REVIEW: SWEET TOOTH

Sweet ToothSweet Tooth by Ian McEwan

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed Sweet Tooth‘s insight into ’60s and ’70s British life more than I did any of the characters, who I honestly didn’t care about all that much. It happens to me a lot, enjoying the setting and background more than the actual story, and it happens to me not only with books, but also with movies, games, sometimes even with people. Often I feel as if everything else apart from the protagonists, the setting, the situations, the world events taking place somewhere unseen and the emotional backdrop are the real centrepieces of a story. Here, it wasn’t Serena Plome or any of her lovers: it was MI5 and the world of domestic intelligence, the Cold War and the sides the public, or rather intellectuals, would pick in the “war of ideas”, be it consciously or subconsciously. Or somewhere in between.

Yes, I definitely enjoyed being transported to that era as a little observer; an era when a lot of things were the same as now, but they didn’t have phones or the internet. However, they did have a growing eco movement. They did have rock—in fact a lot of the rock stars we’re still idolising were alive back then, like my father often observes, who incidentally gifted me this book the Christmas before last; they did have marijuana, leftist movements and activists, they did have secret government services running the show in ways which will probably never be disclosed. A lot of what is still part of public discourse had its roots in that era. We think we’re being original, when we just haven’t done our homework. Am I ranting? I think I’m ranting.

What truly surprised me was the meta ending. I wasn’t expecting it to come from a story such as this, but then again, and this is probably another reason why I enjoyed it, Sweet Tooth was a book about books, authors and literature.

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Review: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

Fear and Loathing in Las VegasFear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I’m quite amazed that these guys managed to stay alive after all these drugs! Seriously, with a book like Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, in which you can’t tell what’s true, what’s not and what true event inspired what slight exaggeration, one of the key facts is that, knowing at the very least my own sensitivity to mind- and mood-altering substances, the duos adventure (especially their eating mescaline as if it was Tic-Tac), lookd completely surreal; I wouldn’t have lasted half as much, not by a longshot! What also disappointed me was that a lot of the little background details won’t make sense to anyone who: 1) didn’t live through the ’60s and ’70s, 2) isn’t from the US and 3) both 1) & 2). Of course, you could say that about any work that acts a reflection and representation of its zeitgeist.

fear_and_loathing_ink_blot
Looking at that ink blot while reading the book made me question my own sanity. Well played.

 

Still, Fear and Loathing was a fun read. I could listen to the protagonist’s internal dialogue, something which wasn’t as pronounced as in the film. On the other hand, the film was also decent if only because of the visual aspect of it, which was good food for flighty and trippy thought on its own.

All in all, I’d suggest watching the film first and then, maybe, trying the book, if only just to see the different perspective.

Have a look: would you believe that is Johnny Depp? Holy shiat.

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Vangelis – Spiral

Some time ago, I thought that Vangelis only made epic music in the style of Chariots of Fire and Mythodea, good music but bordering the kitsch, especially Mythodea! I suppose Vangelis must have missed Greece with all his time in the US and has therefore fallen into the trap of over-romanticising the homeland, like many expats understandably do.

His earlier work though, as I discovered from watching Carl Sagan’s Cosmos, is something else entirely. This is fantastic music. That and his work with Aphrodite’s Child… What do you know! I recommend you find and download his album of the same name, which is like a Best Of collection of his earlier work from the ’70s.

Triana – ¡Ya está bien! – Necesito

Από τους στίχους καταλαβαίνω ίσως τα μισά (αν τους διαβάσω)… Αλλά! ’70ιλες Ανδαλουσιανοί προγκ-ροκάδες που ρίχνουν μέσα και στοιχεία φλαμένκο; Si, por favor!

Grace Slick – Manhole

Αίγινα, Καλοκαίρι 2009

Εγώ: Έχω κατεβάσει πολλή μουσική τελευταία, διάφορα συγκροτήματα που δεν έχω ακούσει ακόμα! (κάτι τέτοιο πρέπει να είχα πει, δεν θυμάμαι!)
Ηρώ: Αλήθεια, μπορείς να βρεις τα πάντα; Ψάχνω συγκεκριμένη μουσική πολύ καιρό και δεν μπορώ να την βρω πουθενά.
Εγώ: Για πες!
Ηρώ: Το ένα που ψάχνω για τον Ravi Shankar με την συνεργασία που έκανε με τον John McLaughlin/τους Shakti.
Εγώ: *σημείωνω σε χαρτί τα ονόματα* … δεν τους έχω ξανακούσει. Τι άλλο;
Ηρώ: Το Manhole της Grace Slick το ξέρεις;
Εγώ: Όχι… (ποια είναι η Grace Slick;! — ήξερα την φωνή της αλλά το όνομα δεν μου έλεγε κάτι)
Ηρώ: Άκουγα αυτό τον δίσκο όταν ήμουν φοιτήτρια στο Παρίσι. Ήταν από τους αγαπημένους μου. Έβαζα τα ακουστικά και χανόμουν…
Εγώ: *με ενδιαφέρον και θαυμασμό για αυτό το μικρο παραθυράκι στο παρελθόν* ΟΚ, θα τον ψάξω!!

Και τον βρήκα. Και, αν και δεν είναι από τους αγαπημένους μου δίσκους — τελεία! –, μου αρέσει πολύ. Η Grace Slick ήταν η τραγουδίστρια των Jefferson Airplane, τουλάχιστον έτσι ξεκίνησε την καριέρα της. Το Manhole ήταν ο πρώτος της solo δίσκος. Υποτίθεται ότι θα ήταν το soundtrack για μια ταινία η οποία θα λεγόταν Manhole. Μια ταινία που τελικά δεν δημιουργηθήκε ποτέ. Φανταστείτε να είχαμε το OST κάποιας τώρα διάσημης ταινίας, χωρίς την ίδια την ταινία. Εγώ πάντως θα έφτιαχνα μια ταινία βασισμένη σε αυτό το σάουντ-τρακ. Κανείς που ενδιαφέρεται;

Lyrics

Sometimes it’s easy to believe it, sound may be the warmest thing he’s found. He just starts
Playing, then he says to me, “Ready your body for love, there is no gravity here.
Look up, the roof is gone and the long hand moves right on by the hour. Look up – the roof is gone.

La musica de españa es para mi como la libertad.
Canta como si la libertad es suiyo
Convenir resuena para escapar.
Escuche viento norte escuche.
Como corneta nevada corneta
Cantar.
Alrededor vient oriente vient oriente enroyar disenroyar cuerdas que gritan
Cuerdas que cantan.

Spanish wind keeps telling me how it feels to sing free. It keeps blowing on me, it keeps showing me
Another way to listen. And if you hear the wind singing just like someone singing for your love,
The more it sings, the more you know, horns and strings and time will show – show you freedom
Como libertad – if he looks good when you see him, if it sounds good when you hear it – if he feels
Like a good man, when you touch him, when you come near him – I keep thinking about the way
You keep appearing in my ear.

Viento del sur suena como carne caliente en tambor – carne en carne pero viento oeste resuena
Como alas metalicas. Giralda vena demonstrando el camino lamentando se por la noche.
La rueda de yairro hierro en frente del sol.
Cuatro pedazos de metal con puntas.
Corta el aire corta el cielo la hentes compelados para delatar resonar resonar escapar.

And if you hear the singing silver wind – fly, sailing human bird – fly into me.
Look up – the roof is gone and the long hand moves right on by the hour. Look up
Listen – the north wind sounds like freezing horns sailing through the east wind – and the east wind
Has winding unwinding strings – south wind sounds like skin on drums, skin on skin but the west wind,
Ah the west wind echoes like metal wings – like a weathervein whining through the night
Iron wheel turns in front of the sun, four pronged metal cuts the sky. Man must fly!

Convenir resuena escapar – escapar.

If he wants to leave and follow the sound of the wind, he’s going to sing as it blows. Let him go.
He’ll make the long faces smile, he’ll turn the dead air into sound. He’ll come back on the circle

He’s not gone, he’s just going around.

Κάπου εδώ αρχίζει η έκσταση…

Don’t tie him down, he wants to run – Give him the sun.
Don’t tie him down, he wants to run – Give him the sun.
And if you see – you think that man is going to leave – you can follow him but he’s already gone.
Don’t tie her down, she wants to run – Give her the sun.
Don’t tie her down, she wants to run – Give her the sun.
And if you see – you think that woman is going to leave – you can follow her but she’s already gone.
Don’t tie me down, I want to run – Give me the sun.
Don’t tie me down, I want to run – Give me the sun.
And if you see – you think that I’m just about to leave, you can follow me – but I’m already gone.

Η Ηρώ είναι η μητέρα της Ινές και της Καρίνας, σύζηγος του Nejib και αδερφή της Βάσως, της γυναίκας του πατέρα μου. Τρία ζήτω! για τους Μπενεσαγιάδες!