For centuries the Kingdom of Navarre was the premier independent Basque kingdom in the world. In the 1580's and 1590's, the King of Navarre was a protestant and ally of England. This King sponsored an academy at his court, and actually associated with lords named Biron and Longueville. This King actually wed a French princess, Marguerite, daughter of Catherine de Medici, and prior to the marriage, these two women made visits to Navarre, along with a group of ladies-in-waiting of the French court. The wit and charm of this group of French ladies earned them the name "l'escadron volant" (the flying squadron). The King of Navarre actually wed Marguerite, and changed his religion to Catholic in order to become the King of France, thus becoming the enemy of England, rather than its ally.
Shakespeare's play, Love's Labor's Lost (Shakespeare Theater), is a comedy spoof about how the French ladies visited the King of Navarre and completely outwitted the King and his consorts, the Lords Berowne, Longaville and Dumaine, causing them to abandon their vows to withdraw from the world for a period of three years into the King's academy to seek knowledge and enlightenment. The women outwitted these men, outtalked them, and completely outclassed them. They never for a moment took these shallow men or their professions of love seriously, realizing that they would abandon their vows of love as quickly as they abandoned their vows of austerity. In the end, the women left the men and returned to France, telling the men that if their love was true, they would withdraw from the world and live in austerity for one year (not three). Thus were "love's labors" of the men "lost" as the women departed.
Adding to the wit of the play was the reversal of roles for men and women in England in the 1590s (the time of the play). In the customs of that time, women were the weaker gender, while men were the stronger. In the play, Shakespeare poked fun at the King and his consorts by making them appear as weaklings, completely overpowered by the intellect of the women. Although modern TV sitcoms have portrayed women as smart and men as bumblers, women and men had not been portrayed in that way at the time of the play.
The play was light, airy and fun. Of course, Shakespeare was his usual self in filling the play with words, words, words, and witicisms on top of each other. This play also included more rhyme than usual in Shakespeare plays, making it both more witty and also more interesting. As usual, it is hard to follow a Shakespeare play because of the different language of 400 years ago, and because of the speed of the delivery of the lines. In order to follow the dialogue, one must read the dialogue and become familiar with it before seeing the play.
This adaptation of the play was set in 1960's costumes; it also included the setting of some of the dialogue to music. I found the costumes somewhat distracting at times in contrast to the language being spoken by the actors, but the music was very playful and enlivened the play. All in all, it was a fun performance.
Here is the Washington Post review of the play.
Friday, June 30, 2006
Blue Shoes and Happiness
Blue Shoes and Happiness by Alexander McCall Smith is another in the series of wonderful little books about The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency located in Botswana. These little books are like a cool refreshment on a hot summer's day -- they lift one's spirits and bring joy. Like a soothing massage when one is weary or tense, they bring comfort and relaxation to soothe the difficulties of one's daily life. These little books bring love and forgiveness; they bring hope and peace. What a deep pleasure it is to be invited into the lives of Mma Precious Ramotswe and her able assistant Mma Grace Makutsi. One can never get enough joy in life, or peace of mind, or hope, and one can never get enough of the one who brings such joy and peace through these little books. I love these little books because I love the way they make me feel when I read them -- wonderful.
Thursday, June 15, 2006
The Far Pavilions by M. M. Kaye
The Amazon reviewer, “Wysewomon”, gives The Far Pavilions by M. M. Kaye four stars. I agree with her, and I like her review of the book very much. This book is long – 960 pages – and it continues my reading of novels set in India. For me, this book is not as good as A Suitable Boy or Shantaram, but it is a good book. I would give those books five stars, and this one four stars.
In The Far Pavilions, Kaye uses two principal characters to describe numerous personal and cultural conflicts in India in the mid-1800s – the principal character, Ashton Pelham-Martyn and his love, Anjuli. Ashton was born in India of British parents. His mother died at childbirth, and his father died when Ashton was six years old. Until he was 11 years old, Ashton was raised as Ashok by his Hindu nurse, Sita; his dark complexion and hair permitted Sita to raise Ashok as her son for safety reasons. At her death, he learned that he was actually English, and he was sent to England for schooling. After school, he joined the British military (the Guides) and returned to India. One of the principal conflicts of the entire book was the internal conflict that Ashton experienced between being British but feeling Indian.
While Ashton/Ashok was a young boy, he and Sita were servants at the palace of an Indian Maharaja, where Ashok played with a little girl, Anjuli, who was a half-caste princess. Her mother was Russian, and her father was the Maharaja. Because of her half-caste heritage, she too experienced conflict, along with the conflict among the wives and children of the Maharaja. But Anjuli and Ashok became fast friends as children, leading to their lifelong romance.
A second principal conflict that Kaye describes through Ashton is the conflict regarding the British military in India, particularly the conflict arising from the determination of the British military to establish control over Afghanistan during that period. Much of the second half of the book concerns this conflict, and for me, the book really dragged in this part. That is the reason that I give it four stars rather than five.
Kaye’s story of Ashton’s return to India as a military officer and his “accidental” finding of Anjuli again as a young adult was very well done. Kaye’s description of the trials of Anjuli as a half-caste was also fascinating reading. Throughout the book, Kaye painted a beautiful picture of the love between Ashton and Anjuli, and the difficulties and conflicts that arose resulting from the forbidden love between a British military officer and a Hindu. Also throughout the book, Kaye presented interesting descriptions of the conflicts among the various religions and cultures in India, in particular, Hindu, Islam, and the British Christian religions and cultures.
In the end, the forbidden nature of their love, her half-caste heritage, and a variety of other unaccepted realities led Ashton and Anjuli to become new, different identities, who could find acceptance and live peacefully.
In The Far Pavilions, Kaye uses two principal characters to describe numerous personal and cultural conflicts in India in the mid-1800s – the principal character, Ashton Pelham-Martyn and his love, Anjuli. Ashton was born in India of British parents. His mother died at childbirth, and his father died when Ashton was six years old. Until he was 11 years old, Ashton was raised as Ashok by his Hindu nurse, Sita; his dark complexion and hair permitted Sita to raise Ashok as her son for safety reasons. At her death, he learned that he was actually English, and he was sent to England for schooling. After school, he joined the British military (the Guides) and returned to India. One of the principal conflicts of the entire book was the internal conflict that Ashton experienced between being British but feeling Indian.
While Ashton/Ashok was a young boy, he and Sita were servants at the palace of an Indian Maharaja, where Ashok played with a little girl, Anjuli, who was a half-caste princess. Her mother was Russian, and her father was the Maharaja. Because of her half-caste heritage, she too experienced conflict, along with the conflict among the wives and children of the Maharaja. But Anjuli and Ashok became fast friends as children, leading to their lifelong romance.
A second principal conflict that Kaye describes through Ashton is the conflict regarding the British military in India, particularly the conflict arising from the determination of the British military to establish control over Afghanistan during that period. Much of the second half of the book concerns this conflict, and for me, the book really dragged in this part. That is the reason that I give it four stars rather than five.
Kaye’s story of Ashton’s return to India as a military officer and his “accidental” finding of Anjuli again as a young adult was very well done. Kaye’s description of the trials of Anjuli as a half-caste was also fascinating reading. Throughout the book, Kaye painted a beautiful picture of the love between Ashton and Anjuli, and the difficulties and conflicts that arose resulting from the forbidden love between a British military officer and a Hindu. Also throughout the book, Kaye presented interesting descriptions of the conflicts among the various religions and cultures in India, in particular, Hindu, Islam, and the British Christian religions and cultures.
In the end, the forbidden nature of their love, her half-caste heritage, and a variety of other unaccepted realities led Ashton and Anjuli to become new, different identities, who could find acceptance and live peacefully.
Mame
On Saturday evening, June 10, I went to the Kennedy Center
to see the show, Mame, and it was really wonderful. It is odd that I have seen hundreds of Broadway shows, but never before had I seen Mame. It is such a happy show, and the music is really wonderful. I love going to the Kennedy Center, and on a Summer evening, it is even better than usual. They open up all the doors in the Great Hall and let everyone go out on the terrace overlooking the Potomac River. It is really beautiful. Everyone is happy and enjoying themselves. And then to see a really upbeat, happy show is really great. I love seeing musicals, and I love seeing happy shows. I am not one who usually likes to go to a Broadway show to see drama. Tennessee Williams is not a happy experience for me. I like musicals, and Mame is one of the all-time greats. The non-musical "Auntie Mame" was first performed on Broadway in 1958, starring Rosalind Russell, and the musical Mame was first performed in 1966, starring Angela Lansbury (see History of Auntie Mame).
It is odd that the women who have played Mame have not been strong singers, and Christine Baranski, who stars in this version, is not a strong singer. She was fine in the performance; she fit the role of the doting aunt. But I would have enjoyed it more if she had been a stronger singer. And like so many shows, if the show had stopped at intermission, it would have been better. It is odd that so many shows are great before intermission, but weak in the second act, and this show was no exception. Still, it was a wonderful show that left everyone singing and skipping out of the theater.
to see the show, Mame, and it was really wonderful. It is odd that I have seen hundreds of Broadway shows, but never before had I seen Mame. It is such a happy show, and the music is really wonderful. I love going to the Kennedy Center, and on a Summer evening, it is even better than usual. They open up all the doors in the Great Hall and let everyone go out on the terrace overlooking the Potomac River. It is really beautiful. Everyone is happy and enjoying themselves. And then to see a really upbeat, happy show is really great. I love seeing musicals, and I love seeing happy shows. I am not one who usually likes to go to a Broadway show to see drama. Tennessee Williams is not a happy experience for me. I like musicals, and Mame is one of the all-time greats. The non-musical "Auntie Mame" was first performed on Broadway in 1958, starring Rosalind Russell, and the musical Mame was first performed in 1966, starring Angela Lansbury (see History of Auntie Mame).
It is odd that the women who have played Mame have not been strong singers, and Christine Baranski, who stars in this version, is not a strong singer. She was fine in the performance; she fit the role of the doting aunt. But I would have enjoyed it more if she had been a stronger singer. And like so many shows, if the show had stopped at intermission, it would have been better. It is odd that so many shows are great before intermission, but weak in the second act, and this show was no exception. Still, it was a wonderful show that left everyone singing and skipping out of the theater.
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Lie Down With Lions
Lie Down With Lions by Ken Follett is a mindless romantic/spy novel about the war between the Soviet Union and Afghan rebels. The book is about a supposedly well-educated woman who falls in love with a CIA agent and then a spy for the Soviet Union, who travels to Afghanistan to be with her husband, the Soviet spy. The novel describes the conflict between the two men, one of whom (the Soviet spy) conveniently becomes abusive toward her, giving her an excuse to kill him and marry the CIA agent. This book was not as good as some other romance novels and chicklit books I have read, but it was okay for the airplane and the ship.
The Year 1000 : What Life Was Like at the Turn of the First Millennium
The Year 1000 : What Life Was Like at the Turn of the First Millennium by Danny Danziger, Robert Lacey is a brief, light, easy-to-read overview of life in the year 1000 in England. I found the book very interesting and amusing, and not at all boring, as history can sometimes be. The book describes living conditions for average people at that time. There were no engines of any kind, so there was no noise from any engines. There were no written documents for people to read; 99 percent of the people were illiterate. There was no knowledge of sanitation or the cause of disease, and lifespan was about 40 years. Life was filled with terrible odors; barnyards were adjacent to houses, and dung was used as insulation. There was no coffee, tea, or sugar, and no potatoes. Some of the main issues of the day included the establishment of a calendar, and the annual date for Easter. Food was scarce at certain times of the year.
Reading the book reminded me that people at that time had no idea what the year 2000 might be like, and I suspect that we do not have any idea what the year 3000 might be like. For some years, I have thought about change in the world, and it has been my impression that slowly, inexorably, the world is improving. It also seems to me that the pace of change and improvement is accelerating, and vastly improved communication seems to me to be leading the way to the accelerated change. The Internet alone has had led to enormous changes, as has television. To me, the Internet has brought about the greatest change that has occurred in my lifetime. It has opened up communication among all people, increasing knowledge and understanding and friendship.
Change is usually led by youth, who don't want to be tied to the past; they want things to be better. They are not as afraid of change as older people are. I have thought for a long time that the old in society have to die, or at least step aside, before change can occur and progress made.
This little book also reminded me how brief our lives are in the grand scheme of history. If you think about the totality of history, or even the past 1000 or 2000 years (a mere drop in the ocean of all of history), our lives are miniscule, a mere speck in time. However, when added together, we all add to the change that is occurring.
Reading the book reminded me that people at that time had no idea what the year 2000 might be like, and I suspect that we do not have any idea what the year 3000 might be like. For some years, I have thought about change in the world, and it has been my impression that slowly, inexorably, the world is improving. It also seems to me that the pace of change and improvement is accelerating, and vastly improved communication seems to me to be leading the way to the accelerated change. The Internet alone has had led to enormous changes, as has television. To me, the Internet has brought about the greatest change that has occurred in my lifetime. It has opened up communication among all people, increasing knowledge and understanding and friendship.
Change is usually led by youth, who don't want to be tied to the past; they want things to be better. They are not as afraid of change as older people are. I have thought for a long time that the old in society have to die, or at least step aside, before change can occur and progress made.
This little book also reminded me how brief our lives are in the grand scheme of history. If you think about the totality of history, or even the past 1000 or 2000 years (a mere drop in the ocean of all of history), our lives are miniscule, a mere speck in time. However, when added together, we all add to the change that is occurring.
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Tamarind Woman
Tamarind Woman by Anita Rau Badami is the story of Saroja. The story is told first through the eyes of her daughter, Kamini, but then by Saroja herself. It is a sad story of a very bright girl, who wanted to become a doctor. However, she had a sharp tongue -- a Tamarind tongue -- and it resulted in her father deciding to find a husband for her rather than letting her continue her studies. The man who was found for her to marry was much older than she was, and he lived a traditional Indian life, in which he worked and his wife stayed at home. He worked for the Indian railway system, and was away from home three weeks of every month. When he was at home, he ignored Saroja, and seldom spoke to her. Thus, this very bright girl became very isolated, and her isolation was very hard for her to bear. She had two children, girls, who moved to North America when they were grown, thus increasing her isolation still further. After her husband's death, Saroja took trips on the Indian railway, but her isolation remained with her until the end. I did not care for The Hero's Walk, but I liked this book very much, although it was a sad book.
Tuesday, February 28, 2006
Flash House by Aimee Liu
Flash House is a mystery story set in the period 1949-1951, the time of the Chinese Communist revolution and the time of the McCarthy era in the United States. Some novels are simply entertaining stories, with no underlying moral, philosophical, or psychological theme. Brick Lane is a book about transitions in life, about human growth, about finding joy in life. Flash House is an entertaining story with no underlying theme; it could easily be imagined as a movie (although probably with a different ending). Flash House is well written, though Aimee Liu is not the writer that Monica Ali is. Written by a woman, the book was written from a feminine point of view, actually two feminine points of view. The book traces the lives of two principal characters – Kamla, a 10 year old girl who has been sold to the operator of a dirty, cheap house of prostitution in New Delhi, India, and Joanna Shaw, the wife of a newsman in New Delhi and a woman who runs a home that rescues young prostitutes and trains them for lives outside of prostitution. The novel switches back and forth between the voice of Kamla, who tells her story, and the voice of an unseen narrator, who tells the story of Joanna Shaw as well as other characters in the book. Kamla’s story is about her joyful rescue from the house of prostitution, her involvement with Joanna Shaw, her fear and eventual abandonment by Joanna Shaw, and her triumph in life after all of her ordeals. Joanna Shaw’s story is about the disappearance of her husband and her dogged tracking of him throughout China, helped by one of his friends, who turned out to be an Australian setting up a spy operation in Southeast Asia. The end of the book was unsatisfying for me, but it was positive and brought a feeling of completion to the story.
Wednesday, February 22, 2006
Brick Lane by Monica Ali
Just as Shantaram is a masculine book, Brick Lane is a feminine book. This book was written by a woman; its heroes are women; and all of its men are badly flawed and unattractive. Brick Lane is a book about the mental growth and transformations that occur in life. It is a book about women taking charge of their lives, rather than leaving Fate, or men, in charge. The book focuses on the transformation of one woman, Nazneen, from a poor, uneducated girl in Bangladesh, to a mature, independent woman, living in London. However, the book also traces the transformation of other characters in the book, particularly Nazneen’s husband, Chanu, who is portrayed as a pathetic man who, though educated, is completely lost in life, with delusions of his own self-importance, fumbling his way along, giving up his job and finally losing his family.
The story is complex, chronicling the lives of two sisters who begin life with completely opposite attitudes about life. The story contrasts Nazneen, who is taught to accept Fate (and who does) with her sister, Hasina, who from the beginning of her life, is determined to take charge of her own fate, is determined to have a happy life. The book carefully develops the transformation of Nazneen into a woman more like her sister, who gradually decides no longer to accept her fate or the inane whims of her husband or other men in her life, but who decides instead to take charge of her life and her fate, determined to find happiness both for herself and her two daughters. The story details the travails of both sisters, weaving their lives together, with Hasina never losing hope for happiness despite terrible hardships, and Nazneen finally finding that same hope and determination. Nazneen’s growth in life includes an affair with a young man, Karim, who also is struggling to find his own way in life. In the end, Nazneen lets him go as she realizes that he is moving toward an even deeper unreality, while the person to whom she thought she was attracted was only her own invention, her own imagination.
A good author must write well and have a good story to tell, and Monica Ali succeeds in both. This book is extremely well written, drawing the reader into the story with the words and the structure of the story. The story is believable and compelling. Brick Lane is a book about the triumph of hope over despair, of joy over sorrow, of determination over acceptance. One image is used to portray the growth and transformation of Nazneen. In her deepest despair, she is drawn to the hope and joy she feels in watching ice skaters on TV; and in the end, she finds that hope and joy in her own life as she becomes a joyful ice skater herself. Brick Lane is very good book, a very inspiring book that leaves the reader feeling happy to have read it. However, it is also a book that portrays women as needing to find their own hope and joy, and men as incompetent, unattractive and undesirable.
The story is complex, chronicling the lives of two sisters who begin life with completely opposite attitudes about life. The story contrasts Nazneen, who is taught to accept Fate (and who does) with her sister, Hasina, who from the beginning of her life, is determined to take charge of her own fate, is determined to have a happy life. The book carefully develops the transformation of Nazneen into a woman more like her sister, who gradually decides no longer to accept her fate or the inane whims of her husband or other men in her life, but who decides instead to take charge of her life and her fate, determined to find happiness both for herself and her two daughters. The story details the travails of both sisters, weaving their lives together, with Hasina never losing hope for happiness despite terrible hardships, and Nazneen finally finding that same hope and determination. Nazneen’s growth in life includes an affair with a young man, Karim, who also is struggling to find his own way in life. In the end, Nazneen lets him go as she realizes that he is moving toward an even deeper unreality, while the person to whom she thought she was attracted was only her own invention, her own imagination.
A good author must write well and have a good story to tell, and Monica Ali succeeds in both. This book is extremely well written, drawing the reader into the story with the words and the structure of the story. The story is believable and compelling. Brick Lane is a book about the triumph of hope over despair, of joy over sorrow, of determination over acceptance. One image is used to portray the growth and transformation of Nazneen. In her deepest despair, she is drawn to the hope and joy she feels in watching ice skaters on TV; and in the end, she finds that hope and joy in her own life as she becomes a joyful ice skater herself. Brick Lane is very good book, a very inspiring book that leaves the reader feeling happy to have read it. However, it is also a book that portrays women as needing to find their own hope and joy, and men as incompetent, unattractive and undesirable.
Monday, February 06, 2006
Cezanne in Provence
An exhibition of 117 of Cezanne's paintings is currently on display at the National Gallery of Art. Cezanne This exhibition focuses on the paintings of Cézanne in and around his native Aix-en-Provence, and the exhibit marks the centenary of the death of Paul Cézanne (1839–1906). This exhibition displays landscape paintings around Provence, and also many other paintings of Cezanne during his lifetime -- portraits, still lifes, and watercolors. The exhibit displays Cezanne's development as an artist during the years that he lived in Provence, from 1860 until the end of his life. The exhibit shows his Impressionist paintings, his palette knife paintings, and his progression as a painter leading up to the beginnings of Cubism.
I am not a fan of Cezanne. Although I do enjoy some of his early Impressionist paintings, and I find his palette knife paintings interesting, I find much of his techinque and his subject matter uninspiring. Many of his paintings seem to be unfinished, leaving parts of the canvas unexposed. His paintings focus on trees (often filling the entire canvas with trees), large rocks, and a single mountain, Mont Sainte-Victoire. His paintings are filled with greys and blues, and seem dark and gloomy and uninspired. And his technique of painting blocks of color seems childlike. As a person untrained in art, it is hard for me to understand Cezanne's place in art. His works pale by comparison with those of other Impressionists, such as Monet, Pizarro, Renoir, and Degas, whose paintings fill one with awe and inspiration. Compare, for example the richness of Degas' painting, L'absinthe with a comparable painting of Cezanne, The Card Players. I am pleased that I went to the exhibition, but I am left with wonder, rather than awe. This is the Washington Post review of the exhibition.
I am not a fan of Cezanne. Although I do enjoy some of his early Impressionist paintings, and I find his palette knife paintings interesting, I find much of his techinque and his subject matter uninspiring. Many of his paintings seem to be unfinished, leaving parts of the canvas unexposed. His paintings focus on trees (often filling the entire canvas with trees), large rocks, and a single mountain, Mont Sainte-Victoire. His paintings are filled with greys and blues, and seem dark and gloomy and uninspired. And his technique of painting blocks of color seems childlike. As a person untrained in art, it is hard for me to understand Cezanne's place in art. His works pale by comparison with those of other Impressionists, such as Monet, Pizarro, Renoir, and Degas, whose paintings fill one with awe and inspiration. Compare, for example the richness of Degas' painting, L'absinthe with a comparable painting of Cezanne, The Card Players. I am pleased that I went to the exhibition, but I am left with wonder, rather than awe. This is the Washington Post review of the exhibition.
Friday, January 20, 2006
Shantaram, by Gregory David Roberts
Shantaram, by Gregory David Roberts
Amazon
Shantaram
Wikipedia
As of today, January 20, 2006, the Amazon sales rank for Shantaram is #3,350. Many people have not yet discovered this book. Although this book is long and at times somewhat tedious, it is a very interesting story based on the life of the author. This book is very masculine. It is a book about men -- rough men -- and the rough life they lead in the Bombay mafia. It is a book about violence. This book reminds me of The Godfather. Gregory David Roberts is a gifted author who writes with such skill that the reader is almost mesmerized by the story and hungry to continue to read, not wanting to stop until the story is completed, and yet never wanting the story to end. Shantaram is a story of a man who makes "wrong" decisions, and suffers the consequences of those decisions. Over and over again throughout the book, I found myself anguished by his decisions, wanting to make other decisions for him, not wanting him to continue to cause himself to suffer. I wanted him to be happy, to enjoy life, to be at peace. And yet, his decisions and the consequences of those decisions result in a wonderful story. This book is one of the three best books I have read in the past five years -- along with The Da Vinci Code and A Suitable Boy. This book will not enjoy the success of The Da Vinci Code because it is too long and not fast-paced enough, but I will read this book again. It is a great story, written in a wonderful way.
Amazon
Shantaram
Wikipedia
As of today, January 20, 2006, the Amazon sales rank for Shantaram is #3,350. Many people have not yet discovered this book. Although this book is long and at times somewhat tedious, it is a very interesting story based on the life of the author. This book is very masculine. It is a book about men -- rough men -- and the rough life they lead in the Bombay mafia. It is a book about violence. This book reminds me of The Godfather. Gregory David Roberts is a gifted author who writes with such skill that the reader is almost mesmerized by the story and hungry to continue to read, not wanting to stop until the story is completed, and yet never wanting the story to end. Shantaram is a story of a man who makes "wrong" decisions, and suffers the consequences of those decisions. Over and over again throughout the book, I found myself anguished by his decisions, wanting to make other decisions for him, not wanting him to continue to cause himself to suffer. I wanted him to be happy, to enjoy life, to be at peace. And yet, his decisions and the consequences of those decisions result in a wonderful story. This book is one of the three best books I have read in the past five years -- along with The Da Vinci Code and A Suitable Boy. This book will not enjoy the success of The Da Vinci Code because it is too long and not fast-paced enough, but I will read this book again. It is a great story, written in a wonderful way.
Thursday, January 12, 2006
Wicked
Wicked Kennedy Center
The link to the Washington Post review is on the site, and it is well worth reading.
As always, I judge shows and movies by the way they make me feel. If I pay money to be entertained, I like to feel good afterward, and this show did not let me down. I thought the show was very good -- not exceptional, but very good. It is a musical, of course, and it is really for children, but it was very good. Of course, the staging at the Kennedy Center is always overwhelming. The sets are incredible, and they add a lot to the feeling of the performance. This show was about a little girl who was different from the other little girls, so she was scorned and told she was a witch. The show is all about her trials and tribulations as she grew up different from the other little girls. Not pretty like them. But with a very loving heart, who wanted to help animals and people who needed help. The show was a contrast between her and the pretty girl who had all the friends and the wonderful boyfriend, just because she was pretty. But the ugly girl befriended the pretty girl, despite the mean things the pretty girl did, and in the end, the handsome boyfriend went with the ugly girl with the wonderful heart, rather than the pretty girl who was selfish. So it ended well. The place was filled with children, especially little girls, and they loved it. The music was good, but not memorable. Stephanie Block, who plays Elphaba, the "witch", had a wonderful voice; she was incredible. All in all, a very good performance of a children's story.
The link to the Washington Post review is on the site, and it is well worth reading.
As always, I judge shows and movies by the way they make me feel. If I pay money to be entertained, I like to feel good afterward, and this show did not let me down. I thought the show was very good -- not exceptional, but very good. It is a musical, of course, and it is really for children, but it was very good. Of course, the staging at the Kennedy Center is always overwhelming. The sets are incredible, and they add a lot to the feeling of the performance. This show was about a little girl who was different from the other little girls, so she was scorned and told she was a witch. The show is all about her trials and tribulations as she grew up different from the other little girls. Not pretty like them. But with a very loving heart, who wanted to help animals and people who needed help. The show was a contrast between her and the pretty girl who had all the friends and the wonderful boyfriend, just because she was pretty. But the ugly girl befriended the pretty girl, despite the mean things the pretty girl did, and in the end, the handsome boyfriend went with the ugly girl with the wonderful heart, rather than the pretty girl who was selfish. So it ended well. The place was filled with children, especially little girls, and they loved it. The music was good, but not memorable. Stephanie Block, who plays Elphaba, the "witch", had a wonderful voice; she was incredible. All in all, a very good performance of a children's story.
Comedy of Errors
Comedy of Errors Shakespeare Theater
Although this was Shakespeare's first play, and is considered an "apprentice's play", it is delightful and fun. From the beginning, Shakespeare had fun in his plays -- fun with words and fun with situations. He was a master entertainer, who created situations and wrote words that were playful, that made his audience feel happy. He left them laughing and wanting more. In this play as in some of his other plays, he was able to take a well-known story and enhance it, making it more complex and more entertaining than the original. As usual, the staging at the Shakespeare Theater was spartan, but more elaborate sets are not needed for Shakespeare's plays. The imagination is sufficient. Seeing this play was a wonderful experience, and left me feeling happy -- the true purpose of entertainment.
Although this was Shakespeare's first play, and is considered an "apprentice's play", it is delightful and fun. From the beginning, Shakespeare had fun in his plays -- fun with words and fun with situations. He was a master entertainer, who created situations and wrote words that were playful, that made his audience feel happy. He left them laughing and wanting more. In this play as in some of his other plays, he was able to take a well-known story and enhance it, making it more complex and more entertaining than the original. As usual, the staging at the Shakespeare Theater was spartan, but more elaborate sets are not needed for Shakespeare's plays. The imagination is sufficient. Seeing this play was a wonderful experience, and left me feeling happy -- the true purpose of entertainment.
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
Selected Stories of Anton Chekhov
Selected Stories of Anton Chekhov (Paperback) Amazon
Translated by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky
I am told by Russian friends that Chekhov's stories are realistic descriptions of prerevolutionary Russia. If that is so, then it was truly a horrible place in every respect -- living conditions and customs and thinking of its people. I found this book devoid of value to me. Chekhov was not the great writer that Gogol was, with wonderful descriptions of places and motivations and actions of his characters. And his stories had no value to me but to describe one horrible situation after another. I had incredible difficulty forcing myself to complete this book, and I was very happy when I had finished it. I truly do not understand why Chekhov is considered a great writer.
Translated by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky
I am told by Russian friends that Chekhov's stories are realistic descriptions of prerevolutionary Russia. If that is so, then it was truly a horrible place in every respect -- living conditions and customs and thinking of its people. I found this book devoid of value to me. Chekhov was not the great writer that Gogol was, with wonderful descriptions of places and motivations and actions of his characters. And his stories had no value to me but to describe one horrible situation after another. I had incredible difficulty forcing myself to complete this book, and I was very happy when I had finished it. I truly do not understand why Chekhov is considered a great writer.
Sunday, October 16, 2005
Windmills
Windmills offshore in Copenhagen. Wind power now accounts for one-half of all public power in Denmark. The Danes have reduced their reliance on oil.
The windmills are huge, about 250 feet high. 
Windmills in Amsterdam.
And now we see that windmills have been constructed in the Philippines. As oil becomes more scarce, and the price increases, greater reliance on wind to generate electric power seems inevitable.(Link)
Madame Matisse
Madame Matisse
Helen Frankenthaler, 1983
Acrylic on canvas, 60x122 1/2 inches
University Art Museum
State University of New York at Albany
Born in 1928 in New York City.
"Frankenthaler is best known for changing the direction of Abstract Expressionism in the 1950s when she began pouring cans of paint directly onto unsized, unstretched canvas. Madame Matisse is an example of how acrylic paint improved Frankenthaler's technique. The water-based paint helped intensify color stains and control the halo effect that oil paint produced." (From website of SUNY Albany, Art Museum Link)
Although I do not really care for much of Frankenthaler's work, I do like this piece very much. (I judge all art work in the same way -- by the feeling it evokes in me.)
Monday, October 10, 2005
Nude Descending a Staircase, Marcel Duchamp
Nude Descending a Staircase
(No. 2)
Marcel Duchamp
American, born in France
1887-1968
1912 Oil on canvas
This painting created a sensation when it was exhibited in New York in February 1913 at the historic Armory Show of contemporary art, where perplexed Americans saw it as representing all the tricks they felt European artists were playing at their expense. The picture's outrageousness surely lay in its seemingly mechanical portrayal of a subject at once so sensual and time-honored. The Nude's destiny as a symbol also stemmed from its remarkable aggregation of avant-garde concerns: the birth of cinema; the Cubists' fracturing of form; the Futurists' depiction of movement; the chromophotography of Etienne-Jules Marey, Eadweard Muybridge, and Thomas Eakins; and the redefinitions of time and space by scientists and philosophers. The painting was bought directly from the Armory Show for three hundred dollars by a San Francisco dealer. Marcel Duchamp's great collector-friend Walter Arensberg was able to buy the work in 1927, eleven years after Duchamp had obligingly made him a hand-colored, actual-size photographic copy. Today both the copy and the original, together with a preparatory study, are owned by the Museum. (Description taken from the website of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Nude)
This painting was not intended to depict the Madonna, but that is the image that comes to my mind when I look at it. It is my favorite painting of all time. I have a copy hanging in my home, and I feel a sense of reverence when I look at it, as I do every day.
Friday, September 30, 2005
Othello, The National Shakespeare Theater
Hundreds of books have been written by learned scholars about Shakespeare's Othello. I will not try to write anything learned about the play, but will simply give my own impressions. As we know, the play is a tragedy about a man who is led to feel the deep pangs of jealousy and fear that his wife is having an affair with another man. Jealousy stems from insecurity, from fear of loss of someone held dear, and that particular type of insecurity can be inflamed by one so inclined. A rational person would question information given to him regarding the infidelity of his love, would check it out to ensure that it is accurate, would not jump to conclusions. But people who are jealous are not entirely rational people; they are insecure, often extremely insecure. As we know, murders of wives, former wives, and girlfriends are among the most common of all murders, and even more women suffer ongoing physical and mental abuse by jealous men. Women who make the mistake, often unknowing, of becoming involved with jealous men suffer dearly for their mistake.
As was the case with Othello, some men may not be aware of their tendency toward jealousy until they fall deeply in love. Like Othello, some men may live their lives with no feelings of insecurity and jealousy until they find a woman they simply cannot live without. They develop feelings of dependency on a particular woman; they come to believe that their happiness depends on her, and they make her their slave, a slave to serve their own happiness. They demand total allegiance, total subjugation to their desires, their whims. Constantly, they are plagued by their fear of loss. Nor can they help themselves. Their fear is a disease, completely outside their own control, and it plagues not only them, but also the object of their fear.
In Othello, Shakespeare added complexity to the basic exploration of jealousy. He added the complexity of a man of a different race, different religion, and different age from his wife. In addition, he added the complexity of Iago, a Machiavellian mind bent on the destruction of Othello. Shakespeare also created characters who were naive, simple people who could easily be manipulated by the evil Iago; indeed, the only character in the play who is not simple and naive is Iago. He manipulated everyone else in the play. Thus, to some extent, it seemed to me that the play would more appropriately have been named Iago rather than Othello.
I was pleased that I had reread the play before seeing it. It helped me to follow the dialogue and more importantly, it helped me not to be affected by the emotions of the play. I like happiness and joy; I don't like sadness. And I like plays that are happy plays, rather than plays that are sad. Rereading the play in advance helped me to react more technically to the play rather than emotionally.
As stated on the website for The Shakespeare Theater, "Shakespeare's principal source for the plot was a short story by the Italian writer Cinthio Giambattista Giraldi (1504-1574), who included it in a collection of 100 domestic stories titled Hecatommithi, published in Venice in 1566. No English translation is believed to have existed before 1753, so Shakespeare may have read it in either the original Italian or in a French translation published in 1584. A handful of lines from Shakespeare's text recall phrases from the Italian and French versions, suggesting that he may have read it in both languages."
Othello was first performed on November 1, 1604, and has been in constant production for most of the past 400 hundred years. Insecurity and the pain that it causes continues to be a human condition that people can relate to and find sympathy for. I continue to admire Shakespeare for his professionalism, his ability to write and produce plays that were commercial successes. He had great technical ability to take an idea and turn it into a successful play.
Othello, The Shakespeare Theater
http://www.shakespearedc.org/othello.html
As was the case with Othello, some men may not be aware of their tendency toward jealousy until they fall deeply in love. Like Othello, some men may live their lives with no feelings of insecurity and jealousy until they find a woman they simply cannot live without. They develop feelings of dependency on a particular woman; they come to believe that their happiness depends on her, and they make her their slave, a slave to serve their own happiness. They demand total allegiance, total subjugation to their desires, their whims. Constantly, they are plagued by their fear of loss. Nor can they help themselves. Their fear is a disease, completely outside their own control, and it plagues not only them, but also the object of their fear.
In Othello, Shakespeare added complexity to the basic exploration of jealousy. He added the complexity of a man of a different race, different religion, and different age from his wife. In addition, he added the complexity of Iago, a Machiavellian mind bent on the destruction of Othello. Shakespeare also created characters who were naive, simple people who could easily be manipulated by the evil Iago; indeed, the only character in the play who is not simple and naive is Iago. He manipulated everyone else in the play. Thus, to some extent, it seemed to me that the play would more appropriately have been named Iago rather than Othello.
I was pleased that I had reread the play before seeing it. It helped me to follow the dialogue and more importantly, it helped me not to be affected by the emotions of the play. I like happiness and joy; I don't like sadness. And I like plays that are happy plays, rather than plays that are sad. Rereading the play in advance helped me to react more technically to the play rather than emotionally.
As stated on the website for The Shakespeare Theater, "Shakespeare's principal source for the plot was a short story by the Italian writer Cinthio Giambattista Giraldi (1504-1574), who included it in a collection of 100 domestic stories titled Hecatommithi, published in Venice in 1566. No English translation is believed to have existed before 1753, so Shakespeare may have read it in either the original Italian or in a French translation published in 1584. A handful of lines from Shakespeare's text recall phrases from the Italian and French versions, suggesting that he may have read it in both languages."
Othello was first performed on November 1, 1604, and has been in constant production for most of the past 400 hundred years. Insecurity and the pain that it causes continues to be a human condition that people can relate to and find sympathy for. I continue to admire Shakespeare for his professionalism, his ability to write and produce plays that were commercial successes. He had great technical ability to take an idea and turn it into a successful play.
Othello, The Shakespeare Theater
http://www.shakespearedc.org/othello.html
Wednesday, August 03, 2005
The Collected Tales of Nikolai Gogol
To me, Gogol summarized his writing best: "But what is strangest, what is most incomprehensible of all is how authors can choose such subjects. I confess, that is utterly inconceivable, it is...no, no, I utterly fail to understand. In the first place, there is decidedly no benefit to the fatherland; in the second place...but in the second place, there is also no benefit. I simply do not know what it...." I would ask the question in a different way: How can such a brilliant writer waste his talents writing such drivel.
When I read Vikram Seth, I wondered why such a good writer would always write stories in which his central character was so stupid. When I read D.H. Lawrence's "Women in Love" I wondered again why such a brilliant writer would write a book with such a stupid ending. It seems that some brilliant writers have difficulty with their story lines; a brilliant author is one who combines brilliant writing with a brilliant story. Some writers are brilliant writers, but not brilliant authors because they are lacking in their ability to write good stories. To me, Gogol falls into this category. His writing is truly brilliant, but his stories are completely intellectually vacuous.
On the other hand, I am very pleased that I read this book. Reading one story was worth reading the entire book -- "The Diary of a Madman." That is one of the most moving stories I have ever read -- exceedingly sad and moving. In addition, Gogol's writing, even about inane subjects, is truly wonderful. Sometimes I found myself forgetting the story and simply marveling at the words he used and the way he wrote. He was a truly brilliant writer. I feel good about reading the book; I learned something about a renowned writer, I read one truly great story, and I was mesmerized by his writing ability. So I feel good about reading the book.
When I read Vikram Seth, I wondered why such a good writer would always write stories in which his central character was so stupid. When I read D.H. Lawrence's "Women in Love" I wondered again why such a brilliant writer would write a book with such a stupid ending. It seems that some brilliant writers have difficulty with their story lines; a brilliant author is one who combines brilliant writing with a brilliant story. Some writers are brilliant writers, but not brilliant authors because they are lacking in their ability to write good stories. To me, Gogol falls into this category. His writing is truly brilliant, but his stories are completely intellectually vacuous.
On the other hand, I am very pleased that I read this book. Reading one story was worth reading the entire book -- "The Diary of a Madman." That is one of the most moving stories I have ever read -- exceedingly sad and moving. In addition, Gogol's writing, even about inane subjects, is truly wonderful. Sometimes I found myself forgetting the story and simply marveling at the words he used and the way he wrote. He was a truly brilliant writer. I feel good about reading the book; I learned something about a renowned writer, I read one truly great story, and I was mesmerized by his writing ability. So I feel good about reading the book.
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