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Hello, Goodbye! Well: Goodbye, Hello really

Thank you to all who have added me to blogrolls, linked, etc. In true Murphy’s Law cruelty, I have finally obtained a new URL for my blogbaby, which is sure to annoy all but is MUCH easier to remember.

Please update as you see fit: It is *drum roll*….

www.withextrapulp.com.au

And it looks all new and shiny!!! The last two comments made here haven’t been transferred over but everything else is all systems go. Thought I’d professionalise it up a bit for you all. ^_^

If there’s anything you don’t like about the new site, let me know.

Also, thank you Nat for lending me part of your domain, being a general web genius and helping out with it all. I’m going to miss this domain, but it’s time to move forward.

There’s a new review up at the new With Extra Pulp to add to the revamped site. Enjoy!

August 1st, 2009GeneralRead More >1 Comment


Kreativ Award and Latest News

I was very excited this week to discover With Extra Pulp to be the recipient of its very first award!!! Thank you J.T. Oldfield for the lovely award that reminds me of a watermelon, what with the green and pink design. ^_^ :P

kreative-blogger-award

So the dealio is to now name 7 things I like and 7 blogs I like, which is going to prove a difficult task. Hmmmm.

Seven things Elena Likes:
1. Sleeping with my heatwheat pack in winter
2. Re-reading favourite books
3. Watching documentaries about chimpanzees and wishing I could have one as a pet
4. Singing and dancing to David Bowie loudly in my room
5. Discovering new music
6. My puppydog, Max, who is still in Brisbane :(
7. Regina Spektor’s new album that I’m listening to right now!

Seven Blogs Elena Likes:
1. Mad Bibliophile: Mae writes great posts, and usually leads me to discover a whole bunch of books I suddenly want to read. This was one of the first blogs on my blogroll, and also has sentimental value ^_^
2. Literary Minded: Angela is someone whose work I’ve come to look up to, and is as quirky as the Crikey writers come.
3. 3000 Books: Estelle keeps us Aussies up to date on the latest in the literary world. And she’s funny to boot.
4. Another Cookie Crumbles: Uncertainprinciples has some greatly entertaining posts about all things bookish, plus a bit more.
5. Not Dark Yet: This blog is about writing and arts in general, and features some pretty groovy poetry.
6. A Guy’s Moleskine Notebook: Yep, Matt actually writes in his Moleskine, and then transcribes it onto the interwebs. Insightful comments + intelligent literary criticisms = one of my favourite book blogs.
7. Cheeseburger Gothic: Brisbane author/journo John Birmingham blogs about all sorts of things, as random as the title of his website. Another writer I look up to (not to sound too much like I’m sucking up)….

In other news…Over the weekend, I have graduated, had a fantastic going away party, and moved to Sydney! So while I get settled in, I will try and have a review up this week. But I am currently reading about 4 different books, and the chances of finishing one of them soon are slim.

Lucky for you, my readers, I have provided you with a list of blogs already, to read while you sit in anxious anticipation of my next review/post.

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July 28th, 2009GeneralRead More >9 Comments


In Bruges (Movie): Guest Review

By Amara B.

in_bruges_ver2Just when I was about to put Colin Farrell’s file in the drawer marked ‘no talented douchebags who were once considered attractive’ I watched In Bruges. Colin Farrell has now been upgraded to ‘attractive douchebag’ in my esteem, and he might even be talented, or at least he would appear talented if all of his film choices were as good as In Bruges.

In Bruges is a real gem of a movie if you’re like me and appreciate the darker side of humour; everyone knows that hit men are always good value for money in the humour department (think Jules and Vincent from Pulp Fiction and if you haven’t seen Pulp Fiction you really probably should, though I’m sure you’ve been told this before).

The story follows hit men Ken (Brendan Gleeson) and his protégée Ray (Farrell), who have effectively been ‘banished’ to the small town of Bruges, Belgium, by their mob-boss employer (Ralph Fiennes) after a hit gone very wrong. Ken and Ray are a wonderful comic pairing, an odd couple of sorts but not in an annoying or grating way. Ken is an interesting character, polite and pleasant to a fault but still a ruthless gun for hire; it’s impossible not to like him or his coddling ways. Ray is an equally fascinating character; Farrell’s portrayal of the guilt-ridden gun is both extremely funny and touching at the same time. The exact genre of this film is difficult to determine, which makes it all the more enjoyable, it is extremely funny if your sense of humour isn’t offended by a few (read: maybe a few more than a few) off colour and un-P.C. remarks, but it also harbours a distinct dramatic streak.

Despite the somewhat serious elements present it still succeeds in balancing its humour with themes of guilt, punishment and forgiveness and the result is a truly enjoyable film; it has real depth if you’re into that sort of thing, but it can still be appreciated as a traditional comedy of errors. The scenic route is also worth a look, pretty settings for a pretty movie about guys that kill people. It’s certainly worth a look, you might even come out of the experience with a bit of a renewed Farrell crush, or you might just appreciate it as a very neat piece of film making. For me it was a little bit of both.

Thanks Amara for writing this review while I was busy pretending to be an important journalist for the 2009 AMUNC this week.

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July 18th, 2009ReviewsRead More >1 Comment


Up at the Villa - W. Somerset Maugham

up-at-the-villaAfter finishing my first Proust, which was enriching and beautiful, but also heavy, this short novel of 120 pages seemed a perfect breaker before I embark on In the Shadow of Young Girls In Flower.

In the early years of World War II, English woman Mary Panton has settled into a picturesque villa in Florence, Italy. At 30, she is beautiful, full of quick-witted quips and, well, kind of sexy. At first, she seems intelligent of the wiles of the world: she is aware of her beauty, and the opportunities it offers her in life, but doesn’t associate this with her sense of self. Widowed by her alcoholic and abusive husband’s drink-driving accident, she now finds herself running away from desire and passion, being so burned by it during her marriage.

Up at the Villa transcends its time and place to explore life in all its messiness. Reason and stability is presented through the stiff-upper-lip, do-gooder Edgar Swift. More than twenty years older than Mary, he’s held a torch for her since she was fifteen. Creepy much? Apart from this, he’s really quite sweet, pining after her for years, and finally, offered a post of high income and prestige in India. His timely marriage proposal to Mary sets off the chain of events that turn upside down over the course of the next few days. In a testament to the boring, passionless demeanour of his character, Edgar applauds Mary’s decision to mull over his proposal while he attends business out of town for a few days.

It’s in his absence that Mary, thrown into a mix of company that includes the rowdy and dubious Rowley Flint, finds herself in a bit of a pickle. For those who haven’t read this book I won’t go into detail, as it really is ghastly and comical, this turn of events. In a clear juxtaposition, Mary finds in Rowley everything that Edgar isn’t. Who she actually prefers is unclear, but she starts to question the notion of entering voluntarily into a marriage that is openly and honestly lacking in love, a marriage that nonetheless offers protection from a broken heart.

Any woman who has had her heart broken can identify with Mary’s decision to effectively armour herself against further pain by marrying for status and comfort.

It’s a simple story that can be read in a couple of hours and with a reverberating effect once completed. But it doesn’t pretend to be more than what it is: a sultry examination of the perils and rewards of love. For enhanced reading pleasure, listen to Edith Piaf while reading this.

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July 11th, 2009ReviewsRead More >6 Comments


Kindle me, baby

With brand new e-books buzzing around the place in all their techno-awesomeness, looking down on the regular book readers with eco-friendly superiority, this avid and old-fashioned reader is wondering whether it’s worth taking the leap.

The apparent market leader is the Kindle, however there are alternatives.

kindle

I understand the benefits of these little readers. They’re convenient. I was book shopping with my friend on Wednesday, and when I left the house, I had 3 books in my bag, plus one borrowed book that I was returning to her. This is a typical occurrence. A Kindle-like reader (Sony has one, too) or even an iPhone with the appropriate application (birthday in 2 months hint, hint) would save me suffering from an even more lopsided shoulder, and would remove the possibility of being stopped at the gates in the airport because my hand luggage exceeds 7kg.

However, call me stubborn and call me unreasonable, but I just cannot imagine sitting and reading a 400 page book on a tiny electronic device. Millions of pairs of eyes around the world are this very second becoming more damaged due to extended periods of time in front of a computer screen. Isn’t this the same, only smaller? If you’re right in the middle of the latest “page”-turner by Matthew Reilly *cough* or completely absorbed in a stream of consciousness masterpiece of Virginia Woolf, are you really going to think to yourself “Oh dear, much time has passed! My eyes are now due a 10 minute break.”? Okay I’m sure nobody actually thinks to themselves like that. And if you do, I apologise.

This issue has been bugging me for some time now, but what better time to write about it than when I have two 1000 feature articles due in less than 72 hours. To those who use these devices, please share any pros and cons you’ve experienced, of saving up for one of these expensive little babies. I will need some convincing.

Is this a fad that Australians just haven’t caught on to yet, with the vigour of say, Americans clamouring to get their hands on Version 2 and what not. Does it really replace the feeling of seeing stacks and stacks of books overflowing from your personal library?

More importantly, could it possibly be more nostalgic than cracking open an old favourite for the first time in years, to breathe in the scent of years gone by…

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July 9th, 2009General Literary musingsRead More >7 Comments


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