Rain: Friend or Foe?

       

There is no perfect equaqtion for how to live life. There is no way to prevent change from happening; it just does. But this inevitability for change cannot be feared, it must be accepted. There is always an unpredictable element, and the racer must learn to confront it head-on. In the context of The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein, Enzo is talking of Eve as his "rain", meaning the factor that can either help or hinder. He realizes that a true racer embraces all of the obstacles that come along the way, and as a "racer at heart" he must do so as well.

The Art of Reading a Book Narrated by a Dog

Reading The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein was a roller coaster of love and hatred, but mostly hatred. Let me recount to you the gradual decline of my mental stability with this book: 

LAP 1 

A book narrated by a dog? Cool! I bet he'll be really cute and dumb and like to run around in the rain and stuff. 

LAP 2 

Wait, what? Why is this dog smarter than me? Why does he want to be reincarnated as a man? "Racing in the rain" refers to actual racing in the rain???? SO MANY QUESTIONS 

LAP 2

huh? 

LAP 3 

I thought this was a racing book, but now it's a cancer book...

LAP 4

I LOVE YOU ENZO 

LAP 5 

Why is Zoe smarter than me too??? Too many smart characters. 

LAP 6 

ZEBRA. 

LAP 7

OMG. WHY IS HIS COUSIN FLIRTING WITH HIM. EW. MAKE IT STOP. 

LAP 8

Enzo knows too much about life. He needs to go. 

LAP 9 

NOW IT'S A RAPE BOOK???? I CAN'T KEEP UP. 

LAP 10 

The Twins need to die forever. They do not deserve to be reincarnated into another being, they just need to die. 

LAP 12 

So now I guess this is one of those child custody books...

LAP 13 

So much confusion. 

LAP 14 

Zoe is suddenly a child prodigy race car driver. Okay. 

LAP 15

ENZO no don't leave me!!!!!

LAP 16 

Italy... 

LAP 16

ENZO IS A BOY. DYING BECAUSE CLICHES ARE DEATH. BYE. 

My conclusion about this book is that Garth Stein wanted so badly for this book to be profound, that he decided to take all of the cliche plot lines of popular sad books and dumped them all into a single novel, hoping that at least one profound thing would come out of it. It didn't work, sorry Garth. 

Which Gone Girl Character Are You? (According to Buzzfeed)

After selecting my favorite color, drink of choice, pet, and several other seemingly random questions, Buzzfeed has somehow concluded that of the characters in Gone Girl, I am Amy Dunne. How accurate the process in which I received this result is at best questionable. Though I understand the basic logic behind the calculation, I still can't convince myself to believe it. Me? Amy? I mean, yes, I would consider myself "smart" perhaps even "clever". I am a bit of an introvert, I have high expectations, I am definitely a planner, and my suspicions never cease. However being classified as Amy seems a bit drastic. Self obsessed, suicidal, sociopathic, psychotic, bipolar, manipulative, I can safely say I am not. So, my conclusion in regards to the conclusion of this quiz is that the results are all based on one question, the pet question. Each question had six options, meaning that there are probably six possible characters to get. My guess of the six would be Amy, Nick, Go, Tanner, Desi, and Noelle. Nick is the puppy, lost and confused but not always innocent. Go is the goldfish, caught in the fish tank of media surrounding her brother's fame, Tanner is the snake, conniving and sneaky, whispering what everyone wants to hear, Noelle is the bunny, going wherever Amy leads her but completely innocent in her disappearance, and Amy of course, is the cat. An introvert craving affection, but always calculating and scheming. I picked the cat, meaning that for anyone who is also independent and on guard, or just really like cats, you too are Amy Dunne.

SPOILER ALERT SPOILER ALERT: PART 2 EDITION

Effects of Gone Girl on the Human Brain 

               PART 1                                                                                                      PART 2 

Surprise, surprise. Amy is a psycho. She is a lying, scheming, evil genius sociopath. Prior to this knowledge, you probably thought you had this book all figured out. You most definitely had your theoretical suspect, and for the vast majority of you it was probably Nick. I bet you thought "oh poor Amy" and "she seems like such a sweet girl, annoying, yes, but sweet!" Well guess what? These thoughts are WRONG. The phrase "poor Amy" should be illegal, and using the word "sweet" to describe her is nothing but comical. After reading the first chapter of Part 2, that was it for me. My brain could not handle state of shock that Gillian Flynn managed to put me in. It exploded. "Surprised" is an understatement. This ripped everything apart that I thought I knew, because I realized I really didn't know anything at all. The simultaneous awe and horror I experienced can be compared to that of the moment I realized that Blue from "Blue's Clues" was a girl. My life fell apart, and nothing was ever the same. Then, all too soon, the next bomb dropped: "diary Amy" was a fake. My life was in ruins and my brain had disintegrated to ash. It was just too much. The pure genius and unexpectedness of it unhinged my sanity completely, so I did the only thing I knew how to in such a situation: I kept reading. 

"Blank Space" by Taylor Swift: Innocent Satire or "Gone Girl" Gone Pop Song?

T-Swift's new song and even newer music video, "Blank Space" has been sweeping the charts, and not just because it's another one of her (infamous?) break-up songs. No, "Blank Space" has hit number 13 this week on Billboard's Top 100 list, because it has somehow managed to appeal to the ever-expanding noir fan base. It appears that music has now found a way to imitate the movie industry, where dark, romantically twisted, sociopathic, mystery thrillers are the latest fad. Taylor Swift has turned this recurrent theme into a song, and is blazing the trail for a new genre of music: Pop Noir.

The real question, however, is whether or not this was intentional. Was it really just an innocent mockery of the outside perceptions of Taylor Swift? Was it a harsh joke about women today? Or was it an (extremely accurate) emulation of Gone Girl? In other words, was it a satire of today's society, or Gone Girl with a catchy tune?

"You look like my next mistake" 

"Love's a game, wanna play?" 

"Ain't it funny, rumors fly, And I know you heard about me" (definite "Amazing Amy" reference) 

The boys are cheaters!!!!!

"Stolen kisses, pretty lies" 

"Be that girl for a month, Wait the worst is yet to come, oh no" (Cool Girl to Crazy reference) 

"'Oh my God, who is she?'" (Andie!!) 

"Screaming, crying, perfect storms, I can make all the tables turn" (by making it look like you murdered me) 

"Got a long list of ex-lovers, they'll tell you I'm insane" (Desi Collings perhaps?!) 

To the left is Amy's "you'll pay for this in a horrible, extreme, and well-planned way because (surprise!) I'm crazy" face

To the right is Taylor Swift's crazy face, and then she murders him. 

"Boys only want love if it's torture, Don't say I didn't, say I didn't warn ya" 

"'Cause, darling, I'm a nightmare dressed like a daydream" 

DEFINITELY Gone Girl with a tune. 

But I've got a blank space baby.....

GONE GIRL Gone Noir?

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn is indeed a unique and complex blend of Suburban, Domestic, and Chic Noir. The evidence is overwhelming.

CLUE 1

Suburban Noirs contain fictional towns that seem very safe and welcoming to the outside world, icy relationships and secrets lay just within the town limits.

This perfectly describes the small town of Carthage, Missouri in Gone Girl, which at first glance appears to be the average run-down midwestern town, but actually holds an array of deadly secrets.

CLUE 2

Domestic Noirs focus on the corruption in domestic relationships from the very second they were forged. Marriage is labeled as the place of cultivation for deception and darkness close to home.

From the very start of the relationship, as well as the start of the book, something is off about the relationship between Amy and Nick. The central issues of the story seem to revolve around their marital disputes, which is also what paints Nick as a prime suspect for Amy's disappearance.

CLUE 3

Chic Noirs are pretty much more feminist version of a noir. Aimed towards female readers, they strive to nitpick the flaws of the "deranged" husband or boyfriend, therefore always labeling the male character as the bad guy.

I would consider Gone Girl to be half Chic Noir because of the alternating perspectives between Nick and Amy. During Amy's narration, Nick is often depicted as the bad guy, and many of his flaws are exploited and condemned, which is something that would not have happened were Nick to be the only narrator.

Alright detectives, you have the clues. It is now up to you to solve the mystery of the noir. Best of luck.

"A Visit From the Goon Squad" Character Map

A Visit From the Goon Squad is a web. It is a fictitious, yet startlingly realistic quilt of life. This quilt consists not only of characters, but of themes, such as the passing of time, nostalgia, music, and a never-ending cycle of connections. The way in which Jennifer Egan has woven these things together is both beautiful and perplexing, and the character map I present to you is but a brief glimpse into the key components of her masterpiece. It has been a true pleasure to indulge in the bitter-sweet tales in A Visit From the Goon Squad, by Jennifer Egan. 

Ah, the power of the pause. The earth-shaking energy compacted into the seemingly simple lull of a tune. But is there more to a pause then this? Of course there is. As demonstrated in chapter 12, "Great Rock and Roll Pauses" in A Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan, pauses contain a tremendous, and practically unparalleled power. The character of Sasha Blake sums it up perfectly: "The pause makes you think the song will end. And then the song isn't really over, so you're relieved. But then the song does actually end, because every song ends...". What she's telling us is that the pause is preparing us for the inevitable. The pauses allows us to brace ourselves for the end, while providing temporary relief because it hasn't happened yet. The pause is where we wait with baited breath to see if things continue, where our nails dig into our palms hoping that more will follow. Yes, this may all seem a bit melodramatic, so in simpler terms, the pause is where everything happens. It's where all the suspense is; it's the most important moment. After doing some of my own investigating of song pauses in modern music, I've compiled a list of them and the significances of their pauses:

1. "Shake it Off" by Taylor Swift- (Pause: 2:43-2:45) This is a power song about not letting what others say or do to you bring you down, and so when she's saying "shake, shake shake" followed by a pause, the pause is signifying the breather you need to give yourself before pulling yourself back up with full force and just continuing to live your own life
2. "Skinny Love" by Birdy- (Pause: 2:39-2:41) This song is about being in love and longing for it, and then being devastated from heartbreak. There are many pauses in this song, but the one indicated is one of the most powerful. Each pause represents those moments where you feel like you just can't carry on any longer and need to stop. The pauses represent grief. 
3. "Story of My Life" by One Direction- (Pause: 2:24-2:27) This song is about the importance of memories, so the pause in this song is meant as a brief moment to simply stop and cherish the memories you have. 

You are sitting on a rock, looking at the destruction around you. You didn't mean for this to happen, you really didn't. You just wanted to be like other kids. You just wanted to have fun. But you should have known, you were never like other kids.

***

You were born into a poor family. No brothers or sisters, just you. But you're okay with that. You love your mom and your dad, so much. You love your town, and your home, and your life, but somehow you've always been different. You don't mean to sound conceited when you say that you're a lot stronger and faster than the other boys your age, but you are. You used to be proud of it, but now you try to hide it. You don't want to admit it to yourself, but when you look into your parents' eyes, you don't see yourself. You see love and kindness, but foreign features. You don't belong. But then you decide. You decide that you must leave. You must go on a journey to find yourself. You will go any distance, because know that every mile will be worth the while to find where you belong. But little do you know that you will find much more than just where you came from. You will find love, triumph, happiness, and the hero within that you have yet to know exists. 

A Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan firmly follows a nonlinear narrative structure. It has come to be expected  (after reading "Side A") that each chapter will contain a multitude of new characters, and with those characters, a new story that somehow connects with the ones before and after it. So when I began reading "Side B" I thought I knew what to expect; but I was very wrong. "Side B" brought an entirely new level of nonlinear structuring. It experimented with extremely innovative forms, such as chapters written as newspaper articles, or even in (gasp) second person. If "Side A" were to be categorized as creative, "Side B" would be otherworldly. The stories are stranger, the characters are wittier, the problems are deeper, and the consequences are even more dire. From the genocide-initiating General, to the bipolar and lustful Jules Jones, and the suicidal and deeply complicated Rob, there is no greater investment of time and self than in these page-turner chapters. "Side B" brings with it an unprecedented narrative form, accompanied by adventures and lonely days, triumphs and defeats.

The character of Lou from A Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan, is one of the most complex of its vast abundance of characters. On a first impression, he is cocky, immature, and completely irresponsible. He can even come across as creepy based on the fact that he was a middle aged man picking up a seventeen-year-old girl from the side of the road. However, the full character of Lou encompasses a surplus of other qualities, the most prominent of which is utter confusion. He doesn't know what it means to be a good boss, friend, husband, or even father. He doesn't relate to people on any level deeper than appearances and money. He is confused as to why his son is different from him. He is confused about how to raise his daughter, or even hold a conversation with her. But most importantly, he is confused on who he is as a person. He knows he likes girls, money, and music, but that's about it. He likes partying too, but as his age increases and his days left on earth decrease, he doesn't know what to do. He knows he is getting old, but he doesn't know how to deal with it. He doesn't understand that he needs to change, mature, and become the adult and parent that his children desperately need. Lou is confused. He does not understand the meaning of life and getting older, and this confusion leads to dire consequences, and to him eventually having to pay the ultimate price.

Narrative Complexity and Innovation at It's Best

I have recently begun watching the show Lost, and it has been quite the experience. It’s narrative complexity and overall storyline has hooked me, so much so that after a week, episode 20 is paused on my TV, whispering to me to press play. Now, what, you ask, makes this show so addicting? If only there was one answer. From its nonlinear structure, to the ensemble styled cast, to the focus in each episode on a select few characters, every episode tells a new story and keeps me yearning for more. The frequent flashbacks come only in bits and pieces, making me a detective unable to pull herself away from the mystery before her. Every time you think you no something about a character, another flashback comes along and gives you a new piece of the puzzle. The effect of the innovation and intricacy found in Lost, is that it is a confusing, emotional, but tremendously wonderful experience to watch it, simply due to the not-very-simple-at-all plot structure, also known as its extremely popular narrative complexity.