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Lou Grande (148 KP) rated Hogg in Books
May 28, 2018
Please, please, please proceed with caution
HOGG was written in 1968, a few short months before the Stonewall Riots. Brimming with anger and pent up sexuality, HOGG is (by the author's admission) a pornographic novel for nobody. It's the kind of novel that's hard to describe as "good," even though it's masterfully constructed and hard-hitting. It's also disgusting on a deep, visceral level--multiple levels, actually.
The (mostly) nameless, voiceless narrator of HOGG is an underage boy of possibly mixed race who begins his narrative by immediately shifting focus from himself to Hogg, a character so vile that it's hard to write a PG description of him. His profession is that of a rape artist. He rapes specific women in exchange for cash and enjoys his work, though admittedly he prefers the company of men.
When the narrator and Hogg meet, it leads to a weekend of unspeakable violence and puke-worthy sex. Racism literally abounds; some characters are referred to just by an epithet, and some of their names are only revealed in police reports. HOGG, the novel, plays on our sense of pity--we want to feel bad for the narrator. It's easy to see him as a victim of society. But as the pages go on, it gets harder and harder as he becomes more than an active participant in the goings-on.
The word "love" is never mentioned in the 200+ page novel, but the reader can feel an approximation of it in the relationship between Hogg and the narrator--maybe. This makes the ending just that much more powerful, when the narrator speaks his only line of dialogue.
This is a very powerful book, whether you can find something redeemable in it or not. It's very much a product of its time, and furthermore, it SAYS something, which I think these so-called "extreme" horror authors could learn a thing about. HOGG is not just filth for the sake of filth, or violence for the sake of violence. When put in context, it's heart-breaking and vile at the same time. I don't know if another book has ever made me feel this way.
The (mostly) nameless, voiceless narrator of HOGG is an underage boy of possibly mixed race who begins his narrative by immediately shifting focus from himself to Hogg, a character so vile that it's hard to write a PG description of him. His profession is that of a rape artist. He rapes specific women in exchange for cash and enjoys his work, though admittedly he prefers the company of men.
When the narrator and Hogg meet, it leads to a weekend of unspeakable violence and puke-worthy sex. Racism literally abounds; some characters are referred to just by an epithet, and some of their names are only revealed in police reports. HOGG, the novel, plays on our sense of pity--we want to feel bad for the narrator. It's easy to see him as a victim of society. But as the pages go on, it gets harder and harder as he becomes more than an active participant in the goings-on.
The word "love" is never mentioned in the 200+ page novel, but the reader can feel an approximation of it in the relationship between Hogg and the narrator--maybe. This makes the ending just that much more powerful, when the narrator speaks his only line of dialogue.
This is a very powerful book, whether you can find something redeemable in it or not. It's very much a product of its time, and furthermore, it SAYS something, which I think these so-called "extreme" horror authors could learn a thing about. HOGG is not just filth for the sake of filth, or violence for the sake of violence. When put in context, it's heart-breaking and vile at the same time. I don't know if another book has ever made me feel this way.
I adore this book. It's not only a good science fiction story, but also fantastically character-driven, which is rare in genre fiction. That's great for me. When I read a book, I care more about psychological development than what a shiny setting and fun toys it has.
It's not a happy, frolic-through-the-daisies type of story. We're talking not only about war, but child abuse, human trafficking and rape. It can be quite disturbing, if that type of thing isn't your cup of tea. But if that doesn't particularly bug you, it's a fantastic book.
One thing that really bugs me, though, is how so many people insist there's slash. As a person who's not into that kind of thing, that originally turned me off of reading it, because I had a bad feeling the main character, Jos, was going to find healing comfort from his trauma in the loving arms of another guy, and it would go downhill from there.
Luckily, I decided to read it anyway. And I don't see very much slash there. Sure, one character definitely has a thing for Jos, and the villain's a real creep, and then there's a character who's gay by Word Of God, but that's it for this book. The rest of it's pretty much characters insinuating, which is designed to anger other characters. That's it.
Jos, himself, is on the asexual side. He treats attraction as a completely alien concept. Niko is a surrogate father to him. I see him as feeling responsible for protecting Evan. Evan, who frustrates him a great deal. And one time, Jos seriously needed a hug, and fell asleep while being hugged. Woke up, and went right back to the asexual, PTSD, Hates-Being-Touched Jos we know and love.
None of that makes him gay. And three characters who are bi or gay does in no way a majority make. Sure, the shipping potential is there for fans if they want to use it, but certain type of fans are always finding stuff where there's canonically nothing.
In short, one of the best books I've read, and I absolutely loved the main character. He is not gay, and neither are the majority of characters.
It's not a happy, frolic-through-the-daisies type of story. We're talking not only about war, but child abuse, human trafficking and rape. It can be quite disturbing, if that type of thing isn't your cup of tea. But if that doesn't particularly bug you, it's a fantastic book.
One thing that really bugs me, though, is how so many people insist there's slash. As a person who's not into that kind of thing, that originally turned me off of reading it, because I had a bad feeling the main character, Jos, was going to find healing comfort from his trauma in the loving arms of another guy, and it would go downhill from there.
Luckily, I decided to read it anyway. And I don't see very much slash there. Sure, one character definitely has a thing for Jos, and the villain's a real creep, and then there's a character who's gay by Word Of God, but that's it for this book. The rest of it's pretty much characters insinuating, which is designed to anger other characters. That's it.
Jos, himself, is on the asexual side. He treats attraction as a completely alien concept. Niko is a surrogate father to him. I see him as feeling responsible for protecting Evan. Evan, who frustrates him a great deal. And one time, Jos seriously needed a hug, and fell asleep while being hugged. Woke up, and went right back to the asexual, PTSD, Hates-Being-Touched Jos we know and love.
None of that makes him gay. And three characters who are bi or gay does in no way a majority make. Sure, the shipping potential is there for fans if they want to use it, but certain type of fans are always finding stuff where there's canonically nothing.
In short, one of the best books I've read, and I absolutely loved the main character. He is not gay, and neither are the majority of characters.
Lenard (726 KP) rated Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019) in Movies
Jul 28, 2019
John Hughes Film Inside a Superhero Cartoon
Spider-Man: Far From Home is the prototypical teen film from the eighties that was not written with the keen insight of John Hughes or one of his proteges. There is the teen girl who kind of likes this boy, but they are friends and she is afraid of losing him as a friend if they start to date. She doesn't flirt with embarrassingly tossed off factoids that only attract him more. There is also a dorky guy who is in love with a girl in his school so instead of directly asking her out he comes up with an elaborate plot to win her over. But at least the plan doesn't end in rape where the sex causes the dream girl to fall head over heels in love. In addition to our lovers, there is a romantic rival who blackmails the guy so he can't attempt wooing the girl. There is a horndog best friend who tries to convince the guy to give up a monogamous relationship for casual sex with multiple partners on an European vacation. There is the bully who hates the dorky guy, but is smitten with the hero who is the dorky guy in disguise, i.e., Teen Wolf. There is a second milquetoast girl who makes occasional appearances in the film so it is not some sausage fest with one female character in search of love. Then, there are a lot of ineffectual adults in the film except for one sympathetic adult who serves as a mentor. The mentor tries to help out teen to win the love of his life and figure out his path in life. And, there is also a heartless boss the teen has to work with who rides his ass and makes him want to quit, but he needs the money. Against all odds, the dorky guy succeeds and transitions into a functional adult male of some character.
Overall, the movie is extremely satisfactory and sets up a whole new set of Marvel movies. But it leaves several huge questions due to the credit cookies, one of which is Where is Maria Hill? (not really a spoiler)
Overall, the movie is extremely satisfactory and sets up a whole new set of Marvel movies. But it leaves several huge questions due to the credit cookies, one of which is Where is Maria Hill? (not really a spoiler)
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated The Lincoln Lawyer (2011) in Movies
Aug 7, 2019
Mick Haller (Matthew McConaughey) is a criminal defense attorney who works out of his Lincoln Town Car in Los Angeles, hence the title of the movie and book “The Lincoln Lawyer” by Michael Connelly. Mickey defends all kinds of criminals and all he expects from his clients is that they pay him. While he may be a rather shifty lawyer, he is a loving father to his daughter Hayley (Mackenzie Aladjem) and he obviously still cares for her mother Maggie McPherson (Marisa Tomei).
Now although he has many clients, none are really big money clients. That changes one day when Louis Roulet (Ryan Phillippe), a rich Beverly Hills playboy, is arrested for assault & attempted rape and he wants Mick to defend him. At first Mick believes that he will be able to easily get his client acquitted, but as he and his investigator Frank Levin (William H. Macy) dig deeper, they discovery disturbing information about the case and it’s possible link to another.
In his quest to win the all mighty “Not Guilty” verdict, Mick has many obstacles (both professional and personal) placed before him that he must successfully navigate around, and treachery hiding in the shadows that he must bring into the light or else he may lose more than just a case.
While the entire cast was incredible, Matthew McConaughey and Ryan Phillippe gave equally amazing performances (this is especially true for any scene that they were both in). The characters were well-developed, believable and for the most part likable, heck I even liked the biker Eddie (Trace Adkins). The storyline was intriguing with a twist or two that I did not see coming and it also had some very nice humor sprinkled in. I did find that in a few scenes the dialogue seemed to be a bit unnatural for what was going on but it didn’t really detract from the overall scenes in question. Personally I hope this film does well enough that they make a sequel (I believe the book’s sequel is The Reversal) because I would like to see more of these characters in action.
Now although he has many clients, none are really big money clients. That changes one day when Louis Roulet (Ryan Phillippe), a rich Beverly Hills playboy, is arrested for assault & attempted rape and he wants Mick to defend him. At first Mick believes that he will be able to easily get his client acquitted, but as he and his investigator Frank Levin (William H. Macy) dig deeper, they discovery disturbing information about the case and it’s possible link to another.
In his quest to win the all mighty “Not Guilty” verdict, Mick has many obstacles (both professional and personal) placed before him that he must successfully navigate around, and treachery hiding in the shadows that he must bring into the light or else he may lose more than just a case.
While the entire cast was incredible, Matthew McConaughey and Ryan Phillippe gave equally amazing performances (this is especially true for any scene that they were both in). The characters were well-developed, believable and for the most part likable, heck I even liked the biker Eddie (Trace Adkins). The storyline was intriguing with a twist or two that I did not see coming and it also had some very nice humor sprinkled in. I did find that in a few scenes the dialogue seemed to be a bit unnatural for what was going on but it didn’t really detract from the overall scenes in question. Personally I hope this film does well enough that they make a sequel (I believe the book’s sequel is The Reversal) because I would like to see more of these characters in action.
Dr. Death and the Country Dentist: A True Story of Corruption and Injustice in the American South
Radley Balko, Tucker Carrington and John Grisham
Book
This is a tale of two tragedies. At the heart of the first is Dr. Steven Hayne, a doctor the State...
Understanding the Sexual Betrayal of Boys and Men: The Trauma of Sexual Abuse
Book
Understanding the Sexual Betrayal of Boys and Men: The Trauma of Sexual Abuse is an indispensable...
ClareR (5879 KP) rated Kololo Hill in Books
Apr 20, 2021
Kololo Hill is a moving story that centres around a family and their lives before, during and after the rise of Idi Amin in Uganda.
Asha is newly married to Pran, and lives with his parents, Jaya and Motichand, and his brother Vijay. The family don’t take Idi Amin’s threats seriously when he initially says that all Ugandan Asians must leave Uganda within ninety days, with nothing except for what they can carry, or face the consequences. But when the soldiers arrive and the violence starts, there can be no denying what they must do. Except they all have different passports. Motichand and Pran have Indian passports, Asha, Jaya and Vijay’s are British. And the British won’t allow them to stay together.
It isn’t just Asians whose lives are in danger. December, the family’s houseboy, is in hiding in their house, as the area he comes from is exterminated by the military.
The danger and fear were tangible when I was reading this book. It’s dangerous to even leave their houses or open their doors, and there is an ever present fear of violence and rape. Even when leaving for the airport, soldiers set up checkpoints so that they can extort as much money as possible form people before they leave.
And then there is the stark contrast between their lives in Uganda and England. Jaya, Asha and Vijay are initially given accommodation in an army barracks before they are placed in houses in (in their case) London.
They go from sunshine, warmth, comfort and colour, to cold, dreary, grey England, where the locals are hostile and accuse them of taking their jobs, or in the case of Vijay, who has part of his arm missing, won’t give him a job because of disability, even though he wants to work.
I was riveted to this book and really didn’t want to put it down. It poses the questions: what is home? Is it the place where you were born? The place where you live? Is home the people who you are with?
There were so many gasp out loud moments in this book. It deserves all the hype around it - and more.
Many thanks to Picador for providing me with an e-copy through NetGalley.
Asha is newly married to Pran, and lives with his parents, Jaya and Motichand, and his brother Vijay. The family don’t take Idi Amin’s threats seriously when he initially says that all Ugandan Asians must leave Uganda within ninety days, with nothing except for what they can carry, or face the consequences. But when the soldiers arrive and the violence starts, there can be no denying what they must do. Except they all have different passports. Motichand and Pran have Indian passports, Asha, Jaya and Vijay’s are British. And the British won’t allow them to stay together.
It isn’t just Asians whose lives are in danger. December, the family’s houseboy, is in hiding in their house, as the area he comes from is exterminated by the military.
The danger and fear were tangible when I was reading this book. It’s dangerous to even leave their houses or open their doors, and there is an ever present fear of violence and rape. Even when leaving for the airport, soldiers set up checkpoints so that they can extort as much money as possible form people before they leave.
And then there is the stark contrast between their lives in Uganda and England. Jaya, Asha and Vijay are initially given accommodation in an army barracks before they are placed in houses in (in their case) London.
They go from sunshine, warmth, comfort and colour, to cold, dreary, grey England, where the locals are hostile and accuse them of taking their jobs, or in the case of Vijay, who has part of his arm missing, won’t give him a job because of disability, even though he wants to work.
I was riveted to this book and really didn’t want to put it down. It poses the questions: what is home? Is it the place where you were born? The place where you live? Is home the people who you are with?
There were so many gasp out loud moments in this book. It deserves all the hype around it - and more.
Many thanks to Picador for providing me with an e-copy through NetGalley.
Bondage Rescue (Kiss of Leather #3)
10.0
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Book
Kyle’s best friend Marshall resurfaces and he’s in a lot of trouble. Can the men at Kiss of...
BDSM M_M Contemporary Romance
No Shame (No Shame #4)
10.0
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Book
(This is NOT a stand alone novel. See end of this description for details) Brad feels nothing but...
M_M Contemporary Romance
Having read, loved and recommended The Bees many times (and The Ice, too!), I thought I knew what to expect from Laline Paull. Well, I was right and wrong!
Firstly, I loved Pod.
Secondly, it gave me a lot to think about.
Thirdly, how does Laline Paull put herself in a dolphins shoes (flippers? Sorry…) and not make it sound like a children’s book? And I should stress: this is NOT a children’s book.
Paull may have anthropomorphised dolphins, various fish, all and any sea life, but she has stayed pretty close to what I’ve learnt is their true nature (thank you David Attenborough!). Dolphins are very intelligent, playful and seem to know what humans want (maybe that’s just me reading more into these things). But they’re also hunters, they have a pecking order, and I don’t think you’d want to be at the bottom of it if you were a dolphin!
This novel shows the joyful side of being a dolphin, the way that they must work together for the greater good of the pod. It also shows how violent they are - there’s even a dolphin rape scene that was every bit as upsetting as if it had been a human.
In amongst all the dolphin drama is a message for us humans. We see the damage the human race is doing to the oceans: pollution, over-fishing, capturing dolphins for food, entertainment, or warfare.
Pod is graphic in places. It most definitely doesn’t pull its punches - and why should it?
This novel is not sentimental, jam packed with happy, child-friendly dolphins. Pod looks at the real struggles of sea life (and there’s not just dolphins involved). These dolphins are fighters, authoritarian, protective of one another, followers of tradition as well as migration routes, they deal with the results of humanity’s selfishness and cost-cutting.
The imagination and empathy that must have gone in to writing this: I’ve seen how a dolphin, a whale, a wrasse, a clam, a remora and a sea anemone feel and behave (I like to think so, anyway!).
How could I NOT love this book? 🤷🏼♀️
Firstly, I loved Pod.
Secondly, it gave me a lot to think about.
Thirdly, how does Laline Paull put herself in a dolphins shoes (flippers? Sorry…) and not make it sound like a children’s book? And I should stress: this is NOT a children’s book.
Paull may have anthropomorphised dolphins, various fish, all and any sea life, but she has stayed pretty close to what I’ve learnt is their true nature (thank you David Attenborough!). Dolphins are very intelligent, playful and seem to know what humans want (maybe that’s just me reading more into these things). But they’re also hunters, they have a pecking order, and I don’t think you’d want to be at the bottom of it if you were a dolphin!
This novel shows the joyful side of being a dolphin, the way that they must work together for the greater good of the pod. It also shows how violent they are - there’s even a dolphin rape scene that was every bit as upsetting as if it had been a human.
In amongst all the dolphin drama is a message for us humans. We see the damage the human race is doing to the oceans: pollution, over-fishing, capturing dolphins for food, entertainment, or warfare.
Pod is graphic in places. It most definitely doesn’t pull its punches - and why should it?
This novel is not sentimental, jam packed with happy, child-friendly dolphins. Pod looks at the real struggles of sea life (and there’s not just dolphins involved). These dolphins are fighters, authoritarian, protective of one another, followers of tradition as well as migration routes, they deal with the results of humanity’s selfishness and cost-cutting.
The imagination and empathy that must have gone in to writing this: I’ve seen how a dolphin, a whale, a wrasse, a clam, a remora and a sea anemone feel and behave (I like to think so, anyway!).
How could I NOT love this book? 🤷🏼♀️