This week's reviews

[alobear]

The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle:
I really enjoyed listening to this on my commute, though it continues to be odd that the person narrating Dr Watson's accounts is female and Southern American.  She's a good narrator, though, and did justice to the story's intrigues.  I particularly liked the fact that Holmes sent Watson off to Devon on his own, so we got to see how Watson fared without his friend's lightning deductions for a while.  Holmes' ubiquitous arrogance is always entertaining, though I was little disappointed by the way Watson's reaction to some small praise from the great detective - it was rather too much like a mistreated dog wagging his tail after a single doggy treat.  The case was clever, and kept me interested throughout, and the setting was nicely atmospheric.

Thank You, Jeeves by P G Wodehouse:
I thought I would give Jeeves and Worcester a go, and it was entertaining enough, though perhaps a little too light and silly for my current reading mood.  I have to admit I skimmed a bit towards the end, and was disappointed that Jeeves wasn't actually in it very much, though the interactions between master and manservant were generally amusing.

Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident by Eoin Colfer:
This was my next audiobook, and very good it was, too.  It benefitted again from an excellent narrator, but also had a rip-roaring plot, lots of action and intrigue, and likeable characters.  I liked the fact that Artemis teamed up with the fairies in this second volume - their previous encounters lending an interesting tension to their current adventure.  Colfer populates his books with plenty of interesting characters and scenarios and it all ticks along at a lively pace.  I'm looking forward to listening to more in the series.

Brave:
I finally got around to watching this yesterday, and it was pretty good, though not what I had expected.  The main thrust of the plot came completely out of left field, and was perhaps a little too whimsical.  I had been expecting a "boys' own adventure" and got a rather soppy mother-daughter relationship story.  It had its moments, and was generally quite entertaining, but a bit lacking in real antagonism.  The horse, Angus, was definitely the high point for me - he was beautifully animated, and reminded me of one of my favourite mounts from my riding days.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower:
Another film that wasn't quite what I had expected.  For some reason, I thought this was going to be a fairly standard high school movie, with the usual relationship ups and downs and fairly light teenage antics.  What I got was an extended study of mental illness and alienation, most of which was desperately sad - though very well portrayed and acted.  Emma Watson certainly demonstrated post-Potter potential, showing both range and sensitivity in quite a complex role.  I have to admit I found the whole thing quite upsetting in a lot of ways, but I also have to say it was very good.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes:
I thought this might prove an effective antidote to Wallflower when I got home, and it was certainly ridiculous, though not really very silly.  Half a bottle of wine made it rather more amusing than it was probably supposed to be.  It wasn't terrible, but it wasn't great.  the main Chimpanzee had a great deal of character, and you couldn't help rooting for him, though I'm not sure what his plans would be, given where the film ended.  James Franco did a creditable job as the disillusioned scientist, too.