Welcome!
Good day to all who visit this webpage! I am Simon O'Donnell, researcher of magic in my past life and student of the arts in this one. Here you will find a great many things which I find interesting, as well as a log of books I have recently read and a record of various items I have created. Much of this is for my own personal use, but one may receive an introduction of me through what I share here.
In addition: I like to use more archaic syntax, though not in conversation nor professional writing. This will mainly be relevant on this page and few others.
Books I've Read
The Magic Fish (Trung Le Nguyen, 2020)
- Last read: 3 April, 2026
- Personal review: I adored not only the art style in this graphic novel, but also the narrative style, and how the two intertwine. The present is always told in red, the past in yellow and the stories in blue, which aids the somewhat omniscient perspective of the story without saying a word (for example, in the beginning when Alera's story triggers a flashback in Hien.) When this monochromatic scheme breaks, with panels incorporating bits of orange as well, it ties together all three "realms" within each fairy tale. The use of visual foreshadowing is also well done and kept me reading like cliffhangers at the ends of chapters. The fashion and the way the clothes are drawn personally captured me—if only I had more knowledge about Vietnamese culture, then perhaps I could better understand the choices for several of the fairy tale garments, outside of what the author provided at the end, of course.
One of the most magical things about storytelling is an author's ability to connect their readers, listeners, viewers, &c. from all walks of life with their characters, which, in my opinion, The Magic Fish does excellently. I never had an experience like either protagonists—my family has been in this country for at least three generations, all speaking English, and I was fortunate enough not to fear coming out to my parents as I knew they were allies before I knew I was queer—but I still resonated with both Hien and Tien. I felt their struggles, Hien's sorrow, Tien's anxiety, and I understood the way they each saw the different stories they read together, relating them to their own lives, especially Hien.
Overall, I really loved this comic. I think my artist's eye is more drawn to the visual elements here, but that is not to discredit the narrative at all!
Dracula (Bram Stoker, 1897)
- Last read: T28 June, 2026
- Personal review: Admittedly, this review is of a book that I read sporadically over the last three months, so it won't be as in-depth as the previous one. Nonetheless, I very much enjoyed Dracula! It might be my current favourite book.
I was unsure how much I would like the style at first, but I found I enjoyed reading the journals of each of the characters; it offered a more complex experience whilst also keeping me immersed. I think my favourite character might be Mina Harker, though I also quite liked Dr. Seward. Unfortunately, due to the time it took me to finish the book with how busy I have been, it's hard for me to cite specific reasons as to why I was drawn to the both of them, just that I was. I will say, for Mina, I was pleasantly surprised by how well she was written (for the time, of course.) Perhaps I am somewhat poisoned by the biases of my century regarding the works of prior eras, but I was not expecting her to have such an important role in the story, nor to be as brave and self-defined of a character as she was! Granted, a lot of her actions were overshadowed by those of the men—her writing is, of course, not perfect—but I felt she was so much more than just "Johnathan's wife" or "the girl that all the guys like," even if the men themselves may have seen her that way.
I also liked seeing the differences in what could be considered the pop-culture image of Dracula versus its source. I fear that, nowadays, the things that made Dracula a disturbing figure have been watered down. He is no longer some ancient, uncanny man-beast who feasts on human blood to sustain his life, appearing younger after a feeding, and corrupts the souls of God-fearing women to aid his gluttonous plans, but rather some sleek-haired middle-aged man who drinks blood either because "it's scary" or "it's sexy." I like the original Count Dracula significantly more than the Halloween costume version we've become so used to in the modern day. He's far more interesting of a character.
I plan to at some point conduct a proper re-read of the book, both to refresh myself on a lot of its details and to see if there is anything I missed on a first go. Perhaps then, I can write a more in-depth review.
Pride and Prejudice (Jane Asuten, 1813)
- Last read: TBA
- Personal review: TBA