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madrano wrote: "I just finished Forensics: What Bugs, Burns, Prints, DNA and More Tell Us About Crime--Val McDermid for prompt # 71- related to science. The author has written mysteri..."

It sounds interesting, but I'm sorry you didn't enjoy it as much as it seems you thought you might.

madrano wrote: "I just finished Forensics: What Bugs, Burns, Prints, DNA and More Tell Us About Crime--Val McDermid for prompt # 71- related to science. The author has written mysteri..."

Sorry to hear the book dragged for you, deb. Sometimes you are just not in the right mood for a book.

I'm still going to check it out at some point. I do enjoy watching real trials and following a few lawyers discuss the cases on YouTube. So I think the book would be interest me.

The last case I really followed was the Murdaugh case. He was accused of killing his wife and one of his sons.

One of the lawyers I follow cases with online is, The Lawyer You Know. His name is Peter Tragos. He's also very handsome. :)


It's interesting that I enjoy following these cases but I do not enjoy reading crime novels. I guess, in part, it's the legal aspect that interests me.

Alias Reader wrote: "madrano wrote: "I just finished Forensics: What Bugs, Burns, Prints, DNA and More Tell Us About Crime--Val McDermid for prompt # 71- related to science. The author has..."

I am the same, Alias. I rarely read a true crime novel, but the real crimes, the legal aspects of them do kind of fascinate me.

The Murdaugh trial was interesting from a legal point and heartbreaking when one thinks of the victims and the motive the prosecution put forth. I believe Murdaugh killed his other son as well. Since the bullet that killed him was the one that entered from the back of the head, execution style, it would have been impossible that the young man committed suicide with a gun to the side of his head. How anyone could do what Murdaugh did is just beyond me.

Off-topic somewhat, but I wish Mark Fuhrman would write about the JonBenet Ramsey murder. Maybe he thinks there are enough books out there about her now, but even though he proved himself a racist, that doesn't mean Fuhrman isn't a good detective and writer. I think he could fill in the gaps that Kolar just felt he couldn't give us in his book like the theory of the murder, the most important thing. He did offer some new insights, though into the family dynamics.

Kiki (Formerly TheGirlByTheSeaOfCortez) wrote: ". I believe Murdaugh killed his other son as well. Since the bullet that killed him was the one that entered from the back of the head, execution style, it would have been impossible that the young man committed suicide with a gun to the side of his head.."

I think the theory he posited was that someone had a grudge against the son Paul. Possible having to do with the boating accident that killed one young girl.

Yes, it's difficult to think people are capable of doing something like this.

My interest was the legal issue of bringing in past financial crimes done by the Alex. Usually that is not allowed as I believe it is thought to be prejudicial. They say appeals seldom work. I guess we will see. Either way, he has admitted to the financial crimes and they say he will be in jail the rest of his life for that.

Alias Reader wrote: "Kiki (Formerly TheGirlByTheSeaOfCortez) wrote: ". I believe Murdaugh killed his other son as well. Since the bullet that killed him was the one that entered from the back of the head, execution sty..."

We will probably never know the full truth.

Alias Reader wrote: "It's interesting that I enjoy following these cases but I do not enjoy reading crime novels. I guess, in part, it's the legal aspect that interests me...."

This is something i hadn't considered about you, Alias. I knew you followed some trials but i didn't make the connection about not reading mysteries. And now there's Kiki, too. The legal aspects are seldom mentioned in most of the mysteries i read.

My daughter really liked John Grisham legal mysteries when she was in her last year of high school. Law wasn't in her plans, she just liked them. She never could get into any other series after those, try though she did. During COVID confinement, she read a number of Agatha Christie mysteries but never all of one of the detectives.

I think the legal part just sang to her, as these trials of our times do to you. It's hard for me to read too much about them, as i just cannot wrap my mind around a parent doing that to their child. Partner/spouse, sure but offspring? Nope. And, so, i chose not to delve into the cases.

madrano wrote:It's hard for me to read too much about them, as i just cannot wrap my mind around a parent doing that to their child. Partner/spouse, sure but offspring? .."

Yes. I think there must be some mental illness involved. Especially when these crimes are premediated. At least I like to think humans aren't so horrid. Then on the other hand, you look around the world and see endless wars and war atrocities and I am not sure if that is just who we are as a species. :(

The other day I was listening to the audiobook, Stillness Is the Key by Ryan Holiday. He mentions when on a space flight astronaut Edgar Mitchell, looked down on earth and said, "You develop an instant global consciousness, a people orientation, an intense dissatisfaction with the state of the world, and a compulsion to do something about it. From out there on the moon, international politics look so petty. You want to grab a politician by the scruff of the neck and drag him a quarter of a million miles out and say, “Look at that, you son of a bitch.�

Alias Reader wrote: "madrano wrote:It's hard for me to read too much about them, as i just cannot wrap my mind around a parent doing that to their child. Partner/spouse, sure but offspring? .."

Yes. I think there must..."

I don't think it would have much of an effect on most politicians. They'd probably think he was speaking of the Belgian highway system, which can be seen from space. That's how I see politicians. I don't give many of them much credit.

I've also become a little cynical about the human race. There are many lovely human beings in this world, the general population is, I think, more good than bad, but man is still the author and sole perpetrator of evil, and, I think, evil will always be with us. As I wrote that sentence, Susan Smith sprang to mind. How a mother can kill two darling little boys because they interfered with her adulterous relationship is totally beyond my comprehension. And I don't think she's mentally ill, just evil. Absolutely evil. I would give my life for my brothers and sisters, my nephews and nieces, even my cat, who is one of the loves of my life. I think most of us would.

Kiki (Formerly TheGirlByTheSeaOfCortez) wrote: "I don't think she's mentally ill, just evil. .."

That question is what a book club I used to be in discussed after reading
The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America by Erik Larson

I tend to believe there is something wrong with the brain. Much like any other organ in the body, it can have something wrong with it. Possible we are born with these tendencies, just like you can be born with some other malady. It's still a deviation from what one would consider "normal". That is not to say there need not be jails or you need to forgive. That's not my point.

If you consider this an illness then you can begin to study what is wrong. Maybe even in some cases cure. However, if you just say "evil" it slams the door shut. I like to know what makes someone tick, so to speak.

In my book group I was in the minority view on this.

This book led me to read a few books on psychopaths.

Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us

The Sociopath Next Door

The Science of Evil: On Empathy and the Origins of Cruelty

Alias Reader wrote: "when on a space flight astronaut Edgar Mitchell, looked down on earth and said, "You develop an instant global consciousness, a people orientationt..."

I still remember that photo of earth from space, a perfect circle of "us". So many of us thought that would alter everyone's view of humans--we are alone in the middle of space. Nope.

Alias, i can agree with your assessment but i also think the society in which one lives can "give permission" for some people to indulge in awful behavior. I believe there are probably more people with similar, if not identical, brain issues which tend toward heinous acts but do not act upon them. Nature v. Nurture? How big a part does seeing murders in entertainment formats trigger brains? And other things--music, porn, and even books.

I'm with Kiki with a cynical attitude towards humans but not all the time. As noted, humans can be such lovely and incredible creatures that i always believe we could overcome much. But not all. Isn't this the point of survival books & films, such as The Walking Dead? It illustrates we all have our boundaries and we root for the good but are able to justify the bad.

Just a thought.

madrano wrote: .

I believe there are probably more people with similar, if not identical, brain issues which tend toward heinous acts but do not act upon them. Nature v. Nurture? How big a part does seeing murders in entertainment formats trigger brains? And other things--music, porn, and even books..."


Exactly. That's why I don't want to write off people as "evil". Let's see what we can do as a society to change this behavior. Parenting classes, medical intervention, school, programs to integrate people into society so they are not so lonely, universal health care for all, universal minimum income, on and on. Obviously I don't have the answers, but I do think if we explore these and other options things could be better.

Alias Reader wrote: "madrano wrote: .

I believe there are probably more people with similar, if not identical, brain issues which tend toward heinous acts but do not act upon them. Nature v. Nurture? How big a part d..."

I believe some people have deficiencies that cause them to engage in evil behavior, but I also believe that some people are just plain evil and cannot be helped in any way. If everything bad about people was the result of loneliness, needing medication, etc., then evil wouldn't exist, only illness, and evil does exist, at least that's my personal opinion, and I certainly don't require or even ask others to share it.

And, if loneliness, a lack of adequate medical care, a lack of adequate income, etc., is the cause of evil acts, everyone who is "normal" is guilty of contributing to the problem of evil until they actually do something about it, until they actually do something to help relieve the loneliness, the suffering, etc., but problems are a part of life, and there's no way to insulate everyone against everything, no matter how hard one might try.

It's probably a question of semantics here, a question of how one defines evil. The woman who drowned her five children in her bathtub, I can't remember her name, was found to be mentally ill, so I don't think I could say she's evil but capable of committing an evil act due to mental illness. But Susan Smith was found to be sane and not depressed, in need of money, medical care, etc. By her own admission, she killed her children because her adulterous boyfriend did not want them around.

Maybe I spent too much time talking with attorneys about Jeffrey MacDonald, who, I firmly believe did kill his pregnant wife and two young daughters, then made up various lies in an effort to keep himself out of prison. For whatever reason, he's sociopathic. Is that also evil? I really don't know, but I think he belongs right where he is: in prison for life. Was the Holocaust evil? I believe it was, and I don't believe everyone who participated in it was simply depressed, etc.

I do believe the philosophy that man always chooses his highest good, and one man's highest good may be very bad for others, but is that evil? Again, I don't know.

In the end, none of us really knows what's going on in the mind of people like Jeffrey Dahmer, Jeffrey MacDonald, Susan Smith, etc., and we probably never will. And I'll shut up now because this isn't a philosophical discussion forum, and while I try to understand, I certainly don't have the answers, and I know I never will. Maybe one has to have been pursued by an "evil" person as I have been to believe evil exists in some people. Again, I don't really know.

Edit: I don't have a cynical attitude all the time, either, Madrano, though this post might seem like I do. I do believe in the goodness of many people, and I do believe some people deemed evil are suffering from illness or issues within the brain's composition or chemistry. Nature or nurture? A bit of each.

Alias Reader wrote: "That's why I don't want to write off people as "evil". Let's see what we can do as a society to change this behavior. ..."

I appreciate you both, Kiki & Alias, sharing your thoughts on this. I've been musing on it on & off for a decade or so. I'm still not sure where i stand about "evil" itself. I try to refrain from calling a person "evil", but will state someone has performed an evil act. Believe me, this is a Big Step for me.

There are people who seem to do inexplicably awful things all the time, which makes me think of them as evil. Looking at their background or the community where they dwell (and i don't necessarily mean their neighborhood or church, as much as those with whom they closely identify) helps me with my search, but i still cannot stray totally from the idea of "evil" existing. Is it floating around, looking for someone to inhabit? It sounds like Stephen King, eh?

Yet i can read or hear about an evil committed and see a thread which led to the act, the way Alias sees it. Something went woefully amiss in the perpetrator's life and the acts were performed. And must be judged, whether or not we can possibly see a Reason (sane or not) for the act.

As you can tell, i'm unable to take one side or another. During the idea of "defund the police" talks, i understood that the intent was to get at the root of the societal problem which has led us to where we are, in order to invest in removing the atmosphere. Yet i still want police able and armed in wretched moments of violence.

I have not been victimized in a traumatic way. Had i been, my answer might be quite different. And i think this is another important part to consider--what does the victim believe?

Again, i appreciate your comments and exchange. Thank you.

madrano wrote: "Alias Reader wrote: "That's why I don't want to write off people as "evil". Let's see what we can do as a society to change this behavior. ..."

I appreciate you both, Kiki & Alias, sharing your th..."

I don't think you have to take a side, Madrano, but as a longtime victim, who's spent more than $300,000 on attorneys' fees, been a victim of identity theft twice by two people who know each other, stalked and all my personal information put online including photos, photos of my relatives and home, driver's license, birth certificate, passport, identity cards, etc., I have come to the conclusion that evil does, indeed exist and it is created by those who care to indulge in it. None of that means that anyone else has to come to that conclusion, though. I would say that people who can should protect their identity online, though. Even if all the people we interact with are paragons of virtue and kindness, we never know who's looking at what we write. And people should be aware that anyone can sue anybody for anything. Even if they know they're going to lose, they can sue until the court bars them from doing so. And all of my trouble started, not with a dispute of any kind, but because I was once a longtime neighbor of singer Johnny Mathis. No more, though. He lives in Hollywood Hills and I live part-time in Beverly Hills, some of the year, back home in Italy.

I'm not trying to prolong the conversation about this unsavory topic longer or try to get anyone to see things my way. I would just hate, though, for anyone to go through what I and some of my family members have gone through.

Dag Hammarskjöld asked the question once: Do you create or do you destroy? I think those who willfully engage in evil acts simply to upend another's life long-term, create havoc, etc., and call it "fun" are evil. That's just my opinion, and I don't ask that anyone share it. I think we all have different life experiences that shape who we are and what we believe.

Edit: Johnny Mathis is not a party to any of the stalking, etc. He just goes about his business as any sane, ordinary person would. In fact, he's a very nice man. It is the people I consider "evil" who drug him into things. He's not a troublemaker at all. I don't want to give anyone that idea. He's a very sweet person who would never knowingly cause trouble for anyone else.

madrano wrote: "I just finished Forensics: What Bugs, Burns, Prints, DNA and More Tell Us About Crime--Val McDermid for prompt # 71- related to science. The author has written mysteri..."

Sounds interesting! Adding to my list!

madrano wrote: " I try to refrain from calling a person "evil", but will state someone has performed an evil act..."

Yes, that is where I am. It's not about excusing criminal behavior.

I'm more interested in the study of such behavior. A simple google search lists some known causes. The bigger question is can we do anything as a society to fix these problem.


Then there is the question of whether some are born with a criminal bent. For example, a psychopath. There are early signs that some lack the ability to have empathy. Is this a genetic malfunction in their brains? Generational abuse? I have no idea. But these are the questions that I find interesting. Hence my reading of the books on psychopaths I mentioned up thread.

I see we once again have hijacked your 100 book challenge thread going off on tangents. Sorry, deb ! So, let me say that I've put your book Forensics: What Bugs, Burns, Prints, DNA and More Tell Us About Crime on my TBR list.

Thanks for your thoughtful reply, deb.

Alias Reader wrote: "madrano wrote: " I try to refrain from calling a person "evil", but will state someone has performed an evil act..."

Yes, that is where I am. It's not about excusing criminal behavior.

I'm more ..."

It sounds like a good book to be able to promote so much conversation. I'll put it on my TBR stack, too. Thank you for letting us know about it, Madrano. This is the best part of the Challenge, finding out what others read and learning about new books we might enjoy reading, too.

Kiki (Formerly TheGirlByTheSeaOfCortez) wrote: "None of that means that anyone else has to come to that conclusion, though. I would say that people who can should protect their identity online, though.,..."

Kiki, our family was lucky, in that our daughter's identity theft occurred near the beginning of the Internet, so nothing was as complicated as it is now. The damage continued for two years and even today (over two decades later!), she will run into a wrinkle, which is the result of that time.

As i noted, we've been fairly lucky and perhaps this influences the way we view evil, for example. I would certainly feel differently about a number of things had i gone through even part of what you have shared with us.

I feel we can afford to share our opinions without feeling beset. And this is a topic which intrigues many people. Perhaps more for readers because we run across unimaginable circumstances in the books we read.

This has been a thoughtful discussion, imo, which is all we ask on this board.

Julie wrote: "Sounds interesting! Adding to my list!..."

This is to Kiki, Alias and others who opt to read Val McDermid's Forensics: What Bugs, Burns, Prints, DNA and More Tell Us About Crime--i hope you will share your thoughts with us when you finish the book, whenever you read it. The most interesting aspect of her presentation, to me, was when she introduced specific forensic techniques by beginning with an example or two of how they fail. Who does that? Yet, it caught my interest, as i presumed all were close to infallible evidence.

Alias Reader wrote: "Then there is the question of whether some are born with a criminal bent. For example, a psychopath. There are early signs that some lack the ability to have empathy. Is this a genetic malfunction in their brains? Generational abuse? I have no idea. But these are the questions that I find interesting. Hence my reading of the books on psychopaths I mentioned up thread. ..."

Alias, your reading on this topic fits what i know of you well. You enjoy philosophy and psychology much more than i do, in nonfiction form. I appreciate it more when included in a novel, which is hardly valid for most discussions about same. But my mind latches onto notions and runs with them.

For instance, the quote from you cited above led me to think about the primitive part of our brain. Perhaps evolutionary-ly speaking, we needed people who had a lack of empathy in order to keep the clan motivated, fed, and surviving. Some may still be born that way & have experienced a life, even in today's world, in which that lack leads to horrific damage toward others. One shudders to think of it.

Kiki (Formerly TheGirlByTheSeaOfCortez) wrote: "This is the best part of the Challenge, finding out what others read and learning about new books we might enjoy reading, too. ..."

I cannot agree with this more, Kiki!

madrano wrote: "Kiki (Formerly TheGirlByTheSeaOfCortez) wrote: "This is the best part of the Challenge, finding out what others read and learning about new books we might enjoy reading, too. ..."

I cannot agree w..."

Yes, definitely! Books we might never have run across on our own.

Late to the Party, but I've enjoyed reading the conversation and tangents above!

Alias - I too am intrigued by the psychology surrounding crime/criminals, behavior, etc. Thanks for the review Deb - I've added yet another one of yours to my TBR :)

Lindsey wrote: Alias - I too am intrigued by the psychology surrounding crime/criminals, behavior, etc. Thanks for the review Deb - I've added yet another one of yours to my TBR :)"

I think deb's book and the one that Barbara just posted about will make a good pair.

Tremors in the Blood: Murder, Obsession and the Birth of the Lie Detector

Forensics: What Bugs, Burns, Prints, DNA and More Tell Us About Crime

Alias Reader wrote: "Lindsey wrote: Alias - I too am intrigued by the psychology surrounding crime/criminals, behavior, etc. Thanks for the review Deb - I've added yet another one of yours to my TBR :)"

I think deb's ..."

Oh I missed the one that Barbara posted, thanks for linking them here!

You're welcome, Lindsey.

Lindsey wrote: "Late to the Party, but I've enjoyed reading the conversation and tangents above!

Alias - I too am intrigued by the psychology surrounding crime/criminals, behavior, etc. Thanks for the review Deb..."

I hope you enjoy learning more about the variety of forensic techniques, Lindsey. I'm adding the one Barbara reviewed, as well. While i know lie detectors cannot be admitted in court, they appear to continue to be a valuable resource.

Alias, thanks for coupling those two books.

A couple of books completed recently.

Prompt #18 - Book based in a city you’d love to visit. While Port Mettier isn't exactly a Real City, it is close to one, in Alaska. It represents cities which are bombarded by tourists in the summer and emptied in the winter by all but employees and their families. City Under One Roof--Iris Yamashita tells the story of a police officer who has ostensibly arrived to investigate body parts found in the nearby bay but must stay, due to a blizzard and avalanche at the tunnel entrance.

Yamashita delineated characters very well and i never was confused about who was sharing their part of the story. And each female narrator was quite different--the widowed detective, a mentally challenged woman and a teen who believes she is part Chinese. There are many secrets in this domed city, where all suspects and investigators seem to live together in either apartments or motel rooms. It's a neat idea and i could see a city doing this.

At times i felt i could smell the place--all that cold & humidity. As it was huge, there were areas to hide, to explore and to gather with others, including classmates. Another aspect i liked is that all units had a great view--either the bay/harbor or the mountains. Oh, yes, and talk of ghosts.

I would live there for a winter, easily.

#89- Author is under 35 years. While Weike Wang is now just barely qualifying for the category, Chemistry was published in '17. I'm not sure whether i liked it or not. It seems the unnamed narrator's life seems to fall apart after her live-in manfriend Eric proposes marriage. She doesn't accept, asking for time. From there Things Happen. Or don't.

Initially i was delighted by the way the narrator mixed chemistry and other science facts into her story, lightly informing readers of how these things fit life in general. After a while, though, i was less charmed by the technique but still kinda amused.

The narrator (her roommate Eric is the only character who is given a name, btw) tells about her birth family life, including their exit from China, the parental dreams, and how they impacted her. We also are informed about how her relationship with Eric developed. He has moved to another city (he asked her to join him) for his first post-grad employment. There is a best friend, who soon has a baby, from whom the narrator uncovers bits about her own life. And she shares about her students, to whom she shares random science facts, as well.

Throughout, i wasn't sure this was heading anywhere. And in a way it didn't. Yet, i had tears in my eyes at one point nearing the end, so i was more involved than i thought. Overall, the experience was very good. I think i was just impatient with the steady introduction of science facts to tell her story. But i think that was the point. (Not that i was impatient but that chemistry was a part of her very being.)

Finally, on March 11, i achieved Prompt 33- Read at least 23 books in 2023!

Wow ! Well done, deb.

I enjoyed your reviews and they seemed like interesting books that moved you.

Lovely description of City Under One Roof I am going to listen to this one soon. Thanks!

Thank you both. Michele, i'll be interested in reading your comments on this one.

madrano wrote: "A couple of books completed recently.
..."

Nicely described, and congratulations on your progress!

madrano wrote: "A couple of books completed recently.

Prompt #18 - Book based in a city you’d love to visit. While Port Mettier isn't exactly a Real City, it is close to one, in Alaska. It represents cities which..."

Congratulations!

Thank you, James & Kiki. I forgot to add that one of the draws to the Alaska Port city was that winter was drawing near. Ah, to be in Alaska in the winter! Dark so much of the day. :-)

Congrats on the accomplishments! City Under One Roof sounds interesting.

Thanks, John. It was mostly just a regular mystery but the setting made the book for me.

It only took me a nanosecond to know what book i would read for #9 A book recommended to you, whether you think you'll like it or not.- Could be a recommendation from a person, review you read, podcasts etc. Almost a decade ago my Uncle (via marriage) suggested A World Lit Only by Fire: The Medieval Mind and the Renaissance: Portrait of an Age--William Manchester. Now was the time.

For some reason i struggled with the book because it turns out it is a sort of history book but without footnotes, using Manchester's selection of facts and info, to promote his ideas about Medieval times. While i truly enjoyed how he went into details about lives, homes, food and such in those centuries, i didn't particularly like that he was basically rehashing everything i already knew. So, i learned exactly some of the scatological phrases employed by Martin Luther but not that he was married & had children, for instance.

Manchester stated that it is only with centuries between the actual eras that humans can see how things such as the Medieval times developed. Therefore, this is what he presented in a sort of summing up of events leading to those years, as well as where/how they led to the Renaissance. My dilemma is that i think it is for people who already know what occurred during those centuries but who wants to know how he sees it. Apparently i'm not that person.

Oddly, he stated that he thought the perfect person to illustrate those times was Ferdinand Magellan. Readers get plenty of information about his groundbreaking (oceanbreaking?) trek to circumnavigate the planet but little about the man himself. In my opinion, that is. Others may feel this was all they needed, as the book isn't a biography of M. Still, i'm still not sure why he felt this was the man to illustrate the point.

Final complaint. He didn't relate the story chronologically. There are basically three parts to the book. The first is "The Medieval Mind", which was just what i wanted it to me--full of information, a sense of life for the wealthy but also touching upon the working "class". (My word, not his.)

Second, was "The Shattering" opened with Magellan's efforts to persuade Portugal, then Spanish courts to finance his voyage. Before going too far in, however, he delves into items mentioned in the first section, giving the sense of backtracking, retelling bits he'd shared in the first. It was redundant and i do not see why he had to revert to those eras then, to present Martin Luther's works.

The concluding chapter was pretty much just Magellan's trip. Yes, i learned some of the "hows" and what a trip it was. But still, it seemed a miss opportunity to share those facts without much more about what occurred when the sailors (one ship) returned.

Not for me, which may be why i kept falling asleep as i read it. However, to be fair, it was that final part which kept me awake. I'm glad i read it, if for no other reason that i can discuss it with my Uncle.

madrano wrote: " I'm glad i read it, if for no other reason that i can discuss it with my Uncle.

Sorry the book didn't meet your expectations. Still, as you note, you can now discuss it with your uncle. Also another prompt checked off !

Yes. And thank you I want to make clear that i thought it was written well (poor editing--"these" for "theses"!!!) and full of info. Just not the way i prefer my history presented. One could say it was an essay, as he had a point to make. But i want my essays under 400 pages. Picky me.

madrano wrote: "(poor editing--"these" for "theses"!!!) "

Yikes !

Congratulations on finishing that one, madrano.

Thanks, James. I'm glad it's finished.

I so liked John Lewis's March: Book One series, my first graphic novel. After this, my second post-March attempt, i'm ready to give up.

My # 85- graphic novel selection was Cuisine Chinoise: Five Tales of Food and Life--Zao Dao. What sold me on trying it was the art, which makes sense. Over the years i've seen traditional Chinese art similar to what i saw in reviews & such about this book. And the work is interesting. Some are just plain beautiful, while some seem like unfortunate choices by the artists. And there is just wwaaayyy too much snot dripping from the characters!

But that's not the sad part. LOL! Let's begin with the fact that at the end of the book, readers learned that the translators of this graphic novel were NOT working from the original Chinese. Instead their contract was to translate the piece from the French version! What the heck? So, basically, in the end notes, the translators were apologizing for their work because it was limited to strictly the French edition. Odd, that.

Still, i don't think the translation was the disconcerting aspect of the novel, although perhaps this is so. Regardless, four of the individual stories in the set are somewhat hard to follow. This reader needed to have the endnotes introducing each story, not at the end of the book, where it helped the story make sense. For instance, the opening story could have been appreciated if i understood we were dealing with the dead who have precognitive abilities and eat insects. Right?

On the other hand, i really liked the bit of history about "Gosling-shaped Sticky Rice Cake". In the stories they were once blown up like balloons by the old women in the village. Sure, it was unsanitary...sure, sometimes a rotten tooth from one of the cooks was part of the "stuffing".. but it was tradition, right? I liked learning about these cakes and their history, despite the direction Dao took with the history.

Bottom Line: I still appreciated much of the art, the best bits being between stories, where a full page of one scene is presented. The story, the translator's note of...what?...apology? was a bit much.

madrano wrote: "I so liked John Lewis's March: Book One series, my first graphic novel. After this, my second post-March attempt, i'm ready to give up.

My # 85- graphic novel sel..."

That sounds like one weird graphic novel !

Congrats from me for finishing it as well! I didn't like the one graphic novel I read, so not keen on trying another . Also, I'm considering a Japanese detective story in Spanish; however, it's not clear whether it's translated from Japanese ... or from an English translation?

Wow -- congratulations on sticking with that one, madrano.

Thanks, folks.

John, i was pleased that the translators on my graphic at least mentioned some of their translation issues. As i noted, this was in the back, so you might want to check that out, in case it offers an answer to your question.

I forgot to mention that also in those notes there was an explanation from Dao herself about some drawings she made within a drawing in one chapter. Frankly, i hadn't noticed them but they were portraits of her ancestors. There were three, i believe and in those endnotes, she shared the names of those people.

Apparently, the translators had contacted Dao to find out the answer. I find that interesting because it seems to illustrate how carefully translators must look at the graphic parts of the book. Much more than i did, obviously. Again, if i'd known there were notes, i might have looked them up.

31- A book published in 2023--Empress of the Nile: The Daredevil Archaeologist Who Saved Egypt's Ancient Temples from Destruction--Lynne Olson

I selected this book because i wanted to know more about this woman. The book being published this year was a bonus. The author informed readers that she was actually looking for a French female Resistance fighter from WWII when she heard about an early group of Resistance people who met at the Musee de l'Homme (Museum of Man) and consisted of people who worked at museums and/or intellectuals. Ultimately she was totally awed by Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt, Egyptologist.

Born in 1913 to parents who were humanists and supportive, they allowed her to follow her interests wherever they took her. As a result she took a class at the Louvre school on Egypt and fell in love. Soon, she was specializing in Ancient Things Egypt. BUT during WWII, when she helped hide art yet also keep the Louvre going, she also was a member of the Resistance.

Her first task in Egypt was in a worker's village near Luxor. She loved learning about the lives of these specialized workers, many of whom could read & write. Ultimately she studied this, as well as other digs, finding herself one to whom workers on the digs could turn to for medical assistance. As a result she learned Arabic bit-by-bit, unlike most archaeologists, which helped endear her to many locals and officials in the nation.

Olson not only informs readers about Desroches's life but also much 20th century history, in order to tell the story. I only had a general sense of what Egypt was like and how it changed during my lifetime, so i welcomed this information. However, learning it helped readers understand how vital Desroches was for the biggest project of her life. When Gamal Abdel Nasser became leader (after staging a military coup), he wanted to expand the Aswan Dam, which meant an increase in size, so citizens could at last have electricity. The plans would also flood areas which had some beautiful temples. So United Nations (UNESCO) was asked by Nasser to assign Desroches as head of the project, due to her reputation among Egyptian archaeologists and workers.

She pursued it for decades, and succeeded. Author Olson shares another story in relation to the most esteemed temple, Abu Simbel. Jacqueline Kennedy, as first lady, motivated her husband to find funds to help with the Very Expensive Work. It was a struggle but the US ended up donating around $15 million initially, understanding there was a promise of receiving some lesser temple as a gift later. Olson said because Jacqueline wanted her role kept quiet, few people knew of it, including Desroches, even when the two met 14 years after the project was completed. Missed opportunities.

I'm already a fan of archaeology and, having visited Egypt sites, this book called to me. Despite the fact it is a big book, so much is covered that i felt rewarded with fresh knowledge. It was obvious
the author was pleased in finding the JBK connection, as well as more about Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt.

To illustrate the above post, here is a photo of the removal of the face of one of the monuments. The face alone weighed 19 tons!

I'm constantly amazed by these artifacts. How they were able to do this is beyond me.

Glad this 2023 book was just what you were looking for, deb.