Sacre Blue by Christopher Moore

400ish? Pages Trade Paperback

Historical Fantasy Fiction

My wife gave this to me as a gift. I had never heard of Christopher Moore. I have a huge interest in art history and a murder mystery set with the Post-Impressionists seemed very appealing. 

The book is set in the late 1800's and starts with the death of Vincent Van Gogh. We know that instead of killing himself, as history tells us, that he is killed by someone else. The main character is Lucian Lessard and he is surrounded by some of the most talented artists of his age. He too attempts to create art and finds himself enamored with a young lady who becomes the focus of his work. He creates his best work ever, until he runs out of the color blue. He and Henri Toulouse-Lautrec soon find themselves trying to figure out a warning delivered in Van Gogh's last letter. Who is the color man and is he connected to Vincent's death?

I was immediately drawn into the book. Moore has a light hearted style that is easy to digest, but still takes time to describe what is happening clearly. It is advertised as "A Comedy D'art" and though I did find parts of it funny; I felt it was a more like a murder mystery with humor, rather than a humorous book about murder. Either way, I liked it and have bought a few of his other books and look forward to reading them.

3 Intellectual/Emotional - This plays on real events and a good portion of it is made up, but I really liked Lucien and cared about his adventure.

4 Style/Readability - Although I was a bit unsure at times about how the story came together, as a package it was enjoyable and entertaining. I think Moore writing is perfect for me and I am pleased I found another author I can delve into.

2 Long Term Impact - I hadn't ever heard of Moore before and from most accounts Sacre Bleu isn't considered his best work. I look forward to seeing what his other work offers.

9 out of 13 seems like a poor score from me. But I feel that it is about right. Before making a recommendation I hope to read some of his other work.

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Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline

278 pages - Trade Paperback - Historical Fiction - 2013

I was invited to join a book club and the person who started it picked this book as the first read. The story setting is set close to where I grew up in MN. I have also had an interest in the Depression era of the United States and seeing how people handled it.

The book has two timelines. The first part is set in Maine in modern times. We meet a young lady, Molly, who is in a foster program. Her foster father wants to be a family, but the mother is rude and unwilling to compromise. Molly is caught stealing a book from the local library and sentenced to community service. She finds herself helping Vivian. An older lady that needs help cleaning out her attic. As the work together "cleaning" the attic, they come upon all the items Vivian has collected through the years.

The second part of the story follows is set in the depression era. Naimh, has come over from ireland only 2 years ago. Both parents die and she and her brother, Carmine, are sent on the Orphan Train across the US. They travel with her friend, Dutchy. What happened on the Orphan Trains was they took children in New York and put them on trains that would stop at places in the midwest. Any family willing to take them in was encouraged to do so. Naimh is split from her brother and Dutchy, but they swear they will find each other in the future.

It becomes apparent that Vivian and Naimh are the same person and that she has changed her name. We follow her through many trials. It seems almost as if she goes from one bad things to another with only a glimmer of hope once and awhile. The book pulls itself together in the end with Molly helping Vivian deal with her past.

This book was interesting to me. There were parts of it I liked a lot. Specifically, the story of Vivian as a young lady and how things start out with her after being on the Orphan Train. But as the story went on I got a bit annoyed with the book. It seemed to me like it wasn't real. As if Kline made a list of all the terrible things that could happen to a young woman and then wrote it into the story. After reading the book I read an interview with Kline. She interviewed many people that actually did ride the Orphan Trains and reveals that she took parts of the people's stories and used them to tell Vivian's story. It wasn't that someone couldn't have had all those things happen to her, but it seemed very contrived. It was like to much was happening to one person.

3 Emotional/Intellectual - I really got into Vivian's story as a youth. I understood the point of having Molly be a character that leads Vivian into the future, but her part of the story mostly pointless to me and could have been handled in a different way.

2 Style/Readability - As mentioned, the story seemed way too contrived. I can't place my finger on it, but it just didn't seem real to me. I realize it is fiction, but it is historically accurate so I wanted something more.

2 Long Term Impact - It is a bestseller and it has positively drawn attention to folks who really did ride the trains. I would like to believe that some of their real stories would be more worthwhile.

7 out of 13. This isn't a great score. The thing is I liked the book and enjoyed reading it. I don't have another book that deals with the same subject, but I would like to believe there is something better. Personally, I wouldn't recommend it unless a person had connections to it, as in my case, where the setting was in my home state.

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A Bend in the River by V.S. Naipaul

278 Pages Paperback - Fiction - 1980

My wife and I both wanted to read a book together and this was chosen. I had never heard of the author or the book, but was interested in reading it. It is occasionally on the "top 100 books to read" lists. I have grown to appreciate a lot of the Indian writers I have had read. I was pleased to be starting another.

The book follows a man named Salim. He is of indian heritage, but lives on the coast of Africa. It is never revealed where he actually is in the books other than some place in Africa, though he does travel to other countries/continents for part of the story.

Salim starts the story by buying a business in a small town at "a bend in the river" in another country. He travels through the middle of Africa and finds himself in a sparsely populated town with a run down building and a hodgepodge of things to sell. He establishes himself and does moderately well. He takes on a customers boy as a boarder so that he can attend the local school. Eventually, Metty, a house slave, now free, from his home comes to join him. He works at the shop as well. 

The conflict within the story seems to be the small town vs the outside world. At first it is just this collection of buildings in the middle of the bush. At one point it had been modernized, but everything has fallen to ruin and no one takes care of anything they don't live in. Huge piles of garbage pile int eh streets. There is a rebellion and it is squashed by mercenaries. Soon "The Big Man", the president takes notice of the small town as it has become a place of local trade. The bend in the river gets an update with a section of town known as the "State Domain". It seems to be a way to show how Modern the state can be, even turning small downs into a great modern place to be.

I think that Naipaul writing is clear and precise. It was easy to imagine the places and I can see myself in this hot place in the middle of nowhere. Though the main protagonist is likable he never really does anything exciting. The book seems to be a portrait of middle Africa at the time. It's like the backdrop of his life, the town, the people, and the country is what the book is really about. As it went on it felt almost like a social/political commentary on Africa at the time. The fact that none of the major places in the book are named implies that you could be most anywhere in Africa and this would hold true. I personally don't know enough about it to fully understand all the implications of the comparisons to real life. But at the same time the characters are very real. They have worries, and love and hope and sorrow and that all is delivered with solid writing.

3 Emotional/Intellectual - I liked the characters in the book. It did jump around in focus and certain characters such as Ferdinand's Mother and The Priest were not in the book enough.

3 Style/readability - I thing Naipaul is a very good writer. If I was more aware regarding the political aspects of the book, I would probably be even more impressed.

3 Long Term Impact - The book is still break top 100 lists over 30 years later. It already has had major impact. 

I give it a 9 out of 13. I can't say I am disappointed in the book, but I can say I overly liked it. I can appreciate the writing, but it just didn't do it for me. If you are looking for other Indian writers try Rushdie or Arundhati Roy.

The Agony and the Ecstasy by Irving Stone

776 pages paperback (Historical Fiction) - 1961

My wife has urged me to read this book for a while. I had read Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling by Ross King and she thought I would like this as well. King's book focuses solely on Michelangelo's work in the Sistine Chapel, The Agony and the Ecstasy covers most of his life. The most obvious difference is that Stone takes liberty in making the book into a novel that uses history. King's book is non-fiction. 

The book follows Michelangelo from a young boy until his death at age 88. We see how he spent time in stone quarries dealing with marble almost from birth. He is apprenticed to merchants, but jumps at the chance to join the painting studio under the tutelage of Ghirlandaio. He studies the art of fresco, but when given the opportunity to learn sculpture carving under Bertoldo he leaves the fresco studio. He starts with small works and then catches the attention of the Medici family. He soon becomes an in house artist and continues to work for them. He is hired to make the Medici family tomb, but soon after his benefactor dies. 

As Michelangelo fame grows, after sculpting David, he gets the attention of the Pope. He soon is forced into painting the Sistine chapel even though he declares it isn't his art. We continue to following him as he makes some of the greatest works of art ever created on earth.

I immediately got sucked into this book. Michelangelo has always been one of my favorite artists and since it was presented in novel form it was easy to get wrapped up in the story. Before reading it, I had reservations that it was a novel. I was worried about what would be real and what would be false. As I read I looked up each of the works that he created and tried to keep an accurate account of what happened. There were references in the book to a couple works of art that I couldn't find real life reference to, but for the most part the book seems to be accurate.

I enjoyed his style overall. I was influenced by my interest in the subject, but I found it to be engaging and I read through most of the book very quickly. The last two hundred pages or so focused less on the art he was creating and had more to do with the politics that Michelangelo was forced to participate in. He dealt with numerous Popes as they ascended to the papacy and then eventually died. Each one had different views on what he was doing and different work each one wanted him to do. Throughout it all he continued to create and inspire.

4 - Intellectual/Emotional - I became invested in the story and also appreciated getting a realistic view of Michelangelo's life. The only draw back was not being 100% sure what is accurate and what was not.

3 - Style/Readability - Overall, it was great and I was very pleased. As mentioned the last 200 pages or so was less appealing.

4 - Long term Impact - The book has been around for 50 years already. It has been read by millions and was made into a movie. I would say if you are interested in Michelangelo's life this is a great place to start.

11 out of 13. If the subject is at all appealing, or you have interest in Renaissance Italy this book is well worth the read.

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Sourcery by Terry Pratchett

260 Pages, Paperback (Fantasy Fiction)

I am again reviewing a Pratchett book. It is so easy to pick up another one of his books after reading something else, it just keeps happening. Most fans of Pratchett agree that he improves as a writer the further into his career he gets. I am not totally sure of the placement of Sourcery in the book release order, but we can see the quality of humor and writing is starting to shine at this point.

A long time ago a powerful wizard had his soul sucked into a staff. Generations pass and the eighth son of an eight son comes into possession of this enchanted staff. Through it he has the ability to tap into Sourcery, the source of magic. This is way more than the simple magic the Wizards in the Unseen University normally use. They all are soon drawn into a world where the most minor of wizards can do things they previously only dreamed about. As more wizards start to take advantage of this new power it starts to become apparent as to why Sourcery Magic has been unused for so long.

I found the book to be a quick and satisfying read. I wouldn't put it in with his best works, but it is certainly entertaining and worth a read for any fan of Pratchett. We start to see the writing that makes Pratchett great. He entertains amusing juxtapositions of ideas and humorous use of language. 

2 Emotional/Intellectual - Rincewind is the only characters I care much for in the book and that is mainly because of  interaction with him in other books.

4 Readability/Style - We see where Pratchett style really start to take hold and that is where this book really shines.

3 Long Term Impact - I can only see Pratchett's writing to become more and more appreciated as time goes on. That said I don't see this ever become a "must read" of his books.

9 out of 13. I would have liked to give it a 10, but I couldn't really justify it. Any Pratchett fan should read it, but this wouldn't be the place to start as a new reader.

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The Lion of Camarre and Against the Fall of Night by Arthur C. Clarke

213 pages (Hardcover) Fiction

I have been a fan of Clarke since I was teenager and first got into reading science fiction. This blog actually came into being because of Clarke in its own way. He has written over 50 books some fiction and some non-fiction. Many of them have similar names. I started writing brief reviews of each book I had read so when I was looking for a new one I could make sure I hadn't read it before. This is one of the curses of buying all your books in used book stores. Anyway, Clarke has entertained me repeatedly through the years and I was happy to find one that I hadn't read. This is actually two stories in one book. The Lion of Comarre is a short story and Against the Fall of Night is more like a novella.

The Lion of Commare follows a ingenious young man, Peyton, who attempts to find Commare, an almost mythical city made far in the past that was supposed to be a Utopian place to live. Many others had searched for it and either failed or never returned. Peyton concludes that the hidden city must reside in a wildlife preserve and flies there in an attempt to locate it. He parks outside the preserve and walks in. On his journey he ignores numerous warning signs and eventually meets a lion. It is docile and quickly becomes a traveling companion. Peyton find the city of Commarre, which seems to be a self sufficient enclosed building. Once inside he realizes why those that came before them never left and only with the help of his new found friend is he able to keep the city defenses at bay.

Against the Fall of Night seemed very familiar to me. I realized later that the idea of the novella was later expanded into a whole book called The City and the Stars  which I had already read. It was a bit confusing, because some things seem very familiar: a huge isolated city with people that never age. A young person one of the first people born in ages, a city park the was the center of the the living quarters. There were differences as well and once I figured out that I had read a similar story it made sense.

Alvin is the first person born in thousands of years. His society has learned how to extend life indefinitely and people are only produced when people have died of accidents. Alvin finds himself in a stagnant society that doesn't explore or invent anymore. He has a creative drive that has no partner. He explores the back areas of the city and wants to find a way out. On one of his adventures he find a note seemingly left there thousands of years in the past. It says: THERE IS A BETTER WAY. GIVE MY REGARDS TO THE KEEPER OF RECORDS. Alvin contacts Rorden, the Keeper of Records. With his help they start to find the path way that was blocked and eventually leads out of the city. From there the real adventure begins.

One of the things I find most appealing about Clarke is that he makes things seem real. Everything that is portrayed in his books, although fantastic, are based in reality. His novels focus on the future, but from my perspective, they are from the past. This book was written before we even landed on the moon yet many of the things described such as personal airplanes and cell phones are now a part of our every day life.

3 Intellectual/Emotional - I find the ideas of the future intellectually entertaining, but I found little emotional substance.

4 Style/Readability - Clarke is always easy to read. The ideas can be complex, but it is always presented in an easily digested way. I never struggle to understand what is happening, but never feel like it is simplified.

2 Long Term Impact - Clarke is a monolith in science fiction and has had an enormous impact on sci fi writing. This is a lesser known book, but still worth while.

9 out of 13. I enjoyed it, but think many other books by Clarke would be a better place to start.

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Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy

337 Pages (Paperback) Fiction

I have been a fan of Cormac McCarthy ever since reading The Road. I found it to be one the of the best books I had read in many years. My wife suggested that when I was ready for a heavy book I give Blood Meridian a try. Man, she wasn't kidding.

The book loosely follows the "adventures" of a character referred to only as the kid. The boy witnesses a killing right away in the book and soon finds himself traveling with Captain Glanton. They travel across the Texas/Mexico boarder hunting Indians for their scalps. The cover of the book describes is as, "A classic American novel of regeneration through violence." That is a huge understatement. Most of the book is dirty men traveling across wastelands, hunting Indians and killing them. Then using the gold they make to drink, whore and destroy everything they come upon. It takes the classic Western novel and turns into a slaughterhouse.

I felt it was a bit much and I struggled to get through the book. I read a number of other books while I was reading this one since often times I didn't want to pick this one up. It doesn't change my opinion of McCarthy's writing though. It was crisp and clean and minimal. The writing itself was engaging and I enjoyed it, but the reality and grittiness of the subject matter was hard to handle. Although the book is fiction it is certainly based in reality and you know the things described, despicable as they are, happened again and again as people spread out across our country.

It takes the idealized vision of westward expansion in America and presents it realistically horrifying and disturbing.

4 Intellectual/Emotional - This is tough one to rate. I can't say I liked any of the characters and that makes it hard to get invested, but I certainly had an emotional response to the book. It made me feel uncomfortable. Since that seems to be the point I have to conclude it is a success.

2 Style/Readability - I rate this low not because McCarthy isn't a master of modern literature. He is. The writing is superb, but the nearly endless slaughter and violence made it very difficult to read.

4 Long Term Impact - McCarthy is already considered among the best of authors producing work in our time. Many consider this the best of his writing and it will go down in history accordingly.

10 out of 13. I can't recommend this book. It can only be defined as brutal. If you are looking for "the truth until it hurts" this may be for you. I do recommend you pick up The Road instead.

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Reality is Broken by Jane McGonigal

Reality is Broken by Jane McGonigal

416 pages Hardcover (Non-Fiction)

I saw a Ted Talk by McGonigal a couple years ago and when I heard that she had written a book I wanted to give it a read. I was lucky enough to receive it as a Christmas gift so here we are. 

McGonigal puts forth the idea that games can be put to work changing the world for the better. Each week millions of man hours are used accomplishing goals in video games. She asserts that these hours could be used in games to make the world a better place. The book focuses a lot on various gaming accomplishments that don't affect the "real" world, but have effects on the the people involved in positive ways. Gamers are more likely to come back from set backs, are more satisfied because they have a place to achieve recognizable goals, and know how to attain those goals. Right now that that might not have much significance, but it sets them up to be successful in the future.

The last half of the book focuses on games that have had a positive effect on the world. She took part in developing a game that put the players in an oil shortage. The players then advanced in the game using real life oil saving strategies. Cruel 2 B Kind has people spread kindness in crowded areas encouraging happiness to those participating but also those that weren't playing the game. Another game had people interacting with elderly in nursing homes and giving them chances to connect with life outside their living areas. One game made a contest out of cleaning the house. All of these games had a positive effect on the world even if it was just a clean bathroom.

McGonigal does a good job of demonstrating how games can make the world a better place. The ideas in the book were fantastic and just reading it made me want to get involved in some way. A couple things did bother me about the book: She comes across as a amateur writer. She continually used the same turns of phrase such as "this is just the back of an envelope figure" and that stuck out as weak to me. As the book went on it began to come off as a list of games she has developed and didn't focus much on what other people have done. The last thing was the book focused almost exclusively on the positive aspects of gaming. She spent about one page addressing some of the negative things involved in gaming, but I felt as a gamer myself glossed over a lot of the problems that comes about because of and within games.

That said I really enjoyed the book. If she did focus a lot on her achievements it could be because her ideas are on the the edge of what is happening and right now there aren't a lot of other examples.

5 Intellectual/Emotional - Harnessing the time put into games and funneling toward positive things is a good goal and I found it extremely interesting.

2 Style/Readability - McGonigal has some room to grow as a writer. Thankfully the content makes up for that.

4 Long term impact - It seems as if she is promoting something that is certain to catch on. As the world continues to become more connected the ideas presented in this book will become more popular and then they can have the impact the are designed to have.

11 out of 13. I think if you have any interests in games, not just video games, then this book is a good read. Even those that aren't into games can see how they can have a positive influence.

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The Fifth Elephant by Terry Pratchett

370 pages Paperback (Fiction)

What? Another Pratchett book. Am I only reading comic books and Terry Pratchett? I realize I have had a bunch of reviews of Pratchett lately, but it is a bit misleading. I am reading about four other books right now. Pratchett is awesome though and well worth reading a bunch in a row. You will do the same if you pick up some of his better books.

My wife and I bought each other this book as a gift last year and we were taking a trip together so we decided to have a little fun and race each other through the book. The Fifth Elephant follows the continuing adventures of the Ankh-Morpork guards. The main character, Sam Vimes, is promoted to a diplomat. He is being sent to Uberwald to attend the coronation of the new Low King. Of course nothing goes smoothly in on Discworld. There is an assassination attempt and a theft of the Royal Scone. Soon families of werewolves and vampires stick their nose into the problem and the help of trolls and dwarves is needed. An investigation in a foreign country makes life difficult for everyone, they hope they can solve the crime, but more importantly the hope to survive until they do.

Pratchett, as usual, tells a entertaining tale intertwined with humor in a fantasy world. The reader finds themselves in a story built on the foundation of myths and fairy tales. I enjoyed it and any fan of Pratchett deserves to add this to their reading list.

3 Intellectual/Emotional - Although I care a lot about the characters in these books. I wasn't as drawn into this story as much as I have in others in the series. 

4 Style/Readability - Pratchett's writing is engaging without ever losing the reader. It isn't simple, but it comes never makes it hard on the reader.

2 Long Term Impact - Prachett seems to skirt the edge of popularity in the fantasy genre, but the more well known he becomes the better it will be for fantasy in general.

9 out of 13. This is respectable. This wasn't may favorite of his books, but this is in comparison to some of his best works. It is a worthwhile read for any fan. I would suggest anyone that hasn't delved into Discworld start somewhere else such as Guards! Guards! or Going Postal.

As always, Keep Turning Pages.

On Deck:

A Bend in the River

Blood Meridian

Reality is Broken

The Hogfather by Terry Pratchett

354 pages (Fiction) Paperback

It didn't take me long to read another Pratchett book. He really is a fantastic writer and since it was almost Christmas I decided to give this book a read. This has actually been made into a two part miniseries on the BBC. I have seen the show and knew what was going on already, but there was enough additions to make the book interesting.

It is Hogswatch night, a night that is eerily similar to our Christmas Eve. The main difference is that instead of a jolly old elf sweeping the world delivering gifts; The Hogfather, a half man, half pig, pulled by a team of wild boars; distributes toys to those who believe. Only this night the Hogfather isn't showing up, someone else is. Death has noticed a lack of belief in the world and if the Hogfather doesn't deliver then there won't be enough belief in the world and that will have drastic consequences.

The tale follows Death as he attempts to fill the role of the Hogfather. It accompanies Susan, Death's granddaughter, as she attempts to find out what happened to the Hogfather. We look in on the Unseen University as the wizards there start to figure out that effects of belief are strangely out of whack. We also join an assassin and his band of ruffians who are attempting to make sure the Hogfather never delivers another present.

Pratchett delivers again. I enjoyed the book from beginning to end. In the show it is a bit confusing as to what actually happens at the end of the story, but in the book it seems to make more sense. It is lighthearted as all of Pratchett's books are and entertaining. Not only does he come up with interesting tales that poke fun at everyday happenings of our world, he ties it all together with interesting characters and a magical world. In addition to that he has a great way with language and uses that to add depth and humor to the book.

3 Intellectual/Emotional - Susan is becoming a favorite character as she has appeared in a few books. Death is a major player in this one and has always been a favorite. Even the bad guys are likable.

5 Style/Readability - Pratchett doesn't spoon feed a reader and allows you to figure out things for yourself. I never find it difficult to read, but find pleasure in the way he puts sentences together and uses the language to describe as well as amuse.

3 Long Term Impact - I don't understand why Pratchett isn't more renown. I have seen people glamorize his early book, The Color of Magic, but I honestly didn't think it was anywhere as good as his later stuff. Hogfather is one of his better books and deserves more recognition than it gets.

On Deck: The Fifth Elephant by Terry Pratchett (HA HA Another one!)

As always, Keep Turning Pages

The Walking Dead Compendium Two by Kirkman, Adlard and Rathburn

Issues 49-96 Fiction (Soft Cover)

Review of Compendium 1

The Walking Dead has become a phenomenon. It went from a tiny virtually unknown comic to one of the most watched TV shows ever; spawning all the things related to that. I typically don't watch much horror because my wife will not watch it. Last year I was sick and stayed home and decided to give the first episode of the TV show a try. I was hooked and watched most of the first season in a few days. I think what makes it appealing is that though there is a constant threat of zombies attacking; the real story is how people relate to each other and deal with the situation. 

::SPOILERS!::

The last compendium ended with the Governor attacking the prison and spreading the group apart. The characters give up and start living outside again. Rick has been injured and is not doing well. Carl and Rick stay in a house and while Rick is recuperating Carl protects him. Michonne finds them and they soon meet up with most of the original group. Soon after a group of three people Abraham, Eugene and Rosita come upon the group demanding use of their supplies. Eugene is a Dr. and has to get to Washington D.C. to help cure the plague that has infected humans. They travel to Washington and meet up with a group of people that live in a fenced in village. The rest of the book deal mostly with interactions of the people and how they deal with the growing threat of walkers and other people. 

When I first started reading the comic the original artist, Tony Moore, was FANTASTIC and I really enjoyed his work. He was replaced by Charlie Adlard after the 6th comic. His work was very disappointing at first especially when compared to Moore. Towards the end of the first compendium you can see significant improvements. With the second compendium he improves even more. The style fits the series and is decent, though it still isn't as good as Moore.

The writing is well done. They focus on the characters and we get glimpses into their inner psychology. Comics are easy to read, but I found myself tearing through these. I am not sure the exact page count but I was reading more than a hundred pages a day. 

I have been watching the TV series as well and there are MAJOR differences between the show and the comics. It seems that at the end of the Midseason Finale of season 4 we are at the beginning of issue 49. The prison is overrun and Rick is wounded. He and Carl walk away separated from the rest of the group. A lot of things are different though. Parts of the story that happen in the second compendium were already used in the show and some things haven't happened. A lot of the characters are mixed up, show up at different times, are added or omitted. A whole side story with the governor is added to the show that isn't in the books.

I would say that comparing the two is a bit unfair considering this was all done by a few guys before it gained popularity with the show. The show is so successful they essentially have access to the best writers in television. I really did NOT like how much time was spent regarding the Woodbury story on the TV show. I don't like the Governor character and it seemed like dealing with him went way longer than was enjoyable. That said the show is better over all. 

3 Intellectual/Emotional - I care about the characters and hope they do well. They are living in a life and death situation. They are constantly forced to make hard decisions and sometimes they make the wrong ones. That usually means likable characters are killed off and to me that is appealing. No one is protected.

3 Style/Readability - It is easily read and I had a hard time putting it down. I don't know how I would like waiting a month to get to what happens next if I was reading the series month to month.

4 Long Term Impact - There is no doubt that The Walking Dead has already changed popular culture to a degree. Horror as a whole has always been a niche in entertainment. With its adaptation as a TV show it has changed what is acceptable for "mainstream" entertainment. It will certainly spawn more books, comics and tv shows that deal with horror based subjects.

10 out of 13. I have been enjoying them and I plan on reading further in the series when the next compendium comes out. I have heard that it gets a bit hard to handle soon after this compendium finishes so I will see where it goes from there. I think if the subject, horror and end of the world scenarios, doesn't turn you away this series is worth checking out. If nothing else check of the first 6 issues with the original artist, Tony Moore.

As always, Keep Turning Pages.

Making Money by Terry Pratchett

404 Pages (Fiction) Paperback

Terry Pratchett has been a constant source of entertainment in a the last few years. Although some of his earlier books are fine as he put out more books his writing becomes fantastic.

This book follows the events in Going Postal. Moist Von Lipwig has taken the post office from a mostly deserted ruin and turned it into a a fully functioning pillar of Ankh-Morpork; so of course he is bored. The place practically runs itself. He soon finds himself getting into trouble. The patrician of the city, Vetinari, encourages him to take up banking. The people of the city have lost trust in the banks and it needs to be turned around. Moist is the man for the job. Only a criminal mind would be able to handle something as corrupt as the banking system. Topsy Lavish is the current Royal Bank chairman and soon appoints Moist to the position. While running the post office they came up with the ingenious idea of stamps. Soon the people of the city started to collect them and even use them to exchange goods. What if the banks started to use a similar idea. Moist soon sets his mind to Making Money!

Pratchett is hilarious and enjoyable. You quick fall in love with his characters and even care for the bad guys as well. His world is a strange and silly counterpart to our own. He uses this to make fun of and embrace all of our inconsistencies. While reading his books you quickly get drawn in and following the twists and turns of the stories make it hard to stop reading at night. It is well worth your time to pick up one of his more recent books.

3 Emotional/Intellectual - Moist is one of Pratchett's best characters. The criminal with a good heart wants to do bad, but can't help doing good.

5 Style/Readability - Pratchett is a fantastic writer and entertains with consistent turns of phrase that makes you smile while describing perfectly.

3 Long Term Impact - The more people find out about Pratchett's work the more word will spread. This is one of the better books from Discworld and hopefully it will inspire more writing like it.

11 out of 13. I really enjoyed Going Postal and if anything I enjoyed Making Money more. Both books are well worth anyone's time. Give them a read you won't regret it.

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Tales from the White Hart by Arthur C. Clarke

148 Pages (Fiction) Paperback

I have been a huge Arthur C. Clarke fan for many years. In fact a big reason I started this blog was to keep track of what books I have read. Clarke has so many books and many of them have similar names. I made this blog so I could know for sure what books I had read before starting a new one by him. I found this in a used book store for twice as much as the cover price.

Tales from the White Hart is really a collection of short stories. It is presented in a uncommon way. We are introduced to a hidden bar in London that attracts a collection of scientists and authors. A gentleman names Harry Purvis continually enthralls the crowd with a series of tall tales. Although presented as fiction the book gives the impression that the White Hart is based off of a real place.

Each chapter is another story being told. They are wide in range going from mysterious tanker crashed on the road, to great ships collecting minerals on the sea, to an army of termites with the power to take over the world. Clarkes written is easy to get into. Even though the stories are a bit fantastic what has always appealed to me about his work is that they are all grounded in reality. You could believe that the at least some of the stories are probable.

I actually read this book in between others a chapter here and a chapter there. I imagine an avid read could read it easily in a day or two.

3 Intellectual/Emotional - As I said, Clarke's ability to venture just beyond reality makes his stories very entertaining.

4 Style/Readability - Sometimes Clarke is treading on topics that are fairly complex. He has a way of distilling these down to layman's language that makes enjoyable for any reader.

2 Long term Impact - Clarke is one of the founding father of Science Fiction and will be an inspiration for sci fi writers for many years. This book is a bit more obscure and more based on earth science and will have less of an impact.

9 out of 13. An entertaining book and easily read. I think most people would find something worthwhile in this book. As a Clarke fan it is worth your while. If you are just getting into Sci Fi, I might suggest other books by him such as Childhood's End or the Rendezvous with Rama series. He is famous for 2001: A Space Odyssey which is even more famous as a movie. If you have seen the movie the book actually clarifies a lot of the confusion caused by the end of the movie.

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The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

528 Pages (Fiction) Hardcover

After reading the Malazan series of books I was looking for a light read that would entertain. A friend had given me the book after finishing it and I enjoyed Angels and Demons and The Davinci Code. I wasn't expecting a lot out of the book. I was expecting a quick read that wouldn't challenge me much. I got what I was expecting.

Brown follows a similar path as his other books I have read. Robert Langdon is invited to give a last minute speech in Washington D.C. He arrives and is quickly drawn into a mystery that requires him to decode various clues hidden throughout the architecture and artwork around Washington. He becomes a suspect of the CIA and is being cajoled by members of the Masons to find the Masons Pyramid. The pyramid is supposedly hidden somewhere in Washington and hidden at the bottom of a great stairway. It holds the secrets of history.

I am sure many will disagree with me, but Dan Brown is not a very good writer. He is adept at coming up with a story and he is good at researching his subjects. His most appealing ability is taking all of these real historical artifacts and connecting them together. What he fails at is good writing. He is very bland and almost a slave to the minimum amount of language to tell a story. One thing that bothers me the most is the way he structures his chapters. The book is a little over 500 pages and there are over 130 chapters. That means chapters average about four pages. FOUR PAGES! Are we in elementary school? Start that with half a page displaying the chapter number and half of the last page blank and the book is really only about 300 pages. Brown tries very hard to leave each chapter with a mini cliff hanger that encourages the reader to read the next page. I think the biggest draw of Brown's writing is that a reader can tear through a 500 page book in a week and feel good about it themselves.

I think maybe my biggest issue with the book and maybe the genre in general is that it is supposed to be a mystery, but the reader isn't given a chance to solve it. A story is made and a line from point a to z is made. Brown takes you on this path for an adventure, but the reader is purely a spectator and never a part of the story.

I do have to admit that I was drawn into the book and did get pleasure out of devouring a book in a few days. That said I still can't recommend it to others.

3 Intellectual/Emotional - I didn't care about the characters and though parts of the history are interesting; over all it was spoon fed to me. The only redeeming quality is the historical and art connections. I typically drew up a picture of the work in question and looked at it along with the characters.

2 Style/Readability - It was extremely readable, but not in a good way.

2 Long Term Impact - Dan Brown has sold millions of books. He is popular around the world. He is bound to have impact on work that comes in the future. Let's hope this is a example of what not to do.

7 out of 13. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone. I enjoyed Angels and Demons and The Davinci Code, you would be better rewarded reading them or some other books.

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The Crippled God by Steven Erikson

913 pages (Fantasy Fiction) Trade Paperback

Entire series 7705 pages paperback

This is the 10th and final book in the Tale of the Malazan Book of the Fallen series. Yeah, that is a mouthful. This will be a review of the entire series and not so much the final book. The final two books are intended to be one story. Where to start?  The only thing I have heard of to compare it to is Roman and Greek stories and history. The plans of gods battle each other over thousands of years. Huge armies push themselves to the very limits. Tales spawn tales that spawn tales within tales.

One of the most unique things about Erickson is he is not only telling an overarching story that spans the entirety of the books, but within each story there are more stories to be told. From the first to the second book only a very few characters overlap. You read a book about a familiar world where all of your fantasy based assumptions are turned on their side. Armies of undead warriors travel the world protecting it from an ancient evil and they are the good guys. Karsa Orlong, a giant teblor, goes into the world to prove himself. The modern world wraps him in chains and drags him kicking and bellowing into a hated society. A woman, Tavore Paran,  gives absolutely everything on the hope that maybe it just might hold the world together...at least for a bit longer. Her brother, Ganoes Paran, becomes a pawn of the gods and is drawn into a game that he is then forced to play. The Bonehunters and the Bridgeburners battle across the entire planet and we experience their failures and their triumphs!

What might keep this epic story from being herald around the world as the greatest books ever? It is beyond dense and complex. It would take the almost 8000 pages of the books to make it clear exactly how complex. There are hundreds of characters in a multitude of story lines that jump back and forth in time, but also into other dimensions. The magic in the story derives from other planes that magic users can tap into. I imagine it like they are opening a whole to another dimension and using the force of that place to affect the world they live in. The gods are fighting over control of these, warrens, as they are called. 

I am giving you an overview from what I have pieced together over reading the books. Nothing is presented to you in the way I have just told you. As a reader you are dropped into the stories almost as if you are participating. This is great in that it makes you become a part of the story and it is easy to "get used" to what is happening in the books. Its drawback is that nothing is explained in a linear fashion. It is assumed you already know the references so things that are important are not elaborated on until the next chapter, or book, or 5 books later, or maybe not at all. New characters are constantly introduced. Each book sort of stands alone. They have a "Tale" that is told, but it is in the same world as the other books and as they go along you see the story lines start to come together. At the end of The Crippled God all of the stories from the ten books all start to converge on one event. 

Erikson asks a lot of his reader. He gives you bits and pieces and then convinces you to get interested in something new. This is what really shines for me about Erikson. YOU DO get interested. I can't say how many times I was drawn on another side path to the story and I quickly fell in with the new characters. I won't say that every story drew all of my interests and to be honest there were a few that I liked less than the others. The over all tone of the series is dark and brooding. Many of the characters are facing the greatest challenges of their times; and that is difficult. Then there were moments of joy and humor. Tragedy certainly plays a role for some characters, but later it is relieved with hope and success. 

It really is the most difficult writing I have ever read. I felt challenged and more than ever and had to re read things to make sure I understood what was going on. Even now after having read everything I can't claim to know a lot more than just the basic way things are connected to each other. I imagine there is a lot that I have missed. The Crippled God was about 900 pages and it took me about 3 months to read all together. To contrast that I have started reading The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown and have almost 100 pages read in 2 days. Erickson packs every paragraph full. Everything feels thought out to the extreme. Everything feels real even though most of the time these things are impossible or fantastic. He continually has story vignettes where maybe a few people meet, in the desert, at a bar, on the battle field and it makes an image appropriate for a painting. Looking back and thinking about the series I see these images of epic moments throughout the books.

Honestly, I am overwhelmed. It is certainly a masterwork of writing. I think anybody that reads it would agree.

These ratings are for the entire series.

5 Emotional/Intellectual - I became attached to a surprising number of characters. Every time I finished a book, I knew it was only a matter of time before I read the next one. Just reading the books is an intellectual challenge in itself so I had to ready to read one.

3 Style/Readability - I love his style. The way he uses language to express emotions from despair and anger to calmness and bliss is amongst the best I have read. The books are a difficult undertaking and so dense many would be turned away and at times it was very slow going.

3 Long Term Impact - Erikson has made something that others can hope to accomplish. I really don't see this becoming a huge bestseller ever. I do think that people that love fantasy enough to become writers ARE going to read this and it will inspire great things in the future. 

11 out of 13 feels right to me. I have read nothing like it and I don't really see how I ever will. I could compare it to Robert Jordan in terms of epicness, but I don't feel Jordan even comes close. To read this you must be looking for a huge tale that is going to take you years to read. A place you can enjoy that comes with a requirement of dedication and effort. I am glad that I read it and I have a feeling at some point I will start to read these again, but for now I am going to burn through some other books. 

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Small Gods by Terry Pratchett

357 pages Paperback (Fantasy Fiction)

So continues my love affair with Terry Pratchett. Many of his books are set in Ankh-Morpork, but this take us to another land, Omnia. A small tortoise has recently remembered some things. He is God. He can't remember all the details all he knows that he knows for sure is that he has one real believer, Brutha. We follow the misadventures of these two as Brutha starts to come to terms with the fact that not everything he has been told by the church is true. They also have to deal with extreme ambitions of Vorbis, the man in charge of purifying those that would go against the commands of the Great God Om. Most notably he does this in a dungeon under the temple. 

Terry Pratchett is fantastic. I have read a number of his books and I look forward to reading many more. He has a tremendous way with words. He keeps things funny, but intermixes with a quirky world that often resembles our own world. He takes things that we deal with in our everyday lives and by showing the absurdity of it all we can appreciate the lives that we live.

3 Emotional/ Intellectual - Pratchett has so much to offer with his humorous social commentary.

5 Style/Readability - This books is easy to read and enjoyable as well. He strips the story down to what is funny and moves the story along and does it like few others can.

3 Long Term Impact - Let's hope Pratchett fame only continues to grow. It is well worth it.

11 out of 13. This book is well worth your time. The only suggestion I would make it read a couple other books in the world first. A number of characters from other books make appearances that might make more sense once you have immersed yourself in the world.

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Children of God by Mary Doria Russell

438 pages Trade Paperback  (Science Fiction)

Some time ago I read The Sparrow of which Children of God is the sequel`. It continues the story that began in The Sparrow. Emilio Sandoz, a Jesuit priest was part of a group of scientists that went on a Vatican funded trip to a distant planet. While there they befriended a race of people that eventually come to accept them as a part of their community. Another predatory race of people get involved and it quickly turns bad for the group from earth.

Sandoz thinks he is the only human to survive the trip to Rakhat. In Children of God it is revealed that Sofia also survived and now pregnant survives with the Runa is a hidden place in the jungle. On earth Sandoz is finally coming to terms with the tortures he went through on Rakhat and is just coming to terms with living a "normal" life on earth. He is approached and asked to return to Rakhat to act as interpreter. He refuses, but soon finds himself drawn into their schemes anyway. Sofia's child is autistic and has a deep love and understanding of music. We follow a good part of their lives since travel between the planets takes so long.  Sofia sows ideas of revolution into the Runa and war erupts across Rakhat as they stand up against their oppressors.

Russell is a very pleasing author. Her writing is more than just a story. She fills her books with solid writing. She doesn't over do it with tons of exposition. What has been most appealing to me is they way she makes each character believable and real. I was extremely impressed with The Sparrow and wanted to see how the story continued. I wouldn't say I was drawn in as much, but that would have been a tall order. This book focused on how people recover from major events in their lives and was less about their religious journey.

3 Emotional/Intellectual - Russell makes the reader quickly become empathetic to the characters.

3 Style/Readability - Russell is a solid writer and I have enjoyed each book I have read of hers. I will read more.

3 Long Term Impact - Russell has gained some fame and already has a best seller on the books. I feel at this point she isn't given the attention she deserves.

9 out of 13. I feel right with this rating. I would suggest you read The Sparrow and if you enjoy it this book is an enjoyable continuation of the story.

A Memory of Light by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson

909 pages Hardcover (Fantasy Fiction) Roughly 12,000 pages in the series.

This is partly a review of the 14th and final book in the Wheel of Time series, but also the series as a whole. It is hard to separate the two anyway. Sadly, Robert Jordan died in 2007. He knew that he was not going to be able to finish the series and collaborated with Brandon Sanderson to finish it after his death. My understanding is that originally it was supposed to be a 7 book epic, but has been "expanded" to 14 books. **This is full of spoilers.**

The whole premise of the entire series is that the world follows a timeline like a wheel. What has happened before will happen again and time passes, but will repeat itself. In the previous age Lews Therin fought the Dark Lord and magically sealed him in the Bore; a tunnel into the earth that at one time was a source of magic. In this age prophecies proclaim that the Dragon Reborn will again fight the Dark Lord in the last battle. He will break the world and a new age will begin.

A Memory of Light is almost entirely focused on the last battle. Trollocs attack the borderlands at the beginning of the book and most everything after that is preparation for, or the actual last battle. All of the nations of the world band together to make one last stand against the overwhelming odds of evil. Throughout the series the three main characters have been Rand, Mat and Perrin. These three boys are from the same village and are drawn into the story when Moraine, an Aes Sedai, tells them that Rand is the Dragon Reborn. They all have special powers. Rand has the power over magic. Mat has luck beyond what anyone else could hope for and eventually gets the memories of hundreds of people from the past. Perrin has the power to go into the wolf dream.

In the final battle all of them are pushed to their limits. Rand goes to Shayol Ghul to fight the Dark Lord which becomes more a battle of wits than of strength. Mat somehow becomes the leader of the forces of the light and leads them into a battle unmatched in history. Perrin goes into the wolf dream and defends Rand from forces he has no protection from. The multitude of characters from the series all play their parts and a battle of true epic proportions dominate most of the book.

I have been reading this series for at least 18 years. I have grown immensely as a reader in that time and I think that has been to the detriment of the series. I can't say I remember every detail about the books, but I really enjoyed the first 6 books. After that it seemed like the story just wondered around without a lot happening until the end of the 9th book, Winter's Heart. I honestly don't know why I kept going. I muddled through the next couple books and was slightly entertained, but went on with the attitude that I had read this far I should see it finished. The 12th book, The Gathering Storm, brought a breath of fresh air to the series. For me, Sanderson, saved what was left of the series. Over the next 3 books he did something Jordan didn't seem able to do, bring an end to the story.

Perhaps I am being unfair, Sanderson worked with Jordan and maybe I would have enjoyed what he would have done by himself, but I honestly kind of doubt it. I have many friends that have read the series and some at rabid about how great it is. For the most part though people seem to have the impression that I have.

The thing that stands out most for me is that the book is juvenile. Jordan constantly reiterates things, to keep the reader informed, but I feel like it is overdone and I am given no credit as a reader. I don't find his writing to be very appealing. He tells an epic story, but I don't find the writing to be beautiful for its own sake. The other way this is evident is the actual story elements. The characters don't swear instead they use words like "bloody". In the book at one point Elayne who is a queen calls someone a "bloody pig farmer" (or something close to that) and everyone around is shocked at her improper language. As a mature reader I just felt like I am being forced to accept something that I don't see as edgy. Also every time sex is implied in anyway it is always off camera. Mat is supposed to be a leader of a band of rough and tough mercenaries. He continually mentions how he'd like to have a girl sit on his knee. Right, that is what war torn battle veterans think of after a hard fought battle.

Now, I can see some people arguing that this is supposed to be a young person's story. That it is kept "clean" to make it accessible to those that start reading it at a young age. I can see that side of the argument, but there is a major flaw. The series is 12,000 pages. How many junior high kids are going to pick up one book at 800 pages, much less 14 of them? And even if the intention is for you to start reading it in 8-9th grade few people would ever finish the series by the time they were out of high school. I consider myself a very avid reader and I don't think I could finish the whole series in a couple years even if I made a point to do it. This last book took me about a month and a half. (Though I admit it was partly because I wasn't that into it.) It should have done something similar to the Harry Potter series where as it grew in length it also grew in complexity and theme.

Now my final complaint. I could have told you how this story was going to end after reading the first half of the first book. It certainly was an epic story, but there was little to no surprise at all and overall it was just a bland story with little in the way of epic writing.

This rating is for the series as a whole.

3 Intellectual/Emotional: I cared about the few main characters, but the multitude of side characters were basically just extras in a movie.

2 Style/Readability: I don't care for Jordan writing. Sanderson made this part more bearable, but I feel like he integrated some of Jordan techniques which wasn't for the better.

3 Long Term Impact: With 20 years of books and over 4 million books in print I am sure that the Wheel of Time series will be around for a long time even if it shouldn't be.

8 out of 13. This seems right to me. I have heard of people suggesting this series to other people, I am telling you don't. If you are aching for a huge series to read I suggest trying George R.R. Martin's Song of Fire and Ice or Stephen King's Dark Tower series. (Don't judge it by the first book). Then if you are pleased with those and are looking for something a little more involved look at Steven Erickson. After you have read all of those I don't see how you can think that The Wheel of Time is all that great. Exception one: If you are a teenager and you think you could tear through 12,000 pages in a few years I think this might be a good choice. Exception two: If you have read most of the series already and were turned off when Jordan died, Sanderson did a good job finishing the series and if you want to, go ahead and read the last three books.

I would add one last thing. I think the series could go from average to good (not great) if someone went through and cut a lot of the chaff from it. I mostly mean the books in the middle of the series. If you could read 1-6, read the cliff notes to the next 4 books, then finish the series it would be better.

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Dust of Dreams by Steven Erickson

816 p Trade Paperback (Fantasy Fiction)

This is the 9th book in the Tale of the Malazan book of Fallen series. I have been reading this series for a few years and at this point can say it is the most complcated, dense and epic story I have ever read.

Dust of Dreams starts a two book storyline. One of the interesting things about the entire series is that although the books are written in the same world, the stories aren't linear. The first two books are set on different continents and only have a couple characters in common. The timeline flows unevenly through the books. Some are set in "current" time and some hundreds of years in the past. 

Erickson has a habit of dropping a reader into the middle of the story and only through lots of reading can you figure out what is happening. Sometimes it might be a few pages before you even know who you are reading about. All of this adds up to a lot for a reader to handle. In fact, I have never read anything that demands so much from a reader. I haven't started yet, but most fans of the series suggest re-reading the whole thing as it is much clearer since you have the benefit of hindsight.

Dust of Dreams follows a number of armies that are gearing up for war. A huge part of the book is following the Malazan army led by Adjunst Tavore into the wastelands. No one knows why as there doesn't seem to be a goal for this. A good part of this is spent getting to know the characters and how they are handling their current assignment. Onos Tool'an, once a T'lan Imass, but now alive leads the Barghast against whatever foe will bring back their honor and glory. A large train of children, refugees from some attack, snake across barren land looking for a means to survive. Kalyth has been chosen by the K'chain Che'Malle Matron to act as Destraint. She must set out and find a Mortal Sword and Shield Anvil to lead the armies. The last bastion of K'chain Che'Malle verges on declining into obscurity.

What I like most about Erickson's writing is his ability to take small snippets of a story and make them so appealing. All of the books have these tiny vignettes that are a beautiful work all by themselves. This is mostly because of his dramatic command of imagery. When he describes the insect like K'chain Che'Malle you can feel the oils on their bodies and the smell that fills the air around them. It is easy to get yourself into the heads of the various characters and feel like the child on the brink of starvation trudging across deserted land.

The book opens with a foreword by Erickson describing how this and the last book, The Crippled God, are intended to be one story. You can see this as a huge part of this book is character introduction (yes, still new characters in the 9th book.) and development. You can see how it is all leading up for all of the previously story lines to come together in the last book.

4 Intellectual/Emotional - It requires significant dedication to read these books and the dedication is paid off as you get involved with each of the crisscrossing stories.

3 Readability/Style - These books are huge averaging around 800 pages. I find it takes me usually a couple months to get through one which is much longer than any other books of similar style and length. Erickson's style is different than anything else I have read and that is what keeps me coming back.

3 Long Term Impact - This series is difficult to read and comprehend. The first book, Gardens of the Moon, is hard to get into and is probably the weakest of the series. With these "problems" I don't see this series ever being a huge blockbuster, but that doesn't mean it doesn't deserve it.

10 out of 13. This series is epic beyond anything I have heard of short of the Bible on the terms of scale and story. Only a truly dedicated reader should get into these books, but every time I finish a book a part of me wants to pick up the next one.

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Aleph by Paulo Coelho

296 pages Trade Paperback (Fiction)

My wife and I occasionally get two copies of the same book and then have a mini reading group together. She bought copies of this book for Christmas and we both have been reading it. She isn't quite done yet

Aleph has an interesting presentation. It is presented as autobiographical, but labeled as fiction. Fantastic things happen, but in the author's note at the end it is implied that they are real. The book is also translated from Portuguese which may have been to its detriment.

In order to talk about the book it will be necessary to reveal things so....

 Warning: spoilers ahead.

The book follows the author on a trip to many countries around the world. At the beginning the author talks with a friend that suggests he must say yes to life more often. At the next press conference he agrees to go to all the countries that he is requested to visit. The final one involves a train ride on the Trans-Siberian rail road. There is little time spent on the rest of the trip and most of it focuses on the train ride. Before boarding the train the author meets a young violinist named Hilal. She tells him that she is supposed to join him on this journey. The others along for the trip are opposed, but in the end she is allowed to go. The book follows the author as he has a spiritual journey.

The main point of the book is what is known as the Aleph. Hilal and the author have some type of time meld. Together they experience a vision/time travel where the author attempts to reconcile a failure from his past life. This Aleph seems to be a fixed point within the hallway of the train.

I can't say I really enjoyed this book. I found the writing to be very bland. Since it was translated from Portuguese I can forgive this as I wouldn't have been able to read it otherwise, but either the translator simplified the writing or the original wasn't that great to start with.

I want to discuss the time traveling experiences that the author has. He presents these experiences as truth. Since it is a work of fiction I was able to accept this, at first, but as things goes on it is implied it is real. At the end of the book the author's note discusses the people in the book and warns people from attempting the time traveling rituals described in the book. Yet, the book is labeled as fiction. Did he have these experiences? He implies that he has. Why is the book fiction? Did the publisher do that? This really bothered me. It seems like this should have been explained much better than it was. It is possible that Coelho intended the book to be labeled as non-fiction, but because of the fantastic nature of the trip the publisher labeled it otherwise. I feel if that was the case then he should have addressed this in some way.

The biggest issue I had was the number of assumptions made in the book. Throughout the book the author makes statements. He then uses a statement for a basis for converging lines of thought. The assumption is that you accept the first statement which then encourages you to agree with the whole. Numerous times I found myself questioning the validity of the original statement which then invalidated everything that was discussed. I have to admit that this lies mostly on me. I am skeptical of any otherworldly experience that anyone claims to have. I am looking for evidence what a person claims is more than just a story and this book doesn't provide anything more than that, just a story. Since I doubt the truth of the story, and view as such, I wasn't impressed by the book.

2 Intellectual/Emotional - I wasn't drawn to the characters and in most cases was annoyed by them. The spiritual content of the book could be inspiring if it were true, but I wasn't convinced that it was, most significantly because it was labeled as fiction.

2 Style/Readability - As noted it was very bland. Everything was very uninspired considering the book was supposed to be inspiring. It felt almost like the author was bored with the tale he was telling. This comes through in the writing.

1 Long Term Impact - Unless the ideas presented take hold and influence a lot of people I see this book fading into obscurity sooner rather than later.

5 out of 13. This is one of the worst scores I have ever given a book. Read something else.

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