tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-155991182024-03-26T13:22:45.006-07:00Echoes of an Empty Mind- where a stray echo might find resonance for all of us !!!Pushpakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12411692887205730319noreply@blogger.comBlogger147125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15599118.post-72209216543619369082024-02-25T16:43:00.000-08:002024-02-25T16:43:26.469-08:00Book Review: "Shadow Speaker," by Nnedi Okorafor<p style="text-align: center;"></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ukKTyoya083V8Z_4SeuS8bmOsbXhaBeZ3jWG5nOxJEqLV9T1LhnKIWNr4-kUP6NtQrqtqaTqlOlAX6TepC2BLlKc6PQQQpSvotf1txmY-3Hw8eJO-nDnXS0Fi5-etxpq5LcGTefaCgzkYS9-tipL9jmVIi6aX6AaUDJqW4Rqiww2IkrCPwmn_w/s500/Shadow_Speaker.jpg"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="331" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ukKTyoya083V8Z_4SeuS8bmOsbXhaBeZ3jWG5nOxJEqLV9T1LhnKIWNr4-kUP6NtQrqtqaTqlOlAX6TepC2BLlKc6PQQQpSvotf1txmY-3Hw8eJO-nDnXS0Fi5-etxpq5LcGTefaCgzkYS9-tipL9jmVIi6aX6AaUDJqW4Rqiww2IkrCPwmn_w/w265-h400/Shadow_Speaker.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Shadow Speaker</i> is the first book in <i>The Desert Magician Duology</i> by acclaimed author Nnedi Okorafor - known for her smart imagining of afrofuturistic worlds blending authentic African traditions with engaging SF. Okorafor delivers another engrossing tale that serves well as an introduction to a world full of innovative magic, political intrigue, and protagonists. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Shadow Speaker </i>is set in Niger in the year 2074. Earth has been transformed by the double-strike of a nuclear war, and the so-called 'Peace Bombs,' developed as a molecular-level response to the devastation inflicted by the former, the combined event known as <i>The Great Change</i>. The result is a brand new world, tweaked from the version we inhabit today at the the most fundamental level - the event opens up portals to other worlds, terraforms pockets of deserts with spontaneous forestation, bends some of the laws of physics, and as a side-effect, also triggers a mutation within some humans, unlocking their 'meta-human' potential and granting them powers connected to the elemental forces of nature. Earth is no longer isolated and shielded from external influences, and the portals open up an opportunity for mutual exchange of culture, technology, and trade. As has happened within our history, power rests with those who recognize the value of other-worldly technology and are able to exploit it to their personal gain.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Our protagonist is Ejii Ugabe, a fifteen year-old girl who has the ability to communicate with shadows, The daughter of a slain tyrant, she grows up being shy and subservient in the company of her best friends, Arif and Sammy. She seeks revenge on Sarauniya Jaa, also known as The Red Queen, her father's killer. Jaa, herself a meta-human, is the de-facto leader of their community without holding the formal position of a queen.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Jaa is also the one who slew Ejii's father, cutting off his head in front of his children. This puts them both on a collision course where only one could have emerged victorious. However, destiny has some other plans for them - Ejii ends up following Jaa to a meeting of the world leaders. Jaa plans to secure Earth's future by killing the other rulers and thereby preventing an assault on Earth. Ejii, on the other hand, is tasked by the Shadow spirits to ensure that peace prevails at any cost, as any war will have disastrous consequences for humans.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Ejii is joined in her quest by Dikeogu Obidimpka, a Rainmaker - another meta-human who can make it rain at will. Together, they travel through the treacherous deserts of Niger to the portal to Ginen, the extra-terrestrial world connected to Earth by <i>The Great Change, </i>in the hopes of stopping an all-out war between Earth and other, more advanced worlds.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The novel is aimed at young adults, and does an exceptional job of also introducing the larger audience to the cultural and historical nuances of Africa. Okorafor blends real-world with the fantastical, providing a foundation for the reader to familiarize themselves with her imagined version of Niger. The characters of Ejii and Jaa are richly drawn, multi-dimensional, and complex - none is completely right or wrong, and out sympathies vacillate between them as the story unfolds. The novel clearly ends with an eye towards the sequel (since this book has been published as the first in a duology.)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Highly recommended!</div><p></p>Pushpakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12411692887205730319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15599118.post-31133170771160755802024-02-17T19:54:00.000-08:002024-02-17T19:54:54.981-08:00Book Review: "Uncommon Wealth: Britain and the Aftermath of Empire" by Kojo Koram<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHK0Hjch3hYC1rhTm6tHkJ9XOBV3Qh2aA8fJNZWcsQPQrHo85VfYbNVoa284l2hynYg_Rm_cHxzVeQ1fukrNOZPZD-Rj9Fi_ddvbYefUO8_YcDA2oiDV8eSS03DoguwgKGazkPFJzruwXbtbpaWjF1OHNuS-zx_anvvL5wmdW_7jLrwR_Ktskz7g/s1500/Uncommon_Wealth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="969" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHK0Hjch3hYC1rhTm6tHkJ9XOBV3Qh2aA8fJNZWcsQPQrHo85VfYbNVoa284l2hynYg_Rm_cHxzVeQ1fukrNOZPZD-Rj9Fi_ddvbYefUO8_YcDA2oiDV8eSS03DoguwgKGazkPFJzruwXbtbpaWjF1OHNuS-zx_anvvL5wmdW_7jLrwR_Ktskz7g/w259-h400/Uncommon_Wealth.jpg" width="259" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: right;"><i>Colonization: the action of appropriating a domain or place for one's own use.</i></p><p style="text-align: right;"><i>-- Oxford Language Dictionary of English </i><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Almost every geo-political upheaval in the last fifty years, or more, can be traced back to the long arm of colonialism, and its lasting effects on the erstwhile colonies. Britain, the most successful of the colonizers, famously ruled over an Empire where the Sun never set. In its heyday, it was the most feared regime that set out to civilize the backwaters of humanity, with the allegedly-noble aim of lifting up "the savages."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The second World War effectively emptied the coffers of the Empire. United States emerged as the larger power between the Allied partners, and Britain found itself facing a rising tide of nationalism and self-rule advocates, many of whom were trained in the nuances of politics and law by their masters. In a bid to stem the possible future of global irrelevance, Britain "magnanimously" granted independence to her colonies - an act phrased as the action of a loving, benevolent parent acknowledging that their children were ready to carry on their legacy into the years to come.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Britain may have lifted the yoke of political oppression from its erstwhile colonies, but it maintained a firm hold on the financial reins of their industry and commerce. The authors of this post-colonial world - politicians, statesmen, businessmen and armed generals alike - probably believed that the proverbial Sun would never be allowed to set on the prosperity of Britain and her Empire. Their optimism could not be farther from the post-Brexit Britain - politically isolated, socially ridiculed, victim of rampant inflation, and its living standards reduced to conditions found in its colonies at the turn of the twentieth century. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Kojo Koram presents an eye-opening treatise of the British Empire's fall in his book "<i>Uncommon Wealth: Britain and the Aftermath of Empire</i>." Presenting the discussion as a juxtaposition of social, economic, and commercial landscapes between the colonizer and their colonies, the book examines some factors spawning the <i>historical boomerang</i> that has left Britain more decentralized than it ever was, with power resting in the hands of a select few while the larger population is force-fed the propaganda in the guise of thoughtful discourse.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The book is as notable for what it includes as for what is excluded. Koram shines a light in the low-key nooks and crannies of the post-colonial world - places that have emerged as economic powerhouses in their region (and sometimes, beyond), but would hardly be considered the poster-child of the Empire. Excluded are India, Australia, or other larger nations who are often heralded as the worthy successors to Britain in the new geo-political order. Koram takes us on a journey from the 'Gold Coast' of Ghana, to the sweltering deserts of Arabia, to the picturesque islands of the Caribbean, the boardrooms of Panama and Canary Islands, to the glitzy metropolis of Singapore. Along the way, he weaves a compelling narrative of Britain's measures to keep a hold over it colonies through the more-palatable vehicle of capitalism, foregoing a militaristic takeover of the past.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Koram builds the narrative from the smallest - in terms of visibility or recognition in the zeitgeist - to the largest, while coming back a full-circle, beginning with and ending with the only force that can move Empires in the 21st century - wealth. The book begins with the exploration of "The Company", arguably Britain's most-enduring invention. It explores how trade and the allure of wealth established the band of entrepreneurs, a fleet of pirates blessed by the Crown, whose sole purpose was exploitation of the New World for the benefits of Britain. It looks at the long-lasting effects the withdrawal of Britain from its colonies, especially in the Middle East, which is undoubtedly suffering from the arbitrary borders carved up by the fleeing colonizers.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The book also looks into how Britain sought to retain control over its colonies, especially in the Caribbean, using loans from the IMF and UN as its weapons, and leveraging the debt as political gallows. It also explores how the flight of capital from Britain's shores, and its debilitating effect on NHS and other public options, can be traced to its offshore investments in Panama and Canary Islands, instituted for the sole purpose of legally laundering millions of pounds each year. Lastly, Koram looks ahead, towards the poster-child of the new millenium, Singapore - and details how the political leaders and the upper-crust of the British society are seeking to turn London into its image as an uber-capitalist center of commerce, industry, and wealth retention - at their service.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">I picked up the book because I found the main idea compelling. I believe that USA is also undergoing a similar transition to what Britain faced in the 1950's-60's - its geopolitical influence is on a decline, living conditions are worsening for the majority of the hoi polloi, while propagandist messages have all but inundated the social and political discourse. I believe that USA is following Britain's footsteps - lagging behind by 20-30 years, but moving in the same direction. It would do us good to be aware of the pitfalls that we are digging for ourselves so that we can avoid the mistakes of our "benevolent" colonizer!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Very Highly Recommended!<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p>Pushpakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12411692887205730319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15599118.post-4672358107088130632024-01-23T14:55:00.000-08:002024-01-23T14:58:53.795-08:00Book Review: "To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods," by Molly X. Chang<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje3ReeieS8ipAFHPpHQSkb1vJRnEMDQkqvXmMavpySOtiGNMDZ3bPUnjMPnPWwwEouLCP5E8Ks9lhcyEdI6Bi-oh23cfk6uU4xpPOk5nQdNeWZrs7NKYNR37TNUQUSlYaCt0l-8oZ8ey8jh5M6yZS3DDJDgQBcOhDnEE_WUQpuI_O_ZWqcKfmL5A/s385/Gaze_upon_wicked_gods_cover.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="385" data-original-width="255" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje3ReeieS8ipAFHPpHQSkb1vJRnEMDQkqvXmMavpySOtiGNMDZ3bPUnjMPnPWwwEouLCP5E8Ks9lhcyEdI6Bi-oh23cfk6uU4xpPOk5nQdNeWZrs7NKYNR37TNUQUSlYaCt0l-8oZ8ey8jh5M6yZS3DDJDgQBcOhDnEE_WUQpuI_O_ZWqcKfmL5A/w265-h400/Gaze_upon_wicked_gods_cover.png" width="265" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Del Rey for providing an advanced ecopy to review via NetGalley!</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Gaze-Upon-Wicked-Gods-ebook/dp/B0CBJQX77T/" target="_blank">To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods</a></i>, is the debut novel from author Molly X. Chang. It is set on a world, Pangu, which bears a cultural similarity to China, before the advent of colonial forces from Europe. Pangu is a world steeped in magic, whose idyllic existence is disturbed by the advent of the technologically advanced Romans (a thinly-veiled reference to actual European colonizers.) In a fashion that closely mirrors the bloody march of colonial rule in our histories, the relationship between Pangu and Romans begins as a benevolent trade, but quickly morphs into something more deadly once the Romans recognize the utility of the resource-rich Pangu-society.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">We step into this world through the eyes of Ru-Ying, a young girl from the Er-Lang Empire, who possess the dark magic of Death - she can sever souls from their host bodies with merely a thought. Raised to keep her magic from the distrustful world around her, Ru-Ying strives to lead a normal life and help keep her family (a grandma, and a younger sister, Meiya) safe. Meiya happens to have fallen a victim to <i>opian</i>, a hallucinogenic drug introduced by the Romans as a way of keeping the local population, and their magical abilities, subdued. The story begins with Ru-Ying seeking <i>opian</i> from a shady character Baihu, once her childhood friend.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">A series of chaotic events leads Ru-Ying to cross paths with Prince Antony, the younger heir of the Roman Empire. Antony realizes the value of Ru-Ying's <i>gift</i>, and blackmails her into turning into an assassin for him. The rest of the story explores the dynamic between the Prince and Ru-Ying, and her struggle to be useful to her people while being exploited by Antony. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">The story is written in an easy style, and is quite entertaining as well as thought-provoking. Chang explores the conflict between loyalty and pragmatism through the two leading characters. The writing is able to convey the inner conflict in Ru-Ying's mind and heart quite effectively. Prince Antony however, feels like a half-baked character - the reader is invested enough in his fate to keep reading, but not so much as to ask for a 'back story' to his personality. Speaking of which, Antony comes across as an extremely manipulative captor, and it is quite difficult for the reader to sympathize with his predicament. Perhaps this is intentional on the part of the author, and more will be revealed in the sequels - the book definitely ends as a first part of a series.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The cover art is stunning, and I am hoping that the eventual published edition has similar artwork. I also liked the references to Chinese culture that permeate throughout the text. Too often are non-Western cultures (Earthly or alien, alike) represented by caricatures or stereotypes, and it feels refreshing to have a native voice tell the story of colonial exploitation on the backdrop of a SF operatic arc.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">In the list of things I wish could have been better, first and foremost, a map of Er-Lang, and another of Pangu and its kingdoms, would have helped me immerse better into the story. Secondly, the scenes between Ru-Ying and Antony could have carried more depth in addition to their intensity. Ru-Ying in particular, seems like a whiny character when interacting with her Er-Langian friends, which I feel is a great disservice to her character. Chang hits some poetic highs in the prose, but these passages stand out as a stark contrast to the rest of Ru-Ying's thoughts and dialogues, lending them a bit of narrative inconsistency.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">These minor quibbles aside, I think this is a good debut novel that presents the reader with a point-of-view that is sorely missing in the western literature. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">(The novel is tentatively scheduled to be on <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Gaze-Upon-Wicked-Gods-ebook/dp/B0CBJQX77T/" target="_blank">sale</a> in April 2024)</p>Pushpakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12411692887205730319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15599118.post-71288186792417444092023-11-01T09:49:00.006-07:002023-11-01T10:02:12.260-07:00Book Review: "Encore in Death (Eve Dallas #56)," by J. D. Robb<p style="text-align: center;"> </p>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsim9wbb35fvEfQR3H7u4Bk4JZBxsiRRk727u8YsFgFa-dbJ2_OoUEJGaA05S-_0esth224idpuQRmXiAWa_f0l0e358uGEC4S36ksscqnq4V1mZeodM-r78_cNOm23Ddgt0HXu837-QypMY8hEC8emjkti2QfwDMizglgq9bA2C6yKbpVzUA3Ng/s630/Encore_cover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="414" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsim9wbb35fvEfQR3H7u4Bk4JZBxsiRRk727u8YsFgFa-dbJ2_OoUEJGaA05S-_0esth224idpuQRmXiAWa_f0l0e358uGEC4S36ksscqnq4V1mZeodM-r78_cNOm23Ddgt0HXu837-QypMY8hEC8emjkti2QfwDMizglgq9bA2C6yKbpVzUA3Ng/w263-h400/Encore_cover.jpg" width="263" /></a>
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><i>Encore in Death</i> is the 56th installment in the Eve Dallas murder mysteries, penned by bestselling author Nora Roberts under the pseudonym J. D. Robb. This novel centers around a brazen murder in the glitzy world of showbiz. The victim is Brant Fitzhugh, a top-ranked Hollywood actor and a well-loved figure in both his public and private lives. He is survived by Eliza Lane, his wife - a legend on the Broadway stage herself, well-respected but not as well-loved. The only blemish on her otherwise impeccable career is her penchant for being a perfectionist, a tad too much at times, much to the suffering of her junior actors and crew.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">The occasion is a celebration of the revival of <i>Upstaged</i>, Eliza's breakout role as a lead performer (as Marcie Bright), twenty-five years after the original came out - a silver jubilee event for the play and the actress herself. The circumstances of her debut, however, carry a dark backstory. Eliza was originally slated to play the secondary role, but was pushed into the limelight following the tragic death of the lead, Leah Rose. Twenty-five years later, Eliza is staging the production of <i>Upstaged</i> where she plays the role of the lead character's mother, Lily Bright. The event is a huge success, with a list of showbiz's power players and performers all in attendance - including some who may have a hidden agenda in seeing Eliza fail. It is during this party that Brant falls dead, presumably due to cyanide poisoning from a drink that was intended for Eliza. Given Eliza's reputation as a no-nonsense taskmaster, the overarching question facing Eve Dallas and Co. is - <i>Who exactly wants Eliza dead, and why?</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">So begins a thrilling investigation that sees Eve and Peabody make their way through the corridors and back-alleys of power in the show business. Every new clue points to an ever-increasing list of suspects, and the high-profile stature of the victim couple means that the top brass is exerting pressure on Eve's team to produce results rapidly. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Robb narrates the story with her usual panache. While the descriptions of characters in the show business do not offer much novelty from the thousands of mysteries centered around this industry, Robb manages to create some memorable characters that I would love to see in the future as part of Eve's cases. They are certainly a very interesting bunch. This case offers a different set of challenges to our favorite NYPD Lieutenant. Part of the challenge that Eve faces is the risk of declaring a high-profile personality a person-of-interest in a case that has the world's attention. The other part is not allowing the opinions of media or those close to her to cloud her judgement in following the breadcrumbs on the trail of the murderer. The combination makes for a brisk and enjoyable read for a rainy weekend. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Highly recommended! </div>
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Pushpakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12411692887205730319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15599118.post-1182802781266960302023-09-28T11:16:00.002-07:002023-09-28T13:26:39.339-07:00Book Review: "Princess Floralinda and the Forty-flight Tower," by Tamsyn Muir<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxPPlmweSgnbjGLxZKCMw6aPKOmzKqO_Iq1hHdUGbN8J6AyMNv84jKdUFwO62Q9FZiiORT_VDBZVfCh-KLLe2nFuw-I4HDuOr7YVFFncIc7X6567KRTLxbgHrM49U8V5hYTmNo7YEeOo17aUFBJwpM8Z9nbNIuVngDWm4W2IyIldI2tWcECX_E6A/s500/Princess_Floralinda_Cover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="333" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxPPlmweSgnbjGLxZKCMw6aPKOmzKqO_Iq1hHdUGbN8J6AyMNv84jKdUFwO62Q9FZiiORT_VDBZVfCh-KLLe2nFuw-I4HDuOr7YVFFncIc7X6567KRTLxbgHrM49U8V5hYTmNo7YEeOo17aUFBJwpM8Z9nbNIuVngDWm4W2IyIldI2tWcECX_E6A/w266-h400/Princess_Floralinda_Cover.jpg" width="266" /></a></p><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: right;"><i>"It's no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then."</i></p><p style="text-align: right;">-- <i>Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, </i>Lewis Caroll</p><p style="text-align: right;"><i>"Freeing yourself was one thing; claiming ownership of that freed self was another."</i></p><p style="text-align: right;">-- <i>Beloved,</i> Toni Morrison</p><p style="text-align: right;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Take a princess, preferably blonde (<i>very</i> blonde!), and kidnapped by a standard-issue witch - one in possession of a <i>really</i> tall tower sufficiently far away from the kingdoms, with a lone room at the very top for the princess. The witch's primary obligation is to serve as a matchmaker for the princess, albeit in a very roundabout way of killing all the unsuitable suitors who are not worthy of reaching the top floor. <i>Why?</i> you might ask? Oh - on account of every such tower being equipped with (often fatal) foes and predicaments at every level that the valiant princes have to overcome to prove their worthiness, of course! Once the necessary arrangements are made, all the witch has to do is go on a vacation to a distant land, waiting for the seasons to pass and hopefully, a prince to fulfil their quest. Once a quest is completed, it's on to planning for the next year, when the whole cycle is repeated (but with a <i>different</i> princess, obviously!) It is the perfect business model that any self-respecting witch would not deem to deviate from!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Except, as is the case with best-laid plans, things don't quite go to script. Princesses are supposed to, nay - required to - be docile, patient, timid, and all the other good things thousands of tales have already told us about. They are supposed to indulge in a very feminine act of say, weaving a scarf (in the best case) or a cardigan (if the quest is quite difficult for the princes) to welcome their savior, proceeding to then marry them, produce heirs (not more princesses, surely!), and live happily-ever after. Too bad no one instructed Princess Floralinda in the ways of the princesses. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Captured by the witch (standard-issue, no name) and stranded atop a tower with forty flights, Floralinda paints the very picture of a beautiful princess in need of rescuing. Her days are spent in viewing the exciting, but very short battles her suitors have with the obstacles on their quest (Could the dragon please crunch their bones a bit softly, it is so rude to hear him devour his snacks all the way in the princess' chambers). When the princes fail to turn up to rescue her as the months go by, Floralinda decides to step outside her chambers and investigate her surroundings. As the meek princess steps out for the first time, little does she realize that she is embarking on a quest of her own, although in exactly the opposite direction that standard quests are supposed to run in.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Tamsyn Muir delights with a very subversive take on the usual princess-in-a-tower story. Her protagonist, Floralinda is aided in her inadvertent quest by a cast of quirky characters (goblins! unicorn! a neurotic garden-fairy ... err, a boar? salamanders? whatever, you get the point right?) that will have you (the reader, yes, that's YOU) smiling, chuckling, giggling, snorting, and ROFL-ing in all the <i>inappropriate</i> places. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Better get your hands on one before the Wizards of Story-telling and the Union of Charming Princes ban this book for not conforming to the norms of standard fairy-tales. Even better, put one in the hands of a princess around you. You never know, this might be just the nudge she needs to start a quest of her own!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Highly recommended!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">P.S. You probably realize this by now, but I LOVED this book!</p>Pushpakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12411692887205730319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15599118.post-9758650888100570822023-07-25T11:47:00.000-07:002023-07-25T11:47:33.844-07:00Book Review: "A Registry of My Passage Upon the Earth," by Daniel Mason<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZLcYZ0-bJEMcCKzdgBYjA_uLzNnsBeQ_rFYuw5-D79unBcf7JKaRYbOXXRRvaZHEI2hqtryKd86FLffGI7ugyEb6GaoIzKDAGws4ZlqnJV1YIc31vrs6jSU1B-cyevEN_su5AjZsW9wZPI51iy0Tvmnjv50y6Ij9qaBbERq8iUk0jY58TmHo/s750/Registry-Passage-Cover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="496" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZLcYZ0-bJEMcCKzdgBYjA_uLzNnsBeQ_rFYuw5-D79unBcf7JKaRYbOXXRRvaZHEI2hqtryKd86FLffGI7ugyEb6GaoIzKDAGws4ZlqnJV1YIc31vrs6jSU1B-cyevEN_su5AjZsW9wZPI51iy0Tvmnjv50y6Ij9qaBbERq8iUk0jY58TmHo/w265-h400/Registry-Passage-Cover.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><br /><p></p><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: right;"><i>Life is not a problem to be solved, but an experience to be had</i></div><div style="text-align: right;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: right;"><i>-- Alan Watts</i></div><div style="text-align: right;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: right;"><i>All experience is an arch wherethro' gleams that untraveled world whose margins fade forever and forever as we move</i></div><div style="text-align: right;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: right;"><i>-- Alfred Lord Tennyson</i></div><div style="text-align: right;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: right;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Our lives are an accumulation of our experiences; guided, shaped by, and therefore, guiding, shaping, our emotions. If human lives were each a painting, then our emotions would be the palette that we would choose to dip our selves into, applying new layers on the brushstrokes of our experiences. We seldom pause to inspect the results, for there are further 'worlds to travel' (Tennyson), or 'tapestries to weave' (Tony Robbins) once our current experience is lived and become present. Few among us are granted such a richness in Life that can be shared through their lived moments, inspiring others to travel on their own journeys. Fewer still have journeys that <i>actually</i> matter, and even rarer are those with the ability to record journeys of others through their craft, preserving the authenticity of the experiences while also garnishing the presentation with a few choice embellishments.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In this collection of short stories, Daniel Mason presents a dazzling array of hues and styles that could collectively represent the chronicle of a human life on this planet. The collection is bookended with two tales that exemplify the part-journalistic part-voyeuristic responsibilities of a 'chronicler' - a report on a bare-knuckle boxing duel between <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Burke_(boxer)">James Burke</a> and one Benjamin McGraw, reported as a matter of public record, and conversely, the titular registry of the passage of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Bispo_do_Ros%C3%A1rio">Arthur Bispo do Rosario</a> upon this planet, chronicled painstakingly by the protagonist during his 50 years of confinement in an asylum. This is a common theme through most of the tales - Mason narrates fictional experiences around factual personalities and events. He takes us through the explorations of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Russel_Wallace">Alfred Russel Wallace</a> documenting the natural world, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psamtik_I">Psammetichus I</a> exploring the beginnings of human experiences through language, a surprisingly life-saving (and chilling) application <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nathaniel_Bagshaw_Ward">Nathaniel Bagshaw Ward</a>'s glass case to name a few. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The tales are narrated in a diverse array of styles, and Mason's command of the English language is on full display as he dives into the hearts and minds of his widely different protagonists and is able to imbue his words with a veneer of empathy that makes the experiences relatable to readers that come from a world hundreds of years in the future. It is no surprise that this collection has been well-received by critics and readers alike. This was my first experience with his works (a serendipitous meeting in a bookshop in a neighboring country, on a day that almost wasn't!) - so I am excited to check out his other works from my friendly libraries!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Very Highly Recommended!</div>Pushpakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12411692887205730319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15599118.post-34565062333309682382023-05-24T14:27:00.000-07:002023-05-24T14:27:05.548-07:00Book Review: "Winter Swallows," by Maurizio De Giovanni (Commissario Ricciardi #10)<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiFn7lvJzWJlAJh8sAT_vNBKkOmE_OwOwi2G4_5Af_5EM43R_WGzSWPzrwbNSdFsJqHJrCB4OZZunq5AI83VhhvLC14DDGEG7l7Sdr-YjzlrmKlklFg2ABWA6q7TEZiUsGPFGYK2OIrvrUjfwQJdAWqya5ALHzooROJ6GgOcTZC_s7NFj6j2E/s755/Winter_Swallows_Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="480" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiFn7lvJzWJlAJh8sAT_vNBKkOmE_OwOwi2G4_5Af_5EM43R_WGzSWPzrwbNSdFsJqHJrCB4OZZunq5AI83VhhvLC14DDGEG7l7Sdr-YjzlrmKlklFg2ABWA6q7TEZiUsGPFGYK2OIrvrUjfwQJdAWqya5ALHzooROJ6GgOcTZC_s7NFj6j2E/w254-h400/Winter_Swallows_Cover.jpg" width="254" /></a></div><div style="text-align: right;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: right;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: right;"><i>History in its broadest aspect is a record of man's migrations from one environment to another</i></div><div style="text-align: right;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: right;"><i>-- Ellsworth Huntington</i></div><div style="text-align: right;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: right;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: right;"><i>The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned.</i></div><div style="text-align: right;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: right;"><i>-- Maya Angelou, All God's Children Need Traveling Shoes</i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Winter Swallows</i> is the last book in the <i>Commissario Ricciardi series</i> by Maurizio De Giovanni. In a fitting tribute to completing the cycle of the numerous stories that describe the life and times of the enigmatic detective inspector, this installment focuses on the meaning of 'home' - a place, a dwelling, or just a sense of belonging where one is supposed to be. The story unfolds over a backdrop of the yearly migration of the titular birds - their migratory instinct providing a frame of reference for the characters, their motivations, and their (often fateful) actions. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The novel opens with a seemingly straight-forward case of homicide - Michelangelo Gelmi, a celebrated, but aging, thespian is supposed to shoot his young, beautiful wife, Fedora Marra, on stage as a part of their playacting. The scene however, goes horribly wrong when Fedora is actually killed by a live bullet instead of the usually deployed blanks. Dozens of witnesses, and a few of them at very close quarters to the stage, verify that it was indeed Gelmi who pulled the trigger on his personal gun and fired the fatal shot. Gelmi himself confesses to firing the shot, but maintains his innocence in killing his wife, whom he loved. Commissario Ricciardi and Brigadier Maione arrive at the scene to investigate, and Ricciardi is greeted by the phantom of the victim, murmuring the phrase <i>"Love of my Life"</i> endlessly while looking in the direction of her husband. Sensing that there is more than meets the eye in this case, Ricciardi launches an investigation into the crime, hoping to shed some light on the motive for the crime.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Elsewhere, his friend Doctor Modo encounters a young woman who has been brutally beaten up by unknown assailants. The woman, Lina, works at a brothel and is a companion that the doctor frequently visits. The brutality of the assault spurs Modo and Brigadier Maione into action to catch the perpetrators and bring them to justice. A third, parallel story continues the encounters of a young artist seeking tutelage from an aging maestro, in a Naples that may or may not be the same as Ricciardi's. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">If <i>Hunger/Desire</i> and <i>Love</i> were the equally predominant themes of the earlier installments, the final chapter in the story explores the culmination of these emotions through the lens of <i>Home. </i>Similar to the migratory birds who provide the story its title, the characters and events in this novel explore the push and pull of this undefinable emotion, place, person, or idea - whether tangible, or as a dream. Eventually, most characters find an answer that allows them to accept their place in the story, and to therefore accept their fate. It is a fitting finale to the series, and although it may not satisfy all fans, it is a more realistic depiction of human relationships than most fiction would have the freedom to explore.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Highly recommended! </div><p></p>Pushpakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12411692887205730319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15599118.post-13250150037712186012023-05-10T14:43:00.012-07:002023-05-10T14:48:07.338-07:00Book Review: "A Tempest at Sea," by Sherry Thomas (Lady Sherlock #7)<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpBKjMsfUT5Qg_9_52J5Db-Pgv7JAjOi74O1NS3c4PzmFeAmeBSG1t7gB_PrZ4rFA3OswSqYyD6SqhCM4VprXLP6R6byQOo7PAHkvDH8L3gktd4xMyci3ffWc6YW20O_JbjLmgpfBNcl4IV7W6Dbe63fyaD0_qdhpFkXkA5ZrBInAvsber8cs/s2888/Tempest-Cover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2888" data-original-width="1925" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpBKjMsfUT5Qg_9_52J5Db-Pgv7JAjOi74O1NS3c4PzmFeAmeBSG1t7gB_PrZ4rFA3OswSqYyD6SqhCM4VprXLP6R6byQOo7PAHkvDH8L3gktd4xMyci3ffWc6YW20O_JbjLmgpfBNcl4IV7W6Dbe63fyaD0_qdhpFkXkA5ZrBInAvsber8cs/w266-h400/Tempest-Cover.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><div style="text-align: right;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: right;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>"A Tempest at Sea"</i> is the seventh installment in the absolutely thrilling and smart Lady Sherlock series by Sherry Thomas. Charlotte Holmes is embarking upon a voyage with Lord Ashburton, her lover, and his family, accompanied by her sister Livia, and of course, Mrs. Watson. However, this being the world of Charlotte Holmes, things are never straightforward: Lord Ashburton and his children are traveling in a luxury suite, independently of Livia, and Mrs. Watson and Charlotte are traveling incognito (as Mrs. Ramsay) in the economy class version. Oh - and they are also on an espionage mission to retrieve a "secret" from a former employee of the Prussian embassy - who is no doubt under survelliance from agents of Prussia and Britain, as well as privateers such as Moriarty. Having faked her own death in the previous installment, Charlotte is hell-bent on making sure that this secret is kept safe from Moriarty, or his minions, while also not giving away <i>her secret</i>. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Adding a twist to the proceedings is the sudden appearance of Lady Holmes, their acerbic and snobby mother to the journey, which only serves to add to Livia's anxious disposition. Add to the mix an Australian businessman and his reclusive sister, a shadowy suitor who seems to follow them everywhere, a competing businessman from Down Under, Roger Shrewsbury, the gentleman responsible for Charlotte's fall from grace, and Inspector Brighton from Scotland Yard, and you have perfect ingredients to whip up a delectable recipe of mystery. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">And delectable it certainly is (culinary metaphors are quite unavoidable when discussing Charlotte Holmes!) A murder aboard the RMS Provence puts Team Charlotte's plans into a course-correction measure, and Lord Ashburton is tasked with assisting the good Inspector in the ensuing investigation. With every step in the investigation bringing Inspector Brighton a step closer to also learning about Charlotte's true identity, Holmes has to race against the clock to solve two mysteries, while maintaining her disguise. In true Lady Sherlock fashion, the tale twists and turns around surprising points in the narrative, before revealing the actual murderer, and thwarting Moriarty's plans. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">One of the characteristics of the Lady Sherlock series that I have loved have been Thomas' readiness to play around with the expectations of how a Victorian mystery tale should be crafted. While many tales derived from Arthur Conan Doyle's original world adhere too tightly to the constraints of the original tales, much to their detriment - Thomas has not shied away from reframing the exploits of Charlotte Holmes by mixing sub-genres: a heist in one, a psychological game of chess in another, a locked-room scenario <i>a la</i> <i>Saw</i>, or an isolated ensemble in the vein of Agatha Christie's famous tales. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>A Tempest at Sea </i>borrows Christie's template, but Thomas makes the setting peculiarly Charlotte-sque - the very idea of a gourmand-or-borderline-glutton like Charlotte impersonating an older lady with threadbare appetite makes for some very hilarious encounters that regular readers can enjoy as an inside joke, and as a reflection of her mental state during the investigation. Of all the Lady Sherlock stories so far, this one has Charlotte least visible in public as her true self (or otherwise), and the responsibility of shouldering the author's viewpoint falls on Lord Ashburton - which he fulfills with aplomb. The pace of the narrative never slackens, and also does not feel forced. Thomas achieves a rare balance that goes in line with the pace of a seaside voyage - a feat not at all easy to pull off! </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Regular readers of the series will welcome this book as a fresh entrée into the world of Charlotte Holmes. New readers would be cautioned to sample courses 1 through 6 before diving in as there are multiple references to characters and events from those books. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Highly recommended! </div><p></p>Pushpakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12411692887205730319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15599118.post-83792983462803494042023-05-04T14:32:00.006-07:002023-05-04T22:43:48.657-07:00A Second Look: "First Love / 初恋" (2022, Netflix)<p style="text-align: center;"></p>
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This review contains spoilers for the Netflix series
<i>First Love / 初恋</i>.;
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Read the
<a href="https://echoes-empty-mind.blogspot.com/2023/04/moving-pictures-first-love-2022-netflix.html" target="_blank">spoiler-free review</a>
first.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAxBxSp3hLVQDINYCaGAJ4VbOeJJTJImsTB6kc_XURNoWhiXay_q3fO8zSY8K2tZKxaZLOxutLleMmvOVeAdhxolZPssL3evX0RQHaQjDewlQ1sszA9k9kvstQPxmqRRBDufYCe3EVY1g3DyyQa4sr2kHasVbuewckuLMDSy53Rnhw65iD9pI/s2560/Netflix-First-Love-Cover-Image.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="2560" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAxBxSp3hLVQDINYCaGAJ4VbOeJJTJImsTB6kc_XURNoWhiXay_q3fO8zSY8K2tZKxaZLOxutLleMmvOVeAdhxolZPssL3evX0RQHaQjDewlQ1sszA9k9kvstQPxmqRRBDufYCe3EVY1g3DyyQa4sr2kHasVbuewckuLMDSy53Rnhw65iD9pI/w640-h400/Netflix-First-Love-Cover-Image.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><i>"Our memory is a more perfect world than the Universe"</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><i>-- Guy de Moupassant</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><i>"Memories were waiting at the edges of things, beckoning to me"</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><i>-- Neil Gaiman, The Ocean at the End of the Lane</i></div>
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Our lives are shaped by our memories; our memories tinted by the lens of our
experiences, and our experiences enlivened by our company. We chart our
journeys individually, countless vehicles moving along the paths they have
chosen. But every so often, we share the road with others - a crossroads, a
metaphorical roundabout - where the dance of Life allows us the grace of a
fellow traveler's company. Some shared journeys begin here, some end, while
some are but a transient linking of arms before we proceed to our individual
'exits', to perhaps never arrive at the roundabout again.
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As mentioned in the
<a href="https://echoes-empty-mind.blogspot.com/2023/04/moving-pictures-first-love-2022-netflix.html" target="_blank">first part</a>
of this two-part piece, the series intertwines the dual themes of discovery
and longing by presenting them from two (quite opposite) perspectives - Namiki
Harumichi, a retired pilot who is subliminally longing for his lost first
love, and Yae Noguchi, a taxi driver who discovers love anew through a series
of fateful encounters. Namiki and Yae first fall in love during their
high-school years, but are separated after an accident afflicts Yae with a
retrograde amnesia whereby she loses her memories of a past few years, most
importantly those involving Namiki. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">In this part, we delve under-the-hood -
beware, for here be spoilers!
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<b>The Narrative:</b> We begin the series with Yae, who has this nagging
feeling that her life is missing a very important piece, the last piece of a
jigsaw puzzle, that would allow her to see the completed picture. However, she
has no idea what (or who) this 'piece' is. Yae is introduced through a window
into her lone life - she lives by herself, has no friends or family, and is
generally, lower on the achievement scale in the Game of Life. However, even
in her financially and personally difficult state of existence, we are offered
a momentary glimpse into Yae's possibly hidden qualities - she is curious
about the world, eager to learn new things, especially foreign lands and
cultures. A quick detour into the past reveals a younger Yae, youthful,
innocent, interested in planes and faraway places. The introduction clearly
conveys that Yae is more than the sum of her (visible) parts, a meta
commentary on the narrative journey of her character.
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Namiki, on the other hand, is introduced as the younger version first - a nod
to his character's arc from the past to the present. The young Namiki (Taisei
Kido) is a good-for-nothing troublemaker who is clearly smitten by Yae. What
he lacks in apparent academic ability, he more than makes up with his
personality - he is quick to offer assistance and has an easygoing extroverted
demeanor that makes him popular.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkFBcRIftnYf5fjRzVRcvcZJZA1uI-NWR7UvvbIkvssNMmu8UfXL9xk2XLQ0fnvYuRbiBBcOrC3V9t8hIvd0U1JBu3FijYoNJNCWzUEHq51_v40C5gWbklILAk6tsqHgTrv8Bh04prPGoyVhVP_bmumefc2K6zBS4umnTL4ueDwIkkA-tq2wk/s758/First-Love-8.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="348" data-original-width="758" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkFBcRIftnYf5fjRzVRcvcZJZA1uI-NWR7UvvbIkvssNMmu8UfXL9xk2XLQ0fnvYuRbiBBcOrC3V9t8hIvd0U1JBu3FijYoNJNCWzUEHq51_v40C5gWbklILAk6tsqHgTrv8Bh04prPGoyVhVP_bmumefc2K6zBS4umnTL4ueDwIkkA-tq2wk/s600/First-Love-8.jpg" width="600" /></a>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
The story gradually unveils the lives of our protagonists - Yae is separated
from her husband, who also has the custody of their son Tsuzuru (Towa Araki).
As we are introduced to Yae, we discover that the only ray of sunshine in her
otherwise dreary life are the weekends enjoyed in Tsuzuru's company; days
that she sometimes prepares for in advance, but ends up being disappointed
because her teenaged son has different priorities than her. Tsuzuru is
currently fawning over an elusive Insta-model Uta (Aoi Yamada) and spends his
free time searching for her, or writing music inspired by her videos. Yae
supports him wholeheartedly, however, her ex-husband wants Tsuzuru to become a
surgeon, following in his footsteps. The narrative journey is the viewer
discovering how Yae & Namiki's paths separated to the present day, and
whether they will converge in the future - told through a non-linear storyline
that reveals just enough at each point to keep the viewer engaged.
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAWbOaC2P2QwrSMv-FRpkdO-J41Ph9bGt1nb6gylVN8XSAjI-YikVYJQyUGznC4wzPWcUm3RNA1IzdatzFYPQo1zy66-7dU3awsl6Je-Khu-p4D5nZ4oTPFFDkBgd5J5nEUKlGyIMpkevukyln3_cU7Avl4Q-wHGUR5omJehVNLy40t84p3Bk/s448/First-Love-5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="252" data-original-width="448" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAWbOaC2P2QwrSMv-FRpkdO-J41Ph9bGt1nb6gylVN8XSAjI-YikVYJQyUGznC4wzPWcUm3RNA1IzdatzFYPQo1zy66-7dU3awsl6Je-Khu-p4D5nZ4oTPFFDkBgd5J5nEUKlGyIMpkevukyln3_cU7Avl4Q-wHGUR5omJehVNLy40t84p3Bk/s320/First-Love-5.jpg" width="320" /></a>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS5Cb5uF1oSugPVGPwDBfyTlXRKtmy8mxFsUl_LFUKQZYOYzcQPTLNIgKsUD6qaD8V7gU7aP1BPLOxd_nCerjiyoA8HbAFz9ZktR6Ea11MOApiA-DwMNpaRCNDuYw89SM8_4FDKYYETjp-m8BFffwcr5WYEHu24d75SSPCOD9cs_7XhmRvzFk/s448/First-Love-4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="252" data-original-width="448" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS5Cb5uF1oSugPVGPwDBfyTlXRKtmy8mxFsUl_LFUKQZYOYzcQPTLNIgKsUD6qaD8V7gU7aP1BPLOxd_nCerjiyoA8HbAFz9ZktR6Ea11MOApiA-DwMNpaRCNDuYw89SM8_4FDKYYETjp-m8BFffwcr5WYEHu24d75SSPCOD9cs_7XhmRvzFk/s320/First-Love-4.jpg" width="320" /></a>
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</table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk1HbTLZLNADejjRTeWHgeKIX_cpiCHq-AmaydzplEh8K_15SYdaYIG5HHuUeHDqbn4fmQns3tWH6Tkxtd3p7mgIAs_aJsXVFRLk1UWUBTlJT20BzMRPEqPRQR4fsSTJZA8-yqga4VtrxWSfpKDXPxpqtOXLAF6C7ZZWjRuaJAXpuo4oKnobg/s1200/Netflix-First-Love-Image-1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk1HbTLZLNADejjRTeWHgeKIX_cpiCHq-AmaydzplEh8K_15SYdaYIG5HHuUeHDqbn4fmQns3tWH6Tkxtd3p7mgIAs_aJsXVFRLk1UWUBTlJT20BzMRPEqPRQR4fsSTJZA8-yqga4VtrxWSfpKDXPxpqtOXLAF6C7ZZWjRuaJAXpuo4oKnobg/w640-h360/Netflix-First-Love-Image-1.jpg" width="640" /></a>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Cast: </b>This series hits a bullseye with its casting all around,
from the leads to the small-bit parts. Takeru Satoh portrays the older
Namiki with his trademark gravitas - a young troublemaker who fights to
protect his deaf sister, grows up to be a pilot who wants to protect his
country, and later a security guard. His performance is punctuated with
intervals of silence that seem to stretch under an unseen tension. It is
only after he meets Tsuzuru, and encounters Yae again, that we see his demeanor
relaxing just a tiny bit. Namiki's fixation with protecting his loved ones
stems from his inability to save his sister from an accident that results in
loss of her hearing, and from being partially responsible for Yae's accident. In a very moving wedding speech in Ep. 5, Satoh employs
expressions (dialogue) and gestures (sign language) to display the first
public hint of vulnerability in the adult Namiki. Satoh’s Namiki is caught
in a dilemma between <i>choosing right</i>, and <i>making the right choice</i> – should he act on the developing attraction with the adult Yae as if
it were their first time, or should he allow her dormant memories to guide
her in their relationship?
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiukyJ-50hSUtz-sEc2lBIwr-ktF9LvtOcc9w2WFxk9q6xjlE3_jCRA2S_5yNUV1yiKRBPDJPDY06gNEfVIT6lATjbr2AMIba93rKjaAo4DPx6k7m9eA4oxyABSr2hC3e3e-bWKq6RcdXH42W7YMO2LGSCjnTP1WCj8RCKjR8lPMEn8URNnwIQ/s1230/Hikari-First-Love.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="625" data-original-width="1230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiukyJ-50hSUtz-sEc2lBIwr-ktF9LvtOcc9w2WFxk9q6xjlE3_jCRA2S_5yNUV1yiKRBPDJPDY06gNEfVIT6lATjbr2AMIba93rKjaAo4DPx6k7m9eA4oxyABSr2hC3e3e-bWKq6RcdXH42W7YMO2LGSCjnTP1WCj8RCKjR8lPMEn8URNnwIQ/s600/Hikari-First-Love.jpg" width="600" /></a>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">Speaking of, Hikari Mitsushima brings to life what is perhaps the most
complex character in this tale. Her portrayal of the adult Yae is
understated, and yet subtly conveys the changing emotional landscape in
Yae’s life. The light changes in her gait, the expressions in her eyes, or
even her inflections on the same words at different times – Mitushima
artfully conveys the different shades of Yae’s progression from being
aimlessly adrift in the present (Eps. 1-8) to reclaiming her self-confidence
once her past memories are recovered (Ep. 9). Of note especially is Yae’s
karaoke bar scene with Uta (Yamada Aoi) in the last episode, which finally
converges her adult persona with her original personality.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj84zvd3AbSXWIjdsSyfoMq4GFroUoozQPpf8MhLBUI5mbhTX_HQcyOPyOvQ8hAG5I72-h4-rQqPKKea7NY6fS_LV0TB3ERXqa4vvz8MtR9pvIysSof6l3OxIxWSvMvfKz6Mx51bI1vAC77wifhUG7YL3DKxXRmY7imjxecu912BU2l4sY4ozU/s1918/First-Love-9.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1918" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj84zvd3AbSXWIjdsSyfoMq4GFroUoozQPpf8MhLBUI5mbhTX_HQcyOPyOvQ8hAG5I72-h4-rQqPKKea7NY6fS_LV0TB3ERXqa4vvz8MtR9pvIysSof6l3OxIxWSvMvfKz6Mx51bI1vAC77wifhUG7YL3DKxXRmY7imjxecu912BU2l4sY4ozU/s600/First-Love-9.jpg" width="600" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The true stars of the show, however, are the younger versions of Namiki and
Yae, played by Taisei Kido and Rikako Yagi respectively. While the adult
versions of the characters have a much straightforward timeline and age to
portray, the younger versions go through a vastly volatile time period –
from middle school, to college – while using the same actors. To their
credit, both Taisei and Rikako give a sparkling performance irrespective of
which time period they are asked to portray. It is a testament to the skills of the makeup, costume design, props, and other allied departments that the young actors are believable across the entire time period that they are supposed to inhabit. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Production / Direction: </b>The series is written and directed by Yuri Kanchiku, with a signature blue-and-yellow palette that dominates the visual tone. The combination never feels monotonous, but rather serves as a good vehicle (pun intended - taxis :) ) to showcase the characters' mental state. The direction is a light touch on the senses, instead of an extravagant or melodramatic take on the subject. The understated, muted ambience forces the actors to present their intensity through non-verbal cues - Namiki's high-energy intensity is deftly transformed from Taisei's facial expressions into Satoh's intense gaze, especially as he comes face to face with the adult Yae. Mitsushima, on the other hand, showcases a range of emotions, sometimes within the same scene, with an additional layer of maturity and understanding as the years go by.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5WK42-2-n-4HMewOraSL_BWHP-DBWaxAaAzp2oseQmlyT_AnE5XmHz1bj8J7sdp_Nf9r5xEJO6loyx4Ks11b4JnGp5r7anMEnXO6-tRviw647RMOE5tYUxlpsq38KdfY-B0dTOgCtdBk92fZJw5_fnXbawqvE-1e3WKTiWpRzJlI4nOglerM/s3300/First%20Love.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1974" data-original-width="3300" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5WK42-2-n-4HMewOraSL_BWHP-DBWaxAaAzp2oseQmlyT_AnE5XmHz1bj8J7sdp_Nf9r5xEJO6loyx4Ks11b4JnGp5r7anMEnXO6-tRviw647RMOE5tYUxlpsq38KdfY-B0dTOgCtdBk92fZJw5_fnXbawqvE-1e3WKTiWpRzJlI4nOglerM/w640-h382/First%20Love.png" width="640" /></a>
</div>
<div>
<b> Plot Engine:</b> The central, overarching thread that connects the past,
the present, and possibly, a future for our protagonists is the possibility
of Yae recovering her lost memories - finding that last missing piece in the
jigsaw to complete her picture. Kanchiku relies on the mechanism of
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Involuntary_memory" target="_blank">involuntary memory</a> to plant the triggers that eventually allow the lost memories to
surface. The triggers are very cleverly planted as Easter eggs throughout
the series as a sequence of sensory inputs with strong ties to Yae's past --
Lilacs (Smell - Ep. 1), Meeting Yamiki (Sight - Ep. 2), Napolitan pasta
(Taste - Ep. 3), a kiss (Touch - Ep. 6), and fittingly, the song "First
Love" by Hikaru Utada (Hearing - Ep. 8). The last sequence, where Yae
finally understands the significance of Namiki in her life, showcases
Mitsushima at her best. </div><div><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KRZc1O6a5VY" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>
</div>
<div style="font-weight: bold;">
<b><br /></b>
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">It is quite natural that the story focusses on Yae and Namiki's love story as the main thread. However, if there are some aspects of the narrative that I thought were not congruent to our modern sensibilities of empathy and belonging, I would say that the supporting characters, especially Namiki's current girlfriend Tsunemi (Kaho), receive the harshest treatment. I would also add Gaku Hamada's portrayal of Otaro, a fellow taxi-driver who harbors romantic inclinations towards Yae, as a character that felt short-served in the interest of the main characters. I do not believe that this was intentional from the director or the production team - they were probably forced to prioritize the storytelling due to budget and time constraints. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This might be a very, very long shot, but here is an idea Netflix: Take us along on the respective journeys of Tsunemi and Otaro after the timeline of this series to explore if <i>they</i> are successful in finding a love worth holding on to. The idea of ones <i>First Love </i>could (and should) transcend mere chronology of Life - it could even mean the first <i>meaningful</i> love that Tsunemi or Otaro have ever encountered in their lives. I am sure fans of this series would love to watch Kaho and Hamada act for a whole season in lead roles. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxQo2500EuhWa6isy5sa6BBmcAW9amjJRSaiBrQ_Sm7UPNVwl07FAHjdwThZ9m9n11hsGbdOaqYCD1oTD0IcB2wLUjYHlae9fZNrnqIhje3a1IDCmiOPEMO1Hi0fUHUoihdRDsfj2UOsunQqXjVv_LnBYAep0uHZhmXWe8g3jwM1aeqczP8Uo/s1250/First-Love-11.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="620" data-original-width="1250" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxQo2500EuhWa6isy5sa6BBmcAW9amjJRSaiBrQ_Sm7UPNVwl07FAHjdwThZ9m9n11hsGbdOaqYCD1oTD0IcB2wLUjYHlae9fZNrnqIhje3a1IDCmiOPEMO1Hi0fUHUoihdRDsfj2UOsunQqXjVv_LnBYAep0uHZhmXWe8g3jwM1aeqczP8Uo/w640-h318/First-Love-11.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b style="text-align: left;">Music:</b><span style="text-align: left;">
The series is scored by the amazing Taisei Iwasaki - beloved for his work
across multiple genres. Iwasaki showcases the breadth of his talent and
creativity throughout the </span><i style="text-align: left;">First Love / 初恋</i><span style="text-align: left;"> soundtrack. From the upbeat
"Roundabout*", the comedic "Taxi Drivers" or "Early Days" to the pensive
"Thought of You*," "The Ocean Sings", "Lilac*" to the ethereal "Pale Fire" or
"Hafið Syngur*" (featuring Anna Gréta), the entire soundtrack is delightful
collection of music that perfectly complements the visuals. (The tracks marked
with * are personal favorites!). Enjoy the entire album (on Spotify) below:</span></div><div>
<br />
<div>
<iframe allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="352" loading="lazy" src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/2aOEa9NOCWT3xIHhjqcx3L?utm_source=generator" style="border-radius: 12px;" width="100%"></iframe>
</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As an ensemble, the series presents a very optimistic, romantic view towards life. It is highly unlikely that human stories end up as Yae and Namiki's, neatly tied up with a bow. But in sharing their success, and in participating in their journey as an observer, we may just learn a bit more about ourselves - our aspirations, our dreams, our loves!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Highly recommended!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
</div>
</div>
Pushpakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12411692887205730319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15599118.post-57874325311662312532023-04-13T17:00:00.003-07:002023-04-14T08:44:20.704-07:00Moving Pictures: "My Ahjussi / 나의 아저씨" (2018, Netflix)<p style="text-align: center;"> </p>
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<a
href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqv4DtdJH8JKX4hOJnfGwNg2jxBP2pxJQaV9VMKZF_C_pBHdGcM9wgdlkf7C-ZoCBcoMRk5E4Rdqd8cHHY1-oEngRfC_Wg4LNSOQTtaCGxPkDuthkKNLH7RjrAXvdP3L60W9yUUbLsRfYjM2s6v7tvvVkDVFzxjF18y-eU3T_V_frpqOteGJw/s1000/my-ahjussi-poster.jpg"
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><img
border="0"
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src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqv4DtdJH8JKX4hOJnfGwNg2jxBP2pxJQaV9VMKZF_C_pBHdGcM9wgdlkf7C-ZoCBcoMRk5E4Rdqd8cHHY1-oEngRfC_Wg4LNSOQTtaCGxPkDuthkKNLH7RjrAXvdP3L60W9yUUbLsRfYjM2s6v7tvvVkDVFzxjF18y-eU3T_V_frpqOteGJw/w640-h442/my-ahjussi-poster.jpg"
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<br />
<p></p>
<p style="text-align: right;"><i>Your friend is your need answered.</i></p>
<p style="text-align: right;"><i>-- Kahlil Gibran, "The Prophet"</i></p>
<p style="text-align: right;">
<i><br /></i>
</p>
<p style="text-align: right;">
<i
>The honesty and clarity of true friendship also brings out the real contour
of your spirit.</i
>
</p>
<p style="text-align: right;">
<i>-- John O'Donohue, "Anam Cara: A book of Celtic Wisdom."</i>
</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">
Our friendships are one of our most treasured relationships. Through the
wispy, buoyant clouds of our successes or the deepest, darkest troughs of our
adversities, we always emerge with an unerring instinct, seeking its shores.
Our friendships are the solid unyielding ground beneath our feet, the bedrock
of everything that we may call “ours.” Space and Time seem to vanish in an
instant when we are faced with another in whose presence, as Emerson
eloquently noted, we may drop “even those undermost garments of dissimulation,
courtesy, and second thought, which men never put off, and may deal with him
with the simplicity and wholeness with which one chemical atom meets another.”
</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">
We live in a world that exploits this notion as a mere datapoint in our ever
increasingly connected lives. This continuously expanding frontier of
connections seems to be qualified into a strict stratum of socially-acceptable
labels, often quantified by a set of norms that expect universal adherence,
and is often an extremely distant relation of the experience that Emerson
described. As such, it would be natural to wonder if we have diminished our
life-experiences by drawing artificial lines to paint within; if our
relationships-by-numbers game only serves to amplify our echo chambers or
bubbles of external engagement, much to the detriment of the lived-experiences
that we perceive individually. Our shared sense of belonging is as much a
product of our superficial similarities, as it is also rooted in our sense of
longing on a deeper level.
</p>
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<a
href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimL_5_RODiaN4Pg2uxHUV5KNVGGkIQjC2pUXwpnk17lOtjoJGpMZPAnOLcsoCgVpbItGz2nARF7Gn4vei89OoyuycJF99BpA7ZDvnCnNhgcup5GqwsIhNLPz03zmrybEB_tpKoPwp-G3yIoSFI_yeA9m-fXaVtgbihcJq4uGihUTsX1cv2hx4/s1280/my-ahjussi-poster-2.jpg"
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<p style="text-align: justify;">
“My Mister” explores this aspect of human relationships through a
kaleidoscopic lens that provides a spectrum of perspectives, dynamic through
their own journey and as affected by others. The critically acclaimed
slice-of-life drama revolves around a young, impoverished girl, Lee Ji-an (Lee
Ji-eun), and three brothers Park Sang-hoon (Park Ho-san), Park Dong-hoon (Lee
Sun-kyun), and Park Ki-hoon (Song Sae-byeok). Ji-an and Dong-hoon are
colleagues at an architectural and engineering firm, Sang-hoon is a washed-up
middle-aged man, and Ki-hoon is a once-prodigious but now disgraced film
director.
</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">
The primary thread in the story is the workplace dynamics between Ji-an and
Dong-hoon, with the former being a nondescript temporary worker, and the
latter, an accomplished engineer who has succumbed to office politics. Ji-an
lives in a very poor neighborhood with her mute, bedridden grandmother, and
suffers constant harassment and physical abuse at the hands of a loan shark to
whom she owes money (and shares a complicated past with). Dong-hoon, on the
other hand, is a middle-aged manager whose career (and life) is stuck in a rut
after his demotion. Their paths cross when Dong-hoon receives a secret package
intended as a bribe that Ji-an steals to pay off her loans.
</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">
What begins as a corporate espionage drama gradually unfolds as a study in
human strengths and frailties, an examination of human connectedness that
transcends labels, identities, or preconceived biases. Dong-hoon, and his
brothers face their dead-end lives armed with a sliver of hope that things
will turn for better; Sang-hoon and Ki-hoon take over a cleaning company to
make ends meet, much to the disappointment of their mother, who expects great
things from all her sons. Ji-an doggedly battles physical and mental adversity
in the hope that someday, the Fates will grace her with their smile. The
seemingly endless battles take a heavy toll on her ability to trust people –
she lives a lonely life with no friends (except one) to speak of, no social
network to rely upon, nor any support from an extended family in the time of
her needs. The overarching narrative of the series is how the three brothers
(and their cast of friends) enable Ji-an to break free from the bleakness of
her current life, and to learn to trust and accept other humans into her life.
It reiterates a universally-held belief that family is not just defined by the
ties of shared blood, but also through shared tears!
</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a
href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYpspdin5OUArE7valpMDWjXusk0qMbD9Jhgfv7WbxGJjv5anV5o0mwMCZUt35tR0hUXnQP4ggknyORfKUFuCEZfTVusaXO_PpErtjGjgk0CRutTQc4Y6nEfwhHXQqDiou-VrJDViWjwZRJuNLY8rXE7T4aE2l9R-9d6tkz6WIXlZCTWRepNA/s1200/my-ahjussi-poster-3.jpg"
style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"
><img
border="0"
data-original-height="800"
data-original-width="1200"
height="426"
src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYpspdin5OUArE7valpMDWjXusk0qMbD9Jhgfv7WbxGJjv5anV5o0mwMCZUt35tR0hUXnQP4ggknyORfKUFuCEZfTVusaXO_PpErtjGjgk0CRutTQc4Y6nEfwhHXQqDiou-VrJDViWjwZRJuNLY8rXE7T4aE2l9R-9d6tkz6WIXlZCTWRepNA/w640-h426/my-ahjussi-poster-3.jpg"
width="640"
/></a>
</div>
<p style="text-align: justify;">
The drama is very well-executed in all fronts. Lee Ji-eun, better known by her
K-pop name IU, plays a role that is a polar opposite of her usual cute,
over-the-top, and exuberant fare. Her portrayal of Ji-an is layered with
nuances in expressions, coupled with moments of restrained and understated
silence. Lee Sun-kyun delivers a powerful performance as a beaten-up
middle-aged man, who finds a kindred spirit in Ji-an, and discovers a new
purpose through helping her navigate her trials and tribulations. Song
Sae-byeok, as the youngest of the three brothers, plays a more extrovert
character prone to impulsive, and at times immature, behavior. Park Ho-san, as
the oldest brother, gives a heartfelt performance that brings forth a chuckle
and a tear, often at the same moment. His portrayal of Sang-hoon demonstrates
why he is considered one of the foremost contemporary character artists in
South Korean television industry.
</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<iframe
allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share"
allowfullscreen=""
frameborder="0"
height="315"
cc_load_policy="1"
cc_lang_pref="en"
src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/videoseries?list=PLxLcBovo1qLsi9HdqZJ3oURPYpcmwqfLl"
title="YouTube video player"
width="560"
></iframe>
</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">
The drama also features a beautiful soundtrack. Sondia’s “Grown Ups” (or
“Adults” in some markets) is the standout song from the collection. The song
very aptly conveys the anguish of a young woman who seeks a simple,
strife-free life over her everyday battles. “Dear Moon” by JeHwi stands at the
crossroads of Jin-an and Dong-hoon’s relationship – the expression and
acceptance of her love which will forever remain unrequited. The title track
“My Mister,” which appears at different times throughout the series alongside
“Grown Ups,” almost feels like a gentle meditative call to not be lost in the
hectic hustle of Life, to learn to slow down and appreciate all that Life has
to offer.
</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">
If understated, but relatable characters are your cup of tea, then get the
water boiling and settle in to experience this drama on a rainy afternoon. It
may not be an easy watch, but the ending will leave you satisfied with how
things turn out for the gang of motley characters from a small neighborhood in
Seoul.
</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Highly recommended!</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p>
<p></p>
Pushpakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12411692887205730319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15599118.post-64567814096851054842023-04-06T23:55:00.003-07:002023-04-07T00:06:19.686-07:00Moving Pictures: "First Love / 初恋" (2022, Netflix)<p style="text-align: center;"> </p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghXWwP_gM8m0gOOgoDFZETyRdixwSEr1wAmsZEgLeyYuVIDNmbojVUB1sbezyqQDcHI7T0hWQkE4ub_cRif-3TOShJSDLyss5USe2BmofjKBnufDlGjKMV3Kguej6xajGqlw0sa-lCHxZgImXsTHQ5mqtPVscX7P5y0RcMG9VpSbkJ2mNH7Ek/s1600/First%20Love%20Poster.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghXWwP_gM8m0gOOgoDFZETyRdixwSEr1wAmsZEgLeyYuVIDNmbojVUB1sbezyqQDcHI7T0hWQkE4ub_cRif-3TOShJSDLyss5USe2BmofjKBnufDlGjKMV3Kguej6xajGqlw0sa-lCHxZgImXsTHQ5mqtPVscX7P5y0RcMG9VpSbkJ2mNH7Ek/w270-h400/First%20Love%20Poster.jpg" width="270" /></a>
</div>
<div><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<i>"[Love is] ... eternity descending into time."</i>
</div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<i><br /></i>
</div>
<div style="text-align: right;"><i>-- Alain Badiou, In Praise of Love</i></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<i><br /></i>
</div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<i><br /></i>
</div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<i>"Lovers don't finally meet somewhere. They are in each other all along."</i>
</div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<i><br /></i>
</div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<i>-- Jalal-ud-Din Rumi, The Book of Love: Poems of Ecstasy and Longing</i>
</div>
<p></p>
<div><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Amongst the multitude of memories that we create in our lifetimes, perhaps the
ones we revisit, replay, or reimagine most often, are the moments of Love -
love received and showered, love experienced or imagined, whether through a
shared acknowledgment, or simply through ourselves. Under the lens of this
most enigmatic of emotions, our past turns into a carefully curated sequence
of events that grants us a semblance of narration; a purpose, a meaning, or
at a bare minimum - a legitimacy to our individual existence - "I am loved / I
can love, so I must matter."
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Love visits us in many guises, and stays behind in many others. It is
universally accepted as the vital force that defines our lives, and even
within its haloed compendium, there is one particular memory, one specific
visitation that stands above them all - our "first love!" The first awakening
of the recognition of the 'other,' the first realization that our 'self'
extends beyond our corporal form, has been a favorite hunting ground for poets,
artists, authors, and other creatives since the moment of first such
awakening! A highly popular genre of our contemporary cultural and literary
oeuvre adds a twist to this first engagement by spicing up the proceedings
with a dash of Longing. Our protagonists meet, fall in love for the first
time, and dream of a lifetime of shared existence. Unfortunately, Life, gets
in the way. The thrill of the journey (for us as observers in this exercise)
is often presented as a heady cocktail of equal parts anticipation and
suspense! This theme has been explored in such depth and breadth that we
would readily believe that any new libation is in fact, as the saying goes,
old wine in a new bottle!
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
It is a pleasant surprise then, when something fresh, novel, and intriguing
lands on our metaphorical doorstep - accompanied not by the incessant pounding
of a braggadocio, but as a familiar who has upped their fashion game
considerably! Netflix's first big-budget Japanese series, "First Love
/ 初恋" <i>(First Love / Hatsukoi ≈ Puppy Love)</i> certainly belongs in
the latter category. Written and directed by Yuri Kanchiku, this J-drama
follows the titular love story of Namiki Harumichi (Takeru Satoh / Taisei
Kido), and Yae Noguchi (Hikari Mitsushima / Rikako Yagi) as they traverse
through the well-trodden checkpoints of Awakening, Separation, Longing, and
Reunion, but carve out a unique path through them. Inspired by, and sandwiched
between, two chart-topping namesake songs by Hikaru Utada, the series is a
gentle, elegant contemplation on Love, Loss, and Longing.
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Namiki and Yae meet in high school, and fall in love. However, a cruel twist
of fate, coupled with a misguided application of parental love, results in
their separation. The narrative journey is the thrilling quest of
investigating if their paths will ever converge again. Told in a non-linear
fashion, the story jumps between the younger pair (played by Kido and Yagi)
and the older (portrayed by Satoh and Mitsushima), separated 20 years apart.
Namiki is now a security guard, and Yae, a taxi driver. Their paths intersect
in the present, courtesy of Yae's son, Tsuzuru (Towa Araki) and his
Insta-crush Uta (Aoi Yamada). Tsuzuru lives with his father, Yae's ex-husband,
and Namiki is engaged to his girlfriend Tsunemi (Kaho). The story of "First
Love / 初恋" is the story of these lives, and how Love shapes their
trajectories into the future.
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The series is extremely well-crafted from a technical perspective. The leads
(all six of them) are a delight for the eyes, and the camera lingers on them
just that bit longer to tug a heartstring gently. Their aesthetic beauty is
supported by an equally gorgeous production design. When you realize that
there are two dominant shades of colors in the entire 9+ hour run of the
series (two very specific shades: a sky blue - fondly named 'Kanchiku Blue' by
the cast after the perfectionist writer/director - and yellow), you begin to
appreciate the attention-to-detail that is present in every aspect of this
production (direction, costume design, production design and props,
cinematography etc.) It opens up windows into other technical aspects of the
show that are hiding in plain sight – one cannot help but have an intense
reaction to the narrative unfolding before us, because each piece of this
'jigsaw' has been constructed with elegance and heart.
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Beyond the technical aspects, it is the core ideas behind the story that draw
us in. The story is inspired by “First Love (1998)” and “初恋/Hatsukoi (2018)”
- two songs sung by Hikaru Utada, and released 20 years apart. The songs serve
as thematic bookends for the narrative as well as for the characters. “First
Love” is about letting go of one’s first love, imagining the future based on
the titular experience. The protagonist understands that life cannot possibly
unfold as they want it to, but rather than be bitter about it, they march
onwards carrying the best of the experience within them, hoping to shape their
future self on this foundation. The emotional impact of the song is felt even
more acutely when we realize what Namiki has to let go, in order for Yae to
find happiness in her life moving forward. “初恋/Hatsukoi” on the other hand, is
the stage before the ripening of this love – it harkens to the moment of
awakening, the moment of realization when one opens up to 'the other' for
the very first time. It aptly describes the progression at the heart of such
experiences – the confusion, the hesitancy - immobility even - morphing slowly
into a deliberate progression, and then an uncontrollable dash, an uninhibited explosion
of emotions and desire towards the loved one! In the hands of Yuri Kanchiku,
the songs are employed as an adroit narrative inversion – losing a love, only
to find it anew, fresh, as if for the very first time, 20 years later!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RYmQHMC8NII" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
"First Love / 初恋" represents a new phase of production values and
aesthetic language for the J-drama industry. Often considered the lesser
siblings of the more widely-known K-drama conglomerate, this series is an
opportunity for the world to be exposed to the best talent that Japan has to
offer, if provided with a budget the likes of Netflix can. Here's hoping the
success of this series gives us more from Netflix!
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">Highly recommended! </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
(This post contains mild spoilers for the series. A spoiler-filled installment
will soon follow. Stay Tuned!)
</div>
Pushpakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12411692887205730319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15599118.post-79131863205601960772023-03-09T16:00:00.002-08:002023-11-14T10:14:03.205-08:00Musical Musings : "Milk 32," by Miyuki Nakajima<p style="text-align: center;"></p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;">
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<td style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTDnNRdLA_kz2f6vPpJ_B-ZUCvq6fu8tz7rep79BxZwsbkXgbQ95BElxj3VtQcogYtEo_3DFrOWpPiB3AVa9naxbcMGp4Nr0gsMAyRA3_EqJOZO0ZPd_Z4Lerqs_PRHuBMTKJFtVB4_eAKCD384q_JlaJPbW6t4a0DUVEVALtSY4zx0HzAuRc/s1024/Milk_32.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;">
<img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTDnNRdLA_kz2f6vPpJ_B-ZUCvq6fu8tz7rep79BxZwsbkXgbQ95BElxj3VtQcogYtEo_3DFrOWpPiB3AVa9naxbcMGp4Nr0gsMAyRA3_EqJOZO0ZPd_Z4Lerqs_PRHuBMTKJFtVB4_eAKCD384q_JlaJPbW6t4a0DUVEVALtSY4zx0HzAuRc/w400-h400/Milk_32.png" width="400" /></a>
</td>
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<td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">
Image generated using Midjourney
</td>
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</tbody>
</table>
<br /> <span style="font-family: inherit;">Imagine this scenario - a young woman walks into a bar, orders a glass of
milk, and then proceeds to have an almost existential conversation with the
said beverage. This is (more or less) the setting for the song "<i>Miruku 32</i>
(Milk 32)" by Miyuki Nakajima. Nakajima released this song in 1978, as part of
her fourth studio album </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">Aishiteiru to Ittekure (Say you love me)</i><span style="font-family: inherit;">. </span>
<p style="text-align: left;">
<span>I recently came across a live performance of this song by Hikari Mitsushima
(video at the bottom), and was immediately drawn to the words, although the
comments on the video indicated that the translated subtitles left a lot to
be desired. </span>
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
<span><span>As such, I cannot claim to have understood the song, and its context,
immediately. Much of the deeper semantics also seemed lost in
translation. </span><span>To compound the problem, other performances or suitable translations of
this song seemed to be very sparse, not easy to navigate, or both!
However, a few qualities stood out quite prominently - I loved the
juxtaposition of the glass of milk in a bar, signaling a return (and maybe
not for the first time) to a familiar, happy place - an association with
innocence, comfort, and familiarity for our protagonist, against the harsh
reality of Life (getting dumped, yet again). When viewed through this
lens, the song took on a tragic, yet light identity. "<i>Miruku 32</i> would fit right in a dark comedy!" I thought. But a gnawing doubt
remained - there were a few lines in the song that did not quite fit, and
my very (very!) meagre understanding of Japanese left me completely out of
my depth in trying to make sense of the missing piece.</span></span>
</p>
<p>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">It was after another few rounds of scouring the web that a small bit of
information raised its metaphorical hand in support - this was not just a
conversation, but a dialogue. The second participant in the dialogue was the
unnamed bartender - addressed as "Miruku" by the young woman as a sign of
familiarity. It was also an important bit of connective glue between the
lines that did not make sense the first time around. </span>So, here is my interpretation of the song, refined over a scaffolding offered by Google Translate.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span>The song begins with the woman addressing the <i>Miruku</i> - </span>
</p>
<span id="docs-internal-guid-9bbe01ce-7fff-04f6-f3c3-1d8c7b85bfad"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">ねえ ミルク またふられたわ </span>
</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">忙しそうね そのまま聞いて</span>
</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">ゆらゆら 重ね上げた</span>
</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">お皿と カップの影から</span>
</p></span><span id="docs-internal-guid-5a915b5b-7fff-a98d-eb29-2d5cf194ea87"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Hey, milk, I was dumped again</i></span></span>
</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Looks like you’re busy, so just listen!</i></span></span>
</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>From the shadows, [hiding] behind the swaying tower</i></span></span>
</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Of cups and plates, so precariously stacked!</i></span></span>
</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
</p>
<p>
Now, the second protagonist emerges, but silently - maybe he has heard this
a few too many times already!
</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">ねえ ミルク またふられたわ</span>
</p>
<span id="docs-internal-guid-e3ee2602-7fff-baea-632e-e7a3930f5da9">
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">ちょっと 飛ばさないでよ この服 高いんだから </span>
</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">うまくは いかないわね </span>
</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">今度はと 思ったんだけどな</span>
</p></span>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
</p>
<span id="docs-internal-guid-c05555e3-7fff-ff7d-5af0-a6c0fc205e5a"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Hey, milk, I was dumped again</i></span></span>
</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Hey, don’t splash, these clothes are expensive</i></span></span>
</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Things are not going well,</i></span></span>
</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Though, this time, I had definitely felt “For sure!”</i></span></span>
</p></span>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span>
</p>
<p>
Finally - these lines made sense! The bartender is serving her another glass
of milk, but with a dash of annoyance / irritation? I had initially assumed
that the milk was sloshing due to her being drunk, but the bartender serving
her (yet another) glass of milk adds a layer of familiarity to the entire
setting.
</p>
<p><br /></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">あんたときたら ミルクなんて飲んでてさ</span>
</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">あたし随分笑ったわね </span>
</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span>
</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">いつのまにバーボンなんて</span>
</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4e621bfa-7fff-dce0-0ce1-67ffd4a6251c"></span></span></span>
</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span>
</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">飲むようになったのよ</span>
</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span>
</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><span>You know, whenever I am here, drinking milk</span></i></span>
</span></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><span>I feel like I am smiling and laughing a lot!</span></i></span>
</span></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><span><br /></span></i></span>
</span></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><span>So when did you start drinking bourbon?</span></i></span>
</span></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><span><span id="docs-internal-guid-f7586942-7fff-28ce-5ae8-376a2bf04e79"></span></span></i></span>
</span></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><span><br /></span></i></span>
</span></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><span>Probably when I was not aware…</span></i></span>
</span></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
</p>
<p> We have our first authentic dialogue! It is her admission that "here"
is where she smiled and laughed that forces him to ask why she chose
something (someone?) else (bourbon) over what she was happy with (milk).
Her answer (and the tone in which Mitsushima delivers it) is more
telling than any verbose explanation she could offer.
</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">ねえ ミルク 悪いわね</span>
</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">ふられた時ばかり現れて</span>
</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">笑ってるの 怒ってるの</span>
</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-daa0a0fb-7fff-28e9-ffa3-f8b77e1c7bc0"></span></span></span>
</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">そんなに無口だったかしらね</span>
</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Hey, milk, I’m sorry </i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>For showing up only when I get dumped! </i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>I hope you are not amused or irritated [by my situation] </i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>But then, you have been [a man] of few words till now</i><br /></span></p>
<div><br /></div>
<div>
I would consider this the "flipping" point of the conversation. Maybe the protagonist realizes, albeit belatedly, what has been before her eyes all the time, but that she chose to ignore.
</div>
<div><br /></div>
<span id="docs-internal-guid-3555abf8-7fff-88d2-5fb9-7a7baee711a8"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">ねえ ミルク 聞いてるの?</span>
</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">今 それどうしても 洗わなきゃならないの</span>
</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">忙しいものなのね マスターともなると</span>
</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">ほんとかしら</span>
</p></span>
<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><i>Hey milk, are you still listening?</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br /></i>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><i>I have to get back to the washing you know?</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><i>Being a bartender is extremely hectic!</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br /></i>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><i>Hmm, I wonder if that is true?</i></div>
<div> </div><div><br /></div>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Another round of banter, but the other side being proactively evasive.</span></span>
</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
</p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">なんであんなにあたしたち ふたりとも</span>
</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">意地を張り合ったのかしらね </span>
</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">ミルク もう 32</span>
</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-7ff219ce-7fff-171c-5d54-6e85d9e6c56a"></span></span></span>
</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">あたしたち ずっと このままね</span>
</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">I wonder why both of us are so stressed and stubborn? </span></i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">Milk, I am already 32 </span></i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">Looks like things will always be this way…</span></i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px;"> </span></span>
</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span>
</p>
<p>The "32" in the title of the song is revealed as her age. She is now on the verge of being resigned to how things currently stand, but probably wants to make one last-ditch effort to get his attention?
</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
</p>
<span id="docs-internal-guid-039c8882-7fff-91bc-52c1-10b02da3f8a8"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">ねえ ミルク</span>
</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">もう終わりでしょ </span>
</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">帰るわ</span>
</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">レシートはどこ?</span>
</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">表は雨降り夜</span>
</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">もう少し いようかしら</span>
</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">ねえ ミルク</span>
</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">ねえ ミルク</span>
</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-156a217f-7fff-f2b7-b4a5-b0e0aebfcab1"></span></span>
</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">ねえ...</span>
</p></span>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Hey milk, I guess this is the end then? </i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>I am heading home </i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><i style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Where is my receipt (check)?</i></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>(On a second thought) It is raining outside, </i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>so I will</i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Stay in here for some more time</i></span>
</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Hey milk!</i></span>
</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Hey milk!!</i></span>
</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Hey...</i></span>
</p>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
</p>
<div><br /></div><div><br /></div>
<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span>
</p>
<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/c7u6E4hg34E?si=j05Om6aPpTvLmXac" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<p></p>
Pushpakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12411692887205730319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15599118.post-24920146258467031632023-03-03T16:37:00.003-08:002023-03-03T16:37:51.482-08:00Book Review: "Eversion," by Alastair Reynolds<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwfUojIEQJH-9_aE0nEchAicvWIhXeXllWyDmMypP6Y5-XaQFBm--ZcediFU5fiAWajI-GZ19QFlUVygQrTFhFpJEPNf6xBEn5kVBJ1ew3UBehkUTN0nh4rGCDhwUoQ9H_kE36ASObQOycmWPpASDJyTK_VdlWjA3bjBgKbWRAl71MfTZjGko/s630/Eversion-cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="426" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwfUojIEQJH-9_aE0nEchAicvWIhXeXllWyDmMypP6Y5-XaQFBm--ZcediFU5fiAWajI-GZ19QFlUVygQrTFhFpJEPNf6xBEn5kVBJ1ew3UBehkUTN0nh4rGCDhwUoQ9H_kE36ASObQOycmWPpASDJyTK_VdlWjA3bjBgKbWRAl71MfTZjGko/w270-h400/Eversion-cover.jpg" width="270" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><b>Eversion (n)</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><i>The act of turning a structure or organ outwards or inside out </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><i>-- Oxford American English Dictionary</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Humans are, by and large, creatures driven by chemical responses and commands from our brain. Evolution has guided our brain into a complex interconnected machinery that senses and processes stimuli, associates a feeling / emotion with the stimuli, and stores them as memories, available for recall at a later time when necessary. It guides our very thoughts, and by extension, our sense of self, our identity, our sentience. As arguably the most important piece of the evidence of our sentience, it also holds the highest responsibility of looking after the well-being of its host organism, us. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">But the very same driver of all of our actions, our spontaneous impulses, and thought-out deliberations can veer into a very dark place if the meticulously maintained balance between the numerous physio-chemical elements is disturbed. Traumatic events often cause our brain to raise a shield around our ability to process new stimuli. Any potentially damaging stimuli are shut out in favor of previously archived, or newly imagined, memories who are called into action as the battalions of our self-preservation. Our sense of belonging with the world external to us is replaced by a darkened movie theater projecting the reel of a happier experience, <i>ad infinitum</i>. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Eversion," by Alastair Reynolds, explores a variation on this theme, by adding a SF element into the mix. We begin our journey with Dr. Silas Coade, a neophyte surgeon on board the <i>Demeter</i>, sailing into the Arctic in search of an elusive artifact. The expedition is funded by a ruthless task-master (Topolsky) who seems to relish every chance he gets to demean Silas. The only friendly face among the crew is Coronel Ramos, Topolsky's bodyguard and in charge of security aboard the ship. Further adding to the friction is the enigmatic linguist-scholar Ada Cossile, a femme fatale character who serves as a mental foil, if not a complete antagonist, to Dr. Coade. With not much in the way of contribution towards the more technical aspects of the expedition, Silas spends his time writing a fantastical story about a crew that are engaged in an exploratory mission not unlike the <i>Demeter</i>. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A curious turn of events takes the <i>Demeter</i> and her crew to within an arm's reach of their goal, when tragedy strikes and Dr. Silas Coade is fatally wounded. He wakes up, in another place and time, on another expedition with the same crew members, still searching for the elusive artifact. The expedition moves further than before, when it is cut short yet again by the tragic death of Dr. Silas Coade. And so it continues, with each new tale moving the setting forward in time and space, from a paddle steamer to a zeppelin to a space ship exploring the stars. Silas's relationship with the crew maintains the flavors from previous encounters, with the exception of Ada Cossile, who seems to know more than she is letting on. It seems that only Silas maintains any memory of the previous missions. Ada prods him onwards each time, at times empathetic, and at times fiercely antagonistic, much to the puzzlement of the good doctor, who seems to have developed a soft spot in his heart for his able opponent.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Ada's role in the mystery is eventually explained, and the mystery itself unraveled, but at a great cost to the crew, and to Silas himself. Along the way, he must grapple with his humanity, his regard towards Life (in all its forms), and form alliances to defeat an enemy more dangerous than he (and us) could have imagined! The story addresses these questions using a clever mix of exposition and a fluid setting, changing seamlessly from mystery to thriller to horror to adventure and back. To say anything more would be risking spoilers for the new readers - but a final remark - Ada's vacillating emotions towards Silas have an exquisite parallel in the 'real' world, which leads to a very satisfying conclusion (but perhaps, not an ending?) for the two of them.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Highly recommended!</div><p></p>Pushpakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12411692887205730319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15599118.post-50168633382244767772023-02-25T17:20:00.003-08:002023-02-26T08:41:25.753-08:00Moving Pictures: Quartet (2017, Netflix)<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhteJq56J9kzXsHcg7C3QZFm2cdLEbh1_4sJgzMAbIki5FG_7B69Lr0W35eUnBoghmVimfLcpkqUFYg5nixf9N0JTLUbs5s3geRcvDbF5tCRYcBRQcBq5v7f4vVF7qOfRhuEfy8Mvb8VIsKc6HP4zxQu-RDgwmLieQgbgHzWizqLA4x3Hg-sF4/s1255/Quartet.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="774" data-original-width="1255" height="394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhteJq56J9kzXsHcg7C3QZFm2cdLEbh1_4sJgzMAbIki5FG_7B69Lr0W35eUnBoghmVimfLcpkqUFYg5nixf9N0JTLUbs5s3geRcvDbF5tCRYcBRQcBq5v7f4vVF7qOfRhuEfy8Mvb8VIsKc6HP4zxQu-RDgwmLieQgbgHzWizqLA4x3Hg-sF4/w640-h394/Quartet.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Quartet (2017) (c) Netflix. Image used for informational purpose only.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></td></tr></tbody>
</table><p>"Quartet" is tale about the lives of the members of the titular group, and the secrets that they carry within their hearts. Written by Yuji Sakamoto, the series explores human relationships through the lens of music, with a generous garnish of offbeat humor and cracking wit! The quarter in question comprises of Tsukasa Beppu (Ryuhei Matsuda), Maki Maki (Takako Matsu), Yutaka Iemori (Issey Takahashi), and Suzume Sebuki (Hikari Mitsushima).</p>
<p>The series opens with a mysterious lady approaching a cellist (Suzume) after her streetside busking session, with a very unusual job -- the opportunity to make much more money than she currently does, by befriending an enigmatic violinist (Maki Maki) and reporting back to the lady. Suzume plans to construct a coincidental encounter with the violinist at a karaoke bar, but the one-on-one turns into a seemingly coincidental foursome when a violinist (Tsukasa Beppu) and a violist (Yutaka Iemori) also show up at the very same instant. Considering their meeting as a gift from the Fates, Beppu suggests that they form a freelance quartet. The group agrees to spend some time over the weekend at a remote villa that belongs to Beppu's grandfather, and so begins a journey that is equally delightful, scary, heartbreaking, mysterious, and uplifting, all at the same time.</p><p>For a tale that is as character-driven as the above introduction indicates, the casting plays a vital role in shaping the viewer's immersion into the tale. In this regard, Quartet hits it out of the park with not only the main protagonists, but also the secondary characters that help move the narrative in a meaningful way - it would be virtually impossible to delete a single scene with the secondary characters and not significantly impact the storytelling. From the opening in episode 1, to the coincidental meeting, the journey to the villa, and their first real scene together as a group - bonding over fried chicken - we learn much about the characters through simple gestures (or lack of) and mannerisms, than we could with perhaps pages of dialogue. The quartet of protagonists are in stellar form in this scene, and if one is left wondering how they could possibly top this performance, fear not, for it only gets better (and even better) from thereon. </p><p>Maki Maki is a soft-spoken, once-famous violinist who is the only musician in the quartet to have played music professionally. Matsu plays her with an outward fragility that gradually peels away to reveal her strength of character in the most adverse of conditions. Maki is the central character of the tale, with her actions, past and present, often deciding the course of the narrative. Tsukasa Beppu is a part of an illustrious musical family, but graced with a combination of lack of talent and ambition to be as famous. He is the nerdy type in the group, regimented, often clumsy, indecisive, but not a pushover. He has unrequited feelings for Maki, and expresses them on more than one occasion, without success. Matsuda plays the character with an understated determination that comes to fore as time goes by. Ieomori is the jokester of the group, introduced as a casanova-like figure who seems too shallow to be taken seriously, and perennially landing in some sort of trouble no matter the scope of his undertaking. He carries the standard of deadpan humor with aplomb, adding levity to the proceedings if things seem to be taking a serious turn. Takahashi displays a masterclass in the use of physical comedy, serving to enhance his contrasting personality with the rest of the group. While Matsu's Maki is the central character, it is Mitsushima's Suzume who steals the show. Youngest of the group (and of the cast), Suzume is an unemployed cellist with a dark secret and a past of her own. Mitsushima sparkles in this role, delivering a performance that is vulnerable, endearing, and yet constructed out of a solid strength of character.</p><p>Quartet is an absolute delight not only due to the strong performances by the cast and the crew, but also due to its addictive theme song (performed by the cast members). The feet-tapping number is sure to find its way into your 'most played' playlist!</p><p>Quartet is streaming on Netflix and is very highly recommended!</p>
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</p>Pushpakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12411692887205730319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15599118.post-70527672600562920272021-08-12T15:44:00.003-07:002021-08-12T15:48:15.784-07:00Book review: "Girls of Brackenhill," by Kate Moretti<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWlJuLz4jsTCgdP2Vok2YtXrWvncHCAmFeyHYRkkYPWeMHCgDD1dHJcE9a49mUrMrJU-Wmydc3q13_fqeRJnhz6sPSo-EvnHHBeNFivcAs8LFjO8_17nJne1c7KC4HxBpVFYog8w/s2048/Brackenhill-Cover.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWlJuLz4jsTCgdP2Vok2YtXrWvncHCAmFeyHYRkkYPWeMHCgDD1dHJcE9a49mUrMrJU-Wmydc3q13_fqeRJnhz6sPSo-EvnHHBeNFivcAs8LFjO8_17nJne1c7KC4HxBpVFYog8w/w266-h400/Brackenhill-Cover.jpeg" width="266" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Our next stop on the <a href="https://echoes-empty-mind.blogspot.com/2020/12/omakase-2021.html">magical, mystery train</a>, takes us to the wilds of Brackenhill - an isolated castle in the Catskills that serves as the setting for a supernatural murder mystery by author Kate Moretti. The protagonist is one Hannah Maloney, who has a deep connection to the place, her summer retreat from an abusive step father and indifferent mother. The summers Hannah spent here with her sister Julia, with Uncle Stuart and Aunt Fae playing their doting hosts, were some of the best periods of Hannah's teenage years.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">But, one fateful summer, Julia disappeared without a trace; another addition to the train of runaways seeking better life in the cities. That summer was also the last time Hannah visited Brackenhill, until she gets the news of Aunt Fae's passing. Drawn to the mysterious castle with its labyrinthine passageways, she finds herself at the center of a new mystery - one involving Aunt Fae and her past life before Brackenhill. Helping her solve the mystery are Huck, her fiancé, and Wyatt, her maybe-boyfriend from the bygone years.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The novel is a well-written mystery that taps into psychological thrills and supernatural elements to keep the reader's interest. Moretti creates a trail of breadcrumbs, one piece at a time, that leads to a surprising climax, and a possible continuation of the story that ties in neatly with the title of the novel. However, I would have liked the pace in the initial half of the novel to be more brisk than it is. Brackenhill is not a page-turner in the classic sense. It is a story where every detail needs to be savored before moving on. On the whole, Moretti does a good job of tying all loose ends together in a satisfying fashion.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Recommended for a relaxed weekend reading.</p>Pushpakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12411692887205730319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15599118.post-61993185964633803052021-05-07T12:07:00.000-07:002021-05-07T12:07:02.836-07:00Book Review: "The Song of Achilles," by Madeline Miller<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXw-O7ekoW_VPSl3js457e9tWx5N2mDEcqqaTi-E2PrKLfGvd2MdHV3k7Kp6kHImfB9heBzFGNY93hzOQXwjyJ5H5s6mIVggUdsEplztXFHt4hFO3BAleGkVwHqJ1f8v1tKmVbpQ/s2048/Achilles-Cover.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1360" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXw-O7ekoW_VPSl3js457e9tWx5N2mDEcqqaTi-E2PrKLfGvd2MdHV3k7Kp6kHImfB9heBzFGNY93hzOQXwjyJ5H5s6mIVggUdsEplztXFHt4hFO3BAleGkVwHqJ1f8v1tKmVbpQ/w265-h400/Achilles-Cover.jpeg" width="265" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p></p><div style="text-align: right;"><i>Even till the day when certain fates ordain</i></div><div style="text-align: right;"><div><i>That stern Achilles (his Patroclus slain)</i></div><div><i>Shall rise in vengeance, and lay waste the plain.</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>-- The Iliad of Homer, Alexander Pope, 1899</i></div></div><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Homer's <i>Iliad</i> is widely considered as a timeless classic - an epic tale of heroes and anti-heroes, gods and humans, each perfect and flawed in their own light. It has been translated into various languages, and such is the impact of Homer's poetry on modern thought, that even the translations themselves are subject to frequent <a href="http://www.editoreric.com/greatlit/books/Iliad-translations.html">intellectual</a> and <a href="http://emilyshauser.weebly.com/news/-which-iliad-should-i-read-a-guide-to-the-translations-of-homers-iliad">aesthetic</a> scrutiny. While Caroline Alexander famously became the first woman to present a classical translation of this epic poem in 2016, several female authors have previously presented their perspective of the original tale, whether in part or as a whole (see <a href="https://chipublib.bibliocommons.com/list/share/378221528/1216760597">[1]</a> or <a href="https://lithub.com/10-brilliant-retellings-of-classical-myths-by-female-writers/">[2]</a>.)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">We close out our second course in KCLS Surprise Bag <a href="https://echoes-empty-mind.blogspot.com/2020/12/omakase-2021.html">menu</a> by visiting Madeline Miller's Orange Prize winning retelling of the classic, "The Song of Achilles." Miller chooses to focus on the relationship between Achilles and Patroclus, best friends and lovers. Presenting the tale from Patroclus' point of view helps the tale stay grounded within the complexities of the human experience. It is refreshing to view, and understand, the chasm of privilege between the human and godly (or demi-godly) participants in the story. Miller's story is primarily a coming-of-age tale of two boys, one predestined for greatness that he did not desire, the other forced into a political game way beyond his means, merely because he chose to follow the path of love. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The novel imagines this journey of Achilles and Patroclus, both outcasts from the ordinary. Patroclus is sent to the court of King Peleus, Achilles' father, as an exile. Achilles chooses him as his companion, and the two develop a close bond - eventually becoming lovers. Miller chooses to elaborate these years over the more famous decade spent in the Trojan war, focusing on their training under Chiron, their journey to Skyros, and the eventual meeting with Odysseus, thereby setting events in motion towards the Great War.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Miller writes in an easy, flowing style, and the novel serves as an accessible stepping stone into the larger epic. There is an overhanging sense of doom and futility which makes a compelling argument against armed conflicts. Achilles' reluctance to get involved in the war, joining only after Patroclus' death, and the indiscriminate destruction that then ensues holds a mirror to our current world too. The message is simple - war brings destruction to all, even supposed gods. The fact that the main protagonist is killed before the story ends makes for an interesting narrative choice towards the end, but on the whole, this is a worthy addition to a young adult library. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">References:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">[1] <a href="https://chipublib.bibliocommons.com/list/share/378221528/1216760597">https://chipublib.bibliocommons.com/list/share/378221528/1216760597</a> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">[2] <a href="https://lithub.com/10-brilliant-retellings-of-classical-myths-by-female-writers/">https://lithub.com/10-brilliant-retellings-of-classical-myths-by-female-writers/</a> </div><p></p>Pushpakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12411692887205730319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15599118.post-49457949746304009642021-05-05T17:05:00.003-07:002021-05-05T17:08:42.980-07:00Book Review: "Winterwood," by Shea Ernshaw<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2ZxyBvZ3UjAjPGIscwBZwKPLFJooRdSbZ3k4iVOfGyBWGmBAd1tOUzNsTk6h54OWjwXDb776xYdvc2-u_tDBse1ziDvQFbIAA4DUZkjHgpfLnAdM_137G-dZvmwefHGIkRqcORA/s475/Winterwood-Cover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="315" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2ZxyBvZ3UjAjPGIscwBZwKPLFJooRdSbZ3k4iVOfGyBWGmBAd1tOUzNsTk6h54OWjwXDb776xYdvc2-u_tDBse1ziDvQFbIAA4DUZkjHgpfLnAdM_137G-dZvmwefHGIkRqcORA/w265-h400/Winterwood-Cover.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Our penultimate stop in the Adult Fantasy category of our <a href="https://echoes-empty-mind.blogspot.com/2020/12/omakase-2021.html">curated bibliographic journey</a> takes us into the dark forests of the Pacific Northwest, to the banks of a frozen lake that is home to a small community of Fir Haven. Shea Ernshaw's "Winterwood" is a young-adult fantasy with a mix of romance and mystery. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">The story is set around the Jackjaw Camp for Wayward Boys, a destination of choice for families to send their delinquent youth in an effort to seek redemption from their, well, wayward ways. The camp lies on the shores of a lake that hosts a variety of tourist properties for the vacationing transients, and a lone permanent cabin that is the home to a mysterious girl - Nora Walker - a girl many believe is a witch, just as her mother and their ancestors. That part is true. She is indeed a budding witch who has not yet found her nightshade, her arcana, her hidden mystical talent. Her family vocation does not allow her many friends, and she is trudging along her lonesome life when we are introduced to her. Her only connection, so to speak, lies with an especially dark part of the forest, the Wicker Woods. The Woods are a forbidden place, dark and dangerous, and even a witch like the Walkers can be safe in there, only at the full moon when the forest is asleep. At other times, those who enter the Woods are never heard from again. But the Woods are not empty - they are full of "lost" items, items that may have belonged to different people, or places, or times - that show up inexplicably on the forest floor, to be claimed by Nora.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">It is during one such full moon sojourn into the Wicker Woods that she finds Oliver Huntsman, a wayward boy who vanished five days ago in a winter storm. She brings him home and tends to him as he recovers and she can deliver him back to the camp. Oliver, however, has no recollection of how he ended up in the forest, nor is he very eager to go back to camp. Thus begins the mystery portion of the narrative, with Oliver and Nora trying to piece together the events leading to and after his disappearance, and his motivation for staying away from the camp.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Ernshaw writes in a style that is lyrical, and yet conveys the isolation and claustrophobic environment of the tiny settlement. The story holds your attention from the first page and keeps the interest going until the end. Astute readers will no doubt crack the mystery before it is officially revealed, but that should not take away from the enjoyment of reading how the characters get there. As per the rules of YA engagement, there is ample amount of teenage angst coupled with a budding, forbidden romance in this story. The copy I read also had bonus pages describing the family history of Nora's ancestral lineage, and I found the accounts very creative and amusing.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Winterwood" is a moody fantasy novel for the YA readers that comes recommended by yours truly.</p>Pushpakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12411692887205730319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15599118.post-50150877653777980722021-04-28T11:01:00.001-07:002021-04-28T11:03:03.957-07:00Book Review: "Bloody Genius," by John Sandford<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAPj0THZBs20J_9SxHYWfNB5llzlYwft-hVgG3KahN4st92siQXYYL9cEDZYjAH5iHxXNXhfq_2lGsA5hBLQ-dokCbt4Q6F6uQrCHOdJe9aAhWL4-qq-RClDPxzySXHM3gpwp3XQ/s488/Bloody-Genius.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="488" data-original-width="488" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAPj0THZBs20J_9SxHYWfNB5llzlYwft-hVgG3KahN4st92siQXYYL9cEDZYjAH5iHxXNXhfq_2lGsA5hBLQ-dokCbt4Q6F6uQrCHOdJe9aAhWL4-qq-RClDPxzySXHM3gpwp3XQ/w400-h400/Bloody-Genius.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Our next stop on the <a href="https://echoes-empty-mind.blogspot.com/2020/12/omakase-2021.html">Magical Mystery Tour</a>, courtesy King County Libraries, takes us into the world of Virgil Flowers - his twelfth outing, to be exact. A university professor has been murdered, his head bashed in with a laptop, in the library at University of Minnesota and Virgil Flowers is sent down to investigate, at the behest of the Governor.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The mystery meanders its way through a plausible list of suspects, each seemingly able to benefit from the victim's death. The dead professor, Barthelemy Quill, is found to be despised and respected by various elements within the university and his personal life. The cast of suspects is an entertaining ensemble, even if the eventual reveal is a bit of a letdown - not helped by the fact that the author uses a very crude stereotype to telegraph it halfway through the story. The supporting cast of investigators is a competent crew, with Virgil and his counterpart at the local police department, Margaret Trane, proving effective foils to each other in progressing the investigation.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">My main criticism of the book lies in the depiction of mideast attitudes, especially towards women. Supposed bad guys often objectify women in casual conversation, and while this may be a good character trait in one or two characters, this type of behavior is almost universal amongst the male characters, guilty or not. The characters also felt very two dimensional. Coming off from the recently read books by J. D. Robb, the contrast is amplified when compared against the character development in the Eve Dallas books.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On the writing front, I could not find the pulse of the author's style. The writing seems to be a mix between elaborate prose and a television script, and I for one, found the variation jarring. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The book is a good enough read for a weekend if you are a mystery buff.</div><p></p>Pushpakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12411692887205730319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15599118.post-45995958389891772092021-04-11T10:52:00.005-07:002021-04-11T10:58:39.061-07:00Book Review: "How to Pass as Human," by Nic Kelman<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiFyEm-77hgVqVXLo9tlCY-83uxda9gTLTEWRUcKIu8Bqpco2sVY81QvAzxCUzF3bob_eV9ZjANFhkuECd1kpZLgSX2HT_2erJNmQmj09OBIF_wOt3MGekL0d3YtnMRyzW_9AYJg/s2048/Human-Cover.jpeg"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1367" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiFyEm-77hgVqVXLo9tlCY-83uxda9gTLTEWRUcKIu8Bqpco2sVY81QvAzxCUzF3bob_eV9ZjANFhkuECd1kpZLgSX2HT_2erJNmQmj09OBIF_wOt3MGekL0d3YtnMRyzW_9AYJg/w268-h400/Human-Cover.jpeg" width="268" /></a></div><br /><p></p><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"How to Pass as Human," is a graphic novel by the author Nic Kelman, which details a month-long journey of an android - Android Zero, or "Zach" as it tries to search for its creator before its power-source dies off. In principle, this is a premise that can be explored in many interesting ways. Kelman explores the answer to Zach's quest as a journal-plus-manual on what "being human" entails. Seen through the eyes of a non-human observer, this should provide ample opportunity for quirky humour, insightful observations, and an unbiased observation. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Firstly, the good points - Kelman's writing is clever, drawing a chuckle or smile occasionally as the android makes a very poignant observation. The format of a graphic novel combined with text works mostly when the android documents human idiosyncrasies as a framework of flowcharts or annotated diagrams. However, that is where the novelty of the medium serves its purpose. The work itself is quite dense, offering an information dump that the reader has scarce time to process and ruminate on, before the plot moves ahead to the next entry in the journal. Zach's world-view, if an android can have one, is also tainted by misogyny - gender stereotypes abound in his description of male Vs female habitats. The mixing of an actual story (Zach seeking his Creator while also trying to escape unknown pursuivants) with the dry instruction manual is often jarring, and removes the reader from the story. Perhaps it would have been a better choice to release this as a weekly issue, with the instruction manual becoming the appendix for each weekly comic?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"How to Pass as Human," is a sincere attempt by the author to encapsulate their view of humanity into the lens of a non-human android. However, the execution of the intent is severely lacking in the maturity and depth for dealing with such a subject. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This book was obtained as part of the <a href="https://echoes-empty-mind.blogspot.com/2020/12/omakase-2021.html">Science Fiction book bag</a> from KCLS library.</div>Pushpakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12411692887205730319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15599118.post-33315201225801316782021-04-06T11:15:00.001-07:002021-04-06T11:15:37.326-07:00Book Review: "Golden in Death," by J. D. Robb<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQj7IX-Esza6PWzp1gqY34auysB9uOdxGSpHnBrTYE7_nxztgyJshN53bIs-6LIXZalKNOaOevo5j5_RdbAZWy3-cETTy22tvIWTnSat5SMqVW40HTc7pBxC1DUNs9J0fFDwmMlQ/s2048/GiD-Cover.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1347" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQj7IX-Esza6PWzp1gqY34auysB9uOdxGSpHnBrTYE7_nxztgyJshN53bIs-6LIXZalKNOaOevo5j5_RdbAZWy3-cETTy22tvIWTnSat5SMqVW40HTc7pBxC1DUNs9J0fFDwmMlQ/w263-h400/GiD-Cover.jpeg" width="263" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: right;"><i>Hate, in the long run, is about as nourishing as cyanide.</i></p><p style="text-align: right;"><i>-- Kurt Vonnegut</i></p><p style="text-align: right;"><i><br /></i></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Our next stop on the <a href="https://echoes-empty-mind.blogspot.com/2020/12/omakase-2021.html">curated exploration</a> of a landscape of stories is another mystery by author J. D. Robb - the 50th installment of her Lieutenant Eve Dallas series, "Golden in Death." In this tale, Eve, and her gang of crime-fighters come up against a murderer who is not on precise, meticulous, and scientifically-inclined, but also heartless and cruel in the extreme. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">The story begins with the murder of a respected and well-liked doctor, affected through a deadly toxin hidden inside a souvenir egg. The dosage, delivery, and the subsequent automatic cleanup of the toxic residue suggests that the team is dealing with a very dangerous individual who knows how to cover their tracks, and has access to defense-level chemicals to create such a potent toxin. However, the motive for the murder remains a mystery, until a second murder occurs on the following day, in exactly the same fashion. This incident creates a link between the victims - their respective spouses were colleagues in a private school, during a particularly tumultuous period when the school addressed issues of systemic bullying, cheating, sex-scandals, perpetrated by kids from elite families whose privilege was secured by hefty donations from their families.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Eve, and her partner, Detective Delia Peabody, showcase their investigative and interrogative skills in this story, navigating a few false leads before homing on their main suspect(s). What follows is a cat-and-mouse game of trying to be a step ahead of the killer before they strike again. The mystery behind the killings is conveyed to the readers well before the team gets there, thus the suspense builds on the ability of Eve and her team to extract evidence and possibly, a confession, from the perpetrator.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">This is another high-scoring story in the series! Highly recommended.</p>Pushpakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12411692887205730319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15599118.post-24509103381503162872021-03-19T10:29:00.000-07:002021-03-19T10:29:06.647-07:00Book Review: "Vendetta in Death," by J. D. Robb<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEYpNH5DyI27Nr8CU1n2hrLKrLHPWLQSfIROuYA-FS9l4QLz3G4ScAueWbe8CLccVYRgOGue63_6MPoFAOhJnHISQc5nHtDEbQhmWTEWSeb7nfMeGy-xGdshwlEdj9hA8SFzAP9Q/s2048/VD1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1251" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEYpNH5DyI27Nr8CU1n2hrLKrLHPWLQSfIROuYA-FS9l4QLz3G4ScAueWbe8CLccVYRgOGue63_6MPoFAOhJnHISQc5nHtDEbQhmWTEWSeb7nfMeGy-xGdshwlEdj9hA8SFzAP9Q/w244-h400/VD1.jpeg" width="244" /></a></p><div style="text-align: right;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: right;"><i>Justice is Truth in action</i></div><div style="text-align: right;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: right;"><i>-- Benjamin Disraeli</i></div><div style="text-align: right;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: right;"><i>Men often mistake killing and revenge for justice. They seldom have the stomach for justice.</i></div><div style="text-align: right;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: right;"><i>-- Robert Jordan</i></div><p></p><p style="text-align: right;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Mankind's relationship with Justice spans its entire history. We can imagine that within the seeds of sentience first emerging in the psyche of our first ancestors, equity, or at least a perception of it, played a vital role in determining the social dynamics between the individual and the pack. As the concepts of Right and Wrong were being solidified through proto-human behavior, so was the notion of "righting a wrong" -- the ability to redress an act of inequity through a codified set of actions. Our humanity itself came to be defined in terms of our awareness and readiness to act upon such laws, guided by moral, religious, or societal guidelines. Across the globe, we developed our own set of laws, often derived from their immediate context. Although these laws share a common foundation of beliefs, they often see a vastly different interpretation at a local scale - whether a society or an individual.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">J. D. Robb's "Vendetta in Death," the forty ninth book in the Eve Dallas series of mysteries, explores this dichotomy in a thrilling tale of a murder mystery set in a near-future world. The main protagonist of this series is Lieutenant Eve Dallas of the NYPD, a tough-as-nails cop, supported by a cast of solid characters. The story begins with a discovery of a dead body of a wealthy man, horribly tortured and mutilated. The body is accompanied by a poem written by a "Lady Justice," referring to the crimes this man had committed and justifying his death as justice served to his victims, all female. Another dead body soon follows in a similar fashion, and Eve realizes that they are dealing with a serial killer, most probably female, who has taken it upon herself to administer justice on perpetrators who have escaped the notice of the Law.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The plot follows the thread of a typical police-procedural mystery, with multiple suspects drawing our attention as clues and crimes are unearthed by the team led by Eve, her husband-and-rogue-consultant Roarke, partner Delia Peabody and others. However, what sets this story apart is the sensitivity in the writing. The author deals with a very difficult topic of sexual assault with utmost empathy and compassion, allowing the reader to consider the harrowing aspects of surviving it, as well as serving as a masterclass on being a valuable ally to the victim. One cannot come away from this discussion in the story, as in real-life, filled with revulsion for the perpetrator - a very natural reaction. What the author demonstrates through this story is that perhaps the more important aspect in dealing with such a situation is to not give in to our baser instincts, but to put the well-being of the victims first and foremost in our attention, for that is a more human and constructive avenue for our emotional and societal reactions.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">This book was my first introduction to J. D. Robb (a pseudonym of the bestselling author Nora Roberts) through the <a href="https://echoes-empty-mind.blogspot.com/2020/12/omakase-2021.html">KCLS Surprise Book Bag</a>. I am certainly intrigued to now explore other books in this series! </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Highly recommended!</p>Pushpakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12411692887205730319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15599118.post-80870831422437358882021-02-17T18:28:00.002-08:002021-02-17T18:28:58.103-08:00Book Review: "Here and Now and Then," by Mike Chen<p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfVAbtUln-OV7OLFq9GhD9jpKOxcpEtqvNobTeN2djUgcifdm9ze32CJCj13CEe7fu1rKZRyyZEnmjGzxAAi_XcT2vayS_oWksBdWctVnk-5m1mmMY5pqkKCfYP4N2_jF9pOwikw/s2048/HTN.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1356" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfVAbtUln-OV7OLFq9GhD9jpKOxcpEtqvNobTeN2djUgcifdm9ze32CJCj13CEe7fu1rKZRyyZEnmjGzxAAi_XcT2vayS_oWksBdWctVnk-5m1mmMY5pqkKCfYP4N2_jF9pOwikw/w265-h400/HTN.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: right;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: right;"><i>"It all just disappears doesn't it? Everything you are, gone in a moment like breath on a mirror...</i></div><div style="text-align: right;"><i><div>... We all change, when you think about it.</div><div>We are all different people all through our lives and that's okay, that's good.</div><div>You've got to keep moving,</div><div>so long as you remember all the people that you used to be."</div><div><br /></div><div>-- The Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith), Doctor Who</div></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This one is a bit tricky - while packaged as a part of the <a href="https://echoes-empty-mind.blogspot.com/2020/12/omakase-2021.html">'Adult Fantasy' book bag</a>, this story has a large overlap with Science Fiction in its thematic material and core mechanics. <i>Here and Now and Then,</i> is the debut novel of writer Mike Chen, a SF aficionado and avid fan of a certain time-traveling Doctor, that pays homage to his favorite genre in a most satisfying tale involving time travel, long-distance(!) parenting, and the consequences of tampering the past, even if inadvertently.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Our protagonist is Kin Stewart, a time-hopping agent of the Temporal Control Bureau (TCB), who finds himself stranded in 1996 after a failed mission results in the destruction of his temporal beacon. Without any resources beyond some cash, and a bullet wound to his abdomen, he figures out a way to live in the past by blending into it as an IT professional, putting his technological know-how to use. Along the way, he meets Heather, a student at Berkeley, whom he eventually marries and has a daughter with - Miranda. Eighteen years pass while Kin lives his life linearly, his memories aligning themselves to this reality, when he is located by a <i>Retriever</i> agent, Markus Fernandez, who also happens to be his best friend and the brother of his fiancee from 2142, Penny. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The main focus of the narrative is Kin's (real name Quinoa) struggle to balance both of his lives, especially with his daughter Miranda. Seldom do time-travel stories delve into the question of what happens to the world that a time traveler leaves behind, and Mike Chen draws his inspiration (and a bunch of cool Easter Eggs sprinkled throughout the novel) from his favorite SF show, <i>Doctor Who</i>, in going behind the glamour of time travel and measuring the human cost involved. The primary arc in this story is the father-daughter relationship between Kin and Miranda - one a time agent who has inadvertently changed the world with his second life, and the other, an anomaly whose very existence threatens the fate of the TCB. Kin must rush against Time to prevent his daughter from being erased from the timeline, thereby jeopardizing his own health, and his future in the process.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The story is deftly composed, with new revelations and twists that keep the reader engaged. Penny, Kin's fiancee from the 22nd century, plays a pivotal role in the latter half of the book, and just when you think you have the tale figured out, Chen delivers a bittersweet finish that is at once most satisfying, and yet leaves the reader with a longing for an alternate timeline where things could have been worked out neatly. To his credit, Chen avoids the most obvious solution -- which I had sort-of hoped he would not, for it would have opened the world to a sequel or more, involving the main trio of characters -- and opts for a more definitive, and a far more courageous, ending. The relationship between Kin and Miranda forms the backbone of the plot, and Chen handles it with ease, even throwing in an <i>Interstellar</i>-like sequence with a mismatched flow of time to move the plot ahead. Of course, the numerous Whovian references throughout the text add a layer of meta-puzzles to tease out for fellow Whovians, and I did smile fondly upon discovering many of them.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In summary, this book comes highly recommended!</div><p></p>Pushpakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12411692887205730319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15599118.post-59044212940071644972021-02-07T11:00:00.001-08:002021-02-07T11:00:57.944-08:00Book Review: The Spellbreaker Duology, by Charlie N. Holmberg<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWjWDTGKkpVZIbN2VQzCDNr3CbM3m3maXbUNzVNy6HseFFXRgb-GsRzi1bYdraR4pdPqrFpwjGHArbJh1gwhulwb4rj_uhtoYs_akJZQNDWaagE2qtYfGQMNWFoWFgpU8_b4ss4A/s720/Slide1.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="405" data-original-width="720" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWjWDTGKkpVZIbN2VQzCDNr3CbM3m3maXbUNzVNy6HseFFXRgb-GsRzi1bYdraR4pdPqrFpwjGHArbJh1gwhulwb4rj_uhtoYs_akJZQNDWaagE2qtYfGQMNWFoWFgpU8_b4ss4A/w640-h360/Slide1.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: right;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: right;"><i>A well-composed book is a magic carpet on which we are wafted to a world we cannot enter any other way</i></div><div style="text-align: right;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: right;">-- Caroline Gordon</div><div style="text-align: right;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Our next installment in the <i><a href="https://echoes-empty-mind.blogspot.com/2020/12/omakase-2021.html">omakase</a> </i>menu supplied by the KCLS Surprise Book Bag, was indeed a surprisingly scrumptious find - <i>Spellbreaker</i>, the first book in the Spellbreaker duology by author Charlie N. Holmberg. This book not only served as a thrilling introduction to the world of Elsie Camden, a spellbreaker herself, but it also fired up the appetite to seek the next novel in the series, <i>Spellmaker</i>, which yours truly obtained courtesy of NetGalley (Thank you!). So in a slight departure from our usual fare, here is an off-the-menu review of the complete duology.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Elsie Camden, the main protagonist (protagonista?) of the story, is an abandoned child growing up in a public workhouse, when she inadvertently discovers that she has the powers to undo magic spells, with a disastrous result. She is rescued from her situation by a stranger, a high-born lady who takes her away from the eyes of the investigating constables. Cut to a decade later, when Elsie is now employed at the workshop of a local stonemason Ogden Cuthbert, and moonlights as a vigilante for a secretive organization that she has named The Cowls, performing seemingly harmless tasks of undoing magical spells placed on the houses and institutions of power and money, in the cause of the common man.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Elsie goes about performing her tasks, communicated to her only via letters with a distinctive seal, while there also seems to be an increase in violence against magicians, with murders and thefts of magical artifacts on the rise. In this situation enters Bacchus Kelsey, a mixed-race landowner and magician from Barbados, who catches Elsie in the act but blackmails her to do his bidding instead of turning her over to the police.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The first book explores the secretive organization, and their goal in using Elsie as a spellbreaker against the Atheneum, the governing body of magic who controls access to, and regulates the use of, magical spells. The narrative is a pleasing mix of Victorian-era mystery tinged with contemporary social sensibilities. Both Elsie and Bacchus are looked upon by their society as outsiders, and their stories have a parallel thread of an outsider striving to prove themselves to someone of note - Elsie to her secretive mentors, and Bacchus to the Atheneum. <i>Spellbreaker</i> ends on a satisfying note, with a promise of a larger conflict in the days to come, while providing answers to a few of the questions regarding Elsie's family and Bacchus' magical abilities.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The second book in the duology, <i>Spellmaker</i>, is a crime-thriller mixed with a period romance. With the mystery of the main villain revealed at the end of the first book, this one focuses on the cat-and-mouse game between our team of outcast heroes and a conspiracy that spans the entire continent of Europe and beyond, to the American shores (nice tease for future world-building!) Elsie and Bacchus are aided in their quest by Ogden, who is revealed to have some tricks up his sleeve too, Emmeline, the maid in the stonemason's household, and couple of new allies that are introduced in the second book. Together, this team will try to race against Time and the eyes of the Atheneum, to bring an international villain to justice.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Holmberg writes easy, flowing prose, guiding the narrative to its natural course. Her exploration of personal insecurities is a very contemporary dramatic layer, deftly woven under the overall scheme of a late-Victorian society, prejudiced against women and individuals of color. If I do have a comment to make, it would be on a couple of points about pacing, and political messaging. The first book follows a first-act template - with the conclusion solving the current predicament, but raising the prospect of a much larger conflict. The second book resolves the conflict but may feel like an about-turn in circumstances for our heroes in a too-short-a-period. Maybe the exploration of (mild spoilers) Elsie's family and a maybe friend-mentor could have been split into three books instead of two? Secondly, the political messaging is a bit too on-the-nose -- Elsie is manipulated into acting in a class-war, hoping to create a more just society where everyone is equal, but the implicit conclusion one draws from the narrative is that activism for such a political cause is harmful (?) I would have appreciated if the author had also proposed a solution instead of marking out a particular cause as a societal ill. I do want to emphasize though, that different political leanings (I am a hardcore Democratic Socialist) do not take away from the enjoyment of the duology. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The duology comes highly recommended! </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Spellbreaker</i> was obtained through the <a href="https://kcls.org/faqs/how-do-i-get-a-surprise-bag-of-book-titles/" target="_blank">KCLS Surprise Book Bag</a>, and an advance review copy of <i>Spellmaker</i> was downloaded via <a href="https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/book/202351" target="_blank">NetGalley</a>.</div><p></p>Pushpakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12411692887205730319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15599118.post-17030770739879198682021-02-05T08:58:00.000-08:002021-02-05T08:58:16.729-08:00Book Review: "Fenric's Demon," by Lois McMaster Bujold<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqeQxAwaGm8rtQtpoeRQQvgdxBzGTfsKvpdRjyZUV5PNvtcqAMGLWmTskGSCkUq2OfqMEekrZV0BAJjtpXqUbfOj0B02mkgC0OHt_ZHiIoSkZbXUgCuxHqnwqEBvP34wFe9jYFhA/s466/Penric-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="318" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqeQxAwaGm8rtQtpoeRQQvgdxBzGTfsKvpdRjyZUV5PNvtcqAMGLWmTskGSCkUq2OfqMEekrZV0BAJjtpXqUbfOj0B02mkgC0OHt_ZHiIoSkZbXUgCuxHqnwqEBvP34wFe9jYFhA/w273-h400/Penric-1.jpg" width="273" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><i>If I got rid of my demons, I'd lose my angels.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;">-- Tennessee Williams</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Our <a href="https://echoes-empty-mind.blogspot.com/2020/12/omakase-2021.html" target="_blank">second course</a> in the bibliographic menu served <i>omakase</i> has arrived. In keeping with our culinary analogue, I chose to go for slightly lighter fare with an Adult Fantasy book bag this time around. I had hoped that like its predecessor, this course would also open up new vistas into contemporary authors, and so far, the menu has served up quite a delectable smorgasbord in the genre!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">We begin with a bite-sized novella by Lois McMaster Bujold - <i>Penric's Demon</i>. The story is set in the author's World of the Five Gods, with each of the titular deities worshipped as a manifestation of the elements and the seasons. The Gods comprise of a family of sorts - Father, Mother, Son, Daughter, and the Bastard (a devil-equivalent in this world) and have an order of priests and sorcerers that serve them.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">The protagonist (or more precisely, one-half of the pair) is Lord Penric of House Jurald, a third son of a deteriorating feudal house who, as the story begins, is on a journey of an arranged betrothal as a means of courting respect and monetary redemption for his house. Along the way he encounters a dying sorceress, whom his party stop to help. An innocent promise to assist her in any way possible turns complicated very quickly, when the sorceress transfers her <i>demon</i> into him with her dying breath. This act upends Penric's world - as the body-hopping demons are highly prized creatures obtained with years of theological study and magical practice. In a bid to understand his predicament, he tries to befriend the demon, whom he names Desdemona (a first by any theological standard of this world!). Desdemona (our other half) in turn, reveals her 12 personas to him, each a clone of her previous mistresses, each with their own specific sets of skills. Together they form a quirky protagonist-pair, who must quickly learn to navigate the treacherous politics behind the religious orders in order to survive.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">The main attraction in this story is the dynamic between the demon and her neophyte rider, and Bujold excels in developing an emotional core to their bond as the story culminates. Their dialogue is sharp and witty, allowing the reader to get acquainted with some of Desdemona's twelve personas. The pace of the story is perfectly suitable for a novella, and the reader is sure to come out of this tale wanting to know more about the titular duo. The world-building seems a bit oblique at times, perhaps depending on the reader's familiarity with the author's other works, but at no point does it hamper the understanding of this tale as a stand-alone story in its own right. As a perfect appetizer, the novella piques the reader's interest to explore the world in more detail.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">A brisk, recommended read for a rainy afternoon! </div><p></p>Pushpakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12411692887205730319noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15599118.post-29240472100331830642021-02-02T19:03:00.000-08:002021-02-02T19:03:09.955-08:00Book Review: "The Fifty-Year Mission," by Edward Gross and Mark Altman<p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbteeTpKF7YwXlQLHNG34T9GFz3p9wTV2Znj_XdMrKzGWmf8_lC9N0E1opmOFwZc2Gf-4C1Eajr2cyew_utUaqg7y2cA6DTSSy9LBwGOiGz0UmuzcVo97HM0UgExYK4QqdsL1TpA/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="439" data-original-width="300" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbteeTpKF7YwXlQLHNG34T9GFz3p9wTV2Znj_XdMrKzGWmf8_lC9N0E1opmOFwZc2Gf-4C1Eajr2cyew_utUaqg7y2cA6DTSSy9LBwGOiGz0UmuzcVo97HM0UgExYK4QqdsL1TpA/w273-h400/image.png" width="273" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: right;"><i>To boldly go, where no man has gone before</i></p><p style="text-align: right;"><i>-- Star Trek</i></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><i><br /></i></p><p style="text-align: justify;">The <i>Star Trek</i> franchise is one of the most beloved science-fiction series on the planet. Spanning numerous generations (ahem..) and rebooted on the silver screen by J J Abrams (2009), to the current <i>Star Trek: Discovery </i>series on CBS, the franchise is going strong since its inception, in 1966. In 2016, on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the original series, Edward Gross & Mark Altman (G&A), super trek fans themselves, painstakingly put together a two-part oral history of the series, titled "The Fifty-Year Mission."</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The book is a conversational documentary. G&A boast an impressive cast that spans the entire gamut of individuals who were either directly involved with the franchise, or were inspired by the original series and its successors to boldly carve out their own path in SF. Although the book consists of distinct chapters that focus on a particular period, or a particular aspect of the franchise, the narrative within a chapter is a free-form conversation-like journey that offers multiple perspectives (sometimes contradictory, at others controversial) on the same point. To their credit, G&A avoid turning it into a stats-fest, emphasizing the human elements of the journey instead.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">My personal brush with the series came in the early 90s, when the original series was aired on the national television channel. I vividly remember missing the first episode of the series, being on the train to visit my cousin, who was a few years older, and to my 10-year self, imminently wiser in all things SF! No wonder then, that our first afternoon after my arrival was spent in him reenacting parts of the episode (with an occasional hyperbole.) Back home, my friends and I added role-playing "the bridge" to our regular roster of superheroes, complete with our homemade flip-open communicators. I dare anyone from that generation to look at an empty carton of cigarettes and a rubber band without a tinge of nostalgia! <i>Star Trek</i> had arrived, and hit the landing squarely.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><i>Star Trek</i> has thrived through the years because at its core, it is a story that appeals to the innate human curiousness - it is a journey of exploration, not conquest. It puts the humanity front-and-center, and the spaceships, the green aliens, and other SF elements are simply incidental due to the genre. Its creator Gene Roddenberry, was a left-leaning ex cop during a time when mixed racial representation on television was not only unheard of, but was actively discouraged. It is due to the resourcefulness of Gene and other individuals in his team (with backing from the legendary Lucille Ball,) that they were not only able to push the show through, but also succeeded in inserting subversive political commentary about racism, war, poverty, violence, equal rights into the stories in a form that teenage viewers could catch immediately, but the studio execs would be completely oblivious about.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">And that was perhaps the greatest takeaway from the story - even a 10-year old me could understand (like numerous children before, and after me have, no doubt with even greater effect) that the show was not just a regular shoot-em-up slugfest. It stood for something - although what it stood for may have been opaque to the pre-teen sensibilities - there was no doubt that this was a "serious" show. <i>The Fifty-Year Mission</i> neatly encapsulates the behind-the-scenes story, leaving no stone unturned, nor pulling any punches. There be revelations here that point to unease, friction, shortcuts, backstabbing and the like that we expect from the show business. But even among the thorns, we may yet find the roses of humanity, camaraderie, persistence, optimism that have passed through the stories to its audience, and hence resonate with the world even today!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">This set is a must-have for any serious Star Trek fan!</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">This book was part of the <a href="https://echoes-empty-mind.blogspot.com/2020/12/omakase-2021.html" target="_blank">KCLS Surprise Bag</a>!</p>Pushpakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12411692887205730319noreply@blogger.com0