Review of "Changes"

Changes by Charles Colyott

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


I read this book based on a glowing recommendation by Sara King, the author of the "Legend of Zero" series. Which is great, by the way. Unfortunately, this book is not.

I was going to give it one star, but I have to add another because I found myself thinking about this book for a couple weeks after I finished it. That doesn't necessarily make it a "better" book, but... it means something.

Mr. Colyott seems to be on a mission to remind everyone that Tai Chi is, in reality, a badass martial art. Those slow movements can be sped up with devastating effect. Because I spent a couple of years taking Tai Chi, the most entertaining part of this book for me was seeing the protagonist reference poses I knew in the context of serious combat.

His other raison d'etre is to proselytize for acupuncture, which is shown as able to fix pretty much any ailment. I reserve judgement about the merits of acupuncture, but I did get a little tired of being forever reminded of its efficacy. (I'm resisting the urge to make a "beating a dead horse, then bringing it back to life with acupuncture" joke. Oh, no, wait, I didn't resist after all!)

The problems I had with this book were mostly based around its cliches and unoriginality. The protagonist is a living collection of well worn tropes. The book is written in the first person, and the narrator is the standard "just can't help myself from making biting witty remarks, even though they get me in trouble" type. The plot is a classic "I fell in to this murder investigation by accident, but since I'm way smarter and more observant than the detective, he can't help but keep me around" situation. Practically everything that he encounters happens to fall neatly into his esoteric areas of expertise. He's inexplicably irresistible to the super hot young woman, who is of course much smarter and more dynamic than most people give her credit for based on her attractiveness. She has a quirky but adorable style, which is fascinating to him in its uniqueness. He is intrigued by her music taste, which is so different and interesting compared to his own; (the fact that several specific bands are name dropped comes across as shout outs to what are probably the author's favorites.)

When he was a young man in Hong Kong, our hero was trained in both Tai Chi and acupuncture by a nearly perfect teacher, who didn't want to teach him, but was worn down by his stubborn (but totally inexplicable) devotion. In famous Mr. Miyagi style, his mentor tells him to stand outside his door for months, occasionally coming out to correct his posture; when the neighborhood bullies come by, the narrator suddenly finds that he is un-push-over-able, and is well on his way to mastery of the ancient secrets.

I was truly irritated by a shameless deus ex machina. Although the narrator runs a dirty little acupuncture and herb shop (known to a few as a hidden gem), he never really works - after all, the author needs him free to have adventures. So how does he afford to live? Well, halfway through the book it turns out that he's independently wealthy, having inherited a bunch of money, but doesn't feel the need to spend it.

The chapters of this book are tiny, some less than a page, and often end with some bit of pithy observation or witty remark. This allows the author to avoid the need to craft actual drama by providing a constant stream of manufactured cliffhangers.

It may sound like I hated this book. That's probably because I largely hated this book. Nevertheless, there were moments of genuine enjoyment, and a couple of those witty remarks actually were witty enough to entertain. I laughed aloud once or twice at the antics of the character that was clearly designed for just that purpose. Also, I did feel compelled to find out what happened to (partially) resolve the mess of a plot.

I think that if you go in with appropriately low expectations you could enjoy reading this book, but there are a lot of better choices available. Check out Forging Zero.


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I never thought I'd get to see James live.

I never thought I'd get to see James live. Not only had they officially broken up a few years ago, but even before that they had very little to do with the US in terms of promotion and touring, so I was thrilled to see that they were coming to town. I only have one friend that has really shared a love of that band with me, and I tried to get her to fly in from out of state to see the show with me, but it just wasn't going to work out logistically and financially. I did have one other friend that was going to the show, but for some reason I kind of felt like going alone, which is actually very unlike me. I suppose it's because James has always been a band that was (with that one exception) pretty much just mine, as far as my friends were concerned, and so I felt like it was more appropriate to be solo for the concert as well. Considering what a wonderful experience I had that night, I think I probably made the right decision.

Many concerts I've seen have a very clear feeling of distinction between the performers and the audience, the observers and the observed. Even when an artist tries to interact with the crowd, it takes a certain skill and/or type of person to be able to break that barrier, and make the audience feel like they're really connected with the performer as an actual person, both sharing the same experience. James, and in particular Tim Booth, was able to create that connection more effectively than any performer at any other show I've ever seen.

The set started with with Tim and the guitarist (Saul?) in the middle of the crowd singing "Sit Down", and walking up to the stage as they played. It was a pleasant confusion not knowing where the music was coming from right away. The audience felt like a whole; all of us trying to figure it out - quickly letting each other know what was happening - all turning towards that central point where Tim and Saul had seemed to appear. It served to immediately break the fourth wall of the performance, and so from the very first note there was a feeling of being involved in the concert.

The next song was the gorgeous "Out To Get You", and it was performed sweetly and beautifully. After it was over, Tim paused to greet the crowd. He asked for a minute to talk to us, which immediately indicated that this was going to be something other than the usual "HELLO SEATTLE!" type of greeting. He then told us a story about his experience of playing a show just after his dad died a number of years ago; he talked about how bad that evening felt, and that in retrospect he felt that it was mostly because he didn't let the audience know what had happened. It's obvious that performing is a meaningful and personal thing for him, but during that show he felt disconnected from the music, from the crowd, and from the experience. He said that he didn't want that to happen again, so he wanted to let us know that a few hours before our show he'd gotten a call informing him that his mom had had a stroke. There was of course an immediate reaction of shock and sadness from the crowd, but he assured us that he was ok, and that we'd still have a good time together. But he wanted us to understand that if he seemed a bit emotional or off-balance, that it was because of that call. He then told us a little about his mom; that she was quite old, and that she had been living in a nursing home for some time. He said that the lyrics for the song they were about to perform, "Tell Her I Said So", were co-written with his mother about her experience of the last few years, and of her changing views of what it would mean to die. The repeated theme in part of that song is the line "Here's to a long life, here's to a long life", and Tim asked if we would help him to sing that part in particular. It was deeply moving, and I felt very emotionally connected to him and to the performance as I helped to sing that refrain.

It seemed moving for him as well, especially based on what happened during the next song they played, "Say Something", which is essentially a song about asking for emotional support and connection. Tim was walking along the stage, and people in the front row were reaching their hands towards the stage like usual. Fairly early in the song he walked over towards stage right, took the hand of one guy from the audience and held it tightly. He ended up holding this fan's hand for the rest of the song. Holding it like it was an important thing, like it was a meaningful connection. Again, it made me feel very much connected; this anonymous man represented us as a whole, and it felt like the crowd was holding Tim's hand.

The set list was great. James has such a large repertoire that there are dozens of songs I'd have liked to see performed live, but I was happy with the selections they made. Of course the new album was given preferential treatment with 4 songs, but out of 19 songs that's hardly the lion's share. At one point Tim asked rather sincerely if we were having a good time, since the set they had decided on wasn't just a collection of their big radio hits; he said that they try to make the set fit the city, and they felt like Seattle was a good candidate for the more esoteric set. This, of course, quite pleased our elitist sensibilities. :)

The highlights for me were "Ring The Bells", "Sound", and the absolutely wonderful rendition of "Sometimes" during the encore. During that song there was a period of crowd-only singing of the chorus, which was really powerful. The audience was so very into the show, and feeling so high from the performance, that it felt like everyone was putting all of themselves into the song. When you have a large group of people giving their full, synchronized energy to something, it creates a palpable, and for me, almost spiritual feeling; it's like feeling waves of energy crashing around the venue, washing over and through everyone.

The final song was "Gold Mother", which was always a track I could take or leave. They did a good job of it, though, and pulled some of the audience up on stage to dance for the last few minutes, making the crowd feel involved in the show right up until the end.

I had a wonderful time. I hope that I'll have more opportunities to see James in concert in the future, but if that ends up being the only time, I couldn't be happier with the experience.

Review of "A Tale of Two Cities"

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


As one reviewer stated after watching "The Wrath of Khan": "Now that was more like it". My opinion of Dickens is restored from the blow it took after "A Christmas Carol" ("Star Trek: The Motion Picture", in this analogy).

Like all Dickens I've read, it had that bombastic nature that characterizes a lot of English literature of the time. This tends to make the characters slightly unbelievable, as they are at any time utterly consumed by a single emotion or state of being. That said, this book has some of the most evocative passages I've ever read, particularly when it comes to describing the feeling and character of a society as a whole. I loved the personification of the cities and social classes as individuals.

I was also extremely impressed by Dickens' even-handed view of the French Revolution. He neither glorified nor denounced it, and he neither shied away from the horrors and insanity that characterized it nor discounted its importance and inevitability. He showed it as important, just, and horrific.

Something I always appreciate about Dickens is the fact that he'll inject humor into the most depressing and terrible situations, and will inject subtle horror and discomfort into otherwise light and funny passages. He reminds me of a mid-19th century David Sedaris - or, to be fair, I suppose I should say that in that way David Sedaris reminds me of a modern Dickens. You find yourself simultaneously laughing and disturbed.

My friend referred to this book as funny - personally I think that the word "droll" was all but invented for Charles Dickens.

Plus, as a Star Trek fan, I now hold a deeper appreciation of Star Trek II, which was book-ended by the opening and closing lines of "A Tale of Two Cities"! Only now do I truly appreciate Spock's sacrifice...



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Learned tonight while running

Tonight I learned many things while exercising:

1) If you clip your keys to the inside of your waistband, don't wear thin Jockey shorts.

2) Many people don't understand that running along an unlit path, at night, without a safety light, without reflectors, dressed in all dark gray or black, will make you hard to see. Remember that SNL Weekend Update skit from the 70s where Dan Aykroyd played the slimy Halloween costume maker, with costumes like a bag of oily rags and a lighter called "Johnny Human Torch"? There was one that was just an all black jumpsuit and hood called "The Invisible Pedestrian", which apparently is making a big comeback. (My favorite, by the way, was the bag of broken glass. I don't think it even had a name.)

3) Sometimes more even-paced music can help you get into a groove better than really hyper/hard music. I was zoning out to Joy Division for miles, and that is definitely not the band I would usually pick for a kick-ass cardio workout soundtrack.

4) Seriously, about the keys thing. Ouch.

Review of "The Secret Life of Words"

The Secret Life of Words: How English Became English by Henry Hitchings

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This should have been the perfect book for me - I'm a word lover, I love etymology, history, and social anthropology. Although I did enjoy reading it, I have to admit that I did have to force myself a bit to finish it. As many other reviews have noted, the book is exceedingly dry and has very little in the way of a narrative thread to connect the chapters. It feels more like a collection of articles in the same series, which becomes a bit tedious after a couple of hundred pages.

That said, I admit that my copy of this book is littered with dog-ears marking bits of interesting trivia or historical perspective. Many of the actual facts presented really are fascinating, I just wish they weren't presented as a series of facts.

Regarding the author's intellectually playful writing style, I can understand how it might irritate some readers, but I actually did enjoy it. Perhaps it's a bit of elitist pride showing through, but I admit that I did feel good about "getting it". There's a fine line between subtle ironic wordplay and eye-rolling punning, and I think Mr. Hitchings walked it pretty well.

Overall, I guess I'd say that I'm happier having read it than I was while actually reading it.


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Review of "A Christmas Carol"

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This was a little light. I read this hoping that it would be one of those "everybody knows the story, but actually reading the original is a wholly different experience" books. Nope! It was pretty much identical to the story you know.

Dickens is certainly capable of imbuing his work with depth and subtlety. The fact that there is none to be had here leads me to one of the following two conclusions: the cynical side of me concludes that this was a purely commercial venture, and a very successful one at that; the more hopeful side of me is led to believe that this was essentially a gifted author's Christmas gift to his readers, a nice, easy, simple and positive little story just meant to make people happy.



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On (not) seeing Joy Division

I went to see "Peter Hook presents Unknown Pleasures" Tuesday night. It was kind of an odd experience. There was no opening band, but there was a 30 minute video that they played on the stage screen before the show started, which was basically an odd little mish-mash of clips about Joy Division and New Order; there was no real narrative thread, and really no particular cohesion at all aside from the fact that they mostly featured Hooky.

After the video finished, he and his band ("Light", apparently) came on stage and started playing with no introduction or fanfare of any kind. Hooky's currently sporting a bit of extra weight & a short mohawk, and is looking every bit his age (at least), but that didn't really matter to me. At the first notes of the first song I was super excited, of course, for the same reason that I decided to go to the show in the first place: I've never heard a Joy Division song played live in person, and this was likely as close as I was going to get to seeing any modicum of the band itself.

The show itself was very hit and miss.

First, bad stuff: Hooky's voice isn't bad, but it's entirely unremarkable. For most of the concert - that is, for the entire actual performance of the album - he looked more like he was doing a job rather than actually being involved in the music. There was no audience interaction between songs, and I felt no connection to the performance. Hooky was never meant to be a front man. I was also a bit put off by the fact that he had a lyrics book out; granted Ian's lyrics are often very involved and don't lend themselves to memorization (I don't remember all the words to many of my favorite JD songs), but he's supposed to be a professional musician, for fuck's sake. During "She's Lost Control" he even came in four measures early on the second verse. The rest of the band pretty much did their best to be invisible, which is fine under the circumstances, and were adequately talented to play the music, though that honestly isn't really saying much since Joy Division barely knew how to play their instruments when these songs were written. So all in all, I was kind of disappointed by the end of the set.

Now good stuff: The audience was great, with the exception of the usual couple of assholes and weirdos. Everyone seemed to be big fans, and were extremely enthusiastic, which pretty much salvaged the show from the lack of passion on stage during the main set. That did change during the encores, however. As compared to the rest of the show, Hooky seemed to have a blast playing most of the songs in the encores, which were all Joy Division songs from other albums/sources. He finally seemed to be having a good time, and it changed the whole vibe of the concert. In particular, they ended with a freaking awesome version of Ceremony, which was a great way to end the show.

Now uncategorizable/personal stuff: I have to say, I felt a little uncomfortable watching Peter Hook sing these songs. I have a very personal relationship with Joy Division songs - and in particular with Ian's lyrics - and it felt a little bit offensive to see someone besides Ian singing them. I know that if anyone could be considered to have the "right" to sing JD now that Ian's gone it would be the surviving members of the band, but it still didn't feel right. I particularly felt that way about the songs with lyrics that were obviously intensely personal and/or autobiographical, like "I Remember Nothing" and (obviously) "Love Will Tear Us Apart". I hated hearing Hooky perform "Atmosphere" for the same reason I was happy that Anton Corbijn decided to end Control with the original version of that song - it just isn't "Atmosphere" with anyone else singing it. Ironically, I remember reading an article about that movie where Hooky said the same thing.

Overall, I had a good time, and I would go again if I had the chance, but it wasn't exactly the experience I was hoping for.