Phil Leader (619 KP) rated Grey Areas - The Saga (Books 1-4) in Books
Nov 14, 2019
It tells the story of a mysterious stranger called Henry Field who arrives in the small town of Gable, Iowa clearly wanting to forget whatever has happened in his recent past. Attempting to lie low proves difficult as he first becomes feted as a hero on the local news, falls in love and manages to become a witness to a drugs deal gone sour.
There is so much in each of the books it is hard to express just how good they are. There is drama, romance, humour, crime, action and police procedural. It is as if Carl wanted to cover as much ground as possible and he doesn't put a foot wrong at any point. Each page leads inevitably to the next as the fallout from Fields' brief stay in Gable causes ripples that put many people in difficult positions, grey areas, where there is no clear black or white, right or wrong.
For such a long story there are of course a large number of characters but every one has been drawn with care and are all distinct, all have depth and all seem very real and very human. Throughout the whole saga there is a thread of realism; this might be fiction but there is no suspension of belief required, no particular heroes, no particular villains. Just people trying to do what they think is best, and sometimes regretting their decisions.
Want a summer read that will genuinely last all summer and leave you thinking about it for months afterwards? This series will definitely fit the bill
Versusyours (757 KP) rated Lords of Chaos (2018) in Movies
Dec 14, 2019
As a lover of all music, I cant resist a biopic and this was as far removed from La Bamba as it could get. I was familiar with the story of Norwegian Black Metal mostly due to the burning of churches and the notoriety of those involved in the scene. Rory Culkin plays the narrator and so many times I thought it was Home Alone the goth years. Some of the scenes are so hard hitting and graphic but they are softened by the ineptitude and immaturity of the dark lords who are just kids playing peacock to impress each other and be the most dark and outrageous. This one upmanship is the catalyst to the eventual down fall off them all. The music is secondary to the story so hardcore fans will not get anything new there but the dynamic between Varg the very naughty boy turned murderer and the King of taking the credit Goth Kevin from home alone is one that most people will witness in life. Hopefully not too their extent but power and influence are explored and it shows how ideology can spread like a fire in a holy place of sanctuary. Unlike other music films and biopics there are now end part where you find out what they are doing now, so if this was deliberately done so that you needed to search more about it then they win that one.
Some upsetting scenes that would be unsuitable for children but not many kids under 12 will be fully into Norwegian Black Metal.
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