Austenland

Honestly, I like my Austen like I like my Star Wars.  Pure.  Unaltered.  So just as I despise Lucas' attempts at 'improving' and whoring out my childhood, I despise Austen fan fiction.

Enter Austenland by Shannon Hale.  Granted the book isn't a continuation of our beloved Regency characters, it's a modern tale of a melodramatic single woman whose fixation on Mr. Darcy doesn't allow her to make an attachment to any man because he just doesn't measure up.

I could give you many reason to loathe the book.  Mainly the large plot holes and inability to form complete sentences by the author; however, I inexplicably find myself drawn back to this book time and time again. It's downright embarrassing!  I'm ashamed for guests to find this gem in my library--which leads to a host of other issues my therapist would love to get a hold of.  Ha!

As I see it, Austenland is a fun read.  Fans of Austen will enjoy as well as the casual fiction reader.

Task 21: a book that you would consider a guilty pleasure (read, and then realize that good entertainment is nothing to feel guilty over.)

Quiet Hero: Secrets from my Father's Past

While not remarkably well-written, there is a sweet element of respect and love for a father from a daughter. It's clear that the author, Rita Cosby, was hurt as a child by her father's stand-offish manners. But after framing his quirks against the Warsaw Uprising and surviving Stalag B, Cosby reaches understanding and compassion for the man who is her father.

The book isn't an easy read. There is a monotony about it. One can imagine these tales being shared across the kitchen table. As they are presented here, the story is moving and often convoluted because Cosby insists on interjecting when the reader reaches the pace. I needed to read the story--not your thoughts on it. I was frustrated as a reader.

Ultimately, though, the book is a harrowing reminder of the brutality of war, the ugliness of it all and the scars that remain. The tenacity of this man in remarkable. He makes a conscience effort to rise above the horror and create for himself a world that he desires.

Mary, Bloody Mary

Imagine being Mary Tudor, daughter of King Henry the VIII.  Princess one day, afforded all the luxuries of high station, palaces, servants, gowns, and never-ending displays of loyalty and love.  Servant, the next... cast out, separated from her mother and all those she knows, declared a bastard and forced to care for the next heir to the throne.

Carolyn Meyer's YA novel about the woman who would eventually claim her title as Queen and seek vengeance upon her enemies is perfectly written for the desired audience.  Written in first person, Mary details her decent into servant-hood and the deadly game of 'chicken' she plays with Anne Boleyn..  The young Mary's perspective, although dramatized here, is spot-on enough to be a satisfying read for young people.  This reader wants to know more and will use Meyer's book as the stepping off point.

As I see it, Meyer's Mary Tudor is pretty close to the real thing.  There's enough intrigue, terror, sadness, and truth to keep you slack-jawed in amazement at how royal behaved.  This is drama for the ages!

Task 11: A YA novel

To Be Takei (2014)

In this day and age, George Takei has transcended generations, mediums, and cultures to truly become an icon.  He has successfully remastered his career and pro-actively shaped his legacy.  In his 2014 documentary, Takei examines the events of his life that have shaped the man he has become.

Oddly enough, this view didn't learn anything new about the cultural icon.  I continue to be impressed by his overwhelmingly positive view on everything and how he comes across so authentic instead of a cloyingly one-dimension.

Kudos to Takei for being to frank with himself and his fans.  He exposes himself--warts and all--to his fans and celebrates all the things that make him George.  And at the same time, he challenges you to embrace all the things that make you... you.

As I see it, fans of George Takei may not learn anything new here; however, this documentary is the closest we will ever come to having over for tea.

Nell (1994)

How have I not seen this movie before 2015?!  Oh wait... I remember... because I made fun of Jodie Foster's character and her 'language'.  Fast forward to today and I look back upon my youth...

Nell has certainly aged; but the performances from Jodie Foster, Liam Neeson, and Natasha Richardson are beautiful.  As Nell, the surviving twin born as the result of a rape, Jodie is incredible.  This powerful performance a 'wild child' is unforgettable.  As a young woman, born about the trees in North Carolina who has lived in isolation from the world and learned only the doctrine of her stroke-felled mother.

Neeson as the young 'heart of gold' doctor and Richardson as the mature (read evil) shrink battle it out, in stereotypical roles, for Nell's soul.  The due create a a chemistry that is believeable despite it's predictability.

As I see it, the message of Nell is timeless.  We are all 'hungry for silence'.  The film, amidst the mom jeans, inexplicable court-room speech, and distractingly bad hair, will resonate with the heart.