Summer Reading: The Girl Next Door

I was expecting a typical murder-mystery when I first picked up The Girl Next Door by Ruth Rendell. Instead, I got a psychological drama about a group of people trying to recapture their youth. The novel begins with the cold blooded murder of a young woman and her lover by her jealous husband.  The murderer discovers their affair when he sees them holding hands so he ruthlessly severs their hands, places them in a biscuit tin, and hides the tin in an underground tunnel where his son and his friends play during World War II. Sixty years later, the biscuit tin is discovered, and in a half-hearted attempt to solve the crime, the police gather the people who played in the tunnels as children to question them. I thought it was odd that the murderer is revealed in the first chapter but the novel is less about the murder than about the effect the murder has on those involved. In fact, the murder is only relevant in that it brings a group of people back together after a lifetime apart. Memories are stirred. Relationships are rekindled. Truths are uncovered. When the murder is solved, it is almost anticlimactic compared with the upheaval is has caused in the lives of the characters. There is an almost bewildering number of characters (including a bevy of brothers whom I could never keep straight) but several emerge from the field.  My favorite character is Rosemary, whose husband leaves her when he is reunited with the proverbial girl next door. She is completely undone by his betrayal but eventually creates an exciting life for herself and refuses to take him back when the affair runs its course. Even though this is a very unconventional murder-mystery, I enjoyed the character development and I particularly liked the fact that the characters, who are in their 60s and 70s, have complicated and interesting lives. Give it a read.

The Lobster

No other film that I saw at Sundance this year generated more conversations than The Lobster.  Most people that I talked to didn't quite know what to make of it and that is probably how I would sum up my feelings about it as well.  I knew that I definitely wanted to see it again and I had the opportunity Thursday night.  Hmmm.  In a dystopian future everyone must have a mate and anyone who is single must report to a hotel to find one within 45 days or be turned into an animal of their choice. A recently divorced man, David (Colin Farrell), reports to the hotel and attempts to find a mate, preferably someone who shares his defining characteristic which is shortsightedness.  There are many rules and rituals involved in finding a mate (I especially enjoyed the fact that everyone is required to dress exactly alike). Periodically the guests at the hotel are sent into the woods to capture loners who are hiding.  They can receive an extra day to find a mate for every loner that they catch.  Eventually David decides to escape into the woods and join the loners where, ironically, there are even more rules to follow.  They are punished if they attempt to form attachments with other loners.  Of course, David finds his soulmate (Rachel Weisz), who shares his defining characteristic, but they are soon discovered and punished.  There are many funny moments in this film, such as the propaganda plays put on by the hotel staff advocating the benefits of being a couple and the electronic music played by the loners to encourage people to dance alone.  However, underneath all of the humor lies a scathing indictment of social norms.  It is weird and sometimes disturbing but it is entertaining and I recommend it with that in mind.

Note:  Even after seeing it a second time I'm still not sure about the ending...

Shakespeare Festival 2016

I had only been home from my road trip with Sean less than 24 hours when I was back on the road to spend a couple of days at the Utah Shakespeare Festival.  I was really looking forward to seeing the new Engelstad Theatre and it is quite impressive.  The stage itself is very reminiscent of the Adams Theatre but the facility is state-of-the-art with restrooms, concessions, and a covered foyer.  I think it is amazing.  My very first play in the new theatre was Tuesday night and I couldn't have picked a better one!  I have been waiting for three years to see Henry V having seen Henry IV Part One in 2014 and Henry IV Part Two in 2015 all with the same actor, Sam Ashdown, in the lead role.  I was so excited to see the play where Henry earns his crown and it was amazing! After succeeding to the throne of England, Henry (Ashdown) learns that, under Salic law, he is the rightful heir to the throne of France and, knowing that a foreign conquest will solidify his popularity with the people, he begins war with France.  Weakened by sickness and outnumbered five to one, Henry rallies his troops for battle with the famous St. Crispin's Day speech (which gave me goosebumps) and, despite overwhelming odds, achieves a decisive victory.  He wins the throne of France and the hand of Katherine and thus begins the reign of one of England's greatest kings.  There were moments in this play that took my breath away, particularly the aforementioned St. Crispin's Day speech and when Henry hangs one of his friends from his wild days, and the performances were incredible, especially Ashdown (who has done an amazing job with the role of Prince Hal and King Henry) and Eddie Lopez as the Dauphin of France (so cocky).  I loved the giant wax seal with Henry's monogram in the middle of the stage as a representation of Henry's reign and I loved the large banners representing the English and French flags.  So dramatic!  The battle of Agincourt was staged very well and I especially loved the archers in the balcony.  This production was excellent and I highly recommend it!  Wednesday afternoon I saw Mary Poppins and it was a lot of fun!  It tells the well-known story of how a practically perfect nanny saves the Banks family.  The two leads, Elizabeth Broadhurst as Mary Poppins and Eddie Lopez as Bert, were outstanding.  The big productions numbers, "Jolly Holiday," "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious," "Let's Go Fly a Kite," and "Step in Time," had very innovative choreography and colorful costumes and I especially liked the kites flying through the audience.  There were lots of children in the audience who were mesmerized by Mary Poppins flying through the audience (although the little girl next to me said that she was glad that it was over at intermission) so it is definitely one I would recommend for kids.  My last play on Wednesday evening was The Three Musketeers and I loved it!  D'Artagnan (Luigi Sottile) wishes to become one of King Louis' famous musketeers and joins Athos (J. Todd Adams), Porthos (Todd Denning) and Aramis (Tasso Feldman) on an adventure to save the Queen's honor from the unscrupulous Cardinal Richelieu (Peter Lohnes).  All for one and one for all!  This show was a lot of fun because of all of the sword fighting (even in the aisles) and I loved Ben Livingston's performance as the silly King Louis XIII.  This is another show that kids will enjoy.  Even though I was only at the festival for two days, I certainly enjoyed myself (and had my fair share of tarts).  Go here for more information.

Summer Reading: Life After Life

What if you had the chance to live your life again and again, until you got it right? That is the premise of Life After Life by Kate Atkinson and it is so good! I started reading it while waiting to get my car serviced. The dealership was unusually busy and I had to wait for quite a while but I didn't even notice the time because I was so engrossed. I was genuinely surprised to see that three hours had gone by! When I finished the novel in the wee hours of the next morning, I was quite sad to be finished with such an absorbing story. Ursula Todd is born on a snowy night in England in 1910 but she dies before she can take a breath because the umbilical cord is wrapped around her neck. In the next chapter, Ursula is born and lives because, this time, the doctor is able to make it through the snowstorm and is able to save her. Thus begins the extraordinary life of Ursula Todd. Every time she dies (from influenza, from an abusive husband, during the Blitz), she returns with an innate ability to save herself from peril (although it takes her a few tries to save herself from the influenza). She always returns to that snowy night but, lest you think that it becomes tedious, her birth is described differently every time from the perspectives of different characters. It is an interesting device because you become intimately acquainted with everyone in Ursula's life. She leads many vastly different lives, often because of one small decision, but there are common threads in her life (all of the main characters are recognizably the same) which is fun to look for as you read. Ultimately, Ursula realizes her ability and decides that she has a higher purpose. It is absolutely brilliant! Atkinson's writing is beautiful.  Her attention to detail and her descriptions of historical events, especially the Blitz, are incredibly powerful. The theme of this book is so intriguing in that even the simplest decision can have far-reaching consequences.  I'll admit that I have been thinking about this idea non-stop since I finished it.  I highly recommend this beautifully written and though-provoking novel.

Zion National Park

Since we drove to St. George after visiting the Grand Canyon, we decided to drive through Zion National Park on the way home.  It is one of my very favorite places on earth and Sean had never been there.

Even though it was the Fourth of July, it was not as crowded as I feared (after our fun in the Grand Canyon).  We went pretty early and found lots of parking.  Sean really liked the tunnel (we always honk the horn when we go through a tunnel) and he loved climbing the rock formations.

I have so many memories of taking road trips when I was Sean's age, especially to Zion, and I hope that he has fond memories of this road trip with his crazy aunts!