Bekah’s Bookshelf: The Belgariad and The Mallorean by David and Leigh Eddings

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You can read a bit more about my love of David Eddings on my new blog, here: http://literallynoidea.blogspot.com/2014/09/book-lover.html

But that’s more like my feelings and memories about the book and ways I am a weirdo. I’m here to talk about the actual story and such.

Also, this is going to be a new thing I’ll do. Instead of giving my thoughts on a movie or book I've just seen/read for the first time, I’ll talk about a book or movie I adore. And even when I talk about movies it’ll be called Bekah’s Bookshelf because alliteration.

I first read the Belgariad series in either fifth or sixth grade I think. Since then, I have read both The Belgariad and The Mallorean at least once a year. For those who don’t know, these are two five-book series that take place in the same world and have the same characters. Essentially The Mallorean is a sequel/continuation of The Belgariad. There are also two sort of standalone books called Belgarath the Sorcerer and Polgara the Sorcerers. The first series was written in the early 80s and they’re probably my favorite books in the world.

The plot is pretty simple. The first series is about how a farm boy named Garion learns that he is actually a long-lost king and that he has to kill an evil god to prevent the world from being destroyed. The second series is about how his son has been kidnapped by an evil priestess and he has to rescue him before the child is used to become the ultimate evil. He is joined by a host of characters that fulfill basically every archetype there is, and the books are predictable and almost formulaic in their approach.

And I just love them so much. I don’t really care that you know from page one (assuming you've read the prologue, which you absolutely should for every book) that Garion is the long-lost Rivan King and that his Aunt Pol is actually Polgara the sorceress and daughter of the seven thousand year old sorcerer Belgarath. It also ddoesn'tmatter that the plot isn't totally original; light vs dark, good vs evil, prophecy, normal kid discovers he’s really important. The thing is, you don’t really feel like you’re reading the same old story you've read a thousand times before, even if you have literally read it a thousand times before.

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Full disclosure though, the first book, Pawn of Prophecy is a little rough. It’s very formal and it feels a little cliché at times in some aspects, but once you meet a few more characters, the dialogue and wit help you ignore it as Eddings settles into a style of writing that feels fresh even thirty years after it has been published.

There is just something about the way he describes things and how the characters talk. You feel like you’re in an actual real world with actual real people. Everyone has his or her own voice or personality to the point where you know who is talking without any dialogue tags. The wit is insanely clever and always makes me laugh and smile. I absolutely have to provide my favorite quote from a book ever, even if it is a little long.

“What was that?" Belgarath asked, coming back around the corner.
"Brill," Silk replied blandly, pulling his Murgo robe back on.
"Again?" Belgarath demanded with exasperation. "What was he doing this time?"
"Trying to fly, last time I saw him." Silk smirked.
The old man looked puzzled.
"He wasn't doing it very well," Silk added.
Belgarath shrugged. "Maybe it'll come to him in time."
"He doesn't really have all that much time." Silk glanced out over the edge.
"From far below - terribly far below - there came a faint, muffled crash; then, after several seconds, another. "Does bouncing count?" Silk asked.
Belgarath made a wry face. "Not really."
"Then I'd say he didn't learn in time." Silk said blithely.” 
― David Eddings, Magician's Gambit

Got that from Goodreads.

This quote will never cease to make me smile and giggle a little.

The other thing Eddings is good at is making me cry. I will not spoil anything, even though the books are 30 years old, but a couple characters die. And most of the time when I read that part, I am either choked up or actually crying tears. It is so dumb, but you love the characters so much and it’s just so tragic.

 Maybe it’s just because these are novels from my childhood, but I don’t care. These are good books. Half of what I know about fantasy comes from these books, as well as ideas on how to create unique cultures and races and a pantheon religion. I'm about 80% certain they're the reason my favorite color is blue and my favorite animal is a wolf.

I could go on for a really long time about this, but I will not because it would just become entirely self-indulgent. I will say that although I would love to see an adaptation of the books, unless it gets the Game of Thrones treatment, sans the boobs and language, I don’t think it would work.

I'll have new reviews up soon. I'm moving to Kansas next week though, so it may not be for a few weeks.

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Book Review: Evil Genius by Catherine Jinks

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Review by EmmaOswin

Where do I start? There’s some special about Cadel Piggot. He’s a prodigy, wickedly smart, and socially awkward, though he does learn how to put on a “human suit,” as he grows older, so that he can interact with people, learn their ways. Cadel is fascinated by systems, and while he starts with electronic ones, he quickly evolves to studying human systems. By the time he graduates from high school, he is so well versed in human systems that he can start a single rumor and cause every single person in his school to fail their exit exams.

What does a genius like Cadel do once he’s graduated from high school, a full five years early? Attend an evil university, of course. Evil Genius follows Cadel as he is controlled by his dastardly psychiatrist and imprisoned father, but slowly begins to realize that the path of destruction and mayhem they are leading him down is not the path for him.

I should have begun by saying that I love this book. I’ve read it at least three times, and I cannot get enough of Jinks’ writing. It is witty, cogent, and freakishly smart. And I love that I hate Cadel most of the time. He’s got a soft side, but he’s also entitled and deeply disturbed. The next two books show his ascension our of those two serious character flaws, but in this book, he’s largely a whiny teenager whose only redeeming quality is his friendship with Sonja Pirovic, a mathematical genius hindered by severe cerebral palsy.

Besides the characters (who are both believable and expertly crafted), there is also an overtone of mystery and philosophy to keep older readers interested. Though this a Young Adult novel, it reads great for anyone over the age of thirteen. There is one—I made of a note of it, so yes, just one swear word and I do not think that it is used gratuitously. There is also plenty going on in the story to warrant the length of the book, and I cannot believe it has not yet been made into a movie.

If you are looking for a smart, thrilling read, Evil Genius (and the requisite trilogy), are perfect for you. It does get a little “math-y” at times (Jinks has obviously done her homework), but I don’t think it detracts from the story overall, even though it is beyond my access.

Movie Review: Pacific Rim

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Review by BekahBeth

(BTW this review is kinda just something I threw together so I could jumpstart this blog. I have other, better ones brewing)

Don’t look at me like that. It had to be done. Anyone who has known me recently knows that I have finally seen this movie and I have fallen hard. However, there are probably many people who are reading this (as if many people read this, hah) who have already seen Pacific Rim and love it. So I’ll keep this short and sweet.

Pacific Rim triggers my happy thoughts. I don’t know why. It’s sort of a ridiculous movie. Giant aliens fighting giant robots? Come on. When I first saw the trailer for the movie I thought “Oh that looks cool, but it’s probably going to end up being stupid.” So many of these movies end up being cheesy and dumb and just don’t work.

I don’t really know what it is about this movie, but it just works. And it works well. There are characters with stories and personality, the plot is believable and intelligent, and the pacing is pretty good. There are huge fight scenes, but it’s not like Man of Steel where the fight scenes went on for too long and caused an unnecessary amount of destruction (I mean really. Was it actually necessary for them to fight in space and destroy a satellite?). They even manage to throw some humor into the fight scenes to break them up and keep it peppy. This movie really didn't take itself too seriously, which is probably why it wasn't utterly ridiculous.

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Also, is it too late to get mad about the fact that Pacific Rim wasn’t nominated for an Oscar for their graphics? Because that crap is GORGEOUS. My brother made the point that he was disappointed when he saw the movie because he realized he would never have a screen big enough or sound system good enough to really enjoy it as much as he saw it in theaters. I agree to an extent, but I saw it on a fairly decent sized screen that was high def and the DVD was Blu-Ray, and I think it worked. I do really need to buy the soundtrack though.

It’s not perfect of course. There were several characters that I wish were more developed. The Cherno Alpha and Crimson Typhoon pilots, for instance. I saw so much love for the Russians online, but I can’t even recall their names and the guy had no lines at all. And I saw the three arms on Typhoon and was excited to see them in battle. They made those two sound like they were so great and so strong, but I feel like they got defeated too easily. It was less than impressive.

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Oh and I guess the acting isn't exactly spectacular. Charlie Hunam is great and all, but he sort of overdid it at times. But I mean…does it really matter? The answer is no. No it does not.

There also definitely needed to be more swords. But...that's a personal thing. Swords + Giant Robots = Instant Awesome for me. Like I said, this movie just triggered my happy thoughts. Whenever I saw the giant Kaiju or Jaeger, I just started smiling. I watched it with a fourteen year old girl and she was hiding behind a pillow during the fight sequences, but I was leaning forward on the couch saying "coooooooool" and "awesome!" I am such a five year old.

Also, I just wanted to say that when I saw it I was staying with a family I know and the husband had left with their son so it was just me, the wife, and their daughter. When the men go away, the women will play. By watching a movie about robots and aliens. They even said it was more their kind of movie than the guys'. So guys and girls will enjoy this movie.

The best review I heard was that this is the movie that Michael Bay always thinks he’s making. And that pretty much says it all. 

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Definitely Not Dead

Fear not.

I have not forsaken this project like so many before it. I have simply become busy in my life and am trying to figure out a schedule by which I can get everything done that I want to/need to.

In the (very) near future, I hope to at least have one blog post a week. Once I am handling that, we'll see how it goes from there.

As usual, I am open to any guest submissions you want to give me. I'll even take a recommendation for a book to read or movie to watch!

Thanks. See you soon

<3 BekahBeth

Book Review- Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

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Review by BekahBeth

This is my first review, so bear with me.

Here is a little bit about the plot, in case you have never seen the movie or heard of it. It is a fictional story about a young girl who starts out her life as Sakamoto Chiyo from the small fishing village of Yorido, Japan and becomes a great geisha named Sayuri during World War II. It’s not exactly a tale of a young girl’s dreams coming true, however. Chiyo and her older sister Satsu are sold by their father after their mother becomes very ill. Chiyo is sold to an okiya in the Gion district of Kyoto, and Satsu is sold to a whorehouse in a nearby district. Chiyo is abused, emotionally and physically, by the head geisha in the house, Hatsumomo, and for a while it seemed like she would never become a geisha, even if she had wanted to. When she is fourteen, she is rescued from her life as a maid by the most popular geisha in the Gion district, Mameha, who takes her under her wing. Although she never wanted to be a geisha, it is the life that is forced on her and it is all she has. Like everyone else, she just wants to be happy. However, Mameha tells her “We don’t become geisha so our lives will be satisfying. We become geisha because we have no other choice.” It is a great line that accurately portrays the life Sayuri is forced to live. The question hanging throughout the entire novel is whether or not she will find the happiness and destiny she so desperately wants.

There is a lot that happens in this book, and although I probably could give you the entire story, I’ll let there be some surprises.

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First of all, you will learn a lot of Japanese words while reading this book. You’ll also get a peek into what it was like in Japan before, during, and after World War II. That alone is fascinating to me as a Westerner. There is a lot I didn’t know before I read this book that I found interesting, like the entire geisha culture. Geisha are commonly thought of as prostitutes in the west, but truthfully, they are more like artists and entertainers. They have to learn dancing, music, the art of conversation, and they continue to take advanced lessons even when they are no longer an apprentice. The whole thing is just interesting. There’s nothing like it in America, and really it seems that even in Japan it has changed since the time the book was set.

Now, although geisha are not whores, there IS some sex in the book. However, it needs to be said that even though you know exactly what is going on, it is in no way vulgar. Sayuri grows up not knowing much about sex, so when she finally experiences it, it’s not about passion or lust. It’s entirely emotionless on her end, and she does it as a duty. Like many things in her life, it is something that happens TO her. She describes more her emotional feelings about the experience, and most of the time her attention is somewhere else. Some of the geisha also make some dirty jokes while entertaining men, which are funny but may offend sensitive people.

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This smoothly leads me into a discussion of the language of the book. Simply put, it is stunning. It is told in first person perspective, and Sayuri’s way of describing things is just an art form. The language is remarkably detailed, and you can perfectly see exactly what is going on, down to the last detail. There is description after description of the different kimono being worn, and the way she describes the people she meets is just exquisite. For example, this is how she describes her father: “His face was very heavily creased, and into each crease he had tucked some worry or other, so that it wasn’t really his own face any longer, but more like a tree that had nests of birds in all the branches. He had to struggle to manage it and always looked worn out from the effort.” The whole book has a smooth, comforting voice that you can just slip into without any trouble at all.

It should be a *little* obvious right now, but I loved this book. Is it perfect? Of course not. I can’t speak to the historical accuracy, and there has been some disagreement about that, but that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy the story. As I said, the language is just so perfect. It sucked me into a world that is so different from my own that I should have felt way out of my depth, but I didn’t. Thanks to Sayuri’s striking language, I felt right at home. It’s got a love story arch to it that makes the girly girl inside me giggle, and it is also so raw that I felt very strongly for the characters. Sayuri’s life sucks, man, and so do the lives of almost all of the geisha in the story. Sayuri is beaten, constantly tortured emotionally, and forced to endure things that no little girl should. And then, when she is finally having success and things don’t suck terribly, World War II happens and her life is uprooted again. It’s a story of living life with the cards you are dealt and trying to do the best you can. It absolutely should be read in schools, and I will definitely be rereading this throughout my life.

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Lastly, I’ll talk about the movie adaptation. It’s really good. Yes, it condenses a lot of stuff and takes things out and it even makes some small changes, but here’s my thing about movies based off of books: You will never have a perfect adaptation. For a variety of reasons. In this case, it’s just because they HAD to condense the events to make it fit into a story. The book spends the first three chapters talking about events in her life in Yorido, but in the movie it happens within a minute. Because it had to. The movie takes the important parts and leaves the unnecessary bits behind. If you don’t want to read the book, watch the movie. And yes, I know that a lot of the actors in the movie are Chinese and there was controversy over that, but apparently not a lot of Japanese actors actually auditioned for it. And the Chinese actors in the movie are apparently more popular in Japan than Japanese ones. Plus, the movie is in English, so whatever. Most people can’t tell the physical differences between Japanese and Chinese people anyway.

In summary: Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden is a GREAT book. Some sex scenes, but they are artfully done. The only language you need to worry about is Japanese, and there is no violence other than some discussion about bombings in World War II. A definite read.

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Welcome Post

Hey there! This is my review blog, which is Definitely Not a Library.

I’m not entirely sure where I’m going with this. I just wanted to start sharing my thoughts about the different books, movies, etc, that currently control my life. I guess I think I have interesting opinions or something? But yeah, these probably won’t always be the newest things out there because I be broke, but I don’t really mind. That's all I got for now on what what's going to be here. I'll have a more comprehensive post about it later after I figure a few things out.

Oh, and it won’t always just be me, hopefully. If anyone has a review they would like to have here, just let me know. But at least wait until I have one of my own up. Which should be relatively soon. I’ll be reviewing Memoirs of a Geisha. The book, although I may include a comparison to the movie.

This blog is NOT spoiler-free.

Thanks! See ya around.

Oh, and if you want to see more stuff I like, feel free to check out my Tumblr:

definitelynotalibrary.tumblr.com

Please note that this is my personal Tumblr and I reblog whatever I want.