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Friday, September 24, 2010

IT meets Leland Gaunt

Yes you read it right. If Stephen King was to fuse the book IT and Needful Things this would be it. But i wouldn't be surprised coz Straub and King are good friends and as they say good friends think alike. *shrugs*

Anyhoo, the story is about 5 old men who created the Chowder Society where they meet twice a month to tell stories. When Edward Wanderley died the 4 remaining friends started to tell ghost stories. What's scary about this that the ghost in their stories came to life. It was just like IT in the S.King's novel IT. IT takes form of your worst fear... in this book it takes form of your dead relatives, dead friends and dead neighbors and it will drive you crazy.

It all started when a girl named Eva Galli came to their town 50 or so years ago. Her fiancee died after cutting his arm on a farm equipment. He bleed to death shouting words like "Kill her", "Cut her to pieces", etc. Then this girl mysteriously disappeared in town. Later in the book you would know that the Chowder Society members that time merely out from being teenagers accidentally killed her.

There are a lot of strange scenes occurring in the book. Like when Sears (one of the CSmemebers) saw a pale boy on his stairs staring at her. And how they all dreamed about themselves being chased by a monster and seeing their friend's dead faces.

I say its like Leland Gaunt at S.K's Needful Things novel is because Eva Galli is more or less like Gaunt or shall I say her kind. They introduce themselves as the originals of the human supernaturals, that they appear as to how human's persive them. At first i thought the books is one of the classic Vadic type of books coz every time they tell a story the story comes to life or the characters come to like.

Reading this book made me jumpy whenever i hear things and I have to admit kinda make me paranoid coz you will really feel as if someone is lurking behind you just like Ricky felt or like Lewis felt when he took that job in his forest.

I have never read a book that scared me, not since IT and now this is the second book that creeped me out.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Kali - Goddess of Distruction

This book was one of the books that was chosen by Orionbooks UK to republish under their collections of literally horror novels along side Stephen King, Ray Bradbury, Peter Straub and four more world reknowned authors of such genra.

I have picked up this book because of the title, not knowing that Dan Simmons is a famous horror novelist along side the great Stephen King.

Song of Kali, i know the name, since i am a fanatic with mythologies, with the different Gods and Goddesses on all types of civilizations and beliefs. Kali is the Hindu Goddess of Death and Destruction. The story of the book even took place to a very interesting place in India, it is in the heart of Calcutta. One of the slum cities in India, known for its corruption, disease and misery. It was the story of Robert Luczak who was sent to Calcutta to find a famous Indian Poet who was presumed dead but now a local organization has claimed this famous Indian Poet is very much alive.

I though the book was all about supernatural, horror, something that will give you nightmares and would make you think twice in going into the city of the dark goddess. Any moment i was waiting for Kali herself to appear. But to my disappointment nothing like that happened. Instead it was all about stupidity and idiocy. There was no horror in the story. I think the only grotesque thing that happened in the pages is when Robert finally found his lost baby son only to find out that his son's body was used to smuggled jewelry out from Calcutta. Think about this scene, a local woman pretending she was holding her baby only to find out that it was only a baby's head she's holding and underneath the clothes and wrappings of the so called baby body is all illegal jewelries.

I say it was stupidity because Mr. Luczak brought along his wife and infant son along to his Calcutta assignment. I mean c'mon, Calcutta isn't a place for a vacation or for another honeymoon. He was warned by his friend but still he didn't listen and whatever disaster he has come in Calcutta is because of his stupidity.

The book is a perfect example of a western tourist being totally fooled by the local people in the city he has visited. I can't see the point on the remarks that was made about this book. NO, it was not one of the most brilliant first novels i read. and DEFINITELY NOT the best novel in years and in his genre. and TOTALLY NO horrors in the pages only pure stupidity.

Or maybe i have read too many horror and gruesome books already that this book reads like bedtime stories for kids to me.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

In the end a cockroach became a senator

So i'm going through the bargain books at the 31st manila international book fair. Once again i oogled myself on books for only a dollar or less which were originally $14 or more. One of the books i found was Kockroach. It caught my attention not because of its cover but because of its title. And as i read through the brief description of the book by the back cover, I found it interesting since it did say that a cockroach woke up as a human on one of the low class hotel at time square. For a person who hates and fears cockarachas this book should be something i should not pick up, but the words gangs,violence, politics, money and sex is something that i am always drawn into.

Now, here's the yacky part. I though the book is like a metaphor. You know the word cockroach is often used to describe a human being. To may horror, the book is literary about a cockroach (the yacky icky insect that it is) waking up as a human. So I found myself reading through the first chapters about how a cockroach think, their traits and eeeewwww.. how they have sex. I have learned a few triva about this icky things... If you cut their head off they will still be alive for 3days. If there's a nuclear blast annihilating the earth they will still live. Now after this book i have learned that european cockroack likes long foreplay in sex while american cockroaches just like to hump the female right away. >.<

But here's the interesting part, as i read through the pages of the book, i have come to admire Kockroach now named, Jerry Blatta. He has became rich and famous among the streets of New York because of his buddy Mite whom found him on the streets. Mite has taught him the ways of men and as a cockroach that easyly adopt change and their greed and hunger for food and for sex (coz it was said male cockroach has only two things in mind... he is always hungry and always want to mate). So not long did Kockroach and Mite rise up into the greek gangstars. Unfortunately, Mite is a treacherous bastard. With Kockroaches ambition to be the top boss and Mite's jealousy on Kockroaching who was mating his girl, he betrayed him. Thus ended their life as top gangsters.

Now eight years has passed and Mite has come back to New York only to find out that his former friend and boss is now almost own the whole businesses in NY. From being a gangster boss, Kockroach has risen as a businessman like the likes of Trump and Bronson. Even though he knew Mite betrayed him he still took him under his wing. Although Mite promised that he won't betray him again Kockroach told him "Don't bother, we are what we are." Now this is one of the many lines i like about the book. But Kockroach still isn't satisfied about being a rich businessman. Towards the end of the book it shows that he is running for the U.S Senate which i believe he has successfully achieved and maybe if the author wrote further U.S might have a cockroach turn to human as their President.

I have come to like the book, even though its giving me the icky details of the life and times of a cockaracha. But there is a story to be told. We are what we are as Kockroach said to Mite. No body ever change somehow your true self will always peek into the world we build in and will tumble it down. No matter how we work hard and finally thinking we have it all, something will always come down and take it all away from us living us to start all over again. There is also a sense of brotherhood. I see that Kockroach is a true example of a real friend. Even though he knew that Mite betrayed him constantly he still consider him as a friend, his palsy, his brother. A lot my say his stupid by not killing him, even Mite thought Kockroach will kill him. But Kockroach accepted him as who he is and since Mite was the one who actually taught him about human society. When Mite asked him why.. Kockroach simply answered him... "I am who i am because of you."

Friday, September 17, 2010

The women of Luxe

I have been interested in this book ever since I saw it on the shelves of Bestsellers in Robinson's Galleria. Not because I have read its short description of the back of the cover but because of the gowns that the women in the covers wore. I have always called this book the Gossip Girl of the turn of 19th century New York.
When finally i have come to buy this book, I couldn't put it down. As a person who likes to socialize and host parties, I have come to love this book. Along the pages of the book you would find out that what ever era we are living the social classes in New York always acts the same.

For book one: The Luxe, enter Elizabeth Holland. The eldest among the two Holland sisters. She is fresh from Paris and just turned 18. Due to their unfortunate financial drop Elizabeth was forced to marry into money rather then love. Enter Henry Shoonemaker, son of the wealthy William Shoonmaker who almost own all of New York. However, Penelope Hayes (bestfriend of Elizabeth Holland) has eyes on Henry who surprisingly fell in love with Diana Holland, sister of Elizabeth who hasn't even turned 18 yet.
Elizabeth didn't really love Henry, in face she loved Will Keller, their coachman. So with the help of Penelope, Elizabeth staged her own death and elope to California with Will.

On to the second book: Rumors. Rumors is Elizabeth isn't really dead. Penelope thought with Elizabeth out of the picture she can have Henry, but no, Henry is head over heels with Diana. So, when she found Carolina Broad (former hand maiden of Elizabeth Holland) homeless since she was fired from the Holland House, Carolina became her source of black mail to Henry into marrying her.

Third book: Envy: Penelope successfully blacked mailed Henry into marrying her. But Henry isn't even sleeping with her nor talking to her. They have acted civilized wife and man in front of the public eyes. Meanwhile, Carolina Broad has became an overnight socialite when a rich old bachelor left her his entire estate (talk about gold digger). But this girl didn't even came to love nor care about the old bachelor, instead she went out seeking for a different young bachelor that she fell inlove with

The final showdown: Splendor. By the end of Envy, Henry sent Diana a letter stating his going off to the army. Carefree as she is she followed him. They did have time to themselves until Henry's superior found out and ship them back to New York. Meanwhile, Penelope went after a European Prince and thought the Prince actually fell inlove with her which on later on the end of the book she was dump (talk about karma) And here is the good stuff i liked about the book. Henry and Diana didn't live happily ever after. In the end they still love each other. Even though Henry has divorced Penelope, Diana still can't see herself as a second wife to Henry Shoonemaker. She wanted Henry to come with her to Paris and live a new life. Unfortunately Henry didn't love her enough to do it.

Moral of the story? Well, don't be a Penelope coz one day or another Karma will knock on your door. ^_^ I love the book,  the glitz and glamour the fame and glory, the freedom to be able to host parties that the newspapers will print the next day or people that will talk about for days. To where fancy clothes... I dream of that life. Too bad I need lots of money to do that. And money is what i do not have. *sigh*