The Crucible
Arthur Miller
127 p.

Penguin Classics, 2000.
(first published 1953.)

Back cover blurb:

Arthur Miller’s classic parable of mass hysteria draws a chilling parallel between the Salem witch-hunt of 1692 - ‘one of the strangest and most awful chapters in human history’ - and the McCarthyism which gripped America in the 1950s. The story of how the small community of Salem is stirred into madness by superstition, paranoia and malice, culminating in a violent climax, is a savage attack on the evils of mindless persecution and the terrifying power of false accusations.

The man who wrote this play was married to Marilyn Monroe. Unfortunately, this play is by no means as amazing as she was. In fact, I found it down-right bad. There are perhaps two characters who does not make me want to stab someone. I believe that the reader (or viewer, I suppose) ought to be sympathetic to Proctor, but me? I just sat there and hoped that a rock would fall down and squash him mercilessly. And Abigail? Let’s not get started with Abigail. If we did, we’d be here all night, and I, sad as it is, need my eight hours of sleep plus some extra, for good luck. In short: I hate these people.

And the writing! Gor, the writing! It is so pretentious and I don’t believe in it. I don’t think that that was the way people spoke in the seventeenth century. And all the scene descriptions! Barely a sentence goes by before you get interrupted by a bracket with some insignificant detail telling us that the character is going to pick up a green book with daffodils on. Oh, that was made-up, but it is more or less that level of artistry. It is bad.

Wikipedia tells me this is a tragedy, which is why I am categorising it as such. In any other case, I would categorise it under “comedy”, even though the only thing funny about it is how incredibly, exceedingly dull it is.

Macbeth
William Shakespeare
142 p.

Classical Comics Ltd., 2008.
(First published 1623.)

Back cover blurb:

William Shakespeare’s full and unabridged play in comic book form!

This full colour graphic novel presents “The Scottish Play” just as Shakespeare intended: in its original and unabridged format. Ideal for purists, students and readers who will appreciate the unaltered text.

Macbeth is probably the most dramatic of Shakespeare’s tragedies and this version will give you a brand new and totally fulfilling view of the sheer genius of Shakespeare’s story telling.

Witchcraft, superstition, murder - it’s all here! Featuring stunning artwork, and full of action, atmosphere and intrigue from start to finish; this new treatment of The Bard’s wonderful tragedy will have you on the edge of your seat.

I can’t say how many times I’ve read this play. This in itself feels a little ridiculous to say, seeing as I’m not even legal, but already I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve read it. I have read it, at least, four times. Those are the times I can definitely account for. Additionally, I have seen it probably five times, in different versions (stage and film), and then tehre’s this. Macbeth in a graphic novel version.

That concept itself wins my adoration. Especially it makes a good graphic novel. The transposation from the empty text to the illustrated text goes smoothly, and makes it understandable. I did, for a while, get very iffed at the very untrendy haircuts everyone had, but I assume that since everyone probably looked like that, I am a bit unfair for dissing them like that. (oh, ouch, that is very colloquial!)

Now, I filed this in school reads, which is slightly misdirecting. I have read this play for school a number of times, and it wasn’t strictly for school I read it. Oh, alright, if it weren’t for school I probably wouldn’t have crammed in enough time to actually read it. I’m just tagging it for school because in some manners, it is for school. Even if my reading it again didn’t benefit me much!

This being a little sidetrack from the topic, I would like to say that the semicolon in the last paragraph of the back cover blurb creeps me out. I can not at all make it understandable. It ought to be a bloody comma! …I really ought to stop being so annoyed at back cover blurbs, oughtn’t I?

Though this is an opinion I almost fear to voice, I must say I strongly dislike Lady Macbeth. I won’t go so far as to say I hate her, but she irks me quite badly. In my eyes, she is the real fiend in the play. Which is a pity, because in reality, she is quite a fascinating characters, but all her arrogance and self-certainty just annoys me, and makes me pity Macbeth.

Of course, no one holds a candle to Banquo. Banquo is the best. Even though he might, in this version, look like a carrot-headed idiot.

Kärlek het som chili
(Como aqua para chocolate)
Laura Esquivel
Translated by Inger Fahlander
217 p.

Natur och Kultur, 1999.
(First published in Mexico 1989.)

Back cover blurb:

På släkten De la Garzas stora lantegendom i Mexico styr änkan Elena sin familj med järnhand. När Pedro friar till hennes yngsta dotter Tita, avvisas han eftersom Tita enligt uråldrig tradition måste förbli ogift och ta hand om sin mamma.

För att få vara i den älskades närhet gifter sig Pedro med hennes äldre syster. Och Tita finner ett sätt att ge uttryck åt sina heta känslor: hon gör sig till kökets härskare. Hennes underbara kokkonst påverkar alla i familjen, oväntat och dramatiskt.

Kärlek het som chili är en ångande het berättelse om kärlek och mat, om fantasi och passion.

This is yet another novel I’ve read for school. Most people who read this before me hated this novel with a passion, and I thought that, seeing as it seemed quite “easy”, I would hate it as well. But I didn’t. My main problem with this novel is not the fact that it is full of strange and unrealistic happenings; my main problem is that I simply did not believe in the love Tita and Pedro held for each other. Throughout the novel I hoped that Tita would get over Pedro, or Pedro would get over Tita, and Tita would get married to Doctor Brown, a lovely kind man who falls for her the first moment he sees her. Needless to say, this doesn’t happen. Pedro and Tita’s love is, apparently, the truest love ever. And I just don’t believe in that. It’s not that I don’t believe in love, what I don’t believe in is the fact that there is only ever one love for you - ever.

The book we read in class before this was Crime & Punishment. This novel is obviously less difficult to read, and I more or less flew through it. The only parts where I feel a little lost is where they start talking too much about Mexican food, which I am very bad at. I can identify enchiladas, tortillas and tacos, but that’s it. The long-winded descriptions of how to make the foods I skimmed through, even though I felt that it would be quite fun to make the food, even if it seems to be, on the most part, impossible. Where on earth would I be able to find those coffee beans you need to make the chocolate cakes which, in turn, you make hot chocolate with? I will have to investigate this further.

With this book I have realised that I have serious problems with the endings of books. The ending of this book made me groan aloud - not that! A dissatisfying ending leaves me with a bad taste in the mouth, much like sour milk. Or, more like milk which is slowly turning sour throughout the course of the novel. Kärlek het som chili is by no means a bad book. Its problem is merely that the ending isn’t very good. In fact, if you want a nice and happy openended ending, don’t read the last chapter. At least if you root for Tita and Doctor Brown, which I did. If you hope Tita and Pedro will be able to relish their love, do read the last chapter. (I kind of spoiled the ending there, didn’t I? However - there are surprises to be had!)

Nineteen Eighty-Four
George Orwell
326 p.

Penguin Classics, 2004.
(First published 1949 by Secker and Warburg.)

Back cover blurb:

Hidden away in the Record Department of the sprawling Ministry of Truth, Winston Smith skilfully rewrites the past to suit the needs of the Party. Yet he inwardly rebels against teh totalitarian world he lives in, which demands absolute obedience and conrols him through the all-seeing telescreens and the watchful eye of Big Brother, symbolic head of the Party. In his longing for truth and liberty, Smith begins a secret love affair wtih a fellow-worker, Julia, but soon discovers the true price of freedom is betrayal.

This is another one of those books I’ve been reading for school. I’ve read it before now, a couple of years ago or so. Strangely enough, I remembered barely anything. Most of the things came as surprises this time again, which shows what a truly dreadful reader I am. Seeing as I might be asked about this in my finals next year, I do hope I’ll remember more this time around!

Despite being more than fifty years old, it’s a very lively book. When Winston towards the end was tortured, I flinched because the description were so violent and I almost felt a little ashamed at how much these descriptions affected me. Though, I guess I should applaud Orwell for being such a talented writer. Not many writers make me react to books like that.

Apart from Winston Smith, the other protagonist - if we should call her that - is Julia. I hated Julia. I really, really hated her. She never ceased to annoy me, because her entire rebelling against the Party felt so pointless. She often just made me angry. Winston, however, was rather sweet. I quite liked him.

Though, in line with the attitude to language in the novel, all we need to say is: Nineteen Eighty-Four is doubleplusgood.