This is the first book that Smith wrote (published in 1964) about the Courtney family in Africa. Although it is the first boo⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2 rounded up to 4
This is the first book that Smith wrote (published in 1964) about the Courtney family in Africa. Although it is the first book written, it is not chronologically first. Smith wrote several prequels to this one including BIRDS OF PREY, MONSOON, and BLUE HORIZON. These novels take place starting in the 1600s and tell of the origins of the family. I have read all of these and enjoyed them a lot.
WHEN THE LION FEEDS is set in South Africa from the 1860s-1890s and introduces Sean and Garrick Courtney, the twin sons of Waite Courtney, a wealthy ranch owner outside of the port of Natal. During a hunting excursion, Sean accidentally shoots Garrick in the leg resulting in it being amputated. Sean becomes guilt-ridden and tries to be Garrick's protector but Garrick uses Sean and manipulates him because of the injury. Then comes their participation in the Zulu war which results in Waite's death and Sean's presumed death. While Sean is missing, Garrick marries Sean's girlfriend and the fallout then drives Sean north to find riches in the gold mines near Johannesburg. He later loses his fortune and goes hunting for ivory where he meets his future wife, a Boer farm girl. And then tragedy ensues...
This book as usual was full of adventure and also provided some history of South Africa including the Anglo-Zulu war and the lead-in to the Boer War. The book was also full of violence and death with some of the main characters meeting brutal ends. It also included the brutality of ivory hunting and the needless killing of magnificent elephants. Although this could be very triggering for some, it was also a way of life during that time because of the value of ivory. Overall, I did enjoy this one and will probably be reading more in the series but I didn't really care for the tragic ending to this novel. I thought it was somewhat contrived and hard to believe....more
This was a very hard-hitting and thought-provoking novel that raises questions regarding the atrocities committed by the Nazis during the Holocaust anThis was a very hard-hitting and thought-provoking novel that raises questions regarding the atrocities committed by the Nazis during the Holocaust and whether subsequent generations should be held responsible. The protagonist of the novel is Michael Berg who fell ill on his way home from school when he was fifteen. He is rescued and taken home by Hanna Schmitz, a streetcar conductor in her thirties. But when Michael returns a week later to thank her, he and Hanna fall into a passionate love affair. Hanna also wants Michael to read to her which he does for several weeks. Then Hanna mysteriously disappears leaving Michael devastated. Later when Michael is in law school he attends a trial for a hideous Nazi war crime and finds that Hanna is one of the defendants. Hanna was a guard for the SS and served at Auschwitz and she is reluctant to adequately defend herself. As Michael watches the trial he realizes that she is hiding something she considers more humiliating than murder. Hanna is sentenced to prison and Michael must try to reconcile the terrible crimes she is accused of with his love for her.
This was a rather short novel that I was able to read in one afternoon. But it was also a very heart-wrenching and spellbinding story full of love and secrets, horror and compassion. Hanna was someone you feel sorry for even though she has undoubtedly committed some horrendous crimes. The novel really raises some hard issues regarding the responsibilities of blame for the Holocaust. Schlink raises the question of whether subsequent generations should share in this blame. A really thought-provoking read.
Edit: I rewatched the movie after finishing the book. I originally saw it not long after it was released in 2008. Kate Winslet won an Oscar for her performance as Hanna but I feel the book really explained the details and events much better. [image]...more
A few months ago I read Erdrich's Pulitzer Prize winning novel, THE NIGHT WATCHMAN, which I thought was very well-deserved. Based on that novel, I wanA few months ago I read Erdrich's Pulitzer Prize winning novel, THE NIGHT WATCHMAN, which I thought was very well-deserved. Based on that novel, I wanted to read more by Erdrich and happened to have a copy of Master Butchers on my TBR shelf. I really enjoyed this saga which reminded me of other novels of a family's love and sorrow such as EAST OF EDEN by John Steinbeck.
The novel takes place mostly in the town of Argus, North Dakota where Fidelis Waldvogel, a WWI veteran, decides to settle after traveling from Germany. Fidelis is a butcher and he is able to prosper in America. He is later joined there by his wife Eva, her son, Franz, who was fathered by Fidelis's friend who perished in the War, and his sister. The story is really a saga of family and friends and takes place from WWI to WWII and beyond. Fidelis is gifted with a beautiful singing voice and he starts a singing club in the small town. The novel includes stories of several others including Delphine Watzka, the daughter of the town drunk who is in constant mourning for his late Indian wife Minnie. When Delphine returns to Argus, she is accompanied by Cyprian who she had performed with in a balancing act on the road. Cyprian is a half-breed and is also homosexual or bisexual. So does Delphine love him? She's not sure but she does live with him for years. Then Delphine meets Eva who she befriends and ends up helping to raise her sons. The novel goes on into the years prior to WWII and includes some very devastating changes for all of them.
The novel really included some finely drawn characters and was structured very episodically with many anecdotal tales revolving around the main story. These include the four sons of Fidelis who seen to get into mischief and trouble at every turn. But Delphine is perhaps the real focal point of the story and is portrayed as a damaged person with an unknown past. There are also some great secondary characters such as a rag-picker named Step-and-a-Half who seems to know most everything that goes on in the town. And then there is the really stunning surprise ending to the novel that I thought was almost perfect. I'll definitely be reading more of Erdrich!...more
The story of Jaycee Dugard and what happened to her is really sad and heart-wrenching. I remember hearing about this on the news when Dugard was foundThe story of Jaycee Dugard and what happened to her is really sad and heart-wrenching. I remember hearing about this on the news when Dugard was found after being in captivity for 18 years and I really couldn't imagine the horrors she must have gone through. In 1991, Jaycee was kidnapped on her way to catch her school bus in South Lake Tahoe. She was only eleven years old. She was taken by a man named Phillip Garrido using a taser and was assisted by the man's wife, Nancy. They took Jaycee from Tahoe to Antioch, California, and kept her imprisoned in makeshift shelters in the backyard of the Garrido's mother's house there. On her arrival, she was forced to shower with Phillip and a week later she was raped by him. The rapes went on repeatedly over the years and resulted in Jaycee having two daughters by him, the first when she was only fourteen. Garrido not only abused her sexually but also mentally by using guilt complexes and narcissistic behavior toward her. At some points, Jaycee actually felt sorry for him. She survived by caring for her daughters and her pet cats although Garrido got rid of many of them without Jaycee's consent. After 18 years, she was finally freed when Garrido took her and her daughters to see his parole officer. She was reunited with her mother, sister, and aunt, but was unsure of what her acceptance would be. Since then, she had been in therapy and eventually was able to make a life for herself and her daughters.
Jaycee was a very strong person to have been able to survive her ordeal. After her release she started the J A Y C Foundation to provide support and services for families recovering from abduction and the aftermath of traumatic experiences. This book was very enlightening and shows the horrors of what abducted children may go through. However, it really didn't tell the whole story of what happened after her kidnapping and the history of Garrido and his wife and their subsequent prosecutions. There is an that provides more details. It is really hard for me to understand the motivations of people that could commit such an atrocious crime; I especially couldn't understand how Garrido's wife would assist him in his depravities. There were times when she could have helped Dugard escape but failed to do so. Overall, this was a very intense and harrowing look at what can happen to young victims of abuse....more
I always enjoy Hiaasen's novels which take place in Florida and are full of humor and an abundance of wacky characters. Skink, the ex-governor of FlorI always enjoy Hiaasen's novels which take place in Florida and are full of humor and an abundance of wacky characters. Skink, the ex-governor of Florida who lives in the wild and is fighting to try to preserve Florida's natural habitat, has appeared in several of Hiaasen's novels and is one my favorite characters.
This novel is one of his novels aimed at younger readers and although it is toned down quite a bit from his adult books, it was still very enjoyable. In it, Richard is concerned for his cousin, Malley, who has runoff with her "boyfriend" because she didn't want to attend a boarding school in cold New Hampshire. But is her boyfriend who he purports to be? Richard thinks not and feels her cousin is in big trouble. Then he happens to meet Skink who he finds buried in the sand to protect the eggs of sea turtles. After Richard tells Skink about his missing cousin, Skink agrees to help him locate her and rescue her if need be. Off they go and based on Malley's phone call to Richard, they are able to pinpoint where she might be. She had given Richard a clue about seeing an ivory-billed woodpecker which are supposedly extinct. But Skink swears he had seen one and knows where their nesting grounds are. And Malley's boyfriend? He's definitely not who he claims to be and is holding Malley against her will.
I enjoyed this one. It was as usual with Hiaasen full of environmental issues including preserving endangered species such as the woodpecker. The novel also mentions Rachel Carson's book Silent Spring and how it documented in 1962 the adverse environmental effects caused by the use of pesticides. This was a must read for Skink and was passed on to Richard. And of course, the novel was also very humorous in Hiaasen's style....more
I think I'm hooked on the Parker series from Donald Westlake (aka Richard Stark). I finished reading the first book in the series, THE HUNTER, yesterdI think I'm hooked on the Parker series from Donald Westlake (aka Richard Stark). I finished reading the first book in the series, THE HUNTER, yesterday and immediately decided to read an online copy of the second book from the library. I read the entire next book in an afternoon and really enjoyed it. Parker is a great character although he is definitely a flawed character. Westlake is a favorite author of mine. I've read several of his Dortmunder series which I really enjoy although Dortmunder is really a completely different character from Parker. The Dortmunder novels are about a thief and his gang and include a lot of humor thrown in. On the other hand, the Parker novels written under the name Richard Stark are a lot more gritty and hard core.
This novel directly continues Parker's story after the events of THE HUNTER. At the end of that novel, Parker has really pissed off the syndicate or "The Outfit" and decides he needs to get a new face so he will not be easily recognized. He has plastic surgery done and is satisfied with his new look. Right away he is drawn into a caper to rob an armored car. The job has been set up by a waitress in a diner and Parker suspects a double cross in the works. And of course he is right but is able to wind up with half the loot which puts him back into his old mold. Except someone has killed the doctor who did his surgery and his cover and description may be broadcast back to the Outfit. In the last part of the story, one of the doctor's cohorts is trying to find out who killed him and Parker is at risk of exposure. So what is his next move? I guess I'll need to read the next book to find out! I'll definitely be looking forward to it....more
This is the first Parker novel written by Donald Westlake (aka Richard Stark) and the second I have read after Firebreak which I read about a year agoThis is the first Parker novel written by Donald Westlake (aka Richard Stark) and the second I have read after Firebreak which I read about a year ago. The Hunter really fleshes out the Parker character and I must say he is not a pleasant fellow. Parker was double-crossed in a heist involving the sale of some illegal firearms to some South Americans. His wife shoots him at the encouragement of one of the partners in the heist, Mal Resnick. Resnick thinks Parker is dead and after he eliminates the others involved, he walks off with over $90,000 and Parker's wife. But Parker was not killed, his belt buckle saves him but he winds up in jail on a vagrancy charge with vengeance on his mind. He is able to kill a guard and escape and makes his way to New York. His wife ends up dead and Resnick is in hiding with mob protection. So how can Parker find him and get his vengeance? Well Parker has his ways...
Parker leaves a trail of dead bodies along the way in this one. He gets on the wrong side of the "Outfit" when he insists they pay him the money that Resnick stole from him. In this first volume, Parker is a very rough character who has no trouble killing with his bare hands. I think he was toned down over time based on the later novel I read. This one was published in 1962 and it is somewhat dated � coffee was 15 cents, $90,000 was a really big score, and prostitutes were $50 for a whole night. But the novel still holds up and is really a great hard case crime story. I will probably read the next in the series from the library to see where Parker goes from here.
This one was also the basis for the 1967 movie Point Blank starring Lee Marvin and the 1999 movie Payback with Mel Gibson. I saw Point Blank many years ago but have never seen Payback. I'll be keeping an eye out for both. [image][image] ...more
I have had this book on my shelves for several years and finally got around to reading this slight volume. I also read and enjoyed Hill's ghost story,I have had this book on my shelves for several years and finally got around to reading this slight volume. I also read and enjoyed Hill's ghost story,Woman in Black a few years ago. THE MAN IN THE PICTURE is another ghost story that I enjoyed although not as much as Woman in Black. This one is told from several perspectives. It is about a college professor who obtains an unusual painting of revelers at a carnival in Venice. Oliver, a former student of the professor visits him and is told a macabre tale of a woman who owned the painting and how the painting seemed to draw people into it. Her story is told by her through Oliver. She desperately wanted the painting returned to her because it seemed to show what happened to her husband who disappeared in Venice. But how could that be? The painting was made in the 16th century. The tale goes on with the painting eventually affecting Oliver and his wife when they visit Venice on their honeymoon.
I thought the story was very atmospheric and provided some chills, however, the end was not quite what I was expecting. Overall, a mild recommendation for this one....more
Another good one in the Matt Scudder series. I have been reading these in no particular order for the past decade or so and always enjoy them. This isAnother good one in the Matt Scudder series. I have been reading these in no particular order for the past decade or so and always enjoy them. This is the seventh book in the series and Matt is struggling to stay sober by attending AA meetings religiously. Scudder is an ex New York cop who quit the force after he accidentally killed a young girl during a shootout. He works as an unlicensed PI and has struggled to stay sober. In this novel, he agrees to look into the disappearance of a young woman from Indiana who came to New York to pursue an acting career. But her parents are concerned when she doesn’t return her calls and seems to have vanished. Matt does what he can to try to track her down but is not too optimistic about the outcome.
Meanwhile, he befriends a fellow AA member who is trying to stay sober. Then the friend shows up dead in his apartment with a rope around his neck. It looks like accidental auto erotic asphyxiation in that he was found naked and close to some S&M magazines. Or was he really murdered? Matt gets close to the man’s landlady (real close) as he tries to get to the bottom of his death. Along the way he also befriends a mobster and bar owner named Mick Ballou who also becomes a supporting character in future novels in the series.
This was kind of an in between novel in the series. It’s written at a slow pace as Matt attends AA meetings, has an affair with the lady landlord, and puzzles out the solutions to the death of his friend and the disappearance of the young woman from Indiana. Block really draws the reader into Matt’s world within the down and outs of NYC. I still have a few of the series left to read and hopefully I’ll get to them soon....more
I've been a big fan of C.J. Box for years now and I have read everything he has written. His Joe Pickett novels have been great but I must say I was sI've been a big fan of C.J. Box for years now and I have read everything he has written. His Joe Pickett novels have been great but I must say I was somewhat disappointed with his latest effort, STORM WATCH. The story has Joe out tracking a wounded elk in the middle of a snowstorm when he comes upon a dead body near a mysterious structure on a ranch. The dead man turns out to be a professor at the University of Wyoming. The man is also Chinese. So what was he doing out in the snow at the structure that housed millions in computers and was used to mine Crypto Currency? Joe also was shot at near this site, but who did it and why? Turns out there are a group of elk antler poachers that may also have been responsible for the Chinese man's death.
Okay, the first part of this novel was rather intriguing but then it went downhill for me when the conservative politics of the west came into play. The book makes it sound like everyone in Wyoming is against the shutdown of oil pipelines and oil production and feels climate change is a hoax. Politicians, government officials, and environmentalists are all scorned by Box in his plot. The story really devolves when the FBI is involved in a plot to show that there are domestic terrorists called the "Sovereign Nation" who are part of a plot to kidnap or kill the Governor of Wyoming. But the FBI is really manufacturing the whole thing for their benefit.
I didn't really like the idea of the FBI being the bad guys here in a plot involving Chinese communists, the Wyoming Governor, and orchestrated by an East coast politician. I wish Box would go back to his earlier plot methods and leave the politics out of his novels. I'll probably read his next Pickett story but my interest seems to be lagging....more
I really loved this book. Of course I have seen both movie versions (which I enjoyed) but the book is on a whole other level. I would consider it an AI really loved this book. Of course I have seen both movie versions (which I enjoyed) but the book is on a whole other level. I would consider it an American classic which Donna Tartt does in her afterword comparing it to the likes of HUCKLEBERRY FINN and THE WIZARD OF OZ. For anyone who doesn't know, the novel is told in the first person by fourteen year old, Mattie Ross. Her father was shot down in cold blood by Tom Chaney who robs him of his horse, $150 in cash, and two California gold pieces. Mattie is out to avenge her father's blood and travels to Fort Smith, Arkansas where she is pointed in the direction of Rooster Cogburn, the meanest U.S. Marshall available. After hooking up with Cogburn, promising to pay him $300, a Texas Ranger named LaBeouf also joins them as he is also searching for Chaney. They pursue the killer into Indian Territory and what ensues is a great adventure, full of poignancy and humor, and is a straight forward, unflinching look at frontier justice in the 1870s.
Portis is a very masterful writer and is able to pull off Mattie's point of view to a tee. The novel is told as if it were written 30 years after the events and Mattie is able to switch between the two time periods to give the story a perspective from later years. Very high recommendation!
I now want to rewatch both the 1969 movie version starring John Wayne and the 2010 version with Jeff Bridges. Fortunately, I'm pretty sure both versions are available for streaming so I will be doing that sometime real soon!
Another enjoyable novel from Hoffman. I have read several of her books and have really enjoyed most of them. This one takes place in New York and BrooAnother enjoyable novel from Hoffman. I have read several of her books and have really enjoyed most of them. This one takes place in New York and Brooklyn in 1911 and is told from the perspectives of Coralie Sardie, the daughter of the owner of the Coney Island attraction � The Museum of Extraordinary Things � and Eddie Cohen, a Russian Jewish immigrant who has left his community and is striving to work as a photographer. Coralie is watched over by her beloved but acid-scarred family housekeeper, Maureen, and lives with her father above the museum. At first Coralie loves and respects her father but on her tenth birthday, he escorts her through the exhibit for the first time, and he also puts her on display as “The Human Mermaid.� Born with webbed fingers, Coralie, an expert swimmer, spends her days in a tank wearing her mermaid suit. Later as the business starts to fail, her father arranges special showings, during which adolescent Coralie must swim naked for invited male audiences. Coralie longs to leave but in the mean time is comforted by Maureen. Then Coralie meets Eddie Cohen and her life seems to change as she falls in love with him.
The story is told between two tragic fires that occurred in 1911 � The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory and Coney Island's Dreamland fire. Eddie photographs and is haunted by images of the Triangle fire and then he becomes involved in locating a young woman who goes missing after the fire. This eventually leads him to Coralie and her dire circumstances at the museum.
I thought this novel was very engaging and provided a lot of the history and living conditions of early 20th century New York. I would recommend this one and I'll be reading more of Hoffman. I also read another compelling novel about Coney Island several years ago � Dreamland by Kevin Baker that I would also highly recommend for anyone wanting to know more about Coney Island and its inhabitants of the early part of the twentieth century....more
was an English writer of adventure fiction romances set in exotic locations, predominantly Africa, and a pioneer of the lost w was an English writer of adventure fiction romances set in exotic locations, predominantly Africa, and a pioneer of the lost world literary genre. His adventure tales were inspiration for others including Edgar Rice Burroughs and Arthur Conan Doyle. King Solomon's Mines was first published in 1885 and its hero, Allan Quatermain has been an enduring character in popular literature since then. The novel involves first a quest to find the brother of one of the protagonists, Sir Henry Curtis, who has supposedly gone in search of King Solomon's treasure trove. Quatermain happens to have a map describing where the treasure might be located so he, Sir Henry, and Captain John Good go on a very hazardous journey to find the lost brother and the lost treasure. They are accompanied by some native guides including Umbopa who is actually the exiled ruler of the Kukuanas, a fierce tribe residing near the lost treasure mines.
The novel is full of action including big game hunts, trying to stay alive while crossing a desert, battles with the native tribes, and trying to survive in the caves of Solomon's mines. The novel is also a story of its time in the late 19th century where the white Victorians were the superior people of the planet. The imperialist and racist views portrayed in the novel are definitely offensive by today's standards but were the norm for the times. The scenes of hunting elephants for their ivory are also outdated and could also be considered offensive. The language of the novel is also rather trite and was probably written originally for younger readers. But Haggard did have a vast knowledge of Africa and spent several years there. His writing portrays the natives in a more favorable light than other writers of the times and he expressed a respect for black Africans and their culture. In this novel, Umbopa and uncle are handsome, eloquent, and dignified leaders. Haggard even compares Umbopa to a Roman emperor commanding disciplined and courageous troops. And he even suggested a love story between Good and the native girl, Foulata, however readers at the time would not have accepted a marriage between them so Haggard evades the issue by having Foulata killed off. Overall, I enjoyed this novel for what it is but would only mildly recommend it and I know other readers have found it offensive because of its outdated racist and imperialistic views....more
This is Potzsch's followup to THE HANGMAN'S DAUGHTER, which I read and enjoyed a few years ago. This was another very enjoyable and compelling novel sThis is Potzsch's followup to THE HANGMAN'S DAUGHTER, which I read and enjoyed a few years ago. This was another very enjoyable and compelling novel set in 17th century Bavaria. The story starts out with the poisoning of a parish priest. This draws the attention of the local hangman-executioner, Jakob Kuisl and Simon Fronwieser, the town doctor's son who is also practicing medicine and healing. The priest had sealed something beneath a crypt in the church before he died and a clue he left leads Simon to discover an old tomb of what may have been a knight's templar. Legend had it that the templars amassed a large treasure that was never found after the templar's were banished by the Catholic Church. The tomb has a clue that leads Simon on a chase to other locations hoping that in the end the treasure will be found. The dead priest's sister, a wine merchant, comes to the small village after receiving a mysterious letter from her brother which motivates her to also seek the treasure. But there are also some others very interested in this including a group of mysterious monks who have been lurking in the village. So who killed the priest and is the templar's treasure real? And what exactly is the treasure. Jakob, Simon, and Magdalena, the hangman's daughter, all get involved in trying to solve the puzzle which leads them to several locations and a host of enemies along the way.
This was an intriguing and exciting historical mystery novel. It relates a lot of history of Germany in the 17th century including the superstitions, ignorance, and brutality of the time. The novel was originally written in German and is translated into modern English. Some of this was a little amusing with the characters saying things like "kiss my ass" which I'm sure would not have been a phrase from the 1600's. Also I noticed a few things that probably weren’t historically accurate like using matches to light fires. But overall I did really enjoy this and would recommend it. This is the second in Potzsch's Hangman series and I'll be looking forward to reading more of these....more
Over the years I have read a few Dickens novels and stories including OLIVER TWIST, A TALE OF TWO CITIES, and A CHRISTMAS CAROL. But I always seem to Over the years I have read a few Dickens novels and stories including OLIVER TWIST, A TALE OF TWO CITIES, and A CHRISTMAS CAROL. But I always seem to put off reading his more ponderous works because of the length of them. I have had HARD TIMES sitting on my shelves for several years and finally got around to reading it. It is one of Dickens slighter works but I did enjoy it.
It is filled with some memorable characters as only Dickens can portray them. These include Mr. Gradgrind who runs a school according to strict principles: "Now what I want is Facts. Teach these boys and girls nothing but Facts. Facts alone are wanted in life. Plant nothing else, and root out everything else." When his pupils are asked whether you should paper a room with representations of horses, the answer is of course no because you would never see horses walking up walls—you don't have a fact. Gradgrind uses these principles not only on his pupils but also his children, Tom and Louisa. Then there is the industrialist, Mr. Bounderby, who brags of his humble beginnings and that he was able to pull himself out of the gutter. One of Bounderby's employees is Stephen Blackpool, a weaver in a loveless marriage who loses his job and is framed for a robbery committed by Gradgrind's son, Tom. Tom is referred to throughout the novel as the Whelp. Louisa agrees to a loveless marriage to Bounderby at the encouragement of Tom who sees the marriage as a way into favor with Bounderby. At the end, Louisa's misery along with Tom's deceit leads Gradgrind to see the error of his ways and he turns more compassionate.
The story is told against the backdrop of Coketown, a fictional northern industrial town. The novel does somewhat convey the dehumanizing nature of factory work but doesn't dwell too much on these issues or the labor movement of the time. I did enjoy this novel—it was poignant but also filled with humor. I of course have seen and enjoyed many movie and TV versions of Dickens' other novels including DAVID COPPERFIELD, BLEAK HOUSE, NICHOLAS NICKLEBY, and GREAT EXPECTATIONS. I have several of these other works on my shelves and I really hope to read them at some point....more
I've read a few of Spillane's hard-boiled Mike Hammer novels in years gone by. Something's Down There is Spillane's last novel and it doesn't quite coI've read a few of Spillane's hard-boiled Mike Hammer novels in years gone by. Something's Down There is Spillane's last novel and it doesn't quite compare to his early efforts. In this one, the protagonist, Mako Hooker, is an ex-CIA agent living on an island near the Bermuda Triangle. He poses as a fishing-boat captain complete with a boat named 'Clamdip' and a native Captain named Billy Bright. His past career comes in handy when a series of vessels in the Bermuda Triangle fall prey to attacks by unknown causes. Could the boats be running into unexploded American mines laid years ago? Or are the gouges in their hulls evidence of something alive with very big teeth? The islanders are calling this unknown monster the "eater" and some think it may be a gigantic extinct shark. Some of Hooker's former colleagues are sent to the scene to investigate along with a Hollywood film crew who see a possible movie in the making. One of the Hollywood producers is an ex-mobster who is hiding a sinister past and who may be out to get Hooker. So what is really going on and what is the "eater?"
This novel was kind of a combination between JAWS and a CIA spy novel. I thought it started out well but the plot involving the former mobster was very convoluted and the ending was kind of anticlimactic. I remember enjoying the Mike Hammer novels that I read but this one was mediocre at best....more
This collection of four shorter works by Heinlein were originally published in various pulp magazines from 1941 to 1949. I have been a fan of HeinleinThis collection of four shorter works by Heinlein were originally published in various pulp magazines from 1941 to 1949. I have been a fan of Heinlein ever since reading some of his juvenile fiction when I was in middle school back in the 1960s. I also read a lot of his other fiction in the 70s including STRANGER IN A STRANGE LAND and STARSHIP TROOPERS, both of which I consider some of sci-fi's best.
The four stories in this collection are loosely related as speculation on what makes one a human:
"Gulf" (Astounding Science Fiction, October–November 1949). This story is about a superspy who travels from the moon to the earth carrying some plans for a super weapon that can turn planets into novas! The spy meets up with a man who is a superbeing who may be the next step in evolution. Along the way, they must stop a madwoman from exploding the earth.
"Elsewhen", (written in 1939 and first published in 1941 in Astounding Science Fiction of September 1941 as "Elsewhere" by Caleb Saunders) This story is a time-travel tidbit that suggests that the human mind is not bound to our here-and-now but can go voyaging into alternative timetracks of possibility.
"Lost Legacy" (written in 1939 but first published in 1941 in Super Science Stories, November 1941 as "Lost Legion" by Lyle Monroe) This novella is about two men and a woman who discover that the brain is not using all of its potential. They eventually find that they can read minds, levitate, and actually fly using this unused brain power.
"Jerry Was a Man" (written in 1946 and published in 1947 in Thrilling Wonder Stories, October 1947 as "Jerry Is a Man") This story is about genetically altered beings including apes that are used as workers in a factory that makes these alterations to provide exotic pets for clients. This leads to a court making a legal ruling on the human rights of these genetically engineered intelligent creatures. Should they be considered "men"?
The themes of these short works were later used by Heinlein is several of his novels including STRANGER IN A STRANGE LAND and FRIDAY. I thought these stories were interesting for the most part although they were definitely dated. I need to read more of Heinlein especially his novels that I have been putting off....more
My wife and I binge-watched the TV series, that aired originally on the USA Network and really enjoyed it. Then my wife decMy wife and I binge-watched the TV series, that aired originally on the USA Network and really enjoyed it. Then my wife decided to also watch the telenovela on which the English version was based (my wife has Mexican roots and is fluent in Spanish). She also enjoyed that version but noted many differences between the two. Both of these TV series were based on the novel by Arturo Perez-Reverte.
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I decided to read the novel to see how it compared with the TV series. I must say, the novel was pretty much completely different from the American series although my wife says the Spanish version was more in line with the novel. The novel tells the story of Mexicana Teresa Mendoza’s rise to power after the death of her drug-running pilot boyfriend Güero Davila. The novel also has a second narrative by an unnamed journalist who is trying to write a book about Mendoza. After her boyfriend's death, Teresa flees to Spain with the help of her godfather, Epifanio Vargas who is also a narco in Mexico and an up and coming politician. In Spain she meets another drug-runner Santiago Fisterra (who becomes her boyfriend). But this leads to an unfortunate adventure that lands Teresa in prison where she meets her future partner, Patty O'Farrell. Patty is well-educated and gets Teresa interested in reading, especially The Count of Monte Cristo which seems to mirror Teresa's life. After release from prison, Patty introduces Teresa to Teo Aljarfe, an attorney who is instrumental in Teresa's rise to power as a supplier of cocaine and hash in the Mediterranean area. But who can Teresa trust and will she be able to maintain her empire?
I did enjoy this novel for the most part but it was quite different than the American TV series. In it, Teresa flees to Texas and on to New Orleans rather than Spain. The series included many characters not in the novel but overall I found both interesting. I especially liked in the novel how Teresa's life seemed to follow what happened in The Count of Monte Cristo, a novel I have never read that has been on my TBR list for years—maybe this will motivate me to read it. I also will be looking forward to reading more by Perez-Reverte....more
I have been reading Burroughs since I was a teenager back in the 1960s. When I was 10 years old, my father gave me a copy of Tarzan and the Golden LioI have been reading Burroughs since I was a teenager back in the 1960s. When I was 10 years old, my father gave me a copy of Tarzan and the Golden Lion for Christmas. I don't think I read it until a few years later but when I did, I became hooked on Burroughs. My father also had an old copy of A Princess of Mars, the first book in the Mars series which I also read as a teenager. Later in the 70s and 80s, I reread most of the Tarzan series as well as some Mars books and my favorites, the Pellucidar series. Since then, I have collected most of Burroughs books in hardcover and read them somewhat sporadically. I had never read Master Mind before � the last Mars book I read about 20 years ago was Chessmen of Mars so I decided to see what happens in the next book in the series.
Master Mind is the sixth book in the Mars series. It was originally published in the magazine Amazing Stories Annual vol. 1, on July 15, 1927 and then published in book form in 1928. [image] In this book, Burroughs uses a new character, Ulysses Paxton, to tell a really unusual tale involving brain and other organ and limb transplants by an elderly mad scientist named Ras Thavas. Paxton was serving in the trenches of WWI when he is magically transported to Mars where he meets Thavas and becomes his apprentice. At first Paxton is thrilled to gain the knowledge of Ras but then he discovers that Ras has transplanted brains and uses this skill to provide rich elderly Martians with youthful new bodies for a profit. Paxton falls in love with one of the women who has had her brain replaced by that of an old hag and the novel proceeds as an adventure to get the rightful brain back into the beautiful body. Of course, all is well that ends well and Paxton gets his beautiful bride.
I was kind of disappointed in this novel. It really didn't seem like the John Carter novels I had read in the past. The plot about brain transplants was right out of Frankenstein or H.P. Lovecraft's Reanimator. It was like the plot of a very bad B movie from the 50s. The writing to me also seemed very juvenile (maybe it always was) and the dialog was not very realistic. Also all the Martian names became very confusing. I guess mostly I read this for nostalgia's sake but I'm not sure if I will be reading any more of these anytime soon. However, I still have Burroughs Venus series which I have not read � maybe I'll sneak one of them in just to see what happened on Venus. :-)...more
I went into this book not knowing a whole lot about . I knew that she was a poet and had written The Bell Jar, her only novel and that sheI went into this book not knowing a whole lot about . I knew that she was a poet and had written The Bell Jar, her only novel and that she committed suicide at age 30. The Bell Jar is really a hard hitting novel with its depictions of mental illness. It was reminiscent of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest but to me was more poignant in that it was really a semi-biographical account of Plath's younger life. The protagonist's name in the novel is Esther and the novel recounts her life as a young guest editor of a teen magazine and her steady mental breakdown. Plath describes these bouts of mental illness as being inside a bell jar where the air is stifling and there is no way out. After an attempted suicide, Esther is put into an asylum with the crude care of 1950's psychiatry including shock treatments and insulin therapy. She is eventually able to leave but she never knows when the "bell jar" will descend on her life again.
Plath's writing was very descriptive and not all of it was depressing. There is humor spread throughout the novel and some have compared this to a female version of Catcher in the Rye. But this really gave an eye-opening account of mental illness and depression and overall I would recommend it highly....more
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