Bow down, mister!

Have you watched the Slumdog Millionaire movie? I did some time ago, and I just loved it. Dave Patel is so genuine in Jamal's skin that he's...he's perfect. I cannot imagine anyone being capable of replacing and doing a better job than him. However, this post is not dedicated to dear Dave, though maybe I should have one since am THAT fond of him; or better said of him as Jamal; Soooooooo, going back to the movie, there is this interesting thing that happened. A lot of people I know and that had watched The curious case of Benjamin Button, refused to watch the Slumdog; in their opinion, (not a humble one in my humble one) Benjamin was so good and deserved the O statue so badly that they simply couldn't accept any other movie being capable of raising to its standards; as Slumdog went home with an army of Wowscars, people revolted and decided they want revenge. May a slumdog stay where it belongs: in the slum. Now, I haven't seen Benjy, hence I cannot debate over this and that. But one thing is sure: am glad I saw this one before the other one because maybe I would have had the same reaction as they did (neaaaaaaah).

As a curious cat that I am (meooooowwww) I absolutely needed to read the book that inspired it. Need I say I love it? Not sure yet if I love it more than the movie (I have yet to finish it, but am close) and it doesn't even matter. The delight is there to stay. Dave Patel too. And Boy George (what do you mean who's Boy  George????? ... you .... ahhhhhh, this new generation! so full of Tokyo Hotel). First he (not the Tokyo Hotel! Boy George, for heaven's!) was small, so small that I was not sure what is he doing there. But then, as I went on with the novel, he grew louder, he grew stronger. He is so there now, that if I just glance an eye at the book, or touch it by mistake, he goes:

Of course I heart Jai Ho. But aaja, aaja stays with the movie, while hare Rama, hare Krishna stays with the book.  Wonderful. I recommend them all. If you're like me, of course. If you don't know me, read my description in the upper, right corner. If and when I bother to put it.

Roses are red

Why we (the Romanians) never learn about African and Asian literature? I mean in school, prior to uni or college or whatever after high school. Our literature world map shows only Europe, the Americas (is Australia there too *big question mark*) and Russia (obviously!). The only thing I remember being studied from Asian literature is Epic of Gilgamesh . And this thanks to the fact it is one of the earliest writings of mankind. Thus my question: why don't we study African and Asian literature? Does it make any sense? No. Not to me. We loose a lot. And to exemplify this:
Today I will talk about Orhan Pamuk's My name is Red, my best reading in 2008. I cannot even describe the feeling you get while reading it.... I call it the oriental version of the Romanian Fratii Jderi (t. The Marten Brothers) because, putting aside the differences: in form, narrative technique, age of writings, cultural environment, location and many others, they have a lot of common points too. And because the similitude stroke out more than the differences, to me, they will always be the separate placenta twins :D So, if you are Romanian and you enjoyed the jderi, you might as well taste the Red because: it is an amazingly well crafted window into the Turkish and Middle Eastern world, which takes the reader back in the 16th century, a portrait of the art world under the impressive shadow of long gone masters of the illustration, a detective story in search of truth, The truth and personal truth, glimpse into the inner animate and inanimate worlds and a one of a kind 1st person narration. Same old ingredients which make up a whole new story. A different one. A red one. A Nobel laureate one.