Angelology (Danielle Trussoni)

after reading a favorable TIME review of Angelology by Danielle Trussoni, i felt compelled to dig up some more information on this book. by the time i have read the third review (mostly positive), i was already itching to get my hands on it. (i have had this kind of reaction several times in the past and it hasn’t failed me yet.)

i made a few phone and online inquiries and quickly learned that local bookstores have run out of copies of Angelology, which was released only a couple of months earlier. after a more thorough and patient search, i finally managed to find an unsold copy (which was ready for pick-up the next day).

i started reading Angelology on my way home and didn’t stop until 5:45am. (i showed up for work bleary-eyed and yawning.) despite the book’s minor drawbacks, the tale simply held me enthralled. one reason why this story resonates with me is that it reminds me of one of my favorite X-files episodes, All Souls, which dealt with the concept of nephilim (lit. “fallen ones”).

my verdict? i liked it! more importantly, i couldn’t put it down. Angelology is described as a supernatural thriller in the tradition of Dan Brown, although i think it’s more in the style of Umberto Eco‘s The Name of the Rose. think of a gripping, multilayered gothic tale with biblical roots and tinged with intrigues and conspiracies. at its core, it tells of a centuries-old struggle between the nephilim, the hybrid offspring of rebellious angels and human females, and a secret group of humans (angelologists) who study and oppose the nephilim's sinister machinations.

if you have an abiding interest in angels (and not just the good kind) and don’t mind reading lengthy text on art, history, Greek mythology, various biblical texts, etc., Angelology shouldn’t be a challenge. if you’re a catholic, it’ll probably be easier to digest this premise (although Ms. Trussoni also makes liberal references to Jewish and Muslim religious texts to substantiate her point). at any rate, you will learn a few things about how humans have viewed angels throughout the centuries.

i am currently re-reading parts of this book. for some reason, i keep going back to the scene where one of the characters (a nun) conducted a “summoning” ceremony. an upcoming sequel to Angelology is currently in the works, according to its author.

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell

the moment Susanna Clarke's Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell (JS&MN) became available in local bookstores, i shifted to active search mode. its hefty price and weight (which was taxing on one’s wrist) gave me some pause, but after reading several glowing reviews i threw caution to the wind and bought a hardbound copy.

so was it worth the hassle? you bet.

i was barely halfway into the first chapter when i realized that i was truly ensnared with no hope of turning back. i raced through that 782-page volume like a hound hot on a scent. after finishing the book in 1.5 days (i still had to report for work), i went through it again —- this time, i savored every page and paused at every nook and cranny, including the footnotes.

i’d been trying to convince a lot of people since then to read JS&MN, but except for a couple of sci-fi/fantasy geeks at work, it didn’t really catch on among my friends and colleagues. i think the book’s length and ms. clarke’s writing style (which mirrors the style and conventions adopted by many authors of that era — particularly Jane Austen) must have put them off.

after i had raved about it for weeks, a friend asked me why i liked it so much. for some reason, that question floored me for a few seconds. i mean, how do you explain why you like something so much without sounding like an obsessive nutcase?

i finally blurted, “just read the book. you'll know why.”

i could have cited several things: susanna clarke‘s storytelling gifts, the elegant way she paints a scene (which would normally take lesser authors many paragraphs to convey and many years to perfect), and her beguiling way of convincing you that such things could have actually happened.

the thing about Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell is that the tale unfolds with a deceptively reasonable and gently (and at other times, sly) teasing tone so as to make you believe its premise with unsettling ease and amused wonder.

i suppose that my fondness for JS&MN partly stems from my affection for Jane Austen’s books (haven’t read all of them though) and the fact that i like fantasy/sci-fi books in general. i have also devoured georgette heyer’s books, which are an excellent source of Regency social vignette and humor. in addition, ms. clarke manages to infuse her tale with some of the period’s famous historical figures, which can be a clever way of grounding a story (despite the fact that it’s a revisionist tale).

i just wish there were more books like this. oh, i also recently bought ms. clarke’s latest book, The Ladies of Grace Adieu, a collection of short stories relating to JS&MN’s story line. a delightful read, that. beautiful illustrations, too.

bentos to die for

all right. first off, i'll have to say these bentos are so freakingly awesome, it's almost a crime to eat them.

i'd been staring at these mouth-watering gastronomic creations for the past few minutes now, trying to control the drool from spilling out. it's almost beyond me why anyone would spend time to whip up these staggering dishes and then expect people to eat them just like that -- and i mean that in a good way.

for lovers of mecha anime, here's a yummy treat for you.

the thought of actually eating any of these tempting dishes almost has a barbaric ring to it. it's like stomping on a cuddly, helpless puppy or spitting on Tweety Bird or something.

to cap off this visual and epicurean feast, i am also including a Miyazake-themed bento (My Neighbor Totoro). fans of Hayao Miyazaki's work would appreciate this, i'm sure.

listening to josh groban

i don't know why but for some reason, listening to josh groban has a calming effect on me especially when i'm buried in my work and desperately racing to meet a deadline.

this admission, coming from a person who prefers listening to Alternative songs, is something of a surprise to those who know me rather well. i don't really have a particular favorite (in fact, i have a hard remember the titles of his songs) but when i hear his voice, my jumbled thoughts just seem to tamely rearrange themselves into a tranquil plane. and no, i wasn't an instant fan.

it took me years to warm up to his style (and a lot of indirect prodding from an office mate who really liked him) -- it just sort of crept up on me.

i was working hard one day and had a difficult time concentrating when suddenly one of his songs ("Alla Luce del Sole") blared out on the radio. then i got curious and asked for a copy of my friend's playlist, and the rest -- as they say -- is history...

i still have to go out and buy josh groban's latest album (Illuminations), of course, but i'm pretty sure i'm going to like it and will likely include all of his songs in my iTouch playlist.

revisiting Ladyhawke

last night, i was finally able to watch Ladyhawke – probably the most memorable fantasy picture i've seen (with the single exception of LOTR, which is the gold standard for all fantasy flicks as far as i'm concerned).

i saw this film years ago, and i remember diligently searching for a copy of it (vcd, dvd, blue-ray) afterwards in local video stores, including trips to tiangge stalls that specialize in pirated goodies, with zero results. fortunately, my younger sister sent a batch of DVDs last week — and to my utter delight, Ladyhawke was actually in that pile.

featuring michelle pfeiffer, rutger hauer and a youthful matthew broderick, this 1985 film combines an irresistible mix of fantasy, romance, action (swords and stuff), with a dash of humor thrown in for good measure. what made this movie click for me was its note-perfect cast, beautiful storyline and gorgeous locations. however, i will have to note that i found the use of contemporary tracks rather jarring.

the film's premise: Isabeau (pfeiffer) and Navarre (hauer) are the star-crossed lovers cursed by the cruel and evil bishop of Aquila, who wants Isabeau for himself, to be…

always together, eternally apart
as long as the sun rises and sets
as long as there is day and night
and for as long as they both shall live…

by day Isabeau turns into a hawk, and by night Navarre becomes a wolf. to escape the bishop's vengeful clutches, the fugitive pair travels together, but never simultaneously in their human form — never able to communicate or even catch a glimpse of the other. along the way, they encounter Mouse (broderick), a thief who had escaped from the dungeons of Aquila…

michelle pfeiffer never looked so enchanting and hauntingly ethereal (it darn near breaks your heart), and rutger hauer — one of the most underrated actors around — is dashing and irresistible as a brooding romantic lead. for once, matthew broderick looks appropriately young and irreverent in his pivotal role as a comic relief and reluctant conduit to the doomed pair. his cheeky remarks to God, as he squirms and cons his way out of trouble, serve as a droll commentary throughout the film; it saves Ladyhawke from becoming too serious for its own good.

making a headstart

[note: below is the first entry i ever posted in online -- i wrote this back in 2005, when i was blundering my way around the blogosphere.]

hmm... finally, my own space!

i feel like i've just been given a set of keys to my own special tower. i don't know how long this is gonna last folks (hopefully, a long time) but i intend to make the most of it.

for some reason i like the idea of having my own blog without having to conform to somebody's idea of what a good composition should look like (heheh). it's like i have this separate piece of me that has a life of its own but still have enough space for me to visit regularly whenever i feel like submerging myself into something different and 'removed' from my daily grind.

okay ... enough of that.

at the moment i'm deeply immersed in my work that sometimes it feels like i'm losing parts of me along the way and there's this panicky feeling inside that's sounding a warning bell -- i gotta get out of this rut! i think i'm losing my sense of balance (which is important for me) and i really don't want things to reach a level where i'll be forced to do something drastic just to see changes. i don't know, i'm probably just feeling a bit out of my depth at the moment... hmm.

i'm in one of my "blue" funks, so i'll probably watch a few Seinfeld episodes later to 'perk' me up. either that or one of the anime series i bought two weeks ago. they're like my daily dose of alternative reality, just to provide myself a sort of balance from what i usually do in the office.