A triplet of reviews
Dec. 21st, 2002 09:23 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ventaI borrowed Are You Dave Gorman? (by Dave Gorman and Danny Wallace) from someone who described it as one of the funniest books he'd ever read. I'd also heard a few other people raving about how great and how funny it was.
Thus I've managed to be faintly disappointed by what is, all in all a pretty good book. I enjoyed it; I just don't think it's great.
In case anyone's had their head in a bucket for a year or two, the book is the same dea as the TV series/Edinburgh Festival show/travelling lecture of the same name. Notably, it's the story of two guys' attempts, following a drunken bet, to prove (or disprove) that there are "loads" of people called Dave Gorman.
The book's written in alternate passages (using two different type faces) by the bet-er and the bet-ee, who have varying amounts of enthusiasm for the whole business of teararsing round the globe meeting complete strangers purely on the basis of a name. The parts written by Danny Wallace are rather better written - though I guess this is unsurprising, since he's a journalist by trade.
If you've seen the TV series, a lot of the contents of this book won't be new. However, it's entertaining, and cheers me up as I realise there are two more people than I realised who are prepared to do daft things for the hell of it.
I'd recommend this as a good book for reading on the train. No particular mental effort required to follow it, and it is in handy bite-size chunks, so it's less annoying when you reach your station mid-chapter.
A few days ago, I finally made it out to see The Chamber of Secrets. I was kind of surprised, actually, as the cinema (one of the small screens on George Street) was practically empty...
And you know what ? I was kind of disappointed in this film. Which is odd, as most people I've heard expressing opinions seemed to think it was better than the first one.
I can't really put my finger on why, either... Despite some excellent individual performances, the whole thing just seemed to be very two dimensional to me. It seemed to drag, right from the beginning, and gave the appearance that it was just dutifully running through the scenes from the book. There didn't seem to be much sense of danger at any point, and not much in the way of climactic endings, just a vague wombling towards a conclusion.
I'm also no real judge of acting ability, but the three kids really didn't seem to be that good - Hermione and Ron only have one facial expression each, and Harry doesn't appear to have any at all. In fairness, most of the staff were great - particular credit to Kenneth Branagh for a fantastic rendering of the repellent Lockhart. And to whoever plays Lucius Malfoy for carrying off the white-blonde-hair-and-black-velvet look quite so well. Not enough Alan Rickman, though.
Oh, and![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
ealuscerwen, I'm guessing you've already been warned. But if not, you don't want to see this film :)
This evening, returning from a shopping trip, I got exceptionally rained on, walked to Edamame, and was most put out to discover it's closed for a month. So I ambled to Cowley Road, and finally tried out Gashi Gashi.
And I must say, I'm impressed. The one point to its detriment is that it isn't cheap, but the food is absolutely lovely. I was by myself (leathellin having declined to join me on the wholly unreasonable grounds of being in Devon), and was a little unsure about quantities, as I wanted sashimi, and it only appeared on the 'dishes to share' menu.
The English guy, who acts more of less as a maitre d', suggested that a plate of sashimi, with some rice would be about enough for a meal for one. Could they do that ? Of course they could... Moreover, he seemed happy to stop and chat for a bit, which was nice as I was on my own. My food turned up quickly, and I don't think I've ever had nicer fish. And, my number one criterion for a Japanese restaurant, their miso soup was good as well.
And when I left, and it was still raining, I was even offered the loan of an umbrella. Now there's service for you :)
Prices: Bowl of miso soup, bowl of rice, and big pile of yellow fin tuna sashimi, £9.15. £3.20 for a pint of Kirin beer, and £3.95 for a strange vanilla ice cream and red bean paste thing for pudding.
Now watchieyasu wade in and tell me why I'm wrong about this :)
Oh, and a note to waiters in Italian restaurants everywhere:
I like black pepper. Lots of it. However, if I'm eating in a place with a decent chef, I'm prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he knows what he's doing with seasonings. Therefore don't ask me if I want ground black pepper until I've tried my food. Moreover, if I ask you to wait a moment while I try it, do not look at me as if I were howlingly insane. Thank you.
Thus I've managed to be faintly disappointed by what is, all in all a pretty good book. I enjoyed it; I just don't think it's great.
In case anyone's had their head in a bucket for a year or two, the book is the same dea as the TV series/Edinburgh Festival show/travelling lecture of the same name. Notably, it's the story of two guys' attempts, following a drunken bet, to prove (or disprove) that there are "loads" of people called Dave Gorman.
The book's written in alternate passages (using two different type faces) by the bet-er and the bet-ee, who have varying amounts of enthusiasm for the whole business of teararsing round the globe meeting complete strangers purely on the basis of a name. The parts written by Danny Wallace are rather better written - though I guess this is unsurprising, since he's a journalist by trade.
If you've seen the TV series, a lot of the contents of this book won't be new. However, it's entertaining, and cheers me up as I realise there are two more people than I realised who are prepared to do daft things for the hell of it.
I'd recommend this as a good book for reading on the train. No particular mental effort required to follow it, and it is in handy bite-size chunks, so it's less annoying when you reach your station mid-chapter.
A few days ago, I finally made it out to see The Chamber of Secrets. I was kind of surprised, actually, as the cinema (one of the small screens on George Street) was practically empty...
And you know what ? I was kind of disappointed in this film. Which is odd, as most people I've heard expressing opinions seemed to think it was better than the first one.
I can't really put my finger on why, either... Despite some excellent individual performances, the whole thing just seemed to be very two dimensional to me. It seemed to drag, right from the beginning, and gave the appearance that it was just dutifully running through the scenes from the book. There didn't seem to be much sense of danger at any point, and not much in the way of climactic endings, just a vague wombling towards a conclusion.
I'm also no real judge of acting ability, but the three kids really didn't seem to be that good - Hermione and Ron only have one facial expression each, and Harry doesn't appear to have any at all. In fairness, most of the staff were great - particular credit to Kenneth Branagh for a fantastic rendering of the repellent Lockhart. And to whoever plays Lucius Malfoy for carrying off the white-blonde-hair-and-black-velvet look quite so well. Not enough Alan Rickman, though.
Oh, and
ealuscerwen, I'm guessing you've already been warned. But if not, you don't want to see this film :) This evening, returning from a shopping trip, I got exceptionally rained on, walked to Edamame, and was most put out to discover it's closed for a month. So I ambled to Cowley Road, and finally tried out Gashi Gashi.
And I must say, I'm impressed. The one point to its detriment is that it isn't cheap, but the food is absolutely lovely. I was by myself (
leathellin having declined to join me on the wholly unreasonable grounds of being in Devon), and was a little unsure about quantities, as I wanted sashimi, and it only appeared on the 'dishes to share' menu. The English guy, who acts more of less as a maitre d', suggested that a plate of sashimi, with some rice would be about enough for a meal for one. Could they do that ? Of course they could... Moreover, he seemed happy to stop and chat for a bit, which was nice as I was on my own. My food turned up quickly, and I don't think I've ever had nicer fish. And, my number one criterion for a Japanese restaurant, their miso soup was good as well.
And when I left, and it was still raining, I was even offered the loan of an umbrella. Now there's service for you :)
Prices: Bowl of miso soup, bowl of rice, and big pile of yellow fin tuna sashimi, £9.15. £3.20 for a pint of Kirin beer, and £3.95 for a strange vanilla ice cream and red bean paste thing for pudding.
Now watch
ieyasu wade in and tell me why I'm wrong about this :)Oh, and a note to waiters in Italian restaurants everywhere:
I like black pepper. Lots of it. However, if I'm eating in a place with a decent chef, I'm prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he knows what he's doing with seasonings. Therefore don't ask me if I want ground black pepper until I've tried my food. Moreover, if I ask you to wait a moment while I try it, do not look at me as if I were howlingly insane. Thank you.
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no subject
Date: 2002-12-21 02:21 pm (UTC)Did you see the TV series? That is far funnier than the book. The Astrology Experiment wasn't nearly as good.
Re: Harry Potter - I know the book quite well, and due to being severely disappointed by the first film, am not in a hurry to see the second. What I was planning to do was to rent it on DVD when it's out that way. Related embarrassing admission is that I know the book well enough to be pretty sure I can avoid the dubious scenes that way ;)
Thanks for the warning, though!
no subject
Date: 2002-12-21 05:05 pm (UTC)One advantage for severe 'phobes of watching DVDs over films is that you can look at the counter clock on your VCR and cross-reference it against a home-made "look away now" list. Once the DVD comes out then it should be easy to make such a list. I'm surprised that a web site with such lists for the most frequent phobias doesn't already exist. (Or does such a web site exist, but it just isn't sufficiently optimised for search engines? www.panphobia.com doesn't quite do what I'm after.)
If you don't mind me asking, would listening to movie spiders trigger your phobia?
no subject
Date: 2002-12-21 06:05 pm (UTC)I utterly agree with you about the Italian restaurant waiters. However it could be worse, they could offer to put it on the ice cream as well ~ick~
btw, Hi Liz ~waves~ I'm the Jo who knows Davefish that you kindly put up for a night at April Whitby when i couldn't find the people in my cottage, hope you don't mind me dropping in :)
no subject
Date: 2002-12-22 01:42 am (UTC)<scary stalker mode>
Oh, I know.
</ssm>
*waves*
I've been lurking around for ages, (but have only just conceded the necessity of a friends' list, which is why a few people have just noticed me). And I think I've identified most of the camgoths. In your case it was a tricky matter of observing that your picture was a photo of you :)
Nice picture, by the way.
Harry Potter
Date: 2002-12-22 06:16 am (UTC)* Or at least, none which will later make you think 'where did they say that? I didn't see it' - I didn't feel I'd missed anything.
no subject
Date: 2002-12-22 07:52 am (UTC)Yep, I'm going to wade in...
Date: 2002-12-25 08:56 am (UTC)Occasionally I feel like Japanese food, and I'm never around when Edamame is open. On those occasions, some sick sense of masochism drives me into Gashi Gashi, but I'm always disappointed. I really find it odd when people like the place--I shall have to take you to some good Japanese places in London. Then again, I keep promising that...
Yeah, I figured you would.
Date: 2002-12-26 09:36 am (UTC)I would say "Educate Me", but at the moment I've got the means of eating nice Japanese food in Oxford, and you haven't. I think I might prefer my ignorance :)
I'm nothing if not predictable
Gashi Gashi I reserve a particular loathing for, however... and I'm very fond of Edamame, with the exception of the fact that it might as well write 'when we feel like it' on its opening hours sign.
To be fair to Gashi Gashi, though, it's food is very hit-and-miss: if you're there on a night that it's good, it's great. I think my problem with it being expensive, though, is that it's very mediocre food at a huge price. It's just a bit less pricey than Wagamama or Satsuma in London, and the food at either of those is far better. If it were the kind of the equivalent of Oxford Thai (cheap ethnic food done quick and dirty), I'd probably love the place, but it's 25% too pricey for me to enjoy it.
no subject
Date: 2002-12-28 04:08 am (UTC)When are you back from entirely unreasonable Northern climes?