“A span of life is nothing. But the man who lives the span, he is something. He can fill that tiny span with meaning, so its quality is immeasurable t“A span of life is nothing. But the man who lives the span, he is something. He can fill that tiny span with meaning, so its quality is immeasurable through its quantity may be insignificant. Do you understand what I am saying? A man must fill his life with meaning, meaning is not automatically given to life.�
I had this book on my to-read list what feels like forever. It’s one of those times where the lofty expectations of a book came through exceedingly. Chaim Potok’s historical novel is about friendship and so many other important themes and life lessons.
Told from the perspective of Reuven Malter looking back at this pivotal time in his life, we get a sense of the background and culture of Brooklynn from a Jewish youth growing up amid the period of the second World War. Within five blocks of each other, Russian Hasidic Jews and another sect of ideology neighbor each other. As fate would have it, Reuven and a boy named Danny Saunders meet—and ultimately become friends--when the two religious sects meet for an organized baseball game and Reuven is hospitalized by a freak accident when Danny hits a line drive that shatters Reuven’s glasses.
As much as this novel is about Reuven’s formed friendship with Danny Saunders, as well as the lives of their fathers, it is also about several important themes like religion and faith, empathy, compassion, finding one’s identity and place in the world, and perseverance through internal and external strife.
Potok is a natural storyteller, and the ease at which see the story progress through the lens of Reuven allows The Chosen to be a quick, easy, powerful, and reflective experience. I felt like this novel was such a quick read and it has to do with the personal style with which the author writes that brings the novel to such an authentic life. Reuven invites us into the lives of his family and the Saunders family and his concerns for the future, and we are right there along the journey.
There are several key points in the narrative where the expectations of the father come into play, where both sons must reach a key decision with a weighty life moment in front of them.
This is a very reflective novel and sticks with the reader long after the final page. It ends in such a way to set up a second novel but with enough closure to finish.
What a thoughtful, intelligent, and moving book The Chosen is! ...more
I am sure many are well-versed with the 1968 classic film with Charlton Heston and that famous line that gets replayed. The basis for that classic, thI am sure many are well-versed with the 1968 classic film with Charlton Heston and that famous line that gets replayed. The basis for that classic, the work that paved the way for so many spinoffs and franchise episodes and adaptations and became a part of pop culture, is Pierre Boulle’s 1963 science fiction original novel Planet of the Apes.
One thing readers must know if they happen to have watched the film is that the film and the novel are entirely different animals (if you’ll pardon the poor choice of words). The novel opens with a message in a bottle being found which happens to be written by Ulysse, a man who thus begins his extraordinary narrative of what takes place on the mysterious Betelgeuse, a star 300 light years away from Earth.
“We were launched on an adventure a thousand times more extraordinary than that of the first terrestrial navigators and were preparing ourselves to confront the wonders of interstellar travel that have fired the imaginations of several generations of poets.�
As we all know, soon after arriving on Soror, a shocking truth becomes apparent to the three astronauts: in this society, humans are the animals and beasts, while the apes are intelligent and rule over the humans. Ulysse and his two colleagues are soon captured and separated, and Ulysse, in his captivity, witnesses and experiences the startling and horrifying aspects of this upside-down world.
Many of the apes are researchers and scientists, and the humans their subjects, and this plays a role in Ulysse’s motivations to uncover the truth. Ulysse manages to befriend a woman named Nova and find a few allies in Zira and Cornelius, two apes who work in the research department, but will Ulysse be able to unlock these truths before it is too late?
I think the elements of science fiction, social commentary, and an upside-down dystopian world work so well in tandem together in this novel to not only make a very thought-provoking work, but make for an engaging work to see how things pan out for Ulysse and his fellow astronauts once they arrive on the planet Soror. How does mankind fit into this world and how did they in the past?
The author uses a certain level of irony in creating this world to investigate themes and morality that have deep implications. There are questions this novel asks and delves into: “what is truly civilized? “what is intelligent?� Boulle makes the case that there are factors in intelligence that we should never take for granted.
This book is such an easy to read, digestible, and quite engrossing and introspective work from the beginning to end. It’s definitely has become one of my favorites and I look forward to moving on in the series and reading “Beneath the Planet of the Apes� if I can locate a copy. This is a book that definitely is as good and amazing as the film....more
“Downstairs in the lounge, by the third pillar from the left, there sits an old lady with a sweet, placid spinsterish face, and a mind that has plumbe“Downstairs in the lounge, by the third pillar from the left, there sits an old lady with a sweet, placid spinsterish face, and a mind that has plumbed the depths of human iniquity and taken it as in all the day’s work. Her name’s Miss Marple.�
I don’t know if this is a case where the Christie formula is wearing off a bit, but The Body in the Library, while entertaining at points, just doesn’t compare to some of the other Christie novels I’ve read.
The novel opens with a rather bizarre predicament. The Bantrys are in for quite a shock at the outset of the mystery when they come to find that a deceased young lady lay on the floor of their library. This is a woman that no one seems to have any knowledge of, and trying to figure out who she is and why she is in their library will take some investigative work.
The Body in the Library’s investigation takes several individuals to go out and hunt for clues, ask questions of those around, dig into the behind-the-scenes happenings around the residence and community. However, while Miss Marple is there to observe and think and produce theories, she does not have much of a prominent role in the proceedings. Yet, somehow, she is able to pull a rabbit out of the hat and magically piece together everything at the end, putting the pieces together. I didn’t quite buy this.
Which brings me to another grumble I had with this book given the big reveal at the end: the red herrings. Normally I could care less about red herrings in a mystery if they are not that distracting, but given what is explained at the conclusion, it renders a good chunk of the plot a massive distraction.
The more I think about it, I’ve come to realize that when it comes to Christie’s mysteries, I am definitely on the Team Poirot side. He seems to be a more integral and prominent fixture in the plot and ultimately solving the cases. I tend to like his wit and ingenuity in examining clues, witnesses, and evidence and then producing theories.
So, while The Body in the Library is still Agatha Christie, and worthy of a read, I just don’t think this one ranks with some of her better ones....more
In Larry McMurtry’s 1985 modern classic Lonesome Dove, McMurtry creates a western that is both epic and grand, and that covers quite a bit of ground, In Larry McMurtry’s 1985 modern classic Lonesome Dove, McMurtry creates a western that is both epic and grand, and that covers quite a bit of ground, both literally and figuratively. I think one of the more remarkable traits is the author’s ability to take so many different individual stories and pack and blend them into one sprawling, long-standing journey.
At its definitive core, Lonesome Dove explores a great many characters—flawed and human—and their perennial and continual search, whether that search be internally or externally. It feels like the characters are always looking for something better and to gain a better meaning or place in life.
In the case of two of our principle characters, Captain Woodrow Call and Augustus “Gus� McRae, this comes in the form of an exodus from the small town of Lonesome Dove across state lines. When the two are not exchanging verbal jabs at each other, Call and Gus are leading members of the Hat Creek Outfit and others across states towards their destination of Montana in the hopes of grander prospects. However, along the way, they encounter conflicts and dangers, trials, and obstacles, from Mother Nature, nefarious individuals, villains, and rogues of all sorts.
I feel like this is a work whose sum and totality are more impactful than some of its smaller parts and episodes. We have various episodic character subplots that are revolving and happening simultaneously, and McMurtry allows these subplots to often converge so seamlessly.
However, I just felt like there were a few character threads that I was less than enthusiastic about (either because the characters were unremarkable or not that impactful for the entirety of the story). I felt like we were zeroing in on these characters too much, and they were getting too much “airtime.� (July’s wife Elmira is one such example.) I felt tempted to skim over these sections because I wasn’t very invested in the characters, or didn’t think these segments were that critical.
That being said, a couple of the characters who I felt were interesting were Newt Dobbs and Joshua Deets. Newt is a young man who joins the trek with others, but his ignorance into this rugged lifestyle is an eye opening, coming of age and sometimes painful experience as he learns many harsh life lessons. Another impactful character in the novel was Deets, who is a lifetime member of the Hat Creek Outfit. As the only Black man who is member of the group, he does face difficulties and unfair treatment at points (which, unfortunately, was a product of the times). He is a strong, principled character who is important to Newt during this journey as well as the others for his knowledge and experience.
In this massive exodus we embark on, Lonesome Dove explores many prevalent themes, including duty and honor, faithfulness, the changing of the guard, romance, coming of age and death. The story and volume of the work is vast in its scope, and it is an enduring and memorable expedition for the characters as well as the readers....more
I have read and enjoyed a couple of Joseph Sheridan De Fanu’s works in the past, two of them being his creepy Gothic novel Uncle Silas as well as his I have read and enjoyed a couple of Joseph Sheridan De Fanu’s works in the past, two of them being his creepy Gothic novel Uncle Silas as well as his chillingly atmospheric collection of short stories within In a Glass Darkly (which was five stars all the way for me). I preface this because his rather unknown and obscure novel Checkmate jut didn’t have as much going for it, as it lacked that subtle unnerving quality and factor that makes the other works so much more Gothic and suspenseful.
Checkmate concerns a certain named by the name of Longcluse, who is an acquaintance of Richard Arden. Longcluse comes into the circle of the Arden family. At the beginning of the novel, members of the family and friends are chatting it up about a terrible family incident that took place. This event will play a significant role later on, as well as a murder that takes place in a billiard room.
It's difficult to reveal too much without giving away spoilers, but I think that two of the prominent themes or focuses that come into play are revenge and secrets from the past. As the title signifies, we are trying to figure out who is playing who.
Checkmate has some moments, but overall felt lackluster in long stretches. It feels like the beginning parts were engaging where we are given a little exposition and get a feel for things as well as the concluding section where we are hit with a preponderance of clues and moments. However, there is a long stretch in the middle section where it feels like a whole lot of nothing happens. To be more precise, too much melodrama, characters speaking in circles, and a good deal of long-winded fluff that consumes an extensive portion of the plot. It felt like it took me a long time to get through this. (It could have been trimmed down significantly).
Not to say that there aren’t moments when De Fanu doesn’t churn up the atmosphere:
“Over the melancholy precincts of Mortlake the voiceless darkness of night descends with unmitigated gloom. The centre- the brain of this dark place—is the house: and in a large dim room, near the smoldering fire, sits the image that haunts rather than inhibits it.�
There is a nice little twist near the end that I thought was highly ahead of its time and inventive.
Overall, though, while this book is classified as a horror, I would not say that genre readily applies here. Some intrigue and suspense here and there, but If you are looking for a solid De Fanu read I would go with the aforementioned Uncle Silas or In a Glass Darkly, where the Gothic style and creepy factor are in high gear....more
Herman Hesse is quickly becoming my “to go� for philosophical reads. This was my third read from him (the others being Siddhartha and Steppenwolf, botHerman Hesse is quickly becoming my “to go� for philosophical reads. This was my third read from him (the others being Siddhartha and Steppenwolf, both very enjoyable), and what I can attest to it that there is always so much food for thought and introspection upon finishing one of his novels, and the semi-autobiographical Demian is no exception.
At the root and core of Demian is the literal and figurative self-awareness and spiritual self-discovery of our protagonist Sinclair through his life journey and struggles.
The book opens by giving background into the childhood days of Sinclair, our narrator. He lives in a religious and respectable family, but he is caught between the two realms that exist in the world—light and darkness. His home is largely a shelter from the ills of the world, but despite this, he falls victim to going against this and at points regrets this and tries to correct:
“But all of it was lost to me now, all of it belonged to the clear, well-lighted world of my father and mother, and I, guiltily and deeply engulfed I an alien world, was entangled in adventures and sin, threated by an enemy—by dangers, fear, and shame.�
After struggling to fit in at school, Sinclair eventually meets a boy named Demian, who helps to get Sinclair out of a major jam with a bully. Demian by parts opens up a new way of looking at the world to Sinclair, and becomes an impressionable person in Sinclair’s life.
In many ways this novel is representative of a search for meaning and identity in one’s life, a self-reflective, introspective look into the soul, an awakening of sorts to a new perspective. Throughout Sinclair’s story he grapples with this inner conflict of trying to understand himself and how he should see the world.
The novel is a mere one hundred fifty pages, but packs so much depth and meaning into such a short span. Demian is a very cerebral, thought-provoking, and spiritual journey and exploration.
If there is one blemish which kept this from being five stars, it is that I just felt like the ending and latter parts left some questions hanging in the balance. I get that it is a philosophical book, and the reader is to make their own judgments and assessments about meaning and interpretation, but the book seemingly just ends rather abruptly after setting up so many questions to be resolved.
This aside, Demian was still a brilliant book, and I will look to read more Hesse in the future. ...more
I guess at the end of the day, life is too short to be reading books that you do not like or you find unpleasant. I really feel like Fear and LoathingI guess at the end of the day, life is too short to be reading books that you do not like or you find unpleasant. I really feel like Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is a poster child for The Emperor Has No Clothes, as it seems odd what readers find in it. It had no point whatsoever and came across as pretentious, self-important, sophomoric, and childish. Maybe it is not my kind of humor, but I didn’t find this book funny nor enlightening nor entertaining nor anything pertaining to the American Dream. There are too many pretentious loser types in life already without having to read about them for 200 plus pages . I rarely pull a did not finish, but this is one where I had to pull the plug early. On to the next book. ...more
I was originally going to give this book 3 stars but after thinking about it a few days I realize that this book just got on my nerves quite a bit andI was originally going to give this book 3 stars but after thinking about it a few days I realize that this book just got on my nerves quite a bit and I really actually didn’t like it very much or picking it up each night, so I downgraded to 2 stars. Maybe about 2.5 at best.
Our focus here is on one Binx Bolling (probably the most unique name in literary history), a 30-year-old man who lives in Gentilly, a suburb of New Orleans as a stock and bond broker. He manages his uncle’s brokerage firm and has a bit of a passion for seeing movies at the cinema and having relationships and flings with his secretaries.
I suppose the best way to depict Binx is use his own words and say that he is “somewhere and not anywhere.� He frequently refers to his idea of “the search,� where he is trying to find his way in life and perhaps search for his identity and life meaning contained within. He is at a proverbial crossroads in life, and having a challenging time escaping the malaise of life:
“…and when I awake, I awake in the grip of everydayness. Everydayness is the enemy. No search is possible.�
This is all deep stuff of course, but the main problem I had with the book was the execution of basically everything else. Oh, I mean, Percy can string a lovely sentence together in genuine prose here and there, but at the same time, this book is just so aimless, rambling, and mundane. (I hate using the “boring� to describe a book because it doesn’t specify or quantify anything, but this is exactly a word fitting for this book).
In other words, this is like philosophy-light, not the type of philosophical read I like at all. With Binx as our narrator, he rambles on and on and about this and that and makes everything try to sound so profound, deep, and self-important, but it just does not have that power at all to make one care one way or another. In other words, this book is as lost as Binx.
I liked the setting itself, I like some aspects here and there, but overall, this one was mostly disappointing....more
This is one of the more unusual fantasy/ historical/ classic type novels one could ever encounter. Set in the exotic forests of Venezuela, it is a uniThis is one of the more unusual fantasy/ historical/ classic type novels one could ever encounter. Set in the exotic forests of Venezuela, it is a unique classic romance and adventure.
The basis for the plot is the narrator, Abel, being given a proposal to go to a different setting after fleeing a desperate revolution on an island. He travels though a place named ParaguarÃ, supposedly notable for its riches, in the hope of changing his fortunes. He later makes friends with one of the tribe and its leader.
Later, upon exploring this location, he finds a forest that is forbidden by the tribe, one where an enchanting and melodious sound enthralls him:
“After that tempest of motion and confused noises the silence of the forest seemed very profound; but before I had been many moments it was broken by a low strain of exquisite bird melody, wonderfully pure and expressive, unlike any musical sound I had ever heard before.�
One enjoyable aspect of the novel is how the author captures the mystery and aura of the forest and nature and its vividness through such lyrical prose. Abel’s quest to identify the source of the harmonious sounds emanating from the forest coincides with the local’s superstitions about a girl who dwells within it and is thought to the “Daughter of the Didi.�
Eventually, Abel discovers a forest girl named Rima, who lives with her “grandfather� and Abel quickly becomes enraptured in the mystery encompassing Rima.
The novel’s title seemingly embodies the majesty and beauty of Abel’s experiences with nature and the forest and with Rima (“…those green mansions where I had found so great a happiness�).
There is a deep conflict, however, between those who had initially taken Abel in in this region and the place with Rima he now call home. Those two forces come into play in the novel’s second half.
The one downside of this novel comes from the rather antiquated viewpoints from our narrator. I suppose these were unfortunately a product of its time.
Overall, however, Green Mansions is a captivating classic story that fuses the genres of fantasy, adventure, and romance. I heard there is a film adaptation out there with Anthony Perkins and Aubrey Hepburn that I might check out....more
I had not heard of this author nor this book until it was recently chosen as part of book club discussion this month. I ended up really enjoying this I had not heard of this author nor this book until it was recently chosen as part of book club discussion this month. I ended up really enjoying this one, and it has a structure, technique and style, and an ultimate twist, which sets it apart from other mysteries or crime novels.
Within the confines of Saint-Louis, a small border town situated between Germany and Switzerland, there is a non-descript restaurant named Restaurant de la Cloche, where regulars and outsiders of the small town frequent. This is the central location of Burnet’s crime story.
One of the regulars, Manfred, is a 36-year-old man, socially awkward, clumsy, sort of a loner. Some of the regulars there talk to him, maybe invite him to card night, but he is not “one of the club� and most keep their distance. One day, one of the young waitresses, nineteen-year-old Adele Bedeau goes missing. This is someone who Manfred spent his evenings observing while frequenting the restaurant.
When Adele does not return to the restaurant, an investigation into her disappearance is suddenly launched, and Manfred becomes suspected and a person of inquiry.
This one of those book where certain details inside the book or about the book will lead to possible spoilers so I would some particulars that I really enjoyed. For one, I really enjoyed the writing style by Burnet, who gives the novel a literary quality with his descriptions and digging into the nature of characters.
And by all means this is a clever character study, or should I say character studies, as both leads, Manfred, and Inspector Gorski, are explored at depth. Gorski is the inspector who has worked up the ranks, and takes on the case of Adele, but has failures in the past that haunt him to this day.
Additionally, this novel has deep psychological overtones that really make it work effectively as a mystery or crime novel. The author writes in a manner that is matter of fact, but builds with intensity as revelations come into play.
There is an afterward that gives away quite a bit of the background for the story, and thus reveals major spoilers as to explain its conclusion, so please avoid until finishing this novel.
Overall, this was a very clever psychological ride, and an impressive mystery....more
“They recalled the languorous siesta of hot mid-day, deep in the undergrowth, the sun striking through in tiny golden shafts and spots; …and the long,“They recalled the languorous siesta of hot mid-day, deep in the undergrowth, the sun striking through in tiny golden shafts and spots; …and the long, cool evening at last, when so many threads were gathered up, so many friendships rounded, and so many adventures planned for the morrow.�
It’s easy to see why Kenneth Grahame’s The Wind in the Willows has become a revered children’s classic. The introduction to this edition sheds some light into Grahame’s motivation to draft this novel. Grahame experienced personal tragedy early in life when he lost his mother to a severe illness (the same illness that he ended up recovering from at an early age). Later in life, Grahame would read to his son (who had been born prematurely and was nearly blind) stories about animals. This was a sort of catharsis and therapy for Grahame, and, in this way, The Wind in the Willows was created as an inspiration of love.
This novel is a fun and whimsical ride that celebrates nature, adventure and friendships formed. The quartet of memorable characters—Mole, Rat, Badger, and Toad—explore the world around them, the secrets and dangers, through various episodes, and this sometimes leads them into trouble. Probably the one most guilty of this is Toad, whose personality often leads his friends having to try to save him from trouble—and himself.
Grahame writes in such a manner to give the novel a magical feeling and atmosphere. And through the animals exploits and living life to its fullest in nature, we see the important themes of camaraderie, love, loyalty, and friendship explored.
I happened to find a nice audiobook recording that I used in conjunction with the reading of this paperback, and it really enhanced the experience. I’m glad to finally have gotten to this wonderful classic.
Life is very short and there are so many books to get through. So many books, so little time as they say. I tried this one for a while and I’m pretty Life is very short and there are so many books to get through. So many books, so little time as they say. I tried this one for a while and I’m pretty much a stickler and book completist about finishing books (even ones I hate), but I had to pull the plug about one hundred pages in. (I’m seriously surprised I made it that far).
I’ll keep this review short, but this one just grated on my nerves in all sorts of ways from the get-go. From the narrative style to the constant profanity, to convoluted story, etc. Honestly, does it really add anything to be overly crude in so many ways? It’s just lazy writing to me. I pretty much loathed this book and thought “why waste my time on a book I hate?�
I appreciate the art of being able to write a novel, but this one just didn’t work for me at all. I’ve heard terms like “quirky� and “humorous� thrown around when referencing this book, but this book is none of those. It’s pretty much just a mess. ...more
An alternative title for this novel could have easily been “Sightseeing and Things to Do in New York When You Are Travelling to the Past While PatientAn alternative title for this novel could have easily been “Sightseeing and Things to Do in New York When You Are Travelling to the Past While Patiently and Leisurely Waiting to Change the Course of History� (but, for some reason, I don’t think that one would have stuck).
I consider Jack Finney’s opening novel to this two-part series, Time and Again, to easily be one of my favorite reads from the past few years. It captured the wonder, enchantment, and magic of being transported to the past with Simon (Si) Morley as its protagonist. I preface this because its second half in the series, From Time to Time, just didn’t live up to the billing or power of the first book.
I feel like this book gets a little too confused and “lost in itself� and this results in being uneven and unfocused.
The novel begins with Simon Morley happily living in the 19th century with wife Julia and their child. In the present time, however, a man named Rube wants someone to use the “gateway� (a portal to a different time period) to go back and get Si to prevent World War I.
One thing Finney seems to bring to the table is imaginative and creative scenarios, whether that being time travel or a character out of their element. For example, a regular empty building can seemingly become a portal to another time period. Also, as always, Finney has vivid descriptions of settings in the past and illustrative ways of entering into a new time or place.
That being said, here everything feels “false as advertised� and this becomes glaringly obvious after the first one hundred pages or so. It’s here where the urgency of Si’s quest to find a mysterious guy known as “Z� takes a major shift and detour and becomes unfocused as Si, instead of actively pursuing this individual, gives us a guided tour of New York and its many places and attractions. For example, there is a 20-page description of vaudeville actors going on about their job and performers they know.
All the tension and build up and urgency from the first book is not there. The book stalls and loses momentum. (It’s like Finney had a bad case of writer’s block and just went with whatever came to mind). Too many asides about trivial stuff.
Si does end up meeting a woman who he calls “The Jotta Girl� and they go on a few excursions and meet some people. And I suppose she is somewhat relevant to the plot, but the book mostly becomes a tad of a chore to finish.
There is a blurb on my edition mentioning the Titanic as part of the plot, but this makes up a very tiny section of the novel.
I did like some parts of Finney’s actual writing here, and have loved some of his other works like “The Body Snatchers� as well as the first installment in this series, but From Time to Time, while not entirely bad, was fairly a pedestrian novel....more
I’m probably a little behind the game, but my adventure into the novels of Micheal Crichton started a few years ago with Jurassic Park and The AndromeI’m probably a little behind the game, but my adventure into the novels of Micheal Crichton started a few years ago with Jurassic Park and The Andromeda Strain, and it has been an interesting experience so far. It’s weird to go back and realize that he has written so many novels that I’ve already watched the film adaptations of.
The novel begins with psychologist Norman Johnson getting called away to the South Pacific to lead a group to investigate a mysterious craft that has apparently crashed and is submerged deep below the ocean floor. When the crew go down to explore, it seems that there is a mysterious sphere that is a part of the craft.
I know some of us have had those books that they were lukewarm about, but that they eventually really ended up enjoying by the end, and to me Sphere is that novel. It seems like the novel redeemed itself in the second half when the psychological aspects kick in as we head towards the conclusion. I say this because, well, the characters just grated on my nerves, especially during portions of the first half of the novel. However, despite this, Crichton overcomes all this by creating a compelling and fascinating psychological thriller.
This being my third read from Crichton, it seems that he always brings a cerebral and thought-provoking approach, whether that be in the way of science, technology, or, in this novel, psychology.
One of the fascinating aspects is just digging in to the mystery of the sphere and trying to get a feel for what it is. The question of manifestations comes into play, and the questions become “Who are what is the monster? And what is it after?� We see this play out, especially as havoc is wreaked upon the crew and the psychological damage on board. There is quite a bit of mystery to think about and consider revolving around the sphere and the mysterious spacecraft.
I really thought the slow building and frantic and uneasy tensions in the second half really led to an intense conclusion where we as readers are trying to put all the pieces together. The claustrophobic feel of the characters far under sea and stuck within the confines of the vessel also added to the atmospheric uneasiness and tension as they are dealing with an unknown entity. This really added to the fractured state of mind of the characters and enhanced the tensions.
Overall, this was yet another solid read from Crichton, thought provoking and tapping more into the psychological realm rather than scientific world. I have The Lost World next on my Crichton reading list and look forward to it.
“But now, suddenly, a horde of the things had descended on the Earth. Well-behaved, of course, not really causing trouble, but posing an uneasy wonder“But now, suddenly, a horde of the things had descended on the Earth. Well-behaved, of course, not really causing trouble, but posing an uneasy wonder as to what kinds of things they were…�
It all starts in the quiet town of Lone Pine, Minnesota. It’s when the visitors started showing up. But what were they and what did they want?
So apparently this was a work from grandmaster science fiction novelist Clifford D. Simak at the twilight of his career. I’ve heard some great things about some of his other works like “City� but “The Visitors� I felt pretty much lukewarm about.
One of the more intriguing aspects of the novel is the one-on-one moments where the humans are approaching the visitors. I like aspects also of how Simak creates a small-town alien-encounter kind of ambience, especially in the beginning stages of the novel where Jerry gets abducted. One interesting element to the story is just trying to figure out why the visitors (who are in the shape of a giant black box) are there in the first place
However, there are too many problems with this book.
For one, this book is very dialogue heavy, with far too many unremarkable secondary characters jabbering all the time. The dialogue itself and character interactions are very artificial and wooden feeling. All the behind-the-scenes stuff with all the big wigs and political mumbo-jumbo with various organizations got a little tiresome. A lot of important people sitting around arguing about what they should do with the visitors or bickering about the visitors� intentions.
Also, the novel goes off onto meandering paths sometimes by trying to focus on too many revolving subplots with some characters who just are not that compelling to follow around. And the whole environmental angle to the novel felt very forced/heavy-handed.
I wanted to see how the book finishes with the humans and visitors, but even the conclusion felt a little inconclusive and flat in my opinion.
All this being said, hearing others say that this is not one of Simak’s best encourages me to still try another one of his novels.
Overall, a so-so science fiction experience here....more
I read somewhere that Nathaniel West and F. Scott Fitzgerald were friends or acquaintances (and it is evidenced in letters from West to Fitzgerald in I read somewhere that Nathaniel West and F. Scott Fitzgerald were friends or acquaintances (and it is evidenced in letters from West to Fitzgerald in this edition), which is fitting because for some odd reason this book has some qualities representative of a Fitzgerald work, a very dark Fitzgerald work. (It is also ironic that both authors died tragically just one day apart at a very young age).
However, while some elements were similar, West’s The Day of the Locust is a grim, bleak, almost at times nihilistic and bizarre vehicle for the disillusionment of the American Dream. More specifically, it paints the portrayal of the great Hollywood façade.
Tod is an artist who comes out to Hollywood to gain some inspiration for an illustration he has in the works entitled “The Burning of Los Angeles.� While staying at the local hotel he meets an assortment of characters who fill the basis of the novel: aspiring actress Faye Greener, a dwarf named “Honest� Abe, a suitor of Faye’s named Homer Simpson (not the one you are thinking of), Harry Greener (Faye’s father) and Earl (another acquaintance of Faye’s) among others.
West’s scathing treatment of the Hollywood scene works in a sense, but maybe a little too much. The plot and characters are a train wreck and akin to watching a head-on collision. I’m all for bleak is it is done effectively, but this book was just bleak-bleak, rather depressing. Also, there is just not much of a plot per se, but rather a series of episodes where we follow characters from here to there in an aimless way. (I do suppose this typifies and parallels with the aimlessness of the characters).
At the end of the day, the characters are so shallow and superficial and unlikeable and just a mess, and there are some rather off-putting scenes as well. This book is just generally an unpleasant experience. I suppose that is what West is striving for and par for the course, but I just can’t say I enjoyed picking up this book each night to read.
I do recognize, however, that there is quite a bit going on under the surface and there is a strong existential and literary quality to the writing itself that West brings to the table. The aforementioned canvas that Tod is working on, “The Burning of Los Angeles� seems to have a strong symbolic quality to it that coincides with the fractured nature of these characters and their dashed hopes as well as the finale of the novel.
If one were to take a deeper dive, there would be quite a bit to unpack in The Day of the Locust.
However, if you decide to read this one, kids, please do buckle up: it’s going to be a bumpy ride. This is Hollyweird at its finest.
I had Pearl S. Bucks� The Good Earth on my to-read shelf for far too long, and opportunity opened up last month, and this book did not disappoint. TheI had Pearl S. Bucks� The Good Earth on my to-read shelf for far too long, and opportunity opened up last month, and this book did not disappoint. There are books that stand the test of time with themes and morals that transcend time periods and places, and I believe Buck’s novel does just that.
There is a sweeping, sprawling, generational quality to this work, zooming in on one family’s plight during this period of pre-revolutionary China. Buck writes in a manner and prose that has a simplistic quality to it, yet there is a deeper level of significance in her glimpse into these characters� lives. It is a moving experience and there are many lessons to be learned through the principal and secondary characters.
One of the prominent themes is the exploration of the rich vs. the poor. There is a vast and disproportionate difference between how one side is treated vs. the other. Main character Wang Lung, at different points in the novel, sits on both sides of the fence and wears both of these hats, and Buck clearly makes the case of how greed corrupts the soul, as evidenced with Wang’s missteps and character change with his “good� fortunes in chasing prosperity.
Speaking of Wang Lung, he is a study of contrasts, going from the honest, hard-working farmer to a rich and powerful man. Yet, there are moments where both of these two selves both exist and struggle against each other in an internal conflict. He is a character who one can feel for and genuinely sympathize with one moment, only to be unsympathetic the next. I think, though, that he is a very realistic and true character because of his flaws.
Obviously one of the most integral characters who shapes the novel is that of O-Lan, Wang Lung’s wife. She is definitely a selfless and sympathetic character who is limited by the confines in this society and the limitations imposed on woman. There are moments of resounding courage, strength, will and independence in her.
“Well, they would go back, if not this year, then next, said Wang Lung to his own heart. As long as there was the land! And the thought of it being there waiting for him, rich with spring rains, filled him with desire.�
As the title suggests, the land itself becomes a major symbol and microcosm of hard work and values, and we see this both in Wang Lung’s struggle to maintain his land as well as the other laborers and farmers obstacles. There were strong overtones and similarities to Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath as the farmers have to overcome famine, drought and terrible obstacles to maintain sustenance in such a difficult time.
In total, The Good Earth is an exceptional read, with transcendent themes, realistic characters, and with an epic, generational, emotional quality packed into three hundred plus pages. I purchased Sons, the sequel in this trilogy, and look forward to it. ...more
“Already I was puzzled to compute the period of time which had elapsed since we broke through the crust of the inner world.�
I’ve read four other nove“Already I was puzzled to compute the period of time which had elapsed since we broke through the crust of the inner world.�
I’ve read four other novels by Edgar Rice Burroughs, and they have all been highly entertaining and pure escapism, and At the Earth’s Core, the beginning installment of the Pellucidar series, is no exception.
A young man, David Innes, recalls a rather fantastical tale about an older gentleman named Abner Perry, an inventor who devoted his life to prospecting. David and Perry go on an exploration underground in a vehicle, however, as they progress something falters with the mechanism. After miraculously escaping a dire situation and feeling a bit disoriented about their location, it soon dawns on them they have travelled to inner earth, a place unfamiliar.
It seems that they have travelled to a place named Pellucidar, where various races of creatures and prehistoric humans and animals exist.
The narrative is filled with the various adventures and perilous situations experienced by the two and their encounters with the Sagoths and Mahars, two races within this world. One pivotal moment is when, after being captured early on and enslaved, David meets and accidentally offends Dian the Beautiful, one of the women of this world and then being separated from her (it seemed that he did not understand one of the social codes of Pellicular). David and others form an escape plan, but it seems that there are various wrenches thrown into their plans in the form of the Mahars as well as other foes of this world. A good deal of the plot focuses on David having to try to survive in this strange world, and, after being separated from Perry, trying to reunite with him and others as well as Dian the Beautiful. Another subplot is the search for a “Secret Book� that holds a key component to how this place is governed.
If you have read Burroughs before, you will know that there are some definitive staples of his adventure and fantasy classics. One key trait is having is protagonist “out of his element�, being thrust into a new world and having to be both become accustomed to the new surroundings and find means to escape from dangerous encounters.
It feels like some impending doom is right around the corner quite often for David, and he must be creative in trying to use the resources around him to survive battles with beasts and animals he faces. David meets some allies, but quite a few foes, during his experiences.
The novel ends with a slight cliffhanger, but with enough finish to pave the way for book two in the series, Pellucidar.
While the “romance� is a little silly, and some things work out quite conveniently for our protagonist in some moments, At the Earth’s Core is an imaginative, fun fantasy and adventure and I look forward to continuing on in the series.
This was my first venture into any of the books by Ovidia Yu and the first in this series was an enjoyable, engaging experience with the backdrop of 1This was my first venture into any of the books by Ovidia Yu and the first in this series was an enjoyable, engaging experience with the backdrop of 1930s Singapore in this murder mystery.
At the novel’s outset, Chen Su Lin’s family is attempting to have her married off when word comes in about a mysterious, unusual death that has happened at Frangipani Hill at the Governor’s estate. It seems a young Irish nanny, Charity Bryne, has been found dead under a tree after apparently falling to her death. A certain Inspector Thomas Le Froy enters the scene, and he quickly ascertains and deems this death highly suspicious, and it clearly looks like we have a case of foul play.
Being that the Governor’s daughter Deborah now needs a nanny, and given that she instantly takes a liking to Su Lin, Su Lin gets the job at the Governor’s place to care and watch over Deborah. (And this fits right in with Su Lin’s aspiration to being a reporter).
I felt like having Su Lin as our narrator for the majority of the time (a random third person narration breaks in periodically) a very good fit and a plus in technique. It gives the reader a behind-the-scenes look into this mystery and whodunnit. Being that she is saying at the Governor’s place with the Palins, she becomes prime observer and witness to clues into Charity’s death as well as other shenanigans and drama into the household.
Clues, gossip, hidden secrets, and motives all come to the forefront as LeFroy (and Su Lin) try to put all the pieces together for this murder mystery.
I really enjoyed the mood and ambience of the novel. It wasn’t too heavy of a mystery (despite some certain revelations) and having Su Lin as our eyes and ears as we become witnesses too to the happenings. This, along with the time period backdrop, was a nice touch that made for an engaging read.
And I know you shouldn’t judge a book by its novel, but this is such a cool cover, too.
Overall, a very fun mystery, and I look forward to continuing on in the series, and reading the second one, The Betel Nut Tree Mystery.
After having read North and South a few years back and having somewhat of a lukewarm feeling about it, I decided to give another Gaskell work a try anAfter having read North and South a few years back and having somewhat of a lukewarm feeling about it, I decided to give another Gaskell work a try and went with her first novel, Mary Barton. Overall, I felt like the narrative was much smoother and a more enjoyable and powerful book than North and South (although it seems like many reader disagree with me on that point).
As with North and South, Gaskell taps into relevant timely themes of her day, including the plight of the working class vs. the owners, faithfulness and fidelity, romance and love, the rich vs. the poor, sin and redemption, forgiveness, and the effects of guilt among others. She blends all of these themes into the work as it focuses on a few major conflicts/subplots and also the novel becomes a social commentary as well.
One of the key center conflicts is a love triangle between Mary Barton, daughter of a worker, Harry Carson, the son of a rich owner, and Jem Wilson, a childhood friend of Mary’s. In a pivotal moment, Mary rejects Jem when he declares his love and offers her marriage, and so Jem leaves rejected. Mary soon after realizes her mistake, but could it be too late now? Another key element involves a murder, the search for the true murderer and justice, and a frantic pursuit in the book’s final section.
Now, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that Gaskell does lay on the Victorian sentiments quite thickly, maybe to a fault. There is quite a bit of sobbing, going into hysterics, pathos, emotion, and a big dose of sentimentalism quite often. However, I read somewhere that Gaskell was writing this novel as sort of a way of getting over the loss of a child as a sort of catharsis, so it’s easy to understand what she was going through during this process.
And there is quite a bit to like about this book. This reminded me quite a bit of a Dickens work in how the class divisions and labor feuds and commentary about the conditions and wages are all focal points and examined. Without giving too much away for fear of spoilers, it also has a bit of a Wilkie Collins in it, in how the plot intertwines and comes together nicely, especially in the book’s final parts, with a frantic pursuit of justice and a trial.
My second read from Gaskell was a winner, and I hope to get to some of her other novels.
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