The Star Online: Lifestyle: Bookshelf
The Star Online: Lifestyle: Bookshelf |
| Posted: 30 Dec 2011 05:50 AM PST A Stolen Life LET me be honest. Abduction stories are not high on my list of must-read books. In fact, the reason I chose to review this non-fiction book in the first place was because it promised, to some extent, to reveal more about the author herself and her encounters with people. In other words, before reading it, I imagined it to be a daily journal of some kind that the author, Jaycee Dugard, had kept before, during and after being abducted. But that is not the case, and I found that the negative overtones of the book, not counting the abduction itself, can either put the reader off or draw her more deeply into the story, whichever way one is inclined. Another thing is that Dugard assumes that her situation can be compared with all families in trouble when, actually, her predicament is unique and the same standards cannot be applied. She sees that abduction can be likened to other problems in families when actually it is in a category by itself. It seems that the author's voice would be truly heard – and heard clearer – if she didn't hold back her emotions and told it like it was without being repetitious. It is a surprise that the abduction itself happens so suddenly and so early in the book. The author could do well by providing more details about her life before the abduction as there would then be more impact when the incident takes place. Although the reflections by the author at the end of almost every chapter may lead to a better understanding of what the author went through, it somewhat takes away from the story too. To give more excitement to the reading, perhaps the abduction need not have been mentioned at the start. It could have been incorporated into the story as and when it occurred and thus would have given the reader the element of surprise. The rather slow narrative focuses mainly on her loneliness during the abduction more than anything else. While this may be what the author was primarily feeling, for readers it may be rather monotonous. To prove my point, the author herself recognises that she is reiterating the fact that she is lonely – which probably should be the last thing on her mind given her situation! It might occur in the reader's mind, even though this is a true story, whether it is remotely possible to actually befriend the author's abductors no matter how bad the situation is. Obviously, this is the case for Dugard although one has to question how realistic it all is. Coming back to the nature of the storyline itself, we are so bombarded with news of murder, rape, abduction and abuse every day that we have to wonder if this is any different or whether we are affected by these stories at all. Or whether we need another dark story such as this to add to the list.... The fact that Dugard, in her memoir, seems to become accustomed to her abduction is another mystery. It is hard enough for the reader to make a connection with the author throughout her abduction, more so when she seems to be unresisting of her situation even as time goes by. Generally, the story takes on a submissive tone which was somewhat hard for me to grasp. The final release of Dugard also comes as a surprise and is recounted rather quickly – almost too quickly to register. It is brief and one would have thought there would be more to include seeing that more time was given to the author's abduction and so the reunion should have been greater. While Dugard's story is an eye-opener, I was left with the question of how I could actually connect with her; her writing as well as her life story. Full content generated by Get Full RSS. |
| Posted: 30 Dec 2011 05:48 AM PST Wandering Son: Vol 1 PUBERTY can be a tough time as one develops into a young woman, especially when that someone happens to be a boy. Wandering Son is a manga by Shimura Takako that examines the lives of kids on the cusp of adolescence who face issues with their gender identity. Nitori Shuichi is a delicate, girlish-looking young boy who likes wearing dresses, while Takatsuki Yoshino is a handsome, boyish-looking girl who enjoys travelling to neighbouring towns disguised as a man. Both attend the same fifth grade class and, over the course of the first volume, discover each other's secret yearning to be a member of the opposite sex. Now, before you either go "Eww, this manga must feature some really weird sexual stuff," or, alternatively, "Yaoi/yuri, woo hoo!", allow us to stop you right there. Yes, there's cross-dressing, but Wandering Son isn't about sexual hanky panky. The manga is a coming-of-age story that explores the personal issue of gender identity and, to a lesser extent, the social issue of sexuality. Throughout the first volume, we see Shuichi slowly - and somewhat reluctantly - coming to terms with his desire to dress up like a girl, while Yoshino rebels rather futilely against her gradual transformation into a woman. They both have intense inner struggles, and their personal tales unfold against the familiar backdrop of an average school life and a somewhat normal family life, complete with teasing classmates and acerbic siblings. The manga has a very well-thought, carefully paced narrative that allows us to explore what goes on inside each character's head and to watch them develop as people. It's much more a quiet slice of life affair than it is an over-the-top comedy and/or drama, which might be something you'd expect from a manga featuring cross-dressing (thanks for helping us develop that peculiar bias, Ranma 1/2). Released by renowned American publisher Fantagraphics, this hardcover book (with 206 mostly B&W pages) represents a sophisticated side of literary manga. Translated with rare skill and sensitivity by veteran translator and comics scholar Matt Thorn, much of the story's original flavour remains intact. Shimura Takako's gender-bending story has a very quiet, introspective touch to it, and her artwork – with its clean lines, minimal backgrounds and sparse dialogue – beautifully reflects this. The art is simple yet expressive, and this is particularly evident in the many scenes where not a single word is uttered – you can practically hear what the characters are thinking just from their looks alone. While we thoroughly enjoyed the strong character development and deeply personal tales in Wandering Son (even if the characters act a little more mature than most fifth graders that we know), we really need to say something about the pacing of the story. If we're generous – and we are – we'd say that the thoughtful pace of the story helps portray the protagonists as believable, relatable characters without needlessly making the narrative drawn-out. If we're not, we'd say that the pace of the story is somewhere close to glacial; it takes the narrative almost the entire first volume and the protagonists' graduation from the fifth grade before any sort of story-driving conflict crops up. Again, this is related to what we mentioned earlier; if you pick up Wandering Son thinking it's going to be full of dramatic high school moments with kids being cast out for their queerness, or non-stop hilarious shenanigans revolving around cross-dressing, then you're going to miss the point of the manga by a mile. Heck, even if you're just expecting a story with a familiar set-up-conflict-resolution structure, you won't be able to fully enjoy this manga. If there is some sort of dramatic climax in Wandering Son, it's certainly not in the first volume. Consider Wandering Son a manga that you'd read on a quiet Sunday afternoon, and one that you'd continue reading not because it has some dramatic hullabaloo that keeps you at the edge of your seat, but because you can empathise with the protagonists and want to see how things work out for them. The second volume of Wandering Son, recently released by Fantagraphics, sees our conflicted young souls, Shuichi and Yoshino, entering the sixth grade. All in all, Wandering Son is a very interesting manga to pick up: it has a strong, character-driven story that explores a very mature topic. If the manga has piqued your interest, do keep in mind that it's up to 11 or 12 volumes already in Japan, so if you're committed to the story, then there's still quite a long road to wander down. Suggested reading for older teens and young adults, Wandering Son Vols 1 & 2 are available at Kinokuniya KLCC. Full content generated by Get Full RSS. |
| Posted: 30 Dec 2011 01:22 AM PST The holiday season brings some pretty scary moments for a young protagonist. Diary Of A Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever PRE-TEEN Greg Heffley finds himself entangled in all sorts of scrapes in the latest book in Jeff Kinney's bestselling Wimpy Kid series. Poor Greg – no matter what he does, he can't seem to win. A lot of his troubles seem to stem from him being the middle child caught between an elder brother (Rodrick) who takes pleasure in playing tricks on him, and a younger brother (Manny) who is spoilt rotten and always wants things his way. Greg is an intelligent boy who brims with creative ideas yet they tend not to work out most of the time. Somehow, once Greg embarks on a certain project, things slowly but surely spin out of control and land him in hot water. One can't help but feel his frustration. The diary entries begin in November, and Greg is experiencing pre-Christmas anxiety. He feels the pressure to perform, to be on his best behaviour, during the month leading up to Christmas. If he does anything wrong during the holiday season, he may not get any presents! He is also nervous about Santa: "The fact that he can see you when you're sleeping and knows when you're awake really creeps me out. So I've started wearing sweatpants to bed because I really don't need Santa seeing me in my underwear". Not only that, Greg wonders – and worries – if he's on Santa's Naughty or Nice list, a list that people talk about but never actually see. To add to his tension, there's Santa's Scout, a homemade doll which belonged to Greg's mum and which she uncovers from some old boxes at home. Santa's Scout has the task of watching how kids behave and then reporting back to Santa at the North Pole. Somehow, no matter which part of the house Greg is in, Santa's Scout is always in a corner somewhere, watching him like a hawk. Poor Greg is constantly kept on his toes, desperately trying to be a good boy. After a few scares, however, Greg starts to suspect Rodrick of moving the doll to strategic spots around the house, just to make life hell for him. Like most children his age, Greg is obsessed with online games, and when he needs money to keep playing his favourite one (and mum, like any sensible mum would, refuses to give him any), he decides to earn his own. And so, with best friend Rowley, Greg sets up a holiday bazaar stall, selling snacks and Christmas ornaments, with interesting games thrown in. To tell people about their stall, the boys start their own newspaper so that they can advertise, brainstorming ideas for sections they can add, and even looking for advertisers to cover the cost of their first printing. Isn't that enterprising of them? Unfortunately, their venture hits a brick wall when the vice principal confiscates their newspaper. Not to be deterred, the boys come up with yet another method to advertise their stall. One thing leads to another, and before they know it, the boys find themselves in trouble and Greg becomes the prime suspect when his school property is damaged. As the principal and the police close in on him, a surprise blizzard hits, and the Heffley family is trapped in their own home! To make matters worse, there is a blackout. With food running out and temperatures dropping, how will they survive? But just as conditions hit rock bottom, Greg makes a startling discovery. Author Kinney packs the book with insights into Greg's life, family and friendships, the myriad issues he grapples with at school and at home; how his thinking develops as time goes by; his dreams, fears and hopes. The action is fast-paced and events unfold very quickly as the days go by, so much so that you have to put the book down at times to let the sequence of events sink in. This is an interesting book which realistically depicts the issues and frustration faced by pre-teens as well as the challenges faced by parents, especially if they have an older teen, a pre-teen and a toddler under one roof. Full content generated by Get Full RSS. |
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