Title:

Author: Daphne du Maurier

Published: 1938

Summary: The story concerns a woman who marries an English nobleman and returns with him to Manderley, his country estate. There, she finds herself haunted by reminders of his first wife, Rebecca, who died in a boating accident less than a year earlier. In this case, the haunting is psychological, not physical: Rebecca does not appear as a ghost, but her spirit affects nearly everything that takes place at Manderley. The narrator, whose name is never divulged, is left with a growing sense of distrust toward those who loved Rebecca, wondering just how much they resent her for taking Rebecca’s place. In the final chapters, the book turns into a detective story, as the principal characters try to reveal or conceal what really happened on the night Rebecca died.

Rating: 8.5/10

I have to admit – I’m always hesitant before I read books that have been dubbed classics. Some of them, like Jane Eyre, prove to be rather disappointing, while others, such as 1984 or Anna Karenina live up to their hype. Thankfully, Rebecca belongs to the latter category.

I won’t get into too much detail regarding the plot as there might be someone who stumbles across this with the intention of reading this book in the future. The title refers to the first wife of Mr. Maxime de Winter, whom the narrator and heroine of the novel meets and marries during the story.  While the narrator is timid and introverted, Rebecca is notorious for having been the life of the party, a woman who was loved by all. Her struggle with this feeling of inferiority is only heightened by the fact that her name is never given, despite the fact that the story is told in the first person perspective.

This doesn’t happen very often for me, but I truly did not see the ending coming. It was obvious from the first few chapters of the book the nature in which Rebecca died, but the details surrounding her death were quite a surprise to me. As was Maxime’s confession his wife about the true nature of his feelings regarding Rebecca.

All in all, this book was a really interesting read, with some great characters. Little by little, the reader discovers the mystery and secrets surrounding Manderley, as well as the reality about the nature of the first Mrs. De Winter and the night that she met her end.

Rating: 7.5/10

Tagline: With the right song and dance, you can get away with murder.

Summary: Chicago centers on Velma Kelly and Roxie Hart, two criminals-of-passion who find themselves awaiting their trials for murder in 1920s Chicago. Velma, a vaudevillian, and Roxie, a housewife with aspirations of having the same profession, fight for the fame that will keep them from the gallows.

Stars: Catherine Zeta-Jones, Renée Zellweger, Richard Gere, Queen Latifah, John C. Reilly, Christine Baranski, Lucy Liu, Taye Diggs, Colm Feore

It’s been awhile since I’ve reviewed a movie, well…because it’s been quite awhile since I’ve actually seen a movie. I watched two yesterday, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape ? (starring Johnny Depp and Leonardo Dicaprio), and Chicago. I’m a huge fan of musicals and had been dying to see this as well as Moulin Rouge! (which is still overdue) for a long time.

I have to admit that it was quite a fun movie – Renee Zellweger and Catherine Zeta-Jones are both great actresses and I really enjoyed their performances. The characters are not sympathetic at all, but their spiteful and cruel demeanors are fun to watch. Richard Gere was also good as the charismatic Billy Flynn, who somehow manages to twist everything to suit his defendant’s case. All in all, I enjoyed the dialogue and the storyline, as well as the characters of Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly, and their rivalry. Taye Diggs and Lucy Liu also had small little cameos, which I enjoyed.

What I really loved – not surprisingly enough – was the choreography and the soundtrack. My favorite song is definitely We Both Reached for the Gun. I reminded the recording at least five times to watch that number. I also really loved Cell Block Tango, especially the fierce looks on the actresses’ faces, as well as Roxie. I was really impressed with the two lead actresses’ voices, especially Renee, who had never had professional training prior to filming this movie.

All in all, if you’re a fan of musicals, you should enjoy this movie. If you’re not, I would probably stay away from it, since the songs are what really make it. After this movie, I would curious to see how similar the stage version is.

Have you seen Chicago? What are you thoughts?

Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult

Author: Jodi Picoult

Summary: In Sterling, New Hampshire, 17-year-old high school student Peter Houghton has endured years of verbal and physical abuse at the hands of classmates. His best friend, Josie Cormier, succumbed to peer pressure and now hangs out with the popular crowd that often instigates the harassment. One final incident of bullying sends Peter over the edge and leads him to commit an act of violence that forever changes the lives of Sterling’s residents. Even those who were not inside the school that morning find their lives in an upheaval, including Alex Cormier. The superior court judge assigned to the Houghton case, Alex—whose daughter, Josie, witnessed the events that unfolded—must decide whether or not to step down. She’s torn between presiding over the biggest case of her career and knowing that doing so will cause an even wider chasm in her relationship with her emotionally fragile daughter. Josie, meanwhile, claims she can’t remember what happened in the last fatal minutes of Peter’s rampage. Or can she? And Peter’s parents, Lacy and Lewis Houghton, ceaselessly examine the past to see what they might have said or done to compel their son to such extremes.

Favorite Character(s): Peter Houghton, Josie Cormier, Jordan McAfee, Patrick DuCharme

Least Favorite Character(s): Matt Royston, Joey Houghton, Lewis Houghton, Courtney Ignatio

I don’t think I have ever found myself as emotionally affected or invested in a book before. I read this 500 page book in less than 18 hours – I carried it with me everywhere, and even read in class when the teacher wasn’t looking (bad, I know). I wasn’t able to put it down. I’ve read My Sister’s Keeper before from Jodi Picoult, so I knew that she was a good writer, but this book completely floored me.

The amazing part of this book is that you began reading it with the expectation that you are going to be rooting the whole time for the killer to be put safely behind bars – to somehow suffer. Instead, you find yourself sympathizing with everyone. You find out that Peter underwent the most horrible childhood, that he suffered everyday of his life and that no one ever tried to help him no matter how many times he called out for it. You discover that some of the very people he killed tortured him in some unforgivable ways, and were actually horrible people. And even though I never condoned his actions, I found myself sympathizing with him. I actually started to think that in some ways the way they treated him were actually crueler than him having pulled the trigger. Peter was my favorite character for the very fact that he was sensitive and kind – when he was given the chance to escape his bullying cycle by bullying someone else, he didn’t take the opportunity. He was a good person who snapped – you find yourself hating what he did, but you never really hate him for who he was. Like the say, hate the game, not the player.

I really enjoyed Josie’s character as well, even though some of the things she did to Peter in order to become popular annoyed me. Josie is an example of how its’ possible to still suffer at the hands of this popular crowd even when you are in their circle. She didn’t fit in with them, she wasn’t like them, but she morphed herself into something she wasn’t in order for them to accept her, and she was constantly afraid that they’d find out about this facade of hers. Her relationship with Matt drove me crazy, that she would allow herself to be abused in that way just to be popular and fit in (Well, at least he got his in the final couple of chapters – her hatred for him was made quite clear). She and Peter had a lot in common that she wasn’t able to see because she was so scared of ending up like him – everyone’s target. It’s sad that if Josie had remained Peter’s friend, some of the things he ended up doing would have never happened.

This book was truly amazing, and I still can’t stop thinking about it. I was actually at an Easter get-together where I saw one girl bullying a cousin of mine, and I instantly thought of this book and put her in her place. It made me think of my own school, where nothing was ever done to stop a bully. It’s sad that no one ever takes a stand for kids like Peter, and they’re left to take things into their own hands, which can sometimes have devastating consequences. After all, how far can a person be pushed until they snap and push back? Like I said, I don’t think what Peter did was right, but it was made clear in this book that sometimes there’s a fine line between victim and bully.

I haven’t said much about the adults in this book, but my favorite had to be the defense lawyer, Jordan. I’m going to have to and read the other book of Jodi’s that he was in. Patrick was also a great character, and I especially like the scene where he first gets the call about the shooting and rushes in and brings out Josie. I found Alex to be a decent character, but her interactions with her daughter were pretty pathetic – she annoyed me quite a bit with some of the things she told or did to Josie. Peter’s mother was the saddest character in this novel for me. She seemed like such a nice and pleasant person, and she ended up with a bully of a son who died in a car crash, and a depressed son who was targeted so much at school until he snapped and went on a shooting rampage. She described herself at some point in the novel as not being able to remember herself outside of being a mother, but by the end of the book she’s left childless. Her only fault was that she and her husband ignored Peter’s cry for helps – they really should of changed his school, or at least admitted that it was a problem in need of a solution, instead of telling him to “toughen up”.

Favorite Moment(s): Josie’s confession, the elevator scene, the scenes from Josie and Peter’s childhood which showed the tenderness of their relationship, when Patrick tells off Drew, when Lacy and Alex see each other for the first time in the courthouse, and some more that I can’t think of.

Rating: 9.5/10

Bright Star promotional poster

Caption: First Love Burns Brightest.

Starring: Abbie Cornish, Ben Whishaw, Paul Schneider, Kerry Fox

Summary: The drama based on the three-year romance between 19th century poet John Keats and Fanny Brawne, which was cut short by Keats’ untimely death at age 25.

What I Liked: Abbie Cornish was absolutely amazing in her portrayal of Fanny Brawne – her talent was especially striking in the more emotionally heavy scenes of the movie. I was amazed at the chemistry that existed between both Ben and Abbie – I felt absolutely sucked into their romance. I found myself willing a happy ending for the two of them, even though you know full well that there will be none. I also enjoyed the random bursts of Keats’ poetry, especially since Ben Whishaw did such a wonderful job of reciting them. The film was also stunning on a visual level.

What I disliked: I know that the film was nominated for the Oscar for best costumes, but I just really loathed the costumes that Fanny was wearing most of the time – I found that they made her look quite frumpy and large. I liked the costumes that the men and some of the other women were wearing, but I just felt that everything that 75% of the costumes that Abbie wore looked terrible on her. I don’t think it was the costumes themselves that I disliked, but just the way that they fit Abbie’s figure. I also found the scene after Brown sends Fanny the mock-Valentine a little awkward.

My favorite moment: I loved the scene where Fanny and John are walking with Margaret, and are holding hands and kissing everytime she would turn around. Such a sweet moment. The scene where Mrs. Brawne takes his hand and tells him to come back and marry “their Fanny” really tugged at my heartstrings. As well as when Keats tells Fanny to pretend that he is really going to come back home alive from Rome, and they begin to talk about this make-believe life that they would have if he was healthy, all the while knowing that this is the last night that they will ever spend with each other.

Lasting Impressions: I actually just finished studying Keats in my English/poetry class that I have this semester. My teacher mentioned a couple of times that Keats was in love with Fanny Brawne while writing some of the odes we were studying, but I was never aware of this grand love story that has apparently been made available to the world through Keats’ letters to Fanny that she passed on to her children. I thought that his love for Fanny Brawne was unrequited, like most poets we studied; seeing this movie actually gave me a whole new level of appreciation for his poetry. Hearing Ode to a Nightingale recited so beautifully instead of reading it off of a sheet made me fall in love with the poem. I think I’m going to go and find a cheap copy of Keats’ poems off of eBay now to read them.  He really is an amazing poet.

Rating: 9/10

Special thanks to Krissy for the recommendation!

Starring: Carey Mulligan, Peter Sarsgaard, Emma Thompson, Dominic Cooper, Olivia Williams, Alfred Molina, Rosamund Pike

An Education Promotional Poster

Summary: In the early 1960′s, sixteen year old Jenny Mellor lives with her parents in the London suburb of Twickenham. On her father’s wishes, everything that Jenny does is in the sole pursuit of being accepted into Oxford, as he wants her to have a better life than he. Jenny’s life changes after she meets David Goldman, a man over twice her age. David goes out of his way to show Jenny and her family that his interest in her is not improper and that he wants solely to expose her to cultural activities which she enjoys. Jenny quickly gets accustomed to the life to which David and his constant companions, Danny and Helen, have shown her, and Jenny and David’s relationship does move into becoming a romantic one. However, Jenny slowly learns more about David, and by association Danny and Helen, and specifically how they make their money. Jenny has to decide if what she learns about them and leading such a life is worth forgoing her plans of higher eduction at Oxford.

What I Liked (Spoilers): Carey Mulligan’s performance, for which she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role. She was very genuine as Jenny, and I felt as if I connected to her every step of the way. She’s extremely talented, and I look forward to seeing any future performances. Graham (played by Matthew Beard) was also extremely adorable! I felt so bad for the poor boy as he watched David walk in and bring Jenny all those presents. He looked so crushed – what a cutie! Jenny’s parents (Emma Thompson and Alfred Molina) were also a great pair, especially Jenny’s father. I also thought that Rosamund Pke was convincing as the classy, but not-so-sophisticated bitch.

What I disliked (Spoilers): Never, throughout the whole film, was I attracted to either David or his friend. I think that Peter Sarsgaard is an attractive man, but I really didn’t understand why Jenny was so unbelievably in love with him. This made it harder for me to sympathize with Jenny and her love for this man. I thought that Dominic Cooper was a good actor, but his character just annoyed me. I also felt the “happy ending” was a little rushed, and not very believable. I find it hard to believe that Jenny was able to bounce back after dropping out of school and missing her exams, and still be accepted into Oxford. It would take a lot longer for this to happen in real life. I thought the ending was sweet, but it was a far-fetched to a certain extent. The worst moment was the whole “banana scene”; it’s hard to believe that a married and experienced man like David would be so stupid as to suggest something like that.

My favorite moment (Major Spoilers): It was heartbreaking to watch David drive away after Jenny told him to tell her parents that he was married. He had just revealed that he was living a double life, after she had given up any hopes of having a proper education and had thrown her life away for him. I wished for a moment that I was in the movie so that I could run him over with my own car. I didn’t really have any “favorite moments”, but I enjoyed the scenes where Jenny was with her parents, her friends, or with Graham. They were a nice comedic touch.

Lasting Impressions: I decided for the Oscars this year that I would try and watch all the movies that were nominated for Best Picture (which I succeeded in doing, with the exception of Avatar, which I’m not too disappointed about). Out of the movies that I was going to watch, I was anticipating that  An Education would be dull and lengthy to watch. Instead, I absolutely loved it, and it was second favorite movie from the Best Picture nominees for this year after Inglorious Basterds. I definitely recommend this one!

Rating: 9/10

Summary: Recent college graduate Benjamin Braddock is trapped into an affair with Mrs. Robinson, who happens to be the wife of his father’s business partner and then finds himself falling in love with her teenage daughter, Elaine.

What I Liked (Spoilers): I honestly really enjoyed this movie. What I found the most interesting was seeing Dustin Hoffman at such a young age – I think this is the first movie that I’ve seen him in that he was that young. I love how controversial this movie must have been when it was first released in the 60s. I really loved Ben’s character, who was just adorable, awkward and likable. He’s definitely a character that is easy to identify with. I also really enjoyed his relationship with Elaine – I don’t think I’ve ever seen Katharine Ross in any other film before, but I definitely enjoyed her performance. As I already mentioned, she and Dustin Hoffman made a cute couple. I also very much enjoyed the dynamic between Mrs. Robinson and Ben, even though it differed greatly from that which he had with Elaine. The music was also incredible, as was the directing (which I later found out won an Oscar). I fell in love with Simon&Garfunkel while watching this movie.

What I disliked (Spoilers): I didn’t dislike much about this movie, except for the fact that randomly throughout the film the female actresses would let out these really high pitched screams – Elaine at one point even through a fit on Ben’s bed. I thought that was an overdramatic portrayal of women; however, overall, it was just a small annoyance.

My favorite moment (Major Spoilers): Definitely the scenes where Mrs. Robinson was trying to seduce Ben; the scene where he drove her home from the party, and especially the scene where they are in the hotel room together. The moment where Ben places his hand on Mrs. Robinson’s chest and then walks away to bang his head on the wall was genius (which I later found out was actually a goof on Hoffman’s part that made it into the final cut of the film). The end of that scene, when Ben forcefully turns off the lights when Mrs. Robinson accuses him of being a virgin was also great.  I also thought the scene where Elaine returns to Ben’s room and tells him she’ll marry him was extremely sweet. And of course the ending, in which Ben rescues Elaine from marrying a guy she doesn’t love, only to have them jump on the bus and exchange a look that basically echoes the question of: “Where do we go from here?”

Lasting Impressions: The Graduate had been on my list of movies to see for awhile, especially after having seen 500 Days of Summer. This movie is pretty incredible considering the time that it was released in, when most movies that dealt with any type of sexuality were frowned upon. I’m definitely going to try and watch more old movies from now on. I’ve also become a bigger fan of Dustin Hoffman now!

Rating: 8.75/10

Author: Leo Tolstoy

Published in: 1877

Summary: Anna Karenina has two plots that run side by side throughout the novel: the story of Anna and the story of Levin. Levin’s story is an expression of Tolstoy’s pastoral nature and a reaffirmation of the novelist’s vision of the simple life. The beauty of the seasons and the pragmatic work of harvesting absorb Levin. Levin’s relationship to the land and life is contrasted with Anna’s enigmatic and destructive passions. Anna’s appearance in the novel represents a rift in the tranquil world which allows physical passion and irrationality to prevail.

Favorite Character(s): Princess Darya “Dolly” Alexandrovna Oblonsky, Prince Stepan Arkadyevitch Oblonsky, Princess Ekaterina “Kitty” Alexandrovna Shcherbatsky, Anna Arkadyevna Karenina

Least Favorite Character(s): Count Alexei Kirillovich Vronsky, Alexei Alexandrovich Karenin, Countess Lidia Ivanovna

What I Liked (Spoilers): Although I disliked both of Anna’s suitors, I enjoyed the tumultuous relationship that she had with Vronsky and the conflict that she experienced with her husband as a consequence of her affair. I enjoyed any scenes that included Anna or either of the Scherbatsky sisters. For me, the most memorables scenes are when Anna sneaks into her old home to visit her son when Levin and Kitty become engaged, when Kitty develops a relationship with Nikolai, when Kitty gives birth to her son, and obviously at the end when Anna throws herself under the moving train. Anna’s gradual self-destruction and depression also moved me greatly, since I was able to relate to some of her thought patterns and behavior.

What I disliked (Spoilers): There were many scenes with Levin that bored me to death, even though I enjoyed him as a character for the most part. I enjoyed the scenes that regarded his relationship with his brother and Kitty, but I could not stand all the scenes about the happenings on the farm. I also felt that certain passages were there for absolutely no reason and contributed nothing to the plot or the characters’ development.  The scenes with Alexei Karenin after Anna leaves with Vronsky angered me, but I think that’s mostly because I had such a strong dislike for the character. It also saddened me whenever Anna realized that she did not truly love her daughter, and yearned for her beloved son. Also, although I loved Kitty as a character, her juvenile infatuation with Vronsky that caused her to accept Levin’s genuine proposal almost made me throw the book across the room in frustration.

My favorite moment (Major Spoilers): I mentioned a bunch of them in the “What I liked” section, but my favorite part of the whole book is the last couple chapters of Anna’s life. Her paranoia regarding Vronsky’s love of her and her constant self-depricating thoughts cause her lead herself to her death, and at the last moment she panics and wishes that she could take back her jump.  It was gut-wrenching to read the last paragraph of that chapter when she realizes at the last moment that she wants to live, and as she feels the train crush her she begs the universes for forgiveness for her actions.

Lasting Impressions: I plan to read War&Peace, but not for awhile. Anna Karenina was an excellent novel, but it took me a very long time to read because of its length. I enjoy Tolstoy’s writing, but I’m going to stick to shorter books for now (I am currently reading Catch-22 by Joseph Heller).

Rating: 9/10