Some books you have to be in the mood for. Some books deserve to be read on paper, rather than by audiobook. Some books have been sitting in your bookshelf for years and you've never got around to reading them.
Gabriel Garcia Marquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude is one such book.
I know exactly where it is on my bookshelf (sitting next to Love in a Time of Cholera) behind my hairbrushes, near the Rushdies and Atwoods. I've had it for well over 20 eyars. Who knows where I picked it up, but it is there. Unlike the Rushdies and Atwoods, I've looked at these books and never got further than page 30.
This time I tried listening to One Hundred Years of Solitude.
I know it's a good book. I know it's a great book. I get that people have this as their favourite book - but I'm not going to be one of them.
There's a few things I know. For one, I'm not really big into magic realism. It's okay - and a little bit of light literary magic realism is fine. I love the way Salman Rushdie does it. Laura Esquivel is another who uses this literary trope well. Gabriel Garcia Marquez is next level. A lot of South American authors use it - and along with the foreign-ness of it all, it makes it hard to navigate the next.
The more I got into it the book, the more I got it. Keeping track of all the characters, most of whom had similar names, but with differing circumstances was hard.
In the end, I got the point that keeping a village away from everything for a hundred years, letting little in or out is going to be bad for the town.
I also get that the book is covering up a heap of political unrest, junta action and all sorts of things somebody living in Australia will never gel with.
I read one comment that said, "Come to Colombia, you will then understand."
Interesting thought.
For me, I reckon in a year or so, I should pull out the paper copy and wade through it again, on paper, using different synapses - maybe then I'll understand what I read a little more.
(and before you ask, the writing, even in translation, is delicious - it's also very opaque.)
I'm also coming at this from a different perspective than most people, as, see, my bachelor's degree is in Classical Studies. I've read The Odyssey a couple of times, that epic poem of Homer's that provides the story of Odysseus, King of Ithaca, who is trying to make his way back home from the Trojan Wars, but after royally pissing off Poseidon, it takes him another ten years to get back. I wouldn't call myself a purist, but it gives you a different view on things. Jay said she was going, I said I'd come along, particularly as it was showing in the 70 mm format.
Surprise number one for me - how much I could remember from university.
Surprise number two. This was excellent.
It's a long film. Nearly three hours - but they go by quickly. (If you need to take a pee, near the end of the second hour when he's on the beach with Calypso - nip out then).
To go into a bit more detail, at the start of the film, Odysseus (Matt Damon) in on a beach with Calypso (Charlize Theron) wondering how he's going to get home. He has no idea where his crew are or how long he's been there.
Meanwhile, back on Ithaca, Odysseus's wife Penelope (Anne Hathaway) is trying to keep things out of the hands of some suitors, who've basically moved in. Their son, Telemachus (Tom Holland) is forced to go out to try and find his father, while the chief suitor, Antinous (Robert Pattinson) keeps making a play for Penelope. Eumaeus (John Leguizamo), a loyal servant keeps watch over the place, with Odysseus's loyal dog, Atlas (I've always had a soft spot for the dog).
From here, we look back on the sacking of Troy, meeting up with the Cyclops, going onto Circe's Island (A brilliant Samantha Morton), going to Hell to talk to Tiresias, facing off with Scylla and Charybdis, then being one of the Lotus Eaters with Calypso.
Finally, after being away for 20 years, he makes it back to Ithaca, only to have to fight off the suitors.
Looking at this now, the lessons of the story are all there, but they're not shoved down your throat, which is good. The fight scenes are brutal too. At times, this isn't an easy watch.
I'm glad I saw this in the 70 mm format. Made for the IMAX format, any way you can see this in the biggest screen you can is a bonus. You get to see so much more detail. It's very cool. I'm also told that the IMAX cinema in Melbourne is one of the few in the world that has the technology to show this as intended - but seats are hard to come by and are over $50 for the screening.
Christopher Nolan has adapted the original epic poem as well as directed this monster of a film - and it's been done with the same grace, detail and excellence as his other films. Sure, it's nothing like Tenet, Inception, The Batman or Oppenheimer - but it has most of Nolan's hallmarks. Great settings, a forboding soundtrack, composed by Ludwig Goransson, with whom he worked with Nolan on Oppenheimer. The cinematography is phenomenal too.
To coin a pun, this is EPIC.
Bravo, Mr Nolan.
And no, you don't need a degree in Classics to understand or enjoy this. It's film making at it's best.
But remember - the bigger the screen, the better. You want to take this in and savour it for what it is - a great film, done well, with a superb cast.
It's Saturday morning. I've changed the bedding, had a good chat to Reindert in Colorado, fed the loaner cats (cat sitting is fun) and now I'm waiting for the washing to finish. What a weekend!
Now feels like a good time to get the weekly questions out of the way. As always, these have been provided by Sunday Stealing.
I'm glad I've got all of this done - I owe a friend 5000 words on Wednesday. Getting these out of the way is critical.
Answer these questions with anything from a single word to a paragraph or two. It's up to you.
A is for Age.
It's just a number that gets bigger every year.
B is for your Booze of choice.
Gin - particularly gin and tonics. The more interesting the gin the better. Life is too short to drink Gordons (or base level Tanqueray).
C is for Career.
I have one. I write for a living. On my contract at the moment I'm called an Instructional Designer. Really, I'm just the person who translates nerd speak so ordinary people can use computer systems.
D is for your Dog's name.
I don't have a dog. I have a cat. His name is Lucifer.
I love playing pool. I used to be not bad at is. For bigger sports, Australian Rules Football is the best. As much as I've enjoyed watching the fans of the World Cup, I've not watched a minute of it.
H is for your Hometown.
Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
I is for an Instrument you play.
I played the flute at school. I still have the instrument in my cupboard - I think I could play it but I'd have to teach myself how to read music again. It's been a long time...
J is for your favorite Jam or Jelly flavor.
Oh, Coles Cherry Jam - like their cheap homebrand version, is the absolute bomb - on toasted Turkish bread with heaps of butter. Yum. Roses Lime Marmalade is great too.
K is for Kids.
Don't mind them but I couldn't eat a whole one. (I forgot to have them. Oops).
L is for the Last show or movie your watched.
The last show I watched was something called The F Ward - local medical show. The last movie I saw at the cinema was The Invite, which I really enjoyed.
M is for your Most prized possession.
My cat, Lucifer. He's awesome. And a cat.
N is for the Name of your first crush.
Mark Holden. If you're Australian, you will know... I was six. No taste.
O is for what you Observe from your window.
Next door's car park, magpies, the fish factory on the next block. Some trees. Antennas.
P is for Phobias.
Huntsman Spiders. Snakes. Open water swimming. Being locked in rooms.
Q is for your favorite Quote.
'If it be now, 'tis not to
come; if it be not to come, it will be now; if it be not now,
yet it will come. The readiness is all.' (Hamlet, Act 5, Scene 2)
R is for Regret.
I try not to have them. A waste of time and emotion.
S is for Sweets.
Yes please. Vanilla or lemon, any day over chocolate. Hot puddings - even better.
T is for the Time you wake up.
Sometime around seven, or when the cat says it's time for his breakfast.
U is for Underwear.
Utilitarian. Bamboo or cotton. Clean. My bras are like industrial scaffolding. Nobody seems them so they're not an issue.
V is for your favorite Vegetable.
POTATOES
W is for your Worst habit.
Procrastinating.
X is for X-rays.
Are strange. I haven't had one in years - actually, the last time I had one was in the 90s - I was in Dublin and I had a bad chest infection. I remember being slumped over the machine coughing. It was awful.
Actually, no, I had one two years ago on my leg. At least they don't hurt and are over in minutes.
Y is for your Yummiest recipe.
My grandmother's recipe melting moments are awesome - the secret ingredient is the custard powder.
Z is for your Zodiac sign.
In layman's terms, I'm a Leo. From an astrologer's perspective, I'm a Leo/Virgo with a Cancer Moon, Capricorn rising and a five planet stelium in Virgo. This makes me an exuberant, pain in the butt, who's stubborn, but with a marshmallow centre who likes making lists.
Stan Grant: When Words Fail Us - in conversation with Sally Warhaft
Capitol Theatre, Swanston Street
As a part of the Wheeler Centre Fifth Estate series
One of the best gifts I've ever received was a voucher for the Wheeler Centre. A gift from a friend, she regifted it to me after it was gifted to her by her daughter. Neither of them would use this. I do hope they know how thankful I am for this gift. This voucher has got me in for free to see all these amazing talks. Zadie Smith for one. Unfortunately, Florence Knapp and Salman Rushdie have had to cancel upcoming talks.
On the back of Florence Knapp cancelling, I booked a ticket to hear Stan Grant speak - he's a journalist, media presenter, academic. I've followed his career for years. So, I thought - I don't do much on Thursday nights. Sit and listen to some ideas for an hour.
I've walked away with my mind blown.
Something I didn't know about Grant is that he holds a PhD in Theology. He was asked by the Australian Catholic University to give a series of lectures for the Simone Weil talks - Weil, being a French philosopher and mystic. His latest book - When Words Fail Us reflects on how we struggle to speak to, and listen to, and hear each other in today's world.
So much was covered in the conversation with Sally Warhaft. How we can find truth in silence. How the cacophony of daily life has impeded on our ability to understand one another. How those who have nothing have a clearer, easier relationship with the truth. Of how faith can be manipulated (see America at the moment). I was sitting there with my head taken in 15 places at once. Masonic ritual, poetry, politics, indigenous affairs, becoming quiet, the rise of the right, consumerism.... My poor brain barely kept up with the fifteen other conversations which were sparked in my head from the words coming from the stage. (By 7 pm my Ritalin has worn off),
But sheesh - I walked away with a heap of ideas for Masonic website blog posts (The bit about humans, ritual and silence set off an earthquake in my brain.) I've been challenged to now read Simone Weil. My brain's been set off on a heap of different paths.
And I've come away in awe of Grant's humble, ferocious intelligence and understanding. I also bought a copy of the book - a small, hardback volume which sits nicely in the hand and is baying to be savoured while being read.
This was a seriously great night. I love when I'm challenged to think and feel. Especially when the subject hits as hard as it did tonight.
How lucky we are here in Melbourne, where we get access to this sort of thing.
I've got custody of two more cats this weekend - Irene and Philip. Their Dad is going away for the weekend, so I'm on feed, water and cuddle duty. I've met Irene before, but Philip, who's fairly new is a ginger. This should be fun.
Their dad and I had a chat about a few things - what to feed them, when to come in etc. Then we got talking about the state of the block.
I've lived in this place for a very long time. There's been a lot of changes. Being two floors up and at the back of the block, I'm lucky - it's quiet, secure and I have lovely neighbours.
Across the other side of the driveway, things are not as good. There's been problems with the hot water, the plumbing. Land recession has meant the building has needed to be repinned, and walls reinforced, plus there are ongoing dramas with gates and the body corporate... which I don't have anything to do with.
Another thing that happens occasionally, cars get broken into. In the last 20 years I've been done twice. But I make an effort to ensure the car is locked and I don't leave anything of value in there for just this reason. In the past, cars were robbed more regularly. It was also worse when there was an active drug dealer across the road. We'd often find people shooting up in the car ports - that hasn't happened in years.
My neighbour was saying he was wondering if he'd made the right move moving here. He said about some local shops being fire-bombed, the dodgy neighbours in the next block over (there are some trippers over there) and a few other things.
Oh, I should mention, he's in his twenties.
"So, are you scared?"
"Not really."
"Are you running a bootleg tobacco shop, with some stand over men wanting safety money?"
"No."
"Do you check your car is locked before leaving the carport?"
"I'm getting better at it."
"Do you walk down the street at night and feel unsafe?"
"Not particularly."
"Then what are you complaining about? It's only the dodgy tobacconists who are getting fire-bombed - though I feel for the shops next door to them. You're taking your personal safety seriously. You're a young bloke. Why move? It's just as bad everywhere else - if not worse. Crime happens."
"You're awfully blase about this," he told me.
"Mate, I lived in London in the 90s when the IRA bombed indiscriminatingly. I've been here when junkies left their syringes in the hallways. I was here before the injecting room cleaned up the streets. I've travelled the world alone. I like living here. I'm also happy that I'm not in the other block."
The youth of today - utter snowflakes. Little resilience.
Or am I just a Gen X woman who gives few fucks and doesn't get phased?
Maybe I'd feel the same if I was in my 20s.... but I'm forged from sterner stuff.
I spent this film thinking 'This would be great as a play." It turns out that this is a remake of a Spanish film, The People Upstairs, which is based on the play of the same name. I mean, the action takes place in one apartment and there are four characters. Easy. Yes. And it seems it's very transferable to celluloid.
There were other things that went through my mind - like Penelope Cruz still looks like an ostrich and why do I want to sort of punch Edward Norton every time I see him on stage, but these didn't stop me from enjoying the film.
The imdb.com blurb reads, 'Joe and Angela's marriage is on thin ice. When they invite their enigmatic upstairs neighbors for a dinner party, the night spirals into unexpected places.'
Joe (Seth Rogan) is a disillusioned teacher. Angela (Olivia Wilde) is not enjoying her marriage, and you get the feeling early on that she wants to pull the pin. Annoying them both are the couple upstairs, whose apparent loving relationship, noisy sex life and other traits drive them crazy. The couple invite Pina (Penelope Cruz) and Hawk (Edward Norton) over for dinner, with the intention to gently confront them with a few home truths.
And that's where the fun begins.
The Invite is laugh out loud funny in many places, with unexpected twists taking the plot in many directions that you'll never see coming. Will McCormack and Rashida Jones have done a great job in adapting Cesc Gay's original script. It's fast-paced, wise and very cool in many ways. I like the films emotional intelligence, which goes well with the adult humour.
My only small reservation is some of Olivia Wilde's direction. Some of the camera work is quite jarring - especially at the start of the film. It settles down once Pina and Hawk enter the room. Wilde has some directing kudos - the work she did on Booksmart was fantastic. This is nearly as good.
This is definitely worth a look. In my opinion, you can't beat smart funny - which this has in droves.
