January 29, 2006
Book Review: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1870)
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Tom Sawyer is every parental guardian's nightmare. Cunningly clever and eternally mischievous, he finds the draws of nature and the simple life to be irresistible. Like all boys, his life is consumed with all-important matters like impressing the new girl in town or gathering marbles, and his greatest stress comes from baths, church and chores. After his mother died he was sent to live with his aunt in rural Missouri. From the opening pages of the book we get a glimpse of Tom's sense of trickery, and we're immediately drawn to his youthful exuberance. You might not want him to be your son, but you can't help but get a chuckle out of his innate ability to get out of a jam. He might as well be Ferris Bueller's great-great-great-grandfather.
In the early portions of the book, we get a glimpse of what his (and, undoubtedly, every boy's) life was like in late-19th-century rural America. Life was hard; everyone was poor, struggle was a part of life, and children found happiness in the smallest possible things. In fact, the day-to-day hardship is rarely mentioned outright in the novel, despite the fact that you can sense it on just about every page; the people in this small Missouri town had long ago learned to cope and trudge on. The backdrop of the story is a thinly-veiled representation of Mark Twain's own childhood home; the names are changed, but the details are the same. Certainly there is plenty of Twain in the character of Tom Sawyer.
Despite the brevity of the novel, there is ample time for Tom's adventures to span from the mundane to the unbelievable. Tom and his "gang" are the primary focus of the book, and with good reason; they have the most spunk and vitality of anyone in town. Like many young boys, they are superstitious and full of passionate romanticism. They continually search for buried treasure and place great stock in trifles of possessions. They dream longingly of becoming pirates or thieves. But the real adventure begins when Tom convinces his friends to actually act on their impulses and run away to become pirates. Eventually, in the course of their adventures, they stumble upon some shady characters attempting to steal a large sum of money, and the boys, ever zealous to become real adventurers, plot to get the money for themselves.
The story is at times far-fetched, only coming to resolution through several unlikely coincidences, but this novel was never about its believability or accuracy. Nor is it a "coming-of-age" story where the boys discover their true selves and learn something profound about the real world. It's about boyhood and adventure and passion. It's about chasing dreams, acting out fantasies, taking chances, learning about love and life - in short, the goals of the American youth around the turn of the century.
At the end of the story, Tom and his gang are their same old selves (though, admittedly, their position in life is markedly different). However, we as the readers are probably somewhat different. Even if just for awhile, we get a chance to step in Tom's shoes and be a kid again. For me, not that far removed from my boyhood youth, Tom Sawyer elicited fond memories of my own childhood. Not that I had any of the same experiences as Tom, but I remember what it was like to believe stupid things, make a fool of myself in front of girls, and get spanked for my rambunctuousness. Tom's story is likely to put a renewed spring in your step and provide a bit of spark to your own imagination.
I think it's fitting that, as I was reading the final page of Tom Sawyer in my office, the song "Stand by Me" by Ben E. King came up on my music playlist. This song, of course, appeared in the movie by the same name, a similar story about four youths who undergo a profound experience of their own. That movie has always been one of my favorites for the same reason that I thoroughly enjoyed Tom Sawyer - it provided safe harbor from the real world for a while, and reminded me of what it was like to be a kid.
January 16, 2006
Save Our Bluths!
Have you ever watched this show? If not, you're missing out. Arrested Development is, by far, the best comedy on television. Unfortunately, it might not be on TV much longer. The critically-acclaimed but chronically ratings-challenged sitcom recently had its 3rd season lineup cut from 22 to 13 episodes by FOX.
I'll be the first to admit that I'm part of the problem. Up until two weeks ago, I had not seen a single episode of AD, nor had I even heard a positive word about it. Coupled with FOX's questionable marketing practices with the show, I never really had the motivation to check it out. Little did I know what I was missing! Thanks to Netflix, who recommended the Season 1 and 2 DVDs to me, I raced through the first two seasons in a weekend. And I was laughing all the way.
Arrested Development is a lightning-quick, brutally witty and inventive comedy. It thinks completely outside of the box of "traditional" sitcom TV, which is exactly why I love it. No laugh tracks. No predictable storylines. No force-fed humor. The show makes its name on edgy comedy, awkward humor, inside jokes, and self-references. Led by an absolutely all-star cast, it is such a shame that a show like this cannot generate more than 4 million viewers - especially when crap like "King of Queens" and "Two And A Half Men" can dominate the ratings.
So, I'm doing my part by informing you all of how amazing this show is, and recommending that you should check it out immediately. Unfortunately, your chances to catch new episodes might be limited for awhile.
FOX is planning to air the remaining 4 episodes of the season in a 2 hour block on Friday, February 10.
That happens to be opposite the Opening Ceremonies of the Winter Olympics, but who cares about that anyways? If I have to choose between smart, hilaroius comedy or a bunch of people waving flags, I'm going with the former.
That will likely be the end of the road for Arrested Development on FOX, but it might not be the end of the story. Apparently ABC and Showtime have expressed great interest in picking up the show, assuming FOX cancels it (which hasn't happened yet). Either way, it looks promising that AD will have a future, somewhere. And it rightfully should - great comedies don't come along very often, and when they do, they should be appreciated.
So, go watch Arrested Development. I can almost guarantee you'll like it. More likely than not, you'll find yourself in the same position as me - hoping for more, and wishing you hadn't stumbled onto it at the last minute...
TV Roundup
Well, it's a busy time for my TV shows of choice. With the exception of Prison Break, which is still on hiatus until March, all of my other shows are back in full force - even The Shield, which usually doesn't debut until March, is already back. Here's a report card on how good my favorite shows have been thus far:
- 24: B My favorite show started its 5th season tonight with quite a bang. I won't reveal anything for those not wanting to have it spoiled, but I must say that, even though I don't always agree with the writers' decisions, I admire their willingness to pull out all the stops in order to generate great drama. The first 2 hours premiered tonight and they were vintage "24", involving mysterious shadow men, government conspiracies, and Jack Bauer fighting against all odds for a good cause. Look for 22 more riveting hours of the best show on TV, coming your way soon...
- Arrested Development: A- The 3rd season has the feeling of a season written under the assumption that it would be the last, which detracts from the show's quirky randomness. Despite this, it has still been great entertainment. See main section above for more info.
- ER: C I was watching some of my ER DVDs last week, and it really hit home how amazing this show used to be, and how mediocre it is now. It lacks the great characters and powerful storylines of old. There are very few characters I even care about anymore. I guess after 12 years it's that much harder to produce fresh information. I still watch the show out of loyalty, but I think it's about time for it to say goodbye.
- Lost: A The show is still going strong in its excellent sophomore season. There are so many different storylines that it often becomes frustrating when they ignore a plot thread for several shows, but they do an admirable job of balancing character-developing backstories and revealing island mysteries, which are becoming larger in number. For my money, this is the best mystery and intrigue on TV.
- The OC: B The show has slipped a bit from its magical first season, but it's still good drama. The writers are smart to continue to place heavy focus on the adults, who serve as the moral center of the show. I think it's interesting that, unlike other teen-based dramas, The OC is not afraid to tackle issues like college admissions and moving away from home. Since its beginning, the show has been willing to address head-on many topics that shows of lesser quality refuse to acknowledge.
- The Office: A This show has really found its stride. Still not as good as the British version, but very funny in its own right. It will be interesting to see how the show fares when they start to introduce more serious topics, like the Jim-Pam love angle. This was done to perfection in the British version, and it remains to be seen if it will be done here with the same amount of charm. Regardless, The Office can still be counted on for several gut-busting laughs per episode.
- Scrubs: B- We're only 2 episodes into the new season, but I'm afraid they're trying too hard. Given the oddball nature of the show, it seems the writers are striving to be crazier than ever, with mixed results. I didn't find myself laughing as much as I normally do. But I'm withholding true judgment until the season progresses further.
- The Shield: B There are rumors that this is the last season of The Shield, but I hope those are false. It is the best show on cable TV, and perhaps the best crime drama ever. Season 5 premiered last week in a typical no-holds-barred fashion, but it lacked a powerful overarching story that the other seasons have had from the beginning. This is probably because the addition of Forrest Whitaker as an IAD cop investigating Mackey for a crime he committed years ago felt lukewarm - why explore this angle now, when it has been neglected since Season 1? It almost feels like this is their way of tying up loose ends in order to end the series (perhaps by putting Mackey behind bars). Again, too early to make an actual judgment, but I sure hope I'm wrong about those suspicions.
OK, it's time to leave TV Land and return you to your regularly scheduled programming...
January 15, 2006
All Bad Things Must Come To An End
The last we heard from our dashing superhero Shaun, he was stranded in Jacksonville while his car was being repaired by complete morons. Here's the next thrilling installment of the story...
December 29: A Plea For Help, and A New Surprise
It's now Thursday, and I'm waiting all day for my car to simply get an alignment and get out of the shop. I was given every reason to believe it would be ready that day, so we even packed up my stuff and drove over to the dealer in the afternoon, still waiting to hear back from them, but wanting to avoid traffic. We arrive at the dealer and I finally meet the idiotic woman I've been dealing with all week. I ask her nicely enough if there are any updates on the car, and if it will be ready in time. She completely blows me off, telling me that she has no idea - and she doesn't seem very concerned with finding out, either. At this point my mom flies off the hook and starts yelling at the lady, and I go in to speak with the service manager. I lay out the situation, and he seems much more understanding. He apologizes for the way things unfolded, but also sticks up for his employees, blaming the issues on the holiday rush, stress, etc. He promises to do what he can to get my car done that night. So we leave, but stay around the area so that we can be there promptly once it's ready.
Well, they finally call me about 10 minutes before they close and inform me that my rear axle is bent. At this point I'm about ready to burn the dealership down. Why didn't they find this out before? Now, the car can't be aligned and the axle needs to be replaced. Oh, and by the way, that's another $1500 or so. So I call the insurance company, inform them of the problem, and they agree to send someone out first thing in the morning to re-estimate and get a supplement check to the dealer so that they can complete the work.
December 30: Race Against the Clock
Friday. The last day that the shop is open before New Year's. If I don't get my car today, I'm stuck here until January 3 (which, by the way, would be my first day back to work, so I'd have to call in for another vacation day). Again, I call the dealer repeatedly, and they keep telling me there are no updates. Noon rolls around. Then 2PM, then 3PM. Finally, around 4 o'clock, they tell me that the axle is in place but that they are having trouble bleeding the brakes... oh, and it still needs an alignment! I swear, I've never seen a place have so much trouble aligning cars in a reasonable time frame! At this point, they tell me it is unlikely that it will be ready today. I start screaming. I ask the guy when they close - he says the shop is closed at 5 PM, but that they are hoping to leave early.
This was the straw the broke the camel's back - I call the manager again and leave him a passionate voicemail informing him that I must have my car today, and I tell him about his employee's intentions to leave early. He calls me back, and he's absolutely furious. Apparently this comment pissed him off too. He told me that the idea of them leaving early was "bullshit", and that I would definitely have my car today, even if they had to stay late and send my car out to another company to get aligned. Finally, some positive news.
Sure enough, I got my car around 7:30 PM. Shockingly enough, it is running fine - given all the problems I had with the dealer, I assumed they would have done a shoddy job with the repairs. But the Jetta is back to normal again. However, I'm not sure that I am back to normal - I seriously think I've never been under more stress than I was during those last tenuous moments when the clock was ticking and I wasn't sure if I would have my car on December 30 or January 3. I am in the process of writing a letter to VW national, informing them of the horrible experience I had. We'll see if it garners a response.
Epilogue: The Root of All Evil
And if that weren't enough... once I get back to Atlanta, I get a call from the service lady telling me that I owe them more money. Like I didn't see that one coming! According to them, it's because I decided to buy their rims, rather than the (cheaper) rims that the insurance company wanted to get. But that's just false, because the insurance company paid for 2 tires, and the dealer only charged for 1, because one was covered by Road Hazard Warranty. The amount of the tire more than covers the difference in the rims - so, if anything, they owe me money! According to their invoice and the insurance estimate, the real difference is in labor costs - the insurance company paid for about $1000 worth, and the dealership charged over $1200. Once those two numbers agree, the matter will be resolved.
I got this call about a week ago - as of yet, I have not paid them an extra cent, and I don't intend to. Stay tuned for the thrilling conclusion, hopefully sometime soon!