tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82086333232712144282024-03-05T01:18:05.862-08:00Worthy of NoteReviews of Books and FilmAlex Binzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00232551422932887547noreply@blogger.comBlogger96125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8208633323271214428.post-77073296339869196652011-06-23T08:02:00.000-07:002011-06-23T08:02:00.844-07:00Orson Scott Card: The Call of EarthOrson Scott Card is one of the premier authors working in modern science fiction, largely thanks to the classic <u>Ender's Game</u>. He is less well known for his advocacy for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints -- that is, Mormonism. This advocacy is especially on display in the Homecoming Saga, which is a relatively direct re-imagining of the Book of Mormon in a futuristic science-fiction setting.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0812532619/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0812532619"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNAR7SHC_zVwVVXzCuwXzNdFzoJXvx5rYRxcbKDEevqMk7pUxpZkp4ppZGHrkPTLfthwZSAQxqUWhWkRvVJ4RR4r0hRDAQm-ntrL0vdz7PhmMNgJAbX6b6eRoG-7MU4Xmi-kmIxETGHf1C/s320/Call+of+Earth.jpg" width="194" /></a></div><br />
The first volume in the series, <u>The Memory of Earth</u>, set up the setting and the primary storyline. The family of Volemak the Wetchik has been called by the Oversoul out of Basilica, but now they must wait on the outskirts of town for the rest of their party. Basilica itself is convulsing in internecine political conflicts, as the faction led by Rashgallivak threatens to overthrow the matriarchal City Council. Another storyline, from a different hemisphere of planet Harmony, concerns Vozmushalnoy Vozmoshno (called Moozh), a general of Gorayni who hates the Oversoul and seeks to conquer Basilica.<br />
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Over the course of the novel, the Oversoul's party gradually comes together. The sisters Sevet and Kokor get into a squabble over their unfaithful husbands. On the happier end of the spectrum, Nafai and the waterseer Luet fall in love and marry in a brief ceremony, alongside Elemak, Eiadh, Mebbekew and Dol. Her sister Hushidh realizes that the Oversoul has called her to marry Nafai's brother Issib, though her fate takes a brief detour via a forced marragie to Moozh.<br />
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The characterization and interactions are <i>par excellence</i>, as may be expected from Orson Scott Card. This is especially the case in the scenes involving Moozh, who maneuvers himself into a position of authority over Basilica underneath the nose of his own leader, the Imperator. However, this book contains surprisingly little movement in the main overarching storyline. Many of the characters receive recurring dreams of "angels" and "diggers," which set the scene for the conclusion of the series and introduce the Keeper of Earth as an actor distinct from the Oversoul. Yet for a series adapting Mormon 'Scriptures,' this particular novel contains precious few parallels to the Book of Mormon.<br />
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On the whole, this novel is an impressive instance of Orson Scott Card's skills as a world-builder. Though it fails to advance the overarching story any further than bringing the necessary characters together for the rest of the series, this book remains a highly enjoyable self-standing work as well as an installment in the Homecoming series.<br />
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To purchase, check out Amazon.com:<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0812532619/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0812532619">The Call of Earth</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=worofnot-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0812532619&camp=217145&creative=399369" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />Alex Binzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00232551422932887547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8208633323271214428.post-22793510547951257752011-06-21T08:17:00.000-07:002011-06-21T14:37:11.692-07:00Michael Flynn: EifelheimIf any of my readers are considering a career as an Internet troll, they should first familiarize themselves with the rules and regulations. That's right: as in any respectable profession, there are standards and practices to trolling through forums and comment threads. The first rule of trolling is this: if at any moment you find yourself sparring with a man called "Ye Olde Statistician," run. Flee the scene and burn your bridges. You are profoundly outmatched.<br />
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Imagine if Bruce Wayne's alter-ego (for those of you who sprang from the womb as fully grown adults, that would be Batman) had an alter-ego of its own, even more shadowy and lethal. Meet Michael Flynn: statistician by day, well-regarded science-fiction author by night, and veteran troll-hunter in the twilight hours. I first encountered "Ye Olde Statistician" deploying his arsenal of historical, scientific, and philosophical knowledge against a horde of angry trolls on a theology blog. I decided to look for more of his posts online, and that's when I discovered he was a published author.<br />
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"Eifelheim" was first published in 1987 as a novella, focusing on a pair of scientists who discover the startling truth about the medieval German village called Eifelheim, which had mysteriously disappeared at some point in the late fourteenth century. From this beginning came the novel, published in 2006. In addition to the original scenes set in the present day, Flynn wrote a parallel narrative set in medieval Eifelheim itself. It is in these sections that we find the meat of the story, and Flynn's masterful command of medieval history.<br />
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For any given literary genre, authors can take either a "hard" or "soft" approach. The more common "soft" approach is to treat genre as a gimmick, with loose rules and less intensive world-building, but (one hopes) with a correspondingly greater emphasis on narrative and character. Many historical fiction novels, for instance, resort to the merest and most superficial elements to establish their cultural setting, even as they permit pretty grotesque historical anachronisms. This isn't always a bad thing. The anachronisms may serve to bridge the gap between another culture and our own, and reduces the effort necessary for readers' comprehension.<br />
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On the other hand, a "hard" approach -- which aims for absolute fidelity to the depicted world -- requires much more rigorous research and world-building on the part of the author, and much more careful reading on the part of the audience. Yet if these initial obstacles can be overcome, the "hard" approach offers considerably greater rewards, because it presents us with a truly distinct 'Other': a genuinely alien planet on which would we be utterly not at home, even if that planet were Earth.<br />
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Such is the case with <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004E3XE02/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=B004E3XE02"><u>Eifelheim</u></a>. By all appearances it is (spoiler warning) a straightforward science-fiction tale of first contact, introducing us to a race of aliens that have crash-landed in the backwoods of medieval Germany. Yet, as the novel goes on, there is a point of dawning realization: we cannot tell whether we have more in common with the alien race or with the medieval Europeans. The very vocabulary of the Middles Ages is so foreign to us, it might as well be another language. We empathize with the aliens, as they try to communicate scientific concepts in medieval jargon. Flynn makes it clear that this is not a defect of the medieval mind: there simply was no point for such words, as the ideas themselves had not yet been developed.<br />
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The novel's fidelity to the medieval mind and culture is truly astonishing, and its value cannot be overstated. The Middle Ages are quite possibly the least understood period in world history among the general public. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004E3XE02/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=B004E3XE02"><u>Eifelheim</u> </a>provides an incalculable public service (in addition to the story itself) by treating the period with realism and respect. The main character in the medieval scenes is Father Dietrich, the Paris-trained priest who is well versed in theology, philosophy, and all manner of sciences. His personal and intellectual struggles throughout the book are phenomenally well-depicted, as are the interactions (informed by medieval social structure) between the various characters. Dietrich's initial doubts regarding the rationality (what we might call the "humanity") of the aliens is particularly well done, as the question is asked and answered purely through medieval methods.<br />
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There is not much more to be said regarding this book, if only because it is so incredibly dense with content. The story itself is rather cursory, alternating between a science-fiction mystery on the one hand and a historical-fiction drama on the other. But in this sort of work the story is simply the hook for everything else: in most instances for the characters, but in this case particularly for the setting. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004E3XE02/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=B004E3XE02"><u>Eifelheim</u> </a>is one of the best and purest treatments of medieval culture I have ever read, and it has my highest recommendation.<br />
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To purchase, check out Amazon.com:<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004E3XE02/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=B004E3XE02">Eifelheim</a><img alt="" border="0" class=" jmimiuajqbsnkqhptlhh jmimiuajqbsnkqhptlhh" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=worofnot-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B004E3XE02&camp=217145&creative=399369" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
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Michael Flynn also maintains a blog at <a href="http://tofspot.blogspot.com/">The TOF Spot</a>. It is well worth checking out.<br />
This review was cross-posted on my theology blog, <a href="http://sacramentalworld.blogspot.com/2011/06/michael-flynn-eifelheim.html">A Sacramental World</a>.Alex Binzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00232551422932887547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8208633323271214428.post-32872235856617168132011-06-20T08:54:00.000-07:002011-06-20T08:54:49.197-07:00Twelve Reasons Why 2012 Will Be an Awesome Year for MoviesArticle first published as <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://blogcritics.org/video/article/twelve-reasons-why-2012-will-be/%22%20target=%22_blank%22%3Ehttp://blogcritics.org/%3Cwbr%3Evideo/article/twelve-reasons-%3Cwbr%3Ewhy-2012-will-be/%3C/a%3E">Twelve Reasons Why 2012 Will Be an Awesome Year for Movies</a> on Blogcritics.<br />
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2012 will be an awesome year in movies. I'm not sure everyone realizes just how incredible it will be. When I first started tracking cinema news, I noticed a trend almost from the start: virtually every long-term project that attracted my attention had a release date scheduled for sometime in 2012. As time went, some of these were delayed and others were fast-tracked, but 2012 is still shaping up to be one of the greatest years for movies in my lifetime. Here's why.<br />
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1: <i><u>John Carter of Mars</u></i>.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix1ttiSrgUgOtowIome8O9-pC-3BEbHmBdeq0rleCuJnJZg0bdn4M-OZMaBCGT9tpxsifAqc3XF8aTWYXRcWcLEJlUf5URlgJ0SaFhKBy2Ke_RqOSMvPu2cvu-2U3dzkP8d6rbC6d4TQSG/s1600/john-carter-poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix1ttiSrgUgOtowIome8O9-pC-3BEbHmBdeq0rleCuJnJZg0bdn4M-OZMaBCGT9tpxsifAqc3XF8aTWYXRcWcLEJlUf5URlgJ0SaFhKBy2Ke_RqOSMvPu2cvu-2U3dzkP8d6rbC6d4TQSG/s320/john-carter-poster.jpg" width="216" /></a></div>The <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0957886853/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=0957886853"><i>Barsoom</i></a> series by Edgar Rice Burroughs is one of the seminal works in science-fiction writing of the 20th century. Released between 1912 and 1943, its depiction of Mars as a frontier land comparable to the early American West served an inspiration for Ray Bradbury, Arthur C. Clarke, and Robert A. Heinlein, not to mention James Cameron (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002VPE1AW/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=B002VPE1AW"><i>Avatar</i></a>) and George Lucas (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FQJAIW/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=B000FQJAIW"><i>Star Wars</i></a>).<br />
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Now, for the first time, the books are being adapted to screen, by Pixar veteran Andrew Stanton (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00007LVCM/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=B00007LVCM"><i>A Bug's Life</i></a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00005JM02/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=B00005JM02"><i>Finding Nemo</i></a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0013FSL3E/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=B0013FSL3E"><i>WALL-E</i></a>). Stanton is a master storyteller, and this film could be one of the defining science-fiction films of the next decade. <i><u>John Carter</u> </i>is scheduled for a March 9, 2012 release.<br />
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2: <i><u>The Avengers</u></i>.<br />
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This film has been long in the making. Marvel has been laying the groundwork for this movie at least since the 2008 release of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001C08RHA/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=B001C08RHA"><i><u>Iron Man</u></i></a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001DHXT20/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=B001DHXT20"><u><i>The Incredible Hulk</i></u></a>, though in reality the planning began well before then. Having introduced each of the four main characters in separate summer blockbusters -- <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001C08RHA/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=B001C08RHA"><i>Iron Man</i></a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001DHXT20/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=B001DHXT20"><i>The Incredible Hulk</i></a>, <i><u>Thor</u> </i>(<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/05/thor-2011.html">review</a>), and <i><u>Captain America</u></i> -- Marvel will bring them together with a number of secondary characters and antagonists in <i><u>The Avengers</u></i>. The film will be directed by fan-favorite Joss Whedon (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000AQS0F/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=B0000AQS0F"><i>Firefly</i></a>). Marvel has plans to expand this 'Cinematic Universe' even further after this film, but <i><u>The Avengers</u></i> already has the potential to redefine the superhero genre. <i><u>The Avengers</u> </i>will kick off the 2012 summer season with a release date of May 4, 2012<br />
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3: <i><u>Men in Black III</u></i><br />
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Okay, so I'm not nearly as excited about this one. I just wanted to round out my list to 12. All the same, it looks pretty cool: the film will star Will Smith (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000957O82/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=B000957O82"><i>Hitch</i></a>) as a time-traveling Agent J who returns to the 1960s in search of a young Agent K (Josh Brolin from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004SIP90G/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=B004SIP90G"><i>No Country for Old Men</i></a> filling in as the young Tommy Lee Jones). The release date is May 25, 2012.<br />
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4: <i><u>Brave</u></i>.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtTBPcTVh25V9feY5dfP-rQokzne4XIxz956015hQqNmcAp07wqHDvd0G7ZiYN4-pTO9vzzszS22QGWtSkH0jmA6QjiTuuNSLIZB0JOcoT5IU6_X185tQJlG3enBnRzzLkQ-MekW7dGgAs/s1600/pixar-brave-image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtTBPcTVh25V9feY5dfP-rQokzne4XIxz956015hQqNmcAp07wqHDvd0G7ZiYN4-pTO9vzzszS22QGWtSkH0jmA6QjiTuuNSLIZB0JOcoT5IU6_X185tQJlG3enBnRzzLkQ-MekW7dGgAs/s320/pixar-brave-image.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">If I were a little girl, this one would probably make me squeal. Formerly titled <i><u>The Bear and the Bow</u></i>, this film will mark Pixar's first outing in the fantasy genre (though this is more properly a fairy tale).<br />
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It will be set in "the mystical Scottish highlands" (according to the press release), and will feature the first female protagonist in a Pixar film. In short, this will be Pixar's entry into the Disney Princess canon (<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2010/11/disney-princess-month.html">which I reviewed here</a>).<br />
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Why am I looking forward to it? Because it's Pixar, and that's good enough for me. The release date is June 22, 2012.</div><br />
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5: <i><u>Star Trek 2 [Untitled]</u></i>.<br />
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J.J. Abram's 2009 film <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002HWRYJE/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=B002HWRYJE"><i><u>Star Trek</u></i></a> was a brilliant reboot of a dying series and an ingenious reinvention of the main casts' origin stories. Now the award-winning creator of <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00005JNOG/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=B00005JNOG">Lost</a> </i>and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001MVWRNE/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=B001MVWRNE"><i>Alias</i></a> returns for more. Abrams has been mostly occupied with his latest project, an homage to Steven Spielberg<i> </i>titled<i> Super 8</i>. This means there are few details released for this film besides the fact that it's going to happen. The film is set to be released June 29, 2012.<br />
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6: <i><u>The Amazing Spider-Man</u></i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXetZYCo5jOtiosr7tFnpdhAmC0X1cyweRuB0SonY_PiFbMwHs9PQBqx9XYNYn1z38y-k2mI_MMKHTsICKYhWxkPu7yfmsflFNBPaGq1pxgK79E8DT0_onmKbwUHOxN0dVLTFJXPlmokdc/s1600/amazing-spiderman-promo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXetZYCo5jOtiosr7tFnpdhAmC0X1cyweRuB0SonY_PiFbMwHs9PQBqx9XYNYn1z38y-k2mI_MMKHTsICKYhWxkPu7yfmsflFNBPaGq1pxgK79E8DT0_onmKbwUHOxN0dVLTFJXPlmokdc/s320/amazing-spiderman-promo.jpg" width="214" /></a></div>After Sam Raimi's disastrous <u><i>Spiderman 3</i></u>, Marvel decided to reboot the series under helmsman Marc Webb (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001UV4XUG/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=B001UV4XUG"><i>(500) Days of Summer</i></a>).<br />
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The film returns Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0034G4P7Q/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=B0034G4P7Q"><i>The Social Network</i></a>) to his high school haunts, and follows the original comics in emphasizing Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0036TGSIK/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=B0036TGSIK"><i>Easy A</i></a>) as the romantic lead. The main villain will be Dr. Curt Conners, a.k.a. The Lizard.<br />
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I seem to be one of the few reviewers who actually enjoy the origin stories, and I've followed the work of each of these actors, so this film naturally piqued my interest. The release date is July 3, 2012.<br />
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7: <i><u>The Dark Knight Rises</u></i>.<br />
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Christopher Nolan is one of the premier auteurs of modern cinema. He won his reputation for such mind-bending works as <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00003CXZ4/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=B00003CXZ4"><i><u>Memento</u></i></a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000LC55F2/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=B000LC55F2"><i><u>The Prestige</u></i></a>, and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002ZG981E/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=B002ZG981E"><i><u>Inception</u></i></a>. He is also the director of two of the best superhero films ever made: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000PC6A3E/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=B000PC6A3E"><i><u>Batman Begins</u></i></a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001GZ6QEC/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=B001GZ6QEC"><i><u>The Dark Knight</u></i></a>. This film, <i><u>The Dark Knight Rises</u></i>, will be the third and final act in his trilogy of Batman films. I don't think I need to explain it any further. Few things are as certain as death and taxes, but the reliable brilliance of Pixar and Christopher Nolan comes close. The film will star Christian Bale (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003UESJHO/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=B003UESJHO"><i>The Fighter</i></a>) as Batman, Tom Hardy (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002ZG981E/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=B002ZG981E"><i>Inception</i></a>) as the villain Bane, and Anne Hathaway (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000J103PC/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=B000J103PC"><i>The Devil Wears Prada</i></a>) as Selina Kyle, the woman who would one day become Catwoman. The film will be released on July 20, 2012.<br />
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8: <i><u>The Bourne Legacy</u></i>.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrC3eGUEcJ-AbDp6P1Gk9pn37ihxnquR_LAi0LOn4iwYLo6qq2yV92eYfPqnza9534fS0woahf58NuGilHO94V84x7T3s2jo723PiSoQOu0o6ku5N5jBMJfjq8Oz84Xm_ayGWL6ebJt7zB/s1600/bourne-legacy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrC3eGUEcJ-AbDp6P1Gk9pn37ihxnquR_LAi0LOn4iwYLo6qq2yV92eYfPqnza9534fS0woahf58NuGilHO94V84x7T3s2jo723PiSoQOu0o6ku5N5jBMJfjq8Oz84Xm_ayGWL6ebJt7zB/s320/bourne-legacy.jpg" width="206" /></a></div>The <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00023B1LC/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=B00023B1LC">first Bourne film</a> (inspired by the Robert Ludlum novel <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0553593544/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0553593544">The Bourne Identity</a></i>, <a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2010/09/robert-ludlum-bourne-identity.html">reviewed here</a>) was planned as a trilogy. However, not wanting to waste a perfectly good government conspiracy or a film franchise, Universal Pictures is producing another sequel.<br />
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<i><u>The Bourne Legacy</u> </i>is technically a "sidequel" or spinoff, with Jeremy Renner (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00275EGWY/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=B00275EGWY"><i>The Hurt Locker</i></a>) as the lead, though not as Jason Bourne but as a new character. Jeremy Renner has been a busy man: in addition to Bourne, he is looking to take over the <u><i>Mission: Impossible </i></u>series from Tom Cruise in Brad Bird's 2011 film <i><u>Ghost Protocol</u></i>, and will likely star in his own feature film as Hawkeye after <i><u>The Avengers</u> </i>is released.<br />
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This is definitely a film to watch, so keep an eye for its release on August 3, 2012.<br />
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9: <i><u>The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part II</u>.</i><br />
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The main reason I'm including this is because it's the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316067938/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0316067938">final volume</a> of the Stephanie Meyer's <i>Twilight </i>series, and therefore marks the point at which we won't be seeing it in theaters any more. That's enough to redeem it at least partially in my book. However, simply as a cinematic event, this one will rank beside the close of the <i>Harry Potter </i>series (coming up on July 15) in its impact. I may not like it, but a lot of people apparently do, so keep your eyes on its release date of November 16, 2012.<br />
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10: <i><u>Man of Steel</u></i>.<br />
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After the sputtering failure of Bryan Singer's 2006 film <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001F3FUK6/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=B001F3FUK6"><i><u>Superman Returns</u></i></a>, DC Comics wanted to reboot the series. It hired Zach Synder (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000Q6GX5Y/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=B000Q6GX5Y"><i>300</i></a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001QTXM5Y/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=B001QTXM5Y"><i>Watchmen</i></a>) to direct, and brought Christopher Nolan from the Batman franchise to produce and serve as a creative consultant. Nolan's presence is the main reason I'm excited. Most of the initial reports indicate that Nolan is heavily involved in the planning and even the script-writing. If he can do for Superman what he did for Batman, Nolan could dominate the 2012 box office or even the awards season. This film is set to be released sometime in December 2012.<br />
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11: <u><i>T</i><i>he Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey</i></u><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifNzZzVSetwvZBqyTn8VmkPwQNyii85V67m2i_a0vJB4PypyMHbznl9wP-0shzyUZ9HAWNNzXMdBGcg-MmLC66t9_kCft1prJJllEFLI-nkp_J_2Vl0Ec4z8IYoIe2pvg5XvqdQhpyvqSG/s1600/hobbit-promo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifNzZzVSetwvZBqyTn8VmkPwQNyii85V67m2i_a0vJB4PypyMHbznl9wP-0shzyUZ9HAWNNzXMdBGcg-MmLC66t9_kCft1prJJllEFLI-nkp_J_2Vl0Ec4z8IYoIe2pvg5XvqdQhpyvqSG/s320/hobbit-promo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>After his definitive adaptation of <i><u>The Lord of the Rings</u></i> trilogy, Peter Jackson wandered away from the reservation to direct <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001KZVQJI/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=B001KZVQJI"><i><u>King Kong</u></i></a>, produce <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002SJIO4A/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=B002SJIO4A"><i><u>District 9</u></i></a> with director Neill Blomkamp, and adapt <i><u>The Adventures of Tintin</u></i> with Steven Spielberg.<br />
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Now he returns to his Tolkien roots for a two-part adaptation of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0618968636/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0618968636"><i><u>The Hobbit</u></i></a>, a prequel to<i> <u>The Lord of the Rings</u></i>. The film will star Martin Freeman (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004132HZS/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=B004132HZS"><i>Sherlock</i></a>) as Bilbo Baggins and Richard Armitage (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000AYEL6U/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=B000AYEL6U"><i>North and South</i></a>, <a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/05/north-and-south-2004.html">see review</a>) as Thorin Oakenshield.<br />
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This looks to be a fantastic film in all senses of the word, including the unfortunate pun. This film is set for a release date of December 14, 2012.<br />
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12: <i><u>1906</u></i>.<br />
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Brad Bird is a veteran of the animation world, with such classics as <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00009M9BK/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=B00009M9BK"><i><u>The Iron Giant</u></i></a> and Pixar's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00005JN4W/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=B00005JN4W"><i><u>The Incredibles</u></i></a> to his name. In December 2011 he will make his first foray into live-action with <i><u>Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol</u></i> starring Tom Cruise and Jeremy Renner. The following year he will direct another project, <i><u>1906</u></i>, based on a book by James Dalessandro. <a href="http://www.webcitation.org/5icXDRrLo">According to the author,</a> this was his pitch to studio executives: "<i><u>Titanic</u> </i>was a boat in the North Atlantic. This is an entire city, the most beautiful we've ever seen, destroyed in 40 hours." This sparked a bidding war and the script was sold within 24 hours to Warner Bros. This will be a disaster film of truly epic proportions, and definitely one to keep your eye on. The film is set to be released on December 14, 2012, though this date may be moved to avoid being released in the same weekend as <i><u>The Hobbit</u></i>.<br />
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Honorable Mention: <i><u>Monsters University</u></i>.<br />
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2012 was originally going to mark the first time that Pixar Studios released two films in the same year: the medieval fantasy <i><u>Brave</u> </i>(see #4 below), and this project, a prequel to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00005JKDR/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=B00005JKDR"><i><u>Monsters, Inc.</u></i></a> Unfortunately this project was delayed, so instead of being released on November 2, 2012, this film will come out in the summer of 2013. In case you are worried that it is is sequel and not an original project, just remember that we're talking about Pixar, and they have a pretty decent track record for their sequels: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0030IIYYS/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=B0030IIYYS"><i>Toy Story 2</i></a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00275EHJG/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=B00275EHJG"><i>Toy Story 3</i></a>, and the forthcoming <i><u>Cars 2</u> </i>(a action-adventure spy film featuring Michael Caine). Pixar doesn't do sequels unless they have a story to tell: that's why they've held back from a long-anticipated sequel to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00005JN4W/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=B00005JN4W"><i><u>The Incredibles</u></i></a>.<br />
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Honorable Mention: <i><u>Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters</u></i>.<br />
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Admittedly, the first film, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003HARV3Y/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=B003HARV3Y"><i><u>Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief</u></i></a>, was pretty bad. But the first book (<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2010/08/rick-riordan-lightning-thief.html">reviewed here</a>) was almost infinitely better, and that holds true for its sequels. The Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan is one of the best young-adult series I've read, and its spin-offs are likewise thrilling. If the new director (Thor Freudenthal) and new writers (Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski) can pull the franchise back from the brink, this could be a phenomenally successful series and a worthy successor to the Harry Potter franchise. The release date is tentatively set for late 2012.<br />
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Honorable Mention: <i><u>The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn</u></i>. <br />
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I've been looking forward to this film since I was a little boy. "The Adventures of Tintin" are a series of comic books drawn by the Belgian artist Georges Remi, better known as Hergé.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7pweKulJGHMHnvMaC1W863ju2k_tN98UT8M5AzohyphenhyphenZnKOZimZ4z5RmXFBPT1RH3cFB6Rw_zCglwXXvn_aXHA5EYVBQ2wDNXlziYqyhJcweFQpzPZAAhtyEsGAExwNrFLQnX7JCVUYK9kA/s1600/Tintin_secretsoftheunicorn.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7pweKulJGHMHnvMaC1W863ju2k_tN98UT8M5AzohyphenhyphenZnKOZimZ4z5RmXFBPT1RH3cFB6Rw_zCglwXXvn_aXHA5EYVBQ2wDNXlziYqyhJcweFQpzPZAAhtyEsGAExwNrFLQnX7JCVUYK9kA/s320/Tintin_secretsoftheunicorn.jpg" width="215" /></a></div>Tintin is not just for kids. Hergé's early works were fairly straightforward wish-fulfillment fantasy, but after a conversation with a Chinese friend, he realized the potential impact of his work, and began to invest considerable research (both historically and scientifically) into the series. For instance, his breakthrough work is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0867199067/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0867199067"><i>The Blue Lotus</i></a> (<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2010/10/herge-blue-lotus.html">review</a>), a historical fiction detective-mystery based on the Manchurian Incident of 1931 and the ensuing Sino-Japanese War.<br />
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His work, alongside that of Alan Moore (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1401219268/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=1401219268"><i>Watchmen</i></a>), was crucial in legitimizing the comic book and graphic novel as legitimate forms of art and literature. Hergé was cited as a major influence by Andy Warhol, and his work is even today renowned throughout Europe.<br />
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So it was something of a big deal when Peter Jackson (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00003CWT6/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=B00003CWT6"><i>The Fellowship of the Ring</i></a>) and Steven Spielberg (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0014Z4OMU/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=B0014Z4OMU"><i>Raiders of the Lost Ark</i></a>) announced in 2007 that they would collaborate on a trilogy of films adapting the Tintin saga to the big screen. The first of these films would be based on three books: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1405206209/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=1405206209"><i>The Crab with the Golden Claws</i></a> (<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2010/10/herge-crab-with-golden-claws.html">review</a>), <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1405206225/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=1405206225"><i>The Secret of the Unicorn</i></a> (<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2010/10/herge-secret-of-unicorn.html">review</a>), and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0416800106/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=0416800106"><i>Red Rackham's Treasure</i></a> (<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2010/10/herge-red-rackhams-treasure.html">review</a>).<br />
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I won't even mention the fact that the stunning 3D-capture technology and technique used by James Cameron in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002VPE1AW/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=B002VPE1AW"><i>Avatar</i></a> was originally developed by Jackson and Spielberg for this film. Nor will I mention that two of the greatest screenwriters of our time, Edgar Wright (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0043GAZYS/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=B0043GAZYS"><i>Scott Pilgrim v. The World</i></a>, <a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2010/08/edgar-wright-scott-pilgrim-v-world.html">review here</a>) and Steven Moffat (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004132HZS/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=B004132HZS"><i>Sherlock</i></a>), are working together on the script.<br />
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The only reason this gets an honorable mention instead of the top billing is that it's scheduled for release on December 23, 2011, a mere eight days too early. On the other hand, that's eight fewer days we have to wait.<br />
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<br />
So there's the list! Twelve reasons, plus change, of why 2012 will be one of the best years in recent memory to be a theater-goer. What films are you looking forward to?Alex Binzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00232551422932887547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8208633323271214428.post-61973344698578355572011-06-15T09:43:00.000-07:002011-06-15T10:43:58.522-07:00Some Like It Hot (1959)**Article first published as <a href="http://blogcritics.org/video/article/movie-review-some-like-it-hot2/">Movie Review: <i>Some Like It Hot</i> (1959)</a> on Blogcritics.**<br />
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"Well, nobody's perfect."<br />
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If you've seen this film, you will instantly recognize the line I'm quoting. It's one of the most famous lines in cinema history, up there with "May the Force be with you" and "You had me at 'hello'." If you don't know this film, I won't spoil the joke, but you should stop reading this review now. You need to see this movie. In 2000, "Some Like It Hot" was rated by the American Film Institute as being the funniest American comedy of all time. It doesn't disappoint.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00003CXCR/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217153&creative=399701&creativeASIN=B00003CXCR"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmWniTOGT7DE49N3MLuDjopjw6073ijqAfPEoTVQvFSUWsWsErtiaEkp8s5YL3JKUFcnEYRvxi5aY0dJaCCTg6pMb7zXrFp0-pg8t2FJ9hyphenhyphen35zrDZ9363_s1M-lNucWOA0c9oB8Qqr_bUX/s320/SomeLikeItHot.jpg" width="246" /></a></div><br />
The first scene offers an unusual spectacle: a full squadron of police cars, sirens wailing, in hot pursuit of a hearse. We soon realize that "Some Like It Hot" is set in Prohibition-era Chicago, and that the local gangs have been using funeral homes as cover for loud and raucous night-clubs. The film quickly introduces us to the main characters, Joe and Jerry, two musicians who lose their jobs, lose their money, and nearly lose their lives in rapid succession. After inadvertently witnessing the infamous St. Valentine's Day Massacre, the two musicians are forced to flee the city and cover their tracks. Joe and Jerry become Josephine and Daphne, and join an all-girl's band en route to a Florida resort. This is where the comedy kicks it up a few notches.<br />
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I'm not sure if it's possible to do justice to the plot in such a brief review: certainly it's not possible to do justice to the humor. Both of the leading men, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon, give stunning performances as the cross-dressing musicians, while Marilyn Monroe (as the band's ukulele player and vocalist "Sugar Kane") is just stunning, period. The film features a few musical interludes with her that, as stand-alone pieces, are fairly breathtaking. Roger Ebert <a href="http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20000109/REVIEWS08/1090301/1023">described </a>her performance of "I Wanna Be Loved by You" as "a striptease in which nudity would have been superfluous." That seems accurate.<br />
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Certainly Tony Curtis deserves ample credit as well. Not only does he pull off the demanding double-role as "Joe" and "Josephine," but he even assumes a third persona to woo Monroe's "Sugar." As "Junior," heir to the Shell Oil empire, Curtis turns in a brilliant (and improvised) impression of the suave-yet-distant Cary Grant. In one scene, "Junior" pretends to be sexually frigid, to subtly inspire the hapless Sugar to kiss him more passionately. The scene is rightly famous, both for its own right and for a behind-the-scenes quote by Curtis, who said that kissing Monroe was like kissing Hitler. Ebert has a delightful rejoinder: "You remember what Curtis said but when you watch that scene, all you can think is that Hitler must have been a terrific kisser."<br />
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Truly, though it is Jack Lemmon's performance as Jerry/Daphne that is the highlight of the film. His scene with Marilyn Monroe in the train compartment is exquisitely hilarious, while his scenes with Joe E. Brown (as the amorous septuagenarian millionaire Osgood Fielding III) are comic gold. The tango probably gets the most attention -- attention it definitely deserves -- but in my opinion Lemmon's best scene is the one immediately after it. The morning after "her" date with Osgood, Jerry is lying in bed, still dressed in drag, playing with castanets in almost manic desperation. I am unable to watch that scene without laughing.<br />
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"Some Like It Hot" is a gangster film, a romance, and a screwball comedy wrapped up in one. The screenplay drips with wit, pathos, and even suspense. Nobody's perfect, but this film just might be.<br />
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To purchase this film, check out Amazon.com:<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00003CXCR/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217153&creative=399701&creativeASIN=B00003CXCR">Some Like It Hot</a><br />
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This review was cross-posted on <a href="http://seeingsepia.blogspot.com/2011/06/some-like-it-hot-1959.html">Seeing Sepia</a>.<img alt="" border="0" class=" crxgkfxoxzuumhqcwujl crxgkfxoxzuumhqcwujl crxgkfxoxzuumhqcwujl crxgkfxoxzuumhqcwujl crxgkfxoxzuumhqcwujl crxgkfxoxzuumhqcwujl crxgkfxoxzuumhqcwujl wmtkwymjdaptueymlaez" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=worofnot-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00003CXCR&camp=217153&creative=399701" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />Alex Binzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00232551422932887547noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8208633323271214428.post-59938724230717030232011-06-09T10:54:00.000-07:002011-06-11T11:20:20.218-07:00Jay Richards: Money, Greed, and GodWhen I was fourteen, I was hired as an intern at for a public-policy think-tank based in Seattle. I was encouraged by my supervisor to pursue policy-related work, particularly in my area of expertise: economics. This is how I eventually came to work as an assistant for Dr. Jay Richards, one of the Vice Presidents, who was looking to develop an accessible book on economics.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061900575/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217153&creative=399349&creativeASIN=0061900575"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqXoQFtTE3qRp7zVdW7dTELJcg6l3cvRzO8U3HghRrjscF4an4IVPcwZ7GQG67xWy1FtXUEaD-eLZq0MjEIJR73tRX-Q2sSnMj_YgWhxJtbmKCaIh5PxVG_63oNnAy_Bjbbz0j0skqs9FG/s320/Money+Greed+and+God.jpg" width="211" /></a></div><br />
"Money, Greed, and God" was first developed as an autobiography. Dr. Richards originally intended to cover the course of his life and how his thinking on economics developed from a youthful Christian Marxism to a more mature pro-market paradigm. This kind of content is retained in many of the chapters, but the overarching framework (the organizing principle) of the book is slightly different. Dr. Richards organizes the material around eight myths that Christians believe about capitalism and the market system. They are, in order:<br />
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<blockquote><b>1) The Nirvana Myth</b>.</blockquote>Many people, especially Christians, tend to contrast capitalism with an unrealizable utopian ideal, rather than with the actual alternatives. Everything is bound to fall short of paradise, so the point is irrelevant. What is relevant is what is actually achievable in this reality.<br />
<blockquote><b>2) The Piety Myth.</b> </blockquote>Many people, especially Christians, tend to focus on the good intentions behind reforms rather than the actual outcomes. This is why the Greek philosophers understood prudence to be the centerpiece of wisdom: it's not enough to want to do good, it's vital that we understand how. There are many cases where the unintended consequences of economic reform were disastrous to all involved.<br />
<blockquote><b>3) The Zero-Sum Game Myth.</b> </blockquote>Many people, especially Christians, have an aversion to capitalism grounded in an aversion to inequity. They understand competition to be fundamentally anti-Christian, for my gain would be your loss. Suffice it to say that this is predicated on a woefully inadequate understanding of how markets work and what 'economic value' actually means. This error is highly correlated to the next myth:<br />
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<blockquote><b>4) The Materialist Myth.</b> </blockquote>Many people, especially Christians, have this notion that wealth cannot be created but only transferred. In other words, the cake I have is the cake you can no longer eat. The zero-sum game fallacy is particularly pernicious because it either undermines our hope for economic production and thus creative progress, or it elevates greed as a practical necessity of the market.<b> </b><br />
<blockquote><b>5) The Greed Myth</b>.</blockquote>From the 1987 fairy tale "Wall Street," the mid-century Objectivist ramblings of Ayn Rand, and even Bernard Mandeville's 1714 "Fable of the Bees," many people in the modern West have this concept of capitalism as a greed-driven enterprise. Naturally, it hasn't helped the public understanding that even some defenders of capitalism admit as much and seek to defend it. Many people, especially Christians, have lost the foundational understanding of capitalism as a virtue-driven enterprise, predicated on the rule of law and on our ability to sympathize with others, so that we might understand their needs and supply what they demand.<br />
<blockquote><b>6) The Usury Myth.</b> </blockquote>This is the more historical of the chapters, based on an ancient prejudice against money as an essentially sterile instrument. Unlike agricultural products, gold didn't grow -- more might be found, but there was only a finite quantity of it. Thus, the idea that money could be fruitful -- that it could create a return if loaned at interest -- struck many in the classical and medieval world as profoundly unnatural. When it became understood that money was itself a form of capital and thus was a means for production, the opprobrium against usury was gradually eliminated.<br />
<blockquote><b>7) The Artsy Myth.</b> </blockquote>Though the title doesn't quite work, the concept is dead-on: many people, especially Christians, have a tendency to subsume economic policy to aesthetic considerations. This is the foundation for the many complaints against our 'consumerist' society, the accolades of the 'small is beautiful' movement, the contempt for large corporations, and the preference for organic food rather than agribusiness. There are legitimate arguments for each of these, but the reasons are often inspired by aesthetic judgment. This relates back to the first myth -- the idea that we can contrast modern capitalism with some utopian paradise -- since in many cases our consumerist culture developed as a means of more effectively distributing basic goods to everyone. Suburbs are better than slums, even if we no longer boast of quite so many mansions.<br />
<blockquote><b>8) The Freeze-Frame Myth.</b></blockquote>The chapter generally covers the idea of environmental stewardship, and is a really effective discussion of the issues in question. The myth itself is unfortunately quite common: many people, especially Christians, have a tendency to treat the present moment as a microcosm of the past and future. They forget that life is by natural dynamic, and both economy and ecology tend to have pretty effective safeguards against Armageddon. If the supply of oil starts running low, the price will rise and demand will drop, which will encourage alternative sources of energy. The same applies for most of the other apocalyptic predictions, from the "population bomb" of Malthus and Ehrlich, to the current <i>cause célèbre</i> of global warming/climate change.<br />
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Dr. Richards concludes the book with a brief discussion of how to optimize the market system, with emphasis on human virtues and human rights. He also adds a brief appendix correlating the "spontaneous order" of the market (cf. Friedrich Hayek) to the Providential understanding of the Christian God. This latter point actually appeared as the subject of one of my research articles.<br />
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"Money, Greed and God" is a splendid summary of economic thinking, and a warning call to those who are content with common misconceptions. The book is particularly well suited for Christians who are distressed by the "greed is good" school of libertarianism, and who are searching for an ethical defense of markets.<br />
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Full disclosure: for my research assistance in the early development of the book, I receive a brief mention in the Acknowledgements section of this book.<br />
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To purchase this book, check out Amazon.com:<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061900575/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217153&creative=399349&creativeASIN=0061900575">Money, Greed, and God: Why Capitalism Is the Solution and Not the Problem</a><img alt="" border="0" class=" lggwrslnqcazwqsbfmbw" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=worofnot-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0061900575&camp=217153&creative=399349" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
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Jay Richards is currently a Contributing Editor of <a href="http://www.american.com/">The American</a>, and writes for <a href="http://blog.american.com/author/jrichards/">The Enterprise Blog</a>, of the American Enterprise Institute. Check out his posts!<br />
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This review was cross-posted on <a href="http://sacramentalworld.blogspot.com/2011/06/jay-richards-money-greed-and-god.html">A Sacramental World</a>.Alex Binzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00232551422932887547noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8208633323271214428.post-77432681580500126912011-06-08T09:39:00.000-07:002011-06-11T11:18:40.772-07:00Orson Scott Card: The Memory of EarthIn my opinion, Orson Scott Card is one of the best storytellers of modern times. He conveys the motivations of characters, even villains, in such a convincing way that readers are able to immerse themselves fully in the dynamics of the narrative. He is also a singularly impressive world-builder, drawing us in to new worlds and universes through his story-telling. This was the case with <a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2010/08/orson-scott-card-enders-game.html">Ender's Game</a>, with <a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/orson-scott-card-seventh-son.html">Seventh Son</a>, with <a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/orson-scott-card-pathfinder.html">Pathfinder</a> and <a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/orson-scott-card-lost-gate.html">The Lost Gate</a>. It was also the case with <u>The Memory of Earth</u>, which introduces the Homecoming series.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0812532597/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217153&creative=399349&creativeASIN=0812532597"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitoK5nke6SDOcgQMBpgnJQ5NrO2qv3KU6d9cpdWmqkZ8fbMySTOQWmrtBQXYo9C1t9VbqWo2jUG1A_jp3wL-sh3Vc-rUmurqwyekP8-MWxoNGrCdej3bLiukIsBFK8UcLjT22qwgOB6sL_/s320/Memory+of+Earth.jpg" width="192" /></a></div><br />
I read all five of the Homecoming books and enjoyed every one of them. Afterwards, when I went to prepare these reviews through a bit of research, I was stunned to discover that the entire series is a thinly veiled adaptation of the Book of Mormon: a family called by God to travel from Jerusalem to the "promised land" of America. Joseph Smith may have been a false prophet extraordinaire, but he was evidently a singularly impressive story-teller (that or he simply benefited from the proximity to Card's genius). While the original setting of Homecoming, the city of Basilica on the world of Harmony, is officially a Slavic matriarchy, the feel of the place remains pretty clearly Aramaic in nature, so even such atmospheric details are preserved. More notably, many of the events are the same, and even the names are retained in something like their original form. Where events or names are parallel, I will insert the equivalent from the Book of Mormon in parentheses.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><u> </u>After a detailed prologue outlining the geography, family dynamics, and naming conventions of Basilica, <u>The Memory of Earth</u> introduces the main character, Nafai (<i>Nephi)</i> the youngest son of Rasa (<i>Sariah</i>) and Volemak (<i>Lehi</i>), the patriarch or "Wetchik." Nafai is a highly intelligent boy in the mold of Card's other heroes, such as Ender, Bean, and Alvin. His brothers are the haughty Elemak (<i>Laman</i>), the brutish Mebbekew (<i>Lemuel</i>), and the kindly cripple Issib (<i>Sam</i>). Then one day their father witnesses a vision of Basilica on fire (1 Nephi 1:6) which had been sent from the Oversoul to warn him of Harmony's coming destruction, and to draw him and his family on a quest.<br />
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The Oversoul here is an artificial intelligence set up by the founders of Harmony to psychologically manipulate the inhabitants of the planet, to ensure it does not develop the technological capacity for self-annihilation. In the millions of years since that time, however, it has grown substantially weaker, and now must be restored to full health by returning to Earth. That is why it has called Volemak out of Basilica.<br />
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Most of this first novel is preoccupied in introducing the characters: most notably the water-seer Luet, whom Nafai detests but later comes to appreciate, and the Machiavellian demagogue Gaballufix (<i>Laban</i>), who conspires with Elemak and Mebbekew to discredit their mother and exile their father. After a particularly bloody "prayer" (corporal mortification), Nafai is chosen by the Oversoul to lead the people after his father's death (1 Nafai 2:16). Volemak himself is forced into a desert exile after Gaballufix conspires to kill him (1 Nephi 1:20).<br />
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Before traveling further, Volemak sends his four sons back into the city to retrieve the Index (the "brass plates" of 1 Naphi 3:3). Their initial attempt to barter for it fails, due to Nafai poor negotiating skills and Gaballufix's treachery (1 Nafai 3:22-25). The brothers are forced to flee, at which point Elemak rails against Nafai's childish self-importance (1 Nafai 3:26-28). A voice emanating from Issib's chair stops the older brothers from hurting Nafa and Issib, and orders them back to the city to find the Index (1 Nafai 3:29-30). Nafai returns to the city and stumbles across Gaballufix in a drunken stupor. Acting on the orders of the Oversoul, he kills him, disguises himself as Gaballufix, and deceives the man's steward Zdorab (<i>Zoram</i>) to bring him the Index (1 Nafai 4:5-26). He returns to the desert where Volemak has brought the extended family, including his stepdaughters Sevet and Kokor, their husbands Vas and Obring, and Rasa's students: Shedemei, Dolya, Eiadh, Luet and her sister Hushidh.<br />
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What is remarkable about Card's writing is how well he integrates the material from the Book of Mormon into a convincing science-fiction epic. It would be comparable to a traditional Christian adapting material from the book of Judges as a gritty crime drama, or 1 Samuel as a "Lord of the Rings"-style fantasy, or 1 Maccabees as a post-apocalyptic war movie. To simultaneously create a universe and present a decent story while doing justice to the source material is a truly staggering accomplishment. That isn't even counting Card's ordinary talent of letting us in on each character's motivation through his trademark rotating-perspectives style. We understand the individuals and the interpersonal dynamics, and can empathize with a person like Elemak even as we increasingly detest them.<br />
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On the whole, The Memory of Earth is a singularly impressive accomplishment, and a worthy introduction to the Homecoming series.<br />
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To purchase this book, check out Amazon.com:<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0812532597/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217153&creative=399349&creativeASIN=0812532597">The Memory of Earth (Homecoming: Volume 1)</a><img alt="" border="0" class=" isczillhbsshnyvbocyw" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=worofnot-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0812532597&camp=217153&creative=399349" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
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This was cross-posted on A Sacramental World.Alex Binzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00232551422932887547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8208633323271214428.post-472813010172322042011-06-07T09:32:00.000-07:002011-06-11T11:18:40.774-07:00Eusebius: The Church HistoryQuite simply, Eusebius of Caesarea is the Father of Church History. With the obvious exception of Luke, who gave us the book of Acts, Eusebius was the first person to construct a history of the early Christian church. Though there are rough patches and legitimate criticisms to be made, Eusbeius' work is an almost unprecedented boon to modern historians.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/082543307X/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217153&creative=399349&creativeASIN=082543307X"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3uA9H2OI2E_KpKrMmIVZk2WNbrpPHtD3nfl6PzqbQdHTdYRstDHeI0tJo6GwmYT9czoybxJ_ASDLCE6FOYglFEN092GXyvSfQ_BPBDdzZ92IMm4IOAd85RG1aammFuHcKBeO-cV_za2fk/s320/Eusebius+Church+History.jpg" width="202" /></a></div><br />
Eusebius' method was far removed from modern historiography. Eusebius did not attempt to reconstruct history from statistical data or from interpolating between multiple competing authorities. He did not have the luxury of either option. Rather, his method was to collate any and all texts from earlier authors, and present them in a largely uncritical and unedited fashion. His ten volumes of ecclesiastical history are thus a treasure-trove of primary-source documentation, many of which would have been lost forever to the dark reaches of antiquity if not for their inclusion by Eusebius.<br />
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Modern critics often cite Eusebius for a lack of objective historiography, but they forget that such a standard is quintessentially modern, unrelated to the classical discipline of writing history. Eusebius' goal, informed by the classical tradition of rhetoric, is to educate and persuade. Thus, much of his <u>History </u>is informed by explicitly theological content.<br />
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The first book in <u>The Church History </u>concerns the person and work of Jesus Christ. Most of the material expands or clarifies certain ambiguities in the Gospels, such as the genealogies and infant narratives. However, there is some startlingly original content, such as the inclusion of a written correspondence between Abgar the Toparch of Edessa and Jesus Himself.<br />
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The second book concerns the life and times of the Apostles. Eusebius writes from a distinctly Rome-centric perspective, and presents a good deal of surprising information: for instance, that Tiberius Caesar was informed of Jesus Christ by the reports of Pontius Pilate, and that the Roman Senate actually held a vote on whether or not to recognize Jesus as a (small-g) god. Eusebius quotes extensively wrote Flavius Josephus, the famous Jewish historian. He also presents a good deal of information about the persecutions under Nero, and the martyrdom of the early apostles, culminating with James the brother of Christ.<br />
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The third book begins by recounting the martyrdom of Peter and Paul in Rome and the establishment of the Papacy (Linus being the first bishop of Rome and successor of St. Peter). Eusebius also discusses the development of the New Testament Scriptures, beginning the two general epistles ascribed to Peter and the fourteen letters of Paul. Eusebius also speaks of the books of Luke, both the Gospel and the Acts, and mentions in passing that "Paul was actually in the habit of referring to Luke's Gospel whenever he used the phrase 'according to my gospel,'" because the two were traveling companions. This book also contains content on the tribulation in Jerusalem and Judea, the life of St. John in Ephesus, the origin of Christian heresies and heretical writings, and the beginnings of the Apostolic Tradition.<br />
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The fourth book covers the period between the coronation of Alexander, fifth bishop of Rome, and the death of Soter, eleventh bishop of Rome (coinciding with the period between the imperial reigns of Trajan and Marcus Aurelius). This book is mostly occupied with relating the life and writings of certain bishops and defenders of the faith, notably Polycarp, Justin (the Martyr), and Melito of Sardis.<br />
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The fifth book begins with an extensive quote from a letter sent from Gaul (specifically Lyons and Vienne) to the churches of Asia Minor, regarding the martyrdom of the Gallic Christians. This section also mentions the legendary Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, and Apolinarius, the "Phrygian heresy" of Montantism, and some disputes on the Church calendar, particularly the celebration of Easter.<br />
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The sixth book is almost entirely occupied with the character of Origen, the larger-than-life exegete and apologist of Alexandria. Origen's reputation had fallen far by the time of Eusebius. Certain of Origen's theological propositions had been condemned as anathema in later Church councils, which had given rise to a popular belief that Origen was an untrustworthy and even heretical writer. Eusebius sought to rehabilitate Origen and establish the centrality and vitality of his work in the Alexandrian school. In my mind, this section is probably the highlight of <u>The Church History</u>.<br />
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The seventh book quotes extensively from the letters of Dionysius, bishop of Alexandria, and covers the period between the imperial reign of Gallus and Diocletian (251 - c. 305 AD). This section particularly concerns the development of heresies in the Christian community, There are also brief mentions of a statue in Caesarea Philippi that accurately resembled the features of Jesus Christ, and the throne of St. James in Jerusalem that was the first seat of the Apostolic Church. This section also introduces the apologist Malchion and the heretic Mani, the latter of whom inspired the still-powerful Manichean gnostic tradition.<br />
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The eighth book is the first to deal with events contemporary to Eusebius himself. This section is largely concerned with the ongoing persecution and spate of martyrdoms, and with the quasi-miraculous triumph of the Church's continuous growth. This eighth book is also the most directly political portion of <u>The Church History</u>, treating the schism between the administration of the Western and Eastern Roman Empire, and the establishment of the dual roles of Augustus (high Emperor) and Caesar (subordinate and presumed successor). Thus, there were four distinct rulers during this period, the most famous of which was Constantine, son of the Western Caesar who would become the Western Augustus and eventually unite both halves of the Empire.<br />
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The ninth book covers the last hurrah of the pagan emperors and the death-knell of the ongoing Roman persecution. Constantine allied himself with Licinius, Eastern Augustus, against the revolting Caesars Maxentius and Maximin. On the eve of the battle of Milvian Bridge, Constantine placed himself under the aegis of Chrisitanity. According to Lactantius, he had received a vision of a superimposed <i>chi </i>and <i>rho</i> (the first two letters of Jesus' name) and heard a voice tell him <i>In hoc signo vinces</i>: "By this sign, you conquer." Constantine's triumph at Milvian Bridge ended the civil war and gave Constantine's reign a secure footing, and his pro-Christians sympathies ensured the end of pagan oppression and a much more favorable climate of toleration for Christians.<br />
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The tenth book is a rather cloying ballad of praise for Constantine, hagiographic rather than historical in tone. In this section Eusebius employs the panegyric form, the equivalent of an uncritical funeral oration for a person still alive. While the literary style is almost entirely foreign and quite off-putting to modern readers, we must admit that Eusebius had just cause for celebration. The Church had faced a horrific and perpetual persecution under Roman Emperors since the reign of Nero. While the tension between the pagans and Christians would not dissipate in a day, Constantine's reforms ensured a general acceptance of the Christian faith and permitted its more rapid dissemination.<br />
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The particular edition I read was something of a mixed bag. The translation by Paul L. Maier was serviceable but unspectacular, more notable for redacting redundancies than for elegance of style. On the other hand, the marginal and end-of-chapter notes are quite helpful in presenting a modern side-bar on Eusebius' classical sensibilities. In the end, though, it hardly matters. Eusebius' <u>Church History</u> is a landmark of classical history, comparable to the works of Herodotus, Josephus, and Livy in importance. I strongly encourage anyone interested in history, particularly of Christianity, to check out a copy.<br />
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To purchase this book, check out Amazon.com:<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/082543307X/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217153&creative=399349&creativeASIN=082543307X">Eusebius: The Church History</a><img alt="" border="0" class=" isczillhbsshnyvbocyw isczillhbsshnyvbocyw" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=worofnot-20&l=as2&o=1&a=082543307X&camp=217153&creative=399349" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
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This was cross-posted on my theology blog, <a href="http://sacramentalworld.blogspot.com/2011/06/eusebius-church-history.html">A Sacramental World</a>.Alex Binzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00232551422932887547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8208633323271214428.post-25765761067630476442011-05-16T09:34:00.000-07:002011-06-11T13:11:14.758-07:00Rodney Stark: Cities of GodMostly on a whim, I picked out another of his books, "Cities of God," on the urbanization of the early Christian church. The subtitle of the book reads: "The Real Story of How Christianity Became an Urban Movement and Conquered Rome." I'm guessing Stark wasn't responsible for the subtitle, because his thesis is 1) Christianity began as an urban movement, and 2) Christianity didn't conquer anything. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061349887/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399353&creativeASIN=0061349887"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGdI3cAPiMiYspQrhjqgk6oua7Oe_fff4KkkRnXXrNqevcZrQ73aM1yOlqJY1t5cvvjLiG5aE5RYFVbqdXwZcuGhkv1ELv7y-ikXc1NlCgGY1x2AJMo96XYsafEKU74mEOpFAxmQ1TKtvm/s320/Cities+of+God.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><br />
Rodney Stark is a professor of Baylor University who specializes in the history and sociology of religion. He is best known as the author of "The Victory of Reason: How Christianity Led to Freedom, Capitalism, and Western Success," which is an unabashed defense of the Middle Ages as an deeply rational era. In "Cities of God," he tackles the question of Christianity's early spread, grounded in a statistical-sociological perspective.<br />
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Because the Roman Empire was moved primarily its urban centers, Stark limits his analysis to the thirty-three major cities with populations of 30,000 or more. He relies on statistical analysis to demonstrate that the spread of early Christian church wasn't driven primarily by mass conversions or even by the extraordinary work of the apostles (in contrast to early church historians like Eusebius), nor by violent anti-pagan riots under Constantine (in contrast to modern historians like Gibbons). Rather, Stark shows how the early Church grew at a gradual exponential rate, spreading along existing lines of social connectedness among the urban centers. Thus, he finds strong correlations between early Christian presence and the presence of Jewish populations and synagogues from the Diaspora. He also finds that the early Church was more likely to spread to Hellenic cities, as well as port cities around the Mediterranean, both of which comport nicely with historical expectation.<br />
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Stark uses the same data and statistical techniques for a number of other incidental claims. He argues that the early Christian faith was preceded in many of these urban centers by other "oriental" religions, particularly the cults of Cybele and Isis. He maintain a sharp distinction between these pagan faiths and Christian monotheism, but also demonstrates how the worship of Cybele and Isis predisposed Hellenic audiences towards accepting a One True God and thereby towards accepting the monotheistic claims of Christianity. Stark also argues that Paul's primary role was in traveling among existing congregations to encourage and exhort (and thus he was more of a conventional apostle than a pure evangelist), and that Paul's most effective outreach was not to the Gentiles but to the Hellenized Jews of the Diaspora. Both of these claims may be controversial, but I found his arguments compelling.<br />
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More pointedly against his brethren in the historical sciences, Stark makes a strong case against treating the Gnostics as preservation of "true Christianity," or even as a primarily "Christian" tradition in the first place. Drawing from similar sources of evidence, Stark demonstrates that most Gnostic "movements" were isolated intellectual heresies, and their spread was not organic (along known lines of sea travel, for instance), but among existing pagan communities. This chapter is probably the most relevant for modern historians, and the most effective in conveying the profound esoteric weirdness of much Gnostic thought. Stark also points out the general uselessness of "Gnosticism" as a category, and suggests more precise distinctions (such as "Demiurgism") for historical reference.<br />
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I personally enjoyed the final chapter ("The Last Days of Paganism") the most. It serves as a refreshing antidote both to the anti-Constantine fervor that grips the popular understanding of the period, thanks to Edward Gibbons' landmark (and famously anti-Christian) tome "Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire." Stark's research further demolishes the hagiography surrounding Julian the Apostate, the last pagan Emperor who instigated anti-Christian riots and disrupted the uneasy peace that had been forged by Constantine. Stark also examines the Mithraic cult, concluding that it was a very minor phenomenon mostly limited to low-level frontier soldiers, and that its importance is grossly exaggerated by modern anti-Christian writers. Lastly, this chapter attempts to show that, despite the occasional imperial proclamation forbidding pagan rites, paganism declined gradually and enjoyed remarkable tolerance among the rising Christian elite.<br />
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I am not a professional historian, so I'm not in a position to offer a critique of "Cities of God." As an amateur social scientist, I'm not as convinced by his insistence that the historical sciences require a statistical foundation. All that same, Stark does show how such analysis could be useful and might drive historical discovery. In terms of the content, however, I found both Stark's analysis and conclusions to be insightful and thought-provoking. For anyone interested in the history of the early church, this work is highly recommended.<br />
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This was cross-posted at <a href="http://sacramentalworld.blogspot.com/2011/05/book-review-cities-of-god.html">A Sacramental World</a>.<br />
<br />
To purchase this book, check out Amazon.com:<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061349887/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399353&creativeASIN=0061349887">Cities of God: The Real Story of How Christianity Became an Urban Movement and Conquered Rome</a><img alt="" border="0" class=" kjraqxnbmeggpnjndvwb kjraqxnbmeggpnjndvwb cckcysfprbtyhjmmxpss" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=worofnot-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0061349887&camp=217145&creative=399349" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><label id="showTextCategoryLinkPreview_l1"> (See all </label><a href="http://www.amazon.com/General-Religion-Spirituality-Books/b/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399357&creativeASIN=0061349887&ie=UTF8&node=12504">Religion & Spirituality Books</a>)<img alt="" border="0" class=" kjraqxnbmeggpnjndvwb kjraqxnbmeggpnjndvwb cckcysfprbtyhjmmxpss" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=worofnot-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0061349887&camp=217145&creative=399357" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />Alex Binzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00232551422932887547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8208633323271214428.post-18614379447075645732011-05-13T10:52:00.000-07:002011-06-11T11:18:40.780-07:00I Confess (1953)Wow.<br />
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"I Confess" is widely regarded as a mediocre entry in the Hitchcock canon. Certainly, in terms of the artistry and technical ingenuity, this film cannot compare to the greatest of Alfred Hitchcock's <i>oeuvre</i>. Even so, the film wrestles with issues of truth, morality, honor and the Catholic practice of faith in an almost unprecedented manner. "I Confess" may be my favorite out of all the films of Hitchcock.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002HOEQM/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399353&creativeASIN=B0002HOEQM"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd1ZmEfrZJBLVLELSd5a6jvqHQF4pIB2oDXwUp5opfYrfoILmPu9v3jbQFuiwDNi6rmtEELD-r4TNAB-HoZuXLg5YsnV8mn_7T18PyOa1DEprv57ym7fdTKPno_w_2g3JDTdzrJ4Bkw2uq/s320/I-confess.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
The premise is simple enough: a man is murdered and a priest hears the murderer's confession. Under Catholic canon law, a priest is barred from revealing any information disclosed under the seal of confession. To my knowledge, this prohibition covers all confessions, even those that involve a crime... and even if the priest himself is suspected for that crime.<br />
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Thus, when the rectory housekeeper Otto Kellar confesses to Father Logan that he murdered the lawyer Villette during an attempted burglary, the priest is unable to speak the truth to the police. But the paranoiac Kellar begins fabricating evidence against Logan, who soon becomes the chief suspect. Moreover, Father Logan is found to have a strong motive: he was being blackmailed by Villette for an alleged tryst with his (now married) childhood sweetheart Ruth. Logan is slowly but surely ensnared by the wheels of justice.<br />
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The premise is so fraught with tension that it has been recycled with numbing regularity on procedurals like "Law & Order." But we cannot blame others for mining a plot of such narrative richness. Nor ought it diminish our appreciation for the film, which was one of the first and certainly the best to treat the subject.<br />
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To our modern jaundiced eyes, many classic plots of film and literature will seem hackneyed, but I think we can and we ought to appreciate the original masterpiece that made them clichés in the first place. Beaumarchais' "The Marriage of Figaro" is one of the finest products of French theatre and the source material for one of the great operas ever composed. Can we blame it for servicing as a boilerplate for many modern soap operas as well? The same applies to Homer's "Odyssey" and the road movie, "Romeo and Juliet" and the romantic tragedy, and "The Scarlet Pimpernel" and every superhero story ever made. We cannot blame the great artists merely for inspiring artists of lower caliber.<br />
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"I Confess" succeeds as a moral drama. Indeed, it might even be seen as an allegory. Father Logan is treated almost as a messianic figure, looking out for the good of everyone without consideration of the cost to himself. Despite Kellar's persistent accusations and denigrations, Logan does not break the seal of confession. Even under oath, when asked directly about Kellar's testimony, he merely responds "I cannot say." He takes upon himself the full burden of Kellar's sin, as well as the improprieties of Ruth's conduct. By the penultimate scene, as Christ faced the scorn of the mobs before his crucifixion, Logan is judged guilty by the mob outside the courthouse.<br />
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The original script was heavily amended under the Hay's Code. On the one hand, Hitchcock had intended to complete the messianic allegory, by depicting Logan's execution for Kellar's crime. On the other hand, he also sought to humanize Logan by including an illegitimate child from a liaison with Ruth. Both of these elements were removed from the final cut. The messianic allegory remains intact, the two script edits balancing each other out, but it certainly makes for an intriguing "what if?"<br />
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This film clearly reveals Hitchcock's keen grasp of suspense. While the cinematography of this film is not as flashy as some of his others, Hitchcock still incorporated many of the techniques that made his other films so effective. The casting is another highlight. Montgomery Clift's performance as the methodically minded priest is probably the best part of "I Confess." Hitchcock was reportedly flummoxed by Clift's technique of method acting, but it works wonders for this film. Logan's silence speaks more volumes than any more demonstrative performance could have conveyed.<br />
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As entertainment, "I Confess" is gold. As a study in psychology, the film is positively insightful. Kellar's slow descent from guilt-ridden confession to full-blown paranoia is a wonder to behold. The lead detective, Inspector Larrue, experiences a similar descent into suspicion, though his fall is perhaps more justifiable and certainly more professional. Kellar is motivated primarily by fear that Logan will break the seal of confession -- as a bad man himself, he cannot even imagine that other men might be virtuous. His persistent accusations against Logan culminates in bitter though misplaced vindication when he believes Logan had at last betrayed him. We despise him, not with the enmity reserved for true men, but almost with a sort of pity reserved for lesser creatures. He is somehow less substantial, less real, than the other characters. If we were to borrow a phrase from C.S. Lewis and call him a "Hollow Man," I'm not sure we'd be far off the mark. <br />
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To purchase this film, check out Amazon.com:<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002HOEQM/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399353&creativeASIN=B0002HOEQM">I Confess</a><img alt="" border="0" class=" kjraqxnbmeggpnjndvwb" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=worofnot-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0002HOEQM&camp=217145&creative=399349" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><label id="showTextCategoryLinkPreview_l1"> (See all </label><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Classics-Mystery-Suspense-DVD/b/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399357&creativeASIN=B0002HOEQM&ie=UTF8&node=898096">Mystery & Suspense Classics Movies & TV</a>)<img alt="" border="0" class=" kjraqxnbmeggpnjndvwb" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=worofnot-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0002HOEQM&camp=217145&creative=399357" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
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Hat-tip to <a href="http://seeingsepia.blogspot.com/2011/05/i-confess-1953.html">Seeing Sepia</a>, a blog of classic film and book reviews.<br />
This was cross-posted at <a href="http://sacramentalworld.blogspot.com/2011/05/film-review-i-confess.html">A Sacramental World</a>.Alex Binzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00232551422932887547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8208633323271214428.post-75503986820439102412011-05-10T14:59:00.000-07:002011-06-11T11:18:40.784-07:00Thor (2011)Ye gods. Now <i>that</i> was a popcorn movie. "Thor" is not a ground-breaking film: it is neither at the vanguard nor the pinnacle of a cinematic genre. It is exactly what it set out to be: an origin story for a superhero, a bridge between the science-fiction and the fantasy elements of the Marvel universe, and a film-length teaser for the coming 2012 blockbuster "The Avengers." Above all, it is an exceptionally entertaining example of sheer spectacle.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rated PG-13 for stylized violence. This may be the mildest PG-13 I've ever seen.</td></tr>
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"Thor" begins with Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), a film-scientist with a specialization in atmospheric astrophysics. Please, don't ask. Along with her hapless political-science intern Darcy (Kat Dennings) and her bemused mentor Eric Selvig (Stellan Skarsgård), Jane is in hot pursuit of an Einsten-Rosen Tornado, because apparently wormholes look like giant wind funnels. When they finally see one developing, they drive straight into the cloud and nearly run over a man.<br />
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From this <i>in media res</i> opening, we are launched into another world, the immortal city of Asgard. Odin (Anthony Hopkins) narrates to his sons Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Loki (Tom Hiddleston) a brief history of the wars between Asgard and Jotunheim, and the defeat of the Frost Giants. Skip forward several years to Thor's coronation as Odin's successor, and we see that Frost Giants have penetrated Asgard's outer defenses and found their way into the Weapon's Vault to retrieve their lost spoils of war. Thor, outraged, summons his friends Sif (Jamie Alexander) and the Warriors Three for a reckless attack on Jotunheim itself. But Odin had forbidden this expedition, and had banished Thor to Earth to learn humility.<br />
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The next several sequences depict Thor getting used to life as a mortal. It seems there is a contractual obligation for reviewers of this movie to use the phrase "fish out of water" at least once, but I am a rebel at heart: I shall not mention the phrase, not even by oblique paralipsis.<br />
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It turns out that Thor's hammer, Mjolner, has also fallen to earth, and is now in the hands of Shield Agent Coulson (or, as Thor prefers it, "son of Coul"). Chris Hemsworth is generally hilarious as the deadpan Thor, especially with such lines as "I require sustenance!" or "I need a horse!" There is a delightful Shakespearean vibe to the film, thanks to the director Kenneth Branagh (himself the veteran of "Much Ado About Nothing," Hamlet," and other classic adaptations). Incidentally, some critics found fault with the rushed romance between Thor and Jane, but I wasn't bothered. While these sequences could have used a more leisurely pace, as well as the steady hand of a more experienced rom-com director, but I found that the Shakespearean culture of Asgard and of Thor generally resolves many of these issues.<br />
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The film follows a standard Hero's Journey -- Thor is tested by his inability to retrieve the hammer, until he finally learns the lesson Odin sought to teach him, regains his power, and saves the world. Along the way, we encounter love, rainbow bridges, dastardly plots, a new villain, his impressive "henchman," mortal peril, self-sacrifice, and awesome special effects.<br />
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The film ends on an open cadence. The credits tell us "Thor will return in The Avengers," and the post-credits scene hint at the plot for that film, but Loki is missing and Thor is stuck in Asgard. It will be interesting to see how The Avengers bridges that gap, since Thor is one of the founding members of the team and must be present early on. But I digress.<br />
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"Thor" is the first film for the 2011 summer season, and truly it is a worthy herald. After so long a hiatus, films are starting to feel like decent entertainment again.<br />
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To pre-order this film, check out Amazon.com:<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0034G4P80/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217153&creative=399701&creativeASIN=B0034G4P80">Thor (2011), dir. Kenneth Branagh</a><img alt="" border="0" class=" isczillhbsshnyvbocyw isczillhbsshnyvbocyw isczillhbsshnyvbocyw" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=worofnot-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0034G4P80&camp=217153&creative=399701" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
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Many thanks to <a href="http://www.thehomescholar.com/blog/interested-movie-thor-study-norse-mythology-homeschool-2/6178/">The HomeScholar blog</a> for the link!Alex Binzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00232551422932887547noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8208633323271214428.post-36312728878267655872011-05-04T09:49:00.000-07:002011-06-11T11:18:40.788-07:00The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005)Part courtroom drama, part horror flick, and part biopic (inspired by the true story of Anneliese Michel), "the Exorcism of Emily Rose" is one of the few demonic-possession themed films that's actually worth watching. <br />
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Ever since Linda Blair freaked the living daylights out of audiences in the 1973 film "The Exorcist," films based on demonic possession have been a staple of the horror genre. Most of these films are content to rely on cheap thrills and special effects (contorted mannequins, "pea soup" projectile vomit, creative sound editing, etc.) It is a rare film that invests itself in the ideas behind the stories and takes the underlying doctrine seriously. "The Exorcism of Emily Rose" is such a film.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BTJDG2/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=B000BTJDG2" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWfIbAcmR_NJgEqQWLjq1-ZiIfMr9EDZJgS6a2aD1DyE2hWYRhmflIDSnMs9Mj2TZbSKHO_HlxJuEVuDmeeiQP4VsnRxukMOyg1v8Z4ikuy7_4p9aS_HpgDLjrvSUtcQPSKfMRYE5-zLQl/s320/Exorcism+of+Emily+Rose.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rated PG-13 for intense sequences and disturbing images. This film is not for kids.</td></tr>
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The story was inspired by the life of Anneliese Michel, a German Catholic woman who was believed to be demonically possessed. Her first experiences with this began in 1969, when she was 17. She continued to exhibit troubling behavior until 1975, when a close family friend noticed her behavior while on a pilgrimage to an unofficial holy site. In particular, this friend noticed that Anneliese was unable to walk past an icon of Jesus Christ or drink holy water, and began to suspect demonic involvement. She notified the local priests, who examined her and concluded (after consulting with their bishop) that it was demonic possession. The exorcism continued for nearly 70 sessions over ten months. In the end, Anneliese died of malnutrition, and the priests (along with her parents) were tried and convicted of negligent homicide.<br />
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"The Exorcism of Emily Rose" advertised itself as being "based on a true story," and it has the audacity to take its own claim to heart. Many of the details are changed (the possession was of shorter duration, only one priest conducted the exorcism) but the skeleton of the plot remains. Emily Rose is a devout Catholic who begins to suffer seizures and hallucinations. She is diagnosed with epileptic psychosis and psychotropic drugs are prescribed, to no avail. The priest is ultimately convinced she is possessed, and Emily is persuaded to stop taking the drugs and rely on the rite of exorcism exclusively. A single exorcism is attempted, but is not repeated. Emily dies, the priest is arrested.<br />
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The film itself is less of a horror film and more of a courtroom drama. The events above are related through flashbacks, while the primary narrative is the trial that followed. This is an effective narrative device, not only for underpinning the surreal trauma of the possession but also for unpacking the ideas and arguments in the debate. This debate is also well served by making the skeptical prosecutor a member of the Methodist Church, while the defense attorney who defends the priest is agnostic.<br />
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The acting is generally top-notch. Jennifer Carpenter's performance as Emily Rose is quite impressive, relying more on physical performance than special effects. Tom Wilkinson breathes the simplicity and sincerity of the priest, while Laura Linney offers a more involved performance as the defense attorney.<br />
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There are weak spots. Though Carpenter's performance is stellar, the film does rely on a number of cheap thrills (with cheap CGI) as fall-backs. The obligatory rousing speech by Laura Linney can boast of decent delivery, but the content is legitimately disappointing. At heart, it is an argument for faith on the basis of post-modern epistemic doubt -- it may work in a courtroom setting, but in the realm of ideas it is quite a downer.<br />
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On the whole, however, I greatly enjoyed the film. It takes seriously its source material, and particularly the doctrines that are on display. The film does not resort to simple answers, and at times mocks (or at least wryly points out) the <i>ad hoc </i>nature of the medical diagnosis offered by the prosecution. The Catholic priest is treated with respect (rather than open ridicule), and the film deliberately leaves itself open to the possibility of the supernatural. Finally, the verdict delivered by the jury is quite admirable as well, in balancing the demands of justice and mercy.<br />
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There are better courtroom dramas than "The Exorcism of Emily Rose," and there may be better exorcism-themed horror films. But rarely does a film so effectively mix such disparate genres, and give a platform to a honest argument on an idea's merits. This is the rare film that entertains while making you think, and for that I was thoroughly impressed.<br />
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To purchase this film, check out Amazon.com:<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BTJDG2/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=B000BTJDG2">The Exorcism of Emily Rose (Special Edition)</a><img alt="" border="0" class=" zejcurpdazemaahbvryq zejcurpdazemaahbvryq zejcurpdazemaahbvryq ovkkpduwqpprlpgtwbie tghbjkokeaauqnmlkujh tghbjkokeaauqnmlkujh" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=worofnot-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B000BTJDG2&camp=217145&creative=399349" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />Alex Binzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00232551422932887547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8208633323271214428.post-52276097761909368622011-05-02T09:54:00.000-07:002011-06-11T11:18:40.790-07:00North and South (2004)"North and South" is a miniseries produced by the BBC, adapting the 1855 novel by Elizabeth Gaskett. Initially released with low expectations, it quickly won both an audience and a place in the pantheon of great costume dramas. It certainly deserves its accolades, though I can't help but feel it receives them for the wrong reasons.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000AYEL6U/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399353&creativeASIN=B000AYEL6U"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsHxsFoZtw17tH9F9NeFdLmncXV0K22Jsmn7FfM96byCCZPB-baim9Y7tarDz8qSikmpkKZVbcrzZxyrZqX1Mg4gxkkNcWHUi7bfw7Fky5HnF0a6V2IzMqiy0IYmsmPYAg5KiWG6spSaDw/s320/northandsouth-01.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br />
As a love story, "North and South" is stellar, though it does seem to tread the same ground as "Pride and Prejudice." Margaret Hale is a clergyman's daughter, a young lady raised in the refined and insular South. But her father begins to question his faith, leaves the parish, and settles as a teacher in the industrial North. It is there that Margaret meets her One True Love: John Thorton, the owner of a cotton mill. She detests him immediately. He obliges by returning the favor. She thinks he's proud; he thinks she's prejudiced. But fate is an unscrupulous fellow, and besides, the crazy kids can hardly keep their eyes off each other.<br />
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Like its fellows in the BBC pantheon, this miniseries made me want to read the original novel. I cannot compare the adaptation against the original, but the screenplay stands on its own merits. Like a Jane Austen novel, each character is invested with enough subtle humanity that we understand the motivations of virtually everyone on screen. We even understand Thornton's mother, who disapproves of any match between her son and Margaret, and is therefore the closest thing in the miniseries to a true nemesis. Certainly, some characters behave less than rationally -- such as Thornton's spoiled sister Fanny, or the union worker Boucher who is driven to violence out of a desperate need to feed his children. But we still understand their reasons, and the few whose motivations are left unclear are tangential to the main plot. The subtleties of the characters are at least as surely due to the casting as to the script. Daniela Denby-Ashe carries the film as Margaret, while the supporting cast is just stellar. Anna Maxwell Martin was so effective as Higgin's daughter Bessie that she was given the lead in BBC's adaptation of "Bleak House" (<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2010/07/charles-dickens-bleak-house-bbc.html">reviewed here</a>) a few years later. Likewise, Richard Armitage made his career from this performance, for he did capture the "quintessence of Darcy" in his portrayal as the smoldering Thornton. <br />
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"North and South" may be a charming love story, but its true excellence lies in something else entirely: namely, its treatment of economics. Normally, a period piece set in industrial England would rely on the easy Marxist caricature of factory owners as fat hogs living off the sweat of others. Indeed, we identify ourselves with the female lead, Margaret, who hails form the pre-industrial South and shares our distaste for the factories. But in the novel she falls in love with a romantic hero who is himself one of those despised captains of industry. Unless the screenwriters wanted to lobotomize the original novel entirely, they had to find some way of making such a character palatable. Thus, partly out of necessity, the miniseries was obliged to present the Industrial Revolution from the point of view of the industrialist, and thus engage with real economic history.<br />
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Margaret Hale grew up within the highly stratified society of a pre-industrial South. This is why, when they first meet, she assumes that John Thornton was born into wealth. On the contrary, she learns that he was born into the working class, and won his fortune thanks to his canny business sense. Ironically, we share Margaret's assumptions, even though we live in post-industrial society. We fail to realize that the Industrial Revolution was, in the context of its time, a period of almost unparalleled social mobility <br />
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Unlike many cinematic businessman, John Thornton almost seems to understand business. At one point he purchases a wheel to ventilate the factory floor, by reasoning that "if my workers are healthier, they live longer and I profit more from their labor." Even though the miniseries doesn't explain further, this should help us realize an almost universally misunderstood truth. Early working conditions were so abysmal not because the factory owners were cruel, but because the owners were (by modern standards) quite poor. They simply couldn't afford to the immediate overhead costs, even when they would profit from better conditions long-term.<br />
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At the center of the miniseries is the strike orchestrated by labor leader Nicholas Higgins, in petition for better wages. Through the eyes of Margaret Hale, we are clearly shown the reality of their working conditions, both the sickness and starvation in the urban slums. Yet we also see the economic reality of the industrialists: if the cotton mills are not profitable, the factory will shut down and everyone will lose their jobs. John Thornton behaves cruelly towards the strikes out of this sense of necessity, for their actions were imperiling their own livelihoods. At one point, he chastens Margaret for bringing food to the starving strikers, because her charity would only perpetuate the strike and increase future unemployment. Indeed, when the strike finally does end, we realize that his concerns were justified. The cotton mill goes into default, unable to make up for lost time in settling old accounts. The strikers had effectively shot themselves in the foot, by demanding wages that could not be sustained by the profit margin of the cotton mills.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000AYEL6U/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399353&creativeASIN=B000AYEL6U"><img border="0" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgivjTtC39TDDCCEaRNG0WftyEjEg4XHf4wvkArrg3R3-YaQYGPt_1FL7c14IaR7eLNDkXAabgOazBuQwjx36G2suM2JQIqZWir4SXYG60r1-UQt3lPEG1vrsoa2yhp5XxBiG64ASQ5HG7c/s320/northandsouth-02.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
This prospective tragedy is resolved by a satisfying (if equally ironic) third-act development. For most of the series, Margaret Hale was the epitome of a pre-industrial aristocratic class that disdained manufacturers and capitalists. But when her father and godfather die, successively, she inherits a considerable fortune, including the land on which Thornton's factory is situated. But then she is told by her cousin/accountant that she had made money by speculation, she expresses her displeasure: "Why, I had rather earn it honestly and put it to good use." Yet, almost in the very next scene, she offers to loan a large sum of money to John Thornton, helping him save his factory while earning herself a considerable rate of interest. She may protest that speculation is immoral, but doesn't hesitate to speculate (that is, invest) in actual practice. Perhaps she realizes that speculation might not be the root of all evil, that capitalism can be a highly moral endeavor, that money might make money after all. <br />
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As an adaptation of Gaskett's novel, "North and South" succeeds -- indeed, thanks to this miniseries, Gaskett's works have undergone something of a revival in popularity. Simply as a story, and specifically as a love story, "North and South" succeeds as well. Yet nowhere is its excellence in such evidence, as in its exploration of the social reality of industrial England. I have yet to see its equal. "North and South" is a truer glimpse into industrial England than any movie or miniseries I have ever seen, and for that I give this econ rom-com all the praise I can afford.<br />
<br />
To purchase this miniseries, check out Amazon.com:<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000AYEL6U/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399353&creativeASIN=B000AYEL6U">North & South</a><img alt="" border="0" class=" ovkkpduwqpprlpgtwbie tghbjkokeaauqnmlkujh tghbjkokeaauqnmlkujh" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=worofnot-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B000AYEL6U&camp=217145&creative=399349" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><label id="showTextCategoryLinkPreview_l1"> (See all </label><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Miniseries-Television-DVD/b/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399357&creativeASIN=B000AYEL6U&ie=UTF8&node=595096">Miniseries On TV</a>)<img alt="" border="0" class=" ovkkpduwqpprlpgtwbie tghbjkokeaauqnmlkujh tghbjkokeaauqnmlkujh" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=worofnot-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B000AYEL6U&camp=217145&creative=399357" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />Alex Binzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00232551422932887547noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8208633323271214428.post-88973202056356600592011-04-30T11:29:00.000-07:002011-06-11T11:18:40.794-07:00Orson Scott Card MonthWorthy of Note is celebrating April 2011 as Orson Scott Card month. There's no particular rhyme or reason to it: I just found that I had read a number of his works recently, so there were quite a few of those reviews still in the pipeline. At the end of the month, I will populate this list with links to their respective reviews, and continue updating this page after other reviews that might follow. Enjoy the series!<br />
<br />
The Ender Saga<br />
<blockquote><a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2010/08/orson-scott-card-enders-game.html">Ender's Game</a> (13 Aug. 2010)<br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2010/09/orson-scott-card-ender-in-exile.html">Ender in Exile</a> (23 Sept. 2010)<br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/orson-scott-card-speaker-for-dead.html">Speaker for the Dead</a> (8 Apr. 2011)<br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/orson-scott-card-xenocide.html">Xenocide</a> (9 Apr. 2011)<br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/orson-scott-card-children-of-mind.html">Children of the Mind</a> (11 Apr. 2011)<br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/orson-scott-card-enders-shadow.html">Ender's Shadow</a> (15 Apr. 2011)<br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/orson-scott-card-shadow-of-hegemon.html">Shadow of the Hegemon</a> (19 Apr. 2011)<br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/shadow-puppets-by-orson-scott-card.html">Shadow Puppets</a> (25 Apr. 2011)<br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/shadow-of-giant-by-orson-scott-card.html">Shadow of the Giant</a> (29 Apr. 2011)</blockquote>The Tales of Alvin Maker:<br />
<blockquote><a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/orson-scott-card-seventh-son.html">Seventh Son</a> (14 Apr. 2011)<br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/orson-scott-card-red-prophet.html">Red Prophet</a> (16 Apr. 2011)<br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/orson-scott-card-prentice-alvin.html">Prentice Alvin</a> (20 Apr. 2011)<br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/orson-scott-card-alvin-journeyman.html">Alvin Journeyman</a> (21 Apr. 2011)<br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/orson-scott-card-heartfire.html">Heartfire</a> (26 Apr. 2011)<br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/orson-scott-card-crystal-city.html">The Crystal City</a> (27 Apr. 2011)</blockquote>Other Works<br />
<blockquote><a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/01/orson-scott-card-enchantment.html">Enchantment </a>(17 Jan. 2011)<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/orson-scott-card-pathfinder.html"><br />
Pathfinder</a> (12 Apr. 2011)<br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/orson-scott-card-lost-gate.html">The Lost Gate</a> (30 Apr. 2011)</blockquote><blockquote></blockquote>[Originally published 8 Apr. 2011]<br />
[Updated and reposted 30 Apr. 2011]Alex Binzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00232551422932887547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8208633323271214428.post-78806877288174781142011-04-30T09:25:00.000-07:002011-06-11T11:18:40.796-07:00Orson Scott Card: The Lost GateI'm not sure there's a more fitting conclusion to this blog's month-long celebration of Orson Scott Card than a review of his latest work, "The Lost Gate." It is more than a spectacular stand-alone story in his already impressive bibliography. It introduces the new world of Westil and Mittlegard, and launches the new "Mithermages" series. It is a story that has languished in Card's private thoughts (what Hollywood execs might call 'development hell') since 1977, the year that Card's short story "Ender's Game" was first published in the Analog Science Fact and Fiction magazine. The world of Mithermages may be the most fully realized world Card has yet crafted, and for that reason I highly recommend "The Lost Gate."<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0765326574/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399353&creativeASIN=0765326574"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCpoo_rYK_XSGF-xCv_NH2DM-LpblT46ns-gI2fUengfmOhwm4Olpen3Hc4AOWdxwbKxPhU4VIlk97zIpwT4J3htflmrM87VGS4hIbNzWXxXULRsia0JkMIn5L2HaRs0Wsja6J8V2pLl73/s320/the+lost+gate.jpg" width="199" /></a></div><br />
The novel begins in a small compound in Virginia, where the young god Danny has begun to wonder if he's really a god at all. Danny is a North, one of the many families that came to Earth long ago from the land of Westil and became the basis for all the legends and myths of ancient gods. But the 'Great Gate' that connected them to Westil was severed, and the blood of the families has diminished in power. Danny has no skill with animals or elements. He doesn't even have a 'clant' or 'outself' that is the basis for other Westilians' power. Danny begins to fear he may be a <i>drekka</i>, a magic-less child, as worthless as the human drowthers who lack any awareness of magic at all. <br />
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Danny soon realizes, however, that his lack of aptitude in ordinary magery was actually a sign of far greater power than he anticipated. Danny is not a drekka, but a gatemage, master of space-time itself. This discovery puts him in grave danger, for the families have a pact to kill any new gatemages that are born. The last known gatemage was the one trapped the families of Westil on Mittlegard, by cutting off the Great Gate itself. Danny is forced to flee, and must learn to control his powers by trial and error among the drowthers of modern America.<br />
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The novel also presents a second storyline, taking place in the fairly medieval society of Westil and sharing many elements of a medieval-esque fairy tale. This story follows the unheroically-named Wad, an apparent amnesiac who is 'born' out of a tree and ultimately stumbles into the palace kitchen. He soon finds himself involved in an engaging cloak-and-dagger game of palace intrigue and romance. Like the secondary segments from "Pathfinder," this storyline is both well integrated into the primary plot and distinct enough to be almost an entirely different genre. <br />
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Fantasy novels succeed and fail on a single criteria: world-building. Plot and characters are necessary, but these do not define a work, nor are they the primary basis for judgment. The landmark "Lord of the Rings" trilogy is defined neither by its fairly straightforward dual "Hero's Journey" narratives, nor by its cast of characters, however fascinating and well drawn. Rather, the trilogy is defined by the mere fact of Middle Earth itself. We are overwhelmed by the immensity of a convincing and entirely original alternate reality.<br />
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In the fantasy genre, good novels build settings, while great novels build worlds. This is not restricted to solely physical environments. Fantasy novels are by definition fantastic: they involve elements that defy ordinary experience. But without order, worlds and stories devolve into chaos. Thus, even as they break rules, such stories must simultaneous build new rules to maintain the parameters of story. The "Harry Potter" series did this admirably, for much of the early content in the series defined the limitations of the Harry's magical abilities. Without such limits, the series would have collapsed under its own weight, for any narrative would be determined by the <i>ad hoc</i> caprice of the author. This is the second task of world-building: construct a framework within which the fantastical becomes ordered.<br />
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In the "Afterword," Card relates how this novel and the series were first developed as maps, maps with shifting borders, with changing cultural and political elements and a gradually crystallizing history. Around the same time, he was developing a system of magic "in which you gain power over a type of creature or an element or force of nature by serving its interest, helping it become whatever it most wants to become." For readers of his Tales of Alvin Maker series, this will sound suspiciously familiar. Indeed, Card admits, he used this same system for that series of novels: the historical fantasy of an alternate America featuring 'knacks' and elemental affinities ruthlessly plundered and plagiarized his own burgeoning masterwork.<br />
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Yet all this work, over 20 years of world-building, certainly produced results. "The Lost Gate" is one of the most promising series I've encountered. Card's other recent novel "Pathfinder," has pretty spectacular potential on its own. Yet this novel and this "Mithermages" series promises even more.<br />
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The plot is a fairly straightforward 'origin story,' comparable to the first installment in a superhero franchise. We walk beside Danny North as he learns of his powers, his identity, and his ultimate destiny. Some of the characters felt off-putting; some of the scenes were unnecessary. He finds himself in a new and loving family, and there is a promising romantic angle that might be developed in future books. But in the end, these elements are in the supporting role. They are more than adequate, but less than brilliant. The real star of the novel is the world itself, and the origin story points to even more impressive adventures that lie ahead.<br />
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This novel is highly recommended! To purchase, check out Amazon.com:<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0765326574/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399353&creativeASIN=0765326574">The Lost Gate (Mither Mages)</a><img alt="" border="0" class=" zejcurpdazemaahbvryq zejcurpdazemaahbvryq" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=worofnot-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0765326574&camp=217145&creative=399349" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><label id="showTextCategoryLinkPreview_l1"> (See all </label><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Contemporary-Fantasy-Science-Fiction-Books/b/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399357&creativeASIN=0765326574&ie=UTF8&node=16195">Contemporary Fantasy Books</a>)<img alt="" border="0" class=" zejcurpdazemaahbvryq zejcurpdazemaahbvryq" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=worofnot-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0765326574&camp=217145&creative=399357" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />Alex Binzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00232551422932887547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8208633323271214428.post-64986473510472539202011-04-29T15:12:00.000-07:002011-04-29T23:03:08.450-07:00Orson Scott Card: Shadow of the GiantIn this conclusion of the Shadow series, Card continues with the ongoing wars between the major powers of China, the Muslim League, and India, while focusing Peter’s attempt to unify the world.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0812571398/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYXftDZ-67mfiM7vQYUmQ4diBV8py4lCE0uic9BI2rJKPhwCYhQNP7qc7ovUtHv-YCHXVi5jPbNag39HcM9mfwTva5KT0iAQwciGAMzdWxrxj6WLMquVGuixgAkH908wMwxydv7ujYwJgI/s320/shadow_of_the-giant.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><br />
It becomes clear that while the Battle School graduates remain on Earth, there will always be powers that will want them to start wars and conquer. Because of this, Graff and Rackham find these graduates and proposes a way out: ship out on your own colony and rule your own world. While this is intriguing to some, others love being in control of their home country.<br />
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While these graduates simmer on this idea, Peter is continuing to perform the duties of the Hegemon. He enlists the help of the Rwanda government and Bean’s giant (pun intended) reputation. By this time, Bean has grown to extreme heights, and it’s obvious he does not have much time left. So, Rackham proposes to Bean that he take his babies with his condition on a ship at relativistic speeds, and stay young until the Earthside scientists find a cure. Petra is also aware of this plan, and fully intends on coming with Bean with the normal babies on this journey. However, before the ship can sail, Bean and Petra must help Peter in unifying the world under his rule. With Alai the Caliph, Virlomi the goddness, and Han Tsu the emperor, Peter has an extremely difficult path ahead of him. Will these powers fall in their own pride, or will these powers unite against Peter?<br />
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Once again, Card is able to maintain the bigger story of the wars, while also developing the characters of the story. We find Petra desperate to find her babies, and also afraid that Bean is hiding things from her. Does he intend on letting her go on the ship? These doubts permeate through her brain, though she does not allow herself to fully believe it. We find Peter to be more likable than in any of the other books, and we realize that he is finally coming to terms with his true self. This is definitely one of my favorites in the series, and a fantastic conclusion.<br />
<br />
To purchase this book, check out Amazon.com:<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0812571398/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399353&creativeASIN=0812571398">Shadow of the Giant (Ender, Book 8)</a><img alt="" border="0" class=" rvyutrizdutkiohxnumy" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=worofnot-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0812571398&camp=217145&creative=399349" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><label id="showTextCategoryLinkPreview_l1"> (See all </label><a href="http://www.amazon.com/General-Science-Fiction-Fantasy-Books/b/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399357&creativeASIN=0812571398&ie=UTF8&node=16282">Science Fiction Books</a>)<img alt="" border="0" class=" rvyutrizdutkiohxnumy" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=worofnot-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0812571398&camp=217145&creative=399357" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
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For other reviews of the Ender's Saga and Shadow series, check out these links:<br />
<blockquote><a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2010/08/orson-scott-card-enders-game.html">Ender's Game</a> (13 Aug. 2010)<br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2010/09/orson-scott-card-ender-in-exile.html">Ender in Exile</a> (23 Sept. 2010)<br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/orson-scott-card-speaker-for-dead.html">Speaker for the Dead</a> (8 Apr. 2011)<br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/orson-scott-card-xenocide.html">Xenocide</a> (9 Apr. 2011)<br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/orson-scott-card-children-of-mind.html">Children of the Mind</a> (11 Apr. 2011)<br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/orson-scott-card-enders-shadow.html">Ender's Shadow</a> (15 Apr. 2011)<br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/orson-scott-card-shadow-of-hegemon.html">Shadow of the Hegemon</a> (19 Apr. 2011)<br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/shadow-puppets-by-orson-scott-card.html">Shadow Puppets</a> (25 Apr. 2011)<br />
Shadow of the Giant</blockquote>Stay tuned for Card’s new book, Shadows in Flight, which attempts to connect the Ender and Shadow series!Tessahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18300487868310198913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8208633323271214428.post-20728257608277556902011-04-27T08:12:00.000-07:002011-06-11T11:18:40.797-07:00Orson Scott Card: The Crystal CityMost historical fantasies are grounded in a mythic view of medieval Europe, involving sweeping romances with princesses and castles. In his later novel <a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/01/orson-scott-card-enchantment.html">Enchantment</a>, Orson Scott Card deliberately stepped outside this fairy-tale tradition to craft a fantasy-romance grounded in Eastern European history and culture. But this was not his first attempt. His early series, "The Tales of Alvin Maker," also sought to create a unique historical fantasy, rooted not in Europe but in America. In these novels Orson Scott Card has hybridized the fairy tale and the tall tale, and made a legitimately and uniquely American fantasy universe.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0812564626/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0812564626" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBr-XBuyQavrIvOSf5H-k03jnhiwQefomhgZwS8_452OJwADJe_f5t3sVH65fQZYxgazLTtEyYHUJC7I_4r2dTmC0s40ozEqU793WJDpyQ8ARRSAg10IBWfPEMCUx9BSILXcdwWhvCEXjK/s320/CrystalCity.jpg" width="206" /></a></div><br />
The first novel, <a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/orson-scott-card-seventh-son.html">Seventh Son</a>, depicts the setting (an alternate-universe American frontier) and introduces the main character, Alvin Smith, who discovers in his childhood that he possesses a startling powerful 'knack' (magical ability) for Making. Its sequel, <a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/orson-scott-card-red-prophet.html">Red Prophet</a>, constructed a broader setting and the meta-narrative for the whole series, particularly emphasizing the ongoing conflict between the white settlers and the native population and Alvin's future role in resolving it. The third novel, <a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/orson-scott-card-prentice-alvin.html">Prentice Alvin</a>, depicts the 'training' phase in our hero's journey, as he learns to use his knack and starts gathering allies to help in his task. The fourth novel, <a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/orson-scott-card-alvin-journeyman.html">Alvin Journeyman</a>, resolves some of the residual conflicts and villains from past novels and introduces the main nemesis: Alvin's own brother, who is himself a Maker. The fifth novel, <a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/orson-scott-card-heartfire.html">Heartfire</a>, shows how Alvin and his wife Peggy use their knacks to effect social change in New England and the Crown Colonies, and how Alvin's brother is reintroduced into their lives.<br />
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Finally, in this, the sixth and most recent entry, Orson Scott Card finally returns to the meta-narrative of the series hinted at in "Red Prophet" -- the construction of "The Crystal City." The action begins with Alvin and his companions in New Orleans in modern-day Louisiana (though in this world it is named "Barcy" in the Spanish province of Neuva Barcelona). Alvin begins to attract a crowd, thanks to his knack for miracle-making. Unfortunately, in his desire to help someone, he accidentally starts an outbreak of Yellow Fever and is forced to leave the city with a large retinue of stragglers.<br />
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There's an interesting side note in this first chapter: Alvin's wife Peggy is a torch, who is generally able to see the future. She knows that the outbreak of Yellow Fever is necessary to both lead him to the Crystal City and to prevent the outbreak of the Civil War. But she doesn't tell Alvin that his actions would cause the Yellow Fever, and feels some regret that she didn't warn him. This passage hints at a much broader theological debate on the problem of evil and divine foreknowledge, though that is not Card's focus.<br />
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At any rate, Alvin begins to journey north along the Mizzippy river with a motley crew of personal friends and total strangers. The latter category includes a fairly large population of 'blacks' and 'reds,' so their band is treated with considerable suspicion and contempt throughout their wanderings. After some wanderings, Alvin and the gang cross the Mizzippy (by a Moses-esque 'parting' of the water) and arrive at the location of the future Crystal City. Comparing to a map of the actual United States, it appears this magical city is somewhere near Cedar Rapids, Iowa.<br />
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There are a number of other subplots. Arthur Stuart meets and falls in love with Marie, a young lady of Barcy who has a knack for foreseeing sickness and death. Verily Cooper travels to Springfield and meets a young Abe Lincoln, who is depicted as a folksy lawyer with the gift of gab (literally -- he has a knack for storytelling). Alvin's brother falls in with Jim Bowie, Steve Austin, and an American military force sent to annex Mexican territory. Tenska-Tawa (the eponymous Red Prophet of the earlier novel) warns Alvin that the expedition will fail and that Mexico City will be destroyed by volcanic eruption, like ancient Pompey. Arthur Stuart travels by greensong to warn the soldiers and bring them out, and Calvin only barely survives. And lastly, in the concluding chapters of the novel, Alvin and his followers begin construction on the Crystal City.<br />
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This novel was a definite let-down, especially on the tail end of "Alvin Journeyman" and "Heartfire." Verily Cooper's unrequited love for Purity (developed in "Heartfire") seems suddenly reversed, and the subject is mostly dropped with hardly a second glance. Peggy's abolitionist work is curtailed severely by her pregnancy, and her involvement in this novel is rather minimal. The subplot in Mexica feels rather out of place, while the open-ended resolution of the conflict between Alvin and his brother is disappointing. Most appalling are the scenes involving the 'plow of living gold." This is the McGuffin of the series, central to the plots of both "Prentice Alvin" and "Alvin Journeyman" though in an entirely passive role. Yet when it is finally activated in this story, the plow has a single function: it irrigates the meadow beneath a spring, preparing the land for farming. The plow is highlighted in all of six pages, without making a single unique contribution to Alvin's work. It's a rather staggering disappointment.<br />
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Reportedly Orson Scott Card is preparing for a seventh (and presumably final) entry in the series, "Alvin Maker." Hopefully that novel will address some of the oversights in this one, and address the underlying tensions that do not burn but only simmer in this novel. "The Crystal City" is still a novel by Orson Scott Card, and has such demonstrates a good deal of literary merit. If I were new to his works, I would still recommend this work. But it suffers in comparison to his classic works, not to mention the better entries in this series.<br />
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To purchase this book, check out Amazon.com:<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0812564626/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0812564626">The Crystal City (The Tales of Alvin Maker, Book 6)</a><br />
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To read other reviews from "The Tales of Alvin Maker," check out:<br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/orson-scott-card-seventh-son.html">Seventh Son</a><br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/orson-scott-card-red-prophet.html">Red Prophet</a><br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/orson-scott-card-prentice-alvin.html">Prentice Alvin</a><br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/orson-scott-card-alvin-journeyman.html">Alvin Journeyman</a><br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/orson-scott-card-heartfire.html">Heartfire</a><br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/orson-scott-card-crystal-city.html">The Crystal City</a>Alex Binzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00232551422932887547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8208633323271214428.post-87854202909550158742011-04-26T08:10:00.000-07:002011-06-11T11:18:40.799-07:00Orson Scott Card: Heartfire"Heartfire" is the fifth novel in the "Tales of Alvin Maker." As I mentioned previously, I hold the fourth entry, "Alvin Journeyman," to be the highlight of Orson Scott Card's historical fantasy series. I also mentioned that I consider it superior because the story features Verily Cooper, an English barrister with the best 'knack' in the series. If this is true, then "Heartfire" is proof positive that you really can't have too much of a good thing.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0812509242/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0812509242"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh92XVGqDzMwmlbeAfk1BD7FYq3u3leM5M0tPytt_4o1iPkaYtHQxGgUEDtQCzbzEoe0ZTKCkH-U2Yt3zruTN2XcwaL5Y-ZXKKSlfKky8gkzgSOYGvG1SFSsiHU8c46pWo8x7HP_nrDQNHg/s320/Heartfire.jpg" width="192" /></a></div><br />
"Heartfire" is my second favorite work in the "Alvin Maker" set, for the same reasons as my favorite. The primary plot features Alvin and Verily Cooper recruiting new members to their jolly band of misfits from the unlikeliest of places: New England, one of the last holdovers of the Puritan anti-witch laws that had practically outlawed the use of knacks. Along the way, they encounter the young orphan Purity, who grew up with a powerful knack for sensing others' feelings, but with an intense fear that she will suffer the same fate as her parents and condemned as a witch.<br />
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Partly in desperation, Purity reports the knack-wielding band to the authorities, only to find herself arrested along with them for even witnessing the alleged "witches' sabbath." Verily launches himself into preparations for the trial, both to end the anti-witching laws, and to save and woo Purity. The courtroom drama occupies the bulk of the novel, and features the witcher Michael Quill as prosecutor, and an elderly John Adams (former governor of New England) as the presiding judge.<br />
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On the other end of the American coast, we read of Peggy's journey to the Crown Colonies, and her work for the abolitionist cause in the American South. Her adventures are decidedly less thrilling, though there are a few memorable scenes between her and Calvin, the estranged brother and fellow maker of Peggy's husband Alvin. The crisis in this relates to Calvin losing his 'doodlebug' in a hexed sack filled with the 'heartfires' of newly arrived African-American slaves. Admittedly, the above sentence doesn't make a lot of sense, but that's not my fault.<br />
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On the whole, the book is quite good, though Peggy's story is only decent in comparison with the brilliance of the courtroom drama. Card excels at portraying the strategic interaction of people, which comes out best in legal settings. On the other hand, the final resolution of the drama managed to be both hackneyed and <i>ad hoc</i>, so I wasn't enthused. The case essentially gets thrown out for lack of merit, when the judge suddenly discovers a different legal argument that produces the same result (nullifying the witching laws). It's a clever method, but still a travesty of justice.<br />
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Card continues to develop his narrative craft and bring out his particular gifts for storytelling. I think "Heartfire" suffers in comparison to his brilliant early work like "Ender's Game" and his more mature storytelling style exhibited in recent works like "The Lost Gate." It may not be his best work, but it's still well worth reading.<br />
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To purchase this book, check out Amazon.com:<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0812509242/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0812509242">Heartfire (Tales of Alvin Maker, Book 5)</a><br />
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To read other reviews from "The Tales of Alvin Maker," check out:<br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/orson-scott-card-seventh-son.html">Seventh Son</a><br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/orson-scott-card-red-prophet.html">Red Prophet</a><br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/orson-scott-card-prentice-alvin.html">Prentice Alvin</a><br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/orson-scott-card-alvin-journeyman.html">Alvin Journeyman</a><br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/orson-scott-card-heartfire.html">Heartfire</a><br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/orson-scott-card-crystal-city.html">The Crystal City</a>Alex Binzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00232551422932887547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8208633323271214428.post-29102894930896293832011-04-25T08:48:00.000-07:002011-04-29T23:06:24.922-07:00Orson Scott Card: Shadow PuppetsShadow Puppets begin with the rescue of Achilles, done by the Hegemon army (Bean’s army from Thailand), without the consent of Bean. Peter believes that he can use Achilles to his advantage. Others, such as Bean and Petra, flee the Hegemon compound as soon as possible, in order to escape the immediate grasp of Achilles.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0765340054/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399353&creativeASIN=0765340054"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7NDR_3_JUXd8G04s_C1jLHMSOyAvseKnKBxQq9sNdKyxIIjuIRz6tlfkioigzf-6-iiKI6Kama70PHH-HP_Ro5rXN7iaW9XS-cQjSST2NzNjXYgGwYLbqedO5AS3UZ7lKwslF38EYvdwx/s320/ShadowPuppets.jpg" width="192" /></a></div><br />
Bean and Petra travel in hiding together, and she finds out his deadly genetic alteration. This inspires her even more to want to marry Bean, and carry on his species of human. With hints from the last book, we find Bean and Petra in love with each other, despite Bean’s misgivings. It terrifies Bean to love someone so deeply, especially since the two women he loved and cared for before (Poke and Sister Carlotta), were murdered by Achilles. However, this fear does not stop Bean from marrying Petra, after meeting with Anton, and realizing his innate human desire to continue on his genes.<br />
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While Bean and Petra find safety with their friend Alai in Damascus, John and Theresa Wiggin try to save Peter from the inevitable betrayal of the mass murderer Achilles. While the Wiggins were minor characters in the other books, we find a unique and caring couple whose children bring them joy, but also bring them the worst fears. With Ender and Valentine gone, Mr. and Mrs. Wiggin’s mission lies in saving Peter from himself. <br />
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Even though Shadow Puppets continues with the military stories of the war, it also focuses on the romance and dedication of Bean and Petra, and the devotion of the Wiggins. We find in the midst of raging battles, there are real people, fighting true wars, Bean and Petra discovering that Achilles has their embryos, and Peter fighting his shame in allowing Achilles to fool him. <br />
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Orson Scott Card uses his genius writing skills again in Shadow Puppets. We feel every possible human emotion when reading this novel. Joy with Bean finally marries Petra, fear of Achilles’ actions, disappointment in Peter’s decisions, and absolute relief when Bean shoots Achilles in the eye, ending his horrible reign on the world.<br />
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To purchase this book, check out Amazon.com:<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0765340054/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399353&creativeASIN=0765340054">Shadow Puppets (Ender, Book 7)</a><img alt="" border="0" class=" rvyutrizdutkiohxnumy rvyutrizdutkiohxnumy" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=worofnot-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0765340054&camp=217145&creative=399349" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><label id="showTextCategoryLinkPreview_l1"> (See all </label><a href="http://www.amazon.com/General-Science-Fiction-Fantasy-Books/b/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399357&creativeASIN=0765340054&ie=UTF8&node=16282">Science Fiction Books</a>)<br />
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For other reviews of the Ender's Saga and Shadow series, check out these links:<br />
<br />
<blockquote><a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2010/08/orson-scott-card-enders-game.html">Ender's Game</a> (13 Aug. 2010)<br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2010/09/orson-scott-card-ender-in-exile.html">Ender in Exile</a> (23 Sept. 2010)<br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/orson-scott-card-speaker-for-dead.html">Speaker for the Dead</a> (8 Apr. 2011)<br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/orson-scott-card-xenocide.html">Xenocide</a> (9 Apr. 2011)<br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/orson-scott-card-children-of-mind.html">Children of the Mind</a> (11 Apr. 2011)<br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/orson-scott-card-enders-shadow.html">Ender's Shadow</a> (15 Apr. 2011)<br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/orson-scott-card-shadow-of-hegemon.html">Shadow of the Hegemon</a> (19 Apr. 2011)<br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/shadow-puppets-by-orson-scott-card.html">Shadow Puppets</a> (25 Apr. 2011)<br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/shadow-of-giant-by-orson-scott-card.html">Shadow of the Giant</a> (29 Apr. 2011)</blockquote><img alt="" border="0" class=" rvyutrizdutkiohxnumy rvyutrizdutkiohxnumy rvyutrizdutkiohxnumy rvyutrizdutkiohxnumy rvyutrizdutkiohxnumy rvyutrizdutkiohxnumy rvyutrizdutkiohxnumy rvyutrizdutkiohxnumy" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=worofnot-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0765340054&camp=217145&creative=399357" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />Tessahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18300487868310198913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8208633323271214428.post-23933047637867069042011-04-23T18:32:00.000-07:002011-04-29T23:07:24.625-07:00Rob Bell: "Love Wins"**One of my friends, Josh Chambers, posted a brief Facebook status on "Love Wins," a book he had recently finished reading. I asked about his opinion of the book, and he responded with a number of comments that looked for all the world like a standard-length book review. I asked and received permission to post here. Enjoy!**<br />
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I just finished reading "Love Wins" by Rob Bell. I see why it caused a controversy, but I thoroughly enjoyed the perspective Bell brought to the whole 'heaven and hell' scene.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/006204964X/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399353&creativeASIN=006204964X"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs2PRLvlCQtBvAlJZaXP6_Z4tU1-yC3_04pt4jLX8RKy4qH0pYpmCzq4UXiiFOS235XsPQN9H9ix-QhL4U_PP3y2fXCuOq1BwaB1oEGYxhcUADghxn0WxNcm6WmJgdV4t96HhNo0g45XzZ/s320/b2d1d_Rob-Bell-Love-Wins-Book-Cover.jpg" width="210" /></a></div><br />
When the book was first publicized, "Love Wins" was portrayed by many evangelicals as a universalist tract. Indeed, Rob Bell makes some claims that are universalist-esque, mainly that all punishment is for the purpose of redemption and thus hell cannot be forever. His reasoning is chiefly based on attempting to ascertain the nature of God as loving and using that to argue that such a god would not change his nature toward an individual after death in exacting justice upon them when He has given him/her nothing but mercy and grace for the duration of his/her life. Bell argues that this trend would invariably continue, and that hell would only last as long as the individual therein continued to reject the grace God was continually offering him/her even at that point.<br />
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One of the things Rob Bell writes is that God wants everyone to come to Him, and poses the question "doesn't God always get what He wants"? I found numerous flaws with this logic, first and foremost because it is not our place to attempt to ascertain the nature of God, especially in our dealings with us. Secondly, God's justice is as perfect and as complete as his mercy, and the New Testament makes it very clear that eternal death is the just punishment for the things we do that separate us from God. I do not believe that anyone will experience that spiritual death as it were, unless they were shown the full extent of God's grace toward them, but there will be those who choose to invariably reject that grace and in thus doing accept the full brunt of condemnation by the One to whom they have turned their back.<br />
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His conjecture about the nature of hell suggests that the "eternal" aspect thereof refers not to an indefinite duration of time, but rather to an "intensity of experience" which he pulls out of a hat after some fancy Greek kung-fu, and that this intensity of experience coupled with the continued dispersion of God's grace toward the deceased in this "hell" constitute a fulfillment of God's justice, and allows them to then enter the kingdom of God.<br />
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All that said, a great deal of the book shifted the focus toward what's going on here on the earth right now. Jesus DID say that the kingdom of heaven is at hand, and Bell argues that "heaven" or the "age to come" actually occurs when God fuses the spiritual realm with this one, and creates a perfect society. As such, strides we make toward a more fulfilled world without hate, dissension, hunger, disease and other such calamities is actually us letting God use us as instruments of His kingdom, bringing it closer and closer to right here, right now. I appreciated the focus on eternal life not being something that begins in the distant future and is comprised of angels in white robes with perfect voices and streets of pure gold, but as a reality that is being brought more and more into focus as His people make strides toward God's will for their lives, and for the world. It doesn't happen in the twinkling of an eye, its a process that is completed on the day of the LORD, when he returns.<br />
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The book was intriguing and thought provoking, but also fairly radical in its claims. I liked the questions it asked, not necessary the answers it attempted to supply. That said, I'd recommend that you read it for yourself and see what you think. It's well worth the time to read.<br />
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To purchase this book, check out Amazon.com:<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/006204964X/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399353&creativeASIN=006204964X">Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived</a><img alt="" border="0" class=" rgkkpywbzosvjnlfxwtu rgkkpywbzosvjnlfxwtu rgkkpywbzosvjnlfxwtu qbjnsoyvjuqwepqkxuqo rvyutrizdutkiohxnumy" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=worofnot-20&l=as2&o=1&a=006204964X&camp=217145&creative=399353" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><label id="showTextCategoryLinkPreview_l1"> (See all </label><a href="http://www.amazon.com/General-Religion-Spirituality-Books/b/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399357&creativeASIN=006204964X&ie=UTF8&node=12504">Religion & Spirituality Books</a>)<br />
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This was cross posted at <a href="http://alex-binz.blogspot.com/2011/04/book-review-love-wins.html">A Sacramental World</a>.<br />
<img alt="" border="0" class=" rgkkpywbzosvjnlfxwtu rgkkpywbzosvjnlfxwtu rgkkpywbzosvjnlfxwtu qbjnsoyvjuqwepqkxuqo rvyutrizdutkiohxnumy" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=worofnot-20&l=as2&o=1&a=006204964X&camp=217145&creative=399357" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />Alex Binzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00232551422932887547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8208633323271214428.post-22279093741018658732011-04-21T10:08:00.000-07:002011-06-11T11:18:40.801-07:00Orson Scott Card: Alvin JourneymanAt last. With this fourth entry in the "Tales of Alvin Maker," Orson Scott Card's historical fantasy series really enters the Promised Land. "Alvin Journeyman" is, in my opinion, the best novel in the series, and is certainly one of his finest works to date.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0812509234/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0812509234"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCHwk3n8S0_mcYlOnbBWf4ZOZSnvR5m1Q86v0gp56Qw16-dOfCUFDS6W_gfl9yIKiH1j70W-qkZVZTzSoYg2zjLozsxo64_n-2lEK-So_4DchAN4VeM30FNjK7OUiu47iuWxUdGJr8KxkL/s320/AlvinJourneyman.jpg" width="199" /></a></div><br />
"Alvin Journeyman" begins and ends with Calvin Smith, Alvin's younger brother. Because the eldest son had died shortly after Alvin's birth, Calvin is also born with the knack of Making, for he too is the seventh son of a seventh son. Unfortunately, he grows up resentful, angry at being overshadowed by his elder brother, and ultimately runs away from his home in Vigor Church. He makes his way to New Amsterdam (in this universe, "New York" remained in the possession of its original Dutch settlers), then to England, and then to France, working his way into the good graces of Napoleon Bonaparte himself.<br />
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During his journey, he briefly encounters an English barrister named Verily Cooper. Verily is without a doubt my favorite character in the Alvin Maker saga. Perhaps it's because he's a lawyer, and an incredibly clever one at that. Perhaps it because of his knack: Verily is able to see the "joints" in things, whether in wood (he is able to construct an airtight barrel, for instance) but more importantly in groups of people. He sees how things fit together, as it were -- he can tell how groups interact, who keeps them together, and how they might be influenced. Of all the knacks given in the saga, Verily's knack is the one I envy the most. Reading these passages is like imaging Dale Carnegie with superpowers -- how to win friends and influence people, indeed!<br />
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Alvin himself, driven by his vision of a Crystal City, realizes that the vision would only become a reality with others working and Making alongside him. Therefore he returns to Vigor Church in a vain and abortive effort to teach others the knack of Making. He learns a good deal about his own knack, but is unable to communicate or teach others with any degree of efficiency. It's at this point that he receives a letter from Peggy (formerly his teacher, "Miss Larner") telling him to get out of dodge because the future does not bode well. He ignores her warning, and his plans predictably go awry.<br />
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A young girl in his class fantasizes that she is having an affair with Alvin, tells her friend about these daydreams, and Alvin is forced to leave town in ignominy. He returns to Hatrack River, where he is promptly arrested for 'stealing' from his former master, Makepeace. He is thrown in jail and awaits the trial, while his prosecution prepares a much more large-scale effort. Makepeace's suit is funded by Cavil Planter's pro-slavery organization, in retaliation against Alvin's protection of Arthur Stuart in the last novel. The prosecution is even able to hire the brilliant (and Machiavellian) lawyer Daniel Webster as co-counsel.<br />
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In the midst of all this, Verily Cooper arrives from England, meets Alvin, and sets to work. The English barrister absolutely dominates the remainder of the novel. While we occasionally see Calvin's activities in France, or the accelerating romance between Peggy and Alvin, Verily remains at the heart of the trial and thus the story. The courtroom scene in which he deconstructs the slave Finders who sought to re-capture Arthur Stuart is brilliance itself. His narration and explanation of the courtroom drama is clear and often clever.<br />
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By the end, the Unmaker is vanquished and the forces of evil retreat from Alvin's field of victory. On the other hand, there is still more adventure to be had, and even with the addition of Verily and Peggy to his troupe, Alvin needs to find more allies to make his Crystal City a reality. But, though the saga continues, I'm not sure any sequels could ever equal the excellence of this work, "Alvin Journeyman."<br />
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To purchase this book, check out Amazon.com:<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0812509234/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0812509234">Alvin Journeyman (Tales of Alvin Maker, Book 4)</a><img alt="" border="0" class=" izbttjylrtzhozqcodcm izbttjylrtzhozqcodcm mvvykxojbxbozccguksz mvvykxojbxbozccguksz rgkkpywbzosvjnlfxwtu rgkkpywbzosvjnlfxwtu qbjnsoyvjuqwepqkxuqo rvyutrizdutkiohxnumy" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=worofnot-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0812509234" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" /><br />
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To read other reviews from "The Tales of Alvin Maker," check out:<br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/orson-scott-card-seventh-son.html">Seventh Son</a><br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/orson-scott-card-red-prophet.html">Red Prophet</a><br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/orson-scott-card-prentice-alvin.html">Prentice Alvin</a><br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/orson-scott-card-alvin-journeyman.html">Alvin Journeyman</a><br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/orson-scott-card-heartfire.html">Heartfire</a><br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/orson-scott-card-crystal-city.html">The Crystal City</a>Alex Binzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00232551422932887547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8208633323271214428.post-56055362912241509942011-04-20T09:07:00.000-07:002011-06-11T11:18:40.803-07:00Orson Scott Card: Prentice Alvin"Prentice Alvin" is the third novel in Orson Scott Card's historical fantasy series "The Tales of Alvin Maker." Having established the alternate-history universe of Alvin's America, and expanded the universe to include the voices of both white settlers and "Red" natives, Card now moves to bring Alvin into maturity within the world he has created. The first novel was about Alvin's realization that he possessed a knack for Making; the second novel gave him a purpose and context in which to use that knack. Here, in the third novel, Alvin finally digs deeper into his knack -- what it is and how to use it.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0812502124/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0812502124"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSIb_pC5CjlMKoXwpYmxOdVbPowPY8S70yugABsacBNJINy7yH7DGdKIky1mRYwD3neWbTi4yVlyYV0N_E_sc2nT6l_UOoil7-8_ie9lpktVTnNncEKS55gJX133noLT7G7IwmCc98vAOA/s320/PrenticeAlvin.png" width="200" /></a></div><br />
The novel begins with a vignette of sorts, about a slave plantation in Apalachee. The owner, Cavil Planter, is introduced as "a godly man, a church-going man, a tithepayer." But his wife is sickly and infertile, and Cavil is tormented by the thought that God was punishing him, by denying him a wife and an heir. He goes to the Bible and reads the account of Abraham, who slept with the servant-girl Hagar to produce an heir. It takes a while, but Cavil at length succumbs to the temptation, and (encouraged by the "Unmaker" appearing as an angel of light) ultimately becomes one of those beastly owners who sleeps with every slave-girl on his plantation.<br />
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One of these girls escapes shortly after giving birth, sacrificing her own life to get her child as far north as possible. Peggy, the 'torch' from the town of Hatrack River, sees her 'heartfire' from afar and rescues the child. The boy, named Alvin Stuart, is at the heart of the novel. <br />
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Following the events of "Red Prophet," Alvin himself leaves Vigor Church to apprentice himself to the blacksmith of Hatrack River, Makepeace. He was abducted the last time he made the trip, but this goes off without a hitch. He had hoped to meet Peggy, but the torch had already left town ahead of him (she secretly hopes to marry Alvin, but sees that if they meet now their marriage would not be a happy one). Over the course of his apprenticeship Alvin begins to grow stronger and more confident on his own (without needing to rely on his knack), while understand that knack better.<br />
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Peggy ultimately returns, though disguised as a fairly aloof schoolmarm who winds up instructing Alvin and Arthur Stuart in grammar and other academic pursuits. By the end of the book, Alvin has grown confident enough in his forging skills and Making knack that he attempts to create a 'plow of living gold' as his journeyman piece. It's an interesting passage and an interesting idea, though it struck me as fairly arbitrary. Why make a plow, why turn the iron into gold, and why make it alive? This novel provides no answers (and -- spoiler -- neither does the rest of the series). The golden plow is a classic McGuffin -- essentially a gimmick to drive the plot.<br />
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Periodically throughout the novel we return to Cavil Planter, and we soon realize where these snippets of plot are leading. Cavil meets the villainous Reverend Thrower (introduced in the first novel) and forms a partnership to hunt down and return escaped slaves. The men in their employ soon discover Arthur Stuart hiding in Hatrack River, and Peggy and Alvin must find a way to protect him from the long arm of slavery.<br />
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On the whole, "Prentice Alvin" struck me more as a series of vignettes than a novel. The episodes in the slave plantations occurs new insight into the region of the Crown Colonies, while Alvin's education is pretty cleverly conveyed. I still find the same limitations as in the previous two entries in the series: these are only hints at a much greater saga, but Card does not yet express himself with the same freedom and almost grandeur of his later writings. As of the third entry, "The Tales of Alvin Maker" is still handicapped by a parochial vision. The series can and will get better, but it is for this reason that I would rate "Prentice Alvin" as quite good but not yet great.<br />
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To purchase this book, check out Amazon.com:<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0812502124/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0812502124">Prentice Alvin (Tales of Alvin Maker, Book 3)</a><img alt="" border="0" class=" mvvykxojbxbozccguksz qbjnsoyvjuqwepqkxuqo rvyutrizdutkiohxnumy" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=worofnot-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0812502124" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" /><br />
<img alt="" border="0" class=" izbttjylrtzhozqcodcm izbttjylrtzhozqcodcm izbttjylrtzhozqcodcm izbttjylrtzhozqcodcm izbttjylrtzhozqcodcm izbttjylrtzhozqcodcm mvvykxojbxbozccguksz qbjnsoyvjuqwepqkxuqo rvyutrizdutkiohxnumy" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=worofnot-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0812524268" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" /><br />
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To read other reviews from "The Tales of Alvin Maker," check out:<br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/orson-scott-card-seventh-son.html">Seventh Son</a><br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/orson-scott-card-red-prophet.html">Red Prophet</a><br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/orson-scott-card-prentice-alvin.html">Prentice Alvin</a><br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/orson-scott-card-alvin-journeyman.html">Alvin Journeyman</a><br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/orson-scott-card-heartfire.html">Heartfire</a><br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/orson-scott-card-crystal-city.html">The Crystal City</a>Alex Binzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00232551422932887547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8208633323271214428.post-83446565410960493702011-04-19T14:57:00.000-07:002011-04-29T23:10:10.096-07:00Orson Scott Card: Shadow of the Hegemon"Shadow of the Hegemon" is the direct sequel to "Ender’s Shadow." Instead of taking place in space, Shadow of the Hegemon focuses on the lives of the Battle School students as they return to Earth. However, as soon as they reach Earth, their lives are in danger, as the insane Achilles is on the loose.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0812565959/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399353&creativeASIN=0812565959"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtll06V0TYkTGFFyYrP2swMFwJvrxDIbT8ryExYh51_dlk4U4U3IoZDlnuSJlWjV79CaFq7w_F3Wic5prrJxu7LF6ZdAky22nWrDSOC9vOVCrNByCGWgxQWrcZPu3sQ00qJrzBaS4gvZ_L/s320/Shadow_of_the_Hegemon.jpg" width="210" /></a></div><br />
Ender’s <i>jeesh </i>(or army), is captured by Achilles, all except one: Bean. Achilles has not forgotten the humiliation that Bean put him through at Battle School and attempts to murder him and his family. Eventually, Achilles also murders Sister Carlotta, and with it, Bean finds out the truth about his genetics. While his brain will keep growing, his body will as well, and likely, won’t live past the age of 20.<br />
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Orson Scott Card focuses "Shadow of the Hegemon" on four main characters: Bean, Petra, Peter Wiggin, and Achilles. The novel begins accounting the imprisonment of Petra, and her struggle to keep hope in the midst of slavery. Our hearts break as Petra becomes so hopeless that silence is the only way she can survive. Even though her silence seems like compliance to Achilles, Bean never gives up hope that he can save Petra from the evil grips of madman.<br />
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Meanwhile, Bean finds himself working with the Thai army, and is given 200 soldiers to train. Bean fully intends to rescue Petra with this army. However, Bean can’t do it all on his own, and has enlisted Peter Wiggin for his help. The question for Bean becomes, would he rather have Peter ruling the world, or Achilles ruling the world?<br />
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Once again, we find Achilles to be the perfect villain. He is a smooth talker, able to pull people onto his side, even if they know his murderous traits. Petra even compares him to the Devil, being the ultimate deceiver. Achilles gives me the chills as the coolly murders people at point blank, without even a thought of remorse.<br />
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Card, as usual, has multiple story-lines going on behind the main plot. While Bean is trying to save Petra, and Peter trying to maintain influence in the world, the struggle for power leaves nations at war with each other, in particular, India, Thailand, and China. This book is less science fiction and more of a military thriller, full of treachery, murder, and the ultimate struggle for power. You will not be disappointed.<br />
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To purchase this book, check out Amazon.com:<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0812565959/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399353&creativeASIN=0812565959">Shadow of the Hegemon (Ender, Book 6)</a><br />
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For other reviews of the Ender's Saga and Shadow series, check out these links:<br />
<br />
<blockquote><a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2010/08/orson-scott-card-enders-game.html">Ender's Game</a> (13 Aug. 2010)<br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2010/09/orson-scott-card-ender-in-exile.html">Ender in Exile</a> (23 Sept. 2010)<br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/orson-scott-card-speaker-for-dead.html">Speaker for the Dead</a> (8 Apr. 2011)<br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/orson-scott-card-xenocide.html">Xenocide</a> (9 Apr. 2011)<br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/orson-scott-card-children-of-mind.html">Children of the Mind</a> (11 Apr. 2011)<br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/orson-scott-card-enders-shadow.html">Ender's Shadow</a> (15 Apr. 2011)<br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/orson-scott-card-shadow-of-hegemon.html">Shadow of the Hegemon</a> (19 Apr. 2011)<br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/shadow-puppets-by-orson-scott-card.html">Shadow Puppets</a> (25 Apr. 2011)<br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/shadow-of-giant-by-orson-scott-card.html">Shadow of the Giant</a> (29 Apr. 2011)</blockquote> <img alt="" border="0" class=" mvvykxojbxbozccguksz mvvykxojbxbozccguksz rvyutrizdutkiohxnumy rvyutrizdutkiohxnumy rvyutrizdutkiohxnumy rvyutrizdutkiohxnumy rvyutrizdutkiohxnumy rvyutrizdutkiohxnumy" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=worofnot-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0812565959&camp=217145&creative=399353" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><img alt="" border="0" class=" mvvykxojbxbozccguksz mvvykxojbxbozccguksz rvyutrizdutkiohxnumy rvyutrizdutkiohxnumy rvyutrizdutkiohxnumy rvyutrizdutkiohxnumy rvyutrizdutkiohxnumy rvyutrizdutkiohxnumy" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=worofnot-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0812565959&camp=217145&creative=399357" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />Tessahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18300487868310198913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8208633323271214428.post-85167334919946990992011-04-16T09:35:00.000-07:002011-06-11T11:18:40.804-07:00Orson Scott Card: Red Prophet"Red Prophet" is the second installment of Orson Scott Card's historical fiction fantasy series, "The Tales of Alvin Maker." Its immediate predecessor, "Seventh Son," established the story's setting in an alternate-reality early America in which folk magic is real. "Seventh Son" mostly focused on the frontier territories of Hio and Wobbish, as the white settlers begin to scratch out a life and a living in the new country. "Red Prophet" expands on this universe, with special emphasis on the native "Red" population. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0812524268/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0812524268"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwJip7KxVfbu_osgC5_jmZ5RktORW93vknKHLI-3GseO-jowF4wkV2TszI7fBNUlYu32JsrvlOZrMLrQXb31JLxswMfuakdXJthA6IY0Qc69q6TKfrMgZB5jwXMx8w-waTAGEX-ptTKXUj/s320/RedProphet.jpg" width="194" /></a></div><br />
The story begins with a sort of vignette set in Carthage City, the capital of Wobbish Territory. The river trader Hooch has returned to town with another shipment of whiskey, when he is caught in a contest of wills between the self-appointed "Governor" Bill Harrison and the self-aggrandizing Apalachee lawyer Andrew Jackson. The story also introduces us, parenthetically, to the two major Indian characters of the novel, the noble Ta-Kumsaw and his sadly drunken brother Lolla-Wossiky.<br />
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By the end of the vignette, Hooch is dead, Harrison has fomented a plan to destroy the Red population once and for all, and Lolla-Wossiky is on the run, having stolen a precious barrel of whiskey. It is here that we realize that the entire narrative is in fact a ret-con, for Lolla-Wossiky is in fact the mysterious "Shining Man" who appears semi-randomly to Alvin Junior in the previous novel. This encounter is pivotal for both of them: Alvin swears that he would never use his knack for "Making" for his own benefit, while Lolla-Wossiky is cured of the despair that had driven him to drink. Now rejuvenated (one might even say, redeemed) Lolla-Wossiky becomes the Prophet, Tenska-Tawa, a leader for the Reds.<br />
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The remainder of the story concentrates on the machinations of the genocide-conniving Bill Harrison, and the contest of wills between Tenska-Tawa (who advocates non-violent resistance) and his brother Ta-Kumsaw (who favors a more violent approach). Alvin Junior, kidnapped by agents of Harrison but rescued by Ta-Kumsaw, is caught in the middle.<br />
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On the one hand, this book is generally considered superior to the original, and with good reason. The flow of the narrative is more cohesive, the tension of the story more gripping, the atmosphere darker, and the new characters are quite distinctive. As a sequel, it lives up to the potential of the original, and drives us forward to the new chapters of the saga -- it is in this book that Alvin first sees the vision of the "Crystal City" that would become his life's work (for now, it functions as a sort of MacGuffin, but that's understandable).<br />
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On the other hand, this book has a number of weaknesses. For one, Bill Harrison is underdeveloped as a character. Card's stories work because we understand (and can empathize) with the motivations and actions of each of his characters, including the major antagonists. I was disappointed to see him resort to such a typical foil for his band of plucky underdogs as 'evil conniving arch-nemesis in position of absolute power.'<br />
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For another, I really wonder about some of his narrative choices. It's clear early on that there is an understanding between Alvin Junior and Tenska-Tawa (the "Shining Man"), and that their connection is the centerpoint around which the novel turns. Yet Card sticks Alvin with the other brother, the militaristic Ta-Kumsaw, as he travels village-to-village along the American frontier. Initially, this seems necessary to introduce Alvin to the art of 'greensong' (swift forest travel, for lack of a better definition). But Alvin's mastery of greensong is untaught and almost instantaneous, taking even Ta-Kumsaw by surprise. In the end, the unlikely partnership of Alvin and Ta-Kumsaw seems to have been necessitated by a third-act plot device that functions like a <i>deus ex machina</i> and reads like an overt moral allegory. I would object to the sudden reintroduction of Taleswapper for the reason.<br />
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None of this is to say that the book isn't good. It is, and I can say that those who enjoy Card's writing elsewhere will almost certainly enjoy this book. I just find the book's deficiencies to be more noteworthy. "The Tales of Alvin Maker" don't merely reveal an alternate world which he created. They also reveal Card's developing sense of story, which he puts to full use in his later writings. In this book and this series, Card is coming into his own as an author.<br />
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To purchase this book, check out Amazon.com:<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0812524268/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0812524268">Red Prophet (Tales of Alvin Maker, Book 2)</a><img alt="" border="0" class=" izbttjylrtzhozqcodcm izbttjylrtzhozqcodcm qbjnsoyvjuqwepqkxuqo rvyutrizdutkiohxnumy" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=worofnot-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0812524268" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px;" width="1" /><br />
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To read other reviews from "The Tales of Alvin Maker," check out:<br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/orson-scott-card-seventh-son.html">Seventh Son</a><br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/orson-scott-card-red-prophet.html">Red Prophet</a><br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/orson-scott-card-prentice-alvin.html">Prentice Alvin</a><br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/orson-scott-card-alvin-journeyman.html">Alvin Journeyman</a><br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/orson-scott-card-heartfire.html">Heartfire</a><br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/orson-scott-card-crystal-city.html">The Crystal City</a>Alex Binzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00232551422932887547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8208633323271214428.post-50311926756806620582011-04-15T13:16:00.000-07:002011-04-29T23:11:16.368-07:00Orson Scott Card: Ender's Shadow**This post was contributed by Tessa, a new contributor to the Worthy of Note blog. In this post, she'll be reviewing Orson Scott Card's novel, "Ender's Shadow." She will also be reviewing the three other books in that series.**<br />
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Ender’s Shadow is the companion book to Ender’s Game. It follows the story of a minor character in Ender’s Game, named Bean. Instead of starting straight at Battle School, we are introduced to Bean as a four year old street kid in Rotterdam. He’s starving to death, and using a final plan to get into a “crew”- a group of street kids who stay together and help each other find food and protection. His plan works, choosing the crew lead by a girl named Poke, but not without consequences. A bully named Achilles, who joined the crew from Bean’s plan, would not forget Bean’s open desire to kill him, when he realized that Achilles was not the right bully for the plan. <br />
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Eventually, the street culture changed and Bean’s brilliance was noticed by a woman named Sister Carlotta who attempts to recruit street kids for Battle School. Sister Carlotta becomes a prominent figure in the Shadow series, first by protecting Bean when Poke was killed by Achilles and then wanted to kill him, and second, by trying to discover Bean’s heritage. A couple of years later, Bean was old enough to attend Battle School, up in space. This is where he would learn of Ender Wiggin, the main character of "Ender’s Game."<br />
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Orson Scott Card is able to capture the mind and brilliance of Bean. We get an opportunity to get inside Bean’s brain: his guilt on not saving Poke in time, his calculated avoidance of Ender, and his discovery that it’s up to him to help Ender destroy the buggers.<br />
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Meanwhile, in Ender series fashion, we get a backstory at the beginning of each chapter with Colonel Graff, Sister Carlotta, and other Battle School characters email correspondences Through these emails, we discover that Bean is the result of a genetic experiment, where “Anton’s Key” was turned to open Bean’s mind to no limit in his brain capability. There is a downside of course, which Bean doesn’t discover until the later books.<br />
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I love the way Orson Scott Card has multiple stories going on at once, and ties them all together throughout the story. Bean is a lovable character, even though he doesn’t see himself as lovable. His brilliant mind coupled with being an underdog in Battle School makes him want to root for him as he’s a solider in Ender’s Army and taking down the Buggers. If you have never read Ender’s Shadow, you are in for a treat. It would be wise to read Ender’s Game first, to get context, but once you read Ender’s Shadow, you will never see the story of Ender’s Game in the same light again.<br />
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To purchase this book, check out Amazon.com:<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0765342405/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0765342405">Ender's Shadow (Ender, Book 5)</a><br />
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For other reviews of the Ender's Saga and Shadow series, check out these links:<br />
<br />
<blockquote><a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2010/08/orson-scott-card-enders-game.html">Ender's Game</a> (13 Aug. 2010)<br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2010/09/orson-scott-card-ender-in-exile.html">Ender in Exile</a> (23 Sept. 2010)<br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/orson-scott-card-speaker-for-dead.html">Speaker for the Dead</a> (8 Apr. 2011)<br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/orson-scott-card-xenocide.html">Xenocide</a> (9 Apr. 2011)<br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/orson-scott-card-children-of-mind.html">Children of the Mind</a> (11 Apr. 2011)<br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/orson-scott-card-enders-shadow.html">Ender's Shadow</a> (15 Apr. 2011)<br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/orson-scott-card-shadow-of-hegemon.html">Shadow of the Hegemon</a> (19 Apr. 2011)<br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/shadow-puppets-by-orson-scott-card.html">Shadow Puppets</a> (25 Apr. 2011)<br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/shadow-of-giant-by-orson-scott-card.html">Shadow of the Giant</a> (29 Apr. 2011)</blockquote> <img alt="" border="0" class=" rvyutrizdutkiohxnumy rvyutrizdutkiohxnumy rvyutrizdutkiohxnumy rvyutrizdutkiohxnumy rvyutrizdutkiohxnumy rvyutrizdutkiohxnumy" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=&l=as2&o=1&a=0765342405" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0px;" width="1" />Tessahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18300487868310198913noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8208633323271214428.post-89514055076716375532011-04-14T10:28:00.000-07:002011-06-11T11:18:40.806-07:00Orson Scott Card: Seventh SonBesides the science-fiction saga of the "Ender's Game" universe, Orson Scott Card is probably best known as the creator of the historical fiction fantasy, "The Tales of Alvin Maker." The series presents an alternate history of colonial and post-Revolutionary America, in the style of a vintage American "tall tale." This America is far removed from the America we know, however, though all the differences can be reduced to a single cause. In this America, folk magic is real.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0812533054/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0812533054"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd6-0HvBmPUMtJju1P762FLS5DABeVnjT47tC-2euB6AOAij8Lnaj3dmzOU6fpjessBeVrrslA8CguhMCl0bjQOhsLNY_sx9AC4uLS-9TyMPx7y739cPaedZ_Arru4PNUL8sx0aBA29wCa/s320/SeventhSon.jpg" width="211" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
In the world of Alvin Maker, each person has a unique gift, a "knack," that endows them with preternatural abilities. Sometimes these specialized talents are mundane, such as a knack for fog or a knack for beetles. Others, though, can be more useful: a dowser has a knack for finding water, while a spark can cause fire from afar. The rarest and most powerful of gifts, however, is the knack of Making: an all-encompassing gift that enables a person to 'bend' nature to their will.<br />
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"Seventh Son" begins with a young girl, Peggy, who is a torch: a rare specialization that enables her to see others' "heartfires" -- who they are, where they are, and who they will become. When a pioneer family arrives in town with a woman in labor, she is called to help the village midwife. She soon realizes this birth is different than most: for this will be the seventh son of a seventh son, an extraordinarily powerful combination often associated with extraordinarily powerful knacks. She sees that her own future is closely tied to this boy. She also sees that this boy already won himself a fearsome enemy: the Unmaker, a semi-mystical Satanic figure who is the incarnation of destruction.<br />
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The rest of the novel treats Alvin's youth, his life until he turns eleven. Peggy had saved a piece of Alvin's birth-caul, which she uses ritually to protect Alvin from the Unmaker's schemes. However, she cannot protect him from the Reverend Thrower, a fanatical minister who believes knacks are evil and sees Satan around every corner (except for when Satan actually appears as an angel of light). Thrower is seduced into a conspiracy against Alvin Jr., who is still too young to guard himself against attack.<br />
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The brief narrative of "Seventh Son" draws from a far richer back-story, of meta-politics only hinted at through this narrative. In this America, there are four semi-independent states. The "Crown Colonies" (of the original Southern colonies) is governed by a monarch, King Arthur Stuart; the "United States" (extending from Maryland to New York to the southern side of the St. Lawrence River) is a democratic republic founded by Ben Franklin, himself rumored to be a Maker; "Apalachee" is a frontier state running from eastern Tennessee to West Virginia, governed by Tom Jefferson; and "New England" is a theocracy, comprised of Puritans under governor John Adams.<br />
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At times, the novel does succumb to the laziest of historical fiction tropes, in its insistence of mentioning every remotely memorable figure from real American history. However, as an re-creation of an alternate colonial America, I still found it to be thoroughly impressive. On the whole, "Seventh Son" is a short read with a decidedly parochial focus, which points to the far greater saga that lies ahead.<br />
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To purchase this book, check out Amazon.com:<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0812533054/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=worofnot-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0812533054">Seventh Son (Tales of Alvin Maker, Book 1)</a><img alt="" border="0" class=" izbttjylrtzhozqcodcm izbttjylrtzhozqcodcm qbjnsoyvjuqwepqkxuqo" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=worofnot-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0812533054" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" /><br />
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To read other reviews from "The Tales of Alvin Maker," check out:<br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/orson-scott-card-seventh-son.html">Seventh Son</a><br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/orson-scott-card-red-prophet.html">Red Prophet</a><br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/orson-scott-card-prentice-alvin.html">Prentice Alvin</a><br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/orson-scott-card-alvin-journeyman.html">Alvin Journeyman</a><br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/orson-scott-card-heartfire.html">Heartfire</a><br />
<a href="http://worthyofnotereviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/orson-scott-card-crystal-city.html">The Crystal City</a>Alex Binzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00232551422932887547noreply@blogger.com0