The Star Online: Lifestyle: Bookshelf
The Star Online: Lifestyle: Bookshelf |
| Posted: 04 Nov 2011 01:56 AM PDT American Vampire is about bad guy vampires, plain and simple. And revenge. American Vampire Vol.1 & 2 We'll resist the temptation to say that the Eisner Award-winning American Vampire is a graphic novel that you can "really sink your teeth into", or that it's a "bloody good" read. In fact, we'll make it a point not to use any vampire cliches in writing this review, because turning into a cliche is exactly the problem that vampires are facing nowadays. The way we see it, back in Bram Stoker's day, the original Dracula was a monster to be legitimately feared, but his modern day progeny have turned into, well, romanticised softies. At best, they're tormented, misunderstood pretty boys (or bishounen, if you like manga) and at worst, they sparkle. It almost makes you forget that the children of the night are supposed to be terrifying creatures. Fortunately, American Vampire is here to remedy this problem. The vampires in this series are neither nice nor pretty, and they're not here to make the womenfolk swoon. These vampires are all about killing, betrayal, the corruption of good people, and more killing. The premise of the series is that there are many species of vampires in the world, each plying their dark trade among the unsuspecting and hapless members of the human race. These sophisticated yet brutal immortals revel in the shadows of human society, making obscure power plays and feeding on humans as if they were cattle. Unfortunately for the established, aristocratic vampires from the Old World, there's a new kind of vampire in town, a race born on the New World soil and a species that doesn't play well with others: the American vampires. Skinner Sweet, an unrepentant outlaw and sadistic murderer from the American Old West, is the first of his kind. Unlike the traditional vampires from Europe, he's unsophisticated, immune to wooden stakes, powered by sunlight and doesn't play by anybody's rules. A bad boy among bad people, when Sweet rises from his grave, he proceeds to tear through both vampires and humans across multiple decades in America's history. The first volume of American Vampire, with 192 pages and collecting issues #1-5 in the series, consists of two interwoven storylines. One explores the origins of Skinner Sweet in the American Old West. Skinner's origin story really showcases how dangerous – yet utterly captivating – a real vampire can be. The other storyline follows the tale of Pearl Jones, an aspiring actress in 1920s Hollywood who gets caught in the crossfire of a secret war between vampires. Pearl helps ground the supernatural tale of terror with strong human elements, and her tale is rife with the familiar themes of betrayal and revenge. The second volume, with 160 pages and collecting issues #6-11, shifts the scene to Las Vegas in 1936, where police chief Cashel McCogan (unaided by any form of CSI) has to solve the mystery of the murders of several people linked to the construction of the Boulder Dam. While the narrative of a hardboiled detective hunting down a supernatural murderer is engrossing its own, what really sells American Vampire Vol.2 is how the various loose ends from the previous volume coalesce to form the threads of an entirely new story. This is one of the things that we liked about American Vampire: its narrative scope and continuity. The immortal nature of vampires lets American Vampire's story span multiple generations, and it's fascinating to see how vampires secretly steer the progress of human civilisation, how the mysteries behind the vampire species are revealed piece by piece, and, most importantly, how the characters (and their offspring) grow and evolve through periods of turmoil. We see acts of petty revenge cascade into bloody vendettas, and we see ordinary humans rise up to become noble heroes who battle against the bestial cruelties of the undead. The writing is rock solid, thanks to the combined efforts of Scott Snyder (a writer known for several DC titles and his short story collection, Voodoo Heart) and Stephen King (don't pretend you don't know who he is), but American Vampire would not have worked as well if it didn't enjoy Rafael Albuquerque's (who illustrated DC's Blue Beetle) fully coloured illustrations. Albuquerque's dark art style is a perfect fit for the atmosphere of the story; this is most notable when the fangs start showing and the blood starts flowing. You get to see every little bit of horrible detail that reinforces exactly why vampires need to be staked, not hugged or romanced. Additionally, he goes the extra mile in the first volume, where he illustrates the Skinner's story and Pearl's story in two distinct styles: Skinner's is rough and dirty to capture the wild west setting, while Pearl's features sharp, high-contrast colours to capture the glamour of the early Hollywood era. There are many, many reasons for us to recommend American Vampire: there's the engaging, interwoven storylines that span multiple generations; the believable, heroic human personalities that serve as a perfect counterbalance to the cruelty of the undead; and the brilliant artwork that captures both the glory days of ol' America and the bloody, ruthless terror of vampires in action. But honestly, the real reason we'd tell our friends to read American Vampire is that it has such a refreshing take on vampires. The series builds such an engaging mythology in its storyline that it succeeds in turning an established trope in media – the popular undead beings we call vampires – into something new, exciting and believably terrifying. In a time where the children of the night have become rather cliche, it's good to see a vampire story that doesn't suck. American Vampire Vol.1 and Vol.2 are available at Kinokuniya KLCC. Full content generated by Get Full RSS. |
| Posted: 04 Nov 2011 01:42 AM PDT A debut novel flawlessly explores a terrifying idea. Before I Go to Sleep THERE are certain books that get at you with one simple, unnerving idea. In this one, it is that amnesia can be so acute that, every day, your mind works from a complete blank. So you wake up in the morning and you remember nothing that has gone before. The person lying next to you in bed is a stranger; you have never seen that room before; you look in the mirror and the person you see looks many years older than you; you are ignorant of the layout of the house or what is in the fridge. In short, every day is a new beginning and marks a new start in the process of trying to remember who and what you are. And you have only until bedtime to put the pieces together because when you wake again it will be back to square one. This is a chilling concept, one based according to the author's note on the lives of several amnesiac patients. One can only begin to imagine the hell that their lives and the lives of those around them must have become. It is surely no coincidence that Alzheimer's is one of the most feared conditions, for to have no memory is surely, ultimately, to have no self. The thought terrifies, and S.J. Watson is keen to explore it in all its horror in this striking debut novel. The book opens, indeed, with Christine in bed, looking at the man next to her and wondering who he is. Her immediate assumption is that she has engaged in some adulterous affair. "I see an expanse of skin and dark hair, flecked with white. A man. He has his left arm outside the covers and there is a gold band on the third finger of the hand. I suppress a groan. So this one is not only old and grey, I think, but also married." But the man in the bed claims to be Ben, her husband. He has cared for her throughout her illness, since an accident some 20 years ago. And every day he has answered the same questions and addressed the same concerns. Or has he? If so, why does her journal have inscribed in the front, "Don't trust Ben"? To keep a journal is the suggestion of Dr Edmund Nash. Nash is a neuropsychologist who has offered to help Christine remember and recover. Implicit in this process is the belief that if she can revisit the trauma at the heart of her condition, then she may be able to recover from the resulting amnesia. This treatment is a secret kept from Ben who would not approve. So every day, Nash phones Christine to tell her to read her journal and Christine is able to get some understanding of what she learnt the previous day and the day before that. The journal effectively becomes her memory and because she is not starting from scratch all the time, it means she is able to make some sort of progress. It is also, of course, a straightforward literary narrative device that enables the reader to get inside Christine's head and slowly piece together her past. We share with her the confusions that this inevitably brings up. What did she do before the accident? Did she publish a novel? If so, why does Ben tell her she did not? The stretch marks on her stomach suggest she had a child – so where is that child now and is Ben telling the truth when he says that Adam became a soldier and was killed in Afghanistan? He says that he denies these things to save her from more pain. But as more of the past unravels, more and more questions arise. Perhaps inevitably, few things turn out to be what they seem. Before I Go To Sleep is a gripping and disturbing read that moves at a smart pace towards its violent and chilling climax. It would be unfair to give away anything other than to say that Christine's search for her very own heart of darkness is largely convincing and always compelling. Her dependency on her journal occasionally slows down the action but the plotting is careful and the loose ends are neatly tied. This is a book in which the idea carries all before it, blessed by pretty much flawless execution. Its author worked in Britain's National Health Service for a number of years before being accepted onto a Faber Academy "Writing A Novel" course. Before I Go To Sleep is a product of the course, one that has received considerable acclaim and been snapped up by Ridley Scott's film production company, Scott Free. Rowan Joffe is due to direct. This is a dream start for a first novel and it is well deserved. Handled with care, it will make a good film. But get in first and read the book. Full content generated by Get Full RSS. |
| Posted: 04 Nov 2011 01:40 AM PDT The Longest Whale Song ELLA'S mother ends up in a coma after giving birth to her new baby brother and Ella is forced to make her peace with her new stepdad. At school, she loses a best friend and copes with a bully, but her new friend Joseph shares her enthusiasm for whales and becomes an unexpected source of support in the midst of Ella's troubled life. The Artist Who Painted A Blue Horse The artist in every child is celebrated and encouraged in this picture book that depicts the world as a child might see it – in a myriad of vibrant, unexpected colours. There's a red crocodile, an orange elephant, and a purple fox. More than anything, there's imagination. Filled with some of the most magnificently colourful animals of Eric Carle's career, this tribute to creativity celebrates the power of art. The Conductor An orchestra conductor and a grove of trees are paired with surprising and inspiring results. Laetitia Devernay's illustrations are full of beautiful details that allow this wordless story to come alive as the conductor coaxes a symphony from the leaves and wind. Can We Save The Tiger? Tigers are pretty special – and so are ground iguanas and partula snails and even white-rumped vultures. But these and many other animals are in danger of disappearing altogether, joining the dodo, the great auk, and countless other animals we will never see again. Using the experiences of a few endangered species as examples, Martin Jenkins highlights the ways human behaviour can either threaten or conserve the animals that share our planet. Vicky White's stunning portraits of rare creatures offer a glimpse of nature's grace and and give us a powerful reason to preserve it. Lights on the Nile This exciting story, set in ancient Egypt, is about Kepi, a young girl whose quiet life at home is disrupted when she and her pet baboon, Babu, are kidnapped and held captive in a boat bound for the capital city of Ineb-Hedj. Will Kepi ever see her family again? Will she realise that she has powers that lie deep within her, waiting to be unleashed for the good of all Egypt? I Want My Hat Back A bear has lost its hat and is desperate to get it back. He questions every woodland animal he comes across but they have not seen his pointy, red hat. But what about the rabbit? He was wearing a hat and surely it was ... pointy, and ... red! The bear wants his hat back! Possess At 15, Bridget should be worrying about acne and boys, not how to use her ability to communicate with and banish demons. Nevertheless, Bridget finds some satisfaction in helping Monsignor Ranault with the people of San Francisco who become dangerously possessed. However, things get out of hand when Bridget's best friend is killed. Will Bridget be able to prevent more deaths and stop the king of demons from possessing those close to her? Wonderstruck If you loved The Invention Of Hugo Cabret (made into a 3D movie by Martin Scorsese, out later this month), you'll be pleased that Brian Selznick has used the same storytelling style for this story of Ben and Rose. The two children are actually living in different eras but both share their different lives. Selznick tells Ben's story in words, while Rose's tale is told in pictures. Both narratives unfold with wondrous symmetry, finally intersecting for an ending that will delight and satisfy. Full content generated by Get Full RSS. |
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