Thesis progress

Mockingjay book review

Kindle edition

As the third and final installment in the Hunger Games trilogy, Mockingjay has the dubious honor of tying up loose ends and providing a satisfying and resounding conclusion. Mostly, I think that Mockingjay succeeds on both counts. 

After the events of Catching Fire, Katniss finds herself in the mysterious District 13. Heralded as the leader district of the rebelling Panem, District 13 is set up as the alternative to the Capitol. But it isn't the perfect solution and like the Capitol, District 13, headed by President Coin, Katniss is a pawn to be used and nothing more. 

At this point, without the Games as a backdrop to who Katniss is, I felt that Katniss experienced character development on her own two feet. Even though she is chosen to be the symbol of the rebellion, she does so on her own terms and without compromising who she is. Character development of the supporting cast is also continued and thus, a higher level of emotional investment is possible in Mockingjay, specifically with Finnick and Prim.

The stakes are higher, and with this, the philosophic backdrop to the series becomes more dominant. The hoped-for outcome is that District 13 and the rest of the districts will triumph over the Capital...or is it? District 13's spartan way of life was necessary for it to survive, but Collins wants the reader (and Katniss) to doubt District 13 and Coin herself. Collins puts forth a common trope in revolutions from France in 1789 and Cuba in the late 1950s: just because a revolution might overthrow a previous government doesn't mean the new government will be any better.

Collins, throughout the series, doesn't hold any punches and it doesn't stop in Mockingjay. Characters are tried and tested and the ending is properly bittersweet and poignant, not unmarked by tragedy. Overall, Collins has told a thoroughly entertaining and thought-provoking story. Although there were moments of clumsy narration (Katniss's various blackouts and narrative backtracking) and a use of "reoccuring" (in Catching Fire), The Hunger Games is not a series to be ignored.

Related reading:
The Hunger Games review
Catching Fire review

Feminism is Not Dead

Feminism is not dead as long as sexism exists. This video is from an ignorant misogynist who purports that women's oppression is a myth.

I guess I was aware that sexism still exists. Of course I am, I worked in a male-dominated industry. And yet, I did not know that it was THIS bad. I did not know that people out there thought that feminism and women's oppression were an outright lie. I did not know that people thought of feminism as a subversive movement and was a cause of society's ills. And now that I know all of this, I am outraged. I am beyond outraged. So thanks, ignorant sexists, I am now on the warpath. I will educate myself and arm myself with knowledge and I will not stand for further sexism.

I encourage you to go to this video and dislike it as well as report it as inappropriate on the grounds of promoting hatred. It's perhaps even more disgusting that this video has 80% likes and the comments are full of misogynists congratulating this guy.

Catching Fire book review

Kindle Edition

Catching Fire, the sequel to The Hunger Games, is a great follow-up that carries the momentum of the series well. Like its predecessor, it's action-packed but this time it features more District 12, more Gale, and more insidious politics.

It was refreshing to see Katniss in her hometown and to be able to see how being a Victor has or hasn't changed her. The moment of defiance in the Games has planted a seed---not only throughout the districts but in Katniss herself.

The only grievance that I really had with Catching Fire was the Quarter Quell, or as I see it, the rehashing of the events in Hunger Games. I realize that the Quarter Quell was unique in that it had a secret goal (SPOILERS: The Capitol wants to kill Katniss), but I kept thinking up until the Quarter Quell started that Collins was going to be really sneaky and whisk Katniss and Peeta away and the plot would change direction.

But it didn't.

However, that being said, I loved the tributes in the Quarter Quell so much. More of them were fleshed-out characters than the last one and this made the Quell much more interesting. I did like the plot twist at the very, very end. In fact, I would say that the introduction of new characters and the plot twist saved me from being too terribly annoyed with the rehashing of the Games.

My one other complaint was that the romance started to feel a bit more contrived in the last book. I started to feel less and less that the love triangle wasn't just a sensationalist attempt on the part of Collins.

The middle of any trilogy has a responsibility to keep alive the interest from the first installment and carry it forth so that the reader is interested in the finale. Usually, the middle of a trilogy is usually darker, so as to up the stakest In these aspects, Catching Fire succeeded. At least, for me. Overall, I really enjoyed reading this and I'm excited to read Mockingjay.

Related reading:
The Hunger Games review
Mockingjay review

Rising: Book 1, Resistance book review

Kindle edition

I was privileged enough to be able to read part of a draft of this book while Laura was still working on it. Back then, I was very intrigued with Alphonse and the misadventure that he was thrown into that was way above his head. Now, I get to read the book in its entirety and see where Alphonse has ended up and what's happened to him along the way (thus far, Rising 2 is currently in the works).

The book starts out with Alphonse Redding being chased by a herd of cows on his way home to visit his mother during the summer break from university. Unfortunately for Alphonse, this is the least adventurous thing on the string of adventurous things about to happen to him. Events for Alphonse keep snowballing until he's on the run from knights with mecha weapons and thrown together with a girl named Mairwyn who's saved his life from said knights. Both Alphonse and Mairwyn soon are in over their heads.

How these characters deal with their predicaments is realistic and refreshing. They aren't equipped to deal with what happens to them, but they persevere and through teamwork (with each other and others that they meet on their journey), they are able to surmount what seems like insurmountable odds. The book doesn't shy away from dealing with traumatic events and the way the characters are shaped and continue to feel the effects. Furthermore, there are real consequences to devastating calamities.

Both Alphonse and Mairwyn are changed by their experiences and I feel that they underwent a good amount of character development. These are not static characters, but rather, quite dynamic. The book is broken up into two parts and while the POV is third person, the first half is told from Alphonse's perspective while the second half is from Mairwyn's. While it was nice to get into Mairwyin's head, I found myself missing Alphonse.

There is good pacing throughout the story. The reader is thrown into the story with the cow chase and while the book doesn't exactly end on a cliffhanger, I was still left wanting more. One thing I quite liked was that sometimes I thought things would go a certain way and then there would be a detour or a delay and the chain of events turned out quite differently than I would have thought. It's also worthwhile to note that the world creation in this book is not distracting and it's easy to suspend disbelief so that the story flows smoothly. 

Overall, I very much enjoyed reading Rising and can't wait for the sequel! You can read more about Laura Josephsen and her other works at her blog.

Hajj: journey to the heart of Islam exhibition review

Hajj: Journey to the Heart of Islam 

26 January - 15 April 2012

The British Museum

Last Thursday, I met a friend at the British Museum to see the latest exhibition focusing on Hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca and the fifth pillar of Islam. Growing up, I didn't personally know any Muslims at all and having been raised in a conservative Christian household, I knew little of other world religions. Recently, my knowledge of Islam has begun to grow through graphic novels and contemporary art. I've read G. Willow Wilson's Air comics which touches on Islamic culture and I've just started on reading her memoir, The Butterfly Mosque. Additionally, I finished Craig Thompson's Habibi in January and attended a talk in which he expressed admiration for the beautiful Arabic script. I was exposed to Lateefa Bint Maktoum's gorgeous digitally-altered photographs at the Venice Biennale and received an introduction to Middle Eastern art through my contemporary art course at Richmond. 

Upon entering the museum, I immediately went to the Asahi Shimbun display room (it's the small room directly to your right upon initial entry at the front) to see what was new. The most recent display is Sacred souvenir: a model of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and is advertised as a related display to Hajj. You can read a separate mini-review of it here. The other related display is Artists and the Hajj, which I unfortunately didn't get to see during this visit.

The image I posted above is the most iconic image of this exhibition, as it has been used in all of the marketing that I've seen. The most impressive aspect of this image, for me, is the the circular shapes of the rings of people surrounding the ka'ba. Therefore, I found it particularly interesting that the exhibition space was crafted in a circular shape and the progression of rooms force you to go in a counter-clockwise direction through the exhibition towards the exit. Counter-clockwise is the direction in which the pilgrims walk when they circle the actual ka'ba. It's also significant to note that the exhibition isn't simply held in a room, but rather that a special space has been constructed to specifically house it. I could hear the creaking of the temporary structure underneath my feet as I walked.

The first thing that visitors will encounter when entering is a short explanation about what hajj is in context to the other pillars of Islam. One of the first objects displayed is a beautiful kiswa, the covering of the ka'ba, given to the museum as a gift from the king of Saudi Arabia. Going up the steps and entering the exhibition proper will place you in the next section, which focuses on preparing for Hajj. Displayed in this section are the garments worn especially for Hajj and personal Qu'rans that people will take with them.

The next four sections focus largely on the various routes people take to get to Hajj and details how people used to do it in the past (by foot or by ship) and how it's changed over time. Today Muslims undertaking Hajj can visit local British agencies that specialize in Hajj packages. These sections also featured famous Muslims throughout history as well as British travelers such as Sir Richard Francis Burton. One of the many maps throughout the exhibition focused on how many travelers from different parts of world undertook Hajj. In the 2011 survey, there were 15, 000 from the US and 23, 000 from the UK. There was also a list of years dating back to 1930 that showed how the number of visitors from Hajj have swelled from the thousands to the millions. Near this map was one of my favorite objects: a diary from a ten-year-old girl who undertook her Hajj in 2006. She had pasted a photograph of herself with the ka'ba in the background and written beautifully about her experiences and the emotions she felt when seeing the ka'ba for the first time.

There are then sections on Mecca, the rituals of Hajj, and Medina. The final section focuses on the homecoming of the pilgrims of Hajj. Included in this section were works of art from contemporary artists. Saudi-Arabian artist Ahmed Mater has a piece called Magnetism, which is shown in two parts. The first is the actual installation itself: a cube-shaped magnet surrounded by iron filings that are meant to represent the ka'ba and the pilgrims. On the wall next to this installation is a series of four photographs that show up-close details of the work. Other artists, including Idris Khan, are also featured.

One of the best things about Hajj was this inclusion of contemporary art. I had been told to look for Ahmed Mater's piece and as I was nearing the end I thought I had missed it only to find that the art had been reserved for the end part of the exhibition. It was great to see how artists respond to Hajj. One of the first pieces of art on display is actually located in the courtyard before one even enters the exhibition.

Seven Times, Idris Khan, 2010

During the fall of 2011, the British Museum promoted a survey of Muslims who had undertaken Hajj and conducted in-person interviews. The voices of those interviewed could be heard in a dedicated area close to the exit. It's refreshing to see that an institution like the British Museum has reached out to the public and encouraged interaction. Furthermore, they've included it in the actual exhibition.

It's probably (okay, it is) a gross understatement to say that this exhibition was a massive collaboration on the part of the British Museum and its sponsors, which include HSBC Amanah and the King Abdulaziz Public Library. Since I've interned at a couple of museums and taken courses that touch on museum practices, I find myself paying attention to the labels. I liked seeing that quite a few things were loaned from the British Library and some others from a local art collection. It's truly a testament to the careful planning and ambitious reach of the British Museum that Hajj looks as polished as it does.

There is an overwhelming amount of objects on display and along with that, an even more overwhelming amount of text. This is an exhibition that you'll want to take your time with and I have to admit that after the midway point, I stopped reading the labels as closely as I had been doing at the beginning and just focused on the beautiful illuminated Qu'rans and the gorgeous textiles scattered throughout the exhibition.


The contemporary art, the interviews with those who had undertaken Hajj, and the modern-day souvenirs of Hajj pilgrims stand as witness that Hajj is not something of the past, but something that is very much alive and real in today's world. In fact, for me, that was the takeaway point of the exhibition. In fact, it seems that the chronological curation of the exhibition adds to the thought that Hajj is relevant throughout time. I loved the modern pictures of Hajj pilgrims on British Airways flights juxtaposed with earlier accounts of pilgrims making the journey in old wooden boats.

Overall, I thought Hajj was a spectacular exhibition in terms of its breadth and reach. It was well-curated and successful in its execution. That said, the overwhelming amount of information was daunting and while understandably so, the wall texts were too wordy at some points. However, even if one didn't read every single thing, the key points still stand out and the takeaway message of Hajj's timelessness remains.

Sacred souvenir: a model of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre review

Sacred souvenir: a model of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre

2 February - 6 May, Room 3

The Asahi Shimbun Displays

This room is one of my favorite parts of the British Museum, as it is constantly changing. The first display I saw was a crocodile mask from the Torres Strait Islands and the second was Hokusai's Great Wave off Kanagawa. I half-expected it to still be the Great Wave, but much to my delight it was something completely new.

My initial reaction was that it was only a model (Monty Python, anyone?) but as I learned more about it, I found out that this particular model wasn't some cheap toy but a beautifully crafted object made by craftsmen from Bethlehem around 1650. One of the reasons I love these displays is their use of sound. When the crocodile mask was featured, there was chanting from the Torres Strait islands and this time, they had chanting and music that could heard in the Holy Sepulchre. Nearby the actual model there was a video of how the model was put together out of its many pieces, which I thought incredibly enriched the exhibit. Closely inspecting the model, I was delighted to find that there was a small light being shone on the model that allowed you to see the carefully designed interiors of the model. 

The walls contained your usual didactic material that illuminated the context of the Holy Sepulchre, which is the site of Jesus' tomb and a special place of Christian pilgrimage. On one wall, I learned that the Holy Sepulchre is a site of worship for six different Christian denominations: Roman Catholicism, Armenian Orthodox, Greek Orthodox, Syrian Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox, and Ethiopian Orthodox. There was another wall that showed the history of how the church had evolved over the years. 

Since this room changes so often, I find that this room is more progressive than is possible for other rooms in the British Museum to be. I think it's exciting that the museum employs sound and video to add to the experience of whatever object is being displayed. This display is definitely one that any visitor of the Hajj exhibition should catch while at the museum.

The Hunger Games book review

Kindle Edition

With all the hype surrounding The Hunger Games and a film adaptation on its way, I decided to finally check it out and bought it for my Kindle. Comparisons between Twilight and its Edward vs. Jacob had already crossed my radar, as I knew fans of The Hunger Games were already fiercely debating between Peeta and Gale. Also in my mind was its "Young Adult" category, but I'm not ashamed to admit that I quite enjoy reading "YA" books. Last summer, I felt like I was re-living my childhood by reading quite a few YA fantasy books. Furthermore, I knew that this was branded as "dystopian science-fiction", which brings to mind 1984, Equilibrium, The Truman Show, and other such "dystopian" worlds with which I am familiar. Lord of the Flies is another comparison I'd make, as it involves the isolation of young people with horrific and barbaric results.

Anyway, with all these preconceptions in mind, it took awhile to get "lost" in the book. After three or four chapters, I felt like I had gotten the hang of it and was soon immersed in the world of Panem. Readers are introduced to District 12 through the eyes of Katniss Everdeen, a teenage girl who effectively puts food on the table for her mother and younger sister by illegally hunting in the woods outside the fence that surrounds their district. The readers are dropped into the story on the day of "reaping", when the tributes are chosen to participate in the Hunger Games. It's interesting how Collins slowly reveals layers of information about Katniss, District 12, and even Panem itself. She doesn't provide too much too soon, which I liked. Collins splits her book into three parts and details the build-up to the Games through the reaping and the preparation of the tributes, the actual Games, and then finally, the end of the Games and the aftermath of the results. 

Interspersed throughout the glitz and glamor of the Capitol and the action-packed sequence of events in the Games itself are little hints of barbarism. I felt myself questioning what Collins was trying to say about society today, but ultimately the social commentary was few and far between. There are moments where I was hopeful that there would be some philosophic breakthrough, such as Peeta's desire to show the Gamemakers that he isn't just a mere pawn in their games. 

However, there weren't any follow-through moments as I didn't feel as if the Games actually fundamentally changed any of the characters. (Spoiler, perhaps?) I would have liked to see more character development with all of the characters. Perhaps one of the reasons none of the characters seemed to be affected by the Games is the fact that the population of Panem has been effectively desensitized to the violence over a period of 70+ years. Is this perhaps a warning towards desensitization in our own culture, with violence being prevalent in news stories, film/television, and video games?

That being said, I thought that the love story was well done. Without revealing too much for those who haven't read the series, I liked how it evolved and the love triangle didn't feel contrived to me, as with Edward/Bella/Jacob in the Twilight series. Additionally, I think that Katniss provides a strong role model for young female readers of the series, which is always a good thing in my opinion.

Overall, Collins spins a great story and I turned each page eagerly, wanting to know more and anticipating what happens in Catching Fire and Mockingjay. The characters, whether likable or not, were engaging and the story is interesting enough to warrant further reading. 

Related reading:
Catching Fire review
Mockingjay review

A note about my reviews

Please note that my first review probably won't be like my other reviews. My exhibition review of "It's a Girl!" was written for a course and had a 1500 word requirement. Since I won't be working under those kinds of conditions for the rest of my reviews, expect my others to be more informal and lacking in footnotes.

I've Got Your Number book review

Kindle edition

I've been an avid fan of Sophie Kinsella ever since I first read Confessions of a Shopaholic (published in the UK as The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic) and identified a little bit too much with Rebecca Bloomwood. Since then, I've read almost all of Kinsella's books (the only ones I haven't read are the ones she originally published under a pen name and is now re-releasing under her own name). I've enjoyed them all and I've Got Your Number is no exception*.

By now, I've got Kinsella's formula down to a science. This isn't necessarily a bad thing and in fact, I like that I know what I can expect. This especially helps in the middle of the book when I'm getting really frustrated at all the crap that's going down, until I realize that this is Kinsella. It's going to have a happy ending.

So, Poppy Wyatt, as the typical Kinsella heroine, is more your average Jane. She, like the others, is someone you can identify with...she's not the prettiest nor the smartest, but a likeable, plucky girl. Enter the mishap that screws it all up: she loses her engagement ring. Things go from bad to worse, to a little bit better, than worse again, than really, really, really worse and that's when you know you're somewhere in the middle of the book and the beginnings of a happy ending are just around the corner. There's the usual Kinsella hero...slightly rough around the edges, but actually a rather decent bloke underneath it all.

I have to give it to Kinsella...she almost had me. There was a moment (I won't spoil it) when I was absolutely perplexed and could NOT believe it was going to end this way...and so I kept reading, keenly aware of the little % bar at the bottom of the Kindle screen telling me that I still had quite a bit to go. That gave me hope but I was still clicking the "page next" button a little too quickly.

As with some of her other books, Kinsella seems to ask you for a certain level of "suspension of disbelief". Is it a little convenient that she finds a mobile phone in a rubbish bin? One that works? One that embroils her in a corporation's internal politics? Is it a little too much to ask the audience to buy that she's able to keep the phone for as long as she does and get away with even half of what she gets away with?

Probably.

But if you let Kinsella tell her story, it doesn't really matter. She has you turning the pages and rooting for Poppy all the way. All in all, I've Got Your Number is everything I go to Kinsella for and she does not disappoint. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who has enjoyed Kinsella in the past and perhaps for readers, like me, who used to read Meg Cabot as a teenager.

Nitpicking: I don't know how the actual hard copy is formatted, but the one issue I had with the Kindle edition was the footnotes were poorly done. In fact, they were not footnotes. They were endnotes. I was confused what the numbers throughout the chapters meant, not expecting footnotes in a work of fiction. Then when I got to the end of the first chapter, I realized that the numbers matched up. (Yes, I went to college...) I tried to read a footnote once, but I couldn't get back to my spot without some rapid page-turning. After that, I gave up and barely gave the footnotes any attention. It would have been better had I been able to actually read the footnotes as footnotes.










*Twenties Girl is probably my favorite. :)