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Caffeinated Fae (464 KP) rated Mafia Captive in Books
Jul 12, 2018
Okay, so this is one of those guilty pleasure books that will keep you entertained and a little embarrassed that you are entertained.
Things I liked about the book: The psychology behind the main characters, the use of conditioning, and how fast of a read it was.
Things I didn't like about the book: Sexual Assault, Stockholm Syndrome, and the stupidity of the characters.
The book has a different kind of plot and it is very dark compared to other novels that I have read. The main character is kidnapped, held hostage, forced into sexual experiences. This book frustrated me in the fact that BDSM does NOT equal abuse, or rape. Safe, Sane, and Consensual are the three things that don't really make an appearance.
Things I liked about the book: The psychology behind the main characters, the use of conditioning, and how fast of a read it was.
Things I didn't like about the book: Sexual Assault, Stockholm Syndrome, and the stupidity of the characters.
The book has a different kind of plot and it is very dark compared to other novels that I have read. The main character is kidnapped, held hostage, forced into sexual experiences. This book frustrated me in the fact that BDSM does NOT equal abuse, or rape. Safe, Sane, and Consensual are the three things that don't really make an appearance.
Ali Abbasi recommended Mulholland Drive (2001) in Movies (curated)
Kristina (502 KP) rated Stolen: A Letter to My Captor in Books
Dec 7, 2020
Very, very interesting. I had never read anything like Stolen before. An actual letter to your captor, oh how strong you must be to not only write to such a person, but to recall everything that happened to you and write it with such honesty. After reading this, I really hope I never get kidnapped: Gemmy had me starting to like her kidnapper. As she slowly and unconsciously slipped into the Stockholm syndrome, I felt myself slip as well. In fact, by the end, I was rooting for Ty and actually began to like him. Once I finished reading, I couldn't believe I felt the way I did. Even now, I'm still a bit confused about how I should feel about him. Very, very good read!
ClareR (5603 KP) rated The Memoirs of Stockholm Sven in Books
Aug 9, 2022
The Arctic has always seemed to me to be a terrifying, forbidding place, which sounds very much like I’m not going to enjoy “The Memoirs of Stockholm Sven”, doesn’t it?
Well, wrong.
Fascination and terror seem to often walk hand in hand in my reading. There’s no way that I’d willingly go to these freezing, inhospitable places, but that’s no reason not to read a novel about it.
And what a novel this is.
Sven, who unsurprisingly comes from Stockholm, has always stood out from others and wants to go to the Arctic to seek adventure. But when he does go he finds himself working in a mine. Back-breaking, dangerous work, that ultimately ends in disaster for him. The result is a face that makes him even more of an outcast. But it also seems to attract the people who will be his friends. People who will help him to learn to live in the frozen north independently: Tapio, the Finn who teaches him to trap animals, shows him what to eat and when to eat it; Charles MacIntyre, a Scottish geologist who helps him to find his way back to life after the accident.
This is all written in the first person, and it really does feel like a personal account. You could be forgiven for thinking it’s a true story - in fact it is a very human story. Sven’s determination to survive and learn to be self-sufficient is touching, funny at times and always life affirming. Sven experiences great highs and achievements, as well as terrible lows.
I’m so glad that I read this.
Well, wrong.
Fascination and terror seem to often walk hand in hand in my reading. There’s no way that I’d willingly go to these freezing, inhospitable places, but that’s no reason not to read a novel about it.
And what a novel this is.
Sven, who unsurprisingly comes from Stockholm, has always stood out from others and wants to go to the Arctic to seek adventure. But when he does go he finds himself working in a mine. Back-breaking, dangerous work, that ultimately ends in disaster for him. The result is a face that makes him even more of an outcast. But it also seems to attract the people who will be his friends. People who will help him to learn to live in the frozen north independently: Tapio, the Finn who teaches him to trap animals, shows him what to eat and when to eat it; Charles MacIntyre, a Scottish geologist who helps him to find his way back to life after the accident.
This is all written in the first person, and it really does feel like a personal account. You could be forgiven for thinking it’s a true story - in fact it is a very human story. Sven’s determination to survive and learn to be self-sufficient is touching, funny at times and always life affirming. Sven experiences great highs and achievements, as well as terrible lows.
I’m so glad that I read this.
Acanthea Grimscythe (300 KP) rated Jordskott - Season 1 in TV
May 12, 2018
If you’re looking for something in the flavor of Grimm and Supernatural, the Swedish drama Jordskott may be right up your alley. Despite being found on horror streaming service Shudder, the series doesn’t have a whole bunch of the horror elements. What it does have, for the first season at least, is a decent storyline.
The characters in Jordskott are rather bland, unfortunately and they are not its strong point. The main character, Eva Thörnblad is an heiress who returns home to where seven years ago, her daughter Josefine disappeared. Much of her role in the series involved losing cars (she went through three in the first season), disobeying orders, brazenly rushing into things, and deflecting an all too beautifully sweet love interest. (I adore Tom Aronsson as a character.) After she’s put on leave from her job in Stockholm dealing with hostage negotiation, she manages to get herself brought onto the Silverhöjd case.
Wass is, perhaps, the strongest of the characters we meet, and certainly does the most actively throughout the first season.
In this world, myth blends into fantasy, bringing several creatures from Scandinavian and Norwegian lore into the story. These creatures are surfacing more and more frequently as the forest, facing certain doom from the company that Eva’s father founded, reacts angrily to human actions. It’s really a reminder that we should consider the natural world around us for what it is: a boon to our lives.
I lost interest in the second season, as it seems to mostly be a rehash of the first, with a slightly altered storyline. Now it’s something big in Stockholm that’s upsetting natural order, versus Silverhöjd. This series is definitely worth a watch of at least the first season.
The characters in Jordskott are rather bland, unfortunately and they are not its strong point. The main character, Eva Thörnblad is an heiress who returns home to where seven years ago, her daughter Josefine disappeared. Much of her role in the series involved losing cars (she went through three in the first season), disobeying orders, brazenly rushing into things, and deflecting an all too beautifully sweet love interest. (I adore Tom Aronsson as a character.) After she’s put on leave from her job in Stockholm dealing with hostage negotiation, she manages to get herself brought onto the Silverhöjd case.
Wass is, perhaps, the strongest of the characters we meet, and certainly does the most actively throughout the first season.
In this world, myth blends into fantasy, bringing several creatures from Scandinavian and Norwegian lore into the story. These creatures are surfacing more and more frequently as the forest, facing certain doom from the company that Eva’s father founded, reacts angrily to human actions. It’s really a reminder that we should consider the natural world around us for what it is: a boon to our lives.
I lost interest in the second season, as it seems to mostly be a rehash of the first, with a slightly altered storyline. Now it’s something big in Stockholm that’s upsetting natural order, versus Silverhöjd. This series is definitely worth a watch of at least the first season.
Awix (3310 KP) rated The Square (2017) in Movies
Jun 30, 2020
Another of those occasions where the Smashbomb rating scale falls a little short: 'shoddy' isn't how I'd describe this film as much as fundamentally somewhat misconceived. Anyway: award-winning satire of liberal pretensions and angst set in and around a Stockholm art gallery. Curator Christian gets mugged, leading him to make some very poor decisions; various installations and performances go horribly wrong; the gulf between the high-minded aspirations of the museum's patrons and their actual behaviour is repeatedly exposed.
The odd quite funny and on-point scene, but it doesn't half labour its points and at nearly two and half hours it feels much too long (I watched it in installments, which I never normally do). Bang is pretty good in the central role and the thesis of the film is certainly relevent to the modern world, but it could have been funnier, sharper, and less irritatingly weird in places. As it is, this is a film satirising pretentiousness which actually feels rather pretentious itself - so not a great look. Hard work, if you ask me,
The odd quite funny and on-point scene, but it doesn't half labour its points and at nearly two and half hours it feels much too long (I watched it in installments, which I never normally do). Bang is pretty good in the central role and the thesis of the film is certainly relevent to the modern world, but it could have been funnier, sharper, and less irritatingly weird in places. As it is, this is a film satirising pretentiousness which actually feels rather pretentious itself - so not a great look. Hard work, if you ask me,
Bob Mann (459 KP) rated The Wife (2017) in Movies
Sep 28, 2021 (Updated Sep 28, 2021)
Glenn Close … #robbed.
I missed “The Wife” when it came out in September, but finally caught it a few weeks ago. (Been a busy time at work so have a bit of a backlog of reviews!).
The Plot.
Joan Castleman (Glenn Close) is the doting wife of internationally renowned writer Joe Castleman (Jonathan Pryce). As we start the film, Joe has just received a call from Stockholm. No, it’s not an “amusing story about a goat” (for any MM2 fans out there). It’s notification that he is to receive the Nobel prize for literature. As Joan listens to the news on the extension, there is something in her eyes that betrays mixed emotions.
They travel to Sweden (on Concorde, obviously) with their son Max (Max Irons) – a writer at the start of his career. Max and Joe have a strained relationship.
Also in Stockholm is Nathanial Bone (Christian Slater) – the bane of Joe’s life, since he seems insistent on writing the biography of the great man. As Nathanial picks through the history of the couple, things start to unravel in unexpected ways.
What a performance!
The heart of this film, and the main reason for watching what is really a bit of a pot-boiler, is the performance by Glenn Close. It’s a remarkable demonstration of the acting craft and 110% Oscar worthy.
Don’t get me wrong…. as I watched the Oscars live in the wee-hours of Monday morning I let out a WHOOP of joy when our own national treasure Olivia Colman picked up the award. But I have to say that I think Glenn Close was rather robbed. Close can act brilliantly without saying a single word. In fact most of her best scenes are reaction shots to what she is listening to.
In comparison I found Jonathan Pryce to be a soupçon over-the-top as the feted writer, and I didn’t find the portrayal of Bone by Slater to be terribly convincing. So it’s a very mixed acting bag in my view.
Utterly gorgeous in a way that only Swedish women can be is Karin Franz Körlof as the personal photographer Linnea. She can also act!
A perfectly pleasant movie
Directed by Swedish director Björn Runge and with a screenplay by Jane Anderson, it’s a perfectly pleasant way to spend a couple of hours. The story is intriguing enough to keep your interest, although it plays its hand so early that the simmering suspense element ebbs out of the film. A final “Sixth Sense” style of reveal might have been much more effective.
But this is above all a film to relish the performance of Close: the facial acting during the speech at the awards ceremony is something that should be studied at acting schools for years to come.
The Plot.
Joan Castleman (Glenn Close) is the doting wife of internationally renowned writer Joe Castleman (Jonathan Pryce). As we start the film, Joe has just received a call from Stockholm. No, it’s not an “amusing story about a goat” (for any MM2 fans out there). It’s notification that he is to receive the Nobel prize for literature. As Joan listens to the news on the extension, there is something in her eyes that betrays mixed emotions.
They travel to Sweden (on Concorde, obviously) with their son Max (Max Irons) – a writer at the start of his career. Max and Joe have a strained relationship.
Also in Stockholm is Nathanial Bone (Christian Slater) – the bane of Joe’s life, since he seems insistent on writing the biography of the great man. As Nathanial picks through the history of the couple, things start to unravel in unexpected ways.
What a performance!
The heart of this film, and the main reason for watching what is really a bit of a pot-boiler, is the performance by Glenn Close. It’s a remarkable demonstration of the acting craft and 110% Oscar worthy.
Don’t get me wrong…. as I watched the Oscars live in the wee-hours of Monday morning I let out a WHOOP of joy when our own national treasure Olivia Colman picked up the award. But I have to say that I think Glenn Close was rather robbed. Close can act brilliantly without saying a single word. In fact most of her best scenes are reaction shots to what she is listening to.
In comparison I found Jonathan Pryce to be a soupçon over-the-top as the feted writer, and I didn’t find the portrayal of Bone by Slater to be terribly convincing. So it’s a very mixed acting bag in my view.
Utterly gorgeous in a way that only Swedish women can be is Karin Franz Körlof as the personal photographer Linnea. She can also act!
A perfectly pleasant movie
Directed by Swedish director Björn Runge and with a screenplay by Jane Anderson, it’s a perfectly pleasant way to spend a couple of hours. The story is intriguing enough to keep your interest, although it plays its hand so early that the simmering suspense element ebbs out of the film. A final “Sixth Sense” style of reveal might have been much more effective.
But this is above all a film to relish the performance of Close: the facial acting during the speech at the awards ceremony is something that should be studied at acting schools for years to come.
Sheridan (209 KP) rated Suicide Squad (2016) in Movies
Jul 9, 2017
Cast (3 more)
Visual Effects
Dark/Dry Humour
Perfect Harley Quinn portrayal
Harley/Joker relationship portrayed felt romantic rather than what it is (2 more)
Villain was lacking
Storyline wasn't fleshed out enough
Excellent Movie - Even for a Marvel fan ;)
Let it be said now, I will always love Marvel more than DC because I relate to the characters. I've never particularly been a fan of DC heroes but I've always said they have excellent bad guys. If you're a die-hard fan of the comics this movie probably won't do it for you because there is a lot of interpretation in there. I, however, loved it solely because of the excellent casting. The storyline is a little lacking and I felt the villain in the movie wasn't quite fleshed out enough for it to be a complete movie, if that makes sense. Harley Quinn couldn't have been more perfectly cast (though I might be biased as an Aussie lol), Deadshot had an interesting interpreation from Will Smith and I enjoyed it, Joker was definitely closer to what I've seen in the comics, however I feel his relationship with Harley wasn't shown correctly (it felt more romantic than it should have, he's an awful person and truly treats her like s**t, it's a relationship based on insanity and stockholm syndrome and it didn't feel that way to me) All in all despite a few flaws it was a good movie. I would definitely watch it again.
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated Cruel Beauty in Books
Apr 26, 2018
After reading Bright Smoke, Cold Fire I knew I HAD to find more Rosamund Hodge. She has a fantastic flair for taking fairy tales (or Shakespeare!) and twisting them into something darker but more realistic. Cruel Beauty is a twist on Beauty and the Beast, but this is no Stockholm Syndrome-suffering Beauty. She is resentful, and bitter, and angry at her father for subjecting her to this. She has trained her entire life to go to the Beast and destroy him, even if it means destroying herself too. What she find at the castle is nothing like what she expected, though, and neither is she what Hodge's Beast expects. Watching these two bitter, mocking characters dance around each other to get to the bottom of the curse and what actually happened to their world is engrossing and beautiful.
I couldn't put this book down once I started it, and I've already started Crimson Bound (Little Red Riding Hood), the next book in the same world. There's also a novella, Gilded Ashes (Cinderella), that I should snag a copy of.
The world is lovely and evocative, with gods and Forest Lords and Demons who actively participate in the world and grant wishes and make deals. It's a little bit Rumpelstiltskin, a little Fairy Godmother, a little Greek mythology, and all Rosamund Hodge. She's got talent, and writes my favorite micro-genre SO WELL.
If you like dark fairy tales, read this and then everything else Rosamund Hodge has written. It's excellent!
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
I couldn't put this book down once I started it, and I've already started Crimson Bound (Little Red Riding Hood), the next book in the same world. There's also a novella, Gilded Ashes (Cinderella), that I should snag a copy of.
The world is lovely and evocative, with gods and Forest Lords and Demons who actively participate in the world and grant wishes and make deals. It's a little bit Rumpelstiltskin, a little Fairy Godmother, a little Greek mythology, and all Rosamund Hodge. She's got talent, and writes my favorite micro-genre SO WELL.
If you like dark fairy tales, read this and then everything else Rosamund Hodge has written. It's excellent!
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
Kristin (149 KP) rated 'Till the Last Petal Falls (Once Upon a Reality #1) in Books
Dec 7, 2018
Disclaimer: I received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.
"Never settle for a fairytale."
During my Psychology classes in college, we discussed how various characters have psychological issues: popular cartoon characters, the cast of "Winnie the Pooh," and the vast majority of the Disney Princesses. Belle is no exception, and this book explores that idea beautifully, no pun intended.
Jolee answers a Craigslist ad which sounds too good to be true, and she finds herself in the mountains of Aspen, tutoring a shut-in with some very serious issues of his own. As time goes by, she learns for and more about this man, and most of it is not good. However, she sticks by him, hoping to "fix" him with her love.
Sound like a recipe for disaster?
I used to teach a rehabilitation class for men convicted of domestic violence, and this book definitely delves into that dynamic head-first. It's a real eye-opener into the lives of those involved in those situations, from both sides of the coin as well as an outsider's perspective. Comparing it to the story of "Beauty and the Beast" really adds a whole new layer to it, as most of us either grew up with that story/movie or fell in love with it because of our kids/grandkids/etc. It's a crazy thought, but the more you think about it, the more you realize Belle suffered from Stockholm syndrome as well as battered-woman syndrome, and that HEA Disney ending is not the one generally associated with those situations.
Bravo to the author for writing this cross-examination of a beloved children's story and shedding some light on this serious issue while also maintaining a gripping novel.
5 stars
"Never settle for a fairytale."
During my Psychology classes in college, we discussed how various characters have psychological issues: popular cartoon characters, the cast of "Winnie the Pooh," and the vast majority of the Disney Princesses. Belle is no exception, and this book explores that idea beautifully, no pun intended.
Jolee answers a Craigslist ad which sounds too good to be true, and she finds herself in the mountains of Aspen, tutoring a shut-in with some very serious issues of his own. As time goes by, she learns for and more about this man, and most of it is not good. However, she sticks by him, hoping to "fix" him with her love.
Sound like a recipe for disaster?
I used to teach a rehabilitation class for men convicted of domestic violence, and this book definitely delves into that dynamic head-first. It's a real eye-opener into the lives of those involved in those situations, from both sides of the coin as well as an outsider's perspective. Comparing it to the story of "Beauty and the Beast" really adds a whole new layer to it, as most of us either grew up with that story/movie or fell in love with it because of our kids/grandkids/etc. It's a crazy thought, but the more you think about it, the more you realize Belle suffered from Stockholm syndrome as well as battered-woman syndrome, and that HEA Disney ending is not the one generally associated with those situations.
Bravo to the author for writing this cross-examination of a beloved children's story and shedding some light on this serious issue while also maintaining a gripping novel.
5 stars