Posts Tagged ‘classics’

This Dark Endeavor by Kenneth Oppel

I’m not a big horror fan. I close my eyes in the scary parts of movies and don’t read Stephen King because his stories give me nightmares. But I did get brave enough to listen Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein last summer through SYNC YA’s free downloads over the summer. It was not what I was expecting, to say the least. I found the doctor to be much more monstrous than his creation.

this dark endeavorI’ve had This Dark Endeavor (Scholastic 2011) by Kenneth Oppel on my bookshelf for some time. I wanted to read it because I had heard such good things about it, but I was also nervous (see nightmares above). I am glad I finally read it.

Oppel’s vision of a young Victor Frankenstein is complicated. Yes, Victor loves his twin brother, Konrad, and would go to all lengths to save him. Much of the excitement in the book comes from his (along with the spirited Elizabeth and dreamy Henry) adventures in securing the ingredients to make the elixir of life to give to Konrad. Yet at the same time, Victor is intensely jealous of his twin and wants all the glory for himself. I can see how this Victor grows into the doctor of Shelley’s book.

Did I mention that the adventure starts with the discovery of a secret library? Down a narrow staircase behind a secret door is the Dark Library, filled with tomes of alchemy and magic. Even though the Frankenstein family is quite on the cutting edge of science, Victor is fascinated. He returns again and again even though his father forbids it. Then when Konrad falls ill, Victor becomes desperate to save him–and to be the hero. Victor and his friends make a secret alliance with the mysterious Polidori–a man reknowned for his alchemical works and whose life was ruined by practicing them.

For all of Victor’s complicated nature, I couldn’t help but like him–even knowing where his fascination ultimately leads. My favorite character, though, has to be Elizabeth. She is determined not to be left behind on any adventure and can match Victor’s rages with her own temper. Henry would much rather write or read about adventures than go on them himself, but he goes along and tries to restrain some of Victor’s impulses–not with much success.

I found myself engrossed in this lush, gothic adventure–and no nightmares! I’m looking forward to finding the next installment, Such Wicked Intent.

Tales from the Arabian Nights by Andrew Lang

I listened to the audio book of  Tales from the Arabian Nights by Andrew Lang this morning.  One of the things I like about audio books is that I can read while doing other things.  Listening to a good story makes chores much more enjoyable.  I was familiar with the premise of the tales and most of the four stories included in this collection, but I had never read them for myself.  This collection included four of the stories that saved the life of the beautiful and clever Scheherazade from her murderous husband (who married a virgin every night only to kill her in the morning).

  • Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp:  This version is nothing like the Disney movie.  Even though Aladdin is lazy and refuses to take up a trade, he outwits the magician to get a magic ring and lamp.  These genies aren’t limited to just three wishes, and Aladdin takes full advantage of their services to increase his wealth and win the Sultan’s daughter.
  • Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves:  Ali Baba is poor, but doesn’t let his newfound wealth go to his head when he discovers the secret cave filled with riches.  Thankfully, his brother’s slave is clever enough to outwit the thieves when they return.
  • Sinbad the Sailor:  I must say Sinbad is one lucky sailor.  He manages to escape every danger even when his comrades are drowned, eaten by snakes, devoured by monkeys, or various other tragedies.  He not just survives his seven journeys, he also thrives from them, coming back richer than he started.  I am still not sure why he took in the poor Sinbad the Porter, who came every night to listen to his stories.
  • The Story of the Blind Baba-Abdallah:  This fellow had it all–wealth beyond measure–but let greed blind him until he literally could see no longer.

I downloaded this audio book, narrated by Toby Stephens, from the Sync YA website.  If you haven’t checked it out already, head over there to see what books are still coming up for free downloads all summer long.  Each week they pair a classic title with a contemporary YA novel.  This week, Tales from the Arabian Nights is paired with Jonathan Stroud’s The Amulet of Amarkand.  I can’t wait to listen to this contemporary fantasy that has been on my TBR pile for quite some time.

Graphic Novels

I am coming late to graphic novels, and I’m still not sure I like all of them.  Actually, I know I don’t like all of them, but I am finding some I do like.  Here are some I picked up at the book fair.  They’re coming your way.

Moby Dick adapted by Lance Stahlberg and illustrated by Lalit Kumar Singh (Campfire 2010)

First, a confession.  I tried to read the original Moby Dick by Herman Melville, but gave up about 1/3 of the way into it.  I simply couldn’t take any more of the overblown description.  I stopped just after meeting Captain Ahab and deciding he was completely nuts.  I still am not a fan of the story (seriously, who decided this one gets classics status?), but at least I could get through the graphic novel adaptation and learn what happened to the crazy Captain, Queehog, and our fearless narrator.  The color illustrations enlivened the story, and the dialogue captured just enough feel of the writing to bring back nightmares.  Highlight the next sentence if you don’t mind a spoiler.  The whale wins again.    Hey, can I say I’ve read Moby Dick now?

 

WarCraft:  The Sunwell Trilogy:  Ghostlands by Richard A. Knaak and Jae-Hwan Kim (TokoyoPop 2007)

First, a confession:  I have never played a World of Warcraft game or read any of the many books coming from the games.  I do have lots of students who play and read these, so when the book fair offered a deal, I snatched it up.  I’ve head several students come up to talk with me about it since they’ve seen me reading it.  I was a little lost reading this one, probably because it is the third and final book in a trilogy in the middle of an entire series.  Even so, I can see why it appeals to fantasy fans.  It has elves and magic and dragons and evil lords and people who aren’t what they first appear.  It is still not my favorite thing to read, but I have a line of students waiting for it.

 

 Simpsons Comics:  Get Some Fancy Book Learnin’ by Matt Groening and others (Harper 2001)

I picked this one up for me.  Yes, I like the Simpsons even though I don’t watch regularly.  I was just too tempted to see how the Simpsons would skewer the great stories from the past, and I wasn’t disappointed.  The Simpsons start with the ancient Greeks, from the gods to Aesop.  Moving across the continent, they give a hilarious twist to fairy tales and nursery rhymes.  Aladdin washes his hands of the genie in “Arabian Nuts.”  Old Bill Shakespeare may be rolling in his grave by the end of his plays in comic form.  Finally, Bart goes to Sunday School, where somehow, the Prodigal Son ends up at the Tower of Babel.  I laughed my way through this collection, but the jokes are much funnier if you already know the stories.

 Zeus:  King of the Gods by George O’Connor ( First Second 2010)

I’ve been hearing such good things about this series, and now I understand why.  This is an excellent introduction to Greek mythology, starting at the very beginning and ending with the reign of Zeus.  I love the “superhero” portrayal of the gods.  After all, they were among the first superheros, and in the back O’Connor shares the modern legacies of gods introduced in this series, including their influence on modern comic book superheroes.  How cool is that?  I will definitely be recommending this one to all the fans of Rick Riordan in my classes.  I can’t wait to get the rest of the series.

I have more graphic novels waiting for me to read, but I want to share theses now.  It’s funny.  As soon as I put each out on my bookshelves, it was snatched up by a reader.