The Lives of Others

I don't normally stray from books on this blog, but today I feel compelled to comment on a film.

Today, I saw The Lives of Others, a German film that I would have to argue comes close to perfection.

The film is set in East Germany in 1984, at the height of the power of the Stasi, the secret police who know everything and see everything.

Stasi agent Gerd Wiesler, is an idealist who joined the Stasi to support the communist ideals. He appears cold and calculating at first; he knows just how to break down informers and judge who is and is not true to the party.

He is set the task of surveilling a famous playwright, Gerd Dreyman, and his actress girlfriend Christa-Maria. Gerd is convinced Dreyman is hiding something, and assiduously attends to his task, until he uncovers the underlying motives of the minister who set him his task.

Slowly but surely, Wiesler is drawn into the world of his subjects, whose love is bold, fascinating and complicated - and certainly being affected by the society he works to uphold. Wiesler's beliefs are shaken, as is Dreymann's fragile world.

Without spoiling the plot, the situation comes to a head, and Wiesler must decide hpow far he is willing to go to protect the lives he has become so involved with.

The climax is shattering, and the denouement astoundingly beautiful. No trace of Hollywood triteness here!

The message is: GO AND SEE IT. It is rare to be so moved by a film, to really feel where the characters are coming from, and to care so deeply for their fragile worlds. It is as close to perfection as film can possibly get.

Baghdad Blog

I am reading Baghdad Blog for work again, and can't help but reflect upon the power the blog is developing in our society. Blogger is already ear-marking "blogs of note" (what, reading isn't important?) and our own Baghdad Blogger Salam Pax became the face of the voiceless Iraqi nation. And what a lovely, queer, bitchy voice it is too!

Makes me start to think about what other people are blogging about out there. Anyone pondering the secrets of the universe? If so, send me the link. Love to have a chat. Anything else earth-shattering out there? Because their just has to be more noteworthy blogs than the cooking one or the mother one. Don't get me wrong, nothing wrong with either of these, but surely there is a little more out there? We might have to spend some of this blog on what else is happening in the blogosphere.

A few incidentals:

• This is the first blog on my new whiz bang lap top. I have called it S.B. This currently stands for sexy beast (cos it's that good), but might come to stand for something else when it starts to get old and slow etc. use your imagination.
• Sorry to anyone who was expecting a blog on the Raw Shark Texts. Just not my cup of tea, and there are too many books in the world to waste time reading stuff that is not for you. Yes note that! I am not a "grin and bear it" reader. I think it is because it is too unrealistic. I know that any other fans of Jasper Fforde are shaking their heads in amazement right now, but somehow I believe in my heart that there is a parrallel world out there in which reading is way cooler than it is here. I just find it hard to swallow that there is a mythical shark-creature out there that lives and feeds on text.
• Finding the new Ian McEwan On Chesil Beach a bit banal too. I like McEwan as a writer - he has stunning use of language - but yet to be blown away by his plots. But more on that later.

Anyway, must go. One of the sounds that rules my life has just... well... sounded.

The Secret River

William Thornhill is a convict travelling to Australia with his family. Although they originally dream of returning to England, Will becomes increasingly seduced by the wild seemingly uninhabited Australian landscape. The idea of actually "owning" so much land is so tempting, that he moves his family out into the dark wilderness...

Although there is a lot of controversy regarding whether or not this form of historical fiction is appropriate (see below), this is a very readable and enjoyable read - especially given that it was something that I had to read for work.

The story begins in a "warm and fuzzy" way - Thornhill is a likeable character and the story of his poverty in England and escape from the hangman's noose is genuinely engaging. We begin to see changes upon his arrival in Australia where the "white man's lust for land and power" becomes evident. Thornhill is inspired by a piece of land "the shape of a man's thumb", and endangers his family by taking them to such a remote location - even though he knows that he wife Sal (who is the centre of his world for the first half of the novel) wants nothing more than to return home.

This is where the story begins to change, and we begin to see how a man as likeable as Thornhill could be responsible for the atrocities that occurred to the Aboriginals upon white settlement. I don't want to spoil the ending for you, but we certainly get a look into the heart of darkness and avarice.

This is a book with a political conscience - it is "researched", not based on fact. Grenville's ancestor's inspire many of the characters of the novel, but it is pure inspiration. Not history. Although one could argue that this is the true essence of historical fiction - you can only guarantee it's accuracy to a certain extent, especially when we start to interpret characters.

Definitely worth a read - and I don't say that often about Australian Literature.

http://www.abc.net.au/rn/arts/bwriting/stories/s1414510.htm

http://kimbofo.typepad.com/readingmatters/2006/10/the_secret_rive.html

http://www.theage.com.au/news/reviews/the-secret-river/2005/07/08/1120704543439.html

Lost in Web of Stories

Clearly any story that inspires a title like this, must be a plus for a Jasper Foorde fan like me! (By the way, "First Among Sequels", the new Thursday next novel comes out on July 19th).

So, I have finished "The Ringmaster's Daughter". The main character, Petter (Little Petter Spider) is like a viaduct for the creative unconscious - he is full of story ideas. And if he doesn't write them down, they kind of drive him mad. Fortunately, Petter recognises that he can make some money from this compulsion, and begins selling story ideas to those writers he knows with writer's block. It is a very lucrative business for Petter - but one that the reader knows cannot last long. Petter Spider's web must come crashing down on him one day. It is interesting how this occurs, but unfortunately a little predictable. I would have liked to have seen something a little more original from Gaarder, given his reputation (although I must apologise - I am one of the five people in the world who have NOT read "Sophie's World" - it was a bit of a fad novel when it came out and I stubbornly gave it a miss).

I am now waiting for someone to take up some of the story ideas in the book - much like the Calvino. The novel could act in the very same fashion that Petter did himself. Think of it as an advertisement - Writer's Block, anyone? Just read blah blah and so on.

Anyway, so much to read and so little time.

Catch ya soon.....