Tag: Review

Love or Loyalty? When your heart is divided: A review of A Suitable Boy and Love + Hate

Posted on by Han_A

In a battle over family or love what would end up winning for you?

Most people envision falling in love with people that their family would approve of. But when the chips don’t fall that way (since life always has other plans, after all) – what do you do? Do you risk it all for love or sacrifice that love for your family?

This theme is explored in two things I watched recently; A Suitable Boy and the film, Love + Hate.

A Suitable Boy – the gist:

Series poster with Lata (centre) and her suitors

A Suitable Boy (2020), is a historical BBC drama series based on the popular book by Vikram Seth. It follows young female student, Lata who falls in love with dashing fellow student, Kabir. It’s set amidst the backdrop of 1960s India, so many political events are taking place in the background which fuel lots of the events in the drama. With one of the key events being India’s first general elections, which are slowly approaching.

It starts of with a typical boy meets girl scenario at an Indian university. Lata plays hard to get but Kabir is entranced and determined to win her over. He succeeds soon enough. However, there’s an issue – Lata is Hindu and Kabir is Muslim. The two religions do not get along, yet alone marry, so she knows there’s no way she’ll get her mother’s blessing for the relationship. She battles with this throughout the series, especially as her feelings for Kabir grow. Her friend initially against it does eventually tell her to go for it, but her mother is determined to stop the relationship in its tracks by arranging a marriage for her. To make things juicy, as episodes go on, she attracts – along with Kabir – not one but two additional suitors vying for her heart! Bridget Jones could never. The other two suitors are strong candidates; Amit Chatterji – wealthy and eligible bachelor who is also a published poet, and Haresh Khanna, a British educated shoe maker determined to settle down.

Thoughts

I loved all the characters in this drama – not because they were likable but because they were well fleshed out. It didn’t shy away from exploring themes of religious conflict and violence; something that was ultimately crucial to authentically cover this period of time.

I’m not sure how the book ends but in terms of the suitor Lata chooses in the end, I was quite surprised by her choice. Firstly, you do get the slight sense that Lata would prefer not to be married. She’s a teen who is in love with learning and realistically, probably would have thrown herself into more studies if it wasn’t for the social expectation that she can’t do so – she has to choose marriage instead. There’s also many points in the series where it seems her mum is very much keen to marry her off more than Lata herself wants to get married. Her mum being a widow is an important factor in all of this – it feels, perhaps that she can live vicariously through the new relationships of her children. The engagements and weddings provide her with joy after long grieving her husband and, perhaps, feeling lonely herself.

I had some issues with the series’ ending. The suitor ultimately chosen didn’t seem on brand for the Lata I had grown to know and become fond of throughout the show. It also felt like, she didn’t exactly tie up the loose ends with her other suitors either – she just chose one to be with and went on her merry way. Bit of underwhelming breakup/goodbye considering that she spent 75% of the series talking about them, being with them or thinking about them. But I digress.

Love + Hate: a gist

Next up we have the film, Love + Hate (2005). This is set in Britain and centres on the love story of two teens, Naseema and Adam. They start of working together in a DIY shop with a fairly quick attraction forming. Yet, because this is a film, this attraction can’t be straight forward. In fact, Adam is not a fan of Asians (also known as being a racist), so although attracted to Naseema, he refuses to interact with her. This means he often ignores her questions and even has the audacity to demand that Naseema is fired by the store manager. She’s oblivious to the hostility though, often trying to make conversation and giving him flirty glances here and there.

Like A Suitable Boy, the backdrop is one of great social division – this time along racial lines; with a large anti-Asian and Islamophobic movement active in the area. Adam’s family is bigoted, blaming Asian immigrants for various problems in the area. His mum rants for instance about how her tanning bed business is being threatened by new Asian owned businesses that have opened up the road. He and his brother are very vocal about not wanting to ‘mix’ with the Asian demographic of their city. There’s a scene when they’re at the pub with friends and all jokingly talk about how they would never date an Asian girl. Then one lad in the group disagrees saying actually he would date one – he finds them to be very attractive. He’s met with violence, shouting and is forcefully kicked out the pub and the friendship group. Such is the high penalty for breaking the mold and being a decent human being.

Overall, this was an interesting film but by no means compares to A Suitable Boy. The build up and dating period between Naseema and Adam could have been fleshed out a bit, I think. I wish we saw more banter and conversation between them as they got to know each other. But because it was a ‘forbidden love’ they often had to meet in dodgy locations and for short amounts of time to avoid being caught by people from their respective communities. This didn’t give much opportunity for their chemistry to grow or shine for those of us watching. I’m also not a fan of this implied idea of people being able to ‘love away their racism’ since I don’t believe that’s possible, so it seems ever so slightly irresponsible to encourage that, even if it’s promoted subtly. Adam, who has grown up a bigot and raised with racism embedded values, suddenly falls in love and is suddenly no longer racist? Something tells me that’s not how that works…

Anyway, my overall ratings for both? A Suitable Boy – 8.5/10; strong series and cast just let down slightly by its ending and lack of tying of loose ends. Love + Hate – 7/10 – very gritty and rooted in an idealistic optimism I find it hard to get on board with.

 Art is in the eye of the beholder: American Fiction – An honest review

Posted on by Han_A

I watched this film the other day, which had magically landed on Prime – a relief for me who, just a few weeks ago was about to fork out money to watch in the cinema. Since it won an Oscar this year (Best Adapted Screenplay) my expectations were naturally high – why not read on to find out if they were met 😉.

This film centres around academic, Theolonious (let’s call him Theo for short). Like most academics he writes books for income, as well as lectures. The problem with his most recent book idea? It hasn’t been picked up by publishers. At the start of the film, we seem him arguing with his colleague who boasts that in the time it’s taken Theo to write one book he’s published several.

At some point, he comes across author Sintara Golden, (played by Issa Rae), who has written a book which is received much praise. He scoffs, since he feels the book is stereotypical and essentially beneath him. But later, primarily as a joke, he decides to write a similar book. He leans on racial stereotypes to create a novel which he thinks as a Black man, the world would expect him to write, but which he refuses to. The problem is, it’s floated past publishers and they LOVE it. What unfolds next is an amusing unravelling, as Theo is forced to ride out his lie, the more popular this book – which he doesn’t even like – becomes more popular in the literary community.

My take

There’s so much to dive into around this film – it makes rich material for a post-film discussion, I would say. A key theme that runs throughout is if it’s possible to be a successful artist and not compromise on your vision. The author Sintara’s book has received much acclaim for a book which focuses on what would be seen as stereotypically Black content. In other words features what Blackness might look like from a white perspective. When we hear her reading out an excerpt of the book at an event Theo is at, it’s in a broken type of English, reminiscent of Celie’s voice in The Colour Purple. An indicator that her Black characters are uneducated.

Her book’s acclaim, Theo would very much like to have but as a novelist who refuses to compromise, he doesn’t (much to his agent’s anguish). Well, that’s until his satirical novel unexpectedly takes off! There’s an interesting scene with Theo and Sintara which captures this theme well. Where he asks her about her book and what he sees as is ‘Black trauma porn’ nature. She eventually says something along the lines of – ‘you have to give the people what they want’. What I took from that, if you’re an artist living under capitalism and your art is your income, unless incredibly lucky in some way, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to create art that just pleases YOU. You’ll have to be thinking about the demand for your art and audience; all of which will dictate how it’s received. Essentially, you’re creating a product.

In the same scene with Theo and Sintara – Theo confides to Sintara that he wasn’t a big fan of her book, simply because he feels like it leans into a singular narrative told around Black people that he feels is overdone. There’s so many other experiences to write stories about! Sintara points out, that she actually put a lot of hard work and research into the book. Plus, Black people do suffer, so that narrative will always need to be told, and in doing so relate to many. I found this to be an interesting discussion, mainly because both have valid points, although I lean more toward Theo’s perspective in this instance.

Other thoughts

These days with many films, I find myself either captivated by the characters or storyline but rarely both. In this case, it was the latter – the storyline had me fairly invested but the characters, not so much. I struggled to reconcile, all Theo’s family stuff (he has a fairly tumultuous relationship with his brother, his father is dead and his mother is recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s) with all the shenanigans happening with his book. My inkling is that maybe they aren’t meant to be reconciled and if so – fair enough. I guess the idea is that seeing scenes with his family allows us to make better sense of Theo’s character – see him beyond his literary ambitions and rage at the system.

Overall…

7.5/10 – It has a level of absurdity to it that I liked and got used to over time – it even got an occasional laugh from me (even though comedy isn’t its main focus). It also covered a lot of interesting themes smartly, so I appreciated that.

You can watch the trailer here.

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Have you watched the film? Let’s compare notes – let me know what you think 😊

The many faces of a predator – A review of docuseries, ‘Betrayal: The Perfect Husband’

Posted on by Han_A

TW: This series and my review about it concern grooming and sexual assault

About

This three-episode docuseries, available on Disney+ explores a case featured in the (apparently) well-known podcast – Betrayal (season 1).

In 2019, teacher Spencer Herron was arrested for sexual assault of a pupil and eventually pleaded guilty. This shocked everyone around him who saw him as a happy husband and passionate teacher, who taught at the local high school (whilst occasionally doing music work with the army.)

The series mainly follows Jenifer Faison, a reality TV producer (if I recall correctly) Spencer’s ex-wife, and the Betrayal podcast host who unpack the series of events and discoveries that follow Spencer’s arrest.

My thoughts

Although I am a massive podcast fan, particularly of stories told in an investigative manner (think Serial, Dirty John and Hoaxed), having visuals to aid the storytelling for this particular story was useful and refreshing. As someone who is a fan of efficiency too, I suspect the series tells the story slightly faster than the podcast does so I feel like I’ve won back more of my time overall! Although I’m sure referring to the podcast is a good idea if you want further details possibly not covered in the series.

Sexual predators have a knack for being able to wear different masks accordingly. They do so with strategy and at all times. Why? Because without such deceit, their offenses would not be possible. Grooming and any assault that follows thrives on secrecy. Jennifer describes how Spencer was nothing but loving towards her, she recalls fond memories of him being attentive and doting as a boyfriend, and later as her husband. It’s why what happened next (i.e. him being arrested) was a rather abrupt series of events for her – she never saw it coming from a million miles away. And with one arrest her life started to collapse around her as more secrets were revealed.

Wearing masks, or rather crafting public perception carefully means that predators are always under the radar. Spencer is described as a popular teacher, the one the kids found ‘cool’. He even won a Teacher of the Year award in their district, for goodness sake. This is important to note because it means when allegations of such come out people usually react first with incredulity – ‘Spencer doing that? Surely not’. He’s such ‘a good man’. Of course, this isn’t true, he’s worked hard to ensure you only see a manufactured positive side to him that would ensure he avoided suspicion. It also paints a picture of what a survivor is up against if they want to speak out – who would believe that Mr Good guy teacher would do such a thing? The next assumption is that the accuser must have an agenda up their sleeves. Belief in their claims and solidarity with the survivor never occurs as an option to some. The uphill mountain can be steep enough for survivors to be scared silent altogether. However, there’s so much power in speaking out and I appreciate they were able to dedicate an episode to the survivor, Rachel’s story.

I think this series, although on a topic that is sadly not new, is done well and handled very sensitively. It explores the raw emotions and talks with various people affected by the chain of events – from Jennifer herself who had to deal with the unprecedented events of the person she was married to being an abuser and serial adulterer, to Jennifer’s parents and the various pupils taught by Spencer Heron. There was a saddening moment when Jennifer’s mum in the middle of talking said that this was the first time, she’d properly acknowledged that she had so much anger about this situation. It was a striking moment for her and one that stuck with me – I nearly welled up at that moment actually.

Properly respecting the story and experiences of those affected by a crime is always a sign of a good documentary or podcast for me. We often spend too long trying to psychoanalyse and ‘understand’ criminals themselves and whilst I can understand the appeal it means we often lose the voices of survivors in the process. A balance must be struck and this series aside, many media outlets have a lot of work to do in that regard.

It’s confirmed what I’ve always thought – that unfortunately, many sex offenders do not get as harsh a sentence as they deserve for the damage, they’ve inflicted on the community they reside and offend within. Whilst no bodies have to be buried, the scars they leave are deep and painful, often never leaving those affected – especially direct victims.

Recommend?

Anyway, I would recommend the watch – it’s very informative, the series is peppered with psychological insight from professionals which helps dive deeper into the story it’s covering but be warned it’s not an easy one.

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For reviews of a similar topic, click here (Netflix series, the Trials of Gabriel Fernandez) or here (review of book, My Dark Red Vanessa).

Photo by Mick Haupt on Unsplash

Series review: Doona!

Posted on by Han_A

One of my most recent K drama watches is the Netflix show, Doona!

Shows that have actors you know and like in them are usually the easiest to sell. In your mind you know the greatness they’re capable of so you consume their new content ready to (hopefully) be blown away again.

This drama has two Korean leads  – one I’m familiar with, Bae Suzy (a great actress who I last watched in the fab K-dramas, Whilst You Were Sleeping and StartUps) and Yang Se-jong.

What is it about?

Main couple: Doo-na and Won-jun

Doona! If I was forced to categorise it falls more into the romance space. I wouldn’t call it a romcom per se, since the main characters are quite broody and intense. However, there is some comedic relief in the form of Won-Jun’s childhood nemesis, Choi I-ra, and his university flatmates.

The series is nine episodes long, which is an appealing number to me, I can’t complain too much about that. I think, if written well, a lot can be covered in that space of time given.

The main characters are Won-jun – a hardworking university student and Doo-na, a young former idol (girl band member) who left that world for mysterious reasons explored as the drama develops. Both of these characters fall in love despite coming from different backgrounds and contrasting quite heavily personality-wise. I’m not sure but I think there’s also a slight age gap between these two characters, with the Doo-na being older.

My thoughts

This is one of those shows that started off quite slow and slow burner content, whether it be books, shows, etc., always leaves me in a bit of a dilemma – do I persevere or give up? Sometimes sticking with it can pay off, but other times you may just be left feeling cheated of your time. Luckily for this show, I did eventually get quite invested in the characters and found it rewarding to witness some slight character development in the main and supporting cast.

With my TV show hat on, Doo-na as a character seemed like she would become what is fondly known as a ‘Manic Pixie fairy’ – a woman that comes into a male protagonist’s life with no story of their own but with the sole purpose of helping the male lead ‘discover themselves’. However, (and luckily) she was written more layered than that, so I was grateful. I won’t lie though and say she was quite annoying and clearly very bored in the first few episodes.

Interestingly, though, she is actually part of a new host of cliché defying characters, in the sense that she starts pursuing Won-jun first. Although it’s not initially reciprocated interest and we’re not entirely sure if she’s just teasing him/leading him on.

My main frustrations:

  • Why Doo-na left the girl group she was a part of felt very unclear. We’re forced as viewers to piece together mysterious flashbacks and vague comments she makes about her past to get an answer. And to me, that wasn’t enough so I got a bit annoyed. She repeatedly kept saying she suddenly ‘couldn’t sing’ anymore, which didn’t make much sense. Was this due to a physical condition? A mental block or lack of will? Who knows. I personally think that there was potential and a missed opportunity to delve deeper here.
  • In a similar vein, it didn’t feel entirely clear to me what the nature of the relationship was between Doo-na and her manager. It’s implied that it was possibly more than professional but it could have rather been unrequited feelings from Doo-na’s end (which is hinted at some point.)
  • Apart from Won-Jun working hard (he takes on 101 jobs whilst studying for his degree, bless him), I don’t think his character was strongly written. I think when he was asked by his love interest, Doo-na what his ambitions are he reply was something along the lines of, he longs to live normally. We do get mention of his family, and see maybe two scenes where he’s caring for his sick sister but no dialogue is featured, which is a shame since this could have been a defining character development moment.

Although I’m tempted to add the ending to that list of frustrations I won’t. I think it can be commendable when writers steer away from simply giving fans what they want and instead stay true to the storyline. The ending was indeed bittersweet but the most realistic ending for those characters and their love story.

Overall, I would give this drama a solid 7.5/10. It’s shot beautifully and every character has a degree of likability which is what, like me, will likely fuel your investment in the drama too, if you decide to watch it.

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In the mood for some other K drama reviews? Check out some of my past ones here and here.

Image source: https://www.marieclaire.com/culture/tv-shows/the-cast-of-doona-your-guide/

When tech goes wrong: Red Rose – a review

Posted on by Han_A

TW: This drama contains scenes of suicide

Most of us have a love/hate relationship with our phones – their batteries don’t last as long as we would like them to and the apps on them can often waste much of our time, for example. However, the irritating things aside, we are increasingly reliant on them for everyday life – I can barely remember birthdays or my social commitments without mine at this point (the shame, I know.) There’s even a term, believe it or not, for smartphone addiction – Nomophobia, an indicator of just how widespread, if not normal, this phenomenon is becoming in our lives.

This show cleverly taps into this increasing reliance on technology and takes it to a dark extreme. The scariest thing about the whole concept is that it’s not even that farfetched when we think about what tech is capable of and the evil many humans use it for.

The Nitty gritty

The eight episode drama follows a friendship group of six students who have just finished secondary school (year 11 to the UK audience /high school) and are celebrating their freedom in their post-exams summer. Or so they should be. However, a mysterious app named ‘Red Rose’ has other plans for the group and they must eventually end up fighting for their lives (and those of their loved ones) whilst figuring out who is behind the app.

I want to say I started the drama calm and detached but this is anything but true. In fact – and I won’t ruin too much – but RIGHT at the beginning we witness a mysterious and tragic accident without much context. Immediately your mind races with questions that are painstakingly revealed towards the middle to end of the show. The questions don’t ever really end and what follows throughout the drama is a series of events that appear to be unrelated but are at their core all connected.

It’s not all doom and gloom though – there are banterous scenes with humour dotted throughout which help to ease tension and help you relax, even if momentarily. Scenes of kids being kids which made me smile with nostalgia. For example, the scenes at the beginning where they’re celebrating the end of exams and signing each other’s school shirts or the moment they open their results. Made me think about to that feeling of the world being at your feet and the start of something exciting beginning.

My Verdict

In this BBC drama, nothing is as it seems, so be prepared – it’s truly a Northern twist-turner from beginning to end and I’m not complaining! It turned unexpectedly from a show I was casually viewing into a binge with me on my sofa at 4am doing the classic ‘just one more episode’ and finishing the series. I would be intrigued to see based on the show’s success (it’s trending at number 9 on most watched UK dramas on Netflix at the time of writing) whether a sequel will be in the making. I won’t be mad if they don’t but I’ll definitely be queuing to watch if they do! Overall, would highly recommend.

Some tweet highlights of people reacting to the show:

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Interested? Check out the trailer here. Watched already? Let me know your thoughts!

I do see some similarities between this show and the Mexican drama, Control Z (also set in a high school and involves tech and blackmail), so for fans of this show who fancy another dose, this will be up your street too. You can read my review of that show here.

Here’s that revenge you ordered: A review of Remarriage & Desires and As the Crow Flies

Posted on by Han_A
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio

Revenge is a dish they say is typically best served cold – or piping hot, if you watch either of my watches from today’s review. My recent watches from Netflix are the K-drama, Remarriage & Desires and Turkish drama, As the Crow Flies. Both are fairly new additions to the Netlfix, with the latter being the newest series added to the service. Both dramas, although very unique, possess the common theme of revenge and a related strong rivalry between two female characters who are intent on each other’s downfall. Curious as to what on Earth I’m talking about? Let’s dive into one drama at a time.

Remarriage & Desires

As you would have guessed from previous reviews I’ve posted, I am a massive K-drama fan. Despite this though, I’ve been on a hiatus for the last few months, so this drama marks my (hopeful) comeback. Unlike typical Korean dramas, this one is only 8 episodes – which proves to be the perfect amount of time, to pace the drama, the plot and build tension, as well as character development. Without spoiling the ending too much, it has definitely been set up for a season two to take place – so be prepared that this drama will likely require a commitment of 8 episodes…but for now only.

This drama follows housewife (Seo Hye-Seung) whose life takes a sudden nosedive when scandal and an affair gone wrong force her husband to suicide and leave her unexpectedly widowed and a single mother. As she unfolds the truth of what happened to her husband, she sets her eyes on his mistress and decides to wage war – a decision that will come with tragic results.

By the time I was halfway through this drama, I was in full binge mode and had the full series complete in a few days. It’s honestly so juicy and packs a lot of punches. Unlike dramas like Sky Castle, which centres on the uber-rich, this drama is slightly different in the fact that it centres on two women who are infiltrating the world of the uber-rich but for different reasons. Jin Yoo-hui, I suspect because she’s always longed to be rich and envied the security wealth provides those that easily have it. Whilst, Hye-Seung on the other hand was doing so, not entirely voluntarily but because she saw it as a necessary step to getting closer to Yoo-hui and thus, getting her revenge.

This drama gets a 9 out of 10 for me. My only annoyance is that it was slightly slow on the romantic front. Although Seo Hye-Seung was in an obvious love triangle – her focus on revenge meant she didn’t really express interest in either guy in the triangle, so we couldn’t really read where she stood with either of them (and neither could they, based on how things were playing out!) So, to the directors of the show, when shooting the second season (which I’m convinced will happen), a little fan service won’t hurt – give us the romantic scenes we love; we want to see her enjoying herself and being in love! God knows she suffered enough in these eight episodes.

As the Crow Flies

Carrying on with the theme of revenge, we have the Turkish drama, As the Crow Flies. This series follows Lale Kiran a highflying news reader who seems to have it all, namely a national evening news show that she solely hosts. Her life starts to crumble quite dramatically, once an intern, Asli, who is determined to take her down by all means necessary, enters it.

Interestingly in this drama though, the victim of Asli’s elaborate scheming isn’t actually unlikable, this is what makes it harder to justify Asli’s scheme at all. Lale is a woman at the top with her own struggles behind the scenes (which, little does she know, are set to get worse.) I love the David Attenborough-like commentary in the show which compares the events which unfold in each episode to animals in the wild – mainly lions (those with power in the show) and the bird/crow (Asli – it’s an outsider but it’s ability to see things from a higher vantage point gives it a power the lions don’t have and easily underestimate.)

Ultimately, this drama is about power and although it’s specifically witnessed in a newsroom setting, this could apply to many industries and how they operate. A few people are positioned at the top and they maintain power typically through gatekeeping and tightening their network. Asli, as an outsider trying to get within ‘the gates’ is a bit of a rebel in some sense; determined to get power in any way possible. Her drive is really quite astounding, every move she makes is premeditated to the point you’re actually scared of her. She’s a typical Machiavellian character, her ‘two-faced’ nature helping her avoid suspicion as she plots Lale’s downfall. Asli’s downfall however, is her willingness to try and find a quick route to power, something Lale, as someone who has power, assures her does not exist. One way to look at it is a generational gap in the approach to success, Lale – in her late 30s or early 40s – grafted hard to get her role as a news anchor on prime time Turkish TV. Asli on the other hand doesn’t seem to have much skill but yet seems hell-bent on gaining a role she, therefore, isn’t even qualified for (which doesn’t make much sense.) She’s stubborn and doesn’t seem willing to put in the work to learn the skills needed for the industry, despite her internship providing the perfect opportunity to do literally just that.

Revenge is never really as fulfilling as dramas make it out to be, and I think this is reflected in the drama in some ways. Once successful, it really just starts a never-ending cycle that leaves you vulnerable – something we see at the end of the show was Asli claims she’s feeling a ‘chill’; a hint that something ominous is around the corner. I’ll give this show overall, an 8/10, closer to the end it lost momentum and some unplausible things started to happen, but luckily it recovered and picked up again (otherwise the score would have been much lower!) This series also feels set up for a season 2, so I’ll definitely be looking forward to watching that too and seeing what direction they decide to take with it.

What’s on your current watch list? Do you have any recommendations to share?

Book review: Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

Posted on by Han_A

“These days, loneliness is the new cancer – a shameful embarrassing thing, brought upon yourself in some obscure way. A fearful, incurable thing, so horrifying that you dare not mention it; other people don’t want to hear the word spoken aloud for fear that they might too be afflicted, or that it might tempt fate into visiting a similar horror upon them.” (p343)

Summary

This book follows 30-year-old Eleanor as she discovers the beauty of friendship and undergoes an internal transformation that gives her the strength to confront demons from her past. (I’ve probably made the book sound less interesting than it is but that’s because I’ve tried to keep my overview just provided spoiler-free.)

Gail Honeyman: 'I didn't want Eleanor Oliphant to be portrayed as a victim' | Fiction | The Guardian
A version of the book art commonly seen on UK bookshelves. The book sold really well in the US & UK.

This book was published in 2017 and admittedly I’ve heard a lot of hype around this book, so it’s been on my radar for quite a while (I would say about 2-3 years). But like with many things that gain a lot of chatter, I didn’t want to feel pressured into reading it because everyone else was, so I made a mental note to read it when the time was right. Nevertheless, expectations were high and I was excited to get stuck in and figure out what on Earth this book was about. The title doesn’t give away much and neither does the blurb so it is one of those ‘you have to read it for yourself’ type books, if you want to really understand the themes, characters and general storyline of the book. Please be warned that this book deals with themes of suicide, depression and emotional abuse.

The main point of intrigue for readers of this novel will be the series of events behind much of Eleanor’s trauma, although hinted at early on in the book, the details are slowly revealed later on.

Style

The novel is narrated in first person (from Eleanor’s perspective) and is split into three parts; Good days, bad days and better days. I found the choice of first-person narrative to be very beneficial to me as the reader, since Eleanor seems to observe the world, as well as the situations and people she encounters, in a unique and profound way that would be lost in, say, third person, for example. In particular, I loved how it made me feel like I was in her therapy sessions with her, as she went week after week – each session giving her a life-changing revelation.

Thoughts

My impressions upon reading are that I can see why this book captured the imagination of many readers when it was first released. Eleanor is a very quirky, and ultimately a likable character.* She tends to be very savvy, intelligent and kind-hearted; even if not obvious to those she meets at first, those character traits always come through or stand out to them by the end. Her colleagues, for example, find her peculiar and so tend to keep interactions with her to a minimum. Although the peculiarity may be an understandable first impression, Eleanor, as you grow to learn the more you get to know her, is a classic case of why appearances (and first impressions) can be deceiving.

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine - Book Review - Hasty Book List
Alternative book art

Perhaps due to an a typical childhood, Eleanor is usually not afraid to say things how it is which leads to many awkward (and yet hilarious) public encounters which definitely feel more unique to her as an individual. For example, there was an amusing scene in the later half of the book, where Eleanor is ordering coffee with a friend, and when asked what her name is so it can be placed on her drink, she kicks up a fight, ensuring she has the right to privacy. There are not many books I read that make me laugh or smile often and this one achieved this purpose so, props to Gail for that!

My only qualm (yes, there is one, unfortunately) is that it did feel like, when it comes to Eleanor as a character, she came across as quite caricature-like at times and almost unbelievable. I mean, what 29-30-year-old individual would struggle to order pizza in this day and age? A scene in a similar vein takes place where Eleanor buys a new laptop and seems to be really unfamiliar with how to set it up because she’s never owned one before. Another scene that felt slightly unrealistic in an age where tech permeates pretty much most areas of our lives.

However, I will say for every unrealistic trait Eleanor has, there is one that resonates strongly with readers. Whether it be; the loneliness, the frequent bafflement at human behaviour, the overwhelming desire for companionship & friends, the underlying grief, that niggling ‘what is the point of this?’ feeling of life, the depression. It’s all very real stuff, the ‘baggage’ many of us carry from day to day but don’t always see reflected in the characters we read about in books.

*It’s also suspected, but not confirmed that Eleanor is neurodivergent.

Conclusion

Ultimately, this novel is one about an individual’s journey of growth, self-acceptance and change. Although it may take a while to warm to Eleanor, Gail succeeds in creating a character who you can’t help but root for and empathise with. She’s brutally honest about her flaws and mental health issues, making her relatable, if not iconic, for many readers who have or are currently walking in Eleanor’s shoes.

Book Review: Stay With Me

Posted on by Han_A

Admittedly, I wrote this post earlier this year, since this novel was one I finished as we entered the new year. However, it’s never felt like the right time to post this for some reason but now, in light of Sickle cell awareness month,which was in September (US and UK), I thought now was a good time as ever.

Summary

This book, like a previous book I have reviewed (An American Marriage) looks at how far the boundaries of love in a relationship can be pushed before breaking. The main characters of this novel are young Nigerian spouses Yejide and Akin. The couple has been trying to get pregnant for a while now but to no avail. Happily in love and content, this would not actually be much of an issue for them were it not for gathering pressure from their in-laws to have children. In the traditional Nigerian culture, they belong to, children symbolise wealth and worth. Due to their attempt to conceive being unsuccessful, Akin’s mother suggests Akin get a second wife to solve this problem. This is only the start of a host of issues that unravel later down the line in this book.

Style

The narration alternates between the two partners although, if I’m not wrong, Yejide delivers slightly more of the story’s narration. Once you’re in the heart of the story, this will make more sense as ultimately, Stay with Me is a story about motherhood, love, loss, faith and hope. The story alternates also between two different time settings – one being modern-day Nigeria (2008) and the other being Nigeria in an earlier time of political instability i.e. coups and military dictatorships. Ayobami is not afraid to dig into how these political events affect the everyday lives of the character; something they regularly talk about with each other or with us via the narration. For example, when Yejide first discovers that a coup has taken place she has to decide whether it would be best to open her salon since she is unsure if staff, let alone customers, would turn up for business.

My thoughts

There are no likable characters in this story, everyone has their flaws, and to some extent suffers in some way because of them. For Yejide it’s her headstrong character and her lack of willingness to see any bad traits in her husband. On the other hand, for Akin, it is carelessness combined with the desire to control the life around him that ends up backfiring on him. Usually, I miss having someone to root for and enjoy getting to know more as I read along but that wasn’t the case here.

You know when a book sweeps you away, almost by surprise? Like wowza, that was unexpected – that is this book. It made me ponder on the importance of not being entirely defined by motherhood but the inevitability of being defined by it anyway. On the one hand, your kids won’t always be with you so your character cannot be based on them due to this factor. But simultaneously, motherhood will change you – how can you not be changed by the bringing of life into the world, and then having to suddenly handle this little creature that relies on you alone to live? The pain and sacrifice that shape such an experience is likely to never leave you the same – for better or for worse. This book boldly explores this beautifully and is highly recommended.

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More about sickle cell awareness month and the disorder itself can be found here

A major breakthrough was announced recently with a drug that would be the first Sickle cell treatment in 20 years – you can read more here on this amazing news.

Book Review: Memory of Love

Posted on by Han_A
Grove Atlantic
Cover image from Grove Atlantic

I haven’t written a book review in a while! But, to be fair, as an admittedly slow reader that is to be expected. For the last few months I have mainly been making my way through this book which – I’m pleased to now say – is (very nearly) complete! Yay!

I discovered the novel Memory of Love by Aminatta Forna (2010) very randomly through the ebook library site I use. The blurb pulled me in strongly before the book did and I read it and thought ‘woah, that’s going on my reading list!’ Then the time felt right to start the book and the rest is history.

I’ve put the blurb I read online below so you can marvel at its beauty yourself:

Freetown, Sierra Leone, 1969. On a hot January evening that he will remember for decades, Elias Cole first catches sight of Saffia Kamara, the wife of a charismatic colleague. He is transfixed. Thirty years later, lying in the capital’s hospital, he recalls the desire that drove him to acts of betrayal he has tried to justify ever since.

Elsewhere in the hospital, Kai, a gifted young surgeon, is desperately trying to forget the pain of a lost love that torments him as much as the mental scars he still bears from the civil war that has left an entire people with terrible secrets to keep. It falls to a British psychologist, Adrian Lockheart, to help the two survivors, but when he too falls in love, past and present collide with devastating consequences. The Memory of Love is a heartbreaking story of ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances.

Overview

Without repeating the blurb too much, this book straddles the storylines of three different men – Elias Cole, Kai and Adrian Lockheart. It also alternates between the past and present – with much of Elias’ storyline being told from the past perspective – when he is a young man navigating the pre-civil war era in the country. In contrast, the civil war has past in Kai and Adrian’s era, with nothing left but the devastating ruin it has caused; ‘fixing’ this is something that is central to both Kai and Adrian’s jobs as doctors.

However, interwoven within the stories of these three characters are also love stories – from love that never was to love that was but was barren, and love that blossomed but was brief. These play a central part in the development of each narrator and the trajectory of their lives

My thoughts

Aminatta undoubtedly does a great job of painting a country holding great beauty but also dealing with the deep scars of war. Mentally, people are suffering but yet life forces them to go on to ensure survival. Two stories that particularly stood out to me are of patients Adrian treats during his time at a mental health clinic in Sierra Leone. First is Adecali – a young man who formerly was a child soldier and due to horrors witnessed has a strong aversion to the smell of burning meat. There is also another female patient who repeatedly visits the clinic and is treated by Adrian; Agnes – a mother who mysteriously tends to disappear from home and be found days later at a destination with no recollection of her journey. She becomes a fascination for Adrian who tries to get to the root of her behaviour throughout the book – when her backstory is revealed it is honestly so heartbreaking.

Interestingly, despite being set in a predominately Black country Aminatta decides to have predominately white characters as protagonists of this novel; both Adrian and Elias are white English men who reside in the country within different vocations. Elias, is a lecturer on a university campus, whilst Adrian Lockhart – living many years later – is a psychiatrist. This setup inevitably creates the dynamic of Black stories being told through a white lens. However, this is not something you read the book and are completely oblivious too. Constantly throughout the novel, Adrian (and to some extent Elias) is reminded that as a white man and foreign national, he is ultimately outsider. He will never fully understand the culture, let alone the post-war mental scars within the patients he treats as someone who swooped in after the war and never experienced its horrors himself.

In a similar vein, although there are many women within the book who are pivotal to the storylines of the narrators – Mamakay, Saffia, Agnes, Illeana – because all the narrators are male, they’re forced to the sidelines, which didn’t seem very satisfactory to me. Don’t get me wrong, we do indeed get to learn about them in detail, but it’s always through the lens of the male gaze so we don’t necessarily get to chance to gain a fully intimate connection with them.

My main qualm with this novel, is its length. The ebook itself, which I read, was nearly 1,000 pages I believe – waaay too long for my liking 😥. I’m more of a fan of a shorter books (ideally 500 pages maximum.) Succinct storytelling is celebrated because it is a difficult skill to master but it’s really not a strong point in this book and I do wonder if the long length was necessary.

Final verdict

I would recommend this book – the story is beautifully written and unfolds in such an interesting way. It’s also always refreshing to have a book with a non-Western backdrop. However, due to its length be prepared to invest more time than usual in this book and it characters.

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Want to have a read for yourself? The book can be purchased (physical or ebook) format here.

You can also find out what others what thought here on GoodReads.

My new current read: The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris

Around the World on Netflix

Posted on by Han_A

International TV and film content is where it’s at these days. Although the US does continue to produce some fairly good (and addictive content), many countries outside of the West have equally as good content which tends to (frustratingly) often fly under the radar outside of their own borders. This seems to be, in my opinion, because if it’s not critically acclaimed (i.e. the winner of a BAFTA or a film festival of some sort), then there is a lack of incentive to give it a exposure by the media in the West. Films like Oscar winning South Korean movie, Parasite for example have done a great job of gaining Western exposure – but the Academy Award win does play a significant part in why that has been possible.

In this post I’ve decided to celebrate some international content which I’ve watched on Netflix and would highly recommend you do too (if you fancy, of course).

He Even Has Your Eyes – France

A black French family find themselves in an uphill battle when they decide adopt a white baby. I honestly loved this film, it was comedic but knew when to take itself seriously too. The adoption process is not one that is free from institutional racism and this film does a good job of showing that. Similarly, although I’m sure it definitely happens, we hardly hear of cases where black families adopt white children, so for me, the film has strong premise alone that made it really interesting to watch. The couple at the heart of the film were adorable and I rooted for them at every step. Ultimately, it’s not just about race though but about love, family and perseverance.

Ajeeb Daastaans – India

These series of short films, compiled together in a two-hour ish film are simply amazing. They are able to draw you in, get you emotionally invested in the characters of the story and then – in some cases – leave you hanging. The first story is about a poor man who falls in love with the wealthy but suffering wife of his employer; seems like your typical love story at first but there is more to it then meets the eye. My favourite story is the last one which is predominately done in sign language and explores two parents trying to adapt to life with their daughter who is slowly losing her hearing. I could continue but an easier option is probably just watching for yourself! 😉

You’ve Got This – Mexico

What happens when as a woman your star is rising (you’re smoothly sailing to the top in your career) and your partner decides now is the time he wants to have a child? This is exactly the situation protagonist, Ceci finds herself in with her husband, Alex. Interestingly, she has never wanted children and so her husband sets out to prove one is a good idea – something that seems destined for failure. I enjoyed this film and the themes it tackled; also can we take a moment to appreciate just how stunning the lead actress (Esmeralda Pimentel) is?? Anyway, I’ve always been intrigued in media portrayal of women that don’t want children since growing to love Cristina Yang in Grey’s Anatomy whose storylines predominately centred around this fact. It’s still a counter cultural in the media but actually more common then we think, so I’m interested to see how representation increases around this stance.

Diamond City – South Africa

When I say this series had me GRIPPED throughout you can believe me! After becoming entangled in a conspiracy involving government officials, her superiors at work and the human trafficking of women, lawyer Lendiwe finds herself falsely accused of a crime and thrown into prison. The way this series ended had me on tenderhooks – it will definitely be a great injustice if a second season is not produced.

It’s Okay to Not be Okay – South Korea

This recent watch of mine really melted my heart. It has been on my radar for a while and has come highly recommended by friends, and I can now see why. It’s gentle and nuanced portrayal of mental health makes it a realistic, encouraging and I’m sure even relatable watch for many. I love how each episode is themed around a different children’s story and the significant investment this show makes in each character’s personal development. At its heart it’s about the power and meaning of family but it is also intertwined in a complicated love story between the two protagonists – renowned children’s book author Ko Mun-yeong and a carer on a psychiatric ward – Moon Gang-tae (played by Kim Soo-hyun, who is apparently currently the highest paid actor in South Korea!)

Betty en NY – Mexico/US

This heartwarming telenovela was one of the best things I watched over a lockdown. Based on the original telenovela the popular US TV show Ugly Betty was based on, this series follows Betty as she takes a job as an EA in a fashion house – finds herself and finds love and fights for it! There are so many hilarious moments and the production of this show is so intricate – from the gowns to the sets themselves – everything is to be admired. Do bear in mind though that as a telenovela it’s quite a lengthy show, spanning over 100 episodes I believe. But even with that in mind I was so disappointed when it finished!

Citation – Nigeria

At the start of this film, we see that the protagonist student, Moremi (Temi Otedola) has filed a complaint against one of her university lecturers for attempted sexual assault. What follows is a battle of he said/she said accompanied by flashbacks which reveal the truth to us watching of what really happened. Moremi is a smart, determined female character, I like that she wouldn’t take the injustice she experienced lying down. I did find the constant jumping in between the present and the past a bit confusing at times but there is good commentary to be taken from this film on the many obstacles victims of assault and harassment face when trying to ensure their perpetrators are punished.

The Fishermen’s Diary – Cameroon

This remarkable film chronicles a young girl called Ekah who lives in a fishing village with her dad and longs for an education. She often sees all the young school kids running through the village and longs to be amongst them. However, he dad – one amongst many in the village who don’t see educating girls as a necessary investment – refuses to let her go to school. However, this doesn’t stop Ekah and she decides to take her education into her own hands; – the question is, will she succeed? The sombre realism of this film, was saddening and made it a hard, but yet inspiring watch as you witness this resilient little girl overcome so many obstacles to obtain something many of us take for granted.

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That’s all from me! Let me know if you have watched any of these or have some international film/drama recommendations for me to add to my list.

Don’t forget to follow me on IG @TheArtofChatter 🙂