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Review: Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

CONTAINS SPOILERS

So recently (by that I mean 2 minutes ago) I finished Catch-22, one hell of a book. The main character, Yossarian, is furious that the number of missions he's made to fly before he can return home keeps rising. Here's a picture of the cover:

It's such a rich, crazy book. Let me explain:

Catch-22 and Absurdism

Absurdism is a literary genre that contains surreal elements and explores the issues of meaninglessness and existentialism (the human experience). Its main characters may feel purposeless and disillusioned with their lives. Here are some of the elements of absurdism:

Non-chronological storytelling

Comedy

Irrational scenes

Existential topics (eg. life after death, good and evil, what it means to be "human")

Dark humour and taboo

Satire

Nihilism

Incidentally, Catch-22 basically has all of them. The irrational flow of events, comical writing style and non-chronological storytelling was difficult for me to get used to at first, but after 200 pages it turned out alright after all.

And apart from that, Catch-22 actually explored some deep and thought-provoking topics. Here are some I bookmarked:

On War and Death

"It doesn't make a damned bit of difference who wins the war to someone who's dead...The enemy...is anybody who's going to get you killed, no matter which side he's on..."

"Don't talk to me about fighting to save my country. I've been fighting all along to save my country. Now I'm going to fight a little to save myself."

These two quotes basically sum up the Yossarian's ideology. His perspective really puts the focus of a war back to the soldiers who died for their country in World War Two and the frustration they have felt about it. Yossarian's defiance of the system is very different to the powerlessness I garner from the other literary works about modern war, which have an overarching feeling of helplessness instead of the agency that Yossarian displays. He might represent this unlived alternative route that soldiers might have dreamt about during helpless moments.

On God

"When you consider the opportunity and power He had to really do a job, and then look at the stupid, ugly little mess He made of it instead, His sheer incompetence is almost staggering."

The theme of Yossarian's frustration and resulting defiance of authority is extended here; not only is he defying his human superiors, he's also doing the same to the spiritual one - God, as a result of the suffering he sees in war.

On Morality

"I was a fascist when Mussolini was on top, and I am an anti-fascist now that he has been deposed. I was fanatically pro-German when the Germans were here to protect us against the Americans, and now that the Americans are here to protect us against the Germans I am fanatically pro-American."

I think this quote interestingly shows the reader the perspective of civilians during a war. In contrast to the warring armies, the old man represents the indifferent parts of the population who can't care less who wins, as long as they themselves can carry on with their lives. Although he's presented to be immoral and diabolical in the novel, he probably is just a very very keen realist. Here, Heller challenges the American soldier's idea of national pride.

On Mortality

"Man was matter, that was Snowden's secret. Drop him out a window and he'll fall. Set fire to him and he'll burn. Bury him and he'll rot, like other kinds of garbage. The spirit gone, man is garbage. That was Snowden's secret. Ripeness was all."

Snowden is mentioned repeatedly in the novel to have revealed a secret while dying in a mission. In the second last chapter, his secret is revealed - mortality. It really is a heartbreaking moment for the reader to finally know what horrors he suffered in the last moments of his life. The message is clear - all man is fragile. This is the tragedy of it all. And this links back to the horror of war itself, and indirectly shows why Yossarian (due to the death of his many other pals) is determined to escape from it.

And that's all! Although other readers might review the distinct writing style within the novel, I emphasised on some of these themes in my post this time because I felt they were most impactful to me. Anyway, I'm off to read another book now. See you next time!

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I was getting pretty fed up with links and generators with very general and overused weapons and superpowers and what have you for characters so:

Here is a page for premodern weapons, broken down into a ton of subcategories, with the weapon’s region of origin. 

Here is a page of medieval weapons.

Here is a page of just about every conceived superpower.

Here is a page for legendary creatures and their regions of origin.

Here are some gemstones.

Here is a bunch of Greek legends, including monsters, gods, nymphs, heroes, and so on. 

Here is a website with a ton of (legally attained, don’t worry) information about the black market.

Here is a website with information about forensic science and cases of death. Discretion advised. 

Here is every religion in the world. 

Here is every language in the world.

Here are methods of torture. Discretion advised.

Here are descriptions of the various methods used for the death penalty. Discretion advised.

Here are poisonous plants.

Here are plants in general.

Feel free to add more to this!

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Review : The Trial by Franz Kafka (1/2)

So I recently read The Trial by Franz Kafka, which was published after his death, in 1925. It was very interesting and thought-provoking, and I'd love to share my findings with you.

Interesting things I noticed:

1. Symbolism of the attic - the mysterious Law Court Offices, where the secret details of the court cases remain, are in the attic; I believe it is symbolic of how their procedures and judgements are hidden and unreachable (thus high up in a building), but also encompasses Kafka's satire of how they are undignified and illegitimate in a moral sense (thus they are cramped in small rooms such as attics). However, the quote "There are court offices in almost every attic" also shows its omnipresence and "constant surveillance".

2. The stuffy air of the Law Court Offices - the air in the Law Court Offices are "stuffy", "heavy", "hardly breathable" and "oppressive"; it makes someone want to faint. It causes Josef to feel dizzy and lose clarity of thought and perception. I believe this enhances the drama and sense of surrealism that envelopes the entire book, exemplifying the mystery of the Court as Josef cannot take in his surroundings and foreshadowing Josef's death (defeat by the Court) in the end.

3. Josef K.'s last name - the full spelling of Josef's last name is never revealed. Why?

4. Is Josef guilty? - we never know if Josef is actually guilty (although the Court certainly thinks so), and if so, what he is guilty of. I will explore this issue later.

5. Why are the investigations done so loosely/casually? - the Court is extremely accommodating in scheduling interrogations, giving its suspects personal freedom etc., but why? Is it due to magnanimity, or is it (as I believe) that the suspect's entire life - in and out of the Court's procedures - are all part of the investigation?

Themes

The Kafkaesque

Apparently, there has been some discussion to what "Kafkaesque" means. I quite like one definition by Frederick Karl, who says it is when "we view life as somehow overpowering or trapping us, as in some way undermining our will to live as we wish."

This is achieved in a way by the 3rd person limited narrator, who vividly shows Josef's confusion of the trial starting from the beginning. The idea of the "interrogative, incomplete and unanswered" is left as it is, as the mysteries of the people associated with the trial are never revealed.

Totalitarianism and Bureaucracy

The Trial is often described to show an "ordinary person’s struggle against an unreasoning and unreasonable authority", and is seen to represent society under totalitarianism. Its themes also fall under the term "the banality of evil" coined by Hannah Arendt, which describes the situation when "evil acts are not always carried out by ‘evil’ people, but are sometimes the result of bureaucrats who are dutifully following orders". For example, the supervisor tells Josef in Chapter 1 that "I cannot inform you that you have been charged with anything or, rather, I do not know whether you have been or not". The presence of the bureaucracy is present in both the Court and Josef's bank: most people within these organisations are "named by position only, the bank director, the Court magistrate" etc, suggesting that "power resides in the positions themselves and not in the individuals holding those positions". Furthermore, the confusing, never-ending bureaucratic procedures drag on indefinitely, as the painter Titorelli says, "The trial has to be kept going round and round in the little circle to which it is restricted". It cannot "end"; it must go "round and round". Also, it is noted that genuine acquittal, which would "effectively end court proceedings, is unheard of".

Is Josef guilty?

There have been different interpretations as to whether Josef is guilty, and if so, what he is guilty of. One interpretation says that his crime is that "he does not accept his own humanity", which is "gradually and implicitly apparent" throughout the book. Josef's denial of his guilt is representative of him denying his humanity, and "if he would only accept the guilt inherent in being human...both he and the Law could move on." Interestingly, this idea parallels the Christian concept that all humans inherit sin at birth due to the Original Sin. The interpretation says that this is important as The Trial may have taken place in "an increasingly Christian nationalist Germany", where such ideology was embedded "at least on a subconscious level".

A second interpretation is that Josef's execution is because he was "already dead inwardly at his arrest". He does not "love anybody or anything", does not have aspirations beyond his "immediate physical needs", and is "insensitive and egotistical." But as the trial carries on his "self-assurance and defiance" fade, and he realises that the Court "may have the right to investigate against him after all". As Josef realises his guilt he is executed; and thus the Court is a reflection of [his] inner condition."

I personally believe he is not guilty; at least, he hasn't done anything the current legal system would define as "illegal". However, I don't think the question of whether Josef is guilty is of significance in the book - no matter what Josef believes, or we believe, or what happened, he will still be subject to trial and punishment. The Court in this book, with its confusing hierarchy, corrupted individuals and elaborative bureaucracy, isn't made to make effective, precise decisions on whether its suspects are guilty, but to wear down and punish. This fits in with the fact that genuine acquittal has never been achieved by anyone - you can't wake someone who is pretending to sleep.

Gender

I noticed that many of the female characters in the book are minor, and subject to Josef's desires. Similarly, many Feminists have regarded the book as a "deeply misogynistic novel, meaning that Kafka’s gender affected or jeopardised his ability to write." However, I found an interpretation that suggests otherwise, that such a portrayal contributes to the thematic idea of power in the book.

This interpretation argues that sexuality is a "second and parallel thematic line" to the main theme of power by a ruling force - "arrester and arrested, kisser and kissed". There is no "equilibrium between human relations". In the relationships Josef has with women, he is, in most times, the dominant character; there is a "subtext of bondage and domination" in these relationships, so even though Josef is the victim of the bureaucracy, he is also a "collaborator in these games of power" in relation to the women he interacts with. Josef is both "an oppressor and an oppressed, making him neither the villain nor the victim, but an accomplice"; he "he has created his downfall, he has created his destiny." Thus, relating back to the topics mentioned above, Josef is part of what makes up the "banality of evil"; he is guilty, in the sense that he acts just like the Court.

References

https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Trial-novel-by-Kafka

https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/door-alone-reading-kafkas-trial-self-isolation/

https://www.jstor.org/stable/1345282

https://interestingliterature.com/2021/07/franz-kafka-the-trial-summary-analysis/

https://www.123helpme.com/essay/Confronting-Guilt-In-Franz-Kafkas-The-Trial-168501

https://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/t/the-trial/critical-essays/on-ks-guilt-the-court-and-the-law

https://zizekstudies.org/index.php/IJZS/article/download/1153/1188#:~:text=In%20The%20Trial%2C%20the%20bureaucracy,defendants%20such%20as%20Josef%20K.

https://thisisntablogoranything.wordpress.com/2016/11/08/what-lies-behind-the-theme-of-sexuality-in-kafkas-the-trial/

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Review: Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

*SPOILERS BELOW

Summary: Piranesi lives in the beautiful, mysterious and ancient House. What is the House, who are the people around him, and how did he end up here?

Score: 9/10

1. Setting

Setting, in my opinion, is the dominating aspect of the book. As a journalist of the appearance and events of the House, which he lives in, much of the book focuses on Piranesi describing his surroundings. This is especially the case since the book presents a story using the format of a series of diary entries made by Piranesi.

Clarke, the author, uses setting skilfully to establish an atmosphere of mystery and wonder throughout the book, allowing the reader to enjoy the beauty of the House along with Piranesi. The potential of the setting is used fully and to a great extent. After all, the House is one of the key entities of the book.

The House as a symbol

The book states that the House is the remnant of the magic of the Ancient World, which man came to abandon. I believe that the House symbolises nature and its beauty, and how mankind, in its conquest of nature, has abandoned their communication and appreciation of nature, resulting in its departure/destruction. Later, Piranesi and the Other diverge on their way of examining the House: admire or dissect? This is a display of the debate of how mankind should treat nature, and to what extent it can use nature for its own purposes.

What I didn't like about it: Unfortunately, descriptions of the setting dominate the start of the book, making it slightly cumbersome even though it sets a solid mood for the book. Secondly, although the outward appearance of the House is used to its full potential, the why behind such an appearance is unexplained and I'm kinda unsatisfied. However, one key message of the book is to appreciate beauty simply without using it to one's interest or dissecting it up for usage. The lack of explanations for the House may have been a display of such a message, and to some extent it should be kept that way.

2. Plot

Clarke uses plot brilliantly in a clouded, layered fashion that makes the book intricate and exciting. By dropping hints here and there, using plot twists and stringing up the past and present skilfully, she makes the book refreshing and complex. Combined with realistic worldbuilding that provides different perspectives, she also makes the book realistic and believable.

What I didn't like about it: As mentioned above, the large focus of setting (and character) at the start of the book makes it slightly lethargic, and the plot only truly becomes exciting near the middle.

3. Character

Clarke presents a diverse cast of characters that have their distinct characteristics. It is quite interesting to discover them and what they do. The plot twist in the book is also brought by its characters, so a big kudos to Clarke for that.

The character of Piranesi

The character of Piranesi is exceptionally intriguing, due to the variations of his different stages:

As Matthew Rose Sorensen - academic and pragmatic

As Piranesi - retains the academic and pragmatic traits of his former self, but is also innocent, kind, almost childlike and reverent towards the House

As a hybrid of Matthew Rose Sorensen and Piranesi - kind, but the reader can sense something sad in him

They almost reach represent a different age: Matthew as an adult, Piranesi as a child, and the hybrid as a weathered elderly man who still has an eye for beauty. This makes the character likeable and unforgettable.

Piranesi versus the Other

While Piranesi and the Other are both "scientists", they approach the House, their subject, quite differently. While Piranesi only takes note of the beauty of the House, the Other attempts to use rituals to gain the secret powers of the House. This may be an allegory for the different attitudes of modern people towards an unknown object: to admire and appreciate, or dissect and destroy?

The real Piranesi

Giovanni Battista Piranesi was an Italian Classical archeologist, architect and artist who is known for his exaggerated, ideal drawings of Roman buildings in a series of artworks known as Imaginary Prisons. While Giovanni Piranesi draws idealised Roman architecture, Piranesi the character takes detailed note of the structure and appearance of the House. Some reviewers have said that while Giovanni Piranesi draws imaginary prisons, Piranesi the character is actually describing his own prison, the House, while oblivious to this fact.

What I didn't like about it: There were so many interesting characters but little were explored in detail, leaving the reader unsatisfied.

4. Language

Clarke's language is straightforward, as the narrator is Piranesi, but beautiful. It conveys its content clearly but Piranesi's innocence and praise for the House also seeps from the words.

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Arena - Swimming Pools #3

There is an abandoned spectators’ stand at the edge of the swimming pool, coloured in chalky red, yellow and white. Its stone-carved seats are numbered in black paint, and the gate blocking its entrance is rusted. At night its aisles fill up with the dead.

On his tower-chair the lifeguard inclines his head at the guests rippling into sight: emperors, pirates, surgeons and farmers, weavers, gunmen, poets and dictators, laughing, yawning, whispering and humming, counting copper coins and peering into binoculars, clicking abacuses and gesturing at the pool with a blunt axe. Under the greying clouds the chorus of the dead is in full bloom: they lived and died in this orb tumbling through space, this swimming pool of sandy azure and yellowing tiles; now they watch their descendants do the same.

The lifeguard reads his notepad aloud: name, age, height, weight, history of physical activity, wager value, patron hailing from the spectators’ stand. Name, age, height, weight, history of physical activity, wager value, patron hailing from the spectators’ stand. Name, age, height, weight, history of physical activity, wager value, patron hailing from the spectators’ stand.

“Begin.”

At the opposite side of the pool a boy is teaching his girlfriend to kick the currents away; beside them women splash up fountains of foam with their feet. They have no patron. They do not see the eyes trained on their lovely, pink faces, the wrinkled tides that tell when someone moves slowly across the pool. In these clear waters a murky net closes in.

My great-grandmother’s first words to me were: This thing about you isn’t air, it is dust and the last shaking breaths of your dead predecessors. This thing you wade through isn’t water, it is a three-dimensional spider web that magnifies your movement in seismic waves. If you act carelessly you are dead. If you act recklessly you are dead twice over.

Once I was swimming when a dark shape fell into the water next to me. It uncoiled into a woman in a black wetsuit, limbs like curling tentacles. There was a wretchedness in her smile, a hollowness in her eyes. Startled, I found my footing, and she found hers. Under my glower she grinned and said, “Just checking the posture of your stroke.” But I had seen the fist she held under the surface. Water sliced the shine of the stadium lights and in the radiance I saw in her grip Poseidon’s trident aimed at me.

Over these broken bodies a copper mist unfurls, like a shroud of green rising from shredded leaves. You cannot stay in the shallow in these deep waters, my great-grandmother says.

Another time I was standing with my back against the pool wall, watching an elderly man lurch across the water like the dead at the living, swinging his shoulders forward, gasping so loudly his lungs must have been quivering. A middle aged man appeared to my left, his tanned flesh giant swellings from his skeleton, black goggles bulging from his eye sockets. I felt his sight shift: up, down, left, right, measuring the thinness of my lips, the whiteness of my throat, the width of my chest, his eyes a ruler, balance, protractor, tape measure, here is the length, area, volume, in centimeters, grams, and currency of any kind. When he submerged he sank like a moving island of mud, down and gone again.

When I look up from under the surface I see my body reflected back at me, thin and shaking, and where my head should be all there shines is the glare of the stadium lights. As I hold my breath and sink I hear the gurgling cheer of ghosts from the spectators’ stand, hollering and whistling.

Get up, my great-grandmother hisses, her rasp creeping into my ears from the first row. Look at all the people beneath you. You break the game by winning it.

My great-grandmother gave me her life savings to purchase a pair of swimming goggles with red lenses. Now I put it over my eyes, pulling its backstrap over my head. I walk into the deep: all I see is crimson, and all I smell is blood.

[i-cant-believe-i-wrote-this]

SQUID GAME ◯ △ ☆ ☂

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Review: The President Is Missing by Bill Clinton and James Patterson

*SPOILERS BELOW

Summary: A cyberattack with technology never seen before is threatening to strike the United States in days. There is a traitor in the high ranks of the White House. The President must find away to avert this crisis or live with a destroyed nation.

Score: 9/10

1. Plot

I've decided to talk about the plot first because I find this the most valuable aspect of this book, especially because it is a thriller. This is what drives the entire novel, instead of the characters who are fighting against the plot (cyberattack). The novel is extremely action packed, so much that the reader puts no time or effort to critique the other potential faults of this book (if any) at first glance. The stakes are extremely high and puts the reader on a rollercoaster, particularly due to a few factors:

Extremely clear goal - there is only one main objective in the novel, which is to save the country from a deadly cyberattack, making the plot flow smoothly and the reader expectant and excited.

Time countdown - the cyberattack happens at a set time and cannot be changed; this means the characters have to save the country before this constantly nearing moment, making the reader all the more nervous.

Mystery - very little is revealed to the reader about the attack; just enough so the reader knows how serious it is while being curious about its actual features, its mastermind etc.

Comparing the plot with two main features of plot addressed in Lisa Cron's Story Genius:

1. Is every plot point linked by cause and consequence?

Absolutely. Although this is a plot-driven story instead of a character-driven story, which makes the consequence of the characters' actions less significant that other novels, every event well linked by logic. I cannot find an event that happens simply just because.

2. Does the plot/problem complicate?

The answer is only once or twice. The plot doesn't widen like adding layers to an onion, it can be visualised by the shape of a metal chain where each event is strongly attached to the next. However, it does have plot twists, which gives a refreshing and impactful effect every now and then.

2. Language

I've put this as number two because the language of this novel greatly contributes to its effective pacing. By using clear, simple sentences without flowery language (it would be unnecessary), it helps the build up of tension and excitement for the novel's events. After all, this novel's art isn't in the beauty of language, but in skilfulness of the plot.

3. Character

Although I've put character last, I mean to say its significance isn't clearly detected when the reader reads it for the first time. Character provides depth to the plot by giving motives - the how and the why - which makes the novel much more interesting and moving. Antagonistic character relationships allow for conflict, while sympathetic ones allow for emotion, which provides a sense of profoundness in contrast to the plot's tightness when necessary. In this novel's case, the characters also make great plot twists happen.

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New Criticism

New Criticism is a form of literary criticism that dominated the American literary field in the 20th century. It mainly focuses on analysis of poetry, especially how elements such as structure, rhyme and meter create effect. In the context of prose, it investigates how setting, characterisation, and plot create a specific theme; some other devices it pays attention to include paradox, irony and tension.

A prominent idea of New Criticism is “close reading”, or careful, exact scrutiny of literary texts. Borrowing ideas of Russian Formalism, this means that it abandons historicism in the analysis of literature, which refers to the attention to biographical and sociological factors of the work’s context. Therefore, the central idea of New Criticism is that a literary work by itself is autonomous, is scarcely influenced by the context of a literary work and its effect on the reader, and thus should be analysed in the same way. As a result, only the meaning and aesthetic qualities of a literary work should be taken into account in analysis.

Earlier New Criticism claimed that poetry could communicate knowledge in a form drastically different from scientific knowledge. Therefore, they particularly appreciated metaphysical poetry, which conveyed profound, philosophical and often confusing ideas such as spirituality.

Key terms of New Criticism

Affective fallacy

It refers to the error of evaluating a text on the basis of its emotional effects on a reader, which is called impressionistic criticism. Since impressionistic criticism is subjective and unrepeatable between different critics, it is therefore unreliable. New Criticism asserts that the role of the critic is only to objectively make clear the thematic and stylistic language of each text separately. However, some supporters of New Criticism consider the inclusion of some analysis on emotional effects of a text to be appropriate, as long as it is not the focus.

Heresy of paraphrase

“The Heresy of Paraphrase” is the title of a chapter in Cleanth Brooks’ book on New Criticism, The Well-Wrought Urn. Its central idea is that poetry, as a form of art, is irreducible and any attempt to do so would reduce the reader’s experience in enjoying a poem. This idea compares poetry to the temporal arts such as a musical composition, constructed by structured patterns, tension, harmonisation and balance. Therefore it places less value on a poem’s meaning, statement and subject matter.

Key figures of New Criticism

T. S. Eliot

He believed that literature should be seen as a timeless art instead of a historical artifact, where it could be observed and fully appreciated at any place or time. This means that the context of such works should not be the focus of one’s analysis of a literary work. He has been quoted to say that readers should analyse works, regardless of background, “with the same eyes.”

John Crowe Ransom

He emphasised on the importance of artistic technique in literary works which set them apart from plain prose, such as meter, syntax and figures of speech. He believed that the core of analysis was why a particular technique is used, and how poetry uniquely portrays the human experience in comparison to prose or the use of colloquialism.

References:

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/introliterature/chapter/new-criticism-suggested-replacement/

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/learn/glossary-terms/new-criticism

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affective_fallacy

https://public.wsu.edu/~delahoyd/new.crit.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Heresy_of_Paraphrase

https://www.shmoop.com/study-guides/literary-schools-of-theory/new-criticism/critics

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Says the Dead to the Living - Swimming Pools #2

This is the thing with swimming pools: it is always some trick of the light, some misdirection of the water. It is not the locker key tied to your wrist, it is a dark wraith shifting in and out of your vision with every stroke of your arm. It is not the shade cast by the hair sticking from your swimming cap, it is a multitude of ghosts foretelling the direction of your movements so you may swim through their viscous, icy bodies.

There is no telling how far you’ve descended until your toes touch the slippery bottom, exhaling bubbles that beat the base of your nose like savage punches.

It is so bright above the water, so loud with children splashing across the pool, swimming coaches shouting and trees hissing in the distance, that once you fold yourself and sink - knees to your chest and arms around your legs - all you see is shadows in the silence: kicking, thrashing, pounding the water, or floating, tranquil, still. There is no in-between.

I am swimming until I realise something is looming over me. I stop, look up, and it is a little girl - yellow cap, blue goggles, purple wetsuit - clinging to the plastic lane line. Her mother is behind her, wearing and doing the same, pulling the line down into the blue.

I hop past them in the water so I don’t kick them by accident. I turn back to watch them advance horizontally to the edge of the pool, the mother letting go of the lane line first, wading towards land. Then she dips, flailing her arms but now she is an enchanted anchor, her kicks futile, phantom nails digging into her spine and dragging her down. They’d think she sank herself: I know better. She hits the bottom and rebounds towards the surface, gasping loudly, an arm extending into the air. She slaps the water and it splashes back at her: a lean, striking viper.

Now at the edge of the pool a lifeguard is rushing toward her, orange swim ring in hand. More lifeguards emerge, producing a wheelchair and first-aid kit, gripping her arms and dragging her up from the pool. Do they know what is in the water, I think, or have they given up?

The child is still clinging to her lane line, dumbfounded. The woman hobbles to the wheelchair, coughing, saying, thank you, it was just a cramp in the leg, I am much better now. They chuckle nervously and help the child onto land. They escort the woman to the changing rooms in her wheelchair, her daughter picking up her sandals and trailing behind them.

Before she leaves the child steals a glance at where her mother once swam, the lanes quiet and tamed. She peers at me, at the water discreetly squirming around my neck.

- 22/8/2021, inspired by Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall

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What Makes A Memorable Scene: Joy of Life Edition - The Princes

After last time's Chen Ping Ping Edition, I'm back with two more memorable (emotional) scenes! And like last time, of course it's sad LOL

This time it's going to be about the Crown Prince and Second Prince. Both of them are tragic characters, to be honest - both ambitiously wrestle for power but end up being another stepping stone in Fan Xian's rise. I personally like Second Prince a lot, and was sad to see his downfall. Anyway, as usual, I've got some translated excerpts for you as well ~

SPOILERS AHEAD!

1. The Second Prince's Surrender

Volume 6 Chapter 168: 憤怒的葡萄

It was as if the Second Prince only noticed Fan Xian’s arrival at that moment; smiling slightly, he said, “Can I still live?”

Fan Xian had no choice but to repeat His Majesty’s will.

The Second Prince smiled self-depreciatively, saying, “Living like a yellow dog, confined in the mansion for the rest of my life; as Father the Emperor’s hundredth-year festivities arrive, before the new emperor ascends the throne, the Ye clan will be slaughtered like dogs too, and I afterwards privileged with suicide...Tell me, if I live, will my future days be so?”

Fan Xian was silent.

“If so, why should I bother to hinder Ling-Er, hinder...that shameless father in-law?” The Second Prince shrugged, “And living like this in fact hardly has any meaning.”

Fan Xian spoke, “It seems that your ambitions have finally been crushed.”

The Second Prince suddenly stopped putting grapes into his mouth; the purple grapes of early autumn were luscious, and now the smile on his face was equally as sweet; he looked at Fan Xian, saying faintly, “Now that I think about it, the words you said in the teashop before Bao Yue Tower were right...You always wanted to rid me of my ambitions these two years. Recalling the past, I must thank you.”

“It sounds remarkable; I genuinely thought Auntie would help me, genuinely thought Father In-Law would help me...But wherever I looked, it turned out to be you, the greatest enemy of my life, who ever had a shred of sincerity for me.”

The tragedy of the Second Prince was that he never lived for himself, but for the Emperor as a whetstone to hone the blade called the Crown Prince. He was disposable and ultimately a tool, which contrasted with his ambition and intellect to make the reader pity and love him. He knew his role and yet he tried to fight against it - it is his unachieved dream that makes it so heartbreaking. This passage pretty much sums up his whole life, showing his father's callousness, his ultimate expendability, and the overall powerlessness that dominated him in his downfall. Fan Xian's goal of trying to kick Second Prince out of the game was also respectable, and it makes Second Prince more likeable now that he acknowledges and thanks Fan Xian for it. At the end it is the great contrast between Second Prince's former glory and his looming destitute that makes this scene even more sorrowful.

2. The Princes' Scorn

Volume 6 Chapter 172: 百年孤獨

Li Cheng Qian sighed, using the gaze of an equal, even a superior, to look at his invincible Father the Emperor, saying, “You will be the Emperor Unparalleled for a Thousand Years in historical records, and the space beside you is simply so clean, so immaculate that there is no one; won’t it feel lonely?”

The Emperor looked at him indifferently, not saying anything; the corner of his lips bore a light smile, as if to say: why would a deity surpassing the nine skies even mind the loneliness atop clouds and the liveliness of the mortal world?

Then he stood and walked out the entrance of the East Palace. At the palace door a thought came to him, and he drew a letter from his sleeve; this letter was the Second Prince’s will, handed to him earlier by Gong Dian.

The Emperor extracted the thin piece of paper to see what his second son had actually wanted to tell him right before he died.

On the paper were two lines of an extremely messy scrawl, its ink bearing withered bristles, clearly the work of hastiness, yet each twist and turn carried vigor, piercing the back of the paper like a saber or sword, pervaded by fury and insubmission.

The first whetstone the Qing Emperor tossed at the royal court - Second Prince Li Cheng Ze - was shouting a message similar to the Crown Prince’s towards his lofty Father the Emperor, only with words more biting, more acrimonious, especially the last four words.

“Widowed! Solitary! Orphaned! Heirless!”

Old and wifeless are the widowed, reigning without companionship are the solitary, surviving motherless are the orphaned, old and without sons...are the heirless!

To be honest those last four words - widowed, solitary, orphaned, heirless - hit me like punches when I read them. These four words encompass the princes' rage and hatred towards their father - for toying them, deceiving them, and just treating them horribly in general. It was so important for me that the princes' stand up against the Emperor at the end, because their bravery bears their unbending spirit as living, feeling individuals. Finally they win for once - even though it is with their deaths, they break the Emperor's facade of invincibility and indifference. They drag the Emperor from the impression of a powerful entity to just another human being.

I realise I sound super emotional right now, but that's because this scene made the characterisations of all three characters whole and complex. Before this, the princes were all obedient and reverent towards their father, but this emphasised how those traits were false. Before this, the Emperor was portrayed to be all chill about his circumstances but this reveals his sad personal and emotional life. To me, this scene was a small climax on its own.

Anyway, that's all I have for now! Thanks for reading this, and I'll be updating with another (sad) Joy of Life excerpt soon, about Wu Zhu!

Can't wait to see you again!

[i-cant-believe-i-wrote-this]

What Makes A Memorable Scene: Joy of Life Edition - Chen Ping Ping

Hi! So I'm a giant fan of the Joy of Life (《慶餘年》) webnovel and TV series, and while I was compiling memorable/emotional scenes to talk about on this book I just realised how very skilled the author (Mao Ni) was in crafting this sort of thing. Therefore I decided to write some posts about memorable and emotional scenes in Joy of Life exclusively!

One of my favourite characters was ✨Chen Ping Ping✨, the badass Head of the Overwatch Department! He had this mix of savageness, calmness, kindness and wisdom in him that just made him an extremely intriguing person. Since I read Joy of Life over a year ago, the scenes about him that I remember most was his downfall. And I've got two scenes I'd like to share with you, even though all parts of the novel about him were gold.

Like my last post, I've translated some excerpts because 1) it's so fun and 2) so I can share them with you!

AS USUAL, SPOILERS AHEAD!

1. The Capture of Chen Ping Ping

Volume 7, Chapter 97: 一根手指與監察院的臣服

Chen Ping Ping is arrested for treason and attempted assassination of the Emperor.

But at this time, He Zong Wei who was standing beside him suddenly said softly, “Best to kill them now, so as to shake their resolve.”

“When did it become your turn to speak about what I do?” Yan Bing Yun tossed out a sentence coldly.

Yet his words could silence He Zong Wei but not the officials of the Overwatch Department, they stood up slowly, watching Yan Bing Yun with an indifferent gaze, as if at a corpse; perhaps the next moment they would collectively move, and charge at the stretcher.

The situation was already at an extremely critical state; Yan Bing Yun squinted at his surroundings, knowing clearly that on his own, he still couldn't suppress the officials' love for Chen Ping Ping.

……

……

An aged finger was suddenly extended.

Everyone was silent, every Overwatch official cast their gaze at that aged finger, the finger that extended from beside the stretcher. The finger shifted slightly, motioning a gesture that every Overwatch official had memorised in their heart.

"Hold!" A Second Bureau official’s heart suddenly overflowed with sorrow, wetness lining the eyes; roared with grief and indignation, and knelt down heavily on both knees.

“Hold!”

“Hold!”

That aged finger seemed to have a certain magical power; it only extended and wagged lightly, subsequently, the courtyard sounded with countless voices saying the word hold; hold means silence, hold means waiting, hold means forbearance, hold means to give up against the will.

Hold means stay where you are.

All the Overwatch Department officials stayed where they were, the word hold from their mouths, two streams of tears flowing downwards, no weight of gold on their knees but with the heaviness of a mountain, striking the floor, watching the stretcher slowly pass them.

Before I say anything else can I say...OUCHH

Two main things here: helplessness and love. These two things feed onto each other, making this scene extremely emotional. This excerpt clearly shows the unbreakable bond between Chen Ping Ping and his officials, and their unbeatable loyalty and love for him. And due to that, Chen Ping Ping's order for them to stand down makes it so heartbreaking due to the dilemma in their minds: save him and break his order as a result, or obey him and watch him get captured? They choose to obey, but this makes them helpless and it becomes unbearable for them to watch him suffer. That emotion is shared by the reader due to their liking for Chen Ping Ping and after witnessing the unwavering loyalty of his officials.

Furthermore, the fact that Chen Ping Ping is thinking for his officials - telling them to stand down, so they aren't punished for treason- moves the reader as well, as this shows his care for them. This reciprocated loyalty is simply super emotional because Chen Ping Ping's goodness is revealed.

2. The Death of Chen Ping Ping

Volume 7, Chapter 102: 雨中送陳萍萍

Chen Ping Ping is executed by the brutal method of "death by a thousand cuts".

The old man in his arms was so light, holding him was like holding a cloud of wind, a cloud of wind that could dissipate anytime. Below the slightly disheveled hair, Fan Xian’s pale face twitched slightly, instinctively reaching out to hold Chen Ping Ping’s old and icy hand, holding it tightly and never letting go.

The old man had suffered unspeakable amounts of pain in this life, and was disabled for half of it, so his qi and blood had exhausted long ago; today during the death by a thousand cuts, not a lot of blood other from the pain had burst out as every slice was made, but the torture of so many cuts still caused blood water to accumulate at a location, wetting the black uniform of the Overwatch Department, making it a little sticky, a little hot, a little scalding.

In the autumn rain, Fan Xian held his frail body lightly, afraid to pain him even more; grasped his icy hand tightly, afraid he would leave just like this.

“Who could make you come back if you refused to? Why did you keep me in Dong Yi City?” Fan Xian spoke lowly and hoarsely, parched lips soaked pale by the rain, peeling slightly, pitiful to the eyes. “Who was I toiling and labouring for all these years, wasn’t it all for you elders to leave the Capital City, to enjoy the days, I was always trying hard...”

“You know I know everything.” Fan Xian lowered his head a bit more, resting it against the old man’s wrinkled face, and in the rain his body swayed, as if coaxing the old man in his arms to sleep.

The hand suddenly tightened for a moment; the old man gripped Fan Xian’s hand firmly with his, but all the energy remaining in his life couldn’t even hold a hand firmly now; it was as if he was unwilling to let something go, or fearing something, so he had to hold on to something below this sky of gale and rain, on this ground of blood and water.

🥲🥲 So 🥲🥲

To be honest, I think sorrow and loss are one of the most impactful emotions to ever write about, especially the death of a loved one. Chen Ping Ping was both loved by Fan Xian and the reader, and he was simply a wonderful father figure that everyone is sorry to see him go, especially in a way as torturous and humiliating as "death by a thousand cuts" (literally, usually more than a thousand tbh). This brings us to two more chilling (and by that I mean extremely impactful) emotions - humiliation and powerlessness. Since the reader is literally helpless against the events within the story, they can definitely empathise with the powerlessness of the characters. And humiliation - yeah you get it. It stings.

Mao Ni's (the author) language was also honed very well to portray this scene as emotive as possible. Let me list out what I found:

Its chapter title! In Chinese it's 雨中送陳萍萍, meaning something like "seeing Chen Ping Ping go in the rain" and he doesn't just go, he dies; that's just so sad dude

The emphasis of Chen Ping Ping's physical weakness especially when he's been described as being powerful and badass the entire novel, which creates a giant contrast

"Holding it tightly and never letting go" - the bond between Fan Xian and Chen Ping Ping is so touching, and that's also a main factor of the emotions in the scene

"It was as if he was unwilling to let something go, or fearing something" - even though Chen Ping Ping never defied his arrest, this shows how he actually doesn't want to die at all, making it even more agonising

AND that's all I have for now! I'll be doing a few (?) more posts on Joy of Life because I absolutely adore it, but for now, see you soon!

Bye bye!

[i-cant-believe-i-wrote-this]

No Water, Only Tears; No Monsters, Only Man - Swimming Pools #1

The swimming pool is an aggregation of not water but a hundred thousand particles ready to conquer your throat and lungs, submerge you to make you their own: drifting, silent, dead. I stand in it, between the colliding currents that sway my knees, the blue grasping at my waist. A few meters away a man is wading through the thrumming liquid, his greying hair spots on his head, his bloated gut a ship’s hairy bow. Behind him a boy stands, his pale face twisted, black hair in wet, drooping spikes.

“Why did you throw your goggles and cap? What are you going to do now?,” demands the man, turning to the boy.

The boy stays silent, or he mutters something unheard.

Either way, the man continues. “Listen to me. Your mother...” Your mother is observing, is listening, is right over there: shut up, listen, behave. Your mother is watching, get yourself together and start bloody swimming, with or without your gear. The breeze twists the other way or water enters my ears, so I don’t hear what the man says.

Maybe the boy is now weeping silently, silver streams of tears bulging scars on his cheek, for the man erupts, waving his arms, “Why are you crying?”

The most entitled question: why are you crying? Why have you handed me a consequence, after I rammed the cause down your very throat?

The man inhales the wind, and in a sudden exhale it bursts out through his mouth. “Are you crying for sympathy? Pity? Let me tell you, boy,” and this he shouts, “the more you beg for pity the less of it you have! Who will pity you?”

My shoulders shake. The boy, stunned, stands unmoving, his head bowed, his back bare. One day he will thank his wounds for being invisible.

“Retrieve your goggles. Retrieve your cap.” The man grabs the boy by his head. “I want you to succeed! What are you doing? Crying? I don’t want you to be a loser! Loser, do you hear?” The man’s booming voice bounces off the pool walls and pries into the boy’s ears, my ears, everyone’s ears, the ears of my cousin who spoke back to his father, my mother’s friend whose husband returned drunk from the whorehouse at 3am, all these generations and all these lives until God deafens the last hearing ear. In his rage the man spoke the language of humanity.

Then, the soft afterword. “This is for your own good,” the man finishes, calmed after an outburst. “Retrieve your gear, let’s swim.”

This is the thing with people: they vow on your life, praise Satan, talk about fucking all the women in your family back to Eve, and then end with a smile, saying, “This is for your own good.” Rule number one, I think to myself and the boy, don’t believe him. Rule number two: hate him but don’t fear him. Rule number three: smile at him, smile and obey, smile and listen and nod, this is your life, you can change it but not now. These are the rules of the game.

The swimming pool is an aggregation of not water but a hundred thousand particles of human piss, saliva, snot and tears, scoldings, quiet rivalries and violent pledges, gushing into your gasping mouth and open throat. You swallow and they make you their own.

- 5/8/2021, inspired by Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall & Zadie Smith's White Teeth

[i-cant-believe-i-wrote-this]

What Makes A Memorable Scene: Endings

HI!!

I know it's been such a long time since my last post (my apologies) but I'm back with some more content! I've been reading lots of Chinese webnovels this year and some of them were absolute masterpieces, so I'd just like to share some of their best bits with you. I translated some extracts for you so can enjoy them with me as well!

I do notice that last time I said I would post a book review of The Wicked Deep soon, but I simply couldn't bring myself to do it. Hopefully I can finish that next time...

Just a note: giant spoilers ahead!

That being said, let's dive right in!

1. 《詭祕之主》 Lord of the Mysteries

Chapter 1391

Klein retracted his gaze and looked around, saying slowly,

“Afterwards, you can still gather here on the Monday afternoon of every month, but there will be no convener anymore.”

“If you require a secretive, private discussion, pray beforehand and wait for a reply.”

At this point, “The Fool” Klein closed his eyes for a moment, saying, “That is all for this gathering.”

The members of the Tarot Club could not contain the gushing, inexplicable sadness they felt, as if a grand ball had come to a closing.

They stood simultaneously, bowing to the end of the long marbled table: “Your wish is our desire.”

Main character and leader of the Tarot Club Klein Moretti goes into seclusion, and Chapter 1391 marks the last Tarot Club meeting before he is gone for years to come.

By Chapter 1391, I had come to love Klein and the Tarot Club, and seeing them part ways (no matter how temporary) was heartbreaking to me. The extract above shows the strong bond between Klein and the members, as well as the respect the members had for their leader. I resonated with the "gushing, inexplicable sadness" the Club members felt as I didn't want to see Klein go, especially because this was also one of the last chapters of the book. Departure, and especially the sorrow of it all - is what made it so memorable.

2. 《諸神遊戲》 Game of the Gods

* I translated the name myself

Chapter 700

As he spoke, Yuan Chen Fei’s body started to turn into ash, gradually dissipating.

At the same time, the eyes of the God of Apocalypse opened slowly.

The bubbly figure of Mistra knelt before the God of Apocalypse: “System elf Mistra hails to the great Emperor of Gods.”

A rumbling voice was already resounding: “Continue all that should be continued!”

(Okay, I do realise that if you read the extract without any context at all it sounds kinda weird, but I promise it's a good book!) With powers that tower over any other being in the universe, Yuan Chen Fei becomes the God of Apocalypse and continues the Game of the Gods in his reign.

This is what I would consider as an end that marks a beginning. Chapter 700 is the last chapter of Game of the Gods, which makes it an "end", but in this end Yuan Chen Fei ascends the hierarchy of the universe, becoming the most powerful being and overseeing the Game personally, making it a "beginning". This end is full of aspiration and pride instead of sorrow, which makes it different from the Lord of the Mysteries extract. I was really influenced by this mood and felt like I was witnessing something grand, and that's why I still remember this scene to this day.

This time I focused on the concept of closing, and the two ways that it's been depicted in two books I've read, creating separate effects and atmospheres. Endings are common, but what makes an ending memorable is its emotion (to be honest I feel like emotion is what makes everything memorable).

But that's all I got for you this time, and similar posts will probably be out sometime soon!

See you next time!

[i-cant-believe-i-wrote-this]

Review: If We Were Villains by M. L. Rio

*SPOILERS IN ITALICS

Summary: After ten years in prison for murder, Oliver Marks is released and reminisces his fourth year at Dellecher Classical Conservatory as a theatre student. His memory depicts vividly the relationship between him and his friends, his school theatre productions and lessons - and the murder that happens. Oliver was imprisoned for it, as we know - but what really happened?

Score: 6.5/10

What I enjoyed:

1. The connection of character to theatre

Oliver and each of his friends - James, Alexander, Richard, Meredith, Wren and Filippa are all characterised as the archetypes of typical stock characters - the hero, villain, tyrant, temptress, ingénue, and sidekick/extra. This gives a fantastical, Shakespearean vibe to their lifestyle, interactions and overall atmosphere. Personally, I’ve never read anything that has blended “myth” and “reality” so skilfully, especially since these archetypes can be seen through the characters’ behaviour, bringing surprises when they break through.

SPOILERS: I especially liked when Oliver breaks out of his “sidekick” archetype and takes the blame for the murder in a “heroic” act, as this creates a plot twist and, in a sense, a character development that enriches his character.

2. The design of Dellecher Classical Conservatory

Basically, Hogwarts vibes. It was designed to be a prestigious, grand school, where students only focus on the Arts such as theatre and literature, giving it this legendary, almost mystical atmosphere. The passion of students and staff towards the arts, and the lengths they go to pursue it makes the book quite intriguing to read - as if you’ve opened your horizons.

3. Use of language

Overall, the books is written in a graceful, rich style that depicts the setting and scenes with flair. It makes the reading experience quite enjoyable and fits the overall mood quite well.

What I did not enjoy (AKA rant):

1. Root cause of murder not explained

Correct me if I’m wrong - the “immediate” (for lack of a better word) cause of the murder is made clear to the reader. Everyone understands that. But what’s the “root” cause of the murder? I would have really liked to know and was guessing as the novel progressed but never really got an answer. That was disappointing to me.

SPOILERS: So James murders Richard because Richard assaults him multiple times and threatens to drown him. Alright, that’s reasonable. But why does Richard progress from being a chill guy, only representing tyrants in plays to become a “tyrant” in real life? We are told that Richard receives a few phone calls and gets increasingly short-tempered, but the exact reason is not explained.

2. The romantic relationships were messy instead of complex

There are romantic relationships that start and end throughout the book. Some characters are deceived by their own emotions, and become confused. However, the reader becomes confused as well about the character’s feelings, instead of holding a clear understanding of the complexity of those feelings. This makes some scenes startling and unexpected (not in a good way).

SPOILERS: Oliver dates and sleeps with Meredith. Alright, apart from being slightly cliche (the beautiful, alluring girl x the ordinary guy), it’s all good. Then Oliver finds out about his feelings for James. That’s all good as well. Then what’s up with him going back to sleeping with Meredith? He didn’t have Meredith as a replacement for James. Correct me if I’m wrong - instead, Oliver is described to have intervals of romantic affection for Meredith and James separately, which makes it super confusing and could have been done better.

3. Not as exciting as I expected

The plot extends over the majority of a school year. Unfortunately, not a lot happens over this period, and instead the reader is forced to witness the repeating lessons, meals and mundane interactions between the characters. Although these scenes have the purpose of “developing the characters’ personalities and relationships”, the same effect could have been established - perhaps to an even greater degree - through more action.

SPOILERS: In addition, even after the murder of Richard is discovered, Oliver isn’t “invested” in it, nor does he take explicit action. The circumstances for exciting action and drama are created but he does not engage in it. Readers expect a twist of events and a change in behaviour but they are left disappointed.

4. Disappointing ending that left a hole in my heart

This is a largely personal thing, but I really wanted a change of ending and felt quite unsatisfied even though it was reasonable.

SPOILERS: One important aspect of Oliver’s character development was the realisation of his feelings for James, and his subsequent protection of James’ name by taking the blame for his murder. However, their “relationship”, in the reader’s eyes, was “cut short” by Oliver’s arrest, trials and imprisonment, so the reader anticipates their reunion at the end of the book. But the revelation of James’ death shocks the reader and leaves them unsatisfied, especially since the book has been building up towards the development of their relationship.

But that’s all for me! I’ll (probably) have a review of “The Wicked Deep” by Shea Ernshaw up soon, but no promises on when because school has sworn to terrorise me until my head is on a stick. Bye for now!

[i-cant-believe-i-wrote-this]

Five Thousand Years of Wistfulness

There are sweet-and-sour

palpitations in my chest,

a phantom’s hand

grazing my heart interior.

.

“What?”

.

Like a girl-child glimpsing

a beautiful shadow among the rice fields

and sketching his figure in the soil.

Like the boy-deity, awakened,

wandering in his mud-temple,

body birthed and sustained

by the incense of one.

.

“So he is not real.”

.

Contrary - he is too vivid,

compelling. There -

his divine seat rests,

flaking and its cushions unthreaded.

.

“A destitute god?”

.

Let him be -

my memory is littered with

too many fatuous emperors,

too many gold-entangled concubines

that swayed a nation

with a smile - to its feet.

.

Look at me -

if legible were the world’s

sighs and crevices, would I not

race my stallion till dead and

foaming at the mouth,

if he cared for northern fruit?

Would I not weep the Great Wall to

ruination, if his bones under it lay?

Yet I am no Heavenly son or sage.

I will not be foolish-!

.

“But do you love him?”

.

The Chinese man, sluggish,

never loved the opium in his pipe.

I resent this sinning drug, he slurs -

let me devour it all.

.

“Then what are you to do with him?”

.

Nothing.

.

“Nothing?”

.

Shrine unattended, surely

he will unravel - his seven

and three souls drained

like Wu Zetian’s infant princess,

life smothered by creator,

vase shattered by potter.

We the callous shed weakness like skin.

.

“Beware of regret.”

.

No regret but a hundred years of solitude.

His gaze on mine in my last blink of light.

- 11/6/2021, inspired by Sally Wen Mao

[i-cant-believe-i-wrote-this]

Conversations with God: The Good War

(Hi, I did not actually have a conversation with God. This was made up. But I am excited since I haven't written creatively for ages~)

The Lord speaks in my mirror: "I commission you a war. Triumph over life as I have over death."

My face suddenly twists and I start to cry: a red-faced demon, baring its teeth before holy light. "My mind dampens in the stench of dead water; my eyes melt into their sockets. My spine collapses into writhing maggots. Lord, what war do You claim of?"

The Lord sits in silence for me.

"I have no strength to mask my foolishness," I say. "I have no regiment to tread with me. I have no saber to drag in the sand." Blood drips from my forked tongue, tears from my slitted eyes. I hiss. "Find another, Lord: among Your saints and angels, or a mortal more divine."

Somewhere a burning bush crackles. "Pray for strength and it will be bestowed, as will wisdom. I am your force, your might, your regiment, the thunder behind your footsteps. Turn your palms to receive my Word: victory is yours."

The mirror is gone. I crouch, claws digging into the dry, cracked soil.

"I have not forsaken you," the Lord says.

I actually started this around the start of the year when school was threatening to kill me, and abandoned it when I lost inspiration. But, well, I finished it recently, and here it is! This was actually inspired by the beautiful and powerful writing of Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall (a brilliant read, really) and and as you can see I applied a bit of her "signatory" writing style of using colons, present tense, and this more olde use of words (at least I tried).

I may update soon as well, but it now strikes me that I used my "supposed" homework time to post this. Bye bye!

[i-cant-believe-i-wrote-this]

Evaluation #8 - werewolf boi

Hi guys, I’m back with another old poem! This time, as the title suggests, it’s about werewolves ~ 

As usual, this poem was inspired by a Pinterest post, and here it is:

Cool as hell, right? And so I wrote the following:

Her boy

The forest hissed at the full moon

As she limped in,

A shawl around her shoulders

She smoothed her dress with

Rough, veined hands;

There he prowled towards her,

A glint in his thunderstorm eyes

The man-wolf snarled but she reached out;

And as he edged closer

He recognised her thin smile and

The lines at the edge of her eyes -

"My dear -"

.

The missus next door used to say

Boys are difficult, when they leave

They forget you, trust me

But she found her boy just fine

Because he put his paw on her palm,

Claws shrinking and arm becoming bare;

She handed him

A sack of folded clothes,

Wiped a tear with her sleeve and said,

"It's time to come home."

To be honest, I didn’t do any planning or research before writing this. As a result, it ended up to be quite an amateur poem. Anyhow, by challenging a new theme and poem type (narrative) this time, it was still a good attempt. 

But now let’s move on to my aReAs Of ImPrOvEmEnT:

As usual, lacking developed setting

Poor connection between line 2, 3 and 4

Why does the werewolf prowl towards the woman and snarl? Purpose unclear

“Thin smile” and “lines at the edge of (one’s) eyes” are not defining features of people; how about eyes, voices and scents?

Memories must have arisen in the werewolf’s mind when he recognises the woman; what are they?

Lacking character detail (thoughts, emotions, etc.)

What does the werewolf look like as a human?

Why is the woman crying?

I think the main thing here is that I haven’t gotten into the head of the characters, and only presented the image from a bystander’s point of view when this scene is supposed to be quite emotional. 

But I’ll pat myself on the back and say good try for now, since I barely write things like this so detached from my daily life. 

See you next poem!