Lost: Signs of Life – Frank Thompson

Rating: 4/5

Lost References:

Again, this book took place during the first season of Lost, though it didn’t include the crash like the others did. This one includes the motifs of art, dreams/visions, and ghosts.

Thoughts:

I liked that it actually added to the Island mysteries, as opposed to Endangered Species, which was basically about a jungle adventure. I liked that, unlike the other two books, it actually incorporated the show characters into the actual plot instead of using them as props to frame the scene and convince us we were in Lost. However, it does miss out on the use of original secondary characters on the Island, which Hapka’s works at least tried to do. Besides that, it annoyed me that Jeff spent half his flashback time sleeping around, which I consider especially wasted space because he’s otherwise the most developed and realistic of the three books’ main characters. The most obvious flaw in the book, though, is its serious need for editing. There were many technical errors, like referring Jeff as Jack within the book and Nick on the back cover blurb, of all places. There were times when the author did things like suddenly jump between character perspectives or break from the Island-flashback-Island chapter structure. Then there was the ending. Just like the Return of the King movie, this book suffered from several false endings after the climax. All in all, this book had more promise than the other two character-wise and plot-wise, but it comes across as a very unfinished product.

Macbeth – William Shakespeare

Rating: 4/5

Lost References:

Question 36 of Locke’s Swan crossword is “Macbeth’s place.” He answers “Iona.” This confused me when I saw it, because I assumed his place was Elsinore (the castle named in the play). Locke’s answer could still be correct, I learned through some research, since Mac Bethad mac Findlaích, king of Scotland, is buried there and Shakespeare’s Macbeth was inspired by him.

Thoughts:

It’s near Halloween, so it’s time for a good ghost story, and this is one of the great ones, filled with ambition, revenge, witches, and plenty of blood and death. It may bother some people, as it does me, that both main characters are killed offstage, but there are reasons for this. For Macbeth’s death, at least, we have to accept the limitations of the stage. He’s beheaded, after all, and this would be technically difficult to carry out. And the play has enough going for it to overlook this point (and the bit where Shakespeare sucks up to King James by implying that he’s descended from Banquo). Macbeth’s as thoughtful as Shakespeare gets but short enough to hold even a modern audience’s attention (it’s his shortest tragedy). And enough of that time is taken up with fighting and with the supernatural that most people should be satisfied. I know I am.

Fans of the mysterious will also love this play because it carries its own superstitions. Never mention the name “Macbeth” inside a theater, unless you want a load of folks mad at you. Supposedly, it brings bad luck and accidents. (Try saying “the Scottish play” or another indirect reference instead.) So, HAPPY HALLOWEEN, And a parting quotation:

Double, double toil and trouble;

Fire burn, and cauldron bubble.

A Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens

Rating: 4/5

Lost References:

Sawyer, knocking on the (past) hatch door, announces himself as the Ghost of Christmas Future. Later he calls the Man in Black the Ghost of Christmas Past. Both the book and later seasons of Lost rely on time travel. And of course, there are the ghosts.

Thoughts:

Anyone who’s seen any Christmas Carol play, movie, or musical has heard most of the memorable lines, which are usually mined straight from the book. Your average movie-goer will probably have seen more than one version to compare. And yet, you’d be surprised how many clever sentences are left to read. Personally, I even loved rereading the bits I’ve heard a million times. It’s probably (mostly) nostalgia, but I found it a cozy read.