Is it me, or is the audience dying to get up and dance on this one?
The Boss looks like he's gonna cry. This song is from Springsteen's 9-11 album, so I think Sting gave it the right treatment.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Review of That Guernsey Potato Book
It's hard to do your own writing when you sit around all day reading everyone else's.
Today I read and finished The Guernsey Literary and Potato Pie Society. It was written by an 80-something year old woman, and after she got the book deal the editor wanted substantial revisions which she wasn't healthy enough to do. So her niece (the coauthor) did those. I don't know what the revisions were, but it might account for the uneven tone of the book.
- For those who didn't like the book, they complain about it being too light. That wasn't at all a problem for me, I love light. Adore light. I'm pretty light myself.
- There was some Serious Wit in the first half. Unfortunately once the heroine goes to Guernsey most of this peters out.
- Some have criticized the lack of research, and some reviews by Guernsey people say it really shows. I agree with one amazon dude who said the letters (the book is all letters) sounded American. There were a couple letters written by Guernsey working class or farmer types, and when I read them I caught myself having a southern American accent in my head. It was really hard to switch. I eventually managed to squeeze in some sort of pseudo-Scottish accent. But Guernsians have/had their own patois, and it's not reflected in the book at all--not even the occasional tossed in word.
- So don't read it as a history book. For that, you're better off with a Connie Willis, who researches like a mad woman, and spends years crafting her books. She's also really good at tackling serious topics without (a) veering off into a really dense, literary style like Toni Morrisson or Nadine Gordimer who are hard to read; and (b) without veering off in the other direction, to the sentimental. She knows how to create a sense of profound sadness.
- I think the author sometimes tackled topics that are waaaaay to huge to attempt within the confines of a little book. A couple of her characters end up in concentration camps, and I just don't think you can do those experiences justice in a couple letters. It wasn't unrealistic to send a couple characters there, but I would just leave it at that--knowing where they went would have been more horrifying than trying to describe it in a few pages. We all know. One Guernsey amazon-reviewer felt she didn't do justice to the hardships people faced in Guernsey, and for that I would again recommend Connie Willis. That's her specialty!
- And a final negative note, there's one character whom all the other characters talk about, but who's absent, and she is a Class A "Mary Sue" -- that is, someone too good to be true. Holy crap, this woman should have been beatified. I find characters more heroic when they still come with their annoyances and flaws. I found this with The Book of Negroes too, which was also immensely popular, and also recommended by Heather Reisman (CEO of Indigo Books -- she's a huuuge reader.) So there are a lot of bigger-than-life hero lovers around... they just don't seem to populate the science fiction fantasy web boards where being called a Mary-Jane is like the kiss of death.
- But I enjoyed the book to the end anyway because it was just like a 1940s movie, or a Jeanette McDonald, Nelson Eddy musical. I pictured Irene Dunne and Gary Cooper. It's a book for people who like romantic comedies, really.
Today I read and finished The Guernsey Literary and Potato Pie Society. It was written by an 80-something year old woman, and after she got the book deal the editor wanted substantial revisions which she wasn't healthy enough to do. So her niece (the coauthor) did those. I don't know what the revisions were, but it might account for the uneven tone of the book.
- For those who didn't like the book, they complain about it being too light. That wasn't at all a problem for me, I love light. Adore light. I'm pretty light myself.
- There was some Serious Wit in the first half. Unfortunately once the heroine goes to Guernsey most of this peters out.
- Some have criticized the lack of research, and some reviews by Guernsey people say it really shows. I agree with one amazon dude who said the letters (the book is all letters) sounded American. There were a couple letters written by Guernsey working class or farmer types, and when I read them I caught myself having a southern American accent in my head. It was really hard to switch. I eventually managed to squeeze in some sort of pseudo-Scottish accent. But Guernsians have/had their own patois, and it's not reflected in the book at all--not even the occasional tossed in word.
- So don't read it as a history book. For that, you're better off with a Connie Willis, who researches like a mad woman, and spends years crafting her books. She's also really good at tackling serious topics without (a) veering off into a really dense, literary style like Toni Morrisson or Nadine Gordimer who are hard to read; and (b) without veering off in the other direction, to the sentimental. She knows how to create a sense of profound sadness.
- I think the author sometimes tackled topics that are waaaaay to huge to attempt within the confines of a little book. A couple of her characters end up in concentration camps, and I just don't think you can do those experiences justice in a couple letters. It wasn't unrealistic to send a couple characters there, but I would just leave it at that--knowing where they went would have been more horrifying than trying to describe it in a few pages. We all know. One Guernsey amazon-reviewer felt she didn't do justice to the hardships people faced in Guernsey, and for that I would again recommend Connie Willis. That's her specialty!
- And a final negative note, there's one character whom all the other characters talk about, but who's absent, and she is a Class A "Mary Sue" -- that is, someone too good to be true. Holy crap, this woman should have been beatified. I find characters more heroic when they still come with their annoyances and flaws. I found this with The Book of Negroes too, which was also immensely popular, and also recommended by Heather Reisman (CEO of Indigo Books -- she's a huuuge reader.) So there are a lot of bigger-than-life hero lovers around... they just don't seem to populate the science fiction fantasy web boards where being called a Mary-Jane is like the kiss of death.
- But I enjoyed the book to the end anyway because it was just like a 1940s movie, or a Jeanette McDonald, Nelson Eddy musical. I pictured Irene Dunne and Gary Cooper. It's a book for people who like romantic comedies, really.
"I'm on Fire" performed by Ben Harper and Jennifer Nettles (of Sugarland)
Makes me think of Morris Day in Purple Rain: "This song ain't for everybody, just the sexy people!"
What I'm reading now...
Now I'm reading The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. It's about life on the Channel Islands during WW2, as the only part of Britain to be occupied by the Germans. So far all I can say is... it's really interesting (the perfect complement to Willis' book) and it's much wittier than I expected!
It's a series of letters, in 1946, between a writer and her publisher / best friend / publicist / this Literary Society in Guernsey / and other people.
Here are a few choice witticisms:
Publisher to our heroine (re the public readings she's doing): "Having witnessed your electrifying performance of 'The Shepherd Boy Sings in the Valley of Humiliation' eighteen years ago, I know you will have every listener coiled around your little finger within moments. A hint: perhaps in this case, you should refrain from throwing the book at the audience when you finish." Her reply: "I did not throw 'The Shepherd Boy Sings in the Valley of Humiliation' at the audience. I threw it at the elocution mistress. I meant to cast it at her feet, but I missed."
The publicist to the publisher: "Don't believe the newspaper reports. Juliet was not arrested, and taken away in handcuffs. ... She did throw a teapot at Gilly Gilbert's head, but don't believe his claim that she scalded him; the tea was cold. Besides, it was more of a skim-by than a direct hit."
American guy to our heroine: "I don't suppose you have a telephone, do you?" Her reply: "I do have a telephone. It's in Oakley Street under a pile of rubble that used to be my flat. I'm only sub-letting here, and my landlady, Mrs. Olive Burns, possesses the sole telephone on the premises. If you would like to chat with her, I can give you her number."
Our heroine to her best friend: "Your questions regarding that gentlemen are very delicate, very subtle, very much like being smacked in the head with a mallet."
Monday, February 1, 2010
I've been enjoying Kool and the Gang lately (Get your back up off the wall! Dance! Come on!)
And I didn't even know how kool their videos were til I made this post!
Misled--awesome video because:
1. Good moral message (stay away from white girls)
2. Old Indiana gets the beats for stealing other country's treasures
3. Kool's gang dances, even when they're just getting out of a car
Song: "Fresh"
Someone in this band had to be a sci fi geek.
I read recently that the going-sans-trousers (à la Lady Gaga) came from the 80s (Solid Gold) and they're right! We didn't even wear bottoms at balls in the 80s. Way to get the Prince to notice you.
The other videos kinda pale after that. But still great songs to make sophisticated mamas wanna get their backs up off the wall and dance.
Victory
Ladies Night
Get Down On It
Misled--awesome video because:
1. Good moral message (stay away from white girls)
2. Old Indiana gets the beats for stealing other country's treasures
3. Kool's gang dances, even when they're just getting out of a car
Song: "Fresh"
Someone in this band had to be a sci fi geek.
I read recently that the going-sans-trousers (à la Lady Gaga) came from the 80s (Solid Gold) and they're right! We didn't even wear bottoms at balls in the 80s. Way to get the Prince to notice you.
The other videos kinda pale after that. But still great songs to make sophisticated mamas wanna get their backs up off the wall and dance.
Victory
Ladies Night
Get Down On It
a wee bit of Grammy musing
* I didn't watch the Grammies this year, so I'm checking out the winners. Looks like "Use Somebody" got a few awards, which I approve--fantastic song, and the whole album is great.
* Jay-Z did well too, which I think is deserved. He's one of those guys who's been around for awhile, but hasn't tapped out his potential yet.
* Don't know why Taylor Swift won so much, but I'm not a country expert.
* Oh look--one of the old Am Idolers got a gospel album nomination (Mandisa.)
* Wow, I didn't know there were so many Mexican/Latin categories.
* ...Hawaiian music. Cool.
* Native American music... this is a weird category because compare this guy who won, and one of the runners-up. It's... Buffy Ste. Marie meets Zamfir.
* Best Album Notes. ...Now there's an art form that iTunes is kind of killing.
* Too bad Beast didn't win for the "Mr Hurricane" video--they're Montreal based, and it's a cool song and video. The chorus is fun to sing. (Here's an article on how they made the video, and their one hope that if they won the Grammy, Kanye would come onstage and tell them they didn't deserve it.)
* But I don't get Beyoncé's "Ring On It" win for best female R&B vocal performance. I'm in for it winning best R&B song, but not for vocal perf. Anyone could have sung this song. It's not a vocalist's song. It's not the song you're going to sing on American Idol if you want to show that you're better than the competition, unlike Alicia Keys' "Fallin'" which they actually had to ban from Am Idol auditions. It's both hard to sing, and requires the ability to emote--which I would expect in an R&B performance, and which "Single Ladies" doesn't really provide.
If there were no other strong contenders this year, then I'd shrug away the Beyoncé win, cause she does sing well. But I LOVED two of the other nominees, and listened to them way more than I listened to B. this year --> Jazmine Sullivan, and Melanie Fiona. Here are the songs they were nominated for, but they prove their vocal-interesting-ness on lots of other songs.
Sullivan
(And here's her "Bust Your Windows" which they covered on Glee. Sullivan gives it a great emotional build-up, from "angry but cooool" to "fuck you I'm HURT! (sobs uncontrollably)"
And here's Fiona. This isn't my fave song, but the one nominated.
I love this one (I love the way she sing "I'm on a rESperAAAterr! whenever he leaves")
And this one (where she cheerfully sings: "I'm gonna make it hell in your liiife...")
Though I'll give her credit for that low note on "Halo" I'd be more likely to listen to her new album while doing something already-pleasant, like reading a book. It's tune-out music. Whereas I'd pull out Sullivan or Fiona for doing the dishes.
Anyway, lots of great women performers this year.
* Jay-Z did well too, which I think is deserved. He's one of those guys who's been around for awhile, but hasn't tapped out his potential yet.
* Don't know why Taylor Swift won so much, but I'm not a country expert.
* Oh look--one of the old Am Idolers got a gospel album nomination (Mandisa.)
* Wow, I didn't know there were so many Mexican/Latin categories.
* ...Hawaiian music. Cool.
* Native American music... this is a weird category because compare this guy who won, and one of the runners-up. It's... Buffy Ste. Marie meets Zamfir.
* Best Album Notes. ...Now there's an art form that iTunes is kind of killing.
* Too bad Beast didn't win for the "Mr Hurricane" video--they're Montreal based, and it's a cool song and video. The chorus is fun to sing. (Here's an article on how they made the video, and their one hope that if they won the Grammy, Kanye would come onstage and tell them they didn't deserve it.)
* But I don't get Beyoncé's "Ring On It" win for best female R&B vocal performance. I'm in for it winning best R&B song, but not for vocal perf. Anyone could have sung this song. It's not a vocalist's song. It's not the song you're going to sing on American Idol if you want to show that you're better than the competition, unlike Alicia Keys' "Fallin'" which they actually had to ban from Am Idol auditions. It's both hard to sing, and requires the ability to emote--which I would expect in an R&B performance, and which "Single Ladies" doesn't really provide.
If there were no other strong contenders this year, then I'd shrug away the Beyoncé win, cause she does sing well. But I LOVED two of the other nominees, and listened to them way more than I listened to B. this year --> Jazmine Sullivan, and Melanie Fiona. Here are the songs they were nominated for, but they prove their vocal-interesting-ness on lots of other songs.
Sullivan
(And here's her "Bust Your Windows" which they covered on Glee. Sullivan gives it a great emotional build-up, from "angry but cooool" to "fuck you I'm HURT! (sobs uncontrollably)"
And here's Fiona. This isn't my fave song, but the one nominated.
I love this one (I love the way she sing "I'm on a rESperAAAterr! whenever he leaves")
And this one (where she cheerfully sings: "I'm gonna make it hell in your liiife...")
Though I'll give her credit for that low note on "Halo" I'd be more likely to listen to her new album while doing something already-pleasant, like reading a book. It's tune-out music. Whereas I'd pull out Sullivan or Fiona for doing the dishes.
Anyway, lots of great women performers this year.
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