Murder and Ancient Mysteries Behind Ivy Walls., Jul 16 2004

"The Rule of Four" is a mystery, not a thriller. It lacks the constant sense of forward motion that is required of a thriller. It does achieve a sense of urgency in its final quarter, but the first three quarters meander. Literally. The characters wander around the Princeton campus. In fact, the story is almost entirely confined to Princeton's campus, which has the advantage of being a finite space that one of the authors knows well. But at times the rituals of Princeton's undergrads contrast awkwardly with the gravity of the mystery. "The Rule of Four"'s narrator and protagonist, Tom Sullivan, is reasonably well-developed. The other characters are not so much developed as described. They are in service to the plot, and half of them are actually extraneous to it, but I don't think their lack of development will bother most mystery-lovers. This is a hybrid mystery/coming of age tale, so as Tom's interpersonal goings-on compete with the mystery for his attentions, they also compete for ours. His coming of age is the less successful of the two themes. It seems a little late and unattractive. But the history of art, politics, and intellectual freedom that Paul and Tom uncover, although entirely fictional, comes together in a thoughtful and affecting tale despite a few clichés.

"The Rule of Four" is more entertaining than good. But it's not bad, either. It's popular fiction. It lacks Umberto Eco's erudition, character development, and polish -and, thankfully, also his verbosity. It lacks "The Da Vinci Code"'s thrills -and its disingenuousness. I can't say if it aspires to any of these things, but I don't think it pretends to them. If you like cloistered mysteries, esoteric texts, and feats of cryptanalysis, you'll enjoy this book. 3 1/2 stars.

Complete, Well-Organized Lith Lesson. Stunning Examples., Jul 13 2004

A photography book should be illustrated with example photographs that the reader can admire and would want to emulate. Author Tim Rudman must agree. "The Master Photographer's Lith Printing Course" contains about 125 example photographs, nicely reproduced, that are inspirational. The book is also very well organized. It starts with an introduction and FAQ. Chapter 1 provides an overview of lith printing which explains what effects lith printing produce, why, and to what subjects it might be suited. Chapter 2 talks about the equipment and materials you will need, including the qualities of each paper and developer that may be used in lith printing. Chapter 3 explains how to make a basic lith print. Chapter 4 goes into more detail about controlling printing and developing for various effects, including dodging, burning, and selective development. Chapter 5 talks about the whys and wherefores of pepper fogging, among other difficulties, and offers solutions. Chapter 6 is a short course in the chemistry behind lith printing, an understanding of which will help you prevent and solve problems. Chapter 7 is about controlling color in prints during development. Chapter 8 discusses toning lith prints, specifically with gold, selenium, and selenium plus gold toners for stunning effects. Chapter 9 talks about redeveloping conventional prints in lith developer. Chapter 10 introduces some "lith look-a-like effects" that can be achieved with sodium-hydroxide enriched developer, split-thiocarbamide toning, and various bleaching techniques. Some of these produce breathtaking results. Everything is generously illustrated. Tips and cautions are displayed in conspicuous colored boxes. The topics covered in each chapter are set out at the beginning of the chapter. The only fault I have with the book is minor: The captions that explain the photographs are quite good, but they are so small as to be difficult to read.

It should be noted that Tim Rudman is British, and he uses the British names for lith papers. UK/US/Australian paper equivalents are given in the excellent appendices in the back of the book. Also found in the appendices are: a troubleshooting guide, paper characteristics for 19 papers discussed in the book, a color guide that tells us which papers produce which colors under what circumstances, a paper speed reference table, an f-stop chart for printing, a glossary, and a list of US, UK, and Australian suppliers.

Some photographers might like to duplicate the style of lith prints in the digital darkroom. It would certainly be safer. If you're committed the digital darkroom, Tim Rudman's breathtaking prints can still serve as an inspiration. I generally prefer traditional prints for black-and-white photographs, as they convey a depth that is easily distinguished from digital prints when examined closely. And all lith prints will be one-of-a-kind, which could be a source of great pride or great frustration, depending on your mood. In any case, "The Master Photographer's Lith Printing Course" is a comprehensive, easy-to-follow, beautifully illustrated manual of Lith printing. I'm sure that wet darkroom printers of all levels will find this an interesting technique to try.

Classic Adventures of the Indomitable Continental Op., Jul 11 2004

"The Big Knockover" was edited by Dashiell Hammett's longtime companion, the playwright Lillian Hellman, who wrote the introduction to the book in 1965, 5 years after Hammett died. She affectionately describes how they met, their relationship, how he died, and provides some insight into Hammett's personality from someone who knew him well. It's worth reading. "The Big Knockover" is a solid collection of Hammett stories featuring the wry, indomitable Continental Op. Dashiell Hammett was one of the 20th century's best short story writers, and, apart from "Tulip", which is a curiosity, this is classic Hammett and well worth reading whether you are new to Hammett or already a fan.

4th Century Conflicts that Created Modern Culture., Jul 10 2004

"When Jesus Became God" is an enlightening exposition of the theological conflicts and chaos that dominated the late Roman Empire, made Christianity the cultural standard that it has been ever since, and forged -or at least galvanized- the ideological and religious division between Latin and Eastern Christians. We see these events through the perspective of the Arian and Athanasian rivalry. This isn't a comprehensive look at religious politics in 4th century Rome, but it revolves around two of that century's most influential men, who represented one of Christianity's most significant theological struggles. The author gives Cappadocian doctrine short shift, summarizing the doctrine's place in history without providing much detail. But,as far as it goes, "When Jesus Became God" provides an essential piece of cultural and religious history in a concise, readable form.

Beautiful & Massive Documentation of Life on the Savannah., Jul 8 2004

The photographs in "The Circle of Life" are mostly one-to-a-page, but there are also 2-page spreads and pages containing two photographs. The reproduction quality is good. All photographs have detailed captions. An index in the back of the book allows the reader to locate text and photographs by species or topic. The index is most helpful considering the size of this volume. If you're familiar with the work of Anup and Manoj Shah through "Nature's Best" magazine, most, but not all, of their "Nature's Best" photographs are included in this book. "The Circle of Life" is a record of wildlife on the African Savannah that is impressive in its size, scope, and beauty. Only photographers who spend an extraordinary amount of time in this environment could have captured so much of the lives of so many species. It's a pleasure to see the results of Anup and Manoj Shah's experience and persistence in one volume. "The Circle of Life" is a fantastic coffee table book for nature photography fans, as well as a great visual resource for anyone studying this ecosystem.

Great Soundtrack & Fun Extras from an Enduring Musical., Jul 5 2004

Track 1 on the Bonus Disc is an instrumental version of the film's theme, "Grease", written and produced by Barry Gibb. Frankie Valli's voice has been replaced by a saxophone. The chorus is vocal, but the voices are not those in the original song. You could use this as a sing-along version, as it would be easy to sing over the sax. Tracks 2-5 are officially sing-along versions. "Summer Nights" includes the chorus vocals from the film and sounds good. "You're the One That I Want" has new chorus vocals of questionable merit. "Sandy" is a new arrangement. It's not as good as the film version, but you can sing along. Track 6 is the single version of "Greased Lightning" that you may have heard on the radio back in the day. It's differs from the original in that the bad words have been replaced for radio airplay. Tracks 7-8 are previously unreleased instrumentals from the film. "Greased Up and Ready to Go" is lively. Tracks 9-10 are mixes that I occasionally hear on the radio. The "Grease Megamix" and the "Grease Dream Mix" are fun, if awkward. Tracks 11-12 are Martian Remixes of "Summer Nights" and "You're the One That I Want". They retain the original vocals, but set them to a Latin rhythm. They make pretty good dance tracks.

This 2-disc set isn't in a jewel case. The case is paperboard with 4 panels that fold out. This is inside of a clear vinyl slip case on which the tracks are written. This isn't convenient packaging. On the bright side, the case won't crack in the mail. Tucked inside one of the panels is a booklet that contains lyrics and credits.

The "Grease: 25th Anniversary Deluxe Edition" is a terrifically fun soundtrack to one of the all-time great movie musicals. And for all those preteen girls who go wild over the movie with each new generation, the bonus material is perfect for parties and horsing around.

Thoughtful, Spooky Adaptation., Jul 3 2004

"Secret Window" is based on Stephen King's story "Secret Window, Secret Garden", published in his 1990 collection "Four Past Midnight". The story was adapted for the screen and directed by David Koepp. Koepp does an admirable job of manipulating the audience, creating suspense, and surprising us. Johnny Depp is perfect in the role of this slightly eccentric, suddenly spooked writer. John Turturro gives the most memorable performance of the film as the monotone, obsessed, menacing villain. I wouldn't have pictured Turturro in the role of a country bumpkin. It just goes to show the breadth of his talent. I thoroughly enjoyed "Secret Window". It looks good. The story is solid and layered. Director David Koepp is creative, clever, and has a great sense of timing.

The DVD: Bonus features include four deleted scenes, three featurettes, "Animatics", and an audio commentary from director David Koepp. "From Book to Film" is a documentary featuring interviews with David Koepp and the film's cast. The first 10 minutes of it basically just recap the film. Then there is some discussion of casting and filming. I wouldn't bother with this one. "A Look Through It" is a better documentary. 30 minutes long, David Koepp talks about the decisions he made shooting key sequences in the film, such as the opening hotel sequence and shooting inside the cabin. "Secrets Revealed" is a 13-minute documentary discussing the final 15 minutes of the movie. If you're really interested, these last two documentaries are the ones to watch. "Animatics" shows what are essentially animated storyboards for four scenes in the film. There is no narration or explanation. I had already heard too much commentary from the director to want to listen to the film's audio commentary, so I can't comment on that except to say that director David Koepp is interesting and well-spoken, so you might want to give the commentary a try if an hour's worth of featurettes haven't satisfied you. Subtitles are available in English and French. Dubbing is available in French.

One Bloody Page-Turner., Jun 29 2004

"Battle Royale" is often compared to William Golding's 1954 novel "Lord of the Flies". The two books are superficially very similar: They both concern a group of youths on a island fighting for their lives. They are both allegories, but of different things. "Lord of the Flies" illustrates the baser instincts that are normally hidden beneath a thin veneer of civilization. It is to some degree a mockery of British society as the author saw it at the time. "Battle Royale" is explicitly anti-fascist, but since it is doesn't have an audience living under fascism, that's not meaningful in itself. The book's fascism seems to be an allegory for the more rigid aspects of Japanese culture and its educational system. It's possible to interpret the book as anti-capitalist, but I've no idea if that was intended. I do think it implicitly criticizes expectations that modern families often have for their children, and I suspect that bourgeois American youth will empathize more with this facet of the book than with those themes which apply more specifically to Japan.

I understand why young people like "Battle Royale". But it wasn't exclusively young people who made the book a bestseller in Japan. It's an entertaining novel with an interesting premise for older folks too. Truthfully, its themes are not as well-executed as "Lord of the Flies", but "Battle Royale"'s characters, interpersonal relationships, and motivations are more intricately drawn. And this is what makes it a page-turner. The bloodbath isn't so shocking as the idea that gruesome violence is inevitable. We get to know these characters. We witness well-intentioned people do horrible things. After a while the reader comes to see the hopelessness of the situation and realizes that people really would murder their classmates, even if they had not set out to do so.

When I started reading "Battle Royale", I doubted my ability to keep track of 42 plus characters, all with unfamiliar Japanese names. But I didn't have any trouble at all remembering who was who. Author Koushun Takami deserves a lot of credit for focusing our attention on unique attributes of each character and organizing the book to overcome confusion. The number of students left remaining is announced at the end of each chapter. This helps the reader keep track of what's going on and emphasizes the narrative's -and the Program's- matter-of-fact tone.

The only glaring fault that I can find with Takami's writing is the dialogue. The students' dialogue seems awkward and remedial. As I know nothing about the Japanese language, I can't tell if this is bad writing or a problem with the translation. Apart from that, the text is fluid and easy to read. Don't be put off by the book's length. It's a real page-turner. I never at any point tired of reading. I was always anxious to find out who would live or die in the next chapter. Creepy but true. Maintaining the readers' curiosity for over 600 pages is an admirable accomplishment. "Battle Royale" is an impressive first novel. It's enjoyable for young and aging alike. 4 1/2 stars.

An Extraordinary True Story of Survival., Jun 28 2004

Director Kevin MacDonald has intercut interview footage of the real Joe Simpson and Simon Yates with re-enactments of the events in which the climbers are portrayed by actors. In this way, the two men narrate their own story, while Brendan Mackey, who plays Joe, and Nicholas Aaron, who plays Simon, dramatize the events. The reenactment was filmed on location in Peru, and close-ups were filmed in the European Alps. The photography is beautiful, and the climbing scenes seem authentic. Joe's struggle to survive, injured and malnourished, in one of the harshest climates on this planet is fascinating. I was grateful that director Kevin MacDonald decided that Joe and Simon should tell their own story. Joe's survival is so extraordinary that it might not be believed if there were no one to witness the circumstances under which he persevered, and the recreated footage perfectly illustrates his struggle. I thoroughly enjoyed this film. It's a great story, told effectively. As Joe Simpson's struggle was against the elements and in his own mind, a narration gets this across nicely, where a traditional narrative might fail.

The DVD: Bonus features include a "Making of" documentary, a featurette entitled "Return to Siula Grande", and "What Happens Next", which picks up where the film left off and tells us how Joe eventually got treatment for his injuries. The "making of " documentary is 23 minutes long, includes interviews with director Kevin MacDonald, Joe Simpson and Simon Yates, and takes a while to get going. I'd skip it. "Return to Siula Grande" documents Joe and Simon's return to the site of their fateful climb and contains more interview footage with Joe and Simon than the "making of". We actually learn more about the making of the movie from this featurette, even though it only covers the time the crew spent in Peru. Watch "What Happens Next" if you felt the film left you hanging. Subtitles available in English and Spanish.