Time is Nothing. And The Time Traveler's Wife?

When I finally read Audrey Niffenegger's The Time Traveler's Wife, I wasn't exactly blown away the way fans of the book were. It wasn't necessarily a bad book, and the central plot can never make the book average or ordinary. But while it won't make it to my list of favorite books, I still recognized the very unique, very original love story, and as a hopeless romantic, how can you tear yourself away from a story that narrates how to make an incredibly difficult love situation work?

For my thoughts on the book, and the movie,

In TTTW, I was most marveled not by the fact that Henry can time travel, but that there was a girl who has loved him, and only him, all of her life (reminds me of one girl in particular, no, not me :P). There is something incredibly romantic, albeit idealistic, about having thought of yourself in relation to only one partner in your entire life but Clare did so, even if it entailed lots of waiting, and lots and lots of patience. While some cynics may argue that this was forced to her as a six-year old, I'd like to believe she had a choice each and every time, to meet that time traveler at the meadow, and she could have easily opted not to. Henry too, after meeting Clare for the first time chronologically, had the choice not to believe her, but he did, and while their story is largely fatalistic, it never seemed forced on either Henry or Clare.

In an attempt to establish that amidst the couple's extraordinary situation, they still struggled to live normal lives, TTTW often seemed like it was bogged down with day-to-day details that I sometimes wish some things were made a little more grandstanded. Which is why I had such high hopes that the movie adaptation could come out much better than the book, given its inherent license for histrionics. Unfortunately, the movie chooses to be somewhat downplayed, when it could have shown the audience one powerful scene, after the other. I could go on and on about which particular scenes could have packed more punch but I might be killed for excessive spoilers (LOL).

Furthermore, the movie could have opted to deviate a little from the book and could have made that work (a happier ending would have been nice), and yet it chose to be quite faithful to it. While there were some cuts and tweaks, they were incredibly minor to be anything effective. Even that slight tweak to the finale seemed too faithful, and unfortunately less powerful, that maybe they should have just stuck to the book on that one. Or still added the book's finale as the final, final scene (which I secretly hoped was gonna be shown after the credits since it was my favorite part of the book). And why oh why did they even forget to use the "time is nothing" line (or did they, and I just didn't hear it?)?

And lastly, the effects could have used a little more work. While the vanishing effect for Henry is as good as it can get (at least for me), I wished they brought in the Benjamin Button crew for prosthetics because it is incredibly distracting to observe that a 20-something Henry had the same deep wrinkles as the 30-something and 40-something Henry. It was as if the movie capitalized on Eric Bana's boyish looks and then crossed its fingers the audience would be convinced enough with mere hair changes. And to think Brad Pitt was actually an executive producer in the movie so it was not difficult or far-fetched to have the movie tap into the Benjamin Button magic.

For all my complaints, it is still an Eric Bana movie (and I love Rachel McAdams too), and one I would have watched even if everyone had told me not to. Maybe the movie just thought of compensating for its shortcomings through Eric's multiple clothes-less vanishing scenes. So watch if you're an Eric Bana and/or Rachel McAdams fan or if you're too lazy to read the book (though the movie might confuse you if you haven't read the book) or if you really absolutely must see how the movie adaptation of the book is. Otherwise, maybe you are better off watching some other movie showing in town at the same time, like say, Up. :)

P. S. I agree with Buzzsugar, a TV series based on TTTW after the movie? Definitely overkill.

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Musings on the Archie-Veronica Engagement

News broke out that we are to finally see (or are we really?) one of the oldest and most renowned love triangles come to an end as Archie Andrews finally *gasp* proposes to Veronica. I personally thought I'd never see closure on this one in my lifetime because the Betty-Archie-Veronica love triangle has always been part and parcel to the well-loved comic series.

Looking back at my childhood days, I've personally preferred Veronica over Betty in probably the same vein that I prefer Blair over Serena, or Brooke over Peyton. Maybe it's as simple as thinking more brunettes are prettier than blondes or that bitchy trumps the nice girl. It should then follow that I'd be ecstatic that Archie finally proposes to Veronica. Except I' m not (i. e., not sad, but not ecstatic either). I'm glad the guy finally makes a firm decision, and it is something I saw coming given that he always had the tendency to notice Ronnie more even when Betty was the one who'd probably jump through hoops for him. But I also can't help but wonder what happens to the one that is left at the corner to grin and bear it.

Some say it ain't over 'til it's over. The twist just might be that Archie ends up marrying Betty instead. And when this happens, I will really be pissed. Not because I'm on Team Veronica, but because even as a comic book character it's not cool to decide to go for someone and end up changing your mind. And for something as serious as marriage, it should all the more be imperative for someone to be absolutely certain.

Maybe I'm second-guessing on this one (okay, I really am) but I hope Betty finally wakes up and realizes that it's always been Veronica all along and that even if she's been nothing but great, she's not The One. At least not as far as Archie is concerned.

It's a long wait until August, and I am curious to see how events will unfold (how can I not?). I hope the six-part series is reasonably priced (so I can finally afford them since I didn't as a kid and would always just borrow my cousin's comic books, haha) and has enough copies to go around. I might bitch some more by then but I do hope I'll be pleasantly surprised by how things will be wrapped up. If it were to come down to two possible scenarios, I'd personally prefer that Archie ends up with neither instead of proposing to Veronica and then end up marrying Betty. Or, Archie and Veronica can live happily ever after too. Betty Girl can just move on (you can do it Betty, he doesn't deserve you, LOL).

Until then, your guess is as good as mine. Oh, I so cannot wait for August. *wink, wink*

P. S. There have been several articles here and there taking off from Archie's proposal. Click here, here and here for some. Let the speculation and psychoanalysis rage on. :)

P. P. S. Is Betty really that devastated? She seems to not have forgotten the XOXOXO still. And Veronica!!! Insensitive much?!

The Silver Lining

I finally finished my first Cecelia Ahern novel! No, it's not P. S. I Love You (which is still sitting in my shelf waiting to be read after a gazillion months, oopsie). Since I already kinda knew how P. S. I Love You is gonna go (depending on how faithful the movie was to the book, hehe), I opted to read her third novel first, the one entitled If You Could See Me Now, mainly because of the mysterious plot summary.

The book is about this guy named Ivan who is only visible to a little boy named Luke and his mothering aunt Elizabeth. He is what our world would call an invisible friend, who by convention should only be seen by kids but incidentally is seen by Elizabeth as well. What follows is a love story of the childlike, fairy tale kind, but with a reasonable amount of realism blended in that it doesn't seem too incredulous.

The novel felt long that it took me more than a month and a half to finally finish it (no, I wasn't reading the whole time :P), and it only seemed to pick up steam towards the middle of the book. Nonetheless, I was very much curious about how Elizabeth and Ivan will handle their growing affection (read: L-O-V-E) for each other despite their impossible situation. Would it be like City of Angels, with Ivan choosing to embrace humanity over his immortal, invisible friend status? Or was he merely preparing Elizabeth for eventually ending up like him, an invisible friend too? Of course, these are the two most typical possibilities, and Cecelia Ahern is more than typical. Or rather, she was typical in more ways than one.

If you really wanna know...

She eventually wrapped up the story by bringing things back in perspective, and back to reality, with Ivan turning invisible again, leaving Elizabeth by herself. Which is in fact the most realistic progression of things. Nevertheless, losing someone is always a sad, seemingly unacceptable thing especially when things feel right, perfect and meant to be, only to be riddled with the impossible. While the book dedicated two paragraphs on the nature of heartbreak (that I'd rather not quote because while it's nice, it cannot rival Stephenie Meyer's New Moon heartbreak quote anyway), there was not that much focus on sadness but the silver lining of things. Because indeed, sometimes people come into our lives to serve a purpose, and it could be as simple as making us realize a thing or two about ourselves, or pinpoint a much needed change like a breath of fresh air or a splash of color. And we also need to appreciate that amidst the struggle to come to terms with our sadness.

Unfortunately, in some cases, the why does not often come as quickly or as clearly as it did with Elizabeth and Ivan. Sometimes, the best thing to hope for is that one day our dark cloud's silver lining becomes apparent. Or sometimes, as Ivan so simplistically put it, the silver lining are the people themselves.

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Baby Proof: Proving It

True to being an Emily Giffin fan (says my Facebook account :P), I eventually picked up and read Baby Proof. Honestly, judging from the title and synopsis alone, it was the least interesting of her books to me, so much so that if I were to forgo reading one of her books, this would have been it. Luckily, there is no limit as to how many books I can read because Baby Proof was definitely a good read, and I can truly say it can give Something Borrowed a run for its money (and we all know the first book, which popularizes the author, is usually hard to beat).

Baby Proof tells the story of Claudia who is married to Ben. The couple, perfect for each other in every way, have come to the agreement that they do not want children in their lives. Ben, however, has a change of heart, which puts Claudia in the terrible predicament of choosing between Ben and what she wants (or doesn't want), in a matter as serious and important as having a baby. Women in general are expected to want to be mothers, and it is very rare for a woman to insist with absolute certainty that she does not want to be one. This is where Baby Proof takes off from, and what follows is a very mature tale that still has all the adorable trademarks of an Emily Giffin novel - great writing, interesting retorts and anecdotes here and there, and an overall appeal that women can easily relate to. It is without a doubt, Giffin's most serious novel but it was intelligently written (not in an brain-draining way).

I give out my usual spoiler warning, but if you wish...

I thought I would be reading about the disintegration of a marriage throughout the course of the book. Instead, three chapters into the book, we read about Ben and Claudia deciding to part ways. The story proceeds to show how Claudia copes with the divorce in all its different stages - missing Ben (where the all too familiar everything-reminds-her-of-him was detailed affectionately), the wallowing, the struggle to hang on, seeing Ben moving on, finally deciding to move on herself (where it goes to prove yet again that the rebound, no matter how ideal, will not get the girl), a sense of acceptance, and finally, the decision on how to take everything from there. While Claudia eventually regretted the haste in the divorce, it seemed much better to have decided to end things before they both started resenting each other. After all, the time off proved to be good for the both of them.

My favorite part of Claudia's time apart with Ben was that time during her 35th birthday, after she arrived from that dreamy vacation at Lake Como with Richard (a. k. a. the Rebound Guy) and received a call from Ben. Despite the great vacation, it was that greeting from Ben that actually made everything feel right. Because in reality, it can be something as simplistic as that from the right person that will make you happier than any beautiful or outlandish gesture from the wrong person.

Of all of Emily Giffin's main characters, Claudia is the most ideal - successful, mature, and so put together (even in the stages of wallowing and cyberstalking the new girl). All throughout the book, Claudia demonstrated how strong-willed (but not stubborn) she was with the fact that she really did not want to be a mother. It was pretty much established that it was not because of her unfortunate experience with her mother or how it would interfere with her career (because she did decide to pass off on a career opportunity to be there for a pregnant friend) or her own fears of whether she would be a good mother or her own capacity to be one. She simply did not want children. Plain and simple. Despite everything from peer pressure to an ultimatum from the love of her life (maybe she was a bit stubborn too, huh?). To me it demonstrated strength of character to insist on this despite the contrarian forces from everywhere. Because sometimes, you really just don't want what everyone seems to want. Which is why I was quite disappointed when she finally caved and became willing to have a baby if that meant she could have Ben back.

Of course, the main point of this is not lost to me (since it was very much stressed via a cameo from Ethan because agreebly, it is easier to accept reality from an objective stranger than from your family and friends). True love really does conquer all. True love would really will you to do whatever it takes for the person you love, even if it means sacrificing what you want (or do not want) in return. After all, with regard to the matter of having a baby, there are no compromises (you either do or you don't). In a sense, Ben and Claudia were lucky that their impediment is based on wants and non-wants, and not some other totally complicated or inflexible circumstance like religion or distance or other people (all of which others have been willing to overcome as well). It was a good thing Ben caved too though, and was also willing to give up his desire for a baby in order to have Claudia back. After all, true love is nothing but unconditional. I also like how it ended not really resolving whether Claudia and Ben really do have a baby. Because either way is fine. The important thing was that they were together again.

And finally, there were other stories too. The story of the pep-talking and tip-laden Jess (Claudia's best friend), her one-sided affair and eventually her getting the relationship she deserved. The story of Daphne and her plight to have a child. The story of Maura and her struggle to stay in an unhappy marriage for the children. All stories tied up well with Claudia's storyline, and effectively enhanced it (especially on the motherhood angle). Which all in all makes Baby Proof a truly great read, with great quotes to boot as well (more on that later).

I can't wait for Miss Giffin's next book! :D

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Darcy's Turn (Spoiler Alert!)

Hot on the heels of Something Borrowed, I flipped the pages to read about Darcy's story this time. I actually expected full-on redemption by Chapter One only to find myself halfway through the book still thinking Darcy is being her shallow, selfish and unapologetic self. Not deserving any sympathy whatsoever. She is even more annoying than Becky Bloomwood in her most annoying times.

When she finally does decide to turn things around, her transformation takes a backseat to her crystallizing moment - the realization that she has more than friendly feelings for Ethan (I knew it! I knew it!). While the friends-turned-lovers tale had never been a personal preference (ahem!), for some reason, I couldn't help but root for them. Sigh! Love and friendship. They are what make us who we are, and what can change us if we let them.

I was expecting a reconciliation between Rachel and Darcy in this book, but I must admit the phone call and subtle patching up (even if Rachel was the second person Darcy called after giving birth) was less than expected but just right. I guess to me it drove home the point that no matter what happened, it is enough for a simple note or phone call for things to be okay again between two very close people.

Other than these though, I have nothing much to say. While the book is a good time-killer/momentary diversion, it lacks the depth of substance that Something Borrowed had. Or perhaps the story was simply more typical, and unfortunately, devoid of any hearty twists (Really, twins? Is that all you've got? Hahaha.). Maybe the Ethan thing was supposed to be the book's main surprise but for some reason I really just saw it coming. It would have been cuter if there were more love-hate moments but Ethan simply caved too soon. Hahaha.

Next stop? Baby Proof. :)

P. S. In retrospect, I can't believe it was only toward the end of the book that I realized why Something Blue was entitled so. I assumed blue = sad, not blue the color. ROFL. =))

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A Must Borrow (Or Buy)

I finally finished reading one of my books! While this book is not new, it is new for me! Hahaha. Emily Giffin's first book, Something Borrowed may not have the snappy writing that Love the One You're With had, but it had a pretty good story.

I had a vague idea of what the plot of the book was prior to reading, and it made the book an attractive read to me. After all, how can you sympathize with a main character (Rachel) who sleeps with her best friend's (Darcy) fiance (Dex)? It is one of the ultimates of friendship violation and I expected myself to actually dislike Rachel and yet, she is actually totally understandable. Because in a sense, the book summary is right. True love comes at a very high price. And in this case, it can cost you a friendship, even a best friendship (hahaha).

Spoilers abound, but if you wish...

I imagine this book is particularly satisfying for anyone who has ever played the role of the Other Woman (not necessarily in the context of marriage) because it represents a vindication of being in that particular situation. After all, as the book goes, not everything is black and white and sometimes the end justifies the means. And in a sense, I do agree that true love will always triumph over even the most unusual or frowned upon of circumstances.

Surprisingly, even as a quick decision-maker/ultimatum/now-or-never kinda girl, I liked that decision to pick an arbitrary (yet not-so-arbitrary) date for when The Talk between Rachel and Dex will happen. It was refreshing for me to be made to realize that when dealing with something complicated that you don't wanna give up just yet, sometimes it's important to first allow yourself to feel before letting your thoughts (especially when they're severely judgmental and pessimistic) to get in the way. Yes, the outcome could prove disastrous but maybe the happiness (albeit momentary) would make it worthwhile. :)

And while I get why Darcy had to be portrayed in that characterization (anything less will make her boring), I wonder if the sympathy vote would have tilted heavily toward her direction had she been less, errr, bitchy. After all, the point is not that she was being a bitch, hence she had it coming. The point was that no matter how great a girl is, if she's wrong for a guy then that's just how it is. They have no business getting married. And she really shouldn't be forcing herself or the guy to get married.

I also particularly loved the statement about how it was a good thing that it was Dex who made the decision to break it off. Before Darcy could say anything. Because indeed, if Darcy was the one who initiated things then Rachel would always be wondering if Dex ended up with her only because things can no longer work out with Darcy. She would have always wondered whether she was really first choice or was merely chosen by default because the other option fell short. And while some situations can be netiher black nor white, choices always have to be so. Otherwise they aren't really choices, are they?

Giffin's second book is about Darcy this time. And while the teaser isn't as appealing as this particular book, I'm still interested to read it (if only I could find it), in order to see Darcy's side of the story and give her some sort of redemption (See, I am so fair! Why are other people not fair? Hahaha). I'm hoping Darcy ends up with Ethan. ;)

P. S. A movie for Something Borrowed might be on its way?! Except it stars Hilary Swank as Rachel. Ugh! >.<

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Woot!

The brilliant Mr. Coelho has a new book! And it's a thriller of sorts. It seems a bit different from the rest of his books. Nonetheless, I'm excited. :)

For the first chapter, click here.

A Sneak Peek at That Midnight Sun

My life was an unending, unchanging midnight. It must, by necessity, always be midnight for me. So how was it possible that the sun is rising now, in the middle of my midnight. ~ Edward Cullen in Stephenie Meyer's "Midnight Sun"

True to my newly found Twilight craze, I decided to read the partial draft of Midnight Sun, despite the possibility that I would end up feeling bad about not reading it to completion. But I was glad I did. Because Edward's perspective is a thousand times better than Bella's - more interesting, more romantic yet less cheesy. I really wish the complete book is out there for us mere mortals to read, especially specific parts of Twilight that have yet to be written in Edward's perspective - that date at the meadow, the encounter with James and his friends during the baseball game, and the dance during prom when Bella insisted on being turned into a vampire.

It's really sad that the book is still on hold indefinitely. I'm hoping that changes soon. Because it may as well be my next favorite book.

Better Late Than Never

Vampires have always intrigued me, even when I hated horror stories. From the time Brad Pitt's face comforted my horror in Interview (I don't remember the movie, I only remember Brad, and errrr... the disturbing kid that was Kirstin Dunst) to the time Kate Beckinsale gorgeously kicked ass in Underworld. Which is why I wonder now why I haven't jumped into the Twilight bandwagon until recently.

I watched the movie though. But only after everyone had watched it already. And it did not really inspire me enough to read the books. But I did try reading a few pages of Twilight after watching the movie. Because everyone says that the book is much better. Indisputably so. I was initially bored reading the book, but maybe because there were other things I chose to prioritize (hahaha). And I've always thought it was a teenager's cup of tea. Something I was too old to read.

Of course I was wrong. I had fun reading book after book after book after book. Why else would I read them all for two and a half days straight ignoring the perpetual migraine I've been having since I arrived home. Ignoring pretty much everyone, even Nischie. Hahaha. Which was not really such a bad thing because she learned to say "book" because of it (excuses, excuses).

The books were drenched with romance. Absolutely. What with Edward being just so romantically perfect (I'm gushing and I don't care. He glistens like diamonds in the sunlight... how can you not? :P And besides, he was beyond physical beauty). I guess I'm still a sucker for irrevocable, unconditional, endless and truest of true love (aren't we all?). But the storylines, the myths and histories and personal accounts, and the minute unique details and trivia were also interesting to say the least. After all, to spin a story about such well-known myths as vampires (even the feud between werewolves and vampires) into something remarkably different was just pure genius. And the writing was beautiful. God bless poetic prose. It is now officially my kinda mush.

I even grew to appreciate Jacob even when he annoyed me at first. That it wasn't so icky when he imprinted on you-know-who. But then again, a seven-ish age gap is nothing compared to a hundred or so.

I'm so grateful to my sister for her hand at my finally reading the books. If she hadn't specified them to be at the top of her Christmas wish list, I wouldn't have thought of reading them myself (what with her contagious enthusiasm). Of course, I had to let her spoil the experience with all my prodding for spoilers. That which I really regret. I would have enjoyed it much more if I didn't know about a number of storylines and twists. I think I knew most of the twists before actually reading about them, and those that I hadn't, I terribly liked (dang!). And for whatever reason, Breaking Dawn is my favorite. Hands down.

I hope the next three movies get better based on feedback from the first movie. That movie which I reiterate to not have done the book justice. Tsk, tsk. And it would be a greater disappointment if the colorful scenes of the last three books will not be given justice as well. And maybe it's not too late to recast Jacob? Hahaha. Fine, fine. At least make him "grow" handsome.

I can't wait for Midnight Sun (it has to push through!). I'm still debating on whether to read that half-ebook circulating around or not. Or rather, to be politically correct, the official incomplete draft. I might need to be as strong as Edward to resist. Hahaha. Also, there's a Jacob-Renesmee sequel, right? ;) Please, please.

Remember Me? Now You're Talking

My sister read Sophie Kinsella's Remember Me? before me, and her only feedback was that it was nakakakilig. To which I asked (version edited), "Are you hormonal?" After reading the book myself, let's just say, I hear ya, sistie! Hahaha.

To be perfectly honest, I expected the book to fall short of the hype of being the latest Kinsella novel. Besides, how well can one spin yet another story about amnesia? That would be soooo Samantha Who?, right? Though I happen to love that show (hmmm, maybe that's my ideal life story, to be an amnesiac, haha!).

In a nutshell, Remember Me? may not be as pizazz-laden as the Shopaholic series (there's very little shopping involved) but whatever it lacks in shallow fun (though it is also quite funny), it more than compensates in romantic depth. I say romantic depth because beyond the goody-two-shoes and overrated fairy tale overtones of this book, lies a realization that is not only the stuff of hopeless romantic legends but is also something you would throw at a cynic's face when they say "really, love???" But then again, it's fiction. *rolls eyes*

While M. Scott Peck would have frowned on how love is depicted in this book (love is not a feeling, he said), it nonetheless provides a wonderful point - love is felt, it touches the soul and when real, it feels right and that goes beyond the limited faculties of the human mind (I know right? How very dramatic of me). Furthermore, I really liked how Lexi never got her memory back because it makes her choice all the more romantic and (drum roll please), unquestionably right. :) It tells us how one is capable of continually choosing only one person over and over again, even if slates are wiped clean (and maybe even when slates cannot be wiped clean, which is usually the case). After all, happiness is a feeling that can never be forced, and that goes beyond rhyme or reason.

Some may still say the book's plot is unoriginal but so what? It's funny and just the right kind of sunshine I need right now ;) Temporarily at least.

P. S. I loved the sunflower scene the most (kaya pala the cover has a sunflower)! Would have made a good rom-com movie scene. ;)

Love the One You're With - Love It or Leave It? Hmmm...

I've always wanted to read an Emily Giffin (Giffin, not Griffin, LOL) and so upon receipt (thank you), I enthusiastically leafed through this book first. The plot, especially the ending, is not exactly groundbreaking but perhaps, that's not such a bad thing. At the heart of this book are familiar themes that readers can relate to - stability vs. passion, past vs. present, the nice guy vs. the jerk, what is vs. what could have been. The book is also laden with enough internal monologues for any reader to say, OMG, this is all too familiar.

While the basic plot is nothing original, the writing was superb enough for the book to not come out as outrightly boring, in a tell-me-something-I-don't-already-know sorta way. Until the last chapter however (fine, maybe the last few *rolls eyes*), I was expecting a surreal twist that would make this book unforgettable, to no avail. And while I happen to agree with the book's ultimate lesson in principle, I can't help but wish it was injected in a fresher, more insightful manner.

Of the characters, Margot was my favorite, she who you can't really fault for having a pristinely great life. She who also competently handled the conflicting role of being the best friend and the sister-in-law. Of course, Andy was also the ultimate good-on-paper guy and he didn't exactly score a zero in the passion category, which is probably why I am on that side of the fence that is actually peeved at Ellen for complaining about her marriage and her life.

The verdict? The book is a worthwhile time killer but not exactly anything extraordinary, although I'd probably recommend this book to anyone I know who is wasting their time complaining instead of being grateful for what they have (gee, how many names come to mind? :P). My ultimate disclaimer: I wasn't exactly in the best of moods while reading this book. :)