new, yellow, different

I Am Legend

Finished (and yet didn't finish) reading I Am Legend last night. I say finished because I did, and yet I say didn't finish because the book I Am Legend consists of several stories, of which "I Am Legend" is one.

So, I finished the story, but not the book. Don't know that I want to finish the rest of the book. I'm not really interested right now. The stories read like those stories you see on Tales from the Crypt. Just not my cup of tea right now.

I did however read the story following "I Am Legend" that my brother recommended. This story was called "Buried Talent" and was exceptionally bizarre; it was about some random dude in a wrinkled suit that goes to the ping pong ball and fish bowl booth at the fair. I'll leave it at that for those of you who haven't read it.

Regarding "I Am Legend": I didn't know what to really feel about this story. I'm not going to go into elaborate detail about the story because it frustrates me when people ruin books and movies. They always say something like, "Oh, that book is great, the guy [fill in the blank here] in the end." Or, "Are you to the part yet where the kid dies?" Or, "You probably won't see it so...[elaborate retelling of story complete with sound effects]." Or, "I couldn't believe she died at the end." Or, etc...

I'm still trying to deal with accidently finding out what happens at the end of A Tale of Two Cities. I was flipping through the channels, stopped on one station for about 10 seconds, but that was all it took. It was one of those movies of teenage angst, slightly old school, which is to say a late 80s if not early 90s take (shoot, it could have been older; I don't know). It was one of those moments when the bad ass kid stands up one day in the classroom and spouts his knowledge making you feel all hunky dory about knowledge's affect on roudy youth. So, this dude says it; yep, says exactly in a small sentence fragment exactly what happens at the end of A Tale of Two Cities. I still haven't gotten over it, because unfortunately, when it comes to books especially, I remember everything.

I guess that goes for movies to. We used to watch a ton of movies as kids, so even now when T filps through the channels, I can spot the movie from a 3 second flicker and tell him what the movie is, who is in it, and whether it's worth watching.

Anyway, so I'll leave my conclusion of "I Am Legend" at this. The story seems to me an odd retelling of Albert Camus' The Stranger. Very bizarre take on it, but still The Stranger nonetheless. (There might be a little of Camus' The Plague thrown in for good measure; but that might be another discussion.) Hands down, The Stranger is better. But kodos to this random and bizarre take on this classic work of existentialism.

Barnes and Nobles Raid

Went to Barnes and Nobles after church yesterday. I'd accumulated quite a stack of gift cards so I thought it might be time to spend them. I found quite a treasure. I had originally gone there to check if they had any nice new journals, but I didn't find any I liked. It took a bit, but I found some awesome things.

First of all, I hadn't realized Sherman Alexie had published anything recently. He had, so I grabbed Flight. I checked online last night and apparently there's one other he's published recently called, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. I might order that soon; if I didn't already.

Also, I found a new translation of Stéphane Mallarmé's prose, Divagations. Oh, boy, was I excited. It looks like there's a bunch of stuff I've never read in it. Can't wait to crack that sucker open.

Also, found Margaret Atwood's Oryx and Crake at a delectable $7 for a hardback. Oooo-wee. Jodi excited, I tell you what. I've really really enjoyed Margaret Atwood in the past but haven't indulged in her too much because I'm usually in the middle of a semester or preparing for some paper.

Oh, and I found a hardback of Neil Gaiman's Anasi Boys, which was also in the clearance. Yes, sir-rie.

I grabbed the last book of Paul Auster's I haven't purchased yet; the rest are coming via mail. This one is Moon Palace. Actually, I think I have one more after these that I need to get (Oracle), but I figure the other several will keep me busy for at least a few weeks.

Also found a book of Edgar Allen Poe's prose. I know this one seems random but is connected to the Paul Auster interest.

Also found a couple interesting and random books. One called The Reader: a novel by Bernhard Schlink. I haven't heard of this writer nor his book, but the title caught my eye, understandably. And the back description only made matters worse:

"Hailed for its coiled eroticism and moral claim it makes upon its reader, this mesmerizing novel is a story of love and secrets, horror and compassion, unfolding against the haunted landscape of postwar Germany.

"When he falls ill on his way home from school, fifteen-year-old Michael Berg is rescued by Hanna, a woman twice his age. In time she becomes his lover. She enthralls him with her passion, but puzzles him with her odd silences. The she inexplicably disappears.

"When Michael next sees her, he is a young law student and Hanna is on trial for a hideous crime. But as he watches her refuse to defend herself, Michael gradually realizes that his former lover may be guarding a secret she considered more shameful than murder."

I'm not sure about the last two paragraphs, but the first one has me intrigued beyond measure. Except maybe for the "coiled eroticism"; that part makes me want to cover the back cover with my hand over that part when I'm reading it. But, the reader/writer/narrator connection is too interesting not to read, as it reminds me of Whitman and has much to do with my research on Beckett, and my manuscripts as well.

This also interests me because of the possible connection to Postwar Germany, which also plays into my research in various ways.

Also found another random one that seems interesting. This one is called red earth and pouring rain by Vikram Chandra. The title for one is really awesome. Hints to me of the poetic language that might be in the book, and part of the back is interesting: "an eighteenth-century warrior-poet (now reincarnated as a typewriting monkey)..." Already reminds me of an episode of Futurama; if you know Futurama, you know what I'm talking about, hat-wearing genius monkey and all.

Also, I found a book by Anton Chekhov that I wasn't aware of, not that I'm overly familiar with his work, because I'm not. This one is called Sakhalin Island and is apparently travel non-fiction written by Chekhov when he was 30. The back describes it better than I can; especially as I haven't read the book yet:

"In 1890, the thirty-year-old Chekhov, already knowing that he was ill with tuberculosis, undertook an ardous eleven-week journey from Moscow across Siberia to the penal colony on the island of Sakhalin.

"Highly valuable both as a detailed description of the Tsarist system of penal servitude and as an insight into Chekhov's motiviations and objectives for visiting the colony and writing the expose, Sakhalin Island is a haunting work which had a huge impact both on Chekhov's career and on Russian society."

I'm intrigued in this work also because of the research I'm doing for the first section of my thesis.

All in all, makes me eager and excited to finish reading I am Legend; but at the same time, I want to take my time through The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly. I started reading this yesterday after finishing The Brooklyn Follies, and oh boy, it's amazing. I plan on buying another copy soon and sending it to an unsuspecting individual; maybe several copies to several unsuspecting people. Yeah, that good.

Anyway, hopefully I can indulge for at least another week. However, I'm wanting to finish figuring out my classes soon. I'm super excited about that too. Can't wait. Seriously.

sanctuary

(by Max Ernst)

Interesting timing

Yesterday there was an article on Yahoo.com's home page lamenting lack of sleep in youth, claiming lack of sleep as a newly found cause of diabetes. Sure, I don't doubt lack of sleep might affect the possibility of diabetes; however, being skeptical I must also note that lack of sleep also increases the chance of falling asleep at the wheel.

However, what I find really interesting is the timing of this article alerting the public to the dangers of lack of sleep, because today's article talks about a magical nasal spray that will eliminate sleepiness.

Lack of sleep = sleepiness = magical nasal spray = not sleepy = no diabetes?

Whatever, it's just funny; here's the article on lack of sleep = diabetes: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/92854.php

Here's the article on magical nasal spray: http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2007/12/sleep_deprivation?mbid=yhp

Finally: Done with Yeats, for now...

Back: Happy New Year and some pics