Weaveworld

I got involved in this right from the start but it ran out of steam towards the last fifty pages. It's around 600 pages though so that's not bad. It's about a hidden world inside a carpet. It changes the lives of Cal and Suzanna, two humans who try to save the world within it from three bad guys Immacolata, Hobart, and Shadwell. I noticed that this and Abarat had a religious figure as a bad guy. That can't be a coincidence. It took me a while to read it. It's too bad Clive didn't do a movie of this. Clive Barker always has a vivid imagination. This is not for young adults like Abarat but the good guy characters are more likable than any of the characters in The Hellbound Heart. This is why I wish Goodreads had half star ratings. I would give it 3.5 but I rounded it up to 4.

No Flying in the House

This was a really enchanting children's book from the 1970s. Betty Brock just wrote two books this and the amazing out of print The Shades which I have already reviewed. I wonder why she didn't write more. This is about a girl who discovers she's a fairy and a dog named Gloria who looks after her. This book is about more than just magic. It is about friendship and family. It's cute and it has a good message. It's pretty short too and inexpensive.

The Nimrod Flip Out

I read The Bus Driver who wanted to be God and other stories in my twenties after watching the movie Wristcutters which was based on a short story in the book. I loved them both. In fact I need to reread the book. I decided to try another short story collection by Etgar Keret. This is definitely not for children. I'm not a fan of most adult books nowadays since I don't like to read profanity and so forth. But I have to admit this was done well. Most of the stories are only a few pages. My favorite was easily about the faithful dog who keeps dying and comes back to its master. It was macabre and sweet. Etgar Keret is one of Israel's most famous writers. If you want something offbeat Etgar fits the bill.

When Five Years Pass

This was a later play by Lorca. It's about a man who has been turned down by a girl he waited five years for. The play is experimental. The last act was kind of hard to follow. This isn't his best play. It wasn't made in his lifetime. I think a viewing of it would be more recommended than just reading it.

The Infernal Machine

In The Infernal Machine Cocteau takes on Oedipus Rex. It's the classic story of a man getting an oracle that he will kill his father and marry his mother. Oedipus tries the whole play to refute it. At the end as everything takes a tragic turn he can't deny it any more. Cocteau does a pretty good job. I prefer Cocteau's more original works like The Holy Terrors and Les Parents Terribles. Nevertheless, the man was a genius.

Orpheus

After watching Hadestown I decided to revisit Jean Cocteau Orpheus. This time I decided to read his play which the movie was loosely based on. The play was just ok. It's astonishing how much better the movie was. It was more poetic and memorable. I think that Cocteau just became a better writer in time. He wrote the play in the 1920s and the movie was made in 1950. I watched it as a kid. It was my introduction to mythology.

Victoria

This was a lovely novella. An author is in love with a girl named Victoria. Unfortunately her parents want her to marry for money. For a while he is engaged to a younger woman whose life he saved. However, Victoria is really the one for him despite the bad treatment she gives him. Sadly the book ends on a tragic note. This book seems like it's really simple but it speaks volumes more than more complicated works. I think it's one of Hamsun's best. This is my third time reading it over twenty five years.