Here's Looking at You, Kid

It's one of the most famous lines from the classic movie Casablanca. Or at least the most famous line that people get right. "Play it again, Sam" was never uttered in the movie. But I digress. I don't know of any movie that has more classic lines than Casablanca. Most of which come in the last 10 minutes as Rick tells Ilsa that she needs to go with her husband.

My sister introduced me to Casablanca when I was in high school and I have loved the movie ever since. It's one of the first black and white films I ever owned. It's a story I rarely get tired of watching. The odd part is that the love story is wonderful but it's not my favorite part of the movie. This is film filled with characters, unique personalities who steal a couple scenes and are never seen again. It's a movie that seems alive beyond what the camera lens is focused on. Simpering Peter Lorre, Louis the police chief, Sam with the magical voice, and a mix of other noble characters and scoundrels. Rick and Ilsa is a sweet story, but it's the side characters that draw me to the film.

Last night I got to see the movie on the big screen. One of our local art theaters screened it for the whole week and my mom and aunt suggested that we go. Even though I hate the theaters I couldn't pass up the chance to see that famous cafe on the big screen. As an audience, we laughed at the subtle wonderful jokes. I nearly cheered at the playing of the Marseilles. And I lost myself in a movie I've seen well over two dozen times. It was magic.

War and Peace

It started because I didn't have anything to read over my lunch hour. I apparently can't eat lunch without reading. My lunch plans had cancelled at the last minute so I had grabbed a sandwich and brought it back to the office. Now the issue of a book. I hoped on Project Gutenberg. I can always find a classic to read. As I browsed the authors, the name caught my eye. Tolstoy. There is something about reading Tolstoy in the winter. Something about curling up with a long book that talks about snow and cold while I'm comfortable inside. I'd read Anna Karenina a couple winter's ago. I decided that this year it would be War and Peace.

I knew nothing about the novel other than that it was long and most people consider it a classic. I assume it had something to do with...well...war and peace, shockingly. So I clicked on the link and started to read about the Prince Vasili and his witty banter with the duchess about the upcoming war with Napoleon. And slowly the book started to pull me in. I read three chapters before the lunch hour ended. I wrote down the number of my next chapter and went back to work. The next day I was back. I purposefully left my book at home so I could read more Tolstoy. I picked up where I left off and learned about the scheming Princess Anna who will do anything to find her son a good job.

Each day it was the same, two or three chapters over lunch to tide me over. I felt like I was making progress. I was really moving through the book. That is until I picked up a print copy over the weekend. I was a bit shocked at the size of the book. Weighing in at 1400 pages, it's a hefty tome. I've only finished book 2. I'm a little over 250 pages in and haven't even scratched the surface. I'm reading about war now, the early battles between the Russians and the French. My dad mentioned that I should read the book with a notebook to write down and keep track of characters. This wikipedia list is enough to make me dizzy. But still, I'm determined. And I'm enjoying. So breaking my typical rule of one book at a time I think I'll make War and Peace my lunchtime book and read other things in between. Otherwise I'll go insane or I'll never finish. Tolstoy is wonderful but he can be a bit...we'll say wordy....sometimes.

E-books

I love books. That should come as no surprise to anyone who knows me. I love the feel and the smell of them. I love collecting them in my ever growing library. There is just something about curling up with a well-loved book or browsing in a bookstore to make me incredibly happy. I was once asked about the perfect gift and without even batting an eyelash I said books. I won't ever turn down books.

So I've been avoiding the whole e-book thing. I've read a couple books electronically but I don't really enjoy the experience. It seems more like research than something done for pleasure. Even though I just finished Wuthering Heights online, I'm not as much of a fan of electronic versions. So when a friend at work brought me in her Kindle to play with, I originally resisted. My complaint has always been that I can't read in the bathtub with a Kindle. Nor does it seem cozy to curl up with a Kindle in bed. But I have to admit once I started playing with the thing that it has its benefits. It's far more user friendly than the older e-book readers I've used. The big screen helps make it less of an eyestrain. But the biggest advantage that it has is easy access to the classics.

I'm a huge classics reader. I've picked up books like Dante's Inferno, Othello, and Anna Karenina as fun reading. I'm constantly scouring public domain literature sites for good books. So when I found out that the Kindle will instantly download public domain works to the Kindle for no cost, I was hooked. With the push of a button I could have a title downloaded on the device in seconds. I could have a huge library of free books on this device and never lack for reading material. If I start a book (like Moby Dick) that I won't finish, I won't be out any money (I've tried it twice now. Just can't read it). My friend even showed me that there are a number of new books that are available for free or at a huge discount.

While this won't take the place of books for me, I can now see the advantage of the Kindle. It's mostly user friendly, offers cheap or free reading material, and can store a ton of books. I could even take notes on quotes I like or sections that are interesting. The Kindle is still a toy for me but I could see purchasing one. In fact, I'll start saving my money. I'll still buy paper books. I like the permanence of them and the feel of them. And picture books will never be replaced by e-books. But I could go for a cheap digital portable library. I could actually be moving into the 21st century.