Misty Faces

(above: Porcelain by kirra~photography)

"Each morning my characters greet me with misty faces willing, though chilled, to muster for another day's progress through the dazzling quicksand the marsh of blank paper."

John Updike

Amore.

Virgin Paper

(above image from starrpic)

"So often is the virgin sheet of paper
more real than what one has to say, and
so often one regrets having marred it."

Harold Acto

Amore.

The Art of Love

(image from opticmess)

Romani quidem artem amatoriam invenerunt.

You know, the Romans invented the art of love.

I'm enamored with ancient Rome. Sometimes it's a love-hate. I despise that the Romans destroyed, ravaged, and entertained such excesses. But in the end, my love for them wins out. It's an adoration I've had for the civilization since I was a little girl. So many of my stories are set in ancient Rome, especially the 1st Century AD. The above image is a statue of Eros and Psyche; the sculpture is on display at the Louvre. (I would love to see it.) It always inspires me. It's so beautiful and passionate.

Amore.


P.S. The quote below the image is Latin, if you couldn't tell. It is one of my life goals to learn Latin. This fall I will be taking my first college Latin class. :) I absolutely can't wait!

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer

(Click on image for original source.)

I have this lovely Friday night off, which I intend to spend in blissful solitude. It's on nights like these that I indulge in watching my favorite movies... movies that completely captivate me, but aren't as beloved by my boyfriend, friends, or family. And that's okay because sometimes these movies are better enjoyed by myself. I can get lost in them more easily. :)

One of these movies happens to be "Perfume: The Story of a Murderer". I absolutely love this movie. While flipping channels in my dorm a couple years ago, I came across it playing on the college movie station. Although I found the scene intriguing, I immediately changed the channel. I knew that it would be one of those movies that I'd have to see from beginning to end... not from some random spot in the middle.

When I looked up the movie, I found out that it was based on the novel by Patrick Suskind. I got my gritty little bookworm hands on a copy of the novel and promised myself that I could watch the movie as soon as I finished the book. And oh, what a book!

It's been about a year since I finished "Perfume" the novel... so I can't promise a detailed review here or anything. It's not fresh on my mind, but parts of it have moved me so deeply that I will always have it on my mind. If I were only allowed to recommend one book for the rest of my life, "Perfume" would be the one.

And it was definitely a good choice to read the book before the movie. The movie is a masterpiece in my eyes, but pales in comparison to the book. There is so much left out of the movie, which is understandable considering the time frame. Without reading the book... you can enjoy the movie, but you will be left with so many questions. Watching the movie after reading the book, you're able to fill in all the blanks and appreciate the cinematic splendor.

Description of Perfume from Goodreads:
"In the slums of eighteenth-century France, the infant Jean-Baptiste Grenouille is born with one sublime gift-an absolute sense of smell. As a boy, he lives to decipher the odors of Paris, and apprentices himself to a prominent perfumer who teaches him the ancient art of mixing precious oils and herbs. But Grenouille's genius is such that he is not satisfied to stop there, and he becomes obsessed with capturing the smells of objects such as brass doorknobs and frest-cut wood. Then one day he catches a hint of a scent that will drive him on an ever-more-terrifying quest to create the "ultimate perfume"-the scent of a beautiful young virgin. Told with dazzling narrative brilliance, Perfume is a hauntingly powerful tale of murder and sensual depravity."

This novel has all the beauty, elegance, and romance of period drama. It also has the suspense, blood, and thrill of a mystery. It's fascinating to get inside the mind of the strange, half-mad, half-genius murderer Grenouille. While reading this book, there were many instances that I was literally brought to the edge of my seat as I turned the page. And there were also several moments that I was moved to tears... sometimes by fear, sometimes by awe, sometimes both.

I'm not sure what I would categorize this novel as. It's a period piece. It's a mystery. It's a thriller. It's a horror story. It's a sick fairy tale. And it's the most grotesque of romances.

It's different, but it's brilliant.

Amore.

P.S. I know that there are readers out there who can't resist turning to the last page of a novel to see how it all ends. I've never been one to do that; I feel it spoils the ending. I beg of you to resist that temptation if you decide to read this novel. The ending is so shocking, so wonderful, so disgusting, and so beautiful. I'm sure that tempts you even more, but the ending cannot be appreciated unless you read all those pages that come before it. Without those pages, you will not understand the ending. So please, I implore that you read the ending when you get there. It shall be sooo worth it!

Open a Vein

(above: existo porque anhelo by vachi-bumbernickle)

"There's nothing to writing. All you do is
sit down at a typewriter and open a vein."
Walter Wellesley Smith

Do any of you write on a typewriter? I personally own two vintage Royal typewriters... one from the forties and one from the sixties. While they're in excellent working condition, both need a new typewriter ribbon. I'm not so sure if I'll start writing my stories on those, though. (I tend to hit the "delete" button a lot.) Typing on a typewriter is sooo very different from typing on a flat laptop keyboard. ...But the sound of the click-clack-ding! is sooo very musical.

Amore.

Guide to the Labels

The labels are listed on the right-hand module of the blog, but sometimes a label doesn't fully describe what those posts are all about. If you want to know more about a label, you've come to the right place. Listed below are all of the labels I use and their descriptions.

Bookshelf
When I'm not writing, I'm reading. Here's where I keep track of books I've read, want to read, and couldn't finish.

Inspiration
They say that a picture is worth a 1,000 words. I find this to be true because sometimes a photo or painting can inspire my writing. So under this label I will share photos, paintings, song lyrics, an anything else that I find inspiring.

Miscellaneous
Sometimes I may write a post that doesn't have a label to fall under. Those posts will end up here.

NaNoWriMo
National Novel Writing Month happens in November. I participated in my first NaNoWriMo in 2008... and won! As November 2009 gets closer, NaNoWriMo posts will start popping up.

Quotations
Words to live by when it comes to reading and writing.

Reviews
Here's where I share what I think about books I've read.


Amore.