weltschmerz

I've finished His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman; it took little over a week. It's not often that I can't put a book down, and I hope I haven't done any permanent damage to my vision.

I can't recommend the trilogy highly enough. "Epic" is tossed about terribly freely as a soundbite description nowadays, but I think HDM deserves it fully. The last book I felt so profoundly moved by was The Lord of the Rings trilogy, many years ago, or possibly The Great Gatsby and some of Douglas Coupland's works, more recently. HDM and LotR are alike in some ways, and different in so many others. It's also evident that Pullman and Coupland have a similar Weltanschauung; it would be rather interesting to sit them together at a dinner party.

I have no wish to dissect the text in minute detail, nor is it possible for me to do justice to Pullman's astonishing achievement with a review. But please do read HDM if you haven't already. And the next time I'm in Oxford, I may even pop by the Botanical Garden...

General update on various things:

• First draft of dissertation is done and under my supervisor's consideration. Fingers crossed that I won't have to change/rewrite/add much.
• Taking a break from the Discworld series to read His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman. Most of the way through the first book now, and it's fab! Could those in the know please tell me how it compares to the Harry Potter series, which I've somehow avoided (in book and film form)?
• Picked up Twin Cinema by The New Pornographers and I Am Kloot's self-titled at Fopp today. Pleasant surprises all round: I hadn't realised that the latest New Pornographers album was out in the UK already, and it was only a tenner.
• The British music press seems to like Stars' Set Yourself On Fire. From the songs I know, I think I prefer Heart (2003), but hopefully they'll perform a mixture of old and new at their gig on 7/9.
• Made my first mix in over a year, and it seems to have got a great response -- which is nice!
• Started playing regular tennis again.

Tickets to Sigur Rós @ Brixton Academy, 9 September.

Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?

If they perform "Svefn-G-Englar", my life will be complete.