Anya's Musings

So nothing's been really happening in life these days (nothing good anyways) and that's why I haven't been writing about that these days. But there is a lot of reviews of all kinds waiting to be written. I don't think any of those will be a Korean drama simply because I had taken a break from them last month and the ones I am watching now are currently airing & I won't write about the show till I've seen the whole thing. Of course I can write about a lot of old ones that I've already seen before but no...not today.

Then there are the books. My last two blog posts have been book reviews. I have a hunch that the next few are also going to be book reviews. I was in the mood for some horror for Halloween so I ended up reading Anna Dressed In Blood (which, incidentally, Flipkart delivered to on the Halloween day itself!) and then Diwali happened and I wanted to read something feel good but I didn't have an unread novel lying about so...I ended up re-reading The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. And I will be writing about those two shortly (in a few minutes hopefully).

Then comes the films. I haven't seen anything new that's caught my attention. So there's a plenty from the old-ish that I'm dying to write about---Room In Rome, Trust and For Lovers Only to name a few. I'm mentionaing the names so that this gives me a reason to push myself and actually write these posts down.

I hope you all had a great Halloween and a wonderful Diwali.

Cheers!

It's odd that I don't write a lot of book reviews considering the amount of books I read every week. And 2013 has so far been a good year for me, reading wise. Right from the stuff I got for my birthday last year (which falls on the end of December, spilling my reading onto the new year), to the World Book Fair to the books I've bought and been gifted, most of them have been amazing. So today I'm going to write about one of the books that I truly enjoyed reading:

The Wives of Bath

Author: Susan Swan

"We were all Wives of Bath – from the teachers who terrorized us with their bells and gatings to the overfed boarders and snobby day girls..but no matter how hard any of us struggled...Bath Ladies College was only a fiefdom in the kingdom of men."

I picked this book up from the library some months back on a hunch. I'd heard of the Canadian author Susan Swan and heard some pretty good stuff. And then I found this book sitting on the shelf. I honestly liked a lot. Why? It is a feminist book but very unconventional from the ones that I've read before... you see, the protagnist is a girl but dislikes women per se.

The Wives of Bath is set in 1963 Canada and is told from the point of view of a teenager, Mary Bradford. Mary, populary known as Mouse, seems to have (what is today refered to as) an Electra Complex. She lives with her father who is a doctor and has no time to spare to her, and her step-mother who Mouse claims is very insecure about the father-daughter relationship. Mouse seems to dislike her stepmom a lot (even though she seems to be on quite nice terms with her) and is often seen throughout the novel to imply that her step-mother is jealous of her (frankly, it seems the other way around to me). She constantly craves for her father's attention...to the point that she even wonders about his sex life a little. Yeah, I know...gross.

Anyways, Mouse finds solace in President Kennedy and all that he represents and also her hump (Mouse has a hump due to a bout of Polio she had when she was a child). Then she is shipped off to an all girls boarding school in Toronto called Bath's Ladies College. And that forms the action of her narrative. She meets an array of people like the principle Vera Vaughaun who is severe and very professional but is rumoured to be a lesbian. Then there is Tory Quinn, a very beautiful and "feminine" girl, who despite Mouse's hatred for girls, she likes. There is also Paulie Skyes who has an enormous Penis Envy (yes, a bucket load of Freud!) which is argued in the novel.

The Wives of Bath explores issues pertaining to gender studies, naturalisation of gender roles, and ways in which women are expected to think. We see an array of people who try to label gender roles and everything else into neat little boxes but we also see how that is flawed. There are people like Mouse's step-mother, Sal, who is feminine and likes shopping and has landed a rich husband and that seems to be purpose achieved in any woman's life. But we also see her struggle with an alcohol problem. Then there are people like Vera Vaughan and the other teachers at Bath's Ladies College who, like Chaucer's Wife of Bath, live by their own rules, establishing their own indentities and whose sexualities are questioned by the world at large. We also have characters like Mouse and Paulie who detest being women to the extent that they'd rather be men themselves. This, however, isn't Penis Envy in the true sense considering that they don't like the idea of being men because thet think that men are superior but because they don't know how else to escape a world, a society who are determined that women are stupid and pretty much useless.

In their own twisted ways, I see all the women in the novel, trying to scream for independence and recognition, trapped mercilessly in a time and space where the world refuses point blank to hear them. And that is something I empathize with.

This novel is brilliantly written and has its moments of humour. However, I should warn you (without giving any spoilers) that towards the end, you're in for a rather disgusting (and somewhat disturbing) twist. Also, there was a film made on this novel called Lost and Delirious and it was one of the biggest disappointments I've seen in the form of a motion picture. The film completely disregards the premise of feminist struggle, that is expressed so beautifully in the book, and is more of a parade of lesbian love-making than anything else coupled with really, really bad acting. So, yes, read the book.

My ratings for The Wives of Bath: 8/10 Highly recommended if you can stomach a bit of gore in the end.

 Other book reviews by me:
1. Beauty (by Sheri S. Tepper)
2. My best reads in 2012
3. Murder Most Fab by Julian Clary

--> THIS BLOG POST CONTAINS SPOILERS ABOUT A MOMENT TO REMEMBER AND BOYS OVER FLOWERS.
 
--> Of my list of the most absolute favorite movies, A Moment To Remember definitely comes in the top 5. I am a sucker for good romance stories and this film is an embodiment of that. But more on my views and reviews on the film later… I’m here to talk about memories right now. In A Moment To Remember, the female lead starts losing her memory one by one, the tragedy being that she forgets the love of her life. Of course, the love of her life, devastated as he is, tries to keep their memories alive for the both of them. There is a line in the movie that keeps coming more than once and it goes: When the memory dies, so does the person.

-->
--> The reason I talk about Boys Over Flowers is that in the very last episode, Goo Jun Pyo (ah, definitely one of my fav fictional characters till date…giggle!) meets with an accident and is critical for a while and all that but when he does wake up, he’s fine except that he doesn’t remember his girlfriend Guem Jan Di. Which wouldn’t have been such a big deal had the entire series not revolved around the true love and struggles in love of Jun Pyo and Jan Di. Anyways, I, like the F4 and Jan Di were shocked and vexed when Jun Pyo couldn’t remember her, fretting over their fate (he eventually does remember her…True Love is rewarded in all the K-dramas that I’ve watched till date, yay!). I remember reading a fan blog on that episode of Boys Over Flowers at that time. That post was written on the same date that finale episode was aired in South Korea, the internet was buzzing with the end of a series that had contributed so much in the Korean Wave. The blogger wrote about the part where Jun Pyo loses his memory and fails to remember only one person and I remember her critsising the plot saying that it was a fake disease.
 
--> And at that time, the only reason I didn’t like that comment was because of my loyalty towards Boys Over Flowers and anything that Lee Min Ho is associated with. But I never really did believe that this selective amnesia is a real thing and dismissed as a mere plot device. And I also remember thinking, oh well how convenient! If we could just happen to forget one thing or one event that pains us, or even person that even though we love truly, just is so difficult to keep loving. I had thought that. I wasn’t happy that he had forgotten her, I just wanted it for myself as a defense mechanism, just like I had wanted Son Ye Jin’s character’s Alziemer from A Moment To Remember.
 
--> I should clarify that never for a moment was I serious about wanting any of that. That was just me getting melodramatic and coping with the ongoing shit in my life, that’s all. I tend to do that. This is how I deal with stuff. I watch or read a lot of stuff and imagine myself in highly dramatic situations with the most bizarre and fantastical solutions and then when I’ve let out my steam, I am ready to deal with stuff practically.
 
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I'm going through a phase right now. Or what I hope is a phase. Anyways, point being, that there isn't one. Except...

Oh, I don't know. First of all, I am itching to watch a drama (Korean or otherwise) that isn't a rom-com or even a tragic love story. To the point where I've even succumbed to now watching a K-drama of the horror genre. Seriously. And I don't even watch horror that much. But I suppose people (and their tastes) do change. Really though, I finally watched Aashiqui 2 and oh my sweet lord! I'm not saying it's a bad film or anything, it's just really depressing. The guy drinks like a fish and the girl sings and cries. And they both sing. And they both cry. And it rains.

I cannot tolerate rain suddenly these days. In fact, I shut myself up everytime it rains now just so I could create a facade that it isn't really raining. And I know that my current cover picture on this blog is that of Delhi during the rains (in fact, during this very monsoon), but I'm going to be changing that pretty soon too.

But back to the K-drama that I'm watching. It is called Who Are You? and has presently only aired two episodes in South Korea as well. So far it is pretty much the Korean version of The Sixth Sense. What I like so far about the show is no ga-ga romance and the fact that the show does not necessarily deal with (and thus, sweetly finishes off) with one case per episode.

Apart from that, I am wondering if I should dabble with the angle of restaurant review on my blog. Not because I am claiming to be anywhere near a food critic. Not because just coz I like a place means you would too. But simply because I've been to a fair amount of restaurants in Delhi-NCR and because its fun. What say?

I am still waiting for the day I will like The Mill On The Floss or, in fact, any of the George Elliots. I guess I need way more maturity for those!
 

It's finally here, the end of this year! I don't have anything in particular to look forward to in 2013 but I am glad that one more year has gone by. Not that 2012 was a bad year, it just wasn't that great. So here's praying for a better year for everyone.
ed
I am not such a great movie go-er. Going out to watch a film is too much of a task after a long tiring day. I much prefer watching films in the comfort of my room. For this reason, my list of my best of 2012: Films is going to be one short list. Microscopic, really. But here goes in the order of preference:


1.English Vinglish 
Language: Hindi
Country: India

Because, who did not like this film? And how? It is such an adorable film! Sridevi is brilliant and so is the rest of the cast. This film even has an actual story! That in itself was gripping enough. And then the witty dialogues. For those who have not yet seen this movie (shame on you!), this is a story of an Indian woman, married with two kids who is very sweet and all, very talented, liberal minded etc but is always poked fun at by her family (especially her hubby and daughter) and isn't given as much respect as she deserves because her English isn't that good (which we all know is considered synonymous to being "backwards" and "country bumpkin" in present day urban India). Then she goes to the USA to help her sister (who lives there) prepare for an upcoming wedding in the family. While there, she takes English lessons (much like the sitcom Mind Your Language) with an assortment of classmates (Indian, Pakistani, Chinese, somebody from Africa whose country isn't mentioned, French and a gay American teacher) and gains confidence and an amazing set of friends. And she meets a French guy. And she learns English.

What I loved about this film, apart from the fact that this has a story and people are actually acting in it, was that it isn't cheap, doesn't have an double meaning jokes and you can watch it with anyone! And it's funny. Plus, it is one of those films that leave you very warm in inside.


2. Kahaani



Language: Hindi
Country: India

Oh, definitely one of the most talked about Indian films this year. And for all the right reasons. I won't be going much into the plot details of this film because it is after all a suspense thriller and just in case, someone reading this post hasn't watched this film yet (I'd be really surprised though). Vidya Balan's acting is spot on but then, so is everyone's who has been casted in this film. I know people who have been critical of this film but when I heard them out, I realised that they were just splitting hair because people cannot digest that Indian film industry can make suspense thrillers and make them well.


3. Shirin Farhad Ki Toh Nikal Padi 
Language: English
Country: USA

Say what you like, but I really liked this film. Like, really. Also, surprisingly, Andrew Garfield makes a good Spiderman. When I cam out of the theater after having watched this film, I heard a lot of people complain that this was "just a repetition of the first film". It is not. I think those people assumed that this film is a sequel/prequel of the trilogy that had Toby Macguire as Spider-man, which is weird considering the entire cast is different. In fact this version doesn't even have a Mary Jane Watson and good riddance. I never had a problem with Kristen Dunst, it is just the character of MJ that I never liked. I do, however, like the female lead in this female, a Gwen Stacy played by Emma Stone. For starters, I think that Gwen is in love with Peter Parker, rather than in love with the whole Spiderman persona (which was kind of the case with MJ).

In this film, Peter Parker is every bit your every day teenager (except that he is Spider-man) and just 'cause he is bitten by a special spider, does not magically make him more responsible or mature. That bit comes to him the way it does to everybody else--by everyday experiences. I loved the scene in the end where he comes home to his aunt (played by Sally Field), after a trying day does his daily chores.

 THIS BLOG POST CONTAINS SPOILERS.
Language: French
Genre: Thriller, Mystery

There is a very interesting French film that managed to make an impression on my mind. I saw this film a few years ago (with English subtitles) at a time where I was surrounded by movies being made on the various mysteries and ailments of the human mind (Taare Zameen Par, Kartik Calling Kartik, My Name Is Khan and so on) but this one was the most fascinating (ailments wise) of all.

The film is called À la folie... pas du tout, and is called He Loves Me... He Loves Me Not in English. It has Audrey Tautou as the lead. And as always, she does a brilliant job! This film is about a psychological disorder called erotomania and begins with Tautou's character, Angélique, sending out a bouquet of flowers to her secret-and-married boyfriend, Loïc, who is a doctor. Angélique is a student-painter, very talented and very much in love with Loïc despite the fact that he is married and cannot be with her openly in the public. So we go through this entire song and dance for about half the film about their secret affair, about how Angélique tries to cope up with Rachel's (Loïc's wife) pregnancy, Rachel's eventual miscarriage and so on. Till we reach the second half.

The second of the of the film is from Loïc's perspective (unlike the first half which was from Angélique's) and we realise that Loïc is very much in love with his wife, is devastated when she has a miscarriage and doesn't even know Angélique that well, forget having an affair. They know each other only slightly, being temporary neighbours and  the whole "affair" was just a figment of Angélique's erotomania inspired imagination.

I was totally taken in my this film because having had watched Hors de prix and Amélie (and even The Da Vinci Code for that matter) before this, seeing Audrey Tautou in a part like this was a whole new...new. And I like unreliable narrators to an extent, because, oh well, I don't know. They are fun. I won't write the entire detailed story line of this film but please try watching this.
My ratings for À la folie... pas du tout: 8/10

Other film reviews by me:
The Classic (Korean)
Before Sunrise + Before Sunset (Amercian)
Cyberbully (American)
Jenny & Juno (Korean)