Book Review: Amanda Stern - The Long Haul

The Long Haul by Amanda Stern is the first of several novels I will be reading this semester for my Contemporary Fiction Craft class at Georgia State.  This is Stern's first novel, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.  The story concerns two main characters: the unnamed narrator, and her boyfriend, called "The Alcoholic."  Throughout the novel, both characters struggle with their addictions: he to alcohol (obviously) and she to him.  The novel is made up of a series of chapters that could be seen as short stories on their own, similar to Irvine Welsh's Trainspotting (which I happen to have reviewed months before).  Each chapter jumps in time to a different point in the couples relationship.  I found much of the dialogue in the story to be incredibly realistic and modern: some of the discussions could be heard on campus, word for word.  Also, the narrator's love-and-hate relationship with her boyfriend is done beautifully, and goes back and forth just as much as any young adult's feelings do.  At only 142 pages, this is a quick read, and highly recommended.

Movie Review: Pineapple Express

Last night I saw Pineapple Express at the Starlight Drive-In theatre in East Atlanta.  This was my second time seeing the film, and I enjoyed it just as much as the first time.  I have been a big fan of this new group of films that revolve around producer Judd Apatow, and this movie was yet another winner.  I didn't enjoy it as much as some of his others, such as Superbad or 40 Year Old Virgin, but there were still many many hysterical scenes throughout.  I also found it interesting because this movie seemed to be more ridiculous and less realistic than some of the other movies.  Also, it took a classic "stoner movie" and added in elements of action films and even karate to make an all out entertaining picture.  I would recommend this film to anyone who is a fan of the Apatow era, or anyone just looking for pure entertainment.