The Little Way of Ruthie Leming
Book
THE LITTLE WAY OF RUTHIE LEMING follows Rod Dreher, a Philadelphia journalist, back to his hometown...
As Bright as Heaven
Book
In 1918, Philadelphia was a city teeming with promise. Even as its young men went off to fight in...
Blackfish City
Book
After the climate wars, a floating city is constructed in the Arctic Circle, a remarkable feat of...
Science Fiction Fantasy
Eat, Live, Thrive, Diet
Danna Demetre and Robyn Thomson
Book
Ageless (formerly Ageless Woman Living) comes a practical, science-based diet book that unravels the...
The Girl in Red
Book
Synopsis from Goodreads: It's not safe for anyone alone in the woods. There are predators that come...
Retelling Horror SciFi Fantasy
Terraformars
TV Show Watch
Crew members are injected with various forms DNA to combat giant humanoid cockroaches on Mars. ...
Terraformars Terra Formars Anime
Peace and Chaos
Book
A modern-day yin-yang, push-pull of human mind on internet. Internet was supposed to be the...
fiction romance drama
David McK (3372 KP) rated The Last of us in TV
Mar 14, 2023
Some are barely recognisable.
This is neither. Based in the video game of the same name by Naughty Dog (as an aside, I actually always preferred their Uncharted games over TLOU), this sticks incredibly closely to the source game, although there are some noticeable differences (particularly in the third episode, which Joel and Elly are barely in).
For this unfamiliar with the game, it is set in the USA after an apocalyptic event that sees those bit turn into zombie-like creatures (note: they're not technically zombies), with Joel (here, played by The Mandalorian's Pedro Pascal) hired to accompany Elly on a dangerous cross-country trek, as she is immune to the disease.
Initially distant, along the way he grows closer and closer to Elly, leading to a finale where you're not sure he has done the right thing or not ..
Superbly cast and directed, this is definitely one of the better adaptations I have ever seen. Of course, it helps that the original is also held up as one of the best narrative games ever created ...
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Every Note Played in Books
Mar 28, 2018
I really loved Lisa Genova's STILL ALICE and so decided to pick this one up from the library. It has a similar feel, of a successful adult slowly spiraling into disease. However, Genova really excels in taking a sad story of decline and turning it into a tale of discovery and hope, as well. There are definitely some depressing moments in this novel, but it's also lovely and touching, too.
I think most know by now that Genova is Ph.D., so she truly knows what she writes. The novel is filled with so many careful details that really allow you to see Richard's ALS--including its progressions and how it steals so much of what Richard held so dear. It's scary and heartbreaking to read. The realism makes the story so much more stark and also allows you to picture exactly what's happening to him, both physically and emotionally.
Because this is an emotional novel, as well. It is a study in relationships and a look at our two main individuals: Richard, a rather narcissistic pianist, and his ex-wife, Karina, who sacrificed so much in her life for her (now-ex) husband and daughter. Both have so many regrets about their life--and the lives they didn't lead. There is a lifetime of resentments between the two. They also have a daughter, Grace, who struggles with her father's illness. And each parent must deal with how they've treated Grace as she grew up.
In some ways, nothing really happens. In other ways, everything happens--a man slowly loses his body and everything he once held so dear about his life. Relationships change. It's a novel filled with real, beautiful, touching moments. It's not always an easy read, but it's a worthwhile one, for sure.