What a great series of introductory mythology books from DK! My kids and I enjoyed the great illustrations that went with the stories. I thought the bWhat a great series of introductory mythology books from DK! My kids and I enjoyed the great illustrations that went with the stories. I thought the book did a good job picking out the highlights of Norse Mythology. I adore these stories in all their forms, and this was a great way to introduce them to my kids. ...more
This was a fun read. I've been reading Chinese mythology with my kids, and it was fun to recognize some of the stories she mentions about Nuwa, Chang'This was a fun read. I've been reading Chinese mythology with my kids, and it was fun to recognize some of the stories she mentions about Nuwa, Chang'e and Jade Rabbit, and so on. I think the book is mischaracterized as general fiction, however. This feels very young adult in tone. Everything is just a little too squeaky clean to feel authentic. I'm not an expert on what life as an imperial concubine would have been like, but I definitely felt like I had to suspend my disbelief to accept this version. The author made it a little too easy for Xishi to keep Fuchai at arm's length, which in turn made her betrayal less tragic. Still, it was a quick and enjoyable read. ...more
It isn't fair to say that the reason you are criticizing a novella is because it was too short to really get into, but unfortunately here we are. It wIt isn't fair to say that the reason you are criticizing a novella is because it was too short to really get into, but unfortunately here we are. It was good, the characters were interesting, the writing is sharp, and there is atmosphere for days, but it was just not very satisfying. I was just settling in when it was over. Here's hoping Rio writes another full length novel soon. ...more
This took me forever to get through, but I'm glad I stuck with it. I was between three and four stars on this - I liked the first half much better thaThis took me forever to get through, but I'm glad I stuck with it. I was between three and four stars on this - I liked the first half much better than the last half, but unfortunately the end was fresher in my mind when I picked the rating.
First, I think it's plain that the author of this books is a wildly intelligent person, and I enjoyed the experience of watching her mind work through her characters. The central pillar of the speculative part of the narrative - that silver bars inscribed with words for the same things in different languages could resonate a force produced by difference of nuances of meaning is at once completely bonkers and terribly interesting. I have nothing like Kuang's skill, but I've always been fascinated by language and I found this idea intriguing.
Kuang's world building and characters are fantastic. The story lost a bit of momentum in the second half for me after the big turning point, and didn't quite recover its steam until the very end. But the problem for me was unapologetic glamorization of political terrorism. I suppose I was forewarned by the subtitle “Or the Necessity of Violence,� but I think I took that to be not quite literal. My mistake. It feels like only a slight oversimplification to say that the take-home moral points of this novel were that:
1. Colonialism is inherently violent (which is fair)
2. White colonizers and by extension all white people everywhere are inherently violent, self-centered, and blinded by greed. (true, since history seems to suggest this is default human nature)
3. Non-white people are inherently none of these things but rather good and moral, and even if their geopolitical situations were reversed, would never have exploited their fellow man. (that’s a little tougher to agree with, and is unsupported by history)
4. The only way to effectively deal with the colonizers is to kill them and destroy their societies. And don’t worry about noncombatants because really every man, woman, and child in these societies is complicit. (said every murderer to ever strap on a bomb vest and blow up a bus or coffee shop)
So. She lost me there. And maybe those are just the views of her characters, but I’m not a fan of trivializing political violence into something cute and politely packaged. Too many people take it too literally for it to be amusing at this point. ...more
I've been a little obsessed with octopuses since I read Remarkably Bright Creatures a few months ago. This was awesome and included lots of gorgeous NI've been a little obsessed with octopuses since I read Remarkably Bright Creatures a few months ago. This was awesome and included lots of gorgeous National Geographic photography. I wanted it to be longer, though. I'm going to check out Montgomery's original The Soul of an Octopus next.
I would like to say publicly how uncomfortable I am with the word "octopuses"; the author claims that it is a Greek derivation and not Latin. She is probably right - I have no idea. However, since we've all been happily treating it like a Latin noun for approximately a million years, this feels sudden and upsetting. I feel like "alumnuses" or "stimuluses" or "funguses" are next.
It is basically the goal of my life to someday make friends with an octopus. ...more
There is a special sense of accomplishment that comes with finishing the last page of a behemoth of a book like this one. I spent the last several monThere is a special sense of accomplishment that comes with finishing the last page of a behemoth of a book like this one. I spent the last several months reading and discussing this massively influential work of Christian philosophy with my church’s book club. I don’t know what I was expecting, exactly, but it was…more.
I found myself, in general, to be deeply disappointed with St. Augustine’s writing. I realize we are coming from very different cultural and historical backgrounds, but I still couldn’t help feeling like he maybe wasn’t a person I would really like to actually know.
The first section of the book is dedicated to refuting the idea that the Christian religion was responsible for the fall of Rome, in that Christians must have angered the pagan gods by banning their worship, which then led to these gods removing their protection of Rome. Fine. I can see why people could have had that knee-jerk reaction. However, post hoc ergo propter hoc is maybe not the most valid line of argument, and St. Augustine could probably have explained that.
But instead, he spends hundreds of pages ranting about the pagan gods and their cults, the depravities of Roman theatre scene, and more random asides than I could keep straight in my head. His main debating technique seems to just be to call everyone an idiot that doesn’t agree with him. I can’t imagine that was any more persuasive in the 5th century than it is today. His secondary tack is to deride Roman religion for not having a more Christian outlook, which seems unlikely to be terribly successful either.
I have to admit, I wasn’t really getting a lot of “love your neighbor as yourself� vibes from the author’s tone. St. Augustine more often than not comes across as abrasive and arrogant, and like he’s rather pleased with himself. I found his style completely off-putting.
After a very, very long slog through Roman religion (through the eyes of Augustine, at any rate) and philosophy, we moved on to Roman history. Well, “history� might be a strong word, but a combination of legendary history, myth, and more properly historical stuff. This part I found more interesting.
Undaunted and unexhausted, Augustine sallies forth into an ambitious history of the entire world, framed as the contrasting histories of the City of God and the City of Man. The City of God is traced by way of the chosen descendants of Adam, Seth, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, and so on until he arrives at his present Christian age, where inclusion into God’s City becomes a matter of faith rather than ancestry. The City of Man is everyone else, or at least everyone in the general environs of the ancient near east that Augustine was familiar with through his sources. The result is confused and simplistic, but you have to admire his moxie for attempting it.
Like I said, I felt a lot of satisfaction after reading the last page. Although, part of the satisfaction is knowing that you haven’t got to listen to this guy hectoring and fussing at people for another 1,000 pages. I’m glad I stayed with it, and honestly it was almost worth it alone for some of his random “I heard about a guy who could…� stories....more
Well, this wandered in circles for 3/4 of the book and then finally had a bit of plot development at the very end. When something was actually happeniWell, this wandered in circles for 3/4 of the book and then finally had a bit of plot development at the very end. When something was actually happening it was alright. However, it had a lot of ground to make up for the hundreds of pages where we waited for the characters to figure out what was right in front of their faces. ...more
This was so good!! Can she write another one immediately, please? I had a blast reading this - it was like seeing Captain Wentworth from Persuasion reThis was so good!! Can she write another one immediately, please? I had a blast reading this - it was like seeing Captain Wentworth from Persuasion relocated to modern London. Delightful. I liked the fuzzy edges of the science fiction-y parts of this. I'm no good at "hard" sci-fi; it's too much like attending a physics lecture. This was just gently speculative and all sorts of fun. ...more
This was compulsively readable, and so good. In my opinion, this is Rooney's best so far.
Listen. I do not want to be any of these people. Their livesThis was compulsively readable, and so good. In my opinion, this is Rooney's best so far.
Listen. I do not want to be any of these people. Their lives, like the lives of all of Rooney's characters, are too complicated and self-destructive for my real-life taste. But they are endlessly fascinating to read about. Do we any of us see Peter's situation, his "arrangement", working out long-term? Obviously not. But you can't help feeling happy for them being temporarily happy even if common sense dictates that this is going to end poorly and quickly. Ditto Ivan and Margaret; she's absolutely right that things might well look very different to him later, but he's too young and stubborn to know it.
The accomplishment in Rooney's work is not the sensational nature of some of her characters, but in the way she makes these characters into flesh-and-blood people. And, in the deft way she explores the generational divide that already exists between a guy in his mid-thirties and a woman in her early twenties. Which isn't to say that monetized dating and Naomi's vaguely-described Only Fans style work is typical and acceptable to all younger women, but Rooney really captures how it made sense to this particular woman with only the smallest details and lightest description.
All of Rooney's characters feel indisputably themselves. I love her style of writing. She manages to convey so much meaning with so few words, and to demonstrate a lifetime of family dynamics with a couple of paragraphs. She's a remarkable writer. I'm already dying for her next book. ...more
I love this book. It is my favorite of the entire series, and it was wonderful to read this with my kids. We listened to a good chunk of it on audio dI love this book. It is my favorite of the entire series, and it was wonderful to read this with my kids. We listened to a good chunk of it on audio during a long car trip, but we always leaf through the beautiful illustrations after we've listened to a chapter. It's been so cool reading these illustrated editions over the last few years and seeing my youngest go from pointing out familiar words to reading whole paragraphs to us. ...more
This was a enjoyable introduction to the stories of Scheherazade that I read with my kids. The little one was delighted by the repeated bit at the endThis was a enjoyable introduction to the stories of Scheherazade that I read with my kids. The little one was delighted by the repeated bit at the end of each story where she tells the sultan she can tell another story tomorrow if he will let her live. The big one was rightly dubious of the ending where Scheherazade falls in love with the sultan that had murdered hundreds of women in his petty rage and forgives him for holding her life over her head for 1,001 nights. Clever girl. ...more
What a delight this was. It struck me how infrequently I read books that center the experiences of older people, and how much it seems I am missing ouWhat a delight this was. It struck me how infrequently I read books that center the experiences of older people, and how much it seems I am missing out on because of it. Olive is complicated. She is difficult to love when she's being difficult and petty and stubborn and refuses to apply any introspection to the way she lashes out at people. But really, I can be guilty of all of that as well, and I think many of us are. I thought this book was actually very revealing. It's so easy to be awful to people you love, even though you do sincerely and adamantly love them more than anything else in the world.
The short story format of this novel was a surprise, but it worked beautifully. I expected a more traditional narrative of Olive's life, but getting glimpses of her through the eyes of so many different people was such and interesting way of going about it.
Wonderful book. I'll definitely be looking into the next one in the series. ...more
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