Happy February, everyone! The snow's finally caught up with us, but the days are getting longer, so not everything is bleak. This month, both my recommendations come from postwar England in 1946 and are highly regarded but don't get the attention they should from the average person. If you don't know them already, I'm glad to bring them to your attention.

Reading: Titus Groan (1946) by Mervyn Peake

This novel - the first in a surreal sequence left ultimately incomplete by the author's early mental decline and subsequent death - earned high praise from literary critics but may have been too early to catch on with a society shaken by World War II. Set in a sprawling yet sparsely populated city-size castle called Gormenghast, the story begins with the birth of a male heir to the ruling Earl, but the action instead follows the rest of the eccentric family and their servants, subject to a life dominated by endless, tedious rituals whose importance has been entirely forgotten; meanwhile, one servant - a kitchen boy of significant cunning and danger - manipulates his way up the chain of hierarchy to a greater position of power. Told in a rich Gothic style with the eye of an artist (Peake was a professional painter and illustrator), it's a special kind of fantasy that has rarely been imitated, at least in comparison with its contemporaries, and may not appeal to everyone, but it still should be experienced just to see what art is capable of.

Trade: https://www.amazon.com/Titus-Groan-Mervyn-Peake/dp/1585679070/
Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/Titus-Groan-Gormenghast-Trilogy-Book-ebook/dp/B07MW9PQ88



Viewing: A Matter of Life and Death (Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, 1946)

Regarded as one of the greatest British films ever made by one of the best pair of collaborative directors in the business, this melding of fantasy and romance is a lavish production perfectly suited for the postwar period. An RAF airman survives being shot down and finds love with an American radio operator, only to find that he was scheduled for death by higher powers but escaped simply due to his provided heavenly escort missing him in the English fog; unaware that he may be suffering from a serious brain injury but having found new meaning in life, he appeals his sentence, leading to a tribunal in the afterlife - made up of people from all walks of life and periods of time - to consider whether to grant him additional time on Earth. Spectacularly designed and excellently cast, this is a wonderful example of the possibilities of the filmgoing experience as a serious artform in itself, thankfully restored to its full glory for the Criterion Collection.

DVD: https://www.amazon.com/Matter-Life-Death-Criterion-Collection/dp/B07C7JGL78/
Blu-Ray: https://www.amazon.com/Matter-Death-Criterion-Collection-Blu-ray/dp/B07CH6415W/


Have a Happy Valentine's Day! I hope that the winter will be as enjoyable as it can be.

Happy New Year, everyone! I apologize for the lateness.

So winter is officially here, but at least in the States, the days are slowly getting longer already. I sincerely hope that, with everything going on in the world, we will reach a point of relative peace.

I thought a bit about what to recommend this month, and I decided to go with a couple rather dark entries this time, perhaps suited for those cold winter nights.


Reading: The Witches (1983) by Roald Dahl

This a rather late title in Dahl's catalog and arguably the darkest, being centered on witches - REAL witches, who are loathsome, human-like creatures who take delight in killing and torturing children. The plot follows an English boy and his Norwegian grandmother, who stumble upon a plot by the Grand High Witch to turn all of the children in the world into mice. Called misogynistic by some and frowned upon by some parents due to its macabre streak, the book is nevertheless a devilish dark fantasy that's delightful in its own way for both children and adults.

Trade: https://www.amazon.com/Witches-Roald-Dahl/dp/014241011X/
Hardcover: https://www.amazon.com/Witches-Roald-Dahl/dp/1984837168/
Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/Witches-Roald-Dahl-ebook/dp/B00INIYHJQ/



Viewing: The Dark Crystal (Jim Henson and Frank Oz, 1982)

Having done Muppet-related works for years, Jim Henson took a stab at epic fantasy with this film, which featured a cast made completely of puppet creatures with a voice cast outside of the usual Muppet troupe. An elf-like lad named Jen is sent to find a shard of a large magic crystal whose shattering has given rise to the cruel vulture-like Skeksis, who use the crystal to extend their own lives, while their good counterparts, the Mystics, seek the ways of peace; to heal the land, Jen has to return the shard to the crystal before the conjunction of the planet's three suns, while the Skeksis - responsible for the near-extinction of Jen's race - seek him out for their own ends. Considerably darker in tone than any of Henson's previous works, this is a film that would probably scare younger children, but it is a rich story with incredible puppetry and lavish costumes, designed by illustrator Brian Froud, set against marvelous landscapes. It is well deserving of its cult status.

DVD: https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Crystal-Kathryn-Mullen/dp/B00000JPH6/
Blu-Ray: https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Crystal-Blu-ray-Jim-Henson/dp/B0016BWACI/
4K: https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Crystal-Blu-ray-Kathryn-Mullen/dp/B077ZQMVQZ/
Amazon Video: https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Crystal-Stephen-Garlick/dp/B008Y6M3KW/


Once again, have a Happy New Year!

Also, I accidentally nuked the updates I'd done and had to re-upgrade the forum to return it to a vanilla state. So there will be even more changes occurring now! Cheers.

Just hold tight until things settle down.

Not only have we reached the end of the year, but we've also entered the 5th year anniversary of Recommendations!

As a side note, for those unaware, the forum was down for an entire month, thus November was skipped, but we seem to be back (for the time being).

Anyway, Merry Christmas, everyone! I'm sure glad to put this year behind us. Enough has happened that I feel in need of a fresh start. As winter gets underway, here are a couple recent pleasures I've experienced that I hope you find just as entertaining.

Reading: Till We Have Faces (1956) by C. S. Lewis

This novel, a retelling of the Greek myth of Cupid and Psyche, was Lewis's final work of fiction, subsequently considered his best and most mature by the author himself as well as friends and fans. The narrator of the story is Orual, a homely princess of the kingdom of Glome and half-sister of Psyche, who rails against the gods for what she considers the unjust suffering of both herself throughout her life and of Psyche when she is offered up as a sacrifice to the God of the Mountain and taken as his bride; a deep misunderstanding of the situation leads Orual to convince Psyche to disobey the command of her new husband, resulting in her exile and Orual's years of misery, only to find that the gods may not be as cruel as previously perceived. A rich tale told arguably better than any of his previous and more better-known works such as Narnia, it is a meditation on love in all its forms, with the Christian themes much more subtle than seen before, representing (perhaps) the pinnacle of the form of fiction for the veteran author.

Trade: https://www.amazon.com/Till-We-Have-Faces-Retold/dp/0062565419/
Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/Till-We-Have-Faces-Retold-ebook/dp/B01EFM8NMK/



Viewing: Jumanji (Joe Jonston, 1995)

Based on the children's picture book by renowned illustrator Chris Van Allsburg (of The Polar Express fame), the film centers around a mysterious supernatural board game that, when played, causes an African jungle and its deadly inhabitants to cross over into the regular world. The main action of the story takes place in the then-contemporary year of 1995, when two children, recently moved to a New Hampshire home, discover the game, unaware of its powers, and end up releasing a man from twenty-six years earlier who became trapped inside its world; together with the man's old childhood friend - who had been the other player at the time of his disappearance - they have to complete the game that started in 1969 in order to stop the chaos unleashed on an unsuspecting public. It's a rather clever film that, at times, is much darker than the usual expected children's fare and, subsequently, viewing with considerably young children should be approached with caution. Still, it makes for an interesting experience, the kind that makes you feel that they don't make them like this anymore.

DVD: https://www.amazon.com/Jumanji-Kirsten-Dunst/dp/B073VS8VCG/
Blu-Ray: https://www.amazon.com/Jumanji-Remastered-Blu-ray-Digital-Williams/dp/B075FZF161/
4K: https://www.amazon.com/Jumanji-4K-Ultra-Blu-ray-Digital/dp/B075G3J9HB/
Amazon Video: https://www.amazon.com/Jumanji-Robin-Williams/dp/B00170GYES/


Happy Holidays!

So, releasing the Crippled King, vol 1. of the Dwarves of Illenfӓrner
This is a standalone work, but also the first in a series set in its world.
Available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Crippled-King-Dwarves-Illenf%D3%93rner-Book-ebook/dp/B0BKH4MNCT/

The life of a lone dwarven prospector is one of shame, loneliness, and a constant battle for survival. Striking it rich is the only way for Naen to save himself from leaving his bones bleached in the sun without heritage or memory. When riches finally fall into his hands, he encounters a group of indentured servants fleeing from a vengeful master. Jade, a dwarf maid leading the refugees, has her own desires for her future, and they don't include Naen. Jade and her dwarves steal his claim, but in the face of the brutal wilderness, they need help to survive, and the experienced Naen could give it. Drawn deeper into relationships with those he despises during the long mountain winter, Naen grapples with what kind of wealth he really seeks — or what kind of death. When spring comes, should he leave them to their fate and return to the wilds alone, or should he stay with these outlaw dwarves and face the coming onslaught?

Soon, he will be mocked as the King of the Cripples, and the mockery may just turn into his true heritage as the ragged refugees prepare their mine to withstand the vengeance of dwarven kings.

The fall season is officially here, as are the Halloween holiday seasonal traditions. As the weather changes, I'd like to once again dip into the spooky side of things with some recommendations suitable for chilly nights and ghostly happenings. May you find as much enjoyment out of these as I did.


Reading: 'Salem's Lot (1975) by Stephen King

King's second published novel tells the story of writer Ben Mears, who returns to his childhood home of Jerusalem's Lot, Maine (affectionately nicknamed "'Salem's Lot" or "The Lot") to exorcise some old memories by writing a book about the derelict Marsten House which looms over the town on a hill; coincidentally, the same house has recently been purchased by Austrian antiques dealer Kurt Barlow, though he is never seen publicly. The disappearance of a local boy one night becomes the catalyst for strange happenings, as Ben comes to the realization that the town population is slowly being transformed into a brood of vampires. A mix, in the author's words, of Dracula and Peyton Place, the novel is significant for being one of the first instances of some of King's recurrent themes, such as the underlying corruption of small-town America and the politics of the time represented by the story (in this case, the crimes of the Nixon administration and government subterfuge). A major work of vampire fiction, it remains a favorite of many constant King readers.

Mass Market: https://www.amazon.com/Salems-Lot-Stephen-King/dp/0307743675/
Trade: https://www.amazon.com/Salems-Lot-Stephen-King/dp/0345806794/
Hardcover: https://www.amazon.com/Salems-Lot-Stephen-King/dp/0385007515/
Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/Salems-Lot-Stephen-King-ebook/dp/B0019LV31E/



Viewing: The Lost Boys (Joel Schumacher, 1987)

This black horror-comedy finds a divorced mother and her two sons moving to the California town of Santa Carla, where the elder brother falls in with an eccentric biker gang which invites him into their fold. Eventually, the gang is revealed to be a group of vampires, which the elder brother is slowly transforming into, and the younger brother seeks out the help of two young self-professed vampire hunters to take down the gang and rescue both his family and two other half-vampires who wish to escape the curse. A success with critics and moviegoers, the film is something of a turning point in popular vampire fiction, being aimed more towards a youth culture as opposed to the distinctly middle-age Gothic tales of Hammer, for instance; it manages to balance traditional horror scares with a winking self-awareness, aided by a sleek contemporary visual design and an excellent cast.

DVD: https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Boys-Richard-Donner/dp/B004FQX5D4/
4K+Blu-Ray+Digital: https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Boys-Ultra-Blu-ray-Digital/dp/B0B7PZDYFW/
Amazon Video: https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Boys-Corey-Feldman/dp/B003F44QRQ/


Happy Halloween, everyone! Enjoy the fall!

I don't think I've ever found a book that I didn't enjoy. I know I said in the past that my high school reading left something to be desired, but I feel that time and age can change perspectives. For instance, I didn't enjoy The Scarlet Letter when I first encountered it in 10th grade(?), but I picked it up again about 5 years ago and absolutely loved it. It encourages me to seek out what else I read during that time and give it another chance.

As for difficulty, advanced non-fiction is something I'm willing to try, though I make no guarantees of understanding it. There's a lot of philosophy that I want to sample. Fiction-wise, I'd like to tackle Joyce someday - Ulysses, to my knowledge, ranks high among that pantheon of challenging books, and I want to see if a casual reader can get as much out of it as a dedicated academic.

Raven's choice is fine, actually. I can't, for the life of me, figure out why intellectual higher circles are determined to write so obtusely, as if their only audience is peers in ivory towers, and writing anything less that can be understood by "common" folk is beneath them.

I remember a book in a grad school, a theoretical academic book about interdisciplinary studies, that I found so obfuscated that I couldn't even tell you if it was legitimate or merely an emperor with no clothes academic exercise. I couldn't read it. Never did read much of it in the end.

But apart from that, fiction books normally don't give me too much trouble, if I find them interesting enough to continue. Honestly, if I'm not enjoying the reading experience, why continue? Why struggle with a book just for pleasure reading?

I had my days of academic reading. Many, many years worth of those days. Glad to be through with them. I still have regular stress dreams about college and grad school.

I know this isn't probably how Coir means to discuss this. I know people will tackle big books (Clarissa is a great example) simply for the challenge and the education, if not also for enjoyment.
I basically only read theology or related non-fiction now for anything apart from sheer enjoyment.

I think books, above all else, should be enjoyed. This isn't to say that they can't instruct or shape our minds in any way, but I think the act of picking up a book should be one we can have fun with, that there should be a delight in doing so. That being said, there are some books that take an extra effort to enjoy fully due to some difficulty with the text. It doesn't mean they're bad but rather that you can't treat them like "ordinary" books. They take extra diligence and concentration, and in the end, there's a different type of enjoyment - you've conquered a challenge, in a way.

There's a certain canon of books that are considered difficult when compared to typical texts, and I'm wondering if anyone has ever encountered them. So, for the fun of it, what are those books that you have found a challenge to get through? What books gave you the greatest trouble? What are, currently, the hardest texts you've ever encountered, that you feel you've had to struggle to get through them?

Normally, I would just be asking this question and stepping aside, waiting for someone else to answer first (usually Raven), but I think I've found my own peak, at least for the time being: Clarissa (1748) by Samuel Richardson. I first discovered this book through Raven, as he says he once studied this work as part of a college class, and I've learned a good deal since then about both Richardson's importance to English literature as well as the book itself in particular. Having had it on my list for some time (and wanting to try it out since Raven said he never read it completely), I recently purchased it and started it out. It isn't the massive length of the book (1500+ pages) that's intimidating but rather the way it's written - it's a really prosaic novel with large, rather unfamiliar words, constructed in a sophisticated manner outside of common speech. I've found myself having to reread parts of it merely for comprehension. That being said, it's quite fascinating and enjoyable in its own right, and while it's going to be slow going, I intend to get through all of it. As of writing this post, I've gotten through 70 pages of it and reached Letter 11 (for those unaware, it's an epistolary novel - composed of a sequence of letters between individuals - made up of 537 letters); I'm aware of what happens due to the summary on Wikipedia, but even when knowing what happens, the act of the telling itself often makes it worthwhile.

I don't ascribe the difficulty to the age of the book - I read Robinson Crusoe some time ago, and that predates Clarissa by 29 years, and yet I found that book quite easy by comparison. It's just Richardson's style of writing, I guess. But I can see myself gradually getting used to it.

So what's your most difficult book? Did you manage to get through it, or was it just so hard that you had to give up? Do you find difficult books enjoyable in any way, or are they more a burden than a recreation? Or is there another answer I'm missing?