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R J Askew ~ One Swift Summer
message 651:
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Gingerlily - The Full Wild
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Jan 05, 2013 08:04AM
I LOVED the Hobbit. Want to go again while it is still in the cinemas.
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Gingerlily (or Cyberlily..) wrote: "I LOVED the Hobbit. Want to go again while it is still in the cinemas."I loved the Hobbit also .. yes, it is long, but then it is good long, if you are happy hanging your intellect at the door and surrendering to pure fantasy adventurism. It's like a modern saga. And if you must taken your intllect into the cinema then you can exmaine the structure of the story and Tolkein's agenda. Actually, much of the story reminds me of the place I work namely: Canary Wharf where Orcs, Elves, Goblins and Hobbits are all to be found in continual quest/combat mode. My infantry loved the film and I was happy to be with them, esp as I read it to them when they were small. I even came out having forgiven Peter Jackson for splitting it into three films.
Yes - I was a bit worried at the split into 3, but I think it will work. He did get a natural stopping point, and I can see another one once they get to Dale. I love that he put in the extra background bits and made them fit in with the old familiar and loved story.
Yes, the flash fwd to the spiders was a cunning ploy and worked for me. I thought the ending also worked. The ominous eye was strong. I was really, really worried that the ending wld irritate me, but it didn't. I am generally hostile to writers who split a perfectly good story into three parts for financial reasons and put up a dud ending to part 1. It is a pet dislike of mine. But the eye of Smaug (sp?) worked for me. I took my hat off to the director at that stroke. So I was impressed. I was taken with the dwarves also. You wld not want to mess with them. And I felt there was a strong sense of going a-viking about the story, which places it strongly in the North European psyche. And I always think of Middle Earth as Middle Europe and the Shire as England. Bilbo is a stereotypical Englishman who really, really does not want to get involved with all those strange fellows over the hill doing insane things. Also the ring seems to fit in with Wagner's Ring Cycle. Ach, I am just a silly billy reductivist. I can't quiet get my head around the Elves. Who do they represent? They are sort of standoffish (standelfish?). Who the hell do the Elves represent? The Orcs clearly represent all that's nasty in the European woodshed. But who the hell are the Elves? As fow Golum, well, my pweshus ..
Did you know that Gandalf is meant to be an angel? According to a letter Tolkien wrote anyway. I could dig out the book and see if he says anything aboput the elves. I really like the dwarves too. He has taken them from being figures of fun in my mind to something a bit more serious. Particularly Thorin. I have never seem anything so intense as the way he looks at the white orc...
The eleves feel almost like the Swiss in some odd way. All for a peacful life of status quo. But armed to the teeth, just in case. If you can find out how Tolkein was them I wld be greatful. Yes, Thorin is a classic disposessed warrior figure. And the war band is almost like a platoon. He reminds me of Chingachgook in Last of the Mohicans, with the orc similar to Magua the Huron, the enemy.
Maybe there is a psychological reading of it all with Thorin representing our good side and the orc representing the darkness within us. It is rich that the darkness is so pale! Does that mean, bloodless, lifeless? He certainly needed to floss more often.
The cult of the sword fascinated also, another age old theme. Now we idolise our cars. We even refer to being 'cut up' by other drivers.
R.J. wrote: "Gingerlily (or Cyberlily..) wrote: "I LOVED the Hobbit. Want to go again while it is still in the cinemas."I loved the Hobbit also .. yes, it is long, but then it is good long, if you are happy h..."
I'm not happy doing that, so no...
had a narrow squeak on that one. Mrs b'day is Dec 29th & that's what she demanded we do to celebrate. Fortunately it wasn't out then.If there's one thing worse than musical theatre, that's musical theatre on film...
Marc wrote: "had a narrow squeak on that one. Mrs b'day is Dec 29th & that's what she demanded we do to celebrate. Fortunately it wasn't out then.If there's one thing worse than musical theatre, that's musica..."
I agree with you wholeheartedly on that one .. wld prefer to dine with orcs than sit and watch squawks
30 or so literals fixed and I'm no longer in the 99 cts cage fight .. now up to $2.99 .. still a lot less than a moccha and a slice of carrot cake
Marc wrote: "life is short, but art is long..."And beauty is timeless.
Your last chance to get Watching Swifts for 99 cents .. it will be $2.99 tmr .. pls see reviews if you are new to the title txs *bows*
Just finished FAHRENHEIT 451 .. loved it, not as much as BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S .. but what a joy to read to excellent books back to back .. what do I read next to keep the roll going ??
Marc wrote: "Philip Roth's "American Pastoral""I will have a look at Roth .. it will be a cage fight between him and the as yet unfinished C. I hate starting and not finishing books.
I've put my price up from 99 cents to $2.99 on advice from a couple of sources. New approach.
If you know Holly Golightly of BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S fame and Guy Montag of FAHRENHEIT 451 fame this bit of outrageous waggery may tickle you .. http://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_...
My most absurd blog yet http://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_... … #wit #literature #fahrenheit451 #breakfastattiffanys #hollygolightly #raybradbury #trumancapote
Have you seen any benefit from the price change yet? I suppose it's only been a week, but I'm very curious!
Andrew wrote: "Have you seen any benefit from the price change yet? I suppose it's only been a week, but I'm very curious!"Yes, I've had a few more sales. And I actually feel right, if that makes any sense. I always hated being in the value end of the market. I plan to narrow my search for eyes to more appropriate readers. I've learnt that gunning for mass eyes is a mistake. I've also resolved not to go free. The msg appears to be that people squirrel stories away, never to be be read. There is no point being a hidden nut in a zillion kindles. Also, it seems, freebie readers are more inclined to give dissing reviews. At least a reader who pays has, presumably, done some prelim checks to see what they are getting. So, a curse on cheapies n freebies. I also hope to offer a couple more stories when I can get round to it. Frantic social-media activity seems of little use from what I glean from others. I am also highly sceptical of all talk about 'branding/marketing/product'. If we are born to be successful writers we will be.
Yeeeee ha! Time to apply for a bit of vol redundancy. You know how I will spend my ill-gotten time of course *bows*unless of course they think I am not inept enough to be released back into the community.
I suppose I cld make a spectacular cock up or two to establish my reputation as an A* numpty.
Yes - that would be a lot of fun! I found whole process very tough and it seemed to go excruciatingly slowly!
Gingerlily (or Cyberlily..) wrote: "Yes - that would be a lot of fun! I found whole process very tough and it seemed to go excruciatingly slowly!"the prospect of beathing different office air conditioning .. seeing different office pot plants .. getting to know new stains on a new office carpet .. lord, isn't this what makes life the joy we crave it to be?
.. as for the human furniture .. most of it .. sigh .. shame IKEA doesn't do a range of cheap n cheerful office humans ..
I hope to never have to work in an office ever again.
.. me too .. what ex-office activities are you pursuing, may I ask?
So far very little. I needed a couple of months off to recover. Hoping to do something with music and writing, and use the counselling training I did a couple of years ago.
.. bloody hell, I cld be a client .. I certainly need counselling, what with my neuroses and generally dysfunctional disposition ..
Ummmm ... I may have to charge extra - you'd be a tough case!!
.. unfixable I'd say .. but that's askew poets for you .. *bows*
R.J. wrote: ".. bloody hell, I cld be a client .. I certainly need counselling, what with my neuroses and generally dysfunctional disposition .."or failing that, a drink...
Marc wrote: "R.J. wrote: ".. bloody hell, I cld be a client .. I certainly need counselling, what with my neuroses and generally dysfunctional disposition .."or failing that, a drink..."
Yep, a drink is sure to assist the passage from one day to the next. When are we looking at?
R.J. wrote: "Andrew wrote: "Have you seen any benefit from the price change yet? I suppose it's only been a week, but I'm very curious!"Yes, I've had a few more sales. And I actually feel right, if that makes..."
Interesting - this pretty much chimes with my experiences. A friend now has two short story collections and a novella for sale, all at the low, low price of 77p, and in spite of repeated and frantic tweeting I think he's still sold just a handful more copies than my single book.
I share your concerns about the freebie side of things, though I believe one way in which it can help is to boost the visibility of a writer's other material. So it's something I might revisit if I do manage to put out a further two or three titles this year.
I think my slim collection is just a little too slim to warrant a price hike, but I hope Watching Swifts continues to soar for you!
Andrew wrote: "R.J. wrote: "Andrew wrote: "Have you seen any benefit from the price change yet? I suppose it's only been a week, but I'm very curious!"Yes, I've had a few more sales. And I actually feel right, ..."
Tweeting is a total waste of life. Twitter is a cesspit of writhing spam quietly dying and sinking unread into oblivion. Tweets are like all those tiny animals whose skeltons make up the crumbly white cliffs of Dover rover. I have joyfully tweeted over 1,000 tweets which are now decaying silently in the sediments of death.
Maybe going a-freebie makes sense if the author has other works that are not free. As an artist - hissy toss of my non-esistant locks - I want to machine gun every freebie there is and then toss grenades among the wordy corpses to catch any who may be playing dead.
Not that I am bitter and .. flicks safety off ... hoses down a million freebies. Ah, yess! yessss! YESSSSS! That feels sooooo believably guuuuuuuuud. .. twisted.
Damn, I may have to tweet it!
Only joking.
Ron I humbly disagree with you about Tweets. Maybe we'll discuss when we meet up.
Marc wrote: "Ron I humbly disagree with you about Tweets. Maybe we'll discuss when we meet up."Of course. Meanwhile, pay no attention to my ventings. I am just sick to the bottom of my heart about one or two other lessons I've learnt as I engage in this online danse macabre.
AN INTERESTING NOTE ON THE NATURE OF LICHEN AND POETSFUNGUS = POET
ALGA = JOY
(AVEC FOUR NIGHTINGALE CHORUS) LICHEN IS >>> The mutualistic symbiotic association of a fungus with an alga or a cyanobacterium, or both. The fungal component of a lichen absorbs water and nutrients from the surroundings and provides a suitable environment for the alga or cyanobacterium. These live protected among the dense fungal hyphae and produce carbohydrates for the fungus by photosynthesis. Owing to this partnership, lichens can thrive in harsh environments such as mountaintops and polar regions. The more familiar lichens grow slowly as crusty patches, but lichens are found in a variety of forms, such as the tall, plantlike reindeer moss. The association between the different organisms in a lichen is so close that lichens are routinely referred to as a single organism, and scientists classify lichens using the name of the fungal component.
So there you have it. The best description of a poet you will ever read. We poets are for the most part inoffensive creatures, hang around forever being routinely overlooked, yet add a gentle natural patina to the hard texture of life, even in its present digitalised spreadsheetised form. Alas, we are of little obvious use and, worse, tend to be irregular and unmeasurable...just hanging around...seemingly forever...and...longer...
I'm a happy reader tonight. Am into a historical fiction set in Wharfdale. A lovingly constructed story that has bossed my eyes for 120,000 words. I will be sorry when I've finished it. Review to follow. This reading malarky is most enjoyable. I'm reading far more and far ore widely here. I will never ever, absolutely never set myself one of those reading challenges though. Just like I will never ever, absolutely never run on a treadmill in gym. It's just the same right? Readers who set theselves rading challenges have feet for eyes, they run through books like gymbos. That said, if you are looking for a nice tight 44k read you can knock off in two swift sessions you cld check out Watching Swifts
Ach, silly me, if you read said little gem properly it might make you think for a week and stop you moving onto your next. Also you might find it intruding in your reading three books on and disturbing your eyes as you pound through another genre zombie.
By the way, if you are what you read, what with all the zombie epulp freebies thunking around ..
Shuddup Askew! Don't diss the punters. You can zombie up a blog about ZOMBIE READERS once the snow's melted. THUNK THUNK THUNK THUNK .. another zombie reader achieving her quote. Ticks box. Checcks spread-shed given by life coach. 'Go to bed', says spreadsheet on LIVING EFFICIENTLY AND ACHIEVING YOUR GOALS. Humbuggerly! snort eye.
THUNK THUNK THUNK THUNK .. don't have nightmares, de here?
I am refusing to set any challenges or goals for myself at the moment. I trying to learn how to do what I feel like doing. Its surprisingly difficult.
I agree about challenges. It makes reading a task and it should only ever be a pleasure - like Watching Swifts was - see what I did there? ;)
I had a go at a reading challenge last year. I didn't much care for it.
I always thought that if I cld win Watching Swifts 100 sets of eyes I wld be able to get to 1,000. I am presently on 96 sales and looking for 97. Might it be you, or you, or you? It is an honour to be be read by one set of eyes. I love eyes. All eyess. To win eyes is a great thing. The title of my story is no accident. And the swifts in the story are not just birds. There are 14 other swifts in the story. *bows*
Pitching like a crazed fruit bat .. just 4 more sales to take take Watching Swifts to 100 sales .. not bat for an awkward piece of literary fiction.Once at 100 I reassess and then really make a nuisance of myself.
I was a fairly early reader of this book an I commend it to anyone who loves the English language. It's a winning story and is gorgeous in the telling! Go on, give the lad his ton!
Ignite wrote: "I was a fairly early reader of this book an I commend it to anyone who loves the English language. It's a winning story and is gorgeous in the telling! Go on, give the lad his ton!"Not for the first time .. CHEERS IGNITE! thank you *bows*
some things are received .. this was received .. for which I am thankful .. I am not religious in any normal way .. but this is me I suppose >>>>>>>>>>>>>
CHURCH OF THE HEART
..
I know that you are here with me
At one in this wellspring of hope
We are a universal beat
Made one in our brief consciousness
We feel our Nature's full alive
In us she sees herself to be
We are her eyes in us she is
Alive! We are alive in this!
We are the church of human hearts
A-beating true, a-beating true
We are made one in this design
By Nature made to give new love
We live by love in love alive
You are for ever .. in this heart
..
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