Book Review: The Book Thief

Before I read this book, I gave it to my boyfriend’s father to explore. A keen reader, it took him only two days to complete, and he gave it 7.5 out of 10, which according to my calculations is a 3.75 out of 5 stars in my own star system. Not bad! Now let’s see what I thought!

Set in Nazi Germany, Liesel Meminger and her younger brother are being taken by their mother to live with a foster family. Liesel has no idea why, but she thinks it may have something to do with her father and the word ‘Kommunist’. On the journey, Death visits the young boy, and notices Liesel. At her brother’s graveside, she finds an object in the snow – a small publication called The Gravedigger’s Handbook.

As Liesel is an illiterate ten-year-old, her silver-eyed foster father teaches her to read. Soon books and words become an addiction, and Liesel begins stealing books from all over her adopted town – Nazi book-burnings and the mayor’s wife’s library to name a couple.

With Nazi Germany at war and a favour to repay, Liesel’s foster family then hides a Jew in their basement. Such dangerous times make Liesel question the power of words – are they that fantastic after all?

As I am an English teacher, I really loved the theme of words in this book. Words can open up people’s worlds by allowing them to step up in the world, to understand, to comprehend. But they can also be hurtful and help to brainwash people, from small insults to large propaganda campaigns. No one would have trusted the man who parted his hair on the opposite side and had a small, strange moustache if he could not speak!

I also liked how Death was Zusak’s narrator, as he/she visited characters in the story but also kept an eye on the very petite Liesel. Through this narration, Zusak was also able to use the clever writing technique called foreshadowing. Hence, Death often listed the characters who would eventually meet him/her, or gave us a brief warning that they only had a month to live, but did not disclose exactly when in the book it would occur. This created suspense in my reading and consequently I wanted more!

But be warned. I found the first few chapters a heavy slog until events began to happen. Like To Kill A Mockingbird, all the juicy stuff occurs in the second half of the book! But overall, the book is beautifully and cleverly written with some fantastic similes and metaphors included. I will finish this review with my favourite simile of the book and describes a shop-owner:

“His teeth were like a football crowd, crammed in.”

4 out of 5 stars

Movie Review: The King's Speech

Rating: M

Starring: Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter, Guy Pearce, Michael Gambon.

Director: Tom Hooper

Colin Firth should win three awards for The King’s Speech:

Award 1 – For being Colin Firth.

Award 2 – For being incredibly hot.

Award 3 – For his phenomenal performance as King George VI in The King’s Speech.

So I guess you have realised that I have a MAJOR crush on Colin Firth, and that this review is probably just a little biased. Hell, he could be in Scream #235 and I would love it! But in all seriousness, The King’s Speech is a brilliant movie, and deserved the Golden Globe for best picture. But I guess there are always the Oscars...

The King’s Speech follows the events leading up to King George VI’s (Firth) rise to the British throne, and famous speech that declares war on Nazi Germany. In the opening scenes, we see that the then Prince Albert has a severe stammer, with no apparent cure in sight. His wife Princess Elizabeth (a superb Helena Bonham Carter) scours the land for suitable speech therapists, finding the unqualified but successful Australian Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush). And so begins a few months of intense training, with triumph and heartache.

Prince Albert’s stammer then becomes an increasing problem after his father (Michael Gambon) dies and his brother King  Edward VIII (Guy Pearce) then abdicates the throne to marry a twice-divorced American (something not allowed in those days). With Lionel by his side for intense speech training, motivation, and eventual friendship, Prince Albert becomes King George VI on the brink of World War II. In doing so, he finds not only his own voice but confidence to lead his country into battle.

While it is a relatively serious movie, The King’s Speech also includes light-hearted scenes, which I think is typically British and something only they can do well! Further, as much as I love Colin Firth in romantic comedies (Love Actually, Bridget Jones’ Diary, What A Girl Wants), it was refreshing to see that he has a well-rounded acting ability. The stammer alone would have taken ages to perfect!

I know this is completely off the topic, but being a huge Harry Potter fan it was fun to pick out the Harry Potter stars throughout the movie Beatrix Lestrange, Albus Dumbledore, and Peter Pettigrew all made an appearance. Let me know if you spot any others!

5 out of 5 stars.

Movie Review: Tangled

 

Rating: G

Starring: Voices of Mandy Moore, Zachary Levi, and Donna Murphy

Director: Nathan Greno and Byron Howard

If you are after a movie that is simply light entertainment, then I recommend Disney’s latest animation Tangled!

The most expensive animation produced by Disney thus far, it was worth the money for me just to see how far animation has come since I was a little girl! But let's get down to what Tangled is actually about...

A modern version of the classic children’s book, Princess Rapunzel (voice of Mandy Moore) is stolen from her castle by an evil woman who is possessed by her own desires to be young and beautiful.

The evil woman is therefore awestruck by Rapunzel’s golden hair, which exhibits healing properties whenever Rapunzel sings.

Rapunzel remains locked in a tower until just before her eighteenth birthday, by which time she decides she wants to see the magical lights that curiously appear on her birthday each year.

She tricks her mother (well, adopted mother) to leave the tower for three days in search for her ideal birthday present – special paint (Rapunzel is an artist).

Luckily for Rapunzel, robber Flynn (voice of Zachary Levi) arrives at her tower with a stolen royal crown, and she makes him a deal - take her to see the lights and she will give him his crown back.

And so begins an adventure of fun, betrayal, and blackmail, with some extremely funny scenes involving a horse as well as some macho men.

I think this movie has something for everyone – slapstick comedy for the children (Rapunzel enjoys using a fry pan as a weapon) and clever one liners for the adults.

And if you do not trust my opinions, here is what I overhead some children in the cinema say about it...

“Mummy, he just got whacked over! That was so funny!” – little boy, approximately four years old.

“This is just HILARIOUS, don’t you think Mummy?” – little girl, approximately six years old.

I must also add the couple sitting behind me were in stiches during the movie. And they were in their fifties at least!

4 out of 5 stars

Book Review: My Stroke of Insight by Dr Jill Bolte Taylor

Okay, so you may be noticing a trend in the books I have reviewed thus far. I love reading about people. Not just famous people (although these are generally the most widely available), but also those with amazing, noteworthy, breathtaking stories that command me to find out more. Call me crazy, but I just find people so fascinating. So when I saw Dr Jill Bolte Taylor on The Oprah Winfrey Show, I put her book on my must-read list...

Dr Jill was a 37-year-old trained and published neuroanatomist, who also gave numerous speeches around America about the importance of brain donation for scientific purposes. Her life changed forever the morning she has a stroke in the left hemisphere of her brain. As it was in the side of her brain that stored memories, language, and numerals, Dr Jill essentially became an infant again. She had to relearn how to read, write, walk, get dressed, all the functions we complete without even thinking. One example Dr Jill included was thinking that a fork was actually a back scratcher!

I was extremely touched by the close bond Dr Jill shares with her mother G.G. (short for her maiden name Gladys Gillman). This amazing lady flew across America without any hesitation to be by Dr Jill’s side for the first part of her recovery. G.G. taught her daughter to read and write again, and attended to her every need. Simply beautiful.

In the last few chapters of My Stroke of Insight, Dr Jill explains which part of the brain controls certain aspects of your personality. For example, many of us speak with our head (left hemisphere), while others speak with their heart (right hemisphere). While these pages were rather a lot to take in, and rather heavy in their approach, I still found it interesting that I have more control over my brain that I thought. All it takes is practice in training my brain to steer away from negative thoughts...

My Stroke of Insight was a very personal read for me. My uncle and grandfather both suffered strokes, and if I had Dr Jill’s story earlier, I would have been more aware of their needs and a lot less frightened! While Dr Jill’s story is one of triumph, hard work, and love, I think it is a must-read for all of us. I am now able to recognise the symptoms of stroke, have one detailed account of a recovery program (although these will differ from patient to patient), and feel as though I could bring a positive energy to someone recovering from a stroke.

Overall, I really loved the way Dr Jill looked upon her stroke as something positive in her life. It was an event that allowed her to see a stroke as something more than a brain disorder. She therefore highlights the need for patients to be seen as people rather than just victims.

4 out of 5 stars

Theatre Review: Mary Poppins

If you haven’t seen the stage production of Mary Poppins, I am asking you to put it on your ‘to do list’ for this year. Why? Because it is practically perfect in every way, just like the lady herself!

Currently showing at Her Majesty’s Theatre in Melbourne, no dollar has been spared in the cost of production. The stage is absolutely breathtaking, with street lanes and different rooms of the Banks’ house popping out from the floor and ceiling. Mary Poppins’ magical bag also makes an appearance, much to the delight of younger fans in the audience!

Verity Edwards and Matt Lee are the stars of the show as Mary and Bert respectively. Edwards’ mannerisms and movements echo those of a young Julie Andrews, while Lee lights up the stage with his effortless dancing and singing (I certainly have more respect for his opinions on So You Think You Can Dance after witnessing his talents).

While the basic storyline of bringing a father closer to his children is present, it mixes different aspects of the movie and book to create something a little different. This keeps the audience interested because no one can predict what happens next!

The famous songs from the movie are also reprised. Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious has some amazing choreography, Jolly Holiday does not involve jumping into Bert’s drawings (I will not spoil what happens though), and Step in Time is a tap-dancing extraordinaire!

Of course all the favourite characters are still there, including Mr and Mrs Banks (Philip Quast and Marina Prior), the bird woman (an unrecognisable Debra Byrne), and many others. I was a little disappointed that Uncle Albert was missing (the laughing man from the movie for those who cannot remember), but I guess I cannot have everything!

For me, there were only two faults in the performance. Firstly, one of the shelves did not repair itself during Mary Poppins’ clean-up of the kitchen. My boyfriend and I were in hysterics when we noticed this, and I am pretty sure no one else in the audience picked this minor flaw! Secondly, because we were sitting in the stalls ($99 seats), our view was restricted during a couple of items. I would therefore recommend paying an extra $50 for your ticket if you want a practically perfect view!

5 out of 5 stars

Book Review: Committed by Elizabeth Gilbert

Committed is Gilbert’s sequel to her famous autobiographical work Eat, Pray, Love. However, I don’t think Committed will be as widely regarded as a woman’s bible to self guidance and exploration, as its predecessor has often been labelled. Instead, it may simply provide marriage sceptics with some relevant information so they can perhaps reassess their opinions. 

Committed begins with Gilbert’s expression of love for Brazilian man Felipe, whom she met during her travels to Bali (the Love section of Eat, Pray, Love). We find out that while both are committed, neither wishes to marry again because of painful divorces. Felipe is then refused entry into America, and it is made known that if he has any chance of permanent residency, he must marry Gilbert. Ironic? You betcha!

This discovery means that Gilbert uses most of Committed to explore the very notion of marriage –Where did it originate? How does it differ in other cultures? What can Gilbert expect in her second marriage? Gilbert includes information from many sources, including, sociologists and marriage experts, friends and family, religious texts, and her travels around Asia with Felipe while they wait for his visa to be cleared.

While I was intrigued with the marital information she provided, I found Gilbert went off on major tangents. I suppose this is the way a human brain would tackle something sceptical (I’m known to ponder and not hear anything around me), however it took a long while for Gilbert to return to her main point. Much of the information was also heavy in history, so I found myself only reading a few pages at a time. This allowed me to digest the information and assess the marital institution from a Western perspective.

Committed, despite its tangents, was a surprisingly decent read. This may be because I studied sociology as part of my journalism degree, and I am generally interested in social institutions such as marriage, family, and school. Therefore, if you are not a huge history fan, I would not recommend this book to you! Committed may also make a nice bridal shower gift as she prepares for her big day.

3.5 out of 5 stars