Classics: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

In a time period where women were financially screwed over, ladies had to hope to marry a rich man in order to attain any sense of security. This unfortunate circumstance led many to only consider wealth when finding a husband, but Elizabeth Bennett will have no part in that; she wants to marry for love. All the while, her mother is trying to shove Elizabeth and her sisters into the arms of rich men and embarrasses the family with her obvious, ill-mannered attempts. But that doesn't stop Mr. Darcy, one of the wealthiest men around, from gaining affection for Elizabeth. But Elizabeth doesn't love him... Not yet anyway.

Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice is like the godmother of classic novels. It's the classic story that just about everyone who likes to read praises unabashedly. Unfortunately, I deviated from this standard. That's right - I wasn't crazy about Pride and Prejudice - for your own sake, do not throw rotten food at your computer screen right now amid your intense frustration. But I honestly wanted to love this book like everyone else does; I imagine all the praise I've heard about it made me set the bar ridiculously high. Hence, this has to be one of my biggest book disappointments... perhaps THE biggest book disappointment in my reading life thus far.

I can pinpoint exactly why I didn't like this novel as much as I wanted to: The lightheartedness. It's been said that Charlotte Bronte wasn't fond of Jane Austen because she found her work dispassionate; I knew that much going into this read. Usually, when I hear criticism of books, by the time I'm finished I'll think something along the lines of "Oh, I see where they got that from, but it didn't bother me." But in this case, I completely agree with Bronte, and consequently, this lighthearted love story continuously made me think of Jane Eyre (which is one of my favorite books of all time) and compare the two. Jane Eyre is such an incredibly emotional novel; Jane and Rochester's relationship was so vivid and real to me, which is one of several reasons why I loved that novel so much... This wasn't the case for Darcy and Elizabeth. They hardly had a relationship in my eyes, and they barely made it known to the other how they really felt. Even when Rochester was set to marry another, I could tell that he was partial to Jane, but in Pride and Prejudice, actual declarations of love just seemed so passive and unfeeling. Emotion is what drives me as both a reader and a writer, so I couldn't get into this. I couldn't feel.

The lightheartedness of Pride and Prejudice could be seen as an asset in other areas, for it's quite humorous. Elizabeth's mother is absolutely mental; sometimes I laughed as I read her melodramatic dialogue. Mr. Collins, Lydia, and Mary were also quite whimsical - especially when contrasted with Mr. Bennett (I found him to be one of the most normal characters). These characters made me smile, I'll admit that, and Charlotte absolutely frustrated me, as I imagine Lizzy was frustrated... It's just not enough for me. I wanted more than a smile or two here and there.

I really don't have anything else to say about it, and that makes me sad. Pride and Prejudice is told in such a proper manner that I couldn't connect with it at all. I wanted to love Mr. Darcy, I wanted to admire Elizabeth... But I couldn't. Because I didn't feel anything.

La Gárgola | Chevelle

About a month ago, the American rock trio Chevelle has released a new album entitled La Gárgola, which is filled with cool guitar riffs that put a bit of a heavier spin on their music.

Throughout the years, I've heard some of Chevelle's singles on the radio and enjoyed them, but I've never been able to really get into their music until the summer of 2012 when I saw them live during the Carnival of Madness Tour. I was so impressed by the music and how well they performed that I went out and bought a few of their CDs, and I've been hooked ever since. While I must say that I love this band overall, sometimes their albums will only have a few songs I really get into while nothing else truly jumps out at me. This is kind of the case for La Gárgola. I've talked about this scenario quite a few times on this blog, where an album isn't bad at all, it just isn't grabbing me the way I'd hoped. But, a lot of these songs needed time to grow on me.

"Ouija Board" kicks the album off with a series of creepy bells that perfectly suit the creepy album art before diving into the full sound. We're one track in and this album has already caught my attention for being noticeably heavier than their recent material. The energy's high and the lyrics are abstract as hell (a common characteristic of Chevelle songs). There a few parts of the vocal line that especially catch my attention (in terms of both the lyrics and melodies themselves). Pete declares "Self explore your egoism" in both verses, but the last two ear-catching lines of the chorus display a major volume change: "Right or wrong if the world explodes / Well you and I are one."

As much as I enjoyed "Ouija Board," a couple of other songs made me just as enthused. "An Island" is easily one of my favorites from La Gárgola; the verses are incredibly catchy with the synthy guitar line, but it's still true to the album's heavy style. Pete Loeffler's vocals are able to suit the peculiar sound as he's able to fluctuate between higher, smoother notes and lower, rougher notes. But "Choking Game" also serves as one of the best songs of La Gárgola... Honestly, the more I listen to it, the more I like it. The vocals are especially nice in this track; they're so smooth with so many longer notes. In some way I can't put my finger on, this song reminds me of This Type of Thinking (Could Do Us In), which happens to be my favorite Chevelle album.

"Hunter Eats Hunter" has great opening riffs with an intriguing chord progression, which is amplified in the chorus. Its bridge is especially heavy due to the pounding guitars and Pete's screaming ability. But "The Damned" has more cool, dangerous guitar riffs and a darker feel in the verses, and while the two songs aren't immediate favorites, they've managed to grow on me with each listen. The same may be happening with "Under the Knife" and its crazy, heavy feel.

Unfortunately, not to many other songs could really jump at me, but the other tracks do have a certain quality to them that would prevent me from skipping over them if I just needed some background music do listen to while cleaning or something. This is the case for "One Ocean" and "Twinge," which serve as the slower tracks, and they're more atmospheric than the rest of the album.

So, La Gárgola isn't bad at all. Not every song caught my attention right away, but honestly, they're all growing on me to some degree. It's an album that may need a little time to really be able to appreciate. The type of intriguing lyrics that make this band seem particularly intelligent are ever-present as usual, and of course, the Chevelle trait of ending lots of songs with guitar feedback also took precedence on this album. I think fans will be quite happy overall, and despite not loving it quite as intensely as I'd hoped, I'm relatively content too.

Albums I've Listened to Most... It Physically Shows

I've always preferred buying physical copies of albums instead of downloading them. Much like with my book OCD, I've got some album OCD as well. I want my CDs to be in fabulous condition, not only because it looks prettier, but because I love them. But unfortunately, when I really, really love a CD, it gets played a lot. Which means it gets more 'love marks.'

 

Granted, I have quite a few favorite albums, but there are four albums I own that have noticeably gotten beat up over the years. From this, I think it's relatively safe to assume that I have listened to these albums the most. And I'm not surprised; these are some of my favorite albums by my favorite bands.
 

 

Fallen by Evanescence
Released in 2003
Owned for 8 years
Damage: Love marks on the disc... Is the lyric booklet supposed to feel this worn?

This is without a doubt the most important album I received, so important to the point that I even remember which specific seat in which specific Burger King I sat in after my dad bought it for me. I initially wanted it for their hit single "Bring Me to Life," but I fell in love with each and every song; I'd never heard music like this before. Amy Lee's voice was so different compared to all the pop singers I was usually listening to, and I loved it. But Fallen didn't just introduce me to Evanescence, my favorite band, but I also discovered a lot of other bands and artists I love because of it, from rock bands like Breaking Benjamin, to symphonic metal bands like Within Temptation, to electronic phenomena Bjork... Almost all of my favorite artists were discovered through Evanescence, starting with Fallen. I listened to it over and over again; it never got old.


 

The Open Door by Evanescence

Released in 2006

Owned for 7 and a half years

Damage: The digipack is really beat up; the edges are all bent. Love marks are on the back of the disc.

 

The follow-up to Fallen. Just after I discovered the awesomeness of Evanescence in 2005,  I had plenty of time to fangirl when I heard the news that a brand new album was on the way. This is the first time I got ridiculously excited over a new release. I bought it the day it came out, and once again, I'd never heard anything like this (and still haven't - The Open Door is very unique). The Open Door added more fuel to my fandom as I wore out its wimpy little digipack.

 

  

 

The Heart of Everything by Within Temptation

Released in 2007

Owned for 7 years

Damage: Since these songs have a lot of lyrics to them, I was always taking out the lyrics booklet... Which resulted in a minor disaster: One corner is chunking off and the cover is whitening from moving it in and out so much. A few love marks on the disc.

 

This is the first album I bought by my other all-time favorite band, Within Temptation. I bought it for the song "Stand My Ground" (got the weird American edition that included this single, which was originally on The Silent Force) after hearing it in the Blood and Chocolate trailer and TV spots. It was fate, I tell you! The Heart of Everything was my first symphonic metal album. Of course, the epic blend of metal/rock and classical music mesmerized me, but I was also extremely impressed by Sharon den Adel's angelic voice - especially on those higher notes. While I repeatedly listened to this masterpiece, I also used it to help me strengthen my high notes. Sharon has had a huge influence on me; who knows what would've happened if I didn't purchase The Heart of Everything and listened to it as much as I did.

 

 

Dark Passion Play by Nightwish

Released in 2007

Owned for 6 years

Damage: Same lyric booklet problems as The Heart of Everything, but not nearly as extreme.

 

Anette Olzon got a lot of hate in general, but even more so for this album than Imaginaerum. Obviously, I loved it; I only listened to it about 40,000 times. Dark Passion Play has a lot of different vibes to it; sometimes it was exotic, sometimes heavy, calm, bombastic, and even soulful. Either way, the energy was high throughout and the music was complex yet catchy, giving it an addictive edge. Anette's voice really blended with the sound and did a good job of conveying the many emotions of Dark Passion Play.


Which albums have you noticeably listened to most? Do you like any of the albums I listed? Let me know.

Classics: The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

Sylvia Plath's only novel, The Bell Jar, is a generally bleak piece of fiction in itself, but knowing that this book is partially an autobiographical account of Plath's struggles and knowing what happened to her in the end just makes it all the more depressing. Plath incorporates pieces of herself in the form of Esther Greenwood, an intern at a fashion magazine. She falls into a deep state of depression, and as she's numb in the present and oftentimes thinking of the past, she seems to be losing her mind. But of course, when readers encounter this book today, we consider all of Plath's ties to the scenario, and as much as we want Esther Greenwood to be okay, we also want Sylvia to be okay... But she wasn't.

 

The Bell Jar itself is a very emotional novel, but like I said, knowing Plath's history makes it even more depressing. It's just harder to take in knowing that someone was really feeling like this, that someone was that desperate to die. While it's easy to feel sympathetic for Esther Greenwood/Sylvia Plath, it isn't so easy (for me) to relate to the situation, but I feel like if I could relate, it would've been a very long, overwhelming read (despite the book itself is small) because it's so honest. It reveals so much in such a natural style.

Esther tells us about quite a few experiences she's had, between the death of her father, her time in New York at a fashion magazine, and her relationship with Buddy Willard. They all add up; the memories weigh heavily on her mind. Her grip on reality loosens gradually, for she begins this tumult of severe depression and anxiety by withdrawing bit by bit. We also get to read about her experiences with electroshock therapy, and how that first time made her frightened of any treatment of the sort for a while. I've never read anything of the sort before.

But what I believe this novel seems to do best is capture readers with flowy, basically perfect writing. Plath's prose is gorgeous; The Bell Jar is incredibly well-written. I could tell that much just by reading the first half of the first page. There are so many beautiful (and sad) quotes within that I kept going back to reread them and absorb them once again. I also really loved the poem featured at the end, "Mad Girl's Love Song." Plath is just such a talented writer; The Bell Jar may be her only novel, but I am definitely going to read all her poetry.

Plath's beautiful prose is half the allure of The Bell Jar. She just has ways of saying things that just sound so perfectly fitting. But unfortunately, the other half of the allure is seeing a glimpse of how she was really feeling. It isn't a happy read. It's gloomy and devastating, but it's honest, and it stays in one's thoughts after finishing.

Broken Crown Halo | Lacuna Coil

Lacuna Coil has made a lot of amazing music throughout its career. I've always respected this band even though they've also made some music that's left me indifferent. Their latest release, Broken Crown Halo, came out within the past month. The album title may be a bit of a clustersnub, but the music is even more solid than I expected. It stays true to what they've been doing for the past few albums, but it also throws back to some of their older work.

"Nothing Stands in Our Way" is the first track, displaying a heavier approach than what's been Lacuna Coil's usual. Cristina Scabbia's vocal line in the verses is both flowy and fierce while Andrea Ferro joins her for the chorus. After the middle eight, the chorus breaks down to an intense, pulsating staccato (one of the song's best aspects) that never fails to leave me swaying in my seat. Ferro and Scabbia take turn vocalizing at the end, finally leaving us with Scabbia's very powerful, vocally-strong last line, "That's our way." "Nothing Stands in Our Way" is addictive and impressive and stands as one of the album's best songs.

Other strong highlights from Broken Crown Halo include “I Forgive (But I Won’t Forget Your Name),” “Cybersleep,” and “I Burn in You.” All three songs lack the speedy ferocity of "Nothing Stands in Our Way," for they all have a certain mellow quality despite the ever-present electric instruments. But, that certainly doesn't mean that any of these songs are passive; Scabbia's voice embodies plenty of emotion in all three - in fact, the single "I Forgive (But I Won't Forget Your Name)" probably wouldn't stand out as much without Scabbia's powerful chorus. 

Cybersleep," on the other hand, has a prominent string line that complements the guitars and Scabbia's vocals quite well. The song as a whole reminds me a bit of Lacuna Coil's older material; it almost feels like a less-heavy version of "Swamped." "I Burn in You" is a song that really flows; I love the opening riffs. Andrea's vocals in the first verse are so eerie, but Scabbia really owns the amazing chorus. It’s an all-around standout track for me.

Aside from my four personal favorites, there are some other songs that were able to please me. “Hostage to the Light” seemed mediocre to me at first, but the catchy last minute really won me over as Scabbia repeats "A world of false illusions in my head/ Deep inside my head/ Deep inside my head." But the single "Die and Rise" is perhaps more interesting still. It has a generally dark sound with its pounding guitars and cool synths; I always picture the 2003 film Underworld when I hear it due to the synths mixed in with the guitars. Cristina Scabbia sings in Italian during the middle eight, her voice layering to create eerie and urgent harmonies - what's not to like?

As far as the rest of the tracks from Broken Crown Halo: Even though these few I haven't mentioned are still solid songs, I just couldn't get into them quite as much as the others I mentioned. Somehad potential thought "In the End I Feel Alive" is especially strong with its chorus and the choppy guitar part in the verses, but the bridge is awkward with Andrea repeating "burn, baby." I may have enjoyed it more if that part wasn't included. But, "Infection" and "One Cold Day" were the only ones I couldn't get into at all.

So overall, Broken Crown Halo is a very enjoyable album; I definitely see it as an improvement from Lacuna Coil's last few albums. There are heavy moments, there are relaxing moments - any rock fan would find something they like about this album. I'm quite happy with it.

The Dark and Hollow Places | by: Carrie Ryan

The Dark and Hollow Places is the final book of Carrie Ryan's Forest of Hands and Teeth trilogy, and I have been in love with the first two books for quite a while now; they were so fantastic in several different aspects and focused on a different character each time.

 

In this installation, the story continues through Annah's eyes. Annah has spent majority of her life in the Dark City with Elias, both fighting to survive in a horrific post-apocalyptic world crawling with Unconsecrated ever since they were children. But Elias has been gone for a long time - for years - and just as Annah thinks she may have to move on forever, she encounters a man named Catcher. He knows where Elias has been; he even knows her sister, who has constantly haunted her thoughts.

 

Her life has consisted of so many struggles, between the Unconsecrated, her aching regrets regarding her long-lost sister, and the general sense of ugliness she constantly feels, but now Annah has to face even more of the monsters of both the dead and the living. What will push her - what pushes everyone - to continue fighting?

 

With all its action amid a dreary dystopian setting and emotionally-charged characters and situations, The Dark and Hollow Places explored some really deep concepts and kept me anxious. But all together, I must say it's my least favorite of the trilogy. It's a great book, but I didn't find the perfection that was reminiscent of the first two.

 

One of the things I loved about The Forest of Hands and Teeth and The Dead-Tossed Waves was Carrie Ryan's writing, but unfortunately, the way this book was written was probably its biggest downfall for me. It was just too repetitive at times. I realize that Annah was dwelling on memories and emotions that have scarred and shaped her life, and I think this is why it was so repetitive - to show how it all dominated her. But, I really felt it was just too much. Because of this, sometimes I doubted Annah's strength even though she kept reminding us how she survived all alone in the Dark City.

 

Even though I wasn't always a fan of the way the author tackled the ebb and flow of Annah's POV, her internal conflicts are a big part of what made this book interesting. This girl has obviously felt a great deal of pain and regret in her life, and I don't think I've ever read anything that dealt with the concept of self-perception like this one does. Annah feels ugly all the time; her self-esteem couldn't possibly be lower due to her scars. Carrie Ryan tackled these issues in what felt like the most realistic way to do so.

The bleakest aspect of this novel, however, was the Recruiters. Their general brutality was difficult for me to read about; they honestly scared me more than the Unconsecrated zombies... Well, I think the zombies were pretty equal by the end of the book. (Seriously. That was a whole lot of action to make up for any lack of Unconsecrated in the rest of the book - SO intense!) There were warm-hearted moments amongst our protagonists as well though. I really enjoyed the focus on sisterhood; Annah and Gabry happened to be in some unique situations considering how their childhood went and how they seemed to swap love interests, and I was so happy to see them push past all of that and still love each other. And of course... CATCHER. I LOVE HIM. He's one of my favorite love interests - that's always a plus! Moments of romance were always relatively brief, but they spoke volumes. It's what they had to hold onto when continuing felt hopeless.

The Dark and Hollow Places also dealt with questions concerning whether the living suffer more or the dead suffer more, how to rebuild, and how to find happiness when living in a world so full of fear. Like I said, there's a high level of emotion in this novel, and I always appreciate that. There were so many things I loved about this book, but I just didn't love it as much as the previous two due to the writing's repetitions. However, I can definitely still say that I loved the trilogy overall - this one just wasn't my favorite.