A Prayer for Owen Meany (5)

This is a post about big, scary, old books. You know the ones. They’ve been sitting on your shelf, slowly gathering dust, bought with good intentions, or to impress someone cute. Maybe you wanted to be just like Rory Gilmore or Hermione Granger and wanted to read everything, but found yourself liking the idea of reading the book a lot more than the book itself.

There is something so satisfying in being able to say “There, I’ve done it. I’ve finished.” And it is especially satisfying when it’s been a long time coming.

This was a long time coming. I started reading A Prayer for Owen Meany when I was called back to be in the play Book-It was performing. This was, oh, October 2011. I read as much as my character, Aunt Martha, was in, but then I got stuck. I got stuck amid the chapter our play was about. There was something about living that story for four hours a day that made me really not want to read them any more. Our Mary was even funnier. I could watch her tomorrow.

I tried again when the play was over. Still no. I put it down. And then I was in the remount the next year and I still hadn’t finished the book. How embarrassing…I re-read the chapters we were doing and finally got to dive into new material. Chapter Eight.

 

kind of like this...but don't tell John Irving I said that.

A Prayer for Owen Meany was beautiful. It was interesting. But the problem was, I knew what was going to happen. From the liberal hints of my castmates who had done their homework, and the liberal foreshadowing, it wasn’t a matter of what was going to happen, but how. And it was lovely, and so worth it and so satisfying, and surprisingly not depressing when I finally got there.

Once I was reading the book, I liked it. But when I wasn’t reading the book, I had more fun discussing episodes of Doctor Who and Game of Thrones. I enjoyed savoring the book. And I was well-versed enough in the basic themes and character that I didn’t get lost when I put it down. I had three chapters I could recite in my sleep. 

think of Mr & Mrs Eastman just like this

The novel follows Johnny Eastman (father unknown) and his relationship with is best friend Owen Meany.

I am doomed to remember a boy with a wrecked voice not because of his voice, or because he was the smallest person I ever knew, or even because he was an instrument of my mother's death, but because he is the reason I believe in God; I am a Christian because of Owen Meany.

 It is an epic of a tale, following the boys from the age of 11 and told by present-day Johnny Eastman. Owen is the kind of best friend who knows exactly what his life's purpose is and who tries to help Johnny figure out a path of his own. Owen wants to know who Johnny's father is, but Johnny isn't sure he wants to know.

Owen knows exactly how he is going to die.

You know what? Just go read it. It took me two years to read all I can remember is the beginning and the end and some really funny parts in the middle. Hester the Molester...I don't even know what to say except I can't wait for you to meet Hester.

Gone Girl (4)

“She wasn’t on the water, she wasn’t in the house. Amy was not there. Amy was gone.” – Gone Girl

GoneGirl surprised me, and I like to think that that’s hard to do. Not only was the plot relatively unpredictable, the characters and what they’re each hiding is thrilling. Gillian Flynn surprised me by not being your run-of-the-mill mystery/thriller author. Flynn’s characters were not only dynamic, they brought to mind a person that you knew and never understood before. There was an amount of Humbert Humbert (from Lolita) in them. I won’t say how much, that would spoil the novel, and the subject matter is thankfully quite different. In Gone Girl, Flynn discusses our ideas and ideals of marriage. But I digress, here’s a synopsis for you:

            The book starts with Nick, a married man in his 30s celebrating his fifth anniversary with his wife, Amy. They live in Nick’s hometown of North Carthage, Missouri, where they moved almost two years previously, after each losing their jobs in New York City and Nick found out his mother was dying. Amy resents Nick for having moved them away from her hometown, and Nick resents her resentment.

            And then, Amy disappears. The novel switches to a diary entry from Amy from seven years before, when she met Nick. From then on we see Nick’s story unravel in present time while we get to hear Amy’s side of the story through her diary.

                        “Give me a man with a little fight in him, a man who calls me on my bullshit. (But who also kind of likes my bullshit.)” – Gone Girl

            I don’t know how much I can say without ruining some plot twist for you, but do be warned it is a bit slow for a thriller. I would not say it was boring, or that you could leave it for long, but you are physically capable of putting the book down, as opposed to The Hunger Games. I might even classify it in the Song of Ice and Fire realm…you can put it down, but inevitably you want to know who done it!

            All of the characters seemed like possible suspects: from old stalkers to jealous in-laws, the husband or too-good-to-be-true parents possibly masquerading as psychotics? this is where my mind goes. And while the suspect was on my list of suspects…when every character you’ve heard mentioned even once is on your list, it’s rather likely that you’ll at least guess. But the method, and the story behind Amy’s disappearance…just wait until you get there.

                        “It’s a very difficult era in which to be a person, just a real, actual person, instead of a collection of personality traits selected from an endless Automat of characters.” Gone Girl

Faster read than: A Casual Vacancy (which I loved), The Thirteenth Tale (which was sweet)

Slower read than: Cinder, The Hunger Games, The Da VinciCode

Another reason to read it: Reese Witherspoon is booked to star in the film adaption. So you can read the book before the movie, which is always a better choice than the alternative. And more importantly you can read the book before the movie is being talked about, which will make you look smart. Which means its happening. And also that Reese Witherspoon is about to make a movie worth watching, which I’m excited for. Maybe I can get famous and dye my hair in time to play Andie.

            I’m actually kind of curious to see how this plays out in the movie…I feel like it could be made into a decent thriller but won’t have the same lovely psychological insanity unless the adapter is really good at his/her job.

Auditions & Bossypants (4.5)

            Let’s take a break from the sad books, or books that make me sad because I hate them. Who doesn’t need a good laugh in the darkness of the brink of winter solstice? This book is like a happy lamp for your soul. Especially if you are working in the arts and need to know that everyone hates themselves as much as you hate yourself after a bad audition.

Personal anecdote time: (If you came here just for a book review, just go ahead and skip this. If you came here because you are my friend, read on!)

Speaking of bad auditions…I keep posting on my facebook wall “going to _____!” Why, why, WHY do I keep doing this? It inevitably leads to a string of “break a legs!” and “how did it go?” that, while heartfelt and wonderful, mean that I have to relive every horrible moment of some soul-crushing experience.

            Not that all auditions are soul-crushing, by any means. Often I leave an audition feeling like I nailed it, knowing that if I don’t get the role it’s because of some redhead or brunette or 5’ 10” girl that also wowed them and was the look they wanted.

            Yesterday was another story. Yesterday I had my first audition that I had to flash my fancy brand-new “Equity Membership Candidate” card (EMC). It was at Intiman, and I spent the entire Sunday night singing my songs, picking out the best piece, and researching all four of their plays. I watched their welcome video. I pulled up my resume and edited and printed and edited and printed until I just stared out the inadequacy of my credentials.

            I went into the auditions feeling confident, but terrified. My pieces were solid, my voice was in good shape, and it wasn’t like there was some perfect part for me, if I just showed them something awesome maybe they could find me a chorus role. Fourth wife on the left in Lysistra would have been fine by me if that’s what they wanted.

            I walked in, and they were SO NICE. Introduced themselves, shook my hand, smiled at me, and genuinely looked interested in seeing my work.

            I tanked. Oh lord how I tanked. I don’t remember breathing, and by the time I left the room I was shaking, literally, from head to toe. Maybe finger to toe would be a more apt description, but you get my point. I could barely change from my character shoes to my boots because I couldn’t stand on one foot.

            Apart from the fact I didn’t breathe and I croaked out the first note of my song like a frog and I wanted to die, I might have done ok. And actually, it felt kind of good realizing that I cared enough to be so terrified. Every time I tell someone how the audition went, they try to make me feel better. Which is sweet, I absolutely appreciate the sentiment, but honestly I don’t feel bad about it. I feel like yes, this is what I want to do, and it terrifies me and excites me in ways that I can barely explain. I love it. Even when I tank, I love that I prepared as best I could and knew I could do better, if only I wasn’t so scared. Because that fear will go away. I’ll sing in front of more people and eventually it’ll feel the same as when I sing alone in my basement.

Oh yeah, we were talking about Tina Fey, weren’t we?

I don’t read a lot of nonfiction because I like to read a solid plot with solid characters. If I know how it ends, I don’t care about reading it nearly as much. Tina Fey’s Bossypants starts out chronicling her early life including her struggling acting career. While, as an actor, it is nice to see that even Tina Fey once struggled with her career, I also know that she’s going to make amazing things happen, so half of me completely gets every moment of panic, and half of me just doesn’t by it.

            Tina Fey is just as hilarious as you’d expect, her anecdotes are funny, but I find her lack of self confidence both adorable and annoying. Part of me thinks, hey, you have an Emmy-award winning show running 7 seasons, shut. up. And part of me is happy to know that I’m not the only one who suffers these cripping moments of artistic lack of self-worth.

            That being said, by the end of the book I wanted nothing more than to grow up to be exactly like Tina Fey. She is fierce, funny, and overall a normal person who works very hard at doing what she loves. It was inspiring reading her journey from a young girl hanging out with the theater weirdos to playing with the big boys and producing her own show. I loved that she struggled with everything that woman in the arts struggle with. How do you balance a family with a 80-hour-a-week schedule? Are you screwing up your child? If you have a second one, will you completely derail your career? 

            I often read this book before an audition, because it made me happy instead of stressed and it also gave me a huge sense of empowerment being a woman in the arts. Thank you, Tina Fey, for showing me that this journey is full of many, many bumps but is in the end, worth it, and a hilarious ride.

           

                                                

The Casual Vacancy (4.5)

   I’m obsessed with the Harry Potter series. I’ve read each of those books more times then is ok to admit. I grew up with them, and because of this I feel a little like I know J.K. Rowling. I sometimes refer to her as “Jo” and I was so excited that she was writing a new book. In my mind, the worst case scenario was that it would be a total flop and she would go back to writing Harry Potter novels.

            From the start, I was hooked. Casual Vacancy was as un-Potterish as it is possible to be. J.K. Rowling used the word “cunt” and talked about an erection. WHAT? Who is this author??

            Casual Vacancy has the most unusual and dynamic cast of characters, each of them tragic in their own way. This is not a happy romp through an idyllic town but rather a town masking the war brewing underneath the surface. No, not Voldemort, this war is about ideals, money, and hidden desires. In a sense, this book is about the Dursley’s life, if Harry Potter did not exist. In fact, you might think Dudley Dursley is a much sweeter kid than Fats, one of the major players in Casual Vacancy.

            If you can muddle through how quickly Jo switches character point of view, sometimes mid-paragraph, and begin to make sense of her writing style, if you can find it in your heart to root for some of these tragic, broken people, than you will read a book that takes you on the emotional ride of your life.

I have a habit of reading some sad books, so this was totally up my alley. If Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire broke your heart, then this book might be a little too intense for you.  

If you wanted to know what was really going on in some of those empty classrooms in Hogwarts, or how the Dursley’s fit in with normal society, and enjoy books that are not action/adventure/mystery but a bit of a slow build, then you’ll love The Casual Vacancy.

Next week: a plug and a book review, all in one!

Winter is Coming...

le scarf!

I finally finished my scarf! I've been working on this thing for ages, which is ridiculous because it was pretty easy to knit. It didn't take me too long to do once I got started, but I'm lazy so it took forever. It's pretty easy, and if you would like to make one yourself, the directions can be found at TLC's website. I had to google a few things myself because I knit so rarely I sometimes forget what they mean when they say "purl" or how to cast off at the end of a piece...
Which reminds me, if I'm ever going to finish my hat I'm going to have to figure out how to "cast off" of circular needles. And find the pattern again.

this is a terrifying picture of me,
but I'm too lazy to take another.

Next, perhaps I'll finish a book.
I have read the first four books in A Song of Ice and Fire or more commonly known as A Game of Thrones, which is the title of the first book. They are quite long and there are a lot of characters, so I've been savoring them a bit. The first one took me a week to "savor" because it was so good. Than the second took me a bit longer, and the third longer than that, and the fourth took the longest. I know they're good because I keep trying to take a break from them and then decide I want to read them again within a few days.

They are the kind of books you need to take some time with, I think, because there are just so many characters and they are competing in the game of thrones, so basically all of them are competing against each other so most of them cannot win. George R. R. Martin is not kind to his readers, he let's us love them until he kills them and he sometimes makes us understand them just to destroy them. So if you want some light reading where the good guys win and the bad guys lose, this series is most definitely not for you. However, if you enjoy political intrigue and the kind of characters that make Snape look simple, than by all means, start the bloodbath.

Stay tuned: while I decide whether or not to finish said hat or move onto making a t-shirt quilt or these nifty headbands, possibly with scraps from the first t-shirt quilt.