Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

After finishing Something Wicked This Way Comes, I turned my attentions to reading one of the other books that was nominated for June, Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad. I had been wanting to read it for a long time since hearing that the movie Apocalypse Now was loosely based on it.

The book was only 97 pages long and it was an excruciating 97 pages at that. The chapters were long and the story long-winded. I can see how this is a classic in that there are some unique characteristics to its form and story telling but that, like most books we are forced to read in school, does not always make for much enjoyment.

The best experience I had with this book was yesterday when I was just winding down and had only 10-12 pages to go. I had come to the conclusion that this was definitely not an enjoyable book and was just finishing it just to finish it. I was holding it on my way onto BART when a woman passing me looks at the book and said, "What a great book!" This left me more confused than anything. How could someone in this day and age find a long-winded book about a tale up the Congo River as a "great" book? So great in fact that you would go up to a complete stranger on the BART and tell them so. I immediately checked to see if my wallet was still in my pocket as this could only be an attempt to distract me from her partnering pick pocket as they make their move. Alas my wallet was still in my pocket and I was left to ponder this interaction for the next several BART stops. I eventually had to stop thinking about it or I may have gone as mad as Kurtz (the character in the book it takes 80 pages to build up to only to have him die by page 86).

Any who, don't bother with this book.

PS- Conrad is also a little too comfortable with the “N” word. He even entitled a book of his from 1897, “The N----- of the Narcissus, A Tale of the Sea”.

Furious Anger & Madness!!

Hello Bookworms,

I got on Blogger.com today to enjoy a delightful stroll through the Pleasant Hill Book Club blog and enjoy some tantalizing reading and maybe post a comment or two. Then suddenly, and to my great dismay I saw a poll which threw me into fits of rage and anger (and just in time to coincide with The Hulk movie too) great enough to make me throw my computer threw the window past the balcony and down 4 stories onto the concrete.

The screen no longer works so you'll have to excuse spelling errors. I'm just going to type and hit enter when I'm done.

How could a poll make me so angry you ask... Well, the poll wanted to know if I was a black-hat book or a white-hat book. Aside from the blatant and and INFURIATING racial profiling taking place here, and the obvious, implied suggestion that I should be wearing a hat because I have no hair, I don't know what either means. Of course there is no explanation or accompanying blog post so apparently it is assumed that I have the motivation to get on Google and look it up. Well, don't make me remind you that when you assume, you make an.... well, you know what you are Mr. Poll Poster.

At this point, I simply refuse to answer that question until an accompanying and explanatory blog is posted for my reading pleasure.

Thank you and Good day.

- Mr. Josh
Oh, and be sure to check out and post something on YouSays.com.

Because We Love Lists

I could not resist posting a Top 100 Movies List. Granted there are many many of these lists floating around, but I thought this was sufficiently well-rounded, and it includes bonus "too good to pass up" movies at the bottom. Feel free to post a rival list.

http://www.filmsite.org/ew100.html

June Movie: The French Connection

I'm a sucker for 1970's Gene Hackman.

Pleasant Hill Movie Club!!

Here is the order for the our new movie club!
June: Adam
July: Josh
August: Bryan
September: Terri
October: Whitney
November: LaDonna
December: Tony


Stay tunned for this month's movie! Should be posted soonish...

June's Book: Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury

A masterpiece of modern Gothic literature, Something Wicked This Way Comes is the memorable story of two boys, James Nightshade and William Halloway, and the evil that grips their small Midwestern town with the arrival of a "dark carnival" one Autumn midnight. How these two innocents, both age 13, save the souls of the town (as well as their own), makes for compelling reading on timeless themes. What would you do if your secret wishes could be granted by the mysterious ringmaster Mr. Dark? Bradbury excels in revealing the dark side that exists in us all, teaching us ultimately to celebrate the shadows rather than fear them. In many ways, this is a companion piece to his joyful, nostalgia-drenched Dandelion Wine, in which Bradbury presented us with one perfect summer as seen through the eyes of a 12-year-old. In Something Wicked This Way Comes, he deftly explores the fearsome delights of one perfectly terrifying, unforgettable autumn. --Stanley Wiater