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lory_enterenchanted's reviews
413 reviews
Dancers in Mourning by Margery Allingham
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
4.0
Compared to the other theatrical mysteries I've read this month, this was immensely more intelligent and interesting. I can believe in the characters, and the crime and solution come out of believable situations and personality traits. They aren't just cardboard figures being moved around by a manipulative author. The nagging question I had throughout of why a suspect would invite an investigator to his home was cleverly, and movingly, answered at the end. And the glimpse into backstage life rang true, with the unsavory side behind the glamour, as well as the talent that often dances on the edge of desperation.
Limelight by Amy Poeppel
emotional
funny
lighthearted
tense
3.5
The characters were not as likeable as in other Poeppel books, but they did grow on me somewhat through the story. I could not quite believe Carter's trajectory would turn out as well as it did....though I'm looking for realism in the wrong place. His profanity and rudeness were grating throughout. The show sounds great and I wish i could really see it!
Death on the Down Beat: An Orchestral Fantasy of Detection by Sebastian Farr
adventurous
mysterious
2.5
The epistolary format was simply odd -- what detective would really send all the evidence home to his wife? Though it provided some slight human interest in terms of his home life, it mostly gave a distancing effect as conversations had to be reported by him instead of seen directly. I think the accompanying evidence (notes, news articles, reviews etc) could have been incorporated without making the whole thing a letter-writing exercise. Also, asking the suspects to write letters instead of interviewing them seems far-fetched.
The musical murder was just too contrived to be convincing. It seemed the author came across this piece and thought "This would be a perfect spot to murder someone!" and then built a story around it.
The musical murder was just too contrived to be convincing. It seemed the author came across this piece and thought "This would be a perfect spot to murder someone!" and then built a story around it.
Musical Chairs by Amy Poeppel
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
3.5
Another Poeppel romance about rich people's problems, but not the annoying kind, rather the more scruffy and artistic sort. I enjoyed spending some time with the characters and was glad that the author subverted the most obvious pairing that at some points seemed to be coming our way.
"I look around at the faces here, and I see connections everywhere. Friends connected to friends. Artists connected to artists. Our world seems much less vast and cold, much more like home, when we place all of humanity in varying constellations, connecting them to one another, moving them about, synchronizing them to dance the allemande in our minds."
"I look around at the faces here, and I see connections everywhere. Friends connected to friends. Artists connected to artists. Our world seems much less vast and cold, much more like home, when we place all of humanity in varying constellations, connecting them to one another, moving them about, synchronizing them to dance the allemande in our minds."
Outofshapeworthlessloser: A Memoir of Figure Skating, F*cking Up, and Figuring It Out by Gracie Gold
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
3.5
This was a disturbing read, not just because the things that happened to Gracie Gold were disturbing, but because the book seems to have been rushed into production before she truly processed and healed from all of that. Granted, the situation is so overwhelming and so complicated that one probably never completely heals from such things. But a lot of the writing, in its raw, unfiltered nature, was more suitable for therapy than for publication -- when all she can say about her father is that he is a monster and she hates him, for example. That's so important to get out into the open, but is it necessary to publish? I wonder if she'll regret some of what she's said here in the future, sooner or later.
What is definitely necessary to make public is the way our culture encourages and abets illness and dysfunction in the name of entertainment. Each one of us has to face the suffering -- whether someone else's, or our own -- that we overlook in order to be more comfortable, distracting and soothing ourselves with false appearances. Uncovering the dirty underside of a glamorous image is important and brave work, and much more needs to be done in this direction.
On the other hand, something I have learned in my own journey is that when you are trying very hard to cover up your own flawed and painful side, while simultaneously longing for someone to see through the disguise, you can't entirely blame the people who don't have that degree of vision. We have to take responsibility for ourselves, not demand that others change themselves to suit us. If you want to claim any level of grown-up status, you have to stop merely crying "See me, see me," and strive to see others, to see through their masks. Otherwise, people will just go around calling each other monsters and complaining that no one sees the real them.
We're all human beings with serious blind spots, and that may be what we have to forgive one another most of all. There's also a generational gap, with someone like coach Frank Carroll -- he just doesn't seem equipped for what Gold wanted from him, no doubt blinded by his own training and upbringing. We have to sometimes just let go of what an earlier generation could not give to us, be thankful for what they did, and move on, glad that we have the opportunity to make different choices.
Still, I think that Gold is a winner, not because she won gold medals, but because she has chosen honesty over untruth, continually honing her sense of what she truly wants and needs. If she wants to make things better for the next generation of skaters, she'll need to keep going on that road. Her fighting spirit is an inspiration, and I only hope she can discern how to direct it toward the right goals.
What is definitely necessary to make public is the way our culture encourages and abets illness and dysfunction in the name of entertainment. Each one of us has to face the suffering -- whether someone else's, or our own -- that we overlook in order to be more comfortable, distracting and soothing ourselves with false appearances. Uncovering the dirty underside of a glamorous image is important and brave work, and much more needs to be done in this direction.
On the other hand, something I have learned in my own journey is that when you are trying very hard to cover up your own flawed and painful side, while simultaneously longing for someone to see through the disguise, you can't entirely blame the people who don't have that degree of vision. We have to take responsibility for ourselves, not demand that others change themselves to suit us. If you want to claim any level of grown-up status, you have to stop merely crying "See me, see me," and strive to see others, to see through their masks. Otherwise, people will just go around calling each other monsters and complaining that no one sees the real them.
We're all human beings with serious blind spots, and that may be what we have to forgive one another most of all. There's also a generational gap, with someone like coach Frank Carroll -- he just doesn't seem equipped for what Gold wanted from him, no doubt blinded by his own training and upbringing. We have to sometimes just let go of what an earlier generation could not give to us, be thankful for what they did, and move on, glad that we have the opportunity to make different choices.
Still, I think that Gold is a winner, not because she won gold medals, but because she has chosen honesty over untruth, continually honing her sense of what she truly wants and needs. If she wants to make things better for the next generation of skaters, she'll need to keep going on that road. Her fighting spirit is an inspiration, and I only hope she can discern how to direct it toward the right goals.
Making It So by Patrick Stewart
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
4.0
With his patrician voice, I had no idea that Patrick Stewart came from a working-class Yorkshire background. In this memoir, he tells how he made it from obscurity to worldwide fame, and from a way of life that was practically Victorian into shows and movies that imagine a space-age future.
The first part of this book was the most interesting for me, with all the details of that time and place, another world by now. It was moving to learn of the people who generously helped him along the way, mentors and teachers, simply because they wanted to give a talented boy a chance. Learning about his training and growth was a fascinating and inspiring story.
On the other hand, it was sad to read of the hardships of his childhood and the violence of his father -- which he doesn't actually dwell on in much detail, but that clearly had a huge impact on him and remains very difficult to heal from. Maybe many actors want to enter the imaginary world of the stage to escape the hardships of real life; Stewart admits that it could be so in his case.
After he became successful, although it was fun to read about his famous friends and some backstage stories, I found it less compelling. And though STTNG amped up his fame and fortune tremendously, and had some clever and thought-provoking episodes, it was a bit of a step-down from Shakespeare and Co. Stewart did keep his hand in the theatre game, manages to have a wide appeal to all kinds of audiences, and comes across as classy without being snobby.
In Hollywood he seems to have learned how to loosen up and enjoy life more. He refers several times to a story about how he sternly told his STTNG compatriots that they "were not there to have fun," at which they all cracked up. In time, he accepted that they were right and he was wrong, and clearly this was a turning point in his life.
Stewart admits he's made mistakes in relationships, and gone through a spell of substance abuse too, but he comes across as trying to recover his integrity and do the right thing. He seems humble about his achievements and grateful for his success. The most troubling thing is that with all the love showered on him by his audiences, he seems to have ended up estranged from his children. I have to wonder what they think of this memoir and if they will ever find their way back together.
The first part of this book was the most interesting for me, with all the details of that time and place, another world by now. It was moving to learn of the people who generously helped him along the way, mentors and teachers, simply because they wanted to give a talented boy a chance. Learning about his training and growth was a fascinating and inspiring story.
On the other hand, it was sad to read of the hardships of his childhood and the violence of his father -- which he doesn't actually dwell on in much detail, but that clearly had a huge impact on him and remains very difficult to heal from. Maybe many actors want to enter the imaginary world of the stage to escape the hardships of real life; Stewart admits that it could be so in his case.
After he became successful, although it was fun to read about his famous friends and some backstage stories, I found it less compelling. And though STTNG amped up his fame and fortune tremendously, and had some clever and thought-provoking episodes, it was a bit of a step-down from Shakespeare and Co. Stewart did keep his hand in the theatre game, manages to have a wide appeal to all kinds of audiences, and comes across as classy without being snobby.
In Hollywood he seems to have learned how to loosen up and enjoy life more. He refers several times to a story about how he sternly told his STTNG compatriots that they "were not there to have fun," at which they all cracked up. In time, he accepted that they were right and he was wrong, and clearly this was a turning point in his life.
Stewart admits he's made mistakes in relationships, and gone through a spell of substance abuse too, but he comes across as trying to recover his integrity and do the right thing. He seems humble about his achievements and grateful for his success. The most troubling thing is that with all the love showered on him by his audiences, he seems to have ended up estranged from his children. I have to wonder what they think of this memoir and if they will ever find their way back together.
Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
3.0
Although he departs wildly from the spirit of the original Oz series, Maguire creates a somber and gritty mood that is quite compelling in itself. Oz as seen through the spectacles of Poe, perhaps. I felt as though it all lost energy and unraveled at the end, a disappointing finish after some memorable scenes and language. Glinda and Elphaba becoming friends at college was the best part; it makes sense that this friendship was taken up as the main theme of the musical, whereas in the book it is one of those things that just dribbles away. Sentimentality has no place in this version.
The Road to Oz by L. Frank Baum
adventurous
lighthearted
relaxing
3.0
A low-key Oz adventure that Baum used to feature characters from his other books.
Vintage Murder: Inspector Roderick Alleyn #5 by Ngaio Marsh
mysterious
2.0
So far I have not been impressed by Ngaio Marsh mysteries. I had a hard time keeping track of the people in this one, and could not visualize the solution to the mystery. Offensive treatment of Maori people and artifacts. Though set in a theatre, and making use of stage props, it was lacking in real drama.
Wicked: A Musical Biography by Paul R. Laird
Did not finish book.
Did not finish book.
I found this disappointingly dry -- I was expecting something more along the lines of Putting It Together, the wonderful book about the making of Sunday in the Park with George. Instead of quoting actual interviews from people involved with the show, the author merely summarized such material, which quickly became very boring. And he documented in excruciating detail every scrap of paper but didn't give a sense of the life and excitement of creating a show. A few interesting tidbits but I couldn't be bothered with most of it.