Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell

It should not have taken me so long to get around to reading Cloud Atlas, but it did.  The book was recommended to me by a trusted source, and I normally wouldn't put it off as long as I did, but somehow it just turned out this way.

I can't say I regret it taking so long, though.  The book is excellent, and I think it best that I read it over the past week or so, when I was in a place that I could focus on it and get into it the way I wanted to.  It's a book that wants that kind of attention, and deserves it.

The structure of the novel is beautifully envisioned and executed.  The unfolding of the stories could not have been more perfectly put together.  And the way the book resonates... it's just a lovely reading experience.

If you haven't read it yet, do.  It's really worth lending your best readerly attention to this book.



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Van Helsing

I'd seen bits and pieces of Van Helsing at various times since it came out, but never got a chance to sit down and watch the whole movie until recently.  That's actually kind of funny, because I had intended to see it on the big screen when it was first released.

I ended up quite enjoying the movie.  It was fun, for the most part, and full of action.  I enjoyed the way it played with older texts and wove together a new, engaging story that was fun in its own rights.


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The Hobbit

I finally got around to seeing The Hobbit last week after Christmas.  I thought it a visually stunning film, like the other LOTR movies, but it was much too long.  I really don't see the need to push it to three installments.  The story became draggy, and it doesn't make the next two look very promising.  There was too much of the beautiful-scenery-and-music going on.  A quicker pace and shorter film would've been preferable, I think.

I've always been a big fan of Tolkien, and liked the first three films, but this one has made me think twice about whether or not I will see the final two.


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