The Road by Cormac McCarthy
WOW. This book is about a man and a young boy traveling in the United State sometime in the future after some great apocalypse. You follow along these two characters as they travel down the Road. Information is given to you slowly to help you figure out what has happened. It is all given basically from the point of view of the two main characters. As if the reader is an invisible observer that they never acknowledge, but is always there. These two men, whom you soon enough learn are father and son, are on a path of survival. They continue heading south through ash covered landscape to make it to warmer lands so they can live through the coming winter. The sky and sun blotted out by ash. No food and a gun with few bullets is all they have.
McCarthy strips down the novel to its absolute bare minimum. No unused wordiness, only what is absolutely necessary to tell the story. This book is truly a masterwork. McCarthy finds some of the elements of human nature, love, survival and endurance and simply draws you into their lives. Each page draws you further in and farther along. The entire book seems to have this overhanging doom. As if you the reader are a ghost haunting them on their journey. You hope they will make it to a place of refuge, but it seems as if they never will.
I cannot recommend the book high enough. There is no doubt that will prove to be an American Classic. On my scale from 1-13 I solidly put this at 13. This book will be a book that could be read again and again and its simple elegance will make it as enjoyable as the first time. I plan on keeping a running review of the books I have read. Starting with this and continuing with books I finish in the future. I will post them as blogs. Since I don't use the blogs really for anything else, I suggest, if you are interested in some books or just want to know what I am up to you can subscribe. I promise no advetising to my naked webcam or penis enlargement pills. Unless it's a good book about it!
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon
The book begins in Pre- World War II New York. Jospeh Kavalier and cousin Sammy Clayman (Clay) are brought together after Joe escaped the oppression of the Third Riech in Prague. It explains how, as a child, Joesph had an interest in the careers of escapists such as Houdini. He is then trained by one of the greatest of his time, Kornblum. Eventally getting a visa to the United States using the fact that he was originally born in Poland on a family vacation. The boys get involved in the comic book profession and invent a character named The Escapist. Eventually, this leads to them meeting the loves of their lives and how that comes to affect their lives in a strange love pentagon.
The thing about this book is that you become vested into the lives of the charecters. You are with them from when the boys are just coming of age, until they are well on in years. You feel like a friend that is reading about someone that was close that you have lost contact with. This element gave the book a biographical flavor which was very enjoyable. (Going so far as to have notes at the bottom of pages.) In fact, the entire book gave a feeling of realism. There was just a touch of the mystical. Just as real life will occasionally give you a touch of the unbelievable, so does this book..
Intermittently, a chapter would come up that would seem totally unrelated to the story, or a side tangent that didn't seem to be connected to the main story line. Chabon uses the this method to add substance to the story and even add whole new elements. I found this to be one of the more enjoyable parts of the book. Whenever I came to one of these chapters I was excited to find out what was going to happen and was usually surprised where it ended up.
I have been lucky to have been reading a multitude of great books. I would put this as one of the best books I have read lately. After having finished it I miss being a part of the world I was in. One of the things I really enjoy about reading is occasianlly finding that paragraph or sentence that strikes you in a way that leaves you feeling good. A sense of wording or comparison that sits well with you. This book repeatedly does this. I would definitly recommend this to anyone interested.
I plan a grading on a scale from 1-13. This is a normal 1-10 scale with the extra three for great books.
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay I would rate at an 11. This books goes above and beyond what most books are and I would consider it one of the best books written in the past ten years.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Lot of old book posts from Myspace blog
-Invisible Monsters by Chuck Palahniuk.
Pages: 297
Recently, when on vacation I was looking for a quick read after realizing that the book I had brought, Pastures of Heaven by John Steinbeck, had already been read…by me. (Great book check it out…can't go wrong with Steinbeck…well, I didn't like Burning Bright.) I stopped at a bookstore and picked up Invisible Monsters. I find it is difficult to read too many Palahniuk books in a row. All of his characters are insane and he gets so involved in their thinking processes it is hard to not get sucked into their way of thinking, this can lead to a truly surreal experience. I imagine dropping too much acid too many days in a row will be the equivalent of reading 4 Palahniuk books in a row.
Invisible Monsters doesn't have a normal time flow. Jump to the end of the story. Jump to the middle of the story. Jump to an unrelated story. Jump to childhood. Jump to the end of the story(again). Jump to your first Dr. Seuss book. Jump to the middle-end-beginning where you find everyone is totally off their rocker including yourself and Chuck as well. It involves an accident victim that has had her jaw blown off. Jump to her as a fashion model. Jump to her in grocery store where no one will look at her. Everyone is just turning away as she looks at them. Jump to her stealing things since she won't get caught. Jump to the child saying "Look mommy that Monster is stealing food."
Palahniuk always writes books that are engaging and very different. I don't think there are too many "popular" authors out there willing to write about the subjects he thrives on. This book delves into the minds of people unhappy with who they are and what they do to make that change. Each character is interesting and deep.
To appreciate Palahniuk's books you need to enjoy his style. They can be overbearing and if that bothers you; you won't like his books. I feel this is one of his better works and definitely worth reading if you are a fan.
From now I will be giving a little more in depth rating on the books. I will be grading on three different points. Each will be worth 4 points and an extra bonus books fro great books for a total of 13. Readability will grade how easy the books are to read. Dr. Seuss is going to rate pretty high here. (Except Fox in Socks, That book is hard.) Long Term impact will be how I feel these books will stand in the years to come. (Steinbeck will rate high here) Engagement will judge how intrigued I was with reading the book. Sometimes a book will be great, but it is hard to stay with it.
Chuck Palahniuk
Invisible Monsters
2 Readability
2 Long Term Impact
4 Engagement (After consideration this was raised a point)
The Sparrow by Mary Doria.Russell
Pages: 432
In the early part of the 21st century radio signals from another solar system beams music that scientists pick up proving once and for all the we are not alone in this universe. The governments of the world take there time deciding what to about it. Emilio Sandoz a Jesuit Priest and a group of scientists and other priests are quickly set up and sent unknown by the rest of the world on a trip to make first contact with sentient beings from another world.
The book starts after the mission has failed and Sandoz, the only survivor, is back on Earth with maimed hands and a destroyed spirit. The chapters jump back and forth from the time of the discovery to the aftermath of the failed mission. Each time you are in the "present" you get a few clues explain what happened. And when you are in the "past" you find out more about the people and the relationships that are formed.
Reading this book gives you the feeling of many science fiction books. It delves into the wonders of the universe and what it takes for people to explore it. As the book continues you get more involved emotionally with the characters and how there lives are changed because of this mission. You find yourself feeling connected to characters and there problems emotionally and physically affect you as well. Each character, from the Jesuit priests to the scientific atheist, all are forced to redefine their relationship with God in the light of the new experiences.
I was truly surprised with The Sparrow. It drew me in and wouldn't let go until I had read the entire book. I stayed up night after night reading as much as I could.
4 Readability
3 Long Term Impact
4 Engagement
A total of 11 for Russell's first book. I look forward to continuing the adventure in the sequel, Children of God. Almost anyone would find this book appealing in some way.
Shalimar the Clown by Salman Rushdie.
Yet another great book by Rushdie. As stated before I find Rushdie to be a great author and I have never been disappointed with his books, so take that into account with this review.
Be warned although I don't like to give away a lot of book in a review some of the following will gives hints of what happens. I will not reveal any of the really important parts.
This book tells of the life of Shalimar the Clown. His childhood, his youth, middle age and beyond all described. Not only is his life splayed across these pages so are the lives of all the people surrounding his life. The people around him and his family, at his birth. The color characters that fill his small village as he grows up. Eventually the story takes a turn after Shalimar is married. His wife leaves to get ahead in life and finds herself giving up what she had to get that which she didn't really want. This sends Shalimar down a different path. He get involved in militant Muslim uprising and becomes a killer. As his wife's life degenerates into a life of sloth and gluttony; Shalimar's life becomes a life of vice and death. Each losing the life they had for something less than that.
I found the book interesting in that you would get to know a character. Then as you met people in that person's life they would fade into the background as you focused on the new character. Eventually the lives of the people would start to get intertwined and the plot of the story would thicken. A stew of stories mixed together in a pot. Each person's life adding a different spice to make a wonderful literary meal.
Rushdie's world of magical realism is richer with the addition of this book. His life like characters, his mastery of language and engaging stories make for another fantastic book. It is hard not to give this living legend a perfect score.
4 Readability
4 Long Term Impact
3 Engagement
1 Bonus Point
A total of 12 for one of the greatest living authors. I imagine some would disagree, but there are only so many great works of literature and Rushdie has added to that list.
Snuff by Chuck Palahniuk
It is hard to describe this book. The book is about the largest gangbang ever. An aging porn queen, Cassie, is attempting to have sex with 600 men in one session. Now reading that might turn a lot of readers away from the book. That is probably why Chuck picked this as a subject. The thing is a huge gangbang isn't what it is really about. It is about the characters that are waiting in line for their turn. It is more about what happened in their lives to bring them to this point. I would say there are about 5 main characters. Sheila who is in charge of the movie, Mr. 72 who thinks he is the porn queen's son, the original man who got Cassie into porn in the first place Mr. 600, a fallen from grace TV star, and of course the star herself.
I have read a number of Palahniuk's book now and there are some similarities between the ones I have read. Usually some gross subject and an attention to detail that is encyclopedic in nature. Something such as cyanide gets describe in the book almost as if it was taken from an entry from Britannica. I find this usually leads to a hyper kind of reading. I'm not saying that to be critical, if anything it is something that makes his work unique. In this book he uses a style that makes each chapter a different character's point of view. This gives insight into the characters and gives them a truly personally feel. In fact I think this is the best aspect of the book.
Palahniuk has a huge cult following and if you are a fan you should defiantly pick it up. If you find pornography offensive or think a descriptive book in that genre would be, then I suggest you skip this one. If you are looking for something far from the beaten path of books or are looking for something new give this book a try. I give it a 7.The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama
Obama's book is part autobiography part study of American values. Each chapter focuses on American Ideals that we hold dear. Values, Opportunity, and Family are a just a few of the topics he talks about.
Obviously, this book has a little more impact then just any book that I have reviewed. Senator Obama has a good chance of becoming the most powerful man in the world. I started reading this before he was the Democratic Nominee for president, but have supported him from the beginning of his campaign. I feel this book gives true insight into the man trying to lead our country. One thing I find comforting is his focus on what America has in common with itself. It seems like Republicans and Democrats are always touting what is different between them; how conservatives are this way and liberals are this way. Barack talks about the ways that we are the same. All of us want certain things, security, health, and steady income. When it comes to things that may conflict with others views he explains why he feels a certain way about it.
A media that has to have constant conflict to keep up ratings dominates our political landscape. Liberals argue that the media is biased towards conservatives. Conservatives say we have a Liberal Media. I think we can all agree when you watch the evening news you never get the whole story. Reading the books of our presidential candidates gives a more in depth view of what is really going on in the heads of our potential leaders.
So far as enjoyable reading this isn't the greatest book. I feel that wasn't the point. Barack Obama is trying to show people how he really feels and give a guideline as to what direction he will take as a our new president. I should point out this book was released in 2006 and I wasn't until late 2006 that he decided to run for president. I imagine that it was going through his mind as he wrote the book though. As a book to read I would rate it about a 7, sometimes he gets bogged down in wordy idealist writing that could come across a bit smoother. Considering its importance in our current political situation I feel everyone should read it so I would rate it a 9.
Anyone have McCain's Book? I would like to give a fair comparison.
I'm not going to hide it though!
OBAMA '08
OBAMA '08
OBAMA '08
Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hossein
Normally I don't review two books together, but I read these one after the other and since they stand on common ground I thought it was appropriate.
Three Cups of Tea is autobiography of Greg Mortenson. After a failed attempt at K2 he gets lost coming off the mountain and finds himself in a small village. The extremely poverty stricken people give all that they have to this strange foreigner. Mortenson soon decides to make up their kindness by building a school for the local children, because they have none. Little does he know that his entire life would change and he would dedicate his life to schools and poor people in need.
The Kite Runner is a work of fiction that reads like and autobiography. It is a story of redemption. The main character, Amir, as a young man witnesses the rape of a childhood friend/servant and because of his embarrassment, at himself for not helping, eventually has his "friend" removed from his house. The rest of the book focuses on his life and what he does to make up for the things that have troubled him from his childhood.
These books are similar on many levels. Both are set in Pakistan/Afghanistan and both show the rise of the Taliban and the after effects and how the U.S. attacks on Afghanistan have made things much worse for all involved. Three Cups of Tea shows how one man with determination is fighting the problems with peaceful actions like building schools and helping those misplaced by the wars. It gives a real sense of how American's can be viewed in a good light if only we made actions worthy of revering. The Kite Runner is a more personal story. It gives a clear view of Afghanistan before the war and the terrible effects of what has happened since.
Of course they are not the same book. Greg is a person to be looked up and who put his life and family at risk to do the right thing for people he doesn't know. He found his life's calling and dedicated himself to it. Amir on the other hand is a privileged person who does nothing to stand up for himself or those he cares about. Only after a long life does he realize he needs to make up for the mistakes of his childhood.
I think both books are worth reading. They are especially important to American readers so we can see how we have affected the world and what we can do to make it a better place. I feel Three Cups of Tea is especially important. If we were to take the Trillions we had spent on killing and put it towards Greg Mortenson's goals the entire world would be a better place and much closer to peace. I give Three Cups of Tea an 11. It is an interesting and timely read about a great man. The Kite Runner wasn't as impressive. I found the author use of circular writing to be interested and appreciated the story, but I found it hard to care a lot about the main character and that did detract from the book. I think its main interest is its relevance to our times. I will rate it an 8.
Happy Reading!
I grade on a scale from 1-13. This is a normal 1-10 scale with the extra three for great booksHaroun and the Sea of Stories by Salman Rushdie
Rushdie has written a fairy tale filled with fun and adventure. It is interesting especially when compared to Rushdie's other works, but not all surprising. Typically his works have an element of fantasy. This book takes it to the extreme. Haroun the young man and hero of the book has a story telling father. His father, tragically, has lost the ability to tell stories any more. Haroun wakes one night to find a genie in his father's bathroom taking out the story water supply. After stealing the genie's wrench Haroun is soon taken on a fantastic trip into space and eventually to the source of all tales ever told, the Sea of Stories . There he is drawn into a plot to save the world from a future filled with sadness and no stories.
I found this book very entertaining. I was pleased as an adult, but the book could be read as a bedtime story for a child. (Over many nights of course) The use of words within the book is very unique. From characters that talk like a walking thesaurus to fish that only speak in rhyme;Rushdie makes the English language as fun to read as the story itself.
I admit that I am a huge fan of Rushdie and have always enjoyed his books. I think he is one of the greatest living authors and therefore my opinion of his books are somewhat biased. Nonetheless, if you are looking for a fun, quick, if a little predictable book this makes a great choice. If you have young children I would say this is a must.
On a scale from 1-13 I would give this a ten. I really think this should be a classic story read by children the world over. Because of Rushdie's somewhat tarnished reputation I doubt this will ever reach that level of popularity; much to the world's misfortune.
The Naked and the Dead by Norman Mailer
The book is set in the Pacific side of WWII. The main focus of the book is on one platoon. The platoon is part of a 6,000-man force poised to take the Japanese-held island in order to clear the way for a larger American advance into the Philippines . You soon find yourself in the heads of the different characters and lost in the war that happened years before you were born.
The chapters begin with a description of one of the characters and then give you the story from his point of view. You start out with a group of men playing poker the night before the main attack on the island. You travel with them as they take the beach and head inland. Eventually, following them on an information gathering mission. I found that the book wasn't so much about the story by purely character driven. You go through each man finding out about there past, what made them who they are. You'll see a character from one person's point of view and later see it for his own.
I was surprised to find that my favorite character was the general of the army. His thought process was on a deep level that I hadn't seen in other books about military and war. Getting a look at the ideas going on in the upper reaches of the Army was something I hadn't ever thought about.
Mailer puts this book out as a work of fiction. Certainly, these exact people didn't do these exact things. But no matter it is a work of Realism. You become so involved into the lives of the men and it be comes impossible to not see them as real people. One thing that stuck me as different was it wasn't about what you would expect. It's not all explosions, gun fights, and death. It is a true account of what the men go through. The book takes you from floating on the cool ocean to digging latrines and building roads to sitting through the night on watch.
Interestingly enough Mailer claims this is one of his weaker works. Yet it is one of the most intense and in depth works about men in war I have ever read. 50 years after it's writing it stands as a classic, and rightfully so.
On my scale from 1-13 I give it an 11. Anyone with even a passing interest in what men live through in the horrors of war should read it.Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
This book presents itself as a story about a young man, Chris McCandless, who travels about North America on a journey of the soul. I found it is more of a journalistic report of what happened. It is labeled as a travel essay. Krakauer, admittedly more of a journalist than a novelist, searches for Chris' backtrack and retells his story through journals, letters and interviews with people who met McCandless on his travels. You find out at the very beginning of the book that he doesn't make it. A group of hunters/hikers find his rotting corpse in the hull of a deserted bus in the Alaskan wilderness. It follows his travels from a privileged upper class family in the east back and forth across the country into Mexico and eventually into Alaska. It seems interesting in that each place he goes he has a definite impact on the people he meets. Each interviewed person seems to think that Chris was a very special person.
I walk the fence on this book. I find the idea of just leaving everything and traveling around appealing. In fact, I have done it, just not to the extent that he does. The open road and wilderness and not having to answer to anyone appeals to most young American men, I imagine. I just don't seem to like the Chris as he is presented. He seems pretentious and overconfident of himself. He starts out by leaving and never letting his family know where he is. Leaving loved ones worried about your safety is unacceptable in my opinion. He then tries all of these half-thought out dangerous trips through rigorous terrain. On multiple occasions he seems to get himself back out alive, but only barely. It really seems like he was looking to die in the wilderness and it was only a matter of time before it happened. I was expecting a story about a possible hero to whom something went terribly wrong. Instead I got a biography of a troubled young man that seemed to care for few or himself.
I found the book somewhat entertaining. I can't really say I would suggest it to everyone. If you find the idea of leaving everything behind and just going off interesting I think you would find the book worth reading. If you don't think you would be interested then don't bother. I give it a 6 out of 13.
This is a non-fiction book about the environment. The premise is that by some means, either the second coming or a human specific disease, the entire human race is gone. No one is here to run the machines, pumps, nuclear devices that keep things running smoothly. All the cars in the world stop moving and stop pumping out carbon emissions.
In each chapter you are taken to a different part of the world to see what would happen. It starts in New York City and you soon find out that all that needs to happen is a decent rainfall and NYC would start falling apart. The whole city is built on marshy land and riddled with underground holes for pipelines and subways. All these are kept empty by massive pumps under the city. Once humans were gone the place would fill up with water and start eroding the understructure of the city.
In other chapters you go to mostly untouched areas of nature. One of these is an old growth forest in Poland that was always off limits to people because it was a king's domain. Eventually it became a sanctuary and is one of the only places in the entire world that hasn't been changed by human activity. Here you get an example of what the world could be like if we weren't here.
The author takes us to places that were once occupied by humans, but because of wars or other catastrophes are no longer inhabited. This shows us what would happen to a city after being deserted for a long time.
This book really gave me a feeling that as humans we have really done some damage. Do you realize that in the middle of the Pacific Ocean there is a floating pile of garbage (mostly plastic) three times the size of Texas ? I know that we have done irreversible damage to this planet, but this book puts it in terms that can't be ignored. As a book I found it captivating and felt a need to always keep reading. It is current and a very appropriate message for our times. I do feel that every American needs to read it to get a clue about what every single person does to add to the destruction of our planet. That said the book won't be able to stand the test of time because its message and need is in the present.
On my scale of 1-13 I rate it at an 8. (See I can rate under 10.) This is mostly because the highest ratings are only for books I think could be read a hundred years for now and have just as much impact. At that time this book will be more of a history book. Hopefully, we will have gotten our act together and books like this will get us to make the right choices.
Please read this book!
The Shadow of the Wind (Spanish: La sombra del viento) is a 2001 novel by Spanish writer Carlos Ruiz Zafón,
The novel is set in Barcelona right after the cival war. Daniel, the protagonist, and his father go to the secret Cemetery of Forgotten Books, a huge library of old, forgotten titles lovingly preserved by a select few initiates. According to tradition, everyone initiated to this secret place is allowed to take one book from it, and must protect it for life. Daniel selects a book called The Shadow of the Wind by Julián Carax. Daniel becomes engrossed in the book and soon into the life of the author. He starts to search for the other books written by the author only to find that it is next to impossible. Daniel adventures soon run him into a mysterious figure that confronts and threatens Daniel. He claims to be Lain Coubert, a character from one of Carax’s books, who in the book is the devil. Paraphrased from Wikipedia
The story presents itself as a mystery, which at it’s heart is is. The parallels between Daniel’s and Julian’s life continue to draws you into this exciting book. As Daniel digs deeper trying to find answers to long unsolved questions he seems to just find more quesitons. As the mysery seems to get more confused so does Daniel’s personal life.
Zafon evokes the environment in a way that make you live in the book. You feel the heavy streets of old stone buildings, the dust filled chambers as you enter old mansions, the pounding of the rain as Daniel runs through the streets, you feel the fear that grips him as he goes down a long black flight of stairs. For the most part things are written in a straight forward manor that, filled with detail, makes you become lost in the streets of Barcelona.
The tale twists and turns like few do. Written with intense passion each character is fleshed out to the point that you feel that you have met them. From the main character to a minor one used to introduce more information you meet a "real" person. Just when you think you have figured out what is happening you turn the corner to find that you were wrong; only later to find you were right the first time.
I grade books on a 1-13 scale. 1-10 for normal book the extra three for the greats All of my books up to this point have been above 10. I imagine that readers probably think I am grading to high. I feel really lucky in the books I have been reading lately. I haven’t read a mediocre book in a while. Again I go above the scale and rate this 11. I feel this book can be a classic and in it’s native spanish I believe many already feel it is.
Pages: 297
Recently, when on vacation I was looking for a quick read after realizing that the book I had brought, Pastures of Heaven by John Steinbeck, had already been read…by me. (Great book check it out…can't go wrong with Steinbeck…well, I didn't like Burning Bright.) I stopped at a bookstore and picked up Invisible Monsters. I find it is difficult to read too many Palahniuk books in a row. All of his characters are insane and he gets so involved in their thinking processes it is hard to not get sucked into their way of thinking, this can lead to a truly surreal experience. I imagine dropping too much acid too many days in a row will be the equivalent of reading 4 Palahniuk books in a row.
Invisible Monsters doesn't have a normal time flow. Jump to the end of the story. Jump to the middle of the story. Jump to an unrelated story. Jump to childhood. Jump to the end of the story(again). Jump to your first Dr. Seuss book. Jump to the middle-end-beginning where you find everyone is totally off their rocker including yourself and Chuck as well. It involves an accident victim that has had her jaw blown off. Jump to her as a fashion model. Jump to her in grocery store where no one will look at her. Everyone is just turning away as she looks at them. Jump to her stealing things since she won't get caught. Jump to the child saying "Look mommy that Monster is stealing food."
Palahniuk always writes books that are engaging and very different. I don't think there are too many "popular" authors out there willing to write about the subjects he thrives on. This book delves into the minds of people unhappy with who they are and what they do to make that change. Each character is interesting and deep.
To appreciate Palahniuk's books you need to enjoy his style. They can be overbearing and if that bothers you; you won't like his books. I feel this is one of his better works and definitely worth reading if you are a fan.
From now I will be giving a little more in depth rating on the books. I will be grading on three different points. Each will be worth 4 points and an extra bonus books fro great books for a total of 13. Readability will grade how easy the books are to read. Dr. Seuss is going to rate pretty high here. (Except Fox in Socks, That book is hard.) Long Term impact will be how I feel these books will stand in the years to come. (Steinbeck will rate high here) Engagement will judge how intrigued I was with reading the book. Sometimes a book will be great, but it is hard to stay with it.
Chuck Palahniuk
Invisible Monsters
2 Readability
2 Long Term Impact
4 Engagement (After consideration this was raised a point)
The Sparrow by Mary Doria.Russell
Pages: 432
In the early part of the 21st century radio signals from another solar system beams music that scientists pick up proving once and for all the we are not alone in this universe. The governments of the world take there time deciding what to about it. Emilio Sandoz a Jesuit Priest and a group of scientists and other priests are quickly set up and sent unknown by the rest of the world on a trip to make first contact with sentient beings from another world.
The book starts after the mission has failed and Sandoz, the only survivor, is back on Earth with maimed hands and a destroyed spirit. The chapters jump back and forth from the time of the discovery to the aftermath of the failed mission. Each time you are in the "present" you get a few clues explain what happened. And when you are in the "past" you find out more about the people and the relationships that are formed.
Reading this book gives you the feeling of many science fiction books. It delves into the wonders of the universe and what it takes for people to explore it. As the book continues you get more involved emotionally with the characters and how there lives are changed because of this mission. You find yourself feeling connected to characters and there problems emotionally and physically affect you as well. Each character, from the Jesuit priests to the scientific atheist, all are forced to redefine their relationship with God in the light of the new experiences.
I was truly surprised with The Sparrow. It drew me in and wouldn't let go until I had read the entire book. I stayed up night after night reading as much as I could.
4 Readability
3 Long Term Impact
4 Engagement
A total of 11 for Russell's first book. I look forward to continuing the adventure in the sequel, Children of God. Almost anyone would find this book appealing in some way.
Shalimar the Clown by Salman Rushdie.
Yet another great book by Rushdie. As stated before I find Rushdie to be a great author and I have never been disappointed with his books, so take that into account with this review.
Be warned although I don't like to give away a lot of book in a review some of the following will gives hints of what happens. I will not reveal any of the really important parts.
This book tells of the life of Shalimar the Clown. His childhood, his youth, middle age and beyond all described. Not only is his life splayed across these pages so are the lives of all the people surrounding his life. The people around him and his family, at his birth. The color characters that fill his small village as he grows up. Eventually the story takes a turn after Shalimar is married. His wife leaves to get ahead in life and finds herself giving up what she had to get that which she didn't really want. This sends Shalimar down a different path. He get involved in militant Muslim uprising and becomes a killer. As his wife's life degenerates into a life of sloth and gluttony; Shalimar's life becomes a life of vice and death. Each losing the life they had for something less than that.
I found the book interesting in that you would get to know a character. Then as you met people in that person's life they would fade into the background as you focused on the new character. Eventually the lives of the people would start to get intertwined and the plot of the story would thicken. A stew of stories mixed together in a pot. Each person's life adding a different spice to make a wonderful literary meal.
Rushdie's world of magical realism is richer with the addition of this book. His life like characters, his mastery of language and engaging stories make for another fantastic book. It is hard not to give this living legend a perfect score.
4 Readability
4 Long Term Impact
3 Engagement
1 Bonus Point
A total of 12 for one of the greatest living authors. I imagine some would disagree, but there are only so many great works of literature and Rushdie has added to that list.
Snuff by Chuck Palahniuk
It is hard to describe this book. The book is about the largest gangbang ever. An aging porn queen, Cassie, is attempting to have sex with 600 men in one session. Now reading that might turn a lot of readers away from the book. That is probably why Chuck picked this as a subject. The thing is a huge gangbang isn't what it is really about. It is about the characters that are waiting in line for their turn. It is more about what happened in their lives to bring them to this point. I would say there are about 5 main characters. Sheila who is in charge of the movie, Mr. 72 who thinks he is the porn queen's son, the original man who got Cassie into porn in the first place Mr. 600, a fallen from grace TV star, and of course the star herself.
I have read a number of Palahniuk's book now and there are some similarities between the ones I have read. Usually some gross subject and an attention to detail that is encyclopedic in nature. Something such as cyanide gets describe in the book almost as if it was taken from an entry from Britannica. I find this usually leads to a hyper kind of reading. I'm not saying that to be critical, if anything it is something that makes his work unique. In this book he uses a style that makes each chapter a different character's point of view. This gives insight into the characters and gives them a truly personally feel. In fact I think this is the best aspect of the book.
Palahniuk has a huge cult following and if you are a fan you should defiantly pick it up. If you find pornography offensive or think a descriptive book in that genre would be, then I suggest you skip this one. If you are looking for something far from the beaten path of books or are looking for something new give this book a try. I give it a 7.The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama
Obama's book is part autobiography part study of American values. Each chapter focuses on American Ideals that we hold dear. Values, Opportunity, and Family are a just a few of the topics he talks about.
Obviously, this book has a little more impact then just any book that I have reviewed. Senator Obama has a good chance of becoming the most powerful man in the world. I started reading this before he was the Democratic Nominee for president, but have supported him from the beginning of his campaign. I feel this book gives true insight into the man trying to lead our country. One thing I find comforting is his focus on what America has in common with itself. It seems like Republicans and Democrats are always touting what is different between them; how conservatives are this way and liberals are this way. Barack talks about the ways that we are the same. All of us want certain things, security, health, and steady income. When it comes to things that may conflict with others views he explains why he feels a certain way about it.
A media that has to have constant conflict to keep up ratings dominates our political landscape. Liberals argue that the media is biased towards conservatives. Conservatives say we have a Liberal Media. I think we can all agree when you watch the evening news you never get the whole story. Reading the books of our presidential candidates gives a more in depth view of what is really going on in the heads of our potential leaders.
So far as enjoyable reading this isn't the greatest book. I feel that wasn't the point. Barack Obama is trying to show people how he really feels and give a guideline as to what direction he will take as a our new president. I should point out this book was released in 2006 and I wasn't until late 2006 that he decided to run for president. I imagine that it was going through his mind as he wrote the book though. As a book to read I would rate it about a 7, sometimes he gets bogged down in wordy idealist writing that could come across a bit smoother. Considering its importance in our current political situation I feel everyone should read it so I would rate it a 9.
Anyone have McCain's Book? I would like to give a fair comparison.
I'm not going to hide it though!
OBAMA '08
OBAMA '08
OBAMA '08
Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hossein
Normally I don't review two books together, but I read these one after the other and since they stand on common ground I thought it was appropriate.
Three Cups of Tea is autobiography of Greg Mortenson. After a failed attempt at K2 he gets lost coming off the mountain and finds himself in a small village. The extremely poverty stricken people give all that they have to this strange foreigner. Mortenson soon decides to make up their kindness by building a school for the local children, because they have none. Little does he know that his entire life would change and he would dedicate his life to schools and poor people in need.
The Kite Runner is a work of fiction that reads like and autobiography. It is a story of redemption. The main character, Amir, as a young man witnesses the rape of a childhood friend/servant and because of his embarrassment, at himself for not helping, eventually has his "friend" removed from his house. The rest of the book focuses on his life and what he does to make up for the things that have troubled him from his childhood.
These books are similar on many levels. Both are set in Pakistan/Afghanistan and both show the rise of the Taliban and the after effects and how the U.S. attacks on Afghanistan have made things much worse for all involved. Three Cups of Tea shows how one man with determination is fighting the problems with peaceful actions like building schools and helping those misplaced by the wars. It gives a real sense of how American's can be viewed in a good light if only we made actions worthy of revering. The Kite Runner is a more personal story. It gives a clear view of Afghanistan before the war and the terrible effects of what has happened since.
Of course they are not the same book. Greg is a person to be looked up and who put his life and family at risk to do the right thing for people he doesn't know. He found his life's calling and dedicated himself to it. Amir on the other hand is a privileged person who does nothing to stand up for himself or those he cares about. Only after a long life does he realize he needs to make up for the mistakes of his childhood.
I think both books are worth reading. They are especially important to American readers so we can see how we have affected the world and what we can do to make it a better place. I feel Three Cups of Tea is especially important. If we were to take the Trillions we had spent on killing and put it towards Greg Mortenson's goals the entire world would be a better place and much closer to peace. I give Three Cups of Tea an 11. It is an interesting and timely read about a great man. The Kite Runner wasn't as impressive. I found the author use of circular writing to be interested and appreciated the story, but I found it hard to care a lot about the main character and that did detract from the book. I think its main interest is its relevance to our times. I will rate it an 8.
Happy Reading!
I grade on a scale from 1-13. This is a normal 1-10 scale with the extra three for great booksHaroun and the Sea of Stories by Salman Rushdie
Rushdie has written a fairy tale filled with fun and adventure. It is interesting especially when compared to Rushdie's other works, but not all surprising. Typically his works have an element of fantasy. This book takes it to the extreme. Haroun the young man and hero of the book has a story telling father. His father, tragically, has lost the ability to tell stories any more. Haroun wakes one night to find a genie in his father's bathroom taking out the story water supply. After stealing the genie's wrench Haroun is soon taken on a fantastic trip into space and eventually to the source of all tales ever told, the Sea of Stories . There he is drawn into a plot to save the world from a future filled with sadness and no stories.
I found this book very entertaining. I was pleased as an adult, but the book could be read as a bedtime story for a child. (Over many nights of course) The use of words within the book is very unique. From characters that talk like a walking thesaurus to fish that only speak in rhyme;Rushdie makes the English language as fun to read as the story itself.
I admit that I am a huge fan of Rushdie and have always enjoyed his books. I think he is one of the greatest living authors and therefore my opinion of his books are somewhat biased. Nonetheless, if you are looking for a fun, quick, if a little predictable book this makes a great choice. If you have young children I would say this is a must.
On a scale from 1-13 I would give this a ten. I really think this should be a classic story read by children the world over. Because of Rushdie's somewhat tarnished reputation I doubt this will ever reach that level of popularity; much to the world's misfortune.
The Naked and the Dead by Norman Mailer
The book is set in the Pacific side of WWII. The main focus of the book is on one platoon. The platoon is part of a 6,000-man force poised to take the Japanese-held island in order to clear the way for a larger American advance into the Philippines . You soon find yourself in the heads of the different characters and lost in the war that happened years before you were born.
The chapters begin with a description of one of the characters and then give you the story from his point of view. You start out with a group of men playing poker the night before the main attack on the island. You travel with them as they take the beach and head inland. Eventually, following them on an information gathering mission. I found that the book wasn't so much about the story by purely character driven. You go through each man finding out about there past, what made them who they are. You'll see a character from one person's point of view and later see it for his own.
I was surprised to find that my favorite character was the general of the army. His thought process was on a deep level that I hadn't seen in other books about military and war. Getting a look at the ideas going on in the upper reaches of the Army was something I hadn't ever thought about.
Mailer puts this book out as a work of fiction. Certainly, these exact people didn't do these exact things. But no matter it is a work of Realism. You become so involved into the lives of the men and it be comes impossible to not see them as real people. One thing that stuck me as different was it wasn't about what you would expect. It's not all explosions, gun fights, and death. It is a true account of what the men go through. The book takes you from floating on the cool ocean to digging latrines and building roads to sitting through the night on watch.
Interestingly enough Mailer claims this is one of his weaker works. Yet it is one of the most intense and in depth works about men in war I have ever read. 50 years after it's writing it stands as a classic, and rightfully so.
On my scale from 1-13 I give it an 11. Anyone with even a passing interest in what men live through in the horrors of war should read it.Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
This book presents itself as a story about a young man, Chris McCandless, who travels about North America on a journey of the soul. I found it is more of a journalistic report of what happened. It is labeled as a travel essay. Krakauer, admittedly more of a journalist than a novelist, searches for Chris' backtrack and retells his story through journals, letters and interviews with people who met McCandless on his travels. You find out at the very beginning of the book that he doesn't make it. A group of hunters/hikers find his rotting corpse in the hull of a deserted bus in the Alaskan wilderness. It follows his travels from a privileged upper class family in the east back and forth across the country into Mexico and eventually into Alaska. It seems interesting in that each place he goes he has a definite impact on the people he meets. Each interviewed person seems to think that Chris was a very special person.
I walk the fence on this book. I find the idea of just leaving everything and traveling around appealing. In fact, I have done it, just not to the extent that he does. The open road and wilderness and not having to answer to anyone appeals to most young American men, I imagine. I just don't seem to like the Chris as he is presented. He seems pretentious and overconfident of himself. He starts out by leaving and never letting his family know where he is. Leaving loved ones worried about your safety is unacceptable in my opinion. He then tries all of these half-thought out dangerous trips through rigorous terrain. On multiple occasions he seems to get himself back out alive, but only barely. It really seems like he was looking to die in the wilderness and it was only a matter of time before it happened. I was expecting a story about a possible hero to whom something went terribly wrong. Instead I got a biography of a troubled young man that seemed to care for few or himself.
I found the book somewhat entertaining. I can't really say I would suggest it to everyone. If you find the idea of leaving everything behind and just going off interesting I think you would find the book worth reading. If you don't think you would be interested then don't bother. I give it a 6 out of 13.
This is a non-fiction book about the environment. The premise is that by some means, either the second coming or a human specific disease, the entire human race is gone. No one is here to run the machines, pumps, nuclear devices that keep things running smoothly. All the cars in the world stop moving and stop pumping out carbon emissions.
In each chapter you are taken to a different part of the world to see what would happen. It starts in New York City and you soon find out that all that needs to happen is a decent rainfall and NYC would start falling apart. The whole city is built on marshy land and riddled with underground holes for pipelines and subways. All these are kept empty by massive pumps under the city. Once humans were gone the place would fill up with water and start eroding the understructure of the city.
In other chapters you go to mostly untouched areas of nature. One of these is an old growth forest in Poland that was always off limits to people because it was a king's domain. Eventually it became a sanctuary and is one of the only places in the entire world that hasn't been changed by human activity. Here you get an example of what the world could be like if we weren't here.
The author takes us to places that were once occupied by humans, but because of wars or other catastrophes are no longer inhabited. This shows us what would happen to a city after being deserted for a long time.
This book really gave me a feeling that as humans we have really done some damage. Do you realize that in the middle of the Pacific Ocean there is a floating pile of garbage (mostly plastic) three times the size of Texas ? I know that we have done irreversible damage to this planet, but this book puts it in terms that can't be ignored. As a book I found it captivating and felt a need to always keep reading. It is current and a very appropriate message for our times. I do feel that every American needs to read it to get a clue about what every single person does to add to the destruction of our planet. That said the book won't be able to stand the test of time because its message and need is in the present.
On my scale of 1-13 I rate it at an 8. (See I can rate under 10.) This is mostly because the highest ratings are only for books I think could be read a hundred years for now and have just as much impact. At that time this book will be more of a history book. Hopefully, we will have gotten our act together and books like this will get us to make the right choices.
Please read this book!
The Shadow of the Wind (Spanish: La sombra del viento) is a 2001 novel by Spanish writer Carlos Ruiz Zafón,
The novel is set in Barcelona right after the cival war. Daniel, the protagonist, and his father go to the secret Cemetery of Forgotten Books, a huge library of old, forgotten titles lovingly preserved by a select few initiates. According to tradition, everyone initiated to this secret place is allowed to take one book from it, and must protect it for life. Daniel selects a book called The Shadow of the Wind by Julián Carax. Daniel becomes engrossed in the book and soon into the life of the author. He starts to search for the other books written by the author only to find that it is next to impossible. Daniel adventures soon run him into a mysterious figure that confronts and threatens Daniel. He claims to be Lain Coubert, a character from one of Carax’s books, who in the book is the devil. Paraphrased from Wikipedia
The story presents itself as a mystery, which at it’s heart is is. The parallels between Daniel’s and Julian’s life continue to draws you into this exciting book. As Daniel digs deeper trying to find answers to long unsolved questions he seems to just find more quesitons. As the mysery seems to get more confused so does Daniel’s personal life.
Zafon evokes the environment in a way that make you live in the book. You feel the heavy streets of old stone buildings, the dust filled chambers as you enter old mansions, the pounding of the rain as Daniel runs through the streets, you feel the fear that grips him as he goes down a long black flight of stairs. For the most part things are written in a straight forward manor that, filled with detail, makes you become lost in the streets of Barcelona.
The tale twists and turns like few do. Written with intense passion each character is fleshed out to the point that you feel that you have met them. From the main character to a minor one used to introduce more information you meet a "real" person. Just when you think you have figured out what is happening you turn the corner to find that you were wrong; only later to find you were right the first time.
I grade books on a 1-13 scale. 1-10 for normal book the extra three for the greats All of my books up to this point have been above 10. I imagine that readers probably think I am grading to high. I feel really lucky in the books I have been reading lately. I haven’t read a mediocre book in a while. Again I go above the scale and rate this 11. I feel this book can be a classic and in it’s native spanish I believe many already feel it is.
Michelangelo and the Pope’s Ceiling by Ross King
Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling by Ross King
Ross King takes on one of the greatest works of art made by one of the greatest artist's of all time. The book covers Michelangelo's life. Mostly focused on his time working on the Sistine Chapel, but covering other times as well as the work going on around him at the time. It also delves into a lot of the work being done by Raphael in the Pope's Apartments at the same time.
King does a wonderful job of bringing you into the time and feel of Rome in the late 1400's and early 1500's. In 1508 Pope Julius the 2nd commissions Michelangelo to make a fresco on the ceiling of the Sistine's Chapel. This is much to the dismay of the accomplished artist for many reasons. He had been focused on making a masterpiece of a sculpture for the pope that was set to take many years. Although he had some experience in painting it was not what he wanted to work on. Fresco was even more of a troubling medium and Michelangelo was not interested in learning it. At first he avoided it, but eventually "the terrible pope" got what he wanted. Over the next four years Michelangelo would devote much of his time to this grand work.
King intermixes stories, letters and quotes from the time to make the book come alive. Of course it is a work of non-fiction, but the interplay of the characters, the wars and relationships make it read like a work of fiction. As the artist is reluctantly working on the artwork, the pope is waging war across Italy, other artists are vying for attention and plague spreads through Rome. All of these elements make it a fast paced and interesting book.
As an artist my self I have looked at Michelangelo at the greatest artist to capture the human body. I studied his techniques for a number of years and to see what he went though to make this masterpiece was very thrilling. Anyone who finds interest in art would find this an interesting book. If art isn't your thing, the accuracy of the time and what was going on can interest many. I found the beginning of the book to be somewhat slow. There were many issues in getting things started, but once the book gets into the meat of the story it really starts to fly. Its importance in the long term is tremendous. The work was made 500 years ago and stills stands as one of the greatest ever. The book will stand with it.
3 Readability
4 Long-term Impact
3 Engagement
Overall a 10. I could see this not being a great read for some people, but anyone who thinks it would be interesting I am sure would enjoy it.
Keep turning pages!
Ross King takes on one of the greatest works of art made by one of the greatest artist's of all time. The book covers Michelangelo's life. Mostly focused on his time working on the Sistine Chapel, but covering other times as well as the work going on around him at the time. It also delves into a lot of the work being done by Raphael in the Pope's Apartments at the same time.
King does a wonderful job of bringing you into the time and feel of Rome in the late 1400's and early 1500's. In 1508 Pope Julius the 2nd commissions Michelangelo to make a fresco on the ceiling of the Sistine's Chapel. This is much to the dismay of the accomplished artist for many reasons. He had been focused on making a masterpiece of a sculpture for the pope that was set to take many years. Although he had some experience in painting it was not what he wanted to work on. Fresco was even more of a troubling medium and Michelangelo was not interested in learning it. At first he avoided it, but eventually "the terrible pope" got what he wanted. Over the next four years Michelangelo would devote much of his time to this grand work.
King intermixes stories, letters and quotes from the time to make the book come alive. Of course it is a work of non-fiction, but the interplay of the characters, the wars and relationships make it read like a work of fiction. As the artist is reluctantly working on the artwork, the pope is waging war across Italy, other artists are vying for attention and plague spreads through Rome. All of these elements make it a fast paced and interesting book.
As an artist my self I have looked at Michelangelo at the greatest artist to capture the human body. I studied his techniques for a number of years and to see what he went though to make this masterpiece was very thrilling. Anyone who finds interest in art would find this an interesting book. If art isn't your thing, the accuracy of the time and what was going on can interest many. I found the beginning of the book to be somewhat slow. There were many issues in getting things started, but once the book gets into the meat of the story it really starts to fly. Its importance in the long term is tremendous. The work was made 500 years ago and stills stands as one of the greatest ever. The book will stand with it.
3 Readability
4 Long-term Impact
3 Engagement
Overall a 10. I could see this not being a great read for some people, but anyone who thinks it would be interesting I am sure would enjoy it.
Keep turning pages!
Mythago Wood by Robert Holdstock
Category: Writing and Poetry
Holdstock delivers an engrossing and interesting tale. The book begins with Steven Huxley recovering from wounds received in world war two. His brother also a WWII veteran had already returned home. He writes to tell him of their father's death. He is reminded of his childhood and his father distance. How his father and his friend would go into the nearby woods and disappear for weeks. How his father never seemed interested in his two sons. How strange beasts and people would be seen on the edge of the wood.
He returns home imagining to find his brother and his new wife happy living in their childhood home. Instead he finds his brother, unkempt and alone. "She's gone" is all he will reveal. Soon his brother says he must go. Only for a couple days. Into the woods. Weeks pass. While he is gone a strange man leading massive beasts enters the property and attempt to dig up the ground. They are persuaded away with some food. Steven decides to find out what they were digging for. What he finds is the fate of his brother's wife.
His brother returns and goes on about how if he can only go deeper in the woods he will be able to find her again. Read our father's journal and you will understand. Soon Steven finds himself drawn by the power of this wood. Holdstock does a wonderful job of foreshadowing and revealing of information that keeps the story moving, but only gives a little bit away at a time. I found it to be a refreshing and fun book to read.
I think most people would find this book to be an enjoyable read. The intermixing of Myths and story make for a unique adventure.
3 Readability: Easily Read, Not much for dynamic writing.
2 Long Term Impact: It really could be read at any time and be interesting, but doesn't standout enough in the fantasy genre. Maybe reading the following books would change that.
3 Engagement: Most of the time it draws you in. Holdstock's writing style keeps you involved. However, sometimes the pace slows and It felt like a couple things were unnecessary.
A total of 8. If the fantasy genre is your thing then I would definitely pick it up. If not you may want to pass on this.
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Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson
Pages 480
I had heard about this book and had been planning on reading for a long time. I had been told that this and other books in the genre were the basis for the Matrix movies. After reading it I can see where a lot of ideas were "borrowed".
The book you takes you into a not to distant future where all the laws no longer exist. Governments are basically gone and have been replaced by small city states backed by humungous corporations. The world has degenerated into existence of drugs, guns, gangs and mafia. The internet has been advanced to the point of 3d realism. Those that "made" a place for themselves in the beginning are now some of the greatest people in the "Metaverse", even though in reality they live in a storage facility. The main character is Hiro Protaganist. Unemployed and broke he tries to find information to load into an enormous database. Later if people try to access that info he gets paid. Most of the time though he just jacks into the Metaverse and lives there. He has a much better life and there he is the greatest sword fighter in the world.
Hiro go into the Metaverse early and helped design one on the most prestigious "clubs", the Black Sun. A friend of his is offered a "card" called Snow Crash in the Black Sun. When he opens up the "card" his real body goes into a coma. Hiro along with a friend, Y.T., are drawn into a world of technological warfare, mafia and drugs. Soon Y.T. befriends the head of the Mafia and is running errands for them. Hiro investagates his friends "murder" and a close friend disappears. He starts a long trek up the west coast pusuing her. Both Y.T. and Hiro become entangled with a man. Raven, the ultimate bad guy, has only one goal in life, to "Nuke the USA ".
This book was very refreshing. Although most of it seems to be an extension of what happens in current times Stevenson comes up with entertaining takes on our "progression" into the future. Kouriers that are the best means of mailing since they usually travel faster than traffic, Jacking into the internet and cyborg guard dogs all add an element of futurism to the book.
This book is already considered a Cyberpunk/Science Fiction classic and I think it will continue to be that for some time. His unique take on the future combined with a gripping story really made for a fun read.
I am changing my rating system again. I found my old system to be a bit confusing and had a lot of overlap. From now on I will rate based of these different forms of impact: Intellectual, Emotional and Long Term. Intellectual will focus on things like word use, science and other intellectual contributions the book offers. Emotional will take into consideration imagery, beauty and those wonderful sentences that just strike you as great. Long Term will be the same as before where I feel the book will sit in 100 years. I will still grade on a 0-13 scale 4 for each and an extra point where I want to put it.
So Snow Crash
5 Intellectual: This is where this book shines. Most of the draw of this book is in the science fiction elements. I feel this is what makes the book so great.
2 Emotional: It doesn't strike as a real emotional book. There are some elements but they seem to be side line to the meat of the book. I do give it a couple of points because of interesting imagery. I would explain more but would reveal too much.
3 Long Term: For some time this book is going to have some impact. Since it is a book about the future some of the things are going to become true. As these things become reality the impact of the book will lessen. It is possible that this may be looked at like a dystopian classic such as 1984 though.
Final rating: 10. Most people that read this book would enjoy it. If you are into science fiction at all this should definitely be on your list.
I had heard about this book and had been planning on reading for a long time. I had been told that this and other books in the genre were the basis for the Matrix movies. After reading it I can see where a lot of ideas were "borrowed".
The book you takes you into a not to distant future where all the laws no longer exist. Governments are basically gone and have been replaced by small city states backed by humungous corporations. The world has degenerated into existence of drugs, guns, gangs and mafia. The internet has been advanced to the point of 3d realism. Those that "made" a place for themselves in the beginning are now some of the greatest people in the "Metaverse", even though in reality they live in a storage facility. The main character is Hiro Protaganist. Unemployed and broke he tries to find information to load into an enormous database. Later if people try to access that info he gets paid. Most of the time though he just jacks into the Metaverse and lives there. He has a much better life and there he is the greatest sword fighter in the world.
Hiro go into the Metaverse early and helped design one on the most prestigious "clubs", the Black Sun. A friend of his is offered a "card" called Snow Crash in the Black Sun. When he opens up the "card" his real body goes into a coma. Hiro along with a friend, Y.T., are drawn into a world of technological warfare, mafia and drugs. Soon Y.T. befriends the head of the Mafia and is running errands for them. Hiro investagates his friends "murder" and a close friend disappears. He starts a long trek up the west coast pusuing her. Both Y.T. and Hiro become entangled with a man. Raven, the ultimate bad guy, has only one goal in life, to "Nuke the USA ".
This book was very refreshing. Although most of it seems to be an extension of what happens in current times Stevenson comes up with entertaining takes on our "progression" into the future. Kouriers that are the best means of mailing since they usually travel faster than traffic, Jacking into the internet and cyborg guard dogs all add an element of futurism to the book.
This book is already considered a Cyberpunk/Science Fiction classic and I think it will continue to be that for some time. His unique take on the future combined with a gripping story really made for a fun read.
I am changing my rating system again. I found my old system to be a bit confusing and had a lot of overlap. From now on I will rate based of these different forms of impact: Intellectual, Emotional and Long Term. Intellectual will focus on things like word use, science and other intellectual contributions the book offers. Emotional will take into consideration imagery, beauty and those wonderful sentences that just strike you as great. Long Term will be the same as before where I feel the book will sit in 100 years. I will still grade on a 0-13 scale 4 for each and an extra point where I want to put it.
So Snow Crash
5 Intellectual: This is where this book shines. Most of the draw of this book is in the science fiction elements. I feel this is what makes the book so great.
2 Emotional: It doesn't strike as a real emotional book. There are some elements but they seem to be side line to the meat of the book. I do give it a couple of points because of interesting imagery. I would explain more but would reveal too much.
3 Long Term: For some time this book is going to have some impact. Since it is a book about the future some of the things are going to become true. As these things become reality the impact of the book will lessen. It is possible that this may be looked at like a dystopian classic such as 1984 though.
Final rating: 10. Most people that read this book would enjoy it. If you are into science fiction at all this should definitely be on your list.
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In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
Pg 343
In 1959 four members of a rural family were seemingly killed without cause. The house was broken into, phone lines cut, each person bound gagged and shot. Nothing of significance was stolen. Who was it? Why did a sleepy town become the center of national attention?
Capote takes the Clutter Murder and shows you what happened through the point of view of all sides of the story. You start meeting the family and learning about their daily lives. You see how popular they were with the local people and experience the down home feel of their rural lifestyle. Then you enter the lives of Dick Hickock and Perry Smith. Both paroled felons roaming through the Kansas countryside with evil intentions.
Soon the family is slaughtered and the murders are on the run. The reader then becomes a part of the investigators lives. Trying to find the killers. Talking to hundreds of people following an equal number of false leads. Locking your doors at night because you can't trust your neighbors anymore.
Then you join the care free killers. A long drive down to Florida leads them back across the US into Mexico . Hickock and Perry become acquaintances that you have meet and then feel compelled to know their entire story. How can these cold hearted killers so casually disregard their past deeds and try to start up a new life?
Capote paints each of the characters from a very realistic light. He doesn't make the murderers out to be these sadistic homicidal maniacs; the men chasing them aren't knights in shining armor. Each person is presented as they are. Real.
3 Intellectual: This book has elements of intellectual impact. His use of words and sentence structure are at times engaging in interesting. It depends what type of reader you are this could be either Intellecually and/or emotional appealing.
4 Emotional: Capote makes the facts come alive. You don't feel like this is all derived from research but as if the writer was a part of the entire situation. You are with the investigators. You go into the house with the murderers. Very compelling.
3: Long Term Impact. Books like these make it easier to rate. The book has been a classic for 50 years. I think it is safe to say that it will continue to stand the test of time. When written it stood more alone. Sadly, as our society has more and more of these terrible events happen the more a book like this loses its impact.
A total of 11. If you think a story of murder would be interest you then you can't go wrong. It is a depressing book so take that into consideration.
Pg 343
In 1959 four members of a rural family were seemingly killed without cause. The house was broken into, phone lines cut, each person bound gagged and shot. Nothing of significance was stolen. Who was it? Why did a sleepy town become the center of national attention?
Capote takes the Clutter Murder and shows you what happened through the point of view of all sides of the story. You start meeting the family and learning about their daily lives. You see how popular they were with the local people and experience the down home feel of their rural lifestyle. Then you enter the lives of Dick Hickock and Perry Smith. Both paroled felons roaming through the Kansas countryside with evil intentions.
Soon the family is slaughtered and the murders are on the run. The reader then becomes a part of the investigators lives. Trying to find the killers. Talking to hundreds of people following an equal number of false leads. Locking your doors at night because you can't trust your neighbors anymore.
Then you join the care free killers. A long drive down to Florida leads them back across the US into Mexico . Hickock and Perry become acquaintances that you have meet and then feel compelled to know their entire story. How can these cold hearted killers so casually disregard their past deeds and try to start up a new life?
Capote paints each of the characters from a very realistic light. He doesn't make the murderers out to be these sadistic homicidal maniacs; the men chasing them aren't knights in shining armor. Each person is presented as they are. Real.
3 Intellectual: This book has elements of intellectual impact. His use of words and sentence structure are at times engaging in interesting. It depends what type of reader you are this could be either Intellecually and/or emotional appealing.
4 Emotional: Capote makes the facts come alive. You don't feel like this is all derived from research but as if the writer was a part of the entire situation. You are with the investigators. You go into the house with the murderers. Very compelling.
3: Long Term Impact. Books like these make it easier to rate. The book has been a classic for 50 years. I think it is safe to say that it will continue to stand the test of time. When written it stood more alone. Sadly, as our society has more and more of these terrible events happen the more a book like this loses its impact.
A total of 11. If you think a story of murder would be interest you then you can't go wrong. It is a depressing book so take that into consideration.
The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks
Category: Writing and Poetry
726 pages
The Sword of Shannara begins with Flick Ohmsford being confronted by a stranger, Allanon, on the way home. Soon his "brother" Shea and Flick are on adventure. The stranger tells Shea that he is actually the last living descendent of an old elven family and is the only person that has the power to stop the evil Warlock Lord. They must travel to the dwarven lands and there they will find shelter from the Skull Bearers that are set to capture Shea. Once there, they will be able to set off for the fabled Sword of Shannara. With this they can stop the Warlock Lord who is bent on taking over the world.
Shea and Flick set off to a nearby kingdom to get help from a friend, Menion Leah. With his help they make to the dwarven lands where they join a band of characters from different races. Balinor the crown prince of Callahorn, Hendel the Dwarf, as well as Dayel and Durin the elven brothers all join them in the quest for the sword. Through many pitfalls and dangerous journeys the must make their way to Paranor where the Sword of Shannara is set in stone.
This book was recommended to me based on the entire series. I was warned that this book has many similarities to Tolkien's Lord of the Rings series. That after reading this book the story makes its own way and becomes a great series. I will have to say that the first 300 pages read like Tolkien. Not the writing style, but the characters and plot. In both stories a mysterious wizard sends a reluctant pair of young men on a dangerous world saving journey. The wizard has to leave to do other things, but will meet them. They are chased by supernatural beings across the country side. They are joined up with a group of adventurers representing the free peoples. They must work together to fight the evil faceless being in order to save the world. As you read this the similarities get to be disappointing.
The positives are many as well. I find Brooks writing style to be engaging and entertaining. The story has a nice pace and after the beginning disappointment develops into an interesting story of its own. This is Brooks's first book and you can see him develop as a writer as the book goes on. He admits that he was heavily influenced by Tolkien. Eventually, Shea is separated from the main group and travels with a pair of roadside brigands, Panamon, the one handed rogue and, Kelset, the mute troll. These characters are both likeable and a change of pace.
The book has a typical predictable quality to it. I have read many fantasy books and this book follows along many paths I have followed before. It has the distinction of being the first fantasy book on the New York Times best sellers list. I am sure it has helped make the paths for a lot of the books I have read since it was written, but it still owes its existence to Lord of the Rings.
Intellectual 2 - His writing style is very engrossing. In this he far outweighs Tolkien. If not for Brooks wonderful writing this book wouldn't have been published.
Emotional 2 - This has the typical heroic band of adventures out to save the world vibe, nothing to dramatic.
Long Term - 3 Obviously, not a ground breaker because of its similarities to Lord of the Rings, but plenty of influence on future writers was made.
A total of 7. Not that great of a rating from me. I honestly wouldn't recommend this book because in this genre there are tons of great reads such as George R.R. Martin's, Game of Thrones. BUT! I was told that it is the series that makes this worth the read so I will let you know as I read those books.
This is Jerimiah Martin telling you to keep turning pages.
The Sword of Shannara begins with Flick Ohmsford being confronted by a stranger, Allanon, on the way home. Soon his "brother" Shea and Flick are on adventure. The stranger tells Shea that he is actually the last living descendent of an old elven family and is the only person that has the power to stop the evil Warlock Lord. They must travel to the dwarven lands and there they will find shelter from the Skull Bearers that are set to capture Shea. Once there, they will be able to set off for the fabled Sword of Shannara. With this they can stop the Warlock Lord who is bent on taking over the world.
Shea and Flick set off to a nearby kingdom to get help from a friend, Menion Leah. With his help they make to the dwarven lands where they join a band of characters from different races. Balinor the crown prince of Callahorn, Hendel the Dwarf, as well as Dayel and Durin the elven brothers all join them in the quest for the sword. Through many pitfalls and dangerous journeys the must make their way to Paranor where the Sword of Shannara is set in stone.
This book was recommended to me based on the entire series. I was warned that this book has many similarities to Tolkien's Lord of the Rings series. That after reading this book the story makes its own way and becomes a great series. I will have to say that the first 300 pages read like Tolkien. Not the writing style, but the characters and plot. In both stories a mysterious wizard sends a reluctant pair of young men on a dangerous world saving journey. The wizard has to leave to do other things, but will meet them. They are chased by supernatural beings across the country side. They are joined up with a group of adventurers representing the free peoples. They must work together to fight the evil faceless being in order to save the world. As you read this the similarities get to be disappointing.
The positives are many as well. I find Brooks writing style to be engaging and entertaining. The story has a nice pace and after the beginning disappointment develops into an interesting story of its own. This is Brooks's first book and you can see him develop as a writer as the book goes on. He admits that he was heavily influenced by Tolkien. Eventually, Shea is separated from the main group and travels with a pair of roadside brigands, Panamon, the one handed rogue and, Kelset, the mute troll. These characters are both likeable and a change of pace.
The book has a typical predictable quality to it. I have read many fantasy books and this book follows along many paths I have followed before. It has the distinction of being the first fantasy book on the New York Times best sellers list. I am sure it has helped make the paths for a lot of the books I have read since it was written, but it still owes its existence to Lord of the Rings.
Intellectual 2 - His writing style is very engrossing. In this he far outweighs Tolkien. If not for Brooks wonderful writing this book wouldn't have been published.
Emotional 2 - This has the typical heroic band of adventures out to save the world vibe, nothing to dramatic.
Long Term - 3 Obviously, not a ground breaker because of its similarities to Lord of the Rings, but plenty of influence on future writers was made.
A total of 7. Not that great of a rating from me. I honestly wouldn't recommend this book because in this genre there are tons of great reads such as George R.R. Martin's, Game of Thrones. BUT! I was told that it is the series that makes this worth the read so I will let you know as I read those books.
This is Jerimiah Martin telling you to keep turning pages.
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Wednesday, April 29, 2009
The Rule of Four By Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thomason
Pages 370 (Fiction)
The book begins in 1497, two messengers are killed when it is discovered that they betrayed their master by opening a letter before having delivered it. 500 years later a Renaissance scholar tells the tale to his son so many times he doesn’t know how many times he has heard it. The Hypnerotomacia is a book that’s secrets have eluded all that have tried to decode it. The book is printed without an author. The first letter of each chapter reveal, when translated, the author to be Francesco Colonna. Through deduction and happenstance the book opens up new areas of exploration within its text. Tom Sullivan’s father dedicated three decades of his life to it and didn’t discover its secret before dying in an accident.
As Tom enters collage he befriends another student, Paul. Paul recognizes his name from a dedication in one of his father’s books. Paul seems to have been drawn into the power of the Hypnerotomacia and dedicates the next four years to trying to solve its puzzles. Paul’s friendship with Tom quickly draws him into the book as well. Each time some obscure reference is translated and figured out it leaves a riddle to be solved that leads the young men scrambling to solve it.
The book jumps around in time. It is mostly in “present” time. The boys are just set to graduate from college and the final clues are starting to pull together, they need certain reference points to actually figure it out. The book goes into the past and you get a feel for the world as the book was written. You are with Tom’s father as he makes a discovery of the Belladonna Document. This letter confirms a theory that he has had, but unable to prove. You follow the boys along the past four years making discoveries along with them.
The Rule of Four is very easy to read. In a typical mystery book fashion it grabs you and with each discovery you want to keep reading. In fact I read it in just 6 days. (With a baby boy at home that is a lot.) So far as a mystery book it is very entertaining. I do have some issue with mystery books in general. My problem is that as a reader you rarely ever have a chance to solve it yourself. I find the characters are immersed in the puzzle and you are brought along as the reader, but I don’t have a copy of the Hypnerotomacia with me to actually figure out things with them. I can take pleasure in their discoveries, but they are not mine. Please note this isn’t a criticism of this book in particular more of mysteries overall. We can maybe figure out who the bad guy is, make predictions as to what will happen, but I always feel outside of the story. (I am interested in mystery books that break this mold. Please make a suggestion in the comments.) That said this book did have some interesting character interaction. The plot was driven by the puzzles in the book, but also affected the lives of those working on it.
There are many comparisons between this and The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. Some claim this is just a rip off. There are some comparisons to be sure. Both involve historically accurate relics being used to solve a puzzle that is hundreds of years old. The Rule of Four was being written before The Da Vinci Code was published. It would be a more accurate accusation to say they ripped off Dan Brown’s other book Angels and Demons. The books differ enough that, though they are similar it isn’t a total rip-off. If anything I think most reader that like one of the books would enjoy the other as well.
2 Emotional: Interpersonal ties between Tom, his girlfriend and his friends add some emotional content, but nothing that innovating.
3 Intellectual: The adventure in the book is interesting, but it does seem like you are left an observer and am not much a part of the discovery.
1 Long Term: Nothing much about this book jumps out as striking. I imagine it will get lost in the mass of other mystery books of this era.
A total of 6 out of 13. Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thomason’s book is quick and entertaining. A lot like a summer action flick it keeps your attention for a while, but isn’t going to change your life. It made the New York Times bestseller list, but so does a lot of crap. If you really enjoy the genre or just want a fast read then you’ll enjoy it. Otherwise find something else.
Keep Turning Pages!
The book begins in 1497, two messengers are killed when it is discovered that they betrayed their master by opening a letter before having delivered it. 500 years later a Renaissance scholar tells the tale to his son so many times he doesn’t know how many times he has heard it. The Hypnerotomacia is a book that’s secrets have eluded all that have tried to decode it. The book is printed without an author. The first letter of each chapter reveal, when translated, the author to be Francesco Colonna. Through deduction and happenstance the book opens up new areas of exploration within its text. Tom Sullivan’s father dedicated three decades of his life to it and didn’t discover its secret before dying in an accident.
As Tom enters collage he befriends another student, Paul. Paul recognizes his name from a dedication in one of his father’s books. Paul seems to have been drawn into the power of the Hypnerotomacia and dedicates the next four years to trying to solve its puzzles. Paul’s friendship with Tom quickly draws him into the book as well. Each time some obscure reference is translated and figured out it leaves a riddle to be solved that leads the young men scrambling to solve it.
The book jumps around in time. It is mostly in “present” time. The boys are just set to graduate from college and the final clues are starting to pull together, they need certain reference points to actually figure it out. The book goes into the past and you get a feel for the world as the book was written. You are with Tom’s father as he makes a discovery of the Belladonna Document. This letter confirms a theory that he has had, but unable to prove. You follow the boys along the past four years making discoveries along with them.
The Rule of Four is very easy to read. In a typical mystery book fashion it grabs you and with each discovery you want to keep reading. In fact I read it in just 6 days. (With a baby boy at home that is a lot.) So far as a mystery book it is very entertaining. I do have some issue with mystery books in general. My problem is that as a reader you rarely ever have a chance to solve it yourself. I find the characters are immersed in the puzzle and you are brought along as the reader, but I don’t have a copy of the Hypnerotomacia with me to actually figure out things with them. I can take pleasure in their discoveries, but they are not mine. Please note this isn’t a criticism of this book in particular more of mysteries overall. We can maybe figure out who the bad guy is, make predictions as to what will happen, but I always feel outside of the story. (I am interested in mystery books that break this mold. Please make a suggestion in the comments.) That said this book did have some interesting character interaction. The plot was driven by the puzzles in the book, but also affected the lives of those working on it.
There are many comparisons between this and The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. Some claim this is just a rip off. There are some comparisons to be sure. Both involve historically accurate relics being used to solve a puzzle that is hundreds of years old. The Rule of Four was being written before The Da Vinci Code was published. It would be a more accurate accusation to say they ripped off Dan Brown’s other book Angels and Demons. The books differ enough that, though they are similar it isn’t a total rip-off. If anything I think most reader that like one of the books would enjoy the other as well.
2 Emotional: Interpersonal ties between Tom, his girlfriend and his friends add some emotional content, but nothing that innovating.
3 Intellectual: The adventure in the book is interesting, but it does seem like you are left an observer and am not much a part of the discovery.
1 Long Term: Nothing much about this book jumps out as striking. I imagine it will get lost in the mass of other mystery books of this era.
A total of 6 out of 13. Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thomason’s book is quick and entertaining. A lot like a summer action flick it keeps your attention for a while, but isn’t going to change your life. It made the New York Times bestseller list, but so does a lot of crap. If you really enjoy the genre or just want a fast read then you’ll enjoy it. Otherwise find something else.
Keep Turning Pages!
The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch
206 pages (Autobiography)
Many professors are asked to give a Last Lecture. They are to imagine the end of their life is near and this will be the last thing they will get to part upon the world. Randy Pausch is dying of pancreatic cancer. His Last Lecture will truly be his last. After giving the lecture he takes the basic message and expanded it into a book.
The book is basically an autobiography. It is focused on how he Lived his life and not how he is going to die. He takes all the life lessons he has learned and talks about how, who, when and where he learned them. When he was a young man he made a list of things he wanted to do. He talks about how with luck and perseverance he made those childhood dreams come true.
It is an extremely emotional book. It is broken up into many little chapters. Each section is a part of his life that meant something to him. Some are 10 pages long others only half a page. They all add up to a great life experience. He focuses almost exclusively on the good times. When you put yourself in his place, you are leaving behind your wife, your children and your plans. There were a few times that tears started to well up as I read this. If you imagine yourself in his place, and then read all of the deeply personal experiences he conveys, it is hard not to get a little choked up.
Part of the book deals with preparations that come with a terminal illness. That is the power behind this book. A man can’t teach his children as they grow so he leaves this book for them to learn from as they age. The over riding message is don’t waste your time, enjoy your life and live your dreams.
As Randy evaluates his life you can take a look at yours as well. It seems the book is more for his family, but he was hoping to help others that read it as well. We only have so much time on this world and how we spend it means a lot in the end.
5 Emotional: You can’t get more emotional than a man putting everything he cares about in a book for the world to read.
1 Intellectual: The book is based in emotion. The point wasn’t to be intellectual.
4 Long Term: The book is filled with life lessons that aren’t tied to a time or place. This will easily stand the test of time.
Overall, 10 out of 13. Everyone that reads this has something to gain. I read it in a little over 24 hours. It doesn’t take much time and it will leave you with a good outlook on life.
Many professors are asked to give a Last Lecture. They are to imagine the end of their life is near and this will be the last thing they will get to part upon the world. Randy Pausch is dying of pancreatic cancer. His Last Lecture will truly be his last. After giving the lecture he takes the basic message and expanded it into a book.
The book is basically an autobiography. It is focused on how he Lived his life and not how he is going to die. He takes all the life lessons he has learned and talks about how, who, when and where he learned them. When he was a young man he made a list of things he wanted to do. He talks about how with luck and perseverance he made those childhood dreams come true.
It is an extremely emotional book. It is broken up into many little chapters. Each section is a part of his life that meant something to him. Some are 10 pages long others only half a page. They all add up to a great life experience. He focuses almost exclusively on the good times. When you put yourself in his place, you are leaving behind your wife, your children and your plans. There were a few times that tears started to well up as I read this. If you imagine yourself in his place, and then read all of the deeply personal experiences he conveys, it is hard not to get a little choked up.
Part of the book deals with preparations that come with a terminal illness. That is the power behind this book. A man can’t teach his children as they grow so he leaves this book for them to learn from as they age. The over riding message is don’t waste your time, enjoy your life and live your dreams.
As Randy evaluates his life you can take a look at yours as well. It seems the book is more for his family, but he was hoping to help others that read it as well. We only have so much time on this world and how we spend it means a lot in the end.
5 Emotional: You can’t get more emotional than a man putting everything he cares about in a book for the world to read.
1 Intellectual: The book is based in emotion. The point wasn’t to be intellectual.
4 Long Term: The book is filled with life lessons that aren’t tied to a time or place. This will easily stand the test of time.
Overall, 10 out of 13. Everyone that reads this has something to gain. I read it in a little over 24 hours. It doesn’t take much time and it will leave you with a good outlook on life.
The Enchantress of Florence by Salman Rushdie
352 pages (Fiction)
The story begins with a European character on his way to the Emperor Akbar’s palace in Fatehpur Sikri, the newly built victory capital, to tell a story that can only be heard by the emperor. He tells those who impede him that it would mean death for anyone that hears it besides Akbar. The character’s name changes numerous times in the story depending on who he is with and what he is attempting at the time. After some effort he is allowed into Akbar’s presence and begins his tale. From here the book diverges into a myriad of fantasy and fact.
Rushdie has made the story exist in our history, but adds magic to every part of the tale explaining it this way: "such occurrences being normal at that time, before the real and the unreal were segregated forever and doomed to live apart under different monarchs and separate legal systems". All of Rushdie’s novels I have read have a touch of the magical. In this book he takes it to the extreme. The charecters are famous people from history such as Niccolò Machiavelli, Genghis Khan, and Vlad the Impaler. Other historical charecters appear as well. Akbar the Great, a Mughal emperor, is a main character that becomes facinated with the story of the traveler that we eventually come to know as Vespucci. He claims, despite not looking close to old enough, that he is the uncle of the Emperor. The tale weaves between two worlds. The time of the Medici’s in Florence and the “current” time in Sikri. Witches and Spells, Enchantresses and Oils, Harems and Wives, Mirrors and Reflections, Magic and Reality all tumbled together bouncing between these two entertwined tales. The “reality” of the story gets so mixed with the fact that from my point of view (someone that knows virutally none of the real history) it all seems to be a fantasy.
One of the characters becomes so in love with the idea of the perfect wife that she appears and satisfies him in everyway, so much so that his bevy of real wives are ignored. A whore known as the Skeleton, when paid two gold coins, anoints a traveler with oils. These oils enchant each person he meets wearing off in time to allow the underlying scent to bewitch the next one. A woman whose power of magic and beauty make all that see her fall under her spell. A city stays quiet by Kingly decree, but music and parties abound in his absense. A pair of women so beautiful that the one could only be considered unperfect when compared to the other. A righteous king is basically a sex starved pervert. A common whore has the key to saving a city. These and many other expeirences like it is what makes this book great. As the two stories unfold they reveal smaller short stories within them..This is obviously an homage to A 1,001 Arabian Nights. Rushdie adds little details to show you this is true. It is interesting that this book isn’t completly original. As you read the book you find yourself recognising different parts of other stories you have heard. Some might see this as a detraction from the book. I find the writing style and the integration of these stories is what make this “detraction” a bonus.
I found the book to be engrossing. It wasn’t that I wanted to turn each page to find out what happened next, but was pleased to be invited to live in this magical world of fairy tales. It is difficult to describe the plot of the book. It is a story about stories. What you dreamed was possible and the fantastic was waiting around the corner. The mixture of realism and magic drew me like a child into my first fairy tale. This book is much more about the journey than the destination.
Of course Rushdie’s writing style was superb. His way with words is always a constant joy. Every other page you can find an engaging similie or a exciting comparison. This is always something I have enjoyed about his writing and I am not disapointed with this addition. His ability to take your conventional view of something and twist it so you look at it a different way is wonderful.
5 Emotional: The book’s ability to draw you in and allow an adult to be a child is magnificant. This is a perfect fit for me. The ability to engage and tantalize is perfect.
4: Intellectual: The intermixing of our history with the fantasy pleases in ways that few books do. I should note the Rushdie does use some words that are far from common use. A handy dictionary will help you out.
4: Long Term Impact: Arabian Nights for the modern age is a way this book will surley be looked at. I don’t know that it could have the staying power of that, but I think it could be just as relevent in 100 years. Then it would be a vision into our past as well as the times it was written in.
A 13 out of 13. A perfect score. I think this books is one of the best I have read. It is one of the best books by one of my favorite authors and I think anyone that isn’t turned off by fantasy should read it. I should add that the book can be a somewhat difficult read. I consider myself well read and I found a number of words I didn’t know. Most things could be understood by
The story begins with a European character on his way to the Emperor Akbar’s palace in Fatehpur Sikri, the newly built victory capital, to tell a story that can only be heard by the emperor. He tells those who impede him that it would mean death for anyone that hears it besides Akbar. The character’s name changes numerous times in the story depending on who he is with and what he is attempting at the time. After some effort he is allowed into Akbar’s presence and begins his tale. From here the book diverges into a myriad of fantasy and fact.
Rushdie has made the story exist in our history, but adds magic to every part of the tale explaining it this way: "such occurrences being normal at that time, before the real and the unreal were segregated forever and doomed to live apart under different monarchs and separate legal systems". All of Rushdie’s novels I have read have a touch of the magical. In this book he takes it to the extreme. The charecters are famous people from history such as Niccolò Machiavelli, Genghis Khan, and Vlad the Impaler. Other historical charecters appear as well. Akbar the Great, a Mughal emperor, is a main character that becomes facinated with the story of the traveler that we eventually come to know as Vespucci. He claims, despite not looking close to old enough, that he is the uncle of the Emperor. The tale weaves between two worlds. The time of the Medici’s in Florence and the “current” time in Sikri. Witches and Spells, Enchantresses and Oils, Harems and Wives, Mirrors and Reflections, Magic and Reality all tumbled together bouncing between these two entertwined tales. The “reality” of the story gets so mixed with the fact that from my point of view (someone that knows virutally none of the real history) it all seems to be a fantasy.
One of the characters becomes so in love with the idea of the perfect wife that she appears and satisfies him in everyway, so much so that his bevy of real wives are ignored. A whore known as the Skeleton, when paid two gold coins, anoints a traveler with oils. These oils enchant each person he meets wearing off in time to allow the underlying scent to bewitch the next one. A woman whose power of magic and beauty make all that see her fall under her spell. A city stays quiet by Kingly decree, but music and parties abound in his absense. A pair of women so beautiful that the one could only be considered unperfect when compared to the other. A righteous king is basically a sex starved pervert. A common whore has the key to saving a city. These and many other expeirences like it is what makes this book great. As the two stories unfold they reveal smaller short stories within them..This is obviously an homage to A 1,001 Arabian Nights. Rushdie adds little details to show you this is true. It is interesting that this book isn’t completly original. As you read the book you find yourself recognising different parts of other stories you have heard. Some might see this as a detraction from the book. I find the writing style and the integration of these stories is what make this “detraction” a bonus.
I found the book to be engrossing. It wasn’t that I wanted to turn each page to find out what happened next, but was pleased to be invited to live in this magical world of fairy tales. It is difficult to describe the plot of the book. It is a story about stories. What you dreamed was possible and the fantastic was waiting around the corner. The mixture of realism and magic drew me like a child into my first fairy tale. This book is much more about the journey than the destination.
Of course Rushdie’s writing style was superb. His way with words is always a constant joy. Every other page you can find an engaging similie or a exciting comparison. This is always something I have enjoyed about his writing and I am not disapointed with this addition. His ability to take your conventional view of something and twist it so you look at it a different way is wonderful.
5 Emotional: The book’s ability to draw you in and allow an adult to be a child is magnificant. This is a perfect fit for me. The ability to engage and tantalize is perfect.
4: Intellectual: The intermixing of our history with the fantasy pleases in ways that few books do. I should note the Rushdie does use some words that are far from common use. A handy dictionary will help you out.
4: Long Term Impact: Arabian Nights for the modern age is a way this book will surley be looked at. I don’t know that it could have the staying power of that, but I think it could be just as relevent in 100 years. Then it would be a vision into our past as well as the times it was written in.
A 13 out of 13. A perfect score. I think this books is one of the best I have read. It is one of the best books by one of my favorite authors and I think anyone that isn’t turned off by fantasy should read it. I should add that the book can be a somewhat difficult read. I consider myself well read and I found a number of words I didn’t know. Most things could be understood by
The Death of Vishnu by Manil Suri
295 pages (Fiction)
This book was an enjoyable surprise. I continued my exploration into Indian writing and was offered this book. Manil Suri’s first literary attempt grabbed me and didn’t let go. Typically, reading about another culture and its people is of great interest to me. This book is set in contemporary Bombay. Going in I expected the book to be about the Hindu God Vishnu. I was quickly relived of that expectation when I realized the main character, Vishnu, is actually a homeless man that lives on the landing of an apartment.
The old man lies dying. His experiences and those of all the people around him flow from chapter to chapter. The reader melds with Vishnu. All that surrounds him is revealed in the pages. The book begins realistically. You meet each person and learn about their lives as they play out. Mrs. Asrani, brings tea to him and her inner dialogue betrays her disgust for him. “It would be foolish to stop now (giving him tea), when at most a few more cups could possibly be required.” Mrs. Pathak worries about the dying man ruining her “Kitty party” that afternoon than the man himself. In the evenings Salim and Kavita, two young people in love, plan to elope. Vinod sits at his record player listening to a song that fills him with memories of his long dead wife. The description of average people living in an apartment together could easily be happening in many places around the world. In fact the author notes where he grew up a man named Vishnu lived and died on the landing of his apartment building. The sense of realism is prevalent.
As you delve deeper into the book Vishnu starts to go in and out of consciousness. The reader joins him as a young boy. His mother sits and tells him stories of the yogi-spirit, Jeev, who lived nine hundred and ninety thousand lives. You join him as the love of his life, Padmini, agrees to go on their first date. Soon he starts to question who he is. Mr. Jalal has a dream that Vishnu is really a god. Can it be true? Is Vishnu man or is he god? The story weaves between reality, past and fiction.
The book is simply written, but has an impact of importance. The conflict and pleasure of many people in an apartment building is laid out in detail. You enjoy life of one man and its triumphs and failures. Each day a persons decisions lead them onto a different path than what could have been. The simplicity of The Death of Vishnu makes it ring true. The book reads easily and has short chapters broken into small sections. Each time I would finish one I needed to read the next one. Suri fills the book with beautiful imagery that is lucid and straightforward.
3 Emotional: When you are dropped into the conflicts of the characters lives it is easy to care about them and encourage them to make the right decisions.
3 Intellectual: The questions of life and religion allow the reader to experience others way of life. It is also a look into a non-american way of life.
3 Long Term: There is nothing that would keep this from being an enjoyable book in future. I could lose some impact in that it feels current and would not have that as time passes.
A total of 9 out of 13. Not a bad score. I did enjoy it and tore through it in less than a week. I wouldn’t say it affected me deeply, but it would be enjoyable to a wide variety of readers.
Keep Turning Pages.
This book was an enjoyable surprise. I continued my exploration into Indian writing and was offered this book. Manil Suri’s first literary attempt grabbed me and didn’t let go. Typically, reading about another culture and its people is of great interest to me. This book is set in contemporary Bombay. Going in I expected the book to be about the Hindu God Vishnu. I was quickly relived of that expectation when I realized the main character, Vishnu, is actually a homeless man that lives on the landing of an apartment.
The old man lies dying. His experiences and those of all the people around him flow from chapter to chapter. The reader melds with Vishnu. All that surrounds him is revealed in the pages. The book begins realistically. You meet each person and learn about their lives as they play out. Mrs. Asrani, brings tea to him and her inner dialogue betrays her disgust for him. “It would be foolish to stop now (giving him tea), when at most a few more cups could possibly be required.” Mrs. Pathak worries about the dying man ruining her “Kitty party” that afternoon than the man himself. In the evenings Salim and Kavita, two young people in love, plan to elope. Vinod sits at his record player listening to a song that fills him with memories of his long dead wife. The description of average people living in an apartment together could easily be happening in many places around the world. In fact the author notes where he grew up a man named Vishnu lived and died on the landing of his apartment building. The sense of realism is prevalent.
As you delve deeper into the book Vishnu starts to go in and out of consciousness. The reader joins him as a young boy. His mother sits and tells him stories of the yogi-spirit, Jeev, who lived nine hundred and ninety thousand lives. You join him as the love of his life, Padmini, agrees to go on their first date. Soon he starts to question who he is. Mr. Jalal has a dream that Vishnu is really a god. Can it be true? Is Vishnu man or is he god? The story weaves between reality, past and fiction.
The book is simply written, but has an impact of importance. The conflict and pleasure of many people in an apartment building is laid out in detail. You enjoy life of one man and its triumphs and failures. Each day a persons decisions lead them onto a different path than what could have been. The simplicity of The Death of Vishnu makes it ring true. The book reads easily and has short chapters broken into small sections. Each time I would finish one I needed to read the next one. Suri fills the book with beautiful imagery that is lucid and straightforward.
3 Emotional: When you are dropped into the conflicts of the characters lives it is easy to care about them and encourage them to make the right decisions.
3 Intellectual: The questions of life and religion allow the reader to experience others way of life. It is also a look into a non-american way of life.
3 Long Term: There is nothing that would keep this from being an enjoyable book in future. I could lose some impact in that it feels current and would not have that as time passes.
A total of 9 out of 13. Not a bad score. I did enjoy it and tore through it in less than a week. I wouldn’t say it affected me deeply, but it would be enjoyable to a wide variety of readers.
Keep Turning Pages.
Rant by Chuck Palahnuik
Pg 319 (Fiction)
I came around to Palahniuk again. I had decided to take a little break after reading Snuff. A friend of mine is also a fan and suggested Rant because it was his favorite Palahniuk book.
Rant, aka Buster Casey, lives in rural Middleton, a small backwater town away from the city. He spends his days walking out into the desert sticking his hands and feet into holes hoping to get bit by something. He collects bites like a normal kid collects baseball cards. This hobby eventually leads to him getting rabies and passing it around to other kids. A surprising number of local young women seem to catch rabies which is spread by saliva.
The book is written as an oral biography. Each chapter is broken into many smaller sections. Each section is someone talking about their life involved with Rant. You get to see the story from his parents, teachers, local towns folk, girlfriends, friends and enemies. Reading it is very easy. It is more like sitting and listening to people talk about their past.
Rant grows up and moves into the city. Now you begin to realize that the book is actually set somewhere in the future. At some point something has happened that has separated the night from the day. There are Daytimers and Nightimers. 8pm to 8am is for the nighttimers and vice versa. Everything is the same at night. Kids go to school, night teachers, night shopping, night policemen, night everything. People don’t watch TV or movies anymore. Everybody boosts things. There is a port on the back of people’s necks that allows them to first hand experience other peoples lives. It’s not just seeing and hearing anymore. It’s feeling and smelling and tasting too.
Rant joins in a phenomenon known as Party Crashing. Nighttimers play a game involving car accidents. A time, place and theme are picked. It might be Newlywed Night. Everyone playing decorates their car like a newlywed’s vehicle and dresses up in formal wedding attire and chases each other around and causes accidents. After that accident everyone gets out and acts like it’s an enormous mistake. Men in wedding dresses, women in Tuxedo’s, with crushed flowers, yelling at each other on the side of the road.
Part of the appeal of the book is the subtle foreshadowing. Rant’s father tells him when he leaves, “This won’t make sense until the end.” He is telling that to the reader, as well. Little clues and crossing stories add up to another story. It’s as if the real story is being told behind Rant’s story.
Palahnuik seems to specialize in disgusting books. I have read about 5 of his books now and most have a part of stomach turning gruesomeness. Rant spares us this for the most part. It could be I am just being desensitized to it now. The book still isn’t for everyone. The presentation of the writing is entertaining, unique and simple. The subject matter may be somewhat offensive to the average reader.
Emotional: 2 – The book is a fast gripping read, but I didn’t feel that invested in the characters.
Intellectual: 5 – The book asks intriguing philosophical questions and has an interesting conclusion that would ruin the book to discuss, but this is the key to its success as a story.
Long Term: 3 – Chuck Palahnuik won’t be a household name, but he will likely have a cult following for a long time. This book is one of his best and will hold strong because of that.
10 out of 13. I would recommend this to anyone that doesn’t think it would be offensive. The narrative is unique and well worth a read.
Keep Turning Pages
I came around to Palahniuk again. I had decided to take a little break after reading Snuff. A friend of mine is also a fan and suggested Rant because it was his favorite Palahniuk book.
Rant, aka Buster Casey, lives in rural Middleton, a small backwater town away from the city. He spends his days walking out into the desert sticking his hands and feet into holes hoping to get bit by something. He collects bites like a normal kid collects baseball cards. This hobby eventually leads to him getting rabies and passing it around to other kids. A surprising number of local young women seem to catch rabies which is spread by saliva.
The book is written as an oral biography. Each chapter is broken into many smaller sections. Each section is someone talking about their life involved with Rant. You get to see the story from his parents, teachers, local towns folk, girlfriends, friends and enemies. Reading it is very easy. It is more like sitting and listening to people talk about their past.
Rant grows up and moves into the city. Now you begin to realize that the book is actually set somewhere in the future. At some point something has happened that has separated the night from the day. There are Daytimers and Nightimers. 8pm to 8am is for the nighttimers and vice versa. Everything is the same at night. Kids go to school, night teachers, night shopping, night policemen, night everything. People don’t watch TV or movies anymore. Everybody boosts things. There is a port on the back of people’s necks that allows them to first hand experience other peoples lives. It’s not just seeing and hearing anymore. It’s feeling and smelling and tasting too.
Rant joins in a phenomenon known as Party Crashing. Nighttimers play a game involving car accidents. A time, place and theme are picked. It might be Newlywed Night. Everyone playing decorates their car like a newlywed’s vehicle and dresses up in formal wedding attire and chases each other around and causes accidents. After that accident everyone gets out and acts like it’s an enormous mistake. Men in wedding dresses, women in Tuxedo’s, with crushed flowers, yelling at each other on the side of the road.
Part of the appeal of the book is the subtle foreshadowing. Rant’s father tells him when he leaves, “This won’t make sense until the end.” He is telling that to the reader, as well. Little clues and crossing stories add up to another story. It’s as if the real story is being told behind Rant’s story.
Palahnuik seems to specialize in disgusting books. I have read about 5 of his books now and most have a part of stomach turning gruesomeness. Rant spares us this for the most part. It could be I am just being desensitized to it now. The book still isn’t for everyone. The presentation of the writing is entertaining, unique and simple. The subject matter may be somewhat offensive to the average reader.
Emotional: 2 – The book is a fast gripping read, but I didn’t feel that invested in the characters.
Intellectual: 5 – The book asks intriguing philosophical questions and has an interesting conclusion that would ruin the book to discuss, but this is the key to its success as a story.
Long Term: 3 – Chuck Palahnuik won’t be a household name, but he will likely have a cult following for a long time. This book is one of his best and will hold strong because of that.
10 out of 13. I would recommend this to anyone that doesn’t think it would be offensive. The narrative is unique and well worth a read.
Keep Turning Pages
Inside Straight Edited by George R.R. Martin
384 Pages
Inside Straight is part of an interesting set of books known as the Wild Card series. The series is on its 20th book now and involves an ever changing list of characters and authors that write the books. This is the only book I have read of the series and it seems that you can grab any book and it will be able to stand alone. I have a feeling that the first book might open your eyes to a lot of things. Here is the basic premise from Wikipedia
"The series relates an alternate history of the earth after World War II. In 1946 an alien virus that rewrites human DNA is accidentally unleashed in the skies over New York City. It kills 90% of those who come into contact with it (referred to as 'drawing the Black Queen'). However, 9% mutate into deformed creatures (known as 'Jokers') and the remaining 1% gain superpowers (known as 'Aces'). The airborne virus eventually spreads all over the world, affecting tens of thousands."
Inside Straight is set in the current day. A TV show American Hero is set up to show off the abilities of the various Aces that compete to win a million dollars. It is very similar to the “real” TV show Survivor. Rather than ordinary people doing extraordinary things American Hero has extraodinary people doing unbelievable things. They rescue people from burning houses, navigate mazes that normal people couldn’t and stop bank robberies from happennig. The Aces are divided into four teams. The Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs and Spades teams are made of unique charecters all with different abilities. Each one trying to use their skills to best help the team.
Typically an author has “their” character, so when you get to a chapter by that author it is usually from “their” character’s point of view. This made things really choppy for me. It felt like starting a new book about 5-6 times while you adjusted to the new author/charaters point of view. (WARNING: SPOILER AHEAD) This was most apparent when a few of the people on the show had been voted off and then were drawn into a Egyptian conflict. So the story goes from a happy go lucky TV show with mini rivalries to an all out military and refugee conflict in the middle of the desert. It was jarring and made it seem like the book was set up to go in this direction and that the beginning of the book was pointless (other than some character introduction.)
As you can tell I wasn’t overly impressed with the book. I found some of the writers to be very engaging (Martin was the best by far), others were unimpressive.
Emotional: 1 Nothing inspiring. I wasn’t that drawn to the book. The interpersonal relationships seems contrived.
Intellectual: 2 I found the idea of the aces and an alternate “comic book” reality to be a really great idea, but the reality wasn’t what I had hoped for.
Long Term: 2 This could be more depending on the other books in the series. Since there are 20 books obviously people are reading them, which has me inclined to check out other books in the set.
A total of 5 out of 13. That is my worst rating yet. George R.R. Martin is a great author and it bothers me to put such a low rating on a book with his name on the cover. I was rating just the part that he wrote this would be much higher. I want to do a little more research and find out if I would like the earlier books more. For now I would pass on this book.
A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson
274 Pages (Non-fiction)
Bill Bryson decides that he is going to hike the Appalachian Trail. He tells his friends, his family and his publisher and then he decides to do some research. “[T]his was way beyond –way beyond- anything I had attempted before.” Nevertheless he continues with his plans. He soon realizes that he has an enormous distance to cross, over 2,100 miles; and he is going to do it all by himself. He writes friends, family, acquaintances and people he hasn’t talked to in years. No one replies. Shortly before he is set to leave an old friend, Stephen Katz, called. “Do you think maybe I could come with you?” A week later Katz shows up with a smile, a backpack full of snickers and snack cakes, along with the will to join Bryson on the Appalachian Trail.
The two set off from Springer Mountain in Georgia. This is the beginning of the southern end of the trail. The plan is to hike through the wilderness all the way to Mount Katahdin in the Maine wilderness. In order to make this long trip you have to start early in the south and hike north with the spring thawing so you can make it all the way in one go.
“It was hell” The two men are unprepared for just the beginning of the trail and have a series of adventures involving interesting people and the unrelenting trail. Bryson has a way with humor that makes you laugh out loud. I want to make it clear. Numerous times as I read this book I found myself literally laughing out loud, usually at the expense of the hikers’ misfortune. Bryson has the drive to see American in a unique way that can only be possible by getting away from the bustle of society and being a “mountain man.” Katz is looking for something different from life. A lifetime of night after night of TV dinners is all he has to look forward to. The trail is a relief to both of them in different ways.
As they build up there tolerance for the trail life they start to make good time, eventually meeting up with other hikers. A young chatty woman attaches to Katz and Bryson constantly telling them what they are doing wrong. They encounter an old man, Chicken John, who has been hiking the trails for months, but gets lost so often makes barely makes any headway. A mysterious hiker, always at the edge of vision that they can never quite catch up with, eludes them. They all add color and humanity to the trail. At night they stay in shelters on the side of the trail. Sometimes they are alone; other times a large group of people make things a cramped affair. The reader gets drawn into the hike. You feel the joys of reaching a summit and the expanse that can be seen. You’re discouraged by looking at a map and all the climbing, hiking and sleeping on hard ground adds up to one inch on a very large map. You have elation at seeing a town up ahead that promises food, a shower and much needed rest. You are disgusted at the ugliness of a strip mall after being in the boundless peace of the woods. All these emotions are delivered with levity.
Intermixed with the adventure and humor is a history of the Appalachian Trail as well as the impact that humans are having on it. There is a touch of environmentalism which would be expected. I can’t imagine spending that much time in the woods and not be shocked by the things humans do to destroy them. Bryson talks about how the Park Service is extremely under budgeted while the roads to the parks are fabulously maintained. Some of the ideas in the past to “help” the woods have done more damage then leaving things alone. The history of the trail is gotten into at length. The trials of getting the trail made. How certain roads and projects force the trail onto not so natural places. In fact a 20 mile section of the end of the trail was chopped off to make room for development. Certain parts of the trails have actually taken back places for the wilderness and the trail always changes from year to year for a variety of reasons.
Bryson’s book is an interesting read. It is funny in a way that catches you off guard. He may be explaining a horrifying experience of other camper’s encounters with a bear; then describes what he would do in such a situation you can’t help but laugh. Take seriousness of a trip such as this, mix with the humor of human endeavors, and add a little history and you come up very enjoyable book.
3 Emotional: The men’s experiences on the trails make it easy for you to get pulled in.
3 Intellectual: The historical and environmental impact of the book is significant and well presented.
4 Long Term: Although I don’t imagine this book will ever be extremely famous it will always be a good read. Hopefully, not because it’s main subject, the Appalachian trial is history itself.
10 out of 13. It is a very good read. It reads easily enough and I found it hard to put down at night. I think this would be pleasing to most anyone. If you are interested in camping/hiking you owe it to yourself to read it.
Bill Bryson decides that he is going to hike the Appalachian Trail. He tells his friends, his family and his publisher and then he decides to do some research. “[T]his was way beyond –way beyond- anything I had attempted before.” Nevertheless he continues with his plans. He soon realizes that he has an enormous distance to cross, over 2,100 miles; and he is going to do it all by himself. He writes friends, family, acquaintances and people he hasn’t talked to in years. No one replies. Shortly before he is set to leave an old friend, Stephen Katz, called. “Do you think maybe I could come with you?” A week later Katz shows up with a smile, a backpack full of snickers and snack cakes, along with the will to join Bryson on the Appalachian Trail.
The two set off from Springer Mountain in Georgia. This is the beginning of the southern end of the trail. The plan is to hike through the wilderness all the way to Mount Katahdin in the Maine wilderness. In order to make this long trip you have to start early in the south and hike north with the spring thawing so you can make it all the way in one go.
“It was hell” The two men are unprepared for just the beginning of the trail and have a series of adventures involving interesting people and the unrelenting trail. Bryson has a way with humor that makes you laugh out loud. I want to make it clear. Numerous times as I read this book I found myself literally laughing out loud, usually at the expense of the hikers’ misfortune. Bryson has the drive to see American in a unique way that can only be possible by getting away from the bustle of society and being a “mountain man.” Katz is looking for something different from life. A lifetime of night after night of TV dinners is all he has to look forward to. The trail is a relief to both of them in different ways.
As they build up there tolerance for the trail life they start to make good time, eventually meeting up with other hikers. A young chatty woman attaches to Katz and Bryson constantly telling them what they are doing wrong. They encounter an old man, Chicken John, who has been hiking the trails for months, but gets lost so often makes barely makes any headway. A mysterious hiker, always at the edge of vision that they can never quite catch up with, eludes them. They all add color and humanity to the trail. At night they stay in shelters on the side of the trail. Sometimes they are alone; other times a large group of people make things a cramped affair. The reader gets drawn into the hike. You feel the joys of reaching a summit and the expanse that can be seen. You’re discouraged by looking at a map and all the climbing, hiking and sleeping on hard ground adds up to one inch on a very large map. You have elation at seeing a town up ahead that promises food, a shower and much needed rest. You are disgusted at the ugliness of a strip mall after being in the boundless peace of the woods. All these emotions are delivered with levity.
Intermixed with the adventure and humor is a history of the Appalachian Trail as well as the impact that humans are having on it. There is a touch of environmentalism which would be expected. I can’t imagine spending that much time in the woods and not be shocked by the things humans do to destroy them. Bryson talks about how the Park Service is extremely under budgeted while the roads to the parks are fabulously maintained. Some of the ideas in the past to “help” the woods have done more damage then leaving things alone. The history of the trail is gotten into at length. The trials of getting the trail made. How certain roads and projects force the trail onto not so natural places. In fact a 20 mile section of the end of the trail was chopped off to make room for development. Certain parts of the trails have actually taken back places for the wilderness and the trail always changes from year to year for a variety of reasons.
Bryson’s book is an interesting read. It is funny in a way that catches you off guard. He may be explaining a horrifying experience of other camper’s encounters with a bear; then describes what he would do in such a situation you can’t help but laugh. Take seriousness of a trip such as this, mix with the humor of human endeavors, and add a little history and you come up very enjoyable book.
3 Emotional: The men’s experiences on the trails make it easy for you to get pulled in.
3 Intellectual: The historical and environmental impact of the book is significant and well presented.
4 Long Term: Although I don’t imagine this book will ever be extremely famous it will always be a good read. Hopefully, not because it’s main subject, the Appalachian trial is history itself.
10 out of 13. It is a very good read. It reads easily enough and I found it hard to put down at night. I think this would be pleasing to most anyone. If you are interested in camping/hiking you owe it to yourself to read it.
The Brief and Wondrous Life Of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz
Pg 335 (Fiction)
Oscar was the ultimate geek. Star Trek, Dungeons and Dragons, Comic Books and Asimov were his life. He was fat and ugly. The direct opposite of what a Dominican is supposed to be. Dominicanos are the ladies’ men. Oscar was anything but. The title would lead you to believe that the book is all about him. It is really about his family. Even more so about his families’ curse or as it is called in the book it’s Fuku.
The book follows his life growing up. The taunting by his peers. The late nights developing Dungeons and Dragons campaigns. The total lack of any female companionship. Eventually, he enters college and rooms with his sister’s former boyfriend. You realize that Yunior is the book’s author. Yunior tried to help him out; tried to take his life out of the sad loneliness that it has become. He fails.
Here the book starts to jump around in time. You spend some time with his sister. You find out a lot of his mother’s history. How she grew up in the Dominican Republic under the dictatorship of Rafael Leonidas Trujillo Molina. People that speak up against Trujillo are found dead in the cane fields. Oscar’s mother, Beli, was raised by her aunt, La Inca. He parents were dead. The repressive Trujillo regime made sure of that.
You go further back in time and follow the story of Beli’s parents as well.
The curse gets to everyone in the family. Oscar, his mom, and his grandparents all are affected by it’s spite. Oscar finally goes back to the Dominican Republic and spends time with La Inca. While there he meets the woman of his dreams and falls in love. This has happened a million times before. As he passes a woman on the street he falls in love, marries, has children and grows old together before she is out of sight. This one is different. This love is different though. The love will truly bring the Fuku down upon him.
Daiz’ wring style is very appealing to me. It flows easily, and surprises with juxtapositions and other writing joys. He adds Oscar’s lifestyle into the work. Since Oscar is so obsessed with games and writing the author makes comments that one would expect Oscar to say. For example: When a man gets punched in the face. He comments something like; the guy must have taken at least 35 hit points of damage. Although the feel of the book is dark and sad, his style of writing has a light, playful feel to it.
Emotional: 5 – This book gets deep into the feelings and thoughts of the characters. Although the book is fiction you know that the things that happen are real.
Intellectual: 3 – The writing is superb and very enjoyable. The book is entertaining from a writing and reading standpoint. It also delves into Dominican history.
Long Term: 4 – It won a Pulitzer Prize. That tends to keep a book’s visibility up. The book is very deserving of the attention.
12 out of 13 - This is a great book. Most anyone would find this book worth reading. There are parts of heavy violence that could be a detriment for some, but the story is worth the sacrifice.
Keep Turning Pages
Oscar was the ultimate geek. Star Trek, Dungeons and Dragons, Comic Books and Asimov were his life. He was fat and ugly. The direct opposite of what a Dominican is supposed to be. Dominicanos are the ladies’ men. Oscar was anything but. The title would lead you to believe that the book is all about him. It is really about his family. Even more so about his families’ curse or as it is called in the book it’s Fuku.
The book follows his life growing up. The taunting by his peers. The late nights developing Dungeons and Dragons campaigns. The total lack of any female companionship. Eventually, he enters college and rooms with his sister’s former boyfriend. You realize that Yunior is the book’s author. Yunior tried to help him out; tried to take his life out of the sad loneliness that it has become. He fails.
Here the book starts to jump around in time. You spend some time with his sister. You find out a lot of his mother’s history. How she grew up in the Dominican Republic under the dictatorship of Rafael Leonidas Trujillo Molina. People that speak up against Trujillo are found dead in the cane fields. Oscar’s mother, Beli, was raised by her aunt, La Inca. He parents were dead. The repressive Trujillo regime made sure of that.
You go further back in time and follow the story of Beli’s parents as well.
The curse gets to everyone in the family. Oscar, his mom, and his grandparents all are affected by it’s spite. Oscar finally goes back to the Dominican Republic and spends time with La Inca. While there he meets the woman of his dreams and falls in love. This has happened a million times before. As he passes a woman on the street he falls in love, marries, has children and grows old together before she is out of sight. This one is different. This love is different though. The love will truly bring the Fuku down upon him.
Daiz’ wring style is very appealing to me. It flows easily, and surprises with juxtapositions and other writing joys. He adds Oscar’s lifestyle into the work. Since Oscar is so obsessed with games and writing the author makes comments that one would expect Oscar to say. For example: When a man gets punched in the face. He comments something like; the guy must have taken at least 35 hit points of damage. Although the feel of the book is dark and sad, his style of writing has a light, playful feel to it.
Emotional: 5 – This book gets deep into the feelings and thoughts of the characters. Although the book is fiction you know that the things that happen are real.
Intellectual: 3 – The writing is superb and very enjoyable. The book is entertaining from a writing and reading standpoint. It also delves into Dominican history.
Long Term: 4 – It won a Pulitzer Prize. That tends to keep a book’s visibility up. The book is very deserving of the attention.
12 out of 13 - This is a great book. Most anyone would find this book worth reading. There are parts of heavy violence that could be a detriment for some, but the story is worth the sacrifice.
Keep Turning Pages
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius
By Dave Eggers
Pg. 437 – Autobiographical Fiction
The book is labeled as fiction, but it is obviously an autobiography. “This is a work of fiction, only in that many cases, the author could not remember the exact words said by certain people, and exact descriptions of things, so he had to fill in gaps as best he could.”
The reader joins Dave Eggers and his family as his mother is dying. This is only a short time after his father has died. Both die of cancer. Different kinds. What a great way to start a humorous book. This isn’t totally explained, but soon Dave and his brother Toph, pronounced Tofe, long o, are living together in California. His older brother and sister are helping out, but Dave, the youngest of the three older siblings, is taking care of his teenage brother.
Eggers style of writing is like sitting next to a man when his head explodes. As the slime, mucus and brains spatter on you the thoughts of his life reveal themselves to you. It’s as if his thoughts are being transferred onto the page. He flies off on seemingly unrelated topics. He is caught up in a sexual fantasy. He relates to something that happened years before where is seems like that was the point of the story rather than what he started with.
They go through many trials. Finding places to stay, roommates, and conferences at school. You witness the growth of their relationship. A battle of brotherly friendship and parental care. Dave struggles between beating up his brother and finding the best path in the house for sliding on your socks and making sure Toph is dressed properly for school and eating the right food.
For the most part Dave gives up his social life. He starts up a small magazine called Might for 20 somethings. Though this he has some outside world experience. But most of the time his spends with his brother. Too broke to do anything other than go to a park and play Frisbee. His wild imaginations come through in the different situations. His hope for glory, his fear for his brother, his guilt and anger at his parents early demise all become great drama’s that play out on the pages of the book. The fiction is obviously an exaggeration, but you know that it all is derived from the truth.
When they play in the park Dave goes crazy over the inconsiderations of the other people in the park. How they must just wait to all come when he and his brother are looking to play. When they play Frisbee they are the greatest in the world; tossing the disc hundreds of yards from one end of the beach to the other. All the annoying people stop and watch in amazement. At one point Dave takes hires a sitter. He has a date and once he leaves the house lives in savage fear of what is happening at home. He imagines a thousand deaths for his brother until he gets home and sees he is safe. This break from reality peppers the book and is its true source of originality.
Emotional: 5 The book is all emotion. You are constantly inside the head of the author and are riding his roller coaster of thoughts and feelings.
Intellectual: 2 Not a lot in intellectual thought. The writing style does provide an interesting feel, though.
Long Term: 2 I don’t think this book will ever stand out a whole lot. It is worthy of a read, but it probably isn’t for everyone.
The reader is intimately invited into Eggers head. His life and thoughts are plainly laid out for all to experience. This little known book was a great find and worth reading.
Keep Turning Pages
By Dave Eggers
Pg. 437 – Autobiographical Fiction
The book is labeled as fiction, but it is obviously an autobiography. “This is a work of fiction, only in that many cases, the author could not remember the exact words said by certain people, and exact descriptions of things, so he had to fill in gaps as best he could.”
The reader joins Dave Eggers and his family as his mother is dying. This is only a short time after his father has died. Both die of cancer. Different kinds. What a great way to start a humorous book. This isn’t totally explained, but soon Dave and his brother Toph, pronounced Tofe, long o, are living together in California. His older brother and sister are helping out, but Dave, the youngest of the three older siblings, is taking care of his teenage brother.
Eggers style of writing is like sitting next to a man when his head explodes. As the slime, mucus and brains spatter on you the thoughts of his life reveal themselves to you. It’s as if his thoughts are being transferred onto the page. He flies off on seemingly unrelated topics. He is caught up in a sexual fantasy. He relates to something that happened years before where is seems like that was the point of the story rather than what he started with.
They go through many trials. Finding places to stay, roommates, and conferences at school. You witness the growth of their relationship. A battle of brotherly friendship and parental care. Dave struggles between beating up his brother and finding the best path in the house for sliding on your socks and making sure Toph is dressed properly for school and eating the right food.
For the most part Dave gives up his social life. He starts up a small magazine called Might for 20 somethings. Though this he has some outside world experience. But most of the time his spends with his brother. Too broke to do anything other than go to a park and play Frisbee. His wild imaginations come through in the different situations. His hope for glory, his fear for his brother, his guilt and anger at his parents early demise all become great drama’s that play out on the pages of the book. The fiction is obviously an exaggeration, but you know that it all is derived from the truth.
When they play in the park Dave goes crazy over the inconsiderations of the other people in the park. How they must just wait to all come when he and his brother are looking to play. When they play Frisbee they are the greatest in the world; tossing the disc hundreds of yards from one end of the beach to the other. All the annoying people stop and watch in amazement. At one point Dave takes hires a sitter. He has a date and once he leaves the house lives in savage fear of what is happening at home. He imagines a thousand deaths for his brother until he gets home and sees he is safe. This break from reality peppers the book and is its true source of originality.
Emotional: 5 The book is all emotion. You are constantly inside the head of the author and are riding his roller coaster of thoughts and feelings.
Intellectual: 2 Not a lot in intellectual thought. The writing style does provide an interesting feel, though.
Long Term: 2 I don’t think this book will ever stand out a whole lot. It is worthy of a read, but it probably isn’t for everyone.
The reader is intimately invited into Eggers head. His life and thoughts are plainly laid out for all to experience. This little known book was a great find and worth reading.
Keep Turning Pages
2666 by Roberto Bolano
2666 by Roberto Bolano
pages 898 (Realistic Fiction)
Bolano’s writing style is superb. I repeatedly find myself pleased with an enjoyable simile, an entertaining comparison or a plain sentence that sits well with the reader. His characters seem real. One could be the person sitting across from you at the coffee shop reading the book you have never heard of; or the former lover that you lost contact with some time ago. The way the book is broken down is unique. 2666 is actually divided into 5 books. Bolano was dying before it was published and asked that it be released as five separate books to support his family after his death. His heirs decided that it was better to publish it as one book to preserve the literary value. The finally rating will be for the entire book, but I will discuss each “book” individually.
The Part about the Critics:
The first part of the book is about 4 literary critics that have each become enthralled with a German author, Archimboldi. Jean-Claude Pelltier, Manuel Espinoza, Liz Norton and Piero Morini through literary conventions and an interest in Archimboldi are soon steadfast friends. When a literary event happens they would end up eating together, going for walks and discussing writing late into the night. Their enthusiasm for the author drives them to search him out. Success does not come easily. Archimboldi doesn’t make appearances. His publishers won’t reveal his whereabouts. The only information they have at all is from people they don’t know or trust. The book doesn’t just focus on their search for the missing author. It delves into the critics’ pasts. Their personal relationships become central to the story. The reader finds themselves engrossed in each person and hopes the best for them all; though that seems impossible. You are then left hanging as they meet a man in their search, Amalfitano. The second book is about him.
The Part about Amalfitano:
The Critics from the first book meet Amalfitano at its end. The second book jumps into his past and you are lead through his history. Amalfitano is a professor at a small college in northern Mexico, in Santa Teresa. He lives with his daughter, Rosa, who seems detached from her father. The story jumps between the present and the past acting as a biography of sorts. His relationship with his wife fails and the book follows her as she leaves to search for a poet that she “needs” to connect with. She ends up living in a crypt within a cemetery near the asylum where the poet lives. This part of the book seems to be before the first part about the critics. Subtle information tells you so. Amalfitano hangs a geometry book from a clothesline in homage to Duchamp. In the part about the critics one of the characters finds this book after is it basically destroyed by the weather. As a reader you become a part of an old mans sad life. The promising beginnings to what has become a continuous, sad, repetitious life. He continues on a path into madness as the minor things in life take over his existence.
The Part about Fate
Oscar Fate is an African-American arts reporter that is sent to Mexico, to a small town named Santa Teresa, to cover a boxing match. He isn’t a sports writer and takes some time getting the feel for the job. While there, he learns of a history of rapes and murder that have been plaguing the area for years. He is soon drawn into the seedy underworld of the local population. He meets up with a young girl named Rosa. (the daughter of Amalfitano) He doesn’t know her, but tags along to parties that soon drag him into the drug world. Although he knows he shouldn’t be there. He needs to just leave. He follows anyway realizing it is because of his feelings for her. They end up in a large house in the middle of nowhere. He is separated from her and left in room with a strange man. After a bit he starts looking for her. She is in a room with two men snorting cocaine. He gets in a fight with one of the men and says he is taking the woman with her. It seems as if Bolano is leading us down a path of sadness. You start with the relatively happy critics, you continue with the neutral to sad Amalfitano, this part brings you into the darkness and the next leaves to stranded there.
The Part about the Crimes.
Murder. Death, Rape, Guns, Torture, Drugs. 300 pages of mutilated dead woman and girls. There is a small amount of story as some investigators follow leads. One “murderer” is put away and it follows his life into the jail system which only adds more drugs and death. Reading this part of the book was the most difficult reading I have ever done. This isn’t because it was to complex or difficult verbiage. It was just so much descriptive death. It is because of this part that I cannot suggest this book to another person. It’s not that it is poorly written, but it is extremely depressing and I struggled for weeks to get through it. I really can’t describe it. I can understand why it was done. This stuff is actually happening. This is a work of fiction, but it based in reality. The realism is haunting. Most people would enjoy something else to spend their time with.
The part about Archimboldi
Hans Rieter was born in germany. He went through various jobs and failed at all of them. All he wanted to do was swim in the ocean and learn about the life of the sea. He starts working in a Baron’s Mansion. He soon befriends the baron’s nephew Halder. Time passes and Hans joins the military. You soon learn that he is apart of the German Army in WWII. He gets involved in fighting the polish and is somewhat distinguished as a soldier.
Eventually, he gets captured by the enemy and put in a POW camp. While there he meets a man that admits to being a war criminal. Rieter kills him. He leaves the camp and the war ends. He assumes that he is wanted because of the murder and changes his name to Benne Von Archimboldi. He starts to write books that get refused by many, but a small publisher is enchanted by his writing and agrees to produce his books.
Roberto Bolano has undoubtedly produced a masterpiece of modern literature. The depth of the characters, the quality of writing, the subtle additions of recurring themes and reality of his book leaves the reader entranced. Anyone that reads the book would surely remember this book for years to come. Each part stands as a book on its own, but the whole draws it all together and makes for an extremely vital book. This isn’t to say that this is all one story. The books are related in that they are tied to the Mexican city of Santa Teresa. The characters of the books also flow from part to part. The main character in the first part may only be partially mentioned in the next. A passing character in the 3rd part might be the main character in the next. A reader is drawn into each characters life and follows a path that goes seems to fall deeper and deeper into human depravity. The end of the book doesn’t really resolve this, but leave the reader with having been a part of each character’s life.
5 Emotional: The beauty of the writing, the relationships and exploration of dreams all make the emotional impact significant. The hardship and sadness is real and will leave an impression on the reader.
4 Intellectual: The subtle additions, unique writing style, interesting outlay, and myriad of recurring themes make for a book that could easily be the focus of a Master’s thesis.
2 Long Term: This is very hard to grade. The quality of the writing would really make this easy to put at a 4. The subject matter and despair of The Part About the Crimes will turn many people off and make it hard for it to gather a large following.
2666 by Roberto Bolano is great. That said I can’t really suggest others read it. I have read numerous accounts of the atrocities during the holocaust. I have read about murders and war. No book to this point has been as striking and difficult as The Part about the Crimes. I don’t intend to know more than the author or his publishers, but if I was recommending it I would tell the reader to skip that part. To get a feel for what is going on in it you could read the last 100 pages. I feel the authors point was to make it real, but I truly can’t encourage someone to read that.
Besides that I loved the book. I can’t begin to describe all the wonderful phrases and similes. The repetition in theme and small recurrences are a joy to discover. The characters are easy to befriend and their interaction with world is engaging. I hope to read other books by this author.
11 out of 13 – If not for the problems discussed could easily be a 13.
Keep Turning Pages.
pages 898 (Realistic Fiction)
Bolano’s writing style is superb. I repeatedly find myself pleased with an enjoyable simile, an entertaining comparison or a plain sentence that sits well with the reader. His characters seem real. One could be the person sitting across from you at the coffee shop reading the book you have never heard of; or the former lover that you lost contact with some time ago. The way the book is broken down is unique. 2666 is actually divided into 5 books. Bolano was dying before it was published and asked that it be released as five separate books to support his family after his death. His heirs decided that it was better to publish it as one book to preserve the literary value. The finally rating will be for the entire book, but I will discuss each “book” individually.
The Part about the Critics:
The first part of the book is about 4 literary critics that have each become enthralled with a German author, Archimboldi. Jean-Claude Pelltier, Manuel Espinoza, Liz Norton and Piero Morini through literary conventions and an interest in Archimboldi are soon steadfast friends. When a literary event happens they would end up eating together, going for walks and discussing writing late into the night. Their enthusiasm for the author drives them to search him out. Success does not come easily. Archimboldi doesn’t make appearances. His publishers won’t reveal his whereabouts. The only information they have at all is from people they don’t know or trust. The book doesn’t just focus on their search for the missing author. It delves into the critics’ pasts. Their personal relationships become central to the story. The reader finds themselves engrossed in each person and hopes the best for them all; though that seems impossible. You are then left hanging as they meet a man in their search, Amalfitano. The second book is about him.
The Part about Amalfitano:
The Critics from the first book meet Amalfitano at its end. The second book jumps into his past and you are lead through his history. Amalfitano is a professor at a small college in northern Mexico, in Santa Teresa. He lives with his daughter, Rosa, who seems detached from her father. The story jumps between the present and the past acting as a biography of sorts. His relationship with his wife fails and the book follows her as she leaves to search for a poet that she “needs” to connect with. She ends up living in a crypt within a cemetery near the asylum where the poet lives. This part of the book seems to be before the first part about the critics. Subtle information tells you so. Amalfitano hangs a geometry book from a clothesline in homage to Duchamp. In the part about the critics one of the characters finds this book after is it basically destroyed by the weather. As a reader you become a part of an old mans sad life. The promising beginnings to what has become a continuous, sad, repetitious life. He continues on a path into madness as the minor things in life take over his existence.
The Part about Fate
Oscar Fate is an African-American arts reporter that is sent to Mexico, to a small town named Santa Teresa, to cover a boxing match. He isn’t a sports writer and takes some time getting the feel for the job. While there, he learns of a history of rapes and murder that have been plaguing the area for years. He is soon drawn into the seedy underworld of the local population. He meets up with a young girl named Rosa. (the daughter of Amalfitano) He doesn’t know her, but tags along to parties that soon drag him into the drug world. Although he knows he shouldn’t be there. He needs to just leave. He follows anyway realizing it is because of his feelings for her. They end up in a large house in the middle of nowhere. He is separated from her and left in room with a strange man. After a bit he starts looking for her. She is in a room with two men snorting cocaine. He gets in a fight with one of the men and says he is taking the woman with her. It seems as if Bolano is leading us down a path of sadness. You start with the relatively happy critics, you continue with the neutral to sad Amalfitano, this part brings you into the darkness and the next leaves to stranded there.
The Part about the Crimes.
Murder. Death, Rape, Guns, Torture, Drugs. 300 pages of mutilated dead woman and girls. There is a small amount of story as some investigators follow leads. One “murderer” is put away and it follows his life into the jail system which only adds more drugs and death. Reading this part of the book was the most difficult reading I have ever done. This isn’t because it was to complex or difficult verbiage. It was just so much descriptive death. It is because of this part that I cannot suggest this book to another person. It’s not that it is poorly written, but it is extremely depressing and I struggled for weeks to get through it. I really can’t describe it. I can understand why it was done. This stuff is actually happening. This is a work of fiction, but it based in reality. The realism is haunting. Most people would enjoy something else to spend their time with.
The part about Archimboldi
Hans Rieter was born in germany. He went through various jobs and failed at all of them. All he wanted to do was swim in the ocean and learn about the life of the sea. He starts working in a Baron’s Mansion. He soon befriends the baron’s nephew Halder. Time passes and Hans joins the military. You soon learn that he is apart of the German Army in WWII. He gets involved in fighting the polish and is somewhat distinguished as a soldier.
Eventually, he gets captured by the enemy and put in a POW camp. While there he meets a man that admits to being a war criminal. Rieter kills him. He leaves the camp and the war ends. He assumes that he is wanted because of the murder and changes his name to Benne Von Archimboldi. He starts to write books that get refused by many, but a small publisher is enchanted by his writing and agrees to produce his books.
Roberto Bolano has undoubtedly produced a masterpiece of modern literature. The depth of the characters, the quality of writing, the subtle additions of recurring themes and reality of his book leaves the reader entranced. Anyone that reads the book would surely remember this book for years to come. Each part stands as a book on its own, but the whole draws it all together and makes for an extremely vital book. This isn’t to say that this is all one story. The books are related in that they are tied to the Mexican city of Santa Teresa. The characters of the books also flow from part to part. The main character in the first part may only be partially mentioned in the next. A passing character in the 3rd part might be the main character in the next. A reader is drawn into each characters life and follows a path that goes seems to fall deeper and deeper into human depravity. The end of the book doesn’t really resolve this, but leave the reader with having been a part of each character’s life.
5 Emotional: The beauty of the writing, the relationships and exploration of dreams all make the emotional impact significant. The hardship and sadness is real and will leave an impression on the reader.
4 Intellectual: The subtle additions, unique writing style, interesting outlay, and myriad of recurring themes make for a book that could easily be the focus of a Master’s thesis.
2 Long Term: This is very hard to grade. The quality of the writing would really make this easy to put at a 4. The subject matter and despair of The Part About the Crimes will turn many people off and make it hard for it to gather a large following.
2666 by Roberto Bolano is great. That said I can’t really suggest others read it. I have read numerous accounts of the atrocities during the holocaust. I have read about murders and war. No book to this point has been as striking and difficult as The Part about the Crimes. I don’t intend to know more than the author or his publishers, but if I was recommending it I would tell the reader to skip that part. To get a feel for what is going on in it you could read the last 100 pages. I feel the authors point was to make it real, but I truly can’t encourage someone to read that.
Besides that I loved the book. I can’t begin to describe all the wonderful phrases and similes. The repetition in theme and small recurrences are a joy to discover. The characters are easy to befriend and their interaction with world is engaging. I hope to read other books by this author.
11 out of 13 – If not for the problems discussed could easily be a 13.
Keep Turning Pages.
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