Classics Review: The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby is a read I will never forget. Compulsive, engaging and enigmatic, The Great Gatsby, I feel, will never bore the classic nor its modern readers as its mix of light comedy, twiddling romance, slice-of-life, jazz and modernist genres is surprisingly charming and interesting. 

Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters

Just watched Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters…in 2D. Yeah, my budget wasn’t cut for ze 3D version. The mall’s earning millions with their overpriced movie tickets.

THE YOUNG-ADULT-READER-INSIDE VERDICT: Oh my demigods, are those the Graeaes THEY ARE omigosh where’s the eye where’s the eye oh there it is simply beautiful wow the cyclops reigning terror oh is that Tyson looking better in the film LUKE he is back with the oh, the CHARYBDIS. THE C-H-A-R-Y-B-D-I-S. *drools*

THE GREEK-GEEK VERDICT: Bogus! Once again, a part of Theogony (by Hesiod) was misinterpreted. There was only one. Chronos was overthrown by only one god-child. And that is Zeus. The rest were Kiddie Meals for the titan 😐 I know the root of the problem is the book itself, but the filmmakers could’ve made some changes, you know.

THE FILM-FANATIC VERDICT: The flow. I like it better than the last film. There’s more coherence in the events, and the transitions between these were, well, on that level already *raises hand mid-body* . At least there were no corny overtakes and inexplicable turnabouts anymore. Some of the dialogue were nice, too. Clarisse’s quick remarks and Grover’s antics were kinda cliche, but it worked well with the movie. Effects? Much better than the last film with all the water.

All are well for this film except for the characters. Me = disappointed. Annabeth (I won’t be talking about her wonderful hair-color change, but it’s good to take note of that oddity) was lost in the movie. What’s become of her might and power? Let’s just say Clarisse took it. Annabeth’s just the yes-woman now. Oh, and Tyson! He’s an okay character in the book, but in the film, he just pushed misleading drama. Where was he in the centrality of the story? Lost too, I guess. And don’t get me started on Thalia’s bad actress. She only gets to say one line, and what did she do? *sigh* I will say no more.

STATUS: Catching Fire will be the next page-to-screen watch. Mortal Instruments: still not sure.

From Douglas Adams

I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by.

– Douglas Adams

Mook Review: “The Great Gatsby” Part Two – Guest Post!

mookology.

The lovely Stephanie of The Anxiety of Authorship has offered her pen to a guest mook review – a two part piece focusing on “The Great Gatsby.”  You can read Part One of her mook review by clicking here; an analysis on The Great Gatsby novel and the 1974 “The Great Gatsby” movie directed by Jack Clayton.  Stephanie has now provided me with her review and rating of “Gatsby” directed by Baz Luhrmann, and I must say I agree with her review whole heartedly!  Check it out below…

“Gatsby” – Directed by Baz Luhrmann

I wanted to like the new Gatsby movie more than I did. The build-up to it was tremendous–the stunning trailers, the talented actors, the creative and well-respected director, the Jay-Z produced soundtrack featuring huge names in music today. Like Gatsby’s invention of himself for Daisy’s approval, everything about this film is built to impress…

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Classics review: The Picture of Dorian Gray

Poignant, elegant, yet dark and ecstatic, The Picture of Dorian Gray proves it significance through its high-class writing, interesting plot-line and controversial subtexts and overtones.

The novel is rarely seen as relevant as the other works of the 19th century, and I can see why. One of the things which might annoy a reader from the twentieth century is detachment they will feel in some of the novel’s chapters. There was one chapter where there were no dialogue at all, only long and extensive narrations almost all of which are less significant to the plot. This is one of the negative qualities of the novel.

Another bad thing is the poor character development of some of its characters like the main antagonist, James vane, which, inconsideration, might not be a major character at all. There were also a lot of “lords and ladies” which became of no use at all. Lord Henry Wotton, one of the major characters have played a great part in the plot, yet he neither grew, moved, developed or changed character-wise. In fact, his only job in the story is to tell paradoxes about everything he knows. Other than that, a reader won’t know more about him.

Also, the storyline is a bit narrow, meaning, things happen because they happened, not because of anything. Plot-wise, this quality destroys the connection between reader and character.

These bad points, though, are finely covered by the many good things one might find in this piece. Many characters might not have been put importance, but this gave way to the development of Dorian Gray, the titular character, whose life had been so richly written. Dorian Gray is an exemplar character under the good-to-bad conflict. He moved slowly from innocence to sin with the influence from Lord Wotton and the evil aura from Basil Hallward.

Themes of homosexuality and eroticism were vibrant from the story as overtones. Many might see it negative moral-wise, but seeing it in a literary way, these additional subtexts enriches the character of Basil Hallward and Dorian Gray, and enhances the main theme of the story: art and beauty.

The two major themes mentioned above are also rare to be found in literary pieces as such. Beauty is always figures as kindness and truth, while art is commonly defined as but sensuous. In the novel both play a major part. Beauty is sin, darkness. Art is useless, are objects only the dumb might understand. These meanings and deliberations make the novel an interesting one not only to read an enjoy, but also to study.

The novel might be boring, immoral or annoying to many, but the kisses of these junctures tend to make the novel more interesting. The Picture of Dorian Gray is a great exploration of whim, influence and sin, an epitome of beauty and elegance. As of now, I still believe that it’s one of the best Gothic fiction ever written.