recent, recent, recent

[vaznetti]

We finished S1 of the Wire. It was, as promised, extremely good. McNulty grew on me, as it became clear that everyone knew what an asshole he was, including him. Freamon was, as promised, awesome, but I must say that he was a pretty smooth operator -- getting back into Homicide and getting together with what's-her-name, the hot chick. I love the politics, and how everyone is more than a little dirty.

I really love the fact that they continue to use material from the book, Homicide.

Poor Wallace. Even if he was, as BH says, a bear of very little brain in many ways. And is it bizarre that I'm wondering whether Stringer Bell will make sure that someone feeds Wee Bay's fish? Even though Wee Bay isn't getting out of jail any time soon, apparently, so he'll never know.

I really liked it, and will have to look into acquiring the rest of it.

I'm also in the process of catching up with Heroes, which I tended to watch rather sporadically last year; BH likes it, and wants to see it all, though, so we're watching it.

Recently read:
Neil Gaiman, Stardust. I probably would not have liked the movie so much if I had read this before seeing it. Also, Neil Gaiman really, really hates endings.
William Gibson, Spook Country. Very good, but oddly insubstantial. I liked it a great deal, depsite that, and maybe the insubstantiality was kind of the point.
Khaled Hosseini, A Thousand Splended Suns. At first, very like a Catherine Cookson novel, but set in Afghanistan. Not that there's anything wrong with that, and it did make me cry, but it was very like a Catherine Cookson novel, and thus felt like a great indulgence.

Recently acquired:
A new bookscase (I have room for all my books now! huzzah!)
A new mattress and box-spring, which arrived yesterday and were the cause of much consternation, in the end, even though this was something I both needed and wanted. It's just that changing your bed in such a permanent fashion is a big change, even if your old mattresses were old and mushy.

And next week, the term starts rolling.

Comments

[the-grynne.livejournal.com]

Freaman amazes me. That's one stubborn motherfucker, and I say that with all love.

[vaznetti]

Hee! I'll be looking forward to seeing more of him.

[hossgal.livejournal.com]

I probably would not have liked the movie so much if I had read this before seeing it.

Could you expand upon this? I read the book first, (years ago, in my first Gaiman-devouring) and while there were things I didn't like so much about the movie, I wasn't that impressed with the book (okay but not mind bending), and I enjoyed them both on their own terms. I have seen grumblings about the difference - what was your take?

- hg

[vaznetti]

I definitely enjoyed them both on their own terms -- but the book had a much gentler tone and pace than the movie. The movie was much more frenetic, and reminded me of The Princess Bride (definitely a good thing, in my opinion), and was much less of a fairy story.

I think it's easier for me to be critical of a movie made from a book I liked than the other way around -- to see the film first and then read the book.

[sophia-helix.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I know it would lose that gentleness, so I went in prepared... but not quite prepared enough. I'm also still mad they never used my favorite visual from the book, the big tree with all the sky-ships docking.

[vaznetti]

They were two very different things, the book and the movie. I mean, I think the movie really had to be made more action-y, and it had to have more of an ending. You can't just have one of those trademark Gaiman fizzle-out endings if you're spending that kind of money on a movie.

[reginaspina.livejournal.com]

I was astounded to see some of the dialogue from "The Wire" came right out of Homicide (I guess they couldn't use it on the TV show "HOmicide" because of the "mature content." Hee!)

I actually watched Season 2 of "The Wire" first, before I saw season 1, and it's still my favorite season, maybe for that reason ... Although S4 was completely awesome too. I dunno! Anyway, I hope you keep watching - S2 has a very different feel and trajectory to it, and there is something, to me, of classical tragedy in the way that it unfolds.

[vaznetti]

I will definitely keep watching, although it may be a little while before I get to it -- I think my husband would be sad if I watched it without him!

I love that they've just started to use Jay Landsman's name and character, too.

[zarahemla.livejournal.com]

Aha! I just started "The Kite Runner" today in anticipation of reading "A Thousand Splendid Suns." Because I am a dork who has to read things in order. Anyway I am very looking forward to it!

[vaznetti]

Oh! Were they connected? I haven't read the earlier book.

To be honest, I'm not convinced that A Thousand Splendid Suns is quite as good as the fuss it's generated -- it's set in Afghanistan and written by a man, whereas if it were set in a different place and written by a woman, it might not be getting the same fuss. But that might just be me being cynical and sour.

[zarahemla.livejournal.com]

I don't think they are connected plotwise; it's just that one was written before the other. Hence, my nerdiness.

By all means, don't skimp on the cynicism. I mean, why else do I even come here? Sheesh.

[elliotsmelliot.livejournal.com]

I'm about halfway through A Thousand Splendid Suns and feel your Cookson reference is apt. The Kite Runner was much better. The characters felt like real people. So far this one feels like real situations but not real people.

Yay for The Wire. It just keeps getting better. I'm still not over Wallace.

Good luck with the start of term. Where did the summer go?

[vaznetti]

It went a little darker than Cookson would, in the end, but still... it felt kind of manipulative.

And yes, how can it be the end of summer, already? How?