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Anansi Boys, kitties, and bujinkan
Arr, it's been a long weekend, and I be only just now recoverin from it! The search for the One Piece be long and difficult...
*slaps self*
Anyway, went over![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
cedarlibrarian's on Saturday for our nearly obligatory trip to NYC. We probably caused some sort of temporal and spatial anomaly since it didn't actually rain on us like every other time. Visits to Lush and Book Off and the Strand were all bad for my wallet. Now have the Backgammon (Minekura ie. mostly Saiyuki) 1 & 2 art books for only 14 dollars each, plus a One Piece gag doujin, and a shounen ai Naruto doujin which I could have resisted buying if not for a wonderfully illustrated Yondaime and Kakashi story at the back of it *pouts* Picked up many other books and the new almond bath thingy from Lush (which I tried a few months ago since it was out in London first).
Dinner was Indian, which was actually my first time eating Indian in America. Twas good, though I missed some of the sauces I was used to. Also watched Drop Dead Gorgeous which I enjoyed for the sheer morbidity and funny remarks, but not so much for the visual humour. Then began my night of kittens and books, or rather, one book, since I got a hold of Cedar's copy of Anansi Boys and didn't let go *L* I was up until three reading, and occasionally playing with the kittens (who alternately tried to eat the book, attack me, attack each other, cuddle, and at one point, capture my tooth brush). Was about half way done by then, but figured (rightly) that I would be woken up by the kittens pretty early eventually and could finish. Woke up several times during that night to sounds of kitten's playing under my bed, and some of the loudest purring I've ever heard. Was awakened around dawn by Ramona trying to lick my face and attack my hair. Started reading again around eight and finished by eleven.
Since I've finished the book, I've had the biggest urge to go and reread American Gods, this time paying particular attention to Anansi and his family. I may just do it too. I can see why Neil had so much trouble classifying this book since it does seem to go all over the place, especially since the main character travels a hell of a lot. In practice, it mostly takes place in Florida and London, though oddly, I got a better sense of the Florida bit, than the London. As for a particular genre, it really doesn't need it.
I really liked the character of Spider, not in the sense that I'd like him much in real life (though I suppose I'd have to if he wanted me to...) but that he really developed in subtle ways. The lazy author's route would have been to make him the bad guy.
Fat Charlie's introduction as someone who hates embarassment really made me feel for him since I often feel the same way, but it was depressing funny, rather than amusing funny when he then went on a few pages later to embarass himself horribly at the funeral (a scene which reminded me strongly of one in the movie, Johnny Dangerously). I found it quite entertaining that Anansi was right that his sons were stupid - not in the usual sense, but in a human sort of way.
I also loved the parallels between the two brothers at the end. The climax's mirrored each other brillantly, but it wasn't so blatant that you didn't have to work your brain a little to pick it out.
Neil's voice really shone through this book. There were times where I thought I was reading quotes from his blog in the thoughts of different characters or the narrator. I think it was because there was obviously the sense that the story was being narrated to you by some storyteller. No where was this more obvious than the random bits at the end of chapters with references to Anansi myths. Part of me wished those weren't there since I found them kinda boring (having heard them, or slight variations before), but I understand their purpose was to familarize the unknowledgable.
So yes, I really enjoyed it. Nice character development, an interesting story, and some good humour and myth making.
Much love for the drawing of the spider at the end of the book too:)
My abreviated sleep meant I was ready to collapse last night, so after watching Bleach (yes Ichigo, keep doing those shirtless sit-ups...), I slept like the dead around midnight to 9:30. Actually, felt human again this morning, which is always nice.
Tonight was Bujinkan. I trained with R. who has really long arms and weird reflexes. He automatically throws a second punch for instance, which isn't really good training but at least I was pleased that I automatically blocked him. First part of the class was ninjutsu, or at Jack put it, "the art of disappearing". Not puffs of smoke, but more, disappearing while standing right in front of somebody... Am not going to bother explaining it since it would take too long. (Naruto has it easy, dammit!) Then we worked on footwork, and kamai, with a little bit of knife work thrown in at the end. Got yelled at, as usual. Was made to feel guilty about not training at home. I do it occasionally, but should really make more of an effort, even if I'm pretty sure Jack wasn't talking specifically to me anyway. We have a lot of new people, but before Jack pointed it out, I hadn't realized that only two other people had been there when I started training for the first time several years ago. Bujinkan has a really high turnover rate with most people seeming to stay an average of a few months - mostly cause they realize it really does require dedication, and is bloody hard, but I hadn't noticed how few of us were still there from that group I started with until now. It makes me feel rather nostalgic because I grew up with these people as they came and went. I was a freshmen in high school when I started, now I'm a college graduate. Heh.
*slaps self*
Anyway, went over
cedarlibrarian's on Saturday for our nearly obligatory trip to NYC. We probably caused some sort of temporal and spatial anomaly since it didn't actually rain on us like every other time. Visits to Lush and Book Off and the Strand were all bad for my wallet. Now have the Backgammon (Minekura ie. mostly Saiyuki) 1 & 2 art books for only 14 dollars each, plus a One Piece gag doujin, and a shounen ai Naruto doujin which I could have resisted buying if not for a wonderfully illustrated Yondaime and Kakashi story at the back of it *pouts* Picked up many other books and the new almond bath thingy from Lush (which I tried a few months ago since it was out in London first). Dinner was Indian, which was actually my first time eating Indian in America. Twas good, though I missed some of the sauces I was used to. Also watched Drop Dead Gorgeous which I enjoyed for the sheer morbidity and funny remarks, but not so much for the visual humour. Then began my night of kittens and books, or rather, one book, since I got a hold of Cedar's copy of Anansi Boys and didn't let go *L* I was up until three reading, and occasionally playing with the kittens (who alternately tried to eat the book, attack me, attack each other, cuddle, and at one point, capture my tooth brush). Was about half way done by then, but figured (rightly) that I would be woken up by the kittens pretty early eventually and could finish. Woke up several times during that night to sounds of kitten's playing under my bed, and some of the loudest purring I've ever heard. Was awakened around dawn by Ramona trying to lick my face and attack my hair. Started reading again around eight and finished by eleven.
Since I've finished the book, I've had the biggest urge to go and reread American Gods, this time paying particular attention to Anansi and his family. I may just do it too. I can see why Neil had so much trouble classifying this book since it does seem to go all over the place, especially since the main character travels a hell of a lot. In practice, it mostly takes place in Florida and London, though oddly, I got a better sense of the Florida bit, than the London. As for a particular genre, it really doesn't need it.
I really liked the character of Spider, not in the sense that I'd like him much in real life (though I suppose I'd have to if he wanted me to...) but that he really developed in subtle ways. The lazy author's route would have been to make him the bad guy.
Fat Charlie's introduction as someone who hates embarassment really made me feel for him since I often feel the same way, but it was depressing funny, rather than amusing funny when he then went on a few pages later to embarass himself horribly at the funeral (a scene which reminded me strongly of one in the movie, Johnny Dangerously). I found it quite entertaining that Anansi was right that his sons were stupid - not in the usual sense, but in a human sort of way.
I also loved the parallels between the two brothers at the end. The climax's mirrored each other brillantly, but it wasn't so blatant that you didn't have to work your brain a little to pick it out.
Neil's voice really shone through this book. There were times where I thought I was reading quotes from his blog in the thoughts of different characters or the narrator. I think it was because there was obviously the sense that the story was being narrated to you by some storyteller. No where was this more obvious than the random bits at the end of chapters with references to Anansi myths. Part of me wished those weren't there since I found them kinda boring (having heard them, or slight variations before), but I understand their purpose was to familarize the unknowledgable.
So yes, I really enjoyed it. Nice character development, an interesting story, and some good humour and myth making.
Much love for the drawing of the spider at the end of the book too:)
My abreviated sleep meant I was ready to collapse last night, so after watching Bleach (yes Ichigo, keep doing those shirtless sit-ups...), I slept like the dead around midnight to 9:30. Actually, felt human again this morning, which is always nice.
Tonight was Bujinkan. I trained with R. who has really long arms and weird reflexes. He automatically throws a second punch for instance, which isn't really good training but at least I was pleased that I automatically blocked him. First part of the class was ninjutsu, or at Jack put it, "the art of disappearing". Not puffs of smoke, but more, disappearing while standing right in front of somebody... Am not going to bother explaining it since it would take too long. (Naruto has it easy, dammit!) Then we worked on footwork, and kamai, with a little bit of knife work thrown in at the end. Got yelled at, as usual. Was made to feel guilty about not training at home. I do it occasionally, but should really make more of an effort, even if I'm pretty sure Jack wasn't talking specifically to me anyway. We have a lot of new people, but before Jack pointed it out, I hadn't realized that only two other people had been there when I started training for the first time several years ago. Bujinkan has a really high turnover rate with most people seeming to stay an average of a few months - mostly cause they realize it really does require dedication, and is bloody hard, but I hadn't noticed how few of us were still there from that group I started with until now. It makes me feel rather nostalgic because I grew up with these people as they came and went. I was a freshmen in high school when I started, now I'm a college graduate. Heh.