The Movie I Saw 2025

***** = Must see.
**** = Really good
*** = Worth seeing
** = A waste of time, but one or two good moments
* = Not worth your time
-0 = Less Than Zero: viewing this is likely to result in a dramatic loss of IQ points.

1. Dear Santa (2024) Y'know...this wasn't a very good movie, but Jack Black (as Santa / Satan / That Demon Guy) is always entertaining to watch, and there were at least a dozen or so laughs along the way, so this wasn't the worst way to start the New Year's viewing. ** That said, this was Joe's choice, not mine. And despite the fact that he is freaking out over a weather report that says we have major incoming snow, he pretty much paid attention and even laughed a few times. (Laughter is not all that common for my Joe.)

2. Wolf Hall (2015) ***** Superb show. Waiting For PBS to get around to broadcasting the long ago completed season two.

3. Bridge of Spies (2015) Great movie, ****. Tom Hanks was Tom Hanks, which is almost always good, but Mark Rylance, who played Thomas Cromwell to perfection in Wolf Hall, was fanfuckingtastic. Such an understated, nuanced portrayal of A Russian spy who really just wanted to paint. 

4. The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981) **** Always worth a rewatch.

5. Reacher Season 1 (2022) It took me a while to get interested in this one, but my sister liked it, and the guy from iZombie was in it, so I persisted.  And? Well...***. Maybe enough to watch the next season. I don't really like the guy who plays the lead very much, though. I'm hoping that The rumors about him being the bext DCU Batman aren't true. 

6. Deadpool and Wolverine (2024) *** U think I liked this more the second time through. Really funny, with lots of great in-jokes. Could've done without the gore, though. 1/8/24 

7. Den of Thieves 2: Pantera (2025) Another heist movie. Some clever bits, but nothing "extra." 1/10/25 

8. Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl (2024) *** Not the best W & G, but still fun and worth a viewing. 1/12/25 

9. Reacher Season 2 (2024) Apparently the writers think that the way to attract a bigger audience is to up the ante on torture and cruelty.  I'm out.

10. Moomin and Midsummer Madness (2013) You kniw, I like a fair dose of weirdness in my entertainment, but this suit was just stupid. 1/17/25 

11. The Wheel of Time Season 1 (2021) Getting ready for Season 3. Enjoying the review enormously. So much so that I'm actually considering rereading the first book. 🤯 Oh, yeah: **** 1/24/25 

12. This is 40 (2012) I wasn't expecting much from this, but I didn't even get that.  It's of good actors, but to very little effect. I think I like Paul Rudd significantly less after this. (Plus it was pretty mean spirited.) 2/2/25 

13. The Brutalist (2025) **** A long (3 1/2 hours) and strange movie, with a surprising amount of vivid sex. That's not what I enjoyed about it, though. But in terms of technique and story and acting, I thought this was just brilliant. Pretty close to a must see before you die. 2/8/25

14. The Wild Robot (2024) I'd heard a lot of good things about this one...including a personal recommendation from a loved one who told me that it made her cry. But I'm sorry to say it didn't do much for me. In fact, 30 minutes in I was checking to see how much longer it had to go. I think a large part of my dissatisfaction was that it was bad science fiction. But it was more than that, too. I mean...a fox who for no reason whatsoever stops being a predator to help a baby goose? Give me a REASon, at least. This was a ** for me. Maybe even a *. 3/1/25  P.S. 96% on Tomatometer? WTF.

15. Elevation (2024) ** Actually,  a pretty exciting movie with some nice touches. Anthony Mackie did a good job as the devoted father and Morena Baccarin got to be a bad ass AND a scientist, instead of her usual, just a pretty girl roles. Unfortunately, this movie was also predictable at every single turn, and the Big Question (where'd the monsters come from) was left completely unresolved at the end. Perhaps they think there will be a sequel, but I sincerely doubt it, as this one lost almost $15 million at the box office.

16. Drowned Out (2002) ***** A heartbreaking story about people displaced and impoverished by a dam project. Arandhati Roy narrates. 3/7/25 

17. The Pirates of Penzance (1983) ** Alas, this was a pretty wretched version of this operetta...but it's worth watching for Linda Ronstadt, who has one of the greatest voices of our times...and who is just so lovely.... 3/9/25 

18. Paddington (2014) *** and maybe half of another *. A fun movie with more than a little bit of heart on it. Though the ear wax bit was pretty disgusting. 3/10/25

19. The Gorge (2025) * An absurd premise, and it just gets worse from there. Not worth your time...or mine, for that matter...though I have to admit there were a few good moments...as long as logic isn't too important to you. 3/11/25 

20. The Last Supper (2025) ** Some nice bits here and some good acting, but poor writing sank this movie for me. Part if this was corny voice overs, part melodramatic scenes, and part the absurd rewriting of the Biblical story. Don't pay for this one. 3/15/25 

21. Wicked Part 1 (2024) -0 Couldn't finish it...it was just so awful. Why do people like this?

22. A Brief History of Time Travel (2018) Hey, it's not great, but it's free and it's got some Ted Chiang bits. I call that a win. **

23. Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris (2022) The 3rd or 4th time for this one. Still ***** for me.

24. Arrival (2016) 4th for this one. Still ***** Every time I watch this film it hits me how intelligent it is. There is no attempt to condescend to the lowest common denominator, even though some pretty heavy concepts are discussed. And those aliens...so much more alien than most O.S.M.s. 

25. Warrior Nun Seaon One (2020) **** I love this show. Funny, I told one of my friends about it, and I only got to "Then they put the angel's halo into a dead girl's body to hide it from the bad guys" before he said "I'm out." Talk about things and nobody cares, wearing out things that nobody wears."

26. Jesus in India (2008) Verrry interesting. Another rabbit hole for me to climb into. 3/15/25 

27. Warrior Nun Season 2 (2022) **** I love this show. Season 3, please.

28. Bull Durham (1989) **** Still works. 4/20/25 

29. Strange occurences in a Small Irish Village (2018) **** This was interesting enough for me to look into the cost of making a little pilgrimage. (Cost more than I can afford.) 4/20/25 

30. Nickel Boys (2024) **** I thought this was a stunning movie. So...

31. Nickel Boys (2024) I watched it again with my son...who "wasnt sorry" he'd seen it. Which makes me think I should watch It again. So I will.

32. Conclave (2024) * I pretty much hated this movie. The idea that a group of cardinals would elect a guy they'd never even seen or heard of before to be their Pope is just beyond ridiculous. And that's not even the least ridiculous thing that happened in this movie. Mary watched this with me. We both yelled "bullshit" at the end. 4/28/25 

33. Nocturnal Animals (2016) * Another movie about how vicious and stupid human beings are? I really didn't need that. 4/29/25 

34. Knuckleball! (2012) **** Excellent documentary about several knuckleball pitchers. Not too many familiar faces, but this really stoked my forgotten love for baseball. 5/1/25 

35. Atlas Shrugged Part I (2011) * A terrible movie...but this is the second time I've watched it. And I fully intend to watch Part II tomorrow. Don't know why... just seems to have a pull.I sit here thinking about what stupidity I see on the screen.What bad acting I see. But there's still something....

5/2/25

36. Thunderbolts* (2025) Actually a very good movie. Like ****. Lots of good laughs, some exciting action, and even some touching stuff. 5/3/25 

37. The Young and Prodigious T. S. Spivet (2013) ***** I love this movie by the guy who brought us Amelie. I should get around to reading the book soon.5/7/25 

38. I Saw the TV Glow (2024) *** Interesting and creepy movie. 5/8/25 

39. The Hurt Locker (2008) ***** The scene where the young guy is trying to clean the blood off the bullets and Jeremy Renner's character tells him that he will keep him safe? Priceless. 5/11/25 

40. Color Out of Space (2019) * A truly terrible movie. I decided to check it out when I saw that (1) it was based on a Lovecraft story and (2) Nicholas Cage was in it. But (1) I doubt that this piece of shit has much to do with the story and (2) Nicholas Cage has made some horrible moves...and this is one of them. I looked it up on Wikipedia and it had a budget of "$6 to $12 million (?)" but a Box Office of $1 million. If you like seeing a woman cut her fingers off with a knife, a woman melt into her young son, and 5 or 6 alpacas melt together before they're shot to pieces...oh, and a cat transform into a hideous monster...this might be the movie for you. Not for me, though. 5/12/25 

41. Avengers: Infinity War (2018) *** Holds up pretty well, actually. 

42. Flight Risk (2025) Believe it or not, this was a **** for me. Director Mel Gibson did a great job with this thriller in the sky. Most of the action occurs in the cockpit of a very small plane, and all three of the principsls did excellent jobs. Mark Wahlberg was positively frightening (not to mention bald). Definitely worth the price. 5/22/25 

43. Avengers: Endgame (2019) *** I'm not a fan of the gigantic battle scene, but the rest of this movie really works. 5/26/25

44. Karate Kid: Legends (2025) Believe it or not,  this was a pretty good movie...say ***. The new Karate Kid was amazing. And it's always good to see Jackie Chan. 5/30/25 

45. Il Barbiere di Siviglia (2025) **** Pretty funny stuff. 5/31/25

46. Ballerina (2025) ** Well, you know. It's a John Wick film, and that's not my cup of tea. 6/7/25

47. Predator: Killer of Killers (2025) *** A cartoon this time. And ultraviolent. But at least interesting. 6/7/25 

48. The Amateur (2025) I love Rami Malik...and this movie was pre5intense and exciting...but way too much stupid stuff clogged up the pipes. ** 6/12/25 

49. Ida (2013) A most excellent movie. **** and maybe *****. Black and white and subtitled all over. The story of a young orphan who is about to take her vows to become a nun. It's slow moving, meditative, and thoughtful. I'm going to watch it again soon. 

50. A Complete Unknown (2025) *** Kind of portrays Dylan as a self-absorbed asshole, but had more than a few great moments. Ed Norton's portrayal of Pete Seeger was most impressive. 6/14/25 

51. Becoming Led Zeppelin (2025) **** A truly great documentary,  even if you're not a big Led Head. 6/16/25 

52. The Zero Theorem (2013) How did I miss a Terry Gilliam film?I don't know, but it popped up in a Newsfeed today, so obviously someone knows what I want. Thank you, someone.

53. Sing Sing (2023) ***** An amazing movie, with many of the parts played by the actual prisoners who were in the theater group. 6/21/25 

54. Mary Magdalene (2018) ***** A superb movie. More later. 6/22/25 

55. 28 Days Later (2002) ** I'm not a fan of horror movies, and I really don't know why I watched this one, but it was ok-ish. I think that The Walking Dead owes a huge debt to this movie...possibly literally in terms of a plagiarism settlement...but I also must add that I found TWD vastly superior to this movie. I don't think I need to see the sequels.

56. Castle Impossible (2025) I loved this show and am hoping we get another season of it. Watching this young couple, restore a chateau is refreshing... and not just because the woman is hot. (Although that doesn't hurt.) 7/5/25 .

57. Ballard (2025) Bosch spin off. Excellent show which left me wanting more. 7/12/25.

58. Superman (2025) I had high hopes...but this wasn't it for me. Liked the new guy, loved Guy Gardner and Krypto, but Lex Luther was chewing the fuck out of the scenery, and there was just too much, y'know? ** for me.

59. Dora and the Search for Sol Dorado (2025) -0 Stupidity from start to finish. 7/20/25 

60. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (2009) ***** Rough movie, but worth the turbulence. 

61. Joan Didion: The Center Will Not Hold (2017) Heard an NPR interview with Griffin Dunne, the director of this documentary and nephew of Joan Didion. I really need to read some of her stuff. 

62. Fantastic Four (2025) *** Had a good look, but I wasn't in love with the casting. Made a good move note to do another origin story, and there were some good moments, but...it just didn't pull me in. 

63. Fantastic Four (2005) *** Far inferior to the latest remake...so why did I like it better? Jessica Alba and Chris Evans, I think.

64. Naked Lunch (1991) ***** A great movie. Weird as all hell.

65. Z for Zachariah (2015) Well...I started watching this because Margot Robie is such a beauty, but she really proved yourself to be a great actor in this. And Chris Pine is always welcome. This was actually a really good movie. Lots of nuances, emotional depth. Definitely worth the time. ****

66. Capitalism: A Love Story (2009) I'd forgotten how powerful this movie was. ***** 

67. Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004) Horrifying, but necessarily so. I hate to admit that I'd forgotten how evil the Bush regime was. Even worse than Trump in some ways. *****

68. Fahrenheit 11/9 (2018) This wasn't a great movie by any means, but it was an important movie. It covers the beginning of the first Trump presidency, the Flint water crisis, and the Parkland shootings, all of which are vital topics. However...it felt like three different movies, none of whih were fully developed. Unfortunately, that dilutes the effect considerably. 8/27/25 

69. Pets or Meat: The Return to Flint (1992) A short one, but a nice follow-up to Roger & Me.

70. Where to Invade Next (2015) Quite good, actually. 

71. Sicko (2007) Superb. *****

72. Bowling for Columbine (2002) Still very hard to watch, but necessary.  *****

73. Slacker Uprising (2008) Just a stand-up routine,  really. Not worth your time. **

74. Michael Moore in TrumpLand (2016) Another stand-up. Even worse than the previous one. ** 8/29/25 

75. Red Sonja (2025) Y'know, this wasn't a good movie, but it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it'd be. And it's the first time that Sonja's chain mail bikini ever made sense. (She was forced to wear it to humiliate her in the arena.) **...but make it *** for Matilda Lutz's very fine abdomen. 8/30/25 

76. The Big One (1997) **** I really like this movie. It's funny, poignant, and still topical after all these years. I guess I'm in the minority, though, as the worldwide gross on this was only $720,074. Sad.

77. Weapons (2025) I'm not much for horror movies, but this had Josh Brolin (💟), an interesting structure (multiple points of view looping back on each other), and scared the bejesus out of me, so I'm calling it a ****. 8/31/25.

78. The Nun II (2023) A friend told me that St. Lucy was in this movie, so I felt compelled to see it. And considering it was a horror movie and I don't like horror movies, I actually thought it was pretty good. There were several visual moments that were quite inventive. Probably worth seeing.

79. The Dig (2021) ***** I loved this movie. Ralph Fiennes was masterful. According to IMDb, the worldwide box office gross was $693.00 . How is that even possible?

80. 9/11--Explosive Evidence: Experts Speak Out (2012) ***** It's been a long time since I took a deep delve into 9/11, and this awakened a lot of my old fascination with it. This was a very reasoned, scientific approach, and by the end of it I had to wonder how anyone could believe in the official story of what happened to the three WTC buildings on 9/11. 9/5/25 

81. I.S.S. (2023) *** Not a great movie by any means, but quite a compelling story. And that's good enough for me! Pretty good special effects, too. I have no idea how they made all those weightless scenes look so real. Oh, and the music was cool, too. Very moody and tension-y. 9/15/25.

82. In Accord: Kronos Quartet

(2000) Visually, this was just a mess--trying way too hard to be cool with blurred images, bizarre lighting, random shots of scenes unrelated to the music. And some of the music was kind of bullshitty too, atonal and irritating. But some other stuff was so beautiful that I had to request two KQ cds from the library before the movie even ended. 9/23/25.

83. Superman  (2025) ** I really wanted to like this movie, but the gaping plot holes, the scenery-chewing Lex Luthor...they just suck the joy out of it, despite a great new Superman and a very cool dog. 9/25/25 

84. Roger & Me (1989) with commentary by Michael Moore ***** A truly great movie, and the MM commentary is a must hear item. Now I'm going to watch it again straight. 10/1/25 

85. Roger & Me (1989)  ***** A truly great movie. 10/2/25 

86. Hannah Arendt (2012) ***** This is not the most exciting film you'll ever see, but it gives you much to think about and some profoundly moving moments. 10/8/25 

87. Play Dirty (2025) -0 Bad special effects, bad story, and just mean. A waste of time. 10/11/26 

88. Don't Look Up (2021) ** Some moments, but only in the first half of the movie.

89. A House of Dynamite (2025) * All buildup, then no climax. What? You can't aim a nuclear warhead at Chicago and then stop the story before it hits.

90. Predators: Badlands (2025) * An attempt to humanize the predators? That seems kind of silly, doesn't it? 11/8/25 

91. Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025) **** On the rewatch, I realized that there was a lot of stuff that I not only didn't remember, but that I'm pretty sure I hadn't seen...which can only mean that I fell asleep on it in the theater. (I'm sorry to say that this is not uncommon these days.) Which probably explains my lack of enthusiasm,  because this was actually a pretty good movie, and well worth seeing. 11/8/25.

92. The Taming of the Shrew (2019) ** Kate is a guy, Petruchio is a gal. It goes from there. 11/10/25 

93. Rental Family (2025) ** Well...failing actor is hired to play at being various different family members. Some touching moments, but really more sad than anything else. 

94. The Life of Chuck (2024) *** Not as good as I wanted it to be, but Tom Hiddleston was great, as was the kid who played young Chuck. Mark Hammil not so much. 11/22/25 

The Book I Read 2025

***** = Must read.
**** = Really good.
*** = Worth reading.
** = A waste of time, but one or two good moments.
* = Not worth your time.
-0 = Less Than Zero: a book so bad that you actually lose several IQ points from the reading experience.

1. Orthodox Study Bible--published by Thomas Nelson, New King James VersionThe New Testament 4/17/23 to 1/10/25

2. The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge by Carlos Castaneda Finished 1/14/25 Quite an interesting read. I'm going on to the second book, A Separate Reality. 

3. The Adolescent by Fyodor Dostoyevsky 12/30/24 to 1/16/24 A fair novel. Not one you need, but not one you'll hate, either.

https://songsofinnocenceampexperience.blogspot.com/2024/12/ddr-adolescent-by-fyodor-dostoyevsky-by.html?m=1

4. Daredevil: Born Again by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli *** Read this again thinking I'd get primed for the new Disney+ series. Now hoping that Disney+ did a LOT of rewriting. Finished 1/28/25.

5. A Separate Reality: Further Conversations With Don Juan by Carlos Castaneda **** I actually liked this one even more than the first book. Maybe in part because Carlos' writing skills had improved. And there was no "second oart" where he tried to bust out all anthropologist, which was good. Finished 1/30/25 

6. The Lone Wolf #4: Desert Stalker **** by Mike Barry (Barry Malzberg) It's sleazy, it's typo ridden, there are plot holes a plenty...and I just ate it up. Want more, too. Finished 2/11/25 

7. The Dog Who Followed the Moon by James Norbury ***** A wonderful, magnificent book. I read this to my granddaughter and ended up loving it myself. As with the best children's books, this is an adult fable pretending to be a children's book. Lots of most excellent messages reference life and how to live it. Should be required reading for all human beings. 2/11/25 to 2/11/25 

8. Great Expectations (Great Illustrated Classics) by Charles Sickens adapted by Mitsu Yamamoto The 49th book Joe read to me. 5/9/24 to 2/11/25. It didn't actually take that long to read. We had a long pause.

9. Last on His Feet: Jack Johnson and the Battle of the Century ***** Superb, must read book.

10. Blaise Cendrars Complete Poems One Great poem and a bunch of other stuff. Skip it and just read "Easter Morning." 2/11/25 to 2/17/25 

11. Norby's Other Secret by Janet and Isaac Asimov 5/9/24 to 2/23/25 Another Long Pause book. This, by the way was a truly terrible book. I have no doubt that Isaac had either very little or nothing to do with the writing of it. It was clumsy, boring, and trite. I'm hoping not to read anymore Norby books.

12. The Gods Themselves by Isaac Asimov 11/13/24 to  2/24/25. A very, very bad middle section, but the first and third parts were okay. All and all, not even close to Asimov at his best, though.

13. Herovit's World by Barry Malzberg *** A bit of a tired concept--the good old doppelganger shtick--but with enough Malzbergian tints to make it interesting. But nowhere near to Malzberg at his best. Which kind of surprised me. I feel like I have read many references to the excellence of this novel. Then again, I can't seem to agree with many reviews.

14. My Seditious Heart by Arundhati Roy ***** A superb (and big    --1,000 pages) collection of essays. I don't know if this included all of Arundhati Roy's political writings, but I'm going to try to find out. 2/18/25 to 3/12/25 

15. Mrs. 'Arris Goes to Russia by Paul Gallico 11/24/24 to 3/17/25 The last if the Mrs. 'Arris books, I'm sorry to day. Its been an entertaining series.

16. Work Song: Three View of Frank Lloyd Wright by Jeffrey Hatcher and Eric Simonson. 3/13/25

17. Dutchman & The Slave by LeRoi Jones 3/14/25

18. A Moon for the Misbegotten by Eugene O'Neill 3/15/25 to 3/16/25 

19. The Iceman Cometh by Eugene O'Neill 3/17/25 to 3/18/25

20. The Hairy Ape by Eugene O'Neill 3/19/25

21. Long Day's Journey Into Night by Eugene O'Neill 3/20/25 to 3/22/25

22. The Fatima Secret (Whitley Streiber's Hidden Agendas) by Michael Hesemann 12/22/24 to 3/25/25 A pretty fascinating book, actually. In addition to Fatima, it covers several other Marian apparitions. Impressive details. 

23. Cloud Nine by Caryl Churchill 3/24/25 to 3/25/25 Well...so much for following a friend's recommendation. This play was just awful. And I bought two collections of this woman's plays! At least they were cheap.

24. Three Little Shepherds of Fatima by Sister Lorella 3/27/25 to 3/30/25

25. Ah, Wilderness by Eugene O'Neill 3/30/25 to 4/1/25 Kind of thin, kind of soap opera-y. Not unpleasant, but definitely not the caliber of the great plays. (Not a comedy, either!)

26. Advance Man: Part One of The Honeycomb Trilogy by Mac Rogers 4/2/25  Not my cup of tea...probably *. 

27. Our Lady of Fatima: The Graphic Novel (no author listed) 3/31/25 to 4/6/25. S'aright.

28. A Touch of the Poet by Eugene O'Neill 4/5/25 to 4/7/25 Meh.

29. Warrior Nun Alea Book One by Ben Dunn 4/7/25 Bought it because of my love for the Netflix show. There were a few points in common, but sorry to say that the original is far inferior to the imitation this time around. In fact, the comic is pretty crudely drawn and written...and unnecessarily emphasizes the sexuality of the female characters (huge boobs, scanty clothing...even for the nuns). Stick to the show and forget about this book...which goes for some outrageous prices on eBay.

30. Batman: Off World by Jason Aaron and Doug Mahnke *  I didn't even think about picking this up when I saw it on the stands because I thought it was a stupid concept. When it came out on Hoopla I decided to give it a look, but guess what? I was right this was insipid. 

. Jesus Before Christianity by Albert Nolan STOPPED p.78

31. Thy Will Be Done: Praying the Our Father as Subversive Activity by Michael H. Crosby, O.F.M. Cap. Not an easy read, but interesting. 4/16/25 to 4/24/25

32. The Gospel of Thomas: The Hidden Sayings of Jesus by Marvin Meyer **** Interesting. 4/24/25 to 4/26/25.

33. The Little Way of a Pilgrim by Jennifer Anna Rich & Diana's lens Popescu ***** A kid's book...A wonderful one.

5/1/25 

34. Excavating Jesus: Beneath the Stones, Behind the Texts by John Dominic Crossan & Jonathan L. Reed 4/27/25 to 5/6/25 

35. The Immaculate Heart of Our Lady of Fatima by Anna Garavitt 4/7/25 to 4/26/25.

36. The Message of Our Lady of Fatima by Father Frederick L. Miller

37. The Bible Doesn't Say That by Dr. Joel M. Hoffman *** Some good stuff. Didn't go too far...I'm sorry to say. I like too far. 5/12/25 to 5/18/25 

38. Asimov on Science Fiction by Isaac Asimov *** An enjoyable look...with one glaring exception: when Asimov trashes Orwell and 1984. Apparently,  Asimov doesn't understand his place in the Pantheon. 2/24/25 to 5/18/25.

39. Miracles and Wonder: The Historical Mystery of Jesus by Elaine Pagels *****--especially if you think you are a Christian. It will either deepening your faith or destroy it.

5/19/25 to 5/25/25.

40. The Unknown Sayings of Jesus by Marvin Meyer. Sorry to say that this one was quite a disappointment. I would suggest not bothering with it.   

https://songsofinnocenceampexperience.blogspot.com/2025/05/ddr.html

41. Never Flinch by Stephen King. ** Meh. I like Holly, but this story relied waaaaay too much on coincidence.

42. The Historical Jesus: The Life of a Mediterranean Jewish Peasant by John Dominic Crossan *** Heavy on scholarship, but a little light on revelations. Finished 6/12/25.

43. The Wellsprings of Life by Isaac Asimov **** A surprisingly entertaining book. Takes life from chemicals in the ocean to homo superior with all stops in between. Ironically, it also convinced me that to believe all of this happened due to chance is incredibly naive. Finished 7/20/25

44. Fatima in Lucia's Own Words: Sister Lucias Memoirs, Vol. 2: 5th and 6th Memoirs by Lúcia Of Fátima Finished 7/22/25 Interesting book, but not very well written, I'm sorry to say. (Or maybe just a bad translation?) 

45. The Man Without Qualities Volume II by Robert Musil. I made a mighty effort on thus one, but by page 1,271 (its continuously numbered from Volume I, so that was 500+ pages in to this volume) I couldn't take it anymore. The story, which was slight to begin with, completely dissolved and became a series of philosophical observations. Unfortunately, they were very petty observations. Musil spent half a page talking about how when a man is hungry, he wants food. For fuck's sake. I would recommend not picking up this book. I would like to spare you the waste of time that I have committed. My determination to FINISH has undermined my reader's instinct, which told me to bail out some time ago.

46. Queer by William S. Burroughs **** Read this in three days (7/26/25 to 7/28/25) because (1) it was quite short and (2) it was quite compelling. Now I'm going to watch the movie again. The book is primarily focused on "Bill Lee"'s attempts to find love / satiate his sexual hunger / assuage the pain of heroine withdrawal. The movie goes farther.

47. Junky by William S. Burroughs **** Read this in two days (7/29/25 to 7/30/25). Found it impossible to stop reading until I hit the last page on Day 2. It has some horrifying moments...such as when "Burroghs" participates in robbing drunks and when he abuses cats...but this is an ugly story anyway, so I guess that's part of what made me not throw it across the room. Also, it is a novel, so I can at least hope that those things were not real events. 

48. The Yage Letters by William S. Burroughs *** The conclusion of The Yage Trilogy. Kind of like Carlos Castaneda...but on drugs. Oh, waitaminute....

49. The Resurrection of Mary Magdalene: Legends, Apocrypha, and the Christian Testament by Jane Schaberg ** Some moments, for sure, but not worth the effort to read it. Here's all you need, I think: 

https://songsofinnocenceampexperience.blogspot.com/2025/08/ddr-resurrection-of-mary-magdalene.html?m=1

49. Naked Lunch by William S. Burroughs * Hate to say it, but this was a piece of shit. Diarrhea-type shit...formless and foul smelling. I have no idea why this is seen as a great novel. Hell, I wouldn't even call it a novel.

50. The Long Silence by Thomas McGuane **** Excellent book. I think I need more McGuane. 8/15/25 to 8/25/25 

51. The World, the Flesh, and Angels by Mary B. Campbell **** Superb book of poems. Alas, I retrieved it from Remote Shelving, and the LFPL has no other books by MBC, but I found another two online and they'll be heading my way soon. https://songsofinnocenceampexperience.blogspot.com/2025/09/i-mary-b-campbell.html?m=1

52. Denniveniquity by D. Boyfriend *** An interesting bit of bildungsroman, but nothing essential. 

53. The Planet That Wasn't by Isaac Asimov **** Another most excellent collection of essays. 9/4/25 

54. Gould's Book of Fish by Richard Flanagan ** I really wanted to live this book. I didn't. 9/4/25 

https://songsofinnocenceampexperience.blogspot.com/2025/08/ddr-goulds-book-of-fish-novel-in-12.html

55. The Substance of Reality: Moral Perfectionism in Shakespeare's Hamlet by Dr. David Wright 9/6/25 to 9/10/25 Reading this Ph.D. thesis by my friend of two decades really put me in the mood for more o dat Shake-speare. Think I'm gonna hafta.

56. Rendezvous With Rama by Arthur C. Clarke **** This was one of the most compelling books I've ever read. I knocked it back in three days...and that was while ferrying kids to and fro, doing my regular daily readings, etc. In fact, so compelling was this novel that I stopped at the library today and picked up Rama II and The Garden of Rama. (And if that's not enough, there's also Rama Revealed, Bright Messengers, and Double Full Moon Night. That's a whole lotta Rama.) 9/1/25 

57. Twelfth Night: An Oxfordian Edition by William Shake-speare *** Not nearly as Oxfordian as I'd have liked, but I did enjoy the play. Going to try another Oxfordian Edition right soon.

https://songsofinnocenceampexperience.blogspot.com/2025/09/ddr-twelfth-night-by-william-shake.html

58. Rama II by Arthur C. Clarke and Gentry Lee. ** Far inferior to the first book, but not bad enough to prevent me from starting book 3! Finished 9/19/25 

59. Four Shakespearean Period Pieces by Margaret de Grazia *** Interesting, but not the Revelation I was looking for. Finished 9/29/25 .

60. Macbeth: An Oxfordian Edition by William Shake-speare ** Enjoyed the play, thought the notes were mostly bullshit. 9/21/25 to 9/24/25.

https://songsofinnocenceampexperience.blogspot.com/2025/09/i-finished-four-shakespearean-period.html?m=1

61. Tonight in Jungleland: The Making of Born to Run by Peter Ames Carlin **** An enthralling run through a precarious time in Bruce Springsteen's life...mostly centered around 1974 to 1975. 9/25/25 to 9/27/25. 

62. Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson 10/14/24 to 9/27/25

63. MacMillan Book of 366 Bible Stories by Roberto Brunelli 3/18/2405 to 9/28/25

64. Blessed Jacinta Marto of Fatima by Joseph A. Cirrincione  7/23/25 to ? 

65. Our Lady of Lourdes by Father Lovasik, S.V.D.

9/28/25 to 10/2/25

66. Light in the Grotto by The Daughters of St. Paul 9/29/25 to 

67. Counter-Revolution: Liberal Europe in Retreat by Jan Zielonka

9/28/25 to 10/2/25 *****

https://songsofinnocenceampexperience.blogspot.com/2025/09/ddr-counter-revolution-liberal-europe.html?m=1

68. The Secret of Secrets by Dan Brown *** 9/27/25 to 10/3/25 Some interesting sciencey stuff which I'm going to follow up on, but I wish Dan Brown were a better writer.

69. St. Bernadette Soubirous: The Humble Visionary of Lourdes by Rev. Lawrence Ambrose

70. Life After Life by Raymond A. Moody, Jr., M.D. *** Nothing spectacular but interesting...and I would like to read more about this. 10/3/25 to 10/5/25

https://songsofinnocenceampexperience.blogspot.com/2025/10/ddr-life-after-life-by-raymond-moody-jr.html

71. The Three Escapes of Hannah Arendt: A Tyranny of Truth by Ken Krimstein **** This was very dense for a "comic book"; tiny text and even tinier footnotes. An interesting and even exciting read, though, and I think after watching the movie and reading this, I'm reading to read some real Hannah Arendt. Finished 10/9/25.

72. You Get So Alone at Times That It Just Makes Sense by Charles Bukowski ***** Not the first time I've read this book, but just as much fun as the first time. 10/12/25 

73. Journey to Ixtlan: The Lessons of Don Juan by Carlos Castaneda 10/21/25 

74. The Neutrino by Isaac Asimov 10/22/25 

75. Three Days in June by Anne Tyler *** Got it from a Little Library for my sister, but decided to give it a read first. I've read a couple of Tyler books before and didn't think much of them, but thought I'd give her another try. And? Meh. It was ok, but definitely not for ne. 10/21/25 to 10/23/25.

76. The Life of Chuck by Stephen King *** I was so anxious to read this that I almost bought it. Glad that I waited for the library. It's really just a so-so story. Next: the movie. JIC. (But free from the library... JIC.) 10/23/25 .

77. Light in the Grotto: The Life of St. Bernadette by the Daughters of St. Paul Finished 10/24/25

78. Asimov's Guide to Shakespeare (Volumes I) by Isaac Asimov **** A most excellent tome...even though Asimov's is a Stratfordian. 10/6/25 to 10/25/25

https://songsofinnocenceampexperience.blogspot.com/2025/10/ddr-asimovs-guide-to-shakespeare.html

79. Our Lady of Fatima Novena by John M. Fearns S.T.D

80. The People In The Trees by Hanya Yanagihara 

It's complicated. 

https://songsofinnocenceampexperience.blogspot.com/2025/11/the-people-in-trees-by-hanya-yanagihara.html

71. Sam Zabel and the Magic Pen by Dylan Horrocks ** I love Dylan Horrocks, and this did have a few good moments, but overall the whole Magic Pen idea is just too tired and too stupid for me to go for this story. Sorry, Dylan. 11/18/25 

 

72. Asimov's Guide to Shakespeare Volume II **** Even though he's a staunch Stratfordian, Asimov brings a lot of insight to the plays--especially in the form of etymology, which was quite fascinating. 11/19/25 

 

73. Tales of the Black Widowers  by Isaac Asimov *** Much better than I expected it to be. So much so that I want to read the next book--More Tales of the Black Widowers--but unfortunately, I don't own that one. (Internet Archive  does, though.) 11/23/25 

74. A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara **** ...and probably another *, but it is so brutal at times in the descriptions of a child being physically and sexually abused that it would be repellent to many people. It was to me...but the character of Jude was so compelling that I hung in with it. And I have to say I'm glad that I did. To me, this was a story of enduring against insurmountable odds, of striving to life humanely and with dignity while facing tidal waves of sorrow. 11/28/25 

75. Hicksville by Dylan Horrocks *** I got this from the library with high expectations. I had read it previously and my memories of it were very positive. About 3⁄4 of the way through, however, I was ready to quit. There were some things that were pretty good--like the extensive comic book library in Hicksville--but there were other parts that were very weak, particularly when we went into made-up comic books. I missed the due date (after exhausting the renewals) and was going to return it to the library unfinished, but thought I'd take one last look this morning. I ended up finishing it and feeling better about the story. Not as good as I remembered, but still worth reading. 11/29/25 

76. 

John and Paul: A Love Story in Songs by Ian Leslie stopped at top of page 76.

Now reading with Jacqueline:

Fatima Today: The Third Millennium by Father J. Fox 5/5/25 to .

The Last Secret of Fatima by Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone

Saint Bernadette Soubirous: The Humble Visionary of St. Lourdes 
by Rev. Lawrence Ambrose

Bernadette: Our Lady's Little Servant by Hertha Pauli 10/25/25 to  

Wolf Hall: Not Starring Tom Holland

Watching Slow Dogs made me remember how much I loved Jonathan Pryce, so I went looking for some of his other stuff at the LFPL. I found something called Wolf Hall which looked interesting: a historical drama set around the court of Henry VIII, with Mr. Pryce playing the part of Cardinal Wolsey. I put in a request for it, and venisoon after it was in my hot little hands, and shortly after that it was in my hot little DVD player. 

What a great show. So great that after Cardinal Wolsey died, I kept watching. That Thomas Cromwell (expertly played by Mark Rylance...and I'll be looking for more of his stuff, for sure) was one amazing guy. Might have to read up on him later on.

As I was watching Episode 5, I caught a glimpse of a familiar face:

 Yep, Tom Holland himself. He had a tiny part, mostly non-speaking...which is probably why I hadn't sighted him earlier, as he'd been in it pretty much from the get go. 

And all I could think was, "He sure came a hell of a long way in nine years!"

DDR: The Adolescent by Fyodor Dostoyevsky / Подросток by Фёдор Михайлович Достоевский

 

Back to Dostoyevsky. And back to Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky, because (1) I wanted to read a book book, (2) I didn't want to pay anything, and (3) this translation was the only one the LFPL had. 

So 🤞.

xxvii + 580 = 607 pages. And I guarandamntee ya that I won't be reading 100 pages per day, so this is going to take some time...probably 20 days. Maybe even more.

Day 1 (DDRD 2,618) December 30, 2024

Read to page 10. (So 37 pages including the preferatory material.) Seems ok...but not very compelling. Then again, what would be after 9 Slough House books in 27 days?

Might read a bit more later today. (Though I'm more interested in Seth's Clyde Fans.)

Day 2 (DDRD 2,619) December 31, 2024

Read to page 41. The story is starting to tug at me, I'm glad to say. Mostly because the narrator, Arkady Dolgoruky, is such a motherfucker. He is definitely in the same camp as the Underground man, as RP noted in his introduction.

There are two things that I like about this translation: (1) when there is a note, there's a number. End bigoted are used rather than footnotes (which I think are superior), but at least you aren't expected o intuitive when here's a note, as has often been true in other texts. (2) When a foreign phrase us used, there's a footnote for it.

And I'm happy to say that thus far there have not been any of the irritating translation slip-ups that I've noted in previous books books translated by RP and LV. 🤞

Now for more Clyde Fans!

ADDENDUM: Which ↑ I finished. Amazing book.

Day 3 (DDRD 2,620) 👶January 1, 2025 👶

Read to page 70.

"The present time is a time of the golden mean and insensibility, a passion for ignorance, idleness, and an inability to act, and a need to have everything ready-made. No one ponders; rarely does anyone live his way into an idea." (63)

Well, I guess the times they aren't a-changin' as much as we thought.

Day 4 (DDRD 2,621) January 2, 2025

Read to page 101.

This Arkady fellow is DEFinitely a future Underground Man. He practically (but not literally) boils with anger and hatred.

Day 5 (DDRD 2,622) January 3, 2025

Read to page 112. Yeah, busy day. And it's already 8:40, which us dangerously close to this old man's 🛌  ⏰️ . But I might try to put away a few more pages.  (To be honest,  though,  I'd rather read some more Castenada. 🙊)

Later....

"If the matter of marriage depended on women alone, no marriage would stay together." (125)

As an unwillingly twice-divorced man, I have to say I see some truth in that one. 😞 

And...9:33...FINally got to page 130. Actually,  this section was pretty gripping: mostly ab argument between Arkady and Versilov (his mostly absent) daddy.

Day 6 (DDRD 2,623) January 4, 2025

Read to page 160.

Reference in an endnote to Pushkin's poem "The Bronze Horseman" made me go looking for it. So:

Oh...I was hoing to paste it here, but it's quite long. Here's a picture instead:

Public Domain

You can read the whole thing HERE if that picture's not worth 1,000 words.

Day 7 (DDRD 2,624) January 5, 2025

Read to page 190.

Day 8 (DDRD 2,625) January 6, 2025

Read to page 220. 

Day 9 (DDRD 2,626) January 7, 2025

Read to page 250. What a fool Arkady is. Sitting with a woman, he goes on and on about her beauty, including her "high bosom." For fuck's sake!

Lots of snow (10 inches or so) so, you'd think I'd have plenty of reading time, but I have Joe with me, and Joe ❤️s to talk, so...not so much. Got up at 5 to have some reading time, but Joe got up at 5:01. 😃 

Day 10 (DDRD 2,627) January 8, 2025

Read to page 280. 

Arkady to Katerina: "You are now imprinted on my soul forever." (255) 

Arkady says this to the "high bosom" lady, but even so, this seems to me to be one of the most romantic things one human being can say to another. (Constance Garnett translates it as "Your image is imprinted on my heart for ever now." I don't think that's as good, actually...even though it's pretty close to being the same thing.) 

The first person I thought of when I read this line was Clare. Isn't that odd...and sad? There have been other women in my life...dear, kind women... and yet my mind immediately goes to the one who nearly crushed the life out of me. I guess it goes to show that the heart (or soul) goes it's own way, is not bound my reason or any form of utilitarianism. 🤔 But nothing is truer than truth: Clare is imprinted on my soul (and heart), and neither pain nor time nor my decline into old age will cause that imprint to fade one jot. 😒😔

Day 11 (DDRD 2,628) January 9, 2025

Read to page 311.

Day 12 (DDRD 2,629) January 10, 2025

Read to page 341. So many parallels to Karamazov in this novel....

Day 13 (DDRD 2,630 January 11, 2025

Read to page 370.

Chapter One of Part Three begins, "Now about something completely different." (347) Say what??? Let's see how Constance did this one. Hmm...ah. "Now for something quite different." Yep, there you have it. Irrefutable proof that Dostoyevsky invented Monty Python. I rest my case.

I'm thinking that it might be time to get back to non-fiction for my DDR project. Maybe "religious" non-fiction. Like, say, Summa Theologica. The full version. There is a beautiful hardcover set available, but it runs around $250, and I don't think I'm THAT committed. Sure is purty,  though.

Day 14 (DDRD 2,631 January 12, 2025

Read to page 400.

"It's impossible for a man to exist without bowing down.... If he rejects God, he'll bow down to an idol--a wooden one, or a golden one, or a mental one. They are all idolators, not godless, that's how they ought to be called." (373)

"...before you go to sleep, pray for the sinner tenderly; at least sigh for him to God: even if you didn't know him at all--your prayer for him will get through the better.

"So when you stand and pray before you go to sleep, add at the end: 'And have mercy, Lord Jesus, on all those who have nobody to pray for them.' ...'Lord, who knowest all destinies, save all the unrepentant'--that's also a good prayer." (384)

Thus is an idea that has come up a lot on my readings about Our Lady of Fatima. In fact, the Fatima orater in The Rosary specifically asks for the same thing: "...lead all souls to heaven, especially those most in need of Thy mercy."

It's a concept foreign to (and baffling to) my ears. How could praying for someone else--someone who is not even aware that you are praying for them--be of any help at all? 

Day 15 (DDRD 2,632 January 13, 2025

Read to page 430.

Day 16 (DDRD 2,633 January 14, 2025

Read to page 462.

"No, you know if I could, I'd have done something! Only I can't do anything now, but only keep dreaming. I keep dreaming and dreaming; my whole life has turned into a dream, I even dream at night." (438) 

And I was dreaming when I wrote this. (So forgive me if it goes astray.)

"...women love despotism." (448)

Well...that would be scanned. But (I'm sorry to say) I have seen some flickers of truth in that, depressing as that might be. The whole "Why does she stay with a guy who treats her like that?" thing which I've seen more than a few times. The whole "bad boys" thing. 😕 

Day 17 (DDRD 2,634 January 15, 2025

Read to page 490. So only 74 pages to go. 

Today would have been my 42nd anniversary if my first marriage hadn't dissolved. 😔 

"...I didn't believe very much, but still I couldn't help yearning for the idea [of God]." (470)

Day 18 (DDRD 2,635 January 16, 2025

Read to page 535. Which leaves 30 pages. And I might do some damage there, since it's Sit In The Car & Wait For Joe Day. 

🎉🥳🎉

And...yep. Read to page 580 (which includes all the the notes), = The End. Not a great book, but not a bad one, either. It was never a chorse to read it, at least. On the other hand, the plot is pretty thin, and many times there were echoes of other Dostoyevsky novels. So all in all, I'd say this one is skippable.

As for me...I've now read all of Dostoyevsky's novels, all of his novellas, and some of his shirt stories--enough to know that I don't want to read the rest of them. So...

Here Endeth the Dostoyevsky Project.