My sister bought me this book called ‘Gothic Short Stories’ a couple years ago. It’s an omnibus of old mysteries and ghosts stories written by legendary storytellers such as Edgar Allan Poe and Robert Louis Stevenson.
I read the book from time to time, and yesterday I dove into the world of ‘A Madman’s Manuscript’ which was written by one of my favorite authors Charles Dickens.
The way Dickens creates worlds and characters is just mezmerizing, and the manner in which he explores them; every little word, every little detail seems to have a backstory and deep meaning to it. It’s like he has a language of his own. I strongly recommend reading Great Expectations, another Wordsworth Classics publication my sister has bought me.
If that’s too challenging – written in “old English”, it’s easy to be difficult – why not get started with ‘A Madman’s Manuscript’, a short story which has the main character telling how he hid his madness from a woman forced to marry him, and how the relationship ended in violence. Here’s an excerpt from Dicken’s atmospheric writing:
“It was a fine struggle that; for he was a tall strong man, fighting for his life; and I, a powerful madman, thirsting to destroy him. I knew no strength could equal mine, and I was right. Right again, though a madman! His struggles grew fainter. I knelt upon his chest, and clasped his brawny throat firmly with both hands. His face grew purple; his eyes were starting from his head, and with protruded tongue, he seemed to mock me. I squeezed the tighter.”
Maybe concentrating on Dickens, putting finishing touches on a new song and thinking about a ‘poementary’ I’m planning for Radio Reaktori will help me get over the cold I caught a couple of days ago. After that pflegmy Friday I’ve gradually been getting better. Don’t know where I caught it though. Maybe at Hullut Päivät, I don’t know.
I’ve been thinking about my upcoming birthday a lot lately. No age crisis involved, but lots of weighing options: what to do & especially where? Basically I just want to find a place where I can invite all my friends, classmates and colleagues. At the moment I’m leaning towards a club in Helsinki called REDRUM, it’s conveniently located and looks stylish (at least in the the pictures I’ve seen). Reviews of the club I’ve heard are mostly good, and I’ve wanted to check the place out for a long time. Updates of birthday plans coming soon.
I hosted two AATU RETURNS screenings at school this week, and am proud & glad to say the action thriller was well received. People seemed to enjoy the whole thing – the jokes, the effects – and they saw how the film took a lot of work. All these acclaims I must dedicate to WP, our visionary director and ambitious editor!
Other school-related remarks: the first meeting for next spring’s Radio Reaktori is coming up. Everyone seems excited about starting plannning and designing our very own radio station. Vesa, Jussi and I should start shooting the alcohol documentary in a couple of weeks time; meanwhile it’s all about arranging scheduals, honing the script and producing the score music.
Another segue, a “donkey bridge” if you will; I stumbled onto a great song some time ago: The Creeps by Camille Jones. After just electing my official Summer Song of 2007, this one’s been the sound of the fall season. Enjoy the video! Bye Bye!