humour Archives - Page 4 of 4

Yzabel / July 29, 2014

Review: Horrorstör

My rating: [rating=3]

Summary:

Something strange is happening at the Orsk furniture superstore in Columbus, Ohio. Every morning, employees arrive to find broken Kjerring wardrobes, shattered Brooka glassware, and vandalized Liripip sofa beds clearly, someone or something is up to no good.

To unravel the mystery, five young employees volunteer for a long dusk-till-dawn shift—and they encounter horrors that defy imagination. Along the way, author Grady Hendrix infuses sly social commentary on the nature of work in the new twenty-firstcentury economy.

A traditional haunted house story in a contemporary setting (and full of current fears), Horrorstör comes conveniently packaged in the form of a retail catalog, complete with illustrations of ready-to-assemble furniture and other, more sinister accessories. We promise you’ve never seen anything quite like it!

Review:

(I got an ARC through Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review.)

3.5 stars. An interesting enough blend, in my opinion, of an IKEA/retail parody coupled with horror/ghost stories elements, though after a while, I wished said blend had been more balanced (hence my rating: I would have liked this book more if it had been the case, I think).

It plays on several tropes typical of the genre (people isolated in a haunted place, with dangerous things happening as soon as they’re separated, etc.), while also offering tongue-in-cheek criticism of large retail stores practices. One thing I really liked, both as a reader and as a graphic-designer, was that the book itself reads like an IKEA catalogue, complete with square format, furniture illustrations, pseudo-Swedish names. Those schemas also gradually shift from innocent-looking retail items to contraptions and devices that appear in the real horror part, and the change was subtle enough to make me at unease without realising, for a few seconds, what was actually wrong.

The characters weren’t too likeable in the beginning, in a cardboard-cut way, but some of them I started to appreciate after a while, and they displayed growth as well: nobody could get out unchanged from such an experience, after all, and the changes seemed to me both traumatising as well as positive.

Oddly enough, or maybe not, the serious horror part didn’t really cut it for me. It was definitely creepy, with vivid descriptions, and definitely fit what I’d expected from a horror story. In fact, I’m of a mind to dub it “Silent Hill meets IKEA”, in that the places the characters are trapped in aren’t merely frightening: they also toy with their psyches. However, I realised I missed the funnier tone from earlier chapters. The book cover made me expect more satire, and so, in the end, I felt a little disappointed in that regard.

Nevertheless, I’d recommend this story. It was entertaining, had its really scary parts, and its ending provides a conclusion to the night’s events while still leaving room for enough speculation—not a cliffhanger, but reader’s imagination, which is something I always appreciate.

Yzabel / July 24, 2014

Review: William Shakespeare’s Star Wars : Verily, A New Hope

William Shakespeare’s Star Wars by Ian Doescher

My rating: [rating=4]

Summary:

Inspired by one of the greatest creative minds in the English language—and William Shakespeare—here is an officially licensed retelling of George Lucas’s epic Star Wars in the style of the immortal Bard of Avon. The saga of a wise (Jedi) knight and an evil (Sith) lord, of a beautiful princess held captive and a young hero coming of age, Star Wars abounds with all the valor and villainy of Shakespeare’s greatest plays. ’Tis a tale told by fretful droids, full of faithful Wookiees and fearsome Stormtroopers, signifying…pretty much everything.

Reimagined in glorious iambic pentameter—and complete with twenty gorgeous Elizabethan illustrations—William Shakespeare’s Star Wars will astound and edify Rebels and Imperials alike. Zounds! This is the book you’re looking for.

Review:

(I’ve had my sights on this book for quite a while. When I saw it up on Edelweiss, I promptly requested a digital copy, and was pretty glad I was approved quickly. All this in exchange for an honest review, of course.)

I must confess I’m a long-time Shakespeare addict. I sure don’t find all his works wonderful, I have my favourites and my not-so-favourites, and sometimes I take it more in jest than in earnest, but we’re nevertheless speaking here of someone who recognises her iambic pentameters when she sees them, and who can still quote most of Edmund’s speeches even five years after studying King Lear. I am, simply put, totally biased, and not ashamed of it the least bit.

I’m also an old Star Wars nerd. Seriously. I stopped counting a long time ago (in a galaxy far, far away) how many times I watched the original triolgy—both the first version and the remastered one. Also, know that I drive to the tune of Darth Vader’s voice giving me directions whenever I turn my GPS on.

Simply put, as I was reading this play, I kept thinking: “My, actually staging it would be great, and I’d probably be ready to do it, even though I have no experience whatsoever in theatrics”.

I also couldn’t help but find traces of Joseph Campbell in there, which the afterword confirmed, and which isn’t surprising at all. Shakespeare’s plays rest on a lot of classical archetypes, and George Lucas’s do as well, considering his own contacts with Campbell’s works. (Have I ever said I deeply admire the latter?)

This book contains a lot of things I loved:
* Hints at scenes from Shakespeare’s plays, including Luke delivering a “poor Yorick” soliloquy while contemplating the helmet of the Stormtrooper whose armour he stole.
* Proper use of “wherefore” (honestly, you have no idea how good it is to find an author who doesn’t mistake it for “where”).
* Hilarious asides from R2D2, whose bleeping and various other noises are only a cover for real thoughts. Pretty much like the typical Fool, in fact.
* Tongue-in-cheek quips at the movies:

HAN: Aye, true, I’ll warrant thou hast wish’d this day.
[They shoot, Greedo dies.
[To innkeeper:] Pray, goodly Sir, forgive me for the mess.
[Aside:] And whether I shot first, I’ll ne’er confess!

* Leaning on, or even breaking the fourth wall, and addressing the audience, much like in the original plays.
* Strong attempts at respecting the movie’s lines:

VADER I find thy lack of faith disturbing

LEIA Thou truly art in jest. Art thou not small
Of stature, if thou art a stormtrooper?

* Actual stage directions—probably one of the reasons why I felt this could very well be staged.
* Iambic pentameters. I checked. I counted. They’re not so easy to pull.
* Illustrations in the shape of etchings featuring Star Wars characters with their normal looks combined to some late Elizabethan fashion elements.

I was less at ease with the fifth act, though, and I think it was mainly because the Star Wars scene is a space battle, yet trying to conform to stage directions led to a lot of talking and describing actions. The attempt didn’t work so well as it did in other parts of the book. I also questioned how the book may be perceived if read by someone who doesn’t appreciate both SW and Shakespeare: I’m not convinced it would make a good introduction to either of those. One definitely needs to be acquainted with both to start appreciating it.

Overall: a few things I didn’t like, but that never hampered my enjoyment of the book. I found it cleverly executed, as well as both a fun read and one that made me try and match scenes/quotes from the movies with their potential parallels in Shakespeare’s plays. 4.5 stars.

Yzabel / May 15, 2014

Review: The Martian

The Martian by Andy Weir

My rating: [rating=5]

Summary:

Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars.

Now, he’s sure he’ll be the first person to die there.

After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive—and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive.

Chances are, though, he won’t have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old “human error” are much more likely to kill him first.

But Mark isn’t ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills—and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit—he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?

Review:

(I got a copy of this novel through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.)

One of the best books I’ve read this year. Not devoid of flaws, but you know how sometimes, you’ll love a book in spite of those? That was one such time for me.

What I definitely liked:

Mark Watney is basically MacGyver stranded on Mars, trying to survive with whatever remains the Ares 3 crew left behind when they had to abort the mission and leave in a hurry. (Maybe readers who didn’t like that show won’t like this comparison either, but hey, I was 15 the last time I watched it, and I used to love it, so in this review, it’s going to mean “good”.) Surviving out of sheer dumb luck, when everybody believed him utterly lost and, well, dead, Mark has to use every bit of knowledge to make lemonade with all the Martian lemons he’s being thrown at. And there are a lot, from defective materials to his own mistakes. Fortunately, he’s both an engineer and a botanist, which means he does have enough know-how to improvise (as well as try to grow stuff; here go the first Martian potatoes). Unfortunately, he’s not a chemist or whatever else, so he also has to do things through trial and error. And while his predicament is absolutely horrible, since anything can go wrong anytime, it’s also funny and awesome.

Throughout the story, Mark’s voice is highly entertaining. Here’s a man who was picked for his skills, but also for his optimism and sense of humour, in the hopes that he’d be the social glue among the crew—who had to live together in close quarters for the long trip to and fro, as well as on Mars itself. And I think his way of apprehending his many problems was just as much a life-saver as his knowledge, because even though he sometimes lost it, it never lasted for long, and he went back to work soon after. This may seem weird and unbelievable to some, but in a way, I could relate to his character, although not to a complete extent, of course. (I’m the kind of person who’ll scream and run in circles for two minutes, out of panic, then will suddenly calm down and say “OK, back to solving that problem now; and if I can do so while throwing in some bawdy joke, I’ll do.” I kid you not.) So, yes, somewhat unbelievable—and somehow, I just couldn’t care less. I rooted for that character. I wanted him to survive. Period.

Simply put, this book was inventive and fun. I’m still laughing, thinking back to some of Mark’s antics:

He turned back to Venkat. “I wonder what he’s thinking right now.”

LOG ENTRY: SOL 61

How come Aquaman can control whales? They’re mammals! Makes no sense.

I couldn’t possibly comment. I’ve been known for worse silly random thoughts than that.

Also, please watch your language. Everything you type is being broadcast live all over the world.
[12:15] WATNEY: Look! A pair of boobs! -> (.Y.)

So totally the kind of crap I’d pull as well, just for the sake of light trolling.

I chipped his sacred religious item into long splinters using a pair of pliers and a screwdriver. I figure if there’s a God, He won’t mind, considering the situation I’m in.
If ruining the only religious icon I have leaves me vulnerable to Martian vampires, I’ll have to risk it.

That one, too, cracked me up.

Also, there was a lot of hope in this book, in that Mark wasn’t left to rot and die. People wanted him to survive. His crew wanted to believe that he could make it, that they could help—and they were a great bunch of girls and guys, ifyou like thespace cowboy type. Even other countries helped, even though there wasn’t that much in it for them. Too good to be true? Perhaps. But also beautiful, a beautiful lesson in how sometimes, humanity is still able to unite. Not to mention the bigger-than-life side of this novel: a coming back to older times, to a period when we thought Space was at the tip of our fingers. I’m a child of the eighties, and I still remember my own ideas back then. Colonies on the moon and Mars. Flying cars by year 2000. The space programs progressing to such an extent that we’d travel far, far away by the time I’d be an adult. “The Martian” brought me back to such thoughts: a man able to survive for so long with not the best means, wouldn’t his experience help further the next missions, allow people to believe that so much more could be done, that they could push boundaries a little further?

Potentially problematic:

The scientific explanations, which were to my liking, but may not be to other readers’. My own background in that regard isn’t very developed, so I can’t tell if everything was exact; at least, it seemed to me that things were very well-researched, and made sense (both to me as a neophyte, and when it comes to “science in general”). I enjoyed reading about how exactly Mark came to this or that solution. Like when he found a way to make water. Also hilarious, by the way:

Nitrogen: 22 percent. Oxygen: 9 percent. Hydrogen: 64 percent.
I’ve been hiding here in the rover ever since.
It’s Hydrogenville in the Hab.

There’s no deep psychological development here. Normally, this would be a problem for me, but not here. I can’t explain why. Mark’s humour? The way people banded to try and save him? As said above, I rooted for him. The author made him so likeable I just didn’t care about the rest.

The shift from 1st to 3rd person. It was a little unsettling. On the other hand, I don’t really hold it as a flaw, because I understand why it was done, and I couldn’t see any other way to achieve the same thing. Mark’s narrative just wouldn’t be the same in 3rd person; and if everything was in 1st person, then we’d have no means to see what was happening on Earth, nor what was set in motion to help Mark. This is why I’m not knocking down a star. Besides, at least in this book, I can clearly understand the reasoning behind it (other books I read used the same kind of switch, but with no apparent reason, so…).

As you can see, the last two paragraphs would logically be flaws. But, once again: I don’t care. This novel blew my mind, plain and simple.

Yzabel / April 6, 2014

Review: Midnight Riders

Midnight Riders by Pete Clark

My rating:[rating=3]

Summary:

“Gather ‘round people and you shall hear
about a bunch of bullshit that is clear.
Of riders and horses and monsters too;
your parents lied – they can still get you.
Hardly anyone who was there is alive
to dispel the rumor, uncover the lies,
but there was more than one man who rode that day
and more than just Redcoats who got in their way.”

Along the way, Longfellow lost something in his translation it seems.

Everyone has heard of the French and Indian War and the American Revolution. However, they have not heard about them this way! The American founding fathers had a lot more to deal with at the end of the 18th century than tariffs and tea; avoiding hurled trees from Wendigos and gargoyles falling from the sky took a lot of patience. How is Samuel Prescott supposed to hunt the leader of the Rippers when the British keep infringing upon the colonists’ rights?

Review:

[I got a copy through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.]

The promised combination of paranormal, American history and humour of this novel appealed to me, and I must say I spent quite a good time reading it. While the plot itself is actually quite serious (the War of Independence and the couple of decades that preceded it, seen through the prism of “what if supernatural creatures had plagued the colonists on top of it?”), it also makes fun of a lot of events, tropes, and famous characters—often directly, but sometimes also in a more subtle way. If you want to read a really serious supernatural retelling of history, the humour might break it; on the other hand, if you’re looking for a funny story, and don’t mind a bit of swearing and jabs at political correctness at times, then it may be for you. (As a word of warning, though, it’s best to brush up on your American history first, otherwise some hints and jokes won’t work so well.)

What may contribute to a reader liking or not liking this novel—depending on personal tastes:

* The characters aren’t too developed. The story spans over 20 years, and partly rests on assumed knowledge of the historical personas it makes use of. For instance, don’t expect to be carried on a journey into Paul Revere’s life, thoughts and feelings. Too many characters are involved for this to happen. However, you’ll find a lot of known names.

* Tropes. Lots of tropes. Allusions to red shirts, and the likes… I like when a novel plays on those, so I was glad whenever I found some. Since humour is part of the story, they work for me, much better than clichés thrown into a “serious” plot. (There’s one character in particular who likes pointing out every time a Deus Ex Machina pops up.)

* Recurrent jokes, like zombies and werewolves regularly coming to crash a battle or skirmish. (I must admit that after a while, some of them became a little old in my opinion, though.)

* Historical accuracy: not 100% accurate. Mostly the research was well-done in my opinion, but sometimes, a character will find him/herself in a place a few days too early, compared to what really happened. This said, the novel also plays on those “wrong facts”, using them to lean on the fourth wall. Scratch that: to punch a hole through it, actually. Again, this worked for me, but may not do so well for a reader who dislikes such occurrences.

* The writing: a bit dry in places, but otherwise befitting the humorous undertone. I’ve seen better, I’ve seen worse.

3.5 stars. It has its faults, and sometimes overdoes it. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it and laughed regularly.

Yzabel / May 20, 2013

Review: Shades of Grey

Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde

My rating: [rating=5]

Summary:

Hundreds of years in the future, after the Something that Happened, the world is an alarmingly different place. Life is lived according to The Rulebook and social hierarchy is determined by your perception of colour.

Eddie Russett is an above average Red who dreams of moving up the ladder by marriage to Constance Oxblood. Until he is sent to the Outer Fringes where he meets Jane – a lowly Grey with an uncontrollable temper and a desire to see him killed.

For Eddie, it’s love at first sight. But his infatuation will lead him to discover that all is not as it seems in a world where everything that looks black and white is really shades of grey…

If George Orwell had tripped over a paint pot or Douglas Adams favoured colour swatches instead of towels . . . neither of them would have come up with anything as eccentrically brilliant as Shades of Grey.

Review:

This is the first book I read by this author, so I didn’t know what to expect, but now I can say I was delighted. However, I would recommend to handle this story, especially its first half, with a fair amount of focus: the author hands out information about his world bits by bits, and one needs to be quite careful in order to understand how it functions. On the other hand, this means no, or very little info-dumps, which is something I always appreciate.

I really liked the illogical and somewhat humorous aspects of this book. In a way, it reminded me of the movie “Brazil” (which I loved). The society Eddie Russet evolves in is of the “dead-tech” quality, with regular “leapbacks” outlawing some machines, means of transportation and other implements, making things go backwards little by little; a lot of its regulations make no sense, but people comply just because those are the Rules, and after so many centuries of abiding by the latter, they just don’t know what else to live by.

The idea of a world based on colour perception is also something I found pretty interesting, not to mention that it raises questions: why are people able to see some colours and not others? Or not to see at night at all? Evolutionary speaking, it makes no sense—and here’s where the genius lies, and what makes me hope that an answer will be given in the upcoming sequel(s): who or what designed people to evolve that way? The whole lack of logics behind that actually has got a place in the bigger picture, and fits the nonsense aspect of Fforde’s world here.

Mixing dystopia with humour isn’t such an easy job, but I think the author did well here. Moreover, to me it may even be more efficient than “100% serious” dystopias, in that it better highlights the really dark aspects of such a society.

Yzabel / October 18, 2012

Review: Dark Tidings

Dark Tidings by Ken Magee

My rating: [rating=3]

Summary:

What happens when ancient magic meets the internet? One thing is certain, modern life will never be the same again.

A thousand years ago, a young thief, Tung, and a disgraced wizard, Madrick, are thrust together in an executioner’s dungeon.

In the darkness, Madrick reveals an incredible secret about a legendary spell. The great spell helps them escape their prison cell… and eventually their century.

Catapulted into the present day, their lives collide with Michael, a computer hacker who plans to destroy the world’s largest bank. But sinister people are tracking their every move and they will stop at nothing to steal their spell.

Review:

(Book provided by the author through ARR #421 in the Making Connections group, in exchange for an honest review.)

The premise of this book made it look like the kind of story I could enjoy—magic and technology mixed with a hefty dose of humour—and enjoy it I did. Granted, I thought the two storylines would converge much sooner; instead, they do after a while only, and at first I wondered when that would be. However, when the author brings them together, it all makes up for it. Besides, Tung’s and Madrick’s antics in their own era provided for very fun moments, that made me laugh a lot; not to mention I have a soft spot for such characters with a definite ‘loser’ streak, yet are able to get through their problems in the end.

The overall plot flew nicely and fast enough, with magic of old intertwined with conspiracy theories and modern means of action. The ending, while a cliffhanger and reminding me that there is a sequel, was of the kind I’d find brilliant—from the moment the characters made their decision, it spelled (pun intended) something grand and terrible in the making.

There were two things that bothered me in this novel, though. The first was the style itself, that I found at times a little too dry and descriptive, thus keeping the characters at a distance from the reader, so to speak; there were plenty of inserts such as “little they did they know at the time that…”, and while those were, in a way, in line with more traditional “tales formatting”, I’m just too keen about that. Also, I’d have liked to see more of Tung’s and Madrick’s reactions to the modern worled (the way things went, they just seemed to adapt much too quickly, in spite of a couple encounters and mishaps, and I think this removed some potential for more funny situations and interactions).

Still, I’ll probably pick the second installment along the way, as I want to know more about what the three heroes left behind.

Yzabel / August 22, 2012

Review: Hold Me Closer, Necromancer

Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish McBride

My rating: [rating=4]

Summary:

Sam leads a pretty normal life. He may not have the most exciting job in the world, but he’s doing all right—until a fast food prank brings him to the attention of Douglas, a creepy guy with an intense violent streak.

Turns out Douglas is a necromancer who raises the dead for cash and sees potential in Sam. Then Sam discovers he’s a necromancer too, but with strangely latent powers. And his worst nightmare wants to join forces… or else.

With only a week to figure things out, Sam needs all the help he can get. Luckily he lives in Seattle, which has nearly as many paranormal types as it does coffee places. But even with newfound friends, will Sam be able to save his skin?

Review:

This book was exactly the kind of humorous light urban fantasy read I tend to enjoy. Probably because it’s funny, full of snark and retorts, and deals with the supernatural world in a way that feels both adequate and over-the-top, if only because there are, indeed, just as many supernaturals in Seattle than there are coffee places. (At this point, I have to mention that I like over-the-top stories. I know some people dislike those, so if it’s the case for you, well, you’ve been warned.)

So, this book. What’s in it?

* Necromancers. It’s a form of magic I’ve always been fascinated with, especially these past two or three years. The way it was put to use here was freaky in some ways, yet actually hilarious *and* logical in others: I know few stories where a big bad Necromancer gets paid to reanimate a dead panda in a zoo in order to avoid a diplomatic incident with China. However, it does make sense.

* Sam. Inconspicuous, gentle, nice-boy Sam, who tries to do his best considering the crap he’s in, lost with his friends amidst so many paranormal types. I found him very human, balancing between his negative feelings and the awareness that he can’t just pile up reproaches on other people, because it would hurt them and not solve anything anyway. He’s just so adorable.

* Nice and funny group dynamics, especially when it comes to the four fast-food workers. I liked their way of dealing with all the crap that befall them, often by being snarky and taking things in an (apparently) not so serious way. It’s part of the humour permeating the story, and it works for me, perhaps because I have a similar take in my own, real life (not that I happen to meet Necromancers or get thrown in a cage every other day, but you get my drift). I suppose it might come as off-key, in that maybe the characters shouldn’t react in such a ‘light-hearted’ way. On the other hand, I also suppose that their reactions are understandable, if you consider that past a certain hefty dose of problems, either you throw a pity-party and collapse, or you just shut the brain off and go on snark mode in order to preserve the little sanity you’ve got left. And having a talking head land in your living-room is definitely part of the hefty dose of problems.

* Also, creepy Douglas is creepy. I could feel his real intentions coming from the start, and the way he acted, smiling but cold, hitting people without warning, befitted his persona. It makes it all the more funny when he has serious dialogue and attitude going on, but the situation and co-speakers are somewhat wacky, sidekicks included.

* Twisted song titles in lieu of chapter titles. This is a really biased opinion, and I’m not even going to be ashamed of saying it: I love such puns. Period.

* A mostly fast-paced plot, except for a few flashbacks, but those didn’t disrupt my reading, so they were alright. It was easy enough for me to follow, while not being too simplistic; things fell together nicely in the end; the final fight was definitely impressive; and the story was complete (thanks goodness, no cliffhanger), yet still with openings for a next book. It could just as well be a stand-alone novel… or be given a follow-up. Both would be alright in my opinion.

For what it’s worth, though, I would’ve liked to see more of Sam’s powers a little earlier in the story—and more of Brid actually, well, acting, because she’s got potential (granted, the situation she was in really didn’t help). And I’m not too satisfied about the shift in points-of-view. I can easily follow 5 or 6, that’s not a problem, but (and I’ve noticed this in several books already), why have one first-person narrator, while the others are all in third-person? Third-person all the way would’ve worked better here.

Those minor gripes set aside, I really enjoyed this book.