My, my, how time flies. I have been extremely busy at work and home recently. I finally found sometime during lunch to write these reviews for you.
Hamlet
I have always loved books. This is something I learn from my beloved wife, when we first married she introduce me to the books she loves. Since, I have been an avid reader. One of my goals in life is to read the “classics”.
You always hear educated people talk about books like: The Odyssey, King Lear, War and Peace, etc. I wanted to do something spartan so I decided to start reading classics. My first one is Hamlet.
As I read Hamlet, I came to realize that people do not change much from generation to generation. Even though Hamlet was written hundred years ago, the human drama is the same: Intrigue, murder, anger, lies, love, etc.
It was very difficult to read even with the editor’s notes. However, I found that after the first 20 pages, you kind of get in the grove of Shakespeare’s writing and begin to enjoy it. However, it is one of those books that you need to read when there are no distractions so you can fully enjoy the prose.
I love this story; Hamlet sees an apparition and moves on to uncover the murder of his father, the previous king. A lot of people die in this tragedy. But it is quite fulfilling in the sense that it brings the story to closure. I can’t wait to be able to see the show in theatre how it was meant to be.
The only thing I did not like is that you never find out who was responsible for the apparition. Throughout the book I kept thinking: Who tricked Hamlet? But then in a simpler world, they accepted these things as common place.
I would highly recommend Hamlet to anyone wanting to read something different and classy. The next classic I am reading is King Lear, wish me luck!
Hamlet
I have always loved books. This is something I learn from my beloved wife, when we first married she introduce me to the books she loves. Since, I have been an avid reader. One of my goals in life is to read the “classics”.
You always hear educated people talk about books like: The Odyssey, King Lear, War and Peace, etc. I wanted to do something spartan so I decided to start reading classics. My first one is Hamlet.
As I read Hamlet, I came to realize that people do not change much from generation to generation. Even though Hamlet was written hundred years ago, the human drama is the same: Intrigue, murder, anger, lies, love, etc.
It was very difficult to read even with the editor’s notes. However, I found that after the first 20 pages, you kind of get in the grove of Shakespeare’s writing and begin to enjoy it. However, it is one of those books that you need to read when there are no distractions so you can fully enjoy the prose.
I love this story; Hamlet sees an apparition and moves on to uncover the murder of his father, the previous king. A lot of people die in this tragedy. But it is quite fulfilling in the sense that it brings the story to closure. I can’t wait to be able to see the show in theatre how it was meant to be.
The only thing I did not like is that you never find out who was responsible for the apparition. Throughout the book I kept thinking: Who tricked Hamlet? But then in a simpler world, they accepted these things as common place.
I would highly recommend Hamlet to anyone wanting to read something different and classy. The next classic I am reading is King Lear, wish me luck!
¢¢¢The Dark Knight
OK, I finally broke down and went to see The Dark Knight last Friday night. Everyone has been talking about his movie at work, so I had to see it. I am a big fan of Batman. Spiderman and Batman were my two favorite super heroes in my childhood, however I did not read the comics faithfully as others have.
I have mixed feelings about this movie. I thought that Heath Ledger did an amazing job, playing the Joker. He creep me out. He was truly embodies a kind of madness that is frightening. Christian Bale did a fine job, but the Joker stole the show.
I liked the show in the sense that it contrasted Batman and the Joker so well against each other, one living by a strict moral code and the other outside any rules.
The movie seemed a little long to me. It felt like it had a couple of endings. The action was kind of slow; the few fighting scenes with Batman in it seemed stiff and slow. There was also an unnecessary amount of violence that it could’ve done without.
So, in the story line it did fantastic. But on the graphical sense it was too much. I did enjoy the movie but not as much as Iron Man. I also think that due to the content it should’ve been rated R. I do not think that teenagers should start to idolize and imitate the Joker.
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The Life of Pi
On a lighter note, I just finished The Life of Pi. This book was part of our county’s “One book one county” program. I finally got the chance to read it and I love it. The story is that of a fictional person called Piscine Patel.
The books is about his life and what happens to him as he is stranded in a boat in the Pacific with a Bengal tiger, an Orangutan, a Hyena, a Zebra, and a mouse.
The book is divided in three parts: pre-castaway, castaway and post-castaway. It is a short read and I found myself having a hard time putting it down. I found myself caring about Pi and Richard Parker.
One of my favorite parts is when Pi, narrates how he converted to Christianity, Islam and Hinduism at the same time. This paradox was hilarious to me and made me think my attitudes toward other religions.
The zoology education regarding animals is fascinating; I also loved learning about India and its culture. The last part when Pi is interviewed by the inspectors is pretty funny too.
Most importantly, this is a story about the human spirit and its triumph over insurmountable odds. Yann Martel is a great story teller and I really enjoyed his style.
I did not like the part about the miracle at see and the island, but it is definitely unexpected. I will highly recommend it to anyone, including young adults. You can read this book in a weekend.
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