hawthorne’s short stories

| nicole
9780307741219

Hawthorne’s Short Stories by Nathaniel Hawthorne

✨ my rating: 4 of 5 stars ✨

Hawthorne is clearly an extremely talented storyteller, with very solid writing and engaging dialogue. His prose is lush and evocative, taking readers into a world containing dark, mystical and supernatural elements. I’m seriously in awe at how imaginative he is!

My favourite story was “The Minister’s Black Veil”, a really insightful piece on the emphasis placed on appearances. In the tale, it is precisely those who have the most awareness and humility to admit to their darkness that are shunned and isolated – perhaps because all humans truly are afraid of themselves and feel the guilt for their own sins. At least, that’s how I interpreted it!

On the downside, I became a little bored-slash-saturated with the stories after a while. While the first two sections of the book were good, by the third section, it felt repetitive. However it is an anthology of short stories, so reading it all at once may be rather tiring. Instead, maybe come back to read a little at a time, and it’d be more enjoyable! 🙂

🌹 date finished: 3 jan 2019 🌹

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the pianist

| nicole

pianist_2002_original_film_art_2000x✨ my rating: 5 of 5 stars ✨

There are some films that are painful to watch, but all the more important for it. The Pianist is one such work. Set during Nazi Germany, the movie tells the true tale of a Polish Jewish musician, Władysław Szpilman, who struggles to survive amidst the persecution of Jews.

I found it so heart-wrenching because of its explicit portrayal of the brutality of war, and had to look away at some parts because I felt so sad about how cruel humans could be to each other. The subdued and reserved protagonist was played brilliantly by Adrian Brody, whose subtle actions and expressions really conveyed the internal pain and difficulties he was facing. The composition of various scenes – such as those where we see Jews being mercilessly killed and shot, followed by scenes of Szpilman desperately trying to keep alive – layered the story immensely, juxtaposing his tenacity to survive with the death all around him.

Yet, I think it simultaneously offers an inspiring and uplifting message of the redemptive qualities of art, in juxtaposition to the darkness of war – that art can give us a reason to keep living, and a reason to see beyond surface differences to realise we’re all ultimately just human. The classical music was beautiful and gentle, a symbol of humanity’s potential for good amidst the brutality and violence of gunshots and bombs dropping.

Ah, what can I say. WATCH IT, it’s a harrowing and stellar masterpiece.

The Pianist; directed by Roman Polanski

🌹date watched: 2 jan 2019 🌹

on becoming fearless

| nicole

On Becoming Fearless by Arianna Huffington

✨my rating: 2 of 5 stars ✨

It was somewhat inspiring – but forgetful, with not many new ideas raised. I didn’t agree with everything she said, such as the way she tended to frame a dichotomy between being assertive and feminine; her anecdotes about being assertive also came across as her being ruder than she needed to be. Some parts of the book were ehh… slightly repetitive. Overall, it’s a fine read, but nothing spectacular!

🌹 date finished: 1 jan 2019 🌹

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loving vincent

| nicole

loving_vincent✨ my rating: 4 of 5 stars ✨

I admire Vincent van Gogh’s art immensely, and so was instantly drawn to watch the film when I saw it screening at The Projector! The film was engaging; structured as a dramatic mystery in which Armand Roulin, the son of van Gogh’s close friend, the postman Joseph Roulin, seeks to discover the truth of truth behind van Gogh’s death.

Visually, it was stunning – “every frame of this film… was hand-painted over in oil paint in the style of van Gogh” – and the cinematography was gorgeous. The textures of the oil paint made the film really come alive, and some scenes were really dazzling. The character of Vincent himself was also played very well by Robert Gulaczyk, from his shy awkwardness to his struggles with mental health. It was heartbreaking to see how he was shunned and treated with cruelty by many, and for me, it hit me personally particularly because of the mental illness aspect. 

I really felt for him; van Gogh seemed gentle and able to see the beauty in life, yet was so plagued by inner demons.

While the visual and aesthetic appeal really stood out, plot-wise, it wasn’t fantastic. I felt that the motivations behind Roulin’s desire to find out what happened, and his character overall, was not adequately fleshed out. His sudden 360 from being indignant at his father’s admiration for Vincent swerves to being keen and empathetic, without sufficient explanation in my opinion, and made his quest seem less believable. Dr Gachet was also initially set up as a suspicious character with vested interests, yet Roulin really easily believes and trusts him by the end, which I felt was a really hasty and abrupt conclusion.

Overall, despite these gaps, I still really enjoyed the film. Not only was it a labour of love, taking around 7 years to make, it was also touching and it offers a poignant look into the life of the extraordinary Van Gogh. 😀

Loving Vincent; directed by Dorota Kobiela, Hugh Welchman

🌹date watched: 30 dec 2018 🌹