Growing up, it was a yearly tradition to go watch a ballet production of The Nutcracker during the Christmas season with my family and relatives. My sGrowing up, it was a yearly tradition to go watch a ballet production of The Nutcracker during the Christmas season with my family and relatives. My sisters and niece were always involved in ballet and sometimes vied for some of the roles. It was a time to bond, come together, and everything felt so festive and momentous. So going back years later and being able to read and reexperience wonder and magic through E.T.A Hoffman’s tale was such a treat.
As far as the story goes, so many of us are familiar with it. It is Christmas Eve and young Fritz and Marie are eagerly anticipating the next day’s events and the opening of gifts brought to them. This sets the stage for the entrance of their uncle, who brings a gift like no other.
While the ballet production and the story are different in how events are presented (the story does have a few dark elements here and there), I think that the magic of reading this story is reliving the yearly anticipation from a child’s point of view. There is a definitive nostalgia coming back to this story. Hoffman’s tale is full of adventure and fantasy, hope and joy, which is exactly what many of us experienced as children watching this story unfold during Christmas time.
A very lovely, imaginative experience, and one to come back to each year. ...more
One of the more prominent aspects after finishing this very short and disturbing novel is how much there is to unpack, sift through and think about. AOne of the more prominent aspects after finishing this very short and disturbing novel is how much there is to unpack, sift through and think about. And perhaps, that is what makes it not only an effective psychological thriller, but also a very deft and subtle character study and examination of one Myra Savage.
The author manages to expose certain revelations and truths about Myra and her “gift�, but also pulls back to leave enough ambiguity to pique the reader’s interest. This is a great balance is handled aptly, none more so than in the book’s final and most haunting final pages.
I would say that while the entire novel is overall very effective, it is only in the book’s second half that the pacing, franticness, and tenseness come to their highest points. The first half builds quite a bit of heavy exposition to give the reader context, understanding of Myra and her husband’s background, and the basis for “The Plan�, an attempt to kidnap a girl and hold her random so that Myra can gain more fame and exposure for her gift at second sight.
The fact that Myra and her husband Bill have vastly different personalities and points of view on “The Plan� as they call it, makes the plot work wondrously and effectively, especially when they are hit with conflicts and pitfalls during the second part. Myra is the outspoken and aggressive brain behind the plan and operation, oftentimes without scruples; however, Bill is the devoted husband, whose conscience at points questions or does not fully embrace what they are attempting.
Still, from his point of view, he sees the ends to the means and wants to please his wife: “He looked confidently to the day when his wife would be the first to prove to the hard world of science that communication with the dead was an actuality; when the name of Myra Savage would be pronounced with awe; when she would be honored everywhere as the one who had found a way across the greatest frontier of all.�
But, alas, we all know as readers that things will definitely not go as planned, and we wait with anticipation to see how all events will unfold in the end. This is where the book definitely gains its momentum, pacing and tenseness increases to the finish.
I’m very surprised that this book has so few reviews. It seems like an under the radar gem of a psychological thriller and has a film adaptation from the 60s that is also pretty stellar.
“It come from some place whar things ain’t as they is here…�
It is strange giving this story three stars because this seems like a concept that I woul“It come from some place whar things ain’t as they is here…�
It is strange giving this story three stars because this seems like a concept that I would have really liked quite a bit and gravitated towards, as this story has an alien, other worldly aspect to it.
Reportedly, “The Colour Out of Space� was one of Lovecraft’s personal favorites of the stories he crafted. However, overall, I felt like this one pales in comparison in many ways to the likes of such stories as “The Call of Cthulhu� and “The Outsider.�
There are two elements that make this one not as strong as the aforementioned tales in my opinion, one being the “unknown� factor. One effective method Lovecraft establishes in his works is the slow reveal, not giving away too much and letting the mystery or answer slowly unfold. I think this makes the readers both engaged and uncomfortable (in a good way, if that makes sense).
I feel like with this story too much is given away in the form of key developments and this lessens the suspense. Instead, the tension is replaced with grotesqueness and gore.
As I mentioned early in this review, oddly enough, the premise of “The Colour Out of Space� is more intriguing than the other stories I have liked better. I mean, a meteorite landing in Massachusetts and rather bizarre occurrences happening is straight out of something in the realm of “Invasion of the Body Snatchers.�
However, the structure and the execution of the story itself is not as strong as the idea behind the story.
True, there is plenty of “weirdness� to be found here (definitely a Lovecraft staple), but the big reveal and mystery and, thus, conclusion was rather anticlimactic and mediocre in the grand scheme of things.
I see that this story has been adapted several times in film, so I am still intrigued to see how this would translate on screen and I will definitely have to check out some adaptations.
Ever since reading the classic novel by and watching the silent film adaptation of The Phantom of the Opera with Lon Chaney years ago, I have been fasEver since reading the classic novel by and watching the silent film adaptation of The Phantom of the Opera with Lon Chaney years ago, I have been fascinated by all things Phantom of the Opera. I seek out other film adaptations, books, musical performances and adaptations, soundtracks, interviews, documentaries. So, when I saw this little gem of a novel on my book recommendations list, I just knew I had to buy it.
Susan Kay’s Phantom is a reimagining and tells of how the “Phantom�, aka Erik, came to be. So, Kay does an amazing job of expertly filling in quite a bit of the backstory about Erik’s upbringing, those around him who influenced him, and the general harsh world that solidified his personality. This one took me a little over a month to read, but not because it was a less than effective story and tale, but I think mostly because I was also reading two other books at the time, but also because I really enjoyed the writing style of the author and the narrative flow of the book and I wanted to savor quite a bit of this.
I think one of the amazing feats of Kay’s novel is to really dig into Erik as a person from child to adolescent to adult and his makeup. Erik, horribly disfigured, is shunned by society and the outside world; as such, he wears a mask, and he leans quite heavily on his talents as a musical prodigy to escape the torments of rejection and hate and despair that are oftentimes experienced. Kay does a tremendous job in giving Erik a voice and we hear the pain from his own vantage point early on:
“I was not afraid of the dark anymore; I had long since learned to love the kindly veil that shielded me from hating eyes. I had become a creature of the night, passing unseen through the darker shadows of the woods…�
Another effective method by the author is to allow several different characters to become the narrator throughout the novel, and so we can gather Erik’s story from multiple perspectives that sort of gives everything a sense of wholeness. The story is presented chronologically as well, as we start from Erik’s birth and the plot takes us all the way up to his meeting and relationship with Christine and the aspects of the opera.
If there is maybe one blemish that kept this from going 5 stars for me it is that the last two parts with Christine got to be a little repetitive and dragged on maybe a tad. Alongside this, Christine’s character was not exactly presented as well in tandem with the original storyline from the classic novel.
Overall, though, I was quite impressed with how much the author pieced together Erik’s story and all the surrounding circumstances of his life. There is a depth to his story, and it is very pathos driven as Erik is fused between love and hate in a very unforgiving world. Kay brings his story to light eloquently and it’s clear she did her research in putting it all together.
I wanted to check out more works by this author, and realize that she only wrote one other book, which I find very surprising. ...more
I’ve been trying to wrap my mind around this novel since finishing. From what I gather and have read about, this was a much more personal novel for NaI’ve been trying to wrap my mind around this novel since finishing. From what I gather and have read about, this was a much more personal novel for Nathaniel Hawthorne from previous works in that the basis for this novel is represented largely by what he took place in in his own time and his own life. The Blithedale Romance is historically based on the utopian (and, in Hawthorne’s mind, mostly failed) community experiment of the Brook Farm in Massachusetts in the 1800s which Hawthorne was a part of. And the novel gives us a glimpse into Hawthorne’s impressions of this experience.
I think what we can always take from Hawthorne is prevalent themes and symbolism. Themes just as gender roles, traditional vs non-traditional opinions, the sustainability of a utopia, and secrecy are among the issues that that are present or come into question. There’s also quite a bit of symbolism and allegorical elements, one interesting examples concerns the whereabouts and mysteriousness of a “veiled lady.�
And, as always with Hawthorne, get your dictionary or thesaurus ready with the vocabulary.
In the grand scheme of things, this one just didn’t gel for me as much as The Scarlet Letter or The House of Seven Gables, both of which I enjoyed overall. It could be, perhaps, due to the style of narration (this one is written in a first person, and Miles Coverdale is definitely representative of an “unreliable� narrator of sorts) as well as characters who did not strike me as noteworthy. I think with the previous works you could take a character you would more likely identify with or root for.
Also, it felt like the novel didn’t really “get going� for quite a while, until the final tragic parts where things start breaking up at the end. I did think, however, that the second half was much more engaging and some of the ambiguous points explained. And much like The Scarlet Letter, there is a definite tragic feel to the finale. ...more
For David Hook, it is all about seeking the truth. When he gets the unfortunate news that his son Chris had committed suicide, he heads to California For David Hook, it is all about seeking the truth. When he gets the unfortunate news that his son Chris had committed suicide, he heads to California to uncover and unearth the details and circumstances into his son’s death.
I found this book to be a rather bleak reading experience. Now there is effective bleak and then there is just bleak-bleak, and this book is definitely the latter rather than the former. There’s just a depressing vibe throughout and a lot of this had to do with the feel of the plot and Hooks� quest. I suppose this is par for the course, given the premise, but still this novel was just a book I just didn't want to pick up and read every night. There is a very confrontational feel to the character interactions as well, as they seemingly are always at each other’s throats.
Alongside this, Hook’s investigations into his son’s death felt very circular and repetitive, like we continue to retread and go over the same ground over and over again. I felt like skimming some parts of the book because it takes so long to get to the meat of the book. I guess it is because of all the mind games, duplicity, and deception throughout.
Hook treks into some very dark territory, with seedy characters, drugs, dirty politics, as he tries to get closer to the truth. I honestly just didn’t like the direction the book took, especially in the final third or so, especially some of Hook’s decisions.
I would be remiss to not mention, however, that Thornburg’s prose is a definite plus as well the symbolic nature of the title, which takes on the obvious and maybe not so obvious meaning. Hook struggles internally at many points, and Thornburg digs into the psyche of his emotional turmoil effectively.
This was my first read from Thornburg and I would be willing to give it another go with one of his other novels....more
I read Dan Simmons� Drood years ago and ended up enjoying it (despite the overall negative consensus from reviewers), so I figured that The Terror, anI read Dan Simmons� Drood years ago and ended up enjoying it (despite the overall negative consensus from reviewers), so I figured that The Terror, another historical fiction that was highly praised, would be more compelling. However, The Terror was a letdown in certain ways. Simmons bases The Terror on the historical 1845 Franklin Expedition and the journey to the Northwest passage. He fuses historical elements along with supernatural and horror to create the timeline and plot.
I would venture to say the term “terror� has several meanings and manifestations with regards to the novel. It is the name of one of the primary vessels that is used by the men as they traverse the regions; it is also symbolically refers to the bitter cold and harsh conditions the explorers face. Moreover, it also refers to the Abominable Snowman like “creature� that begins to bump off the men one by one. I will also add that the book itself, at its 769 pages, was also a bit of a terror as well to finish.
The novel was a bit of excess in too many places.
I do not mind a bit more detail in a historical based novel if it goes somewhere, but here the extra superfluous details here did not really add much. (For example, do we really need to read page after page of meticulous details about someone suffering from scurvy?) I had to skim ahead during some of these parts.
Likewise, there are portions of the novel that are overwrought/excessive. Some of the “death� scenes were over-the-top and also the characterization was mediocre, as the character interactions were lacking and the characters themselves seemed like interchangeable parts difficult to differentiate for the most part.
Finally, I know many readers liked how the book finishes, but I was disappointed in the final section. This novel seemingly sets the reader up for something throughout and then pulls the proverbial rug from under them in the book’s final seventy plus pages. I thought this was kind of weak, as the book sets up questions, conflicts, and plot lines that are answered or explained in a murky, unsubstantial, unbelievable manner.
I was going to go with two stars based on all of this, but I did appreciate the ambitiousness of the novel itself. It seems to be well researched, (the author clearly did his homework before putting this together), and the author tries to create an “epic� sort of feel to the book as a whole which works at points. (At points, whether they like it or not, the reader feels like they are along on this desperate and failed journey). Alongside this, there were some intriguing and compelling parts of high tension and suspense as the men explore the unknown and have to deal with so many different elements.
So, in the end, I’ll say 2.5 stars that will round up to 3 stars.
I am currently watching the 2018 miniseries and it seems to be a little better than the book right now in how it presents the story.
This story has many of the Poe staples and will remind readers of a few of his Gothic tales that are similar in themes (lamentation over loss, diseaseThis story has many of the Poe staples and will remind readers of a few of his Gothic tales that are similar in themes (lamentation over loss, disease, burials, etc.). This one concerns a narrator who is a self-described monomaniac. This illness comes into full focus as he obsesses over his cousin, and more specifically, over his cousin’s teeth. I think it is apparent that the narrator has a fractured mental state, and this plays out in the story as there is almost a dreamlike, hazy quality to how he describes events and recollections with his cousin and they get more distorted as we move along to a shocking, twisted finish.
While there are some creep factors at play here, I just didn’t think this story was flushed out and as good as some of Poe’s other stories that are similar thematically. I think, for instance, this kind of thing was handled better in such stories as Ligeia or The Fall of the House of Usher, which I consider superior to this tale. I think this one would be a good one to read for the Poe enthusiast or completist, but otherwise there are better ones out there from the master of the creepy Gothic tale. ...more
“Yet, even as she marshalled her arguments, she grew afraid. Something was advancing towards her—some vast slow movement of affairs, which she was pow“Yet, even as she marshalled her arguments, she grew afraid. Something was advancing towards her—some vast slow movement of affairs, which she was powerless to deflect from its course.�
“Blind chance alone could not be responsible for this string of apparent accidents. Natural things were happening—but with unnatural complicity.�
A Jack the Ripper-like murderer is stalking and killing unsuspecting women in an English community. Helen Capel works in an English countryside residence for the Warren family to assist with chores and duties. It seems that the murderer of these young ladies is still at large and is getting closer to this countryside each day. When a murder happens in close proximity to the Warren residence, it is decreed to have all doors bolted and no one to be let in. This night alone will be a very difficult one for many of the characters who reside.
I think that the author does a superb job of shifting suspicions back and forth and keeps this a very claustrophobic event amid the confines of the mansion, especially between the interactions of various possible suspects. The interplay and exchanges between characters keeps the tensions high and really helps the mystery build.
It’s very clever how White uses the docile and sometimes timid point of view of Helen to sometimes manipulate who the real villain might be. I thought it was so epic really. At points we do not know if Helen’s imagination is just getting the better of her, or is she really seeing what she thinks is there? This really adds more to the suspense.
This is a very atmospheric, Gothic, suspenseful ride. It was maybe a smidge less than 5 stars, only because I thought the ending itself could have been flushed out a little more. But, overall, very impressive and looking forward to reading more from this author.
If you are in the mood of a very atmospheric mystery, look no further! There is also a very good 1946 film adaptation with Dorothy McGuire and George Brent. ...more
At the core of the novel Giant is the story of Leslie Lynnton and Jordan “Bick� Benedict, Leslie from Virginia, and Bick from Texas. The two differentAt the core of the novel Giant is the story of Leslie Lynnton and Jordan “Bick� Benedict, Leslie from Virginia, and Bick from Texas. The two different worlds and settings converge when Leslie, after marrying Bick, comes to learn the Texas way of life.
I think that Ferber succeeds in creating a sweeping epic in some ways, as the book has the feeling of being generational and I suppose there is a grandness in how the story unfolds in present and past. This, as well as the many picturesque depictions of the setting in the prose were two of the plusses in reading this novel.
However, I just never could really connect to the characters very much nor cared much for how certain parts of the book were structured. We begin with a key event that we will come back to near the end of the novel, and then go through this long flashback to understand how Leslie and Bick met and married. There were points where the backstory stalled and dragged a little and there was not much to bring the characters to life. I also believe that one of the more distracting aspects to Giant is how the author beats us over the head with “well, this is how it is in Texas�, “Texas is a whole country in itself�, “we are Texas here� etc. Moreover, another downfall was a rather anticlimactic ending to the novel, which seemingly just ends, period.
I went back after reading and watched the lavish film adaptation with Rock Hudson, Elizabeth Taylor, James Dean, and Dennis Hopper and I think it handles the time sequences and structure better and gives more vitality to the characters. So, I guess this is one of the rare cases where I prefer film over book.
It seems Ferber has written quite a few classics turned into films, so I am still interested in checking out either Saratoga Trunk, Cimarron, or So Big....more
“I never see it, especially at twilight, that I don’t wonder what lies so heavily upon its conscience. Is it a crime? There would be nothing strange a“I never see it, especially at twilight, that I don’t wonder what lies so heavily upon its conscience. Is it a crime? There would be nothing strange about it if it was. Such old houses rarely have a clean past.�
It’s always a treat to find a rare hidden classic, and The Forsaken Inn is such a novel. I felt like at points this was a cross between Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher (particularly at the beginning) and then Hawthorne’s The House of the Seven Gables. And if you took these two and mixed in some Wilkie Collins sensationalist overtones you would get all that is The Forsaken Inn.
In the dead of night, a traveler stumbles upon a mysterious inn. He encounters a man on the road and is later given a manuscript that contains the journal of the last occupant of the inn, the landlady. The mistress (Mrs. Truax) tells an extraordinary tale about a young couple who had mysterious visited—and left—the inn as well as a sinister plot involving murder, duplicity, and greed.
As alluded to, if you have read any Wilkie Collins or anything in a similar style of Victorian genre, you will notice quite a few of staples. While some of the moments are wrought with typical Victorian melodrama—over emotion, characters swooning at the drop of a hat, etc.—still I thought it was interesting how the mystery and devices were constructed to give the book that suspenseful vibe throughout. However, I believe this is less a mystery concerning who, but rather why and how.
Through the journals, the plot shifts back and forth sixteen years when the crime was committed and, through many of the revelations, parts of the mystery are filled in nicely. There are several key players in this atmospheric Victorian, one of which is a forlorn, jilted lover as well as a man on the scene of the investigation into the crime. In some ways, even the Happy Go Lucky Inn (ironic name) takes on the role of a character, making its presence known for the deed that happened sixteen years prior.
Fans of the gothic -styled mystery may want to give this one a try. I look forward to checking out more works from Anna Katharine Green.
While I do believe there is quite a bit to like about The Library Book, I think the biggest beef I have with it is that there is just too much superflWhile I do believe there is quite a bit to like about The Library Book, I think the biggest beef I have with it is that there is just too much superfluous information that derails anything or more importantly, does not add anything at all to the book. Oddly enough, as much as this is a book about libraries, it seems to lack that organization that typifies libraries. There is a slightly scattered, distracted, all-over-the-place, kind of feel to the entire book, as it branches off here and there on a whim.
The novel opens--- and sort of sells itself in many ways—about the investigation into the 1986 fire that consumed the Los Angeles Public Library. As this was a major library, this was a huge event and led to a big investigation. The primary suspect in this investigation was Harry Peak, and the author spends some time going through some of the movements before the fire and after the fire of various people as well as Peak. However, this is quickly abandoned, and while she comes back to him a time or two more, this is where the disjointed feel of the book starts.
I felt myself disconnected to many of the tidbits of information that author launches into soon after. She delves the historical aspect of the library, background into certain persons of interest in the library, etc. but there seems to be a lack of depth in many of the stories and anecdotes as they only skim the surface of importance.
This is not to say that I didn’t enjoy reading about some of the historical facts about the Central Library itself and I like, in a way, that the book itself is sort of a celebration of libraries in general. In this way, there were moments of complete investment in certain parts of chapters.
I do appreciate the author’s passion for libraries (and I think many of the readers of this book do as well) and she seems to have done a stellar job of investigating and researching so much background into the library, the fire, etc.
But, overall, there is just a lack of focus, and the author tries to cover way too much ground. Too much in the way of unevenness and disjointedness in the narrative and chapters that it becomes difficult to be so immersed and invested.
“This land was no longer something apart from him, it was part of him like his arms and legs. His sweat and his blood were soaked into it. Like an old“This land was no longer something apart from him, it was part of him like his arms and legs. His sweat and his blood were soaked into it. Like an old tree, his roots went too deeply into their ground for him to ever be transplanted…A man had to make his try, and when that didn’t work he had to try something else. Try and keep trying. Endure and try again.�
Based on the historical Texas drouth in the 1950s, Elmer Kelton’s The Time It Never Rained is a realistic and powerful portrayal of a protagonist (Charlie Flagg) and others trying to make it and survive amid external circumstances and forces that seemingly are stripping them of both their livelihoods and their resources. I felt like Kelton’s book and story was so similar to The Grapes of Wrath thematically, as Charlie and the other farmers� plight is very indicative of the Joads� plight in Steinbeck’s novel. In The Time It Never Rained, Charlie has to contend with not only Mother Nature, but the government.
I think one of the first things that stood out about Kelton’s novel is his well-drawn and realistic characters. Charlie Flagg is like that stubborn, tough as nails uncle who is unwilling to bend and give in, but is a person of conviction and principles. He does not want a free handout from the government and sticks to his guns throughout. The other characters were also very well drawn, and I thought that Manuel Flores was one of more interesting characters, as we see a coming of age throughout the novel.
As stated earlier, Kelton’s work is heartfelt and he makes it very personal for the reader, and I think this is why we can readily get invested and care about their stories, particularly when they must deal with devastation and heartbreak in particular moments.
The Time It Never Rained was a powerful read about the struggle and fight to survive despite setback after setback. I’m glad this book was brought to my attention and look forward to more reads from Kelton in the future. ...more
Many other reviewers have attested to this, but this novel is one of those “there is quite a bit going on under the surface� kind of reads. I think ifMany other reviewers have attested to this, but this novel is one of those “there is quite a bit going on under the surface� kind of reads. I think if handled the right way, the subtleness and ambivalence can be quite effective and powerful to the story, and such is the case here in Elisa Shua Dusapin’s debut novel Winter in Sokcho.
The French Korean narrator works as a receptionist at a guest house in the Korean town of Sokcho. A graphic artist (Kerrand) arrives and stays at the lodge that the narrator work. He and the narrator form an acquaintance and a relationship of sorts (which, like much of the novel, is not clearly defined but rather revealed implicitly). Kerrand hopes to draw some inspiration from the setting and finish the novel he is illustrating.
One of my favorite and telling scenes in this book is a discussion that the narrator is having with Kerrand about his sketches and his novel. Kerrand intimates to the narrator that his characters are merely individuals—not heroes—trying to find and fill in their own story. I felt that scene was indicative and works as a microcosm for not only the two principle characters, but the novel as a whole. Both the narrator and Kerrand are trying to finish their own stories so to speak, fill in their own life meaning and identities and find themselves, and this scene underscores this recurrent theme and elements that works throughout the plot.
We as readers are given snatches and glimpses into the narrator’s life at various points that offer some context to putting everything together and understanding the narrator’s inner turmoil. (I thought it interesting also that the narrator is never truly identified by name throughout). We come to understand that the narrator does not know her father, as he left when she was very young, so his identity or whereabouts remains a mystery. The narrator carries on with what seems to be a very lacking and superficial relationship with her boyfriend, Jun-oh, but the narrator’s mother hopes that they will one day be married. We also learn through various moments that the narrator has a body image/eating disorder that seems to flare up at times of extreme difficulty or stress.
At a mere 150 pages plus, Winter is Sokcho is a very quietly contemplative and thought-provoking book, one that is very character-driven and naturally lends itself to thoughts and discussion upon completing the final page.
One of more remarkable things about this book is finding out that the author published this when she was just 24 years old! (I feel seriously jealous now). I love the author’s style of lyrical, illustrative prose and how she handled presenting the story to us.
And, not to say that you should judge a book by its cover, but the post card approach with Sokcho in the background is very illustrative and cool.
If you like a slightly ambivalent and subtle, thought-provoking, character-driven read, I definitely recommend this novel. I look forward to more works from this author. ...more
From what I’ve read and gathered about Oliver Goldsmith’s The Vicar of Wakefield, it was THE book in its time, a book you just had to read. Dickens suFrom what I’ve read and gathered about Oliver Goldsmith’s The Vicar of Wakefield, it was THE book in its time, a book you just had to read. Dickens supposedly took the book to bed with him every night to read, and many other key figures and authors such as Goethe sung its praises.
I get the many allusions of the book of Job as being the basis for our protagonist, and I see the theme of perseverance ringing forth in many of the pitfalls and challenges the befall our Vicar, and I even see some of the “humor� contained within, but yet, The Vicar of Wakefield was a little bit flat and disappointing to me. I think this stems from the fact that it worked neither as a straight up serious read nor a satire. I was having a tough time pinning down what make it just a so-so satire and commentary, but I think it falls on the writing style of Goldsmith, whose prose or style just does not match up with the aforementioned Dickens when it comes to “tongue in cheek� or dry humor. Also, there is way too much in the way of superfluous details that really kill much of the “humor.�
Not so say that there are not a few humorous spots in the book. At many points for our poor leading character and his family, it gets a bit beyond ridiculous truth be told, especially in the book’s second half. It reminded me of one of those plays or films where a character literally pulls of a mask to reveal who they really are and their true intentions (and we have plenty of that here).
And you have to feel for the poor Vicar here. Talk about running into a bad patch in life. Our Mr. Primrose seemingly lives in a world of sinners, schemers, and connivers all out to get him and his family. He has his fortunes stripped from him in the early going from a scammer, and this sets the tone for the entirety of his family’s misfortunes and string of bad luck.
However, I do see the moral ringing forth, as the Vicar is a “mostly� moral and just man who tries to overcome and persevere through it all to see the tide in his luck and fortunes turn. The ending was a cross between perhaps a Shakespearean comedy and a Dickens novel, where all ties are connected, secrets and key revelations known, and with a knowledge that with the final sentence, we can sleep well with the result (at least, I hope so).
I always find McCarthy books very difficult to review for some reason, even though each one has been powerful in their own way and a thoughtful experiI always find McCarthy books very difficult to review for some reason, even though each one has been powerful in their own way and a thoughtful experience. I’ve enjoyed every Cormac McCarthy book I’ve read (The Crossing being my fourth read) and feel like there are some signature McCarthy staples that a reader experiences when venturing forth into one of his novels.
The novel here is aptly named because in The Crossing we have a focus on various journeys of sorts, both literal and figurative, that are experienced namely by our protagonist, Billy Parham. Within the novel, there are a total of three literal crossings, one of which is Billy’s journey into Mexico after capturing a she-wolf that was terrorizing the father’s livestock. Along this path, Billy encounters allies, foes, dangers, and insights into the land.
One of the most notable qualities of McCarthy (alongside the lack of quotations for dialogue) is his stream of conscious dreamlike prose that seems to go in line with the mythical effect of the plot. I felt like I could literally get lost in the prose (I mean, in an effective way). And this adds to the literary experience, as in The Crossing themes such as coming of age, loss of innocence, facing the harsh realities of life. There is a constant prevailing commentary on the human existence that is focus.
This novel has less a linear styled plot but works instead more so as a series of connected episodes or parts that take us to one larger conclusion. Another notable aspect is McCarthy’s distinct ability to use the oral tradition of storytelling as part of both the literal and symbolic journey. In this way, we are given a story within a story, and I think this adds to the mythical, ponderous quality that The Crossing establishes.
This was yet another powerful reading experience from McCarthy, and I look forward to finishing with the last in the Border trilogy, Cities of the Plain.
The Executioner Weeps really hooked me from the get-go and beginning, and at 150 pages plus, if the reader is even a little bit interested at all, thiThe Executioner Weeps really hooked me from the get-go and beginning, and at 150 pages plus, if the reader is even a little bit interested at all, this book just flies by. The basic premise is that a French artist Daniel Mermet is suddenly thrust into a rather odd situation when a young woman jumps in front of his car, and he hit her. To his shock, she has no recollection of her past and former identity.
I think one of the interesting aspects of this novel is the various questions it asks: To what lengths should we search out the past of someone of whom we are fond? Would some things be better left alone? To what lengths should we go to protect someone from their past?
Daniel, consumed with love for this woman and feeling responsible for the accident, suddenly becomes an investigator and detective into her past, to find her identity, her name, the various secrets that she could be holding. However, sometimes as we all know, there is a price for looking for the truth.
As stated earlier, this book is gripping. The entire “amnesia� premise I found interesting because there is so much for the Daniel to try to unearth and identity. He goes on a scavenger hunt of sorts into the young woman’s history. As Daniel is narrating, we go on this quest with him, and are hit with the many revelations and truths, and also with some of the shocks and twists that come along the way.
This was a gripping, quick paced novel that also is able to keep the reading in suspense quite effectively until the final reveal at the end. As the narrator finds out more and more, he must make decisions that could affect his and the woman’s relationship. How much of the past does he really want to know?
This was my first read from Dard, and I understand that he was influenced by Simenon, which is very reflective in this novel, especially in terms of the psychological overtones.
If there is one issue I had, though, and others have attested to this, is that there a little bit of clunkiness to the dialogue between the characters at points. Overall, though, it didn’t distract, and I look forward to another read from this author sometime in the future. ...more
I consider 2001: A Space Odyssey one of, if not, my favorite science fiction novel of all time, and 2010 was a stellar sequel to the Clarke’s Odyssey I consider 2001: A Space Odyssey one of, if not, my favorite science fiction novel of all time, and 2010 was a stellar sequel to the Clarke’s Odyssey series. However, 2061: Odyssey Three was mostly a letdown, especially considering how amazing the first two books in the series were.
As the plot is fairly convoluted (one key element is an attempted hijacking and a race to a place known as Europa), I will not going into particulars, but rather just give some thoughts:
I don’t know if this was a rushed job by Clarke, but one of the biggest flaws of the book is the disjointed, uneven feel of the plot, which, in turn, trickles down and causes other issues. There is almost no flow to transitions between the chapters, as they seem isolated from each other, and I think one of the issues is that there are far too many characters to keep track of, way too many subplots (some not very important to the plot), and way too much exposition and backstory before we actually get to the “meat� of the book. Also, the disjointedness makes some parts very difficult to follow.
In short, there are too many things going on, too many moving parts and characters coming in and out in the plot, and I think this strips the book not only of a focus, but also strips it of any dramatic tension or suspense felt in the previous two books (this even though, Dr. Heywood Floyd at a “young� 103 years old, is part of the cast on board ). In 2001: A Space Odyssey, we feel a sense of question and wonder as we follow the crew on their mission, however 2061 is fairly devoid of all the wonder, amazement, and intrigue into the unknown and the far beyond. Instead, we have a group of “celebrity� scientists with flat character exchanges and dialogue, a lukewarm plot and premise, and a fairly pedestrian and anticlimactic finish and conclusion.
So, even though there are “some� moments of intrigue at points and “some� glimpses of the unknown, this was sort of a flat, uninspiring entry into this series. The “completionist� in me wants to read the final book 3001: The Final Odyssey, but it seems that the way things are heading in the Odyssey series, I might want to leave well enough alone. ...more
After reading a scattering of Whitman’s poetry in high school and college, I have been always interested in taking on the challenge of reading his lifAfter reading a scattering of Whitman’s poetry in high school and college, I have been always interested in taking on the challenge of reading his life work collection, Leaves of Grass. Leaves of Grass is an extensive collection of poems that range in length as short as two lines long to poems as long as a novella (“Song of Myself�). This volume of work also ranges in a variety of themes and subjects as well as time periods and influences.
This one is a tough one to review because while there were poems in here that I readily connected to, there were others I felt entirely indifferent to. In this way, I felt like I was more invested in particular themes of Whitman’s poems more so than others.
Some included in this collection (some are probably in the category of lesser known ones) that I liked were “Song of the Redwood Tree�, “Song of Exposition�, “Vigil Strange I Kept On The Field One Night�, “The Centenarian’s Story,� and “Out of the Rolling Ocean the Crowd.� Here’s a snippet of “Out of the Rolling Ocean the Crowd,� a haunting and meditative poem:
“Now we have met, we have look’d, we are safe, Return in peace to the ocean my love, I too am part of that ocean my love, we are not so much separated,…�
Of course, I really love the very famous “O Captain! My Captain!�, Whitman’s fantastic tribute to Abe Lincoln and a poem that was revitalized by the film Dead Poet’s Society.
Poetry is a very subjective genre to review and so I think that we all have poems or collections that we gravitate to more than others, so even though I liked these poems, I still feel like there are collections out there that I enjoy more.
Whitman has a handle on drawing out various images through example, imagery, and his common use of cataloguing, and he brings forth various concepts of American life through the lyrics of his poems. Yet, there is a repetitiveness to his style and form that lessens a little of the overall impact.
So, while I appreciate the vitality and energy Whitman brings to the table here and am glad I finally got around to reading, I would say that the collection overall is hit and miss....more
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