When Coloring Books for Adults are All the Rage

...they are still nothing compared to the good ol' sketchbook stashed in the rucksack.

Book Review Rule # 1

Stop whining, bourgeois reader!

Finish the book first, and stop whining.

A book review is not a book review if you can't read through the whole book. If you want to write a review, make sure you read the book from cover to cover and go through the whole reading experience. If you don't like the experience and cant finish it, better not make a review and give the book to somebody else. The point in writing a review is you must finish the book first to prevent prejudgements and observe protocol to give the author the benefit of the doubt. Who knows if it turns out good in the end, or the hardship is intentional until you reach a certain revelation point---an "Aha!" moment? It's as important as studying first before taking an exam; if you failed the test 'coz you cant read through the book, it's your fault. You can't blame Shakespeare, or Newton.

I have often seen a lot of book reviewers endlessly complaining and whining like "This book sucks 'coz I can only read the first five pages!" or "I cant finish this book for the author's weird, political, and misogynistic foreword. Ergo, I rate this book one star! Blah blah blah" Partial reading leads to an incomplete and incompetent judgement. What they are doing is not a book review but only a book warning. As self-confessed bookworms and avid readers, they just displayed their laziness and stupidity in choosing the wrong book.

What's the point of "reviewing" if you never made the "viewing" first? As the saying goes, "Learn to ride the bicycle BEFORE you drive the motorcycle." Don't try to put the cart before the horse.

Design Faults of Human Nature

This collection of short stories published in 2005 by Penguin marks the 70th anniversary of Pocket Penguin line of books---"intelligent books at low price" as the founder Allen Lane described it. This book by Will Self (Penguin sees him as the bad boy of English literature) is one of the 70 books highlighting the best of the short story genre since 1935.

The compilation itself is composed of two independent stories but tackles the same theme or topic. Though initial phase of reading wont show it, you have to finish the whole book first but don't worry, the book is just 55 pages in total. The first story (the title carrier of the book) is titled "Design Faults in the Volvo 760 Turbo: A Manual" and the second is titled "A Story of Europe."

Both stories are complete on their own and the plots are well-executed, hinting some snippets of postmodern technique in literature. Present day readers will surely find this book relevant since it showcases the present sport in the popular media---"snogging," as the first story's main character Bill Bywater proudly calls it. Adulterous activities depicted were highlighted by Will Self's usage of industrial/political puns and erotic  word plays like "Park up a Volvo--and grab a vulva," "Serena used to be an 'it' girl--now she's 'that' woman," and "A socialite - she went to a finishing school in Switzerland where they taught her to fellate." What's not to like? You can ask Cornholio for he's the only one who knows how to properly use the TP!

The second story is an interesting depiction on how nature defeats man through age, and how the youthful stage is the best stage in life. I thought I saw magic, but later I could only sense minute traces of surrealism and now it's better to identify them wholly as pure irony and sarcasm instead. Maybe, there really is no magic in this book, only basic techniques of postmodern narrative but you cannot blame the author, not even human nature for we are all designed with unavoidable faults.


Genre: Postmodern Fiction, Short Fiction
Rating: 3 cathartic orgasms out of 5  

Guess Who's Back on MTV?

MTV just realize that their current shows suck, so they are launching the new season this October 27.  This book-blog owed a lot to the "duo" and of course, to the creator Mike Judge. This generation of JUSTIN, EMO, and GAGA probably needed more endorsers or maybe critics from a realist point of view like that brave honest boy in the story of Emperor's New Clothes but what can I say, good luck to y'all.

Still, nothing beats the Grunge Generation of the 90's man! 

JUST SCREW IT, BUTT-HEAD!!!

all images ©MTV and Mike Judge.

Pol Medina Jr and Politics

So far, PMJR is one of the well-known political jokers and satirists of the modern Pinoy era (the name Jess Abrera pops in my mind second). Pol was just unlucky to be too personal in his political cartoons as I remember one of my roommate in college days pointing to PMJR as a heretic and sacrilegious cartoonist in portraying the late Cardinal Sin in disdain, holding the Holy Cross with less enthusiasm in one of his editorial cartoons.  

But this one I think is not heretic (for a non-Villar supporter) and is surely unforgettable during the 2010 Presidential Elections.

Image ©Pol Medina JR. I got this strip here.

Looking for Lolly

DAY 1

Narj: Jan ka lang Lolly babalikan kita 'pag may pera na 'ko...itatago muna kita dito sa mga reference books! You'll be my READ for this month's "Banned Books Week" theme! Just wait for your Daddy, hehehe

DAY 2

Narj: Miss, asan na yung book ni Nabokov dito? Yung Vintage Edition ha, hindi yung annotated.

FB Gateway:  Ah sir... May kumuha na yata this morning lang.

Narj: OH NO!!! LOLLY! (dalawang kamay nakapatong sa ulo)

FB Gateway:  Wait let's check the database... Yup! Sir meron pong possible copies sa Greenhills and Trinoma. Kung gusto nyo ipa-transfer natin dito.

Narj: Ok, pero gano katagal yan?

FB Gateway: Sir mga 2-3 days po.

Narj: Nyak! Wag na, puntahan ko na lang (kaso may lakad pa pala ako ngayon!)... Bukas! Puntahan ko bukas!

DAY 3

Narj: Miss meron daw ditong LOLITA ni Nabokov, yung Vintage Edition sabi ng branch nyo sa Gateway. Bat iisang copy lang meron dito at Espanyol pa?

FB Trinoma: Ay naku sir, madaming naghahanap kasi niyan e. Check ko muna database ha.

Narj: Haayyyy...

FB Trinoma: Sir meron po sa Greenhills at sa Bonifacio High Street--Global City.

Narj: Dapat Vintage Edition yan ha baka naman mamaya Chinese pala yan. Ilang copies ba meron sa High Street? Ayokong dumaan sa Greenhills e...

FB Trinoma: Haha yes sir English edition. Twenty nine copies pa.

....

Narj: Boss, bat walang LOLITA dito sa mga libro nyo ni Nabokov? Andami nyang libro dito pero walang Lolita ('tong Fight Club na lang kaya ni Palahniuk bilhin ko? kaso 700 pesos. hmmm...)

FB Global City: Meron kami nyan sir. Baka sa second floor, wait lang ha...

....

FB Global City: Sir eto na.

Narj: Yaaan! (sabay agaw at kiss sa libro) Mmmwaaaah! My preciousss...

FB Global City: Haha! Mukhang nahirapan kayong maghanap nyan sir a..

Narj: Nahirapan? Hindi ah! Ang DALI DALI DALI nga e... Piece of cake!

Fantasy Library

Fellow Flippers over shelfari.com talked about their dream library given that they have all the resources and space. My fantasy library will be inside a space station (just like Russia's MIR) with that minimal gravity close to zero you will feel floating in space, slowing down your metabolism and your body's decay. Because of this low nature of gravity any visitors will only need minimum food and fuel to stay. The ship may span the earth at the same vector of a common satellite making the reader marvel at the beauty and wonder of earth, moon, and the universe. Alice Goodwin will be perfect as my librarian. =P

Another good thing about this library is the nature of books. They are fire-proof. So that nobody can burn any book due to bacteria, or heresy.

Image © Lance Miyamoto 1981

CANDIDE

Believing that he's doing the ladies a big favor, Candide killed the monkeys with his rifle. He was DEAD wrong.


Voltaire's CANDIDE is funny, fast-paced, philosophical, and outrageously WTF?! novel in a good way.

He authored this book to criticize Leibniz and his followers about optimism, as their mantra states "All is for the best in the best of all possible worlds."

He did it by injecting into the story all kinds of known tragedies (the natural, political, and the religious) in the 18th century Europe to prove that the world is not perfect and neither does man.

After criticizing the optimists, and exploring the rationality of the pessimists (but not taking their side), Voltaire actually enjoyed pitting the two sides of the argument in order to come to a conclusion safely somewhere in the middle ground.

That middle ground states that we must focus on our skills, our situation at the moment--in exact words; "We must cultivate our garden." And maybe that mantra became Voltaire's best argument that finally shaped his further works and writings as a sarcastic and humanist philosopher.

some memorable passages:

"Fools admire everything in a celebrated author. I read only for myself, and I like only what suits me personally."

Cacambo never lost his head. "Don't give up hope," he said to the forlorn Candide. "I know a little of these people's jargon, and I'm going to speak to them."

"Be sure to point out to them how horribly inhuman it is to cook men," said Candide, "and how unchristian it is, too."

A few days later they reached the Bosporous. Candide began by buying Cacambo's freedom at a very  high price, then he and his companions boarded a galley without delay and set off for the shore of the Sea of Marmora to find Cunegonde, however ugly she might be.

Rating: 4 pistachio nuts out of 5

Genre: Philosophy, Classic Lit, Humor