Wednesday, March 31, 2021
Reader's Diary #2182 - Huda Fahmy: That Can Be Arranged
Monday, March 29, 2021
Reader's Diary #2181 - Anthony Trollope: George Walker at Suez
The titular character in Anthony Trollope's short story "George Walker at Suez" is not a likable man. He's hung up on his status in society but most appalling, he's also a racist. This is especially egregious when you learn he's visiting Egypt from England.
Written in the 1800s, I'm not George Walker is supposed to unlikable or if we're supposed to be empathetic. In any case, it matters as the story involves him being mistaken for someone else, initially to his benefit. When the plan goes askew though, it's hard not to be happy.
Thursday, March 25, 2021
Reader's Diary #2180 - Jay Bulckaert and Erika Nyyssonen (writers), Lucas Green (artist): King Warrior
Monday, March 22, 2021
Reader's Diary #2179 - Sarah Orne Jewett: The Hiltons' Holiday
If you take an uneventful couple of pages from Lucy Maud Montgomery or Laura Ingalls Wilder you pretty much have Sarah Orne Jewett's short story "The Hiltons' Holiday." It involves a father taking a break from the work of farm life in the country to take his daughters to town. That's pretty much it in terms of a plot, unless you consider him forgetting to buy the hoe he'd intended on to be some major twist.
It's not entirely boring, I suppose. From a historical perspective, there's certain charm, even if it's a bit rose-coloured. It probably works best as a character study. The girls are young women and though different in personality, both get taken in by the "excitement" of town. I related to that somewhat as I recall being entranced by visiting St. John's, Newfoundland as a kid, thinking it was the biggest and most exciting city in the world. The dad is also interesting. He's lovable, though a bit sad in his obvious issues with his own parents, and a bit frustrating the way he puts town folk on a pedestal.
Tuesday, March 16, 2021
Reader's Diary #2178 - Chris Miskiewicz (writer), Noah Vansciver (artist): Grateful Dead Origins
Perhaps because of their laissez-faire attitude, I wasn't immediately drawn into the book. I couldn't really distinguish between the band members and the lack of any real drama in this period of the career meant the story was a little slow. Still, I came to appreciate aspects. The San Francisco scenes of the 60s are, of course, fascinating. Plus, I started to find their communal optimism very amusing. Don't know how to play a bass? No problem, learn it as you go along. Don't know how to work a sound board? You'll learn on the job. We like your drumming, but we already have a drummer. Who cares, we'll just have two. It's shocking that they made all of this work.
I also quite liked Vansciver's art. The simple cartooning fit the band and story, with a bit of counter-culture appeal.
Monday, March 15, 2021
Reader's Diary #2177 - Charity Marsh and Mark V. Campbell (editors): We Still Here: Hip Hop North of the 49th Parallel
In writing style only We Still Here: Hip Hop North of the 49th Parallel reminded me of Julia Christensen's No Home in Homeland which I read a couple of years back. Both books were clearly written for university scholars and then pushed to the general market, and I would guess both publishers assumed it was sufficient not to make any changes.
I'm not asking for things to be dumbed down. I'm university educated. But good lord, it seems a bit of a crime to make hip hop boring. There are compelling ideas for sure; the role of hip hop culture intersecting with indigenous and immigrant cultures, for instance, but the delivery is so academic. I'll grant that as a collection of essays written by different authors, some are likewise more accessible than others, but overall this book was a challenge to get through and as important as these ideas are, it's doubtful anyone outside a university setting will wind up caring. I did at least explore a lot of music from the hip hop artists mentioned in the book and that was far more interesting.
Reader's Diary #2176- Sam Mason: A Dose of Magic
Sam Mason's "A Dose of Magic" involves a woman telling her young daughter, who is undergoing chemotherapy, a story involving magic, as per her daughter's request and latest interest.
Unfortunately, I liked the frame story more than the story she tells her daughter. Nothing against magic, but it didn't come across as a story being told to a young child. It could be argued, I suppose, that not everyone condescends to a child when telling them a story but the magic story was more ostentatious than the frame story and made the frame story in return feel like an afterthought.
Wednesday, March 10, 2021
Reader's Diary #2175 - Elisa Macellari: Papaya Salad
Monday, March 08, 2021
Reader's Diary #2174 - Ed Friedman: Fred
After saving Homer from a reindeer attack in the Simpsons episode "Homer's Phobia," John remarks, "Homer, I won your respect, and all I had to do was save your life. Now, if every gay man could just do the same, you'd be set."
It's the tongue-in-cheek way the writers counter the moral of their own story; it shouldn't take some over-the-top life-saving gesture for us to respect one another and to recognize the value in others. It's a trope and unfortunately one also used in Ed Friedman's short story "Fred," about a man who is eventually rescued by a homeless man he's spent the better part of a story actively avoiding.
It's especially disappointing when the voice and imagery is strong up to the point where it becomes obvious where the story is headed.
Friday, March 05, 2021
Reader's Diary #2173- Frank Herbert (writer), Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (adaptors), Raúl Allén and Patricia Martín (illustrators): Dune The Graphic Novel, Book 1
I haven't read the sci-fi classic novel Dune by Frank Herbert, nor have I seen the original film. But in relation to that first movie, I've certainly heard the reputation that the book has for being very difficult to adapt successfully. So, not having have enjoyed this graphic novel, I wonder how much is due to its being an adaptation or if I'd not like the original either.