Romeo and Juliet: Romance or Satire?

Now, I think we all have read or watched some version of Romeo and Juliet at some point in our lives. I was never a fan of the play or the movies. The whole story seemed absurd to me and I began to believe that perhaps I was a soulless cynic. All the other girls thought it was romantic, was I missing something?

I've given this a lot of thought and come up with some answers.

1) I am, indeed, a soulless cynic.

2) I don't believe this makes me wrong.

My argument, let me show you it:

Shakespeare was a witty, ironic and sarcastic bastard (hence my love of him). I don't know that he really intended Romeo and Juliet to become the icon of true and fated love. To me it's more of a satire on bad parenting and young love (and in this case I think he portrayed it more as young lust and overactive hormones). Apparently, there were angsty emo teens even in Shakespearean times. Take note angsty emo teens that think you are so shiny and new: it has been done before and done better.

If you've read the play you'll find that Romeo and Juliet's parents are self absorb rich people that feud over the stupidest crap and mishandle their young and angsties consistently. They don't listen to what their kids are telling them and they don't pay attention to what their kids are doing. They just expect that because they said, "No. You will not see that boy/girl or go to that party/place and do that thing" that their kids are totally going to obey them and not question them. In short, they are poor parents that are asking for their kids to do something rebellious and stupid.

Then we have the making fun of the young love/lust. Romeo, you will find if you read the play, is a bit of a teenage player. He falls in love with a new set of female attributes every other day. And each time it's the end of life as we know it. He shall surely die if he cannot have his ONE TRUE LOVE (de jour). SURELY DIE. He gets all angsty, emo, suicidal, and mentally unbalanced when talking about his ONE TRUE LURVE at the beginning of the story and guess what, it aint Juliet. It's not until later that he abandons (trades up) his TRUEST OF LURVES when he spots Juliet. Juliet herself is a girl that is overly controlled by immature and selfish parental units that have decreed she shall marry some older dude that she doesn't want to marry, so when some young hotness (who is wise to the wooing of the ladies) comes knocking at her balcony, she throws herself off the proverbial cliff of love and avows her eternal devotion to said hotness.

Now, we have the satire of the church. A Father, who is supposed to give the young and foolish lusters lovers, sound advice and guidance, instead aids and abets them in their plan to lie to and dishonor their parents and run off together to be poor and miserable but have lots of virgin sex happy ever after. The plan itself is not sound. I mean, what could go wrong with poison?

The end of the story saw the bad sad parents realizing the errors of their ways and getting over their feud. They kissed and made up and grew up at the cost of their children's lives. That was the moral of the story. Not the young love conquers all, cause....um....it didn't. It got pwned.

If Romeo and Juliet hadn't died, here's what I think would have happened. In a week (max) Romeo would be bored with Juliet cause she wouldn't put out (that's why he dumped his last lurve) and would be on to freer greener pastures with the discovery of chambermaids and serving wenches and women who love you as long as your coin is good (probably the most honest relationship of his life). Juliet would be all heart broken but learn that men are pigs that want only one thing and Romeo never gave her anything except trouble with her parents. She would marry the rich guy she was supposed to and realize that having the protection of money and position is truly the only way to fly. The Father would realize that he's a hopeless romantic and should never have taken a vow of chastity.  The End.

In my opinion, a far more honestly romantic tale of Sir Bill's was Much Ado About Nothing (omg y'all, you must see the movie! Denzel Washington rocks and emo Shakespearean Keanu Reeves plays his brother. It's a total WIN). In this story, there's a couple that have been involved before but broke up and both are bitter with each other because they still have feelings for each other but they're both too old and too smart to go down that road again. So they have a war of wits at every available chance until they are tricked (in true Shakespearean fashion) into admitting their feelings for each other. Later, when much needless drama ensues (created again by the young and clueless lovers, I'm sensing a theme) they realize to what lengths they are willing to go in the name of their love and devotion. It is funny, romantic and dramatic. It's of the awesome. Truly, watch the movie. It's too fab for words.

Probably it's on Netflix or something, but you can also get it here  Much Ado About Nothing

Well, now that I've ranted on Shakespeare and how it gives me a twitch whenever anyone goes on about how Romeo and Juliet is so romantic.... *shudders* I think I shall go watch my copy of Much Ado About Nothing and stop myself before I start comparing Shakespeare and Jane Austen for who started the archetype romance with the hero/heroine that don't like each other and then fall in love. Really, my mind is a scary and random place.

Quickie Review: On A Highland Shore by Kathleen Givens

On a Highland Shore by Kathleen Givens


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Beautiful historical romance. This book came alive like I was watching a very good movie. The characters and settings were so vivid and passionate. The unspoken tension between the hero and heroine for the first part of the book is so thick, it's palpable. I highly recommend this book. Haunting, vivid, and beautiful. You can't go wrong with this one.

View all my reviews >>

Links to purchase:

On a Highland Shore

Book Deopository

I don't know who this chick is.....

But she drops the f-bomb with panache, wears a flaming (and fabulous) red dress, runs around semi nude in a cemetery all to encourage us to carpe diem (or possibly carpe corpses, but if we get to wear that fabulous dress I don't really care) and go out and get us some. And I like that in a woman. I've just very newly discovered this blog so I'm not sure, but I think I may love it like I love dark chocolate with chili in it.
But seriously my friends, you should check out this post. I enjoyed it and it's a great reminder to do something wild and crazy in life, you know, while we have a life to do it in.

 

What I Read When I'm Sick & Need Comfort

So, as some of you may know I haz the plague. I am working on bronchitis. I have a lovely sinus infection that gave me a lovely set of laser red eyes (conjunctivitis in both eyes) which fortunately makes my blue eyes really stand out. I also have meds now. The lovely dr gave me four prescriptions, so I am sick and drugged and in need of a couple comfort reads. So, here are my last two reads and what I have to say about them.

1) Blackwolf's Redemption by Sandra Marlton

Jesse Blackwolf—uncompromising, determined and an undeniable success. He has no desire to deal with the outspoken bundle of femininity he's found trespassing on his land!When Sienna Cummings awakes to find herself pressed against a muscled chest, she's shocked and stunned! Where is she? Who is this man who holds her so possessively with passion glinting in his eyes? It's more than confusion that makes Sienna's heart beat faster—she suspects his untamed wildness hides something that maybe only she can set free…. 

 So, when I'm stressed, tired, sick, don't wanna have to think too much or am just in the mood for a guilty pleasure, I reach for a Harlequin. Depending on my fancy, it could be a Presents, a Desire, or a Blaze. These are just so much literary junk food, and that's not necessarily bad. There are definitely good ones that are both entertaining and emotionally engaging and the writing is good, but even those are like a Chocolate Death Cake. Chocolate cake, luscious dark chocolate mouse filling, chocolate cream cheese icing and giant chocolate buttercream flowers all drizzled with chocolate liquor and raspberry sauce, I mean oh my god, that's ridiculous! And possibly will kill you! But it's so worth it. That's a good Harlequin. Then there are the bad ones, that are so bad that they're funny or so bad that it's like an all night bender of jagerbombs, only to wake up the next day swearing that you're gonna die and if please god you should survive, you will never touch the stuff again. And next weekend you're back for more.

Well, I could have gone to any number of my stash (yes I have a stash, so what?) of HQs to satisfy my need for a short and easy read, but I had recently picked up a new one that I hadn't read yet and I decided to be adventurous and try that one out. I mean, how could I go wrong? An amnesiac heroine, a hot brooding Native American landholder hero, and possessive passion? Cha ching! I'm on that like stank on a monkey. 

Sadly, I have mixed feelings about this one. It's a time travel story which are really not my cup a tea to begin with, although I have read a couple (ok, ONE) that worked for me, so it already had that to work against with me and then.....well....then there was the time we travel to.....the '70s. Yep, you heard me, the 70's. 1970's. Because apparently we don't make men like we used to in the 70's, although after I said that all sarcastic like, I was forced to concede that we really don't make them like that anymore. Hmmm.....food for thought. Anyhoo, the time travel thing wasn't that bad but honestly it felt more like a device so the author could try to write an 80's romance a la Jayne Ann Krentz (writing as Stephanie James!) and let me tell you, that didn't work for me. I only put up with shit from JAK, because she can do no wrong, amen and amen. 

The heroine starts off in 2010 all "I'm a modern woman with a college edumacation, kiss my ass you cavemen assholes, hear me rawr!" And the moment she goes back in time and sees the hero she transforms into a raging idiot heroine that was perhaps de rigueur circa 1970's and 80's, but it just made me roll my eyes and rant on twitter. But it was late night and no one was listening. *sad sigh*

All my bitching and issues aside, the hero, Jesse was a hottie with disappointments in his past and he was definitely a good guy that any girl would love. He really wasn't much of a true dominating, chest beating male of the 70's (or as the author says they were). He seemed pretty standard hero material though much less of an asshole than most HQ Presents heroes tend to be. The heroine......and I can't be bothered to look up her name right now, was ok. She was annoying in a lot of ways but as we got past the fluttering and stupidness and the "I'm a modern woman and one day you'll have to treat women like people instead of.....(not sure what they were treated like back then)" antics, she had her good qualities. You can tell that these two are star crossed lovers that find comfort and home in each other. There was plenty of obviousness in this one, but it wasn't marred by the usual 'asshole hero stomps all over virgin heroine who then forgives him too easily because either pregnancy killed her brain cells or he said the magical words "I love you" which we all know makes EVERYTHING better' trope which was refreshing. The end was sweet, but left me thinking too much. Like, how could they explain that to the authorities? And, how would they adjust to this?

In conclusion, it wasn't the worst, but it certainly wasn't the best HQ I've ever read and it wasn't all that memorable (see lack of heroine's name in review).

Next up is Silent Blade by Ilona Andrews. I know I talked about this one briefly before as a good example of a short story, but I didn't really give it a review and it's definitely one I read when I want a lil comfort and a guaranteed short, good read.

Description:

Old hatreds die hard. Old love dies harder.

On Meli Galdes' home planet, the struggle for power is a bloody, full-contact sport-in business and on the battlefield. For years her lethal skills have been a valuable asset in advancing her family's interests. She's more than earned her right to retire, but her kinsmen have one last favor to ask.

Kill the man who ruined her life.

Celino Carvanna's razor-sharp business acumen-and skills with a blade-won him the freedom to do as he pleases. There's only one thing he can't seem to control-his reaction to the mysterious woman who tantalizes his senses. Her eyes alone set his blood simmering, stirring ridiculous adolescent fantasies about breasts and honey. With a few words she dissects his soul. Who is she? And how does she slide so easily under his well-guarded skin?

It's almost too easy to draw Celino within the kill zone. Meli plans to revel in him. Drink him in. Wring every drop of pleasure out of every moment.

And when she's sure he belongs to her, she will finally repay a decade's worth of pain-in a single, brutal dose of reality.

Warning: Contains a heroine who excels in moving targets, a hero who can't get into her pants fast enough, and implant-enhanced sex (no, not that kind of implant-).

I love this story. Ilona herself described this one as kind of a Harlequin Presents, mafia families, futuristic sci-fi romance (I'm paraphrasing), and it totally works. There's the dramatic plot of the alpha asshole (only way hotter than most asshole alpha heroes, Ilona's great at that) hero and the wronged heroine who's out to make him pay. Except she doesn't half ass it and give up merely because he says, "Sorry, and oh yeah, I love you." Plus you get the futuristic sci-fi aspects with technology that flows seemlessly into this lush world of good food and fine wine (seriously, I wanted a cookbook of what she made in this story), beautiful flowers and passionate people on a new planet that has been colonized and made into a thriving society that feels like a mix of old and new. 

Meli is a great character. She's tough, but you can totally tell that she feels deeply and passionately, she knows it and owns it, she just doesn't let it get in her way. She's earthy and smart. She's both an enigma and yet very real and honest. You believe her lies because they're layered with the truth. She's as much or more dangerous than our hero, Celino and by the end, everyone knows it.

Celino, the hero, is no one to sneeze at. He's rich and powerful and he's also dangerous and deadly in his own right. He's intelligent, ruthless and arrogant. He's very hot, but honestly, I don't think anyone but Meli could handle him. She's definitely his equal. 

Their history and present circumstances are believably constructed and their passionate relationship is wonderful to read.

All this is handled in the context of a short story. The amazing thing is, even though I could easily have read a full novel filled with these characters and set in this world, I never felt like I was shortchanged or cheated out of anything in this story. The plot is there, the romance is there, the character development is there and it's all done in a way that feels effortless. 

My final grade for Blackwolf's Redemption would be a C+

Final grade for Silent Blade would be an A

Well, thanks for playing along with my sick induced ramblings, and happy reading!

 

Winner of Touched By An Alien Announced

We have a winner of Touched By An Alien by the lovely Gini Koch.

Stella (Ex Libris)! Congrats Stella! I will be contacting you at the e-mail address you provided in your comment.

Thank you to all who entered and commented. It was loads of fun to interview Gini and you all had some good comments and questions for her.

Muah!!

Friend Me or Perish!

Ok, not really. Seriously, though, I am on Goodreads now (better late than never, lol) so if you want, swing on by and FRIEND ME OR PERISH! Apparently I'm feeling dramatic today and perhaps a bit frisky. Or this head cold could be making me loopy and delusional.......well in either case here's my Goodreads link: ta da!!

In other random news, I haven't been sleeping well because of aforementioned plague, and I stayed up late watching 10 Things I Hate About You for like the first time ever and I'm wondering how the hell this escaped my radar back in the day!?! I mean, it's so great! Another one of those Shakespeare redone for the 90's/early 2000's and it has Heath Ledger and Julia Stiles (who was like queen of those Shakespeare remakes *"O" anyone?*) in it. *sigh* This made me miss Heath. So bad. It kinda made me miss Julia, too, to be honest. I mean, where the hell is that girl? I know she did the Bourne movies for a bit, but........I don't know. She kinda fell off the earth and it gives me a sad.
Anyway, have you seen that movie? What movies take you back to teens/20s/sometime big in your life and give a big dose of nostalgia?

I leave you with a lil love from back "in the day"

Review: Magic Bleeds by Ilona Andrews and a GIVEAWAY!!

Kate Daniels cleans up the paranormal problems no one else wants to deal with-especially if they involve Atlanta's shapeshifting community.

And now there's a new player in town-a foe that may be too much for even Kate and Curran, the Lord of the Beasts, to handle. Because this time, Kate will be taking on family.

Note: I received a copy of this book to review from the publisher.

It's no secret that I have much love for this series and this author duo. I don't like everything that even my most favorite authors write. I just don't and I don't expect to. However, I honestly don't think there is one thing that Ilona Andrews has written that I haven't liked and in most cases LOVED.

Magic Bleeds is an important book in the series. Kate has been in hiding for years but she's played it a bit fast and loose in the last books, taking chances with her secrets to protect the growing number of people that she considers friends. Kate is a protector by nature. She's willing to fight and die to keep the ones she is loyal to safe. That's one of the things that I've loved about her from the beginning. And in this book she has to decide if her secrets are worth risking those she loves. She has to decide if she should cut and run or if she should stand and fight and take a chance on a real future. It's emotional and sometimes hard to read, but like the hard choices Kate makes, it's worth it in the end.

Kate is one of my favorite protags out there. She's prickly, she's tough, she kills the shit outta bad guys and she LIKES it. I respect that. She doesn't pretend to be something she's not. She doesn't spend pages and chapters bemoaning what she is and isn't. She knows her strengths and her weaknesses and works with them. Yeah, she's stubborn as hell and sometimes noble to a fault, but she's real and relatable and you can't help rooting for her to kick ass and win the day. She's also vulnerable and conflicted at times. She's loving and protective and loyal. You do not want her for an enemy but you would be so lucky to have her as a friend. She's not perfect at the whole relationships thing, but then she's never had them before. She's learning as she goes and she makes mistakes but it's not for lack of trying. Kate is an all in kinda girl. She will never love or hate you half way. You'll always know where you stand with her.

Kate and Curran go through a lot in this book. Do they have what it takes to come out on top? Well, one thing you can be sure of, they're not going out without a fight. And I love that. They are so alike and different enough to make for challenges and to compliment each other.

The villain in this one is fabulously done. I have a real problem with cheesetastic villains and I have called authors out on it before, but this was definitely not the case here. Readers will not be disappointed with how this book plays out.

The support cast of secondary characters are present and accounted for in this one. In my opinion, Jim really shines in MB. It's really awesome to see Jim and Kate together. I love their scenes.

I'm going to end without hopefully giving too much away and simply say that Ilona and Gordon do not disappoint in Magic Bleeds. It is dark, funny (I laughed out loud at some parts), gritty, romantic and leaves you staring at the calendar and counting down the days til the next one.

My final grade: A

Now, I happen to be in possession of a signed set of the Kate Daniels series which also includes a copy of Magic Bleeds (that may or may not be signed, we'll see).

I am giving away the set of four books to a lucky commenter.

Rules: This is going to be open only to the continental US, sorry guys.
You need to be a follower of my blog and leave a comment on this post.
Contest is open until 6/4 at 11:59 PM PST.

Good luck!