The Killer Angels - Michael Shaara

"No need for hurry now, too tired to run, expecting to be hit at any moment. Over on the right no horse, Kemper was down, impossible to live up there. Armistead moved on, expecting to die, but was not hit. He moved closer to the wall up there, past mounds of bodies, no line any more, just men moving forward at different speeds, stopping to fire, stopping to die, drifting back like leaves blown from the fire ahead. Armistead though: we won’t make it. He lifted the sword again screaming, and moved on, closer, closer, but it was all coming apart; the whole world was dying.”

The Civil War has dragged on for three long years. General Stonewall Jackson is dead and there is no end in sight for the conflict that has ripped apart families and destroyed friendships. The Confederate Army has crossed into Pennsylvania and is on the brink of exhaustion. A chance encounter of Confederate scouts and Union cavalry bring the two armies rushing towards one another, to converge upon a little town called Gettysburg. The next three days bring fire and flesh together in what some call the decisive battle of the war, vanquishing the might of one side and raising up the other.

Growing up in Canada I knew only the very basics of the American Civil War and had only heard of Gettysburg and the blood that was spilled there. I always imagined it was on a promontory and that the Confederates were massacred to a man. I had assumed the issue of slavery was the entire cause of the war. I could not have been more wrong. What I didn’t know was many states had already seceded from the Union and that the Emancipation Proclamation was signed after the war started. I assumed the victory of the Union was an open and shut case. Instead I was surprised to see how close the South came to winning. And I was fascinated to see how one tiny detail could change so much about an event: If only Ewell had taken that hill; if only Stuart had showed up; if only Lee had listened to Longstreet.

Each chapter is from the pov of a character from the war. Shaara provides their thoughts and fears, their strong sense of duty and their opinion of others. He gives us both sides of the war and by allowing us into the minds of these men, we learn to identify and sympathize with both the Union and the Confederacy soldiers as we’re meant to. After all, they were simply men following orders. In fact, Shaara manages to increase the tension by alternating chapters between the North and South. The reader may know everything but the two armies only have half the information. While reading I even started to have favourites on both the North and South side: Lee, the Chamberlain brothers, Armistead, Burton, Longstreet; I willed them to live, worried about them and felt rather motherly towards these men whom I’d never met and who had lived and died in another century, far separated from my own.

You also really sense the passage of time throughout the book. The story only takes place over four days but you feel every hour, you experience the slow inevitable drawing together of these two armies, you wait for the battle just as they do. The world was more patient and slow moving in those days but Shaara has made the action immediate. You feel as if you’re right there with them, holding a rifle, hunkered down against a rock, trying not to get shot. And the language! This book is a feast. The lyric lines, the description, the images he creates and the profound thoughts and words by these men are sumptuous and a joy to read. I once claimed ”The Red Badge of Courage” was the most poetic book I’d read about war but ”Killer Angels” has taken its place. Shaara manages to keep the words from getting in the way of the story and what words they are!

Prior to this I’d never read anything about the Civil War and I’m not sure anything else will ever measure up. The book won a rightly-deserve Pulitzer Prize in 1975 and if you looking for a book about Gettysburg that focuses more on the people than the schematics, this is story is for you.

Rating: 5/5

Murder on the Orient Express - Agatha Christie

“All around us are people of all classes, of all nationalities, of all ages. For three days these people, these strangers to one another, are brought together. They sleep and eat under one roof, they cannot get away from each other. At the end of three days they part, they go their separate ways, never, perhaps to see each other again.”

Hercule Poirot is travelling back from Pakistan on the Orient Express and is lucky to get a berth. He finds the train strangely crowded for winter. Populated with a variety of people of varying nationalities and classes, this group is a cross section of the world in miniature, confined to the living quarters of a train. Their interactions inform us on the attitude of the times and Poirot, being the nosy eavesdropper he is, learns all about his fellow passengers through conversation. All seems to be well until the second night when a snowstorm strands the train in the mountains. A series of strange noises precede the death of one Samuel Ratchett, who is discovered the next morning with 12 stab wounds to his chest. Poirot reluctantly takes the case only to find the evidence either nonexistent or bizarrely inconsistent. Each suspect is questioned in turn and Poirot slowly comes to realize he is dealing with a mastermind. Will he uncover the truth and discover the real killer before the train can be dug out from the storm?

This book is somewhat different from a traditional mystery in that it’s divided into three sections: “The Crime Scene”, “The Evidence” and “The Solution”. It’s a strange melding of storytelling and criminal investigation. It’s somewhat jarring at first but doesn’t detract from the story or suspense created by Christie. Again this is another genius plot and as always with her books, I tried to discern the identity of the killer and as always, failed miserably. This definitely makes for one of the more frustrating plot lines and trust me you’ll be kicking yourself once you get to the end. It’s far more complex than you realize. Just make sure you watch out for red herrings.

I love this book, maddening as it is. It's full, in terms of plot and characters. It's fulfilling and it's in the top echelon of Christie novels where it deserves to be. If you've never read any of her books and want to experience her talent to its full extent, reading this book would be a great start.

Rating: 5/5

The Red Badge of Courage - Stephen Crane

“He had burned several times to enlist. Tales of great movements shook the land. They might not be distinctly Homeric, but there seemed to be much glory in them. He had read of marches, sieges, conflicts, and he had longed to see it all. His busy mind had drawn for him large pictures extravagant in color, lurid with breathless deeds.”

Henry Fleming is anxious. He wants to join the Union and fight in the American Civil War. He thinks it'll be a grand adventure and he'll come back a hero. Little does he know what the war has in store for him.

This is honestly one of the most poetic stories about war that I’ve ever read. Even more so than “Fahrenheit 451” which I raved about in an earlier post. The contrast between Crane’s beautifully expressive writing and the horrible scenes he describes is somewhat jarring because even though he’s showing war as destructive and terrifying, he also paints this lyrical picture. He really brought scenes to life with his use of diction. But I've included my favourite passage from the book below.

"Swift pictures of himself, apart, yet in himself, came to him--a blue desperate figure leading lurid charges with one knee forward and a broken blade high--a blue, determined figure standing before a crimson and steel assault getting calmly killed on a high place before the eyes of all."

Crane really communicates the brutality of war, the waiting punctuated by short spurts of violence. I liked how the reader can see how Henry's opinion about the war and his situation change over time, how his experiences come to define his character and attitude. My one complaint, as with "Fahrenheit 451" is that this book is too short by half.

If you want to read a great story that really communicates the thoughts and feelings of the average soldier in the American Civil War, then read this book.

Rating: 5/5

Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury

“There must be something in books, things we can't imagine, to make a woman stay in a burning house; there must be something there. You don't stay for nothing.”

Guy Montag is a fireman. He burns books for a living, protecting society from the evils of the written page. The only problem is Guy isn’t sure what exactly he’s protecting everyone from. You see, he’s never read any of the books he burns. That is until one night when raids a house he expects to be empty. Instead he finds a woman who refuses to leave despite the threat of fire as Montag prepares to burn the house with its illegal material. As he lights the kerosene he spots a book that’s fallen open to the passage “time has fallen asleep in the afternoon sunshine”. The incident disturbs him. What follows opens his eyes to a world under constant threat of destruction.

This book has become one of my favourites as Bradbury provides an example of what a dystopian world without books would look like. While fast and flashy it lacks inspiration and fragility. There is a lifeless numb feeling to everyone’s lives except those who secret books within their homes. And Bradbury communicates this as only a poet could. His diction is lyrical and though provoking. I actually checked to see if he’d published any poetry and he’s done everything but.

The story itself is somewhat like the Matrix movies in that what Montag has been told to believe is not the truth. We also encounter several other characters such as his wife, Mildred who wants bigger and better gadgets to cement their social status; Clarisse who is a mysterious neighbour who questions the authorities and Captain Beatty, the fire chief and Montag’s boss who eventually grows suspicious of Montag.

My one complaint would be that the book wasn’t longer and closer to the end began to lose the lyrical quality that had drawn me in at the beginning. Despite these issues though it’s still an amazing book and made me want to read more of Bradbury’s work. If you’re looking for a dystopian novel with a great story read this!

Rating: 5/5

The Diary of a Young Girl - Anne Frank

“Who would ever think that so much went on in the soul of a young girl?”

For several years during WWII, the Frank family hid in a secret attic, existing on the kindness of others and an ever diminishing food source. They lived in constant fear and took extreme precautions to avoid being discovered. Anne Frank was all of 13 and a precocious child before going into hiding. Once secluded with her family, the van Daans and Mr. Dussel, she decided to document daily life within the secret annex in a diary. Her writing betrays a maturity beyond her years as she develops a meditative internal life, an inner monologue that is strong, stubborn and independent.

I found this book difficult to finish. It might sound weird but right when Anne starts to spend time with Peter I just wanted to put it down. I knew the ending before I started and in my head I wanted her to remain happy. Sounds silly right? But I’ve never been one to not finish a good book. The closer I got to the end the more nervous I became. It reminded me of something I read when I was a kid. It was called “The Monster at the End of this Book”. It was a Sesame Street book starring Grover. It broke the fourth wall because he spoke to the reader and was scared to reach the end and find the monster. He would construct all sorts of elaborate walls of brick, cement and wood to keep the reader from turning the page, all the while begging them not to finish the book.

I loved seeing Anne's opinions develop over time and how confident she became with her own voice. She can be quite cruel at times towards the other occupants of the attic, revealing an articulate mean streak that pokes at others flaws. I didn’t like to read how she tore other people down but it showed me she’s not a character, she’s a real person with real feelings.

We see her voracious appetite for books, the emergence of young love and a penchant to examine issues you wouldn’t expect to hear from teenagers, like the hatred of Jewish peoples within German occupied territory. She writes truth and never holds back, revealing a complex young woman with dreams beyond the attic. It is this honesty that makes the writing fresh and new, despite the diary being almost 70 years old.

If you want to know how a regular Jewish family lived and suffered through the war or if you want to read about life from the prospective of a strong young woman, read this book.


Rating: 5/5

Watchmen – Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons

“On Friday night, a comedian died in New York. Somebody knows why. Out there, somebody knows.”

In an alternate world superheroes are real and helped to win the Vietnam War, becoming trusted caretakers of the nation. Soon enough though, the public turned on them, forcing the passage of legislation in 1977, essentially banning the existence of superheroes and raising the questions, “Who watches the watchmen?” In this world it’s 1985 and Edward Blake, otherwise known as The Comedian, is dead. Authorities have no leads but an old friend named Rorshach has taken it upon himself to discover the truth. Instead he finds Blake wasn’t the first to die under mysterious circumstances. Someone is killing superheroes and Rorshach wants to know why. He contacts former colleagues to warn them and they in turn become involved, lead on a merry chase filled with red herrings, all with the threat of nuclear war with the Soviet Union looming large on the horizon.

I think I was rather spoiled with this book as it was the first graphic novel I’d ever read and I doubt anything else I read in the genre will measure up. The attention to detail is amazing. I really liked how there were things going on in the background that informed the reader on the story. Whether it was graffiti or newspapers, it was an economical way of communicating, to fill in the gaps without taking up space on the page. As well, throughout the book there are documents and reports interspersed, with coffee mug stains and words purposely spelled wrong to create authenticity. This makes the world feel more real.

As well, the characters are an interesting study in human nature. We see a broad cross-section of all types, from the regular Joe of Night Owl, to the brilliant and successful Ozymandias, to the unfeeling and logical Jon. The dialogue is realistic, covered in a thin film of grit. The reader is surrounded by amoral characters and good guys who commit atrocities, painting the world a dark grey. But the story I believe is the strongest aspect of the novel. Alan Moore did a fantastic job. It may have slowed down in parts, i.e. plot interruptions in the form of a comic book but I found overall that it was really strong. He showcases the anti-hero that was popular during the 80s highlighting the fact that not every superhero was sunshine and rainbows. At their core the majority were regular human beings with a unique set of skills they put to use.

One thing I didn’t like was the comic book story wedged into the plot. While I understand the tie-in to the main story, it felt more like filler than anything and I don’t think the novel would have been the lesser if it had been removed. I was also not a fan of the explicit violence splayed across the page. I’ve never been a fan of guts and blood so this was somewhat of a turn off. Fortunately Moore’s story was compelling enough to hold my interest.

If you enjoy a good story with realistic characters then read this graphic novel. I highly recommend it.

Rating: 5/5

The Dark Knight (2008)

The Good:

Batman still watches over Gotham City though the police force has orders to arrest him on sight. He and Lieutenant James Gordon are secretly working together to loosen the stranglehold the mob has over the populace. Rachel has moved on with her life and is now involved with Gotham's shiny new District Attorney, Harvey Dent who plans on cleaning up the city his way. Behind closed doors the mob meets to decide what action to take against the 'Bat Man'. Enter, a stranger, dressed in a fugly purple suit. He offers his considerable 'talents' to take care of all their problems. And then things start to get crazy.

The cast of this movie is amazing. Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Gary Oldman. They're all perfectly cast. Bale was made for this role, equal parts arrogant playboy and gruff guardian of Gotham. I'm so happy that he's finally getting the due I believe he's long deserved. Ledger is the most psychotic deviant I've met in film and the creepy things he does with his mouth is deliciously unsettling. Eckhart plays the perfect DA, a 'white knight' to root out the deep seated corruption in Gotham City. It also doesn't hurt that his face has a classic 50s All-American look. Gyllenhaal does the role of Rachel Dawes justice, redeeming her character from the disaster of "Batman Begins". And then there's Gary Oldman. What can I say about James Gordon? He comes into his own in this movie and I cannot express how awesome Oldman was in this role.

The script was amazing. I've always believed the story is the most important part of a movie. It's the core of the project and it needs to be solid to make a good movie. The writers did a fantastic job here. The plot has a relentless drive and pulls you in from the word 'go'. The interweaving of storylines seems effortless, the dialogue is clever and believable, the look of the film is dark without being morbid and don't forget the special effects. I'm a big fan of explosions in film and if you are too I promise you won't be disappointed.

The Bad:

I only had three complaints about the film.

One of the characters from "Batman Begins" is brought back for what I saw as only a cameo, an unneeded and unwanted one. It was confusing because I didn't understand the reason for their presence and it only served to complicate the plot.

The jerky camera motion editing that may have given you motion sickness from "Batman Begins" is back. It's not as pronounced but still present and as in the first film, keeps you from seeing what's really going on in some scenes.

My biggest problem was the ending. After the major plot is tied up, the film continues for about another half hour. I understand how the writers may have wanted to resolve some character arcs but it felt somewhat forced. A good example of this would "Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" where most people were half out of their seats because they weren't sure if the last fade out was the end of the movie or not. This tag end could have been saved for the next movie as it would have left rich and various possibilities for the direction of Batman 3. It would have also left a much more satisfying end for the audience.

The Ugly:

Somebody find Eli Wallach.


Rating: 5/5

WALL-E (2008)

The earth is so polluted it can no longer sustain life. Humans have traveled into space, leaving behind an army of robots to clean up the mess. 700 years pass and only one robot remains standing. His name is WALL-E (Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-Class) and his only friend is a cockroach. Every day he compacts trash into squares, building garbage skyscrapers alongside their man-made compatriots. He salvages various 'artifacts' (ie Rubix cube), watches "Hello Dolly" every night and longs for companionship. One day, he makes a discovery that will utterly change his life.

The team at Pixar continue to outdo themselves. WALL-E may even be, dare I say it, better than "Toy Story". All I can say is, for a movie with little to no dialogue, it blew me away.

The animation in the first thirty minutes looked cinematography from an epic movie with all the variety and types of shots used. WALL-E lives in a fully-realized world, detailed down to the last bit of trash.

The story was solid, combining romance and humour in a believable way. The script was especially important for this movie as much of the story had to be told in a non-verbal manner. Visual clues are placed throughout the story to tell the audience what has happened to the earth and humanity. A good example can be found at the beginning of the movie when we watch WALL-E during a typical day at work. The untold story of Earth and her 'demise' are woven into the background of scenes.

The score was amazing and really contributed to the atmosphere of certain scenes. I honestly have nothing bad to say about WALL-E and all I can recommend is if you haven't seen this movie, take a chance and see it in theatres.

Rating: 5/5

Life of Pi - Yann Martel

"I was alone and orphaned, in the middle of the Pacific, hanging on to an oar, an adult tiger in front of me, sharks beneath me, a storm raging about me."

The Good:

This story follows the life of Piscine Patel, an Indian immigrant on his way to Canada by way of cargo ship. His family had owned a zoo in Pondicherry, India and was transporting the remaining animals they owned to various Canadian zoos. The ship ends up sinking and Pi is left floating on the Pacific ocean accompanied by a zebra, an orangutan and a Bengal tiger.

This an amazing tale in the theme of survival stories. Martel provides the reader with sumptuous detail that illustrates a direct contrast before and after the shipwreck. Here's one of my favourite excerpts.

" Every morning before I was out the main gate I had one last impression that was both ordinary and unforgettable: a pyramid of turtles; the iridescent snout of a mandrill; the stately silence of a giraffe; the obese, yellow open mouth of a hippo; the beak-and-claw climbing of a macaw parrot up a wire fence; the greeting claps of shoebill's bill; the senile, lecherous expression of a camel."

I loved the description of the steps Pi took to survive as well as the aspects of magic realism that crept into the pages. Although the fantastical elements of the animals vanish by the middle of the book. Watch out for the twist ending. It's both amazing and heart-wrenching.

The book combines religions and philosophies, common sense, magic realism, the will to survive and an understanding of animals. It's not every day a book combining all these elements is this good.

I'm also pleased to say there's a Canadian connection as Yann Martel, the author, just happens to be Canadian. As well, this book won the prestigious Man Booker Prize.

The Bad:

The first 100 pages drag. Martel uses those pages to ground the reader in the reality of the story in order to make the rest of the book more believable. The problem though is if you're not willing to plow through the lack of suspense and tension, you might miss the best part of the book.

As well, the book requires you to suspend your disbelief. As the it progresses the story becomes considerably more unbelievable, asking more of the reader. This is why that 100 page setup is so important in the beginning.

The Ugly:

If you're uncomfortable with violence or gore then you'll want to watch out for some parts in the middle and the end of the book.

A Game of Thrones - George RR Martin

"Winter is coming."

The Good: The Starks are lords of the north in the Seven Kingdoms and are unaware of the danger threatening their family. The current monarch, bloated and inept, is blind to the treachery and corruption surrounding the court and the Lannisters, his wife's family. Across the sea the heirs of the ousted monarch plan their revenge. Beyond the Wall, a defence against dark creatures from the north, something is stirring. Winter is coming.

Martin's writing follows the same vein as Robert Jordan's "Wheel of Time" series but in a more concise manner. His descriptions could stand to be Hemingway-ed but overall they're effective and serve to illustrate various character's traits. This is due to the form of the story. Each chapter is told from the perspective of one of the main characters. This refreshing technique allows the reader to see different events from various angles and to see who's lying, who has something to hide.

He also manages to communicate his time period through diction as none of his characters use contractions. This gives the dialogue and description a more archaic feel.

Another impressive aspect of Martin's writing is the plot. Through the character chapters we are able to follow several stories, all of which intertwine. The genre Martin writes in is easily classified as Sword and Sorcery but with this series, "A Song of Ice and Fire", he leans heavily on the Sword aspect. This was a relief as I often find too many fantasy novels use the sorcery side as a deus ex machina to get out of situations. Martin's story is about people and their problems; it's gritty and realistic, like sand in the teeth. There are deep mythological and religious roots in this story and the reader is given occasional tidbits that round out the world.

As well, you can never predict what's going to happen next and certain rules that apply in other fantasy novels don't apply here. Everyone is fair game; being a main characters does not guarantee safety. It makes the world more realistic. Various characters have different truths they live by and there are many you will hate at the mention of their names.

I can honestly say that I recommend this book to anyone I know who likes fantasy. Martin is one of my favourite writer's in the genre.

The Bad: Like Robert Jordan, Martin is sometimes too flowery with his descriptions. He also doesn't shy away from violence and other graphic scenes that are sometimes censored from other fantasy novels. Like any good western, this book is full of sex and death and it's not for everybody.

As well, this book is jam-packed with characters and subplots that some may find difficult and frustrating to understand. My advice is if you can follow Lord of the Rings or Jordan's "Wheel of Time" series, you shouldn't have any trouble with Martin.

I'll agree he isn't for everyone just as Jordan isn't for everyone. The books are long and jump around location wise. There's lots of swearing, graphic behaviour and occasional offensive misogynistic actions. There's also little resolution when it comes to the various plots but remember this is book one of a series. Some events are setups and plots that seem pointless now develop and grow in later books.

The Ugly: Somebody find Eli Wallach.