The Star Online: Lifestyle: Bookshelf
The Star Online: Lifestyle: Bookshelf |
- Unforgettable tale of love
- Not all black cats bring bad luck
- Start something - buy a pair of Toms shoes
| Posted: 05 Oct 2012 06:30 AM PDT There are plans to adapt this brilliant debut novel for the big screen. Our reviewer says: read the book first — you won't be disappointed. The Light Between Oceans IMAGINE you live alone, with your husband or wife, tending a lighthouse on a small island far out to sea, remote from all humanity. You have just buried your third child, stillborn. You feel unbearable grief. Life is hopeless and forlorn. Then, while attending to the grave of your recently departed son, you hear a baby's cry on the wind. Startlement turns to hope. You rush to investigate and find a baby in a boat that has washed ashore. In the boat is a dead man, presumably its father. What would you do? Would you report the lost baby as found? Or would you, in your grief, take the baby as your own, to replace the others lost? That is the dilemma facing Tom Sherbourne and his wife Isabel at the opening to this heart-rending book. It is an unforgettable opening to an unforgettable tale that will stay with you long after you have turned the final page. It is a story that prompts one to reflect on life, love and what it means to be good in a world that so often isn't. At its core, this is a book about love. However, its take on love is far from traditional. Stedman shows us how love can corrupt a life, and lead even the most moral of people astray for the very best of reasons. I cannot recall a book in which love, the most potent and rewarding of human emotions, brings about so much misfortune to all touched by it, except perhaps Shakespeare's Romeo And Juliet. It is also a book about how the past may haunt people throughout their lives. Tom Sherbourne is a former soldier who survived World War I without a scratch while many of his comrades died in horrific circumstances. Those memories haunt him, indeed pursue him, for many years. He chooses to work in a lighthouse far from civilisation in order to find peace away from the horrors of war – yet within him he carries those echoes of death: they fill his dreams and colour his days. He is never truly free of death. Yet he finds love and a new life, and through it he undergoes a kind of rebirth. However, this love is not without its price – and the ramifications of that love, and its consequences, permeate the entire book, lending it an unexpectedly tragic quality. Stedman shows an often touching understanding for human feeling and relationships. She attends to the merest details of how people relate to each other and the meanings that lie behind the simplest of deeds and words. Her writing style is clear and simple, adorned on occasion with pithy phrases that memorably capture a thought, a feeling, an intention, or a person's character. Another theme is that of madness – and of how it may be intertwined with love, the latter evoking the former in times of great distress. However, I must note that I found some elements of this aspect of the book less convincing than the rest, in that I believe that few people would be driven to the actions of one of the main characters even in the dire circumstances described. This plotting showed a little less faith in the power of love by Stedman than I myself hold. Yet, as written, the tale does evoke an entrancing degree of emotional tension in the reader. This is Stedman's first published novel. As such, it exceeded my every expectation, for what a first literary outing it is. I am rarely emotionally affected by a book, yet by the end of this one I found myself deeply moved. There is, perhaps, no greater a sign than this that Stedman is a writer of talent. Her gift lies in conveying the intricate geography of human relations, the anatomy of love, and the manner in which great love seeps into every corner of a life, changing it forever – though not always for the better. She is a writer who not only understands human feeling and has clearly reflected much upon it, and life, but is able to invoke feelings in the reader, too. In short: her words touch the reader. The Light Between Oceans is being published in at least 24 territories and is going to be made into a film. There is a definite filmic quality to the plotting, the characterisation and the emotional intensity of the book that makes me believe that this film will definitely be one worth watching. However, I will say this: read the book first. You won't be disappointed. |
| Not all black cats bring bad luck Posted: 05 Oct 2012 05:45 AM PDT With its gorgeous art and marvellous characters, Blacksad proves that not all black cats bring bad luck. JOHN Blacksad is one hip, cool cat. And we mean this quite literally: Blacksad is a large black feline, complete with whiskers, claws and all. He's also a hard-boiled private investigator hot on a case that will lead him on a scandalous trail of drugs, jazz and betrayal through 1950s New Orleans. Blacksad is the protagonist of Spanish writer Juan Díaz Canales and artist Juanjo Guarnido's critically acclaimed Blacksad series. Nominated for three Eisner awards, and winner of the Angoulême Prize for Artwork at the biggest comics festival in Europe, the series is a gritty and atmospheric crime noir featuring anthromorphic animals. A Silent Hell is the fourth volume in the series, after Somewhere Within the Shadows, Arctic Nation, and Red Soul. Translated from its original French by Katie LaBarbera, the graphic novel is published by Dark Horse Books. In the latest instalment of the series, Blacksad finds himself investigating a missing person: famed canine jazz pianist Sebastian Fletcher has left his wife and is missing, and the curious cat is tasked by ageing record producer Faust Lachappelle to track him down. This shouldn't be too difficult for Blacksad: after all, he's faced far worse than this in the past. But Blacksad soon meets a cast of colourful characters, which include the hard-pressed members of Sebastian's old band, and the crooked investigator hippo, Ted Leeman. Soon he finds himself caught up in a web of intrigue involving ruined lives, broken families and cold-blooded murder, and the daring detective finds he may have to put one of his nine lives on the line to solve the case. Blacksad is your standard-issue private eye: relentless, resourceful, and respectful, and extremely dangerous in a fight. A scene where he takes out two conniving donkey innkeepers is beautifully brutal yet comic at the same time. Providing comic relief is Blacksad's naive reporter sidekick Weekly, a weasel with hygiene problems (his unusual nickname apparently refers to the frequency in which he changes his underwear.) The most impressive feature of A Silent Hell is its impressive artwork. Done primarily in watercolour, every panel is mesmerising, every page amazing to behold. Guarnido's strong, clean lines and vivid colours bring the rich world of Blacksad's New Orleans to life, and his wonderfully plotted-out panels bring a cinematic quality to his art. Of particular note are his amazingly detailed Mardi Gras parade scenes, which are lush with colour, action and character. Also noteworthy is a delightful vignette where Faust visits a sinister voodoo practitioner, chimpanzee Madame Gibraltar: here, Guarnido focuses primarily on two colours, yellow and grey, to invoke a shady, almost mystic atmosphere. Guarnido also has amazing range with his characters. The cast of Blacksad's world come from every class of the animal kingdom, but whether it is goats, roosters, toads, apes, leopards or even hippos, every character is expressive and memorable. You wouldn't think it possible for skunks to be seductive, penguins to look disappointed, or hippos to look suave and dapper, but Guarnido excels in doing all that, and more. While previous issues tackled issues such as inter-racial segregation and communist scares, A Silent Hell concerns itself with class struggle, as illustrated by rich manager Faust's exploitation of Sebastian and his fellow struggling musicians. (An interesting note: the makeup of the Sebastian's band, namely a dog, a rooster, a horse and a cat, is perhaps an allusion to the Grimm Brothers fairytale The Town Musicians Of Bremen). True to the gritty feel of noir, abandonment is also an important theme. Sebastian abandons his pregnant wife to concentrate on music, despite her begging him not to, while ignored son Thomas becomes estranged from his father Faust, who similarly turns his back on Sebastian's band and Leeman. The only minor flaw with A Silent Hell is a strange deus ex machina climax involving a mysterious character, which we will hopefully learn more about in future Blacksad volumes. Another issue is its relatively short length: at slightly under 60 pages, the graphic novel can be devoured in one short sitting. Given how compelling the story is, this may feel a little unsatisfying. Perhaps to compensate for this, the graphic novel comes with several interesting extras, including two one-page stories, Spit At The Sky and Cats And Dogs. Interestingly, both stories are thematically contrasting, with Spit being a cynical fable of political exploitation and Cats being a heart-warming ode to friendship. Comic art enthusiasts, however, will be drawn to The Watercolour Story feature; where Guarnido explains the visual choices he made in A Silent Hell. Providing details on all matters artistic, from colour contrasts, lighting effects and watercolour techniques to the challenges of large crowd scenes, this illuminating section will give readers new appreciation for the amount of effort put into making this graphic novel. Canales and Guarnido's Blacksad: A Silent Hell proves that black cats don't always bring misfortune. Featuring gorgeous art and marvellous characters, this graphic novel is recommended for all, particularly furry enthusiasts (who will love this, trust me) and crime noir fans. > Blacksad: A Silent Hell is available at Kinokuniya, Suria KLCC, Kuala Lumpur. |
| Start something - buy a pair of Toms shoes Posted: 05 Oct 2012 05:41 AM PDT Start Something That Matters THIS book is by the guy who brought us the famous Toms shoes (toms.com), where you buy a pair of shoes and a pair is given to a child in need. Blake Mycoskie's inspiring social entrepreneurship has shown the world that it is possible to start a socially responsible and profitable business. The book tells the story of how he started out wanting to help poor kids in Argentina who were exposed to infections and sores because they couldn't afford to buy shoes. Mycoskie takes us through the early days of the business, where he was called loco (crazy) by the shoemakers in Argentina whom he approached to make his shoes for him. He also talks about the lean startup – how to get things going on a shoestring budget and through cultivating a lot of human capital (in the form of aspiring interns and family and friends). You would probably get that in most business how-to books. The difference here is that the author is urging you to start something that will impact the world in a positive way. Now isn't that genius? It's all about taking your aspirations that much higher. And it all makes sense: if you're doing something you love, and it's helping someone somewhere in the world, that's double the motivation to succeed. There are stories of other social entrepreneurs in the book, such as Lauren Bush who started the FEED projects, Zappos founder Tony Hsieh, Scott Harrison, who founded charity: water and the method boys Eric Ryan and Adam Lowry. Mycoskie uses their stories as teaching moments throughout. Some would call this book idealistic, that he is writing in the context of the American market, which is huge compared to the Malaysian market. With a market that size, it is easier getting things to move. The population of California is estimated at 37 million people in 2011, and Toms is based in Santa Monica, California. The population in Kuala Lumpur is 7.2 million (with about 1.9 million in the urban areas). If you compare a social business in California and one in KL, each with a similar profit margin, you will have an idea which one will take off faster, assuming similar concepts in both. Of course, the Internet has opened up the world to all entrepreneurs, and Malaysian business owners can sell globally. So what's standing between a social entrepreneur in this country and world dominance, really? A really good idea helps, but what really worked for Mycoskie and his fledgling start-up was that he lived and breathed his business concept. He gives very creative solutions to running a business, which may or may not be applicable to all businesses. You get the distinct feel that he's very much speaking to like-minded compatriots in the social crusade. A ruthless business mogul would probably have no time for all this idealistic nonsense. So if you're only in it for the money, I suggest you give this book a miss. Because doing good is a big part of the business model he pushes. Giving is part of the company motto. The ideas put forth in the book appear suitable for those interested in humanitarian causes, because there are tried and tested methods of creating positive impact by rallying resources, people and goodwill. Like all motivational books, though, it'll only take you so far. No doubt it'll inspire and fire you up to pursue your passion, but the next step really depends on you. You are the one who's going to take the first steps towards your dream business. |
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