I am glad Lydia Davis won the International Man Booker Prize 2013 :) I was reading her translated version of 'Madame Bovary' just last month and thought that she did a fantastic job.

It is too bad that I cannot understand French to appreciate Flaubert more accurately but I think she managed to pass along most of his sentiments. 'Madame Bovary' really had an impact on me. I never found myself feeling so disgusted and at the same time so protective of the lead character. She reminds me (at times) of myself which is not a good thing and thus she reminds me not to live so superficially.

I can only imagine that the prose sounded more fanciful and dramatic in French. The life of a translator is not an easy one. I often wonder how does Murakami's books really sound like in Japanese.

I plan on finishing reading 'Lolita' soon (it is my first time!) and so far the narrator of the story (Humbert Humbert) is getting on my nerves. He makes me laugh in irritation. I don't even think the book could be categorized as erotica because most of the 'erotic' happenings are almost conceived by him in his painfully deluded mind.

Also, with all the hype surrounding the movie 'The Great Gatsby' has made me re-read the novel again. As much as I am skeptical, (for I never usually enjoyed film adaptations of most novels. Norwegian Wood/On the Road/The Lion,the Witch and the Wardrobe/Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.... yucks.) I do like the actress Carey Mulligan quite a lot. Oh and Tobey Maguire too! (yes ex-Spiderman guy! remember remember?!)

But BUT, Hollywood has an awful habit of making everything overly glossy..too polished and glamorous than the actual materials are. Or is it just Baz Luhrmann? Hello! You are not making another Moulin Rouge! The first time I saw the trailer, just based on the fact of how flashy and exorbitant the entire set looked like to me was a major turn off. Wonder what Fitzgerald feels about his work being translated onto the screen like that....On second thoughts, he might actually like it!

I miss Roger Ebert :( Usually I turn to him for the best movie criticism and reviews. I remembered how when I was young and thought to myself if I wasn't able to be a filmmaker, at the very least, I wanted to be a good film critic like he did. I am so going to take Film Studies as minor if possible hahahaha. He was the one who got me into dissecting films properly in the first place; with respect and humor.

He had this grandfather vibe about him that you just know he was reliable and truthful and had sharp wit. Plus so far we only disagreed about seven times (Vanilla Sky is just not my cup of tea and Die Hard ain't thaaat bad). R.I.P Roger Ebert.

If I have enough money, I might just watch 'The Great Gatsby'. Feeling a little broke now after my trip to Bangkok.