Books!

[prfsnl_gmr]

Paradise Lost is a beautiful work of stunning genius, and it is an incredibly deep and rewarding book. That said, it’s not exactly light reading, and I don’t blame you for giving up on it. It is best experienced a little bit at a time in a classroom setting. Outside of that, I recommend a detailed plot summary, some excerpts of its beautiful language, and a healthy dose of critical analysis. Trying to slog through the language on your own isn’t likely to be as rewarding ( unless you have a PhD in a English literature).

Dracula is a really fun book (despite its underlying, somewhat problematic xenophobia). It’s like late nineteenth century “found footage” horror. I recommend reading the short story Dracula’s Guest before embarking on the novel, if you haven’t started it already. (Also, as Ack noted, Frankenstein is way, way better, and if you haven’t read it already, you should do so.)

[Markies]

I actually read Mary Shelley's Frankenstein a few years ago. I really liked the book and I thought it held up really well.

The main reason I'm reading this version of Dracula is that I really loved the Francis Ford Coppola film about the book. It's been a long time since I have seen it and I wanted to read the book version.

Every single book that I am reading, I have never read before. I got into reading right after I finished college. It felt nice to be able to choose the books to read instead of being forced to read them. So, I like being able to visit these classics that I have never read and look at them through fresh eyes. Some are still exciting to read to this day!

[Ack]

Well, if you want classic genre lit, I recommend checking out The Castle of Otranto, the first gothic horror novel. Published in 1764, author Horace Walpole actually subtitled it A Gothic Story, hence how gothic literature got its name.

[prfsnl_gmr]

Well, if you want classic genre lit, I recommend checking out The Castle of Otranto, the first gothic horror novel. Published in 1764, author Horace Walpole actually subtitled it A Gothic Story, hence how gothic literature got its name.

I’m sorry. Castle of Otranto is terrible despite its tremendous influence. Gothic literature is one of those genre’s that started weak and became progressively stronger.

[Ack]

Ah, so I see you've read The Monk by Matthew Lewis then. Another early gothic lit book, half of its chapters are great. And then there's the other half...

[prfsnl_gmr]

Ah, so I see you've read The Monk by Matthew Lewis then. Another early gothic lit book, half of its chapters are great. And then there's the other half...

I haven’t, actually, but I should. I don’t think the genre really picked up until the 1790s, though, which is when it was published. IMO, Ann Radcliffe’s immensely popular works , along with The Monk, really kicked off the genre.

[REPO Man]

Recently I read a pair of Teen Titans graphic novels, Teen Titans: Raven and Teen Titans: Beast Boy.

Both more or less serving as origin stories for their respective characters, with Raven as a goth teen with amnesia living with a foster mother in Louisiana and Beast Boy as a young man who struggles with being underdeveloped for his age (given his height and build most people think he's a freshman when he's 17 years old) until suddenly overnight he suddenly is much taller, stronger and faster, but this is more than just a sudden puberty, as his sudden abilities attract the attention of a familiar foe (familiar if you read Teen Titans: Raven).

Both are great stories, marrying typical teenage issues of struggling with one's sense of self and one's place in the world, along with one's personal development, physical, emotional or otherwise, and discovering the things that truly matter.

Also, both stories are set in the same universe, with a third novel Beast Boy Loves Raven, coming out early next year, that brings the two together against a common foe.

[Markies]

Dracula is a really fun book (despite its underlying, somewhat problematic xenophobia). It’s like late nineteenth century “found footage” horror. I recommend reading the short story Dracula’s Guest before embarking on the novel, if you haven’t started it already. (Also, as Ack noted, Frankenstein is way, way better, and if you haven’t read it already, you should do so.)

So, I finished Bram Stoker's Dracula last night. It was nice to actually do something Halloween appropriate, so it was fitting to read Dracula in October.

But, I really enjoyed the beginning of Dracula. When Jonathan visits the mansion at the beginning to him leaving is probably my favorite part of the book. The tension, intrigue and unknown in the book is really well done.

However, once he leaves and my preconceptions about Vampires, really killed all of the tension. I think it would be much scarier if you have no idea about Vampires. It's a hidden Monster movie when you know all about the Monster. The fear and dread of the unknown is gone. Also, the ending was kind of underwhelming.

All that being said, it is still a classic and an interesting historical read. I always like the suave and sophisticated Dracula and this book nails that part. A very fitting read during this time of year.

[prfsnl_gmr]

Markies...read the short story “Dracula’s Guest” at some point. It is a prologue, and if your favorite part of the book is the beginning, I think you’ll like it.

I just finished The Dark Is Rising by Susan Cooper. It was a just OK, but deeply weird young adult fantasy novel. I’ll probably read the others in the series too since I appreciate things that strange. (I started the book as an audio book while in a road trip with my family, and since I can’t stand to leave things unfinished, I wrapped it up on my own.)

For Halloween, I’m reading The Island is Doctor Moreau by HG Wells. So far, it’s pretty solid, and I think it’ll end being my second-favorite of the author’s works.

[REPO Man]

Just finished The Flintstones: Volume 2, which collects the latter half of DC's brilliant reboot of the classic cartoon.