This afternoon I finished reading Watchmen. Slight bit of a letdown, but mostly because I was really getting into the stories–all of them. It actually ended well, and not that much of a surprise as far as traditional endings go. If I had been asked at the end of Chapter 10 or so how this would end, I would have guessed something very similar. The only surprise to me might be Rorschach, but what else could we do with him?
Found some graphic novels on the internet this evening. Interesting addition of allowing you to view two pages of panels at once, or have the option of full frame single panel. Dopey story, but the concept was kind of neat. Don’t know why, but realized that I also prefer comic book style graphics over the much more elaborate graphics of computer games. Perhaps this is only because I have seldom played them and would get used to them and hunger for better and more realistic as is the natural human tendency. The combined experience of Interactive Fiction and Graphic Novels however does make me want to dig out (pause, looked for and found) Pandora’s Box and Puzz3D’s Bavarian Castle just out of curiousity. Meanwhile, piles of books await me as well: how to write’s, Taylor, Munro, America’s Best Short Stories; Glimmertrain’s last three quarterly issues of short fiction. Another quarterly magazine, Sun Magazine, I believe, I just subscribed to but am finding sadly lacking in both amount and diversity of content. It seems to be politically biased and thus to me, a stranglehold on the free thought that creativity should dictate. I’m setting aside certain days for certain routine chores, total concentration on the business, classwork, and allowing myself all the rest for reading and writing (with time allotted for loving husband, of course).
I’ll eyescan Watchmen again a couple times quickly and decide what impressed me most–or surprised me the most–to select a topic of analysis.
The Lost Children: A Charity Anthology
I think the ending needs thinking through as well. But I think it’s interesting that Veidt and R are similar characters and that the ending is interesting because V actually succeeded. What remains at the end; what survives?
Dr. Strangelove (or how I learned to love the bomb) anyone?
Oddly enough, I thought of 9/11, also in NY. Unbelievable devastation (not 3 million people, of course) and life goes on. Differently for a little while; people are nicer, more patriotic; kiss their spouses goodbye daily. Eventually it slides back into its old pattern however. V’s idea to scare people into awareness could only last so long–but he should have been intelligent to know that, to understand human nature. My man Dr. M did. I see R. differently than you. He is not driven by any great concern for humanity or for justice, but by the need to punish those who mete out evil (Type B personality?). Will have to get into their heads a little better before I decide.
Dr. Strangelove-wow! Saw that when it first came out and forgot most of it. Should rent the video and watch it again.