2 Very Different Books

Under The Dome by Stephen King (11/25 Books)

I, obviously, have no idea how writers do it, best selling writers or other wise. I'm not sure of where they're inspiration comes from. But it's interesting how it ebbs and flows, after a few years of floundering (I am sure whatever he was writing was still becoming best sellers) Stephen King puts out two long, and pretty amazing books in a row. Coming in at 1072 pages, this is the story of a small town in Maine where one day a dome appears over it and traps its' denizens in there. These are people that have know each other for years, of course, it being a small town, and the dome becoming a pressure cooker as the good and the bad vie for power, old schemes and old grudges start coming to the fore. What's amazing is that King handles a cast of hundreds with a really deft hand, sure some go by the wayside, but for the most part the people he focuses on are really well drawn. Not to mention the fact that this book, even as long as it is, is an unbelievably tight and quick read, he really ratchets up the tension and propels things forward at a breakneck speed. It's a pretty amazing piece, although the ending is a bit abrupt and some might not buy the explanation of why the dome was there, but if you're already along for the ride, it's a fairly minor quibble. What is interesting is it is all in service to a story that's basically about the power of simple human decency. It's interesting, like I started saying in the beginning, King mentions in his notes that he originally started writing this thing in 1976 and put it away with only 75 pages written, then decided to go back to it later and this what he came up with, it's pretty impressive.

Sweet Soul Music: Rhythm And Blues And The Southern Dream of Freedom  by Peter Guralnick (12/25 books)

For awhile now, Tina had been telling me to read this, and for no real reason, I kept putting it off. But then were watching something on Stax Records and I had a bunch of questions, so she told me to read it again, and I am SO glad I finally did. It is, honestly, one of the best music-related books I have ever read. It is really astonishing to hear about the soul scene that was rising up in the South (and remember this is the late 50's and early 60's so you can imagine that atmosphere people were coming up in) These stories of people like Otis Redding, Sam Cooke, James Brown, and focusing on Stax Records (which was effectively the sort of "flipside" of Motown) It's amazing to read that, almost to a person, how people started in the gospel scene then went on to make "secular" music. And then what they had to endure to make these records possible, and then, of course what would ultimately hurt them, especially in the way how they weren't getting compensated for their music. The chapter on the Stax tour of Europe is both triumphant and at the same time heartbreaking. It goes on and on, but it helps that Pete Guralnick is a fan first, who happens to be able to write abut his favorite subject and artists in a way that expresses that fandom but it doesn't overwhelm the writing. It's a really great read, focusing on a part of soul music that often gets lost to history or overshadowed by what was going in Detroit.

-Kevin

2 Books and a Movie

11/22/63 by Stephen King (6/25 books)

For the first time enact a rule that apparently exists in the real "50/50" challenge, in that book over 500 pages actually counts as two books. Well, here you go, and I admit that if I didn't write that then no one would be the wiser. Anyhow, the book: I go back and forth on the whole Stephen King "thing", I guess like anything else: when he is on he is really on and when he is off he is really off. That being said, I haven't paid too much attention to him lately until this book and Under The Dome started to get all sorts of attention and thus grabbed my attention again. This book, I feel like, is way more entertaining than it has any right to be I think, ostensibly about time travel, it also contains a tragic love story and as with most time travel, a lot of ideas about how the choices we make, big and small, effect the world and people around us. King sets up the rules of the time travel device early on, and later sort of, but not really explains why there exists these bubbles that take people to a certain time and/or place. Here the protagonist has to live 5 years in the past so that he can prevent the assassination of John F. Kennedy, it's about that mission, of course, but also the people he meets along the way. It sounds dumb, but it is a page turner of the highest order, with a really nice  emotional center. There might be a little too much talk about harmonizing and how the past can be "obdurate", but the more I think about it, I wonder of the repeat mention of these things goes along with the idea of patterns in time and history that King was trying to bring up.

One side note, I didn't realize until I read this AV Club "Gateways To Geekery" article on Stephen King that I realized that in his latter day books he tries to link all of his books as happening in the same universe. This isn't giving away too much, I guess, but the main character goes back in time, and spends time in Derry, NH, where he has some other business before the "big business", and it is the same Derry, NH as the one in "It" with the about a year or two removed from the child disappearances. I found it more odd than anything to have that sort of thing linked, but, in a way I found it kind of fun. That sort of detail right there may or may not tell you whether you would be into this book. But, in a way, it sort of makes sense that, sure, portals to another time would just appear in the stockroom of a Diner in NH, it's Stephen King's universe. Which, in a way, is a lazy way of getting out of giving a real explanation. But when the book's this entertaining and engaging, in a way, it doesn't really matter.

Old Man Logan by Mark Millar and Steve McNiven (7/25 books)

Someone with more in depth knowledge of comic books can tell me whether I am off base or not here but Mark Millar seems to be one of the kings of taking comic book characters and giving some sort of alternate history. I had to look this up but he had also done Red Son, which was a Superman story where they took Superman and instead of having his spaceship land in Kansas, it landed on a collective in the Soviet Union, and how that changed the world that they existed in. It was really well done. Now,Old Man Logan, is a bit different. The story takes place fifty years after all the Marvel villains teamed up and sneak attacked the Marvel heroes, destroyed most of them, and then proceeded to divvy up the United States into four quarters. Basically, the Logan of this story is like Clint Eastwood's character in Unforgiven, because of something that happened on that night he hid his identity and turned to pacifism, until pushed too far of course. It's really interesting a combination of Western mythos, Mad Max, and the heroes' journey, and of course, some sci fi. I mostly liked it but it ended with what seemed like the setup for a sequel which would be great but I am not sure if it is forthcoming. (Looking around it looks like Millar wanted to do a sequel, but who knows what happened to it. This is one of the few times I would welcome it)

Semi-Pro (23/50 movies)

I'll admit that I love Will Ferrell. I think he's really funny (duh). But at the time Semi-Pro came out I felt he was going to the well one too many times on a couple things :Will Ferrell in the 70's and Will Ferrell in sports-specific comedy. (I think it came out around or after the time of Blades Of Glory-another movie that has it's moments, as well as it's cool co-stars) Now, I happened to catch this on Comedy Central, and it would probably be better to watch the uncensored version for a variety of reasons, but this did indeed, have it's moments, and was a fun trifle, and I definitely laughed, but overall it wasn't the best. I mean, sure, it might be unfair to compare it to his classic, Anchorman, because it doesn't reach those height, but even on it's own merits, it had some fun and funny stuff, but I am not quote sure it worked overall. But it's not a terrible waste of a couple hours either. What was pretty amazing though is the cast of costars he assembled for this thing: Will Arnett, Andy Daly, Woody Harrelson, Andre 3000, David Koechner, Rob Corddry, Kristen Wiig, Maura Tierney, Andy Richter, Matt Walsh etc. The list goes on and on.

-Kevin