switch gears. (Reading Response #4)

"Imagine Holmes so far gone in cocaine-induced paranoia that he insists oysters will overrun the earth... sheer fun." -New York Daily News

With the disappointment of Plugged still fresh in mind, I turn again to Sherlock Holmes, to a mystery. Not - this time - to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's work, but instead to Nicolas Meyer. I've heard of this book and how good it is, and how much the same (while being an alternate take on Holmes) it is to Doyle's style and characterization.

I've also learned (by reading the first few pages) that Meyer has "discovered" other "lost journals" of Watson, and I may be persuaded to check those out as well. (One deals with Jack the ripper, the other with the Phantom of the Opera. Murder mysteries, can't live without them.)

This book is written as though Watson was a real person, and this was truly a rediscovered piece of his adventures with Holmes. The foreword contains a "letter" to Meyer from his uncle, who discovered this manuscript in an attic of a house he just bought. An attic is a rather appropriate place to find an abandoned copy of Watson's journal, of part of his life. Don't get it? Here:

“I consider that a man's brain originally is like a little empty attic, and you have to stock it with such furniture as you choose. A fool takes in all the lumber of every sort that he comes across, so that the knowledge which might be useful to him gets crowded out, or at best is jumbled up with a lot of other things, so that he has a difficulty in laying his hands upon it. Now the skillful workman is very careful indeed as to what he takes into his brain-attic. He will have nothing but the tools which may help him in doing his work, but of these he has a large assortment, and all in the most perfect order. It is a mistake to think that that little room has elastic walls and can distend to any extent. Depend upon it there comes a time when for every addition of knowledge you forget something that you knew before. It is of the highest importance, therefore, not to have useless facts elbowing out the useful ones.” - Sherlock Holmes, A Study in Scarlet

I love this quote, and I agree with it. The brain is a precious thing and shouldn't be filled with (too much) unimportant drivel (of course, something important to one can be ridiculous to know for another).

Whether a coincidence or intended metaphor, it made me respect the author within the first few pages of the book. Although my schedule is quite busy, I do believe that I will make time to read this novel.

Cheers,
Michelle

know when to give up. (Reading Response: #3 Plugged)

"Letting go doesn't mean giving up, but rather accepting that things cannot be." - Anonymous

It's a sad thing that happens to everyone. Well, everyone who reads often. They get excited about a certain book. They've heard of its reputation, it's author, and they have high expectations.

Too high.

This is what happens with me and Plugged. I love Eoin Colfer, I love his books, and I was so excited to read this.

As with the first Artemis Fowl book, I thought that this was just a slow starter. I'm a fourth of the way in and it still hasn't picked up.

That's a bit too slow.

Then the language - I realize that this Is a novel written for adults, but I don't know many sailors who cuss so frequently. The imagery is almost off in this book, like I'm watching a low-quality film that never ends and has no music.

The narration is okay, but everytime something somewhat exciting happens, or an actual plot begins to form, the chapter ends and the next starts really slow again, usually in a reflective mood. Boring much?

I tried. I really tried but I was so distracted by my own criticism of this book that I can't bear to read more. Maybe I'll pick it up somewhere down the road, maybe it'll end up on EBay, of its fate I am not sure.

Of my fate? I see myself reading something different, very soon.

Cheers,
Michelle.

Dear Mr. Colfer...

A monkey even.

Be afraid. They'll have to slow down to catch up with the pace of this book.

Oh, Eoin, stick to Young Adult novels.

solve crimes. (Reading Response #2: Plugged)

Eoin Colfer's Plugged, his first novel for adults, follows the adventure of Dan McEvoy, an ex-soldier that served in the Irish army. Dan is now living in New Jersey working for a casino as a balding bouncer, soon to be involved in a serious mystery.

As a big fan of Eoin (pronounced like Owen) Colfer's work, I was very excited to pick up this book. I had first read the Artemis Fowl Series and many of his other books including The Supernaturalist, Half-Moon Investigations, Airman and The Wish List. As I read and enjoyed all of these works, I decided to pick up a copy of Plugged and now I finally have the time and reason to read it.

As I mentioned earlier, Dan is a balding forty-something year old. He is rather vain about his looks and almost constantly wears a hat. He tries hair-loss treatment - an act that gets him into this mystery. A lot of things have happened, and will happen, to Dan. He's survived wars, and now he has to survive the murder of his girlfriend and disappearance of his doctor, among others.

This book (so far, as I haven't gotten too far in) is a story of vanity. Dan is constantly worried about his hair and how he looks. Dan is a very sarcastic and cynical person, traits that only shine in his conversation and inner monologue. I'm not sure if I entirely like this story yet, the plot is setting itself up to be rather ordinary - but no book is new, they're just the same old stories regurgitated in a different way.

Be that as it may, Eoin Colfer's work is very readable and relatable. Reading this makes me want to go back and read about Artemis Fowl again. I recommend any of Colfer's books (particularly the ones shown below) to all of you.

Cheers,

Michelle

not pictured: Airman (another great book)

deduce things. (Reading Response #1: A Study in Scarlet)

"There's the scarlet thread of murder running though the colourless skein of life, and our duty is to unravel it, and isolate it, and expose every inch of it."        - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, A Study in Scarlet

A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The first Sherlock Holmes story. And how cool is that cover? I've been rather obsessed with Sherlock Holmes since the first movie with Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law. Then I discovered the BBC drama Sherlock and became more entranced by this detective and his adventures. I read The Hound of the Baskervilles. I've seen many of the old black-and-white movies as well, and I loved them. I bought the Complete Series (part I) from Barnes and Noble and I fully intended on reading the stories earlier this year, but life got in the way. Finally, I can focus and read, straight from Doyle's stories.

Sherlock, the BBC series starring Benedict Cumberbatch
 as Sherlock and Martin Freeman as John.

The story, for those of you who don't know, follows the first adventure of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson together. Holmes is the world's first consulting detective, a job he created, and he does freelance work with Scotland Yard and private clients. He solves clueless murders, find long-lost things and generally outsmarts everyone in the room. Watson, his friend and colleague, is a former army doctor. He assists Holmes on cases, and then writes about them (which is what we read.)

The first few pages were things I already knew: How Watson met Holmes, and I already know the plot of their first investigation together. Reading the true story, however, is so much better. Watson describes himself as lazy! That caught me by surprise, since he was just out of the military. In Afghanistan, he had been wounded and brought home. Wounded where? And to what extent? Doyle never really says. Sometimes it is his shoulder that pains him, other times it's his leg.

Whatever scene I am reading, the fangirl inside of me is happy. After years of watching Watson and Holmes on TV or the big screen, I know so much about these stories but the book has the real stuff, the details I've missed out on.

From the little that I have read about Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, mysteries weren't his favorite things to write. He preferred romance, and yet his Holmes-and-Watson stories were what captured everyone's heart. After many stories and books on the duo, he attempted to kill off Holmes and end his stories forever. The fans, on the other hand, didn't think that this was the best thing to do. So Doyle brought him back (that story will be in part II). I'm quite excited to read more, and I plan on reading all of these adventures eventually. Right now, I'm just happy to read A Study in Scarlet.

Cheers,

Michelle

blog for comp.

To anyone stumbling across this blog, here's what's crackin'.
I made this web log for my Comp class, that is, my Composition and Grammar class. Notice the sub title "keep calm and..." It corresponds directly to the post title: "blog for comp," making a full sentence. See how clever I am?
I'm a senior in high school, a thinker, a dreamer, a reader, a hoper. I'm cynical, I despise small talk and I happen to be hilarious. I love to knit, play the viola, read fiction and write almost anything.
This blog will be a record of the books I read this year and my reactions to them. I hope you'll gain something from this, and if not, I hope you enjoy the pretty pictures I may post.
Cheers,
Michelle