Wanda-ful World of Books now in Filipino Book Bloggers

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The Maltese Falcon - by Dashiell Hammett

*Warning: May contain spoilers*

I absolutely enjoy reading detective fiction, so when I heard that The Maltese Falcon was a landmark detective novel, I decided to read it. It was difficult finding it here in Manila so this book came all the way from Singapore's Kinokuniya.


Dashiell Hammett

 It started out very well and I found myself immediately engrossed. But as I read along I found the entire book to be mostly dialogue happening within closed walls such as Spade's office, apartment, or hotel rooms. There was hardly any narration into the thoughts or insights of the characters which some might say is what makes Hammett's writing style unique. A character's values and dreams is precisely what I look for in a book. It also wasnt't about a deep mystery or action-adventure.



Humphrey Bogart as Sam Spade
in the 1941 Film Adaptation

So I asked myself why then is this book considered a landmark detective novel? Well, perhaps because it was the first to introduce the character of a detective such as Sam Spade, who was "hard-boiled" and wise in the ways of the world. He knew how to smooth talk criminals and catch them at the end of the day. Before this book was published in 1930 the last famous detective ever written was Sherlock Holmes. The Maltese Falcon launched what was to be the stereoptype of a "private eye" which influenced succeeding literature and even film such as the "film noir".

 But for romantics like me who look for deep dives into the thoughts and aspirations of a character this book was a disappointment. Spade may have been smooth but he was also a chain smoker, a drinker, and a ladies' man who slept around with his partner's wife. In the end I didn't find any truth nor inspiration in The Maltese Falcon at all.

Kansas City Public Library

Look closely, these are NOT books!

While I was aimlessly surfing one night for anything book-related I chanced upon this photo of a row of books.  Ok, typical, but as I looked more closely I said, wait, isn't that a person walking down a street?!  Apparently it's the facade of a building, a library!  Yes, it's the Kansas City Public Library, in Kansas City, Missouri.

Here's what else I found:

This building is actually the Central Library Parking Garage. This is a photo of the entrance in the center.

 

And the other half of the facade to the left of the entrance.

The 22 book bindings measure approximately 25' by 9'
(http://www.dimin.com/)

And here's a close up of the "book" spines :-) Nice! They look so real!

The spines look exactly like the books' original designs, including Catch-22, Charlotte's Web and To Kill a Mockingbird :-D

And here's another one :-)

How it as done:  Designed by Dimensional Innovations, the people of Kansas City were asked to help pick highly influential book titles that represent Kansas City. This method ensured the titles would truly represent Kansas Citians' cultural and literary interests.  Then Dimensional Innovations professionally photographed rare books and used software to modify and place the desired titles.

Here's a long shot of the facade.

And here's a longer one. Here you can see the roof of the building already.

Here is a sketch of the plans from Dimensional Innovations Website:

Now here's another one. Again these are NOT books.

It's the library's temporary outdoor structure. Cool!

Here's more, the INTERIORS.

Here is the library's children area.

From http://www.dimin.com/: As children enter the space, they are greeted by open book pages featuring quotes from famous children's books followed by a hall of 3-D book spines that immerse the children as if walking along a larger than life book shelf. The books are fabricated from Sintra, hard coated foam and are covered with 3M™ graphics and faux painted finishes.

The Lord of the Flies

"Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood!"

I have a goal (more like a dream!) to finish reading all the Top 100 Books of the Last 100 Years.  So far this is now my 31st.  So here goes! 

Are humans born essentially good, or evil? When you put a group of innocent little boys alone on an island without the supervision of adults such as parents or teachers, will they behave or do as they want? This for me is the central question that The Lord of the Flies explores. The plot of The Lord of the Flies may be simple enough, yet I was really amazed by the genius of William Golding's writing in the choice of words, characters and many symbolisms throughout the entire book. 

William Golding
Nobel Prize for Literature Laureate



First the boys. Ralph for me is the epitome of leadership and democracy. Piggy stands for reason and intellect, and Jack stands for the side of us that is savage, raw and instinctive.

Some of the symbolisms of the book that I really liked include the conch, which I related to democracy, and respect for order. Next would be the breaking of Piggy's glasses, which I understood to be a decision to go against reason and intellect. But the turning point of the book for me was the killing of the sow, which I understood to be the losing of the boys' innocence and which Golding related to intercourse as when a boy first loses his innocence:

"Jack was on top of her, stabbing downward with his knife. Roger found a lodgment for his point and began to push till he was leaning with his whole weight. ..... The sow collapsed under them and they were heavy and fulfilled upon her."

Lastly, the pig's head raised on the stick as the "Lord of the Flies" for me symbolized the dark side of the human heart, foul and reeking of death, which speaks to Simon in his fit and says "You knew, didn't you? I'm part of you?"

The Lord of the Flies was published in 1954, the decade right after the Jewish Holocaust and the atomic bomb at Hiroshima. It was a time when the human race awoke to the dark side of humanity. But perhaps the whole purpose of the book is this awareness in itself, so that with awareness comes resolve and action, as only we humans are capable of.

This commemorative 50th Anniversary Edition (hardbound, illustrated) I got from Fully Booked for P1,099.

For those interested, here is the latest film adaptation of the book. 

The Lord of the Flies, 1990,  Directed by Harry Hook

National Bookstore's Super Summer Sale

Best news I heard in weeks!  Now's the time to get that book i've been wanting :-)


List of National Bookstore Branches and locations:
Metro Manila
Luzon
Visayas and Mindanao

Alexander McCall Smith iPhone App

I totally love Alexander McCall Smith and when I found out that he now has an iPhone app, I was absolutely thrilled!  The app is free, so I tried it out right away on my dear husband's iPad.   It had exclusive book updates on Mr. Smith's latest books, quotes, character profiles, and even exclusive videos and interviews with Mr. Smith himself!

Here is a screenshot of the main menu in "Home"

Tapping on "Introduction" will play a video of Mr. Smith himself talking about the new app and his books.   In "Explore Botswana" Mr. Smith talks about the beautiful country that is the setting of the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency.

"Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party" contains a preview of Mr. Smith's latest installment to the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Series. 


"Quote for the Day" is one of my favorites - with this one you can start each day with a piece of Mr. Smith's heartwarming wit and wisdom.

Next, is the "Multimedia" section with the following menu:

It contains character profiles from the series, Mr. Smith's 20 favorite songs, and his inspiration for the series.

Then lastly, the new "Page Extra" helps you go beyond the story.  Just key in the page number of the book for background information on characters and locations.

 

According to Alexander McCall Smith's and the Little, Brown Books site, the app will be updated with every new book released this year!  So watch out!

Library Accessories

Accessorize your home library,

go beyond the basic bookshelf!

Since I wrote My Little Yellow Library, I have received numerous feedback from readers about how much they enjoyed it.  So I decided to follow it through with something more about sprucing up your library with accessories beyond the basic bookshelf!    Ready?  Here goes!


Bookends
One of the most versatile accessories you can find! There is an infinite number of designs if you know where to look for them. A pair of Rodin's "The Thinker" bookends like this one is available at Homebound Store in Glorietta 4.  

Rodin's "The Thinker" bookends available at Homebound, 3F Glorietta 4

I got this pair of Knight Chess Piece bookends at Furniture Village in Clark Field, Pampanga

Want to go creative? Check out these 13 Brilliant Bookend Ideas here

Twilight fan?  These bookends are the perfect complement to complete your set.


Rugs and Carpets
Here's my sheepskin rug - everyone who has come over has gone gaga over it, from the young ones (my 2 year old nephew) to the the young once (my mom), haha!  

My husband got this from Our Home at SM Megamall during the mallwide sale :)

Statues and Busts
These are a great way to express your personality and interests!

This Sherlock Holmes bust is one of my favorites.  I got it from the Sherlock Holmes Museum in London.   It's a bronze resin bust of the Consulting Detective wearing his Inverness Cape and Deerstalker Hat.


 

This bust of the renowned beauty Queen Nefertiti I got from the Mummy attraction of Universal Studios in Singapore. It looks heavy but its actually made from bronze-colored plastic resin.
 
Globes
Reminds me of all those beautiful oak libraries in movies! I think nothing defines a library better than a globe does.   My globe (above photo) is a desktop vintage style which we got on sale at True Value for around Php 1,500.   

You can go for a desktop globe, in classic blue...
(available at National Bookstore for Php 800)

...or a floor globe, vintage style.
Available at Rustan's Discovery Shop, Glorietta, Makati (but ridicuously pricey)

Maps and Posters

This is a painting of famous people in history. When we have guests I use it as a conversation starter and challenge them to identify as many as they can :-)

Famous People that Shook the World
by chinese Artists Dai Dudu, Li Tiezi, and Zhang An, 2006, oil on canvas

This metal plate poster of Sherlock Holmes I also got in London but can't remember whether it was also at the Sherlock Holmes Museum or in one of those street marketplaces. 

For maps, you can get inexpensive ones at National Bookstore and Fully Booked. For a minimal fee you can bring it to a framing service.  Nice!

Go for vintage....

...or classic blue!

National Geographic Maps

National Geographic Store, Vivo City, Singapore

Throw Pillows and Blankets
A great way to splash your library with accent colors!  They're comfy and make for great reading companions, too!   I got mine from Regalong Pambahay in SM Megamall.

So there you have it!  I would like this to be as comprehensive as possible so if you have any ideas please feel free to comment!

Happy decorating!

Fully Booked Markdown Extended

Get the greatest deals on your favorite titles from March 28 to April 8, 2011!

4th Level Fully Booked Bonifacio High Street.

Spread the news!