Shaken & Stirred: Whoopsie

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May 08, 2007

Whoopsie - Heroes Yammer

We got to drinking vino with the neighbors amid the splendor of the garden last night and I forgot to post. This is the one with all the mama issues. Thoughts?

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The Sylar part of the episode didn't work for me in regards to the mother issue, primarily because it wasn't developed throughout the year the same way it was with Petrelli and his mom.

The one good point, albeit somewhat forced upon us, was Hiro's mercy. Too much happened in the last two-three episodes for Hiro to be as introspective and hesitant as he seemed in the last half of last night's episode.

Posted by: Steve Nagy | May 08, 2007 at 10:28

I really hate storylines about men being ruined by the demands of their mothers' ambitions, so I wasn't thrilled to see that laid on so thick, in stereo. The structure overall felt a bit self-conscious and awkward, the way they moved between parallels in all the storylines, but it's nice to see them at least trying some creative storytelling to bring the heroes together.

Hero's mercy seemed quite natural and in character to me, and I suspect it will turn out to be rewarded, Bilbo-style ("Pity? It was Pity that stayed his hand").

Claire and Peter continue to be the cutest couple.

Posted by: Karen M | May 08, 2007 at 12:52

Overall, I liked the episode, even if it was a little bit of a letdown after two really strong weeks -- and even if, as it's being pointed out here, the mother issues were a little heavy-handed. Sylar's ending, in particular, felt a little forced to me, as if the writers wanted to give him his moment of doubt and self-reflection...but only a short moment, and nothing that would actually survive more than half an episode.

Posted by: Fred | May 09, 2007 at 14:33

Claire and Peter continue to be the cutest couple.

Except, of course, they're uncle and niece... Potentional shippers should take note.

Posted by: Fred | May 09, 2007 at 14:35

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E. Lockhart: Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks, The
You might think the world doesn't need any more boarding school novels, but if you haven't read this one then you're wrong, wrong, wrong. E. Lockhart has surpassed herself with this fable of a girl coming into her own and challenging the boy's club at her prep school -- while falling in love with its members at the same time. Lockhart never simplifies or skirts gender issues and power dynamics, and lets Frankie be realistic instead of a treatise disguised as a character. The sly omniscient narrator tells the story perfectly, and leaves hope that maybe one girl can change the world. More novels as funny and true and perfect as this one, please.
Kathi Appelt: The Underneath
Appelt's first novel is a beautiful, magical fantasy for younger readers that will instantly become a classic. Seriously. I can imagine this book being in classrooms right alongside Charlotte's Web in a hundred years. The writing is poetic in the good way, and there's a lamia. Children are going to absolutely fall in love with Appelt's equally kind and brutal universe, where love conquers most, and it can take millenia to come to your senses.
Jincy Willett: The Writing Class
With her second novel, Willett matches the perfect pitch and execution of her brilliant short stories. Every writer will want to read this novel--very little wincing is involved, but expect a great deal of laughter. C and I found ourselves reading pieces aloud, after howling provoked the "what's so funny?" question. As with any good writing workshop or class, the characters become more appealing as you get to know them, and ultimately what she has pulled off is a satisfying mystery, and a satisfying exploration of humanity. Amy Gallup is a character to remember.
Karen Joy Fowler: Wit's End
A new novel by Karen Fowler really is something to be excited about, unlike many of the writers for whom such praise gets bandied about. (If you're smirking because you think you know something about her work from the title--not the book--The Jane Austen Book Club, please go sit in the corner and read any of her novels. You're welcome.) This is an unmystery-like mystery, concerned not so much with dead bodies--though there are plenty--as with the mysteries of healing and the heart, politics and people. How is it that a writer gets a lens on the present that's as revealing as the one she employs in historical fiction? Now that's a mystery. Highly recommended.
Steve Erickson: Zeroville
Steve Erickson novels are often like dreams, or revelations, or discovered artifacts, or written just for you. Zeroville's no different, although it is perhaps the most readily graspable example of his work to date. The Rosetta Stone is there; the secret decoder ring is a film projector. The dizzying Hollywood confidential stylings will make your inner film geek happy, but the uncovering of a truly mythic cinematic story--since cinema has existed forever--of sacrifice and redemption is even more memorable. See also: this review.
Ursula Dubosarsky: The Red Shoe (Neal Porter Books)
Set in Sydney during WWII, this wonderful novel travels between the view from inside each of three sisters. Dubosarsky perfectly captures the differences that come from being the younger, older, or middle child. Perfectly conjuring the period, and yet creating a completely accessible story, the narrative contrasts chapters focusing on the family with interstitials from the Sydney newspapers of the time, stories of polio, the H-bomb, and a defecting Russian spy (who happens to be in hiding next door). Nothing here is heavy-handed. Everything is perfectly balanced. It's a beautiful, beautiful novel. See my full take here.