Carl Deuker -- Books, Movies, TV

Janine thinks her second graders can succeed at egg drop.  They build contraptions to land their eggs, but all the eggs crack. Tears.  She tries to tell them that they tried and that's good enough and they didn't fail.  Tears.  Shortcomings of "no one fails" methodology humorously exposed.

 Follows Sadie and Sam (Mazer) from childhood to mid-thirties when both are feeling old and a bit out of it in the gaming world.  Characters are well-rounded, develop throughout the novel in interesting way.  Plot is involved but sensible.  Not a single, "Oh, come on!" moment.  The book could have been faster paced. Odd, since the main topic is video games which are not for their speed of engagement and Gabrielle Zevin clearly knows her video games. Recommended by Michael Connelly in an interview.  He also has Bosch pick up the book in his novel, Resurrection Walk, as Bosch tails a possible witness to a crime as she moves through a bookstore. Sadie and Sam do not get together at the end, which is good.   Marx killed by homophobic nutcase who really wants to kill Sam, but Sam isn't there. Marx is father of Sadie's child. 

recommendation from Marian. Defense atty, tired of defending deadbeats, turns in his resignation.  But . . . one more case.  Confessed low-life murderer was read his Miranda Rights improperly (no mention of right to remain silent). This means the confession will be suppressed.  He won't get off, but attorney thinks he should be able to bring the charges down to manslaughter. Low-life's girlfriend shows up, curses atty, says he works to lock people up and that her boyfriend (of 11 months) couldn't have done the murder.  Yeah, right, our atty says . . . but, I suspect, Yeah, right will be the end. 

 Great Performances on PBS Christopher Plummer was terrific.  All ends (reasonably) well, even for the traitors.  The play ends with a "look" between Caliban and Prospero which implies some sort of softening on Prospero's part, even a recognition that what he did to Caliban was wrong.  Ariel also freed. Prospero to leave the island, destroy his magic books, his magic staff, give up his power, reconciled with his brother . . . sort of.  

Continues to be entertaining.  Prickly teachers. Too liberal young guy; uptight, son of military Black guy.  Outlandish, interested in everything except being principal, principal.  Uptight older Black teacher.  Flamboyant, red-haired, cynical white teacher.  Great blend . . . good pacing 

Charming TV show that captures, in a gentle way, the lunacy of the classroom.  Principal who does nothing.  Overly cheerful teachers . . . lousy facilities . . . charter school down the block, etc. 

More games and more rivalry between Sadie and Mazur (Sam's new name).  The game that was a flop as a game reemerges as a world like Sim City and is successful.  Maple World -- the side that Sam built.  It becomes a utopian on-line world.  Gay marriage is fine, diversity, etc.  Some users become angry.  Attack on office to kill Sam, but he's not there.  Marks gets shot instead.  Induced coma.  Sadie pregnant with M.'s child.  Marks dies.  Sadie can't go back to work.  Mazer/Sam does.  Two are rent asunder . . . will they come back together?  Good writing . . . too long . . . the section where Marks is in an induced coma and describes what's going on is, for example, excellent until it drags on.

 Over half finished.  Ups and downs of Sadie and Sam, brilliant gamers as they make their way through their early 20's.  Well-written, good characterization . . . plot is a bit soap-opera.  Sam's leg amputated.  Sadie angry with  him because he -- to get  the "engine" needed to complete their first video game -- sent her back to her ex boyfriend. Second game (Sadie main driver) flops critically.

 Solid movie . . . We get a villain at the end . . . Straws, former president of Princeton who was slighted by Oppenheimer, held a grudge, and plotted his downfall.  Straws himself--nominated for a Cabinet post--gets taken down.  Oppenheimer does lose security clearance; not involved in defense any longer; implication is that he spends the rest of his life (he died in his 60's of lung cancer) in unimportant pursuits, a figurehead receiving awards but not doing any real work, much like Einstein in his later years.  Solid movie . . . surprising that it is so popular . . . serious and a downer.

 Truly a great performance by  Danai Gurira.  She is magnificent.  Cast includes deaf, wheelchair bound, midget, Black woman playing King of England.    It all works--the "willing suspension of disbelief" takes hold and the acting carries the day.  One remarkable scene.  Richard calls a henchman and orders him to kill his nephews.  The henchman, glad to be of service, smiles and agrees.  He returns moments later, shaken to the core, his voice quavering, fighting back tears, barely able to walk.   How do actors do it?  Amazing transformation in a minute.

 Bomb successful.  Scientists celebrate, but with some angst showing. Oppenheimer especially.  Oppenheimer wants to close down Los Alamos.  Truman/Teller want to develop hydrogen bomb. Oppenheimer's past left-wing activities lead to examination of his security clearance.  Straws (Princeton) slighted by Oppenheimer earlier, leads the campaign to undo him, all the while pretending to be his friend.  The committee hearing is stacked against him.  He can't see the evidence ahead of time (classified) so his lawyer has little chance to defend him.  

 Recommended by Michael Connelly in an interview and then mentioned in Resurrection Walk.  Good start--about 10% done.  Two gamers in Boston, Sam at Harvard and Sadie at MIT.  Past history when Sadie's sister was in Children's Hospital in LA with leukemia and Sam was in same hospital with broken bones in foot after car accident. Sam non-communicative, but talks to Sadie.  She then "uses" him as her community service for her Bat Mitzvah requirement, though she really does see him as a friend.  

 Solid opening 30 minutes (we're treating this like a mini-series).  O's involvement with left-wing causes . . . rift with Einstein (O thinks of him as over-the-hill and Einstein knows it.)  First splitting of atom.  Lawrence Lab in Berkeley--Lawrence practical applied physics . . . not O's strength.  Main actor is from Peaky Blinders.

Excitement, page-turner.  Judge disallows DNA evidence because the DNA was always present so it's not new evidence, which is what a habeas corpus hearing looks into.  The fact that the first lawyer didn't present it means Mickey would have to go another route.  Mickey throws a fit and gets jailed for contempt.  (Earlier recreation of murder showing Lucinda wasn't tall enough was also thrown out because AI was used . . . not yet permissible in court.  Sgt. Sanger's DNA was on the swab indicating she switched the original swab out to implicate Lucinda.  In the break before Sanger is called to the stand, she's murdered by drug cartel guy.  (Lucinda's husband was cooperating with the FBI--giving information on police clique/gang that was doing the dirty work of the cartels.  He was killed by Sanger or another member of the police gang.)  Harry sees Sanger's murder and chases after guy . . . Harry too old and tired to catch him.

Top notch Connelly.  Lucinda trial has many twists.  The dead cop is part of a police gang . . . informant for the FBI . . . fellow cops learn this . . . they're his killers . . . but the main witness can't/won't testify because it would screw up an ongoing FBI investigation. Artificial intelligence used to recreate murder -- not allowed in court though convincing. Bosch uses cell phone records to map movements of main suspects Tense court scenes along the lines of Turow.  Nothing about Bosch's daughter for a long time (YES) Haller much more interesting.  Talks to reporter . . . You want to do a profile of me?  In judge's chambers:  That's very smart, Judge.  (She stops him on this one.  Don't be obsequious Mickey, it doesn't suit you.) I've enjoyed the recent Connelly's very much.  He's on a roll.

 Miserable.  Leslie Howard is bloodless, and why he'd be attracted to Bette Davis, and uneducated nasty waitress is baffling.  Worse, he's obsessed by her for 90% of the movie.  She treats him like dirt, "marries" his rival, has a baby, destroys his art work yet . . . Finally she dies and he can marry a nice, mousy girl. Howard at first is in Paris studying art, then studies medicine.  He is poor, has a club foot.  Novel covers his life to age 30.  The movie deals only with the Bette Davis relationship period.

 About 40% done. Lucinda in jail for killing her cop ex-husband.  She pled guilty on advice of Silver her atty, but now wants out.  Bosch investigates for Mickey Haller, Lincoln Lawyer brother, and yes, it is suspicious.  Cop ex-husband was part of police gang.  Did she kill him?  Did his cop buddies kill him for fear he was talking to the FBI about cop gangs? Did a gang kill him?   Subplot about young boy accused of shooting cop seems "solved."  Cop actually accidentally shot himself, which would end his career.  Blames the kid instead.  Bosch sees discrepancies and the boy is released.  Is this plot over?  . . . seems so. Flying along.   Bosch getting treatment for his cancer at UCLA.  Maddie visits.  Daddy-Daughter love-in without words. Spare us.  

 Okay, gave up on Season Four and jumped to the last episode, which was a little better.  Eve and Villanelle become lovers of a sort after stealing camper from perfect hippie couple.  They join forces to kill "The Twelve," the shadowy nefarious group that started in Germany years earlier.  Carolyn (M16) is also after "The Twelve" as is Helene, only Helene has been killed. The Twelve are meeting on a tourist boat that's hosting a wedding in the ballroom while they meet in another.  Eve presides at the wedding -- they mistake her for the cleric -- while Villanelle kills all twelve of the twelve in about one minute.  Clear demonstration that the twelve meant nothing--we have no real reason to care if they live or die. Happy ending?  No.  Carolyn knows what's up.  She also knows that Villanelle is the murderer of her son.  So, after Villanelle wipes out the twelve, Carolyn has a sniper shoot Villanelle.  She dies in the Thames (both she...

 Avid reader he is.  All seven books of Remembrance of Things Past in seven days.  Told to go out and play by parents, he stands outside his apt. building for an hour with a yo-yo and then goes back in.  Columbia, then time at Cambridge. Directs some college plays successfully.  Marries, child, returns to NY.  Floundering.  Catches on with Simon & Schuster, which is a slightly sketchy publishers at the time. Dismisses first wife with "we were never really married" though five years and a child seem like a marriage to me.  Describes early days of promoting books . . . dust jackets, contacts with reviewers, etc.  Years of Freudian analysis (4x per week) even though he's struggling financially.  Doesn't put himself last, that's for sure. p55

 3.5 John Gunther, H. R. Knickerbocker, James Vincent “Jimmy” Sheean and Dorothy Thompson are at the heart of the book.  All were reporters from America who documented the rise of Hitler, Mussolini, Indian nationalism.  Their reports influenced the way Americans came to see the war.  By and large, they were amazingly on target. The "history" parts of the book were great.  What I didn't enjoy was the detailed investigation of the sex lives (infidelities, deficiencies, visits to analysts) which interrupted the flow of the historical passages.  I think because of all these personal details, Cohen decided to refer to the characters as Jimmy and Dorothy and Agnes and John etc.  The chumminess of the first name usage, along with the detailed discussions of the sex lives, gave the book a People magazine feel.   All in all, glad I read it for the history--if some Puritan comes along and edits out all the sex life stuff, I'll read it again! NYT Review...

"Chatty style. Book opens with background of John Gunther. Chicago. Boorish father; educated mother. Chicago of Sandburg. Muscular, self-confident, no nonsense, brash. Gunther goes to U of Chicago, new Univ. striving to make a name for itself. Reporter there, trashes the school in an article. Respects Mencken, reads voraciously, influenced by mother . . . takes off for Europe" December 26, 2023 –    16.0%  "Chatty, gossipy tone continues . . . I’m eager to get to rise of Hitler so all these eager reporters become reporters" December 27, 2023 –    20.0%  "Politics in Europe are getting murkier as are the lives of the correspondents. Still too gossipy for my tastes. Need a scorecard to keep track of various correspondents and their affairs. Also irritating is Cohen's constant use of first names--Eddie, Jimmy, John, Frances, Dorothy etc. They are clearly "friends" of hers, but inserting the last name every third time would have been helpful." De...

 About 1/3 through.  A bit of a yawner.  When Villanelle is on screen, it's interesting.  Conversion to Christianity, for example, ends with her killing the vicar and his daughter.  So much for religion. The Eve portion, which involves finding the TWELVE, is tedious.  Eve has new boyfriend, Yosuf.  No chemistry at all.  Eve visits Helene who is somehow involved.  Helene burns Eve's hand by holding it on stove top.  Eve leaves.  Oh well. Often these series improve over time.  Perhaps this will also.  Fingers crossed. January 11, 2024 Okay, watched another episode.  Still not engaged . . . life is too short.  New plan is to watch the final episode and call it good.

 Weakest.  Tommy is in prison.  His son, Ryan, is now 17.  Catherine the cop's sister, Clare, takes Ryan to visit Tommy in prison, without telling Catherine.  Not good.  Sisters have a break when Catherine finds out.   Plot two:  PE teacher, abusive to wife.  She is getting drugs from local Indian/Pakistani pharmacist. Husband finds out and has wife arrested!  Pharmacist worried . . . plots to kill husband.  Wife agrees, then changes her mind.  Pharmacist in a rage kills her. (All a bit of a stretch, as he is a mild mannered family man.) Tommy escapes from his court hearing, hides out, gets in touch with Ryan.  Plan is to go to Marabella, Spain together.  Tommy's "helpers" get worried about Tommy and decide to do him in.  Instead, he kills them . . . and is knifed himself.  He returns to Catherine's house, looks through a photo album showing Catherine took good care of Ryan, and decides not to kill her....