Days without End tells the story of an Irish immigrant to America who eventually serves in the Civil War and so-called Indian Wars. He falls in love wDays without End tells the story of an Irish immigrant to America who eventually serves in the Civil War and so-called Indian Wars. He falls in love with another man, one of his fellow soldiers. They eventually form an unconventional family with an adopted daughter, a Native American girl whose parents were killed in an Army raid.
Sebastian Barry writes so well that it almost doesn't matter that this sounds like 21st-century people time-traveling back to the 19th century. Every sentence sings with lyricism. But I didn't find the evocation of America in the 1850s and 1860s to be very plausible.
The main character is part of a family who evidently feature in many of Barry's novels. I look forward to reading more of his works to follow the family history further....more
Take a little World War II action, a dash of science fiction, gobs of cartoon violence, plenty of wacky humor, and mix it with a knowing parody of SaxTake a little World War II action, a dash of science fiction, gobs of cartoon violence, plenty of wacky humor, and mix it with a knowing parody of Saxe Rohmer/H.P. Lovecraft racist tropes, and you have some approximation of Is Your Journey to the Centre of the Earth Really Necessary? I had read the first "Whitsuntide Science Adventure" so I was already familiar with some of the characters, but I don't think you will be at a loss if you start with this book. Each chapter shifts viewpoints between the characters, everything is madcap, and the end result is a lot of fun....more
Hrafnagaldr* Óðins (Odin's raven-spell), also known as Forspjallsljóð (prelude lay), is an obscure text. It is written in Old Norse, but scholars beliHrafnagaldr* Óðins (Odin's raven-spell), also known as Forspjallsljóð (prelude lay), is an obscure text. It is written in Old Norse, but scholars believe it was written in the 1600s, much after the period of the other poems it resembles. This slim book is a really useful companion text that helps decipher what is going on in the poem—the poet's goal was not clarity.
Anita Lassen's introduction takes up most of the volume. She delves into theories of the poem's origins, and explanations for why scholars believe it is a later work than it seems. Then she spends a lot of time (too much time for a non-expert reader, in my opinion) detailing the various manuscripts and their (very minor) variations from each other. I admired the thoroughness of her research, but perhaps she could have placed this section in an appendix, putting a shorter summary of the main points in the introduction.
Next comes Lassen's edition of the poem's text, along with her translation. Finally, there is a section of notes, which further helps to interpret the text. Without these tools, I would really have been lost in trying to make sense of the poem.
The audience for this book is probably small, but for those trying to read Hrafnagaldr* Óðins it is really indispensable.
*I believe the spelling Hrafnagaldur is standard in modern Icelandic, but Old Norse would not include the 'u'. Lassen uses the 'ur' ending several times throughout the book....more
Sticky Fingers tells the interesting, somewhat sordid, sometimes aggravating tale of the life of Jann Wenner. Not especially talented in his own rightSticky Fingers tells the interesting, somewhat sordid, sometimes aggravating tale of the life of Jann Wenner. Not especially talented in his own right, Wenner has a gift for making talented people work for him. In his twenties, he co-founded "Rolling Stone" magazine with Ralph Gleason, an eminent music journalist in San Francisco. Through lots of chutzpah and a knack for hiring good writers, he built this rock music magazine into an award-winning journalistic endeavor, featuring the likes of Hunter S. Thompson, Tom Wolfe, and Annie Leibowitz. Later he parlayed his wealth and influence to help found the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and became a billionaire with his side project, "US Weekly."
Author Joe Hagan details Wenner's many accomplishments, but he also reveals how petty his subject can be. For instance, Paul Simon's music was essentially blackballed from the pages of "Rolling Stone" for many years, because he once had a fling with a young woman who Wenner was interested in. Other artists, like John Lennon and Mick Jagger, received excessively fawning praise at times as Wenner sought to curry favor with stars he wanted to befriend. Hogan also shows several times when Wenner betrayed the trust of friends or co-workers. He even ceased cooperating with this book, which began as an authorized biography.
All in all, reading Sticky Fingers is like eating too many potato chips. They taste good in the moment, and you want to keep eating, but in the end you have a stomach ache....more
Reading The Tin Drum, I had to assume that it was an influence on Salman Rushdie. Both Günter Grass and Rushdie write exuberantly, with lots of humor Reading The Tin Drum, I had to assume that it was an influence on Salman Rushdie. Both Günter Grass and Rushdie write exuberantly, with lots of humor mixed with pathos. The narrator and protagonist of The Tin Drum tells us his history from the conception of his mother through to his confinement in a mental institution as a young adult. Some of what he tells us is clearly misunderstood or willfully misinterpreted.
This is not a book if you prefer elegant minimalism. It is wild and uncouth, but full of life. ...more
The White Book is closer to poetry than to a conventional novel. It is written in short sections that evoke various items linked by their whiteness. OThe White Book is closer to poetry than to a conventional novel. It is written in short sections that evoke various items linked by their whiteness. One is left with more of an impression of a situation than a story or plot. ...more
The Big Money is the third and final part of John Dos Passos's "U.S.A." trilogy. The first two books jumped more between various characters, giving a The Big Money is the third and final part of John Dos Passos's "U.S.A." trilogy. The first two books jumped more between various characters, giving a kaleidoscopic impression of American life in the early twentieth century. The Big Money focuses more on one central story, a rise and fall that corresponds with the American economy's rise in the "Roaring '20's" and fall in the stock market crash of October 1929. Even when switching between the perspectives of two main characters, Dos Passos advances the same plot. Inasmuch as it was more conventional in form, The Big Money was less interesting to me than the first two books in the series. Even so, I find Dos Passos's writing to be compelling and realistic. ...more
This book collects excerpts from significant documents in musical history from the European Renaissance. The first section includes theoretical texts.This book collects excerpts from significant documents in musical history from the European Renaissance. The first section includes theoretical texts. Many of these used terminology that was impenetrable to me, a musician with a graduate degree. I wish the book included better explanatory notes for the meaning of, for example, "A la mi re" and "D la sol re." These seem to be pitches, but I could not for the life of me figure out how to decipher the solfège syllables.
More accessible were excerpts from the prefaces written by composers for their published works, and excerpts from religious writings about the role of music in worship. Overall, though, I found the book disappointing. I wanted more editorial guidance than W. Oliver Strunk offered here....more
A recurring thought on reading Time's Eye was that the premise seemed like it was dreamed up by a twelve-year-old boy. "Who would win in a battle: AleA recurring thought on reading Time's Eye was that the premise seemed like it was dreamed up by a twelve-year-old boy. "Who would win in a battle: Alexander the Great ... or Genghis Khan?" The book is closer to historical fiction than I would have expected for Arthur C. Clarke, but there is also a strong sci-fi element as Earth experiences a mysterious disruption of time, perhaps of extraterrestrial origin. People from different eras begin to be mixed, including a mother and daughter from a proto-homo sapiens species.
There are some interesting concepts and situations, but overall I felt this was a fairly juvenile book, a disappointment compared with my previous experience with Clarke's writing. Even so, I am curious enough to continue through the other books in the series to see how the concepts develop....more
A Brief History of Seven Killings tells the story of the attempted assassination of Bob Marley in Jamaica in 1976, along with its ramifications over tA Brief History of Seven Killings tells the story of the attempted assassination of Bob Marley in Jamaica in 1976, along with its ramifications over the next 15 years. This was a true event, though the narrative is presented through the tools of fiction. The chapters switch between many different characters' perspectives, so we get to encounter a variety of English dialects, from Jamaican patois* to aristocratic British English.
I would be curious to read a historian's account of the same events. I wonder how much is Marlon James's speculation versus established facts. For instance, it is implied that the CIA was heavily involved in the assassination attempt. One other curiosity is that Bob Marley is never referred to by name in this book. He is always called "The Singer," though the biographical details make clear the intended referent. I wonder whether the Marley estate objected to his name being used, or if they would have demanded a large payment. The frequent repetition of "The Singer" struck me as awkward and inorganic in a book that is otherwise convincingly real.
*After reading this book, I got to see several Jamaican movies filmed during this period. Marlon James's version of thick Jamaican patois is nevertheless much easier for this American to comprehend than the real deal recorded in the films. ...more
One of the pleasures of reading a classic work of literature is discovering how accessible and entertaining it is. That was not my experience with theOne of the pleasures of reading a classic work of literature is discovering how accessible and entertaining it is. That was not my experience with these two books by Søren Kierkegaard. There were moments when I felt like I completely followed what Kierkegaard was saying, but these quickly passed as he went off into abstract philosophical jargon.
Walter Lowrie is known for writing the best English-language biography of Kierkegaard. I have to assume he understands Kierkegaard's works well. I'm not sure his translation conveys the meaning to a lay reader, however. Or maybe I am too dense to handle a challenging philosophical text. I am still curious to read some of his other books, but perhaps I will seek out a different translator for comparison....more
Patrick Modiano is another author who I first heard of when he won the Nobel Prize for Literature. This was the first book of his that I've read, and Patrick Modiano is another author who I first heard of when he won the Nobel Prize for Literature. This was the first book of his that I've read, and I really enjoyed it. It is a compilation of three novellas or long short stories. Some of the events in the stories seem to be inspired by Modiano's own life, which may explain why the first and third stories in particular have some similarities. Like Modiano, the typical protagonist of these stories grew up during World War II in France and came of age in the tumult of the 1960s. The characters' fathers or father figures had some questionable details in their pasts.
Modiano's writing is taut and poignant. He packs a lot into these novellas. I look forward to reading some of his longer works. ...more
Henry Jaffa's Crisis of the House Divided is a different kind of book than I anticipated. Instead of a history or retelling of the Lincoln-Douglas debHenry Jaffa's Crisis of the House Divided is a different kind of book than I anticipated. Instead of a history or retelling of the Lincoln-Douglas debates, it is an analysis of Lincoln and Douglas's arguments as political philosophy. The debates are treated not as events of the summer of 1858, but as timeless dialogues. Jaffa goes back to earlier speeches by both men to reconstruct their positions, tying them into a philosophical family tree extending back to Plato and Aristotle.
I doubt that Jaffa and I would agree on much politically (he was an advisor to Barry Goldwater's 1964 presidential campaign), but he is an outstanding thinker and writer. He makes the best possible case for Stephen A. Douglas's position on popular sovereignty, along with its weaknesses. Similarly, he points out occasional inconsistencies in Lincoln's arguments without denigrating his greatness.
This is a great book that will appeal to anyone interested in politics....more
I became aware of August Strindberg's work through admiring references from the film director Ingmar Bergman. This book collects four plays. "The FathI became aware of August Strindberg's work through admiring references from the film director Ingmar Bergman. This book collects four plays. "The Father," "Countess Julie," and "The Stronger" come from 1887-1889, from the middle period of Strindberg's career. By contrast, he wrote "The Outlaw" in 1871, when he was a university student. King Charles XV of Sweden saw the first production and told the young author how much he enjoyed it. He helped subsidize Strindberg's further education and set him on the path of his future success.
The plays are in a similar naturalistic style to Strindberg's older contemporary, Henrik Ibsen. The three mature plays examine problems of modern (19th century) life, while "The Outlaw" is set in medieval Iceland. I enjoyed all four plays, and look forward to reading more of Strindberg's work....more
The Silence of the Girls has an intriguing premise: what if we heard the story of the Iliad from the perspective of Bryseis, the captive woman whom AgThe Silence of the Girls has an intriguing premise: what if we heard the story of the Iliad from the perspective of Bryseis, the captive woman whom Agamemnon takes from Akhilles, setting the drama of Homer's epic in motion. The beginning of the book is outstanding. Bryseis narrates the tale of how she and her city were ransacked by Akhilles and his men, leading to her capture as war booty. But as the book proceeds and Agamemnon seizes Bryseis from Akhilles, Pat Barker evidently feels the need to keep us apprised of what Akhilles is up to. To me, this negated the whole purpose of the book. If we want to read Akhilles's story, we already have the Iliad. Why try to compete with Homer when you will inevitably come up short? I think The Silence of the Girls would have been much stronger if it had stuck with Bryseis's viewpoint throughout. Maybe she learns dribs and drabs about Akhilles. Maybe she hears things that turn out to be false rumors. There seem to be many more fruitful avenues that Barker could have explored than the one she follows here....more
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