Brilliant. The dialog is sharp and believable, the circumstances all too real. Written in 1990 but set in 1968, every joke landed and every complaint Brilliant. The dialog is sharp and believable, the circumstances all too real. Written in 1990 but set in 1968, every joke landed and every complaint and observation about the every day lives of Black Americans rang true. So did the attitudes of the men toward women (and the one female character).
I saw a production by New York City's The Acting Company in Galesburg, Illinois. ...more
I was reviewing my library's nonfiction collection. Our 1959 copy of The Longest Day had been read hundreds of times and was stained and tired. I was I was reviewing my library's nonfiction collection. Our 1959 copy of The Longest Day had been read hundreds of times and was stained and tired. I was pleased to see this classic is still in print, so I bought a new copy for the library's collection and brought the old copy home to read.
I'm glad I finally read it. In today's selfish world, we really cannot even imagine the sacrifices involved in winning World War II. The men who went to France on D-Day knew that many of them were going to die. The Allies had to throw men and machinery at the invasion and hope it was enough. Fortunately, it was.
That said, the book was less riveting than I had hoped. Some of it is the author reflecting the times. Men had to man up, as it were. No complaining about the horror or the unfairness. The author clearly admired men like Theodore Roosevelt III, who he describes as marching around on the beach with no fear of being killed. ("Stomping up and down the sands, occasionally massaging his arthritic shoulder, was Brigadier General Theodore Roosevelt. The fifty-seven-year-old officer - the only general to land with first-wave troops - had insisted on this assignment." (p. 231) "Sergeant Harry Brown of the 8th Infantry saw him 'with a cane in one hand, a map in the other, walking around as if he was looking over some real estate.' Every now and then a mortar burst on the beach, sending showers of sand into the air. It seemed to annoy Roosevelt; impatiently, he would brush himself off." (p. 232)) (Ironically, Roosevelt would die a month later of a heart attack.)
The image of the thousands of ships approaching the coast, laden with seasick men and heavy equipment, is hard to forget. Thank god the Germans weren't paying attention.
One issue I had is that the author throws out a lot of names and somehow assumes I will know whether they are American, French, English, German, or something else. I had a hard time sometimes figuring out if I was reading about the Allies of the Nazis.
The author does not dwell on the brutalities of the day, although he does mention Germans shooting paratroopers stuck in trees, and killing French prisoners before they can be freed.
The book was clearly exhaustively researched and it worth reading to remind us what was - and still is - at stake when dictators gain power. ...more
Equal Rites is fine. I keep trying Pratchett because he and his works are so beloved but he just doesn’t resonate with me. People talk about how funnyEqual Rites is fine. I keep trying Pratchett because he and his works are so beloved but he just doesn’t resonate with me. People talk about how funny his works are but most of the humor seems to be of the kind middle school boys tell about sex, which I didn’t find amusing when I myself was in middle school. The author is also so self-aware of how clever he is, or thinks he is.
I mean, hurray for taking on the patrimony I guess. ...more
Perhaps I would have enjoyed this gentle travel novel if I lived in England or was nostalgic for an England gone past. As it was I actually f3.5 stars
Perhaps I would have enjoyed this gentle travel novel if I lived in England or was nostalgic for an England gone past. As it was I actually found it a bit depressing and also a bit dull.
The writing is good, and there were passages that made me smile like this one: "Before Mr. Finchley had time to look around, the footman had deprived him of his rucksack and cap and, after giving him a long stare, the kind of stare which stamps the words 'I don't believe it' over its wearer's countenance, he led the way up the broad staircase at the end of the hall" (p. 120).
I certainly think this book will find its target audience of older people who enjoy gentle reads.
I read an advance reader copy re-release of Mr. Finchley Discovers His England from Netgalley.
Merged review:
3.5 stars
Perhaps I would have enjoyed this gentle travel novel if I lived in England or was nostalgic for an England gone past. As it was I actually found it a bit depressing and also a bit dull.
The writing is good, and there were passages that made me smile like this one: "Before Mr. Finchley had time to look around, the footman had deprived him of his rucksack and cap and, after giving him a long stare, the kind of stare which stamps the words 'I don't believe it' over its wearer's countenance, he led the way up the broad staircase at the end of the hall" (p. 120).
I certainly think this book will find its target audience of older people who enjoy gentle reads.
I read an advance reader copy re-release of Mr. Finchley Discovers His England from Netgalley....more
When I was working on my master’s degree in Computer Systems Communication (circa 1994), I took a fascinating class on computer ethics. We read Cliff When I was working on my master’s degree in Computer Systems Communication (circa 1994), I took a fascinating class on computer ethics. We read Cliff Stoll’s The Cuckoo’s Egg, Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, and I thought we’d read Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. I think now we were just required to watch the movie. I just finished the book and I don’t think I ever read it before. It was also pretty fascinating.
So bleak. I love The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells, which deals with a lot of the same issues only from the cyborg’s point of view. And it’s a lot snarkier and more fun.
I haven’t seen Blade Runner in a million years but I don’t remember anything about the absolute obsession with live animals, which is all over the book. Critically important to the book. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep feels really dated although set in the future. It was written in 1968 so I guess what’s surprising is that it doesn’t feel even more dated.
I can’t really say I enjoyed reading this book but I’m glad I read it, and it is very thought provoking. It’s interesting that I’ve heard people discuss whether the film Deckard is a replicant or a human, but in the book he is clearly a human. The scene in which an android tortures a spider is the worst and most memorable. The religious stuff was the least interesting to me.
Although I very much enjoy books by Agatha Christie, I'm not a huge fan of Poirot, and I hadn't read this book before. He was less annoying than he isAlthough I very much enjoy books by Agatha Christie, I'm not a huge fan of Poirot, and I hadn't read this book before. He was less annoying than he is sometimes - maybe because the book was narrated by an English nurse - and the mystery was good. I guessed who the murderer was but not why and how....more
Not a keeper, but a diverting read. Every book I've ever read by Agatha Christie has had something to recommend it. Not a keeper, but a diverting read. Every book I've ever read by Agatha Christie has had something to recommend it. ...more
About a third of this was a four star book that I enjoyed. I can imagine I would have loved every word if I lived in the 1860s and was desperate for wAbout a third of this was a four star book that I enjoyed. I can imagine I would have loved every word if I lived in the 1860s and was desperate for written entertainment. But for me, reading this today, the book was waaay too long, and it was hard not to blame Alice for breaking up with John Grey in the first place.
Also, the chapter detailing a fox hunt was horrific.
I'm glad I read it, but I won't be reading more Palliser novels....more
A friend who also loves Alice in Wonderland loved and recommended this to me. So I read it.
The original Alice contains fun nonsense. This book containA friend who also loves Alice in Wonderland loved and recommended this to me. So I read it.
The original Alice contains fun nonsense. This book contains violent nonsense (what is it with people losing eyes?). Can't Alice have a visit to Wonderland as an adult? Why must it always be grave peril? The author did a good job throwing in references to the original Alice ("aw, slithy toves"), but her own nonsense was not particularly clever. I get it, Alice is using Wonderland to work through her teenaged Victorian real world issues.
It wasn't terrible, and there were occasional passages I enjoyed, but for me it was way too long. Also, why does she live in "Kexford" instead of Oxford....?
If you love the Twisted Tales series, or know of Alice but don't actually know the book, you might enjoy Unbirthday more than I did. ...more
I’m with Ernest Hemingway when it comes to The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. I’m a huge fan, and I’m always interested in (and usually disappointed I’m with Ernest Hemingway when it comes to The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. I’m a huge fan, and I’m always interested in (and usually disappointed by) new books that reimagine it. And so I read James by Percival Everett.
It’s very readable. I understand wanting to make Jim a main character in this story. I fully support showing that he is a person with hopes and dreams and his own life aside from his adventures with Huck Finn. There were parts that I found enjoyable, although “ferociously funny� is a stretch. James does not capture the wit and genius of the original, and it reads like historical fiction, not contemporary fiction. The author really really wants us to understand that Jim understands irony, and sarcasm, and can read and understand great works, and can write. I found the need to make us understand that belabored and repetitive.
“We waded through water inside the wrecked house, with clothes floating everywhere. It had settled at a severe angle so it was a bit of a climb to the kitchen cabinets. Huck opened one and squealed, ironically, like a pig, as he found a rasher of bacon.� (p. 36 of the advance reader copy). That manages to both dehumanize Huck (which I assume is the point) and remind us, again, that Jim gets irony!
BIG SPOILERS AHEAD, don’t read my spoilers if you plan to read this book. My biggest complaint is that, like the author of Finn,(view spoiler)[Everett makes Huck Black. Huck cannot be Black. Huck must be a poor, abused, ignorant white boy for The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn to have any meaning, which I believe it does. Having Huck be Black, never mind the son of Jim, completely changes everything. And having Jim know that Huck is his son undermines every important thing about their relationship in the original book. And in this one. (hide spoiler)]
I do not believe that children should be forced to read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. The earliest it should be on required reading lists is in college literature classes (and even then it would be best as an option). The use of the n word is problematic, but I will point out that it appears many times in James (in case anyone is thinking James will make a better read for high schoolers).
The ending is where this book really reveals itself to be historical fiction. (view spoiler)[The end is a triumph of Black slaves rising up against cruel white masters, and nothing is going to end well for the slaves involved in the pre-Civil War South. (hide spoiler)]
Your reaction to James may vary greatly from mine. James might actually be better if you haven’t read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. I read an advance reader copy from Netgalley....more
I may have read this in grad school for my library degree, but I may not. I saw the original movie so many times as a kid, and I saw the Johnny Depp vI may have read this in grad school for my library degree, but I may not. I saw the original movie so many times as a kid, and I saw the Johnny Depp version when it came out, and both movies are amazingly faithful to the book in a lot of ways. So I may never have read it at all and yet still found it so familiar.
This story is full of the best kind of nonsense, not to mention the chocolate. (I would like some right now, please.) My favorite passage (p. 86 in chapter 18): "How can you whip cream without whips? Whipped cream isn't whipped cream at all unless it's been whipped with whips. Just as a poached egg isn't a poached egg unless it's been stolen from the woods in the dead of night!"...more
Enjoyable but not remarkable. The narrator is good. Mr. Parker Pyne, like Poirot and Miss Marple, sees things no one else sees. And knows how to make Enjoyable but not remarkable. The narrator is good. Mr. Parker Pyne, like Poirot and Miss Marple, sees things no one else sees. And knows how to make people happy. I was glad there was one story in which he failed. ...more
My first mystery by Ngaio Marsh, but surely not my last. She has a nice light touch, reminiscent of Agatha Christie (though Chief Detective Inspector My first mystery by Ngaio Marsh, but surely not my last. She has a nice light touch, reminiscent of Agatha Christie (though Chief Detective Inspector Roderick Alleyn is a lot more bearable than Hercule Poirot).
Alleyn reveals his ignorance about something that is a thing, not a place (Tunbridge), and a young woman involved with the case bursts out laughing. "My poor pet," gasped Angela annoyingly, "and did you think you ought to go to Tunbridge, and were you all muddledy-puddledy?" "Miss Angela," said Alleyne, "it is not fitting that you should address a limb of the law as your poor pet on such a short acquaintance." (p. 219)
I learned a new world - Oxonian, which I assumed had something to do with Oxford and it does ("relating to Oxford in England, or to Oxford University").
This book was published in the 1930s and contains the n word in reference to a man covered in soot. Ouch. I wonder if that is changed in newer editions; I read a copy from 1972. ...more
I read this when the (terrible) movie came out a few years ago but didn't remember it at all. I listened to the audiobook this time, which wa3.5 stars
I read this when the (terrible) movie came out a few years ago but didn't remember it at all. I listened to the audiobook this time, which was more engaging for me. It's hard to read and judge a book like this after Harry Potter.
I like that while there are more books, it wraps up neatly. Also that Will is not only not an orphan, he comes from a large family. It was neat that he didn't realize he was a 7th son because he didn't know he had a brother who'd died.
I felt some genuine emotion around Merriman and his relationship with Hawkin, and I enjoyed the interplay between the Stanton children. I think there were a lot of literary/mythological/historical references I did not get. I enjoyed the setting. ...more
No writer of popular fiction does a better job describing the beauty and wildness of natural landscapes than does Zane Grey. He also does an incomparaNo writer of popular fiction does a better job describing the beauty and wildness of natural landscapes than does Zane Grey. He also does an incomparable job of describing what it's like to experience the wild.
That said, I like his earlier books better than his later books. This book features a man seriously injured while training to go to France to fight in the Great War. (He spends two years in an army hospital and loses most of his memory.) Instead of cattle ranching we have fishing. There's a bromance and romance, and bad guys get their due. It was fine. ...more
Despite the presence of Superintendent Battle, this is more of a spy thriller than a mystery. Christie is always worth a read but I didn't enjoy this Despite the presence of Superintendent Battle, this is more of a spy thriller than a mystery. Christie is always worth a read but I didn't enjoy this one as much as I've enjoyed others. Nice twists though. ...more
I discovered western novels when I was in college. I read this one and remember very much enjoying it. I kept the paperback and recently reread it.
HmmI discovered western novels when I was in college. I read this one and remember very much enjoying it. I kept the paperback and recently reread it.
Hmm. I didn't enjoy it as much this time. Grey does a wonderful job capturing the beauty and brutality of the American West. His writing reflects attitudes of the time about men, women, Indians, Mexicans, Mormons. Man of the Forest was published in 1920.
It was much slower than I remembered. The long long part in which the two sisters hang out at Milt Dale's hidden retreat - I thought it would never end....more
An Agatha Christie I've never read before! It was fun, read as historical fiction. (It was first published in 1933). A plucky titled lady and the aimlAn Agatha Christie I've never read before! It was fun, read as historical fiction. (It was first published in 1933). A plucky titled lady and the aimless vicar's son solve a mystery. I suppose it never occurred to them to go to the police. It kept me entertained, and I was pretty sure I knew who the villains were. (Maybe I have read it before.)
Honestly, any book by Agatha Christie is worth reading at least once. ...more
A random set of short stories, but it's always a pleasure to read Agatha Christie. I hadn't read The Mousetrap/Three Blind Mice in a long time. A random set of short stories, but it's always a pleasure to read Agatha Christie. I hadn't read The Mousetrap/Three Blind Mice in a long time. ...more
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