It's the last full month of summer, with just four months left to go in the year, which is both sad and relieving at the same time. For this month, I've picked a favorite of mine in both literature and film that I hope you'll find equally enjoyable. It's dark but not entirely hopeless.

Reading: The Night of the Hunter (1953) by David Grubb

Davis Grubb is an author who may be largely forgotten today, which is a shame, because his first novel is a classic story that's equal parts noir and coming-of-age, a sort of "Harper Lee meets Cormac McCarthy" mash-up. Set during the Depression, it follows two children whose father has entrusted them with $10,000 that he stole out of desperation before being sent to prison and hanged; unfortunately, his cellmate - a deranged serial murderer convinced he is a preacher of God - tries to insert himself into the children's lives by marrying their mother and winning the trust of the townsfolk, leading them the flee into the care of an older woman who looks after lost children and isn't so easily deceived. It's a testament both to the dehumanization of the Depression itself and the resilience of children to weather dark times.

Trade: https://www.amazon.com/Night-Hunter-Thriller-Vintage-Classic/dp/1101910054/
Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/Night-Hunter-Vintage-Classics-Classic-ebook/dp/B00QP3RP0O/



Viewing: The Night of the Hunter (Charles Laughton, 1955)

While the book is an unfairly neglected classic itself, it's probably better known for the film adaptation made two years later under the direction of veteran actor Charles Laughton and starring Hollywood bad boy Robert Mitchum as the killer preacher, Shelley Winters as the children's tragic mother, and silent film legend Lillian Gish as the tough old caretaker whom the children come to. Initial response was negative (which led Laughton to abandon directing altogether), but posterity was much kinder, as it is now regarded as one of the greatest films ever made, influencing future generations of filmmakers with its expressionistic style reminiscent of the silent era; it has since been added to the Library of Congress's National Film Registry in 1992.

DVD: https://www.amazon.com/Night-Hunter-Criterion-Collection/dp/B003ZYU3U0/
Blu-Ray: https://www.amazon.com/Night-Hunter-Blu-ray-Robert-Mitchum/dp/B00HVOFPD0/
Amazon Video: https://www.amazon.com/Night-Hunter-Robert-Mitchum/dp/B01I0LLIRY/


So that's all for August. Stay safe out there!

Just finishing up the Broken Earth Trilogy by N.K. Jemisin. I had actually started this a while back, kind of didn't get momentum and set it down for a long time, and just picked it back up and tore through the rest of it. The experience is kind of unique. It starts very dreamlike, the world painted in big sweeping brush strokes and lots of strangeness, only to slowly grow in resolution more and more as it picks up pace and ends up being quite a unique bit of speculative fiction.

I apologize for being even later than usual. I let time get away from me.

Anyway, now that July is here, the summer is in full swing. I'll admit to the recommendations this month being last minute, but the book, at least, has some connection to a past recommendation. I hope that these'll keep you occupied and fill out the month.


Reading: The Moon of Gomrath (1963) by Alan Garner

This is the sequel to the ever-popular fantasy classic The Weirdstone of Brisingamen, continuing the story of the children Colin and Susan and their relationship with the wizard Cadellin. This time, after the elves take a mystic bracelet of Susan's in the hope of it being an asset in battles for their own lands, she is possessed by a strange force which renders her catatonic, leading Colin to discover the Old Magic of the world in order to save her. Things become stranger when the children unwittingly unleash the Wild Hunt, leading to another fight between good and evil on the plains of Alderley Edge. This would be the last installment in the story for several decades, before Garner would finally complete it with Boneland in 2012.

Trade: https://www.amazon.com/Moon-Gomrath-Alan-Garner/dp/0008248516/
Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/Moon-Gomrath-Alan-Garner-ebook/dp/B00DPZN3AG/



Viewing: Rope (Alfred Hitchcock, 1948)

Based on the play by Patrick Hamilton, this film is the first of Hitchcock's to be shot in Technicolor and is further significant for being constructed in such a way as to appear to be done in one continuous take. Ostensibly inspired by the 1924 Leopold and Loeb murder case, it follows two young men who strangle a classmate, hide his body in a trunk, and proceed to host a dinner party in the room with the trunk; everything goes according to plan until one of the main guests - the teacher who unintentionally inspired them to commit the murder - grows increasingly suspicious over the course of the evening. It's one of the more experimental films in the director's career, as well as his first collaboration with James Stewart, and should prove rewarding on multiple views.

DVD: https://www.amazon.com/Rope-James-Stewart/dp/B000ECX0O2/
Blu-Ray: https://www.amazon.com/Rope-Blu-ray-James-Stewart/dp/B00BM7A1AO/
Amazon Video: https://www.amazon.com/Rope-Alfred-Hitchcock/dp/B002RPI2QK/


So that's July for you. Again, I apologize for the delay. I'll try to do better next time.

Sorry I'm late again.

It's June now, and it honestly feels good, at least where I'm at. It's been great to get outside, as it hasn't been that severe of weather so far. I can only hope it will last. I managed to find some recommendations, and as the books go, some may not be be historically fond of it, but from my own personal experience, a book can really be better the second time around under the right circumstances, so I really encourage anyone who doubts it to give it a second chance. For the rest of you, these recommendations may be old, but I think they hold up.

Reading: Don Quixote (1605/1615) by Miguel de Cervantes

Quite possibly the most influential novel in the world, and definitely considered Spain's crowning literary achievement, this is the one that gave new respect to the form and raised its author to international renown after years of setbacks. The main characters - the semi-mad idealist who chooses to become a knight errant and the simple-minded, down-to-earth farmer who becomes his squire - are beyond iconic and have been both given homage and parodied ever since publication. With this, the prose romances of the past gave way to a more realistic story, one in which it is still debated which side Cervantes himself was on. Old works like these sometimes need fresh eyes, so the edition I'm linking to is the 2003 translation from Edith Grossman, which has received significant praise from the likes of acclaimed Mexican novelist Carlos Fuentes and renowned American literary critic Harold Bloom. If you haven't experienced it before, give it a chance; if you already have, give it another - it may be worth the effort.

Trade: https://www.amazon.com/Don-Quixote-Miguel-Cervantes/dp/0060934344/
Trade (Deluxe): https://www.amazon.com/dp/0062391666/
Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/Don-Quixote-Miguel-Cervantes-ebook/dp/B001R1LCKS/



Viewing: Ace in the Hole (Billy Wilder, 1951)

This film was a commercial failure upon release (a first for director Wilder), but time has been much kinder, and this acerbically cynical carnival - a literal one, in a way - is now seen as one of the sharpest satires on the power of the media to manipulate and exploit tragedy for personal profit. Kirk Douglas, in one of his finest performances, plays a scrounging reporter always on the lookout for the next big scoop, and upon finding a man trapped in a cave due to an archeological incident, he turns what should be an efficiently humane rescue into a countrywide sensation, twisting the facts and prolonging the attempts to pull the man out in order to savor every moment of the attention America gives to it. Despite its less-than-hopeful mood, it remains surprisingly relevant even today, proof perhaps that journalism hasn't changed much despite technological advances, and as a human character study, it needs to be seen in spite of how uncomfortable it may make you.

DVD: https://www.amazon.com/Hole-Criterion-Collection-Kirk-Douglas/dp/B000PKG6OE/
Blu-Ray: https://www.amazon.com/Hole-Blu-ray-Kirk-Douglas-Sterling/dp/B07DS6S553/
Amazon Video: https://www.amazon.com/Ace-Hole-Kirk-Douglas/dp/B00N43TBW8/


So there you have it. I hope the summer finds you in good spirits. See you next month!

https://www.tor.com/2022/05/11/patricia-a-mckillip-1948-2022/

I just got news of this on Facebook. It's a shame, not simply because any death is sad, but because I had read The Forgotten Beasts of Eld and even recommended it one month. It's one of the best fantasy books I've had the pleasure to read, so much so that I picked up an omnibus of her Riddle-Master trilogy soon after (though I've put off reading it, as usual). She's quite highly regarded in the field, and her passing is a significant loss.

May she always be remembered.

This one is probably easy, but I just liked the sound of it.


On my own, I am darkness, a black abyss.
But life brings me light with its gentle kiss.
I am quiet and cold, but warmth I can hold.
Alongside beauties and wonders, sights to be told.
My surface may be bare, this I'm aware.
But beautiful secrets I am eager to share.
My mouth so large, I swallow you whole.
To be in my belly is your goal.
What may lie within can drive men to sin.
Greed and desire, gluttony's kin.
For some, I am fear. For others, hope.
My perception shaped from life's scope.
From the earth I have come, and forever will stay,
even if parts of me crumble away.

And so it is. The riddle falls to you, Coir.

Actually, I'm going to throw out another answer that I'm more confident in - a sheep.

An herb?

(That's just a shot in the dark, and I'm most likely wrong. I just wanted you to know that I'm not ignoring the thread.)

Happy May, everyone! Warmer weather is coming, which is always welcome, and while COVID still lingers in places, it would appear that things are truly mending. It took me a bit to think of it, but I have some historical recommendations for you this time - some somber pieces set in 1600's Puritan New England. I apologize in advance if these are too depressing for you, but I believe they're still worth checking out.


Reading: The Scarlet Letter (1850) by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Often considered one of America's greatest works of fiction, this classic novel is often assigned in high school but may actually be deeply lost on students, as it's a significantly intelligent piece of prose with Gothic overtones and veins of social criticism. The story focuses on three central figures: Hester Prynne, condemned and ostracized by the village for the crime of adultery but resilient and introspective in her suffering; Arthur Dimmsdale, the minister torn inside by his secret guilt but too fearful of the crowd to confess his sins; and Roger Chillingworth, the old misshapen man with a secret history and a vendetta of vengeance. The interweaving of their lives together is a source of tragedy, revelations, and, quite possibly, forgiveness and absolution. What may escape high schoolers could resonate deeper with older audiences, so if you've put this book out of your mind, give it another read - you might be surprised what you find.

Mass Market: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0451531353?tag=randohouseinc16940-20
Trade 1: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0143107666?tag=randohouseinc16940-20
Trade 2: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0679783385?tag=randohouseinc16940-20
Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00X593C26?tag=randohouseinc16940-20



Viewing: The Witch (Robert Eggers, 2015)

This stylish debut film is a dark meditation on Puritan religious devotion and superstition, centered around a family which has been exiled from a village due to religious differences. Life in the harsh land is only increased by the local belief of a witch living in the neighboring woods; the mysterious abduction of the family's infant child is the first of a series of events that sends them spiraling into paranoia, hysteria, and death, as the rumors of witchcraft may be frighteningly true. Besides great cinematography and acting, what sets this movie apart is its significant attention to historical detail, with the script having been written by consulting documents of the time period to capture the cadences of Puritan language. It's definitely disturbing, but the care put into it sets it above what could have been a cheap ahistorical piece of schlock. It's a wonderful opening to what promises to be a magnificent career.

DVD: https://www.amazon.com/Witch-DVD-Digital-Anya-Taylor-Joy/dp/B01D2KFSS8/ref=sr_1_4?crid=2ZLFNEB6BHPG7&keywords=the+witch&qid=1651461128&sprefix=the+witch%2Caps%2C125&sr=8-4
Blu-Ray: https://www.amazon.com/Witch-Blu-ray-Digital-HD/dp/B01D2KEVZO/ref=sr_1_4?crid=2ZLFNEB6BHPG7&keywords=the+witch&qid=1651461128&sprefix=the+witch%2Caps%2C125&sr=8-4
4K: https://www.amazon.com/Witch-Blu-ray-Ralph-Ineson/dp/6317699771/ref=sr_1_4?crid=2ZLFNEB6BHPG7&keywords=the+witch&qid=1651461128&sprefix=the+witch%2Caps%2C125&sr=8-4
Amazon Video: https://www.amazon.com/Witch-Anya-Taylor-Joy/dp/B01BT3SDQO/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2ZLFNEB6BHPG7&keywords=the+witch&qid=1651461128&sprefix=the+witch%2Caps%2C125&sr=8-1



So that's all for May. Again, I apologize if you found this too dark. Either way, I hope to have something much brighter next month. Enjoy the spring!