Sunday, November 25, 2012

BOOK REVIEWS. Sort Of.


Brought to us by Booking in Heels, THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN Book Challenge for 2012 pushed me in directions I don't usually choose. When left to my own devices, for pleasure I tend to head straight for the mysteries. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen started as a graphic novel by Alan Moore (of Watchmen fame) featuring various classic book characters with the movie following in 2003. 

Here is my first set of reviews, 6 of the 9 books in the challenge.
Dracula by Bram Stoker  

Some of the reviews for this on Amazon.com are absolutely hilarious, or sad, depending on your point of view. I'll leave you to discover them for yourself, but here is an excerpt from: A. Barry "THE reviewer" (Elk Grove, CA) "What a terrible read. I couldn't stand it for long, so I started skimming through the thing. Turns out the vampire in this book is an old guy, and he lives in a castle! What?! Any vampire fan knows that vampires roam the streets of upper middle class suburbia and high schools. Whoever this Bram Stoker guy is, it's quite clear that he doesn't know a thing on vampires, and his attempt to cash in on the vampire craze is indeed a failure."
20,000 Leagues Under The Sea - Jules Verne    

Rediscovering an old friend is always a great way to pass the time. I think I was only twelve or thirteen when I last took a trip on the Nautilus with Captain Nemo. Beats the Love Boat hands down!
 The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain (ebook)   

I must confess to once having a crush, not on Tom, but on his life. As a bookish tomboy I loved the idea of adventure. As an adult, slowed by time and circumstances, I still love the idea of adventure. But the powerful social commentary looms much larger than it did when I was a naive teen.
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde - Robert Louis Stevenson (ebook)    

This book never fails to make me think deep thoughts about heavy subjects. You know, our true natures, the fragments of our psyches, scary green men. Sorry, I just watched Marvel's The Avengers. (loved it)

Actually, Dr. Banner and his friend do relate to this story but I'm sorry, this is not the place for such deep thoughts.

The Phantom of the Opera - Gaston Leroux    

I was expecting beautiful music but there wasn't a note to be heard. As you can see, books do occasionally have their drawbacks but I still prefer the book to the movie. 
The Final Problem from The Complete Sherlock Holmes 
by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (ebook)

A perennial favorite of mine is Sherlock Holmes. This particular short story by Dr. Watson unites Holmes, Moriarty, and the Reichenbach Falls. 

Reading this story again has gotten me to thinking. Have you noticed how fast paced today's mysteries are? We are so used to crimes being solved with cell phones, computers, fast cars, and guns, that it seems so strange when our sleuths are writing letters and walking or riding in carriages.

                                          Sorry, got side tracked again.

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