I haven't actually had a whole lot of time to post over the last couple of months, which kind of stinks. I've had a ton of work to do, so I've barely had time for anything whatsoever that wasn't school. I wish I could post more and I hope I will be able to soon, but it's hard to tell. I still managed to read a whole lot, though -
Dragon's Time
Excalibur (Graphic Novel)
The Water Trilogy: Ascension
Boys Over Flowers Vol. 1-15
Ouran High School Host Club Vol. 2
Dragon's Time
A Tangled Web (From Harvest Moon)
Turn of the Screw
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Also...
Just for the record, Arthurian Legend is not history. It is fiction. It is a story. It is legend. No matter how much I want it to be true. It is still fiction. It can't be historically accurate if it wasn't real. End of story.
Just an Observation
I should be working on Ecology homework (I swear this class will be the death of me), but I found this on one of the Merlin Tumblrs I read when I was taking a break.
This is based on one of my favorite television shows, Merlin. Where Gwen is a servant instead of a princess and she is an anachronistic, boring character that I can't say I hate only because I don't give a piece of soggy bread what happens to her as long as she stays away from Arthur. She is not my favorite character. She is FAR from it. Honestly, she is probably my LEAST favorite character in the whole series. If it wasn't for Morgana, I probably would have stopped watching AGES ago. Oh, and Sir L'Oreal (Gwaine) and Percival. That, however is beyond the point.
The point is, no matter what she is in any story, Guinevere always betrays Arthur. I can't think of a single one where she doesn't. And it's usually with Lancelot (or Bedivere if it's before the story crossed to France). It doesn't matter if she's not a princess (I'm sure as heck glad she isn't). She loves Lancelot. That's amazingly obvious. (I admit, I do have a thing for Arthur/Morgana, but that is also irrelevant.) It doesn't matter if she loves Arthur before they marry - she consistently betrays him. (And she and Arthur have NO chemistry for another thing.)
That said, you cannot say that it is something she will never do. You cannot. (The writers will probably do so just because they do play the important parts to legend.) You cannot predict a show that you aren't one of the writers for. End of story.
This just annoys me. I personally don't like her because I don't see anything really interesting about her character (I find her incredibly bland. She has no real personality other than being sweet and a bit stubborn and as loyal as a puppy. She has no flaws. She gets all of the guys. (She and Merlin have a thing in early Series One, obviously then there's the whole Gwen/Lancelot thing in his episodes, there's Gwen/Arthur (ick) that we all knew was coming from the start, there's a tiny bit of Gwen/Gwaine (ewww)...you get the idea.) She's pretty much a Mary Sue.
And this is why I love Morgana. Anyway, I need to get back to my work. More soon. Ish. I'll get back to this eventually...
This is based on one of my favorite television shows, Merlin. Where Gwen is a servant instead of a princess and she is an anachronistic, boring character that I can't say I hate only because I don't give a piece of soggy bread what happens to her as long as she stays away from Arthur. She is not my favorite character. She is FAR from it. Honestly, she is probably my LEAST favorite character in the whole series. If it wasn't for Morgana, I probably would have stopped watching AGES ago. Oh, and Sir L'Oreal (Gwaine) and Percival. That, however is beyond the point.
The point is, no matter what she is in any story, Guinevere always betrays Arthur. I can't think of a single one where she doesn't. And it's usually with Lancelot (or Bedivere if it's before the story crossed to France). It doesn't matter if she's not a princess (I'm sure as heck glad she isn't). She loves Lancelot. That's amazingly obvious. (I admit, I do have a thing for Arthur/Morgana, but that is also irrelevant.) It doesn't matter if she loves Arthur before they marry - she consistently betrays him. (And she and Arthur have NO chemistry for another thing.)
That said, you cannot say that it is something she will never do. You cannot. (The writers will probably do so just because they do play the important parts to legend.) You cannot predict a show that you aren't one of the writers for. End of story.
This just annoys me. I personally don't like her because I don't see anything really interesting about her character (I find her incredibly bland. She has no real personality other than being sweet and a bit stubborn and as loyal as a puppy. She has no flaws. She gets all of the guys. (She and Merlin have a thing in early Series One, obviously then there's the whole Gwen/Lancelot thing in his episodes, there's Gwen/Arthur (ick) that we all knew was coming from the start, there's a tiny bit of Gwen/Gwaine (ewww)...you get the idea.) She's pretty much a Mary Sue.
And this is why I love Morgana. Anyway, I need to get back to my work. More soon. Ish. I'll get back to this eventually...
Friday, September 9, 2011
Books I Finished in August
Well, long time without a post...whoops. I admit, things have been insane here for a while. I'm back in school now and I have homework galore already (and it's only the end of the second week/first full week). I'm behind in everything but that, and I have a ton to do before Monday already...and I'm really tired, which is not a good combination...on the plus side, I read a bunch of books at the beginning of last month...
Excalibur
One Good Knight
The Wall
Chalice
Fortune's Fool
Warriors: Dark River
Warriors: Outcast
Excalibur
One Good Knight
The Wall
Chalice
Fortune's Fool
Warriors: Dark River
Warriors: Outcast
Friday, August 12, 2011
Just Something I Found While Cleaning
I ran across this piece of some sort ot packaging with this on the back. It made me smile.
Because you are my "Best Friend,"
I will keep you close to me.
Wherever I go, whatever I do.
When I'm miles from home, thinking of you,
You'll be right there with me.
You make me smile and make me laugh,
Always there for me when I need you most.
You are truly a devoted friend...
...My "Best Friend."
Monday, August 1, 2011
I Don't Get It
I just don't understand people sometimes. I really don't.
I'm a bit of an Arthurian scholar. And I might be a little bit obsessive about Arthurian Legend right now. It really doesn't help that the fourth series of Merlin was teased at San Diego Comic-Con recently.
Anyway. The thing that is really getting on my nerves is the fact that everyone in the world seems to consider Morgan le Fay to be evil, vengeful, or something of the sort. She is expected to be this evil queen or evil sorceress that is always out to get Arthur (and Merlin in the television show).
What people don't understand is that Morgan - Morgana as I prefer to call her - is not evil. She has become portrayed as evil, but she never was like that. Not originally. She was a powerful sorceress from the isle of Avalon. She was a shapeshifter and a healer. She was the eldest of nine beautiful sisters. She was not evil. Not until she was made to be.
She was not even Arthur's sister until the time of Chretien de Troyes, who wrote for the daughter of Eleanor of Aquitaine. She was not even vengeful until the Post-Vulgate Cycle, and that was only when Arthur killed her lover.
Some people have tried to shift her portrayal back to how it should have been, but it never lasts. She is the victim of so much misportrayal. It actually makes me a bit sad to see what people are doing to her.
The way she is being portrayed in Merlin is one of those ways. In series one, she was amazing. She was my favorite character. In series two, her romance with Arthur was dropped inexplicably, even though it was beautifully done before and absolutely wonderful (anyone notice that they decided to make her Arthur's sister after that? Stupid writers) before that. She was overlooked and manipulated. It only gets worse from there, and now even the actress who plays here considers her darker side to be the true Morgana. Lovely.
I don't think that's how Morgana is supposed to be. Maybe that's just me and my love of the legends, but I don't think it's fair for them to do this to her character. All she ever gets is the blame. That's just not fair to her. Would it kill people to treat her character properly?
I'm a bit of an Arthurian scholar. And I might be a little bit obsessive about Arthurian Legend right now. It really doesn't help that the fourth series of Merlin was teased at San Diego Comic-Con recently.
Anyway. The thing that is really getting on my nerves is the fact that everyone in the world seems to consider Morgan le Fay to be evil, vengeful, or something of the sort. She is expected to be this evil queen or evil sorceress that is always out to get Arthur (and Merlin in the television show).
What people don't understand is that Morgan - Morgana as I prefer to call her - is not evil. She has become portrayed as evil, but she never was like that. Not originally. She was a powerful sorceress from the isle of Avalon. She was a shapeshifter and a healer. She was the eldest of nine beautiful sisters. She was not evil. Not until she was made to be.
She was not even Arthur's sister until the time of Chretien de Troyes, who wrote for the daughter of Eleanor of Aquitaine. She was not even vengeful until the Post-Vulgate Cycle, and that was only when Arthur killed her lover.
Some people have tried to shift her portrayal back to how it should have been, but it never lasts. She is the victim of so much misportrayal. It actually makes me a bit sad to see what people are doing to her.
The way she is being portrayed in Merlin is one of those ways. In series one, she was amazing. She was my favorite character. In series two, her romance with Arthur was dropped inexplicably, even though it was beautifully done before and absolutely wonderful (anyone notice that they decided to make her Arthur's sister after that? Stupid writers) before that. She was overlooked and manipulated. It only gets worse from there, and now even the actress who plays here considers her darker side to be the true Morgana. Lovely.
I don't think that's how Morgana is supposed to be. Maybe that's just me and my love of the legends, but I don't think it's fair for them to do this to her character. All she ever gets is the blame. That's just not fair to her. Would it kill people to treat her character properly?
Books I Finished in July
July was a really busy month for me, I have to say. I was out of town a couple of times, always on the go...I actually didn't get a whole lot read, to be honest. I wish I had read more. I really do. I loved the books I read, but there just wasn't enough time...
The Winter King
Ouran High School Host Club Vol. 1
Honored
Enemy of God
These were all interesting books (or in the case of the manga, it was funny). The Winter King and Enemy of God were the first two books of The Warlord Chronicles by Bernard Cornwell. I actually just finished the third one (Excalibur) today. It's another take on Arthurian Legend that was very, very good. I would highly recommend it, though it is a tad bloody and a more adult version of the tale. It's not really graphic, but there is a lot of death in it. It's still a really good read and a lot of fun.
The Winter King
Ouran High School Host Club Vol. 1
Honored
Enemy of God
These were all interesting books (or in the case of the manga, it was funny). The Winter King and Enemy of God were the first two books of The Warlord Chronicles by Bernard Cornwell. I actually just finished the third one (Excalibur) today. It's another take on Arthurian Legend that was very, very good. I would highly recommend it, though it is a tad bloody and a more adult version of the tale. It's not really graphic, but there is a lot of death in it. It's still a really good read and a lot of fun.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)