Pandora…

Pandora is one of two books by Anne Rice known as the “New Tales of the Vampires”. Pandora is a character mentioned repeatedly in the “Vampire Chronicles”, but very little of substance is said about her in that series. Since this book relates to the other series, I thought it only fitting to read it before I moved on. I know I said I was all vampired out, but it’s a really short book. It’s 400 pages, but the writing is really big, so it only took a few hours to read.

If I have one criticism of the Vampire Chronicles it is this. Most of the Vampire Chronicles are centred around male characters, or male interpretations of female characters. I don’t think Anne Rice has any real sence of what it’s like to be a man, hence all the male characters are overly emotional and typically gay. It would have made a change if one of the vampires was an ugly, hairy-assed geezer who likes nothing better than sinking a few jars with his mates down the pub.

In Pandora, Rice writes about a strong female character, from the the perspective of a female. I find this easier to connect with, maybe because it sounds more “real” to me.

All in all, a good yarn that spans the last 2000+ years, and mercifully short. ๐Ÿ™‚

The last of the vampire books by Anne Rice, Vittorio the Vampire, is totally unrelated to any of the other books, so I’m going to rest this until I’ve read “The Lives of the Mayfair Witches”.

Cheers

Tim…

The Blood Canticle…

Last night I finished reading “The Blood Canticle”, book 10 of the Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice. There is a drastic change in the style of writing in this book. Most of the sentences are very clipped, unlike the flowing style of the previous books. Also, the lead character, Lestat, seems to come up to date in his language, saying “Pa-lease” and “Cool” a lot. It’s not exactly what I’ve come to expect from this character. It’s still a good story, but it’s difficult to get lost in it with such a staccato style of writing.

Anyway, that’s the last book in the series so I’m free for the moment. Ten vampire books in two months is enough for anyone! ๐Ÿ™‚
Cheers

Tim…

Blackwood Farm…

Blackwood Farm is book 9 in the “Vampire Chronicles” by Anne Rice. Like the last book (Merrick), there is far less talk of vampires than the earlier books. Instead, Rice writes an interesting story about a young man with a spirit companion and just bolts the vampire bits in to bring it into the series. I guess there is enough vampire stuff to keep the faithful happy.

Rice sticks to the formula that has worked well before, which although a little lazy, makes for a good read. If you liked any of the books beyond book 3 (Queen of the Damned), you will like this. If you felt confused and disappointed by them, you will get the same from this.

Interestingly, Rice continues to make links between the “Vampire Chronicles” series and the โ€œLives of the Mayfair Witchesโ€ series, which is a very sensible business move. I’ve already been suckered in to buying that series, which was her intention, but that will have to wait until I’ve finished the final book in this series.

Cheers

Tim…

Casino Royale…

I saw Casino Royale at the cinema last night. I thought it was a really cool film and I think Daniel Craig is a great bond. I always thought that Sean Connery was the perfect Bond, but Daniel Graig makes it a close call. I always thought that Roger Moore was too smooth and slimey and Pierce Brosnan was a bit pretty and weak looking. Both Connery and Daniel Graig look like they could do some damage in a fight, while Roger Moore and Pierce Brosnan look like they could punch their way out of a wet paper bag.

As far as content goes, it’s not a normal Bond film at all. The character is a lot less refined and more “real”. It’s much more like the Bourne Identity type of film, so if you’re expecting the cheesey one liners and ridiculous gagets your going to be disappointed.

It looks like Daniel Graig has been given the go-ahead for more Bond films, which is great news!

Cheers

Tim…

UKOUG Bloggers Meetup…

It was cool to meet up with everyone again. Some people were at OpenWorld, some I’ve not seen since this time last year, and others were new faces. It’s good to meet-and-geek. ๐Ÿ™‚

The subject of my blog post regarding forums came up a number of times. It seems everyone is suffering in the same way. One suggestion was that we, as a community, should try to get rid of as many Oracle forums as possible and encourage people to use the OTN forums. Effectively creating a single point of reference. I’m going to give this one some thought. Some days I really like having my forum, other days it’s the a right royal pain. I guess if the bad is out-weighing the good, closing it is an option.

Cheers

Tim…

The downfall of forums (part 2)…

It seems my previous post went some way to inspiring Eddie Awad’s recent post.

I’d just like to confirm that I don’t agree in using RTFM as an answer to a post. People should be guided in the right direction, rather than trampled on. My point is more that people need to take responsibility for themselves, part of which is reading the manuals before asking simple questions.

Cheers

Tim…