Thoughts on Moving Pictures, Ficciones, From Hell
January 29, 2002 (4:58 AM) ( link )

Did I say that I was going to put my Book Reviews page on a hiatus? I lied—I am literally incapable of going an entire day without reading something. Or, many things, as today's brief blog will testify.

Terry Pratchett's Moving Pictures is, so far, ok. There have been some really, really bad movie puns ("What's up, Duck?" is eminently groan-worthy) and lots of slightly humorous throwaway lines. The general situations are, unfortunately, not quite hilarious now, but they are charming in their own way. So far the most amusing parts of the book come from the scenes that the directors shoot and the ever-more-lurid posters that are being pasted around Holy Wood. And, of course, there is the hilarious scene with Gaspode. But other than that, no real ROTFL moments yet, even though I'm almost halfway through.

Borges's Ficciones is weird. I'm only on the first story and I don't get what's going on—I sense ideas, but they're whizzing way, way over my head. I don't remember "The Circular Ruins" being so mind-boggling; perhaps I should try reading each story in one sitting rather than stretching one story over several reads.

Finally, Alan Moore's From Hell is lushly and eruditely written but at times excruciatingly slow—particularly during William Gull's chapter-long monologues. This graphic novel is definitely Art, but it's not altogether entertaining. At its heights, though, From Hell is unparalleled. I'm on the sixth chapter right now; there are eight more to go (but they're each much longer than the first six).