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The week's round-up
Oct. 21st, 2012 03:19 pmThe Third Gate by Lincoln Child:
After thoroughly enjoying the ridiculous Terminal Freeze in audio version, I decided to download a few more of Lincoln Child's books, and this was the next one on the list to listen to. It had a lot more of the series protagonist - Jeremy Logan - in it, and was just as preposterous, but perhaps not quite as much fun as an alien creature rampaging round an arctic science station. This one centered around an archaeological team unearthing a pharaoh's tomb in a deadly swamp. There was, of course, a curse that seemed to be coming true as they got closer to the tomb, and there a psychic in the party, who could speak to the ancient spirits of the dead. It was all very silly, and I did enjoy it, but it didn't have the sheer abandon of the previous one.
The Stepsister Scheme by Jim C Hines:
This book starts after the end of the Cinderella fairy tale, when the wicked stepsisters decide to take revenge on the princess by kidnapping her prince and using a love potion on him to make him forget her. Danielle (Cinderella) teams up with Talia (Sleeping Beauty) and Snow White to rescue the prince, requiring them to infiltrate Fairyland and overcome various magical obstacles. Strangely, the book is not nearly as silly as it sounds - it's actually a lot darker and more violent than I had expected, which I found a little off-putting. It was mostly enjoyable, though I don't plan to read the others in the series.
Ruby Sparks:
Three quarters of this film was fun, engaging, clever, and very likeable. It took a rather twisted turn towards the end, though, resulting in a quite disturbing scene that jarred hugely with the rest of the film, and then the ending felt rather tacked on and too easy. It had a lot to say about writing that was very accurate and familiar to me, and it asked some interesting questions about free will and relationships, but I felt it lost its way somewhat, which was a shame.
The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orzcy:
This was my next audio book, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I've seen the Anthony Andrews film version many times (my grandparents are in it) but had never read the book, the story of which turns out to be quite different in its details. It surprised me that it's almost entirely from Marguerite's point of view, and the order in which things happen and revealed is the biggest departure from the structure of the film. Some of its language and attitudes are very much products of its time and perhaps not so acceptable now, but it was largely good fun.
After thoroughly enjoying the ridiculous Terminal Freeze in audio version, I decided to download a few more of Lincoln Child's books, and this was the next one on the list to listen to. It had a lot more of the series protagonist - Jeremy Logan - in it, and was just as preposterous, but perhaps not quite as much fun as an alien creature rampaging round an arctic science station. This one centered around an archaeological team unearthing a pharaoh's tomb in a deadly swamp. There was, of course, a curse that seemed to be coming true as they got closer to the tomb, and there a psychic in the party, who could speak to the ancient spirits of the dead. It was all very silly, and I did enjoy it, but it didn't have the sheer abandon of the previous one.
The Stepsister Scheme by Jim C Hines:
This book starts after the end of the Cinderella fairy tale, when the wicked stepsisters decide to take revenge on the princess by kidnapping her prince and using a love potion on him to make him forget her. Danielle (Cinderella) teams up with Talia (Sleeping Beauty) and Snow White to rescue the prince, requiring them to infiltrate Fairyland and overcome various magical obstacles. Strangely, the book is not nearly as silly as it sounds - it's actually a lot darker and more violent than I had expected, which I found a little off-putting. It was mostly enjoyable, though I don't plan to read the others in the series.
Ruby Sparks:
Three quarters of this film was fun, engaging, clever, and very likeable. It took a rather twisted turn towards the end, though, resulting in a quite disturbing scene that jarred hugely with the rest of the film, and then the ending felt rather tacked on and too easy. It had a lot to say about writing that was very accurate and familiar to me, and it asked some interesting questions about free will and relationships, but I felt it lost its way somewhat, which was a shame.
The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orzcy:
This was my next audio book, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I've seen the Anthony Andrews film version many times (my grandparents are in it) but had never read the book, the story of which turns out to be quite different in its details. It surprised me that it's almost entirely from Marguerite's point of view, and the order in which things happen and revealed is the biggest departure from the structure of the film. Some of its language and attitudes are very much products of its time and perhaps not so acceptable now, but it was largely good fun.
