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Manga Review: Mars

Shoujo: Mars
Author: Fuyumi Soryo
Genres: Drama, Romance
Rating: 8/10

I feel that this is one of the most emotionally engaging manga series I have ever read. I reread it pretty recently, but had to wait a week before reviewing it because my sense of ardour would simply overwhelm my review had I attempted it then. The characters were so engaging, and so beautifuly crafted, that I actually felt a sense of loss by the end. It is truly an inspirational piece of artwork, and deserves to be remembered by all manga readers. It brings back memories of Conversations Between Us, for those who have read Solangel's internet novel.

The plotline's streamlined berth allows it to delve much deeper into its themes than most mangas. The story revolves around an introverted artist, Kira and a playboy motorcycle rider, Rei. The two first meet when Rei asks Kira for directions to a local hospital, and Kira draws him a map. On the back of the map is a sketch of a mother holding her child, and Rei becomes intrigued by the drawing and the artist. In school, the two find out that they're classmates, and a series of events soon lead Rei into posing for Kira as a model, in return for a painted version of the sketch on the back of the map.

Seems innocent enough, right? This story takes some huge turns within the first few volumes (there are 15 in total). The issues it deals with are dark and oftentimes painful. The drama is a little overwhelming at times, but one cannot deny the beauty of the characters themselves. While Kira takes a little getting used to, Rei keeps true to his nature. Since Kira is a painfully shy girl, it is often difficult to understand her, much less like her throughout the series. This gives way to little support for some of her actions. Rei, on the other hand, lights up every frame he's in. He draws people to him like moths to a flame (as befitting his prescribed social status) and perhaps even the most relatable of all the characters. Though one might wonder at the extent of his recklessness, he's surprisingly engaging due to the impossibility of having an equal counterpart in real life. The two turn out to be a very balanced pair.

Had the art itself been anything less than what it was, Mars would not garner such widespread attention. There are no excessive details, and the author takes no shortcuts in drawing anything. Everything is displayed realistically, and it's simply impossible to read market trash after going through this series. It is difficult to describe the extent of Soryo's talent, but her portrayal of every one of her character deserves to be applauded. Their stance, their expressions, the setting... her drawings define the better qualities of manga.

One of the most memorable moments of the manga (guess what the statue is of):

Though I loved almost everything about the series, I was bothered by the often gloomy atmosphere. There were moments of surprising clarity and fluidity, but most of the time I felt the manga was shrouded in a tremendously depressing perspective of their adventures. Then again, I suppose the issues in this story requires such a setting. This manga is not for the faint of heart.

As one of the members of my top ten, I encourage you to check it out.

 ~~~

I have read too many books to count in the space of a week. I am currently stuck on some epic fantasies (wrong move there, I've now got a billion pages on my hands). I've read Green Rider, First Rider's Call, Medalon, Treason Keep, and will attempt to finish Harshini soon. On the non-epic scale, I read the YA novel Another Kind of Cowboy (don't ask). I reread Paradise Kiss (def. reviewing this one) and a few others that I've forgotten the name of. I would like to review everything, but I simply don't know how to fit it into my Holiday schedule. Dropping everything and going off to Columbus in a few days would further cut away at the time I have to work on important things. Doesn't matter, I will get my hands on The Hunger Games soon, and it better be fantastic.

English Rain

Poem: In Your Mind

Author: Carol Ann Duffy

~

~

The other country, is it anticipated or half-remembered?

Its language is muffled by the rain which falls all afternoon

one autumn in England, and in your mind

you put aside your work and head for the airport

with a credit card and a warm coat you will leave

~

on the plane. The past fades like newsprint in the sun.

You know people there. Their faces are photographs

on the wrong side of your eyes. A beautiful boy

in the bar on the harbour serves you a drink – what? –

asks you if men could possibly land on the moon.

~

A moon like an orange drawn by a child. No.

Never. You watch it peel itself into the sea.

Sleep. The rasp of carpentry wakes you. On the wall,

a painting lost for thirty years renders the room yours.

Of course. You go to your job, right at the old hotel, left,

~

then left again. You love this job. Apt sounds

mark the passing of the hours. Seagulls. Bells. A flute

practising scales. You swap a coin for a fish on the way home.

Then suddenly you are lost but not lost, dawdling

on the blue bridge, watching six swans vanish

~

under your feet. The certainty of place turns on the lights

all over town, turns up the scent on the air. For a moment

you are there, in the other country, knowing its name.

And then a desk. A newspaper. A window. English rain.

Book Review: Graceling

Book Review: Graceling

Author: Kristen Cashore

Genres: Fantasy, YA

Rating: 3.5/5

The fact that I am the first person from my library to borrow this book is surprising but understandable, considering its inconspicuous hiding place. It was sitting in a dusty corner of the very lowest shelf, among books whose widths span the length of my hand. I happen to have a gift for finding great books (by looking in places where only the mightiest of heart traverse), and I congratulate myself on discovering yet another jewel among paperback trash (ie. Mates, Dates, etc books). However, I shall not indulge the reason behind why I picked it up (Ok, fine - the cover looked pretty), and will contend myself with simply providing you with my personal account.

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Blend of jacket cover and my edits:

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The setting is a familiar idea - a beautiful and fantastical land divided into seven countries. In this world, some people are born with an extreme skill - called Grace - and are often feared and exploited. Katsa, niece of King Randa of the Middluns, carries the burden of a skill even she despises: the Grace of Killing. For the most part, she is her uncle's toy, and is expected to execute his dirty work, punishing and torturing anyone who displeases him.

When she meets Prince Po, who is Graced with combat skills, her life suddenly takes a drastic turn. She never expected to become Po's friend, or to learn the truth about his Grace and her own. And for the first time, it occurs to her that there is a more important calling beyond the borders of her world, a secret that has the power to destroy all seven kingdoms... with simply words alone.

The characters were absolutely enthralling. Unlike many other heroines, Katsa had absolute power over almost every aspect of her life. She was a refreshing change from the girls in distress who are always squalling to be saved. And Po? It is simply too easy to fall in love with him. His lazy arrogance tainted with surprising intuition makes for a great secondary character.

I found the plot elements especially creative. I never knew what was going to happen next, but I could see both the plausibility and logic when it did happen. The world Cashore created was rather comprehensive for a YA (and for a non heavy-duty fantasy), and there is definitely a lot of potential for future books in the same setting.

There were, however, a few aspects of the book I had qualms with. The climax was too short, and too pitiful an end to what the whole novel built up towards. The pacing was wonderful in the beginning, but turned erratic near the end. Again, the climax was less than satisfying, and though I would love the book to be longer if only to admire the characters some more, the end was much too stretched out. There is no point adding more to the plot if it doesn't amount to something, and Cashore was only good at tying up the strings of the subplot as opposed to the main political intrigue.

Graceling is not deep as it is entertaining. It makes for a great, light read, but if you're looking for something to make you cry and laugh, this isn't the book for you. Not a winter night's tale, but a good bus-stop/ boring-class/ read.
~~~

Next on my reading list? The Hunger Games, A Curse as Dark as Gold, and Book of a Thousand Days. I'm open to any recommendations (apparently the Sword of Truth series are quite good? I shudder at the length of the books in comparison to my free time). Can't wait till the Break - then I can get down to the heavy ones.

Book Review: Summers at Castle Auburn

Book Review: Summers at Castle Auburn

Author: Sharon Shinn

Genres: Fantasy, Romance

Rating: 3.5/5

There are two large shelves dedicated to YA books at my public library. It is interesting to note that her books actually occupy a great percentage of that shelf space, though based on the two books I've read by her, I never felt that she deserved it. However, this is to show that I've never come across Summers at Castle Auburn.  

Coriel is the illegitimate child of the noble Halsing line, and spends three months of every year at court. Though she often feels out of place in a society where every action is first weighed against the gain and loss of favour, she continues to visit court to see her adoring half-sister, Elisandra. Elisandra is engaged to Prince Bryan, and though Coriel is at first infatuated with him, she soon begins to see the dark undercurrents beneath the idyllic life at Castle Auburn.

For a more comprehensive intro, click here.

The only major concern I had with the book was the great amount of ambiguity associated with the main character's feelings. Usually, I'm able to establish a great and understanding relationship with the main character and can perceive what he/she feels through her thoughts and actions However, Coriel was always a two dimensional character to me. She behaved in ways that suprised me, and it was only the justifications that the author provided afterwards that anything was truly explained. Had her character been logistically developed, I would have understood Coriel's actions a little better. Perhaps this sort of equivocal shadowing was on purpose, but I believe it could have been pulled off much better.

Apart from the perceptual shallowness of the story, I loved Shinn's vivid descriptions. She has the ability to paint beautiful pictures within the readers' minds. The pacing left little to be desired, and she was exceptional at crafting language between the lines. Not only does this book have a creative plotline, Shinn is great at solving the problems she creates within the story. This makes for a fast and absorbing read.

It is without reservations that I recommend this book.

Comments on the Prince of Tides

I'm currently reading The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy and hating it. Then again, I've only read the first 100 pages detailing endless descriptions of how depressing his family is. I truly don't see the point of using a page to document the fact that a woman is sitting silently in a mental hospital and what that possibly might mean.

"My sister did not move. Her spirit had been subtracted out of her flesh. There was a mineral stillness to her repose, an immaculate divinity to the black ensemble of her catatonia... There is integrity in the vow of silence and something sacred in the renounciation of movement. It is the quietest human drama of the soul undone, the solemn dress rehearsal for death itself. I had not seen my sister not move before...blah blah blah... And, she had added, she could not hurt herself when she was not moving"... and only a page more of the description of the fact that his sister was silent and not moving.

I hate pointless reiterations, especially in the type of language he uses.

Why?

1) Is he showing off the fact he can string together stuff like "an immaculate divinity to the black ensemble of the catatonia"? Not only is this a gross exaggeration of the simple point he wanted to convey in the first place, it becomes meaningless junk after the 2nd page of this stuff.

2) Why does he need to even talk about this pointless scene for a whole page? He could have easily said:

"She was huddled into the corner of the white-washed walls of the hospital. Silent and unmoving, her blank expression stirred in my mind the impression of the dead."... or something to that effect.

3) Though his flowery language is nice to read once in a while, it detracts from the possible influence it could have had, had it been used sparingly and at a point that deserved such a description.

In addition, I especially hate the unrealistic nature of his characters. Take this for example:

Tom (the main character) has just been informed by his wife that she is cheating on him.

This is his reply: "May I please know who it is?"

And this is coming from a person who's self-admittedly cynical and tremendously contemptuous of others due to the fact that his sister is a suicidal maniac and his father is in jail for murder. Not only is he often disrespectful to others, his ego is impossible to deal with. Soaked in self-pity, he believes that his miserable life deserves much more attention than what others are giving him.

This is his thought process (I made it up) --> "Oh my god! Our family was so dysfunctional that my sister had to move to New York, the most detestable city in the world! You can just see how bad my family was to push her to such a drastic action!"

I can't handle Conroy's meaningless babble anymore. The only interesting parts are when he's (Tom) recounting the story of his childhood to a psychiatrist and using a lot less adjectives. Had the characters been alive and real, I'd fully understand why his sister would go mad in this family - the narrator is simply too much to listen to.

- Keep in mind, however, I've only read 100 of the 650 pages, and he hasn't even begin explaining why his whole family is in this outrageously depressive and homicidal mood.