Bittersweet: Massive Book and Movie Review

Book Review: Jane and the Ghosts of Netley

I'm a fan of ghost stories, but I should warn anyone with similar hopes that there are no ghosts in this story at all. I was vastly disappointed in that. Jane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor, the first book in the series, had a far more gothic bent than this book. Also, though I knew it would happen since I listened to the audio of the book after this, a favorite character of mine dies. The story is well constructed, no more complaints than I usually have for this author which I already outlined in my other review, but it is easily the most depressing of the series. As such, and since it would be extremely bad for me to reveal much more if you're planning on reading the book, I fear this book review shall remain short.

Movie Review: Northanger Abbey 2007
YouTube Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBLMpDihYp4

After I read the previous book I was seeking consolation while still in a Jane Austen mood, so I looked up news of the newest adaptation of my second favorite (and sometimes my first favorite depending on mood) Jane Austen novel, Northanger Abbey. It establishes Austen as the brilliant satirist that she is and so was the best choice to put me in a cheerful mood. There has only ever been one other film adaptation of this story to my greatest regret. It was made for TV back in the 1980s, and I could never bring myself to watch it because it looked so bad. I don't like to judge actors on how they look, but I should at least not be repulsed on sight by an Austen leading man, and that is the case with the old Northanger Abbey. I also never heard any particularly good reviews of the eighties version that would tempt me to change my mind and give it a chance.

Anyway, I only expected to find news of the new movie, so imagine how happy I was to find the whole thing on You Tube, especially since it's not yet available to buy or rent on DVD in the US. The link to the first part of the full movie on YouTube is right below the title. You should be able to find the other parts from there under the "related searches" bar or just type in Northanger Abbey Part 2, 3, 4, and so on for the rest. It's in segments of about 6 minutes each. There are 16 segments all together and please note the last one is titled "Northanger Abbey Last Part" instead of "Northanger Abbey Part 16" as one might expect. I didn't want anyone thinking I was so cruel as to show them something that didn't have an end.

Now that the technical stuff is out of the way, onto the review.

The screenplay for the 2007 adaptation of Northanger Abbey was written by Andrew Davies, the same man who wrote the screenplay of the beloved 1995 version of Pride and Prejudice. This is clearly a good sign already and it only gets better from there because Mr. Tilney is played by a very handsome actor, in my opinion at least, by the name of JJ Feild, and he does the job exeedingly well. Unfortunately I couldn't find a picture of him in the Mr. Tilney character, so I put up a picture of Felicity Jones who plays the heroine, Catherine Morland. But if you're curious as to what's in store, you need only look at the picture below this review. The man behind the blonde girl (sadly not as in focus) is also JJ Feild. More on that later.

In any case, Northanger Abbey will seem a bit different to fans of Austen's other novels and the film is thus, somewhat different than other Austen films. The film, although condensed, was reasonably close to the feel of the novel. At first I was a little bothered by its frequent use of surreal gothic dream sequences, but for a viewer denied Austen's brillant prose, I suppose it's the best way to show the audience the absurdity of the genre she's kicking the snot out of, and admittedly several of the sequences are quite funny. Also important is that the movie makes sure that you know they're laughing at gothic fiction. I heard the eighties version did not quite grasp this concept, but I assure you the new version certainly does.

The look of the movie was also flawless. It has the costumes, dances, and scenes of regency England down pat. I'm not a historical or cinematic expert but, for the common person, nothing seems out of place. I am, however, a bit of a lighting snob which is curious since I know nothing about it professionally, but I have trouble with movies that are not well-lit. So I am happy to report it has a good cinematic glow that doesn't look too made-for-TV but also happily isn't anywhere near the high-end-art-film-gritty-reality light. If that made any sense to anyone.

As for the acting itself, it's already clear that I liked Feild's Mr. Tilney. Admittedly the movie plays up the romance a little more than it actually did in the book, but because of my bias towards the actor, I can't really say I disliked this addition. They also are sure not to overdo it and it actually slightly improves the depth of Tilney's character for him to like Catherine for reasons other than the fact that she likes him (as it is explicitly stated in the book). The extra romance with Tilney also helps Catherine's character. Felicity Jones did a good job of portraying someone endearingly silly. The Catherine in this movie is like someone we all know, a best friend (or even ourselves) who we love but must guide towards reason from time to time. She may even be more endearing and a little less silly than the Catherine in the book since we have to believe Tilney's love for her. The book is also told from the humorous, though sometimes bitingly so, perspective of the narrator, whereas in the film, you inevitably feel closer to Catherine and more sympathetic of her feelings.

I would never say it's better than the book, because it can't be. But it's true to the spirit of the work which is all one can ask for in a film. It's also perfect for anyone wanting to be put in a good mood. I highly recommend it.

Movie Review: The Ruby in the Smoke
You Tube Link: http://youtube.com/watch?v=Ue8gMmyqHYo

Not Jane Austen, but as you see, there's still the lovely Mr. Tilney. The reason I found this movie was because I was looking up JJ Feild just out of curiosity to see if he'd been in any other movie I might like to see. Lo' and behold, I saw on IMBD that he had just finished making The Shadow in the North. Now this made me more excited than it might make some people because that is the sequel to a book written by Phillip Pullman. It's in a trilogy of three books of mysteries about a girl named Sally Lockhart that I enjoyed last summer. The Shadow in the North is not yet available and possibly has not yet aired, but when I searched it on YouTube, I found the first book, the Ruby in the Smoke, had also been made and, happily, was also on YouTube in its entirety. This time the movie is segmented into nine ten minute segments and you can find the first part by clicking the link at the top of this review. Find the other parts much in the same way you would for Northanger Abbey.

However, despite it being on YouTube, The Ruby in the Smoke is available to buy or rent and it is worth it in my opinion. However, the beauty of YouTube is you can see if you agree with me. If you've ever read the books, it's a well-done adaptation, keeping with the general flow and spirit of the novel. It remains to be seen if the movie versions will have the same problems as the books. Unless Pullman has not finished the series, then there are a few nagging loose ends he leaves. There is only one detail explained in the novel that is not in the film, but it is not really overly important to the plot and might even be inferred by the more astute. The conclusion of the movie also seemed a bit rushed. I believe Sally did a little more investigating in the book to justify her knowledge, but I can't recall for certain. It's still a fascinating, adventure story and much better adapted than I expected. My favorite character, Fred Garland, played by Feild, was not in it as much as I would have liked, but since the story does focus on Sally, this is only to be expected and he does, at least, have several scenes. Upon first seeing the girl who would play Sally, I thought she looked too mature. But she portrayed a nineteen year old girl very well. My only critique on her is that her eyebrows were strangely dark for a blonde, but this is a small detail that I soon learned to ignore.

Once again, if you like period dramas, it's an excellent one of Victorian England. However, unlike Northanger Abbey, it's a bit sad. It has a reasonably happy ending, but if you're already feeling depressed, probably not the best feel-good movie.

Writer's Epiphany

If I write a comfortable set number of words per day it accumulates far faster than if I try to push myself to write more. Usually, even if I wrote, I would feel guilty for not writing more. But I am not a particularly fast writer, and feelings of guilt tend to make me avoid work rather than motivating it. The other problem was I love writing, but it was beginnig to feel a lot like work. This was doing more than simply frustrating me. Writing is as important to my mental health as breathing is to my physical health. But with all the work my senior year, I didn't have the time to write as much as my conscience demanded I should. I practically gave up entirely and my psyche has been suffering for it. However, I was inspired by my favorite author Terry Pratchett. I read in the author's note of Good Omens that he always wrote 500 words per day, without fail. Now this may just mean "at least" 500 words or exactly 500. I'm not sure and he could write more than that now. He's quite prolific. But seeing as this was half of what I normally considered a respectable amount, I was shocked. Still, I figured if it was a good enough number for Terry Pratchett, then it was good enough for me. I didn't start doing this right away because I was still in school and still going quietly insane. But once summer started (and after a few weeks of absolutely no mental activity to recover from my burn out) I started writing regularly and it's been working wonderfully so far. I've only been doing it for about a week, but I find it gives me a much more positive attitude to set a goal I know I can reach and not feel guilty the rest of the day. I've also been taking it to mean "at least" 500 words, because I'm not the type of writer that can stop mid-sentence, and I find it tiresome to keep too close track. But 500 is amazingly a good average of about when I start running out of steam. Even if I can keep going it's good to stop rather than to just keep writing until I'm exhausted or blocked. It gives me something to look forward to when I start writing again.

As a note, Bethany has the honor of being my friend of the week! Thanks for reading Bethany!

Mom is, once again, Mom of the week.

My New U of M T-Shirt

Well, it's a few lightyears from Earth, but I think I can still make it home on weekends.

Happy Birthday Punya!



I would like everyone to know that the timestamp on my blog is somewhat off since I'm currently in Pacific time. But I believe it is Punya's birthday where she is, and although I'm not sure she reads my blog, I thought I'd wish her a happy birthday now.

Interesting Fact About Cherie #1

I seem to remind most boys my age of their mothers. My clothes, the books I read, my general maturity. They say guys date girls who remind them of their mothers, but I don't think this has helped my love life at all.

Louvie the Lori Takes Flight

Louvie may have thought he escaped blog notice once I graduated, but I still have so many pictures... Here you see Louvie preparing to rocket off the ground at the thought of his approaching trip to Japan. Click the picture for the best view.

Give Me a Sign!

If it seems like there's more posts on the first page, it's because there are. I'm going to try posting everyday. Or at least more frequently than before. But the downside to this was that my posts would disappear more quickly and once they're archived I always feel like they're less likely to be read. But if having more posts on the page messes with your internet connection, let me know. I like to respond to my lovely audience. Also please comment from time to time if you are reading. It's good to know someone's there.

That said. I've been thinking of birthdays recently. Around May 21-25 I usually have a panic attack that I've missed someone's birthday. This is curious since I don't actually know anyone with a birthday on these days and cannot remember ever having known anyone with such a birthday. I did forget my little brother's birthday this year which makes me feel like a horrible sister, but otherwise I've yet to forget another. My friend Punya's is May 30th. My mother's is a couple days after on June 1st. Tim's is June 25th. and my own (which I've yet to forget) is July 20th. Sorry if that list was boring to read, it's mostly to help me remember.

Useless Knowledge of the Week!

Here's a picture of a samurai crab. Look at its back; the markings look like the face of a samurai. The Japanese believed these crabs were reincarnations of ancient warriors, and biologists have speculated that the markings were genetically encouraged because people would refuse to eat the crabs that looked like samurai. However, the crab itself is rather small and not much of a meal, so the face might not have anything to do with that.

All my amazing knowledge comes from the book my sister's reading entitled: The Ancestor's Tale and Wikipedia.

Cherie News: Movies, Pikas and More*! (*Possibly...maybe later there will be)

Movie Review: Spider-man 3 (maybe spoilers?)

I went to Sacramento today and saw Spider-man 3 with my sister. My hopes of Mary Jane being killed in the first few seconds were dashed on the rocks (sorry if that spoiled the movie for anyone), but I was otherwise entertained. I've heard some others (namely Sam an my mom) complain there were too many villains, but I felt they managed to fit it all in well and it didn't really seem disjointed. Besides, evil people are cool.

Spider-man, unfortunately, is not cooler as a bad guy. He's actually incredibly pathetic as a villain and you want to look away at how much he's humiliating himself. But, to be fair, I'm pretty sure that was the point. I think the stage direction to Tobey was "Act like as much of an @#$ as possible." If that was the case, he executed it beautifully.

There were also plenty of special-effects and a reasonably good story, about as much as you can ask for in a sequel. Not the best but not the worst. The ending leaves a few loose-ends, but that's possibly if they ever decide to make another. I would give it a star rating, but I always feel those are rather arbitrary. If I had to grade this movie I'd give it an 89% solid B+. I laughed, I cried, I saw some of my favorite character (the editor of the Daily Bugle) and was able to forget some of my own mundane life for a little over two hours.


Pika, pika?

You thought Pokémon was fictional but it would seem that Pikachu isn't. Gone are the days when Pikachu was just another unidentified rodent. This pika hare is now suing for his rights and a share in the multi-million dollar business that has become his likeness.

One pika who wishes to remain anonymous voiced his plight. "Used to be people would say 'what is that thing?' But now I can't even walk out on the rocks anymore without the other animals shrieking 'pika, pika!' and then laughing! And that's not the half of it! One kid caught me one time and tried to plug me into a light socket! Please, people, that's not healthy. I don't push humans off a cliff after seeing one Sumperman movie."

So for anyone trying to make their pika have electrical super-powers please educate yourself on real pikas or "whistling hares" and remember that they're an endangered species.

Separated at birth?

Shout Out: to Tim and Mag who got married today. Now all the other married couples (except Kelly and Mike) are gonna be jealous of Tim and Mag's newfound blog stardom, but what's a girl to do? I just can't control this overwhelming audience.

Don't worry, Mag, you're far prettier than this lego girl. I only chose this pic because of how much the guy looks like Tim...

Book Review: Jane and the Prisoner of Wool House

What could possibly make Jane Austen's novels better than they already are? The answer: blood. The series of Jane Austen mysteries by Stephanie Barron mixes regency England with modern crime dramas all while teaching the readers fascinating tidbits about Jane's life, her family, and her social milieu. The books may be fictional but Barron has done actual research and throws in several historical truths, usually in her footnotes.

Jane and the Prisoner of Wool House is the sixth book in the series. I admit I could not read the fifth (Jane and the Stillroom Maid) because it involved the Illuminati, and all such plots seem over-the-top to me. This, book, however, reminded me of everything I like about the series. We got to see Jane's relationship with her brother Frank, a naval officer; meet a mysterious and dashingly handsome Frenchman; and get put in the thick of espionage and betrayal during the Napoleonic War.

This mystery, and all the others, of course, never happened, even though Barron pretends that she is merely editing old journals of Jane's. It is not just my own knowledge of Jane's real history, however, that reveals the fictional nature of the stories. Barron, while a good entertainer, does have certain stylistic flaws. Among these flaws is her tendency to refer to "the reader," clearly forgetting that she claimed these are supposed to be Jane's private journals, and thus, that authoress would never have intended for them to have been read. Barron also has the unfortunate habit of inserting lines straight from A&E's Pride and Prejudice. As good as that fine rendition of the novel was, it seems to show a lack of self-confidence to simply copy and paste dialogue. The truly irksome part is that Barron can write good dialogue of her own in a passably good imitation of Austen herself, so there's no need to resort to such lazy tactics.

Other than these quirks, Barron does tell a good story. I'm not the world's best puzzle-solver, but I have yet to guess the complete answer to one of her mysteries. Sometimes I admit that I still don't completely understand them at the end, but I'm not sure whether this can be blamed on Barron's writing or my unwillingness to put in too much mental effort. All the same, Barron will certainly never be another Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. But that's not really the best part of these novels. What I truly enjoy is the historical fiction and the development of Jane as a living and breathing character with problems to which the modern reader can relate. It is something for an Austen fan girl to see even an imaginary version of her idol. No longer is this woman shrouded in the shadows of a mundane life that had few records and only one portrait drawn by her own sister. To meet Austen has always been a dream of mine. But to see how she might have lived (even if it is mixed with some adventurous though highly unlikely events) seems to be the next best thing.

Tiger/Pig Follow-Up and Scrabble Madness!

See! I told you they'd grow to look like their mother! A friend of mine found this pic for me so thank you Josh!



Here you see what I do when left entirely to my own devices with a Scrabble board.



Also, here's some random news. I found the high school I attended on Newsweek's list of the best public high schools. It's at #668 out of 1,200. I'm going to go feel superior now.

I would also like to announce that my friends of the month are Becky and Brian for letting me stay with them for a week! A big thank you to their dad as well. That's also their Scrabble board in the picture.

As Fun As...

A litter full of pigs! Look how proud the mother looks. Perhaps they'll grow to look like her?

My Favorite Neighbors

Last night wilst being kept awake once more by drunken revelry there were only a few neighbors I didn't hate. Here they are. Quiet and considerate.

Wii Mii!

To those who have not yet seen her magnificence I give you Cherie Wii! Her head is not normally so large. She is merely looking up because I have selected her on the screen. But she still has every reason to have a big head, what with my stunning good looks and her uncanny skills at bowling, we could take over the world!

As a note, this picture is probably best seen enlarged, so give it a click.

Funny Harry Potter Spoof

If anyone liked Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix as much as me (which is least of all the other books) then you have to see this movie. The joke at the end is cheap and juvenile, but the rest is hilarious.

Wizard Angst:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xD-Huwlg2kY

The Saga Continues...

A long time ago (possibly back in March?)
At a university far, far away

STUDENT WARS

The noble Cherie must protect Gilpatrick (a peaceful Honors House with no weapons) from the evil machinations of the fearsome Darth Louvie!

More Windows

I learned that blogger actually has a limit of pictures you can post when I did my last window segment, so here are some of my other window pictures. The first two are at Mont Saint Michel and the last three are at Chenonceau, the world's awesomest chateâu!

Are there Rupees Inside?

After playing Twilight Princess this pumpkin patch takes on a whole new meaning.

Pictures of the Week: Windows



I've been neglecting my pictures of the week. Mostly because there hasn't been much to take pictures of and I'm reluctant to use old ones because I've shown almost everyone all the good ones.

Or have I?

While in Taiwan and France I took hundreds of pictures and I only sent a very select few home. So in this segment I shall honor the ones not as often admired even though they are quite good. I would like to kick this off with a theme I was working on while in France. I was very taken by the scenes seen through windows and how stricking pictures of them looked surrounded by blackness. I played a lot with the light and shadow cast by certain windows as well. My camera wasn't good enough to capture most of what I wanted, but here are some of my better attemps. Some (The Notre Dame statue in particular) may be familiar to close friends, but I'm confident that at least a few will be new to anyone who hasn't seen all my French pictures (and I think I'm the only one who's seen them all.)

Oops!

Actually, Cherianity has 8 converts. Miscounted. This is by no means a reflection of my Godly powers.

Another Convert to Cherianity!

I also rediscovered my 2nd convert and have another potential convert (I think she's weighing her options). Once again, if your prayers are not being answered, then send me an email.

This brings my grand total up to 7. And the world is that much closer to enlightenment.

YouTube Picks of the Week

I waste a lot of time on YouTube, but this means that you don't have to if you have the same taste as me! (And the will power to ignore the never-ending stream of related videos to whatever you look for.) Anyway, here's an extremely random grab bag of cool things I've found. Each link has my comments below.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=3sYlhXtybcQ

Ever wonder what it would be like if Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings were the same movie? Obviously you're not the only one! I'm not sure if it's the similarities or dissimilarities that make this so funny. Possibly both. George and Fred make a perfect Merry and Pippin, and Dobby could easily be Gollum's distant cousin. But Snape is most definitely NOT Aragorn.

No comment on Hermione/Arwen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymTzwU00JVY

Amusing in a totally corrupt way. It's disturbing how perfectly the Disney scenes fit...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-FZ3Ax7RiI&mode=related&search=

If you know a lot about Jane Austen's novels or have at least seen all the movies (not sure if any of my readers do or have) this is HILARIOUS. Though, it may still be kinda funny even if you don't know anything.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sge5pUSJIRY&NR

Another Jane Austen but this time it's Pride and Prejudice mixed with Harry Potter which should be amusing if you at least know about Harry Potter and even funnier if you know about Pride and Prejudice.

Duck, Duck...




Whilst walking up the hill from work I heard the familiar honk of geese and a question occured to me. Why do geese migrate? Why don't they just stay in the warm places all year long?

Fencing

Today I went to the Arnold Classic fencing tournament with my friend, Danny. He didn’t win anything, but he pretty much expected to be crushed, and it takes a lot of courage to compete against so many very experienced fencers. So kudos to Danny!

Vanity

...is a beautiful thing.

So I have this love-hate relationship with my hair. I love it and it hates me. But today it was behaving abnormally well, so I thought I'd play with the timer on my new digital camera and have a fun modeling session. Here are the best pics of my glorious curls.







Some of you might be saying "Cherie, there are too many pics of you." And you would be wrong. There are never too many pics of me. Besides, you should admire the hard work that went into these pics since it takes a long time for me to properly seduce a camera into taking good pictures of me. People are far easier.

List of Things that Would Make My Life Complete

1.) Being able to listen to audiobooks in the shower....

Stay tuned for my completely inconsistenet additions.



And this doesn't have to do with this post but I found this great pig picture while looking for better pics of piglet so I'm posting it.

Happy Chinese New Year: Year of the Pig!



Piglet's clearly very Chinese and this is his year.

Tim is Friend of the Week. Not because I'm going to be a bridesmaid at his wedding but because he commented on my blog. In honor of this, here is a picture that I feel defines Tim:

Pictures of the Week: A Bit of Summer in the Dead of Winter

I've been neglecting my blog horribly. I meant to post earlier but that fine entry was eaten by the Mac in the computer lab and I didn't have the gumption to rewrite it. But to make up for that, here are some fun pics Tim and Mag took when they visited me over the summer. I never really take pictures of my school which is a shame since it's quite lovely, so these are good to have. In other news, I've also been honored to be chosen as a bridesmaid for their wedding. :)

Hee, hee...

Normally pictures of me do not show my utter coolness. Cameras are clearly jealous of me. But this pic is pretty good. For the few who don't know, it was taken in Olin, my schools's science building (a place I usually avoid...)

Yes, there is beautiful Indonesian girl marrying this man. Her picture is not enclosed in order to protect her from being recognized and constantly asked the inevitable question: "Why?"

Tim ready to get thomped by me at fencing. He may say he wasn't thomped at all, but clearly this is a delusion to protect his ego.

The Teddy bear watches the riveting match. A great picture by Mag. And yes, we are fencing in the lounge of my dorm. Hey, it was big enough and air conditioned.

Remember, all pictures can be enlarged if you click on them.

Goal in Life...

...to write a French character that's not stupid, evil, or destined to die. This idea has always been somewhere in the back of my mind. Most people who know me, know that one of the easiest ways to tick me off is to insult the French. I actually don't like it when any nationality is insulted, not just because of the obvious reasons but because there's rarely ever any intellect in such jokes. They're just used when a person wants to say something funny but lacks the imagination to come up with any new material so it's just "The French/Mexicans/Canadians blah, blah, blah..." followed by Neanderthal laughter as if they've just said the cleverest thing in the world. If any of these people could actually trace back the real origins of these animosities throughout history, I may be vaguely impressed. But perpetuating them while not having any clue why they exist in the first place won't get any respect from me.

Anyway, I admit I've always had a soft spot for the French since the language is my major. My thoughts on their portrayal in literature resurfaced while listening to Artemis Fowl: The Artic Incident, an excellent book but sadly containing yet another stock French character like in movies The Matrix and The Core, both examples of the evil/stupid/destined to die. I'm sure there's more, but I just can't think of them off the top of my head. One good thing about Dan Brown's book The Da Vinci Code is that Sophie Neveu was none of these things. But such examples are sadly limited in popular English fiction. I was happy when Fleur Delacour showed her mettle in Harry Potter 6, but there's still the fact that most people didn't like her before, and she's relatively stereotypical.

Friend of Last Week and Harry Potter Release Date

Ishani was my friend of the week last week but my overwhelming laziness prevented me from acknowledging it. Mom was also Mom of the week.

And as Ishani said Harry Potter 7, dubbed Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, is coming out this July. July 21st to be specific.