Monday, February 20, 2012

Book: 11.22.63

What can you say?
I thought Green Mile was a crowning glory for favorite author Stephen King, but this one really does it for me, playing on his portals into a different time and place, supreme intelligence building and holding the plot, and suspense throughout, more a sort that has you wishing and hoping, rather than the frightener one.
The word-smithery and craftsmanship are all there, some of the dialogue streams had me laughing, well done American dialogue can be such a delight.
For those of us Americanophiles, and who grew through those times, the read's a nostalgic treat.
And, inside the back cover, advance notice of another novel in the Dark Tower, gunslinger series!!

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Movie: War Horse

This one's been panned a bit by the local critics, but seems to still be drawing an audience.
I went, wearing my horse breeder/handler hat, to see what it was all about, and OK, the horse stuff was likable, if a little contrived and shmaltzy.
Spielberg's influence on the battle scenes was as impressive as ever.
I guess in the final analysis, its a kid-dult movie, with a close to fairy-tale story, but a bit too gruesome for a child.
I'll give it a thumbs up, the anthropomorphic super-horse thing might have been a bit of a stretch, but us horse-breeders all harbour a fantasy that our geese might grow into swans.