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Saturday, June 6, 2015

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell

tags: fairies, fantastical, historical fiction, magicians

from Goodreads

At the dawn of the nineteenth century, two very different magicians emerge to change England's history. In the year 1806, with the Napoleonic Wars raging on land and sea, most people believe magic to be long dead in England--until the reclusive Mr Norrell reveals his powers, and becomes a celebrity overnight.

Soon, another practicing magician comes forth: the young, handsome, and daring Jonathan Strange. He becomes Norrell's student, and they join forces in the war against France. But Strange is increasingly drawn to the wildest, most perilous forms of magic, straining his partnership with Norrell, and putting at risk everything else he holds dear.

I first read this novel in 2004. I loved it and became my favorite book of the fantastical. I love it more than any fantasy novels I have read including The Lord Of The Rings and all of Neil Gaiman's books. I read it a second time about 5 years ago. My first edition hardcover [illustrations by Portia Rosenberg] has 782 pages of tiny tiny print with even tinier footnotes which I also read and enjoyed as much as the novel itself. I'm re-reading it for the third time after watching the first 3 episodes of the BBC 7-episode adaptation.

The prose is beautiful and appropriate for the period. Although the characters, specially Mr Norrell, are not the "lovable" types, they are definitely likable and very well defined. The story is dark, compelling, well-researched, and historically accurate. Regardless of the length, I was mesmerized and couldn't put it down.

Highly recommended for lovers of the fantastical; not recommended for Harry Potter readers though.

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The BBC TV adaptation is premiering on BBC America on June 13, 2015.

first 3 Episodes

Wow! I love the adaptation. Casting, costumes, and sets are simply superb. Eddie Marsan as Mr Norrell is spot on with his short-ish stature, blue beady eyes, and excellent portrayal. Eddie Marsan is Mr Norrell.

illustration of Mr Norrell by Portia Rosenberg

Bertie Carvel as Jonathan Strange who is supposed to be dashing and handsome is not what I imagined him but the actor grows on me. All other actors/characters specially the Gentleman With Thistle-down Hair and Lord Wellington are exceptional too. The adaptation is very true to the book with very few alterations which aren't noticeable nor important. The rich visuals, acting, and script make the 3 episodes spell-binding [so far]. I can't wait to see the rest of the series.

Highly recommended for Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell fans.

Friday, May 22, 2015

The Reckoning (2004)

tags: medieval murder mystery, play within a play

from Amazon.com

Set in 14th century England, THE RECKONING focuses on Nicholas (Paul Bettany), a young priest who has broken his vow of chastity and in turn becomes a fugitive, escaping from his fellow monks and their judgment. Posing as an actor in a traveling acting troupe, Nicholas, along with the actors, discovers that a young woman convicted of killing a boy is actually innocent and the troupe sets out to prove her innocence by incorporating the crime into their plays.

My rating is actually only 3 stars but I give a bonus star for Tom Hardy's appearance playing mostly women's roles. In this video he appears as Eve and the deaf-mute woman accused of murdering a young boy. Tom was pretty before he bulked up for Warrior and Dark Knight Rises.

Regardless of [IMHO the talent-challenged] Paul Bettany in the lead role, I watched this 2004 movie because historical fiction, particularly medieval period, is one of my favorite book as well as movie genres. Willem Dafoe as the travelling actors troupe's leader, Martin, and Vincent Cassel as the villainous Lord de Guise, made the decision for me to sit down and watch.

It starts out good and interesting, I didn't notice the wooden Paul Bettany. One of the strangest scenes is Willem Dafoe somewhere at the beginning of the movie doing all sorts of acrobatic moves, doing cartwheels and somersaults, and arching his body like a hoop, I was scratching my head wondering as to the relevance. There's none. I like the story line enough to continue watching but the second half stumbles a bit. Vincent Cassel is underutilized here and his last scenes are just terrible and badly written, it's cringe-worthy. There are huge historical discrepancies which are forgivable because the main story is finding out who actually murdered the boy.

The movie is based on the novel Morality Play by Barry Unsworth which I am currently reading. I'm liking his writing style but he is not nearly as good as Umberto Eco and Edith Pargeter/Ellis Peters. After reading a few chapters, I find that the movie mixes up the characters a lot. For example, Willem's acrobatic moves belong to the 15 year old boy in the book which was mentioned just once. I don't think it's necessary in the movie and with Willem Dafoe's character having the ability. Oh, well. Movie adaptations are almost always inferior to the book and that's fine.

Currently streaming on Netflix and Amazon.

Sunday, May 17, 2015

24 Fiction Books

I already read 24 fiction books and 1 non-fiction this year, halfway through my goal of 50. So far, most are great, some are just so-so, and thankfully, only 2 are rated 1 star.

Star emoticon