By Ira Levin.
Prior to getting round to reading this, I did something I very rarely do. I watched the film; which I loved. Mygawd I've never watch such a creepy film (didn't help that it was on film4 at like 2.00am) and the opening of the baby's eyes at the end still haunt me to this day.
Anywayyy back to the book. I really enjoyed it and was delighted to see that Polanski stayed faithful and after carefully scrutinising Levin's description...Farrow played a brilliant Rosemary and I could visualise her as I read the book with her Vidal haircut and blue nightie. I found it to be written really well- it wasn't overly complex (as an English student when reading for pleasure I'm extremely pleased when books are quite simple to follow, I find that when its written in a complex way I have to 'study' it and I feel like I'm back in class and feel like it's become a set text rather than a book for pleasure).
So yes, Levin introduces us to a young couple, Rosemary and Guy Woodhouse who have just moved into an apartment which has a history of murders as revealed by Hutch, a friend of Rosemary's. The plot deliciously unfolds slowly and through Hutch's clues we learn that the Castavet's aren't the friendly neighbours they appear to be and are in fact Satanists who are plotting to bring forth the Antichrist. Ironically after eating a 'chalky tasting' pudding made by Minnie Castavet, Rosemary conceives Satan's spawn the same day the Pope is due to arrive in New York and conceives whilst dreaming that she is being raped by something 'unhuman'. Levin's fast paced description captivates the reader, and I personally was actually too scared to read this at night as a result of the eyes from the movie and Levin's slow build up along with creepy description.
The book ends with a surprising and rather creepy twist. Our herione Rosemary after discovering the truth bursts into the Castavet's apartment and sees her baby in a black basket with a cross hanging upside down. After I read that part, I could visualise the scene in the film instantly and remember how chilling it was seeing Rosemary's face when the baby opened those terrifying eyes. Despite having the knife ready to kill it...Rosemary accepts and the lack of blood/gore/slashing/hacking made the novel all the more fabulously creepy. A brilliant, creepy, terrifying, pacy read; a perfect classic horror.
10/10
Saturday, 11 July 2009
Twilight.
Right. Before I can begin reviewing I must point out that I began reading this waaaay back in year 10 when I was like 15 before it became the current fashion for 13 year olds. K.
Well the Twilight saga...what can I say I love it. Not because of the 'oMfG!!11 fit vampire Edward Cullen'. Not because of the beautiful way it was written. I first 'fell in love' with Twilight back in 2006 before it became big. My best friend had initially discovered it and loaned it to me. And wow. It was simple, didn't require a lot of hard analysis to delve into the pragmatics and wasn't overly complex- it was a simple girl meets boy romance with the slight complication of the boy (Edward) being a vampire. Okay yes, I was an immature teenage girl (still am, kinda) and the love story appealed to me and Myer's description (okay it wasn't groundbreaking literary ohmygawdwow description) but it enabled me to visualise a 'totally fit' vampire yet enabled me to have the flexibility to mould her words into my own version of Edward and utilise her words and my imagination to what I think Edward would look like.
Also the best thing about Twilight is that it is that 'guilty pleasure', the words aren't complex, it offers a captivating plot and allows the reader to get lost and mesmorised into the world of Edward and Bella where you know inevitably it will have a happy ending but at the same time as much as I hate to type this, I loved how Edward fought for her and you can really understand and almost 'see' the passion the two characters have.
Although yes I can't deny Pattinson in the movie adaptation (which I could not bring myself to watch) wasn't handsome. But he isn't Edward. Edward was crafted beautifully by Myer as appearing to be cold, even cruel towards Bella and then as the books develop the reader gets to see Edward 'unfold' and you get to see his passionate side. I understand I'm biased and although many will inevitably disagree with me, the film version didn't depict the unfolding of Edward realistically, but then again how can you show something in the short space of a few hours in comparison to hundreds of pages spread across a few books?
So yes, like many of the teenage girls I 'fell' for Edward. His 'crooked' smile as described by Myer and the tense build up of passion...yum. Bella however...hmm. I found her to be highly annoying; her constantly talking about him came across quite pathetic and I found myself thinking several times "get a grip girl!" and she seems to have a really dull personality...as the reader I didn't find out much about her except for the fact that she realllllllly loves Edward and likes her rusty truck.
Although my review has shifted into a kinda rant about how much I despise the movie (probably because it ruined 'my' Twilight and although I didn't actually watch it the posters were everywhere). One of the things that I really enjoyed about Twilight was how it can be 'personal' to the reader...its a captivating love story and you can't but help let your imagination run wild and imagine what you would do if you were Bella...but the movie ruined that for me. When it became a movie it no longer was the 'private' book where you can lose yourself into....it became a generic movie which led to thousands of teenage girls calling themselves 'Mrs Cullen' on facebook/myspace/bebo/twitter as they 'fell in love' with the movie not the words. The sad (and rather pathetic now that I'm actually about to type it out) thing is that I feel like Twilight was 'taken away from me' and now I feel rather silly when I read it because it's not longer private and has become iconic to silly teenage girls.
So uhm yes to conclude my 'review'/rant...I urge you to read the books before the movie...use the words to visualise your interpretation of Myer's story, not the movie.
8/10
Well the Twilight saga...what can I say I love it. Not because of the 'oMfG!!11 fit vampire Edward Cullen'. Not because of the beautiful way it was written. I first 'fell in love' with Twilight back in 2006 before it became big. My best friend had initially discovered it and loaned it to me. And wow. It was simple, didn't require a lot of hard analysis to delve into the pragmatics and wasn't overly complex- it was a simple girl meets boy romance with the slight complication of the boy (Edward) being a vampire. Okay yes, I was an immature teenage girl (still am, kinda) and the love story appealed to me and Myer's description (okay it wasn't groundbreaking literary ohmygawdwow description) but it enabled me to visualise a 'totally fit' vampire yet enabled me to have the flexibility to mould her words into my own version of Edward and utilise her words and my imagination to what I think Edward would look like.
Also the best thing about Twilight is that it is that 'guilty pleasure', the words aren't complex, it offers a captivating plot and allows the reader to get lost and mesmorised into the world of Edward and Bella where you know inevitably it will have a happy ending but at the same time as much as I hate to type this, I loved how Edward fought for her and you can really understand and almost 'see' the passion the two characters have.
Although yes I can't deny Pattinson in the movie adaptation (which I could not bring myself to watch) wasn't handsome. But he isn't Edward. Edward was crafted beautifully by Myer as appearing to be cold, even cruel towards Bella and then as the books develop the reader gets to see Edward 'unfold' and you get to see his passionate side. I understand I'm biased and although many will inevitably disagree with me, the film version didn't depict the unfolding of Edward realistically, but then again how can you show something in the short space of a few hours in comparison to hundreds of pages spread across a few books?
So yes, like many of the teenage girls I 'fell' for Edward. His 'crooked' smile as described by Myer and the tense build up of passion...yum. Bella however...hmm. I found her to be highly annoying; her constantly talking about him came across quite pathetic and I found myself thinking several times "get a grip girl!" and she seems to have a really dull personality...as the reader I didn't find out much about her except for the fact that she realllllllly loves Edward and likes her rusty truck.
Although my review has shifted into a kinda rant about how much I despise the movie (probably because it ruined 'my' Twilight and although I didn't actually watch it the posters were everywhere). One of the things that I really enjoyed about Twilight was how it can be 'personal' to the reader...its a captivating love story and you can't but help let your imagination run wild and imagine what you would do if you were Bella...but the movie ruined that for me. When it became a movie it no longer was the 'private' book where you can lose yourself into....it became a generic movie which led to thousands of teenage girls calling themselves 'Mrs Cullen' on facebook/myspace/bebo/twitter as they 'fell in love' with the movie not the words. The sad (and rather pathetic now that I'm actually about to type it out) thing is that I feel like Twilight was 'taken away from me' and now I feel rather silly when I read it because it's not longer private and has become iconic to silly teenage girls.
So uhm yes to conclude my 'review'/rant...I urge you to read the books before the movie...use the words to visualise your interpretation of Myer's story, not the movie.
8/10
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