BOOK: The Gallowglass

by benmweilertNo Comments
The Gallowglass Year: 2019 Author: Jason Henry Evans Length: 337 pages In trying to expand the genres that I read, I ventured into historical fiction with The Gallowglass. Set in Ireland in the late 1500s, this book was quite educational for a time and place about which I knew very little. Sure, it has modern morals thrust into a historical context that makes them seem out of place, but that conflict between what we know as right and what the majority would have done is part of its charm. The action is intense and the details are impeccable, but the proofreading needed some work. The Gallowglass doesn’t shy away from the adult nature of war and romance in this era. Its injuries are brutal and the sex is somewhat explicit. Racism and sexism are also on full display, as you’d expect of the English from the 16th century. The realism felt authentic, and the clearly researched details of everything didn’t seem to impede the story...
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MOVIE: Song of the Sea (2014)

by benmweilertNo Comments
Song of the Sea Year: 2014 Rating: PG Length: 93 minutes / 1.55 hours In perusing Netflix a while ago, I came across Song of the Sea (2014), a nominee for the Best Animated Feature Oscar that had completely gone under my radar. At first glance, this film seemed to be by the same people who had done The Secret of Kells (2009). I appreciated the 2D style of the animation from Kells and looked forward to additional stories that could be told in that style. I was not disappointed in the visuals, but I was confused, perhaps more than I should have been with the plot. Don't get me wrong: the plot is pretty simple. I certainly was able to understand the story of a brother and his mystical mother and sister. Some of the plot points seemed pretty cliche, all things considered. What I had trouble with was some of the Irish folklore that ran throughout this movie. Perhaps it was all part...
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