Terry Mosher (Aislin). Oh, Oh! (2004)

     Terry Mosher (Aislin). Oh, Oh! (2004) When you can’t imagine how to satirise the excesses of our pols and business elites, Aislin does it. Wonderful collection; makes me think I should subscribe to the Montreal Gazette just to get Aislin’s commentary.
     Some of my faves: the panel shows a newspaper clipping against a black background (Aislin’s use of black in inspired). The cutline is “Hey! Here’s a headline we never see...” The headline on the clipping reads: “Agnostics slaughter Atheists!!!” – A duck with one leg and Chretien’s face (which doesn’t need much distortion to resemble Disney’s famous quacker): “Lame duck.” – A voter depositing his vote; the poll clerk says, “Good.. Now wash your hands.” – The Canadian flag flies from a hockey stick, published as comment on the women’s and men’s hockey wins at the ‘02 Olympics. (Aislin’s sports cartoons are as affectionate as they are sharp. He clearly loves the Habs). **** (2006)

Steve Lee. Sloane (1974)

     Steve Lee. Sloane (1974) Sloane barely survives a vicious attack on his family, learns martial arts from a Chinese immigrant, and sets out to avenge his parents’ deaths. He succeeds of course, but not before Lee has indulged a taste for violence and gore in his readers. The plotting is OK, the characterisation uneven. The book focuses on brutality and killing. It’s a type of pornography, one that the guardians of public and private morality don’t ever seem to get too het up about. Since its publication some 30 years ago, movies have upped the graphic gore quotient. This book was a distant early warning signal, but I doubt it was seen as such at the time. The irony is that books (and movies) with far less graphic description often convey a much greater sense of evil. (2006)

Brian Greer, ed. The Times Crossword, Book 1 (2000)

     Brian Greer, ed. The Times Crossword, Book 1 (2000) Doreen Fowlston gave me this, as well as Book 2, as a birthday gift. I must say that I find the Times crosswords a pain. I don’t mind obscure words, or thoroughly English (and dated) slang, for after all the puzzle is set for English solvers, not North American ones. But I do mind clues that depend on indirect and metaphorical links that aren’t clear until after you have the answer, and sometimes not even then. A fair percentage of the clues are apposite and witty, as well as difficult; but too many are merely mechanically generated rebuses, with far too much use of initials. IMO, a rebus on single letters in the answer must use proper, that is widely accepted, abbreviations. It’s a bit much when figuring out how the clue fits the answer is more of a puzzle than finding the answer. In almost every puzzle, there were clues that made no sense to me at all. All the same, I kept at it. In most cases, I found half or more of the answers on my own, including some whose cryptic clues made no sense, but which crossed enough letters that the definition was obvious. And that it was possible to solve a clue this way indicates how far-fetched and pointless some of the clues are. It didn't help that when the puzzle setter(s) alluded to American slang or catch phrases, they usually got them wrong.** (2006)

M. Greenberg et al, eds. Murder, My Dear Watson (2002)

     M. Greenberg et al, eds. Murder, My Dear Watson (2002) A nice collection of nicely done pastiches. As always, the trick is not so much to imitate the plots and stay within the canon as to capture the tone and above all the language of Doyle. Apart from a few glaring anachronisms, the writers have done an admirable job on all four counts. Good entertainment, and no doubt an Essential Work for all serious fans of Holmes and Watson. ** to *** (2006)

Ngaio Marsh. Grave Mistake (1978)

     Ngaio Marsh. Grave Mistake (1978) A gardener appears in a small village, and seems to be a paragon. A rich widow dies, apparently a suicide, and her unpleasant stepson sidles about snooping and prying. A very valuable stamp has been missing since the war, when its owner died when his train was bombed. Alleyn decides the lady’s death is murder. And the paragon turns out to be a psychopath. But all ends happily, with the lady’s daughter on her way to a happy marriage with a father-in-law who approves not only of her but also the lovely house in which he will be a frequent guest and no doubt a doting and conscientious grandfather. Marsh provides a nice helping of plot and character, and plays fair with the clues. What more could one ask? **½ (2006)

The Notebook (2004) (Movie Review)

     The Notebook (2004) [D: Nick Cassavetes. Ryan Gosling, Rachel McAdams, James Garner, Gena
Rowlands] Garner reads to his wife Rowlands from a notebook recounting the story of an unsuitable love match that ends happily. Sort of. Rowlands is suffering from dementia, and Garner hopes that reading the notebook will “bring her back.” It does, of course, for a few minutes, but the revelation that they are the couple in the notebook doesn’t surprise the audience, who has twigged to this when the first flashback appears on the screen.
     So we know how the story will turn out long before it reaches its first crisis. Why keep watching, then?  To find out how Nicholas Sparks, who wrote the source-novel, embellishes the tale, and how well the movie team does its job. The acting is very good throughout. The handful of awards won by this movie were all for the acting. The photography is always good and sometimes so good it distracts you from the story. Which may be a good thing, since the narrative rhythm is lackadaisical and slow.
      A shorter movie would have been better, I think. At any rate, there were a few places where I yielded to the temptation to yawn. Perhaps Cassavetes wanted to linger over the romantic moments to nudge our nostalgia into high gear. It’s a movie aimed at both the very young and the elderly, both of whom like to indulge in nostalgia, the young for what they haven’t experienced yet, and the old for what they wish they had experienced. Faux nostalgia, in other words.
     Like the curate’s egg, this movie is excellent in parts. The parts add up to less than a satisfying whole, however. I suspect the book reads better. *½

R. D. Wingfield Night Frost (1992)

 

R. D. Wingfield Night Frost (1992) A serial killer, a suspicious suicide, a missing girl who turns up dead, and Division Commander Mullet, a self-important prat who straightens his tie when he phones the Chief Constable to take credit for the work other people have done. Frost has a lot on his plate, but of course muddles through and comes up trumps. I recall this story from the video series. Complications include some nasty porn videos, a Det. Sergeant who yearns for promotion and despises Frost, assorted  suspects who divert attention, and the usual assemblage of damaged, hurt, vicious, pathetic, and merely decent and respectable people.

     The book is a workmanlike job. Wingfield’s bio says he preferred to work on radio and TV drama scripts, and it shows. Still, I kept turning the pages. I’ve read a couple other Frost novels, all of them only because I saw the TV series. 

     A re-read. A good entertainment. **