Bored and loud.

This book can now be added to my ‘read after seeing the movie and regretting it’ list. Same goes for Trainspotting and several others that escape me at the moment.

Reading the introduction to it, I realised I might actually struggle with the nadsat language used, but after just a chapter, it wasn’t an issue. The context is plenty, and it definitely adds to the story - especially towards the end where it’s use is slightly decreased. Often I have trouble with complex language in books because I don’t take my time reading it - reading aloud would be okay, but reading to myself not. Thankfully this was fine, fantastic even, it’s a fascinating use of words.

The story itself, if my memory serves me right, differs from the book slightly. Probably because I can’t remember the movie so much (it’s been a few years), I found the book to have a lot more substance and story. It could just be that I’ve forgotten details, but it’s no surprise that I’d prefer a book over the movie. It’s also started to renew my interest in how the mind works, and the nature/nurture and conditioning debates. I didn’t enjoy studying psychology at school, but I still find the subject interesting and this definitely made me think a lot more about it.

I’d highly recommend this book to anyone that asked. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s definitely worth a read at some point. Then watch the movie, because it’s pretty damn good as I remember. Must watch that again.

Having never heard of this book, the title and cover caught my eye when my friend was reading it, so I borrowed it after she was done. The beginning got me hooked and I started reading intently, but soon found it was going nowhere. A slight twist on a murder mystery, I thought it’d be fast-paced and dramatic, but what little drama it had, was not particularly thrilling.

The story turned into more of a societal observation of many areas of rich coastline in Europe - how people move there but retreat into their own houses within their gated communities. With the twist of one man changing it, of course.

Overall I wasn’t overly impressed, and the ending was most certainly an anti-climax. Although there was no build up, so I’m not sure I can really call it that! The ideas and observations of the society were interesting enough, but could have been done much better - same goes for the murder aspect.

Cocaine Nights - JG Ballard

The first time I was introduced in any major way to this story was in an ethics class, when, with little warning, the scene of the bodies being piled up was put on. A shock, but the story immediately intrigued me, and I quickly saw the rest of the movie and read about it, but it was only a few weeks ago when I finally got a copy of the book from a friend.

I started it immediately and found it oddly easy to read – I expected complicated vocabulary and structure, but it was very easy to follow. I cannot remember how it compares to the movie, but the book is fantastic in it’s own right and I can see how well it converted to a movie.

I guess I shouldn’t say I enjoyed the book, 6 million Jews died (aside from the gays and disabled..), but this is a heart-warming read, about one person who could see through the bureaucracy and did what he knew in himself was right.

So it’s been an odd few weeks since I last updated this. Not last Thursday, but the Thursday before, my friends, my housemates and I were all devastated with the news that one of our friends had finally been defeated by cancer, after several years of fighting. We’d been told in December that he had 24-48 hours left, and as we spoke to him when he returned home we slowly regained confidence that once again he was defying the doctors’ predictions and fighting strong. He was looking forward to coming back out with us all, completing his education and getting a job. Unfortunately it wasn’t to be, and he was told he had cancer again and his liver, kidneys and lungs were failing; there was no hope left. So after a quiet and hard weekend, it was back to work and a routine before his funeral last Wednesday. There were so many people, that with the chapel full, many more had to remain in the waiting area, watching it via a video link. The service was very appropriate, but no less devastating. The wake followed at his house, although us ‘Living End people’ didn’t stay so long – it was a long drive, and we wanted to leave it to the family.

On Wednesday evening, Trav and I went to Kim and Toni’s place, where Luke and Kristen were, and Jerri and Kylie who had come from Queensland. Hugo hadn’t been able to make the funeral, but he came to help us celebrate his life. Several drinks were had, memories shared and just trying to get through it with each other at our sides.

Love ya Jawny, always will.

Despite this hard time, Kat, Amber and me went to see Adam Rosenbach, and I saw Antti Hakala – the good and the bad. They went to a few more shows, but I was seeing the ugly, Flogging Molly and the Currency (ok, perhaps not so ugly!) The show was fantastic, The Currency were well received by the crowd, and it was an enjoyable night.

This weekend just past, I got a few things done. Friday evening I went out to take some photos with the borrowed tripod again, not so successfully. I then spent a relaxing night watching ‘The Fountain’, which wasn’t so impressive. Saturday dawned bright and early and I went to the city to take photos of the State Library of Victoria, something I’ve been meaning to do for a while, and headed to QV where there was an afternoon of skateboarding, BMXing, trailbiking, breakdancing, parkour..a whole assortment of urban-based sports. A very small set up, it reminded me of the Sprite Urban Games, the annual event in London. On a very small scale though! And for only several hours rather than over 2-3 days. So I got my share of photos before heading home for another relaxing afternoon and evening. Sunday brought something to enjoy – Brunetti’s! Amber’s birthday being this week, we decided to do something different and headed to Brunetti’s for lunch, gelati and cake. Pricey, but delicious and rich, and was much enjoyed. Another relaxing afternoon and evening brought an end to what had been a lovely, slow-paced, healing weekend.

Another book on a World War, but this time the first. And another change of subject, Native North Americans from Canada. So this had the potential to be a pleasant change to the norm for me, but turned into a tedious and quite slow book. It has three main lines to follow for the majority. Firstly, the story of a young man returning home from war and travelling up a river with his aunt. Secondly, the childhood and lead-up to going to war with his friend (or cousin, I lost track). And lastly, the story of both of them in the war. Although relatively easy to follow, it became very old very quickly.

The story itself followed their adjustments to a Western lifestyle, and a chaotic war-time one at that. However, their hunting skills from their usual lives come in handy and they quickly become popular amongst their colleagues – but not without suffering the crippling addictions and mental problems that come with it. It’s hardly a happy book.

Towards the end, it becomes predictable and drags on – and the final ending which could have been fantastic, was too short and ended too quickly. So it dragged on during it, and finished too quickly. Should have been the other way around.

I saw the movie of this book last year in one of my psychology classes, but was not aware it was a book, or true. However, when Kat received some her new books and I saw this was one of them, I kidnapped it and started reading straight away – that was Monday. I finished it last night.

Written in a slightly different way to the movie, more intermittent and jumpy, with medical notes slotted in at appropriate times. It’s a very easy read, and is only short – reminding me of ‘Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption’ being made from a short-story into a full-length movie. But the details it includes and insight into psychiatric hospitals is amazing, it’s an engrossing book. The book does not differ from the movie too much, and I’d highly recommend both to anyone. However, having seen the movie first, as I read I cannot help but see characters in the book as their actress counterparts (in particular, Angelina Jolie as Lisa), and as it’s been a while since I saw the movie, I cannot remember whether the specific details are correct in the movie from the book. Now that I’ve read it, I will definitely have to see the movie again!

One chapter of the book is taken direct from the diagnostic book used by psychologists and psychiatrists, the section describing borderline personality disorder. Having studied psychology, I know of the book, and how influential it was, and is, for doctors through America. The description, and Kaysen’s analysis of it, is bitterly amusing.

With the Melbourne International Comedy festival well under way, I still have nearly all the shows I’ve booked for to come!

I attended my first show solo on Tuesday night, ‘Edinburgh Festa Besta’, featuring three comedians who have performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. The MC for the evening, a Teddy someone, was not to my taste and I also noticed many of the audience looking clueless when he was pausing for laughter. In an all male show, the first one out was Dave Grant, and a Melbourne bloke who based many of his jokes around a recent trip to Darwin – with much success, a very amusing guy! As Teddy announced a short break and warned everybody to be back in time for the next act, I was shocked to hear it was Nik Coppin. Being friends with Toni, I’ve heard endless comments about him and have been eagerly awaiting his arrival at Comfest. Having booked a ticket for this, I also booked one to his solo show next week, not knowing he’d be at the Festa Besta! When he emerged I was relieved to find he is fantastic, very entertaining with a fresh look on the world – including his home country of England, and thankfully not in a pompous, arrogant way that so many do. So that was fantastic, and I was left to eagerly look forward to the ‘headliner’. Unfortunately, an American with a poor sense of humour (and dress sense) emerged and I was left to half-heartedly laugh my way through it, with just a few good giggles to be had.

Comedians make most of their work from making amusing observations of life and the world around them, often exaggerating them or delivering them in a comical way. Unfortunately he’d missed Comedy Class 101 and simply made the observations and relayed them to us in a rather unfunny and overly American way – very in-your-face, me Tarzan, you Jane way. But as the great singer Meat Loaf tells us, two out of three ain’t bad!

Next up I have Josh Thomas over the weekend, which is the ‘biggest’ name I’ve gone for. Following that, Nik Coppin’s full solo show and a Finnish comedian called Antti Hakala who has some good reviews. I may end up going to a couple others, but it’ll be spur of the moment and probably due to my housemates or friends telling me who we need to see - they’re all much more clued up on comedy. Hopefully this’ll keep me giggling away for a little while at least!

With Saturday came the ever-popular Earth Hour idea, of switching off lights and un-used appliances for an hour. As it approached 8pm we were still waiting for our take away to arrive so the doorbell stayed plugged in, but after making the last cup of tea for an hour and turning off lights, we settled down to some delicious Indian food arriving at 8pm on the dot, lit the candles and spent some quality time together (we being Kat, Trav and myself). After I’d eaten my dinner I headed to see if I could get any photos of the city, lack of tripod proved the main problem here. However, the view was impressive, with most of the taller city buildings switching off their buildings including the Eureka building and Rialto towers (although apparently viewing platforms were both open during this time – presumably packed full of people). Some houses in our neighbourhood had switched what seemed like all their lights on, but the majority seemed to be doing their bit. I came home to find Kat and Trav playing Uno by candlelight, but both cheating and finding that green and blue cards looked the same!! Checking the colour by candlelight also proved dangerous, so instead we moved the iTouch next to the deck so we could see!

After I had an earlyish night on Saturday, I woke up early enough to go for a swim on Sunday morning. Around lunch time I woke up Trav so that we could go to the Game On exhibition at ACMI in Federation Square. A range of arcade, console and computer games from 1960s to now. At $15 for entry it seems a little steep, but being able to play them all for free was fantastic! After I beat Trav in most of the street-fighter-esque games, he beat me at Ms Pacman, which is only a little embarrassing. I then persuaded him to play Pro Evo 2006 with me, and after I scored a penalty (from his violent tackle in the box), I only mocked him a little bit. The guys behind us waiting found it quite funny too! Quite a good exhibition really, a good range of games – including portable games like Game Boys and PSPs. There were some information displays, but the majority was interactive based, which was great! Any people who believe that Earth Hour is contradictory and pointless will be glad to hear that plenty of electricity is in use for this exhibition.

At first I was little confused in reading this book, it seemed to be a fiction although told in the same way as some dramatic docos. The last 20 pages being references, I’m led to believe it’s a true story!

It follows the story of Claude and Madeleine, who met in Vietnam, are French and become secret agents of sorts after the Nazis conquer France. It follows their efforts to do their bit for the resistance and to prove to the British that they’re capable of it. However the book gives so little information about their characters and relationships and focuses on the activities and tasks, presumably because the references only give location and factual information rather than character details. So it is left unfabricated in that sense and we must assume why they act as they do.

The ending is quite an anti-climax, mostly because with 20 or so pages left, you’re expecting much more of a story. For it to suddenly end and begin to cite references is a shock, but that’s how it goes and there was simply no more story to tell. Despite reasons for the book being short and uninformative, some parts were fascinating and gives a small insight into the lives of secret ‘agents’ during WW2.