Bachelors Anonymous - P.G. Wodehouse (1974)

I often read Wodehouse as a sorbet, a palate cleanser between heavier attacks at the world of literture. They are always delightful, never dull, and invariably end on an up note with conflicts resolved, heroes triumphant - or at least not disinherited.

This particular Wodehouse is not one of his series books, rather it is a stand alone. Written in the 70's, it reads as if it was written in the 20s and is set in a world which is pure Wodehouse. That world is perhaps his greatest achievement; whether he is writing of Jeeves and Wooster or, as in this case, of Ivor Llewellyn of Superba-Llewellyn studios, the world is clearly Wodehouse's own. A world where confirmed bachelors have formed Bachelors Anonymous, a society patterned after Alcoholics Anonymous, to protect themselves from such things as giving a girl dinner, for who knows where such things might lead?

Such things have led Ivor Llewellyn, aka I.L., to five marriages. Thus it is that Mr. Ephraim Trout of Trout, Wapshott and Edelstein flies to London to prevent I.L. from falling, as he is all too wont to do, into the clutches of yet another female. Of course, there are also several young couples whose courses of true love are not running true, they never do you know. Coincidence follows coincidence, incident follows incident, and soon enough everyone is married or engaged - all happily.

One doesn't read Wodehouse for plot, one reads him for style, and his style here is in fine form. There really is little more to be said. The prose shimmers, and if it is not quite the delightful nonsense Bertie Wooster spouts, it is still full of tidy bon mots and turns of phrase. Ultimately, it is Wodehouse - and therefore recommended.

Overall Grade: B+

Armchair Critic Podcast #2

It's been too long since the last podcast, but this should remedy that deficit. In our second podcast, I talk about a request from an author.

Download or listen here.

The file will play, or you can download it for an mp3 player by right clicking and saving to your computer.

Enjoy!

FYI: Clicking on the podcast tag below will bring up both posts with our podcast. Now I just need a few more, and iTunes here we come!

Anansi Boys - Neil Gaiman (2005)

Gaiman, like Tim Powers (reviewed elsewhere on this site), often writes about Ur-mythology, the underlying myths that ever culture seems to develop in some variation. Where Powers tends to develop cross-cultural parallels into a coherent whole, Gaiman delights in transporting ancient myth into the modern day. This was developed most fully perhaps in American Gods, but it is a trick utilized to splendid effect in Anansi Boys.

Gaiman returns to one of his favorite "characters," Anansi, the Ashanti spider-trickster god in Anansi Boys. Anansi, who often appears these days as an old black man in a sharp hat and yellow gloves, has died. (Sort of.) His son, Fat Charlie Nancy, unaware of his father's divine state learns about his heritage the hard way.

The book is a delirious romp across cultures, as well across the boundary between "reality" and "mythology," both in quotes since they both seem like rather flexible concepts in this book. Fat Charlie discovers love, a brother he didn't know he had and enemies of his father who have transferred their enmity. He gets into trouble, gets out of trouble, and gets into more trouble - all in the lovely prose of Neil Gaiman.

This is not a very serious book. It is much lighter in tone than most of Gaiman's work (with the notable exception of Good Omens), but that's not a bad thing at all. As Donald Wolfit said, "Dying is easy, comedy is hard." It's true in writing as well as in acting, and Gaiman shows that he can do funny fantasy as well as dark fantasy. And that's hard.

Overall Grade: B+

The Great Train Robbery - Michael Crichton (1975)

Crichton's earlier works tend to be overshadowed by the massive success of the Jurassic Park franchise, which is a mixed blessing as producers dip into his back catalog and do things like make Eaters of the Dead into the movie The Thirteenth Warrior, but the blessing comes if it inspires people to take a look back at books like The Terminal Man or The Great Train Robbery.

Having said that, I'm not sure The Great Train Robbery stands as one of his best books. It is certainly a compelling read, and the intricate plotting is fascinating, as is the window into the Victorian era it provides. The book, clearly, tells of the complicated plot to rob a train of a payroll shipment of gold, a plot engineered by the enigmatic Edward Pierce. Therein lies the problem, the enigma of Edward Pierce. The novel unfolds like a piece of finely designed clockwork - and with the same warmth and humanity.

Which is not to say it's a bad book. Far from it! The unfolding story, with the turns and reverses, captures the mind and imagination. It is possible, even, that the enigma of the central character, and of the others as well, is a strength allowing the reader to spin fantasies of his own as to motive and emotion.

The end result, however, is not quite satisfying. It's good, and a fine quick read, and if it fails to hit the mark squarely perhaps it is because Crichton aimed too high.

Overall Grade: B

Stórsveit Nix Noltes, Orkídeur Hawaí (Bubblecore, 2005)

Scenes for Balkan folk music have developed in a lot of places well outside of the Balkan region. As I've mentioned before, the Balkan scene in New York City is particularly strong. The CD Orkídeur Hawaí, by the band Stórsveit Nix Noltes, indicates that a vibrant scene for Balkan music exists as well in the extraordinarily unlikely location of Reykjavik, Iceland. Despite their extreme northern location, the band plays mostly traditional Bulgarian instrumentals on the CD, throwing in one Greek tune and an Eastern European klezmer piece for good measure. Like Balkan instrumental tunes in general, the pieces on Orkídeur Hawaí are characterized by lively tempos, minor keys, and complex rhythms. While certainly not mellow by normal standards, Stórsveit Nix Noltes actually do sound a bit restrained in comparison to the Brooklyn-based Balkan bands like Romashka and Luminescent Orchestrii. Their sound is a bit more guitar-oriented than most of the Balkan music I've heard -- three of the band' nine members are guitarists -- but the style is immediately recognizable, and the accordion, violin, and trumpet all get a fair share of attention. On the whole, I found this CD to be a fun offering, comparing well with what I've heard locally. People who like the kind of music played at Golden Festival in Inwood on the northern tip of Manhattan every January will find this worth their while.

Overall grade: B

My Little Cthulhu

H.P. Lovecraft described Cthulhu, his favorite monster, as an amalgam of a man (the body), a dragon (wings), and an octopus (head). While this monstrous entity has been shown in art, in statuary, even in plush toy form (I have two!), he gets the vinly treatment with My Little Cthulhu .

Produced by Dreamland Toyworks, My Little Cthulhu is a 8" vinyl figure designed by John Kovalic (the artist/genius behind Dork Tower, Munchkin, and many other fun geek things). As befitsits name, My Little Cthulhu is adorable! He has the body type typically described by Lovecraft and shown by others, but with cute eyes, adorable spots, and an oddly large head. My Little Cthulhu also comes with two snacks, er, victims; you can get six more in the My Little Vicims Pack, sold separately. All the victims have only a torso and head, like the Little People toys; however, all victims have "realistic dismemberment action!" Thankfully, it's not all that realistic: It lets you split any figure into three pieces, with red showing between the sections.

My one complaint with My Little Cthulhu is the lack of articulation in the figure. I can understand that Cthulhu doesn't need to be as poseable as, say, Spider-Man -- but there's no movement in the arms, or legs, or head, obviating any different poses. With that in mind, My Little Cthulhu is a must if you want some cute eldritch horrors for your home.

Overall Grade: B+

Reviewed by James Lynch

A Good Year (2006)

A Good Year is a film starring Russell Crowe. He plays Max Skinner, the stereotypical, overachieving, workaholic financial businessman who would fit right in with the guys from Wall Street (either the film or the financial district, take your pick...). After another typical multimillion dollar day at the office (actually it's pounds as he is in Great Britain), he learns that he has inherited a wine vineyard from his long lost uncle in France. This prompts a trip to the French estate, and the goal is to sell it for a quick profit. As Max had spent some summer holidays there growing up, this rekindles something inside of him. This results in some serious introspection, self discovery, and ultimately, personal growth into seeing what life is all about.

While the plot of A Good Year is nothing that unique, what stands out in this film is the scenery. This film shows the countryside of France that most tourists to the country don't get to experience. The estate is quite beautiful, and the visual imagery is stunning, reminding me of the film Under the Tuscan Sun at some points.

For those looking for a "movie holiday" into a retelling of a timeless tale, than A Good Year should fill the bill. While it's nothing extraordinary, it's a delightful change of pace and provides a nice diversion.

Overall Grade: B+

Pandora's Clock (1995)

If you want a serious, "edge of your seat," pedal to the metal thrill ride, then the novel Pandora's Clock should be near the top of your "must read" list. Author John Nance is not only a commercial pilot, but also a lawyer specializing in avation law, and an aviation consultant to network television. With those credentials, you can bet that his novels have the background substance to back up his plot.

Speaking of plot, Pandora's Clock centers around a doomsday virus in an airplane. With a bioweapon grade virus loose on a 747, it becomes an international game of hot potato. As the jet's fuel supply dwindles, it becomes clear that they won't be making their transatlantic crossing home to America. A great tale unfolds as airports in several countries refuse the landing as the jet attempts to find a friendly runway as their jet fuel is getting used up.

Pandora's Clock runs a breakneck speed from start to finish. Nance spins a tale that can only stem from someone with his first hand aviation background. Even on the details of the virus, which Nance is no expert in, I can't find fault with! Pandora's Clock is a real page turner that I hope remains only fiction.

Overall Grade: A

The Last Chronicle of Barset - Anthony Trollope (1867)

Trollope tends to be one of those writers you hear about but never read. Less well known, perhaps, than Jane Austen, William Thackeray and Charles Dickens, he was nevertheless a prolific (the introduction to The Last Chronicle of Barset claims that at his death he had written more words than any other English novelist) and successful author. His reputation staggered after his death, but then somehow righted itself and now marches on apace.

Barsetshire is the setting for many of his forty-odd novels, and The Last Chronicle is the final one in that series. The novel is, in many respects, a typical novel of the time. It is wordy and at times discursive, the characters are often fixated on issues that seem to the modern eye to be insignificant or simnply quaint, and it is long. It is somewhat unusual, at least to my not-too-educated-eye, in that there are numerous subplots in the narrative, all at least tangentially related to the central character and plot point. This allows the author considerable scope for digression and reflection of plot and character.

As with much of this type of literature, the plot is secondary to character. Essentially the plot is this: a poor clergyman is accused of pilfering a 20 Pound check and no-one can seem to find a way to clear him. Even he, himself, seems unable to account for his acquisition of the check. In my edition, this is good for nearly 900 pages. The real interest though is in the remarkably human stories affected by this simple problem. A clergyman accused of theft - much less convicted! - is a social pariah, and thus his daughter's wedding is endangered. His situation is use as a gambit in the ongoing power struggled between two factions who are genteelly, but dedicatedly, at war. It provides an opportunity for gallantry by those who are otherwise only involved via distant blood relation. Mixed in with all this, naturally, is social commentary on country life and the inequities and iniquities which afflict mankind.

It is, all in all, remarkably readable. Someone who has never dipped their toe into Victorian literature may find it takes a bit of time to get used to the flow and structure, but since there are more than 800 pages to accomplish this task, time is available. Those who have already essayed Austen or Dickens should find it easy enough to get stuck in. In fact, the style is, if anything more accessible than Austen and more character-driven than Dickens. The time and effort to read the book and make the acquaintance of Trollope - and the inhabitants of Barsetshire - are well rewarded.

Overall Grade: B+

Christopher Paolini, Eldest (Knopf, 2005)

Eragon, the 2002 debut novel from then-teenager Christopher Paolini, quickly struck a chord with young readers of fantasy novels. Last fall it was turned into a major motion picture that was quite enjoyable, even though the story was rather severely abbreviated relative to the book. It is also part one of the Inheritance trilogy, of which Eldest is the second part. The third book is still being written, and its title has not as of yet been officially revealed.

The action in Eldest begins immediately after the climactic battle of Eragon. The Varden, a league of rebels united against the wicked king Galbatorix, has defeated an army of fiendish Urgals with the help of the dwarves, the mysterious elf maiden Arya, and above all, the young dragon rider Eragon and his blue dragon Sapphira. Eragon slew the evil shade Durza in the battle, but had become badly scarred in the process. The victory turns out to be short-lived, however, as a surprise ambush by the Urgals results in the death of Ajihad, the Varden's leader, and the abduction of Eragon's close friend Murtagh. Eragon and Sapphira need to visit the elves to resume their training in preparation for the inevitable showdown with Galbatorix. They travel with Arya and Eragon's dwarf friend Orik to the elvish land of Ellesméra, leaving Ajihad's daughter Nasuada in tenuous control of the Varden and their many factions. Eragon spends much time in Ellesméra under the tutelage of Oromis, himself a dragon rider, while Sapphira learns from Glaedr, an ancient, wounded gold dragon. Eragon also realizes that he has fallen in love with Arya, and tries to win her heart.

Meanwhile, Eragon's cousin Roran returns to the town of Carvahall, to find that Galbatorix has sent an army there, along with two man-eating Ra'zac, in order to capture Roran as bait for Eragon and destroy anyone else who stands in their way. The townspeople choose resistance to death or slavery. After holding back the army and the Ra'zac at much cost, they are forced to abandon Carvahall and look for refuge among the Varden. Roran becomes their unlikely and somewhat reluctant leader as they commence an impossible journey. Despite the trilogy ostensibly centering on Eragon and Sapphira, most of the action between the very beginning of Eldest and the battle at the end revolves around Roran.

Two aspects of Paolini's writing of Eldest have received frequent criticism. The first is that the story is heavily derivative of other well-known fantasy epics, most notably The Lord of the Rings and Star Wars. The claim isn't really disputable. The elves and the dwarves, with their respective languages and mannerisms, won't offer many surprises to anybody who has ever read Tolkien or even played Dungeons and Dragons. Furthermore, many plot twists will immediately look familiar. The most notable of these involves a dramatic revelation, in the climactic scene of the second part of the trilogy, concerning a close relative of the young hero. While these make it difficult to compare Paolini's writing favorably to the works which he borrows from, they can still be mostly forgiven because the writing is engaging and highly entertaining, and can hold the reader's attention through at least two lengthy books. A more specific criticism of Eldest concerns the lack of action on Eragon's side of the story. I didn't agree with that one so much, because I didn't feel that the chapters concerning Eragon's tutelage dragged. Character development is important after all, especially when it's already been established that the story will continue beyond this book.

So Eldest, like Eragon before it, isn't perfect but does make for fun reading. I'd have no qualms recommending it to fans of fantasy books. I found the pacing to be generally good, and Paolini does a fine job of shifting between different characters in the story. I also found that a few details in the first book that seemed superfluous, like the descriptions of various meals, turned out to have a point in the context of certain revelations of the second, so I think it's important to judge the trilogy as a whole more than by its individual parts. In that regard, the third part has been set up very well, and I look forward to seeing the Inheritance trilogy through to its conclusion.

Overall grade: B+

Spinal Tap: The Sequel

From MSN:

Spinal Tap is back, and this time the band wants to help save the world from global warming.

The mock heavy metal group immortalized in the 1984 mockumentary, "This Is Spinal Tap," will reunite for a performance at Wembley Stadium in London as part of the Live Earth concerts scheduled worldwide for July 7.

The original members of Spinal Tap will be there: guitarist Nigel Tufnel (played by Christopher Guest), singer David St. Hubbins (Michael McKean) and bassist Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer). Rob Reiner, who both directed "This Is Spinal Tap" and played the fake documentarian Marty DeBergi in the film, will also be in attendance.

Reiner created a new 15-minute film, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York.

Those of us are old enough to remember Spinal Tap still get a kick out of their amp going up to 11, or their never ending "jazz odyssey" to fill up the stage time. Well, now the band reunites, online, for a new short film. They are doing it as part of an effort to focus on global warming at the upcoming Live Earth concert.

While the largely forgettable short film does have a few redeeming moments, like the bit about the colon hydrotherapy office, or the internet addicted band member, it needs some more developed plot, and some more humor to make it more memorable. I was also disappointed that there weren't any references to the first film that I could discern. Still, it's nice to see the original band members get together for a worthy cause after all these years.

Watch the video here.

Overall Grade: B-

NCIS, CBS Television Network

At some point, I've watched all of the shows of the CSI franchise: Las Vegas, Miami, and New York, (not to mention the spin offs like Cold Case, and Without A Trace). After a few episodes, at least to me, they start to all become the same- another sex crazed serial murderer on the loose, terrorizing the citizens of (fill in the name of the appropriate city from the name of the show here), and the crime lab one step behind, busily snapping pics, swabbing blood, running fingerprints through databases, and waiting for DNA matches that almost never get done until more than halfway through the show. Once in a while things are a little different, but for the most part, I'm not that intrigued with the whole lot of them and don't currently watch any of them.
The one standout among the CBS network's crime scene shows is NCIS. From the first episode, I was hooked and still am. NCIS stands for the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and the show started as a spin off from CBS' JAG series, which I never liked. When a crime is committed by or against a Navy or Marine service member, NCIS are the ones that get involved to solve it. On this show, we focus on one team based near our nation's capital, so that the settings often involve Washington DC, Virginia and Maryland (with an occasional field trip to Guatanamo Bay, or an aircraft carrier).

I think the reason that NCIS is far better than the other CSI shows is the actors involved, and their chemistry which is just right. Mark Harmon, who plays Jethro Gibbs, is a former Marine sniper, whose past is always shrouded in more than a little mystery, and has had more than his share of pain and dysfunctional relationships through the years. He is the lead investigator for the team, and really makes the show what it is, as he is the guy that you want in your corner in a crisis. The rest of the characters mesh very well including the street smart former cop, Anthony Dinozzo, the computer savvy “probee,” Timothy McGee, the Goth lab technician, Abbey, the wise British pathologist, Duckie, and the Israeli secret service member, Officer David (although Kate from the 1st two seasons was MUCH better than her).

As we finish up the fourth season with two episodes left, once again it's been a great show to watch and follow. The plots have been relevant and could be taken from today's headlines The acting is well done, with dialogue that is believable and reveals the characters as the shows progress. I also like the way that that NCIS has ongoing plot lines that show the personal lives of the agents, which gives them far more depth than is often found in television drama, and keeps in the human element.

If you haven't seen the show yet, be sure to take a look. I'm sure there will be repeats this summer, and also on the CBS site the entire season can be viewed currently. NCIS airs Tuesday nights at 8 PM, and is one more good reason to not watch American Idol.

Overall Grade: A

Jamestown, Virginia: 400th Anniversary

With the attention this week on the 400th anniversary of Jamestown, our first permanent American colony, I decided to dig out some photos I took on my visit last year. The Jamestown Settlement is only a short ride from Colonial Williamsburg, and if you're ever down there, it's an afternoon well spent. It's a "hands on history" museum which unlike a more traditional museum encourages visitors to touch stuff, and try things. After a short introductory film, you visit the recreated settlement, a Native American village, and reproductions of the three ships that brought the original colonists here. The highlight of the place is the costumed interpretors that are quite friendly, love to answer questions, and show off their historically accurate trades and skills. It's a great place for children and adults alike. In fact when I was there, I met a family that brought their home schooled kids there on a "family field trip" for the educational component, and were quite pleased as well.





Overall Grade: A

Hoven Droven, Jumping At The Cedar (NorthSide, 2006)

The Nordic Roots Festival, held every autumn at the Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis, has featured many renowned acts in the new Nordic folk genre. The Swedish band Hoven Droven, who combine the Swedish fiddling tradition with punk and heavy metal, have always been a fan favorite at the Festival. Now I wouldn't say that Hoven Droven have made an album of the same caliber of the genre's best, Like Hedningarna's Tra, Gjallarhorn's Sjofn, or a number of Värttinä's CD's. I wouldn't even call them the best live act, at least strictly in terms of the quality of their musical performances; that distinction belongs to Väsen. But they do throw the best parties. The most memorable of these party/concerts at the Festival took place on October 1, 2005. Hoven Droven were in outstanding form that night, but more significant from my perspective in the audience was the way the band and the crowd fed off each other. The Festival audience likes a good, high-energy show in general. Hoven Droven gave us more than we asked for that night, but we responded in kind. At the band's request, we put all of our seats off to the side about halfway through the show, and the rest of the show just became a frenzied orgy of spinning, screaming, and, well, jumping. NorthSide presciently had the recording equipment running that evening, so the music was preserved and has now been released as a double CD titled Jumping At The Cedar.

Hoven Droven's set combined the most familiar tunes from their back catalog with a bunch of new tunes off their recently released CD Turbo. About a third of the pieces were traditional, with the rest composed either by fiddler Kjell-Erik Eriksson or guitarist Bo Lindberg. While the band did show off its mellow side on a few tunes, like the traditional "Årepolska," they rocked early and often, and usually quite hard. The opening tunes "Bjekkergauken" and "Tachen" got the audience warmed up, but the party really hit full swing with "Okynnewals." Björn Höglund set the tune up by steadily building up the volume on his drum intro, while Erikkson asked the crowd with increasing urgency if they were ready for a waltz. Perhaps the crashing mayhem of Erikkson playing a rock solo on amplified fiddle and Jens Comén getting some ungodly sounds out of his sax in the second half of that track worked better in person than it does on disc, but by the end of that tune Hoven Droven had completely galvanized the crowd.

The CD's do not include the between-song banter. I feel an exception should have been made for the moment when Erikkson asked everybody to put their seats away, because that was the turning point of the show. The "jumping" began in earnest during "Skuffen," a march off Turbo composed by Erikkson. Lindberg started jumping up and down in place during the second part of the tune. Soon Erikkson, Comén, and bassist Pedro Blom followed suit, and within a few seconds the entire audience was doing it as well. The crowd was already quite into it, as can be heard plainly enough on the preceding track "Dortea," but from this point we just kept getting louder and more excited. This can definitely be heard during the blistering schottish "Slentbjenn," so people who weren't there can get at least some sense of the crowd response that night.

All in all, Jumping At The Cedar is an fine example of what a Hoven Droven concert sounds like, and fans of the band will certainly enjoy it. The crowd was a huge part of the performance, though, and even a video recording might have had some difficulty capturing what really went on that evening in a way that could compete with the memory and legend of it for those of us who were there. If you'd like to relive that evening, or get some idea of what went on, I'd recommend getting a bunch of friends together who are seriously into new Nordic folk music and playing this CD with the volume up and the lights down in a tightly packed room. Then, when you get to the second part of "Skuffen," start jumping up and down and spinning whichever way you feel like, and scream your approval as the spirit moves you.

Overall grade: A-

photos by smg58 from 2006 Nordic Roots Festival

Reprinted with permission from The Green Man Review
Copyright 2007 The Green Man Review

Evil Dead: The Musical

A bunch of teens head to a remote cabin in the woods for drinking, fun, and sex. They then battle, or get turned into, Candarian demons. Sounds like a musical to me! Evil Dead: The Musical blends the Evil Dead movie trilogy (Evil Dead, Evil Dead 2: Dead By Dawn and Army of Darkness) into an insanely entertaining musical.

The songs in this musical are catchy, often violent, chock full of profanity (they even censored four song titles on the back cover of the CD) and very funny. While quite a few songs deal with battling zombies (or zombies singing about the benefits of being evil and dead), there are others here too: Ash and Linda sing of their retail romance in "Housewares Employee," and redneck Jake sings of his many accomplishment in "Good Old Reliable Jake." ("Who invented the formula for Krazy Glue? And who nailed all the chicks on The View?") A small-part demon sings of being a "Bit Part Demon" and Annie laments that "All The Men In My Life Keep Getting Killed By Candarian Demons." There are also snippets of dialogue from the play, painful puns, and the dance tune "Do The Necronomicon."

The songs of Evil Dead: The Musical are silly, twisted, and made me laugh out loud from start to finish. Groovy!

Overall Grade: A

Reviewed by James Lynch