About Me

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Self-published author with 3 books out there dealing with the darker side of life through poetry, short stories, observations and sketches. 'Love or Suicide and the Life In-between', 'this heat, it's hell closing in on me' and 'Words to be performed from under a table by the last of us'. Can't live without music (heavy metal and soundtrack's especially), film buff (sci-fi floats my boat), anime watcher (old school mainly), book reader (anything that captures my interest), gamer (PS4/Xbox-One), gym pumper and all round geek.

Saturday 27 April 2013

Reading, reading...

...reading!  I love reading - there just isn't enough time in life to read as much as I would like.  However, I have committed myself to read 1 book per month...and so far, I have kept up with this.  So, January through to April, I have read 4 very different books:

Frankenstein
American Psycho
Fuck It Therapy
World War Z

What did I think of each?  Read on:

FRANKENSTEIN
We all have a basic idea of the story - scientist creates a monster which then turns against him because said scientist rejects said monster.  Cue a story about revenge and murder with a dash of gothic-ness thrown into the mix.  Of course, Frankenstein is much more than this and is in turn a warning about "playing God" as well as a study in what makes us human and the importance of the soul in humanity.  The story takes us all over the globe and plays with the readers loyalties forcing us to sympathise with both monster and scientist at different stages and on several occasions throughout.  Both Frankenstein, Frankensteins monster and the cast of supporting players are all on an inevitable collision course from page 1, both truly tragic and wholly expected as creator and creation lock themselves in a battle of wits and torment.  A true classic way ahead of its time, Frankenstein is as much about parents bringing up their children with love rather than rejection as it is about meddling with science without truly understanding it.  7 out of 10.

AMERICAN PSYCHO
We've all seen the film (or should have...shame on you if you haven't!!).  A fairly disturbing look at one mans obsession with murder, status and own good looks.  Part black comedy - part horror, it brings out an amazing performance by a never better Christian Bale and leaves you with more questions than answers upon its exit.  I love the film and it sticks as close as it can to the book.  I say this because if there were to be a 100% faithful adaption of the book, it would be unwatchable!  Not because of the story...not because it wouldn't make sense...not because the book is un-filmable...no...simply because no human on Earth could sit through it without throwing up every 10 minutes!  This is a story about Patrick Bateman, Wall Street employee, intelligent, very good looking, likes drugs, likes women, likes murder, likes dismemberment, likes torture, likes fine dining, like business cards.  I don't really want to give to much away about American Psycho because it is a book that needs to be experienced with fresh innocent eyes.  Never has a book left horrific images in my mind as much as this has.  Never has a book affected my moods as much as this has.  Never has a book made me face the true terrors of what is out there as much as this has.  It is a stunning piece of work which WILL make you laugh as much as it WILL make you sympathise with the world Bateman lives in.  I guarantee though that this WILL live with you till you die.  Especially when it comes to the section with the rat...you have been warned!  9 out of 10.

FUCK IT THERAPY
Self help books.  Never really been into them but this caught my eye because I am one of those people that finds it very hard to switch off from work.  I am one of those people who deeply cares (not that I like to admit it) about what I do even though what I do isn't in the slightest bit important in the grand scheme of things.  Basically this book advises you to say "FUCK IT" to certain aspects of your life.  It does this by first making you see what type of prison you are in and how much importance you put onto very un-important things.  It then asks the reader what he or she really wants and how they go about getting it.  It also has some energy exercises and relaxation methods with are there to help us focus and build strength on our road to happiness blah, blah, blah.  Er, I am not sure about this book.  I enjoyed aspects of it and related to parts of it.  But, I am one of those people who see the strings above my head already.  See the strings above the heads of my superiors and their superiors and so on and so on.  I have a very unique attitude to the world around me and can see the various prisons which have a vice like grip on humanity due to the nature of how we live and how we survive.  One thing is does do well though is teach you that just by saying "FUCK IT" makes you feel better.  5 out of 10.  

WORLD WAR Z
For months, I put off buying this book despite it being on offer constantly...then I saw the trailer for the film and thought, enough is enough - get it now!  And boy am I glad I did.  Basically a collection of eye witness accounts and interviews with the survivors of the 10 year Zombie war fought all over the world.  It charts the initial outbreaks to the complete overrun of entire cites and countries then onto humanities close proximity to extinction before the final sections fightback and mans unity.  Told by various people of various nationalities with various opinions and experiences, World War Z flows perfectly and never gets lost or confusing throughout.  The eye witness accounts are at times heart breaking and horrific, to joyous and sometimes even funny with each character having his or her very distinctive voice and uniqueness; I loved reading each ones little story.  And then we come to the Zombies.  Very much the slow, lumbering Romero type which can only be killed by destroying the brain, they are a relentless army, both existing in the realms of fantasy and reality at the same time.  Believe it or not though, they also bring with them some originality.  Zombies have, literally, been done to death on film, television and in books.  And yes, these Zombies are familiar...but...they also freeze in the winter then are reanimated in spring.  They don't drown so stalk the ocean floor until destroyed.  Their tastes are not limited to human flesh either - animals are definitely not safe in World War Z's world.  And what a world this is...our world...overrun with Zombies...a must read full of parables and frightening predictions.  8 out of 10.  

 
 
   So, what's next?  A Clockwork Orange!!!