© by Gerald So | geraldso.blogspot.com
Knowing Lee Goldberg to be one of Robert B. Parker's biggest fans and straightest-shooting critics, I passed his review of Robert B. Parker's Blind Spot by Reed Farrel Coleman on to Spenser's Sneakers.
One member dismissed the review because it states that Lee and Reed are friends. I replied that I saw the member's point. On one hand, we'd all like to read unbiased reviews. On the other, reviewers aren't obligated to state their biases so plainly. If a reviewer known to be an author's friend didn't say so, readers might dismiss the review as well: "This is a positive review, but I know the reviewer and the author are friends. Of course he's going to write a positive review."
I've become friendly with several authors whose work I've reviewed. I don't disclose my friendship in reviews, but I do mention I'm a fan of the author's previous books, so I'll probably like this one. I keep my reviews focused on the text (or the film, or the TV show) because they're not meant to win over or attack the author. They're only meant to give my opinion of the work.
Friday, August 08, 2014
Monday, August 04, 2014
At The Five-Two: "Visiting My Great Aunt, Maude"
© by Gerald So | geraldso.blogspot.com
Rutgers emeritus professor Louie Clay imagines a childhood visit with his great aunt, widow of a KKK leader:
I'm now accepting the first poems of The Five-Two's fourth year.
Rutgers emeritus professor Louie Clay imagines a childhood visit with his great aunt, widow of a KKK leader:
I'm now accepting the first poems of The Five-Two's fourth year.
An Imperfect Superman
© by Gerald So | geraldso.blogspot.com
Yesterday, a Twitter discussion of superhero movies brought up Zack Snyder's Man of Steel, which many of my friends dislike. While their complaints are reasonable, they didn't keep me from enjoying the movie.
Everyone expects Superman to make perfect decisions, saving all life along with public and private property. We expect this fantasy heroism because of his theoretically limitless power.
Real heroism is making an effort despite one's limitations. Yesterday's most serious complaint was that the Kents encouraged Clark to bury his talents, not make the best of them. The most poignant support for this complaint is Jonathan Kent's waving off Clark's attempt to save him from the tornado. While I agree the Kents contributed largely to Clark's morality and decision to use his power for good, this can be portrayed in any number of ways. Man of Steel showed Clark's upbringing in snippets, and I saw Jonathan as a honorable man of few words. In my view, despite their limitations, the Kents accepted Clark as a son and wanted society to accept him, too, not alienate him. All parenting is an imperfect mix of protecting children and encouraging their sense of adventure.
Behind the best-known complaint, that Superman kills Zod, is the movie's poor job of making the kill necessary. Here, too, though, because of Superman's power, we imagine everything he could have done instead of killing Zod. It's clear the filmmakers wanted to include the killing to raise debate. Unlike viewers, who can spend hours second-guessing, they had to make that decision and move on.
Man of Steel may not live up to idyllic visions of the Kents and Clark, but I relate better to this imperfect, more human Superman.
Yesterday, a Twitter discussion of superhero movies brought up Zack Snyder's Man of Steel, which many of my friends dislike. While their complaints are reasonable, they didn't keep me from enjoying the movie.
Everyone expects Superman to make perfect decisions, saving all life along with public and private property. We expect this fantasy heroism because of his theoretically limitless power.
Real heroism is making an effort despite one's limitations. Yesterday's most serious complaint was that the Kents encouraged Clark to bury his talents, not make the best of them. The most poignant support for this complaint is Jonathan Kent's waving off Clark's attempt to save him from the tornado. While I agree the Kents contributed largely to Clark's morality and decision to use his power for good, this can be portrayed in any number of ways. Man of Steel showed Clark's upbringing in snippets, and I saw Jonathan as a honorable man of few words. In my view, despite their limitations, the Kents accepted Clark as a son and wanted society to accept him, too, not alienate him. All parenting is an imperfect mix of protecting children and encouraging their sense of adventure.
Behind the best-known complaint, that Superman kills Zod, is the movie's poor job of making the kill necessary. Here, too, though, because of Superman's power, we imagine everything he could have done instead of killing Zod. It's clear the filmmakers wanted to include the killing to raise debate. Unlike viewers, who can spend hours second-guessing, they had to make that decision and move on.
Man of Steel may not live up to idyllic visions of the Kents and Clark, but I relate better to this imperfect, more human Superman.
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