45worlds - Magic Marmalade

Magic Marmalade

Send MessageFollowActivity

VIEW PAGE ON » 45cat45spaces

3719 Points / Moderator / Joined 30 Jun 2014 /

England / Kent

Gift this member a subscription: Gift a Subscription

Collection 4422

Wishlist 157

Half record collector... half druid... complete unit.

More human than human.

Comments (Books) View All 101 »

Member	Item		Review/Comment
Magic Marmalade 14th Nov 2024		Book Paulo Coelho - The Alchemist	Rated 8/10 This is one that would probably be a good one to teach in schools. Simple, crisp, clear language, in the old style in which such tales were told, that conjures great images in the mind of the reader, telling a magical, extended parable / fable about a shepherd boy setting off to the pyramids to find a treasure he dreamt of. It's about having a dream, following that dream, understanding it, and not giving up. Very good read. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Magic Marmalade 7th Nov 2024		Book Umberto Eco - Foucault's Pendulum	Also worth noting, that there is more than one Foucault of historical note.
Magic Marmalade 7th Nov 2024		Book Umberto Eco - Foucault's Pendulum	Rated 8/10 What a tangled web we weave! This is one for the conspiracy theorists, especially those who got entangled with the likes of The Da Vinci Code, and The Holy Blood, And The Holy Grail... Except this is work of (overt) fiction is a almost a masterpiece of deadpan satire of conspiracy theories. In fact, given the author was an absolute master of medievalism (he knew his historical, and indeed his "historical" stuff!), this leaves those other works in the dust, due to his total command of the material in ways others can only dream of. Essentially, within the framework of the plot, of a trio of cynical, esoteric book publishers who decide to make a little publishing enterprise by concocting a global "masterplan" based on their combined knowledge of all things "secret society", freemason, and Knights Templar etc., they weave a massive web of horseshit for their target audience, built form the accumulated mass of almost every piece of history and "history" not nailed down that you can think of... (Seriously, almost any historical figure or place you care to mention pops up at some point, and even the most learned or familiar among you will struggle with some of these references) ...Only to discover, once dark events and happenings around them may suggest their created plan may actually be true! .....And now it seems it may be after them. There's plenty of twists here, naturally, and I think it may be somewhat too dense with historical reference at times, but that only serves to highlight the psyche of the conspiratorial mind, by taking it, and running further with it that most of them are able, or willing to go. It gets to be like a joke told deadpan, that just keeps going and going, and getting more and more elaborate and funnier, not necessarily because of the content, but due to the absurdity of persistence. It is also great at breaking this down, and showing the mechanics of conspiracy, and the conspiratorial mind, and how such people are susceptible and vulnerable to such intrigues. So not only a masterpiece of satire of the whole "world" of conspiracy, but actually quite useful for those wishing to seek some objectivity... or indeed... sanity. Ultimately, there is no conspiracy, and everybody else knows it but you :) ...Or is there? ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Magic Marmalade 24th Aug 2024		Book Mark Haddon - The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time	Rated 9/10 Brilliantly conceived novel. The narrator / protagonist is a young guy with autism - possibly, specifically Asperger's, and so we view the world through his eyes, via his mind, understanding events and happenings as related to us descriptively by him as he sets about detecting, and uncovering the truth behind titular curious incident... which a neighbour's dog is "murdered" with a garden fork in the middle of the night. But the story evolves, through this premise, way beyond it... for him, at least. The real genius though, other relating to the reader what the autistic mind comprehends, and how, is by way of his blank description of the events, that we can see, and understand, what he cannot... ...So the story being told in his descriptions is understood, in it's meaning, of what the people he is describing are doing and saying, even though, and especially, because he cannot see or comprehend those meanings. Usually, we get an insight through the protagonist, or a "God's eye view" of the story, but in this case, we get to see the story he is blind to, even though he is telling it; which is somewhat tragic and heart-breaking, in it's depiction of everyday life for those struggling with autism in their lives, both those who are autistic, and those who love them, and live with them, and their condition. (Apologies if I have been innocently insensitive in my use of terms, I don't want to come across as tone deaf or condescending here, but this is the first time I feel I've come anywhere near close to appreciating what Autism is, let alone experiencing it in anyone) I venture to suggest though, that a lot of what is written here will hit home hard for those caring for anyone like main character: Christopher, and how he drives his parents, himself, and others near to, and even past the edge sometimes, unrelenting as it is. Perfectly framed, and actually very enjoyable. >Two points though, after reading and looking online about this: 1. The "offensiveness" of some of the language and terms used, principally by Christopher, as a criticism, holds absolutely no water, as he himself, is incapable of any intent, but innocently, merely relating, and reporting the words, and deeds of others, who have no such excuse - he doesn't get it anyway, just states: "He / she said / did this / that", so it's completely contextualised. 2. I see actor-oid Brad Pitt owns the movie rights to this, but nothing has been forthcoming as of yet - but if he does eventually pull his thumb out of his ass and get on with making this happen, he needs to make it (In my opinion) along the lines of an independent, mid to lower budget affair, along the lines of, say... Juno, in tone and style, rather throwing money at it, and making some huge, toe curling, and by virtue of this - offensively, and tone deaf "Hollywood" style movie. ✔︎ Helpful Review?
Magic Marmalade 2nd Mar 2024		Book Laurence Sterne - The Life And Opinions Of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman	Rated 5/10 Well that was three weeks of my reading life I'm never getting back! Can't honestly say, having now read it, I could tell you anything about it, or even what it is "about". Like an fantastically over-long satirical literary joke that wears out it's welcome after even the first three hundred pages. let alone seven hundred!. Poo. ✔︎ Helpful Review?