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Pride & Prejudice

Author: Jane Austen
Category: Fiction – Drama

Not a bad read, considering this was not at all up my alley. Having seen the movie (Joe Wright’s) first, I certainly felt like the book dragged a bit. The movie adaptation, I must say, did a fantastic job cutting the fat out of this story and giving us the pure core. The book could have used some editing, in my opinion; one hundred pages cut could have definitely helped. That being said, the length is not enough to suggest people stay away from this book.

The story circles around the Bennet family, which is formed of Mr. & Mrs. Bennet and their five daughters, each of different temperament. Set at a time when social circles were imperative for the placement of daughters in proper marriages, this novel examines the theme or romance which is sparked when a wealthy young man arrives in the neighborhood to purchase one of the more expensive estates. Mr. Bingley and his friend, Mr Darcy, soon enough make the acquaintance of the Bennet family and promptly enough they are all thought a neat lesson on why it is perhaps not wise to judge a character based upon first impressions. At the same time, it explores the role of women in a society that largely favored men, while giving us as a central figure a very interesting female, lead character.

If there is an intimidation factor for this particular novel, I would put it on the language column. Jane Austen wields an impressive vocabulary that had me using the dictionary option of the nook often. I personally do not mind referencing dictionaries while reading, but I know a number of readers will have issues with that.

While I would say this novel was worth reading, I can also say I will most likely not read it again. It was a good read, it was interesting, it was very well written but the subject was not close enough to what I enjoy to really make it worth the second read; or to look up any of Austen’s other books for that matter.

In closing, do I recommend this book? Absolutely, if you are a fan of the romance/drama literary genre. If not…then there are plenty of other things worth reading to have to plow through this one.

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The Picture of Dorian Gray

Author: Oscar Wilde
Category: Fiction – Drama

Not an easy read, by any stretch of the imagination, but at the same time not so over-the-top to make it scary. The topic has always been one that fascinated me; the idea that one person could push all the evil and negative consequences of their lives into an inanimate object and physically remain untouched baffled me as much as it intrigued me.

The novel focuses largely on Dorian Gray and two of his greater influences in life, Lord Henry–a decadent socialite–and Basil Hallward–a conscientious artist. Through these three men we witness the strange life that is Dorian Gray, a man of limited wealth and grand beauty, charm and charisma, that he seemed to attract every being that laid eyes on him. Though initially, seemingly innocent, we watch the corruption take root, take hold and eventually crush the life of the man who once wished his picture could age instead of his own self.

In a perfect instance of ‘careful-what-you-wish-for’, this novel serves as a very interesting, philosophical problem that is very much worth visiting.

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The Strain

Author: Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan
Category: Fiction – Horror

Quite easily my favorite vampire novel since Bram Stoker’s Dracula. While this may not be literary genius in terms of the writing and its technical achievement, it is one of the most consuming, frightening, believable stories I have read in a very long time. This is very much an entertaining read, one that clutches with an iron grip and maintains a neck-breaking, page-turning pace that never lets up until the very end.

With a cast of like-able and realistic characters, we witness the start of an outbreak in New York that brings into our continent a previously unseen horror carried out by forces that up until this time, had been kept a secret. Utilizing believable methods, the authors do a great job at creating vampires that truly seem like a threat but never quite seem over the top or ridiculous–the way Anne Rice’s vampires are–or downright stupid–namely the Twilight vampires. If this creatures could be compared to anything, I would most closely put them to the intelligent, cunning, clever, terrifying creatures that took over Barrow in the graphic novel ’30 Days of Night’.

With a story that hooks you from the start and with better than average writing, The Strain proves to be a read that you will largely enjoy and consume far too quickly. Thankfully, the sequel to it is already out (and no, I have not yet read it).

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The Hunger Games

Author: Suzanne Collins
Category: Fiction – Sci-fi/Post-Apocalyptic

Worst book I have read in a very, very, very long time. Yes, it is teen-lit, but that is no excuse for the garbage that is published in those wasted sheets of paper. You may not agree with me and in fact, considering the reception these books are getting from the public, it would seem I am in the minority, but I only finished reading this book to make sure I had a grip on the full story–if you wish to even call it that, considering the preposterous loops and holes that riddle it.

The story is simple enough, the Capitol, which rules the country of Panem and its 12 sister districts, stages an annual game in which a boy and a girl between the ages of 12 and 18, from each district, are recruited as tributes to be placed in an arena, for a battle royale to the death. Why? Well apparently this shows the other districts that the Capitol is the boss, a bit of punishment dished out for a prior rebellion in the past which failed to conquer the Capitol. From the start, the premise is weak, but one supposes that the idea could hold some interesting concepts. The movie Battle Royale did a good job exploring the theme–which quite frankly appears to be ripped off entirely. In the theme of violence and children, Stephen King explored the topic as Richard Bachman in The Long Walk and William Golding masterfully delved into it in Lord of the Flies…but this book does not come within a stone’s throw of those books.

Filled with two dimensional, shallow, uninspired characters, the only thing this story consistently provides is eye-rolls and frustration. Written from a first person perspective, we are trapped in the mind of Katniss Everdeen, which is a shame, because there is not enough in that particular character to keep things interesting. Time and again one finds themselves wishing they could go elsewhere in the arena, where things might actually be worth our time instead of having to put up with Katniss’ pathetic ramblings and waste of time. It gets to a point where the grand majority of contestants are eliminates while we are busy watch Katniss hunt rabbits. That would not be so bad, if the bit of meat this novel provides were of any substance but the author proves her inability to carry a story by constantly making a potentially interesting subject seem insipid, sterile and lacking credible motivation.

The story starts weak and weakens further the closer we get to the book, but it does a great job ensuring that you do not end up getting closer to the two sequels. If you enjoy literature, I strongly suggest you stay away from this book. If you are willing to forgive a lot–and I do mean a lot–of poor writing, then this book might be a good way to burn a few hours in which you are certain you can not find something else to do…like picking your toenails.

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