Reading & Seeing

On the left is the beardless face of J D Salinger. My friend gave me a copy of The Catcher in the Rye because, shocking though it is (even more so as I'm an English and American Literature graduate), I've never read it, until now. What did I think? Well I'll tell you but I'm not going to get all David Copperfield and that crap about it. I found the narrative quite annyoing. I know it's the protagonist's thought processes but I'm just saying is all. The colloquialisms and the general pessimistic attitude were not my cup of tea. I realise that, in terms of when it was written, The Catcher in the Rye is a piece of ground-breaking fiction, but this doesn't detract from the fact that I didn't like Holden Caulfield, and when he is the only voice you hear it begins to grate, a lot. He makes some amusing observations but on the whole he's a moany character (everyone else is a 'phony') who I just can't sympathise with. After talking to others who've read it, it's mostly boys who rate it highly...not sure if that means anything. I think I probably would have enjoyed and appreciated the book a little more if I had studied it - taking it apart and analysing it - as that's what we literature students do best.

On the right is the bearded face of Duncan Jones. This week I finally watched Source Code and, like most people, I thought it was pretty cool. The concept is awesome - quite cruel but mind-bending in true sci-fi style. The twist at the end is a nice surprise, perhaps a little sentimental but at the same time it opens up a whole load of other questions and possibilities. I would definitely reccomend this and Moon (incase you haven't seen it yet - where have you been?!) Rather excited about what's next for Duncan Jones (and his impressive beard).

Beard Status: looking good!