Your pal,
Angels
Friday, February 15, 2013
Valentines From O.G.
You know, Valentine's Day doesn't strike me as a likely candidate for Erik's favorite holiday...
Your pal,
Angels
Your pal,
Angels
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Happy Valentine's Day!
And now, I would like to share with you a song...
Carlene Carter - Little Love Letters
What? Were you expecting a love song? :)
Your pal,
Angels
Carlene Carter - Little Love Letters
What? Were you expecting a love song? :)
Your pal,
Angels
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Reviews From an HBN (The Phantom of the Opera - Gaston Leroux)
Get ready for some serious spoilers! One note before we begin: I'm discussing the novel, source of all things canon, so apart from a few passing remarks here and there, there will be absolutely no mention of any subsequent adaptations whatsoever. Pure Leroux, baby!
The Phantom of the Opera was first published as a serialisation in Le Gaulois from September 23, 1909 to January 8, 1910.
The Phantom of the Opera lives under a famous opera house. A mere chorus girl, Christine Daae, becomes, under his guidance, a well known singer with a beautiful voice. But her old child hood sweetheart, the Viscount Raoul de Changy, has also entered the picture. The past comes back to haunt her, the future ahead is uncertain, and the present is undecided. Who will win the heart of Christine; the handsome, rich Raoul or the masked Angel of Music? A story of romance, murder, sacrifice and sadness, this riveting, seductive tale will keep your emotions high until the very last page of the shocking conclusion.
MY RATING: 5 STARS
Here it is, the little serial that started it all...*salutes Gaston Leroux*
Please, let's not deceive ourselves, high literature this is not. It's not a romance. It's not a tragedy. It's not a horror story. What it is, is an inventive combination of the three presented as factual by a man who was first published as a journalist. And you've got some mystery thrown in for good measure! The only proper introduction to Phantom is through this book (which, I maintain, is still the best money I ever spent, beginning a love affair and obsession that hasn't let up to this day).
M. Leroux begins with his assertion that "the Phantom of the Opera really existed." He describes his research into the abduction of singer Christine Daae, the disappearance of Raoul de Chagny, and the death of his older brother Philippe. He says it's all the work of one man, known only as a ghost and believed to be just a myth. He has all sorts of evidence to prove his story, given by policemen who worked the cases, staff at the Opera, and the tale of the mysterious man known as the Persian. It all unfolds like a detective novel, and even being so familiar with it, the style still intrigues me.
To be perfectly honest, I didn't even know this was a book until I found it at the store one day, and having only heard of the musical I didn't know what to expect from it. The "nonfiction novel" concept took me by surprise at first, but it didn't stop me: I finished the book in one day. I couldn't stop thinking about the themes and the characters, and they filled my head so much I re-read the book several more times that week and kept puzzling them all out. It's filled with symbolism as well, but I never really got into that, apart from what each character represented to the others.
Erik, also known as the Phantom and first known to Christine as the Angel of Music. Disfigured since birth and the most extraordinary genius who ever lived. I was drawn to him from the beginning, and I have to confess that my first feelings towards him were of fear. He was a cold-blooded killer, a manipulative sociopath, and hardly more than a child in an adult's body with no conscience and no respect for humanity. But then I read on...despised by his mother, made an outcast because of the way he looked, his many talents turned towards evil, eventually driven to hide underground in the cellars of the Opera...he's a case to be pitied. Compassion came after fear and some pretty convoluted emotions, considering what more he was compelled to do by his dangerous obsession with Christine. I could understand, and yet I couldn't condone. Despite all of that, killing and kidnapping and blackmailing and terrorizing and Lord knows what else, he still had that moment of redemption where all the wrong he had done didn't matter anymore. An act of compassion on Christine's part touched him, and touched him so deeply he was moved to do the right thing for the first time in his life and "tasted all the happiness the world can offer." He finally learned what it meant to truly love someone else, and to know kindness. The end of his story hit me like a freight train the first time, and if anything the impact of it has only grown as my understanding of everything behind the novel grows.
It's a shame that Christine's character is butchered so often as it is. Sure, she's a little on the gullible side, but rarely is she portrayed like she has a brain in her skull (Webber, I'm looking at you...). She's a born singer that loses her genius with the death of her father, only to be coached into divinity by the so-called Angel of Music. Erik, prompted by his obsession, appears to her as the angel her father promised to send her, and she is taken in by the lie until she finds herself in Erik's home--which is closer to Hell than Heaven, in a little twist of symbolism--and strips away both mask and fantasy. From that moment on, she has to keep her wits about her, going along with Erik's demands and doing what she can to keep her sweetheart safe. She fears Erik and she pities him, pities him so much she can't bring herself to hate him. Isn't that something? You would think she had plenty enough reason to, after all, but it's hard to say which she was more reluctant to do: return to him when she must, or break his heart. Stockholm Syndrome, anyone?
That's right, I said it! Stockholm Syndrome! No great romance, no true feelings of love and devotion! As M. Leroux wrote it, Christine's feelings were that of a bonded captive, bordering on an Electra complex. He took the place of her absent father when she believed he was an angel, and when she learned the truth, their relationship turned into that of jailer and prisoner. Sorry, E/Cers, but I gotta call it like I see it. While we're on the subject, Erik wasn't really in love with Christine, either. He was fixated on what she represented: beauty, purity, the chance to be accepted. He's also got a few mommy issues thrown in there; I mean, who in the world thinks about their mother when kissing someone else? They were each without a parent, and each filled in the role for the other.
Now, onto Raoul! First time I read it, I liked him. No, really! I blame Andrew Lloyd Webber and Gerard Butler for making me think Raoul sucked giant jawbreakers! Once I saw the 2004 movie I was convinced that Raoul stood in the way of true love (and ironically, it was also the movie that eventually made me respect Raoul as a character), but when I first read the book, I liked him. Don't get me wrong, he was a very young, very emotional young man, but he was brave, devoted, and he genuinely loved Christine! Enough to risk his life to save her! Doesn't that count for something? Raoul generally gets a bad reputation for simply not being Erik, and he does have his flaws. He's too impetuous for his own good, candid to the point of being tactless, a tad nosy, pretty darn bossy, and did I mention he's very emotional? BUT he is also sweet and lovable, truly in love with Christine, honestly concerned about her welfare, and ready to die to rescue her. He curses her and renounces her when it looks like she's playing him, but I only attribute that to a broken heart, and seeing just how he's hurting to think she doesn't love him, I'd say that says quite a bit about how he loved her.
One question: WHY IS THE PERSIAN SO NEGLECTED IN OTHER VERSIONS?!?! You want the hero of the story? Here he is! A former acquaintance and the closest thing to a friend Erik ever had, he watches over the Opera House once he learns who it is living in the cellars and playing tricks on everyone inside. And when all hell breaks loose, he's right there in the middle of the action, trying to do right by everyone. He's like Christine in that he pities him too much to hate him. In fact, he saved his life once upon a time! He tries to serve as Erik's nonexistent moral code, his very own Jiminy Cricket, as it were. He leads Raoul through the Opera to come to Christine's aid and is the reason the dear viscount didn't get himself killed in the attempt. He's such an interesting character, and my favorite apart from Erik himself.
All right, I'm trying to wrap this up...Leroux toys with his readers, if you ask me, to give them what is in parts a vivid narrative and in others a sketchy outline. Erik's masterpiece, Don Juan Triumphant, has always fascinated me, for all that it's only mentioned a few times. Sorelli, a principal dancer in the Opera ballet, is only a major player in the first chapter, but there are intriguing little hints about her character that always make me wonder about her. Count Philippe is one of my favorite mysteries: his relationship with Raoul, his reputation among society (he seems to be something of a ladies' man and yet nobody seems to dislike him), his death...if only I knew more!
Important note on translations--do not, I repeat, do NOT get stuck with the translation by Alexander de Mattos! Why, you ask? It's incomplete! Where the French didn't quite work over into the English, he just left it out, and consequently I've been getting short-changed all these years. This is still the most common translation available, but it's what you might call abridged. I've heard good things about the Lowell Bair and the Leonard Wolf translations, so I'll have to see if I can't get my hands on them someday...
Your humble book nerd,
Angels
The Phantom of the Opera lives under a famous opera house. A mere chorus girl, Christine Daae, becomes, under his guidance, a well known singer with a beautiful voice. But her old child hood sweetheart, the Viscount Raoul de Changy, has also entered the picture. The past comes back to haunt her, the future ahead is uncertain, and the present is undecided. Who will win the heart of Christine; the handsome, rich Raoul or the masked Angel of Music? A story of romance, murder, sacrifice and sadness, this riveting, seductive tale will keep your emotions high until the very last page of the shocking conclusion.
MY RATING: 5 STARS
Here it is, the little serial that started it all...*salutes Gaston Leroux*
Please, let's not deceive ourselves, high literature this is not. It's not a romance. It's not a tragedy. It's not a horror story. What it is, is an inventive combination of the three presented as factual by a man who was first published as a journalist. And you've got some mystery thrown in for good measure! The only proper introduction to Phantom is through this book (which, I maintain, is still the best money I ever spent, beginning a love affair and obsession that hasn't let up to this day).
M. Leroux begins with his assertion that "the Phantom of the Opera really existed." He describes his research into the abduction of singer Christine Daae, the disappearance of Raoul de Chagny, and the death of his older brother Philippe. He says it's all the work of one man, known only as a ghost and believed to be just a myth. He has all sorts of evidence to prove his story, given by policemen who worked the cases, staff at the Opera, and the tale of the mysterious man known as the Persian. It all unfolds like a detective novel, and even being so familiar with it, the style still intrigues me.
To be perfectly honest, I didn't even know this was a book until I found it at the store one day, and having only heard of the musical I didn't know what to expect from it. The "nonfiction novel" concept took me by surprise at first, but it didn't stop me: I finished the book in one day. I couldn't stop thinking about the themes and the characters, and they filled my head so much I re-read the book several more times that week and kept puzzling them all out. It's filled with symbolism as well, but I never really got into that, apart from what each character represented to the others.
Erik, also known as the Phantom and first known to Christine as the Angel of Music. Disfigured since birth and the most extraordinary genius who ever lived. I was drawn to him from the beginning, and I have to confess that my first feelings towards him were of fear. He was a cold-blooded killer, a manipulative sociopath, and hardly more than a child in an adult's body with no conscience and no respect for humanity. But then I read on...despised by his mother, made an outcast because of the way he looked, his many talents turned towards evil, eventually driven to hide underground in the cellars of the Opera...he's a case to be pitied. Compassion came after fear and some pretty convoluted emotions, considering what more he was compelled to do by his dangerous obsession with Christine. I could understand, and yet I couldn't condone. Despite all of that, killing and kidnapping and blackmailing and terrorizing and Lord knows what else, he still had that moment of redemption where all the wrong he had done didn't matter anymore. An act of compassion on Christine's part touched him, and touched him so deeply he was moved to do the right thing for the first time in his life and "tasted all the happiness the world can offer." He finally learned what it meant to truly love someone else, and to know kindness. The end of his story hit me like a freight train the first time, and if anything the impact of it has only grown as my understanding of everything behind the novel grows.
It's a shame that Christine's character is butchered so often as it is. Sure, she's a little on the gullible side, but rarely is she portrayed like she has a brain in her skull (Webber, I'm looking at you...). She's a born singer that loses her genius with the death of her father, only to be coached into divinity by the so-called Angel of Music. Erik, prompted by his obsession, appears to her as the angel her father promised to send her, and she is taken in by the lie until she finds herself in Erik's home--which is closer to Hell than Heaven, in a little twist of symbolism--and strips away both mask and fantasy. From that moment on, she has to keep her wits about her, going along with Erik's demands and doing what she can to keep her sweetheart safe. She fears Erik and she pities him, pities him so much she can't bring herself to hate him. Isn't that something? You would think she had plenty enough reason to, after all, but it's hard to say which she was more reluctant to do: return to him when she must, or break his heart. Stockholm Syndrome, anyone?
That's right, I said it! Stockholm Syndrome! No great romance, no true feelings of love and devotion! As M. Leroux wrote it, Christine's feelings were that of a bonded captive, bordering on an Electra complex. He took the place of her absent father when she believed he was an angel, and when she learned the truth, their relationship turned into that of jailer and prisoner. Sorry, E/Cers, but I gotta call it like I see it. While we're on the subject, Erik wasn't really in love with Christine, either. He was fixated on what she represented: beauty, purity, the chance to be accepted. He's also got a few mommy issues thrown in there; I mean, who in the world thinks about their mother when kissing someone else? They were each without a parent, and each filled in the role for the other.
Now, onto Raoul! First time I read it, I liked him. No, really! I blame Andrew Lloyd Webber and Gerard Butler for making me think Raoul sucked giant jawbreakers! Once I saw the 2004 movie I was convinced that Raoul stood in the way of true love (and ironically, it was also the movie that eventually made me respect Raoul as a character), but when I first read the book, I liked him. Don't get me wrong, he was a very young, very emotional young man, but he was brave, devoted, and he genuinely loved Christine! Enough to risk his life to save her! Doesn't that count for something? Raoul generally gets a bad reputation for simply not being Erik, and he does have his flaws. He's too impetuous for his own good, candid to the point of being tactless, a tad nosy, pretty darn bossy, and did I mention he's very emotional? BUT he is also sweet and lovable, truly in love with Christine, honestly concerned about her welfare, and ready to die to rescue her. He curses her and renounces her when it looks like she's playing him, but I only attribute that to a broken heart, and seeing just how he's hurting to think she doesn't love him, I'd say that says quite a bit about how he loved her.
One question: WHY IS THE PERSIAN SO NEGLECTED IN OTHER VERSIONS?!?! You want the hero of the story? Here he is! A former acquaintance and the closest thing to a friend Erik ever had, he watches over the Opera House once he learns who it is living in the cellars and playing tricks on everyone inside. And when all hell breaks loose, he's right there in the middle of the action, trying to do right by everyone. He's like Christine in that he pities him too much to hate him. In fact, he saved his life once upon a time! He tries to serve as Erik's nonexistent moral code, his very own Jiminy Cricket, as it were. He leads Raoul through the Opera to come to Christine's aid and is the reason the dear viscount didn't get himself killed in the attempt. He's such an interesting character, and my favorite apart from Erik himself.
All right, I'm trying to wrap this up...Leroux toys with his readers, if you ask me, to give them what is in parts a vivid narrative and in others a sketchy outline. Erik's masterpiece, Don Juan Triumphant, has always fascinated me, for all that it's only mentioned a few times. Sorelli, a principal dancer in the Opera ballet, is only a major player in the first chapter, but there are intriguing little hints about her character that always make me wonder about her. Count Philippe is one of my favorite mysteries: his relationship with Raoul, his reputation among society (he seems to be something of a ladies' man and yet nobody seems to dislike him), his death...if only I knew more!
Important note on translations--do not, I repeat, do NOT get stuck with the translation by Alexander de Mattos! Why, you ask? It's incomplete! Where the French didn't quite work over into the English, he just left it out, and consequently I've been getting short-changed all these years. This is still the most common translation available, but it's what you might call abridged. I've heard good things about the Lowell Bair and the Leonard Wolf translations, so I'll have to see if I can't get my hands on them someday...
Your humble book nerd,
Angels
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Bookmarks Are Important!
Eek, falling behind again! I'll have February's artist of the month up tomorrow and a book review on Friday, but for now, here's a little something that just popped into my head.
I have problems when it comes to finishing certain books. I just can't stand coming to the last page and having to leave the story and the characters behind! If I've enjoyed the book that much, I'm tempted to start reading it again and never ever ever let it go. Remember going over to a friend's house as a kid and having so much fun there that you didn't want to leave when your parents came to take you home? That's exactly the feeling I'm talking about.
It's kind of dorky, but it helps if I leave a bookmark in those books, right at the first page and waiting for me to pick it up again. That way, setting it aside for another doesn't feel so final, and it's like a promise that I'll come back soon. Which is why I end up reading at least three books at once, skipping back and forth between ones I haven't read yet and those favorites that I can't leave on the shelf for too long. Those favorites?
Your pal,
Angels
I have problems when it comes to finishing certain books. I just can't stand coming to the last page and having to leave the story and the characters behind! If I've enjoyed the book that much, I'm tempted to start reading it again and never ever ever let it go. Remember going over to a friend's house as a kid and having so much fun there that you didn't want to leave when your parents came to take you home? That's exactly the feeling I'm talking about.
It's kind of dorky, but it helps if I leave a bookmark in those books, right at the first page and waiting for me to pick it up again. That way, setting it aside for another doesn't feel so final, and it's like a promise that I'll come back soon. Which is why I end up reading at least three books at once, skipping back and forth between ones I haven't read yet and those favorites that I can't leave on the shelf for too long. Those favorites?
- The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux - it seemed only fitting that the permanent bookmark in this one be the joker from a trick deck of playing cards.
- Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - my go-to read when I need a pick-me-up! It's an index card with a list of adjectives marking this one (random, I know)
- Opera Macabre by Michelle Rodriguez - this one has a marker promoting her next novel.
- The Opera Ghost Unraveled by Michelle Rodriguez - I've got an old piece of paper with the lyrics to one of my favorite songs with this one...yep, I write down an awful lot of lyrics...
- Outlander by Diana Gabaldon - all right, so this one is definitely the newbie on the list, but I loved it that much. This one has a guest check from the restaurant I work at, complete with step-by-step instructions on how to time in!
Your pal,
Angels
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Reviews From an HBN (Outlander - Diana Gabaldon)
What's happened to me?! I'm the consummate fantasy nerd, reading this, of all things!
To be fair, though, this has some fantasy elements to it...
The year is 1945. Claire
Randall, a former combat nurse, is back from the war and reunited with
her husband on a second honeymoon--when she walks through a standing
stone in one of the ancient stone circles that dot the British Isles.
Suddenly she is a Sassenach--an "outlander"--in a Scotland torn by war
and raiding Highland clans in the year of Our Lord...1743.
Hurled back in time by forces she cannot understand, Claire is catapulted into intrigues and dangers that may threaten her life...and shatter her heart. For here she meets James Fraser, a gallant young Scots warrior, and becomes a woman torn between fidelity and desire...and between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives.
MY RATING: 4 STARS
So I finally broke down and decided to read Outlander, then I finally got lucky enough to spot it on a shelf at Goodwill. Then I enjoyed it enough to read it twice in a row.
Let me start with what turned me off, as that's a shorter list. Time travel stories aren't really my thing (unless there happens to be a Time-Turner involved), and it seems Diana Gabaldon has an even more chaotic approach than usual in her rationalization of the whens and the whys and the what-times. The detail I'm picking on is that, Claire's marriage to Jamie is valid because her marriage to Frank is technically still two hundred years into the future, but if all time runs side-by-side (and I'm assuming that's what she's getting at, what with Claire going on about how she's been gone from 1945 for such and such amount of time) then that means she's still married to Frank and her marriage to Jamie isn't legal after all...maybe the Doctor can figure this one out for me, because I'm confused.
And...over eight hundred pages? I'm torn here, because my instincts as a writer say that this thing could have been heaps and bunches shorter by cutting out anything and everything that did nothing to further the plot. But then, I get all mixed up because this doesn't really have a plot, per se. And on top of it all, my sensibilities as a reader wouldn't hear of cutting anything out, because I liked it all. I spent half the book in titters at all the humor, the last quarter in near-tears because of the turn of events, and all the rest of it racing as fast as I could onto the next page because I was dying to know what was coming.
Claire had her moments of being just that irritating, but what can I say? She dropped the F-bomb in front of a total stranger within the first few pages and later cussed a man out for daring to get himself injured on her watch. She was bound to win me over eventually. She's kind of like one of those people you're not really sure why you're friends with, but you can't imagine not being friends with them anyway.
And then there's James Fraser...dear God and Jesus at Olive Garden, I've become one of those females that swooned after him the instant he arrived on the scene. It's easy to consider him the stereotypical romantic hero, but he really isn't. Which gives me cause for relief, to be honest, or I'd lose all my self-respect entirely. He's mainly responsible for all the aforementioned humor, and most of it is my favorite kind of bawdy, raunchy humor, God bless him. And that sentiment goes double for his genuine love and affection for Claire, and just for being so bloody amazing. The best part? He's flawed! He's realistic! He's the perfect guy, and he's not even perfect!
Someone stop me, I'm going in circles...
The sex, once it started happening, felt like it hardly stopped happening. But Ms. Gabaldon handled it in a way that it wasn't just Jamie and Claire doing it for the sake of it, but achieved some kind of growth through it. It felt like they were actually coming closer together, emotionally and spiritually as well as physically, so points for that. And for keeping the dialogue interesting! It was never even too explicit for all that they were constantly hopping into bed or hiding in a convenient stand of trees or haystack, and that spells accomplishment to me! I do, however, have to ask if the whole episode with Jonathan Randall at Wentworth prison is really necessary...it felt like one of those things that didn't really do much for the plot and it was almost overdone, but I'll live with it. It gives Randall complexity as a villain, which is always a good thing.
Speaking of Randall, that didn't quite impress me, either, making him a counterpart of Frank. I get it, it adds to the emotional train wreck for Claire to be confronted with her beloved husband's doppelganger only for him to turn out a sadist, but...it was too easy! What better way to make her turn to Jamie than to make Frank somehow seem less appealing by extension?
And did I happen to mention that Jamie is so awesome? I did? OK then, moving on...
I can see the haters' point about where this book is lacking, but I can also pose an argument in defense of it. So I guess that means I'm a fan, then, doesn't it? I couldn't help myself! It was exactly the kind of escape I love in a book, no matter what the genre! For crying out loud, I read it again right after I finished it the first time, and that's explanation enough in itself!
Your humble book nerd,
Angels
To be fair, though, this has some fantasy elements to it...
Hurled back in time by forces she cannot understand, Claire is catapulted into intrigues and dangers that may threaten her life...and shatter her heart. For here she meets James Fraser, a gallant young Scots warrior, and becomes a woman torn between fidelity and desire...and between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives.
MY RATING: 4 STARS
So I finally broke down and decided to read Outlander, then I finally got lucky enough to spot it on a shelf at Goodwill. Then I enjoyed it enough to read it twice in a row.
Let me start with what turned me off, as that's a shorter list. Time travel stories aren't really my thing (unless there happens to be a Time-Turner involved), and it seems Diana Gabaldon has an even more chaotic approach than usual in her rationalization of the whens and the whys and the what-times. The detail I'm picking on is that, Claire's marriage to Jamie is valid because her marriage to Frank is technically still two hundred years into the future, but if all time runs side-by-side (and I'm assuming that's what she's getting at, what with Claire going on about how she's been gone from 1945 for such and such amount of time) then that means she's still married to Frank and her marriage to Jamie isn't legal after all...maybe the Doctor can figure this one out for me, because I'm confused.
And...over eight hundred pages? I'm torn here, because my instincts as a writer say that this thing could have been heaps and bunches shorter by cutting out anything and everything that did nothing to further the plot. But then, I get all mixed up because this doesn't really have a plot, per se. And on top of it all, my sensibilities as a reader wouldn't hear of cutting anything out, because I liked it all. I spent half the book in titters at all the humor, the last quarter in near-tears because of the turn of events, and all the rest of it racing as fast as I could onto the next page because I was dying to know what was coming.
Claire had her moments of being just that irritating, but what can I say? She dropped the F-bomb in front of a total stranger within the first few pages and later cussed a man out for daring to get himself injured on her watch. She was bound to win me over eventually. She's kind of like one of those people you're not really sure why you're friends with, but you can't imagine not being friends with them anyway.
And then there's James Fraser...dear God and Jesus at Olive Garden, I've become one of those females that swooned after him the instant he arrived on the scene. It's easy to consider him the stereotypical romantic hero, but he really isn't. Which gives me cause for relief, to be honest, or I'd lose all my self-respect entirely. He's mainly responsible for all the aforementioned humor, and most of it is my favorite kind of bawdy, raunchy humor, God bless him. And that sentiment goes double for his genuine love and affection for Claire, and just for being so bloody amazing. The best part? He's flawed! He's realistic! He's the perfect guy, and he's not even perfect!
Someone stop me, I'm going in circles...
The sex, once it started happening, felt like it hardly stopped happening. But Ms. Gabaldon handled it in a way that it wasn't just Jamie and Claire doing it for the sake of it, but achieved some kind of growth through it. It felt like they were actually coming closer together, emotionally and spiritually as well as physically, so points for that. And for keeping the dialogue interesting! It was never even too explicit for all that they were constantly hopping into bed or hiding in a convenient stand of trees or haystack, and that spells accomplishment to me! I do, however, have to ask if the whole episode with Jonathan Randall at Wentworth prison is really necessary...it felt like one of those things that didn't really do much for the plot and it was almost overdone, but I'll live with it. It gives Randall complexity as a villain, which is always a good thing.
Speaking of Randall, that didn't quite impress me, either, making him a counterpart of Frank. I get it, it adds to the emotional train wreck for Claire to be confronted with her beloved husband's doppelganger only for him to turn out a sadist, but...it was too easy! What better way to make her turn to Jamie than to make Frank somehow seem less appealing by extension?
And did I happen to mention that Jamie is so awesome? I did? OK then, moving on...
I can see the haters' point about where this book is lacking, but I can also pose an argument in defense of it. So I guess that means I'm a fan, then, doesn't it? I couldn't help myself! It was exactly the kind of escape I love in a book, no matter what the genre! For crying out loud, I read it again right after I finished it the first time, and that's explanation enough in itself!
Your humble book nerd,
Angels
Friday, January 25, 2013
Reviews From an HBN (The Opera Ghost Unraveled - Michelle Rodriguez)
You have NO IDEA how pleased I am to be reviewing this one! No. Idea. :D
Before Christine’s
father died, he promised to send the Angel of Music. As no more than a
voice, her angel appeared, stealing her loneliness and teaching her to
sing, but now she has fallen in love with him and wishes he were a man
of flesh and bone who could love her in return. Under the guise of
angel, Erik tries to find a window into Christine’s life. When being an
intangible voice is no longer enough and the Vicomte de Chagny threatens
his hold over her heart, truths must be revealed. As the illusion
shatters and Christine learns her angel is really the disfigured Opera
Ghost with a sin-filled soul, will Erik lose every chance at winning her
love and claiming his happy ending? First posted on an online forum,
“The Opera Ghost Unraveled” has been read and adored by phans worldwide.
It is a passionate variation of the original beloved story and shows
the power of love’s transformation. As the omnipotent Opera Ghost
“unravels” and exposes the vulnerable soul beneath the scars, love and
obsession intertwine as Erik seeks to teach Christine to be brave and
follow her heart.
MY RATING: 5 STARS
Finally! I get to review my absolute favorite! Yay!
I'm going to try to avoid reminiscences about the first time I read this...back when it was posted online, and the wonderful suspense of waiting for the next chapter...but if I venture down memory lane on occasion, forgive me. Overall, it's even more wonderful to just sit down with the book and read and read and read some more, then turn around and re-read it all again the instant you come to the last page. Which I did!
So, moving on...simply put, this is my favorite retelling of The Phantom of the Opera I've read. Period. The love Michelle Rodriguez has for the story and the characters is undeniable, as is her spot-on skills for putting the reader right there with them and making them feel every emotion and then some. She pays tribute to both the Leroux and Webber versions, and also makes the story her own. Her take on the much-beloved, oft-massacred character of Erik leaves nothing to be desired. He is every bit as arrogant, dangerous, and terrifying as he should be, but also passionate, tender, vulnerable, and just plain Erik in a way most authors never manage to pull off. It's so easy to sacrifice the dark side of his personality in pursuit of an ideal romantic hero (which, let's face it, he isn't), but that never happens here. Erik himself is responsible for the majority of the emotional thrill ride when his rage, pain, love and desire come spilling out; Like I said, you feel every emotion as you read it. In particular, the unmasking scene and the infamous Chapter Eighteen hit me the hardest. All the impact of a punch in the face, and so much feeling that I cried and couldn't stop!
Christine is another tough character to get right. She can come out insipid, co-dependent, idiotic, boring, etc. when not handled carefully. Here, though, she remains in character. She loves the Angel of Music but fears the Opera Ghost, and must reconcile each as mere roles Erik must play before she can truly love him. She must also be strong enough to face what life with him will mean, and she grows as a character with every step. Erik's character arc is fascinating, but Christine's growth into a woman who can be a match for Erik is truly impressive. She begins as a naive young girl, full of fantasies and in love with a heavenly angel. To watch that childishness fall away and blossom into maturity, strength and passion that equals Erik's own is one of the most gratifying things about reading this. Her relationship with Erik, contrasted with her interactions with Raoul, shift and progress from timid/uncertain/passive to confident/assured/assertive. Comparing her first and last scenes with both men drive it home how much loving Erik transforms her, as much as loving her transforms him.
I always appreciate Michelle's treatment of Raoul. There is never any character assassination whatsoever; he is simply the spoiled, self-assured, stubborn boy he is in Leroux. He honestly loves Christine, and tries to act in her best interests, but...he has listening problems and he just won't leave well enough alone! He has his moments of being sweet and charming, but there's always that trait that's so visible in the novel: He refuses to understand what he doesn't comprehend. He is the moral compass of the story and the voice of reason, but he is blinded by his own love and prejudice to see where Christine's heart lies. And again, that infamous Chapter Eighteen...damn you, Raoul! Damn you!
As always, I adore the language and the words themselves. Each character has a definite voice (that remains true to each character...bonus points for that!) and there are so many quotable bits, my favorite still being Meg Giry's "Bright lights distract me! And I sometimes forget to look beyond my own nose!" Adorable! Then from Erik: "...what good is a clean soul in a blemished vessel? Being penitent won't put me one step closer to heaven. Curse salvation! You are my salvation. If you can love me, I'll be sorry." That's just...oh wow.
Looking over my comments posted on each chapter as it went up online, I notice that I refer to Michelle as the Diane Warren of fiction and that I idolize her as much as Robin McKinley, and I still stand behind those words. This is still one of the most beautiful, gorgeously written, kick ass things I've ever read, and that's even outside of Phantom! This was the story that cemented my admiration and respect for Ms. Rodriguez, and I'm so happy to have read it. Even happier that she published it! Brava!
Your humble book nerd,
Angels
MY RATING: 5 STARS
Finally! I get to review my absolute favorite! Yay!
I'm going to try to avoid reminiscences about the first time I read this...back when it was posted online, and the wonderful suspense of waiting for the next chapter...but if I venture down memory lane on occasion, forgive me. Overall, it's even more wonderful to just sit down with the book and read and read and read some more, then turn around and re-read it all again the instant you come to the last page. Which I did!
So, moving on...simply put, this is my favorite retelling of The Phantom of the Opera I've read. Period. The love Michelle Rodriguez has for the story and the characters is undeniable, as is her spot-on skills for putting the reader right there with them and making them feel every emotion and then some. She pays tribute to both the Leroux and Webber versions, and also makes the story her own. Her take on the much-beloved, oft-massacred character of Erik leaves nothing to be desired. He is every bit as arrogant, dangerous, and terrifying as he should be, but also passionate, tender, vulnerable, and just plain Erik in a way most authors never manage to pull off. It's so easy to sacrifice the dark side of his personality in pursuit of an ideal romantic hero (which, let's face it, he isn't), but that never happens here. Erik himself is responsible for the majority of the emotional thrill ride when his rage, pain, love and desire come spilling out; Like I said, you feel every emotion as you read it. In particular, the unmasking scene and the infamous Chapter Eighteen hit me the hardest. All the impact of a punch in the face, and so much feeling that I cried and couldn't stop!
Christine is another tough character to get right. She can come out insipid, co-dependent, idiotic, boring, etc. when not handled carefully. Here, though, she remains in character. She loves the Angel of Music but fears the Opera Ghost, and must reconcile each as mere roles Erik must play before she can truly love him. She must also be strong enough to face what life with him will mean, and she grows as a character with every step. Erik's character arc is fascinating, but Christine's growth into a woman who can be a match for Erik is truly impressive. She begins as a naive young girl, full of fantasies and in love with a heavenly angel. To watch that childishness fall away and blossom into maturity, strength and passion that equals Erik's own is one of the most gratifying things about reading this. Her relationship with Erik, contrasted with her interactions with Raoul, shift and progress from timid/uncertain/passive to confident/assured/assertive. Comparing her first and last scenes with both men drive it home how much loving Erik transforms her, as much as loving her transforms him.
I always appreciate Michelle's treatment of Raoul. There is never any character assassination whatsoever; he is simply the spoiled, self-assured, stubborn boy he is in Leroux. He honestly loves Christine, and tries to act in her best interests, but...he has listening problems and he just won't leave well enough alone! He has his moments of being sweet and charming, but there's always that trait that's so visible in the novel: He refuses to understand what he doesn't comprehend. He is the moral compass of the story and the voice of reason, but he is blinded by his own love and prejudice to see where Christine's heart lies. And again, that infamous Chapter Eighteen...damn you, Raoul! Damn you!
As always, I adore the language and the words themselves. Each character has a definite voice (that remains true to each character...bonus points for that!) and there are so many quotable bits, my favorite still being Meg Giry's "Bright lights distract me! And I sometimes forget to look beyond my own nose!" Adorable! Then from Erik: "...what good is a clean soul in a blemished vessel? Being penitent won't put me one step closer to heaven. Curse salvation! You are my salvation. If you can love me, I'll be sorry." That's just...oh wow.
Looking over my comments posted on each chapter as it went up online, I notice that I refer to Michelle as the Diane Warren of fiction and that I idolize her as much as Robin McKinley, and I still stand behind those words. This is still one of the most beautiful, gorgeously written, kick ass things I've ever read, and that's even outside of Phantom! This was the story that cemented my admiration and respect for Ms. Rodriguez, and I'm so happy to have read it. Even happier that she published it! Brava!
Your humble book nerd,
Angels
Monday, January 21, 2013
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