Room, Revolution, John le Carré and possibly Lovecraft

[lathany]

This week, all the usual signs of autumn have shown - the spiders are trying to get in, leaves are turning yellow and Reeve is sleeping on my feet again.

Last week on the train I finished Room by Emma Donoghue. It's a hard book to describe without completely giving away the story, so I'll stick to the blurb they put on it - it is about a mother and son who live in a room and do not leave it. The subject matter is grim in places, but I found the story moderately upbeat partly because of the narrator (the five years old boy). It's a concept book, the author has taken an idea and played it out. I liked it, but not quite enough that I would look out for her other books.

Computer-wise I've given up on Oblivion for the moment and moved on to Darkness Within: Collector's edition. This is a two game package with two point-and-click horror games which I obtained because it was cheap and included a soundtrack (I'm after horror soundtracks at the moment for roleplaying). It describes Lovecraft as its inspiration, but I don't know his actual work well enough to comment (it's not particularly like Arkham Horror, although the radio tunes into Kingsport.) So far, it's playable but not brilliant. Many of the puzzles are frustrating (some objects can only be used after specific events) and require a lot of patience. However, it has produced a number of twists and turns. I'll write more when I've finished one or both games.

We watched our first film of the month last night - Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. This has Gary Oldman as the lead and an all-star cast. I've never read the book (although my dad is a fan and has all the other Smiley books), but it's a smart and interesting film with some lovely touches. The actors (and the few actresses) do an excellent job and it's one of my better films of the year. It is complicated and I still hadn't got to grips with all the different characters by the end, but well worth seeing.

Finally, we completed the second Revolution campaign. At the end we were virtuous and noble by running away with what we though was a fake artifact to stop the bad guys from slaughtering our town looking for it. We also killed off the Tetrarchy and started the Revolution, but I'm not sure we fully appreciate that yet. Besides, it was accidental.

Comments

[sumbitch.livejournal.com]

Emma Donoghue! I haven't read Room, but her Kissing the Witch was an important book to me -- it's subversive feminist fairytale re-tellings. In a few years I mean to send a copy to Bea. Heck, maybe I'll just send it to you now and you can pass it down to Bea when you think she's ready.

Are you reading ebooks or paper books these days?

<3

[lathany.livejournal.com]

Hi - nice to see you!

Are you reading ebooks or paper books these days?

I'm still on the paper versions. People read the ebooks on the trains, but I can't yet bring myself to see them as books.

How's life? I've been watching for updates on your blog but it's been quiet.

[undyingking.livejournal.com]

The TTSS film stays very close to the book in plot – I was really impressed that they managed to fit it all in – so it migth be worth having a quick read of it just to make sure you have it all straight who was who etc. (And it's a well-written book in its own right, I think.)

[lathany.livejournal.com]

I might give it (and the others) a read then - thanks for the rec.

[undyingking.livejournal.com]

I don't know the more recent stuff, but the ones that I've read (TTSS, Smiley's People, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, The Perfect Spy) have all been good.