Of Books & the Love of Books

Lady F: I recently travelled to India for a short holiday, and one of the things I noticed as a Pakistani was how well-stocked their bookstores were. Dear reader, I don’t mean that Pakistani bookstores are utterly empty – just that the variety of books available is rather limited. There are always numerous cook books, coffee table books, classics of literature and most contemporary ‘realistic’ fiction by South Asian writers. But there’s always, always, always a very limited amount of fantasy fiction, science fiction, graphic novels, or psychology related (my field) books around.

In Delhi, I was delighted to find a copy of Michael Foucalt’s “Madness and Civilisation” (something I’d been yearning to get my hands on for ages), as well as copies of his other works like A History of Sexuality, and the Birth of the Clinic. Several shelves were stacked with psychology books, and a whole section of the book store was packed with fantasy and science fiction – in addition to both foreign and local graphic novels.

Anyway, this inspired me to share some of the more ‘obscure’ (or just less mainstream) books that I think should be read by all book lovers.

1) If detective stories are your thing, and you’ve run out of Agatha Christie novels to read I’d suggest the Liebermann Papers (Series) by Frank Tallis – Superb writing, interesting plots, well-constructed characters and for psychology enthusiasts, many references to Psychoanalysis (Freud is a recurrent character) – plus, Tallis captures the essence of fin-de-siecle Vienna and European music at the time at you could almost believe you’d actually been there and experienced it all in person. I’d also recommend The Gower Street Detective (Series) by MRC Kasasian – witty, fun, and intriguing; a detective we may often loathe, a narrator we sympathize with, and a story we want to keep reading beyond the last page. Also the Lizzie Martin/ Benjamin Ross series by Ann Granger – well written Victorian fiction (unlike the ridiculously anachronistic The Yard), fun and engaging characters and good plots.

 

2) For lovers of fantasy and humor,  anything – quite literally anything at all – by the amazing comedic and fantasy genius Sir Terry Pratchett. I could write a whole book dedicated to how much I love Pratchett’s work. The man is truly an innovative genius. I was introduced to his work thanks to a friend at university, and ever since I find myself rating the worthiness of bookstores by (a) whether or not they stock his work and (b) by how diverse their stock of his work is. There’s such a beautifully optimistic and infectious humanism that runs through his work, coupled with laugh-out-loud humor, and relatable, lovable characters – even his ‘tyrant of Ankh Morpork’ (the inimitable Vetinari) grows on you. WARNING: Once ingested, may be highly addictive – for life – with severe, even fatal withdrawal symptoms. Special recommendations: Snuff, Going Postal, Raising Steam, Dodger, Night Watch, I Shall Wear Midnight, Good Omens, Truckers (Bromeliad), Maskerade, Carpe Jugulum, The Hogfather, Soul Music…. and oh-so-many more.

 

3) P.G. Wodehouse wrote, “Golf, like measles, should be caught young”. I would say the same for one of my all time favourite writers – the Diana Wynne Jones bug should be caught young, because if you grow up reading her books, your imagination is all the richer for it. I am so grateful that I discovered her Chrestomanci books one summer in London, 14 odd years ago. I have read, re-read and re-re-read them over the years, enjoying them as much as ever each time. Wynne Jones writes fantasy brilliantly, for readers of all ages – but especially so for children and adolescents. How one longs to visit Chrestomanci castle, or travel through the Related Worlds… I recently had the good fortune to read her Fire and Hemlock – a book I instantly loved; with references to Tamlin and Thomas the Rhymer, the plot is ingenious, intriguing, unpredictable and, as always with Wynne Jones, fun!

4) Another fantasy writer whose one book I adore is Gail Carson Levine. Her novel The Two Princesses of Bamarre is fantasy at its best – set in a world of dragons, wizards, specters and epic tales (Drualt & Freya), the story focuses on the two princesses Addie and Meryl, and Addie’s journey of courage and adventure to save Meryl from the perilous grey death – and possibly to save Bamarre too. A beautiful, beautiful story of courage, love and two sisters.

Do you have suggestions for less mainstream books that should be read by more people? What do you think of our suggestions in this post? Join the conversation in our comments section.

 

Oh, My Pop Culture Religion: Zeus, Hera, Male Power Fantasies, & Female Demonization

Lady Geek Girl & Friends is a blog I would recommend to readers interested in gender, cultural, racial, and historical issues in geek culture. This particular blog post is a really informative read – it discusses how representations of Zeus in pop culture gloss over the mythological references to his numerous incidents of sexual violence (whereby he impregnated various mythical females by coercion, deception or both) and how this affects contemporary perceptions of masculinity and male power. I’ve noticed similar issues in Indian Mythology with mythic hero Arjun (in the comments section of the original blog post). If you have anything to add to the conversation, please do so!

Lady Geek Girl and Friends

Ah, Greek mythology, how I love you. Greek mythology has always been incredibly captivating to me, probably because the gods act so human. They have their strengths and flaws, they squabble among themselves, they fight for power, and they can even be tricked or deceived. It’s incredibly interesting. However, I can’t stand the watered down version of the Greek gods that we get in our pop culture. My biggest issues are with how our pop culture portrays Zeus and Hera. While the other gods may also occasionally be portrayed poorly, I feel like the portrayal of these two ends up being the most problematic.

Trigger warning for discussion of rape.

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Smush-fest: A valentine’s post

While I (Lady F) pride myself on being a free thinking, independent feminist, there are times when one just wishes to hear or read something utterly smushy and melt into a puddle of goo, sighing over ‘how romantic!’ it is. Here are some of the dialogues from literature and film which I, in my more serious moods, consider unabashedly overblown, overstated or simply much too schmaltzy… Happy reading!

Pearl Harbour (Film)

Rafe: When I was in that water, I made a deal with God. I told him I was sorry, I told him I knew I’d been a fool for leavin you and tryin to go over there and be a hero, and I promised I’d never ask for anything again, if I could just see you one more time… And ya know what? It was worth it. You kept me alive Evelyn, you brought me home (This is the ONLY reason I ever had a slight, tiny, insignificant crush on Ben Affleck)

The Wedding Date (Film)

Nick: I’d rather fight with you than make love with anyone else (*sigh*)

Nick:  I’m allergic to fabric softener. I majored in comparative literature at Brown. I hate anchovies. And I think I’d miss you even if we never met.

Pocahontas (Yes, a disney film is included in this list)

John Smith: I’d rather die tomorrow than live a hundred years without knowing you.

Swan Princess (Non-disney, but yes another animation – what can I say? Early influences die hard)

Derek:(after Odette is kidnapped by Rothbart) ODETTE!

Derek:  (after Odette has died) I made the vow for her. Do you hear? THE VOW I MADE WAS FOR HER!

Legends of the Fall (Film)

Colonel Ludlow: You get out of my house and off my land.

Alfred: Why? Because I want to serve my country like you did? Or because, like you, I love a woman who doesn’t love me? He used her and he deserted her. Your darling Tristan.

Susannah: Alfred, don’t, please.

Alfred: I loved her! I love her still. (Oh Alfred! you poor, poor man)

Practical Magic (Film)

Gary: Curses only have power when you believe them. And I don’t [walks away, pauses then turns to Sally] You know what? I wished for you too.

Robin Hood (BBC TV Series)

Guy of Gisbourne: And without her, my world may as well turn to ash (Much of the ‘romatic-ness’ of this line comes from Richard Armitage’s performance as a tortured villain in search of redemption… an unhealthy stereotype in romance fiction, I know, but RA’s Guy of Gisbourne… there can be no argument)

Guy of Gisbourne: I loved her as you loved her! I’ll never ask for your forgiveness. I can’t forgive myself.

Guy: (as he lies dying) Marian, the love of my life (this is a real tear-jerker moment)

Guy: If I am going to die, I am going to die by your side.

Guy: Marry me now and make it the last thing we do

— Feel free to add your favourite quotes in our comments section!

 

Things We Would Tell Our 13 Years-Old Selves

As I’m sure all of you have noticed, Lady F has been quite productive on this blog as of late, and the rest of us ladies (R, M and Z) hang our heads in collective shame. But never fear, a new post with another lady’s voice (albeit one other) awaits… Here’s a few things we wish we could have told our 13 years-old selves!

M:

1) if you don’t want to be ignored, especially when people pass by you who you once talked to, then stop ignoring them. Make the first move yourself.

2) You have plenty of people who love you in your life. Just because you feel lonely in a crowded place doesn’t mean you have no friends.

3) Learn essential life skills as soon as you can, like driving and cooking. Don’t delay them (like you’re doing right now…)

4) Stop planning and start doing. Your life isn’t just waiting for you to reach a certain age to become all rainbows and sunshine. You have to work at it, and try to be as patient as possible when something happens you were just not expecting. Life’s uncertain and won’t fit into your plans perfectly.

5) Lose weight early on, my God do NOT leave it to the last moment!!

F:

1) Never, ever stop writing. No matter what! Once you stop, the gift drift away.

2) University is a time of discovery… beware of the discovery that you love peanut butter and are addicted to chocolate… Dieting is NOT FUN!

3) Trust that things will turn out well

Any words of advice you wish you could share with your younger selves? Let us know in the comments!

A Few Thoughts on Blue Valentine (2010)

Note: This post is NOT an in-depth review – just some thoughts on the film 4 years later

F: This post probably seems a bit belated, considering that Cianfrance’s film was released back in 2010 (Its definitely not a happy film, so if sad films aren’t really your thing – there’s always Jeeves & Wooster!).

But, first off, this blog didn’t exist back then… (the Four Ladies were yet to discover their true/secret identity as Soul-Sisters *Cue Train’s Hey Soul Sister*)

…and second, I can’t write about a film until I’m in the right mood (*Cue Nickleback “Now the story’s played out like this/Just like a paperback novel/Let’s rewrite an ending that fits”)

So… Blue Valentine. (A more serious blogpost would probably consider the significance of this title, but we’ll try and keep this post from being too much like an A’level Literature assignment).

Many call it the “sequel” to the Notebook (Why oh why? More on this later).

Rotten Tomatoes calls it “A complex portrait of a contemporary American marriage” (Why exclusively ‘American’ though? It struck me as a snapshot of a marriage as it deteriorates – something that is experienced by many the world over)

And Roger Ebert described it as a film about “a void, a need…inner defeat and the exhaustion of hope”.

I tend to agree most with Ebert’s assessment of the film. For me, its not so much a sequel to the Notebook. Rather it is the antithesis of the Notebook and its wide-eyed innocence and idealism (This is not to say that the Notebook wasn’t a good film – it was a rather sweet story).

Blue Valentine reminds me in some ways of Vittorio De Sica’s “Ladre De Biciclette” (the Bicycle Thieves) and the era of realism in film – attempting to portray life, warts and all, as closely to the lived experience as possible (Consider this: Gosling and Williams were filmed over 10 years for this film; Cianfrance even had them playing house to get them into character, and to better understand their characters and their interactions – talk about method acting!).

It is a film that leaves you wondering ‘What went wrong?’ and with a pervasive sense of sadness for the loss of the hope, optimism and idealism that the characters began their journey with.

It is heart-breaking, and it is also a really, really good film.

I am reminded of something a Literature teacher once said, “the destructiveness of a love that never changes” (with reference to Gosling’s character – think about it, and let us know if you agree after watching the film)

Note: Its also rather gritty and grim at points – check rating and tags beforehand, if you want to watch it.

Feel free to share your thoughts and opinions about the film. We’d love to hear back from you, our dear readers.

The Armitage Army vs the Tennuts — A Tense Battle!

F: Has anyone else been following the Anglo Fan Favourites Contest by BBC America?! (Check it out here, and VOTE ARMITAGE [ahem, excuse the enthusiasm there]: http://www.bbcamerica.com/anglophenia/fan-favorites/men-2014/round-4/match-1/)

The contest is now in its semi-finals round, with a tough voting choice between either Richard Armitage (*ADORATION*) or David Tennant (The so very talented!). How to choose??? (Clearly this contest aims to mess with fans who admire the work of both actors).

On the one hand, we have Armitage the Amazing. The one who made even a villainous antagonist seem sympathetic (Guy of Gisbourne, of course), and can masterfully play the shy, endearing character of John Standring (Bechara [translation: *roughly the equivalent of “poor dear”), the “overbearing master” (not really though [John Thornton of North & South]), the conflicted and complex double (or not? Were we ever certain?) agent (Lucas North), and even manages to fit right in with the character of a majestic Kind Under the Mountain (Thorin). And he’s voiced Hamlet in an audiobook (Why I think this matters: Playing the “prince betrayed and disinherited” is the ultimate test of an actor in my opinion).

What is there NOT to love? (If you still need a reason to adore Armitage, watch his interviews)

And then on the other hand, we have David Tennant (I’m sure quite a few fellow Whovians will understand the sentiment “You’ll always be MY Doctor!”). Tennant has not only garnered loyal fans through his wonderful portrayal as the Doctor (always amusing, eccentric and entertaining but also appropriately serious when the role called for it — oh, the heartbreaking goodbye between Rose & the Doctor!), he’s demonstrated that he can go from playing a lovable icon character to playing one that makes your skin crawl (Secret Smile … Yurrrckkkkk. *shudder*). And then he starred in Broadchurch, and again wow-ed audiences with his performance as a somewhat curmudgeon-y character with a haunted past. And he too has played Hamlet (A different interpretation of the character as compared to Armitage, but a brilliant performance nonetheless).

So, as you can imagine, it was a difficult decision when I had to cast my vote – as someone commented on the website, it felt too much like a betrayal either way – but in the end, the Armitageon (the contagiousness of adoring Armitage) won me over (in spite of the beard in the picture).

Voting closes tomorrow, on the 28th. So go and vote people!!!

5 Things You Need to Know About Us

1. Yes, we are actually just four ladies with a laptop. Namely we’re MRFZ. Murphs, or smurfs if you will, only more awesome.
2. We’re open to feedback regarding the posts we put up, what you like and what you don’t *gulp* like. But this is all in fun and laughter really, don’t expect us to take ourselves so seriously.
3. You might find the style of our blog posts will differ. It depends on who’s editing. Say, lady F decides to edit one post, and lady M decides to edit another. It may not look very organized, but there’s a method to our madness yet, you’ll see.
4. We might introduce themes and stuff later on to give our conversations more focus, but for now we’re enjoying the randomness, even the irregular-ness of our posts. *makes like Houdini and vanishes with a sleight of hand*
5. Yes, lady Z has yet to make an appearance. We do miss her so, but she’ll join us when she joins us. All I’ll say is that it’ll make for an interesting conversation when she does.

Thanks for reading our blog, oh strange world of the Internet! We’re thrilled to know you and have you know us, and vice versa et cetera. ~ Lady M.

Lady R’s Debut, Hunger Games 3, Interstellar & More

May contain spoilers for IT Crowd, Mockingjay, Interstellar

R: Bloggy posts! =P

M: Welcome back.

R: Haha thanks. So I’m guessing you’re still supposed to be “lady M”, yes? Is it wrong I just pictured u drinking tea with your pinky finger in the air? o.o

M: Lol no it’s not wrong, I don’t mind lady M (for now). Anyway, it looks like it’s just you and me then for today. Planning to make your proper splashed entrance this time?

R: I am very anti-splashing. Batman needs the shadows =P

M: Haha, oh yes, silent guardian of the night.

R: Something like that. But I am the remiss guardian who is vegged out or in bed at night. XD

M: Lol XD

R: What’s the purpose of the pinky in the air anyway? More balance?

M: I think it’s just something posh people do to appear lady like.

R: I think it’s utterly dumb.

M: I dunno, I kind of used to do it when I was younger. Role play like “oooh this tea is absolutely DA-vine!”

R: Rofl. Ok, I so wish I had witnessed that.

M: Hahaha omg I’m totally loving “IT Crowd” right now! *watching the show at the same time*

R: Multi-tasking, eh? See I told u it was funny.

M: Yup. It’s totally random but so much funnier once you get past the first season and a half of lameness.

R: Haha yes well all good things come to those who wait. =P

M: Right now Moss is entertaining the pervert businessmen with Dungeons n Dragons.

R: I love Moss.

M: Moss is awesome. Hope the actor won some awards?

R: I don’t know, I never looked into it.

M: I like Roy and Jen too, but they’re just not as iconic as Moss. Omg poor Roy!!! For once he’s emotionally suffering over a breakup and Moss has to role-play his girlfriend in the game. Haha the look on his face… Aww and the music Moss made just for the scene!

R: By the way, look what I just read: “do not relive the same year 75 times and call it a life”.

M: Oh that’s a good quote! Reminds me of interstellar there, and—hahaha, ok I officially love this series! *replaying scene* Dude maybe we should try role playing games! I’ve never played Dungeons n Dragons before. Or any variation of it for that matter…

R: Hahaha I have. XD

M: Really??? Q.Q

R: *looks away* umm yes…. I mostly play RPGs.

M: Tell me how it was!! If only to relive the magic through you Q.Q

R: Hahaha how about we play one of them together? We haven’t really played any game at the same time, not even on a console.

M: I don’t mean RPG games online or on the computer.

R: Lol you mean the real life ones? A board game?

M: Just… Board games? Lol oh but I’d love to try online too come to think of it! And yes I initially meant real life ones but never mind let’s do this now.

R: Haha ok I have played the board game once, my nephew was really into it once upon a time. See, Rain+Stuck at home= Game time.

M: I mean, strategy RPG games just don’t cut it for me anymore.

R: Start playing the PVP ones. They’re intense enough that you won’t get bored. Probably you’ll cry at one point when players who’re gazillion levels higher than you turn you into putty repeatedly. I hate being the new kid in a game…especially when you have to grind your way up.

M: I’ve played Shining Force and Harvest Moon… I really like them but heck I wanna try something more exciting now! PVP?

R: Player vs. player. As in I get to kill you over and over again… provided I find you and then can beat you. Plus, you can team up depending on the game.

M: Hmm can’t I just get in an adventure tailor made for me? No rivals or anything?

R: Yeah go for a PVE game. Player vs. environment.

M: This reminds me… YOU STILL HAVE TO WATCH “WELCOME TO THE NHK” WOMAN! @@

R: 0.0 ok, ok, fine!! I shall.

M: Yes you should it’s totally up your alley. PVE, oh that sounds interesting.

R: That’s basically your typical game. You kill a game mob or you and a bunch of other people kill the game mob.

M: Game mob? Sounds like Dynasty Warriors. I miss Dynasty Warriors!!

R: Ohh I’ve played that one. Old game.

M: <.< old games are classics, ok??

R: Hey I didn’t say it was a bad game, I just meant it came out eons ago. 😛

M: T.T I was into games only a couple of years back.

R: Lol regardless of when you got into gaming, the release date of a game stays the same… Ok, ok, it might not be super old but I played it a while ago its super old for me.

M: I loved it so much back then that I’d complete every character’s easy, normal and hard mode stories a zillion times over!

R: Wow, that’s dedication. I get bored really easily with a game though. So no easy, normal and hard modes for me—I either went for normal or hard, and then kept at it until I got bored of it. Don’t judge me I have the “oooh shiny” syndrome. I move onto the next nicest game XD In fact, I think the only games I have actually completed are the old console ones.

M: Haha I get attached to games I love. So I’ve done the same with my Batman Begins game too. I like games that finish (just like every story should, yes I’m looking at you Bleach/One Piece!) but if I really enjoyed playing that game it makes for good replay value (just the same as rereading value for books).

R: By the way, Hunger Games Mockingjay reviews say the movie is for kids. I still say the book was better, considering YA book standards. A lot more nuanced. Actually, we haven’t read much of YA have we? I mean a book here and there but in general, I don’t think I kept up with the good ones—or even bothered to search out the good ones! <.< >.>

M: The movie is so not for kids!! I’m not saying there’s any gore or sex, but the themes, the angst… All that emo-ness!! Too intense for kids. Oh, well about YA books, you’ve read it, not me. Is it just me or does it feel like YA just recently sprouted as a proper genre

R: I think you’re judging the “kids” by our standards, and those don’t apply at the moment. =P And, no I agree it is recent. The Twilight drivel kinda brought it to the forefront.

M: I… guess. All I know is that if the movie was intense enough to scare me despite not being a horror movie, I wouldn’t recommend it so easily to kiddies, at least not without a warning.

R: Hahaha horror movies scare you, so you don’t count in that scenario. But yeah the ending was kind of intense. I guess since I saw it coming it didn’t hit me as bad as it did with you. But considering if I didn’t know the story I might have reacted differently.

M: Mm, right. I mean I love stories that aren’t just mindless fluff and make me think. But it’s not the social commentary that got to me, though I love it. It’s Katniss. Despite being a character in her own right, she’s got enough of your emotion vested in her that you can insert yourself in her character while wondering how the hell she can bear one nightmare situation after another. And these are NIGHTMARE situations…

R: True. The smart thing they did with her character was that she has enough of the average girl element that you can imagine being her, even if not in those specific circumstances. And the emotion you feel towards her for the most part is sympathy and horror because of the circumstances. You add those two together, and you’re going to have a character people are strongly connected to.

M: Yeah. Unlike the COMPLETELY transparent non-character that is Bella. Yup, so safe to say I recommend Mockingjay. Just not so much to kids who’re expecting the same action elements as the previous two installments and nothing more.

R: Haha, didn’t you notice the way Bella was written? Nothing specific, all ambiguous—any girl could be her, as opposed to the reams of information and detail about Edward. Bella was a generic non-entity, an outline anyone could fill in with themselves.

M: Lol yes, the Oatmeal said it best remember? (link: theoatmeal.com/story/twilight)

R: Rofl yes.

M: God bless that man.

R: You know, for something that is named after a food type I hate, I really love it. Mr. Inman is hilarious.

M: Lol it’s a good standout name… I wonder how these people come up with such names! I mean, there’s… Wait a bit… Just finding it, the bloggers name… got it! He goes by “greyscalegorilla” too, but his websites name, which I really like, is creamy orange! (link:http://www.creamyorange.com)

R: Ok that is a weird name and weirdly I don’t hate it. I guess it’s the logic “it’s mine and I can call it anything I want…nyaaah”. And that I respect XD

M: Oh you should check out his website then you’ll see how the name suits it perfectly!!! Beautiful use of color, I think contrasting orange with black.

R: *googling* I’m looking at the reviews about Interstellar and Hunger Games and I still don’t get how Interstellar got an average of 73-74% while Mockingjay is more like 65-66%. I would have rather watched the Theory of Everything than Interstellar and that reminds me I really do need to watch the Theory of Everything. It had decent reviews. Though after how they rated Interstellar I have kinda lost faith in reviews.

M: Ah yes Interstellar. And I need to watch Benedict Cumberbatch’s portrayal of Hawking first before anyone else’s! *determined fan girl look*

R: Hey I was happy with Interstellar for the most part until they threw love into the mix. Ruined my sci-fi high.

M: Hahaha, and my crib with interstellar? I couldn’t make out what they were saying .__.

R: I need to send you a bunch of info on quantum mechanics before you can. And since you will bite my head off if I do, I shall pretend I never said the line above *white noise*

M: Lol please don’t, I already have a pile of to-read stuff folder from ladies F & Z!

R: See I already said you would bite me if I did. You would go into overload mode, like fizz out then attack me. And since I like the non-bitten version of me (lol now you sound like a vampire) I shall not send you anything.

M: Do NOT say I sound like a vampire, we already discussed this yesterday! @@

R: R: Ignore the mind melt. I require coffee! U.U Sigh, every times I think or hear vampire I think sparkles -.- I blame you Stephanie Meyer. YOU RUINED VAMPIRES!! I need to marathon Buffy so that Spike and Angel replace shiny vampires in my head.

M: Lol, I still have to watch Buffy .__.

R: *shakes M* How have I known you for ages and not made you watch the show?? HOW???!!!! So need to tie you up, supply you with a ton of popcorn and then leave you to watch the series.

M: You just have. <w<

M: Anyway… about my crib with Interstellar, it’s not a this-convo-is-too-intellectual-for-me thing (although I am non-sciency *blushes*) but literally because I couldn’t hear what they were saying in the cinema!! Q.Q

R: Since when did sciency and non-sciency become a category? Hey, that was only the beginning of the movie, until he leaves (<—this does not count as a spoiler).

M: Nope, I really couldn’t hear their dialogue that clearly. I mean, I ADORED the score and all (reminded me of Psycho in fact) but dammit I want my subtitles.

R: You’ve gotten too used to anime. Oh wait you watch dubbed anime. Never mind, I’m the subbed anime person.

M: Lol yeah I like subtitles for everything generally, I’m a fan of screenwriting after all and I want to understand the nuances of the dialogue. I can do without it when the voice mixing is clear enough like dubbed anime, but Interstellar the premier screamed for subtitles!!

R: Ok yeah I get that. Subtitles just make it a whole lot easier to keep track of the conversation. Though it is an art form to read them and enjoy everything else on screen at the same time. XD

M: Yes!! And for me there is no story without conversation *imagines how she would have followed the Before Midnight trilogy without the god-send that is subtitles*.

R: For the most part there is nothing without conversation. I mean yeah scenes without words can be strong and have great impact. But it’s mostly because of all the words that lead up to that scene. Umm did that make any sense?

M: Yes it did, there’s no need to explain yourself to me. Which is why I love our conversations. :3

R: Aww.

M: AWWW! Ackh! Internet overload here sorry but how about we call it a night? (Plus my visions getting blurry; I might just end up with lazy eye again *and no that is not as fun as it sounds, it’s really weird*)

R: Yeah I know what you mean. So this shall be it for the night. Go rest your eyes.

M: Any last words, Batman?

R: Bat out! XD moments like these I wish for a swishy cape.

M: Haha *waves*

R: *twirls with a swishy cape and stalks out* =P

Random Ramblings: Welcome to our Blog

M: So… Any topics in mind for our very first blog post?

F: Hmmm. Haven’t really thought about it very much. Maybe we could review a Florence and the Machine Song (thoughts spring into action about future posts regarding the literary nature of Florence’s songs, the pensive, poignant, powerful refrain of Plath and Woolf, the exegesis of female creativity “My love has concrete feet, my love is an iron ball, wrapped around your ankles, over the waterfall…”). Or, I don’t know… I’m happy to go with any other ideas— we could always bash twilight? (Somehow metaphorically ripping trashy literature to shreds is very satisfying. Each negative review of trashy fiction makes the world a better place, restoring our faith in the general intelligence of humankind. Yes, we’re literary snobs—and proud of it!).

M: Well, actually, I started writing a piece about my favourite Keane song today. But then it got a bit too mushy, because I couldn’t think (Picture this: Lady M, full of life, vibrancy and vitality, sitting at a computer, in an office. Slowly the color drains from the picture. The screen fades to black, and bold red letters flash across the screen “The Joys of Working Life” *dramatic drum roll*, Lady M tears through the screen, “I refuse to accept this deadpan rhetoric!!!!”, and suddenly there’s music, “I will survivvvvveeee”) .

R: Ladies! Let’s stop over thinking this. What’s the first thing that comes to mind?

(Lady F is currently on twitter, where she spots Richard Armitage’s latest tweet)

F: (sighing dreamily) Richard Armitage?

R: We’ve got A LOT to discuss regarding that topic…

F: Okay seriously though (Lady F’s thought process: RA = Guy of Gisbourne = strangely sympathetic villain = WHY? [not that we’re complaining]), why do films and tv shows encourage women to idealize toxic relationships and violent men? (Thinks back to Aidan Quinn’s performance in ‘Reckless’, another film romanticizing a romance that was clearly going to end badly).

M: Forbidden love? Bit of a thorny topic, that (Lady M, ever the literati romantic, imagines a beautiful yet dangerous red rose).

F: (Still drowning in RA admiration) Was that a reference to North & South? Thorny = Thornton?

M: Woah. How did I miss the similarity?

*cue bout of uncontrolled laughter*

M: And I don’t know why, but this suddenly reminds me of Heathcliff.

F: A topic I NEVER tire of! (Lady F is [at least among her close friends & associates] a known Wuthering Heights addict — and no, she’s not one of those Heathcliff groupie-like fangirls) So, speaking of Heathcliff. What did you think?

M: I hated Heathcliff! I’m sorry but he was a MONSTER, and more perplexingly the typical “romantic bad boy”.

F: Okay… we could go on debating the characters of Wuthering Heights for hours, but more interestedly, what did you think of Heathcliff as a metaphoric vampire?

M: He was certainly bestial! (Lady M speaks to Lady R, and an in-joke leads the conversation to pirates)

F: Channeling Grace O’ Malley there?

M: Who?

F: Irish pirate Queen. The first and only, if I recall correctly, pirate to have gained an audience with Elizabeth I.

M: Did you just google that?

F: Actually, I remembered it from past research. I read a book called The Ghost of Grania O’ Malley when I was around 13, and I kind of ended up reading a lot about her.

M: Oh, sounds interesting. I don’t remember reading many pirate books when I was younger. I wonder why?

F: For starters there were never many pirate books available in our bookstores or libraries. And guess most of them weren’t even marketed for girls.

M: Yeah. If you think about it, they probably only started targeting girls with the Pirates of the Caribbean film franchise. Johnny Depp made one hell of a sexy bad boy.

F: Kind of… I guess. Jack Sparrow always seemed more grimey to me than anything else (shudders at fictional character’s lack of hygiene).

M: You never crushed on Jack Sparrow back in the day?!? I thought he just sizzled bad boy bas ass-ery.

F: Meh. He was certainly a very hilarious and entertaining character in the film. But…

M: Yeah well, now when I come across the films of telly, he does seem more grimy and slimy.

F: Or maybe its just me? I tend to be busy swooning over what I privately call the ‘tuxedo types’ or the intellectual nerds.

M: Tuxedo types… Hmm you got a point there, though I can’t recall tuxedo crushes of mine at the moment. Oh did you swoon over Chris pine too when princess diaries 2 came out???

F: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! (Bollywood film style) Pine destroyed the film for me. I read the books and loved them, so I was always a Michael & Mia fan. This abomination known as Chris Pine’s character was hard to tolerate on the screen, let alone swoon over. Nooooo way. The poor other suitor she jilted for Pine’s character had more sympathy from me. (Rages over the creative license taken with a perfectly good original story).

M: But I got into the books later!

R: Okay, ladies, I’m formatting our blog and we need a header! Ideas?

M: A quote?

F: Yes!

R: How about Mark Twain’s “I must have a prodigious quantity of mind, it takes me as much as a week sometimes to make it up”.

F: I like it!

M: Now if only I could get around to actually reading his work.

F: His Huckleberry Finn books are quite a fun read.

M: Ohhh. Here’s a quote I found today, ironically on Forbes’ website as it was loading “He that can heroically endure adversity will bear prosperity with equal greatness of the soul; for the mind that cannot be dejected by the former is not likely to be transported without the latter – Henry Fielding”.

F: Nice. And good advice.

M: Shouldn’t it be ‘with’ rather than ‘without’?

F: (Just noticing the error) Yes, that would make more sense. It must be a typo.

M: Ohhh! Random idea! Themed days for weekly conversation ideas! Like music mondays, film Fridays, social Sundays, etc.

F: Lady M! That’s a brilliant idea!

M: It would put some method to the madness.

F: Absolutely!

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