What I've Been Watching

October is one of my busiest viewing months, or, well, the whole holiday season is. I blame it on the seasonal shows, new seasons, and old favorites that I like to rewatch as the year winds down. Stuff I’ve written about before like The House With a Clock in Its Walls and Hocus Pocus, among many others. I won’t be recapping my experience with those, and instead I’m going to focus on what’s relatively new on my end….

One of my most anticipated films of the year was Barbie, and I’ve finally watched it. I had an incredible amount of fun with this film. I enjoyed the humor as well as how great the performances were. Margot Robbie was the perfect choice for Stereotypical Barbie, and the same can be said about Ken and the rest of the casting too. In general, though, the overall story was great. It had its silly lighthearted moments, but it was balanced with some serious themes and tense moments, as Barbie went through an existential crisis. If you haven’t already watched it, then I highly recommend it.

Another movie I checked out was The Portable Door. I know this one is based on a book, which I haven’t read. That, however, didn’t deter me from watching the movie anyway. It was a fun and campy magic-tinged adventure with the classic heroes journey at its heart. Overall, it was pretty good and, if there’s ever a sequel, I would watch it.

Out of the majority of Disney’s 2023 releases, The Haunted Mansion was at the top of my list, right behind the live action The Little Mermaid. I actually like the 2003 film and, for so many years, it’s been a staple on my annual October viewing list. So I was very-very excited that another version was going to be released, especially since it featured the Hatbox Ghost. I like this one too. It had its funny moments, but it was also surprisingly heartwarming by the end of it. The design of the titular (and very) haunted mansion was eye catching, and I liked how reminiscent it was of the actual ride. It also worked well as an obstacle the characters had to navigate alongside the ghosts. I have a feeling that this one is going to be another October staple.

And last but certainly not least was one of my most anticipated second seasons of the year: SurrealEstate. I loved the first season, but it was open-ended leaving the future of the characters—and The Roman Agency—uncertain. So I was glad when I heard the series would be continued this year and right on time for October. It’s still airing as of when this post was written but, so far, the second season has been a true delight. It’s creepy and eerie in the right way, with great filming, effects, and ghost designs. The cast puts on a great performance as a charismatic team that’s (mild spoiler) hit a rough patch after experiencing an abrupt shake-up in their dynamic. Though the storytelling is episodic, there is an overarching plotline happening alongside each self-contained narrative. I, for one, am looking forward to the rest of the season, particularly for how some of the interpersonal issues and other mysteries will be resolved.

So that’s a pretty good idea of what I was watching through the month of October. Until next time, happy reading!

The King of Elfland's Daughter by Lord Dunsany

Title: The King of Elfland's Daughter
Series: n/a
Author: Lord Dunsany
Source/Format: Purchased; Paperback
More Details: Fantasy; Classic
Publisher/Publication Date: Originally published in 1924

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

The poetic style and sweeping grandeur of The King of Elfland's Daughter has made it one of the most beloved fantasy novels of our time, a masterpiece that influenced some of the greatest contemporary fantasists. The heartbreaking story of a marriage between a mortal man and an elf princess is a masterful tapestry of the fairy tale following the "happily ever after."

Earlier this year, I read a book called Lud-In-The-Mist by Hope Mirrlees. A pre-Tolkien fantasy classic released in 1926 about the capital of a small fictional country—the titular Lud-in-the-Mist—with a curious history (and potential present) involving fairies. One of the books that I saw that was often compared to and recommended with Lud-in-the-Mist was Lord Dunsany’s 1924 fantasy story, The King of Elfland’s Daughter. And now, having read it for myself, I can say they’re vastly different stories but good for what they are, respectively.

Instead of fairies here, though, there are elves at the focal point as well as other recognizable character types: witches, trolls, unicorns, and willow-the-wisps. The magic was very it-just-exists-deal-with-it, which worked well when contrasting the differences between Elfland and Erl. Besides the vastly differing way time affected each place, the former was touched by a strange and also eerie perfection coupled with something a little dangerous and enigmatic, which was a feeling that never abated. But it was something I liked about the story.

Besides the fantastical aspects, The King of Elfland’s Daughter is a relatively layered story that, at times, felt like a cautionary tale about being mindful about what one wishes for. The parliament of Erl wanted a magic lord, heedless of the time it would take and the potential consequences that would arise from it. Just like how in a lot of fairy tale type stories, there’s always a lesson to be learned in making careless bargains. The initial request was phrased like a simple task, but it could also occupy the role of a bargain, since the substance of the story eventually followed a lot of the same pathways.

I also liked how interpersonal the story was with exploring Alveric’s relationship with Lirazel; how his unwillingness—at first—to meet his wife halfway when it came to beliefs, was one of the turning points that influenced the rest of the story.

If there is something to note, while I enjoyed the story, one thing to keep in mind when approaching it is the fact that there is animal death on page. One character is essentially a hunter, and some parts were detailed.

Besides that, I enjoyed The King of Elfland’s Daughter.

 

Music Monday (262): Qveen Herby, BRELAND, Atjazz, Mr J

Rules:

• Music Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Lauren Stoolfire at Always Me that asks you to share one or two songs that you've recently enjoyed. For the rules, visit the page HERE 

Breana: My pick today is On God by Qveen Herby. It's one of my favorite songs by this artists, particularly because of the beat. It's very catchy.

Adri: My pick this week is one I have on repeat. And that song is Together by Atjazz featuring Mr J.

Andrea: Hi all! It's never too early for Christmas music. Check out The Christmas Audio by BRELAND. Have an amazing week!

What are you listening to this week?

The Friday 56 (242) & Book Beginnings: The King of Elfland's Daughter by Lord Dunsany

The Friday 56 is a weekly meme hosted by Freda's Voice where every Friday you pick a book and turn to page 56 or 56%, and select a sentence or a few, as long as it's not a spoiler. For the full rules, visit the the page HERE 

Book Beginnings is a weekly meme hosted by Rose City Reader that asks you to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you're reading.

Synopsis from Goodreads...

The poetic style and sweeping grandeur of The King of Elfland's Daughter has made it one of the most beloved fantasy novels of our time, a masterpiece that influenced some of the greatest contemporary fantasists. The heartbreaking story of a marriage between a mortal man and an elf princess is a masterful tapestry of the fairy tale following the "happily ever after."

Beginning: "In their ruddy jackets of leather that reached to their knees the men of Erl appeared before their lord, the stately white-haired man in his long red room."

56: "And quiet and lonely the great wood loomed round him while he waited for Oth to return."

Comments: The King of Elfland's Daughter is one of the fantasy classics I've wanted to read for a while now, and I'm glad I can finally mark it off my TBR list. What are you reading this week?

The Lover by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Title: The Lover

Series: n/a
Author: Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Source/Format: NetGalley; eARC
More Details: Fantasy; Horror; Romance; Short Story
Publisher/Publication Date: Amazon Original Stories; November 1, 2023

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

During a brutal winter, a young woman longing for love finds more than she expected in the woods, in this wickedly sensuous short story by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, the New York Times bestselling author of Mexican Gothic.

Judith knows her sister, Alice, is the pretty one—but that doesn’t stop her from wishing for love. When a handsome and gentlemanly hunter appears in their village, seeking lodging from the cold, she believes her lover has finally arrived. He does, indeed, choose to stay—but as Alice’s husband, not her own. When another stranger comes out of the woods, looking every bit a vagrant, he offers Judith something mysterious and enticingly strange. Against reason and decency, she welcomes both men into her life, in different ways. As forbidden longings ensnare each of them, an unrelenting winter storm and an evasive wolf on the prowl have everyone on edge…and ravenous. By spring thaw, will any of their hungers be satisfied?

A few months ago, I read Moreno-Garcia’s latest novel, Silver Nitrate. Now, you know, around Our Thoughts Precisely, this is a favorite author. So when I saw The Lover come up for review, I decided to give it a go too.

The Lover is a loose retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, the second one I’ve read by the time I’m writing this (the other is for this month’s Short Stories). This story adopted key parts of the tale, but it was also doing its own thing with them. In general, it had the feel of a fairy tale, but a darker one. The substance of the story had betrayal and morally complex—if not gray—characters who don’t always do the right thing.

As I’ve said before, Moreno-Garcia is very good with creating characters. So even in a story as short as The Lover, they seemed to pop off the page with how detailed they were. Judith’s voice was particularly distinct. She was the narrator, so getting her inner thoughts revealed early on her growing discontent with the monotonous nature of her every day and the unfair treatment toward her by her sister. Bad decisions were inevitably made. Judith was especially prone to seeing and hearing what she wanted, particularly when one of the men—who was mentioned in the synopsis—is involved.

But the story was an interesting one, and I wanted to see how the scenario would end. And, oh boy, it does! The ending is probably one of the most satisfying parts of The Lover, and it’s one of the areas where the harsh nature of the story shone through the most. And I loved it!

My only detraction is that I wish the story had had even a little more room to breathe. But that’s just a personal aside, since I wouldn’t have minded sticking around for a longer story about these characters.

Otherwise, The Lover is another good story from Silvia Moreno-Garcia.

 

About the author....

Silvia Moreno-Garcia is the author of several novels, including Mexican Gothic, Gods of Jade and Shadow and The Daughter of Doctor Moreau. She has also edited a number of anthologies, including the World Fantasy Award-winning She Walks in Shadows (a.k.a. Cthulhu's Daughters). Mexican by birth, Canadian by inclination.

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Disclaimer: this copy of the book was provided by the publisher (Amazon Original Stories) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, thank you!