York

Over the weekend, Mum and I travelled to York for a university open day. I'd never visited before, but I'd heard many good things about the city so I took my camera and took a few pictures (mostly of York Minster, an example of some incredible medieval architecture.) I didn't take any pictures of the actual university, ironically, but oh well.

Here are some of the photos:

Travelling to York

This was the view from Pizza Express - not too shabby.

This was the actual pizza in Pizza Express.

We turned around a corner and found this and I was completely awed by the intricacy of the stonework!

A different side of the Minster.

There were loads of little churches everywhere, but the Minster was never far from being out of sight.

This is a pretty boring post but I just wanted to share some photos and break up all the writing on my blog!

American Psycho Book Review

A deeply disturbing yet entirely enthralling novel, American Psycho is like nothing I’ve ever read before. Written like a stream of consciousness, we are given a first-hand insight into Patrick Bateman’s unsavoury lifestyle.

The plot, interwoven with dark humour, fashion designers and appalling violence is both boring and fascinating at the same time. Bret Easton Ellis combines mundane business dinners with impulsive murders in a way that, inexplicably, keeps you interested in the whole story.

Bateman, at the beginning of the novel, comes across as a somewhat stereotypical business man; good looking, well-educated and unfaithful in his relationships, we instantly get a sense that this person is not one for occupying the moral high ground. The extent of his lack of morals, however, remains to be seen until later on in the novel.

His fixation on relatively ordinary things such as the clothes he wears or watching The Patty Winters Show make Bateman seem like more of a real person, rather than just a character on the page – nearly everyone has a TV show that they religiously watch, and this relatability almost makes him approachable, luring us into the sense that this man is actually normal, despite his high-earning job.

I suppose that’s part of the whole psychopath thing; charming on the outside, twisted on the inside. Bateman’s more than repellent ‘hobby’ of raping, mutilating and murdering women (as well as striking out at homeless people) is described in such vivid detail, it’s both amazing and utterly terrifying. Some scenes don’t even seem real; instead more of sick, perverse fantasy. It’s not clear whether Bateman plans such crimes or whether they’re impulsive – sometimes it seems like a bit of both. Either way, however, he always manages to get away with them (even if it is just by the skin of his teeth).

The world that Bateman lives in isn’t a happy one, fraught with lies and dissatisfaction. Bateman, despite his job on Wall Street, his fiancée and his wealth, seeks fulfilment in life. His realisation that he doesn’t enjoy anything, doesn’t, can’t, love anything, almost draws some sympathy from the reader. His life is full – he’s rich, he’s powerful, he’s young – and yet so devoid of any real happiness. And I think that is what American Psycho is about. It’s a reflection of the idea that someones life can be seemingly perfect but nonetheless inadequate. If you can look past the horror of the story, it’s actually sort of tragically beautiful.

How to Make the Most of a University Open Day

Having now attended several university open days, I have gained some experience in how to make the most of them. They are super valuable in making your choice about which course to do and where to study it. Even if you come away from the university having decided not to go there, you’ve still learned something, and got a day trip out of it.

The first thing I want to stress about open days is get there early so you can sort yourself out. Most open days kick off at 9am, but you almost certainly won’t have to be there at that time, or be there the whole day: you just turn up and leave again whenever suits you best. If the university is really far away from you, I would suggest staying overnight, either in a hotel in the city or maybe a B&B further out of the town, whatever is best for you. You do need to think about parking though, so if possible use public transport as parking in inner cities is severely limited. Some universities offer a park and ride service which is usually free.

This ties in with my second tip: make sure you know where you’re going! If you’re driving, print off some directions and make sure you take a map just in case, or if you’re going by train, make sure you know if you have any changes, and which station you need to get off at; most cities have numerous train stations. There will also be maps of the university sent to you; some might come in the post but usually a link to a guide will be sent you via email. Use this to decide where you’re going once you get to the university – which building is your talk in? Do you need to register, and if so, where? That’s why it’s worth getting there early, so you have time to figure out where to go without worrying about missing your subject talk, which I will talk about in a minute.

If you get stuck or lost, there should be a student ambassador nearby to help you out – they’ll be at train stations to point you in the right direction, as well as all over campus and in the buildings themselves.

Now, this is one of the most important things: prioritise your subject talk! As I said before, the whole point of attending an open day is to go and learn more about the course you’re interested in studying, and ask questions. Make sure you attend your subject talk, and don’t worry about missing other presentations throughout the day. Besides, if you’re planning on attending other open days, most universities give general talks to do with finance and accommodation etc. which are generally the same for most institutions, so if you don’t make these talks at one university, you probably will be able to at another open day. Also, remember to ask questions; it is far easier to ask questions in person rather than via emails or something. There are tonnes of student ambassadors around to ask questions, whether it’s specific to your subject at the talk, or about the university in general. It’s probably worth preparing some in advance if you tend to go blank when you’re put on the spot.

I also really recommend looking at as much accommodation as possible. Some uni’s will have more open to look round than others, but there is so much to consider, so it’s worth looking at as many as possible. Many halls have similar prices but can be completely different in terms of cleanliness/size/location etc. Some flats house more people than others, so you need to think about how many people you’re going to be sharing a kitchen/living room with and a bathroom if you’re not going for an en suite. You also need to consider how far away the halls are from the campus you’ll be attending; will you need to spend money on transport or is it a walkable distance?

Lastly, you need to think about employability prospects. Some universities are really geared towards getting their graduates into full time jobs, and try and make you as employable as possible by offering placements and employment modules. Another thing to think about is, is the course accredited? For me, looking at biomedical sciences, some courses are accredited by the Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS) or the HCPC, which can then help you get employed once you’ve graduated. This may not be relevant for all courses, but it’s worth asking about.

I think I’ve covered the most important stuff, but also remember to have fun! It’s really exciting to visit new cities and have a day trip out, whether the university is what you’re looking for or not. So, enjoy your open days, and best of luck for the rest of the process!

Game of Thrones Season 5: My Thoughts So Far

I have severely mixed feelings surrounding Season 5 of Game of Thrones. I’m really enjoying some storylines and I’m thoroughly intrigued as to what happens next, but others… not so much. I have finished reading the published novels in the main ASOIAF series (I’ve not had time to read the novellas) and have noticed some substantial differences between the books and the TV show. I am conscious of revealing spoilers, but I will do my best not to give anything major away.)

I just sort of want to share my thoughts on the season so far (up to episode 7), so let’s start with the positives.

First of all, I’m really excited about Arya’s storyline. I love Maisie Williams as a person, so it makes it really easy for me to invest myself in Arya’s character. Her storyline is pretty parallel with the one in the books; a few elements are missed out, but I understand why the show runners decided to leave them out, as they’re not exactly key to her development as a character. They’ve left her more defining moments in, such as burying Needle instead of dropping it in the water, which I’m glad about, because the audience still has something to connect with but we’re not bored by her. Arya’s character has really grown from Season 1, and I’m super excited to see what happens next for her.

Secondly, I’m becoming more and more absorbed by Petyr Baelish’s character. He has a rather different storyline from the one George R. R. Martin created in his books, but the show has maintained his distrustful demeanour. It is really unclear where his allegiances lie; does he truly love and care about Sansa, as an extension of his love for Catelyn? Or does he serve the Lannisters? Or does he only cater to his own interests, and the other characters are simply means of achieving his own goals? He is so deceitful and it’s made me really interested in his character, because he has the potential to affect so many people’s storylines due to his position of power as Lord Protector of the Vale.

My third and final positive point regards Ramsay, and the other characters in Winterfell. Ramsay Bolton, the newly legitimized bastard of Roose Bolton is a remarkable character. He’s completely twisted and psychotic, but I kind of love it. I’m not saying I condone his actions, both in this season and past seasons, but I think he’s brilliant. He’s one of the very few characters that actually makes me feel anything – in his case, sheer terror. Many people say that Ramsay is the new Joffrey, but Ramsay is so much worse. If you were locked in a room with just Joffrey, you wouldn’t be under that much of a threat, as Joffrey is just a coward with a powerful surname, but being in a room with Ramsay by yourself is a whole other story. Joffrey gets other people to do his dirty work for him, but Ramsay actually takes pleasure in carrying out his horrific acts. Iwan Rheon, the actor who plays Ramsay, is incredible at his job. He makes Ramsay’s character so convincing in every single episode he’s in. In the few episodes this season when Ramsay is being nice, almost normal, he’s even more terrifying, because you just know, in your gut, he’s got something terrible lined up. Iwan plays his character so well, and I’d happily argue he’s one of the best actors in the whole show.

Sophie Turner and Alfie Allen follow in Iwan’s footsteps as incredible actors. Sansa is a fan favourite, and she joins Ramsay as one of the few characters that draw emotion from me as we watch her mature from the feeble girl who believes in fairy tales into the young woman she is now. She doesn’t exactly stand up for herself (yet), but she’s relatable and likeable, and I kind of hope she turns evil and avenges her family. I can’t stand Theon, and I don’t really feel sorry for him as Reek, but Alfie is a fantastic actor, and I’m pretty impressed the actors inhabiting Winterfell overall.

Now, onto the negative things. I have to say, regretfully, that I have been rather disappointed with this season. There are so many storylines that have the potential to be really really good, but the show has just squashed them flat into something almost meaningless.

The first thing I want to mention is the differences from the books. I’m kind of going to gloss over this part as I don’t want to spoil the books for others, but there are so many really interesting storylines in the books!!! And they’ve just been completely ignored!!! There’s one new character who turns out to be another strong contender for the throne but has been completely replaced by an already existing character, and there are some new characters from the Iron Islands introduced in the books too, who I was really looking forward to seeing in the show whilst reading the books. I understand the show runners will have their reasons for leaving out the new characters and just continuing with the old ones, but I just think it’s a missed opportunity to create interest, which the show could do with at the moment. There are also huge differences in plot lines for existing characters. For example, Sansa never returns to Winterfell, but instead goes to the Eyrie with Petyr as Alayne Stone whilst Petyr wagers with lords and ladies to help Sansa return to Winterfell. Ramsay marries ‘Arya’ instead, who is actually Jeyne Poole, Sansa’s maid, as Arya is obviously in Braavos. I really don’t see why the producers have made this change, other than to add drama to Sansa’s storyline rather than Jeyne’s, who is a far less important player in this game of thrones.

I could go on about differences in plotlines, believe me, but I think I’ve already said enough. I understand that when you make adaptions from books to screen, changes have to be made. Fair enough. I just feel like so many characters have been left out and replaced for no real reason other than to save time, and in many cases cut out boring, yet important, parts of the book and replaced them with needlessly traumatic scenes – Ser Barristan’s death, and Sansa’s wedding night.

Lastly, I’m massively disappointed with Daenerys/Emilia. She was easily my favourite character in the earlier seasons, but both her character and the acting have just gone downhill. Emilia just really isn’t convincing as Daenerys, and I find myself wanting to see her on the Iron Throne less and less as the season continues on. She has so many rubbish, cheesy lines, and delivers them so blandly it’s almost embarrassing. Daenerys does have a sort of rubbish story line in the books; she just sits in her Meereenese pyramid for the rest of the published books, but the producers have changed so much other stuff, I was kind of expecting them to make her storm Westeros.

In summary, I’m half enjoying the new season, but I am quite disappointed about many elements. We’ve still got 3 episodes to go, however, we all know that a lot can change in that period of time.

(I didn’t proof read this, so I'm sorry for any mistakes/nonsensical sentences.)

Je suis Charlie

Paris, France. The city of love has been under constant scrutiny this past week after a series of less than amorous events. Today, Charlie Hebdo has printed another cover depicting the Prophet Muhammad.

The original attack on the satirical magazine, although not entirely unprovoked, was appalling and the aftershocks of the two hostage situations added to already terrifying circumstances. As France grieves for those killed in the attacks, Charlie Hebdo has made the decision to once again publish the Prophet Muhammad on the front cover of their most recent edition. Whilst many people have taken to the streets under the slogan ‘Je suis Charlie’, I am struggling to understand why the magazine has repeated their actions.

I am a big believer in freedom of speech, but there needs to be boundaries; when an idea strays from being controversial and becomes offensive, a line needs to be drawn. I am not religious in any way, but I feel it is very important to respect those who are, and take into account their beliefs. In Islam, all images of Muhammad are forbidden; whether they are drawings or paintings or dolls, it is Muslim belief that representations of Muhammad shouldn’t exist. This is the reasoning behind the original attack on the magazine, and whilst I am not in any way condoning the actions of the three gunmen, I fail to see the logic in printing Muhammad’s image again. It is clearly offensive for Muslims, and that’s why I think that freedom of speech is a weak argument in this matter; it is no longer about being able to say what you want, but maintaining levels of respect for other peoples beliefs.

This morning, my mum said something to me that really made me think: “If you lived next to an angry bear, would you poke it with a stick simply because you had the freedom to do so?” The obvious answer is no. So why does this basic logic not apply to the situation in Paris? Whilst the freedom to print images of the Prophet Muhammad exists, it doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to do so. It may be that some people fail to realise or understand Muslim beliefs about representations of Muhammad, because we are so used to seeing images of Jesus and God and not thinking twice about them.

But when printing such images results in 17 lives being lost, should people not then realise that maybe it’s not a fantastic idea?

I’m not entirely convinced this is even slightly coherent but I’m too tired to try and do a decent job of editing it, so let’s just hope I make some sort of sense first time around.

The Maze Runner Film Review

I’ve waited a long time to go and see The Maze Runner, and I wouldn’t say I’m disappointed with the film, just a little surprised by it.

As a film, it’s an amazing production. Everything I normally look for in a film was there; a great soundtrack, believable actors, tear jerking moments and scenes where I could hear my blood pumping in my ears my heart was racing so fast.

But it was so unnecessarily different from the book! I’m still not really sure why the director and the writers changed so many aspects of the book, but I feel as though they cut out a lot of stuff from the book completely, as if they wanted to speed the film up and make it shorter. The changes they made still worked with the plot, however, and for someone who hadn’t read the books I think it would have made sense, which is the main thing.

The cast were perfectly chosen for the roles, and each character was well thought through and understood. So many films are ruined by rubbish acting and cheesy lines, but The Maze Runner managed to avoid that. The CGI graphics were also well designed and created, with no dodgy, obvious green-screen moments. Despite being very different from the book, the actual maze was incredible as well.

The film featured a few jump scares, which I wasn’t really expecting... although that’s kind of the point, isn’t it? What I mean is that I wouldn’t class The Maze Runner as a horror movie, so I didn’t think they’d have as many jumps as there were. The books are quite scary, especially the second one, but I think the film took the scary parts and made them the focus of the movie. The gore was kept to a minimum however, which made me happy, as so many otherwise fantastic movies have been spoiled by excessive blood and guts.

The soundtrack is jam packed with suspenseful string instruments and tribal drums, really assisting the movie with its jump scares and fight scenes. There’s a very orchestral feel to the music as well, with hardly any electric or synthesized instruments.

Overall, I’m fairly impressed with The Maze Runner¸ and I would definitely recommend going to see it. I think it is better to read the books first, however, because you are given a much deeper understanding of the maze and how it works, than in the film, which focuses more on the drama.

The Maze Runner Review

I’ve always preferred reading the book before watching the film. I feel like if I see the film first, I’m cheating on the book, hurting its feelings. In books, you learn so much more about the characters; how they feel and what they think in their own words, rather than an onscreen interpretation from an actor.

So when I heard about all the fuss of the The Maze Runner books being made into films, I decided to find out what all the excitement was about, so I could watch the film, guilt free, in the cinema when it came out.

James Dashner, the mastermind behind the works, wrote the trilogy first, and then wrote a prequel as a final goodbye. I’m convinced the books are aimed more towards the boys and girls, but that didn’t stop from tearing through the books over the summer holidays… okay, maybe it was only over a week or two. Right from the get go, you’re left with tons of questions about what has happened to Thomas, the main character from whose perspective the books are written.

The plot, in a nutshell, involves a group of teenage boys, otherwise known as the Gladers, being trapped in giant stone Maze, with known way out. Each morning, the 4 doors into the Maze open, and the Runners spend their days running through the maze, desperately trying to find a way out, making sure they return to the Glade (the centre of the Maze where the boys live) before the doors shut again for the night. Thomas wakes up in a rickety metal box of a lift, which opens out into the Glade, where he is greeted by the Gladers and a whole lot of questions.

The books, set in a dystopian world, are laced with action, horror, humour and even a little romance in the form of the only girl glader, Teresa, who arrives a day after Thomas does.

The books are infinitely amazing, and definitely worth a read. I’m sure the film will be just as good, with Teen Wolf’s Dylan O’Brien filling the role of Thomas and Skins’ Kaya Scodelario playing Teresa. 

I’m excited, to say the least.

Oops?

I doubt anyone reads my blog any more, but I still feel really guilty about not writing anything since April. Writing is a passion that I am still very strongly invested in, and I always think about writing a new piece for this blog but I can never think of anything to say, and thus this blog has been seriously neglected. Sorrrrrrryyyy. 

I'm always going to keep this blog, even if I don't post on it, because I am proud of some of my past pieces, and it reminds of my time on Duke of Edinburgh expeditions and receiving advice/praise from my English teacher.

Ruth x

Divergent Film Review

It wasn’t all that long ago that I wrote a Divergent review, but that was a review of the book. This is a film review.

For some reason, Divergent was only in my local cinema for a week, in the smaller theatre too. I am absolutely clueless about the reasoning for this; the books are a massive worldwide success, and so is the film, as well as being the best adaption I have seen in a long time.

People always say the books are better than the films, and I tend to agree. But not this time.

Don’t get me wrong; the books are incredible, and I’m looking forward to reading the trilogy numerous times over, but I’m also looking forward to watching Divergent on repeat, non stop as soon as the Blu-Ray arrives. There are countless reasons why I love the film; everything from the score to the actors to the special effects to the script was perfect. The plot didn’t stray too far from the book, which I always love in an adaption, and the settings were just as I had imagined them whilst reading the books.

Theo James, who plays Four, and Shailene Woodley who acts as Tris, are incredibly well cast for their parts. Theo, who’s tall, dark and handsome puts across Four’s character really well; cold and intimidating at first, but gradually warms up to Tris, letting her face his four fears with him. Shailene is as perfect for the part as Tris as Theo is for Four. She’s pretty and petite, but along with Four’s guidance, proves herself to be a real fighter.

The film itself is well done, the underscore really helping to portray the different emotions throughout the film. There are some real tear-jerking scenes, accompanied by adrenaline filled situations and the odd humorous line.

You get completely lost in the dystopian Chicago, and all the special effects are so realistic, you don’t even feel tempted to question the storyline or the realness of the surroundings and situations. Despite being more than 2 hours, it definitely doesn’t feel that long. There’s a short introduction of the faction system and how everything works in the barricaded city, then it goes straight into the heart of the film; no dilly dallying whatsoever. (I’m pretty sure that’s the technical term.)

Long story short, you need to:

1)      read Divergent,

2)      watch Divergent,

3)       Repeat steps 1-2.

Divergent Review

Written by a 25 year old, the Divergent trilogy could be considered a successor to The Hunger Games. With similar themes of a divided society and rebelling against the government, the trilogy is truly fascinating and thought provoking.

Having briefly researched the author, Veronica Roth is a pretty remarkable woman; she’d sold the film rights for Divergent before she’d finished college. It’s pretty unusual for such a young author to become so successful in such a short amount of time, but Roth undoubtedly fully deserves it.

Divergent is based around the idea that the dystopian Chicago city was divided into five factions after a war, in an attempt to create peace. Abnegation, the faction in which Beatrice Prior grew up in, was founded by those who thought selfishness was the cause of the war. They value the virtue of selflessness and live simple lives.

The 4 other factions, Dauntless, Erudite, Amity and Candor each value their own virtue; Dauntless value bravery; Erudite cherish intelligence; Amity treasure peacefulness ; Candor prize honesty.

One of the first questions that came to mind is: why can’t everyone value all the virtues?

I haven’t fully answered my own question, but it’s something that’s open to interpretation.

The next question was: which faction would I choose at the Choosing Ceremony?

One of the first things that happens in the book is the Choosing Ceremony, another similarity to The Hunger Games in which the characters are subjected to a potentially life altering ceremony.

I’m conscious of giving away some of the plot, but Beatrice, or Tris, makes an unexpected decision, leaving her family and friends and life as she knows it. Would I be able to do the same? This is what I meant when I said it’s a thought provoking novel!

The plot has elements of romance, like most young adult fictions, but the story is laced with tension and suspense that never really goes away, but keeps you coming back for more.  On one occasion, I read for an hour and it felt like 10 minutes. It’s such an absorbing book, interspersed with humour to stop the narrative becoming too heavy and, for want of a much better word, depressing.

Some characters are endearing, others are despicable and some of them are a mix of the two, but each of them is well thought out and developed, and key to the plot.

The story deals with love and loss, conflict and camaraderie, and lots of life threatening decision making, and I think I'm in love with it.

This review really hasn’t done the book any justice, but all I can say is that it really is worth a read. Even if you wouldn’t normally read teen fiction, there’s something to be learnt for it.