The Lord of the Rings (Book Series)

For the first time ever on Stuff Devon Likes, I’m reviewing a book! Back in January, I watched The Lord of the Rings film trilogy and really enjoyed it. In my review of the films, I said that I hoped to read the books soon and write a review of them. Well, I’ve spent the past four months reading the books, and I finally finished this week! So here’s my review of The Lord of the Rings, the book series, not the film series.

First of all, I really enjoyed these books. They were fun to read. I was afraid they may not be as enjoyable after watching the movies because I knew what was going to happen, but that wasn’t the case at all. I still felt the suspense and shock while reading that I would have felt if I hadn’t see the movies before. The story is told so well, and it’s so compelling that I didn’t mind experiencing it again.

But the books tell a slightly different story than the movies do. People always say that a movie is never as good as the book that it’s based on, but I’m not sure that it’s really fair to compare The Lord of the Rings books to the movies. While they follow a similar plot line, there are some pretty major differences that make both work really well for the medium they’re in.

Tolkien didn’t approach The Lord of the Rings as fiction that he was writing. He approached it as a history of what our world was like a very long time ago, and he based his history on a book that he claimed to be written by Bilbo Baggins, Frodo Baggins, and Sam Gangee, the main characters of The Lord of the Rings and its prequel, The Hobbit. I think this approach is really cool because it allowed Tolkien to not only tell a story, but to create a whole world. It allowed him to write appendices about Elvish language and how the hobbits have different calendars than the rest of the world and so on, and I think that’s pretty cool.

I really liked the way the LOTR books are structured. Each of the three books (The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King) is split into two halves. The first book tells the story chronologically, but in the second book, the main characters split into two groups. The story of one group is told in the first half of the book, and then the second half of the book goes back and tells the story of the other group, making occasional references to where the other group would be at that time. I think it says a lot about Tolkien’s writing that he can spend half a book telling us about what are thought to be side characters, but we still care enough to keep reading.

The books also contains some interesting stories that had to be cut from the movies. The two stories that really stuck out to me were the hobbit’s run-in with Tom Bombadil in The Fellowship of the Ring and The Scouring of the Shire chapter at the end of The Return of the King. These were both cool stories that added to overall narrative but weren’t considered necessary enough to be included in the (already lengthy) films. If anything, the books are worth reading just to experience those extra stories.

My one complaint about the books is that they can be flowery sometimes. Just as Tolkien was invested in developing the characters and the history of Middle Earth, he was also interested in the way it looked. He goes into great detail about the terrain of the land that the characters travel, and these are the parts of the story that I struggled to get through. My mind just doesn’t work like that. I’m sure a lot of people enjoy imaging this world that Tolkien has created, but I prefer to just stick to the plot. Maybe I’ll invest in an abridged version for my next LOTR reading experience.

But that one complaint aside, I really loved reading these books. I got completely sucked into the story and invested in the characters. Even though I knew how the story ended, I still enjoyed re-experiencing it in a different way. I would suggest The Lord of the Rings books to anyone interested in the movies or just in fantasy stories in general. Thank you for reading my review, and check back next week for another installment of Stuff Devon Likes!

Transition Times

This week is weird for me. All of my finals are over, and all my schoolwork has been submitted, but graduation isn’t until Saturday. And so I find myself in an odd place where I’m still at school, but I’m done with all my work, and I don’t really have anything to do. It feels funny because I’m constantly checking my to-do list thinking I should be working on something, but nothing’s there. I’m finished with school, but I’m not quite able to move on the next thing.

I’ve found myself in an in-between place. I’m somewhere between a student and a graduate, but I’m really neither. For this week, I’m in a transition phase. Really, I’ll be in a transition phase for the next few months. I’m going from the undergraduate phase of my life to the seminary phase of my life. These transition times can feel weird. Mine certainly does. But they can also be really good experiences. Here are a few things I’m trying to do during this transition time in my life.

1. Rest

I’m sure I don’t have to tell you this, but life can be exhausting. Between getting everything done that I’m supposed to get done, spending time with the people I care about, and trying to find some recreation time in the midst of it all, rest and recuperation have fallen pretty low on my priorities list. But now, there are some open slots on that list, and I’m putting rest back up near the top. I’ve just come out of a very challenging and draining time in my life, and I’m about to enter another challenging and potentially draining time in my life. So right now, while I’m in between them, I’m trying to ensure that I take the time to recover from the previous phase so that I’m well-rested for the next one. And here’s to hoping I do a better job at staying well-rested in seminary than I did in college.

2. Catch Up

When I’ve got a lot going on, I have to put some things off. Eventually, those things build up until I have a list of things I’d like to do but haven’t quite gotten around to yet. It’s sort of like a mini-bucket list of things I haven’t been able to do this school year. This lull during my transition time is the perfect opportunity to catch up on all the things I’ve been putting off. Whether it be a movie I’ve been meaning to re-watch, some much-needed cleaning, or updating my wardrobe, I can use my transition time to do some things that aren’t necessarily of great importance but I’ve been wanting to do for some time.

3. Reflect

Transitions times are also good times to look back on one’s experiences and gain some insight from them. I’m about to finish college. That’s a lot of information and memories to process in a relatively short period of time. But now that it’s pretty much over, I can look back on everything I’ve done and learned, and I can hopefully pick out at least a few major things that I can take away from it. I’ve already starting thinking about a few, but I’m going to take this time off to do some serious reflection about what college has taught me and how I can use that in the future.

4. Prepare

And while I’m reflecting on the past, I also want to be preparing for the future. Seminary is going to be awesome, but there’s a lot that needs to be done in order to get ready for it. I’ve got the school part covered thanks to a scholarship from the Baptist General Convention of Texas, but I still have to find a place to live and work while I’m in Waco. And I still need to emotionally prepare for moving far away from my home and family. Seminary is going to be different, and it’s going to take some time to get ready for it. Now is the perfect time to do that, and that’s what I hope to do during this transition phase.

5. Cherish

Finally, I want to enjoy this transition time in my life. I’ve still got a few more days at the school where I’ve spent the last four years. I’ve still got a few more days to make memories with the friends I’ve made in college, who I will miss very much. I’ve still got time to enjoy this place and this time with these people for just a little bit longer. I’m so thankful for this transition time in my life, and I hope to make the most of it. Thank you guys for reading, and I’ll see you again next week.

How I Met Your Mother

This year, How I Met Your Mother ended its nine-year run with a polarizing finale that left fans completely stunned. I had to watch it twice before I could even process it well enough to form an opinion. The seemingly simple story of a man telling his children how he met their mother took many twists and turns over the years, and it gained a pretty large and dedicated following.

Though its original run may be over, How I Met Your Mother will live on. This is a show with a lot of replay value, and I’m sure fans will be eager to experience the series again in light of how it ends. And for fans disappointed by the ending, an alternate version of the finale is set to release with the complete series box set later this year. With its non-linear timeline, compelling story, and the ability to satisfy its viewers without ever giving them exactly what they want, this series is here to stay.

How I Met Your Mother centers on five friends living in New York City in the early 2000’s. The series begins when Ted (Josh Radnor), the main character and narrator, decides he is going to start looking for “the one” after his roommate/best friend Marshall (Jason Segel) becomes engaged to his long-time girlfriend Lily (Alyson Hannigan). Despite objections from his playboy friend Barney (Neil Patrick Harris), Ted searches for his soulmate and thinks that he’s found her in Robin (Cobie Smulders). This is the start of Ted’s long journey to meeting his actual soulmate, who would go on to be the mother of his children. In 2030, Future Ted (voice by Bob Saget) tells his kids all the exciting stories that led to their fateful encounter in excruciating detail.

I could spend all day telling you all the things I love about this show, but I’ll just hit the highlights. First of all, my favorite thing about this show is the storytelling element. The entire show is a series of stories that Future Ted is telling to his kids. But storytelling is integrated even further into the show than that. Most of the episodes involve the characters (who are already within a story) telling stories to each other. At one point, the main plot is actually a story within a story within a story within the greater story that Ted is telling his kids. Storytelling is a central element of How I Met Your Mother.

And the fact that storytelling is so embedded in the show opens it up to a lot of cool possibilities. Future Ted mixes things up sometimes when he’s telling the stories to his kids, just like we do when we’re telling stories. He skips around to give us cool glimpses into these characters’ futures. Sometimes, Ted is just plain wrong about something, and it’s fun to figure these things out. The creators also use this fact to mess with the audience a bit. There are a couple of times within the series where the show just plain dupes you, and it’s a really great feeling when you finally figure it out.

Another great thing about this show is Ted. Poor Ted. He’s so relatable. He represents a lot of us who are looking for something but just can’t seem to find it. He’s quirky, he’s often annoying, and he sometimes makes morally questionable decisions. But everyone loves Ted because ultimately, he’s just a good guy looking for someone to share his life with. People relate to Ted and root for him because we want him to win, and we know that ultimately, he does.

I know I already told you my favorite thing about this show, but it’s such a good show that I’m allowed to have two favorite things about it. So my other favorite thing about How I Met Your Mother is that it never, ever, ever gives you exactly what you want. You might be thinking, “Why would someone like a show that doesn’t give them what they want?” It’s because there is something really satisfying and compelling about an unexpected twist. The show’s creators do a really good job of finding a balance between surprise and satisfaction. You never feel like you’re being cheated, but you also never really know what’s going to happen next.

The best example of this comes in the very first episode. The episode is about Ted’s decision to start looking for “the one.” That night, from across the room, he sees her. The perfect girl for him. He falls for he instantly. They talk and go on a romantic date. He makes this big speech about love and how he’s ready to settle down with the perfect girl. And then the episode ends with Future Ted saying, “And that, kids, is the story of how I met… your Aunt Robin.”

“Aunt Robin?!” The kids are as shocked as the viewers. Isn’t this supposed to be the story of how Ted me their mother? Well, yes, but it’s a long story. And throughout the entire series, Robin’s always there. And the viewer always wants Ted to end up with Robin. But Ted tell us from the very first episode that she is not the Mother. So you spend the entire series conflicted. You want Ted to find the Mother, but you also kind of want him to be with Robin. So they kind of set up a situation where you can’t really get what you want. But that’s a part of the fun.

How I Met Your Mother is a heartwarming story of a man looking for love and failing every step of the way. But as we know from the premise of the series, Ted does eventually find what he’s looking for. It’s not exactly what he expected, and it doesn’t go exactly the way he wanted it to, but if How I Met Your Mother teaches us anything, it’s that not getting exactly what you want is OK. It can actually turn out better than you ever dreamed it would. Check out How I Met Your Mother on CBS or Netflix, and be ready for some great stories.

One Step at a Time

When I first started the thesis-writing process, I was terrified. I had no idea how I was going to write a 30-page paper on a single topic. I didn’t even know where to start. To be honest, I really didn’t want to do it. I was overwhelmed by the massiveness of the project, and I let it intimidate me to the point of paralysis. I psyched myself out and really struggled to get the ball rolling.

But once I did start working on my thesis, it wasn’t so bad. I set up a plan with a timeframe that would allow me to get the paper done in time without overworking myself. I broke the project down into steps: Find a general topic, research it, break my paper into sections, etc. I set short-term goals for myself and let myself rest once I reached my goal for the day. I kept doing that day by day, and eventually, I started to see a paper coming together.

I’m proud to say today that I am completely finished with my undergraduate senior thesis. This morning, I defended my thesis in front of my professors, which is the last step in the thesis process. I’m done! I have a completed work that I can be proud of. Looking back, it really wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be. But I would have never gotten my thesis finished if I hadn’t taken that first step, and then the second, and so on.

In life, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. Each of us has a lot to do, and it often feels like we have more on our plate than we can handle. We live in a society that’s so fast-paced and demanding, and yet they don’t teach us how to deal with all these demands. We’re expected to just figure it out on our own, and that isn’t easy. In fact, it’s very difficult to figure out how to do everything that’s expected of us.

I don’t pretend to have all the answers, but I would like to share what has worked for me in my experience, and what I’ve been taught by people who know a lot more than I do about life. When I’m feeling overwhelmed or like I can’t handle everything that’s expected of me, I always try to keep one thing in mind: I can accomplish what I need to accomplish if I take it one step at a time.

It sounds so simple. Obviously, most things that are worth doing in life can’t be done in just one step. But too many times, I find myself trying to tackle a big problem all at once instead of breaking it down into its parts and working on them individually. When you look at a big project or problem as a whole, it might seem intimidating or even impossible. But if you break it down into its parts and just focus on finishing the next step, it’s much more manageable, and you’ll eventually see the whole thing starting to come together.

When I was a kid, I was taught this saying. It’s a silly saying, but there’s a lot of truth to it, and it’s something that has stuck with me: “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” Don’t get so caught up in the big picture that it paralyzes you. Focus on the small steps that you can take today toward getting the big picture stuff accomplished. Reward yourself when you meet your small goals and remind yourself that you’re working toward something greater. Pretty soon, that something greater is going to emerge.

Thank you guys for reading. I hope this was helpful to you. Next week will be my last week blogging from Hendrix. I’m hoping to do some more planned-out blog posts this summer and maybe even a series or two! So be looking out for that, and remember: Take everything one step at a time.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2

I’m not going to lie. This review isn’t going to be easy to write. I saw The Amazing Spider-Man opening night, and my head is still spinning. This review is going to be as much for me as it is for you. I’m going to use it as a way to sort out my feelings about the movie. Maybe you can use it to help you decide whether or not you’re going to see it, or whether or not you agree with me if you’ve already seen it. Alright. Let’s talk about The Amazing Spider-Man 2.

Most people were skeptical when Sony decided to reboot the Spider-Man film franchise back in 2012, just five years after Spider-Man 3. But that skepticism was proven unnecessary by the reboot film The Amazing Spider-Man. People went crazy over it. They loved the new Spider-Man and wanted to see more.

In the wake of The Amazing Spider-Man’s success, Sony announced not one, not two, but three sequels. They proceeded to announce plans to expand the Spider-Man film franchise into its own cinematic universe (similar to what Marvel has going with MCU) with new films focusing on Spider-Man villains to fill the gaps between the main Amazing Spider-Man films. Cue the skeptics again. And again, the skeptics are being proven wrong, this time by The Amazing Spider-Man 2. This film not only serves as a great sequel to the first one; it also sets up the universe that Sony is trying to create for Spider-Man, and I think it does a good job.

First of all, let’s talk about the Spider-Man himself, Peter Parker. I think Andrew Garfield is the perfect Peter Parker. I have nothing against Tobey Maguire, but I don’t feel like he captured all the aspects of Parker’s character the way Andrew Garfield does. In The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Spider-Man is very human. He struggles with ethical crises. He searches for his history and for his own identity. He makes some questionable choices. Yes, he’s still quirky and aloof as Peter Parker should be, but he also has a depth that really makes him compelling, and I think that’s why people like the rebooted Spider-Man better than the original.

We also have to talk about Peter and Gwen. The single best thing about this film is the relationship we see between them. The characters have chemistry that just makes you root for them, but they have to deal with complications that are very real and have high-stake consequences. The scenes between Peter and Gwen are awkward and adorable and just plain funny. They’re a couple you can invest in, and that really drives this movie.

Not that there isn’t plenty of cool action. Spider-Man pulls out some new stunts in this movie as he takes on Electro and other foes, and they make for some pretty neat fight sequences. You’ll be on the edge of your seat a couple of times. I think this movie has a good balance between action and plot that doesn’t make it seem too long, but also doesn’t leave the viewer feeling unsatisfied.

This movie also has some really funny moments. A few of the jokes were cheesy, but most of them were hilarious. Peter Parker is really witty in this series, and it shows. No matter what character he gets paired with, he finds a way to crack some jokes. Spider-Man could be preparing to fight his worst enemy to the death, but he would still take the time to make fun of his outfit first. And I love that. It punctuates the action just right and shows that even though Spider-Man is a superhero, he still has some edge.

Some people were afraid that having three villains in one Spider-Man film would end in disaster (Spider-Man 3, anyone?). And even some reviewers now are saying that the film spread itself too thin. I disagree. First of all, one of the villains only appears in the last few minutes as an introduction for his presence in the next one. And the other two villains are introduced well and even work together in a way that makes sense. I think they chose the right villains for this movie, and I don’t think three was too many in this particular instance.

Not that The Amazing Spider-Man 2 was perfect. A couple of characters in this one were a little bit over-the-top. Harry Osborn was very exposition-y, and his transformation from teenage billionaire to demented supervillain seemed a little sudden. But, there’s probably a lot more to him than we know, so we’ll just have to wait and see. Electro looked cool, but his personality made him seem like he belonged more in an 80s comic book film than a modern superhero movie. The whole “crazed fan turned worst enemy” thing seemed a little recycled (maybe because Iron Man 3 just did something similar), but the movie moves past it pretty quickly.

This film gets a lot of things right, and even its flaws are forgivable. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is a great movie. It takes risks, it makes you feel, and it gives us another chance to marvel at how cool Spider-Man is. It also hints at the future of the Spider-Man universe (hint: The Sinister Six) without distracting away from the main plot of the movie. I think this film is a winner, and I think the box office results are going to reflect that. Check out The Amazing Spider-Man 2, and get excited for all the Spider-Man goodness to come!