Burial Rites

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Iceland, 1829. Convicted of the brutal murder of two men, Agnes Magnusdottir is sent to an isolated farm to await the day of her execution. The inhabitants of the farm, Jon and Margret and their daughters, are horrified at having to house a murderess - and do their best to keep a distance from her. As the days pass, Agnes stoically goes about her chores at the farm - her chosen spiritual guide, Toti, the only person who makes an effort to draw her out. Her host family is unwillingly drawn to the tale that she narrates to her confessor, Toti, but will their realization that Agnes might not be guilty be enough to save her from a gruesome death?

"They said I must die. They said that I stole the breath from men, and now they must steal mine". From the very first sentence, Hannah Kent sets the tone for this haunting novel. And although the end is never in question - "Burial Rites" is based on the true story of the last woman to be publicly beheaded in Iceland - the author maintains the tension throughout. The Agnes in this book is a constant surprise - reviled as a cold-blooded killer, she still fiercely holds on to what little dignity that is left to her. She doesn't ask for sympathy or pity, and is determined to hold on to the only things that cannot be stolen from her - her words, her poems, her sagas. Google couldn't tell me if the real Agnes was guilty or not - but I was certainly hoping for a miraculous reprieve for the author's Agnes!!

The author writes beautifully about the life of the peasants at the farm. Icelandic customs, the food, the formidable winters - even the dust and mold from the turf croft - I was literally transported to Kornsa, watching Agnes and Margret going about their daily tasks. The descriptions are quite visceral - chalking it up to the author telling it like it was back then - but seriously, I could have done with a little less of the mucus and other bodily emissions. Agnes' monologues capture her quiet desperation, her acceptance that a woman has no chance in a world where her stories are told by others. And Margret is the perfect foil - they recognize a kindred spirit in each other, and the arc of their relationship is intriguing.

This is no doubt a very serious novel - there are really no light moments at all. The very grimness, however, is so utterly striking. I was fascinated by Agnes' story, wanting to know everything quickly - and yet, the prose is so evocative, every word needs to be savored!! The seasons and landscapes of Iceland, the routines of the life at the farm, Agnes' journey are not easily forgotten - this is a novel to get lost in, a novel that grabs your attention and holds on, a novel that will stay with you long after you've finished reading. A must-read, for sure!

The Company of the Dead

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More than a century after it sank in the icy depths of the North Atlantic, the Titanic continues to fascinate. Many wealthy, influential people went down with the ship - people who might have shaped history differently, had they lived. What if the Titanic had sunk a few hours earlier or later, or even made it all the way to New York? What if a different set of people had survived? This 'what if' is at the heart of 'The Company of the Dead' - a sci-fi/alternate history novel written by David Kowalski. 

An inadvertent time-traveller, Jonathan Wells, is stranded in 1911, and despairing of ever making it back to his timeline, decides to right the wrongs that he knows are soon to come. His first stop? The RMS Titanic. Hoping to avert the disaster and to save the ship, he hands the ship's lookout a pair of binoculars and the Titanic succeeds in navigating past the iceberg it was supposed to hit - only to founder on another iceberg a few hours later. The Titanic sinks, despite Wells' well-meant intervention - and Wells goes down with the ship, leaving behind a journal.

The year 2012 - the world is hurtling towards a nuclear holocaust and total oblivion. This is a world in which Astor becomes US President in 1912 and keeps the United States out of the Great War. Germany and Japan prevail, and rule the world between them. The monarchies in Germany, Japan, Russia, France and Italy are flourishing. The United States is no longer united - led by Texas, the 2nd Confederacy has successfully seceded, and the Union and the Confederacy are 2 separate nations. Feudalism is rampant, and there have been no civil rights or suffragette movements. World War II never happens, and Hitler is simply a mediocre Austrian painter. And Joseph Kennedy, grand-nephew of JFK - who, by the way, never becomes president, but is still assassinated in Dallas - is the only man who can turn back the clock and set things right, even if it means erasing his own existence.

From the Titanic to Roswell and then back to the Titanic - the book takes the reader on an incredible journey. The author lovingly and meticulously outlines this new alternate reality - and while the rich detail is to be commended - it eventually ends up being the iceberg on which the novel founders. At 750 or so pages, this is a hefty book, and almost 400 of these deal with conspiracies, double-crosses and treachery - it's almost too hard to keep track of the good guys from the bad!  After a point, I didn't even care about who was fighting whom, and why - I just wanted to get back on the Titanic!! The concept is so intriguing and the book is well-plotted - it is simply not as crisp or fast-paced as it needs to be. 

Be it a novel, movie or a TV series - the central conceit of time-travel is to not change anything. In this book, well, the whole point to time travel is to change history - and that makes sense, doesn't it? What's the point of time travel, if you can't change history - besides, doesn't history change the minute a time traveller shows up in the past? And although I believe that most of history's 'what-ifs' are best left unanswered - wouldn't it be cool to go back in time? Where would I go? And what would I change? I'll think about it while you dive into 'The Company of the Dead'!! Happy Reading!!

Beauty and the Beast (2017)

Beauty and the Beast is hands down my favorite Disney fairytale - and Belle, my favorite princess!! For starters, she's not technically a princess, but an ordinary girl looking for something beyond 'this old provincial town'. She has spunk, and is confident enough to turn down Gaston, the village heart-throb. She dreams of Prince Charming, but finds beauty in the ordinary. Best of all, she loves books - seriously, this one's a winner, through and through!!

This much-loved fairy-tale - the original, as well as Disney's charming version - has stood the test of time. A handsome prince is cursed for his arrogance by a witch - condemned to live as a Beast until he finds someone that can love him, before the petals of an enchanted rose fall off. A village maiden stumbles upon his castle by accident, and in exchange for her father's live, agrees to be the Beast's prisoner. A few magical interludes later (Stockholm syndrome, ahem!), true love blossoms. And yet, the Beast lets the maiden return to her father - for isn't letting go the truest measure of love? Will the Beast be reunited with his true love?

We all know how it ends - and we still watch with bated breath as the story unfolds - and in Disney's newest version, the canvas is extravagantly opulent! The massive interiors of the castle, the elaborate costumes, the quaint little French village and oh, the library - the sets are magnificent!! The screenplay remains mostly faithful to the animation - the additions, in fact, are a bit awkward. While Belle slurping her soup to make the Beast feel at ease brought a smile to my face - the little jaunt to a Paris suburb, or Belle's design of a primitive washing machine?? I'm all for feminism, but feels a little forced here - and plague, well, there's just no place for plague in a fairytale!!

And the songs? Well, this is a musical, after all!! Starting with Belle's signature song "This old provincial town" - very picturesque, but did they really have to channel Sound of Music for this one? Close my eyes for a second, and I could almost hear "The Hills are Alive"!! The cutlery cabaret, "Be Our Guest" is a wonderful feast, and "Gaston" impresses with the quick-footed, dramatic choreography. The piece de resistance, is of course "Tale As Old As Time" - oh, how I love this song!! The new songs, unfortunately, I barely registered!!

Emma Watson - not to take away from her incredible performance - but I have to admit, I had a hard time looking past Hermione Granger. I mean, isn't she a little young - look at those freckles - to be in a grand passionate affair? And I was half expecting her to whip out her wand and reverse the curse - I think 'Beautify' will do the trick, don't you?!! I was also expecting the Beast to be a bit more beastly, you know?? With those blue eyes, and gentle face, I was just reminded of an overgrown cat - it was still Dan Stevens, just a little hairier than usual?? By the way what was with the highly publicized gay moment in the film? Yes, Gaston's sidekick, LeFou has been portrayed effeminately - but that's not what I noticed. What I noticed was that LeFou has a conscience, and is not afraid of standing up to his friend! Good for you, LeFou!!

I expect this movie will have a whole new generation of little girls falling in love with the feisty Belle. And for those of us who've always loved Belle, this movie does not disappoint!! So go watch it!! Oh, and don't forget to IMAX!!