Monday, April 10, 2006

Dream, Death, Mortality and Movies

I've come to realize that I am not a book monogamousist. I tend to read about 3 or 4 books at one time. I also realized that all of my current books deal in some rather heavy themes. Right now I am reading the Sandman collection by Neil Gaiman, Plague Dogs by Richard Adams and Learning Joy from Dogs without Collars. I am very much enjoying all of them but at some point I fully expect for my brain to stop working or go on strike.

The Sandman collection is a series of bound graphic novels which are a collection of comics. I have finished 1 -6 and am anxiously waiting on number 7 so that I can finally read 8 - 11 that I have been hoarding. I also am reading the Sandman Companion which is close to being as fasinating as the Sandman graphic novels. If I had to summarize the plot of the Sandman graphic novels, I don't think I could. In the big print it is the stories of Morpheus or Dream. But in the small print it is beyond description.

One of the things I like about it is how Death is portrayed. Death is a girl for one and so not the cloaked, scythe carrying scary person that is normally seen. One of the other things I like about Sandman is the use of storytelling and myth.

Which just happens to be a favorite vehicle for Richard Adams as well. The use of myth. Plague Dogs is a tale of two dogs who escaped from a testing lab and basically become wild. Rowf was used to test the possibility of revival after drowning and Snitter had some sort of brain operation. I loved reading Watership Down but I can't decide about Plague Dogs. It is a great book but a tough read. As after Watership Down I so want to investigate his background a bit more. It makes me want to head back to school just so I can write papers on these books.

He does such a brilant job of having mortality layers. There is a blaring obvious layer of the ethical treatment of animals but I suspect that the animals aren't just animals. I suspect that they may also be representation of groups of people. Yep... the brain should be going into shock right about now.

But me, I am just bad to my brain... I mean books is one thing but I force it to think about movies as well. I just watched 13 Conversation about One Thing. It was all about fate and choices and how what we choose effect other's destinies. It is a good thing I stocked up on bodice rippers to get my brain a break. Those are beyond shallow. They are fluff. Not a moral to be seen. Literally or Figuratively...

See this helps. Getting it all out so that I don't have an overload of thoughts. I really should find a book discussion group. I miss talking about what I am reading.

What else is new? I went to church and lunch with D and H on Sunday. Very awesome people they are. I need to continue my church hopping. Theirs was good but not quite me. I have this set idea of what I want. LOL It was great church hopping in England being an Episcopalian. I mean finding an Episcopal or Church of England chuch was so difficult there... Not!

I am heading out to see P in a couple weeks. She is having a procedure done and I wanted to be there for her. So send her prayers, good thoughts and large bills : ) Otherwise I am doing okay. Too tired to upgrade that to a good right now.

Good day and pray often (especially during tax time)

2 comments:

Christielli said...

I'm not very good at reading more than one book at time. If I attempt that, then most of them go unfinished.

Hope your friend is doing well.

John Cowart said...

You certainly offer an acute analysis of the books you are reading.

I'd be interested to know what you think of Adams' The Girl In A Swing; that one leaves me puzzeled and I don't know if it's a horror story, a love story, or a spiritual allegory.