"All the sweet green icing flowing down..."

[annundriel]

Tom passed out from heat exhaustion today. I guess he was getting out of the truck, stood for a couple of seconds, and was down.

This heat really just kind of snuck up on us all the last couple of days. And us without AC. Woe. At least I can randomly go run through the sprinklers. An activity that will always be fun. They need big sprinklers on campus for students to run through. There's the fountain in the quad, which must be meant to taunt us.

And then there are those funny Seattle days where the sun shines bright so you dress to be cool. And then you get outside and it's really only 50 degrees. Honestly? I kinda miss those. I'd much rather be too cold than too hot. When you're too cold there are usually ways to warm back up. It's much harder to cool yourself off.

*

Finished reading Diary by Chuck Palahniuk. Oh my god. Brilliant. I'm completely in love with his writing style. A couple of my favorite lines/parts:

- pg. 213 -- It's so hard to forget pain, but it's even harder to remember sweetness.

We have no scar to show for happiness. We learn so little from peace.

- pg. 242 -- What they don't teach you in art school is how your whole life is about discovering who you already were.

And, because I've been spending way too much time with SGA and this reminds me of certain characters a little...

- pg. 192 -- There's nothing special in the world. Nothing magic. Just physics.

Poor, poor Misty Marie. Loved the idea, though maybe this wasn't quite it, that there's really only one great artist in throughout history and they just keep repeating their life over and over again because they can't get out of the whole reincarnation thing. It's the Buddhists that believe in working toward enlightenment, I think. That there are levels that you work through in each reincarnation to finally get to enlightenment and away from the physical/material world. I don't know how correct that is, never actually studied Buddhism and only know what I've picked up randomly.

But the fact that Misty was just stuck in one cycle of that sort of process just so that a bunch of talentless, selfish people could benefit for a couple of generations before fucking it all up was...Disturbing, upsetting. Because each time she could have found out about their plan, and each time she could have prevented it, but since she's the same person and can never remember her life before, Misty just makes the same mistakes. Except for maybe this time. Maybe this time, things will be different.

Also, I'm glad that there was a sort of redemption for Peter. At least, we got to see why he did what he did, why he acted the way he did. He was just as much of a prisoner as Misty.

I had no idea where he was going to go with the plot, and I'm so grateful for that. I love a book that can surprise me 'til the end. Bought Lullaby at Barnes & Noble, so will have to start that soon. 'Cause Mom's hijacked HBP. I've told her that she's not allowed to mention HP at all. Ever. It's forbidden. She's resorted to, "Yeah, I was reading today and so-and-so said something to so-and-so and I couldn't believe it!" She mocks me.

Other than that, I'm *so* friggin' bored. I want to be back in Seattle with stuff to do and people to see. I miss people. :( Out here in the boonies. With the coyotes. And the huge corn field right outside. With the crop circles. With the children of the corn. With my over-active imagination.

Also, this song cracks me up like nothing else. "Someone left the cake out in the rain / and I don't think that I can take it / 'cause it took so long to back it / and I'll never have that recipe again! Oh no!!"

Comments

[sdrohc-ratiug.livejournal.com]

Chuck Palahniuk stopped being overly interesting after Fight Club. I've gone on to read Lullaby, Choke and Diary. But failed to feel the same way about his writing again. It just seems like a way for Accountants to feel edgy. I hated the end of Diary, it could have been a satisfying one, if he hasn't jumped on the fantasy boat. Also I thought the hints dropped throughout the plot were too obvious. Anyone who's been driven to watch a CSI episode once in there lifetime guessed the twists far too easily. Choke was pretty decent plot-wise, but the sex-addict subplot seemed strung along just for the sake of those damned repressed accountants again. I dunno, I think Palahniuk's let his 'cult following' go to his head. Or he just doesn't care anymore. For which I wouldn't blame him.
Lullaby I shan't comment on as you haven;t read it.

[annundriel.livejournal.com]

I'm going to have to respectfully disagree with some of that. I consider myself at least somewhat perceptive, and while I did pick up on a few of the hints for the ending of Diary, overall he kept it--twisty--enough for me to be surprised.

Having only read Haunted and Diary, I can't really agree/disagree with your assessment of Palahnuik's talent/purpose for writing. But since Haunted *is* his newest and was my first introduction to him, and since reading Diary, I can say that my first assessment--that he writes to shock--has held.

[marquiscthulhu.livejournal.com]

We need to hang out one of these days. We seem (seem? do) like all the same stuff.

Do you have my number?

[annundriel.livejournal.com]

We do, because, as you say, we like much of the same stuff.

Um, I'm pretty sure I've got your number...

[ginnith.livejournal.com]

Yick. Give Tom a big sisterly hug and a glass of water!

Grant here at work keeps threatening me with "I'll tell you who the half blood prince is" every time I ask him to do something he doesn't want to do or any time I'm snarky with him. Stupid Grant. At least I'm halfway through with OotP again and am getting myself excited to read HBP. Whee!

Oh, I'm done with work around 3:30...mind if I stop by on my way home? If I don't hear back, I'll call beforehand.

*snoggles*

[annundriel.livejournal.com]

Um. I dunno. Did you have something you wanted to do here? Or is it just a "hey, I'm gonna stop by!" kinda thing? (That makes me sound kinda cranky, don't it?) Give me a call!! That way I have time to think about it, though answer is probably "yes."

[annundriel.livejournal.com]

As in "yes, you can stop by." Not "yes, I mind." :)

::snoggles::

[juliarchy.livejournal.com]

Gah! I need to reread Diary as that point you have about Buddhism is pretty interesting. Yeah they're the ones working toward enlightenment through every reincarnation. INTERESTING.

Next author for you to become obsessed with: Gregory Maguire WICKED

[annundriel.livejournal.com]

Obviously I really enjoyed it. There's this part near the end, I think while they're dressing Misty for the unveiling, when there's a mention of how they don't want her to complete her "karmic cycle" because they want her to come back in a hundred years. That's the part that really got me thinking about the Buddhists. And then, of course, all that other stuff about her being Da Vinci and Monet and all of those other artists in the past. Yes, very interesting.

omg! I own Wicked! Just need to hijack it from Mom to read...