Book review: The Magicians by Lev Grossman

First of all, big thanks to my old in-person friend and new cyber-friend, BP, for recommending this book to me.  Second of all, a question for BP: did parts of this book tick you off as much as it did me?

I've been snapshotting The Magicians, Lev Grossman's second novel, as "Harry Potter for adults," which doesn't really work, I realize, because so many adults read that series (including me but I drifted away after the fifth book so don't spoil me, okay?).  But it also sort of works because it's about this kid from Brooklyn who is ennui-ridden with his regular life and who is surprised and thrilled when he is accepted into Brakebills, a college for magicians in upstate New York.  Quentin never knew this school existed and he didn't apply to get in, but the recruiters knew about him and once he passes the entrance exam, he embraces the world of magic and never looks back. 

At Brakebills, Quentin makes some friends, makes some enemies, undergoes some extremely rigorous course work and, after five years, he and his sorceror friends are loosed on the world, all powerful and jaded as anything.  Because here's the thing: if you can do anything at all and get anything you want whenever you want it with really no-one to answer to, what's your purpose in life?  Quentin, his girlfriend Alice, and their buddies Eliot, JuliaJanet and Josh, flit around Manhattan for a while, drinking too much, doing too many drugs, adrift.

When a kid who used to go to Brakebills with them shows up at their apartment, offering them a chance to enter legend, they find their purpose.  One thing all of them have in common is their love for a fantasy children's series a la The Chronicles of Narnia set in a land called Fillory.  It turns out that this land is real, not just in a bunch of books, and eventually they make their way there, meeting the inhabitants (talking animals and trees, magicians, fauns, etc.) and embarking upon a quest to liberate their beloved Fillory from its current oppressor.  It's an adventure all fantasy-nerds dream of.

Speaking as a fantasy nerd, here's the thing: the blurbs on the book jacket rave about how The Magicians "tips its hat to Oz and Narnia as well as to Harry" but I would take that a little further and say that it comes pretty close to ripping off its predecessors.  In the Fillory stories there are four human siblings who venture to Fillory, two brothers and their two sisters; the siblings serve as kings and queens for Fillory and fight for their new land; one of the brothers is not a very nice guy.  Sound familiar at all?  There is also a witch who is apparently trying to freeze Fillory, not in permanent winter but in permanent nighttime; she is called the Watcherwoman and you can hear her coming by the ticking of her clock.  That one rips off not only the Narnia books but also Peter Pan.  Perhaps Grossman really intends this as homage but, really, a little more imagination would be better.  (I noticed other glaring similarities but didn't make notes of them; I'll leave it to you to glean them out.)

All that is not to say that I didn't like The Magicians.  I did.  It's fast-paced, it has interesting and flawed characters (you are left wondering if Quentin really learned anything, because he sure should have), and it's expletive-laden and violent enough to remind you that no, this isn't actually a children's fantasy book.  The ending is left open enough that a sequel could happen, but I don't think it should - sometimes you don't need a series.

Lost episode recap – “Lighthouse” S6E5 airdate 02/23/10)

Alterna-2004: Jack comes home from work to a fairly impersonal apartment. As he’s washing up, he notices a scar on his belly that makes him pause a little. The phone rings: it’s his mom, distraught about his father’s missing body. He sees the time and has to hang up on his mom, promising to stop by later. He dashes out the door, late to pick up … his son David from school. David is pouty about having to wait, btw. Also, Alterna-Jack still has that awesome truck I loved from a season or so ago.

Island. Dogan finds Jack staring out over the pool near the Temple. He asks Jack if Kate, Sawyer and Jin are coming back and Jack admits that no, probably not. Dogan appreciates his honesty. Meanwhile, Hurley is hungry so he goes into the Temple looking for food. He asks some guy inside by the healing pool if he knows where the kitchen is; the guy does, but more importantly, he tells Hurley that he should get a pen, as he’ll need to write some things down. It’s Jacob, you see, either not quite dead or dead in that special way where Hurley can talk to him. “Someone is coming to the Island. I need you to help him find it,” says Jacob, very seriously.

Alterna-2004. David gets right down to his homework when they get back to Jack’s apartment, ignoring his dad when Jack tries to talk to him. David’s like: Look we see each other once a month – let’s just get through it. Then Jack gets another call from his overwrought mom, asking him to come by right now. David rolls his eyes and goes back to ignoring his dad. Jack’s feelings are a bit hurt.

Island. Sayid asks Jack why all the Others are staring at him. Jack says just ignore them. But Sayid presses the issue, wanting to know what Jack is hiding from him. So Jack says that the Others wanted Jack to give Sayid a poison pill, to kill him and whatever it is inside him. He goes on to say that the Others told him that what’s happened to Sayid has happened to someone else. “Who?” asks Sayid.

Cut to Rambo-Claire, forging through the jungle to Jin, whose ankle is a friggin’ mess from the bear trap. She kicks at the two Others, attempting to confirm that they’re dead, and then springs the trap, freeing him. “How long have you been out here?” he asks. “Since you left,” she replies, “how long ago was that?” Then she tells him that they’ve got to get out of here – can he walk? He says yes, and then passes out most unhelpfully.

Back at the temple, Hurley is wandering around, looking at the hieroglyphics on the stone walls. He’s about to press one when Dogan catches him and crankily tells him to go back outside. Then Jacob appears and tells Hurley what to say: “I’m a candidate and I can do what I want.” This freaks Dogan out some, and he walks away, mumbling to himself. Jacob wants to know why Hurley hasn’t brought Jack with him, as instructed. Hurley objects that Jack isn’t going to want to come with him on this snipe hunt … but the next scene has Hurley telling Jack that there’s a secret tunnel out into the jungle and Jack has to come with him, ‘cuz Jacob said so. Jack doesn’t want to go. So Hurley plays his ace (as instructed by Jacob): Jack, you have what it takes. This phrase gets Jack’s attention for some reason and he demands to know where Jacob is. Hurley: well, he’s dead, dude, but he’ll be where we’re going. With an exasperated eye roll, Jack stands and says let’s go.

When Jin comes to, Claire ahs managed to get him to her camp which looks remarkably Rousseau-esque. There are sticks of dynamite all over, and also a creepy cradle with a dressed-up animal skeleton inside it. Claire comes into the tent, dragging with her Justin the Other who was just pretending to be dead. She plans to beat out of Justin just where the Others have taken her son, but first she needs to clean up Jin’s AWFUL looking leg wound. “If there’s one thing out here that’ll kill ya,” she says to him, “it’s infection.” She says she’ll be right back but Jin interrupts, “Claire, have you been out here alone all this time?” I’m not alone, she says chirpily. Jin and Justin look at each other like this chick is totally CRAZY. Justin says they have to get out of here right now because if they don’t, Claire will kill them both – and it doesn’t matter that Jin used to know her.

As Hurley and Jack traipse through the woods, they come across Kate who nearly shoots them accidentally, having a nervous trigger finger and all. She tells the boys that she’s not going back to the Temple as she’s determined to find Claire. Jack tells her that the Others told him that something is wrong with Claire but Kate insists on sticking to her own quest, and they part ways.

Alterna-2004. Jack and his mom ransack Christian’s office, looking for his will. His mom asks if he wants a drink and Alterna-Jack politely turns her down. His mom asks how David is doing since he was so upset at the funeral they held for Christian. Jack hadn’t really noticed that his son was upset since they don’t really communicate with each other. His mom’s all, he’s your son and you should talk to him. They find the will and his mom pages through it. “Jack, did you father ever mention a Claire Littleton?” Nope, not in this reality!

Island. As Claire putters around out by her campfire, sterilizing things and sharpening her axe, Justin urges Jin to untie him. But they run out of time and she comes back in, ready to stitch Jin’s leg up. She apologizes for catching him in her trap, but she’s had to defend herself from the Others. Jin asks what she’s going to do with them next and she says she’s going to get Justin to tell her where Aaron is. Juston protests that his people don’t have Aaron but she is adamant, saying that both her father and her “friend” told her the Others have him. Jin: “Who’s your friend?” She deflects the question, asking instead if Jin is still her friend. Of course, says the poor man, tears and sweat running down his face from the trauma of being stitched up with no anesthesia. Good, she says, giving him a sweet smile. When she’s done with the needle and thread, she picks up an axe and looks at Justin: now it’s your turn.

During their wanderings, Jack and Hurley come upon the skeletal Adam and Eve in the caves by the stream, from way back in S1. The remains of Christian’s coffin are also in there with them. Jack gets all misty for a moment over the coffin. But just a moment.

Alterna-2004. Jack has brought home pizza for dinner but when he goes to check on David, the boy has scarpered. Some time later, Jack calls David’s cell yet again, apologizing for whatever he did. He drives over to David’s mother’s house – she’s supposed to be out of town (who do you think she is?) – and when there’s no answer, he lets himself in with the hide-a-key. But David is not there and sad Jack wanders around his bedroom, looking at things. He plays the answering machine – there’s a message from a music conservatory confirming an appointment; there’s also a message from Jack, calling his son from Australia in the aftermath of Christian’s death – and he gets teary again.

Island. Hurley is getting nostalgic: this is old school, him and Jack traipsing through the jungle on their way to do something they don’t understand - “good times.” He asks Jack why he agreed to come back to the Island. Jack answers by asking him why he did. Hurley tells him that Jacob shared a cab with him and told him to – now, c’mon, what’s your reason, Jack? Jack gets all teary AGAIN: I came back here because I was broken, and I was stupid enough to think this place could fix it. Hurley: Dude, I’m sorry. Finally, they emerge from the jungle at a tall stone lighthouse on a cliff overlooking the ocean. How have we never seen this before? wonders Jack. Hurley, in all his wisdom: “Guess we weren’t lookin’ for it.”

Back at Claire’s camp, Claire is freaking out, saying that the Others took her to the Temple, stuck her with needles, branded her (she shows Jin the mark), and they won’t tell her where her son is. Justin can’t say anything that she’ll listen to and she picks up her axe, aiming for his neck. Jin finally gets her attention, shouting her that Kate took Aaron off the Island and he’s okay, he’s fine, and he’s three years old now. Justin says yes, that’s true, and if you untie me, I promise to leave and not tell anyone I ever saw you. Claire takes a step back, tears in her eyes, and then swings the axe, burying it in poor Justin’s gut. Ouch. She staggers out of the tent while Jin just stares after her in shock.

Hurley and Jack are supposed to climb up the Lighthouse and get the light going. Jack kicks the door in: “After you.”

Alterna-2004. Jack has made his way to the conservatory just in time to hear David’s recital/audition. He’s an incredible pianist. Jack starts crying again. This episode should be subtitled that: “Jack cries again.” Another auditioning kid’s father is Alterna-Dogan, who tells Jack that David has a gift. Jack is discomfited to admit that he doesn’t even know how long David has been playing.

Lighthouse. The boys have made it to the top and Hurley starts setting the mirror mechanism Tell me when it gets to 108 degrees.” There are names and numbers written on the gear wheel: Jack sees that his name has the number 23 on it. He grabs the gearing from Hurley and turns it to 23 degrees: Jack’s childhood home back on the mainland appears reflected mirror. Jack connects the dots very quickly: Jacob has been watching them all their lives. That’s kind of icky. He starts to freak out and demands to know where Jacob is, why he’s been watching them: “What does he want from me?” Hurley tries to explain that it doesn’t work like that; he doesn’t have any answers, but Jack Has Had Enough. He picks up a piece of driftwood and bashes the shit out of the Lighthouse’s mirrors, shattering them into itty-bitty bits. Hurley is horrified and speechless.

Alterna-2004. Jack catches up to David after the recital. The boy is surprised and shocked to see his dad. David admits that the reason he didn’t tell Jack about the recital was because he didn’t want his father to see him fail – apparently Jack was pretty intense about his son’s piano playing earlier. Jack shares a moment from his own scary dad past, how Christian always used to tell him that he “didn’t have what it takes.” He starts crying again (what – is this Party of Five?) and tells David that no matter what, he is proud of him and he only wants to be part of his life. David gets a little misty himself. Then they go back home to bond over cold pizza.

Island. Jack and Hurley are gazing out over the ocean – separately, because Hurley wisely doesn’t want to be too close to Jack right now - when Jacob pops up to ask how everything went. Hurley freaks out that he was unable to complete Jacob’s quest until he sees that Jacob totally doesn’t care. Hurley connects the dots quickly: Jacob wanted Jack to see what he saw in that mirror. Yup, says Jacob, Jack has to figure out for himself why he’s here. Plus he had to get Jack and Hurley as far from the Temple as possible because someone bad is headed there. Hurley yelps that they have to go warn them but Jacob says no, sorry, it’s too late.

At Claire’s camp, she offers Jin some water and asks where it was that Kate was raising Aaron. Jin’s like, um, I was lying to save that guy’s life, but you were right, the Others have your baby. He tells her that he knows how to get into the Temple and can take her there. Claire smiles, pleased, and says that she’s glad that he was lying. Because if Kate really was raising Aaron, she’d kill her. Jin: gulp. (Did Jin only tell her that because he figured she’d wig out on Kate, or does he want her to go terminate the Others?)

There are footsteps outside and a familiar voice saying, “Am I interrupting?” It’s Not-Locke, and he steps into the tent with a faint smile. Jin is incredulous: “John?” Claire almost giggles: “This isn’t John – this is my friend.” Then both she and Not-Locke grin at poor Jin and it’s super-super-creepy.

Okay, this wasn't bad for a Jack-centric episode (stop crying, you big puss!).  They are continuing to tie up, or at least mention, loose ends like Adam and Eve, as well as making connections between the "real" reality and the alternate one, and we're definitely moving forward.  One question, though: when will we see darling Desmond again?

Previously on Lost / next time on Lost

What I've learned from watching the Olympics thus far

1. The Nordic events (including biathlon) are rather exciting because the competitors actually race against each other, not just the clock.
2. Watching short track speed skating makes me verrrrrrry nervous.  Did you see that clip from that Celski kid getting his leg cut and almost bleeding out on the ice last year? Yeesh.
3. I can't decide which would be scarier: luge - feet first and on your back - or skeleton - head first and on your stomach.
4. While I don't like sharing ski trails with them, I sure love watching the snowboarders.
5. Women alpine skiers = wicked tough, especially that Anja Pearson.
6. Knowing how to play bocce sure comes in handy for understanding curling.
7. A DVR is awesome for fast-forwarding through all that figure skating.
8. I have a huge new crush on that Aksel Svindel.  Pretty!
9. Northern New England represent!  "The pride of Sugarloaf, Maine" - Seth Wescott kicks ass for an old guy.  (No, not as old as me, but old for the Olympics.)

I love the Olympics!

Lost episode recap – “The Substitute” S6E4 airdate 02/16/10)

I finally have a new DVR but – arrgh – I missed the very beginning of the show (or maybe it isn’t the DVR’s fault, but because Mr. Mouse was determined to eke out as much Olympics as he could before I kicked him off the television).

Anyway, in the world in which the plane did not crash, John Locke has fallen on his front lawn and is unable to get up when the sprinklers come on. Helen (Katey Segal) helps him up and inside the house. They’re planning their wedding, but he’s keeping secrets from her, not telling her the real reason he went to Australia - she thinks he was at a conference. But while she’s helping him unpack, she finds Jack’s card and encourages Locke to call for a consultation. “Maybe it’s destiny,” she says. “Maybe it is,” says Locke.

Island. POV of the Smoke Monster, cruising over hill and dale, snooping around the Dharma compound. Then the Smoke Monster goes back into the jungle and goes along until it finds a machete on the ground. It resumes the shape of Not-Locke, picks up the machete and hacks through a rope that’s holding a trap up in the air. When the netting hits the ground, a bloody and dazed Richard pokes his head out. “Okay, Richard,” says Not-Locke, “Let’s talk.”

Alterna-world. Locke wheels himself to his cubicle. He seems extremely dissatisfied to be there. His boss comes up and outs him for not attending the conference in Sydney – which the company paid for. Locke sort of apologizes but said what he did instead in Australia was personal. His boss fires him.

Island. Not-Locke apologizes for punching Richard in the throat and dragging him off. Richard is not interested in apologies and wants to know why he’s taken Locke’s form. “Because Locke was a candidate,” and posing as him could get Not-Locke close to Jacob. “Candidate for what?” asks Richard. Oh, poor Richard, says Not-Locke mock-pityingly, I never would have treated you like that – come with me and I’ll take care of you. Rickard refuses, saying he won’t go anywhere with Not-Locke. Richard looks bad, by the way – bruised and scared. Just then Not-Locke is distracted by a blonde boy with bloody hands who has appeared a little ways off in a clearing. When Richard turns to look, the boy is not there. Not-Locke takes off, leaving Richard behind.

Ben finds a sniveling Ilana in the room under the four-toed statue. She wants to know that happened. Ben says okay, but you won’t believe me. Try me, says Ilana. Ben lies, of course, telling her that Locke did it all himself: turned into the Smoke Monster and killed everyone, then killed Jacob and pushed him into the fire where he burned all up. He’s still so shaken that he doesn’t sound very convincing. But Ilana doesn’t challenge him on it, instead going to the fire and putting a handful of the ashes into a pouch. Ben asks her if she knows why Not-Locke would have taken Richard off into the jungle. “He’s recruiting,” she replies.

Not-Locke strides through the Dharma Compound, hearing some loud, punk-ish music coming from one of the cottages. He investigates and finds Sawyer, sitting in his underwear, getting schnockered on whiskey. “Hello, James,” says Not-Locke. Sawyer says blearily: “I thought you were dead.” “I am,” Not-Locke smiles.

After the break, Sawyer pours them both a drink. “Here’s to being dead,” toasts Sawyer. Not-Locke notes that Sawyer seems to be taking this revelation very well. Sawyer says that he doesn’t care if Locke is alive, dead or the ghost of Christmas Past. Then he cuts to the chase: who are you? He says that it’s obvious he’s not Locke, as Locke was scared even when he was being brave. Not-Locke says that perhaps he is the person who could answer the most important question in the world – and Sawyer just laughs, cutting him off. Not-Locke is insistent and suggests that Sawyer come with him for some real answers about this here Island.

Alterna-world. Post-firing, Locke is furious because a giant yellow Hummer is parked too close for him to get into his car since he doesn’t like to park in the handicapped spot. As he’s pitching a fit, the Hummer owner comes out and it’s Hurley, who now owns the company. Hurley is pretty suave and very kind to Locke. When it comes out that Locke just lost his job, Hurley gives him a phone number: he also owns a temp agency and he tells Locke that he’ll get him another job. For twice now, Locke does not bristle at the kindness of strangers.

Island. Frank Lapidus goes over to Locke’s dead body, Sun following. They cover him, Frank noting that Locke is getting a little ripe out here in the sun. Ilana comes up and asks them where everyone else went. When Sun tells her they went to the Temple, Ilana approves, saying that’s the safest place so let’s go. Sun’s like, I’m not going anywhere with you. Ilana says okay, but Jin is there. Sun immediately changes her mind, but insists that they bury Locke first. Sighing, Ilana acquiesces.

Not-Locke wants to know what Sawyer was doing back there in the cottage. “Drinkin’,” says Sawyer. Not-Locke next wants to know why Sawyer isn’t with the rest of the Losties but Sawyer says he’s done talking. Suddenly, the blond boy is there again. “Who the hell is that?” says Sawyer. Not-Locke is surprised: “You can see him?” “Hell yeah,” says Sawyer. The boy takes off running and Not-Locke chases after him. He trips and then the boy is right there in front of him. “You know the rules – you can’t kill him,” says the boy sternly. Then he turns and walks off into the jungle – I think he’s Jacob 2.0, don’t you? “Don’t tell me what I can’t do!” screams Not-Locke.

Now Sawyer is wandering around the jungle, shouting for Locke. Richard comes out of the jungle to talk to him, all nervous and twitchy, and begs Sawyer to come with him to the Temple. I have never seen Richard like this. He says that Not-Locke will try to kill Sawyer and everyone else on the Island, and then, hearing Not-Locke’s approach, he disappears back into the undergrowth. Not-Locke shows up and wants to know who Sawyer was talking to. Nobody, says Sawyer.

Alterna-world. Locke’s job placement interview is not going that well and the supervisor gets involved. The supervisor is Rose – awwwww! – and, as expected, she is fabulous, not taking any shit from him when he tries to insist on a job for which he is just not suited, due to his wheelchair. When he gives her some attitude about it, all you don’t know my pain, she matter-of-factly tells him that she has terminal cancer, so yes, she might just know about physical pain and struggle. They reach an agreement to find a job for him that is more suitable. Rose is awesome, y’all.

Island. Sawyer asks Not-Locke if he reads – yes – and does he know Of Mice and Men. When Not-Locke says he is not familiar with the story, Sawyer tells him about the part where SPOILER Lenny gets tricked into walking into the field after something he’s always wanted, and then shot. And when Not-Locke turns around, Sawyer has a gun pointed at him, clearly not interested in being any sort of Lenny himself, and threatening to put a bullet in Not-Locke’s head. Sure, let’s see what happens, says Not-Locke, fearlessly. Nonplussed, Sawyer is all WTF? Not-Locke says he’s been trapped for a very long time, but before he was trapped he was a man. He knows what it was like to lose someone he loves – and he can sympathize with Sawyer. Then he really turns on the recruitment pitch, saying, Come on, James, you’re so close [to the answers] – don’t stop now. Sawyer sighs, annoyed, and puts down the gun.

Beach. Ilana and Ben carry Locke’s body. Ben is ranting about why she even brought Locke to the foot-temple. She replies that it was to give the Island folks a taste of what they were up against. She also tells him that now, for some reason, Not-Locke is stuck in Locke’s body. They bury Locke in the old Lostie graveyard with Nikki and Paolo and everyone else. No one really wants to say anything over the body, but Ben finally steps up, saying that John Locke was a believer, a man of faith, and a better man than he is: “I’m very sorry I murdered him.” Frank turns to get a shovel, muttering that this is the weirdest damn funeral he’s ever been to.

Alterna-world. Locke goes about the daily struggle of getting up and getting dressed, wrestling his useless legs into the wheelchair. Frustrated, he starts to call Jack’s office but ends up chickening out. Helen overhears and gets excited, then Locke bursts her bubble by telling her that he got fired. Eventually Locke ‘fesses up that he didn’t go to the conference when he was in Sydney, and tells her that he tried to go on a walkabout but they wouldn’t let him go because of his disability. He’s so frustrated and sad, and feeling sorry for himself, and he tells her that there is no hope that he’ll ever get out of the chair so if she’s waiting for that, she might as well give up. “There are miracles, John,” she tells him gently, but all she’s been waiting for is him. Then she tears up Jack’s card and planted a major kiss on him. Awwww.

Island. Not-Locke leads Sawyer to the edge of a cliff and starts climbing down a rickety wooden ladder. Sawyer is all, you have GOT to be kidding me. A little ways down, Not-Locke switches over to a rope ladder. Sawyer almost falls – and the stunt double messes up by wearing a wrong color shirt – and then Sawyer’s ladder does break. There’s much shouting and flailing and banging against the rocks, but Not-Locke grabs onto him and pulls him to safety. They make their way to a room carved out of the cliff. There’s a scale there, balanced with a white rock and a black rock. Not-Locke takes the white rock off and chucks it into the ocean (“An inside joke,” he explains to Sawyer who really doesn’t much care), then lights a torch and leads Sawyer further into the cave. “This is why you’re here – this is why you’re all here.” Sawyer takes the torch and stares at the ceiling of this cave, which is covered in chalk writing. Oooh – what is it?

Alterna-world. Locke’s new job seems to be as a substitute teacher (there’s the title). When he stops by the teachers’ lounge, Ben is here, ranting about no one refilling the coffee pot. Locke makes a gentle crack about just wanting some Earl Grey and Ben stops ranting (since tea is a civilized drink) and shakes Locke’s hand. He teaches European history here at this school. Locke gets a weird smile on his face – does he recognize Ben somehow or does he think he may have just made a friend?

Island. Sawyer reads the mysterious cave writing, incredulous to see all the Losties’ names. Not-Locke says Jacob wrote it all. Why are the names crossed out? Oh, not all of them: not Jack, or Hurley, or Sayid, “Kwon” (either Sun or Jin) or Sawyer. Sawyer bitches: “Why would he write my name on this wall [when] I never even met the guy?” Not-Locke says no, James, Jacob probably did meet you when you were young; he manipulated you and pushed you to this Island … because he thought you were a candidate to replace him as its protector. Sawyer: WTF? Not-Locke: you have three choices – do nothing and see what plays out; take the job and protect the Island (and when Sawyer asks “Protect it from what?”, Not-Locke replies that there’s nothing to protect it from – totally glossing over the fact that it’s HIM); or the third choice is to go home, leave the Island, Not-Locke and Sawyer together. Whaddya say, James, you want to get off this Island? Sawyer: “Hell yeah!”

Previously on Lost / next time on Lost

More excuses than an excuse makin' machine

Posting may be a little sporadic in the next few days: Mr. Mouse and I bought a new house and we're moving ourselves in.  The cable guy comes tomorrow, however, so I should be able to have the Lost post up in a timely fashion.  Yay for a new Mouse House!

Book review: Flora's Dare by Ysabeau S. Wilce

In my January 2008 review of Flora Segunda, Ysabeau S. Wilce’s first novel in which we are introduced to Flora Nemain Fyrdraaca ov Fyrdraaca, I said that I hoped the book did well enough that a series might emerge around these engaging characters. My hope has at least materialized into the second volume, Flora’s Dare: How a Girl of Spirit Gambles All to Expand Her Vocabulary, Confront a Bouncing Boy Terror, and Try to Save Califa from a Shaky Doom (Despite Being Confined to Her Room). If nothing else, Wilce’s editors have not bothered to rein in her galloping titles.

Flora’s Dare picks right up where we left off, with our narrator, fourteen year old Flora quickly recounting for us the events of the first book, all of which have resulted with her still having to do stacks and stacks of chores, but this time under the unflinching eye of her newly sober and sane father. Flora chafes at the housework and the arbitrary curfews, but mostly she is frustrated because she wants to learn Gramatica, the language of magick and she can’t find anyone to teach her. Proficiency in Gramatica is imperative if you want to be a Ranger – and that’s what Flora wants, above all else. Well, she’d also like her best friend Udo to maybe like her as more than a friend, she can’t do a thing with her hair and she’d like to find a corset that doesn’t cut into her belly, but mostly it’s the Ranger thing.

As in the first book, the plot is as tangled as you can imagine. Let me take a stab at it: in an attempt to locate someone to teach her Gramatica, Flora learns that her sister, a diehard Army officer, has deserted to join the rebels who want to oust the foreign tyrants currently running the city. She also discovers that the earthquakes that are rocking the city are caused by a supernatural entity trapped in the shape of a giant squid and imprisoned in the sewers – the creature’s struggles are demolishing the city. Udo, always wanting to make a quick buck, decides to become a bounty hunter and manages to get himself possessed by an evil spirit with a penchant for flashy footwear. Flora takes it upon herself to solve all these problems, all the while sneaking out of the house so her father won’t know what she’s up to; it’s not easy and at one point she ends up in an oubliette thirty-seven years in the past with only a plushy stuffed pig for protection. (The plushy pig turns out to be more help than you might think.) And as she did in the first book, the author manages to tie most of the plot threads together – although it does get a little frantic at times – while offering up a reveal at the end that opens the door for book #3.

The Flora books are not as dark or dense as the Harry Potter series, but the characters are put in fairly serious danger and people do die. The heroine is brave, funny, clever and determined but things do not happen easily for her, either in her adventures or her regular life. As a teenager on the cusp of adulthood, Flora is still trying to figure out who she really is and as such her struggles, both the realistic and the fantastic, are readily relatable to the reader.

Postscript: The Sandman

I did it.  I've come to the end of Neil Gaiman's amazing, horrifying, heart-rending, gorgeous series about Morpheus, Lord Dream of the Endless.  I haven't read a whole lot of comic books, but the people who write the forewards to each of the Sandman volumes have, along with a lot of other books, and they all say the same thing:  what Gaiman has created here is not merely a pop culture masterpiece, but fine art and literature.  The fact that Gaiman created a whole new mythology while interweaving myths and legends and fairy tales and stories from across the globe, the fact that these stories were released one book at a time, month after month, and yet by the end of it all the characters tie together, reconnect, even the ones whom the reader considered unimportant one-offs, the fact that the main character of these comic books is largely unlikeable and standoffish and yet moves through an incredible arc, compelling readers to return again and again, just to see what comes next ... I've said it before and I'm sure I'll say it again:

Neil Gaiman is a frickin' genius.  Even if you are sure you don't like comic books, you should read these.

Mini movie review: Inglourious Basterds

Well now, here you go: another Best Picture nominee crossed off the list: Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds.  Problem is, I'm so late to the game, and so much has already been written about this movie that it's tough to know what to even say - I'm not even going to recap the plot, everyone knows it - but I got some snippets at least:

Since Mr. Mouse likes QT movies, at least he likes Pulp Fiction and will tolerate Reservoir Dogs although it's really too bloody for him, I had hoped that this would be a movie he and I could watch together, and I had specifically (1) moved it up the queue ahead of some other horrorish DVDs for him as well as (2) planning our day so we would start the movie early enough that he wouldn't fall asleep in the middle of it.  It's a dang long movie, y'all.

However, like so many of QT's movies, this one is extremely talky, interspersed with frenetic violence.  Which is fine - except that 90% of the talkiness was in subtitles (something I had astonishingly not picked up on in all my reading about this flick).  I like subtitles but Mr. Mouse doesn't not, plus our movie is old and small and subtitles are a bit of a challenge on them.  He gave up after 30+ minutes, poor guy. 

I liked it although I know for a fact that I got maybe 0.2% of all the movie references Tarantino threw in there.  I thought Christoph Waltz and Melanie Laurent were just wonderful, particularly Waltz, and I am grateful to Tarantino for populating his film with actual German and French actors, not just Americans faking the accents.  (And, in poking fun at the Hollywood penchant for doing just that, having Brad Pitt's Aldo Raines be the "best" at speaking Italian was hilarious.)

Despite the scalping (just a few) and the shooting (really quite a lot), this is not your typical Tarantino fare, what I said about the talkiness notwithstanding.  I've always though that QT was a great filmmaker.  With Inglourious Basterds, however, he's finally grown into his early promise.

Lost episode recap – “What Kate Does” S6E3 airdate 02/09/10)

Before we begin, you should know, if you don't, that I'm not particularly fond of the character Kate.  She flipflops (Sawyer/Jack, badass/delicate princess, want to leave the Island/want to stay on the Island) and is generally annoying.  Mr. Mouse likes her because she's "hot."  Anyway -

The LAX cab that Kate has hijacked struggles to get out of the airport; when it has to stop for pedestrians, Claire tries to make a run for it but Kate yanks her back into the cab. Then at a traffic light, the cabbie himself jumps out and Kate climbs into the driver’s seat. A little way further on, however, Kate kicks Claire out, keeping her purse and refusing to let her take her suitcase.

Back at the Island, the Losties bring a woozy Sayid up to speed, i.e., the Others have captured them, Hurley’s sort of in charge (per Miles), Sayid’s gut wound is completely healed, etc. The Others interrupt, trying to take Sayid away for some questions. Jack says he has some questions of his own, starting with why are they being held here as prisoners. Sol promises that once they’ve spoken to Sayid, they’ll answer all Jack’s questions. Some burly Others restrain Jack and a tussle starts, until Sawyer takes a pistol and starts shooting into the air. He tells the Others that he doesn’t care what they do with the rest of the Losties but he’s leaving. Kate’s all, “James!” but he just glares at her and snarls not to come after him. Then he leaves the Others’ compound.

After the commercial, the Others take Sayid away. Sol asks Jack where he thinks Sawyer went but Jack refuses to answer. Kate, ever helpful, says she can track him and bring him back: “I can be very convincing when I want to be.” Oh, spare me.

In the alternate world, Kate drives up to a scruffy mechanic (played by the character actor who was that scary bad wizard who hooked Willow on magic in BtVS S6) and convinces him to help her get the handcuffs off her wrist. When she goes into the bathroom to change her clothes, she finds Claire’s bag is full of baby stuff and has a pang of conscience.

Island. Jin and a couple of Others (Aldo - ? and Justin) are accompanying Kate. Before she goes, she tells Jack to take care of Sayid. They have a little moment when they look like they might kiss – Jack even sort of moves in for it - but they don’t. Make up your damn mind, Kate.

Meanwhile, the Asian Other has Sayid strapped to a table and is poking wires into his now healed belly. Then he cranks up a generator and zaps Sayid with electricity, torture-style. Sayid is scared and screaming, asking why are they doing this to him? In answer, the Other stabs him with a red-hot poker. Sayid screams again, understandably, and then he cries. Later, Sol comes in to let Sayid loose from the shackles, and apologizes for testing him like that. “A test for what?” weeps Sayid. “Don’t worry,” says Sol, “you passed.” More Others lead Sayid out and Sol watches them go, muttering to the Asian Other: “I just lied to him, didn’t I?” Asian Other: “Yes.”

Alternate world. Kate drives back towards the airport and finds Claire, sitting poutfully at a bus stop. She returns Claire’s purse and luggage and asks where she was headed. Claire doesn’t really want to say at first, so Kate’s all fine, whatever, and makes to leave. Then Claire has a change of heart and says she was going to Brentwood, where the people live who are adopting her baby. “Get in,” says Kate and Claire does, surprising them both.

Island. Aldo the Other is super-abrasive and annoying and snotty about Kate’s purported tracking skills; the other Other, Justin, is less annoying. Kate decides that she isn’t interested in leading them to Sawyer, however, and swiftly takes them out with her jungle-ninja skilz. “What are you doing?” protests Jin. “Escaping,” says Kate.

Back at the Temple, Sayid tells Jack, Miles and Hurley that the Others tortured him but didn’t ask him any questions. Jack pushes his way into the back room, demanding to know WTF. The Asian Other, through Sol, says that Sayid is “infected” and hands Jack a gnarly greenish-gray pill to give to Sayid. They explain that the “torture” was actually diagnosing him with this infection. They ask Jack how Sayid got hurt. “Helping me,” says Jack. And were there other people who got hurt or died because they were with Jack? Yes (lots). Then, according to the Others, giving this pill to Sayid is Jack’s chance to redeem himself - otherwise the infection will spread and that, apparently, will be dire. I have a question too: Jack, you’re a doctor, so why don’t you ask what kind of infection this is? After five seasons, I’m ready for the Losties to ask some follow up questions every now and again.

Miles and Hurley quiz Sayid about being dead. “You’re not a zombie, right?” asks Hurley. No, replies Sayid with a straight face, I’m not a zombie. Heh. Jack comes back to talk to Sayid privately and the other two give them some space. Jack tells Sayid what the Others said about his “infection” and hands him the pill. Sayid wants to know what Jack thinks. Jack says that the Others were the ones who saved Sayid’s life, not him … but Sayid says he trusts Jack, not the Others, and if Jack wants him to take the pill, he will.

Jin – whose English is quite fabulous these days – separates from Kate, saying that he thinks the Others can help him find Sun. So Kate sets off after Sawyer on her own, telling Jin good-bye because she has no intention of going back to the Temple herself, with or without Sawyer. BTW, there’s some dialogue here that I missed because Mr. Mouse, from the other room, asked me why Jin can speak English now - he hasn’t watched this show since S1.

Alterna-world. Kate and Claire arrive at the adoptive parents’ house and, since they’ve done a little bonding on the ride, Claire asks Kate to come in with her. When the prospective mom answers the door, she immediately bursts into tears, saying that her husband left her a little while ago and there’s no way she can take the baby now. Claire freaks out, as you would - and then Kate freaks out, shouting “She came all the way from AUS and you couldn’t call?!” – and then Claire grabs her belly and shrieks that the baby’s coming right now!

Island. Kate searches the Dharma compound, looking for Sawyer. She finds him in his old cottage, pulling up floorboards in the bedroom. As she watches from the doorway, he lifts out a shoebox and opens it, tears in his eyes. Embarrassed, Kate backs away but makes a noise while doing so and Sawyer finds her. He is angry at having been followed. When he asks what the hell she’s doin’ here, she mumbles that she was worried about him. Scowling, he brushes by her, leaving the cottage.

Alterna-world. Kate rushes Claire to the hospital, agreeing to stay with her until they figure out what’s going on. Claire is panicking while the nurse dithers around so Kate goes to find a doctor: it’s Ethan Goodspeed (yikes!). But in this reality, he’s actually nice, with a great bedside manner, telling Claire that either she can have the baby early or, if she doesn’t mind some needles, they can give her some drugs to stop the labor. Claire thinks about it for a bit, but says she’s not ready. A monitor goes off and Claire panics again, shouting if Aaron is okay. Ethan confirms that he is, but Kate gets a weird look on her face upon hearing that name. She squeezes Claire’s hand.

Island. Kate finds Sawyer down on the Dharma dock. She tells him that she wants to find Claire and she had been hoping that he would help her find her, so she can bring Aaron his mother back. Then she apologizes for interrupting Sawyer and Juliet’s escape from the Island (in the 1970s on the submarine) but he says it’s not her fault, it’s his: he kept Juliet from leaving the Island because he didn’t want to be alone. He’s got an engagement ring in his hands: he was going to ask Juliet to marry him. He throws it into the ocean: “I guess some of us are meant to be alone.” Then he tells Kate she can probably make it back to the Temple by nightfall and leaves her sitting there on the dock. Kate wipes tears from her face and snuffles.

Temple. Jack has a sit-down with the Asian Other (his name is Tobian or something like that). Tobian notes that Jack did not give Sayid the pill. Jack says he won’t do it unless he knows what’s in it. Tobian insists that Jack must trust him. Jack: “I don’t trust myself so how can I trust you?” then he takes the pill himself. Tobian launches himself at Jack and pounds on his stomach until Jack spits up the pill. What is in it? Jack demands. “Poison,” admits Tobian.

Note: If anyone can tell me what this guy’s name really is, I would appreciate it. Right when he said his name, Mr. Mouse asked if he was “the guy from the movies,” meaning Dr. Chang, and while I was saying no, and I missed the actual name. Stupid not having a DVR.

Alterna-world, hospital. A couple of cops stop by Claire’s hospital, asking questions about Kate … who is hiding right next door. When they’ve gone, Claire asks what Kate did. “Would you believe me if I said I was innocent?” asks Kate. Friend Mouse says: NO, NO I WOULD NOT. But Claire says yes, and then hands her credit card to Kate to aid and abet her. They wish each other luck.

Island. Kate fills her canteen from a Dharma compound faucet. Sawyer walks right past her without saying anything. She stands, and turns to go.

Temple. Tobian pours Jack some tea. Sol, incredulous that Jack tried to swallow the pill, seems a little annoyed that he hasn’t been offered any. Jack wants to know why they wanted to kill Sawyer. Tobian explains that they think Sayid has been “claimed” by something evil … the same something evil that took “[Jack’s] sister.”

Jungle. When Jin pauses for a drink at a creek, Aldo and Justin nab him, more than a little cranky at having been knocked unconscious by a girl. Aldo is about to shoot poor Jin - who, while trying to run away from them, manages to step in a bear trap (ouch!) - when someone else shoots him. Then Justin is shot. Jin looks around wildly: “Claire?” and yes, it is Jungle Claire, dirty and scruffy and apparently now a deadshot with a rifle.

Previously on Lost / next time on Lost

It is entirely possible that the Lost recap will be late

Due to circumstances beyond my control*, it is possible that the Lost recap will not go up in its usually expedient timeframe.  If I haven't gotten it posted by midnight (Eastern time), then it will be at least a day late, if not more.  I wouldn't worry about it tho' as it's supposed to be a Kate-centric episode.  Like we haven't gotten enough of those over the years. Sigh. 

By the way, now that Juliet's dead, how long do you think it will it take for Kate to decide she lurves Sawyer again - five minutes? Ten?

* Actually, I totally could control said circumstances but depending on other circumstances which are not, in fact, under my control, I may not want to control the circumstances over which I actually do have control, and thus the recap may, depending on the circumstances's circumstances, late**. 

** Yes, I'm deliberately being obtuse.