Words Create Worlds

I've mentioned before that I love book art, art based on books. This stunning creation is one of the best examples I've ever seen. This was created as part of an ad series for Anagram Bookshop in Prague, called Words Create Worlds. The image was created by Kaspan Company. I'm not sure how much of this is digitally created and how much of it is paper sculpture. Either way, the idea behind it makes me giddy.

Edit: Shortly after putting this up I thought to link to Anagram Bookshop only to find that it closed at the end of last year. :-(

Wuthering Heights

I'm not sure how I escaped from college with an English degree without reading any of the Bronte sisters. I did an entire semester on Jane Austen but never cracked a single book by either Emily, Charlotte, or Anne. About a year ago I remedied that by picking up Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre. I loved the book but remember thinking that it wasn't what I was expecting. Apparently all the sisters have that in common.

I've heard tons about Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte's immortal novel. It has been described as one of the most romantic books ever written. It has been described as passionate and powerful. Many say that the love story between Catherine and Heathcliff is one of the most obsessive and powerful they'd ever read. Just today I saw it listed by two different writers, as they're favorite romantic book. So I was expecting a romance. When I finally read the book last week I found something completely different.

I didn't consider Wuthering Heights a romance. Yes, there is a romance between Catherine and Heathcliff. But that takes up only the first quarter of the book. It is what happens after that seemed to me the focus of the story. Instead this is a book about a tragic family. It is a book about revenge. It is a book about a villain. Far from romantic, I found Heathcliff to be horrible. The man was a villain of the first degree. After Catherine's meladramatic and mostly foolish death, he falls apart and begins to take systematic revenge upon everyone who'd ever come in contact with her. He starts with her sister-in-law, then her husband (yes Catherine marries someone else), then her brother. Eventually he moves on to his own son, Catherine's daughter, and any other person who may once have been involved in the family.

Now don't get me wrong, Heathcliff is not a killer. Instead, his villany is far more creative. He simply plots and schemes to take everything from them. He manages to steal away everything from Catherine's brother (who also happens to be his. It's complicated). He takes revenge on Catherine's husband by forcing their daughter to marry his son against her wishes, thereby giving all of their estate to him. After Catherine's death it is simply one heineous deed after another as he takes his revenge on everyone around him. The interesting thing about this whole book is that I never manage to see the connection between him and Catherine. They claim, at separate times, to be in love with each other but I, as reader, didn't really ever see it. They stood up for each other in childhood, they adventured together as adolescents. And then later, after Catherine is married, do they finally state that they love each other. But both Catherine and Heathcliff are such dispicable characters that by that point I didn't really care.

You would think that after all this talk that I hated the book, which is not true. I devoured the book. Not one of the characters is likable. I found myself constantly yelling at the characters that they were acting like idiots. I was shocked by the pure malice in the book. And I was still surprised that this was not a romance. But through all of this, the story of this family is so sad, so tortured that I had to continue. Each character was flawed but distinct. This book, told by the former housekeeper, is delicious gossip. We get to know the characters from the vantage point of looking in. We see their struggles but from the detached observer standpoint. And like a train wreck it was tough to look away. Tolstoy famously started Anna Karenina with this line. "Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way." Wuthering Heights is the story of an unhappy family and the tragedies that befall them. Tragic, powerful, and beautiful, this book is everything but romantic.

Isaac's Storm

They say that those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Isaac's Storm is a perfect example of this.

About two years ago I read Erik Larson's book The Devil in the White City at the insistence of my mother. Now that is noteworthy for the fact that my mother is not much of a book reader. It is rare that she makes recommendations so I tend to read them. The book told the juxtaposed stories of the construction of the World's Fair in Chicago, and the story of H.H. Holmes, a brilliant serial killer who supposedly killed more than 27 people. The stories may seem odd bedfellows but Larson intertwined them in ways that just make sense. And kept me fascinated. I devoured the book and started seeking out more of Larson's books. I bought Isaac's Storm but it ended up relegated to my shelves until this past trip. I figured with a hurricane just missing the Yucatan Peninsula where I was going, this would be perfect beach reading.

Isaac's Storm also tells multiple stories. The first is about the Galveston Hurricane of 1900. The storm has been considered one of the worst natural disasters to ever occur on U.S. soil. It killed over 6000 people and almost leveled the entire city of Galveston. The reason the hurricane was so devastating is mostly because the town never had any indication that it would be hit. The storm simply wasn't predicted. And that leads to the other stories in the book. Larson also tells the story of Isaac Cline, the chief weather observer for Galveston and provides a history of meteorology and hurricane prediction. In the early 1900s the Weather Bureau in the US was just starting out and so many of their predictions were based on the current knowledge. The "law of storms" as it were. And the "law" stated that no hurricanes ever went that far into the Gulf of Mexico. Because of that Galveston never built a seawall to protect itself from hurricanes. Because of the known "law of storms" the chief meteorologist never noticed the classic signs of a major storm. And because of this arrogant ignorance, a town nearly was destroyed.

Galveston after the hurricane

Larson weaves these stories together beautifully. This well researched book reads like a novel in parts, and a detailed history in others. I learned a ton about the early history of weather prediction, about the signs and warnings of a hurricane, and about the people and the city of Galveston. All personal accounts are based on letters and on Isaac's own accounts of living through the hurricane. The Weather Bureau at that time used telegrams to convey current conditions and predictions so Larson had a treasure trove of documents that allowed him to map the storm out. In many of the chapters we follow the path of the storm as it grows and moves east into the Gulf. We learn how the Cubans tracked the storm perfectly but because of an arrogant director at the Weather Bureau, those reports were not read. This was a book for me about devastation that possibly could have been avoided. It was about willful ignorance and arrogance and the feeling that humans could control nature. And it was particularly poignant after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.

As I mentioned at the beginning, those who fail to learn from history are destined to repeat it. We see a city like New Orleans, very much like the city of Galveston. It was built below sea level. It was built without a high enough levee to fight off rising waters. It was a city built on arrogance that a storm could never be powerful enough to destroy it. And one did. And many people lost their lives and their property because of it. I know I'm up on my soapbox here but I see them rebuilding New Orleans and I hope that this time they get it right. Building in a flood plain is risky and arrogant. And for some reason we keep doing it. No matter what the consequences. I hope fervently that the government of New Orleans rebuilds with the worry of another storm. I hope they rebuild smart. Or if they won't, then they shouldn't rebuild.

Watching Coraline

I read Neil Gaiman’s creepy little story right after it came out. I remember sitting on the stairs after getting dressed that morning trying to finish the book before I had to go to work. I also remember taking it to work with me so that I could read the final conflict between Coraline and the other mother from my desk drawer. I simply had to find out what happened. I loved the story. As I have said repeatedly, here and to anyone else who will listen, Neil Gaiman has to be one of the most imaginative and fantastic writers out there. I’m constantly impressed by his work.

When Coraline came out in the theaters, I didn’t go, mostly because I hate the theaters. I also don’t normally like movies that are based off books I’ve loved. The book is almost always better. But curiosity got the better of me. And on Sunday I bought the movie (collector’s edition and all) sight unseen with the knowledge that even if I didn’t like the treatment I would love the animation. I wasn’t disappointed. The stop motion animation story of Coraline is a visual masterpiece. I’ve always been a huge fan of stop motion and Henry Selick carries it to its most beautiful and believable conclusion. There were times in the film last night where I was so caught up in the incredible colors and settings that I forgot that the film was stop motion. I am constantly in awe of the amount of thought and work that goes into making a film like this. That’s why I had to buy the collector’s edition. I wanted the “making of” features.

The film stays mostly true to the book with a couple notable changes. While I understand the addition of the character of Wybie, I was mostly just annoyed with him. In fact I, like Coraline, preferred the silent version in the other mother’s world. I loved the treatment of Bobinski and the actresses downstairs Misses Forcible and Spink. Coraline was a wonderful character and we really get a chance to see the depth of her emotion. I’m constantly amazed by how they can create such deep emotions with puppets. But I really thought the Other Mother stole the show. They created a character so cloyingly sweet at the beginning that she is almost smothering, and then a character so incredibly evil that I’m sure there were plenty of children who went home and had nightmares. The film seemed an interesting mix of childish and adult and I went away with the feeling that the movie was actually more geared towards adults than children. That is not a criticism. It is rare to find animated films that have an edge and this one delivered. There were wonderful moments of humor but there was also an edge of creepiness throughout the film.

After watching the film I sat down to watch the “making of” features. I am constantly in awe of any type of animation but stop motion in particular. The bonus features were interesting although I’ll be on the lookout for a book that covers it as well. I wanted more of the puppet building and less on the voicing of the characters. But I may be one of the few people who are interested in that kind of thing. Considering I spent the rest of the evening on the couch reading a “making of” book for Toy Story, I’m far more interested than the average joe. (by the way, did anyone else know that Joss Whedon helped write the script for Toy Story?) I sadly can’t watch Coraline in 3-D (I tried) but with only one real working eye, everything just looked green. But even without the 3-D, I was pulled into the film. I was impressed and awed by the movie, but a little disappointed with the bonus features.

Kushiel's Dart

I will start by saying that I almost never re-read books and I don’t read series. There are only two books in my entire library that I have ever re-read, Pride and Prejudice and Siddhartha. My reasoning is that there are way too many new books that I want to read and I have a good memory for things I’ve read before. As for series, I will read the first book of a series but almost never continue on to the next book. Series are a huge time commitment and I tend to have plenty of other books waiting to be read. So when I tell you that I finished Kushiel’s Dart and immediately wanted to re-read the book you’ll understand how significant that is. I’m also debating heavily whether or not I want to continue with the series. I don’t remember the last time I was this seduced by a book.



Seduced is an apt word for this story. Kushiel’s Dart, by Jacqueline Carey, is filled with intrigue, adventure, and romance with some steamy sex scenes. The story follows Phedre, a courtesan/spy who starts the book working for a nobleman to gain political information. Phedre is unique in that she experiences pain as pleasure (a masochistic prostitute), denoted by a mark in one of her eyes called Kushiel’s Dart. She uses her unique seductive skills to learn information which she then passes on to her benefactor. But Phedre and her benefactor are betrayed. He is killed and she is sold (along with her bodyguard Joscelin) to a tribe of barbarians as slaves. While there, she uncovers a plot to overthrow the Queen of Terre D’Ange (her home) and Phedre and Joscelin escape to warn her. The Queen decides that an alliance between Terre D’Ange (France) and Alba (England) would save the country from the invaders, and sends Phedre and Joscelin to Alba to return with the king and his army. On the way they must persuade Dalriada (Scotland) to lend its aid, gain safe passage from the Master of the Straits, and get back to Terre D’Ange before the invaders. I’m leaving out half the book practically with this plot summary but so much happens in this thick book that it would be impossible to list it all.

I want to talk for a moment about the setting before anything else because it affects so much of the rest of the book. The story is set in Terre D’Ange which is an alternative Renaissance France. A religion of sorts dominates the lives of the people, denoting where their position in society will be. Phedre is sold to a benefactor at a young age because her parents cannot take care of her. She is trained as a Servant of Naamah (a goddess of sex) but also follows Kushiel (a god of pain and destruction). Each of the characters has their role in society because of the god they are most aligned with. Joscelin is a Cassiline Brother, a priest who is trained from birth to protect. He is skilled in weapons and lives the ascetic life of a priest. So there is considerable friction between him and Phedre because of their different roles in society. Terre D’Ange is the wealthiest country and also the most beautiful in the invented world. Because of their wealth, they are often focused on politics, fashion, and pleasure.

There are so many characters in the book that at times they are tough to keep track of. Carey provides a detailed character list which helped greatly and the main characters are easy to keep straight. Phedre and Joscelin are the focus of the book and I really felt like I got to know the characters over the course of the book. So much happened and the characters grew so much that when I finished the book I wanted to go back to the beginning to watch the progression again. I wanted to see them again with the knowledge of what they would become. The book jacket gives you very little idea of the plot and when the benefactor was killed I was shocked since it was so early in the book. In fact I was surprised by almost every twist and turn. I had no idea what to expect and each adventure seemed to just breed more adventures. It was hard to put the book down since it seemed that there was a climax every couple of chapters. Speaking of climaxes there is plenty of interesting sex in the book since Phedre works as something of a prostitute for the wealthy. If you are turned off by submissive behavior or pain in sex this may not be the book for you but I found the scenes steamy but understated. This is not a Story of O, and everything is done very tastefully. And the sex is often overshadowed by the political intrigue which fills almost every page of the book.

There is an incredible diversity of characters and places in the book which makes for a very fleshed out setting. Carey creates a complex world, and fills it with interesting characters. It has been years since I loved a character but I loved the character of Joscelin so much that I had to skip to the end to see if he survived. I didn’t want to be surprised by his death. Both he and Phedre are the main focus of the book and Carey breathes life into both of them, creating complex and interesting characters. The relationship between them evolves beautifully after all that they have been through and we see that progression. The dialogue in the book is wonderful, filled with things unsaid and undercurrents. The setting is interesting and beautiful, and the characters are well written. The book was exciting enough to make me ache to know what happens, long enough to make me feel that I knew the characters, and steamy enough to leave me wanting more. A great read and an incredible story. Perhaps I will have to pick up the second.

Unreadable

It's not often that I find a book that I simply can't read. But over the weekend a friend introduced me to a book that I could not understand. I've tried, over and over. But for some reason the Codex Seraphinianus just escapes me. :-) Then again it's been baffling linguists for the last twenty or so years so I don't feel too badly.

The Codex was written in the late seventies by Luigi Serafini, a mixed media surrealist artist and architect. The book is one of the greatest mysteries of the book and art world. It describes in beautiful detail the plant life, animal life, social customs, and architecture of an alien planet/species. Oh and did I mention that it is written in a language that linguists have been trying to crack for decades now. Serafini created his own language for the book but this is not simply gibberish. The symbols, which look like a combination of Arabic and artistic flourishes, are orderly and logical enough to create a usable language. The number system used in the book has already been cracked. Serafini, who is still creating interesting and strange art, has refused to talk about the book or the language used.

I spent some time leafing through the copy trying to make sense of Serafini's beautiful drawings since the text was completely impenetrable. The images give the reader enough of a hint as to what the chapter is about. But the illustrations are very otherworldly, showing creatures that could never exist and strange contraptions or plants. It is very detailed, giving elaborate illustrations of plant germination/migration, human social connections, food choices,...etc. The book goes into every aspect of life on the alien world. It is a very beautiful book but also very eerie.

The Codex is also one of the most highly sought books, mostly for its rarity. It has only been published a handful of times in limited runs. A good copy can run anywhere from $300 to $900. Most libraries that hold them (and there are not a ton) keep them in the request only sections of the library. The book is beautiful and creepy and strange. After getting a chance to look I know I will have my eye out for a copy. Even as just an art book, this is one to own. Even if I can't read a word of it.

Me Being a Squealy Fangirl

Consider that a warning. This is all fangirl stuff. Feel free to ignore if you like.

I don't like Steven Colbert. It's nothing against him personally but I don't really enjoy the person he plays on his show. I can't sit through his interviews because they annoy me way too much. I have trouble with an interview that hardly lets the person being interviewed get a word in edge-wise or spends most of the time making fun of the person. They are designed to make people uncomfortable and I don't enjoy embarrassment humor. I love Jon Stewart but when Colbert comes on I change the channel. Not sure why I have that distinction (Stewart's interviews can sometimes be just as annoying). But...

I love Neil Gaiman. I will freely admit that I have a huge fangirl crush on him. I've read all of his work and read his blog regularly. He is one of the only audiobooks on my iPod (Fragile Things). He is just brilliant. So when I saw that he had been interviewed by Steven Colbert I bit the bullet and watched. I'm so glad I did. It was a great interview with lots of fun answers and even some fun from Steven. Neither of them appeared to take the interview seriously and that made it enjoyable. Neil talked about why The Graveyard Book could be a children's story even with the early deaths. He talks about Lord of the Rings and they decide on a children's book for Steven to write with a very interesting title. Not once did I feel uncomfortable mostly because Neil didn't seem to take anything Steven said seriously. He had great answers. So here is me being a fangirl but you got to love a man who says he likes any Lord of the Rings character but Tom Bombadil.

Book Autopsies

First I have to tell you that as a librarian I gasp at what Brian Dettmer does with books. I'm the kind of person who hardly ever writes in my own books much less treats them the way Dettmer does. Jeff gets in trouble for losing dust jackets or breaking spines. So imagine what should have been my surprise and horror when I saw this.

Or the completely broken spine on this book. 

But the art lover in me is absolutely amazed and adores these fantastic sculptures of paper. I love how Dettmer tries to use the subject of the book to guide his art. The dictionary leads itself to a multiplicity of images, almost too many to comprehend. The history of the english language is taken up entirely by words, no pictures. The technical manual on boilers below shows the machinery in question. And the broken spine title makes me think it was a classic fantasy novel. You can see the escapism in that fantastic work. 

Dettmer does what he calls Book Autopsies. He cuts and paints books to make works of art. I could not find a website by Dettmer but here is one of the more complete websites dedicated to his art. http://centripetalnotion.com/2007/09/13/13:26:26/#more-550 And I am a big believer that books can be art. Take a look at amazing art piece below which is housed in the University of California library at Berkeley. 

And even as I say that I know that one form of books as art drives me up the wall. I hate to go into houses that have display libraries. You know the ones I mean. The house has bookshelves covered in leather bound books just put there for show. Few (if any) of the titles have been read. You can actually buy books that way. My bookcases are filled with durable hardcover books, ratty paperbacks, tattered children's books, and large coffeetable books. And everyone of them has been read. And loved. The number one rule of library science is that Books Are for Use. (S.R. Ranganathan) For reading. For enjoyment. And sometimes for art. 

Book Review: I Was Told There'd Be Cake

I just finished Sloane Crosley's essay book "I Was Told There'd Be Cake". I had gone into my sisters bookstore with the idea that I would help support her and buy some books. With the current economy bookstores are hurting and the one she manages might be closing. So I bought a good sized stack of books including this one. And before you ask, yes I bought this based solely on the title. How can you pass up a title like that?

And I was not disappointed. Sloane writes a number of great essays on everything from her secret pony figurine collection to accidentally calling the cops on her tunnel digging neighbor. Sloane's essay on her volunteer work at the Museum of Natural History is perhaps my favorite. There she is in charge of the butterfly exhibit which she knows absolutely nothing about. She develops a pathological fear of the Atlas moth, lies to children, and accidentally steals one of the butterflies. As she puts it, this would be her first and last volunteer gig. Her essay on accidently attending a Christian summer camp (although Jewish) and ending up playing Mary in the Christmas in July play is hilarious and insightful.

While the subjects are unusual and varied, the best part of this book is the writing. Sloane is witty and humorous in a way that reminds me of David Sedaris (one of my favorites). In fact she has been compared frequently to Sedaris. There is something about the neurotic, funny, and insighful essays of both writers that hits home. They make me wish I was funnier and more well spoken.

Book Review: Curious Incident

I actually finished two books within the last week but I'm only going to talk about one. The first one was The Modern Ark: A History of Zoos and really how many people are going to think of that for a fun reading book. I found it amazing but I have odd tastes. I'm a geek for books on animals and wildlife and the more scientific and sociological the better.



The one I'm really writing about is Mark Haddon's The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time. I wasn't really sure about this book when I picked it up. I has been listed as one of the 501 must-reads. And they are not kidding. This is a really fascinating book. The book tells the story of Christopher, a 15 year old with autism. He finds a neighbor's dog stabbed with a garden fork and sets out to solve the mystery of the killing. And finds out more truth about everything then he was looking for.


The premise seems silly but Haddon's writing style is amazing. He tells the story while allowing his narrator (Christopher) to branch off on the tangents that seem to fill his mind. In one scene, Christopher is in the back of a police car (he's been arrested for hitting an officer) and is puzzling and thinking about the constellation Orion. And then he branches out into how to determine prime numbers. All the while handcuffed and sitting in a squad car.



The characters are likable. Christopher is just wonderful in his systems and tangents. You really feel like you get into his mind. Haddon allows you to explore his mind and it really was a fascinating place. Plus I learned a fun way to find prime numbers. Always cool in my book.