I wrote this chapter about a month ago, and have rewritten it too many times to count. Decided to post a bit of it on here:
Chapter 1 -
“Jason! What in God’s name do you think you’re doing?”
Jason looked over his shoulder. His mother stood in the doorway of the family sitting room, annoyance apparent on her face. His sister, Lily, stood beside her, raven pigtails sticking out of her head at different angles. She stared at her brother curiously while chewing on her fingers.
“Jason!” his mother shouted again.
The six-year old boy hummed quietly to himself, ignoring her. He had pulled a chair over to the family fish tank and opened the lid, exposing the various tropical fish that his mother liked to collect. A thick book was carefully balanced on the edge of the aquarium. Jason observed the fish silently, watching their brightly coloured scales flit around from above. He picked the book up and, with an air of solemnity, tore a page out of it. His fingers made quick work of the page, ripping it up into little pieces. When he had finished the task, he tossed the paper bits into the water. He watched them get soggy and start to sink. Jason smiled to himself as a few of the fish rose to the surface and nibbled on the corners of the smaller pieces. Mission accomplished.
Suddenly Jason’s mother was right beside him. She snatched the book away. Her eyes bulged out of her head as she turned it over and recognized the cover. She let out a hideous shriek.
“Jason Stewart Thompson!” Mrs. Thompson only used her son’s full name when she was really mad, and it frightened Jason. She grabbed his arm and yanked him off of the chair. His feet hit the ground hard.
“Ow,” Jason complained. But his mother didn’t care. Within seconds he was bent over her knees, pants down, and receiving the spanking of his lifetime.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
The Solitude of Prime Numbers: A Review
My God.
I haven't been this thrilled with a book since I read Lolita around two years ago.
Haunting, beautifully composed prose. It's easy to why this book is an international bestseller.
This is a book that you don't have to, but should, read slowly. I read it over a series of several weeks. Not because it wasn't enthralling, because it was. I read it slowly because it was just so damn good that I didn't want to rush through it. I spent a lot of time mulling over parts and rereading bits.
The use of words in this novel flowed like so well, it was poetic. Without being incomprehensible, haha. I dislike most poetry.
The story follows Mattia and Alice, two "prime numbers" as they live their lives, searching for something that neither of them seem to be able to discern. Both their lives are influenced at a young age by a tragic event, and it shapes them into who they are for the rest of their lives. Haunting, incredibly sad, but incredibly amazing to read. This is one I will definitely hold on to and read again in perhaps a year's time. And I am not usually a fan of multiple reads.
This book actually helped me in trying to decide the sort of angle I want to take in my own writing. I like the third-person shifting viewpoint.
The ending was reasonably unpredictable for me. It was what I thought would happen, but I really, really, really didn't want it to end that way, so I hoped for another. So 50/50.
I would recommend this book to quite literally anyone. I think anyone could take something away from the lives of Mattia and Alice. I think this book has given me a deeper understanding of human nature and its capacity for healing. It is disturbingly realistic.
Seriously. If you haven't read this book, for your own sake, do so. Please. Do it.
It is definitely in the higher part of my top 10 list of favourite books.
Currently reading A long way gone: memoirs of a boy soldier by Ishmael Beah. More on that later.
Also, am anxiously awaiting the release of THE DIVINITY GENE by someone whose name I can't remember. It is about the what-ifs of cloning Jesus Christ. Ohhhhh, my brain. I love spec-fic.
I haven't been this thrilled with a book since I read Lolita around two years ago.
Haunting, beautifully composed prose. It's easy to why this book is an international bestseller.
This is a book that you don't have to, but should, read slowly. I read it over a series of several weeks. Not because it wasn't enthralling, because it was. I read it slowly because it was just so damn good that I didn't want to rush through it. I spent a lot of time mulling over parts and rereading bits.
The use of words in this novel flowed like so well, it was poetic. Without being incomprehensible, haha. I dislike most poetry.
The story follows Mattia and Alice, two "prime numbers" as they live their lives, searching for something that neither of them seem to be able to discern. Both their lives are influenced at a young age by a tragic event, and it shapes them into who they are for the rest of their lives. Haunting, incredibly sad, but incredibly amazing to read. This is one I will definitely hold on to and read again in perhaps a year's time. And I am not usually a fan of multiple reads.
This book actually helped me in trying to decide the sort of angle I want to take in my own writing. I like the third-person shifting viewpoint.
The ending was reasonably unpredictable for me. It was what I thought would happen, but I really, really, really didn't want it to end that way, so I hoped for another. So 50/50.
I would recommend this book to quite literally anyone. I think anyone could take something away from the lives of Mattia and Alice. I think this book has given me a deeper understanding of human nature and its capacity for healing. It is disturbingly realistic.
Seriously. If you haven't read this book, for your own sake, do so. Please. Do it.
It is definitely in the higher part of my top 10 list of favourite books.
Currently reading A long way gone: memoirs of a boy soldier by Ishmael Beah. More on that later.
Also, am anxiously awaiting the release of THE DIVINITY GENE by someone whose name I can't remember. It is about the what-ifs of cloning Jesus Christ. Ohhhhh, my brain. I love spec-fic.
Friday, August 6, 2010
FictionPress
Hi!
Just a quick note... my fictionpress is now up and running. If you want to see any of my short stories and bits, my username is AutoFail.
Link: www.fictionpress.com/u/737614/
Just a quick note... my fictionpress is now up and running. If you want to see any of my short stories and bits, my username is AutoFail.
Link: www.fictionpress.com/u/737614/
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