piątek, 17 sierpnia 2012

Vacation with vampires

Lumley Brian - "Necroscope"

Every summer vacation remind me about my visit to Italy 10 years ago. I was a 13-year-old girl, who ate every book she got her hands on. But "Necroscope" wasn't just another dish in my menu. It was so delicious, that I swallowed each volume in a few days. Until I got to the 6th one, because the rest of them started to look like written only for money. They just got bigger and less engrossing.
What is "Necroscope" about? Actually, about everything. We have love stories, family tragedy, paranormal occurrences, sixth and seventh senses (or even more ;)), secret services, Cold War, vampires and other monsters... sex (ideal story for 13 years old girl) and for dessert - a dead mathematician, who is the best mentor for the main character. Oh, and of course Harry Keogh, the Necroscope himself. All this put into one make a really good, but convoluted story. Actually, it's convoluted enough, that nobody dared to make a movie based on the saga. I think I wouldn't watch it anyway, because nobody would make Harry so handsome as he is in my head.
I'm glad that when I was young, "Twilight" didn't exist. I can at least be proud that my first fictional object of worship was the intelligent, handsome, wise and sensitive Harry Keogh, not, let me say it straight, pattypan squash(haha, it's so funny in english, in polish this vegetable is called "patison"). I mean, Edward C., pitiful, shiny in the sun(oh please, that was to much for me) pseudo vampire, that looked like he had constipation.
Maybe some of you want to know why I dislike Stephenie Meyer and her "Twilight" so much. (If you don't want to know, just go to the next paragraph) First, I think that she made vampires into teddy bears perfect for mass pop culture. Second, I read a few books in my life, better and worse, but I've never seen so much wish-wash in one book. I hardly got through the first volume, second - I've slept through almost all of it, waking for the last 50 pages of not very consistent action. I don't know how this kind of crap became a bestseller. I guess today money and good advertising is more important than talent.
So remember: vampires are not teddy bears that can be cuddled and hugged. All their charm was that they were terrifying and scary. Don't take them that away. Let's protect their right to be monsters! Throw "Twilight" away and read books about vampires of real flesh and blood.
I recommend "Necroscope". For summer, for lonely afternoons, rain and storms... And may this saga suck you to the last drop ^^

czwartek, 16 sierpnia 2012

Genesis

Don't know where I'm going, not sure what I wan't, but I have a dream to have my own bookstore, with good, mostly forgotten, or known only by connoisseurs books. It will be a place, where time is not allowed to enter, where You can sit in a comfortable armchair or sofa, order Your favorite coffee or tea, take of Your shoes and sit all day.
But right now sitting and doing nothing wont help me realize this dream. So I started this blog, first in polish, now  I'll try to do my best to translate all posts in English. Hope You'll like it and maybe one day we will meet at my bookstore :)