"Why'd They Get Married?"

You know how with certain stories, people complain that the characters got married (either in the end or somewhere in the middle) and that that ruined it? I've been wondering about why people make this complaint: sometimes I think it isn't exactly because they got married that a show or a story had a weak point. So I wonder whether or not it is something else. And then that makes me realize that a lot of the stories I'm referring to are old stories, part of the past, and that maybe if these stories were created today, the characters would definitely not get married (characters almost never get married in stories now--Twilight is one of the major exceptions)--and that maybe that's why people complain.

Let me try and be more specific.

When I refer to stories, I am mainly thinking of three (because these happen to be the ones I'm familiar with, though there are plenty more): I Dream of Jeannie, Get Smart, and Jane Eyre. Maybe Jane Eyre should be kept separate: the issue there isn't completely the marriage, it's whether or not Jane should have accepted Rochester, which is slightly separate from accepting the idea of marriage. But with the two TV shows, the issue was that it was acceptable for the characters to love each other and to flirt, but the dynamics were ruined once they got married. A TV show has to worry about dynamics in a different way than a book does.

The marriage in Get Smart I think was handled pretty well overall. The wedding episode is certainly better than I Dream of Jeannie's, and I think they managed to keep most of the character dynamics intact even though the marriage happened much sooner in GS than in IDOJ. That wedding speaks for it all: it's a hilarious scene in the spirit of the show, with the fighting taking place during breaks while walking down the aisle. That's kind of how it all went from there: domesticity during the breaks from the spy job--it stayed funny. And Max and 99 didn't really act very different toward each other after the wedding than they did before; they just live in the same apartment.

I think people get more heated complaining about IDOJ's marriage: they say it ruined the show because, after all, it did happen in the show's fifth and last season. But as I understand it, the show was already on shaky ground during season three, so was it really going to go longer than five seasons, anyway? And then when you look at it in hindsight (as I have done since I only started watching the show 45 years after it first aired), it's in fact rather satisfying to know that all the journeys that these characters went on ended in a marriage. Sure, a couple of the episodes after they got married weren't very good, but so were a couple of episodes before they got married.

Think of it this way. IDOJ was very much a fantasy. But sometimes for a fantasy to come full circle, there has to be a stable point at the end. It's like a Shakespeare play, where everyone runs around all crazy in the middle but the play ends with a wedding (or two or ten). It's a formula that only recently has been breaking: movies used to show a clip of a wedding at the end (whenever there was a love story, that is) and now they don't. It isn't considered necessary anymore for two characters to get married in order to solidify the fact that they have fallen in love.

But what's wrong if they do get married?

Get Smart mostly maintained the character/show dynamics, I Dream of Jeannie's wedding took place at the end of its run, and I can provide a nice and long explanation of why I'm okay with the marriage in Jane Eyre (in terms of character). So instead of ruining each story, I think these marriages helped complete them.

    

Food in Fiction

I love reading about food and looking at food, and I know I'm not alone. Eating can be nice but it can also be a chore (didn't I just finish washing the dishes and now I'm hungry again?), but thinking about  food is simply wonderful. And sometimes it's fiction that makes you think of or crave a certain kind of food. TV shows where the characters are always drinking orange juice or books with a killer description of pumpkin pie, for instance. Here are just a few examples.

1) I Dream of Jeannie: coffee, maybe with toast and (turkey) bacon - Seriously, they're always drinking coffee in this show, and even though an episode says that Major Nelson drinks his with "a little bit of sugar and a little bit of cream," all the coffee always looks black--which makes it look even more crave-able and coffee-like. It was this show that made me start drinking coffee to begin with and to this day I generally prefer it black (and weak . . . ). With the coffee is often toast, like in that delightful bit when Roger is on the phone in the morning while putting jelly on little triangles of toast--oh, that scene makes me want toast so bad that I often do cut toast into little triangles just to make it mimic this scene. They also tend to eat bacon with their coffee; my choice is turkey bacon, and pair it with toast triangles and black coffee and it's like I'm straight in the show.

2) Becoming Earnest: cucumber sandwiches - I don't know where I first heard about cucumber sandwiches, but I was always enchanted by the idea (people don't really eat cucumber sandwiches here and now) and tried to see how thin I could slice cucumbers to make some. So, naturally, all the mentions of cucumber sandwiches and how so and so loves them so much that they must have some for so and so's visit except that what's-his-name eats all of them before she can arrive just made me want go back to my old craving. Care to join me in a tea shop for some lovely little sandwiches with cucumber slices inside?

3) The Chronicles of Narnia: pretty much everything - C.S. Lewis explained that he liked reading about food and therefore knew that children would, as well, so he fills this series with descriptions of food. They're always eating--even the descriptions of the dirt the trees eat at the end of Prince Caspian are tempting. In particular, though, I'd say these books make me crave scrambled eggs--or "buttered eggs," as they're described at one point, making the younger me wonder at what point the butter was added to the eggs. Then there's the infamous fresh fish with the marmalade roll for dessert that the Pevensies have with the Beavers in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe; that food is almost heavenly. A lot of fruits in there, too, like the apples in Prince Caspian and a great variety in The Horse and his Boy. And let's not forget the Turkish delight, which I tried specifically because it was in Narnia (Americans don't eat Turkish delight and when they rarely might come across it, most of them think it is very weird, which is of course completely irrational). In fact, I picked up some very nice Turkish delight at Ross earlier this year (later I found a different kind there that was okay but nowhere near as good as the first).

4) The Lord of the Rings: bread and meat - Tolkien describes plenty of food, but I think his descriptions of landscape are generally richer than his descriptions of food, due not in small part to the fact that his characters are off on journeys where they really can't get their hands on much good food. Where he is most vivid, though, is in describing not food exactly but the craving of food--namely, plain bread and meat, which Frodo and Sam crave on their journey to Mount Doom when they have run out of everything except for the lembas bread. It makes you really appreciate a good loaf with a nice crust from your local bakery (if you have a good local bakery, please support it: good bread is one of the wonders of life), and good meat without too much done to it that's just cooked well.

5) Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory: candy and chocolate and soda and anything sweet - Okay, let's just go for it. I haven't really read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and I'm not fond of the Johnny Depp version, but that original movie is just full of the sweetness. The way that a single chocolate candy bar is so special to Charlie makes you think of how much you enjoyed candy as a child, and the factory makes me think of how much I still love candy stores. I once watched this movie while eating a melted 100 gram bar of chocolate out of a mug with a spoon. Now I just want someone to bring me a bucket full of Smarties--and maybe a few lollipops, too.

Jeannie the Doctor

Spring, March in particular, always seems to be the time when I discover new shows. I might watch a new show at any time during the year, but it's always at this time that I find the ones I get absorbed into. This year it's been Doctor Who, last year it was Once Upon a Time, the year before it was Primeval, then Harry Potter (which isn't a TV show, but watching all the movies as a sequence is sort of like watching a show), and in 2010 it was I Dream of Jeannie.

While I was watching Doctor Who, I found myself comparing certain elements to I Dream of Jeannie. All of this varies greatly depending on which doctor or which companion is on the screen at the moment. But let me go through the general idea.

Jeannie lives in and sometimes even travels in her bottle, which has become a symbol of her character and of the show, just like the TARDIS. (For the record, I prefer the bottle: though the TARDIS is great, it's just so blue.) Jeannie is magical; though the Doctor is not, he does have magical-like characteristics because he is "clever," uses science from another world, and regenerates every so often. Likewise, they're both off-kilter from the rest of (our) society. They dress different, they talk different, they get bored by everyday life.

Jeannie has Tony, whom she is always trying to awe and amaze with gifts and travel. The Doctor acts similarly around his companions ("No one is around to see me being clever"); he likes to show off the universe to them. The big difference, of course, is that Jeannie is trying to woo Major Nelson, while any extra feelings that come about between the Doctor and one of his companions are never planned--or entirely wanted. But when a relationship does develop, in either show, it is very sweet--despite the fact that it, in a way, goes against the entire show. People still complain that Jeannie and Major Nelson were married in the last season (I don't), and the Doctor and Rose could only be together with the plot-invention of a clone and a parallel universe.

Both shows, I think, win in their mixture of the regular world and the sci-fi/fantasy world. We see regular things and places, but we also adventure into history and either magic or space. The horizons grow, and the characters are constantly trying to keep a fix on reality and to keep everything organized.

Jane and "Master"

At one point, I was doing a mental comparison of Jane Eyre's use of "master" and Jeannie's from I Dream of Jeannie. While it's sort of a slave term, neither one obeys all the commands of her "master." Jeannie uses the word ironically and as a word of endearment, sometimes almost possession. Jane uses it also as an endearment term and as a way of deriving comfort from someone stronger than herself.

But I completely overlooked another "master," most surprisingly because this time it is also accompanied by another Jane. You'll recall that the Jane of Twilight calls Aro "master" quite frequently. I think many of us are amused by Jane and Aro's relationship: it's somewhere between father/daughter and master/slave. Part of the reason for this, I'm sure, is because Jane is so young: although she has been around for many, many years she is still a child. So I think Aro has taken advantage of her youngness to gain her loyalty. Unlike Jane Eyre and Jeannie, Jane uses "master" in its fullest sense: she does not disobey Aro's orders according to her own will. His will is her will.

Be the differences as they are, I still think it is no coincidence that the character so frequently using the word "master" is named Jane.

Favorite Fictional Couples

My last post gave me the idea for this one. Fittingly, then, I will start with the couple I mentioned there; after that, there will be no particular order to the list. Also, these are mainly supposed to be instances where it is the pair I like, not just one individual.

1) Abby & Connor (TV: Primeval) - I probably talked enough about these two last time, so I'll just repeat that I love them together. They just make the world brighter and happier when they're together.

2) Jane & Rochester (Book: Jane Eyre) - This relationship has taken on such a symbolic meaning to me. The two can only properly come together once they have learned to be individuals. Yet they are drawn to each other because of their differing elements, the elements that complete each other.

3) Jeannie & Major Nelson (TV: I Dream of Jeannie) - Even when they're having their spats, these two still adore each other. Their love is like some spark of magic that refuses to go away.

4) Nat & Daisy (Book: Little Men & Jo's Boys) - I suppose I like this pairing mainly because of Nat. He comes from such a sad background, then he and Daisy meet and never look back. They're both very demure.

5) Eowyn & Faramir (Book: The Lord of the Rings) - There is a similar Jane/Rochester thing that happens here: the coming together of these two characters marks certain other changes in their lives. Eowyn in particular must learn something more about herself while she is in the Houses of Healing, where she meets Faramir.

6) Cathy & Heathcliff (Book: Wuthering Heights) - How could I do a list like this and not include these two? People who say that this book is just about hate and not love are simplifying it too much; there is a love story in it, and I think the love is probably just the easiest part of the novel to grasp onto. There's nothing so compelling as tragic love, eh?

7) Gatsby & Daisy (Book: The Great Gatsby) - Speaking of tragic love, I also felt compelled to include these two. It's true, I'm not so interested in Daisy as Gatsby, but his love for her is wonderful. The green light is wonderful. Their story is tragic, sweet, and simultaneously hopeless and hopeful.

8) John Keats & Fanny Brawne (Movie: Bright Star) - Watch this movie and you'll never read a John Keats poem the same. More tragic love here, though much sweeter. There are similarities to Nat/Daisy, just with poetry and death added in--a couple little differences . . .

9) Caspian & Ramandu's Daughter (Book: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader & The Silver Chair) - I love this pairing because, being part of a children's story, it's so subtle. No superfluous romance or flirting, just two characters who fall in love--it's fairy tale-like.

10) Anakin & Padme (Movie: Star Wars) - I wasn't going to add these two in because of all the hate the prequel trilogy tends to get. But I have to admit that I like characters' stories in the entire six part arc. There is so much character conflict in this love story and so much fate and fear/hate challenging love that I do have to include it.


I'm sensing some patterns here. Four out of ten are tragic stories. I think you could easily say that three of the six leftover could have very nearly been tragic. Four out of ten couples either pick on each other or something similar. Six out of ten of the women step out in some particular way from the traditional women's side of things--some of them being (like Eowyn) a little more wild, I guess, than their counterparts (Faramir, though a soldier, has a very gentle nature that is contrary to Eowyn's).

Since all of these characteristics were still just percents out of a whole, I can't say how much they tell about my own tastes without comparing my list to ones made by other people. After all, though I know I tend to like the tragic loves, don't many of us? That's one reason why Titanic (which I actually don't like much) did so well in theatres and why Romeo and Juliet (which I don't really like, either--but I'm not a big fan of Shakespeare in general) is probably the first Shakespeare play children hear of.

February Favorites

1) Good Food - My food writing class just ended, and I realize it's impossible to have read both Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle and Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma and not make at least some small change to your eating habits. Hence, I'm trying to rely more on the farmer's market. Today's lunch, a simple salad, came from there (except for some salt and pepper and a tad of balsamic vinaigrette).

2) Not as Good Food - Archer Farms is the supposedly more natural brand Target sells. I don't know how much better their products really are, but I have a slight addiction to their Chocolate Chunk Hazelnut Biscotti granola right now. It's granola that tastes like chocolate and vanilla--what could make a nicer breakfast, snack, or dessert?

3) My Vintage Hat - My brother got me this hat for Christmas; he says it's from the fifties. And I say that there's nothing like a vintage twang to an outfit.

4) Another Tree Notebook - I've actually had this one for a while; I bought a pack of three (one is a shade of orange and the other is tan) at Target. I think they're recycled or some such thing--further, they have trees on them. They're nice and thin, easy to carry around for any type of miscellaneous notes you need.

5) My Cameo - I've had this cameo for years now, but I hadn't been wearing it as often because I made the unfortunate decision to string it on one of those ribbon necklaces that they sell with glass pendants at malls. I thought that would bring the modern edge to the cameo, but now I think it just cheapened it. So now it's back on a regular Barse chain, which I like much more. (A ribbon could also be nice, but it would have to be the right ribbon.)

6) Thayer's Rose Petal Witch Hazel Toner - I think it's been a year since I first started using this toner. It's rather nice, not containing artificial junk ingredients and also coming in this pretty bottle. I use it both in the morning and at night; it smells lightly of roses and feels nice on the skin.

7) Avon Supershock Mascara (in Waterproof) - This bottle is almost empty, but I consider this one of the better deals in Mascara. I think it's about five dollars, but it's actually one of my favorite mascaras (I have a thing for mascaras: I almost hate to buy the same one twice because I want to try them all and see which is best). Diorshow is great, but it's pricey. And I didn't think much of Covergirl's Lashblast.

8) Sleepy Rebels - While I wait for Blondfire's new CD to come out, I've been enjoying Erica and Bruce's other band, the Sleepy Rebels. It's nice and calming and happy, indie music as it should be.

9) Jeannie Barbie - I never mentioned this purchase, did I? Again, I've had this one for a while. Because of my obsession with I Dream of Jeannie, I just couldn't resist getting it. It sits at the bottom of the shelf in my room, next to an antique doll; that pairing was my attempt to make it look like a Barbie fit in and wasn't a weird thing for a grown person to have. And, yes, I also chose the purple bottle because it reminded me of Jeannie's.

10) Scarves - I have a good amount of scarves, so I've been trying to wear them more often. The trouble is that it's either too hot (though not right now) or I'm wearing necklaces that won't go with a scarf. I like necklaces, so if I have to choose between them and a scarf, the scarf will lose.

Barbara Eden's Jeannie Out of the Bottle

Question. Am I reading more non-fiction these days? I hardly used to read any before. My theory on this observation is that most people tend to read non-fiction (versus fiction) because it is about something that interests them, and when you're younger, you're still figuring out what you like. In my teens, I read movie companions for movies I liked, but most of the non-fiction books I bought I never finished, if I even started them. Now when I buy one, I actually do read it, saying that it's because it's by such-and-such or it's about such-and-such. Because, that is, I am genuinely interested.


This spring, Barbara Eden published her autobiography, Jeannie Out of the Bottle, which I just finished reading tonight. What perfect timing for this book to come out, not so long after my "discovery" of I Dream of Jeannie. (This is the second Jeannie book I have read--the other was Dreaming of Jeannie: TV's Prime Time in a Bottle, which I don't believe I ever commented on here.) I was glad to get this book (which I seem to be saying often lately--am I that emotionally involved?), though it's worth noting that as an autobiography, I Dream of Jeannie is not its only subject matter. But I liked everything else, too, from learning about Barbara Eden's youth, her entrance into show-business, and her encounters with various big names. The Lucille Ball bit was interesting (one does love to hear about intersections between people from two shows one loves), if also sad. If you're wondering, Barbara Eden appears in the I Love Lucy episode "Country Club Dance," which I just watched this summer knowing for the first time that it was she in the role.

A couple of sentences caught my particular attention. Now, I knew that most everybody involved in the show (I Dream of Jeannie, that is) had been against the wedding in the fifth season. But I didn't realize this: "After all, I Dream of Jeannie's abiding theme was Jeannie's unrequited love for Major Nelson, his belief that she was just a figment of his imagination, and her stubborn insistence that she was real" (Barbara Eden, Jeannie Out of the Bottle, 2011). The first time I read that, I probably took it a little further than it actually is, but still. I don't know if I interpreted the show quite in that way. I always took delight in the fact that Jeannie and Tony adore each other, but often don't show it in the usual, obvious ways. Because, honestly, I don't see it as such a bad thing that they got married in the end. Although I don't think Barbara made any mention of this in her book, I've heard elsewhere (from more than one place) that the show was already under threat of cancellation; if that's the case, the wedding didn't change anything from that perspective. But it does allow for a kind of "happy ending" sense to the show; to me, it makes it so that it didn't really just end, it concluded.

Anyway, I must go and stow away another good book on my shelves. And, yes, that will be a feat in itself: there is hardly any spare space left, I have so many books.

Cease, O Clouds!

I am sitting with that most beloved of all drinks, acai juice, which manages somehow to be like a fruit smoothie and a chocolate shake combined into one. It is most delicious. As I drink it, I contemplate why it is so dark outside at five o'clock. Dratted clouds. With the advent of cooler weather, however, it also becomes a very tempting idea to sit inside with a nice movie. So here is my latest update on what I've been watching.

1) Somewhere in Time. The description calls it "unabashedly romantic," which it most definitely is, though in rather a unique way. I watched it, thought it was okay but didn't feel that deep connection some people tend to have toward it. But now, over a month later, I find myself thinking more and more about it. It really is a gorgeous premise, carried out like nothing else.

2) Avatar. I know I was ridiculously late in seeing this movie, but at least now I can say that I did enjoy it. The depth of the world created was impressive, as were the visuals. The story, though it's true that it's one that's been done a thousand times and will be done a thousand times more, still gets you thinking.

3) Coraline. Had to mention this one because I absolutely disliked it. It was creepy, as I knew it would be, but not, to me, in a good way. I'm not saying it was a bad movie; the style just didn't sit well with me at all.

4) Hidalgo. A relatively simple movie whose story I really enjoyed. A little drama, a little action, a little adventure.

5) Stardust. I knew this was a movie that could either be good or just fall off the other edge; it walks on that kind of a fine line. Turned out, I really liked it. It was sweet dark and creative and new and the same at once.

6) Your Mother Wears Combat Boots. I watched this because it stars Barbara Eden (aka. Jeannie). Though it is a small made-for-tv movie, it isn't without entertainment worth. Moments of it, too, are just slightly reminiscent of Jeannie.

7) Frida. I pressed "play" thinking it was a documentary, not a biopic, and finished the movie slightly in awe. I knew little about Frida beforehand; this movie helped me understand her paintings. The story, too, has so much thematically that we can grab hold on for ourselves.

8) Superman. I think I saw the first movie once (not sure if it was the whole thing), so I decided I'd better rewatch, this time watching all four movies. To my surprise, they were alright. The second was my favorite (hello, drama); the third was my least (hello, boring-what's-the-point).

9) Shakespeare Retold. These are four BBC episodes, each taking a Shakespeare play and retelling it in a modern setting. Doesn't sound particularly great, and the first few minutes of Much Ado About Nothing left me bored, but once I started recognizing character traits, the fun began. Much Ado is just so hilarious to begin with that they couldn't do wrong. Macbeth was hilarious, starring James McAvoy. Who knew Macbeth the chef could be such a marvelous idea?

10) I'm still hooked on I Dream of Jeannie. I'm rewatching the entire series and still loving it.

Everybody Has a Birthday

I seem to have a birthday in a charmed month. September is also the birthday month of Bilbo & Frodo and Bella from fiction; Kaleb Nation and Skandar Keynes (aka. Edmund) from real life. I'm sure there are plenty more, but these are the only ones I know off the top of my head. (A Google search reveals that there are indeed a lot; there are just so many people in the world that I guess every month is a charmed month).


Being that my parents came by and bestowed me with money (and their company, yes), I saw the chance to pick up some things I've been wanting for a while. Specifically, a second autograph by The Hillywood Show (the Dark Knight picture this time) with a frame (thank you, Michael's, for having a sale on frames when I went), a Barnes & Noble leather-bound copy of The Arabian Nights (which CS Lewis first inspired me to want, and I Dream of Jeannie further set me on my way for getting), Phillip LaRue's CD Let the Road Pave Itself (which I've wanted since "Chasing the Daylight" was an iTunes free single a long time ago), and, oh, yes, one more. I think I'll have to add Florence + the Machine's CD, too. Remember, they have the song "Heavy in Your Arms" on the Eclipse soundtrack. My finger is just itching to press that "Buy Album" button on iTunes right now; should I do it? I think yes, but I would hate for this to be an album I would like for a while, then discard. I usually like to take more time to make sure I thoroughly enjoy something before buying it, but I can't seem to help it . . . 


There -- it is done. Clicking on the sample listen for "Drumming Song" decided me: I don't know the story behind that song, but the idea of your mind resonating loudly connects with me. The tangible intangible and all . . . 


If only I had been given a few hundred dollars for my birthday; then I would have been able to buy an I Dream of Jeannie bottle. Someday I will have to get one of those. 


  

Announcing

1. I started a new blog yesterday called Bella Swan Reporting. It is perhaps more delirious than this one. Check it out here.

2. The Hillywood Show has released a teaser trailer for their Eclipse parody. It's short, but does gear you up for the real thing (which I'm really looking forward to). Watch it here.

3. Did I say Emma Shapplin's new album, Macadam Flower, was only okay? I changed my mind; I'm loving it.

4. I am now finished watching I Dream of Jeannie. That goes for the pilot, seasons one through five, and the two follow-up movies. I love this show, I love this show, I love this show. If the remake movie does come out in the next couple years (like for Get Smart and Bewitched), I may have to see it on opening day. But I'll probably be disappointed, anyway. Only Barbara Eden, Bill Daily, and Larry Hagman can do it right. There's such a delicate balance in this show, and it's so sweet, that it's hard to imagine it in anyone else's hands.

5. I have finally started reading Charlotte Bronte's The Professor. It seemed a drier book than the rest, which is why it took me so long to pick it up (it's been on my shelf for years). But it's just as amazing so far as her others. More when I finish it.

6. I realize why kitchen sinks are generally built in front of windows. There is something depressing about standing in front of a wall while you wash dishes; it makes the task much harder to get into. (As you can guess, the sink in my apartment faces a wall, not a window).

7. Summer will be officially over for me on Thursday. Lovely. I just can't wait to get back to reading, writing, reading, writing all day. (Excuse my pessimism: I don't hate it all that much).

8. If I think of two more things to say, then this will look a more complete list at 10 items.

9. There is a strange wind blowing outside. Strange because it has the appearance of cold, what with its accompaniment of clouds, yet is thick with warmth. Odd dessert.

10. I completed my second scrapbook yesterday and realize I have a tendency towards obsessions. I keep scraps, not pictures in my scrapbook. Pieces from hotels, napkins from planes, movie tickets. Then there are all the Disneyland maps, the Lord of the Rings and Narnia scraps, and now the Twilight ones. I don't think I want to face the facts about what this means about me . . .

So I'd Thought

I wonder -- why is the spring semester the colder of the two when its name evokes warmth, and the fall semester the warmer when its name sounds cold? Classes are already over, and the weather hasn't even reached 100 yet. (Though, I'll admit, it has seemed to be cooler this year.) But when next semester starts, there will be two three months before I even think about donning a sweater again. So why will that be the "fall" semester? Curious.

During my last couple weeks of this semester, I was busy writing. And writing. And procrastinating. Something good did come out of my procrastination, though. I've always loved "I Love Lucy," and I've been a fan of "Get Smart" for several years; I feel more loyal to older TV shows than new ones. Now I have discovered "I Dream of Jeannie." Not that I had never heard of the 1960's show: I just never watched more than one episode. But I found Seasons 2 and 3 on Hulu, and now I'm a fan. And then I realized it was high-time I opened up a Netflix account, which would allow me to go back to Season 1 and eventually 4 and 5. Now I'm hooked on Netflix.

I Dream of Jeannie: The Complete First Season

It is a strange thing, yes, that so soon after classes end (and my consequent rejoicing over not having to read for them anymore), I should move into my own reading, but that is the way of it, after all. I started with Twilight: The Graphic Novel since that's half pictures, anyway. I've never read a graphic novel; I don't like any comics or cartoons much. The idea of a whole book in this format has always seemed, well, wasteful and perhaps (I mean no offense) immature. But I had never so much as picked one up, had I?

It was my enduring support of Stephenie Meyer that led me to get this book, but I came out with some appreciation for the graphic novel format. I was amazed at how artistic it was. The colors, the positioning, the way that movement is implied. Everything on the page is formatted so as to render the tone visually. The blood-typing scene was one of my favorites: I was tempted to get woozy right along with Bella. My complaint, still, is that the dialogue has to be chopped up for length's sake; at certain points, it feels like vital things are left out. But I suppose this won't be a problem if, like me, the vast majority reading this book already have the original practically memorized.

Twilight: The Graphic Novel, Volume 1 (The Twilight Saga)

Today I finished my second summer read: Such a Pretty Girl by Laura Wiess. I read her Leftovers a few months ago, and praised its language and uniqueness, while not wholly enjoying the content (though the first two were enough, to me, to overpower this). Such a Pretty Girl I may have liked even more. Still a fresh read -- stylistically. Also some great themes: we see the mind of another teenager, Meredith this time, who is struggling to find her own power among people who have no care for her as an individual. Still a rather depressing read, but there is such empowerment in it that I think did add to myself.

Such a Pretty Girl

Thus begins my summer with better results than my expectations. Next up is Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own.