“Age is not a particularly interesting subject. Anyone can get old. All you have to do is live long enough.â€
~Groucho Marx
Today is a very special day, and not just because it is the official start date for Once Upon a Time II. No, ladies and gentlemen, today is much more than that.
“What if all the myths were true…”
~Liu Kang
Once Upon a Time….
Four small words. Combined together they wield a power unmeasured–the power to take one on a journey, the power to transform a life, the power to inspire and comfort, the power to connect a large group of diverse people over a common theme.
Once Upon a Time…
It is a beginning, but written as such denotes an ending as well. This happened before, in another place, at another time, with people who no longer exist, or may never have existed in the first place.
Once Upon a Time…
For me these four words conjure images of four classifications of story: Fantasy, Folklore, Fairy Tales, and Mythology. These four classifications, or genres, or subgenres of story can exist separately or in various combinations but their one common factor in my mind is that they can all very easily begin:
Once Upon a Time
Odd and the Frost Giants ~Neil Gaiman
–published 2008
–97 pages, Bloomsbury
–4/5 stars
When you are a fan of a particular author, awaiting (im)patiently for their next story to arrive, it is a pleasure to discover that said author has snuck a story in under the radar. Such is the case with Odd and the Frost Giants by Neil Gaiman. This particular story was written specifically for World Book Day, an annual event in the U.K. and Ireland. The event is something I certainly think we could all get behind, as it promotes books and the love of reading. Though this book is not currently available in the U.S., for a mere British pound, plus reasonable shipping (on Amazon.co.uk), you can have your very own copy. And since they send it air mail it will arrive before your anticipation reaches a fever pitch!
The short review: Well worth the price to ship it to your door!
“A lot of people ask me if I were shipwrecked, and could only have one book, what would it be? I always say ‘How to Build a Boatâ€.
~Stephen Wright
Asking an avid reader/collector of books to pick a favorite has the potential of setting off an internal debate that could nigh well last a lifetime. A favorite? Impossible! Especially when the question of favorites doesn’t have to do so much with the story a book tells but the physical object itself and what it represents. Ever the intrepid blogger, Chris was inspired to ask just that question the other day:
I just love reading about the stories behind people’s favorite books in their collections. Even if there’s not much of a story, I love just knowing what they are. So I decided to invite everyone to share just that! What’s your favorite book or books in your library? Not necessarily the title, but the book itself. I couldn’t limit it to one, so I picked 5.
Following Chris’ lead, I set out to share with you five favorite books that currently share space in my bookish abode. These are just five of many ‘favorites’. I cherish my books, each and every one. Often they are first picked up because of their aesthetic appeal thus picking favorites is even more difficult. But here goes:
Thanks to a friend at Ye Olde Comic Shoppe I found myself with a pass for two to sneak a peek at the soon-to-be-released film, 10,000 B.C. After a hearty meal at Texas Roadhouse–and what else would one eat before going to see a movie with mastodons and saber-toothed tigers besides steak–James and I settled in for the show.
Filmmaker Rolland Emmerich, of Independence Day and The Day After Tomorrow fame, looks to the past for his inspiration for this film:
“I have always been intrigued by the idea of classic storytelling, in the timeless way people have told stories round the campfire for generations.”
If by ‘classic storytelling’ he means boringly paced tall tales with ridiculous coincidences and elements stolen from other more well-told stories then he succeeded marvelously.
Allow me to congratulate myself right now for my part in investing in your financial future–if you want to revisit prehistoric times, save your money and go watch a few episodes of the Flintstones. Even the more recent celluloid interpretations of Fred and Barney have more believable concepts and better execution that this steaming pile of mammoth dung.