Tom's Two Cents : Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

It may come as a surprise to many of you that Boris Karloff didn't invent the monster Frankenstein.  That dubious honor goes to a nineteen year old British girl, whose name just happened to be Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin Shelley, who in 1816, at a house party on Lake Geneva, created the character and the subsequent novel in a writing contest.  It seems it was raining, there was nothing to do (no TV at the Lakeside villa), a contest of sorts was proposed, and Frankenstein was born.  Others who just happened to be present included two of Britain's greatest Romantic poets, Percy Shelley and George Gordon, Lord Byron.

Not the least of Mary Shelley's accomplishments in "Frankenstein" is the number of voices in which she tells her story.  Indeed the "creature" himself is not named "Frankenstein", or named at all.  His creator is Dr. Victor Frankenstein, a native of the Republic of Genoa, and in later versions of the tale, the Creature assumes the name of his creator.  It is, in fact, Dr. Frankenstein who tells most of the story to the ship captain Robert Walton, who, in turn, is relating it by letter to his sister, a lady named Mrs. Saville, who lives in England.  Captain Walton himself starts on a sea adventure from St. Petersburg to discover the North Pole, in the process rescuing Dr. Frankenstein from an icy death.  If all this sounds too convoluted, it is an acceptable way in the early part of the 19th century to tell a story that otherwise would have appeared totally unbelievable: summed up in a couple of words: "science fiction" was born.

By now science fiction as a genre has come so far through its exploration of outer space and alien worlds that Mary Shelley's little parlor tale may seem outmoded indeed.  But it was the first, and the most influential, and characters like R2D2 might never have been created without it.  Shelley is more interested, however, in the "whys" of scientific/technological achievement than the "how's"--her ultimate question remains unresolved:  is Man in his eternal quest for knowledge, in his aspiration for greatness and power, ultimately any better off?  Her story is her answer, and despite its antique language, one worth reading and pondering.

Marvelous Monday! : Ice Cream!

Yesterday was our last meeting of Marvelous Monday until school starts again in the fall.  For the 2nd year in a row, we finished off the year by making ice cream!  We have two Ice Cream Balls.

They open at each end.  One end is for ice and salt.  The other is for ice cream mix.  Then we just keep the balls moving for 15 - 20 minutes until the ice cream hardens up.

Everyone agreed that the ice cream turned out great!  One of our patrons brought brownies to go with the ice cream and Sydney, our summer worker, brought chocolate syrup and sprinkles.  

Check back with us in the fall for the resumption of Marvelous Mondays!

Chance's Corner: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Review

Wow, it's been a long, long time since I've seen this. I'm talking about a time when I actually used to believe this was a sequel to Mary Poppins. Seriously, I was so mad that they had recast the role of Mary Poppins with Sally Ann Howes! Sure, admitting that makes me sound like an idiot, but my younger self could sense the Dick Van Dyke and Sherman Brothers (who wrote the music for Mary Poppins) connection. Now that I'm old enough to know better, I'm actually surprised by a completely different connection. James Bond. That's right! Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (the book) was originally written by 007's creator, Ian Fleming. The film was also produced by Albert Broccoli, the long-time producer of the Bond franchise. The film also stars two Bond film legends, Desmond Llewelyn who played Q and Gert Fröbe who played Auric Goldfinger. Anna Quayle even starred in the non-canon Bond spoof Casino Royale. Crazy, huh?



The Child Catcher with his signature lollipops.



Besides all the amazing realizations washing over me this time around, I was swept away by the "fantasmagorical" adventure unfolding on screen. I'm telling you, the Sherman Brothers really outdid themselves when they cooked up the songs for this one. Fast and slow, wacky and meaningful, each song is insanely catchy. The stellar choreography that accompanies the music also proves that Dick Van Dyke is a dancing machine. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang isn't without its faults, though. My main complaint is that it's rather indulgent in its length. It could actually be two films, one comprised of reality and the other running wild with fantasy. Another idiot moment for me is admitting that when I was a kid I thought the entire last half of the film actually happened - flying cars and all. Instead, it's all just part of a story that Caractacus Potts (Dick Van Dyke) is telling his children to kill some time. Wow. If there's one thing that still stands true from when I was a kid, it's that my fear of the Child Catcher (Robert Helpmann) was not overblown. His lollipops will haunt my dreams forever.

If you'd like to re-visit this film, or experience it for the first time, you can find it here at the Franklin County Library!

Did you know? New Releases

We here at Franklin County Library work hard to keep our collection up to date.  We keep up with release dates for books and movies and order them in advance.  Often we get new items on the day they are released.

The first shelf of books you see when you come in the library is full of new releases.  Everything on that shelf is less than a year old, and may of them are very recent.  March and April were good months for new books coming out, so we added lots of new titles.

We have new books by Danielle Steel, Fredrik Backman, Jess Kidd, Catherine Coulter, and Anita Shreve among many others.

Chance keeps us informed of new movies and TV shows as they become available as well.  Our most recent movies are Gold, LaLa Land, Mean Dreams, Split, and Hidden Figures.  For kids, we have Sing, Lost & Found, and PJ Mask.  We have been slowly expanding our collection of TV shows.   We've recently added Endeavour, Home Fires, Doc Martin, Shades of Blue, and Chicago PD.

Come on in and check out some of these new releases.  Movies and books are FREE to check out at the library!

Summer Lineup

Tom's Two Cents: Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow

If you haven't heard of "Hamilton" by now, I would have to ask, "What world are you living in?"  The most successful Broadway musical in years, conceived and adapted by Lin Manuel Miranda, winner of multiple Tonys, "Hamilton" is now about to take to the road and will doubtless garner millions, if it hasn't already.  But the "Hamilton" I'm telling you about is the book it was based on, the 732 page biography of Alexander Hamilton by the eminent historian, Ron Chernow, published in 2005. 

When I say I've been reading this book on and off for at least ten years, I'm not exaggerating: it's gotten lost, mislaid, set aside deliberately for a shorter, quicker read, but I keep coming back to it, and now, only some 200 pages from the end, I'm certain I will finish it.  My meanderings have never been due to lack of interest, but I will say that this work is so full, so rich with detail, that it can hardly be digested in one continuous reading.  Like a multiple course dinner, it's better savored than gulped, and probably a rest between courses is even in order.

Alexander Hamilton has been given rather short shrift in American history, for a number of reasons.  First of all, he was born in Nevis in the Caribbean, under somewhat questionable circumstances, and only emigrated to the American Colonies as a young man.  During the Revolution he acquitted himself admirably, serving under General Washington himself, and becoming in effect one of Washington's most trusted advisors.  In the formation of the new government, he became Washington's first Secretary of the Treasury, and one of the most influential cabinet members in American history.  As such, he was subject to much criticism as a "Federalist" and a British sympathizer.  His conflicts with Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson became so monumental that in Washington's second term Jefferson left office and returned to the public scene only after he bested John Adams in his run for a second term.  Further, his sympathies with the notion of a strong, central government made him extremely unpopular with his Republican colleagues.  The genesis of our nation's conflict between two powerful political parties is clearly brought to life here.

That Hamilton came to a tragic end in a duel with Aaron Burr is generally known, but the events leading up to it are not.  Chernow is masterful in depicting these events and all others in Hamilton's life, making this work not only a significant slice of American history, but a thoroughly engrossing tale of the rise and fall of a great man.

Chance's Corner: Movie Time at the Library (April)

It's hard to believe that another month has passed, but it has, and our patrons were treated to two new movies!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sing

Yes, someone caught wind of Zootopia. Yes, there's plenty of cliché. Yes, it may be more a matter of making money rather than producing substance, but once Sing gets through glossing over a countless melody of songs in the first act, most of them featured in the unappealing trailer, Sing really starts to shine.

In Sing, Matthew McConaughey plays a lovable koala named Buster Moon. He's ambitious, a little too ambitious, but he's no bumbling fool. Right now he's concerned about losing his beloved theater, a theater his father bought for him after working day after day after day washing cars. In an attempt to save the legacy of the theater, and not let his deceased father down, Buster cooks up an idea to host a singing competition where the winner will take home $1,000 - most of the money is coming from earthly possessions, such as Buster's watch. Unfortunately, his mostly-capable secretary, Miss Crawly (Garth Jennings) loses her glass eye while typing up the flyers and the eye hits the zero key two times too many. Everyone and their gazelle shows up to enter, including a gorilla named Johnny (Taron Egerton), a housewife pig named Rosita (Reese Witherspoon), and some K-pop foxes. Each character has a motive, some just want the recognition and others just want the money, but none of them try to undermine one another, which is refreshing.

Like I said, there's cliché, but Sing does take a few surprising routes. Buster could have been doing the singing competition just for his own financial gain, but instead he actually focuses on his work, recognizes talent and helps them reach their fullest potential, such as with the bashful elephant, Meena (Tori Kelly). Miss Crawly can actually teach how to play the piano, as well, instead of bluffing her way through it. She's useful for more than just comic relief. It's a miracle! Also, I loved him how Buster's best friend, Eddie (John C. Reilly) the sheep, is kind of spaced out, and yet he's still a great, caring and responsible friend. Who knew seeing a koala washing a car and a sheep drying the car to the tune of Nessun Dorma could be such an emotional experience?

Manchester by the Sea

By the sea, by the sea, by the miserable sea!

After a terrible accident costs him everything he holds dear, Lee Chandler (Casey Affleck) retreats to the dark recesses of depression and lives his life as a janitor until he gets the call he's been dreading for ten years. His brother, who was diagnosed with congestive heart failure, has died. Whether he likes it or not, Lee must return to his hometown, Manchester, to take care of his brother's funeral and his teenage nephew. He thinks it will only take a few days, but as his dark past collides with the possibility of a new future, winter begins to turn into spring and summer.

Honestly, I didn't really see or hear anything exceptional in Manchester by the Sea in terms of story. Some of the flashbacks actually confused rather than informed, especially the first one. Also, the dialogue is a hit or a miss. Most of the conversations just feel scripted instead of genuine. There were a few moments though that stood out to me, such as Patrick's (Lucas Hedges) panic attack, and Randi's (Michelle Williams) emotional apology to Lee. Sadly, Michelle Williams time is minimal in this film, but I'm glad she made the poster! What this film lacks in story, however, is made up by the performances, which leads right back to the two moments I just mentioned. Casey Affleck is the only one who took home an Oscar, though, and I guess it was deserved for his muted, stiff as a board performance.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you missed them, both films are now available at the Franklin County Library. We hope to see you on the last Thursday and Friday of May at 1:30 PM to catch two new movies specially selected for your viewing pleasure!

Julie's Journal: Two Good Reads

Friday evening, I got home about 7:30, and I didn't leave my place again until it was time to come to work this morning.  That's what I call a good weekend!  I did get some chores and cooking done on Saturday, but yesterday, I spent the majority of the day catching up on my reading.

First, I was able to finish up The Death and Life of The Great Lakes, by Dan Egan.  European explorers first set eyes on the Great Lakes in about 1535.  They found what they thought was a freshwater sea that they hoped would lead to China.  The area was rich in wildlife and the lakes were teaming with fish.  It was perhaps inevitable that huge cities would grow up on the banks of the lakes. 

From the beginning modification of the lakes was a priority.  The largest modification, perhaps, are the canals, (the Erie Canal and the St. Lawrence Seaway) that allow shipping from the Atlantic.  The canals bypassed the natural barrier of the Niagara Falls, so that huge ships could make their way into the lakes and the ports of Chicago, Detroit, Milwaukee, Toronto, and other cities.  Unfortunately, the ships were not just loaded with cargo.  Hitchhikers from the sea and other ports around the world were also brought into the previously isolated lakes.  The first of these was the sea lamprey.  An adaptive species, it is able to live in the freshwater of the lakes, and it found an abundant food source in the native trout.  In the 1930's, millions of pounds of native trout and whitefish were being harvested from the lake annually.  By the 50's that number was near zero, due entirely to the lamprey.  This was only the first ecological disaster to befall the lakes.  

The book details several more ecological disasters and resurgences, and more modern problems, such as huge demands for water to supply cities both near the lakes, and further away.  I was afraid this book would be political in nature, but it wasn't.  It was very informative and made me look at our water, and fish, supplies differently.  

My second read was One Perfect Lie by Lisa Scottoline.  Chris Brennan is applying for a job as a high school government teacher and coach, but his name isn't really Chris Brennan, it's Curt Abbot, and he's not really a teacher.  He's looking for a young man to manipulate.  He zeros in on Raz, Jordan, and Evan.  Raz lost his father last year and his family is struggling to cope.  Jordan is the son of a single mother who works hard to support her son, but he lacks a father figure.  Evan is a spoiled rich kid, the child of a stay at home mom and an affluent oncology surgeon.  The book is divided into three parts labeled Step One, Step Two, and Step Three.  For most of Step One, the reader doesn't know what's going on or what Chris/Curt's motives are.  Things become much clearer in Step Two.  My only gripe with the story was that the ending seemed a little far fetched.  It didn't take away from my overall enjoyment of the story though.  It was a quick read that I was able to knock out in just a few hours.  

Both The Death and Life of the Great Lakes, and One Perfect Lie are available for checkout at Franklin County Library.