Starting over

The old train station in Isökyrö, Finland-July 2012

It's a rainy Saturday morning in October.  Some months ago (perhaps June!) I started reading Great Expectations which I had been planning to read last, or close to it.  I was about to go on a choir tour to Finland and was looking for something to take along on the trip.  I bought a copy in a used bookstore, and I once again went with one of the thinner books.  I thought perhaps I'd read on the plane, no.  Or in the layover in the airport (no, practiced songs in the corner) or on the overnight flight to London (nope, had a really interesting row mate, so talked or watched movies the whole time.) And in Finland, everything was new and strange and I didn't understand the language or signs and I was constantly with people or travelling or performing or falling asleep at inappropriate times, in inappropriate places (whenever we had a chance to sit mid-concert, for instance....it's partially the midnight sun, and partially the travel, but I had the worst jet-lag, for about 10 days.)  At any rate, no reading.  Then tried to read on the bus, which was going okay, though I remember reading the same paragraph 10+ times in a row due to a loud, distracting cell-phone call where someone was telling the other person that, "yes, they would be attractive enough for the job."  Maybe it was for a commercial.  Even at that point I couldn't remember how old Pip was supposed to be.  Anyway, I think I'll start over, I'm also reading: a book about dietary fats, a book about the end of illness (the latter is actually called The End of Illness), a book about the Radical Message of Jesus (and what would that mean if it changed your life?), and a book of letters to a (fictional) young artist.  This is in addition to the Finnish Class, the voice class, and the 2+ choir rehearsals a week.  Phew.  Perhaps the bus ride is the good option, I'd like to get back with this. Peace.

Once again

This should not be difficult.  In fact for what I have read, I have enjoyed it, though I almost cried on the bus when Sissy was taken away from the circus troupe to live with "facts."  How depressing.  The problem isn't the book, it's that we are smack in the middle of the Seattle International Film Festival, and I keep going to movies and shirking all else (well, that and getting ready for a concert tour in Finland, which is now a month away, and I finally went in to renew my passport 2 weeks ago, paid the extra $60 to go in in person, but haven't made it to the post office to see if it has arrived yet.) I only have one movie left, at least as far as tickets go.  It would have been 15 in all, but I missed one on Saturday because the screening times were tight and I needed to get across town, but missed (several, possibly) the bus because I stayed for the round-table discussion after the movie, A Beautiful Game, a documentary about soccer in Africa.  Last night, saw the Mexican Suitcase, a documentary about lost negatives from the Spanish Civil War, that recently turned up in Mexico.  I had contemplated not going, because it was a late-ish screening and I was tired, and while it's true that I nodded off a couple of times, it was due to tiredness and not boredom.  I am interested in Spanish history and I'm also a photographer, so it's a double-hit for me, plus it was one of the best-made documentaries that I've seen (even though I will sacriligeously say that it was a bit one-sided...I felt the same way when I went and saw the Guernica painting in the Reina Sofia last September.  The Republican-side is certainly more sympathetic, and I lean in a direction away from facism, but to only speak for one-side, however in the right they might be, is to leave too much space for propoganda...not saying that either the film or the exhibit went there, just saying it was biased. And I do get that there were years of suffering under the fascism of Franco, as well as the execution of Republicans, and the stealing of children to give to "good Nationalist" families, etc.,  Perhaps what I see as biased is the result of years of facist propoganda and the time arriving for the Republicans to be heard, they were silenced and/or exiled for generations.  If the young people are ever to learn the true history of their country, and they appear to want to know, no one of the older generations talks about it (el pacto olvidado), they will need to hear both sides, and hopefully, not return to war or retribution.)

finally done!

10 weeks, $1.75 in fines, and a marathon reading section in the downtown library last night and I have finally finished Nicholas Nickleby...whew. It wraps up rather too neatly, but it had already gone on for almost 800 pages.  Nicholas goes on a rant at a farewell dinner for the Crummleses about the "playwrights" that take the writings of other authors, change a few details, perhaps write a new ending (or an actual ending if the novel was serialized) and claim it as their own.  It's funny because that was actually happening with this novel as it was being written, also I think I heard it was one of the reasons why Cervantes finally penned the second half of Don Quixote, there were so many other versions out there that he wanted to set the record straight. The other thing that stood out for me with this novel was how well Dickens understood human motivation and emotional depth.  He was 26 when he began writing this novel, it was his third. (I just read that, earlier I had read it was his second.  He published  The Pickwick Papers between 1836-7 and according to this source http://www.online-literature.com/dickens/#, must have written Oliver Twist  (1837-9) and Nicholas Nickleby (1838-39) somewhat concurrently.) He had had to drop out of school on two separate occaisions, the first when he was 12 and his father ended up in a debtor's prison and then again at age 15, for good.  He was remarkably driven and ambitious.  I realize now that his writing was much more prolific that when I first thought when I took on this challenge, much of it quite hefty in length.  I had been planning on reading The Pickwick Papers  next, however when I ran up to the Dickens shelves and grabbed it, I was thrown off by the thickness of it (around 600 pages) so I grabbed the thinnest one I could find, which happened to be Hard Times which was his tenth novel, not counting the Christmas books.  But that will have to wait, Riding with Reindeer is due tomorrow with 8 holds on it, so I can't renew it, and I've racked up enough fines...but I'm more than half-way thru.

Less than Zero

For some reason, had the inkling to watch this. I wouldn't watch it again, but I didn't hate it. A bunch of contemptible people, far too young to be that messed up, Robert Downey, Jr. is good, though pathetic, and the only other good thing I can say about it is that the Bangles' version of Hazy Shade of Winter is one of my favorite covers.  The whole time I was watching it, I kept thinking about someone I used to know, it made me a little sad, but also want to distance myself even more.  How does one fall so far down the rabbit hole?  Did his family fail him? What else could they have done?  I'm admittedly a fan of the "Hollywood" ending, I want to escape reality, we are bombarded daily with "news" of unhappy endings.  Still, I didn't hate it, wouldn't see it again, but it didn't make me want to scrub out my soul like "Leaving Las Vegas" did, which for the record is probably my least favorite movie of all time.  Such a sordid world, and such a waste.  I suppose it could be shown as anti-drug propoganda, all the people standing listless and numb in the clubs.  The glittery, sterile world of the wealthy in LA in the 80's. Ugh.

At any rate, got next to no reading done over the weekend. Just read a chapter on the bus this morning where a man who has dug himself so far into debt with the userers Ralph Nickleby and Arthur Gride, that they have descended upon him in an effort to have him "sell" off his daughter to the aged Gride.  So far he hasn't taken the bait, but I imagine he will in his selfish weak-mindedness.  The daughter would be Madeline Bray, the woman that Nicholas imagines himself to be in love with from sight alone.  The ulterior motive for Gride, would be that the elder Bray is close to death and Madeline stands to inherit some property.

don't think I will finish book by due date

And I will say that it's the worst first date ever, and is "prom" some sorta' code word? And does Andie really like Blane, or does she just want a prom date? Also, they are both socially inept, and we probably all were too, in high school, perhaps we still are. "We can go out with your friends.  We can crawl under a rock."  What??! Still, I like the movie.  I think I like the awkwardness of the "popular" kid, you don't get to see that much, the popular kids are often one-dimensional in teen movies, because, since most of us weren't popular, it's the underdog we are supposed to identify with, root for. Which would be why Duckie was written as the original "winner", if you will.  And he's honest (or trying to be, again, in an awkward way) and devoted, and damn, Jon Cryer just nails it...how amazing to be that good, and how difficult to live it down or follow it up.  And how lucky to have that good of material and direction and have right instinct.  Wow.

Sat in a southern Indian joint on the Ave and read for almost two hours, then walked home because it was getting dark, still, barely on page 500.  Smike has been apprehended by Squeers and set free by a fortunate encounter with John Browdie, and made his way back to London, to Noggs and then to the Nickleby's, who have fallen on good fortune for once.  I did skip ahead, I know that he dies, but I don't know why, and I know Ralph dies as well, but I've still got almost 300 pages (and here I am in the middle of watching Pretty in Pink for the millionth time.)  Turns out that the book is due on Friday, though my library branch is closed that day, due to budget constraints.  This is 300 pages of a very small typeface I still have to read, skipping ahead still left me in the dark.  Now, of course, I'm involved in the story, so I'd like to finish. I'll probably turn it in late and pay the fine ($.25/day.)  Pickwick Papers next?  I suppose it should be, it was the first one he wrote...perhaps I'll see how thick it is.  And it's late.

Taking a break

Spent all day home sick with a migraine and a stomach bug, watched a lot of movies, while trying not to move too much.  Pretty In Pink was on the tv yesterday, and I saw part of it, which put a bug in me to rent it, so I've now watched it a few times.  It was always my favorite of the brat-pack movies as it's a bit gritty and romantic as hell.  It originally had an ending where Andie ended up with Duckie, but apparently that didn't screen well with the audience, so they changed the ending for Andie and Blane to end up together, and really, when you watch it, from the get go, there's so much connection between Blane and Andie, how could it be any other way?  Duckie's a great guy, but there is no obstacle to overcome there, and she would be settling and not getting what she wants.  (There's the attraction of our believing we can get what we want and not have to settle.  That we can break the idea of "out of our league.")  I remember when this movie came out someone I knew commented how she didn't like it, she thought Andie overreacted, especially on the first date when she didn't want him to see where she lived because she was poor. I remember thinking at the time, "Yeah, but you're rich, you have no idea what that would be like to be ashamed," and that she was lucky.  I possibly have agreed with her more over the intervening years, but I get where Andie's coming from, and Molly's performance is honest and raw; it's hard to admit those emotions.  Andrew McCarthy is lovely...he lights up the screen when he's on it, he's not on it enough.  And James Spader and Annie Potts are gorgeous, but Steff is such an ass that I never paid attention to him before.  He lurks on the scene, with barely any emotion crossing his face.

Still have about 400 pages to finish before Saturday, beginning to feel some sympathy for Kate, she has no one to turn to, everyone that should be protecting her is using her for their own ends.  She's done nothing wrong, except to exist and be beautiful.  Well, Newman Noggs is on her side, but what can he do?  He is by far my favorite character thus far, and then perhaps Smike.

Need to post before I lose my miraculous internet connection.

Peace

Dickens' World Lives On

Still only about a 1/4 of the way thru the book.  Nicholas is currently confronting Uncle Ralph about what happened at the "boarding school, " but I just came across this article on Yahoo: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/jailed-for--280--the-return-of-debtors--prisons.html about a woman that was jailed for a $280 medical bill that she didn't actually owe.  Sad relevancy 200 years later.

Then there is this one:  http://finance.yahoo.com/news/debt-collector-faulted-tough-tactics-193903914.html  where do you draw the line?  If someone is having a heart attack or a stroke, do you deny care until they write you a check?  Does the stress of being harrassed impede recovery or healing?  Have we run out of compassion?

someday I'll read again

I've been spending all my free time watching episodes of Terry Jones' Medieval Lives which is a BBC production from 2004 which debunks prevailing myths about Damsels in distress, Minstrels, Knights, Kings, Alchemists, etc.  There are eight episodes which are humorous and then a piece on Gladiators at the end which is much more serious and which I keep watching because I feel we are beginning to slide in that direction as a society...what does it take to be innoculated to violence to a point where you only view it as entertainment?  What's the tipping point where we can't see all of us as fellow human beings on a societal level?  It may be that on an individual level some people never got to that point, and some have been hardened so that they no longer see it.

I started reading the Feynman book on the bus. So far it's been an easy read, but only glossed on the surface of things.  I hope he went more in depth (in 1963), 'cos he's looking at a BIG picture, and admitting that he could fall on his face by speaking on a subject outside his specialty.  And he could, or possibly did, but how refreshing that he spoke to it anyway.  I am always thirsting for someone to talk about the bigger picture.  (And to defend science for the sake of knowledge as opposed to thinking it should only exist for a specified outcome based on a short-sighted financial gain and lacking any forethought about knowledge or the future implications which may not occur in our lifetimes.) 

I don't know why I chose the thickest (Dickens) book to start. Aaaagh.

always one more thing...or two

and because I didn't have enough to read with Dickens (and I'll have to check it out one more time, the last that I can, to finish it), I'm not even at page 200 (out of almost 800) I have also begun to read Riding with Reindeer by fellow northwesterner Robert M. Goldstein about his 2000 mile bike ride from Helsinki into the Arctic Circle and back, and also The Meaning of it All-Thoughts of a Citizen-Scientist by Richard P. Feynman, from a 3-part lecture series at the University of Washington in April of 1963.  The first is because I'll be leaving for Finland in 3 months and need to know more, and that latter because someone left it on the free table at work, and in a former life, there were Feynman books around the house, and he always seemed good-humored and interesting to me, but I never got around to reading him.  They will both be fun reads.  Goldstein reminds me a bit of myself, and Feynman is talking about things I like to think about: religion, politics, science...fun stuff.  I'm also trying to learn Spanish (always, it seems), and a bit of Finnish.  We'll see how my brain comes out at the end of it all.  Peace.

Further along

All day Friday, characters would slip into my thoughts while I was at work, so later in the afternoon, I sat in a cafe and read about 70 more pages, then took off to join a "lit crawl," like a pub crawl with literary readings at each stop.  First stop was a pub/ice-cream parlour where you could get a beer float.  Second stop a nearby pizza joint where someone was handing out slices, which was thoughtful.  And I joined the actual entourage to the next stop, a coffee house I didn't know, which was about a 15 minute walk away, and during which someone being pulled in a child's wagon and read a short story or essay; I only heard bits and pieces so am not sure. It began with something about the limited special menu items at Burger King.  It was 11 pm by the time that coffee house reading ended.  The group was heading a block down to a dive bar/karaoke joint, I had a migraine and it was a long bus ride home, so I walked back downtown to catch a bus.  Took an hour to get home.  I think there was at least one more stop.  It was a very Portland moment.  While walking to the cafe, someone thought we were a protest march (after 10 pm, no less) and started chanting "down with Starbucks," not sure where that came from.

Oh, the story.  Well, Ralph set up Kate with some clothing job, and moved her and her mother into a house he owned which was currently without a tenant. Noggs is proving to be a decent man.  Nicholas has survived, for the moment, a come on by Squeers' daughter.

oh, I almost forgot

There was something important, I think.  Ralph's man Noggs secretly handed a dirty letter to Nicholas and then walked away right before the coach took off from London.  It has yet to be mentioned again.

Page 70 or so

Well, seriously contemplated exchanging for different book yesterday, but in the end decided to slog through.  The scam crumpet resolution has been approved; Ralph Nickleby has learned of his brother's death; has visited the family and found Nicholas work with a corrupt "schoolmaster" in Yorkshire; the coach has headed out of London and crashed in the snowy night; all aboard have hoofed it to the nearest public room and have just finished telling stories.

I would say that not a whole lot has happened, but there needs to be a set-up.  I read about 40 pages yesterday in a coffee shop surrounded by conversations of theatre and dance performances, and also on the bus.  The writing is colorful.  The story is not so much engaging me, but the writing style is quite nice.

I'm also intrigued that he could keep all these plots lines and characters juggled as he wrote his novels as serials.

Until next update, happy dreams of industial revolutions.

Nicholas Nickelby

I randomly chose to start with this tome of a novel by Dickens.  It was his second, after The Pickwick Papers, and not well reviewed, not even in the preface of the copy I picked up.  The writer thinks the characters are undeveloped (surface) and our "hero" is not particularly sympathetic, but likes the book for it's humor.  It has taken me more than 3 weeks to get through 40 pages.  I read the preface in one sitting, I've renewed it 1x now.  It's almost 700 pages.  I've thought that perhaps I could just read his 10 "best" novels, but I think I will read them all, and probably skip the short stories.  I'm saving Bleak House and Great Expectations for the end of my reading journey, I've heard they are particulary enjoyable.  It's kinda' like eating the crust of pizza first, so you don't have some hard, dry beast to gnaw on at the end.

Reading Dickens

I needed a project.  It's the 200th Anniversary of Charles Dickens' birth and I realize that I have only read one of his books, A Tale of Two Cities, and that was ages ago in a high school lit class.  I liked the book at the time, particularly the foreshadowing, but would I like him now?  I also have to admit, I'm not a fan of Victorian Literature, I tend to find it extremely bleak, so reading Dickens is a somewhat questionable endeavor for me, especially a whole year, or however long it takes me to get through it.  However, I also believe that he is an influential author who is quite often referred to in everyday writing and conversation, and that there are parallels to our world, especially in regard to wealth speculation and disparity.