Death Comes to Pemberley (2013 miniseries)

A small snowstorm hit DC on Tuesday and turned our three-day President's Day weekend into a four day weekend!  Since I had the extra time, I decided to watch the Death Comes to Pemberley miniseries on Netflix!  I figured I'd share a list about the miniseries because it seemed like a nice follow-up, considering I read the book so recently.  (The link to the book's post, if you're interested: http://artemisiaeupraxia.blogspot.com/2015/01/50-death-comes-to-pemberley.html).
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I'll start off by saying that I liked the miniseries BETTER than the book.  Yes, you read that correctly.  It's very rare that I like the movie or TV series better, but that was just the case this time around.  I enjoyed reading the book, but, as I wrote in my post about it, it wasn't written all that well, and the main reason I enjoyed it so much is because it was like having something long dead become suddenly resurrected. 
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Why I liked the miniseries:

1. More fun to watch this storyline than reading it.
2. The actors did a great job portraying the characters.  They really embodied the essence of each character, especially Elizabeth and Darcy.
3. The exploration of the turmoil that hits Elizabeth and Darcy's relationship.  The miniseries really delves into the relationship troubles Elizabeth and Darcy experience while all the drama is happening at Pemberley, a topic the book just barely addresses.
4. The way they portrayed Lydia's and Wickham's characters.  They made Lydia slightly more likeable, and Wickham even more dispicable.  I loved it!  I wouldn't say it was a change from Austen's portrayal of the characters; rather, it was a development of their personalities, considering this story takes place a few years after the end of P&P.
5. The flashbacks.  These clips were meant to give the backstory from P&P, and were tastefully done.  I didn't have that feeling of them dragging on and on, which is what I experienced with the book.
6. The ending.  It was the same ending as the book, and even though I disliked it in the book, I thought it fit perfectly as the ending for the miniseries.  I think it's because I had an even greater dislike for Wickham, and Lydia's unending ability to be annoying was infinitely more palpable while seeing it played out by an actor versus reading it in the book.  I was glad to see how their part ended in the story.
7. The soundtrack, the scenery, and the costumes.  All beautiful!  

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There were multiple, small differences between the book and the miniseries, but, in my opinion, the changes made to the miniseries improved the story.  I really enjoyed watching it, and will probably re-watch it again at some point in life.
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Recommend?  Yes!

#52: Gone Girl

Flynn, Gillian: Gone Girl. New York: Random House LLC, 2012. Print. 555 pages.

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SETTING: North Carthage, Missouri, with flashbacks in New York City.

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SUMMARY: Amy Dunne mysteriously disappears on the morning of her 5th wedding anniversary, with all clues pointing to her husband, Nick Dunne, as the suspect. 

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FAVORITE QUOTE: "He killed my soul, which should be a crime.  Actually, it is a crime.  According to me, at least." - Part 2, page 321.

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I recently went home, a last minute decision, and I desperately needed a book to read on the flight out of DC to make the journey pass as fast as possible.  I didn't have much time to find a book before I reached the airport, so my selection was what was available to me in the small, Hudson News store near my gate.  I really wanted to read one of Gregory Maguire's books, but the store's selection only consisted of books currently on the bestsellers list (I think the NY Times bestseller list, but they didn't clarify).  Anyways, this was the one I ultimately decided on.  My likes and dislikes are probably a little skewed, for better or worse, because I watched the movie first.  I had no plans to read the book after I watched the movie, but since I had a pretty narrow selection of books to choose from, this seemed like my best bet.
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Things I liked about this book:

1. It's written VERY well.  Although the book is easy to follow and keeping the details organized isn't a challenge at all, it is written in a very smart style that I really enjoyed.  I can't quite name what that style is, but I love it, and will probably read her two other books sometime in the future.
2. The narrators.  There were two narrators, both speaking in first person.  I like this style of narration, where it alternates between two points of view, and the author did a fabulous job.  
3. The use of Amy's diary to relate the events of the "past."  So tricky.
4. The storyline.  Well thought out and smooth from beginning to end.  All the details were aligned very well and I didn't find any contradictions.
5. The complexity of Amy's mind.  Did I think she was crazy?  Hell ya!  But trying to track her mind was an entertaining exercise.

Things I didn't like about this book: 

1. The ending.  Holy crap, people are messed up!  I was hoping for a happier ending.
2. There wasn't a single character I really loved.  There was a character I was rooting for, but there wasn't anyone I was particularly attached to by the time I finished the book, which is unusual.  I think because of that, I wasn't sad when I finished the book.  A little unsatisfied with the ending, but not sad like I usually am when I finish a story.

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I'm sorry my list of "things I liked about this book" is short and not nearly as detailed as it should be.  Since I watched the movie before reading the book, it only felt right to include the things I liked solely from the book, not the things I liked from both the book and the movie.  I absolutely wish I had read the book before watching the movie because knowing the progression of the story definitely took away from thoroughly enjoying the book.  Not surprisingly, the book was better than the movie, but I think that's saying quite a bit about the book considering I really enjoyed the movie!  There were a few scenes in the book that were excluded from the movie, but that didn't take away from the movie fairly portraying the overall story.  All in all, the best way I can sum it up is that the overall ambiance and feel of this book was to my liking, and I was so engrossed that I finished reading most of it on the plane (about five hours of reading).

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Recommend?  Yes!

#51: Persuasion

Austen, Jane: Persuasion. New York: Barnes and Nobles Inc., 2007. Print. Pages 1041-1174.

(I read the novel out of a Barnes and Nobles compilation edition of all seven of Austen's major works, given to me by one of my dearest friends.)

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SETTING: 19th century England, mostly in the towns of Bath and Lyme Regis, but also Kellynch and Uppercross Halls (those two homes/estates are located somewhere in the English countryside, but I wasn't able to figure out exactly where).

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SUMMARY: Anne Elliot, an intelligent woman whose intellectual worth is in no way appreciated by her idiotic father and sisters, leads a mundane life.  Apart from constantly being unappreciated in her own home, she has been harboring a secret pain for the last eight years after losing her love, Frederick Wentworth.  As chance would have it, she is to once again meet Mr. Wentworth, and the emotional rollercoaster that results, for both parties, is one that brings the reader joy and heartache, all at the same time. 

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FAVORITE QUOTE: "'...Here and there, human nature may be great in times of trial; but generally speaking, it is its weaknesses and not its strength that appears in a sick chamber; it is selfishness and impatience rather than generosity and fortitude, that one hears of.  There is so little real friendship in the world! and unfortunately' (speaking low and tremulously) 'there are so many who forget to think seriously till it is almost too late.'" - Chapter 17, page 1122.
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After finishing my last novel, Death Comes to Pemberley, I had this deep desire to read Persuasion.  As I wrote in my last blog entry, Death Comes to Pemberley wasn't written as well as I'd hoped, and it left me wanting to envelope myself in the writing style of Jane Austen.  You'd think I'd revisit Pride and Prejudice, but for some inexplicable reason, it was Persuasion that was the chosen Austen novel.  I've read it only once before, but all I remembered was the ending and that I liked it.  As usual, I forgot the details of the story and why I liked it.  But now my likes and dislikes will forever be eternalized in this blog!

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Things I liked about this book:

1. Anne's attitude towards the breakup that occurred with Wentworth when she was a teenager.  Although she is still very sad about it, she is not resentful towards her godmother, Lady Russell, who persuaded her to break up the relationship, or herself for following through with the advice.  She understands that the premises upon which the decision was made were sound and that, had she been the one advising a young woman in the same situation, would probably have voiced similar reasoning.
2. The Musgroves.  Kind people who treat Anne the way she deserves.  
3. The way Jane Austen presents the emotional journey Anne and Mr. Wentworth experience after becoming reacquainted.  It's beautifully written, with the right amount of highs and lows.  More importantly, the reader is able to fully appreciate these emotions because we all have experienced them at one point or another in our lives, whether with a past or a current love.  The emotions that Austen touches on in this novel, indeed in all of her novels, are ones that are a part of the human experience and something that all her readers can relate to.
4. Anne's character.  Such a beautiful person.
5. Mr. Wentworth's character.  The definition of a gentleman and the only character worthy of Anne, in my opinion.
6. The ending.  Without a doubt, I was fully satisfied with how the story ended. 

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Characters I disliked:

1. Mary Musgrove, Anne's youngest sister.  Gah, such an idiot!  I would not have the patience to deal with a personality like that.
2. Sir Walter Elliot, the idiotic patriarch.
3. Elizabeth Elliot, the idiotic oldest sister.
4. Mr. William Elliot, the idiot cousin who is to inherit Kellynch Hall.  

As you can see, apart from Anne, I disliked the entire Elliot family.  They were all selfish idiots.  I could have come up with a better descriptor than "idiot" but I disliked them so much that I decided it wasn't worth the effort.

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I love this book!  Not more than P&P, of course, but it has definitely occupied the #2 spot.  I've had plans to stop by the used bookstore in Dupont Circle since coming back to DC from winter break, but considering it's been four weeks already and I've been getting progressively busier, I'm not sure when that trip will happen.  So, being realistic about when I'll get another book to read, I've decided to reread another Austen book in the meantime.  Sounds like a good use of time to me! 

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Recommend?  Yes!

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A side note: I decided to make a separate "Jane Austen" label :P

#50: Death Comes to Pemberley

James, P.D.: Death Comes to Pemberley. New York: Random House Inc., 2011. Print. 291 pages.

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SETTING: October 1803 to June 1804, primarily at Pemberley, the Darcys' home in Derbyshire, and also in London proper.

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SUMMARY: The night before the Darcys' annual October ball, Lydia Wickham, who is never an invited guest at the Darcys' home, pays them a surprise visit.  Distressed and hysterical, Lydia informs the company assembled at Pemberley, which includes Mr. Darcy, Elizabeth, Jane, Mr. Bingley, Georgiana, Colonel Fitzwilliam, and the young lawyer Henry Alveston, that her husband, George Wickham, has been murdered!  Thus begins the race to solve a mystery that isn't as it seems...  

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FAVORITE QUOTE: "Since guilt is more commonly felt by the innocent than by the culpable, the atmosphere was less of expectation than of anxiety." - Book 3, Chapter 6, page 132.

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In my last post I wrote about my intention of finding a really great book, something that would serve as both leisure reading and a brain exercise.  That didn't really go as planned.  While browsing for a book, thinking I'd go for a classic, I came across this novel, a sequel to my favorite novel of all time: Pride and Prejudice.  You can imagine my excitement!  It's like something resurfacing from the dead, similar to the excitement I experienced when I heard that The Hobbit was being made into a film.  What you thought would never come back, suddenly does.  And yes, I bought this book.  A very rare occurrence!

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Things I liked about this book:

1. It's a continuation of Pride and Prejudice!  When I first saw the book, I immediately knew that even if it sucked, I would still enjoy it for the sole reason that it uses the characters from my favorite novel (unless, of course, the author completely butchered it).  This book has been out for nearly four years, so I'm sure you're asking, '"if you're such a fan, how did you not know about this book before?"  A very good question.  I love P&P, as well as Austen's other novels, but not so much that I'm a part of the huge Jane Austen community that's out there.  Being a part of a group like that, although I think it must be a lot of fun, isn't really my style.  So apart from having read P&P a bunch of times, I haven't done much else with it.
2. It's written in the style of Jane Austen.  There's a word for this: "pastiche."  Learned something new!
3. The characters maintain their personalities.  This point made the book very enjoyable for me.  To see these characters brought back to life in such a smooth way was great.
4. The new characters created by the author.  They fit in with the P&P bunch very well.
5. Harry Alveston.  He's a great character with great character.
6. Elizabeth and Darcy's love.  So romantic!

Thing I didn't like about this book:

1. The plot.  It had a lot of potential, but, overall, I found it pretty boring.  True, the plot of P&P isn't anything crazy, but that story has a theme to it, and that is what I fell in love with.  This book, from my understanding, started out as a fanfiction piece by the author, and was then published as a novel.  I'm sure many fanfictions are complex, but this wasn't one of them.  I barely had to think while reading this novel.
2. The repetition from P&P.  The author uses a lot of novel time to regurgitate the main events from P&P.  It's unnecessary, in my opinion.  If someone was reading this book without having read P&P first, then yes, it is helpful, but even then it is still superfluous.
3. George Wickham.  This isn't an issue with the book, but I still don't like him.  I like him even less now than I did prior to reading this book, which is something I didn't think was possible.
4. The future of the Wickhams.  The author gave too easy a solution.  This point is vague, I know, but if I say more it'll ruin the ending.

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This book wasn't that great, but I certainly did enjoy it, solely because it's based off of P&P.  The author did a great job of staying true to the characters created by Austen, and added in her own characters very flawlessly.  I read a lot of reviews about this book and they were all glowing.  If these reviews were fueled by the excitement the readers felt at this being an attempt at continuing a beloved classic novel, then I understand where they were coming from.  Objectively speaking, though, this novel was very basic and in no way complex.  Another book that barely requires the reader to use their brain.  

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Recommend?  Yes.  Even though it wasn't anything great, I enjoyed reading it.  If you like P&P, this book will, at the very least, entertain you.

*I labeled it as "19th-century british lit" so this book will come up with my reviews of P&P.  It's obviously not 19th-century literature :P

#49: The Housewife Assassin's Handbook

Brown, Josie: The Housewife Assassin's Handbook. Signal Press Books, 2011. Ebook.

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SETTING: Hilldale, a community in Orange County, California.

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SUMMARY: Donna Stone is not only a trained assassin working for Acme Corporation, a black ops organization, but also a widow and the mother of three young children.  Her initial inspiration for joining the organization was to find the individual responsible for her husband's death, her husband who was also an assassin for Acme.  Little does she know that nothing is as it seems...

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FAVORITE QUOTE: "It's then that I realize that I know nothing about him.  Sure, he is a legend on the spook loops.  But we are all more than the sum parts of our missions." - Chapter 9.

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HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

This is not the type of book I'll ever have on my "to read" list.  Ever.  But it is the type of book I will read when there's nothing else at hand and I DESPERATELY need something to read, for example to make the time pass on my flight home this winter break.  This book is free via iBooks, is a mystery novel, and seemed light hearted, so I figured I'd give it a go.  

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Things I liked about this book:

1. Donna Stone's awareness of her flaws.  The main character of the book does it all, but she is also very aware of her weaknesses.  I appreciate that the author of the book didn't create a perfect character, but rather someone who was "relatable."

Thing I didn't like about this book:

1. Poorly written.  There is very little complexity in this book.  It is an easy read, I'll give it that, but it's easy because it's written at a 5th grade reading level.  That would be perfectly acceptable, except for the fact that this a book written for adults.  To further clarify: I would say that The Hunger Games books were written at this level, and although I didn't enjoy that aspect of the books, I did acknowledge that the target audience was young adults.  This series is written for adults, and I would have liked the book much more if it read as such.
2. Poor character development.  The writer provides you with bits and pieces of each character in a haphazard fashion and expects that to count as satisfactory character development.  It is absolutely not.  Her characters are idiotic the majority of the time and often lack a clear train of thought.  If such assassins existed in real life, we would be in a great deal of trouble.
3. Predictable.  All the "twists" in the novel were easily predicted chapters before they actually took place.  The mystery aspect of this book can hardly be called that.

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This book was not very good, but since it made four hours of the journey home go by much quicker than it otherwise would have, it gets some points.  I almost started the second book in the series, but luckily the rest of the flight home was occupied by sleep.  But who knows, unless I'm a little more proactive and find a better book to read, the second in this series may be on the menu for my flight back at the end of winter break.  My brain is craving something that requires more thought though, so I'm going to put the effort in to finding an appropriate book.

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Recommend?  Nope.  Too many other books out there that are a better use of your time.  Unless of course you're looking for a "beach" read (i.e. something that requires you to use 0.5% of your brain...).