Book 3 Review

Speculative fiction is a wonderful genre. It can take us to places we have never been, worlds we will never see.  Two books, Will, an unpublished novel by Alison Bewley, and City of Bones by Cassandra Clare, the first in a trilogy, both fit into this genre. Each story involves fellowship, secret organizations, and mythical beings of immense power, which are common themes of speculative fiction, but at their core are very different.

 

Clare

 

One of the major differences between the two novels is their main plotline. City of Bones, is, at its heart, a love story. Will, on the other has, has very little romance in it at all, much less a major one. Clare’s novel is about the love triangle between the characters, and their quest to find the Mortal Instruments. Bewley’s book has no grand adventure where abnormal people cross the world to save it. The main purpose of the characters in this book is achieving peace, and the people who are working hard to make that peace a reality; “’The Human-Abnormality Reconciliation Team,’ Christina explained. ‘Will and I are a part of that. Our goal is to foster understanding between humans and abnormalities. ”

The main characters in City of Bones fit well into the set of characters in popular novels today. One girl falls in love with two different guys, who she likes for different reasons. The reason for one of them is explained in painful detail. “Jace was seated at the grand piano, his slender hands moving rapidly over the keys. He was barefoot, dressed in jeans and a gray t-shirt, his tawny hair ruffled up as if he had just woken up. Watching the quick, sure movements of his hands across the keys, Clary remembered how it had felt to be lifted up by those hands, his arms holding her up and the stars hurtling down around her head like a rain of silver tinsel.” In Will, the cast is varied and interesting, with the setting allowing countless amounts of characters that care essential to the plot, and some less so. Characters in speculative fiction novels need to be fun to read about, and Will definitely has the edge here. Both books, and many magic realism and fantasy books, actually do take place in our world, on our planet, usually in the United States. Both Clare and Bewley’s novels follow this trend of taking place in the U.S. of A. Only Clare introduces a fictional country, one in Europe, but it is not visited in the first book. Setting, however, is not only about location.

The setting is also the different species in the world, more often than not species that are more, or less, than human. City of Bones has three major races aside from humans; Vampires, werewolves, and faeries. The usual. The setting of Will allows for only a few races, but thousands of variations. New York in real life has its fair share of crazies, and the same applies in Will. From a man who can talk to plants to a teleporter, the city is as alive as it should be. Most of them are still human, but with certain, significant genetic mutations that make them more than normal. Both Will and City of Bones are definitely fun to read, because of their varied cast alone.

 

There are moments of good and bad in each. The love-struck characters in City of Bones gets annoying after a while, and some parts of Will seem to be totally unnecessary to the final product. Each has its fair share of decent characters alongside bad characters, and the settings are equally well implemented. Both novels take from their genre and use that well, creating interesting and engaging stories that take their place next to the good books of speculative fiction. In regards to the score,  City of Bones gets a 4.5/6, and Will a 5/6. The rating system was out of six, and not five, because everyone else rates out of five, and things are done differently here.  

Book 2 Trailer

Book Talk

Post 5 - Memoirs and Non-Fiction

A memoir should be non-fiction at its finest. When a reader picks up a memoir, they expect what they read to be the truth, and it definitely should be. The only thing that I believe should be changed in a memoir is names. Names of people, locations, animals, any name the author wants to change, they have the right to. Names don't make the story any different. The names of things can be changed in any memoir, and anything else the author sees fit to change as long as it doesn't make the story deviate from the truth. This leads me into the next topic. The line between fiction and non-fiction is vital. The distinction is between all genres is important, simply because it's a classification of books. Saying genre of a book is not important is like saying the species of a mammal is not important. Humans and bears are essentially the same thing, because they're both mammals. Labels are something people take for granted sometimes. While some labels can be hurtful, others simply let you know what to expect, and identify what they label, which is what they're supposed to do.
All of what I'm saying boils down to basic principal. Memoirs need to be the complete truth, because that's what we expect them to be, and that's what the authors advertise them as. Genres are important because they let us know what we're getting into. Without the truth and without labels, the very structure of what we read would crumble.

Post 4: Adapting my book

Three scenes that are essential to keep:
1. One scene that is vital to keep is the scene with Moss and the fifteen year old girl at the motel. The girl is a hitchhiker Moss picked up on the road so he could have someone to drive him while he rested and tried to recover from his wounds. After hours of travel, they stop at a motel and purchase separate rooms. Before they split up for the night, Moss offers the girl a beer, and she eagerly takes it. This scene is important because it shows the bond between Moss and this random girl that he picked off the street. It shows the strength of human companionship, and is one of the few light, happy moments in a story filled with blood and darkness.
2. Another scene that should definitely make it into the movie is the scene where Chigurh kills Wells. Wells was confident that he cuold take Chigurh down, and was beaten soundly, with minimal effort on Chigurh's part. This scene reinforced how deadly Chigurh is, since that point had been made several times before in the book. This scene also reveals some of Chigurh's character, through his dialouge with Wells. This scene is one of the more tense parts of the book, and should make the transition to film.
3. The final scene that should make it into the film is the explanation for how the book started. It's a small scene, and appears insignificant, but it speaks loudly of Chigurh's personality and mental state, and completes the circle for part of the plot. This scene shows what exactly Chirgurh was doing right before the act, when he did the act, and ended right where the book started. And apart from all that, this scene is the most simple, brutal example of Chigurh's leathality and complete lack of remorse, enforcing how he's been portrayed throughout the book.
Two parts that should be cut:
1. The first scene that should be cut is not an entire scene, but a large part of one. Moss' opening scene, to be exact. This scene has Moss tracking some game, missing a shot, and tracking them some more. In the book, this part is how Moss found the truck that started the whole thing, but it would need to be thinned down for the movie. Most of the tracking would be cut out, and definitely the missed shot. The only thing left in this scene would be him following some deer tracks, maybe seeing a deer, and then stumbling upon the trucks to get the story rolling.
2. The next thing I would cut is actually a handful of scenes. All of the scenes with Carla Jean's grandmother in them. It is an interesting subplot that adds to the dynamic between Moss and Carla Jean, but it has no place in the movie, where the pace would need to move fairly quickly. The scenes being removed include them moving to El Paso, them moving to a hotel, and pretty much any scene that only includes Carla Jean and her grandmother. It is an unnecessary subplot for the movie.

Book 1 Fan Experience

My idea for a fan experience for The Shack is obvious when you think about it. Build the shack. Using input from the author, the book’s cover, and descriptions from the book, the shack would be recreated as accurately as possible,

including Mack’s car in the road and Missy’s coffin in Jesus’ workshop. none of the characters would be present, because that might influence how people view the characters. The whole purpose of this shack is so people can sign up online for a weekend at the shack. They would come and have a free weekend, able to go and do whatever they wanted, whether it be hiking, swimming, canoeing, or just being in community. In community with each other and with God. It would be a weekend of relaxation and worship, for anyone who wants to come and be a part of it.

This idea comes from the fact that the entire book takes place in the shack. Mack takes time away from his life to be with God; the real life shack offers the same thing. we cannot promise that God will show up in the flesh, but we know He will be there, and people can spend time with Him and each other. People will love their time there, just as Mack did. He said himself, when recalling the events, “And every facet of that glorious weekend.” Recreating certain objects and places from the book will help people feel like they are actually there and immerse them further in the experience. Missy’s coffin, with its “Details of Missy’s life carved into the wood.” The garden, “So gorgeous and in such a secluded spot.” The landscape was filled with the “Richness of roses and orchids and other exotic fragrances found in more tropical climates.” All of these things will add up to an experience all visitors will never forget. An experience where the world’s problems will melt away, and the only thing on visitor’s minds is God and his grace. In short, a perfect weekend for everyone. People who already know God will be refreshed and renewed during the relaxing weekend, and people who don’t will be introduced to Him, and hopefully come to love Him.

Simply put, this will work. Very well. People who like the book will love to have an experience like this one. And people who haven’t read it can come and get a taste of what it would be like to read it. The author could even be present for one or most of the days, talking with people about his life and writing the book.

The people who like this book are the kind of people who would enjoy spending time worshiping God and being in community. I personally would be ready and willing for a weekend in a place like that, and I would sure want to bring some friends along to be with me, which is what most people will probably do as well. Advertisements would be placed on websites and magazines that feature popular vacation spots, so people who don’t know the book or don’t know God can come and experience as well, and hopefully their eyes would be opened to The Truth.

 

Post 2: What is a book?

A book is a journey. Many people fight over whether books should be electronic or paper, and, to be honest, paper is the way I think we should go. But when it comes down to it, there's a number that represents exactly how much it matters: 0. People prefer one method over the other; just as I like the paperbacks, the person sitting next to me may rather swipe their finger to scroll through the pages. In my opinion, the feeling of turning the page and the weight of the book in your hands makes paperbacks, or hardbacks, the better option. It may be my preference for the old-school, but e-books just feel like... they hold less power. It's all the same journey, but you're less attached to, less pulled into a back-lit book. The same trip to Middle-Earth. The same dive into the life of Holden Caulfield. The same tale of murderous rabbits. How you read it technically makes no difference. I find the difference in the experience. Turn the page or swipe your finger, it matters little to most people. Victor LaValle says the idea of the book is what makes them special. I agree with that, but I do not agree with his discarding of the book itself. I like the way Nancy Jo Sales said it, that "There's something about the physicality of a book". Technology is a great thing, but it doesn't need to permeate every part of our lives. Let some part of you remain in the tradition, remain in the real world. It wouldn't kill you.