (big hair!) and contains quite a few references to goth and post-punk, which I liked. Sometimes his style gets a little annoying, as he basically didn’t have any kind of problems and just had a fantastic time (although it also annoys me when books are just all doom and gloom – it makes me think it can’t have been that bad, as you’re still here now aren’t you!), but it’s a well written fantastic time, so its great. Recommended if you like reading about the 80s from a student point of view! 7/10
Film 15 – The Counterfeiters
This is a German film, in German, about the Nazi’s operation during the Second World War to create vast quantities of fake bank notes, starting with their own currency and moving on to British pounds and American Dollars. Based on a true story, it shows how the Nazis rounded up Jews and other people who they had sent to the concentration camps who had experience in this kind of area and made them produce the notes for them. I don’t think all of them were criminals (although the main character was), but just people who had experience of using printing presses etc. It showed how they all worked compliantly up until a point, until they realised that they would have to slow down or somehow delay the process or the Nazis would continue on to win the war. They did this through delaying the production of the dollars – continually finding problems with it, making it not quite right – until the liberation of the camp, where the Nazis ran away and the prisoners were free. I thought it was an interesting film, because you mainly just see the deprivation of the camps, and not the working areas, where they were given more food and clothes so that they were fit and well enough to help the Nazis. There was one good bit where one of the prisoners refused to wear the clothes he was given and continued to wear his prison stripes, as he did not want a jacket which had belonged to a now murdered Jew. One slight criticism was that it didn’t really make me feel any kind of emotion, which is what you almost expect Holocaust films to do, so that somehow didn’t make it as good. But it was interesting, and I do like German films which show their own history – its almost like they are facing up to what happened and what the citizens of their country did. I’d give it 6/10
Film 16 - The Boat That Rocked – with commentary from Richard Curtis, Nick Frost, Chris O’Dowd and someone else who’s name I can’t remember…the female producer I think
I’ve already watched this film this year, haha, and so have already reviewed it (see one of the previous posts!), so I’m just going to review the commentary! It was a good commentary, with about equal funny bits and "technical" information on the making of the film from Richard Curtis. There was a lot about the music they used, which was good. And Nick Frost is always good at commentaries (see also Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead!). I enjoyed it, although it wasn’t as funny as some I’ve seen, so will give the commentary 7/10
In other rather exciting news this week, I signed up for an Open University Course – Starting with Psychology – and received the course materials yesterday. I was a bit worried about how much work there would be, and whether I would be able to do it with working, as I became really unmotivated when I was at uni, but I’ve decided I am going to snap out of my laziness and get on with it! In total I have to write three 1000 word essays / question answers – and as this post is probably over 1000 words, I think I should be able to manage that. I did expect there to be some more books etc, theres just one and a dvd, but it does look really interesting. I’m planning to read each chapter through, and then read it again and make notes on it, and then look at some of my other psychology books (I’ve got a few from my mum when she was getting rid of them at work) and read around the subjects covered in the OU book. I’m really looking forward to it now, as when I’ve done this I will be on the way to getting another degree, which is my aim, as I don’t feel that my other one is good enough to get a job that I want. I’ve got a list of courses that I want to do, so my aim is by the time I’m 30 (5 years!! I feel so old now! :( ) I will have another degree. I hope by then I also will have my own house, a lovely relationship and a job which I really love, but I’ll just concentrate on the degree for now!
This weekend its Assemblage 23 and Slimelight – which should be really excellent! Katie is coming down for it – as well as the rest of the Wendyhouse, it seems, haha – and that is really great, we should know lots of people there. I love Slimelight now it has the goth floor the majority of weeks now – its just that it seems to take up so much of my weekend, as I want a lie in on Saturday and want to just sleep as I’m so tired on Sunday, so that’s why I don’t go as much as I would like to. I really should go more though – I might make some friends there and have some people to go to things in London with, that’d be great :)
I’ve just done the word count on this (as I’m writing it in Word), and its almost 1800 words! I know I go on a bit, but I didn’t know it was that much. So now I think I will end, and will be back again a few days to write about more books and films :)
