I'm so excited to be starting the fantasy portion of our class. These next few weeks will prove to be very intriguing since fantasy is one of my favorite genres. I've been reading fantasy fiction since I was young and I've enjoyed every second of it. In fact, I think most students can say the same. As kids, it's almost mandatory that we watch fantasy films or read fairytales. Take the animated Disney classics for example; what child didn't watch every Disney film that ever hit the screen? After we "grew out" of our animated Disney classics phase (unless you go to art school :) ), we were greeted by "Harry Potter", "Chronicles of Narnia", and "Lord of the Rings".
I think the fantasy genre strikes a special chord with people of all ages and cultures. It allows us to escape from the dreary reality of our world and transports us into a fantasy land where our worries don't exist anymore. I can't tell you the number of times I've picked up a fantasy book or flipped on the television to watch a fantasy film in order to reduce stress. The moment my eyes hit the page, my worries seem to melt away.
I think this is why so many adults shamelessly admit to loving fantasy series geared towards a younger audience. I know that my mother, for example, is a massive "Harry Potter" fan. After I had finished the series, I lent her my books and she loved them. I found myself calling through the house trying to find her, only to stumble upon her totally engrossed in a "Harry Potter" book, not even aware that I needed her for something. As an accountant, even she was shocked at the way the series drew her in; she had previously been reading non-fiction or serious fiction books. Ever since she began the "Harry Potter" series though, it seems that everything she reads has a hint of fantasy at the very least. I never understand why some people give each other a hard time for liking books such as "Harry Potter" or "Lord of the Rings". Who wouldn't want to experience the joys of a made-up place?
I also think it's much easier for readers to connect to fantasy characters than it is for us to connect to characters from more serious pieces of literature. Since the characters are part of a fantasy world, it's much easier for us to believe things about them that we may not believe about normal, every day characters. We are much less critical when it comes to these characters, especially since they tend to face much stranger and more difficult hardships than characters from "normal" fiction.
I can't wait to see what's in store for our class these next few weeks. Fantasy is definitely one of the most emotionally stimulating genres out there.
Sunday, October 4, 2015
Week 5: Witches
I continue to be amazed by the dozens of different ways witches are characterized in modern literature and film nowadays. When beginning to read a book about witches or after flipping on the television to be greeted by a movie about witches, I never know what to expect. I feel as though many creatures and people who were previously considered to be monsters and villains years ago are being given a "second chance" by authors and directors today. From zombies, to vampires, to this week's theme - witches - audiences are slowly beginning to develop sympathy for these types of characters. Entertainers and writers are telling us that these figures are simply "misunderstood". Take the "Twilight" series, for example; since when were blood-sucking vampires a nice thing? Somehow the author of the books has managed to persuade her audiences into loving the characters, so much so that the Twilight series now has a major fanbase.
The same is true of witches. These creatures have been evolving a lot over the years. Comparing the Wicked Witch of the West in "The Wizard of Oz", the teenage girl in "Sabrina the Teenage Witch", and the young witch in "Kiki's Delivery Service", it's easy to see how drastically different all three of these characters are.
I've been following the television series "American Horror Story" for a while now. Season three followed a witch coven. When I first heard about the concept, I was a bit disappointed to be honest; I couldn't imagine the different ways the writers could mix up the character stereotypes in order to make the series interesting. It turns out that I was pleasantly surprised! Through each character, the writers revealed several different views on witches. Some were genuinely good, some were very evil, and others were just straight up crazy. Because of the many different takes on witches, the season stayed very interesting throughout its fourteen episodes.
I also loved watching "Kiki's Delivery Service" during class. I haven't seen many of Miyazaki's films and this movie made me fall in love. I found it interesting how, as an audience, we found ourselves rooting for Kiki the witch rather than her human counterparts. In fact, at many points throughout the movie, Kiki appeared much more likable than the villagers. I also found it interesting that many of the main characters were women, demonstrating how feminine heroines are becoming more and more popular.
The same is true of witches. These creatures have been evolving a lot over the years. Comparing the Wicked Witch of the West in "The Wizard of Oz", the teenage girl in "Sabrina the Teenage Witch", and the young witch in "Kiki's Delivery Service", it's easy to see how drastically different all three of these characters are.
I've been following the television series "American Horror Story" for a while now. Season three followed a witch coven. When I first heard about the concept, I was a bit disappointed to be honest; I couldn't imagine the different ways the writers could mix up the character stereotypes in order to make the series interesting. It turns out that I was pleasantly surprised! Through each character, the writers revealed several different views on witches. Some were genuinely good, some were very evil, and others were just straight up crazy. Because of the many different takes on witches, the season stayed very interesting throughout its fourteen episodes.
I also loved watching "Kiki's Delivery Service" during class. I haven't seen many of Miyazaki's films and this movie made me fall in love. I found it interesting how, as an audience, we found ourselves rooting for Kiki the witch rather than her human counterparts. In fact, at many points throughout the movie, Kiki appeared much more likable than the villagers. I also found it interesting that many of the main characters were women, demonstrating how feminine heroines are becoming more and more popular.
Week Four: The New Weird
Seeing China Miéville's name under the recommended reading list for this week was quite a pleasant surprise. I first discovered the author about two years ago. I had just finished reading "The Book Thief" (one of my all time favorites) and was looking for something different this time, but equally rich in content. Somehow, I stumbled upon China's name. I spent a half an hour scrolling through his list of works and reading excerpts of each book one by one. I ended up choosing to read "Railsea".
China Miéville's writing style caught my attention immediately. From the moment my eyes skimmed the first sentence, I was hooked. The way China describes settings and characters paints a realistic and detailed image before your eyes. I feel as though China could even cause self-proclaimed "unimaginative" readers to see beautiful visions of his stories. Another thing that I appreciate about China Miéville's works is the way he throws in little hints of style that most writers don't use, just to remind you that it's his book you're reading, such as the way he uses an ampersand instead of actually spelling out the word "and". Although this is a rather small and perhaps meaningless detail, it still contributes to the overall feel and style of Miéville's works.
The book, "Railsea", was what inspired me to begin developing a unique and more descriptive writing style of my own. In fact, it was this single sentence that threw me into the world of descriptive writing: "He stared at little rock islands furred in huddled birds plumping their oily feathers & shuffling together for comfort & warmth". I don't know why, but for some reason, this is the sentence that made me think, "I want to write more beautifully". When asked what inspires me to write, I'll always answer with "the penguin sentence".
I think this genre will slowly become more and more popular as the years go on. Through recent years, people have become obsessed with expressing themselves uniquely, whether that be through style of dress, visual art, music, or literature. In addition to this, people today tend to gravitate towards darker subjects rather than light, cheerful ones. The combination of these two things makes for a culture ready to embrace the concept of "The New Weird" and help it thrive.
China Miéville's writing style caught my attention immediately. From the moment my eyes skimmed the first sentence, I was hooked. The way China describes settings and characters paints a realistic and detailed image before your eyes. I feel as though China could even cause self-proclaimed "unimaginative" readers to see beautiful visions of his stories. Another thing that I appreciate about China Miéville's works is the way he throws in little hints of style that most writers don't use, just to remind you that it's his book you're reading, such as the way he uses an ampersand instead of actually spelling out the word "and". Although this is a rather small and perhaps meaningless detail, it still contributes to the overall feel and style of Miéville's works.
The book, "Railsea", was what inspired me to begin developing a unique and more descriptive writing style of my own. In fact, it was this single sentence that threw me into the world of descriptive writing: "He stared at little rock islands furred in huddled birds plumping their oily feathers & shuffling together for comfort & warmth". I don't know why, but for some reason, this is the sentence that made me think, "I want to write more beautifully". When asked what inspires me to write, I'll always answer with "the penguin sentence".
I think this genre will slowly become more and more popular as the years go on. Through recent years, people have become obsessed with expressing themselves uniquely, whether that be through style of dress, visual art, music, or literature. In addition to this, people today tend to gravitate towards darker subjects rather than light, cheerful ones. The combination of these two things makes for a culture ready to embrace the concept of "The New Weird" and help it thrive.
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