The scary

Image via Wikipedia Its getting frightening now. More so because I'm starting the course in November and still think I can pull off the 50,000 word book. On the bright side the plot is starting to flesh out a little bit, which, on the down side, only gives me a deeper insight into how much more work there is to be done.

Thought I'd start off the day with a little comic talk. Recently bought (had bought for me :) ) a copy of V for Vendetta, and it was the first time I'd read it. Shameful, I know. I saw the movie when it came out a few years ago, and was a big fan, but couldn't understand why people kept telling me it wasn't as good as the book, and why the inestimable Mr. Moore wanted nothing to do with it. I finally get it.


While the film could well have been a decent stand up piece on its own, when compared to the book it was a poor shadow. It lacked the depth and insight into the characters that were the heart of the book, for example, there was next to nothing about the Leader in the film, and Evey's character wasn't correctly intereprated as the terrified child-woman that is depicted through the dialogue and images. All through the book you get a real feel for her character, from the first clumsy frightened attempts to make money selling her body, which dives into not only her despair at her life and all thats been taken away from her, but also the state of the society as a whole. Its the ultimate dog eat dog, survival of the fittest world with the just the faintest veneer of order and civilisation thrown over it.

Coming back to finish this post after a few days of hiatus and hangovers. Its amazing the extra insights into someone's work you can gain given extra time and re-reading. One thing that struck me this morning is the relationship between Cain and Abel in Sandman. Cain is the elder domineering, generally assholey dude who murders his brother on a regular basis. But wha tyo've got to consider there is the vicious cycle that he finds himself in. Back in the dawn days he killed his brother in a fit of rage and so became branded for all time as the first muderer. This then plays out over and over again in the dream. But, and this is the important bit, you get occassional flashes of insight into the character that speak of an unholy amount of pain caused by this recurring action, and the odd flash of tenderness towards his half-wit fluffiness and light brother, who basically just wants them to be friends. At times it seems like he wants to break out of it but, knowing that he can't, it just serves to make him all the more bitter and enraged. I've re-read it a couple of time and, as I say, this just came to me this morning. Amazing what careful thought can give you.