The Idiot (Fyodor Dostoevsky)

At its essence, The Idiot is the tale of a good man in a bad world.  Prince Myshkin, recently returned to Russia after years in Switzerland to treat his epilepsy, is introduced to distant relations and others as he re-acclimates to Russian society and claims wealth left for him in a will.  In the process, he's swept up into the collective insanity and selfishness of society.  Frequently called an idiot because people don't know how to handle his honesty, kindness, and lack of any self-serving agenda, the Prince eventually loses it and checks in to a sanitarium.  "The main idea of the novel is to depict the positively good man.  There is nothing more difficult than this in the world, especially  nowadays," says the author.

The concept of this book is fantastic- I wholly agree with Dostoevsky's assessment of humanity (we're all dark, self-serving fools), and it makes sense in such a world that truly good men are viewed with suspicion, ostracized, and destroyed by society.  Elsewhere, Fyodor once wrote "Men do not accept their prophets and slay them, but they love their martyrs and worship those whom they have tortured to death," and you see elements of this here.

The execution of this concept disappointed me, however.  The book failed to grab me- even after 250 pages (40% through)- and I had to put it down.  It is rambling and hard to understand at times.  It seems inconsistent and slow.  The characters are more than self-serving here; they're out-and-out insane.  It reminded me of Wuthering Heights (review), in a way.

The more I read great Russian works, the less I understand the Russian psyche.  A decade ago, I read Crime and Punishment, and was instantly captivated by Dostoevsky's understanding and treatment of our dark nature.  That book is one of my favorites.  Ever since, though, any Russian work I've read has given me the impression that Russia is  populated solely by insane, self-serving drunkards.  Between The Idiot, Dostoevsky's Notes from the Underground (review), Tolstoy's The Death of Ivan Ilyich (review), and Bulgakov's The Master and Margarita (review), I see the same themes over and over again.  I think I'll focus on other areas for a while, before further exploring Russian literature.

Rating (concept): A+
Rating (execution): C+
Rating (overall): B

On the Fields of Battle (Clone Wars Vol. 6)

Four stories make up this, the sixth collection of Clone Wars comic tales:

Show of Force

Seventeen months after Geonosis, the Crimson Nova bounty hunter's guild is actively hunting down Jedi, gaining their attention and drawing their ire.  When Mace Windu and a team of Jedi Masters personally investigate, they uncover a contract that has ties to Count Dooku- and his new disciple, the former Jedi Quinlan Vos.

Rating (art): A-
Rating (story): B

Forever Young

Anakin, Obi-Wan, and another young Jedi Master are on a mission to blow up a new Separatist droid production facility.  There, Anakin learns to accept that, in war, some are destined to die.

Rating (art): B
Rating (story): B-

Armor

Aayla Secura is dispatched to Honoghr to recover information about a powerful new Separatist weapon.  There, she encounters her former Master, Quinlan Vos, who is trying to keep the information in enemy hands.  Has Vos truly gone to the dark side, or is he just keeping up the ruse?

Rating (art): A-
Rating (story): B

Dreadnaughts of Rendili

Obi-Wan responds to a distress call and finds outlaw Jedi Quinlan Vos, on the run from Dooku since his failure to stop Aayla Secura from retrieving information on Honoghr.  They both then encounter Asajj Ventress, determined as ever to destroy Kenobi.  Escaping, the pair join Anakin and others at Rendili to persuade the system (and its formidable defense fleet) to join them.  Will they succeed- or has another system joined the Separatist cause?  Afterwards, Vos is returned to the Jedi Council for his fate to be decided.  But all might not be as it seems . . .

Rating (art): A-
Rating (story): B

Overall

Not as strong as prior offerings, On the Fields of Battle is still above-average as Star Wars tales go.

Rating: B

The Best Blades (Clone Wars Vol. 5)

Expected holiday + unexpected snow storm = graphic novel non-Sunday.  Today, I continue exploring Dark Horse Comics' Clone Wars series.  Volume 5- The Best Blades- is composed of the following stories:

Dead Ends

Sixteen months after Geonosis, Republic Senator Bail Organa is attacked by increasingly-bold pirates.  As Palpatine uses the attack to propose new legislation that will further his 'emergency' powers, Finis Valorum (the ex-chancellor, as seen in Episode I) relays his fears to Bail that Palpatine is a grave threat to the Republic.  Organa is starting to become convinced, but is prevented from continuing his work with Valorum when the latter meets with tragedy.

Rating (art): A-
Rating (story): A

Bloodlines

Palpatine publicly mourns the recent death in battle of Jedi Rohnar Kim, whose backstory is subsequently told by a series of flashbacks.  Kim and his padawan had proposed testing all Senate members for midi-chlorians (the mark of a Force user) in an attempt to find the Sith . . . could their demise have been arranged?

Rating (art): A-
Rating (story): A+

Hate and Fear

Obi-Wan Kenobi has been missing and presumed dead since the battle of Jabiim (in Clone Wars Vol. 3, here).  Now, we learn that in fact he and a clone were captured by Asajj Ventress and they are now imprisoned on Rattatak, her homeworld.  They escape, cause a general prison break, and in the process learn something about Ventress's past.

Rating (art): A-
Rating (story): B

No Man's Land

Obi-Wan's escape from Ventress hits a snag as he and his clone ('Alpha') crash-land on Riflor.  All is not lost, however, as Anakin senses him through the Force and comes to his aid.

Rating (art): A-
Rating (story): B-

The Best Blades

Yoda is dispatched to Thustra, a vital Republic world led by his old friend and planning to secede.  Though his accompanying padawans are thirsty to bring the world to heel through force, Yoda insists that "the best blades are kept in their sheaths" and uses negotiations instead.

Rating (art): B+
Rating (story): A

Overall

The best entry in the series to date, Volume 5 is mostly outstanding.  Bloodlines is one of my favorite stories- I especially enjoyed the 'storytelling in reverse' and seeing more of Palpatine's shady past.  The Best Blades is also surprisingly deep (for Star Wars), so I'll end with a quote from it:
"A weapon need not be utilized for its power to be exercised.  Possessing the strength and will to wield a sword is often enough to preclude the necessity of doing so."

Rating: A

Charlotte's Web (E.B. White)

A children's classic for decades, Charlotte's Web is the story of "some pig," Wilbur, and the spider who loves him.  She weaves webs above Wilbur's pen with messages like "some pig," "terrific," "radiant," and "humble" in them, convincing the farmer (Mr. Zuckerman) and the surrounding community that Wilbur is special and shouldn't be butchered like your typical swine.

Touching and light-hearted yet profound, Charlotte's Web is a wonderful story of love, friendship, sacrifice, and the transitory nature of life.  I don't have anything to add.  You can read it in a sitting or two- so do it.

I'll conclude with the famous line from the book that's worthy of remembrance and transmission:

"Why did you do all this for me?" he asked. "I don't deserve it. I've never done anything for you."  "You have been my friend," replied Charlotte. "That in itself is a tremendous thing."

Rating: A+

Light and Dark (Clone Wars Vol. 4)

The fourth volume in the Clone Wars comic saga, Light and Dark revolves around one of my favorite characters: Quinlan Vos, a Jedi Master who operates in the shadows.  For some reason, in this volume the individual tales are unnamed.

Story 1 

Six months after Geonosis, Quinlan Vos is attempting to infiltrate the Separatist inner circle by feigning treachery to the Republic.  To enhance his appearance of authenticity, his operation is known to none of the Jedi outside a small circle.  All is going well until an unwitting Jedi, Agen Kolar, vows to bring Vos to justice for his crimes.  Will the Republic's plan unravel?  Meanwhile, Republic forces are searching the planet Devaron for a pirate base that is suspected to serve as a launching point for recent raids.  There, the Jedi team (Aayla Secura, Kit Fisto, the Dark Woman, and others) encounter far more than they bargained for . . . and end up in combat with Jedi-slayer Aurra Sing.

Rating (art): A-
Rating (story): A-

Story 2

Six weeks later, Vos has worked his way into Count Dooku's inner circle.  One mission has Vos, Dooku, and others attempting to recruit the world of Kiffu, led by Quinlan's relative Sheyf Tinte, to the Confederacy.  When she refuses, Vos is forced to choose between his allegiance to his family and his mission.  Initially choosing the former, he reverses course and gives in to his hatred when Dooku reveals how Tinte murdered Quinlan's parents.  Has Vos played in the shadows too long, and now become what some feared: a true agent for the Dark Side?

Rating (art): A-
Rating (story): A

Story 3

A year after Vos is believed fallen to the dark, Dooku sends him on an assassination mission to Coruscant.  Quinlan believes he is being sent to kill the Sith Lord Dooku clearly serves, and hopes he can shorten the war with a successful mission.  When things go awry and his target proves unexpected, Quinlan's actions are viewed by some on the Jedi council as proof of his fall.  Is all for naught?

Rating (art): A-
Rating (story): A

Overall

Another solid offering in the Clone Wars story arc.  This one takes the focus off battles and armies and on the concurrent war in the shadows.  Good stuff- and love me some Quinlan Vos.

Rating: A

The Hunger Games

Having just read the book (review), I wanted to see how The Hunger Games movie compared.  How would they deal with the oppression of the Capitol and the heroics of District 12's Katniss Everdeen on the big screen?

There's a lot of good here.  The movie's plot follows the book very closely; the minor deviations present are forgivable, understandable, and even (in some cases) improvements to the story.  The casting is great, imagery is good, acting is fine . . . and yet, for all this, The Hunger Games movie is a great example of how a movie can never compare to a book.  Why?  Because a 2-hour movie simply can't adequately convey the hunger, endurance, pain, uncertainty, and emotion Katniss (and others) experience during the games.  That can only be captured (in my opinion) by a production of significantly longer length . . . so it would have to be a TV mini-series or something.  So, all told, this film didn't do anything overly wrong . . . it just suffers from constraints inherent in the medium.  General life lesson: read the book.

Rating: B

The Hunger Games (Suzanne Collins)

The Hunger Games is the story of Katniss Everdeen and her quest to survive as she's pitched in a battle to the death against 23 other combatants during the annual hunger games.  The games were set up years ago as punishment for the 12 surviving districts who revolted against the Capitol of Panem (the country that succeeds the USA in a dystopian future).  Every year, each district selects (through a lottery-like 'reaping') one boy and one girl to compete in the games.  The winner gains fame, glory, and comfort- if they can survive.  Can Katniss overcome?

Popular beyond belief (it's on par with the Harry Potter series in terms of sales), I read this solely to see 'what the fuss was all about.'  It's good, no question; it's largely well-written and a good story.  A few areas, however, gave me pause.  First, some plot elements were rather predictable.  Second, Katniss gets saved a few times through ridiculous means.  Third, her inner monologue reveals her confusion and naivete, which can get annoying (especially as she wonders about her feelings towards the boy from her district- boring, but maybe teenage girls think that way).  Fourth, the book's ending doesn't tie up all the loose ends it could, leaving me feel unsatisfied.  Those dings aside, it's an enjoyable yarn.  Perhaps more popular than it should be . . . but good nonetheless.

Rating: A-

Last Stand on Jabiim (Clone Wars Vol. 3)

It's that time again . . . this week's "graphic novel Sunday" is volume 3 in the Clone Wars series, and consists of three stories (but the first two are reviewed together below).

Blood and Rain, Thunder and Lightning

15 months after the Battle of Geonosis, the Republic forces on the rain-soaked planet of Jabiim are being steadily driven back by the Separatists and local forces.  Many Jedi are killed, and Obi-Wan Kenobi goes missing and is presumed among the fallen.  After weeks of loss, Anakin Skywalker and the Republic evacuate, leaving a small local force to fend for itself.  It's a stinging loss for the Republic, and a betrayal the locals will not soon forget.

Rating (art): B
Rating (story): A-

The Storm After the Storm

Six weeks later, the Republic is fighting on Aargonar, a desert planet much like Tatooine.  Masterless, Anakin Skywalker finds himself paired with A'Sharad Hett, a half-Tusken Jedi who dresses like his desert tribe.  The partnership is uneasy, and as the fighting gets desperate, Skywalker experiences flashbacks to his Tusken slaughter on Tatooine (in Episode II, after the death of his mother).  Can he face and overcome his Tusken hatred to bond together with Hett and salvage the operation?  At the end, we get some hint that Kenobi may not be dead, but a worse fate may await him . . .

Rating (art): B
Rating (story): A-

Overall

Another decent entry in the Clone Wars series, volume 3 is a departure from the standard "we'll overcome despite the odds" story.  Here, you see the Republic (and Jedi) taking heavy losses, and there's no hope in sight.  You also experience the pain of a failed operation, and the bitterness locals feel after the Republic evacuates.  That's a nice change, and sets the stage for some stories later on in the arc.  Finally, I enjoyed (as always) A'Sharad Hett.  Overall, pretty good stuff!

Rating: B+

On Children's Literature

One of the joys of having children is being able to read to them.  Before I had kids, though, I pictured reading to the little ones as a chore of sorts, having to slog through book after book of simplistic nonsense.  While there's no shortage of that, I've also been pleasantly surprised- some children's books are beautiful, powerful tales complete with wonderful illustrations.  I can't help but notice my trips to the library have included increasingly frequent swings through the children's section- even when the kids aren't in tow.  Today's reflection- children's literature- looks at some aspects of this surprising appeal.

Thinking through the reasons behind my enjoyment, I come up with the following list on why books for kids can appeal even to well-read, academically-minded adults of all ages:

- Brevity.  Someone once said something to the effect that "if I had more time, I would have written a shorter work."  The extremely short attention spans of their intended audience force children's authors to get to the point, and do it quickly- and that's a good thing.  As an aside, it also gives one a feeling of productivity ("Hey, I read 10 books today!  Okay, so that took only 30 minutes . . . still.") 

- Learning.  Sometimes, the best way to learn is through pictures and short paragraphs that explain things from the beginning.  In my experience, I've come across many adults that get lost in the details of an advanced topic so much that they forget the fundamentals of an issue.  Kid's books generally inform in a simple and fundamental way that I believe holds value regardless of age.

- Rhyming.  So many kids books rhyme (personal favorites includes those by Dr. Seuss and Sandra Boynton), and I love that.  Telling a good story in verse is a great way to make stories more enjoyable and memorable- and can help us all learn.

- Creativity.  Yes, kid's books often include some element of nonsense.  But you know what?  That's fun, as it exercises the imagination of, and sparks questions from, from my little ones.  It helps them learn to explore and get outside the norm- and that's important.  Not just kids can benefit from more creativity.

- Art.  There's some amazing art out there in children's literature- and it's cheap to obtain.  I'd rather look at a well-illustrated kid's book than the works of masters in an art gallery- and I feel less bad when the kids throw up on the former.  The Caldecott medal recognizes excellence in children's picture books- check out the list of winners (and honorable mentions) here.

- Elimination of inappropriate content.  As an avid reader, I've found many authors of adult fiction unnecessarily include inappropriate content in their writings.  Good stories for children- and even young adults- can convey serious (or even morbid) topics in a way that brilliantly leaves out these 'details.'  I'm currently reading the Hunger Games, and I can't help but be impressed with the way the author treats such a serious situation in a way that's powerful yet inoffensive.  The Harry Potter series also does an excellent job handling scary situations in tasteful ways.  Successful execution of this kind of thing is an important art, and proves we can be entertained (and educated) in ways that aren't graphic.

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That's about all that comes to mind at present.  As I generally review every book I read on this blog, I've toyed with the idea of including children's works.  I've decided against that, as I'd spend more time writing about them than reading them.  So, I'll end by saying this: don't ignore the kid's stuff the next time you're in a book store.  There may be more value there than you realize.

Brethren (Robyn Young)

The first book of a trilogy, Brethren is set in the latter years of the Crusades (1260s), and features the stories of two very different people: Will Campbell, Scottish Templar-in-training, and Baybars, the legendary Mamluk slave-turned-ruler.  Using these characters on opposite sides of the conflict, author Robyn Young creates a narrative that tells us about the Crusades from both perspectives.  A work of historical fiction, Young appears to know her history . . . but I put this down after reading 20%.

In today's Information Age, an author faces an ever-increasing challenge: to grab, and hold, a reader's attention.  I found no serious flaws in this book, but it just didn't grab me- so after 120 pages, I put it down.  I can't quite pinpoint why- perhaps it was the story (which seemed to meander) or characters (who seemed shallow)- but I just couldn't get into this.  It's not bad . . . it just didn't seem very good.  And, with millions of books available, "okay" doesn't cut it.

Rating: B-

Star Wars Miniatures

Every few months, I review one of my favorite games.  This month, we take a look at Star Wars Miniatures, which is a Collectible Miniatures Game. What, exactly, is that?
Let's start with the easy part- "Star Wars" is the theme of the game. Everything about it- characters, settings, etc.- is something that can be found in the Star Wars universe, be it in the movies, TV, comics, video games, or books. Thus, while the game can appeal to all, it perhaps will be enjoyed more by those who hold a certain fondness for this particular universe.

Moving on- what are miniatures? As the name implies, miniatures are scaled-down versions of the real thing- in this case, Star Wars characters, creatures, and vehicles.  Each miniature has an accompanying stat card which lists its cost to play, attributes and abilities.

A miniature with its associated statistics card

Finally- what makes it collectible? In a normal game, you buy one package that contains all the pieces you need to play. There's no need to buy more and the game stays static- the rules are neither altered, nor are the number of miniatures increased, as time goes on. A collectible game, on the other hand, is "living." You can’t purchase the entire game in one package. You need to buy a starter pack (containing rules, some miniatures to begin, and maps/dice/counters as necessary), and booster packs (containing random miniatures, which are unknown to you beforehand). You build up your collection by purchasing more of these packs. From your collection of miniatures, you then build a squad to field against your opponent. In this aspect, it's similar to baseball card collecting, or collectible card games like Magic: The Gathering, Yu-Gi-Oh!, or Pokemon.

The Object

In Star Wars Miniatures, you make a team of miniatures- called a squad- and place them on a map to battle against miniatures on the opposing squad(s) by using abilities described on each mini's associated statistics card. There are many such miniatures games- Dungeons & Dragons, Axis & Allies, and Warhammer, to name a few- and all have the same basic premise.  The object of the game is to destroy your opponent's squad by eliminating each miniature in that squad, which occurs when the damage you do to a given miniature exceeds its hit points (an attribute on the stat card).

Building a Squad

Before the game, you and your opponent agree upon the total cost of each squad beforehand- common values are 100, 150, or 200 points- and then you build a squad using miniatures that add up to that value (on each figure's associated statistics card, the cost to field that figure is listed). More powerful miniatures generally have a higher cost- for example, Boba Fett costs 50 points, but a stormtrooper costs only 5. You pick a squad based on several factors- figures that synergize well, the faction you're using (every miniature has a faction- Rebel, Imperial, etc, and you can’t mix them in your squad. Your squad can consist only of figures from your chosen faction and 'Fringe' figures- the neutral characters), strategy you’re employing, and your personal preferences.

The Gameplay

After the squads are chosen, you and your opponent agree on a map. The game has more than a dozen maps; all feature Star Wars locations (like Hoth, Endor, and Tatooine). Maps consist of buildings, rooms, pits, towers, etc, and have small squares superimposed over these features- squares in which you place and move your figures. The map you choose has different room layouts and leads to different options.

An example map

Now that you have squads and a map, you both place characters on the map in squares of your choosing (in accordance with game rules), make sure you have their corresponding stat cards nearby, and you’re ready to begin! You take turns (who goes first is determined by a die roll).  On your turn, you choose two figures and use them ("activate" them) one at a time by moving and/or attacking with them.  Then your opponent activates two, and you alternate accordingly until every figure has activated in a given round. Then, a new round begins, and the characters may all activate again. This process continues until one squad is completely defeated. Characters can do damage to each other by attacking and using their abilities. Once a character's received damage exceeds its Hit Points, it is defeated and removed from the map.

A game at the start

A game in progress

The Expansions

This game ran from 2004-2010, and during that time, featured a decent number of expansions:

Rebel Storm: original trilogy (OT) characters; introduced Rebel, Imperial, and Fringe factions
Clone Strike: prequel trilogy (PT) characters; introduced Republic and Separatist factions
Revenge of the Sith: focused on Episode III
Universe: Expanded Universe (EU) characters and others from PT and OT; the first set with 'huge' miniatures; introduced New Republic and Yuuzhan Vong factions
Champions of the Force: characters from all eras; introduced Old Republic and Sith factions
Bounty Hunters: all eras, but focused on bounty hunters/fringe characters; another expansion with 'huge' miniatures; introduced Mandalorian faction
Alliance and Empire: OT characters; had square bases (rather than standard circles)
The Force Unleashed: EU characters from the video game; another expansion with 'huge' miniatures
Legacy of the Force: EU characters from Legacy and Legacy of the Force comics and books
Knights of the Old Republic: EU characters from the video game and comic series
The Clone Wars: prequel-era characters from the TV shows
Imperial Entanglements: original-era and EU characters
Jedi Academy: all eras, but focused on force users
Galaxy at War: prequel-era characters from the Clone Wars TV show
Dark Times: original-era and EU characters from the comic series
Masters of the Force: all eras, focused on force users

Thoughts on the Game

The only collectible game I've played for its entire run, I certainly enjoyed Star Wars Miniatures- I even played in two tournaments while living in Germany.  Like anything else, it had its share of good and bad.

The good:
- It was Star Wars!!
- No chance element from card draws (like in card games); it was more about how you chose and played your squad
- The variety of characters and maps provided good replay value- no game was ever the same
- The rules were (relatively) simple and fun- once you got the hang of them- and yet it was tough to master

The bad:
- The chance element here was rolling die- the best squad could suffer from poor rolling
- There was an initial learning curve that put some people off
- There were no range restrictions on 'ranged' weapons (like guns)- If a character was a legal target, you could shoot at it from across the board and have the same odds of a hit as being very close to it.
- Games could drag on if the squads were too large (over 150pts) or too numerous (more than 1 on 1 got rough)

I've kept a decent collection from this game, and hope to play it for years to come with my friends and children.  It's not perfect, but it is fun.

Rating: A-

Victories and Sacrifices (Clone Wars Vol. 2)

Happy "graphic novel Sunday"!  Today: volume 2 of the Clone Wars series.

The New Face of the War

It's been ten weeks since the Battle of Geonosis.  When the planet Naboo loses contact with a gungan settlement on its moon, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker lead a team to investigate.  They encounter a new Separatist chemical weapon (which has wiped out the settlement) and two formidable foes- dark Jedi Asajj Ventress and assassin Durge (a walking nerve cluster).  Will they overcome?

Rating (art): B+
Rating (story): B+

Blast Radius

Obi-Wan and his Jedi team retrieve the antidote to the new chemical weapon from the planet Queyta, but at a terrible cost- for Ventress and Durge are waiting to stop them.

Rating (art): B+
Rating (story): A-

Catspaw

Five months after Geonosis, Jedi-led squads assault heavily-fortified Brentaal IV, a planet strategically located on a key trade route.  Encountering fierce resistance, Shaak Ti gets unexpected aid from some escaped prisoners (who include Jedi Quinlan Vos and former Senate guard Sagoro Autem).  Still, odds are heavily stacked against them, and there may be a traitor in their midst.  Who will be victorious?

Rating (art): A-
Rating (story): A-

Overall

The second volume of the Clone Wars arc is solid.  Not spectacular, but pretty good.  The dialogue- especially in the first story- isn't great, but the stories are interesting enough.  I enjoy Durge's character- his abilities, appearance, and attitude are amusing.*  I like him so much, I'll conclude with a picture of him:

Rating: B+

*alliteration!