NYC pictorial pt. XV - pets edition pt. III

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

Oscar's family suffers from a serious case of fuku, a traditional Dominican term for bad luck. Like the shit-out-of, you're absolutely screwed, may as well write your will kind of bad luck. This extraordinary novel jumps from the Dominican Republic to New Jersey, gliding effortlessly across time, in a raw and honest portrayal of one family's fight against fate.

To be honest, I wasn't sure what to make of this book after the first page. Then, the language sucked me in. Diaz has managed to write with literary prowess while instilling an earthy conversational appeal. His Lord of the Rings and Encyclopedia Brown references alone had me giddy with joy. His frequent use of Spanish, nerdology and modern-day lingo makes for a heady mix of wordskill that I couldn't get enough of.

And what a story! I felt for poor, fat Oscar and his lovesick earnestness, sympathized with Lola's plight, marveled at Beli's extraordinary childhood. Diaz tied together the story's elements in a truly unique way, and ended the tale intelligently; that is, to say, realistically.

I Know

the swirly summery strings in the intro match today's weather perfectly

NYC pictorial pt. XIV

A Widow for One Year

A Widow for One year is divided into two sections. The first depicts a watershed summer in the year of 1958. Ted and Marion Cole are grieving over the horrific deaths of their two teenage sons, whose presence is saturated in the sad household in the form of dozens of photographs. Their daughter, little 4-year-old Ruth Cole grows up surrounded by these memories, ignored by her mother and only mildly cared for by her absent, extramarital affair-loving author of a father. Enter Eddie O'Hare, who Ted hires as a writer's assistant. In this one summer, in the idyllic Long Island summer setting, a somewhat astonishing connection is forged between these four characters.
The second section portrays Ruth at 36 years of age. She is a successful writer and is about to be reconnected to that landmark summer in a series of often inconceivable situations.

I first read this book when I was about 19 or 20 years old. I enjoyed it then but categorized it with the other John Irvings I found to be "good, but not great." Boy, was I wrong. This is truly an extraordinary piece of written work. The detail in the storyline, the unerring connections that the fortunate reader can piece together, the heart, the soul, the symbolism, the humor, the tragedy. Just stunning. I think one of the most important messages this novel conveys is that what or who affects you as a child, can in turn affect the choices you make for yourself for the rest of your life. Sure, it may not be true of everyone, but I think it is so for most people. Irving expresses this in an exquisitely understated manner. And for that, I cherish him as one of my favorite writers of all time.

Heartbeats

Lost Fan Questionnaire

Thanks to fellow blogger and avid Lost fan Nik at Nite, I have something to do while my nerves gradually fray waiting for the premiere. TOMORROW, 9PM WILL BE THE GREATEST MOMENT EVARRRR.

1. What country are you from?
USA! USA!

2. Have you been watching right from the beginning or did you catch up quickly on DVD? If the latter, what season did you start watching it live?
I didn't watch from the beginning. I downloaded the first season from Kazaa (oh, those were the days) and proceeded to neither sleep, eat, nor shower for the following two weeks. I started watching the show live when the second season began.

3. What is it about Lost that drew you in in the first place?
That it DIDN'T answer any questions right away. That it assumed that the viewers had higher than average intelligence. That it was unlike any other show to air on TV.

4. What do you think is the funniest moment on Lost?
When Hurley threw the burrito at Ben. I think I choked on my (Dharma) beer and it almost came out my nose.

5. What was the saddest moment for you?
Hmm, tie between when Charlie died and when Sun thinks Jin died in the explosion.

6. Who is your favourite character (if you have one) and why?
Sayid: because he is effortlessly polite, level-headed and intuitive. AND OH SO SEXY.

7. What, if any, do you think has been the biggest misstep the writers have made on the show?
Adding "new" characters in later seasons who were presumably "always there," ie: Nikki, Paulo, Frogurt.

8. What is your favourite storyline to follow?
I love it ALL - okay except maybe for the cheesier "love tangle" plotlines.

9. What is your least favourite storyline?
See above

10. What other shows do you watch right now?
Fringe, CSI (only Las Vegas, the others are rubbish) Damages, Archer

11. What are your all-time favourite shows?
uh, Lost. The X-Files, Mad Men, South Park

12. What is the biggest question you want answered on Lost in season 6?
How did they come up with the exact numbers??

13. Do you have a theory on how Lost is going to end?
To be honest? No. I have a lot of theories about how the final season will begin, but I haven't a clue how the Lost team is going to wrap this all up.

14. It’s been said the season will end on one single image. What do you think that image will be?
The island.

15. What’s your favourite thing about the Lost fan community?
How much we all love to theorize. I mean, a single show got millions of people across the world to actually USE their brains, instead of mindlessly sitting on their couches, gaping at the screen.

16. What do you plan to do when it’s all over?
Cry for weeks. Mourn. Tattoo myself with the numbers.