A Wild Sheep Chase

I only recently began exploring Japan's culture as far as movies and literature, and I was really excited to start A Wild Sheep Chase. I started it while I was at work, in the library, and immediately fell in love with Murakami's style of writing. He really let me delve into his character's thoughts, and I didn't question any of it, because the way he writes is really how people think. The lack of names in the novel was both intriguing and almost difficult for me. It truly felt like the main character was just getting through his life without bothering to familiarize himself too much with any of it. Near the middle of the book, I started getting confused. I didn't know where the main character was a lot of the time, and it left me feeling on edge, and like I had accidently skipped over an important part of the puzzle, but when I went back to try and find out what that part might have been, I couldn't.

One of the most memorable parts of this novel to me had to do with the main character's girlfriend, and her ears. I actually laughed a little when I was reading it, but it occurred to me later that, hey, I never would've thought twice about it if the man had fallen in love with this girl's breasts, or butt, or something. But it was her ears, and that is so out of the ordinary, I loved it, and how, according to the man, this girl simply transformed whenever her ears were showing. I thought it was so bizarre. What could have possibly influenced Murakami into making a woman with seductive ears? I did a little online research regarding this subject, and was disappointed to turn up empty handed. I'll have to try another time; I'm still really curious.

Interview with the Vampire

I distinctly remember looking over the reading list on the first day of class and thinking to myself: “Oh jeez. We're reading about vampires.” I don't like vampires, and it's not because of the bad publicity they've gotten recently because of Twilight. I just don't like the idea of them. They're extremely romantic, and that bothers me on some weird level. Even if I'm looking at older vampire stories, such as Nosferatu and Dracula, I can't help but laugh a little. Call me prejudice. Nonetheless, I still tried to read Anne Rice's novel with an open mind. I want to like vampires, very much like I want to like pumpkin pie and Coca-Cola, but I can't make myself change that easily. Despite the blatant clue given off by the title that the entire novel was going to be written like an interview, I was surprised by the format, and not unpleasantly so. I could see almost at once why she became such a big hit in the world of fantasy novels. Although, I can't help but think that she owes some of that success to the amount of sexiness in her books. Right off the bat, I felt the undertones of homoeroticism between Louis and Lestat. That aside, I loved how Rice took the idea of a monster, and turned it into something that can have differences from being to being, like the distinctly different levels of savageness present in Louis and Lestat. It reminded me a lot of Frankenstein, as well as the concept of a monster outside with a soul inside that people simply have a hard time acknowledging. Regardless, I did not finish this novel. I don't have any plans to, either. I went in and gave it my all, but I'm sorry, Anne Rice, I still don't like vampires.

Pride, Prejudice, and Zombies

I started off being extremely excited about starting this book. I am a fan of Jane Austen, even if I haven't had a chance to read one of her books in its entity, and who doesn't like zombies? However, I quickly learned that some mashups are better left separate. Before reading the very first page, I decided to flip the novel over and read the summary. The section about the authors caught my eye first. It said something like “Jane Austen has written numerous classics and has forever shaped the world of literature. Seth Grahame-Smith once took an English class.” I didn't know whether to laugh, or to cringe. I returned to the front cover, then flipped through the entire novel to check out the illustrations, like any art student might do. I paused on one featuring the heroine, Elizabeth, and a ninja. Again, I had to hide a cringe.

So, I started reading. The farther along I got, the more ridiculous I found the entire thing to be. I know, the whole point of the novel mashup is to be ridiculous and hold the interest of a modern-day audience, but I couldn't find the humor, much like with the Princess Bride, which everyone but me seems to like. I didn't like how the zombies went from being “unmentionables” to “zombies” frequently, especially because I think of the word “zombie” as being very modern. The fact that Elizabeth and her sisters were trained zombie killers was also a bit too silly for my tastes. However, I think the idea of reshaping a novel to meet today's pop culture is a great idea. I know from the class discussion that a lot of people really enjoyed the read. I'm just not one of them. It did, however, make me want to read the real Pride and Prejudice, maybe with a side-dish of the Zombie Survival Guide.

Shelley's Frankenstein

Like most people, I've heard of Frankenstein referenced throughout pop culture my entire life. Unfortunately, also like most people, I've never actually read the book. I haven't even seen the movie. So, when I opened up to the letters, I was surprised. I was expecting immediate blood, gore, and convenient lightening bolts that would awaken a beast worthy of Hell. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that Frankenstein opened with barely a mention of any of those. I kept reading, a little disappointed, and couldn't believe how relatively calm a good portion of the novel was. However, what the book lacked in gore, it made up for in story. I loved the concept behind Shelley's Frankenstein: how it only wanted love, but couldn't get it.

After learning more about Mary Shelley's life, I wouldn't be surprised to realize that she projected her own personal conflicts into the novel. I was especially interested in how Dr. Frankenstein was projected as a bad father figure. This is such a common theme in modern stories (bad parenting, lack of love, etc.), that it made me wonder how many people have been influenced by Shelley's take on monsters. After a bit of online research, I discovered that Shelley's influence was so great, she has been noted as one of the founders of modern science fiction, and that, because Shelley was a writer, and not a scholar or a scientist herself, she was able to easily put the emotional impact of her story before the details that made the science the most important factor. Shelley Mcrae, of helium.com, says that “had [Shelley] been compelled to describe how the electricity was introduced into the monster, or for that matter, how the scientist was actually able to construct the monster, it's likely she would not have written a story with such emotional impact.”