Spooktober Discussions: Jekyll and Hyde

Hey guuys, happy Saturday! 

I know you're all probably really confused right now because I NEVER post on Saturdays. Ever. But I had to this week because SO many blog posts to squeeze in to Spooktober and so little time. So here we are! 

Today I wanted to talk with you guys about Jekyll and Hyde! I just read it for the first time, if you haven't read it....it's 74 pages. It took me under an hour to read it. You can read it pretty fast, so if you want to read a classic for Halloween but you're not up for a load of pages of...well...classic, then The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is definitely the one for you! 

Because this book is so freaking short, this discussion post isn't going to be the complete monster that Frankenstein was! I actually found myself quite pleasantly surprised by how easy it was to read the book, at times Frankenstein was a bit of a mission, but Jekyll and Hyde was a breeze and it was fast paced. Although I was really surprised in the beginning because I was like...wait....where's Jekyll? I was expecting it to be narrated by him, to add a creep factor when he transforms and either doesn't remember or does or whatever I thought was going to happen! But no, we have Jekyll's lawyer and friend telling us all about what happened and Jekyll at the end for one chapter. One. 

I loved the London of the book, it had a foggy atmosphere that fit with the story, and the story is definitely a psychological one and I don't know about you guys, but it made me think a little bit. I knew the basics of the story about him wanting to split off the "bad" half of him (it's explained way better in the book okay, I'm just paraphrasing and mind blanking at the same time) and that's pretty much all I knew. I've seen the stage show (that was totally a thing, in case anyone else remembers or saw it, I totally have the soundtrack and I have no idea why) and obviously Hyde has come out to play in Once Upon a Time and they gave it a nice little twist. 

I have to be honest. When I watched OUAT and I saw Jekyll and Hyde I was like the dude that looks like Lurch is totally Hyde because he looked like what I pictured Hyde to look like. I've always pictured like a pale, Victorian version of the hulk but like..without the green. Now I've read the book I see how wrong I am. He looks nothing like Hyde and OUAT's twist is kind of less surprising now. I've not actually watched any of the movie versions but I think I might have to, just out of curiosity because I've heard tell that the movies took that "hairy hand" bit and ran with it and went full werewolf. So that should be interesting. 

I loved the writing, like I said it was easy to understand it was straight to the point with it's message and no slogging was necessary. There where some brilliant sentences in the book, and I'll put some of them down in the quotes section! The strange thing was, I can imagine reading this at the time when it just came out, and not knowing what was going on with Jekyll and it being a huge surprise and I imagine that added more of a scare factor to the book, but reading it now, in this day and age, when everyone and their dog knows what the deal is with Jekyll and Hyde it kind of took the shock reveal away from it. So it wasn't as scary and gruesome as I thought it was going to be, but it had a nice dark atmosphere to it. Plus the whole "the monsters taking over" kinda thing. But as I was reading I was like "Wow, okay. So if you don't already know what happens Stevenson's done a good job of keeping you guessing" I kinda wanted to do the Men in Black mind wipe thing to get the full "OMG" factor. 

I really enjoyed this book...or should I call it a novella? Either way, I enjoyed reading it despite the fact that it's a book that's pretty much been spoiled for everyone, ever. It's fun to see how Stevenson wrote the story to hide what was going on, so you don't lose too much enjoyment of it. The last thing I have to say is that I loved the ending. I don't know what it is about the ending and the final sentence but I just loved how Stevenson finished it off! There's something about that final sentence and if it wasn't kinda late at night and I wasn't so tired, I'd probably be able to be semi-intelligent about it! 

So what did you guys think of Jekyll and Hyde? 

Favourite Quotes: 

"O my poor old Harry Jekyll, if ever I read Satan's signature upon a face, it is on that of your new friend" 

"In the gloom of his spirits, he seemed to read a menace in the flickering of the firelight on the polished cabinets and the uneasy starting of the shadow on the roof."

"Here then, as I lay down the pen and proceed to seal up my confession, I bring the life of that unhappy Henry Jekyll to an end." 

"If I am the chief of sinners, I am the chief of sufferers also."

“With every day, and from both sides of my intelligence, the moral and the intellectual, I thus drew steadily nearer to the truth, by whose partial discovery I have been doomed to such a dreadful shipwreck: that man is not truly one, but truly two.” 

Spooktober Discussion: Frankenstein

Hey guys! Time for a Spooktober Discussion! 

This is actually my first time doing a book discussion, I mean...last time I tried to do it, it was more like a reaction! I thought that it would be fun to discuss the classics I'm reading for Spooktober, because I'm hoping some of you guys might be reading them too and have some thoughts to share!

 My first classic for Spooktober, was Frankenstein! I've been meaning to get to Frankenstein for ages, but just never gotten around to it! I've always wanted to read it because Frankenstein is kind of everywhere, movies, tv shows, books, and various other adaptions, not to mention the creature is a fixture of Halloween and well known! 

Actually, I've gotta hit you guys with my first question to discuss....the creature...do we call it the creature, or the monster? 

I don't know about you but I feel kind of bad calling it a monster, but creature seems a bit mean too! I keep finding myself referring to it as, well...it. Which isn't great either! Much like Frankenstein, his creation is morally ambiguous too, so I found myself in turns feeling bad for him and then kinda disliking him a bit too! Either way I feel bad for calling him a monster! 

ANYWAY. I picked up Frankenstein and I was fully prepared to have all my pre-concieved notions about the book completely obliterated. About all I knew for sure was that Frankenstein was the doctor, not the creature and that was it! Everything else was most likely not true, like I had an image of a green guy with neck bolts floating in my mind until the description! I watch Once Upon a Time and the Dr. Frankenstein in that is very different, as is his story, to what happens in the book. I was kind of intrigued to see various portrayals had changed the story, and what had been added. Like there was no "It's aliiiiiiiveeee!" which I was waiting for, but not really expecting to be there, and there was no Igor either! I'm curious as to how Igor got added, anyone know where he sprang from? 

I actually remember when I was younger, watching some black and white version of Frankenstein that was on TV, probably for Halloween, and there was lightening and a castle and the monster running through a crowd with pitchforks and I kinda assumed that was the correct adaption, not to mention I pretty much associated lightening and castles with Frankenstein, but it was more snowy mountains and college! There was still lightening though, which was great for me because I hate lightening so it made the atmosphere creepy for me! What did you guys know of/associate with Frankenstein before you read it? What was your mental image? 

As I was reading the book, I actually enjoyed having all these little mental images that I had destroyed! And thanks to the book I won't be looking out windows at night now! As I started to read, I was curious because I wanted to see how it was originally told, and while it took me a couple of pages to get my brain to engage with the language, I got more hooked in to the story. You have Frankenstein's side, then the monster's and then the endless pursuit with some murdering and creepiness thrown in! I will freely admit that most of the science stuff went straight over my head! Reading Frankenstein was kind of a strange experience for me because each time I saw the word/name Frankenstein, I got a little jolt because it's a name that has such huge connotations to it. It's well known for said previously mentioned green dude with neck bolts! It was an odd sensation and I can't describe it accurately but yeah...it was a strange experience! I couldn't help but wonder what people thought of it when it was first published and the name Frankenstein hadn't been built up! 

There's a particular passage in the book that I enjoyed, where the creature is lurking about watching a family, and it was an interesting look at daily human lives and interactions from the creatures point of view, who basically has no knowledge of anything because good ol' Dr. Franky couldn't be bothered to teach his creation. He learns from the family. I knew something bad was going to happen though, especially when the poor guy wanted to reveal himself to them, I was like...this is so not going to end well dude! 

I actually felt really sorry for the creature for the majority of the book, he didn't ask to be made, and then he was abandoned by his creator who was essentially his father. He's feared and reviled by every human he meets and he's completely miserable. But at the same time, he probably shouldn't have killed Frankenstein's brother before asking him for a favour. He let anger get the best of him but then he didn't really know any better did he? No-one taught him about controlling his anger, or trying to understand the humans point of view that he comes across. And then to be fair...no-one gave the creature a chance did they? He feels like it's the only way he has to act. I felt so much compassion for the creature, although it was tested a time or two by his behaviour but at the same time...I kinda understood him. 

Frankenstein, I'm still not too sure about him. In the beginning I was intrigued by him, then he went all mad scientist and then towards the end I felt for him a little but at the same time..he kind of brought it on himself by being a crappy person. Although my edition had an interesting essay in the back about how Frankenstein and his creation are intertwined that changed the perception I had of him while reading when I thought back. My problem with Frankenstein is that he insisted on making his creature while on some sort of sick power trip, he was trying to play God or whatever, and then he totally freaks out and runs away like a coward when his creation doesn't turn out how he wanted. Like a child who gets given a toy they didn't want, rather than the one they did, he just tossed it away. He didn't help his creation at all, didn't teach him anything, he kind of even forgot about him and left him to fend for himself.  

I'd also like to point out the interesting contrast in the way Justine is treated and the way Frankenstein is treated when they're both on trial for murder. There was little proof that Justine actually committed the murder, and we all know she didn't do it anyway. Yet no-one would stand up for her, because she was a servant or because she was a woman or both. Whereas Frankenstein is well cared for and his father is sent for before his trial. They made an effort to mount a defence for him. The justice system isn't shown to be the best really. Neither is ambition or the need to mess with things that shouldn't be messed with, the book provides quite the warning. 

When I started to read the book, it opens with letters and I kind of assumed that they where from Frankenstein and he changed his name when he made his creation or something, and I saw the words "I long for a friend" or whatever it was, and I was like "oh here we go!" but as I read the book I couldn't help but think that would have at least made me feel for Frankenstein more, you could relate to that need for a friend, for human contact, which is something his creation feels deeply. Whereas Frankenstein just creates him because of his ambitions and said previously mentioned power trip! I felt like he kind of wanted someone to just worship him, but because it didn't turn out how he wanted, he blamed the creature as if it was his fault! 

Either way, Frankenstein was a great Halloween read due to it's dark atmosphere, and it makes you think about many different subjects as you read, there are many lessons to be learned. Frankenstein curses himself because of his ambitions and he curses his creation to what is quite frankly, a really crappy life, as he tries to find a purpose in a world that won't accept him. I can't say the book terrified me as much as it would have people of the time, but I did find the book to have an air of creepiness to it (hello window scene!) and I also find the idea of someone taking it upon themselves to play God in such a way mildly scary, but the book mostly made me feel sad. Sad for the creature most of all and at times sad for Frankenstein himself. Frankenstein resonated with me, and it's a book I'll end up re-reading thanks to Shelley's writing and story-telling, imagery and the emotion she evokes when you read! 

What did you guys think of the book?

How did the creature make you feel? 

Favourite Quotes: 

"But now misery has come home, and men appear to me as monsters thirsting for each other's blood." 

"I shall commit my thoughts to paper, it is true; but that is a poor medium for the communication of feeling." 

"We rest; a dream has power to poison sleep.

We rise; one wand'ring thought pollutes the day."

"Nothing is so painful to the human mind as a great and sudden change."

"Beware; for I am fearless, and therefore powerful"  

"If I cannot inspire love, I will cause fear!" 

#FantasyIRL

Hey guys, so when I was sent my proof copy of An Ember in the Ashes it contained some cards, really really cool cards with quotes on....and questions. Why the questions? Well....

"Although set in a fantasy world, the themes running through An Ember in the Ashes often resonate with modern life. It got us talking about how we often read fantasy not just to escape, but also as an outlet- a way to deal with the tougher situations we find in ourselves in. As Katniss, Triss and now Laia fought their battles, we thought about ours"

Harper Voyager thought that by asking ourselves the questions, we'd open up a wider conversation about all sorts of topics/issues.

I debated about how and where to do this, I was thinking about Twitter, but we all know I ramble too much and so 140 characters just wasn't going to be enough, so blog post it is!
These question cards don't half make me feel like some sort of badass presenter on some sort of question show....anyway, here we go!

It's easy to let fear CONTROL your actions-it governs Laia's decisions from the outset in An Ember in the Ashes. And in reality, the pressures of modern life can be just as difficult to navigate.

We all have moments where we feel out of control of our own lives. What helps you regain control? 
What helps me regain control? Back when I smoked, I'd sit outside, have a cigarette and listen to a song or two. Now I do the same...just without the cigarette haha. Sit somewhere, listen to a couple of songs and have a cup of green tea. Or just scream in to a pillow. Either works. 

Have you ever been a victim of peer pressure, or felt pushed in to doing something you don't necessarily agree with? What advice would you give to someone in a similar situation? 
To be perfectly honest, back at school I was bullied for being fat, so I'd do pretty much anything to fit in, which is sad but there you go. I started smoking because all the "cool" people at school where doing it and the people I was hanging out with where doing it, so I started in like sixth form and I used to go out for cigarettes with them and everything. 
I'm not really sure what advice to give, it's such a hard position to be in, and I think it takes some intense inner strength to stand up to people and say no, depending on what's going on. I think there's a lot of movies and tv shows that are popular these days that show you that it's okay to stand up for  yourself and be a bit different, so I would say that even if you don't feel strong, if you really do not want to do something, just say no, because ultimately you'll feel better about yourself. To be honest, I reckon saying no and not following the crowd will probably gain you more respect from them than going along with them. My advice horrendously sucks, I know. 

POWER. There are plenty of examples of abuse of power around the world and in An Ember in the Ashes, the impact of power both on the powerful and powerless is key. 

We all feel powerless sometimes. Have you ever fought against someone in a powerful position and stood up for yourself- if so, how did you do it? 
I feel powerless plenty of times, the closest I came to fighting against someone in a powerful position was my manager at the last shop I worked at. I put up with a lot of crap, was treated like dirt and so on, I put up with it for a long time, but then a time came, and I stood up for myself by removing myself from the situation. I'm not that much of a badass that I decided to fight the system haha. I just did what was best for me, and sent a very diplomatically worded "I quite" letter.

What advice would you give to someone in a similar position? 
I would give the advice that no matter what you do, you should remain calm, put forward your arguments sensibly and don't get angry and start screaming and shouting out accusations. Perhaps write out what you want to say before hand and refer to it while you're talking. Depending on the situation you could perhaps find a couple of other people who feel the same to join you when you make your case, but make sure it doesn't turn in to a lynching. Or do what I did, depending on the situation, and remove yourself from it if you can, because you should take care of yourself first to be honest. 

The burden of DESTINY is discussed throughout An Ember in the Ashes. Regardless if whether you believe in destiny or not, modern life generates its own expectations and pressures - whether from yourself, or your surroundings. 

Do you believe that everything happens for a reason and your destiny is laid out for you? What do you think you can do to change your own destiny? 
I think life seems less crappy if you believe that everything happens for a reason. Like, you don't get the job you want...you can keep positive by saying "well, everything happens for a reason, so something better will come along". It's taken me a while to be ridiculously positive all the time, and it's a lot to do with a book I read called the Secret, which is all about positive thinking and to maintain positivity, it's better to think everything happens for a reason rather than crappy things just happen. I didn't get a job I wanted, then the next thing I know, I'm on an acting for film course, and I've got my first acting job so there you go. 
I'd like to think my destiny is laid out for me, but I'd love to know what it is. It makes me feel better to think the universe has a plan for me, while I have no idea what the hell I'm doing! 
To change your own destiny....it's your destiny, I'm not sure whether you can, I'd just roll with it, but then if it was a really rubbish destiny or one you didn't want then you're going to have to fight hard to change it. Perhaps it's all about choices? Perhaps the easiest choice is the one leading to your destiny, and the harder one is the one that veers away? Maybe you have to change yourself? 

What makes you happiest now - and how does it differ from what made you happiest this time last year? 
This time last year the same things made me happy that make me happy now, but the years before, what made me happiest was going out with friends to clubs and being out until ridiculous times. In the past year or two, what makes me happiest is either curling up with a movie or a book, a blanket and a green tea, or if I'm feeling social, I'm happiest going out to a pub with my friends, or a restaurant and having a few drinks. I'm 22 and I don't really enjoy clubs anymore to be honest! I'm back to reading more in the past couple of years than I was when I was partying multiple times a week, so I'm happiest with a book, or a quiet night out with friends! Also, there's only so many times you can take the night bus back from London before you can't take it anymore! 

Elias struggles with the notion of FREEDOM in An Ember in the Ashes - he desperately wants to make his own decisions, as we often do in reality. 

Modern life often means doing things we don't want to do (as in fantasy). What do you do to keep yourself feeling positive during a difficult day? 
I'm one of those people that really doesn't like being forced in to doing things I don't want to do haha, however, whenever I really have to do something I don't want to do, it usually lowers my mood, so I have a playlist for each kind of mood, it's an acting thing, and I whack on my feel good playlist, have a listen and a dance, and I remind myself how lucky I am each day, and keep reminding myself how grateful I am for everything in my life. I'll talk to my best friend, because she always makes me laugh and laughing is a great way to improve the mood, and then when I get back home, I usually stick on a Disney movie or an episode of Once Upon A Time. I have many, many ways to keep myself upbeat on a crap day haha 

Are there any songs/places/people that make you feel happy? 
My best friend makes me feel happy, we pretty much talk all day every day about all kinds of stuff, both serious and total nonsense. Sometimes our conversations get totally ridiculous as well and we can't help but laugh at our own stupidity. 
Songs that make me happy, there are so, so many, Disney songs, (I freaking love Disney so anything Disney, film, song, whatever lifts my mood right up), I genuinely listen to "I'll make a man out of you" before nights out sometimes, when I'm getting ready. I also sometimes work out to it because I'm that sad! Any song that has a good memory attached will also put a smile on my face! I would be here all day listing them, there a quite a few. Any song I can have a good dance too as well. 
Places, my room used to make me happy before....neighbours and issues. Hmmmm.....there's a place out the side of our house, where we used to have a pond, but even without the pond, in summer, it's a great place to sit in the sun and read. And then, I'm not just saying this because I'm a book blog, but a bookshop or a library. Because nothing makes me happier than browsing through books and finding new reads. I could also say the spoons in Wimbledon to be honest haha! Gigs used to make me happy as well or festivals but I haven't been to one in a year or two! 

And there you have my rambling answers that make no sense whatsoever haha!