Frankenstein

Just finished reading it two days ago.  Here are some thoughts

Both Frankenstein and the creature are both depressed.  

It again reminded me of the question posted in Prometheus, Ridley Scott's Alien movie.  David asks why do you created me?  And the answer he got, simply because we can.  

The creature's movements really reminded me a lot of Chinese Wuxia novels.  I think the comparison of the Wugong Gaoshou(武功高手) and the Creature in some sense is uncanny.  They are both hard to detect; they are all very powerful; they traverse horizontally and vertically with speed and ease; they can all live in the wild.  The creature even laugh so loud that Frankenstein cannot see where he is!  But when it come to tool using, Wugong Gaoshou(武功高手) is the same as the creature, they need to use tools just like a human being.  They are not magical, like riding a flying broom.  

The writing is very 19th century.  It's very wordy, it uses a lot of words to describe a similar feeling again and again with different arrangements or different angles.  Sometimes it's redundant, but sometimes, it's interesting in that it present a mood, rich in feelings.  I feel that a lot of authors nowadays did the same thing on describing environment to set the mood.  But here, the author uses to describe deep psychology.  

The creature lamented he has deep feelings, is capable of higher thoughts, and even morals.  But all in all, it's nothing for the deeds he had committed.  I think it's something.  Both Frankenstein and the creature were indeed superb being, in an extraordinary situation.  

The story of creation really is very interesting.  Ridley Scott keeps coming back to the topic.  I feel Frankenstein is a story of innocence.  It's truly is a classic, not only because just the story subject.  But after I finished, I feel certain energy.  Unlike Ridley Scott's Prometheus, in which  I find the darkness of humanity, just like the theme I found in many Modern Chinese drama, dark, disgusting, human conspiracy.  Here however, I see the force of nature.  Yes, the creature was created by a human being.  But I feel Frankenstein some how infused part of himself in the creation!  When Frankenstein died, you can feel a sublimed form of a human being.  Even before his death, his oration was strong, clear, and idealized.  When the creature appeared, he realized the death of the creator was the beginning doom of his own fate.  The things he said was also rational and with strong conviction.  They are really one being of 2 sides.  

It's an incredible tale.  I am surprised though that I am patient enough to finish it.  I got from library app twice.  It started slow for me.  After the creation, it picked up.  The funny thing about it, is that I kind want to read in a physical book.  I went to library and searched, there's nothing.  So I asked the Service Desk, they found out that there were six copies, all lost!  Don't know what to say about it!  it's a classic, but there's no physical form in the library!  

Why is it so hard to do things?

When I was at Mascon, the most striking things for me is Vic working on his car.  He could work his car at night.  He will go out and wipe his car after a snow.  His wind shield is always spotless. 
I was amazed.  When he went home and came back to work, he would make a difference on his car.  It's amazing, because people continue to live after work.  After we were parting ways after work when I did not see him.  He's still working on something. 

Then, slowly, I started to see other people doing the same thing.  They would tell me what they did over weekend.  I could see pictures of people traveling.  I wonder why this amazed me.  I was kind jealous.  I did not do anything after we were separated after work. 

One day, I was at my sister's apartment.  And there, I saw a lot of albums.  I started to flip through them.  Wow, there're events filled with people I am not familiar.  But look, they all smiled and hugging my sister.  My mom was in some of the albums too.   My sister was doing something when I did not see her!  I wonder did that happen to my mom as well? 

The result is the same.  When I was very young, the collection of my mom's cooking was 乾煸四季豆, 白菜肉絲, 松鼠黃魚...  But now, she's making bakery, Italian, and she's watching youtube to make even more food.  She also talked about Bible, and nothing else.  She talked about brothers and sisters, anecdotes from ministry. 

And I looked back at myself.  I had a lot of ideas.  But few of them were done.  I said once whatever I am good at was originated from my mom.  And it's true.  I looked, none of them were from me.  I do wish to have done something. 

I am in a situation where I am extremely disappointed in myself.  While I looked up and all the people I know are making ways in their lives.  And yet, I am still struggling, to the point that just by doing 1 thing a day, I felt accomplished. 

I don't know why, but this is probably the most comprehensive description of my frustration in recent time.  And yet, I felt I was sitting a million miles away from the screen??!!  Almost like a special effect. 

Quick notes and afterthought

It's a scene where Frankenstein went up to the Alps. 

All the way to the top.  The description of the despair, the loneliness.  Also the description of exultation after the ascending. 

It felt very familiar. 

---------------------------------------------

I was watching Ad Astra. 

Ad- is a prefix from Latin, it meant Towards, indicates a direction to space or time. 

Astra is Star from both Latin astrum and Greek astron. 

Ad Astra meant "to the stars" in Latin.

How should I describe the movie?  Quiet comes to mind.  Don't know why.  Maybe because it's a movie about deep space. I'd say because it's a movie about loneliness.  The main character is extremely alone.  He even said himself he is looking at himself from outside.  Of course, there's reason behind it.  So basically, the movie is a personal journey for the main character. 

I like the last few lines of the movie.  Those lines read:

"I am focused on the essential to the exclusions of all else"
"I'm unsure of future, but I'm not concerned."
"I'll rely on those closest to me."
"And I will share their burdens."
"As they share mine."
"I'll live and love"

The movie is big a visual image.  The story is quite simple.  It is lucky to have Brad Pitt, who's very good in acting and charismatic at the same time.  It's a pretty relaxing movie to watch. 

玫瑰的名字

才剛看完不久.  又聽了英文的有聲書.  英文的有聲書非常好聽.  就一個人念著書, 但是也是一人扮演很多角色!  沒有聽完, 因為我要花不少時間去聽才聽得懂.  向圖書館借, 時間到了, 後面有六個人在等!!

我覺得我看了這本書之後的感覺, 並沒有像一般看完書後一種流連不捨的感覺.  我通常以這種感覺來意識到我很喜歡剛讀過的書刊媒體.  像是我看金庸, 三國, Gladiator, Firefly 等等.  不過, 我記得我看完西遊記後也沒有這種感覺.  我現在想, 我會回來寫一些感想, 因為這本玫瑰的名字還是在我腦袋裡產生了一些想法.

我也推薦這本書給我妹妹, 他上次就問過我, 到底這本書的劇情如何?  因為他希望看一本小說, 他很希望至少劇情要好, 而不是那種, 文辭華麗的純文學小說.  我當時也是說不上來我到底為何推薦這本書.  直到現在, 我都還在想, 我到底要寫啥?

以主劇情來說, 作者的鋪設仍是十分有吸引人的.  一個中古世紀修道院裡的謀殺案.  裡面有多起的轉折, 眾多豐富的角色, 再加上作者深厚的學養.  當我在讀這本書時候, 我幾乎好像身歷其境, 不僅僅是因為作者對環境和人物的描寫, 更是因為他把當時所有在場的人物用歷史的重彩描繪出來.  其中的歷史, 因為文莉的關係, 在作者精心打造的對話裡, 活活潑潑的呈現出來.  令我非常驚嘆.  背景是一個修道院, 但是, 從社會底層到知識菁因都能夠描邊上色.  其中,  對於德國人, 英國人, 義大利人, 歐洲各民族的不同, 但是又因為宗教信仰想的關係, 一種熔爐式的描述, 實在佩服.

我覺得副劇情應該是歷史政治.  但是, 可以從以上那一段的論述.  我看這本書時, 令我感興趣的是歷史政治, 而不是謀殺案.  我為什麼對這一部份那麼感興趣的地方就是, 原來資本主義和共產主義起源於天主教內部.  在書裡不斷地討論的話題就是, 耶穌 practice poverty??  然後從這個問題, 產生了 ownership 的爭論.  另外一個有趣的爭議在於, 耶穌到底有沒有大笑過.  剛剛 poverty 的問題, 屬於政治.  而大笑的問題則屬於宗教問題, 人的性靈問題. 

我也實在喜歡作者對很多角色的描述, 他直接用對話和言詞來譏諷人性上的弱點, 我完全可以想像人物的動作, 表情, 手勢.  很多時候, 我看英文時, 這些形容詞並不讓我很有感覺.  可是這裡完全沒有這問題.  我唯一對主角有意見的地方在於, 他的太多想法有時候太現代.  不過根據梁文道的介紹, 作者其實假他人話語, 當成是小說裡的對白!

我看這本書完全是因為梁文道的介紹.  梁在介紹裡還說, 他往往經過一段時間再看一遍這本書.  因為他可以檢測自己知識的成長.  這書裡有很多內行人才懂得趣事.    但是這書是深有深讀, 淺有淺讀.  我有時候也是這樣, 一部電影要看第二遍才會又流連的感覺.　對我還說, 我很希望我對這本書有這樣的感覺.  也需當我聽完有聲書後, 也會有這種感覺.  奇怪, 居然又這樣的希望?