I purchased the new book “The Elder Gods” (The Dreamers, Book 1) by David and Leigh Eddings last night at Borders. The Eddings’ have been my favorite fantasy authors ever since I read “Pawn of Prophecy” (book 1 of the Belgariad) back in the mid 1980s.
When I got home, I discovered that they’d stuck an adhesive anti-theft device to the inside of the cover, hidden by the dust jacket. Which wouldn’t be so much of a problem, except that the inside of the cover is a map. It appeared likely that attempting to remove the anti-theft device would damage the book, so I returned it to the store tonight. The cashier thought they were supposed to be easily removable, so he tried it, and the paper started to tear. All the other copies had these as well. He offered me a damage discount, but I just returned it. I’ll buy another copy elsewhere.
A friend and I saw the film “Monster” on the weekend. It was very well-made, and I enjoyed it. Well, maybe “enjoyed” isn’t quite the right word, since it is one of the most dark and depressing films I’ve ever seen, second only to “Leaving Las Vegas”. It was the most uplifting movie I’ve seen all week, but only because it is the only film I’ve seen all week.
I wouldn’t have even recognized Charlize Theron. Her acting was so believable it was scary. As always, Christina Ricci offers an excellent portrayal of an unusual character.