Paper before celluloid

If there's another thing that I love besides books, it would have to be movies. I can sit my big fat ass in front of the TV and just watch one movie after the other. TV shows are great too, especially "American Horror Story" and "Downton Abbey." But TV shows are barely seldom based on books. Which gets me to the topic of this post—movies based on books.

I know, I know—one should not compare movies based on books. They use, after all, completely different media to convey their message. Books fuel the imagination. Movies do that too. But after having seen "Transformers" (all 3 movies), I think that some film directors just want to mess up with our minds.

Getting out of a "Transformers" movie, or any of those big-budgeted summer films for that matter, feels like getting assaulted. One just wants to retreat to a quiet corner and purge out the harrowing experience by reading Henry James. Or Edith Wharton. Or E. M. Forster. Or any classical novelist where all the characters do is just think and don't talk about what needs to be said. Silence, tea, and things left unsaid—bliss.

Right now, I'm thinking of books that have been adapted to movies and how I really feel about them. There's "The Woman in Black" starring Daniel Radcliffe. Movie was scary, but really not at all as creepy as the book. The novel by Susan Hill was so thick with atmosphere that you can cut it with a knife. The movie just showed that Radcliffe can do a non-Harry Potter role.

Movies based on Stephen King's novels are a hit and miss. Kubrick's "The Shining" was phenomenal, but it did veer away significantly from the novel. In the novel, The Overlook Hotel was almost character, a living evil entity. The movie just made it a setting. I've seen 2 adaptations of Carrie, and none still has the intensity of the novel. But, Sissy Spacek—she looks really terrifying covered in pig's blood. And that's the only thing great about the movie.

However, I do recall two big screen adaptations that I liked. "The Heart of the Matter" with Ralph Fiennes, Julianne Moore, and Stephen Rea was beautiful. The film did capture the essence of Graham Greene's novel, which had something to do with God and His intervening ways. Another is "Atonement," which is based on Ian McEwan's Booker-shortlisted novel of the same title. Hmmm. . . I seem to like dramas set in WWII. Whatever.

Other than those two, I think that movies based on books seldom do justice to the original material at all. The Golden Compass movie was absolute crap. Not one of the Narnia movies is as entertaining as the books. The movie "Where the Wild Things Are" just felt too weird. De Bernieres's humor in his novel Captain Corelli's Mandolin was lost in the movie.

When I found out that they're turning Markus Zusak's novel, The Book Thief, into a movie and that it's soon to be shown this year, I decide to go on the offensive and just finally read this doorstop. I've been putting it off for far too long, it seems. I love Zusak. His I Am the Messenger is one of my favorite YA novels. Thus, reading The Book Thief comes with expectations. My only wish? That the movie ain't gonna be crappy.

Filipino Friday 2013 #1: An introduction

Filipino Fridays, the only blog meme that I participate in, is back! This wonderful online event is actually part of the activities leading to this year's Filipino ReaderCon, which is happening next month. If you're in Manila on Saturday, 9 November, then I highly suggest that you drop by. There'll be panel discussions with authors and you'd get to meet book bloggers and your fellow bookworms.

There'll be 5 Filipino Friday posts, and this post kicks it off. It's all about introductions! This time, they wanted to shake things up a little bit. So instead of us bloggers just rambling about our love for books and what-not, they asked us to answer this question: What species of book reader are you? Which leads me to the infographic by Laura E. Kelly. See below. (You can click on the image to enlarge it.)

Image source

Oy, the details in this infographic! I die. It then occurred to me how difficult it is to describe my reading habits. I'm all of these: book preserver, book worshipper, hoarder, compulsive book buyer, promiscuous reader, omnireader, sharer screamer, and book clubber.

Also, I think of myself as being "free range." I have an issue with that term actually. It reminds me of organic poultry. Think free-range chickens. Anyway, I do believe that I read almost anything, and I don't really see myself as a genre reader.

Some of my friends see me as a book snob. When I hear this, I tell them one thing: I've read Fifty Shades of Grey, yes, the entire trilogy. I've had my fill of  stories involving spanking, ripped dresses, sex toys, and kinky role play, and I have no qualms sharing them with people who are willing to listen. Bring it on! Now that usually leaves them speechless.

I guess it doesn't really matter what "species" of book reader one is, no? Besides, I hate labels. But if there's one label that I want my big fat ass to be associated with, it's being a reader. Reading rocks. And readers rule.

The last quarter for the book club

2013 has been a great year for the book club that I belong to. We've been quite busy with a whole lot of activities, because, you know, some of us have way too much time on our hands.

Anyway, before this year ends, we still have 3 books to go through (1 for the last 3 months of the year). This month, it's Stephen King's Night Shift, which I'm co-moderating with R. I won't be moderating any discussions next year, so R. and I want to make this one a bit different and memorable.

For November, it's Neil Gaiman's Season of Mists, which is volume 4 of his wonderful Sandman graphic novels. I believe we're going to discuss this during this year's ReaderCon in November. I would be missing the discussion though, as I'll be taking my Italian certification on the same date. Wish me luck!

And last, it's Mario Puzo's The Godfather for December. This actually means that the book club will be having a Godfather-themed Christmas party! Woot! It's still way too early to think of my costume. (I'm thinking of the gay mafia though. Hehehe.)

I've read all 3 books years ago. I love Night Shift, and I found The Godfather quite thrilling. Season of Mists is enjoyable, but it isn't Fables and Reflections, which is still my favorite Sandman volume.

Speaking of wishing me luck for my Italian certification, it's quite amusing how Italians would wish luck on one person. Instead of the morbid "break a leg," they'd say, "In bocca al lupo," which literally translates to "into the mouth of the wolf." And how do you respond to this? You say, "Crepi." It means "die," well, death to the wolf that is. Quite fascinating, yes?

Rhymes with a female body part

Whenever I encounter the name David Sedaris, I immediately think of the Seinfeld episode wherein Seinfeld couldn't remember the name of the woman he's dating. All he has is that the woman's name rhymes with a female body part. Mulva? Mreast? At the end of the episode, he does remember the woman's name, and it's Dolores. Well, Dolores rhymes with Sedaris, yes? Anyway, aside from that, both Seinfeld (the TV show) and Sedaris are dear to me, as they've never failed to make me laugh by making fun out of seemingly everyday situations.

David Sedaris's When You Are Engulfed in Flames has some seriously funny shit. I had an audiobook copy of this title, and it was great hearing David Sedaris himself reading his very personal essays. A few were even recorded live in front of an audience, as I heard lots of guffaws and heartfelt applause from people. What I would give to see and hear Sedaris! Probably an arm and a leg. Or 3 of my fat fingers and toes.

The essays in When You Are Engulfed in Flames are so personal that, if I were in Sedaris's shoes, I would've holed up in a remote town in Albania, or maybe just packed everything to live with Eskimos. The collection, released in 2008, features 22 essays. So that's 22 funny little pieces I listened to on my way to work, while queueing in the bank, and doing the number 2. Looking at the list of these essays, I am amazed at how Sedaris is able to see the humorous and the ridiculous in everything (e.g., while taking a taxi from La Guardia to NYC, strolling along the streets in Paris, taking train rides in Tokyo).

The essays are pretty candid as well. I cringed when his partner, Hugh, pricked his boil and out came tablespoons of pus streaked with blood. I felt a closeness to him when he described his preference for unstylish clothes. Sedaris is my cool gay uncle, the one everyone goes to for advice, the writer who doesn't mind being politically incorrect, the person who chooses to be the wallflower, the absentminded bloke in the corner.

A handful of essays have become my favorites. In "The Understudy," he talks about the babysitter who didn't really do anything till the last few days when his parents were to come back from vacation. "Buddy, Can You Spare a Tie?" debunks the myth that gay guys are born with a fabulous sense of fashion. He talks about his undergraduate days in Princeton in "What I Learned" and his goal of majoring in killing one's parents. Bestiality is the highlight of the uber funny "Town and Country," where a cabdriver also attempts to discuss the importance of "getting pussy" with him.

My favorite would have to be the last piece though, which is entitled "The Smoking Section." This is also the longest essay in When You Are Engulfed in Flames and also the funniest. Sedaris chronicles his attempts to quit smoking by, goodness, moving temporarily to Japan. The title of this book actually came from a warning printed on a card in the hotel where Sedaris and his partner were staying: what should one do when one is engulfed in flames. You gotta hand it to the Japanese.

Sedaris never fails to bring in the laughs. I constantly had to keep myself in check, making sure that I don't laugh out loud while I was on the bus. Although, I think that really happened, twice in fact. I couldn't care less. I had my Sedaris and he was good company.

Read this book if:

1. You know that the best audiobooks are the ones read by the authors themselves.
2. You've quit smoking, and you know how hard it is.
3. Sedaris rhymes with Dolores rhymes with clitoris.

Unclassifiable

Until last month, I've never read a Vonnegut. Yes, I've heard about how awesome Slaughterhouse-Five is, and that Cat's Cradle is one of the novels that everyone should read. I've heard people say that Vonnegut is this, and Vonnegut is that, and that he's an awesome writer, etc. etc. All right, enough already. So last month, I read my first Vonnegut—The Sirens of Titan. And boy oh boy is it good!

First, The Sirens of Titan is one of those novels that somehow defy classification. It does have space- and time-travel, so it must be science fiction. But the science doesn't really do much in the story. It doesn't propel the story in any way, it doesn't provide a comparison with our existing technologies, and it doesn't really showcase alien sciences. It must be satire or black humor then, as Vonnegut seems to make fun of religion, free will, our existing ideologies, and even the military.

In the end though, one asks: "Should we be all concerned with its genre?" No. Because The Sirens of Titan is defined by its story, and its story is one helluva ride in our solar system. The story moves from Earth, to Mars, to the moon, to Mercury, and finally to Titan, one of the moons of Saturn. One is unwise if he or she holds back on the suspension of disbelief. Like most readers who enjoyed the novel I presume, it's better to just enjoy the ride. Vonnegut isn't concerned with the technicalities of space travel; his characters just move fluidly from one world to the next.

Actually, I wouldn't have read The Sirens of Titan if it weren't the September book in the book club. After reading it though, I had no idea that I would be reading 2 more Vonneguts within the same day. That's how talented a writer Vonnegut is. Yes, we lost him in 2007, but thankfully, he was somehow prolific so there are still more novels of his that I would be reading. Woot woot!

The book club discussion was a blast though. As always, it was great to hear differing opinions about a book. The Sirens of Titan is the kind of book that's so ripe for discussion. I had fun reading it, so when asked for my rating, I gave it a 3 out of 5. I know, if I liked it that much, why the 3? Well, it's the shaggy dog that got to me. Vonnegut, you sly bastard—all civilization as we know it existed just to transmit that simple message! Still, I love the fact that Vonnegut was taking his reader for a "ride."

Here are some pics taken by R. during the discussion. Click on each one to enlarge.

The discussion venue was at this aptly themed restaurant.
It was literally filled with SF and fantasy stuff.

I love the candy colors of my edition.
I got my copy from Kinokuniya in Singapore.
The lengths I go through just to get a book!

Prior to the discussion, I wrote some notes.
Somehow, I ended up writing 4 pages.
Oh, the humanity! 

Another thing I love about the Sci-Fi Cafe is that they have books.
And the books are guarded by R2-D2 no less.

R. couldn't get enough of the Nimbus 2000.
Allons-y!
Oops, wrong geek reference.

Joko, the moderator
With Mike's Vonnegut finger puppet
I want! I want! I want!

I was seated next to the gorgeous Anne.
Let me direct your eyes for a moment to what I'm wearing.
It has a Frankenstein owl! Thanks R. for the shirt!

I grew up on Star Wars, so I geek out whenever Star Wars is mentioned.
I would love to have these spacecraft hanging in my room.

Sci-Fi Cafe has a corner filled with costumes that customers can use for photo ops.
Here's Marie with Spock (elven?) ears and wig.
Live long and prosper!

It was a lively discussion indeed.
We're a very opinionated lot, and discussions can last for several hours.
Here's Mike saying something, which I couldn't remember now of course.

Of course, there are times when I completely tune out.
Has been happening more frequently I'm afraid.
I travel along the chrono-synclastic infundibulum.

The Flippers
Look at all the toys in the background!
And that's not even half of what's in the store!
Some of us died.

My turn, again

It's been a while since I last moderated an actual and official book discussion at my book club. Yes, I've been involved in our science fiction read-along, which lasted for a little over a month this year. But there's a certain level of anticipation when one moderates the book club's book of the month.

For October this year, R. and I decided to moderate Stephen King's fantastic collection of short stories entitled Night Shift. It's been a while since I read a Stephen King, even though I had a wonderful King phase during my teenage years. (Didn't we all?) Initially, I thought of The Shining, as it's still one of my favorite horror novels and also because the sequel comes out this year. However, I figured that, since most of the books to be discussed this year by the book club are novels, short stories would definitely provide a refreshing break.

Our first concern was the venue for the discussion. Most of our discussions take place in restaurants that somehow fit the theme of the book. (For instance, we had The Blindness discussion at a Portuguese restaurant.) But R. and I feel that perhaps holding the discussion at a very old house might be a good idea. Fortunately, one of the members know of this very old house with a creepy vibe to it. We're keeping our fingers crossed that we can hold it at that house.

The old house in Pandacan
Here's hoping!

Nevertheless, we do plan to have a jolly good time in the discussion wherever it will be held. Who doesn't love discussing horror stories? I can go on and on talking about the books that scared me as a kid and also why King was instrumental in nurturing my taste for the horror genre.

The inspiration for this photo is the short story entitled "The Boogeyman."
Now that's a story that will have you think twice of opening closets in the dead of night.

Redeemed

Ah, the Printz medal. If a book has been awarded the Printz, even though it's just an honor book (shortlisted for the main award), then it's bound to have a few controversial themes. And A. S. King's Please Ignore Vera Dietz is anything but controversial. I know this is a cliche, but I think it's true and has to be said about King's wonderful young adult—this novel pushes the envelope.

Edgy, that's what Please Ignore Vera Dietz is. But it does have its flaws. Flaws which the reader might tolerate if only for the somewhat different storyline and narrative. So, who the heck is Vera Dietz and why the plea to ignore her? She's the novel's junior high school student protagonist. Vera is a character seeking redemption for her best friend, Charlie Kahn, who's recently died following a tragic incident involving the fire at the local pet shop.

Vera and Charlie have been best friends for so long, but something comes in the way in their friendship, specifically someone named Jenny who becomes Charlie's girlfriend. Vera is what we would call a, pardon the word, slut. She offers oral sex to Charlie who wisely refuses it. However, in an act of stupid revenge so typical of people her age, tells everyone at school that Charlie's father physically abuses her mother. Everything is blamed on Vera, as Charlie was made to believe. Charlie then tells everyone another secret involving Vera—that her mother was once a stripper.

Of course, everything spirals downhill from here. Vera's father a reformed alcoholic, is still hung up on the fact that his wife left them. Vera is probably headed toward the bleak path of alcoholism herself. Hey, if you were forced by your father to work your ass off (full time!) to save for college on top of maintaining an A average, then you'd probably drink yourself to death too. And it doesn't help that alcoholism does indeed run in Vera's family. But hats off to Vera! She decides one day to just simply stop and try to have a "normal" relationship with her father. Now I think that this is one of the novel's flaws. I was surprised that she could just stop. Just. Like. That.

If you're a junior high school student who's best friends with someone whom everyone thinks burned the town's beloved pet shop down and whose mother is actually a stripper, then you'd think that everyone should just ignore you. Something's nagging at Vera though—the thought that she should clear up Charlie's name concerning the fire. She owes it to herself, her dead best friend who she was in love with, and her best friend's family. In the end, she redeems Charlie's name, and when she does, she truly comes of age as she comes to terms with her father and her willingness to have control in her life.

A lot of readers may find it difficult to suspend their disbelief in some of the chapters of Please Ignore Vera Dietz. The chapters wherein we read Vera's thoughts are wonderfully candid. But those that feature the voice of the dead Charlie, the inanimate pagoda, and Vera's father require a bit of work. Sometimes, these chapters aren't believable enough. Plus, Vera's father shares flowcharts on how to deal with certain aspects of life, and these flowcharts feel iffy. They stick out of the novel like a sore thumb. If the point of these flowcharts is to show how methodical Vera's father is in making decisions, all right, they're fine then. Otherwise, they're just a waste of valuable page space.

I did enjoy Please Ignore Vera Dietz though. How ironic to have that title in the book, especially when the character of Vera Dietz, her aspirations, her insecurities, her addiction, her failed love life, and her angst are just so hard to ignore. They're quite compelling to read actually.

Read this book if:

1. You like controversial young adult books.
2. You have a best friend whom you were secretly in love with.
3. You know the importance of redemption.