On The Shelf 9.27.12

Reading:

Four weeks after beginning 1984 and my odyssey is finally over. I could go on about the fours hours I spent yesterday finishing the novel, or discuss how the bland diction enhances the narrative, or how deep the betrayal of O'Brian struck me, but, at the moment, I don't feel particularly motivated to discuss such things.

Instead I'd rather talk about a highly self-aware article I stumbled upon called How to Build a Universe That Doesn't Fall Apart Two Days Later by Phillip K. Dick. As a general rule I avoid anything written in first person (yes, the irony of this blog is not lost on me) as I find an unbiased third person narrator far more intriguing and helpful in the development of minor characters. However, the narration of the author who wrote this particular piece may force me to reconsider my position. Concealed behind the rambling anecdotes, lies a well-developed argument about the true nature of reality. Dick goes into great detail about coincidences and life imitating art and art imitating life, although he chooses different words to illustrate his point; the ideas remain the same.

Watching:

As fall is the season of season premiers, several of my favorite shows came back on air last Thursday. Of particular interest was Parks and Recreation, which returned for more laughs on the 20^th. The last episode left off with the election of Leslie Knope to the City Council, and I am eager to see how her absence from the Parks department will affect the easily agitated staff.

Following:

On Tuesday I found a delightful new blog: Lucille and Mitt. Somehow between the meme-ic font and the absurd faces, Mitt Romney's antiquated beliefs become oddly more realistic as they develop him as a character instead of a person.

Listening:

After about an hour into a car ride on day trip to Chicago and three Supernatural fan playlists later, I rediscovered my distaste for the Supernatural fandom. However, I did find an enchanting new song The Problem with Saints. Despite my penchant for Joan of Arc I had never considered how she might cope in a modern society. 

Eating:

This Wednesday I rediscovered fruit snacks at the urging of my sister. I was not impressed.

On the Shelf: 9.20.12

It's that time again. At this point the drill should be quite familiar. I have actually made progress on 1984, but perhaps I should pick up a novel I feel more inspired to read constantly so I can provide more interesting perspective rather than my limited reflection on thirty pages of reading.
However, that is all the hard copy material I have to cover this week, so without further ado: this week's segment. I've already passed the introduction of Newspeak, but the idea seemed more like a throwaway reference to the rapidly deteriorating mental capacity of 1984's distopia. Newspeak is the idea of using short words and uncomplicated speech patterns in order to make communication easier. Ironically enough, this provides a small amount of confusion from a narrating perspective as all Newspeak words have to be explained. Thankfully the tireless narrator, with his unique perspective (but that's a blog for another day) gracefully enlightens his audience. In this week's selection we were introduced to Syme, one of the chief editors for the 11th edition of the Newspeak dictionary. I initially wrote him off as a slightly more intelligent but never-the-less mindless slave to Big Brother, however his interactions with Winston (our protagonist) reveal an oddly multi-faceted character. What really made Syme stand out to me was his desire to destroy words. The concept of killing words seems so foreign and unnecessary when applied to our society, but Syme's fervor as he explains his passion for eliminating words that no longer have relevance provides an intriguing look into the heart of Big Brother. His intelligence contrasts with his blind devotion paints an interesting picture of how talents are put to use in the new world.

On the Shelf 9.13.12

Well, I lied again. Somehow between the increase in after school activities, the college visits and chatting with grandparents I have not progressed further in any of my novels. By that I mostly mean 1984, which I would promise to complete by next week, but, at this point, that's probably not going to happen. I can claim it as my goal, though. So goal for the upcoming week: complete 1984. Perhaps this weekend will be kinder to my free-time, but my expectations are rather low.

I have, however, started No Country For Old Men. I had heard several positive reviews of the novel from people I hold in high esteem, but it just didn't work for me. To be fair, I don't really blame the book for the lack of my interest. In the first ten pages the unique approach to dialog (atypical punctuation) stood out to me, but I found the dry imagery and solitude of the opening passage utterly unappealing. Perhaps I'll attempt to give it another try someday, but for now I shall place it back on the shelf.

The Blatantly Copied from HL Because She Has Clever Ideas And I Am Sad And Lazy Section (or Honorable Mentions of the Week):

Gravity Falls.

Lately my sister and I have been engaged in an extensive debate regarding the merits of children's television programs. KF and I have had differing opinions in entertainment since Twilight became a popular series, but  I find her unwillingness to accept that genuine enjoyment can be derived from children's programs incredibly frustrating. Gravity Falls, however, has mostly sweet characters with a healthy dose of dry wit and sarcasm in a carefully concocted blend of summer camp meets mystery novel. It has the typical kid with the precocious crush, monster hunts, and oddly enthusiastic help but the heart of the show is the well-paced humor, the genre savvy twins and the endearing approach it takes to the character quirks.

And really, what other kids show could get away with body outlines?

On the Shelf 9.6.12

This Week's Reading:
Resuming my sluggish pace for reading, I only have thirty more pages under my belt for 1984. However, in the spirit of achievement and an increase in time I will spend in a car, I believe I will finish reading it by next week. Granted, that's what I told myself last week, but this week I'm telling myself I'm not lying. Because that always works. But I digress.
Anyway, of the pages I did read, Big Brother's concept of reality struck me most. For those who haven't read 1984, and based on who actually reads this is, at most, one person, the section of the Minitrue (Ministry of Truth) that our protagonist, Winston Smith, works in, is in charge of correcting 'false' information previously released. So basically, Big Brother and the Ministries make projections about supplies, wars and patterns of the future. These patterns are usually found inaccurate and then Minitrue employees are asked to correct them. The original assumption I made was simply that the disutopia eliminated information that shed a less that positive light on Big Brother and the authorities of Oceania. However, Winston reveals that the even the original statements were equally inaccurate as the new 'real' results. The thought of the truth being so muddied and uncertain that even those manipulating the information were confused is a terrifying one that strikes a little too close to home.
Honorable Mention of the Week:
Chuck Cunningham Syndrome. Yes, I'm back at tv tropes again. This trope covers a character who has been killed off or 'put on a bus' (sent away for an undefinable period with little to no explanation) because the author was sick of writing for them. I found myself spending a fair amount of time on the page as it reminded me of some of my old interests and characters I hadn't realized I had missed.

On the Shelf 8.30.12

Reading: 
This week I began the first 'challenging' book for myself, 1984 by George Orwell. I've probably only read thirty pages so far, but already it doesn't seem to fit the typical 'classic' category that other novels in the far corner of the Etymology library. It's not the writing by any means (although I don't really have any place in critiquing writing) but the novel feels too contemporary to be shoved into the same category as Great Expectations and The Catcher in the Rye. The idea that has intrigued me the most (and I've found a lot of what I've read so far intriguing) is probably the Ministries. The contradicting ideals of their motos: War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery, and Ignorance is Strength, is a conflict I look forward to seeing play itself out.
Also on my radar this week is this delightful tumblog, This Should Be In A Museum. Tuesday through Friday, the blog offers up tasteful vignettes of various museums around the globe. The diversity of the museums selected has helped me add to my 'list of places to'.  The author of the blog throws in casual anecdotes about the location of the museums and his/her love of what she does is very apparent. Something is very satisfying about reading or seeing someone so passionate about something that you can't help but be engaged by default.
Listening: 
Recently on a trip back from a (rather disappointing) Harry Potter spoof, a friend of mine discovered that my dad can hook ipods up to his car and project them throughout the vehicle. The first person she wanted to play was Linsey Stirling, I've always loved violins but having an orchestra-oriented friend to explain the subtleties of the songs greatly increased my appreciation for her pieces.

On the Shelf for Longreads: The General and The Moose

     The Awl has an ongoing series about the politics and controversies surrounding the Revolutionary War, and this week I was fortunate enough to stumble upon The General and The Moose (quick confession, I just like the word moose). The article primarily focused on a little known story of the time - the time Thomas Jefferson tried to send a moose to France. Obviously the practicality of transporting an animal moose-sized over the Atlantic Ocean with colonial technology is baffling on its own, but the motivation behind this request is what I find far more amusing. Buffon, a prominent European scientist, believed that American moose were a degenerate version of the European Elk. Thomas Jefferson decided that this incorrect assumption should be corrected as soon as possible. After long hours of letters, debates, and controversy the moose of America and Europe were revealed to be two different species.
     There's something soothing about the petty squabbles of Jefferson and Buffon. Their arguments can easily be likened to school boy bickering, debating about whose dad can beat up the other father. Yet, silly banter like this reminds me that our leaders and founding fathers, set up on a pedestal by our history books and teachers, were still people. Trivial little debates about the size of moose and other obscure details are also part of our history and offer a new perspective on our 'boring' Founding Fathers.

On the Shelf 8.23.12

Reading

Starting this week I began my noble quest to conquer books beyond my comfort zone. As in many quests it began sluggishly. This week I cracked openPawnee: the Greatest Town in America, written in the perspective of character Leslie Knope of the program Parks and Recreation. I typically avoid books relating to television series, but something about it drew me in. The novel (I can't, in good conscience, call it a book) describes the fictional city of Pawnee’s rich history, culture and frequent raccoon infestations. Told primarily from Leslie Knope’s narrative, the novel also incorporates brief contributions from other characters and does a wonderful job of letting each individual shine.

Another haunt this week was tvtropes, a wiki about the world of media cliches and patterns. The site details repeated trends in media, giving them creative names like Ham To Ham Combat to describe large and overacted characters fighting to see who can be the most unnecessarily dramatic. The unique terminology the site prides itself in can come across as a bit intimidating to new comers but after spending an afternoon clicking on Lampshade Hanging, Fridge Logic, and YMMV, the accumulated vocabulary opens up a new world of pop culture references.

Listening

This week my background music of choice has been Hans Zimmer’s soundtrack to The Dark Knight Rises. I have yet to find a Hans Zimmer song I haven’t enjoyed but something about this particular CD speaks to me. As with most soundtracks there are quiet songs but the strong instrumentals of The Fire Rises, Gotham’s Reckoning, and Underground Army give me chills with their power. It also makes mundane tasks like cleaning the dishes feeling like I’m saving a city with each plate.