Stephen King...Just Do It.

     Everyone has that one book series they turn to when they feel indulgent.  Like a piece of chocolate cake, that book is there for you when you're stressed, when you're sad, feeling anxious or upset, and you slip into it like a glove.  You're familiar with the author's writing style- so familiar that it seems, at times, as though they are writing only to you.  You soak in their every word, and the book is a source of comfort for you.  

     For me, that book is not one specific title, with one specific protagonist or villain or setting.  That book is any book written by Stephen King.

     Stephen King is not who most people would go to for their comfort reading.  His stories are gripping and suspenseful- the events that take place in his novels are often shocking and gruesome.  Stephen King goes there- he knows fear like Jane Austen knows dry, British men, weaving stories that are complex and terrifying.  Stephen King's stories are the kind of stories that keep you up at night, that make even the most bold toss and turn anxiously.  But to me, they provide a sort of comfort.  Sinking into a Stephen King novel  is akin to being wrapped in an old, familiar quilt.  To me, it feels safe and soothing.

     You're probably wondering what kind of a sick, twisted person I am to find comfort in pets being reanimated from the dead, in killer clowns.  The answer lies in Stephen King's writing style itself- his writing style is unique and engaging.  I have never read a book written in a style even comparable to Stephen King's- his writing is informative yet subtly beautiful- it is twisted at times but disarmingly complex and both smooth and choppy when appropriate.

     Stephen King is an immensely talented writer who has managed to continuously satisfy his readers by coming up with fresh, original plotlines.  His protagonists are always relatable, and his ability to make them feel accessible to the reader works to his advantage- the reader follows the protagonist's progression into insanity or paranoia and the ride is believable.  

     So, the next time you're seeking comfort, put down the Nicholas Sparks tear-jerker and the bowl of ice-cream.  Sink your teeth, instead, into something much more gripping.  You won't regret it.

Why Harry Potter is Freaking Awesome

     Harry Potter.  The name invokes some kind of a reaction, whether positive or negative, disdainful or praising, excited or decidedly complacent.  In some way, the boy with the lightning bolt scar has impacted us- whether it is because he sparked our interest in reading, or because we determinedly avoid everything related to this literary phenomenon.  Fan or not, I could care less.  I'm going to take this blog entry to remind you of a mere handful of reasons why Harry Potter has rocked my world since 1997.

1.  Hogwarts is sick.  Seriously, the Great Hall?  Platters upon platters of food that sounds amazing and is constantly refilling itself- count me in.  The moving staircases, the portraits that talk, the ghosts, the secret passageways, the sweet*ss common rooms and the fact that you need a password to get into your dorm (rather than an ID card or a room key, both of which I have struggled to keep track since I got them), the whole place just sounds incredible.

2.  Ron and Hermione are the coolest.  Ron is such a bro- he has an excellent sense of humor, is loyal to a fault, and has the craziest family of all time.  Hermione on the other hand is brainy but still retains a cool element- she always keeps her head and has an emotional capacity that triples that of the boys.  Together, the three of them form this group of friends that is definitely enviable- they are always in it together and epitomize the idea of true friendship.

3.  The villains are convincing.  Voldemort is a crazy-*ss motherfather, but I love reading about his antics.  His dialogue in interesting and original, and his rivalry with Harry is not overly drawn-out like so many other villain-protagonist relationships.

4.  J.K Rowling keeps it fresh.  There were no books in the series I considered "weak" compared to the others.  Each was equally "spell-binding" (ha, ha) and was comprised of an original plot and the addition of original, unique characters.  

5.  Harry Potter is the man.  He doesn't conform, he has been through a lot yet manages to keep his head up, he is goal-oriented, talented, athletic, and smart (okay, maybe I do have a slight crush on a book character).  

You get the picture.  Harry Potter is an amazing series that has impacted our society and grown into something of a literary phenomenon, and it's easy to see why.

Entry III

So, for this week I decided I'm going to mix things up a bit and instead of recommending a book, advise you to refrain from reading a book.  So, here's my DO NOT READ THIS book of the week.


TWILIGHT by Stephenie Meyer

DO NOT READ THIS BOOK.  DON'T DO IT.  IF IT'S TOO LATE, TRY TO ERASE THE MEMORY OF THIS BOOK FROM YOUR LITERARY REPERTOIRE.  IF YOU OWN THE BOOK BUT HAVE NOT YET READ IT, DONATE IT TO THE NEAREST USED BOOKSTORE OR BONFIRE PIT.  IF YOU HAVE NEVER READ THE BOOK, ACT OFFENDED BY MERE MENTION OF IT AND WEAR T-SHIRTS TO BOOKSTORES EXCLAIMING DRASTIC MESSAGES ALONG THE LINES OF "NEVER READ TWILIGHT, EVER" 

     Okay, so you may be wondering why I am so passionate about this.  I, Amanda Ascoli, have indeed read Twilight.  In fact, I got all the way to Breaking Dawn one particularly rainy beach vacation before I woke up and realized the literary crime I was committing.  It took my dad pulling the book out of my hands and reading an excerpt aloud to me before I realized how terrible the writing was, how unrealistic the dialogue and how ridiculous the characters were.  Twilight is some sort of odd literary crack.  It's as though Stephenie Meyer has roofied her readers so that they can't get enough of her mediocre writing, and, in turn, enough of Robert Pattinson's pale and sickly looking visage.  Don't even get me started on Kristen Stewart (1-800-TERRIBLEACTOR).  

    I'll give it to Stephenie Meyer- the chick is creative.  Her storyline is definitely...original.  Girl moves to depressing small town, girl meets boy, girl falls in love with boy, boy is vampire, girl meets other boy, other boy is werewolf and rival of vampire boy, girl is forced to choose between skinny pale guy and ripped tan guy (and makes the wrong decision, as far as I'm concerned), girl marries vampire, girl gives birth to vampire child, girl becomes vampire, former werewolf flame falls in love with vampire baby, everyone lives happily every after is not exactly a storyline we've all heard before.  So mad props, Steph, for your creativity.

    But come on.  Edward, the boy-vampire that has adolescents and middle-aged women alike swooning over his antics isn't even that great.  He's hyper-protective, in one scene going as far as buckling Bella's seatbelt for her.  Seriously?  If some guy tried to buckle my seatbelt for me I'd let him know what's up.  He basically forbids her from hanging out with werewolf hottie/super fun friend Jacob because of petty jealousy disguised as "looking out for Bella's best interests."  And Bella loves it!  She eats it up!  The hyper-protectiveness, all of it.  The coolest thing Edward does is drive a kick*ss car, and yeah, I get it, I wouldn't mind rolling up to my high school in one of those bad boys either.  But his controlling tendencies and over-the-top protectiveness are demeaning and suggest Bella is lesser and weaker than he is.  His constant worry about the her decisions is indicative of a lack of trust.

    And then...they get married.  At ages 18 and 17.  With no plans to attend college.  Cool, guys.  Oh, except I guess you're going to live forever so you'll have plenty of time to attend college...sweet.  I'm so jealous you're going to live forever and have to watch everyone you know and love die and you are possessive of super powers that give you a strength that can kill people.  Damn.  Wish I was a vampire...oh wait, I don't.  And then Bella, in a weird twist, gets pregnant, and the whole thing goes all vampire Teen Mom, all the while being written in a style that is elementary and over-descriptive.

   I think I've made my point.  Twilight...just don't do it.

Entry Nombre Deux

Kick@ss Book of the Week: Evening by Susan Minot

"She was pulling a rope out of the water and knew it was coming to the end when the barnacles started to appear and they became more think and clustered. Then it was strangely peaceful and the sound was turned off. She stood at the bow of a ship. If only she could have stood this way above the water and really breathed and let the waves go by like pages being turned and watched everything more closely and chosen things more carefully then she might have been able to read the spirit within herself and would not have spent her life as if she were only halfway in it.

For a moment she felt an astonishing brilliance and heat and light and all of herself flared up and the vibration after sixty-five years was not weakened by time but more dense then suddenly it was as if the flame had caught the flimsiest piece of paper for it flickered up and flew into the air then quickly sank down withered into a thin cinder of ash which blew off, inconsequential. Her life had not been long enough for her to know the whole of herself, it had not been long enough or wide."

Impressed?  Entranced? Engaged, enlightened, enthralled?  Cold and a little hungry?  If you are experiencing any of the aforementioned feelings after reading the provided excerpt from Evening, I sympathize.  Susan Minot’s writing style is almost liquid- it flows elegantly and effortlessly, her diction is exquisite and her voice distinct.  You’ll love this book, and if you don’t, feel free to use it as firewood or food (you said you were cold and hungry, I’m just tryna help a brotha out). 

I initially bought this book because I watched "Evening" late one night when I wasn’t wearing my contacts and thought the movie title was “Enchanted.”  When no one was singing or dancing, I caught on- this is not "Enchanted."  But its pretty freaking good.

When the movie ended, I saw every English major’s favorite words flash before me in the credits: “Based on the novel by _________.”  In this case, as mentioned before, it was Susan Minot, and I set out to buy the book right away.

I was not disappointed.  This book draws you in without being shocking or edgy- it has a resonating simplicity paradoxically coupled with a moving complexity.  The characters are original and memorable, the dialogue realistic and enhancing to the novel as a whole.

I’m not one for spoilers- ever since 2005 when I returned home from Barnes & Noble, overjoyed at the crisp new copy of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince I held in my hands, and received a call from a friend (after the events of that fateful day I refrained from using such an affectionate title to describe our relationship) asking had I “gotten to the part where Dumbledore died?”  Needless to say, I hung up the phone immediately and retired to my room, muttering some pretty aggressive things for a 13 year-old.  So, I’m not going to spoil it for you, but I will give you a bit of a “trailer”- the novel follows the life of Ann Lord, switching back and forth between her laying in her bed as an old woman, dying and typically in a semi-hallucinatory state, and Ann Lord as a young woman, attending the wedding of a close friend. 

**NOT A SPOILER** but more of a warning, or remarking: when Ann Lord is old, things get trippy.  The writing style changes and is very choppy and follows a streams of consciousness style.  It kinda freaked me out at first, because it appeared to bend the rules of literature my senior year AP English teacher had ingrained in me (her attitude was something along the lines of if its not Jane Austen, don’t read it, and if you intend to write something that wouldn’t be approved by an avid Jane Austen fan or Jane Austen herself, just don’t do it).  But it broadened my mind as far as how one can write, and write well.

So- read it.  Do it.  You’ll love it.