Very Scary Fairy Tales

Many of the world's most beloved fairy tales have been around for centuries. Millions of children were raised on stories filled with wolves, witches, giants, and death. But according to a new study completed by a British television channel, more and more parents are choosing to skip these stories at bedtime.

The Daily Mail reports that some of the books most commonly left on the shelves include Rumpelstiltskin and Rapunzel because kidnapping is the centerpiece of their storylines. And, Little Red Riding Hood -- that Big Bad Wolf is too gruesome when he gobbles up Red's grandma. A staggering one-third of parents reported that their children were actually brought to tears by the scene.

Having personally read the Complete Grimm's Fairy Tales, I can attest to the fact that the true versions of these stories are hardly the innocent, safe bedtime tales that Disney makes them out to be. However, I can't help but wonder if taking fairy tales completely out of our children's lives is the best answer. First off, the stories found in the Brother's Grimm really are a part of the foundation of Western literature and culture. The stories are so ingrained in us and our literature that I can't imagine removing them. Also, should it really be our goal to completely remove violence from our children's lives? Maybe it would be better to take the time to explain these stories to them rather than removing them completely.

What do you think? Will you read these stories to your children? Or is it time for us to put Cinderella, Hansel and Gretel, Little Red Riding Hood, and Rumplestiltskin on the adult shelf?

Masterpiece Theatre: Downton Abbey Series 2

Last year, Masterpiece Classic took us inside life at an English country estate in 1912. We watched as two completely different worlds faced scandal, heartache, grief, romance, joy, backstabbing, and struggle under one grand roof...Downton Abbey. Who could have guessed that this show would be popular, not just with the regular Masterpiece and PBS crowd, but also with millions of ordinary Americans who had never before experienced the greatness of a British period drama. With the beginning of the 2nd series, Downton fever took America by storm. We were tweeting it, blogging it, spoofing it, and tuning in like never before. It truly became a piece of popular culture.

Series 2 picks up two years after the end of Series 1. World War I is raging in Europe and life at Downton Abbey has been completely turned upside down. Matthew Crawley, and footmen Thomas and William all end up on the front lines. Back home, everyone is doing there part for the war effort. Lady Sibyl is training to be a nurse, Anna and the other maids are filling in for the missing footmen, and Cousin Isobel is helping run the hospital. It isn't long before the Crawley family is talked into converting Downton into a convalescent home for wounded officers.

But the storms are not only happening outside of Downton's walls. Just as Anna and Mr. Bates are beginning to feel that marriage might be a possibility, his vindictive wife threatens to wreck their dreams and bring scandal upon the Crawley family. Star crossed lovers Matthew and Lady Mary have seemingly moved on, Matthew with a sweet London girl named Lavinia and Lady Mary with a shrewd newspaper owner name Richard Carlyle. Lady Sybil is forced to choose between her family's expectations and her blossoming love for Socialist chauffeur Branson. Lord Grantham is feeling useless in this time of war. Lady Edith is trying to find her own place both in her family and in society. New housemaid Ethel in trying to step up in the world ends up in a difficult position. And Lady Mary's secret from Series 1 is constantly threatening to unearth itself. Will the occupants of Downton Abbey be able to survive the internal and external struggles of this turbulent period in history?

I greatly enjoyed Series 1, so how did Series 2 stack up? It had its good points and it's bad points. At times, it did seem that the story line descended into the melodramatic. Typical soap opera plots would pop up here and there from amnesia, to miraculous recoveries, to adulterous trysts. All of this lent Series 2 an air of predictability and modernity that slightly tarnished it in my opinion. Also, there were story lines that seemed to drag on FOREVER without little to no resolution. I wish I had a nickle for every "You know you love me" conversation Branson had with Lady Sybil in the garage. The actor who played Mr. Pamuk in Series 1 deserved to have his name in the credits for the number of times his character's name came up. I was about ready to wring little Daisy's neck listening to her go on and on about how bad she felt about marrying William when he was dying. And Mr. Bates and Anna's relationship was one long martyrdom with none of the sparks of Series 1. Plus, I ended up being very disappointed in Lord Grantham.

Having said all of that, this is a definite must watch. No matter how many irritating plot lines and disappointing character developments happened, I never stopped caring about the story. My heart broke for Anna as she watched the man she loved be condemned for murder. I cried as sweet William breathed his last. I laughed as conniving Thomas wandered through the woods and mud looking for Lord Grantham's dog. And I cheered as the path for Matthew and Lady Mary to get together finally opened up. This is all in addition to wonderful acting, great costumes and sets, and a fascinating glimpse at life in 1916. It is certainly one of the best things on television today and I am very much looking forward to Series 3!

If I had to pick the best highlights of Series 2, I would have to say that the first was the Christmas special. That particular episode was probably the best in terms of plot, tone, and heart. I was especially happy to see Nigel Havers on screen again (even if he did play a gold-digging cad)! And the second highlight of the series was, of course, Maggie Smith. Once again she played her character to perfection and delivered some of the series' best moments. Whether she was struggling to use the telephone ("Hello? Shrimpy?"), convincing Cousin Isobel to help refugees, or giving her granddaughters good advice ("Don't be defeatist, dear. It's so middle class."), Dame Maggie steals every scene she is in. She is one of the top reasons that Downton Abbey is worth watching.

If, by some chance, you are one of the few Americans who have not been sucked into this world, I suggest you do so at once. Both Series 1 and Series 2 are available on DVD. Masterpiece Classic has begun the 2012 season beautifully, and I can't wait to see what else they have in store for us.

Up Next: A new version of Dickens' Great Expectations starring Gillian Anderson and David Suchet.

Mockingjay

“Fire is catching! And if we burn, you burn with us!”

The subject of war is not new to the sphere of literature. It has been portrayed in everything from sweeping epics like War and Peace to heart-wrenching sagas like All Quiet on the Western Front. But the vast majority of "great war novels" are strictly in the adult genre. Peruse the aisles of children's and YA literature and you'll find novels of good vs. evil, novels of children affected by war, and novels that glorify battle. What you won't find are novels that show war for what it really is: complicated and morally ambiguous. The final installment in Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games trilogy fills this gap and takes its young protagonist to the very brink of destruction.

The Plot:

It is all out war in Panem. Katniss Everdeen has been rescued from the Quarter Quell arena only to find out that her home of District 12 has been wiped out by the Capitol. The few survivors including Gale, Prim, and Katniss' mother who do escape find refuge in District 13, once thought to have been defeated by the Capitol but which survived by moving underground. District 13 is now leading the revolt against the Capitol, possessing the weapons, the technology, and everything they need to get the job done. Everything that is except a symbol. Whether she likes it or not, Katniss has become the symbol of defiance to the people of Panem, and the rebels want her to help them by taping propaganda messages to go out across the country. After much deliberation, Katniss decides to become the "Mockingjay".

But things are not as cut and dry as she originally thought. She is under full control of District 13's President Coin with little to no say in the actual battle plans. Her overwhelming desire for revenge and freedom soon meet up with the reality that is war. She is faced with the mass killing of innocent people, battles with ordinary citizens of Panem, and the loss of comrades in arms. On top of that, Peeta is being held and tortured by the Capitol and she is forced to see him disintegrate before her eyes. Then the final, crushing blow comes which plunges Katniss into a despair the depth of which she has never known. Throughout this story, she has proven to be a survivor. Now she must wonder if surviving is even worth it.

My Review (Caution-Spoilers):

Having already fallen in love with the previous books in the series, I was prepared to enjoy the final installment. I wasn't prepared to be blown away by it. Suzanne Collins certainly took the story in directions that I did not see coming. After finishing it, all I could do is sit back, take a deep breath, and reflect on what I had just experienced.

Everything in the first two books had led to this. The war is in full swing and we are ready for it. Ready to see the Capitol pay for the horrific things it has done. Ready to see Katniss stand and face President Snow in defiance. And then it happens. We see hospitals full of innocent victims deliberately bombed. We see characters we have grown to loved wiped out in an instant. We begin to question whether either side is really worth rooting for. Collins does a masterful job of portraying war like it really is. We are so used to seeing movies or reading books that have defined good and evil sides. We can pull for the "good" side without fear of being betrayed. Of course, this is not true in real war. Both sides make mistakes that needlessly send their warriors into danger. Both use propaganda to wage psychological warfare. Both leave physical, emotional, and mental scars on everyone involved. And both sacrifice the innocent in the name of the cause. It is this moral ambiguity that makes Mockingjay's war both so familiar and yet so terrifying. To me the line "If you we burn, you burn with us!" is so symbolic of Collin's message about war. It is said in a moment of defiance, a kind of "I dare you". But the truth is war is fire, and no one is left unscarred by it's flames.

After the war's conclusion, Panem is a shattered place. Thousands have died, many are left homeless, and no one will ever be the same again. After all she has witnessed, including the horrifying death of her sister, Katniss cannot imagine how life can continue. And yet it does. Slowly but surely, the survivors begin to pick up the pieces around them. Peeta and Katniss reach out to each other, slowly bringing themselves back to life. The meadow that covers the bones of so many dead blooms again and becomes the playplace of the next generation. It is this image of hope enduring in the face of the most unspeakable horror that Collins leaves us with. Beyond the anti-war message of most of the book, Mockingjay makes us realize that survival is not really about ourselves, but about the ones who will come after us. It is for them that we continue on.

This is truly a fitting end to this series and one that is well-worth your time. Collins reminds us of the total depravity that we humans are capable of. But she also reminds us of our resilience and the hope that lies at the end of every tragedy. I know some may be disappointed with this quiet and sober ending, but I found it to be perfect. One of the best books that I have read in a long time.

That's Amore....

It's that time of year again! Today we celebrate that wonderful, maddening, passionate, and complicated emotion called love. Once again as in years past, I'm using this day to highlight some of my most favorite literary couples. The one's whose stories make our hearts flutter. Each story is so unique, and yet in many ways they are all the same...

Sir Percy Blakeney and Margeurite Blakeney from The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy

At the beginning of the story, there seems to by no unlikelier romantic couple than the foppish, slow witted Sir Percy Blakeney and the witty, sarcastic Margeurite. But these two are actually much more alike than you would think. It is only their pride and lack of trust that cause an emotional rift. This is such a fun novel, and we are kept on the edge of our seats wondering, not really will Percy be able to outwit Chauvelin, but will he and Margeurite be able to rekindle their love for each other.

She loved him still. And now that she looked back upon the last few months of misunderstandings and of loneliness, she realized that she had never ceased to love him; that deep down in her heart she had always vaguely felt that his foolish inanities, his empty laugh, his lazy nonchalance were nothing but a mask; that the real man, strong, passionate, willful, was there still--the man she had loved, whose intensity had fascinated her, whose personality attracted her, since she always felt that behind his apparently slow wits there was a certain something, which he kept hidden from all the world, and most especially from her.


Dr. Peter Blood and Arabella Bishop from Captain Blood by Rafael Sabatini

What's a good swashbuckling novel without a helpless damsel finding herself entangled with a ruthless pirate. But Arabella Bishop is no helpless damsel and Capt. Blood is no ordinary pirate. Though they did not meet under the best of circumstances, their mutual respect for each other leads to a strong friendship and a passionate love. But fate is cruel and mutual misunderstandings soon threaten to separate them forever. Though their romance is not the main focus of the story, it is still a good one.

"Must I release ye? Must I let ye go and never set eyes on ye again? Or will ye stay and make this exile endurable until we can go home together?"

Beatrice and Benedick from Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare

There is nothing that guarantees that two people will fall in love at the end of a story like their profession of absolute hatred for each other at the beginning. Shakespeare's famous couple comes out swinging with all kinds of verbal punches but by the end of the story each finds him(her)self conquered by the other. There's nothing like a good fight to make you enjoy a romance...it makes for such wonderful "kiss and make up".

"In brief, since I do purpose to marry, I will think nothing to any purpose that the world can say against it; and therefore never flout at me for what I have said against it; for man is a giddy thing, and this is my conclusion."


Rhett Butler and Scarlett O'Hara in Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

Perhaps no literary couple is as iconic or exasperating as the one found in Mitchell's classic novel. It is obvious from the start that Rhett and Scarlett absolutely belong together. But both of them are so stubborn and blind that they just can't see it. This is definitely one of literature's more heartbreaking romances.

"When I first met you, I thought: There is a girl in a million. She isn't like these other silly little fools who believe in everything their mammas tell them and act on it, no matter how they fee. And conceal all their feelings and desires and little heartbreaks behind a lot of sweet words. I thought: Miss O'Hara is a girl of rare spirit. She knows what she wants and she doesn't mind speaking her mind--or throwing vases."

Henry Tilney and Catherine Moreland in Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

What's Valentine's Day without a bit of Austen? Perhaps no other Austen couple is as much fun as Henry and Catherine. She is so sweet and naive and he's so laid back and brotherly. I love how he can easily go from being Catherine's playful chum to giving her somewhat stern (though needed) correction. Theirs is a relationship that we can see lasting far beyond the end of the book.

"'I danced with a very agreeable young man, introduced by Mr. King; had a great deal of conversation with him -- seems a most extraordinary genius -- hope I may know more of him. That, madam, is what I wish you to say.'"

Pictures:

#1 Anthony Andrews and Jane Seymour in The Scarlet Pimpernel
#2 Errol Flynn and Olivia de Haviland in Captain Blood
#3 Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson in Much Ado About Nothing
#4 Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh in Gone With the Wind
#5 JJ Feild and Felicity Jones in Northanger Abbey

Catching Fire

At some point, you have to stop running and turn around and face whoever wants you dead. The hard thing is finding the courage to do it.

When faced with the threat of danger, our first instinct is to run. We turn and bolt from it almost without thinking, our only goal being to outrun whatever is after us. That, or to outrun someone else and let the danger catch them first. And yet, many times we also feel compelled to stop and sacrifice ourselves for the safety of those we care about. In this second novel of the Hunger Games Trilogy, our heroine must make the hard choices and decide whether a life without the people she loves is one worth living at all.

The Plot:

After winning the 74th Hunger Games together, Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark should be returning home to a life of ease. Not only will they and their families have plenty of food, but as celebrities they will also have many privileges and favors bestowed on them by the Capitol. But things don't quite work out that way. Katniss is informed that her actions in the games have caused rebellion to begin rising in the Districts. The Capitol does not intend for this to go unchecked, and Katniss must find a way to stop it if she wants to protect those around her. Fire is not easy to put out, and Katniss soon finds that her biggest efforts do nothing to cool the flames. Just when she is contemplating running away, the Capitol cracks down by sending in more Peacekeepers and harshly punishing petty crimes.

As things get worse in the Districts, Katniss learns that District 13 (which was supposedly wiped out by the Capitol) may still be alive and able to offer help to the others. But before she can act on this information, Katniss learns that, in a cruel twist of fate, she and Peeta will be heading back to the arena to face past winning tributes. She must now decide how she will once again protect herself and Peeta from the enemy, and also just who exactly that enemy is.

My Review (Caution-Spoilers):

After having been completely sucked into this series by the first book, I had high hopes for this one. Ultimately it did not disappoint, and once again Collins kept me transfixed. I simply had to know how it was all going to turn out.

As in the first book, Collins addresses many issues throughout the story. One of these is the idea of independence versus interdependence. In the first book, Katniss' only goal was to survive. If that meant taking out a few people, even Peeta to a point, then so be it. In these games, that idea kind of turns on its head for her. She goes into it with the idea that she must protect Peeta at all costs, hoping to accomplish this much the same way as in the previous games by separating off from the main group and then taking things as they come. But Haymitch has other ideas and persuades her to make alliances, which makes her dependent on other for her own survival. This ultimately changes her perspective. Haymitch had asked her to remember who the real enemy is, and as the games progress she realizes that it is not the other tributes inside the arena that she must conquer, but rather the Capitol who controls the games.

Collins also continues to hold up a mirror to our own society. I think one of the most telling moments in the book is when Katniss and Peeta witness the true decadence of the Capitol. While they are at a large party, it is revealed that in order to continue indulging in the overabundance of rich foods available, the guests make themselves vomit every so often. This is as convicting as it is disturbing. How often does our society overindulge in this manner? Not just in food, but in toys, homes, clothes, entertainment, etc. We clamor for more and more than we can stand, only to turn a blind eye to those around us who would almost kill for a tenth of the things we posses. It is a very stark picture and one that would behoove us to change.

All in all, Catching Fire is a wonderful sequel. Katniss is allowed to grow as a charcacter, we are given a deeper and more mature glimpse into the world of Panem, and Collins isn't afraid to take risks when it come to the plot (though I'm not sure I'll forgive her for killing off Cinna). If I have any real complaints for this book, it is the love triangle between Katniss, Peeta, and Gale. To me, it really didn't deserve the number of pages that Collins devoted to it. Not only are Gale and Peeta so similar that the choice is almost moot, but it is not really the point of the stories at all. Beyond that, I really enjoyed this book and couldn't wait to pick up the next and final one.

Note: Due to the dark subject matter and the heavy violence in this story, I would definitely use some discretion before recommending it to anyone under the age of 14 or so.

The Movie:

The film version of Catching Fire is due to come out in November of 2013 as a sequel to the film version of the first book coming out this March.

Happy Birthday To:

James Joyce

February 2, 1882

“A man of genius makes no mistakes. His errors are volitional and are the portals of discovery.”
-from Ulysses

The Hunger Games

“Only I keep wishing I could think of a way...to show the capitol they don't own me. That I'm more than a piece in their games.”

Hunger. Violence. Struggle. Survival. Imagine living in a place where these were your day to day life was filled with nothing but this. Where your one goal was to put food on the table and protect your loved ones. This is the world of Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games trilogy. It is dark, violent, ravished, and controlled. But perhaps the most terrifying thing about this world is that in many ways it is eerily similar to our own.

The Plot:

After an unnamed apocalyptic event, the remnants of North America have come together to create the nation of Panem. Formed by 12 districts and ruled with an iron fist by the Capitol, Panem is not a fun place to be. Everyone's lives are dictated by the decrees of the Capitol, poverty is very high, and starvation is the norm. But 16 year old Katniss Everdeen is determined that her family will not meet that fate. After her father's death, she focuses solely on putting food on the table. She and her best friend Gale spend most of their days in the forest hunting, trapping, and honing their survival skills. Though life is hard, Katniss feels that the odds of survival are in her favor. Until the day of the Reaping.

As punishment for a rebellion earlier in Panem's history, the Capitol randomly selects two "tributes" from each district to compete in the annual Hunger Games. The tributes are placed in an arena where they must battle hunger, nature, and each other to survive - all on live television. Only one person come out alive. When her young sister is chosen as a tribute, Katniss does not think twice before volunteering to take her place. Now she and Peeta, a boy from her past, must make the journey to the Capitol where they will be prepped, presented, and sent to the arena to kill or be killed.

My Review: (Caution-Spoilers):

This was my first step into the world of YA literature. I didn't really think all the hype surrounding these books could be true. But when multiple friends suggested them to me, I figured I should at least give it a try. Boy, was I sucked in to this series! It's been a long time since I finished a book in one day. I just had to know how it was all going to turn out.

In an interview, Suzanne Collins lists books like The Lord of the Flies, 1984, A Wrinkle in Time, and Ray Bradbury works as being some of the most influential books in her life. That is pretty obvious in this novel and gives you an idea of the tone of the story. Most of the choices that Katniss and the other characters are forced to make are not black and white. In order to feed her family, Katniss must ignore Panem laws which forbid hunting and leaving the district. Each of the tributes must garner the admiration and love of the citizens of the Capitol (who put them in this position in the first place) in order to better their odds in the arena. And both Katniss and Peeta, in order to insure their own survival, must take the lives of other young people whose only crime was to be selected as a tribute. At the same time, there is a slow transformation in the story, mainly in Katniss. It is a slow shift from Katniss simply trying to survive, to trying to live. Both Peeta and Katniss eventually promise themselves that though they have been placed in this brutal situation by the Capitol, they won't let it strip them of who they are. They will remember love, trust, loyalty, friendship, and sacrifice...all the things that make them human.

Another influence on the story came late in the night. According to Collins, she was flipping through the TV channels one night, and she bounced back and forth between a reality show and coverage of the Iraq war. For the citizens of the Capitol, the Hunger Games is just another round of entertainment. They have their favorite "characters" who they root for. They love personal interviews, stories about the tributes' lives back home, and "romance" between two certain tributes. But for the tributes, this isn't about simply getting voted off the island; this is a matter of life and death. It is a fight not just to survive, but to help their families have a better life. It begs the question if this is not what our own society has become. If for us, the events happening around the world are no more than a less entertaining version of a reality show. That somehow the violence, the starvation, the death, and the pain all goes away whenever we turn off our televisions. If nothing else, Collins serves us a reminder that for those who are put in harm's way by one means or another, there's is also a matter of life and death.

I may be coming a little late to this party, but I am definitely a fan. In retrospect, The Hunger Games strikes me as the weakest of the three books. Katniss is a rather immature and moody teenager throughout, and the supporting characters come across as somewhat thin. However, the story is gripping, the structure of the Games and Panem are interesting, and you simply will not be able to put it down until you figure out how Katniss will win. (like she'd die in the first book). So I'm adding my voices to the millions of others when I say that this is an absolute must read. Get it now!!

Note: Due to the dark subject matter and the heavy violence in this story, I would definitely use some discretion before recommending it to anyone under the age of 14 or so.

The Movie:

The film version of this story is due to come out in March of this year. It will star Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss, Josh Hutcherson as Peeta, and Liam Hemsworth as Gale.