Recently I listened to this audio book I downloaded from Overdrive which I truly picked because of the cover. I had no idea that it was a novel about the life of Robert Louis Stevenson and that’s a good thing, because I’m not sure I would have chosen it! While I have enjoyed the works of Mr. Stevenson, he’s just not a person that I have ever been particularly interested in learning about. Well, all that has changed! This novel gives a very close and personal account of Stevenson’s life. He was a gentle and loving person who endured a lifelong illness with optimism and determination. The novel centers around his marriage to a head strong divorced American woman who was every much his equal in strength and intellect. Their life together held many adventures, heartache and loss but Stevenson’s spirit and their deep love for each other, saw them through.
Although this is a novel, I came to realize as I did some research, that the account of his life is very close to the truth. I highly recommend this novel for anyone who is interested in great historical and/or literary figures.
The story of this marriage is told in turns by the main characters, Lotto and Mathilde. Lotto is a man-child, self-obsessed and reliant on Mathilde for someone who understands and grounds him. He truly loves her but is even somewhat selfish in his love.
Mathilde is the adult in the relationship, taking care of the mundane matters of life so that Lotto can pursue a fruitless career as an actor and then as a successful playwright. She loves and supports him in a way that appears to be completely selfless.
Lotto’s story is told first and just as you believe you understand each character, then it is Mathilde’s turn; secrets and motives are revealed and everything you thought you knew is turned upside down.
Reviewed by Kris
A Doll’s House is a three act play written by Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906), a Norwegian writer. The play was first published in early December of 1879 and premiered on the 21st of that month. The piece of literature criticises the 19th century marriage norms and displays that behind every seemingly happy household, conflicts are present. This play showcases Nora Helmer’s struggle for independence and self-discovery in a world dominated by men. In the beginning of the play the Helmer household seems perfect in every way, without a single whiff of maliciousness or dissatisfaction present. As the play progresses however, significant events start to unfold and the facade of the Helmers is cracked, thus revealing that their “perfect” household was after all just A Doll’s House and Nora is forced to take dramatic action. I recommend this amazing piece of literature to every fan of “realism” and “naturalism.”
Reviewed by teen volunteer, Eri
The latest iteration in the FIFA franchise is the most realistic and fluid one to date. The first FIFA with a heavy focus on next-gen consoles like the Xbox One and the PS4 is also the most fluid and realistic soccer game to date. This is the first soccer game to include female national teams. There are a multitude of stadiums available, as many as 58 including the likes of Camp Nou and Santiago Bernabeu. The AI of defenders is drastically improved and the speed of highly rated strikers reduced to eliminate “one man victories” where Messi or Ronaldo would outrun every defender and score by their own. Career mode, where you can create and develop your own player or manage teams, is back. Ultimate Team is back with the addition of a new FUT Draft Mode where you build your team and challenge others in a tournament style competition for FUT Coins and packs. FIFA 16 is currently out for Xbox 360, Xbox One, Playstation 3, Playstation 4, PC, Android and iOS. I recommend this game to all soccer fans or people who are trying to get into soccer and learn more about it.
Reviewed by teen volunteer, Eri
Bone Tomahawk is a new and unique western movie. To quickly summarize the plot: a couple outlaws accidentally desecrate the burial site of some cannibalistic cave dwellers, the cannibals follow the fleeing outlaw to a town, they kidnap him along with a few other residents, and most of the movie is a rescue mission. For the most part it does function as a western – the typical western town, the rescue party is led by the Sheriff and his deputy, they encounter some bandits, and so on. About the last 30 or so minutes, when they encounter the troglodytes, it almost turns into a horror movie. The suspense and violence go way up, and you start to get the sense that this rescue mission may end in blood soaked disaster.
One of the would-be rescuers, there to help rescue his wife, also previously suffered a leg injury. It is still fresh when his wife is kidnapped, and it turns his experience into a bit of an epic struggle. It was a nice twist on the rescue party, and added an extra layer of suspense to the whole movie. The characters aren’t exceptionally developed, but the overall plot and solid acting kept me invested. Anyone interested in a suspenseful, genre-bending western should give this movie a try.
Reviewed by Tyler
My Brilliant Friend is the first of 4 novels in the Neapolitan series written by Elena Ferrante and translated from Italian by Ann Goldstein. The story takes place in the 1950s in a poor neighborhood on the outskirts of Naples, Italy. Elena and Lila are the central characters and through them we learn the hardships of the country,the city and the neighborhood. Although the girls are friends, there is a strong competitive nature between them and as Naples changes, so do the girls and their bond. The first book goes through adolescence and ends with a marriage. The books should be read in order.
Reviewed by Terri
I am a lover of horror movies. It may not be a high-brow genre, but I have fond memories of watching really bad horror movies on Saturday afternoons as a kid and today, as an adult, I think they are fabulous fun! When I read the reviews for Crimson Peak, I was really excited and knew that it was going to be my kind of movie; I was not disappointed. I don’t like a lot of unsolicited blood and gore but instead, I prefer a good old-fashioned Gothic scary story. Throw in a Victorian mansion or a castle in ruins and I’m in heaven (or hell). Crimson Peak has both and a gripping story line played out by wonderful, dark characters. Guillermo Del Toro directed this film so the cinematography is rich and lush; making the most of the “crimson” in the title.
Watch this movie on a stormy night for a really good scare!