Picking up a book by Dan Brown is pretty much like social suicide. It will consume your every free minute with its compelling plot twists and intelligent dialogue. I would recommend starting this book during a holiday or a week when you can happily abandon all contact to the outside world. It will keep your face buried in it until the very last sentences.
Inferno (2013) is a fairly new book that topped many best-seller lists last year. A symbologist Robert Langdon (also in The Da Vinci Code) finds himself in Florence with an ancient mystery to solve, except the threat is very up-to-date. A genius billionaire is going to release a virus that will offer a “solution” to the overpopulation problem. Langdon, with the help of a British doctor Sienna Brooks, holds the key to preventing the virus from spreading. The time is running out and he has no idea what he really is facing.
Brown’s signature style is to mix old mysteries with modern ideas and scenes. The formula is as convincing as before. This time it is Dante Alighieri’s epic and ominous poem “The Divine Comedy” that provides the basis for the novel. The name Inferno is straight from the poem itself. It is the name of the first part of the poem, Dante’s journey through hell. The Divine Comedy is a crucial factor throughout the novel and sets a dark theme in the background.
The novel is easily one of the most thought-provoking pieces I have ever read. It is definitely not something you can read and then finish without ever pondering about the message. I found myself questioning many facts in society after reading the book. The conflicting thoughts haunted me for days. Nevertheless, I have to recommend this book for anyone who can stand a few menacing thoughts creeping into mind. Behind the addictive storyline and thrilling action there is a powerful message that everybody should consider.
Author Archives: voikukka
Book Review: Inferno
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Filed under Novels
Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Vicky Cristina Barcelona is a movie about two long-time friends, Vicky (Rebecca Hall) and Cristina (Scarlett Johansson), who spend a summer in Barcelona, Spain. They meet a painter called Juan Antonio (Javier Bardem), who introduces the girls to the Spanish lifestyle – especially love. Both girls are fascinated by the man’s confidence and his art. Eventually they find themselves enamored with him, but Juan Antonio’s ex-wife Maria Elena (Penélope Cruz) has her own intentions. Their love drama is extremely complicated, just like people in Spain.
If I had to identify myself with one character in the movie, it would be Vicky. She has planned her whole life ahead and has a clear sense of direction. She is going to marry her fiancé, live in a fancy apartment with him and start a family. Then the unexpected happens: she falls in love with another man. Needless to say that her whole life changes its course. Cristina is her opposite, she is fearless and passionate. She is what every woman wants to be. She throws herself into adventures with an open-minded attitude. Juan Antonio depicts the idyllic Spanish lover: charming, passionate and just a bit arrogant. Penélope Cruz does an amazing job bringing to life the ex-wife, Maria Elena. She is capricious, dangerous and breathtakingly beautiful. There is something hypnotizing about Cruz’s acting that brings out the soul of the film. Her astonishing performance even earned her a handful of awards, including an Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role.
One thing I personally would change about the film is the narrator. It feels like the cheery voice telling the obvious is just unnecessary for the plot. The narrator’s voice doesn’t work well with the romantic feel of the rest of the movie. Sometimes the narrative is almost childish, as if the viewer couldn’t see what is just happening in the movie. Maybe the narrator was intended to be a unique, artistic approach to a sensitive film, but in my opinion the attempt fails miserably.
Before seeing the film I had very high expectations, after all it was directed by the greatly praised Woody Allen. And he didn’t let me down. The movie is very dreamy, almost fairytale-like, but still manages to maintain its reality. The milieu is carefully chosen and the casting fits the ethereal atmosphere perfectly. Everything from the costumes to the setting has been handpicked with a close attention to detail, but rather than standing out, the elements blend together seamlessly. The result is a romantic setting with realistic characters, but just enough fantasy to spice things up.
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Filed under Films / theatre