Friday, 26 January 2007
Stars
I thought I'd introduce a star system, to help us keep track of the good, the bad, and the ugly. For About a Boy I used the following:
Plot: ****
Fun: *****
Novelty: ***
Overall: ****
By Plot, I meant plot and character development. I don't really know how to distinguish between books, but all I want to make sure is that The Da Vinci Code doesn't end up with more than three stars overall - mainly because in my eyes it doesn't have any character development.
By Fun, I wouldn't count the number of times the book made me laugh, although this is important too! It should more or less indicate to what extent you felt involved in the story, or in a crude way: was the book a waste of time or not? The Da Vinci Code is a tricky one in this perspective, as nothing was left to the reader's imagination, though it was a rather thrilling and educational story.
By Novelty, I mean the uniqueness of the book. I guess this changes over time, as simple authors pick up on what's popular, but a good author will always be able to stand out in an overpopulated genre. I'd also include the complex subject of literature in this category. Has the book been influential, or do you think it should have been/should be?
By Overall, I just average over the previous three, with a bias to the actual number of stars I think the book is worth.
We could include another category, say Christ-like or something less cheesy, to indicate how we can relate a book to our faith, but I think it would be funny to do this in stars. Possibly, we could leave this to the comment section of each book, or include a footnote in the review.
P.S. The it would be great if we could stick to five stars as the maximum, so that for the overall scores we can assume the following:
* = The phone book would have been a better read.
** = If I weren't reviewing this I would probably forget about it; not great, but not for me.
*** = There's nothing really wrong with it, but it's definitely not amazing. Just a good read.
**** = Only one step from perfection.
***** = If everyone reads this book, the world will become a better place.
About a book
"Marcus was right, of course, but being right was no use if the rest of the world was wrong"
Oh how many teenagers end up in that special place, which society forces you to leave if you don't want to end up an outcast! Watching Skins on E4 last night - coincidentally starring Nicholas Hoult, who also played Marcus in the film version of About a Boy - I couldn't help but think of my teenage years, when anything seemed possible as long as your parents didn't know about it.
I only got cautioned once in secondary school. We were in our maths class - typical - and the window was open. A wasp flew in and thanks to some genetic fault from the paternal side of our family, I jumped up and squealed like a pig. No wonder me and my classmate next to me ended up laughing, but our teacher wasn't too amused. An argument with the head teacher didn't prove very fruitful, and we ended up having to clean the back steps of the school.
It was my first experience of the cruelty and immobility of society, and Nick Hornby can tell us a lot more in his classic About a Boy. Before I force myself to steer clear from it, let me immediately compare it to the film: there is no notice of Hugh Grant in the book. Although Marcus and his mom are rather similar in both media, the character of Will is more of a boy in the book, and more of a snob in the film. There are several plotlines which I don't remember from the film, and which are definitely worth reading. I'd like to see the film as a welcome addition to the story of Marcus' life, rather than a perfect rendition of the book.
The book is actually about two boys, Will and Marcus, both convinced the world is an odd place that should be avoided at all cost. They end up forming a somewhat surrogate father-son relationship, and help each other become part of society - though Marcus' help is unintentional.
Nick Hornby achieved two impressive feats in this novel. Contrary to High Fidelity, it doesn't need numerous references to pop culture to be a sign of the times yet timeless. Of course, the references are still there, but since the main characters don't own any record stores, the references are attributive rather than scene setting. The second achievement concerns the most obvious pop reference: the death of Kurt Cobain. The miracle here is that the death - possibly the most significant event in the 90s history of pop - doesn't lead to a soppy teen drama story, yet it plays an integral in the plot evolution.
Finally, the book is incredibly funny, especially towards the end. Where the film remains sweet - though never too sweet - and mainly is a Hugh Grant vehicle, the novel involves a natural transformation of both Will and Marcus. Both boys form a successful double act, making me laugh with their sarcasm - again unintended in Marcus' case. About a Boy is definitely not the best book I've ever read, but it must be one of the most amusing ones.
Plot: ****
Fun: *****
Novelty: ***
Overall: ****
Oh how many teenagers end up in that special place, which society forces you to leave if you don't want to end up an outcast! Watching Skins on E4 last night - coincidentally starring Nicholas Hoult, who also played Marcus in the film version of About a Boy - I couldn't help but think of my teenage years, when anything seemed possible as long as your parents didn't know about it.
I only got cautioned once in secondary school. We were in our maths class - typical - and the window was open. A wasp flew in and thanks to some genetic fault from the paternal side of our family, I jumped up and squealed like a pig. No wonder me and my classmate next to me ended up laughing, but our teacher wasn't too amused. An argument with the head teacher didn't prove very fruitful, and we ended up having to clean the back steps of the school.
It was my first experience of the cruelty and immobility of society, and Nick Hornby can tell us a lot more in his classic About a Boy. Before I force myself to steer clear from it, let me immediately compare it to the film: there is no notice of Hugh Grant in the book. Although Marcus and his mom are rather similar in both media, the character of Will is more of a boy in the book, and more of a snob in the film. There are several plotlines which I don't remember from the film, and which are definitely worth reading. I'd like to see the film as a welcome addition to the story of Marcus' life, rather than a perfect rendition of the book.
The book is actually about two boys, Will and Marcus, both convinced the world is an odd place that should be avoided at all cost. They end up forming a somewhat surrogate father-son relationship, and help each other become part of society - though Marcus' help is unintentional.
Nick Hornby achieved two impressive feats in this novel. Contrary to High Fidelity, it doesn't need numerous references to pop culture to be a sign of the times yet timeless. Of course, the references are still there, but since the main characters don't own any record stores, the references are attributive rather than scene setting. The second achievement concerns the most obvious pop reference: the death of Kurt Cobain. The miracle here is that the death - possibly the most significant event in the 90s history of pop - doesn't lead to a soppy teen drama story, yet it plays an integral in the plot evolution.
Finally, the book is incredibly funny, especially towards the end. Where the film remains sweet - though never too sweet - and mainly is a Hugh Grant vehicle, the novel involves a natural transformation of both Will and Marcus. Both boys form a successful double act, making me laugh with their sarcasm - again unintended in Marcus' case. About a Boy is definitely not the best book I've ever read, but it must be one of the most amusing ones.
Plot: ****
Fun: *****
Novelty: ***
Overall: ****
Thursday, 11 January 2007
Welcome
Welcome to this new blog.
We are a group of friends who love to read, and who love to discuss what they read. We're not hoping to burst on the blogging scene with something new. Instead, we just like to keep track of all the highs and lows we encounter. And include some healthy discussion whilst we're on it. Feel free to join in!
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