You have one week to go check out the exhibition at the Al-Hussein Cultural Center (Ras Al-Ain) that displays the various designs dealing with Amman’s new brand. Also at the exhibition: slips of paper where you can vote on your favorite design.
So come on and vote! :)
Rating
The “His Dark Materials” trilogy by Philip Pullman are exactly the type of books that makes you wonder how books aimed at young adults could be more thought-worthy than a lot of the more complex adult versions. Beautifully written, very creatively conceptualized, and very fun to read, the trilogy is actually an inversion and a retelling of John Milton’s “Paradise Lost”.
In this book, tension forms between those who seek knowledge and those who blindly follow what they are told they should believe, in a science-versus-religion/ logic-versus-authority sort of battle.
It’s a very good read, although a lot of the people I know didn’t enjoy it much. As for the movie, The Golden Compass with Nicole Kidman et all, I watched it after I read the books and I did not like it. It felt like it was a trailer, with everything playing on fast-forward. Maybe I would have liked it more if I watched it before I read the books, because it’s really fantastic directing and casting.
Have anyone read “His Dark Materials”?
Other book reviews on AndFarAway:
The Mists of Avalon
All My Friends are Superheroes
The Lord of the Rings
His Dark Materials
Persepolis
Permalink Comments (8)
I was reluctant to go, to say the least. Afterall, I avoid watching television and movies on bad days, let alone a play on a weekend after having never experienced one worth watching for over five minutes. I have also heard a lot of negative reviews about the book, by Suad Al-Amiry.
But then we ended up going, and I was pleasantly surprised. This is definitely the most interesting play I’ve ever watched, though to be honest, I’ve watched less than a handful. I found Afaf Shawa Bibi to be a great actress, with fantastic control of facial expressions, body language, and “speaking skills”. She portrayed her role wonderfully. The rest of the cast was a bit bad, especially as I couldn’t understand the accents, and they fit that whole Arab-stage-actors stereotype of really annoying over-enthusiasm. Luckily though, the play was centered around Bibi’s role, so it didn’t matter much.
If this play is ever played again in Amman, or around your area, I’d definitely recommend it.
Lina is given the Mighty Mouse.
Lina: “Oh, my god, this scroll thing is sooo advanced. Look, when I put it on a window with a scroll bar, I actually can use the scroll thing to scroll down it!”
