The Two Towers

With the The Two Towers book fresh in my mind, I re-watched the extended edition of the movie to compare the two.  I wasn't disappointed.

As previously stated (in this post), I don't think a movie has to follow a book dead on, but it should follow it in spirit.  And, like The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers movie strays a bit from the book in letter, but remains true to the spirit.  A nitpicky scene-by-scene difference analysis is here.

The challenge of the "middle film" (or book) in a "hero's journey" trilogy is that the journey is neither started nor ended here, so it's basically a bunch of walking around.  I'm exaggerating, of course, but that is a common criticism.  Progress is made, an important battle is fought, but at the end, you still have the Ring-bearer trying to get to Mount Doom, and the rest of the fellowship fighting for Middle-Earth.  Thus, the author must make the middle relevant somehow, and Tolkien does it here through two main events:
- the Battle of Helm's Deep
- the inward journey of Frodo

In the former, the fellowship (minus the hobbits and one who fell) helps Rohan defeat Saruman's Uruk-hai army.  In the first book, we learned that there were two powerful allies in Middle-Earth- Sauron and Saruman.  In The Two Towers, we see the downfall of one, so progress is made in that sense.

In the latter, we see Frodo starting to get really affected by his burden- the ring.  In the first book, the beginning of the quest had an air of adventure to it- like, in a small way, the start of a marathon.  It's hard, but there's energy, and perhaps even excitement.  Now, in book two, we see the toll it takes on Frodo.  Every step becomes difficult and fraught with more hardship.  It's really starting to suck.  We see both determination and weakness; strength and doubt.  Frodo's starting to realize just how hard it is, and this realization gives him a new respect (or perhaps pity) for Gollum and his state.

So, in those two ways, the journey progresses.  Overall, this movie was dry at times- the Ents in particular could induce sleepiness in viewers (though I believe the representation was faithful to the book), and some of Sam and Frodo's journey was less than invigorating.  Still, it is good, and true to the spirit of the book.  As before, some characters or scenes were played up or altered on screen.  I didn't always understand the rationale for the changes, but I didn't find any of them significant enough to warrant offense.  In the link I share above, the reviewer sees some changes as major deviations, but I disagree.  The bottom line: both the novel and the movie are fantastic.  If you loved the book, you'll probably love this, too.

Rating: A

The Two Towers (J.R.R. Tolkien)

The middle book in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Two Towers continues the quest of Frodo and Sam to bring the One Ring to Mount Doom and destroy it.  They don't get there, yet- this is only book two- so a large part of this book is simply them traveling ever closer to Mordor.  Along the way, they must navigate labyrinths of rocks, the Dead Marshes, forests in enemy territory, and a tunnel that conceals a deadly terror.  The book ends with them just inside the very gates of Mordor. 

While Frodo and Sam are on their quest, Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas pursue the two hobbits (Merry and Pippin) taken by the Uruk-hai at the end of book one (when the Fellowship disbanded).  They eventually find someone they do not expect, and turn south to aid the people of Rohan against the might of the Uruk-hai at Helm's Deep.  Meanwhile, treacherous Saruman is holed up in his Isengard fortress, and Merry and Pippin aid a quite different folk on an assault against said stronghold.

Originally written as six books, the Lord of the Rings was subsequently packaged as a trilogy- thus, each book contains two books.  The Two Towers (books 3 and 4),with book 3 focusing on the fellowship's adventures, and book 4 focusing on Frodo and Sam.  As such, you don't have the interleaving that's commonly done among modern tales with multiple threads- you get a large chunk of one tale, then "rewind" to get a large chunk of the other.  That's a bit odd, but that (and the occasionally dryness) aside, this is another good read.  If you liked the Fellowship of the Ring, you'll like this.

Rating: A+

In Memoriam

Memorial Day: where we remember those who have given much- in many cases everything- for others in a time of war.

Celebrating Memorial Day in Europe for the last five years has given the day a new significance to me.  In America, Memorial Day is where we remember what our troops did over there- "there" being either Europe, Asia, or Africa.  Five years ago, though, I celebrated for the first time what our troops did here- in the very land where I lived.  The difference is significant.

As I've since learned, distance can give sacrifice a foreign quality- perhaps exotic, perhaps mystical- to us that can minimize our understanding, or even appreciation, of it.  Distance can be physical or in time, yielding similar results.  The farther we are away, in miles or years, tends to detract from the magnitude of what happened.  So, while (I hope) I'd previously been thankful for the sacrifice of those who served, I'm not sure I truly understood the depth of it- until I saw some of the evidence for myself.

I've been blessed to see many war-related grounds in my time in Europe, and in each case, I've been humbled by what my eyes have beheld.  Pictures don't do it justice- no amount of the History Channel will fully convey what your senses can perceive in pacing the battlefields or reflecting amongst the gravestones.  Today, I'd like to briefly share those areas that have impacted me most in this vein.

Luxembourg American Cemetery, Luxembourg

Where General Patton is buried, the Luxembourg American Cemetery and Memorial holds just over 5,000 American dead from WWII.  A white cross (or star of David, if applicable) marks the grave of each servicemen, and several monuments near the entrance describe either aspects of the WWII campaign, or extol the sacrifice of those who fell.

The American Cemetery in Luxembourg

Near the American Cemetery is the German equivalent.  The two are quite different- the German graves are made of darker, rougher-cut stone, and the cemetery itself is less advertised than its American counterpart.  Both are worth a visit if you're in the area.

The German Cemetery

Normandy, France

Perhaps the most famous of the WWII cemeteries, Normandy is indeed impressive. About 9,400 Americans lie here.  Surprisingly, most of the surrounding beaches- where the battles were fought on D-Day, as the allies landed- are nearly "wiped clean" of any sign of battle.  Nearby Pointe du Hoc has the most preserved from the battle- ruined bunkers, rusted barbed wire, etc.- and is a must if you make the trip.

A girl prays at a Normandy grave

Bunker remains, Pointe du Hoc

Bastogne, Belgium

Towards the end of WWII, as the Allies took France back from the Nazis and pushed on through Belgium, Germany made a last push in the Ardennes Forest- an offensive called the Battle of the Bulge.  Those familiar with HBO's Band of Brothers will recognize the event.  We visited Bastogne, Belgium in winter to view the battlefield.  Not much is left- hardly anything, in fact, other than some museums- but what we did find was powerful.  We heard that foxholes remained in the woods, where our troops dug in as they attempted to drive the Germans from nearby villages.  We asked some locals who showed us the way, and sure enough, after about a half mile of walking through the forest, we came upon the scene.  There were no signs, no memorials, no commercialism- just foxholes where our boys fought through the freezing conditions.  To me, the lack of surrounding plaques, memorials, etc. made for a more powerful experience- highly recommended.

Foxhole remains outside of Bastogne

Another Foxhole

Verdun, France

WWI was horrific- the first war where man learned to kill on a "grand scale."  Perhaps nowhere is that better illustrated than Verdun.  Fought for almost all of 1916, it resulted in over 700,000 casualties.  Dwell on that for a minute.

As we drove through Verdun, we saw some of the strangest landscape we had ever seen.  Trees and grass grew throughout the battlefield, but the ground was grossly uneven, full of large, grass-filled holes.  Too erratic to be trenches, we soon realized that it was- these were all due to artillery shells.  It was unbelievable- hardly a spot was untouched.  We then came to the Douaumont ossuary, which houses the remains of 130,000 unknown soldiers.  Again, think about that number- 130,000 people they couldn't identify.  Words just don't do it justice.  In front of the ossuary is a large graveyard, also magnificent and heartbreaking.  Nearby is the monument to "Trench of Bayonets," commemorating a line of soldiers who, standing with rifles raised and bayonets fixed, were buried alive by artillery fire, the tips of their bayonets poking through the earth after the salvo.  Overall, Verdun was an experience I'll never forget.

A graveyard at Verdun (note Ossuary visible through fog in background)

The crater-strewn landscape

Note rusted rebar sticking out in the foreground

Tyne Cot War Graves, Belgium

Near Passendale, Belgium, Tyne Cot is the largest British war cemetery anywhere in the world, home to just under 12,000 soldiers from (mostly) Britain, but also Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and others.  Unlike their American counterparts, British war cemeteries feature more rectangular, "typical" headstone shapes, but the effect is just as humbling.  In the area you can tour a trench remnant- highly recommended.

Tyne Cot

A trench- note the poppies growing

Auschwitz, Poland

Not a battleground, but just as harrowing, the two concentration camps at Auschwitz (a decent drive from nearby Krakow) are reminders of the horrors inflicted upon the Jews.  The smaller camp (with the infamous "Arbeit macht frei" sign) converted many buildings to museums- walk in the "evidence" building and be prepared to cry.  The larger camp looks largely unchanged from 1945- and deliberately so.  A hell on Earth to many, this is one place you need to visit.

The infamous sign

Just inside the camp

Destroyed gas chamber- (rightly) fearing retribution, the Nazis destroyed it shortly before the camp was captured

The entrance to the larger Auschwitz camp

Maginot Line, France

I'll end on a "lighter" note.  The Maginot Line is a series of subterranean concrete fortifications that stretch for miles on the border of France and Germany- effectively, self-contained underground cities.  After WWI, fearing future German aggression, France decided to build these bunkers as added protection.  There was one (major) problem: they didn't build them all the way to the coast.  When the Germans invaded in WWII, they went around the Line.  A testament to both engineering achievement and human folly, the Maginot Line is a reminder that (among other things) doing things half-way is rather pointless.

Entrance to one of the bunkers

Inside one of the bunkers

There are many places to see in Europe that remind you of the horrors of war and the bravery of men- many more than could be captured in an article like this.  My overall recommendation is that you read on these events, dwell on the sacrifice of others, and honor those who fell by living life correctly.  Don't waste your life- many have given away theirs for your sake.

The Path Between the Seas (David McCullough)

In the award-winning The Path Between the Seas, David McCullough looks at the story of the Panama Canal- from the initial survey of the area in 1870 to completion in 1914.  Along the way, he guides the reader through the initial (failed) French attempt, the revolution which created the country of Panama (it was previously part of Colombia), and the second (successful) American attempt.  In each section, McCullough explores the varied aspects involved- not just the building of the canal, but the medical, political, cultural, logistic, and social situations and challenges that the project encountered.  You quickly see that the task at hand- though extremely technical in nature- required problems in these other areas- medicine, for example- to be solved before the main project could succeed.

As I read (and thoroughly enjoyed) this book, I couldn't help think that it's not just a history book- it's also a lesson on leadership.  My highlighter got a lot of work with this one.  You see a study of contrasts- what the French did (or failed to do), opposed to what the Americans did (or failed to do).  You see good and bad leaders of men on both sides, and the impact (good or bad) of their leadership abilities on the whole effort.  Politics also plays heavily- and shows how great technical challenges must also take politics into the fold during design (the canal came close to being built in Nicaragua).  It's not just a study of history; it's a study of how to run a project.

The only thing that takes away from this work is the comparative lack of discussion of the technical side of the canal building.  Certainly challenges are presented, and some statistics are mentioned- the amount of earth to be excavated, for example- but little was said about how it was done, how it was planned/approached at a high level, etc.  The final chapter focused on the locks, which was great- but I had hoped for more.  As an engineer, "the technical stuff" was what I was really interested in learning more about.  Things like "they dug in area __ first because of ___, then tackled ___ because of ____."  I also would have enjoyed a quick chapter on canal basics- i.e. how do locks work, etc.  The author here assumes the reader has this basic knowledge, or at least can access it easily (which we can, frankly, in this day and age).  I'm sure the History Channel or other networks have covered this aspect of it, but I was disappointed to see so little of it here.  That aside, this is a worthy read.

Rating: A

Renewable Energy: Power for a Sustainable Future (Boyle, ed.)

And now for something completely different: a review of what I used as a college textbook.

As my undergraduate degree wound down, I decided to do an independent study- on wind energy.  I looked forward to the concept- no endless hours in class, no exams; it would be a dream.  Boy, was I wrong.  Every week I had to prepare a paper on a different aspect of wind energy- and each paper was ~10-15 pages long.  By semester's end, I had (if memory serves) over 150 pages written on the blasted topic.  It was a valuable experience, to be sure, but one I hope to never repeat.

During those long hours of self-study, a resource I turned to again and again was Renewable Energy: Power for a Sustainable Future, edited by Geoffrey Boyle.  It covers every category: solar, biomass, hydro, tidal, wind, wave, and geothermal power- and does each well.  I, of course, focused on the wind chapter, but it's all quality.

I've had it on my shelf for 10 years now; it's time to part with it, as the field has undoubtedly advanced much in the last decade.  Still, it's a worthy read for those interested in the topic- I'm sure a newer edition is out.

Rating: A

The Romanov Prophecy (Steve Berry)

It's "that time" again- the time where I decide to minimize my books and put a mild, if likely temporary, check on my rampant materialism.  Before I dispose of some of my library, I wanted to review each I'm parting with, in remembrance of their existence in my collection.

The Romanov Prophecy, by Steve Berry, is a thriller centered around the power in Russia.  As you (hopefully) know, Tsar Nicholas II, of the Romanov dynasty, was the last monarch of Russia, and fell in 1917 to the Communists.  He, along with his family, was executed shortly thereafter (account here), and the bodies buried in a pit.  During the subsequent Communist rule, the location of the burial site was unknown- a fact which led some to believe some of the Tsar's family could have escaped during that dreadful night long ago.  Several people, in fact, claimed to be Tsar's daughter, Anastasia, in the following decades.  That's a long backstory, but all this is to say that the execution and subsequent unknowns have been the basis of many a tale, and one such is The Romanov Prophecy.

In this book, two Romanovs survive- the sole son and a daughter- and escape to America.  Fast forward to modern day: the people of Russia are clamoring for a return to the monarchy (not unrealistic, if this report is to be believed).  But who to put on the throne?  The obvious choice is a descendant of Nicholas II, if one exists.  And so, the main point of the novel is that a descendant does exist, but nobody knows where he/she is.  Thankfully, clues have been laid that show the way, and there are both good and bad men after the heir, both sides desiring to control (or eliminate) the "rightful" king.

Having been long fascinated by the historical event upon which it's based, I found the novel decent.  The suspense is there, in a way.  Berry, by his own admission, is no Dan Brown, but it's not a bad yarn.  If you're into Russia at all, I'd recommend it.

Rating: B

Clive Cussler & Dirk Pitt

"Don't judge a book by its cover," as the saying goes.  Yet, that's exactly what I chose to do, circa 1996, when I laid eyes on the Clive Cussler shelf at the book store.  There were about a dozen of his books at the time, all with the same style covers (like the one shown below).  I was intrigued, bought one, and it was the start of a (literary) love affair.

Each Cussler adventure features a similar pattern- one I'd instantly love.  A story is told of the past- generally involving a sinking ship, lost vessel, or treasure- to set the background.  Then, we're instantly transported to present day, where that opening scene will play a pivotal role at some point.  Cussler stories always revolve around water, and his (originally) fictional National Underwater and Marine Agency (NUMA)* always plays a large role.

Clive Cussler's hero, Dirk Pitt, is a mixture of James Bond, Indiana Jones, and Jacques Cousteau.  Each work is a story of Pitt and NUMA trying to do something- salvage a ship, conserve the ocean, etc- and then getting tangled up in something else that is generally of enough importance to have world-wide consequences.  Pitt, a collector of antique cars, always involves one of his beauties in the story (Cussler, like Pitt, is an avid car collector- he once said he writes to afford this hobby).  It's straight-up suspense and adventure every time around.

After my first Cussler work, I gobbled them up at an astonishing pace- I once read two Pitt novels in one day.  In every case, they were either an "A" or "A+"- you really couldn't go wrong.  At least, until latter day.  Right around Atlantis Found, the 15th work in the series, I started noticing a decline in quality.  Still good, but not as good.  I stopped reading after number 16- Valhalla Rising- as I sensed Clive's best days were behind him (I'd even read an interview where Cussler acknowledged as much).  Several more Dirk Pitt adventure novels have been released, the most recent of which have been co-written with Cussler's son Dirk.  The complete list, according to wikipedia, is as follows:

1. Pacific Vortex! (1983) (Though released at a later date, this is the first book.)
2. The Mediterranean Caper (a.k.a. Mayday, 1973)
3. Iceberg (1975)
4. Raise the Titanic! (1976)
5. Vixen 03 (1978)
6. Night Probe! (1981)
7. Deep Six (1984)
8. Cyclops (1986)
9. Treasure (1988)
10. Dragon (1990)
11. Sahara (1992)
12. Inca Gold (1994)
13. Shock Wave (1996)
14. Flood Tide (1997)
15. Atlantis Found (1999)
16. Valhalla Rising (2001)
17. Trojan Odyssey (2003)
18. Black Wind (2004) - Written with son Dirk Cussler
19. Treasure of Khan (2006) - Written with son Dirk Cussler
20. Arctic Drift (2008) - Written with son Dirk Cussler
21. Crescent Dawn (2010) - Written with son Dirk Cussler
22. Poseidon's Arrow (2012) - Written with son Dirk Cussler

In the end, I'll always look back on those books fondly, and re-read them from time to time when I'm in the mood for rollicking, gratuitous adventure.  As a final thought, I once emailed Clive thanking him for his books.  I got a prompt, courteous reply, which is nice from someone who likely gets bombarded with such things.  Thanks for writing, Clive!  You occupied many hours of this teenage boy's time.

*Cussler actually started an organization by the same name.  Active today, they've found many shipwrecks of importance, to include the Confederate submarine H.L. Hunley.

Unbreakable

Today I reached back into the past and re-watched one of my favorite movies: M. Night Shyamalan's Unbreakable.

Released in 2000 on the heels of his uber-successful The Sixth Sense, Shyamalan's Unbreakable is a variety of things: superhero movie, spiritual journey, thriller.  It centers on two individuals, both of whom have lost their way: David Dunn and Elijah Price.  Elijah, born with a defect that renders his bones overly prone to breaking, is weak and wondering why he's in the world- is he a mistake?  David's marriage is on the rocks and he's felt an inner sadness for a long time- but he doesn't know why.  Deep down, there's something he's supposed to do- but he has no idea what, and he's withdrawn from his family and become a spiritual recluse as a result.  Then, David is in a horrific train wreck- and is the sole survivor, miraculously sustaining no injuries.  The survival leaves him wondering "why?"  Why did he survive?  It's a question Elijah's only too willing to help him explore.

Why do I love this movie?  It's all about calling.  Why are we here?  What is our purpose?  Are certain humans given certain gifts, and if so, are they required to use them, suffering if they do not?  David and Elijah are both unsure of their place in the world- and they take opposite approaches to their dilemma.  Regrettably, I can say no more without ruining the story.  The bottom line: this is an excellent film, and highly recommended.

Rating: A

Almost there . . .

As I've discussed ad nauseum on here, I'm working my way through a "British reading list" to enhance my three years living abroad in the UK.  I combed through several "best of British" lists online, selecting what I thought would be quality and/or valuable reads, and threw in some works of personal interest to create a 129-work British reading list.  In selecting books, I tried to be as varied/well-rounded as possible- the list includes writings from categories including literature, religion, fantasy, mystery, thriller, science, history, government, memoir, poetry, ghost, and even graphic novels.

I began the list officially in 2011, though I grandfathered in relevant works I had read as far back as 2007.
I hope to complete this thing in 2014, and as of this writing, I've done 111 of 129 works (86%).  Just 18 left.  So close, yet so far.  This year, I planned to read 34 British books, and I've done 22 so far.  If 2013 ends as I hope, I'll have only 6 works left on this thing, and should finish by mid-2014 at the latest.

At this point, I'm too near the end to give up, yet I'd be lying if I said my enthusiasm is at the level I had at the start.  I feel much like the guy in the picture- it's become a bit of a chore.  That fact saddened me, until I thought about it a bit more.  Yes, reading is a bit of a chore at times, but so is working out, eating right, raising kids, etc.  As I reflect more on the matter, just because it's lost its initial allure doesn't mean it's lost its value.  There will always be days where I don't want to work out, am tired and fed up with the kids, etc, but it doesn't mean that I should walk away.  Some things in life are worth doing, even when you don't feel like it, and I count reading as among them.  While it can be tiring, it's helped me in a number of ways:
- My vocabulary has improved
- My writing ability/confidence has increased*
- My public speaking proficiency has advanced
- I've learned a good amount of history
- I've found new authors I love
- I've picked up a good amount of wisdom

You read all the time about people who have set physical workout/eating goals.  Why not set mental goals?  It's just as valuable- if not more so.

Okay, back to the grind. 

*though you wouldn't know it to read this blog

Scotland's Story (H.E. Marshall)

I've read several overview "history of Britain" books, and they all have one thing in common: they pretty much ignore Scotland and Wales, and focus on England.  That's certainly not fair to the Scots and the Welsh, so I thought I'd read a generalist history of just Scotland, to see what I could learn about that part of Britain.

Scotland's Story was written in 1906 and geared towards children.  The author acknowledges such, and even admits that parts of the story are embellished or rely on legend.  Especially in the first few chapters, I found that annoying, as I wanted to learn about verified history, not unlikely myth.  But, the book got slightly better as it progressed.  Overall, it was an okay introduction.

As I read through this, I will say the focus was almost exclusively on who was king, how they came to power, who they fought (on a local and/or national scale), and how they were succeeded.  Page after page tells of wars, betrayals, usurpations, etc.  Rather repetitive, it actually started to bore me after a while.  But, I assume there's little in the way of other source material from that time period- few (if any) bothered captured elements of culture, daily habits, etc that we now view as an important part of studying history.  Still, I would have liked to learn more outside of the line of kings.

Rating: C+

For Moms Everywhere

A mother is a person

Whom few on Earth can match

The best out there- who can compare?

She’s of a special batch

She gets her introduction

To her precious child

With hours of pain; tremendous strain

That makes all else seem mild

At last the child’s delivered

But there’s no time for rest

‘Fore Mom can dream, the child will scream-

Mom has an instant test

The babe is cute but challenging

The mom can plainly see

Won’t sleep, won’t eat, won’t poop; Mom’s beat

But says “it’s up to me!”

So Mom must teach them everything

From dressing to their diet

She helps them walk, and then to talk

(Then yells, “sit down- be quiet!”)

As the child gets older

The difficulties stay

Fights, bad friends- it never ends

It’s hard in many ways

She gets them through the school years

Though they fight her tooth and nail

Their every need is met with speed

She will not let them fail

Though they may resist her,

She strives to raise them right

Shows them the way to live each day

And prays with them each night

And when they finally move out

Get a job and go away

Mom says “no good- I miss my brood”

“I’d really wish they’d stay!”

Yet to hinder their development

She knows she cannot do

So as they fly, she starts to cry

And whispers “I’ll miss you”

So why become a mother?

Why go through such a chore?

The constant fights; the sleepless nights

Ingratitude and more

Mom knows with every baby

It’s hardship from the start

Yet through the stress, she says “I’m blessed”

And loves to play her part

Yes, mom is happy with her lot

Though kids may cause her woe

If you ask why, she’ll just reply

“Because I love them so”

The Fellowship of the Ring

With the The Fellowship of the Ring book fresh in my mind, I re-watched the extended edition of the movie to compare the two.  I wasn't disappointed.

The plot is the same as the book, so google that if you want it (or read my post on the book for a quick synopsis).  Here, I'd like to focus on how the movie compares to the book in a qualitative sense (a nitpicky scene-by-scene difference analysis is here).  But first, a quick digression.

A book vs. a movie
I used to think a movie would measure up to the book only if it mirrored that book as closely as possible.  I no longer think that way, for a few reasons:
1) It's unrealistic to translate any book, scene-by-scene, into a movie of reasonable length.  Movies are, by necessity, abridgements.  
2) Books and movies are inherently different, and so each must play to its strengths.  Movies, being visual, can convey in an instant what books take pages to describe; similarly, books can get inside the head of characters in a way movies never could.  Thus, a good book made word-for-word into a movie wouldn't be a good film; a good movie doesn't translate into a good book without some modification.
3) If a movie mirrored a book exactly, there would be no pleasure in viewing the movie.  You'd know exactly what was coming, exactly what would be said, etc., at any given time. 

If a movie should differ from a book on which it is based, what elements are essential to make any sort of attempt worthwhile?  There's really only one requirement: the movie must be true in spirit to the book.  In spirit, mind you.  If the book conveys a message, the movie must convey that same message.  If the book has a basic plot, the movie should be true to the basic plot.  If we read a book on the strength of its characters, the movie's strength should, likewise, be in those characters.  So, it's with that in mind that I go . . .
Back to The Fellowship
I loved the book The Fellowship of the Ring, and I loved the movie, too.  Not because it was a verbatim reproduction of the book, but because it remained true to the spirit of the book.  The basic plot is the same; the basic messages were the same.  In fact, the movie took many memorable quotes right out of the book (though they may have changed which character uttered it, or when).  Some characters (like Arwen) were "played up" on screen, and others diminished.  Some (like the hobbits Merry and Pippin) were given a goofy quality that the book never conveyed.  The imagery was fantastic; the music superb.  A few story tweaks bothered me a tad, but just a tad- they were mostly understandable, or at least forgivable.  The bottom line: both the novel and the movie are fantastic.  If you loved the book, you'll probably love this, too.

Rating: A+

The Fellowship of the Ring (J.R.R. Tolkien)

Ahhh, a genuine classic.  I last read The Lord of the Rings trilogy over 15 years ago, and was very much looking forward to re-reading them as part of my British reading list. It was well worth the wait.

The story is known to most: Frodo Baggins, nephew of Bilbo of The Hobbit fame, is gifted Bilbo's magic ring before anyone realizes what it is.  The good wizard Gandalf finds out that this indeed is the one ring, created long ago by the evil Sauron.  The ring must be destroyed if Sauron is to be defeated, and in The Fellowship of the Ring, Frodo sets out with eight companions to do so.  This being book one, the group only start their journey here- their exploits continue in The Two Towers and The Return of the King.

Few will question the impact this book has had on the fantasy genre- most of the writers who have followed Tolkien have copied his general creature elements- elves, dwarves, orcs, and goblins.  I love these tales, though, not for their impact on other writers, but for the adventures and wisdom found therein.  It's not just an adventure story, the classic hero quest- it's littered with valuable one-liners throughout.  My (digital) highlighter got a good amount of work here.

As a final thought, this was the first time I read the book since viewing Peter Jackson's movie adaptations.  How does the movie differ from the book?  In many ways, actually- far more than I expected.  The fifteen years since I last read the book clearly dimmed my memory on the details.  A great site that spells out the differences between book and movie is here.  I will say, however, that I felt (at least the first) movie stays true to the spirit of the first book, and that's the important thing where movies are concerned.

The Folio Society edition of the Lord of the Rings- highly recommended

Rating: A+

Star Wars Miscellany

Today is Star Wars day.  Unless you've led a severely deprived life, you'll recognize why- "May the Fourth be with you" is a slight modification of the "May the Force be with you" line repeated often in the six Star Wars flicks.  In honor of the occasion, I present the below miscellany pertaining to the Star Wars universe in general, celebrating my fondness for the movies, or personal issues resulting from them, as appropriate.

The Movies

The six movies released to date (appropriately, Episodes I-VI, though they were released in this order: IV (1977), V (1980), VI (1983), then I (1999), II (2002), III (2005)) are all phenomenally popular, though most would agree their quality in some cases is suspect.  My overall opinion of the movies: it's a great story, not always told well.  Here's how I rank them, from best to worst:

1) Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
Most agree that this is the best Star Wars film.  After their victory in Episode IV, the Rebels are pursued by a vengeful Darth Vader.  Han's ship, the Millenium Falcon, is just out of warranty and breaking down all over the place, so Han spends most of the movie trying to fix it, while Leia berates him for allowing his road-side assistance membership to lapse.

2) Episode IV: A New Hope
The movie that started it all!  Here we are introduced to Luke, Leia, Han, Obi-Wan, the droids, etc. etc. as they look to evade Imperial tyranny, which threatens to dominate the galaxy with the new, all-powerful battle station.  Can our intrepid heroes destroy this horrible Death Star before it's too late?  The title of the next movie- and the fact that there's a next movie- implies that they can.

3) Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
Beyond the top two, ranking the rest gets hard.  Episode VI comes next for me, because I really like Admiral Ackbar (the giant fish admiral who wears tennis sneakers and knows when something is a trap) and the space battle.  It also, unfortunately, has Ewoks (midgets in teddy bear outfits with pointy sticks), which aren't great, but Lucas showed us with Gungans in Episode I how bad it could have been.  The plot of this one is pretty much like the plot of Episode IV, only now Death Star Jr. has even bigger vulnerabilities, and for some reason, when the Rebels blow this one up, the rest of the Imperials stop fighting and all is well.

4) Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
The last of the "prequels" is decent, in my opinion, though the acting and dialogue is atrocious (which is true for Episodes I-III).  Here, Anakin Skywalker has a dream that his secret wife is going to die, so he orchestrates the destruction of every Jedi in the universe to make sure that doesn't happen.  But it does happen, because she dies of sadness, because he destroys every Jedi in the universe.  Oh, the irony!  It's all so sad.  Then he becomes Darth Vader.

5) Episode II: Attack of the Clones
The name of this one is stupid, but the story is pretty cool: a teenage Anakin flirts with a much older woman, while the Jedi find out that someone's placed an order for 1 million clones, a side of fries, and a large Coke without telling them.  Also Boba Fett's dad is in this one.

6) Episode I: The Phantom Menace
This movie is a good example why past success is no guarantee of future quality.  This is, technically, the highest-grossing Star Wars movie ever: it's also clearly the worst.  Its success is due only to anticipation- it was the first Star Wars movie released in 16 years, so everyone thought it would automatically qualify as awesome.  It didn't, and it showed us that George Lucas is not only fallible, he's also a deplorable human being, capable of unleashing a terrible pestilence known as Jar Jar Binks on humanity. Other stuff happens in the movie, too, but it's not important.

The Universe

As I said, I think the movies are good stories, not always told well.  The universe, however, really appeals to me, which is why I continue to enjoy Star Wars television, comics, books, games, spoofs, and legos.  Here are the things I enjoy the most about Star Wars Land:

1) The Starships

Star Destroyers, X-wings, A-wings, Y-wings, Mon Calamari Star Cruisers, Nebulon-B Frigates, etc: be they capital ships, mid-size vessels or starfighters, I love the starships of the Star Wars galaxy.  I hope they make an entire movie consisting only of said ships flying around fighting.  It would be awesome.

2) The Wars & Weapons
In real life, WWII is interesting to study because it involves so much of the planet- the people and the locations.  People of many cultures fought in forest, jungle, desert, ice, in the air, underwater, etc. using many different type of weapons and vehicles.  Now, expand that concept to cover an entire galaxy- and imagine beings from entire worlds engulfed in conflict of endless variety and horror.  Pretty neat, no?

3) The Locales
Star Wars takes locations we know and expands them to cover entire worlds.  The desert planet (Tatooine), the forest planet (moon of Endor), the water planet (Kamino), the smuggler's planet (Nar Shadaa, which looks mysteriously like Detroit) and so on.  It's just magnifying what we already have here, on a galactic scale, and each new type of world is enjoyable to behold.

4) The Fringe Element
Bounty Hunters, smugglers, Hutts, the Black Sun, and a variety of other fringe elements play a large part in many Star Wars stories, and are among my favorite aspects of the galaxy.  It's not always good or bad- there's a lot of gray in this world.

5) The Scope
An entire galaxy being the backdrop, Star Wars is rife with cool stories that require such scope to be interesting.  In one story, an entire fleet of starships disappear, and aren't found for decades (space is a pretty big area to search).  Many things of value are hidden in the strangest, backworld places, and more places can always be created to accommodate more coolness.

The Dreams

Being such an avid fan for so long, many of my dreams/nightmares have involved Star Wars over the years.  As a child, I remember having the recurring nightmare of Darth Vader and his Imperial Stormtroopers charging up the stairs into my bedroom.  In the dream, I'd wake to find them all standing over me, helpless before their might.  As I got older, that fear faded, but I had two dreams with Star Wars themes that have stuck with me over the years:

1) Darth Vader, my Grandparents, and North Carolina

In this dream, of which I've had several variations, Darth Vader is chasing me for hours.  In one version, we end up at my grandparent's house, where he chases me around their kitchen table for a few minutes, before stopping to declare that all he wants is for me to acknowledge him as my dad.  I do, reluctantly, and he hugs me and leaves.  In another version, I have a large-hopping/limited-flying ability (think mix between Mario and Superman), and he chases me in his Imperial Shuttle as I fly/hop all over America, until we end up at an outdoor rock concert in North Carolina.  There the dream always ends- maybe the music was really good.  I don't know what these mean, but I take them both as a sign of deep personal issues.

2) Darth Vader, the Midget, and the Pool of Cheese

Yes, in this dream, Vader features again.  Here, we're both part of a tourist group, in line for a tour of the Death Star.  The tour is similar to the ride at Hershey's Chocolate World- there are two-row cars on a track taking us through the facility.  I'm with someone I don't know in the front row of our car; Vader is the lone occupant in the back.  As we tour the station, the guy next to me is talking his head off, while I'm sitting there thinking "Dude, Vader's behind us.  Just shut up."  The car stops at a pool of cheese, beside which a little hut stands.  A tourist is out examining the pool.  Suddenly, a midget runs out of the hut, throws the tourist into the pool of cheese, and tries to drown him.  Then I wake up.  I'm thinking about having that one psycho-analyzed.

The Annoyances

Nothing is perfect- and here are some things that really bother me about the Star Wars galaxy in general:

1) The Monotony
Many of the stories can follow a familiar pattern: the Rebels are trying to win/retain the galaxy, and the Empire is about to get its hands on some super-weapon that would tilt the balance of the conflict.  Cool the first few times; gets boring after a while.

2) The Force
The Force concept is cool, but so inconsistently applied it gets annoying.  One moment, the hero(es) are invincible.  The next, some dude can sneak up on them and poison their pudding.  The ability to sense things seems to alter at author's will- keep it consistent, people!

3) The Jedi Teaching
The Jedi's ways are okay, but all this nonsense about "don't get angry" gets old fast.  There are good times to be angry- like when the Yankees win, or when your child refuses to use any toilet but that little green one back in your house, which you forgot, so now she won't go, but just screams, and then your wife gets mad at you, like it's your fault your daughter can be severely irrational.  Anger doesn't mean evil, necessarily.

4) The Lack of Instruction
Star Wars tales are almost always pure adventure stories- there's no wisdom or insight to be gained from them.  Contrast that with some other epic story arcs, like Lord of the Rings, and you see the unrealized potential there.  The best stories have adventure and wisdom.

5) The (Near) Invincibility of the Main Characters
The main characters in Star Wars almost never die.  Luke, Leia, and Han have spent most of their lives in battle, and generally get no more than a scratch.  I don't want Lucas to go all George RR Martin on the cast, but please, everyone surviving is boring. 

The Conclusion

If you've read this far, congratulations.  It means you either expected better, were fascinated by my personal issues, or have too much time on your hands.  Whatever the reason, Happy Star Wars day- May the Fourth be with you.