Wednesday, July 28, 2010

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón

★★½

I don't think this book lived up to its potential. Considering the detailed descriptions of the streets and neighborhoods of Barcelona, plus the explicit mention of Victor Hugo (who masterfully wrote of Paris in The Hunchback of Notre Dame as if the city itself were a character in the novel), I kept waiting to feel immersed in Barcelona - but it never happened. The author seems to try too hard in his efforts to paint the image of a city full of mystery; shadows are mentioned excessively, even for a book with the word "shadow" in its title.

The book seems to have been written for an audience that prides itself in being well-read. A reader who understands all the literary references will feel smart for recognizing names and titles. At times, the book seems to speak specifically to readers who secretly want to be published authors themselves.

I wasn't fond of the manner in which the story's mysteries unfolded. The main character, Daniel, repeatedly found no shortage of strangers who were willing to reveal to him everything they knew about third parties, even though they knew nothing about Daniel or his motivations for poking around other people's business.

I did enjoy the character of Fermin Romero de Torres, who was, in my opinion, the most developed and most interesting character. There was humor in his description as well as in his dialogue. If this book were a movie, he would have stolen every scene he was in.

The story itself was not uninteresting, but it stopped short of being intriguing or riveting. There is so much foreshadowing and dropping of hints that I was rarely surprised when a revelation was made. On page 56, I made a prediction that came true on page 421. It wasn't until 2/3 of the way through the book that I finally read something that made me want to read more to find out what happened next. About 40 pages after that, the melodramatic stage that had been set finally seemed justified. After 400+ pages of storytelling, the last 40 pages were the best.

Thursday, July 15, 2010

2012 (2009)

★★½

An end-of-the-world movie that relies primarily on one visual effect for action: the main characters repeatedly stay one hair's breadth in front of natural disaster. It happens so much, it's comical. Nothing too surprising about the plot.

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008)

★★½

Very National Treasure-ish, but not nearly as good. Goofy enough to get a few hearty chuckles out of me, but just too corny. I probably missed out by not seeing it in 3D, and I imagine the whole movie experience would have been better if I had.

Friday, July 9, 2010

Sargent's Daughters: The Biography of a Painting by Erica E. Hirshler

★★★

After reading about this book in The Boston Globe, I was thrilled to be able to pick up a copy while visiting the Boston Museum of Fine Arts (MFA). It's not exactly a page-turner, but it certainly shed light on the painting, the artist, and the subjects.

As titled, the book is a biography of the painting, not the artist, and so we learn only as much about Sargent himself as is necessary to describe the context of the painting. The book includes many quotes from contemporary art critics, both positive and negative in response to this specific painting, and I was left wondering what Sargent might have thought of the mixed reactions.

I did learn quite a bit about the Paris Salon, the differences among French versus English versus American tastes in art, and the evolution of art appreciation. The book provides a thorough biography of the Boit family (whose daughters are portrayed in the painting), and I found it quaint that much of the personal information was gleaned from diary entries written by Bob Boit, the four girls' uncle. While the artistic analysis of the painting was educational, I most enjoyed the "Afterlife" chapters, which told the stories of what became of Edward and Isa Boit (the girls' parents), each of the girls, and the painting itself, whose provenance is thoroughly traced.

I was, however, sorely disappointed that the full provenance of the two large vases (that appear in the painting and which are displayed alongside the painting at the MFA) was not provided. The book describes their home in Edward Boit's Brookline (MA) house in 1903, and states that the vases stayed there until they were moved to the MFA in 1986. But if Edward Boit put his house on the market in 1911, and returned to Europe, then who owned the vases for the greater part of the century? And who decided to donate them to the MFA?

My only other complaint is that I wish all paintings that were referenced in the book were reprinted for reference, but I suppose there are copyright issues, and I guess it's not too much effort to look up paintings on the internet.

The final conclusion was beautifully written. The author suggests that "as with all masterpieces, the facts behind it can add to its allure" - and it's true. After reading Sargent's Daughters, I can't wait to visit the MFA again and view the painting in light of what I've read in this book.

Thursday, July 1, 2010

New Moon (2009)

★★★½

I had forgotten quite a bit of the backstory from the first installment of the Twilight saga, but I guess the details weren't so important anyway. I have to admit, I can see why teenage girls love this movie - and not just because of the superfluous shirtlessness. What girl wouldn't swoon over imagining herself being wooed by two boys - one brooding and dangerous, yet sensitive, and the other buff and dangerous, yet sensitive? I enjoyed the soundtrack so much that I regret not being hip enough to actually know any of the songs.