Book Reviews by a Chick Who Reads Everything
I read every kind of book from the absolute serious to the downright silly.
Hi Everybody!
I launched the Adapt Me Podcast this week! It’s available on Spotify and Amazon Music as of now. It’ll be on more in the coming future. I plan on releasing episodes on a monthly basis.
If you want to be a guest, feel free to email me here!
Content warning: this review contains some spoilers and mentions suicide.
Welcome to Part 6 of looking at various adaptations of Wuthering Heights and seeing if they can capture the spirit of the book by Emily Brontë. Today, I’ll be reviewing the 1970 movie starring a pre-James Bond Timothy Dalton as Heathcliff.
If one is keeping track, this is the first film adaptation of the story since 1939. It must have been daunting for American International Pictures to rise to such an occasion. At the time, they were best known for low-budget movies in genres like horror, western, and science fiction, with some being directed by Roger Corman. However, they had a way to stand out from other versions. Founder Samuel Z. Arkoff devised a formula for producing a successful low-budget flick. It was called the “ARKOFF formula,” and it consisted of action, revolution, killing, oratory, fantasy, and fornication. Did it work for this Wuthering Heights adaptation? Well, it’s a mixed bag. I’ll explain with each letter.
Action meant having exciting and entertaining drama, and this one certainly has them. While there were parts that I didn’t care much for, there were a few standout scenes that made the film pretty entertaining. One of them is when Catherine and Heathcliff spy on the Lintons by barking at them, which results in the latter’s dog chasing after them and injuring her in the process. This is better than the similar scene in the 1967 BBC series because Catherine and the canine are in the same shot, and that animal looks menacing. Another is when Catherine returns to Wuthering Heights after her stay with Lintons, Hindley orders Heathcliff to smile at and shake hands with her. In other adaptations, Heathcliff would do that reluctantly, but in this case, he kicks his abuser in the knee and runs to the stable with others trying to catch him. It was very fun to watch.
Revolution is supposed to show novel or controversial themes and ideas. This version has an infamous way of doing that. One of the subtexts of the book is the idea that Catherine and Heathcliff are half-siblings because Mr. Earnshaw is his father. This adaptation brings that to the forefront. Like the 1967 BBC series, Mrs. Earnshaw is not keen on the idea of bringing that dirty boy into her home. The 1970 flick takes this one step further by having her assert that Hindley will inherit the estate because he is her son, not Heathcliff. This was likely done to shock audiences and to justify why Catherine and Heathcliff shouldn’t be together (and possibly to secure a white guy as Heathcliff). This becomes more apparent when they have their rendezvous in the orchards behind Thrushcross Grange, even though I’m not sure they’re aware that they’re half-siblings. At the same time, it didn’t make too much of a difference because someone was going to go on that route at some point. I think it would have been more revolutionary if the studio had cast a multiracial actor as Heathcliff to explore racism in 18th-century/19th-century England.
Killing refers to what Arkoff describes “a modicum of violence.” He wanted to show a little bit of cruelty. Wuthering Heights fits the bill with some scenes of Hindley abusing Heathcliff and vice versa. Furthermore, when Catherine is locked in her room wanting to die, she tries to take her own life in disturbing ways. This works because Catherine in the novel and other versions simply doesn’t want to live after she finds out that Heathcliff marries Isabella. Also, Catherine’s pregnant, which brings in more shock value. The violence that doesn’t work is when Heathcliff dies after Hindley shoots him. In the previous adaptations, Hindley contemplates killing Heathcliff for essentially ruining his life, but he never goes through with it because he’s a coward. On the other hand, this version allows Hindley to murder Heathcliff because it portrays the former more sympathetically. By doing this, it lets the bad guy win. As much as Julian Glover tries to make his character work, Hindley is not one I would want to get a sympathetic treatment.
Oratory is all about notable dialogue and speeches. With a novel like Wuthering Heights, this would be a slam dunk because it contains some memorable lines, especially “He’s more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.”
However, American International Pictures fumbled this one. Sure, there are some notable dialogues from the book that made it into the film, yet some were omitted, like the aforementioned line. The closest is when Catherine says, “I am Heathcliff.”
Fantasy involved acted-out fantasies common to the audience. The novel is all about two lovers who can’t be together, so this fits perfectly. The movie plays into this, especially when they have their trysts in the orchards, Heathcliff digging up Catherine’s grave, and chasing her ghost at the end. And, it takes this one step further with Nelly having feelings for Hindley. In many adaptations, she is often an older woman, but in the novel, she’s closer to Hindley’s age. In this version, Judy Cornwell is a young Nelly. I understand her feeling sorry for Hindley, yet I’m not sure why she had to have a crush on him. I can believe that the writers and director Robert Fuest were aware that Nelly is not as objective as she wants to be in the novel, and to give her something to do besides narrate the story. In fact, they omit Mr. Lockwood. It doesn’t work because it gets dropped halfway through when Hindley allows Nelly to serve at Thrushcross Grange.
Fornication is sex appeal for young adults. Timothy Dalton’s shirts are unbuttoned at times, and the cleavages of Anna Calder-Marshall (Catherine) and Hillary Dwyer (Isabella) are on full display. In addition, Catherine and Heathcliff have intense makeout sessions, which will make people think that they’re going to certain places. Moreover, those scenes are depicted with a sheen that can only be found in shampoo commercials from that time. And of course, the best scene is when Heathcliff is chasing after Catherine’s ghost from the Moors to the Wuthering Heights estate at the end. It’s like she’s teasing him to get the prize. It highlights the supernatural elements in the story in a unique way.
The main problem of this Wuthering Heights version is its budget limitations. It’s not that it needs to be lavish. The sets are realistic, and I like the color schemes of each (Wuthering Heights being brown and grey, Thrushcross Grange being white, and the English Moors being blue). The problem is that it feels like it had a time crunch to get it done. It wouldn’t shock anybody at this point when I say that it cuts the second half of the book, although it includes notable scenes like Heathcliff digging up Catherine’s grave. What’s more egregious is that it moves at such a quick pace that scenes are not as developed as they should be. When it seems that something is going to happen, it cuts to the next part. That disjointedness might bother viewers who’ve never read the novel.
And of course, I can’t forget to talk about the performances. Anna Calder-Marshall plays Catherine, and she’s fine. She has some big emotional moments, like when she’s dying in her bedroom, but she’s a bit too high-class. An actress playing Catherine needs to show the wild side and build it up to the character’s death. But then again, the little girl playing the young Catherine doesn’t help either when she’s not given opportunities to display that volatile side. Plus, it’s a hard act to follow when Angela Scoular did such a fantastic job with the role prior.
As I mentioned earlier, Timothy Dalton plays Heathcliff. He’s another white guy in the role, but he does a decent job. Some people have complained that he doesn’t brood enough, yet I think that he interpreted the character who has spent so long bottling up his emotions so much that when he does express them, it leads to some great outbursts, even if they are comical. My favorite is when Heathcliff finds out that Catherine died, Dalton screams and bashes his head against a tree.
The Wuthering Heights 1970 movie is fine. It certainly wants to stand out from the others and build upon what the prior ones had established. Additionally, it actually fit the ARKOFF formula better than I expected, yet I feel that some changes weren’t needed. The flick has plenty in common with the 2026 film because of how provocative it wants to be, but it fails to deliver. They also want to appeal to a teenage audience. In addition, a lot of the problems could have been resolved if the film was named Hindley. On the other hand, there were scenes that I liked, and I enjoyed Timothy Dalton’s performance as Heathcliff. Although it’s not my favorite version, I would still recommend it to people watching every adaptation of Wuthering Heights, diehard Timothy Dalton fans, and 19-year-old boys. Meanwhile, I’ll be watching the Monty Python parody version, which was released in the same year, with my semaphore flags.
Now, let’s see how this one fits into the ranking.
We’ll see how this ranking evolves after I see all the others.
Stay tuned next month when I review the 1992 movie with Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche.
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Hi Everybody,
I was back at the Rose City Romance Conference this past weekend in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, and it was fantastic! It went on from Friday, April 10 to Sunday, April 12. I was only able to go on the Sunday due to work, but there was plenty to do. All of the photos taken were mine and can be seen at the bottom of the page.
The theme for this year was bigger and better. Last year, the event was confined to one small room at Caesars Windsor Casino. Here, it was in a large space that combined two adjoining rooms. This meant MORE AUTHORS AND VENDORS. I spoke to various people about how vast the area was, and some mentioned that about 600 people attended the day prior.
I met writers from both the States and Canada at the conference, including one that went to the same college as I did. What a small world! There were new faces and familiar ones like Kate Smoak, Wren Grey, Bridget L. Rose, and Alyssa Milani. Smoak recently made an appearance in the local news because she was interviewed for a story about a woman planning to sell her Harlequin romance novels. I wouldn’t be surprised if she becomes the face of the Rose City Romance Conference.
There were certainly more diverse vendors at this year’s event. They included book stores like Book Nook Windsor and Turns & Tales Board Game Cafe and Bookstore in Chatham, Ontario. The people from both places were super cool. In addition, there were other vendors selling book-related items like bookmarks, stickers, buttons, etc. Two of the most unique ones involved 3-D printing and crochet. The people at the first booth showed off all the 3-D prints they made, which included little signs, book and eyeglasses dragon holders, dragons to place in between books on a shelf, and lights. I bought a dragon eyeglasses holder for my husband because it looked so cool. At the end of the day, I visited Wren’s Crochet’s booth. Along with her mom, the person who runs that store makes all kinds of crocheted items. These include coasters, fans, and flowers. She even did crochet workshops at the Windsor Public Library in the past. I live for those kinds of collaborations.
The photo wall returned for this year. I was a little sad that it didn’t have the giant letters, but I still had fun posing in front of it.
The ambitiousness came in the extra things that people could do. Conference goers had the opportunity to attend seminars on Friday and a costumed ball on Saturday. They could also do a scavenger hunt on Saturday and a raffle on Sunday. The raffle contained more prizes than last year like books, baking ingredients, and a mini-photo printer. Sadly, I didn’t win, but I still had a good time doing it.
While I mentioned plenty of neat things at this year’s Rose City Romance Conference, the coolest thing was the Ink District. In one section of the room, people could get real tattoos! I’m totally serious! Three artists were present for anyone looking to get body art. By the time I got to their booth, the appointments were already filled up.
And of course, I have to talk about the romance books I bought. My goal this year was to purchase titles from new authors and of even more sub-genres. With the exception of A Blessed Fall by Kate Smoak (I bought a book of hers last year), I was able to achieve this with the following titles: Bro Amazing by Alby Blake, Devil of Dublin by BB Easton, Winging It by Ashlyn Kane and Morgan James, Fear and Fortitude by Cheri Champagne, Perfect Strangers by J. Rhys, Unforgivable Lust & Fire by Shay Lee Soleil, Jaded Hearts by Renee Gendron, Mercy by Ashley Matthews, A Follow-Through in Faking by Bridget L. Rose, and Rival Hearts by W. Million.
Overall, I had a great time, and I’m happy that the Rose City Romance Conference was able to expand on its offerings. I hope to attend next year and meet even more authors and vendors. You can learn more about the conference on their Facebook and Instagram pages.
And that concludes the tenth installment of “Literary Travel!” I hope all of you had a great time on this trip. Strangely enough, I’m still not quite done with Canada yet. However, that won’t be until next month.
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Full disclosure: I was given an ARC of this book from SparkPoint Studio in exchange for an honest review.
It’s always fun going into bars. I found some interesting people there. More likely than not, good stories will come out of bars. Willa Goodfellow knows plenty of them. She even wrote them down for her memoir, A Gritty Little Tourist Town: Bar Tales From Costa Rica. It’s a funny memoir with a great atmosphere and, of course, good stories.
A Gritty Little Tourist Town: Bar Tales From Costa Rica is a memoir surrounding a group of expatriates (expats) entertaining each other by telling stories at a bar in a Costa Rican village. Willa and her wife, Helen, travel to Costa Rica to visit family, but they discover more than they ever expected. In a sleepy village off the coast of the Pacific Ocean, they meet a curious and vibrant group of expats looking for paradise, or at least some cheap beer. At the local bar – the Pato Loco, they meet a cast of colorful characters. They include Mama, the blind 72-year-old co-owner of the place; her partner, Mary, Willa’s sister, a bartender, and an installation artist; and Richie, the aging hippie whose words are few but mighty. These and other people answer questions like what is it like to live in another country, how does a tight-knit community face the pressure of development, and how do you perform CPR on a fish? This collection of stories follows Willa as she discovers a connection with a community of strangers, one bar tale at a time.
I’ve never been to Costa Rica, but I knew people who went there while I was in college as part of their study abroad program. Even my husband’s cousin has been there too, Regardless, I could imagine the area where the main cast lived in that country, and the Pato Loco – the bar/restaurant/inn Willa’s family runs. I also had no trouble picturing the tropics as well as the critters that greet Willa and Helen every time they went down there. It was so vivid that it made me want to travel to Costa Rica and visit the Pato Loco sometime. I’m glad that Lonely Planet highlighted it in one of their travel guides.
And of course, the stories in the book were informative and fun. I learned so much about Costa Rican culture like its influx of Nicaraguan immigrants and how the locals celebrate Easter with Semana Santa. My favorite tales involved Mary. She is a force to be reckoned with. In one story, Willa discusses how much Helen loves the ocean, especially fishing. After one morning of fishing, Helen comes into the bar, and Mary asks her if she caught anything. She said no, thus breaking the fisherman’s cardinal rule: any story worth telling is worth improving. Luckily, Helen recovered quickly by saying the following, “Mary, you should have been there. The fish were biting, the fish were jumping, the fish were walking on water. They were flying, they were attacking the pelicans!” (p.54).
I can only imagine the stink eye Mary gave to Helen after that first response.
Another tale that I alluded to earlier was when Mary performed CPR on a fish. She, Richie, and two of their friends were fishing when Richie caught a four-footer. He got a picture with it and threw it back into the ocean since that’s another rule fishermen have to follow. However, the fish went belly-up. Mary turned into Aquaman and saved the fish through CPR. How did she do this? One has to read the book to find out. All I have to say is that it made me love her even more.
I enjoyed these stories, but there was one problem. It doesn’t have much of a core. In other words, there was barely anything that made me invested throughout. I know that it’s a little strange to say that, considering it’s a good collection of bar tales. They needed a theme to show why they are being told. I recently read The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows (review will be up soon). In it, the main character writes a collection of stories based on interviews she conducts with the residents on the island of Guernsey and how they survived Nazi occupation during World War II. At one point, her publisher tells her that the novel needs a core, or something that holds everything together. I wish A Gritty Little Tourist Town had more of that. There could have emphasized Willa’s struggles to write a story or how the Pato Loco brought people together. As of now, it’s simply good for one full read.
A Gritty Little Tourist Town: Bar Tales From Costa Rica by Willa Goodfellow is a fun memoir. It’s full of memorable characters and bar stories in a unique location that I want to visit. On the other hand, there wasn’t much to latch onto after I finished reading it since it lacked a core. Nonetheless, I would recommend it for those looking to go to Costa Rica and visit bars, as well as books by LGBTQ+ authors. A Gritty Little Tourist Town: Bar Tales From Costa Rica is out now, so grab it wherever you get your books.
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Hi Everybody,
Back in June, my husband and I stumbled upon the Rose City Romance Conference on a day trip to Windsor, Canada. See, I told you that I wasn’t done with Canada yet.
We had a blast checking out indie authors and vendors at the event. On top of that, it was their first year. Their second annual conference is this weekend from Friday, April 10th to Sunday, April 12th. Today, I’m going to show you why you should go. All of the photos taken were mine and can be seen at the bottom of the page.
On a hot day in June 2025, my husband and I were hanging out at Caesars Windsor Casino. We were just about to leave when we came across a couple in an elevator. They told us that their daughter had a booth at the book festival in one of the conference rooms. According to my husband, I looked at him with my “we have to go to this” face, and that was final.
The Rose City Romance Conference brings romance books of all kinds together. They include the conventional types, romantasies, sexy kinds, sporty ones, etc,. It’s not just about the genre – it’s an experience. While I’m not a hardcore romance person, I have enjoyed that genre in the past. The entrance tickets were reasonable, and it was all located in one room along with a photo booth outside.
We spent plenty of time walking through and talking to every author and vendor we met. They were all approachable and cool. I asked them about their interest in romance and told them about this website. In addition, I was able to take photos of many of the authors, the room, and myself at the booth.
We bought plenty of romance novels at sensible prices. I purchased the following: A Bright Summer by Kate Smoak, A Spy’s Fateful Bond by TM Goodkey, Vice + Virtue by Wren Grey, Your Lonesome Loving Harold by Gary Percival and Ashley Percival, Miss Adventures: Abroad from Bangkok to Bali by Ashley Percival, Tell Me You Do by Alyssa Milani, The Mistletoe Ball by Jennifer Willcock, and Steamy on Set by D.S. Walls.
Along with books, Carl also purchased a pair of duck sunglasses because author C.A. King’s mascot is that animal. We also received bookmarks, pens, and candy.
While we were there, we participated in a raffle. We had to check off as many vendors as possible to increase our chances of getting some fabulous prizes. Sadly, we didn’t win, but it was fun regardless. For this year’s conference, you can find out more information on their Facebook and Instagram pages.
And that concludes the ninth installment of “Literary Travel!” I hope all of you had a great time on this trip. I’m still not quite done with Canada yet. I’ll let you know how this year’s Rose City Romance Conference is next week.
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Full disclosure: I was given an ARC of this book from BooksForward and SHP Comics in exchange for an honest review.
Content warning: this review briefly mentions violence and animal abuse.
If I had a nickel every time I reviewed a graphic novel written by Shawn Hainsworth under the pseudonym Darin S. Cape, I would have a dime, which is weird that it’s happened twice. It’s been awhile since I read a manga. Luckily, Hainsworth along with illustrators Zeno Decrux and Hiorsh Gabotto have one by infusing that genre into their latest graphic novel Zicky: Wrath of the Rat King. It’s a fun adventure story with self-aware humor and contrasting visuals that blend together.
Zicky: Wrath of the Rat King is the first volume of the “Zicky” series. Deep underground, Zicky plunges into the lair of the Rat King – a tyrant with an army of rodents striving to invade the real world. Meanwhile, a mysterious supervillain hides in the shadows, and the fate of both places hangs in the balance. Just as the battle begins, Zicky wakes up…back in his bedroom surrounded by his siblings who tease him for believing his adventures are more than just dreams. Join Zicky on his first adventure where he will need all of the persistence, humor, and ninja skills to survive.
I adore the book’s tone. The humor is spot on. It contains slapstick, pop culture references, and breaking the fourth wall. I especially love its homage to the 1960s Batman television show by saying “Same Zicky time, same Zicky channel.”
At the same time, it knows when to be serious, especially the conversation between Zicky and his dad early on. Hainsworth, Decrux, and Gabotto also avoid undercutting emotional scenes with jokes. The graphic novel strikes a good balance between the story and the humor.
One of the most unique aspects of this graphic novel is the use of two different illustration styles. Decrux employs the manga style while in the Rat King’s realm with a bold color palette and swift movement, while Gabotto utilizes a more realistic one in the human world with subdued colors and relaxed pacing. Both work separately and together. The transition from one style to another when Zicky travels back to the real world is beautiful and effortless. There’s even a plot point where the supervillain, while in the human realm, has to come up with a potion to make the rats appear like they did in their universe.
Both the tone and visuals make the graphic novel appealing, but it’s the story that readers will come back to time and time again. It’s about a boy who actually fights various enemies when he’s supposed to be asleep. He tells his family about it, yet they don’t believe him because they think he’s imagining them. I was invested in the plot throughout, but I was locked in when both worlds collided. I wanted to know how Zicky was going to triumph. Although the ending was abrupt, I bet that was done deliberately to set up the sequel.
With all of my praise for this graphic novel, I’ve noticed that it might not please every young reader. For starters, some of the jokes will fly over kids’ heads like the one about the oligarchy after Zicky defeats the Snake King. Most of them still work though. Additionally, there are several instances of violence. Zicky slices his enemies with his katana at times, but it doesn’t get too gory. There’s also animal abuse with how the supervillain treats his dog, yet other characters call him out for it. It’s for these reasons that I would recommend it for kids between the ages of 9 and 12.
Zicky: Wrath of the Rat King by Shawn Hainsworth, Zeno Decrux, and Hiorsh Gabotto is a fun, action-packed manga-inspired graphic novel. It channels the best comics and mangas for its humor, art style, and story and nails it on every level. The contrasting illustrations are beautiful to look at and tell the story perfectly. These are grounded with a good story about a boy who wants to go on adventures when he’s supposed to be asleep. While it’s not for every kid, I would recommend it to most, especially those between the ages of 9 and 12 and who love action/adventure graphic novels. Zicky: Wrath of the Rat King will be out Tuesday, April 14, so grab it wherever you get your books.
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Hi Everybody,
It’s been awhile since I did a Literary Travel blog post, for I’ve been busy with working on several book and movie reviews. However, I had time to go to Canada, specifically Windsor, several times over an one-year period. I had previously talked about one bookstore in that city – Juniper Books. Today, I’ll show you two more and a book festival. All of the photos used were the ones I took and can be seen at the bottom of the page.
Let’s travel back to December 2024. My husband and I traveled to Windsor for lunch and to explore the Biblioasis Bookshop – an award-winning independent bookstore and publisher located in the Walkerville District of that city.
Even though it was in one small space, it was well utilized. To illustrate that, I took a normal picture and a panoramic one of the store.
Since we came there after Christmas, they still had a lot of decorations up. I didn’t mind because they were cool. In addition, I adored how some of the displays looked like Christmas trees. There was also a room in the back for used books with a warning on the left.
The bookshop had small labels that denoted which genre were shelved there. It also contained notes explaining what book a staff member recommended and why.
At the front of the store, a chalkboard shows what an employee was reading and programs were going on like author events and book clubs. Biblioasis hosts several book clubs like Books and Brews, Camp Coffee Book Club, the LGBT+ Club with the Windsor Public Library, Pen of Resistance, a Free Palestine Book Club, and the Poetry Book Club.
While we were there, I purchased Best Canadian Stories 2025 selected by editor Steven W. Beattie – a series Biblioasis publishes every year – and Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë. I had a great time there, especially with its welcoming and Christmas spirit. Along with their website, you can check them out on Facebook and Twitter. It wouldn’t the last time that I saw them.
About a year later, my husband and I discovered that there was a book festival at the Walkerville Brewery called the Nostalgic Book Fair. It’s the kind of book fair schools had but for adults.
While the fair was small, the brewery was able to fit several vendors. They included Auntie Aldoo’s Kitchen, which had some delicious treats like pies and s’more bars; Bookmarkit; Biblioasis; Higher Vibes & CO.; Whiskeyjack Boutique; Whimsy Brooke; and the Windsor Public Library.
Some sold novels. Other offered bookmarks, clothing, and other book-related items. All of these vendors were utterly delightful. Even one of them told me how much she loved libraries and librarians.
As I mentioned earlier, Biblioasis Bookshop was there selling books – both ones they published and didn’t. They were kind as always, and I bought a copy of Everyone Knows Your Mother is a Witch by Rivka Galchen and a pack of library socks.
Before we left, we checked out the Windsor Public Library bookmobile. It’s one of the finest and most spacious ones I’ve ever seen. It contained lots of sturdy shelves and cushioned seats for those who want to sit down and read. We hope to stop at the library at some point this year, so stay tuned for a Literary Travel post about that.
The book fair was such a success that Walkerville Brewery held another a second this past January. I hope they have a third one soon because it was so much fun!
Right after the Nostalgic Book Fair, we visited the Storytellers Bookstore. This was a journey in of itself. I tried to check it out twice, but it was closed both times. It was this third time that I was successful, and it was worth it.
It’s in a small room, but it’s warm and inviting with comfy chairs; artwork; paint-by-numbers; puzzles; games; and of course, books. They were well organized. Along with their website, you can check them out on Facebook and Twitter.
My favorite part was checking out the classic novels with the redesigned covers filled with gold lining. I even bought one of them – The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. I also had a good time talking to owner Linda Ward about various things, mainly books.
While these bookstores and book fairs were on the tinier side, the atmospheres were still inviting, and we still had a blast at each.
And that concludes the eighth installment of “Literary Travel!” I hope all of you had a great time on this trip. I’m not done with Canada yet. Next week, I have an entire article about another book festival that I went to.
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Hi Everybody!
The latest episode of the Adapt Me Podcast is up right now. In it, guest Megan Kearns from the Women InSession Podcast and I discuss how we would adapt The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin as a big-budget fantasy movie. We talk about the book’s and the “Broken Earth” trilogy’s success and how an adaptation must juggle a lot of aspects like honoring BIPOC and queer stories and retaining its social justice spirit. We also discuss how traumatizing readers can be necessary in a story. Check it out at this link!
In the meantime, I have a review of the book itself, so check that out too!
Subscribe below to get notified when I post new updates. Also feel free to email me here for any review suggestions, ideas, or new titles!
Full disclosure: I was given an ARC of this book from BooksForward and SHP Comics in exchange for an honest review.
There are some books whose concepts sound so good that they need to be explored. For example, have you ever read a story that involves Dracula at Woodstock? Well, now there is the graphic novel Woodstake by Darin S. Cape and Felipe Kroll. Despite the great concept and funny bits, the story and illustrations were a letdown.
Written by Darin S. Cape (the pseudonym of Shawn Hainsworth) and illustrated by Felipe Kroll, Woodstake is a reimagining of the Dracula legend at the Woodstock Music and Art Fair in 1969. The vampire known as “the Creature” wreaks havoc in 1927, but he is defeated by Van Helsing – a descendant of the legendary hunter – and the local sheriff. He must slumber until he’s fully healed. Flash forward to 1969, the Creature reawakens to find hundreds of thousands of young people attending the Woodstock music festival on the land. As he starts to build his army, attendees John, Nina, and Artie get caught up in the paranormal struggle while dealing with their own complicated web of love, music, and ambition.
As I mentioned earlier, having a vampire at Woodstock is a great idea for a story. One can explore so many possibilities. I love how the police don’t believe that there are vampires because the attendees probably dropped too much acid. In addition, I enjoyed seeing the Creature hallucinate and hypnotize the hippies. There were also some funny bits too. For example, Artie and Nina get a guy to moon a cop while they search a van. One of my favorite lines from the book is when Artie says, “No, not Jimi! Take Pete Townsend [the guitarist from The Who]. Nobody will care if he’s a f**king vampire.”
Moreover, I like how it utilizes the music from the time period. Songs like “My Generation” by The Who, “Bad Moon Rising” by Creedence Clearwater Revival, “I Feel Like I’m Fixin’ to Die Rag” by Country Joe McDonald, and “Purple Haze” by Jimi Hendrix are not only chapter titles, but characters also are seen listening to them. The tunes reflect the mood at various points in the story as well. It can be a bit on the nose at times like how “Bad Moon Rising” plays while the Creature builds his army.
At the same time, the plot leaves a lot to be desired. The story feels rushed at times, especially towards the end. It needed to breathe and develop at certain moments. It also does more telling than showing. Normally, I wouldn’t care too much about this, but because this is a graphic novel, one would think the illustrations would have done the talking. Furthermore, the characters are either one-dimensional or unlikeable. I especially did not like John and Nina. They are supposed to be in a relationship, but he ends up cheating on her with someone else. And yet, she still refuses to leave him even though she never comes up with a good explanation.
Since this is a graphic novel, I have to talk about the illustrations. They are a mixed bag. On one hand, the cover looks amazing with its colors and striking images. The backgrounds are just as stunning with how dark, real, and psychedelic they are. On the other hand, the character designs, to put it plainly, look weird. The people in the story appear like they came straight out of a video game, and their expressions are offputting at times. I know that it’s based on photorealism, but it still comes off as strange. It doesn’t help that the characters look too contemporary. They have iPhone faces, and their hairstyles are far more modern than they need to be.
Woodstake by Darin S. Cape and Felipe Kroll could have been better. It contains a great idea with some funny bits, well-incorporated music from the time, and stunning illustrations. However, Cape and Kroll could’ve executed the concept better with a more fleshed out story and developed characters. I would only recommend it to those if the phrase “a vampire at Woodstock” peaks their interest. Even with its flaws, a novel can still sell with its concept. For those interested, Woodstake comes out on Tuesday, April 14, so grab it wherever you get your books.
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I recently found out that there’s a genre called science-fantasy. Yes, I may sound like I was born yesterday, but I never knew about it before. As the name suggests, it blends elements of both genres. Books of this nature usually incorporate fantasy elements in a science fiction context. They have worlds that appear like ones in the former, but are made believable through logic found in the latter. The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin is a great example of this genre, and it has memorable characters, even if it’s cumbersome.
The Fifth Season is the first book in “The Broken Earth” trilogy. In a world where catastrophic events like earthquakes and volcanoes are normal, tragedy still strikes. For one person, three terrible things occur in a single day. First, Essun, a woman living an ordinary life in a small town, comes home to find that her husband has brutally murdered their son and kidnapped their daughter. Second, the mighty Sanze – the world-spanning empire whose innovations have been the civilization’s foundation for a thousand years – collapses as most of its citizens are killed to serve a madman’s vengeance. Third, across the heart of the continent called the Stillness, a volcano has erupted, spewing enough ash to darken the skies for years or even centuries. Now Essun must pursue the wreckage of her family through a deadly, dying light without clean water or arable land and with limited supplies. Wars will be fought across the Stillness for basic resources to get through the long dark night. Essun doesn’t care if the world falls apart around her. She’ll break it herself if she can save her daughter.
The worldbuilding is marvelous. I could picture how desolate the environment was. It’s essentially a wasteland after several volcanoes and earthquakes wrecked the earth with little to no sunlight. It also doesn’t help that winters last for at least six months. There are even two separate appendices about the catalog of “fifth seasons” throughout time and definitions for words and phrases used in the novel. In addition, I love how the author defines the social environment. The Orogenes are people with the ability to move energy, and they can prevent or cause earthquakes. However, they are discriminated against because of how different they are from regular folk. Jemisin even includes a derogatory word that characters use to describe them, and it sounds like one that’s often utilized to define black people. It certainly made me wince, yet it’s a deliberate choice made by Jemisin, an African-American author. She was inspired to write the trilogy after watching the protests in Ferguson, Missouri, over the killing of unarmed teenager Michael Brown.
What also works are the characters. They are sympathetic, flawed, and everything in between. Essun – the protagonist – goes on a journey to find her missing daughter after she discovers her son’s dead body. She’s an Orogene who wants to live a normal life, but she did some things that come back to haunt her. I enjoy how Jemisin writes Essun’s chapters in second person, the one that constantly uses “you” in various sentences. This perspective is used as her consciousness. Another character I was intrigued by was Alabaster. He’s a powerful Orogene who mentors another person in the story. He can be cold, distant, and snarky, but he’s devoted even when he doesn’t show it. They have some back and forth that made me rethink what I felt about him.
As much as I liked the book, it was cumbersome to read. It’s nearly 400 pages, and I felt that. Don’t get me wrong. It had a great beginning that reeled me in and an ending that brilliantly sets up the next book in the series, The Obelisk Gate. I struggled with the middle at times. There was so much description that I got lost. However, that’s usually me whenever I read fantasy or science fiction books. At the same time, I’m not sure if anything needs to be changed. Jemisin is good at providing pieces to the puzzle and letting the readers put it together. She doesn’t insult their intelligence, and she offers enough hints. I admire that. So, even if I got lost in the description, I still knew where I was in the plot.
The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin is a really good story about a woman trying to regain normalcy in a wasteland. The author certainly had everything planned out for this first book in her “Broken Earth” trilogy. This is especially true with the physical and social environments the characters find themselves in. It helps that the people in the plot are multi-dimensional. Although I found it to be bulky at times, I admire the deliberate choices and that Jemisin trusts her readers to know what she’s talking about. I would recommend it to those who love science-fantasy, ones that deal with environmental and societal issues, and are written by authors of color. Regardless of its flaws, I will continue the series with The Obelisk Gate.
Before I go, I want to let everyone know that I will record the latest episode of the Adapt Me Podcast soon. Guests Megan Kearns from the Women InSession Podcast and Alyson Wick will join me to talk about how we would adapt this novel. Keep an eye out for the link next week.
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Welcome to Part 5 of looking at various adaptations of Wuthering Heights and seeing if they can capture the spirit of the book by Emily Brontë. Today, I’ll be looking at the 1967 BBC miniseries starring Ian McShane (best known for his role as Winston Scott in the John Wick films) as Heathcliff.
This is a truly faithful version of Wuthering Heights. It includes the second half of the book! The BBC ran this series in 1967 with 4 episodes that were between 40-50 minutes each. It originally aired in color. However, that print is lost. What we have is the black-and-white version, and it’s available on YouTube. While it would’ve been nice to have it in color, the black and white brings out how bleak the story is. Although the print is not in the greatest quality, I’m glad that we do have it, considering that the earliest adaptation from 1920, which includes the second half as well, is lost. In addition, it was this version that inspired Kate Bush to write her awesome song of the same name.
It contains almost everything from the novel like the subplot with the next generation and Heathcliff opening up Catherine’s grave. Even the time period is accurate. The pre-1960s adaptations looked like they took place in the Victorian era. This one understood that the book’s events were in the late 1700s/early 1800s. The costumes reflect this from the tricone hats and coats for the men, the sack-back gowns for Catherine and Isabella, and the empire-waist dress for Catherine’s daughter Cathy. The only noted difference is how the story is told chronologically as opposed to through the Mr. Lockwood framework in the novel. That character still shows up, but not until the third episode, and Nelly is not even present when he arrives at Wuthering Heights. I’m perfectly ok with this because it doesn’t fundamentally change anything about the plot.
This version actually was shot on the English Moors. This brings authenticity since it’s a character in itself. I can see why Brontë wanted to have a story set in that location. The open fields and winds make it possible for anyone to be themselves and not care about societal expectations.
I like how almost every character is given empathy. In the beginning, when Mr. Earnshaw brings home Heathcliff, the first person to scoff at the child is Mrs. Earnshaw. Prior adaptations eliminated her all together, but this brought her in to show how trauma can start. Even though she lets him stay, she continues to berate her husband for bringing him in until she dies. Additionally, Mr. Earnshaw remarks why Catherine and Hindley are the way that they are, and he tries to get them to respect Heathcliff. He even attempts to throw Hindley out of the house if he doesn’t learn to treat his adopted brother fairly. Furthermore, Hindley has some moments where viewers can see what he’s going through. There’s a scene where he cries over his wife Frances’s grave, which leads to him being a drunken mess.
I enjoyed how this version embodied the book’s gothic horror tone. For one thing, there is no soundtrack outside of harrowing winds and roosters crowing. The winds are present in almost every scene. Even though they drown out the dialogue at times, it shows off how desolate the environment is even more. In addition, when Mr. Lockwood opens the windows up, not only does he feel Catherine’s hand grabbing at him, but he also sees her ghost, which is super creepy. This was the moment that inspired Kate Bush to write her famous song. What’s eerier is when Mr. Lockwood shuts the window, her hand is caught. My favorite moment is actually when Heathcliff comes back to Wuthering Heights, it’s done as a POV shot as seen in slasher movies, so viewers never see his face. I especially love Joseph’s and Hindley’s reactions when they realize that it’s him. I almost expected Heathcliff to slash them. To be fair, Hindley deserves that.
While there’s plenty of things to like about the series, there were some problems as well. First off, because this adaptation’s goal was to include as everything from the novel as possible, it rushed some relationship development. This is especially true between Catherine and Heathcliff. In the first episode, viewers see Catherine and Hindley being cruel to Heathcliff. Then some time later, Catherine and Heathcliff are bonding in the English Moors. There should have been more time with them, especially how Catherine goes from being nasty to kind. A similar issue happens with Cathy and her relationship with Hareton – Hindley’s son, but that one is more fleshed out. Moreover, it could have been trimmed down. The pacing can be sluggish at times. There were some scenes which I didn’t feel were necessary. This is true when Mr. Earnshaw is walking and carrying a young Heathcliff through the Moors at the very beginning.
Second, the hair and makeup aren’t great. There’s this adage that people can figure out when a period film is made by looking at the women’s hairdos. In this case, that’s sort of true since the actresses have hairstyles that are 1960s-ish, yet the crew tried to make them look like the late 1700s/early 1800s. They’re fine. It’s the men’s hair, or should I say shaggy wigs, that make them appear like they’re in a 1960s rock band. Ian McShane’s wig looks appropriate for Heathcliff, but it also made me want him to sing “Wild Thing” by The Troggs. Keith Buckley, who plays Hareton, resembles Mickey Dolenz from The Monkees with his hairpiece.
Third, there were some budget limitations with this one. Even though it’s not as egregious as the 1950 teleplay, I could tell that director Peter Sasdy had to make some shortcuts. For one, the scene of Catherine in the rain is cut drastically. The rain itself looks like water coming out of a hose running through a filter. In another, when Catherine gets bitten by the Lintons’ guard dog, I’m convinced that none were in the same shot together, judging by the way it was edited.
Everyone in this adaptation does a good job acting-wise. Ian McShane plays Heathcliff. Now, it may look like he might be a person of color because his skin appears darker than the other actors, but he’s a white guy who happens to be tan from the photos I’ve seen of him in real life. His Heathcliff is cold and distant, which is very effective in the last two episodes, yet he isn’t passionate enough. When he hears that Catherine’s dead, he is unreactive. In many ways, readers expect him to be emotional, especially in how he loved Catherine and responds to her death. Sure, McShane can be over the top, but
playing Heathcliff allows him to do that, particularly when he’s abusing other characters. It’s that I wanted him to be more passionate, so I could see what Catherine saw in him. On the other hand, Angela Scoular (best known for her roles in Casino Royale and On Her Majesty’s Secret Service) is the stand out performer. She plays the brattiest Catherine I’ve ever seen. She could be cruel to the people around her like Heathcliff, Edgar, and Nelly. When Catherine has her temper tantrums, Scoular gives it her all by throwing dishes and writhing on the floor. Additionally, she does a good job as Cathy. Cathy could be nasty and emotional as her mother, yet she can also be level-headed like her father Edgar, especially when she calls out Heathcliff for spreading lies about her to his son Linton.
The Wuthering Heights 1967 BBC miniseries is automatically one of the better adaptations because of how faithful it is to the source material. However, because it seems like the goal was to include practically everything, it has some drawbacks like the pacing and the budget constraints. Nonetheless, I enjoyed how bleak it was and how it embodied the novel’s tone. While I have my issues with Ian McShane’s performance, his and the others were good, especially Angela Scoular’s. Although it’s a decent version, this is the first true adaptation of the book that I saw. For that reason, I would recommend it to people watching every adaptation of Wuthering Heights as well as diehard Ian McShane and Kate Bush fans.
Now, let’s see how this one fits into the ranking.
We’ll see how this ranking evolves after I see all the others.
Stay tuned next month when I review the 1970 movie with Timothy Dalton.
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Book Reviews by a Chick Who Reads Everything