Foundation Trilogy - Isaac Asimov

The Foundation Trilogy was...intriguing. Covering 500 years and half a galaxy, the books show key moments in the progression the Hari Seldon Plan. The Galactic Empire is failing, and Seldon, using the mathematics of "psychohistory," sets events in motion that will allow the early formation of a new, second empire, limiting the "barbarous" intervening years to 1000 rather than the 30,000 it would otherwise take for things to settle.

What Asimov accomplishes in a literary sense is, in itself, quite interesting. The snippets of life story, the narration seeming quite intimate as it follows the perspective of a series of characters, although always third person. In the first book, you see the Plan start to unfold, how Hari Seldon has set things up to progress in certain ways. In the second book, even larger obstacles arise, and it becomes apparent that one of them is something Hari Seldon could not have included in his calculations. The solution to that problem introduces another, largely unknown element of the Plan earlier than was intended, which leads to the third book, in which things looks like they're about to implode, with one faction of Hari's set-up trying to locate and destroy another faction. In short, the author manages to draw the reader into a series of protagonists while covering an immense expanse of time and flipping the plot around and turning it end over end, just when you think you know what to expect. It works, for the most part.

What I was most disturbed by was that I was firmly pro-Seldon throughout the book - he knows what he's doing, he's leading the galaxy in a better path, good of the people, and all that. In the end, though, it turns out that what he was really doing was preparing the galaxy to accept a new, mind-manipulating ruling class that he had formed in secret. At the end of the trilogy, everything seems to have worked out well for the Seldon Plan, and things are on track for the formation of the new empire on schedule. Having been born and raised with democracy as one of the highest ideals, I found the end of the book rather chilling, although I'm not sure that was the author's intent. To put it casually: sure, the ruling class means well NOW, but if they ever decide to exploit the people of the empire, there is absolutely nothing left stop them. It's the old AP English credo, "Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely."

That said, I also started thinking about it practically in context of the upcoming election. With the vacillation we're seeing on the virtues of experience vs. being "refreshingly free from the stain of politics" and the discussion on whether either of the privileged, millionaire candidates can really understand the situation of the majority of Americans, it makes you wonder. Do we want officials we can identify with, and who we can easily believe could identify with us? Or do we want to be led by the brightest and the best our country has to offer? Regardless, what I like about our system of government, and what the near caste-system proposed by Asimov lacks, is that the people have just enough power to try their options, and make changes if things get too bad either way. Let's hear it for checks and balances!

Breaking Dawn - Stephenie Meyer

The final piece of the Bella/Edward story stirred up quite a bit of controversy among fans, from what I hear. I'm more and more convinced that Teens and The Internet are a dangerous, nasty mix - of course, from my limited experience with online fan sites a few years ago, the most irrational, illiterate, volatile fans are probably 40 year old professionals.

ANYWAY, I am so torn about Stephenie Meyer's books, especially this one. On the one hand, I'm totally addicted. On the other, it's not like there's a ton of literary merit to the books. My biggest problems are with the clunky exposition, inconsistent characterization, and lack of dramatic impact (the build to the climax is a bit weak - it drags in parts and jumps in others).

My conclusion is that her writing is candy. It's enjoyable, easy to eat too much of it too quickly, and you don't have to work hard to get through it. She is always so explicit in her writing, you never have to wonder what's going on, because she tells you EXACTLY. There is very little left to the imagination (or for the logical workings of the mind to figure out). I think the word 'anvilicious' applies. You could pick up the book for the first time, start reading in the middle, and not miss much of the emotional or dramatic context, since the author always brings it up for you.

The biggest problem with this book, interestingly, is that despite several conflicts, problems, despair! horror! agony! etc. etc., it's essentially one big happy ending - to the point where satisfying dramatic resolution is sacrificed. I'm understating things when I say that a third of the book is spent setting up and anticipating a huge, mortal battle - that never happens. Big relief for the characters, kind of a let down for the readers. Not that I actually minded it. This whole series is one big daydream/fantasy written down on paper, and so the fantasy conclusion works. For me, anyway.

Eclipse - Stephenie Meyer

Same engrossing experience as the previous novels. The conversation between the two romantic rivals was pretty darn fun. Based loosely on Wuthering Heights, in case, again, you couldn't tell from the more-than-half-dozen references to the book, including Eclipse characters reading quotations from it and explicitly comparing themselves to Wuthering Heights characters.

New Moon - Stephenie Meyer

Not bad, fun read, again. Elements of the plot are ripped from Romeo and Juliet, in case you couldn't tell from the 6 explicit references to the work, or the passage where the protagonist compares her situation, in detail, to the play. But, it's R&J with all the meaning, including social and psychological commentary, taken out of it. The climax of the book is interesting, but I found it kind of lacking impact after the first initial rush. I think the author needs tighter control of her pacing. Still, I had a great time reading it and think the author's great at drawing you in.

Twilight the Movie

I get a little obsessive when I find a new distraction, which, in this case, means that I've spent time on Stephenie Meyer's website and have looked up whatever information I could easily find on the movie version of Twilight that's coming out later this year. (Seriously, it's not coming out until December, but with all the previews, teasers, and sneak peeks they've got out there, I'm fairly certain I've seen 90% of the movie, including all the key scenes.)

I think the movie will probably be OK, maybe even pretty good. A lot of the commentary out there among fans (which I've only heard about second hand, really) is that Edward isn't pretty enough. Ha! My concerns, i.e. what I'd like to see in the movie that I doubt they'll have captured, based on the previews, are as follows:

1) Humor. The book is funny, the banter is occasionally witty, or supposed to be. The subject is dark, but the novel feels light. I wonder whether the movie will have that tone, or if it'll be more daytime drama than Veronica Mars (or whatever it is the kids are watching these days).

2) Special effects. Maybe I'm just jaded because they've released a behind-the-scenes look at the peak action scene of the movie - and the special effects seem a little mundane. When I picture the story in movie format, I think post-Matrix style effects, with a touch of The Ring, would be well suited to capturing he impossibly quick movements of the vampires.

3) When it comes down to it, I really would love to see the whole series done in Anime. I think it'll be difficult to capture the alien-ness of the vampires in film - they do a bang-up job trying to imitate humans, but when it comes down to it, they aren't human, and there are interesting, subtle things that give them away. I doubt the movie is going to make the vampires look different enough, or in the "right" ways. But we'll see.

Twilight - Stephenie Meyer

I freely and proudly admit that I'm not highbrow when it comes to my literature preferences. But, bad writing bothers me, and I can get kind of snobby. I'll read almost any genre, including fantasy, sci-fi, teen lit, etc., but it's got to be well written. (One of these days, I've got to sit down and figure out exactly what that means to me...)

It's so hard to find good, interesting, fun books, especially without an excess of language or other yucky content, that when I find an author who doesn't rely on that kind of crap, I latch on tight. There's nothing I like more than finding an author whose writing I like, and then reading everything they've ever written. Authors like Agatha Christie and Louis L'Amour are gold mines. If the author's good enough, the necessary similarities and repetitions just provide a comforting sense of familiarity, without becoming too predictable or boring.

I'd heard of Twilight (it's big among LDS women, I believe - the author graduated from BYU) but I had really low expectations. I knew it was popular, and becoming more so, but I still thought it was probably pretty crappy - glorified Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan fiction, if that means anything to you. When both of Kenyon's sisters mentioned/recommended it in the space of a few weeks, I started considering it, and I took a peek at one of their copies. The best phrase I've heard to describe it is instantly addictive. I bought a copy a few days later (it's impossible to get at the library) and tore through it. Two weeks later, I've read all four books in the series. Kenyon's almost done, himself. I started out reading them out loud to him, and he got into them, and it's been really fun, like having a two person book group.

I'm sure (VERY sure) that I'll write more about all of them later, but for now, I'll just say that I'm embarassed by how much I like Twilight. They're pretty clean, and while they're FAR from perfect, they've been easy to read, entertaining enough, and it's kind of fun both getting into them and picking them apart.

The Glass Castle - Jeannette Walls

This is a memoir, recommended and loaned to me by my sister-in-law. It was a fun, quick read - I started in the car to the airport and finished before we came back from Vegas last weekend. The profanity is a bit much if you're sensitive to that - her father's an alcoholic and gets a little colorful in his rages.

I came away from the book most struck, admist the alcoholism, homelessness, and starvation, by the family's sometimes-devotion to reading and studying. Obviously I don't want to make my kids dig in school trash cans for food while I hoard chocolate bars, but I do like the idea of being a little more free, a little more expansive, in the things I learn myself and teach the kids.

My Hippocampus

Over the weekend, my sister-in-law asked me about a book. I didn't think I'd heard of it. As she talked more, I realized that I had not only heard of it, I'd read it - and in the last year. I didn't remember a thing about it - title, author, subject, anything - without heavy reminders.

I think that's sad, and so, in an effort to actually retain something from the things I read (or watch, for that matter), I'm starting a new blog. My goal is to at least record title and author for everything I read, and if I get a chance, I'll write a summary, opinion, recommendation, or other thoughts. It's always easier to remember things when you process them in a variety of ways, utilizing as many senses as possible. I'm hoping that by spending a few extra minutes working my thoughts out through my fingers, a little more will seep into my sorry, shriveling little brain.

I'm not sure why I think this is something I'll be able to devote any resources to, especially as I'm having a hard time keeping up with the dishes, not to mention home improvements and my other dusty blog. Still, the only way to get something done is to do it, right? So here goes.

Incidentally, sorry about the weird green blog templates. I have a thing for green blogs, apparently. I'm just going with it.