The difficulties in bringing the series to life are becoming more obvious as the show deviates from the books in increasingly noticeable ways. For me this really came to a head at the end of the Game of Thrones S02E06: The Old Gods and the New, when Daenerys returned to Xaro’s home to find many of her Dothraki slain and her dragons stolen; a completely new plot development which didn’t happen in the books.

Image via BestWeekEver.TV

I found myself feeling rather conflicted about latest piece of tinkering with the story. My initial thoughts were along the lines of: “Woah, I can understand large chunks of story having to be chopped, but adding in completely new plot developments? That’s taking it a bit far.” However, after having a little time to digest this new twist I’ve started to come around and here’s why:

• I was getting a little bored of Daenerys’ storyline. There’s only so much wandering around the in desert and begging for armies you can watch before it starts to get boring. It might be considered heresy by many hardcore fans of the books, but I’m still going to point out that George R.R. Martin has a habit of putting a pin in characters; he shoves them off to the side somewhere, doesn’t really move their story along and checks in with them occasionally.
• Throwing up the odd surprise is adding an extra dimension to the show. For me, it’s helping to keep it fresh, interesting and engaging.
• At the end of the day it’s a TV show and most of the viewers aren’t going to have read the books or be as dedicated as ASIF fans. As such the producers need to end the shows on cliff-hangers and keep each of the main character’s stories fresh; if they don’t there is a serious danger of large swathes of the mainstream audience losing track of the story or simply losing interest in the show. If the show is to survive and justify its budget the mainstream audience is essential.

I love the show and have massive respect for HBO for taking it on, so I’m willing to forgive quite a lot in terms of story adaptation. There was one aspect of this episode I wasn’t too happy about though; the taking of Winterfell. For such a major development I would have at least expected to see a few grappling hooks being slung and a couple of guards being stealthily slain. Instead we got the Ironborn popping up in Winterfell like they’d just wandered in through the front gate. What came after, however, was exceptionally powerful TV as Ser Rodderick Cassell was rather ineptly beheaded by the insipid Theon.

As usual there was a hell of a lot more going on in this episode than I can fit in one post: the King’s Landing riot, developments north of The Wall, Arya in Harrenhal.  Although my difficulties trying to do an episode justice in one blog post must pale in comparison to the enormity of the task facing the show’s writers. They’re doing a great job and I’ll be very interested to see how things pan out in future seasons as the books just keep getting longer and longer.

What were your thoughts on this week’s episode? Are the writers taking liberties with the story? Do they have any other choice?

An online survey highlighted the importance that Shakespeare still has in today’s world. When asked if they felt that Shakespeare should still be taught in school an incredible 77% of respondents believed that he was still relevant and should be taught. Their reasons behind this were also fairly varied, 33% believed that his works should be taught as he is an important historical and cultural figure in Britain. Other respondents, 32%, felt that his works should be taught in schools as the themes and ideas are still relevant in todays world and with only 5% saying that they felt there should be more of a focus on modern works.

When compared to other great writers such as William Wordsworth, William Blake W.B. Yeats respondents to the online survey placed William Shakespeare on top in the popularity stakes and with over half, 51%, had studied Shakespeare’s work while at school.

When it comes to picking out a favourite work of Shakespeare many people are unable as their is such variety and depth that to pick only one would be limiting ones self drastically. Through the online survey people were asked to pick a favourite piece of work, 27% of respondents said that they were unable to pick one piece but of those who did chose Romeo And Juliet as their favourite, with 16% of the respondents choices. Coming in second we have Macbeth which had 11% of peoples responses.

We hope that you can take a couple of mins to have a think about what your favourite work by Shakespeare was, we have put together a timeline that looks at when Shakespeare released his work and a few markers within his life. There is also a Jux that we made looking at the most popular works that he has released, you can check out that list here.

What are your favourite Shakespeare works? Do you think that it is still important that we teach Shakespeare in school now? Let us know in the comments.

via geograph.org.uk

If like me you turn up to an airport as late as possible, making sure you get to the gate just before it closes and no more, then a newspaper or magazine will probably provide you with all the time wasting you require. However what if the plane has been delayed or you have a hefty wait for a connecting flight?

The more modern gentleman may take along an iPad or other such tablet device with which to peruse the internet. I, on the other hand, despite my devilish youth and appearance, enjoy the more classic pursuit of reading a physical book – perish the thought.

However there are a few golden rules when it comes to travel reading materials, and here they are:

1. No disaster stories, sinking ships, crashing planes, hi-jackings etc. for plainly obvious reasons.
2. Nothing too emotionally engaging, one does not want to be seen crying in an airport lounge.
3. Nothing too racy, hot flushes are unbecoming for a man of any age and you never know who might be reading over your shoulder.
4. No scientific journals or other boring periodicals, one needs to be engaged enough to ignore the crowds and thrilled enough to make the time fly – even if the gentleman isn’t.
5. Always choose a book that will make one look intellectual, worldly and cultured! If one really must read something trashy, covering a lesser book with the cover of another will at the very least keep up the pretence.

Not that long ago I received some flight vouchers as a gift and took my self off to Dublin for a short city break. I decided that Ulysses by James Joyce would be a most fitting reading endeavour.

However not long into my journey I discovered the book was almost as dull and unintelligible as the conversation with the taxi driver that had just delivered me to Glasgow airport. Needless to say the book was ‘accidentally’ misplaced in one of the many Dublin hotels I had the pleasure to stay in. Good riddance to poor prose!

With that mistake behind me, here are my top 5 books for the bored and travelling gentleman:

The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown – Dreadfully written, lacking in depth, poorly researched, yet horribly compelling – the perfect airport book. Perhaps one deserving of a bespoke disguising cover though, Ulysses perhaps?

On The Road, Jack Kerouac – Read about traveling whilst traveling, this seminal novel by Jack Kerouac with its stream of consciousness writing style will keep you thoroughly engaged for the longest of delays.

The Metamorphosis, Franz Kafka – Strange, dark and somewhat depressing much like an airport really, most importantly quite short and snappy, the cover will make quite a statement to your fellow travelling companions too.

Silly Verse for Kids, Spike Milligan – Sometimes one just isn’t in the mood for too many words, especially if the gin has been flowing hard. This novella-absurdum will still whittle the hours away even with a heavy dousing of gin.

The Coma, Alex Garland – This may be breaking rule number one to some degree, but there’s nothing like a dose of surreal, reality-smashing fiction to melt your mind and keep you constantly turning pages trying to figure out what in heaven’s name is going on.

Have you any further suggestions for travel reading materials? Let us know in the comments below.

Photo via geeksyndicate.wordpress.com

My boyfriend recently got a kindle for his birthday and has found that he is reading twice as much as he did before he owned one. He gently and reluctantly passed his kindle over to me and told me to read a book called The Hunger Games. 

The Hunger Games, written by American author Suzanne Collins is coined to be the next ‘big trilogy’, we’re talking Harry Potter and Twilight-esque fame. So in a similar fashion the first instalment of The Hunger Games is being released into the cinema in the UK in March. So to begin with, I am extremely excited about this, especially as I am currently finishing off the third book and enjoying it just as much. But also because they have been very clever about the amount of information they have given away about the upcoming movie, I’ll explain why I think this is in a minute. First, I’ll give you a brief overview of the book.

The Hunger Games is set in a post-apocalyptic North America called Panem, where colonies have been split into 12 different Districts. Each District has its own industry, be it mining, fishing or fashion, which essentially dictates the wealth of the District. The Districts also have a Capitol, where President Snow resides. After years of political rebellion and strife the Capitol agreed upon a punishment for the citizens, to reinforce the power of those in charge and the result of disobeying the Capitol. This punishment was named The Hunger Games.

The games takes one boy and one girl between the ages of 11 and 18 from each district and places them in a gladiator-style arena to fight until the death, until there is one victor left. This victor will receive extra food and luxuries for their district and family. The games are broadcast much like Big Brother to the rest of Panem. The story follows Katniss, a young contender from District 12.

You are right in thinking that it sounds pretty brutal, it is – in the book at least. It is why I am so excited to see the movie, to see how they tone this down for a 12+ audience and to see how this effects the story and the reality the book depicts. I am also interested to see how the movie illustrates the division in districts and their differing values and ideals, for instance their differing opinions on beauty.

The book spends a wealth of time describing the characters’ clothing, make-up and their general appearances and I think this is why the official movie trailer is very vague and shies away from the development in the book. The costumes are the last thing they’d want to have leaked, as for some it will be the most anticipated part of the movie.  Instead they have brought out an official Capitol Couture Tumblr for those that just can’t wait until the movie release.

I have read all the Twilight and Harry Potter books and can say for certain that The Hunger Games has a great deal more depth and darkness than either. It deals with greater issues of violence and politics and has more self-destructive characters and damaging themes. It has a dystopian view of the world and doesn’t hide behind a fairytale story of wizards or vampires. The book has moments of true sadness, passion, horror and hatred and provides well-rounded characters and a well-written and conclusive story.

If you’ve not had enough of the games by the end of the first book you can move onto the second instalment,  Catching Fire and the third, Mockingjay.

Have you read The Hunger Games? What are you most looking forward to seeing on screen? Tell us your thoughts in the comment section below.

Image via ShashiBellamkonda on Flickr

Everyone likes to bring along a good book on holiday, and for some literature fans, the holiday can be all about books. Literary festivals around the world are growing in number and popularity as locals and visitors alike seize the opportunity to meet their favourite authors, explore new destinations and learn about a region’s culture through its writing.

2012 features a host of fascinating book festivals. To inspire you, we’ve rounded up some of the biggest and best literary festivals around the world…

Galle Literary Festival – 18^th-22^nd January 2012

Beautiful, historic Galle boasts a lush, tropical setting and romantic seafaring tradition, as well as a wonderfully diverse literary festival that celebrates the best of Sri Lankan writing as well as top authors from around the globe. Writers attending this year include Roshi Fernando, Romesh Gunesekera, Richard Dawkins, John Boyne, Askok Ferrey, Joanna Trollope, Tom Stoppard, Nayantara Sahgal and Simon Sebag Montefiore – the perfect excuse to plan those Sri Lanka holidays.

Shanghai International Literary Festival – 29^th February-18^th March

Sister event to the Hong Kong International Literary Festival, the Shanghai event is China’s largest English-language literary festival, with over 50 authors – including winners of top international literary prizes – featured over 3 weekends. Confirmed authors for 2012 include Matt Groening, Edward P. Jones, Xu Xi, Paco Ignacio Taibo II and HRH Princess Laurentian of the Netherlands.

Prague Writers’ Festival – 14^th-18^th April

This intensely intellectual festival features top writer and thinkers engaged in conversation and debate on key political and philosophical ideas, with many of the events broadcast online for interested readers around the globe. The theme for 2012 is “Only the future exists,” with participating authors including John Ashbery, Anita Desai and Hamif Kureishi.

Hay Festival Wales – 31^st May-10^th June

Once a year the quiet Welsh market town of Hay-on-Wye bursts to life as the unlikely setting for one of the world’s most popular book festivals. Featuring top international talent against the stunning backdrop of the Brecon Beacons, the festival has become a bit of a pilgrimage for book lovers. The festival has since branched out and now runs sister festivals in locations around the world.

Edinburgh International Book Festival – 11^th-27^th August

Based in the elegant Georgian setting of Edinburgh’s New Town, this literary smorgasbord is the largest literary festival of its kind in the world. Meet local literary favourites Ian Rankin and Alexander McCall Smith or a variety of visiting international authors, many of whom are regulars. Past participants include Margaret Atwood, Yann Martell, Toni Morrison, Harold Pinter and Salman Rushdie.

International Literature Festival Berlin – 5^th-15^th September

This massive gathering of international authors revolves around a philosophy of diversity and awareness of global literature, with an emphasis on taking note of current developments in poetry and prose around the world. Watch 150 writers – including poets, playwrights, novelists and children’s authors – taking part in 180 events.

Litquake – 5^th-13^th October

Now a fixture on the lively San Francisco cultural scene, Litquake was inspired by a newspaper report that San Franciscans spent twice as much as the average American on books and alcohol. Now a 9-day celebration of writers and writing, the festival’s highlight is its signature night-time “Lit Crawl,” a tour of literary performances staged in unusual venues.

Guadalajara International Book Fair – 24^th November-2^nd December

The biggest event in the Spanish-language publishing world annually plays host to authors, agents, booksellers and librarians from over 40 countries, with almost 2000 publishing houses represented. Set in the historic and culturally rich Mexican city of Guadalajara, the festival offers a vibrant programme for industry insiders and the public alike – including fascinating artistic and cultural presentations from 2012’s guest of honour, Chile.

What are your favourite international literary festivals? Share your stories in the comments below.

Image via Stephen King Books Facebook page

Publishers Hodder & Stoughton have announced a unique competition (which they claim is a literary first) for entrants to have their faces featured on the cover of King’s latest work, The Wind Through the Keyhole. The novel is a companion to King’s epic seven-volume Dark Tower fantasy series, but also functions as a stand-alone work. Offering deeper insight into the enigmatic loner Roland – the Last Gunslinger and lead character of the series – it should satisfy keen fans of the books, as well as easing newcomers into this engrossing fictional world.

Before you fame-hungry types or aspiring models get too excited, though, the competition won’t exactly result in an exclusive cover shoot. The plan is to use mosaic design technologies to incorporate thousands of faces into the design on the back of the book, creating a complex collage of loyal King readers for posterity.

For your chance to be featured, all you have to do is submit your image via a Facebook app – they seem to have sorted the bugs that plagued this feature during the first couple of days of the competition. Entry closes on 23^rd January 2012, so you have to be fairly quick to be in with a chance.

The Wind Through the Keyhole is scheduled to be published in April 2012. When the cover design is ready, entrants will be contacted so they can check and see if they’re one of the lucky ones to make it onto the cover. There’s no indication of how this will be done – hunting through the thousands of images in search of your own face could conceivably require an investment of time and energy on a similar scale to reading the book – perhaps one for the most devoted fans only.

It will be interesting to see how many entries are received. King’s fanbase is colossal and fiercely loyal, and no doubt many would salivate at the chance of being linked to his work, in however small a way. The competition comes with the disclaimer that not everyone who enters will necessarily get a place on the cover – yet if the technology allows for thousands of images to be incorporated, surely that allows for a good chunk of entrants to succeed?

Are you a Stephen King fan? Would you like a place on his new book’s cover?

source - wikipedia

There probably isn’t a fictional detective more popular than Sherlock Holmes. Since his creation by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in 1887 Sherlock Holmes has been written about, appeared on the silver screen and the little screen more times than any other fictional character.

The Guinness World Records has consistently listed Sherlock Holmes as the “most portrayed movie character” with 75 actors playing the part in over 211 films.

Actors taking on the role have included John Cleese, Robert Downey Jr. and Jeremy Brett – considered by many as the greatest portrayal of Sherlock ever. Take a look at this Telegraph article for more actors that have taken on Sherlock.

In recent years Sherlock has been more popular than ever with both Guy Ritchie bringing him back to the big screen, in a contemporary action style, and the BBC opting for a somewhat more off-kilter portrayal, keeping it just this side of ridiculous in a Dr Who sort of way.

The BBC adaptation of Conan Doyle’s painfully clever detective has proved hugely popular. From my own perspective as someone who is never particularly enamoured by TV dramas I have found Benedict Cumberbatch’s portrayal of the Sherlock captivating.

Ridiculous plot lines acted out almost flawlessly, female’s private parts covered by opportunely placed props in an Austin Powers-inspired moment of sexy comic genius and listening to Sherlock draw the wildest of conclusions from the smallest amounts of evidence; all add up to make the BBC’s new Sherlock one of the best TV programmes in quite some time.

What is it that makes Sherlock such a gripping character?

Well in my opinion it’s his braininess, as Irene Adler said in the new series of the BBC’s Sherlock:

“Brainy is the new sexy”.

In all of the portrayals of Sherlock through history it is the scenes in which we are allowed to glimpse into his mind and follow his hurtling logic that audiences are most heart thumping-ly gripped.

I think we are all supremely satisfied when things come together and work in an simply yet elegant way. Watching Sherlock solve seemingly impossible crimes reminds me of the same satisfaction of watching an elaborately set up series of dominoes fall or seeing something you’ve long been building finally come together.

Have a look at the trailer of the BBC’s Sherlock adaptation.

What do you think makes Sherlock Holmes such a compelling fictional character?

(left) Neal Cassady (right) Jack Kerouac - Photo via Flickr

When I was a young teenager growing up, in the somewhat puritanical Highlands of Scotland, I used to love dreaming about being Sal Paradise from On the Road by Jack Kerouac, 1957. I used to imagine roaring along the wide open roads of America in search of that elusive something that would make life more than a mere procession of days on the conveyor belt of life that were my school days – yes, I was one of those teenagers.

Although the characters were a little older than I was at the time of first reading On the Road, I think it appealed to me so much because they were breaking through the boundaries of 40’s society in much the same way as my teenage self was breaking through the boundaries of childhood into adulthood.

My friends and I were playing around with drinking and smoking, staying up late into the night, talking about the meaning of the universe and that elusive something that Bob Dylan might say was “blowing in the wind.” These experiences seemed mirrored in On the Road, although in a much more exciting, almost mystical way, through the nostalgic lens of America’s golden years; where everything was new and nothing was impossible.

As you can imagine, news that Coppola was again resurrecting his ambition to make a film adaptation of On the Road left me with mixed feelings. My love for the book makes me interested in anything that it touches, but, as with all adaptations I have ever seen, I fear that it will fail to live up to expectations. I know it’s often a painfully pretentious statement to make, that a book is always better than the film it inspires, but in this case I’m more certain than usual that this will be the case, although I’d love to be proved wrong.

The fact that this is at least the third time that Coppola has tried to get the film off the ground suggests to me that he too is aware of the great challenge that he has taken on. Not only in the technical difficulties of portraying, in the medium of film, Kerouac’s almost stream-of-consciousness writing style, but also in the challenge of tackling a book that is so dear to so many people’s hearts. Cries of blasphemy are already being bellowed loud and clear.

Perhaps if anyone can, Coppola can: he has a strange cast in my opinion with Sam Riley as Sal and Garret Hedlund as Dean, but what appears to be a highly suitable production crew in Walter Salles – director – and Eric Gautier – cinematographer – both of The Motorcycle Diaries.

Filming began on August 4, 2010, in various locations in Canada, with a $25 million budget. Parts have also been shot in San Francisco, Mexico and Argentina. Some stills of the film have already been seen around the internet, but the film itself won’t be released until sometime in 2012.

Here’s hoping it lives up to the unenviable task of matching the mythical status it occupies in so many people’s lives.

Image via nerdreactor

You may remember that not long ago, I had the great delight of reviewing the last instalment of the Harry Potter film franchise.  Well, here I am again and once more I have been afforded the opportunity to write the review of a geek bloggers dreams.  I am very excited to be among the one million Harry Potter fans who managed to secure themselves an account for the Pottermore beta, thus I will be sharing my thoughts and feelings with you as I explore the wizarding world experience!

My excitement for Pottermore began 6 weeks ago when, upon finding the Magical Quill, I was able to register for one of the coveted accounts.  I was disappointed to find I would have to wait 8 weeks to do so – but in reality this only increased my anticipation and I was delighted when I received my welcome email 2 weeks earlier than expected. I quickly ditched my plans for the evening and set about exploring the world of Pottermore! Warning: possible spoilers ahead!

Disappointment hit me straight away in the form of a pink Pottermore support page which I have quickly become accustomed to: “Due to high demand Pottermore is not available at this time, please try again later” (or something to that effect).  Vexing when you have been waiting 6 weeks, but after a few refreshes I was in!  My next disappointment: I expected to feel the chills of excitement and the tingles of anticipation that wash over me every time I hear the haunting Harry Potter theme, but this did not happen.  There is no sound at all; no music, no voices, and no swishing noises when you use your wand!  Whether this is something which will appear in the full version remains to be seen, but this is definitely the thing most missing from the Pottermore experience for me.

As with the books, Pottermore is a little slow to get going, but once you begin to interact with the story the usual Harry Potter magic takes hold. As you explore the chapters you are taken on your own journey through the story alongside your favourite characters – collecting objects, earning points for your house, you can even duel with your friends, although I haven’t yet tried this out myself.  So far my three highlights have been shopping in Diagon Alley for my supplies for Hogwarts including my wand (14 inch Spruce and Unicorn Hair), being sorted into my house (Gryffindor, thankfully), and trying out my first potion, which I have not yet mastered (third disappointment)!  I suppose to many the idea of a grown woman sitting in her office giggling in excitement at being sorted into Gryffindor maybe be laughable, but that is the magic of Harry Potter, a world of fantasy even grownups can escape to and Pottermore really does take you there.

However, the main and most exciting feature of Pottermore is the new material you discover on the way. Hidden within the chapters are lovely snippets from JK Rowling: the back stories of our favourite characters, and some insight into the naming of characters and places we have come to love.  This new material is what makes Pottermore so special: not only is it amazing to find out more about the characters who have come to feel like close friends but it is fascinating to get a glimpse into the mind of JK Rowling.  It is hard to imagine how anyone can live a normal life with an entire world of witches and wizards living inside their head, but it seems JK Rowling does just that: every little detail is in there, no matter how insignificant it may be to the story. My only criticism is that the excitement of your own Harry Potter journey makes it all too easy to leave this material unread while you endeavour to become a fully-fledged witch or wizard.  Happily, this material is there for you to return to at any time.

My experience in Pottermore has been a good one, aside from the disappointing lack of sound and some unfortunate demand-based down-time. The artwork is beautiful, the interaction is engaging and the experience is magical.  I can only imagine that as the other books become available Pottermore will become more and more addictive.  I can’t wait to play a game of qudditch or take part in the Tri-wizard tournament. I wonder if we will be able to fight in the battle of Hogwarts?  Bearing in mind that this is currently only the Beta version I am already very happy to be a witch in the Pottermore experience and can’t wait to see what else Pottermore has in store!

Have you had the chance to explore Pottermore Beta? Tell us about you experience in the comments section below!

Our good pals over at NerdInsider have already plugged the social media shenanigans behind the crowd-sourced funding campaign launched by the festival organising bods, but now we’ve got the hale clamjamfrie to sink our teeth into. Here’s a few things I’ll be pencilling in the diary:

Thursday 13th, 6 -7.45pm – Book Doctor: Orlene McIlfatrick, M.D., will be at the Owl & Lion Bindery to give your old tomes a professional diagnosis. If you’ve got any old beasts lying around in dire need of some re-stitching, this is a once-in-a-blue-moon chance to get them fighting fit.

Friday 14th, 9pm – William Letford and Luke Williams: Letford is one of the best performers in Scottish poetry, and the free show at the venerable Edinburgh Books would be worthwhile for him alone BUT WAIT THERE’S MORE he’s joined by Luke Williams, a young Fifer novelist fresh out of a killer debut novel, The Echo Chamber. These are words that should be heard, you guys.

Saturday 15th, 2.30 – 5pm – Tea Dance! A combo of the Family Legends project by the Scottish Book Trust and a 1940s tea dance hosted by vintage dance specialists Edinbop in the venerable Old St Paul’s. Staying calm and dressing up is totally encouraged.

Sunday 16th, 12noon – The Short Story Hour: David Gaffney and Hannah McGill explore the fleeting world of very short stories in Peter Bell Books. I’m planning on stocking up on tea and getting my relax on with a very civilised start to Sunday morning, which as we all know starts around midday.

The full programme is on the West Port site and is also kicking around the social media tubes as a cross-platform mobile app. This is a great festival to support, and making every show free is rare enough to be remarkable on its own. Prepare your diaries!