en-US Tue, 10 Oct 2023 14:17:08 -0700 60 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg 68008564 An autistic necromancer, his undead lover, and the case that could destroy everything.

When a necromancer turns up dead, Oliver and Felipe think it will be the perfect, straightforward case for their new partnership. That is, until it leads them to a clinic promising a cure for magic, but they aren’t the only ones investigating the Institute for the Betterment of the Soul. Oliver’s ex, Ansley, is in town, and he’s certain the clinic isn’t the paragon of righteousness it claims to be.

Forced to help Ansley infiltrate the institute, Oliver fears he is out of his depth in his work and in love as old wounds and bad habits resurface. But Oliver isn’t the only one struggling. Pulled between his cases, Oliver, and his daughter returning home for the summer, Felipe is drowning. Just when he thinks he finally has everything under control, a new reminder of his untimely demise threatens to throw his life into a tailspin once more.

Between festering wounds and secrets, Oliver and Felipe’s lives stand upon a knife’s edge. To face the evil lurking behind the clinic’s genteel smiles, they must stand together or face the destruction of the place they call home.]]> 340 Kara Jorgensen Jes 5 4.23 2023
author: Kara Jorgensen
name: Jes
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2023/10/07
date added: 2023/10/10
shelves:
review:
This compelling sequel to The Reanimator's Heart is a fun, engaging mystery, with well-drawn characters and supernatural drama. It's lovely to watch the relationship deepen between Oliver and Felipe, while also learning more about their world. It's still rare to see a queer autistic character in a mystery/historical fantasy novel, and Oliver is a wonderfully relatable protagonist. The book doesn't shy away from some of his traumatic history, and I appreciated how his experiences with ableism become a meaningful part of the plot. I was particularly touched by how Oliver's sexuality and neurodiversity are presented as relational, and how Felipe learns to respect his boundaries. The broader plot also deals with medical intervention in a way that feels highly relevant for neurodiverse readers. I was happy to return to this series, and I look forward to reading more!
]]> 52239724 I Overcame My Autism and All I Got Was This Lousy Anxiety Disorder, Kurchak examines the Byzantine steps she took to become “an autistic success story,� how the process almost ruined her life and how she is now trying to recover.

Growing up undiagnosed in small-town Ontario in the eighties and nineties, Kurchak realized early that she was somehow different from her peers. She discovered an effective strategy to fend off bullying: she consciously altered nearly everything about herself—from her personality to her body language. She forced herself to wear the denim jeans that felt like being enclosed in a sandpaper iron maiden. Every day, she dragged herself through the door with an elevated pulse and a churning stomach, nearly crumbling under the effort of the performance. By the time she was finally diagnosed with autism at twenty-seven, she struggled with depression and anxiety largely caused by the same strategy she had mastered precisely. She came to wonder, were all those years of intensely pretending to be someone else really worth it?

Tackling everything from autism parenting culture to love, sex, alcohol, obsessions and professional pillow fighting, Kurchak’s enlightening memoir challenges stereotypes and preconceptions about autism and considers what might really make the lives of autistic people healthier, happier and more fulfilling.]]> 240 Sarah Kurchak 1771622466 Jes 5 4.36 2020
author: Sarah Kurchak
name: Jes
average rating: 4.36
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2020/09/05
shelves:
review:
This book is lovely. Autism representation tends to skew towards cis straight guys, so it's valuable to have a perspective that discusses gender and sexuality. Kurchak's essays are hilarious, thoughtful, and full of great points about neurodiversity that sneak in through the humor. I quote this book constantly and wish I could travel back and time and give it to my confused teen self. It's 1000x more valuable than the pile of textbooks about autism written by non-autistic psychiatrists who see our lives as some kind of theory. Kurchak weaves in advice with relatably embarrassing stories about social failures, simultaneously disarming the reader while educating them. Reading this felt like having a conversation with a friend on the spectrum who just got it.
]]> 9681947 333 Alberto Angela 8804583274 Jes 4 3.91 2007
author: Alberto Angela
name: Jes
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2007
rating: 4
read at: 2013/06/30
date added: 2016/06/30
shelves:
review:
Angela is a careful historian, and offers a well-researched yet highly accessible study of everyday life in ancient Rome (115 CE). His narrative style makes the reader feel as if she is following a well-versed guide, who knows all of Rome's secrets. We follow Angela through tortuous streets and alleys, into seedy taverns and brothels, and even to the public latrines. I know that I'll return to this book again and again, for its sheer detail and unflinching look at the ancient world.
]]> 23439008 272 Edward Willett 1550506161 Jes 5 4.34 2015
author: Edward Willett
name: Jes
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2015
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2016/01/22
shelves:
review:

]]> 7006235
Vickery makes ingenious use of upholsterer’s ledgers, burglary trials, and other unusual sources to reveal the roles of house and home in economic survival, social success, and political representation during the long eighteenth century.]]> 382 Amanda Vickery 0300154534 Jes 2 3.91 2009
author: Amanda Vickery
name: Jes
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2009
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2015/11/25
shelves:
review:

]]> 17295389 142 Jean Roberta 159021417X Jes 4 3.83 2013
author: Jean Roberta
name: Jes
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2013/05/01
date added: 2014/01/08
shelves:
review:
This was a delightful read. Emily is a smart and sexy heroine, surrounded by intriguing supporting characters. The novella is alive with historical detail, and the battle scenes are nicely paced, with plenty of action. I loved Roberta's exploration of queer subcultures within Victorian England, as well as her treatment of wartime politics. The sex scenes are robust and wildly entertaining. I particularly loved the storytelling chapter near the end, which resembled a frame narrative, like Boccaccio's Decameron. Even the minor characters have something interesting to say, and I have to admit, I think I would enjoy sailing aboard the Black Swan.
]]> 928802 96 William Congreve 1843910691 Jes 3 3.33 1692
author: William Congreve
name: Jes
average rating: 3.33
book published: 1692
rating: 3
read at: 2013/08/14
date added: 2013/08/16
shelves:
review:
"Incognita" is a sort of proto-novel, appearing even earlier than popular texts such as "Vagaries of the City." Congreve describes it as both an essay and a kind of prose-rendering of drama. I read it in the Folio edition, and the editor (Pryce) describes Congreve's narrator as one of the first "confidence men": he insinuates himself into the text, making ironic observations about the characters, rather than simply imparting moral lessons. The frame-story of the novel is somewhat rigid--mistaken identity + mass marriage, with a masquerade in between--but the pleasure is in the details. Incognita, when she's first presented, has a sharp wit that completely disarms Aurelian. Her raillery is far superior to his own. Congreve's voice interrupts the action, telling us that it's pointless to describe her dress, or that Aurelian is close to figuring out a crucial plot twist (but we're still ahead of him). The dramatic irony is fun without being overpowering, and Congreve--who was barely 20 when he wrote the novella--is at his best while describing guitar-players and street life in eighteenth-century Italy. There's some amusing homosociality in the passionate friendship between Aurelian and Hippolito. I especially love when Hippolito repeatedly falls on Aurelian in the dark, while they're supposed to be dueling. He bares his breast, wrings his friend's hand, and then the two have a sighing contest. Congreve is clearly poking fun at courtly conventions, and his gentle humor is reminiscent of Sterne's much later work. As a late-Restoration precursor to the novel, "Incognita" is both a valuable and entertaining text.
]]> 762821 A Sentimental Journey through France and Italy became a hugely influential work of travel writing in its own right. This Penguin Classics edition includes an introduction and notes by Paul Goring.

When Yorick, the roving narrator of Sterne's innovative final novel, sets off for France on a whim, he produces no ordinary travelogue. Jolting along in his coach from Calais, through Paris, and on towards the Italian border, the amiable parson is blithely unconcerned by famous views or monuments, but he engages us with tales of his encounters with all manner of people, from counts and noblewomen to beggars and chambermaids. And as drama piles upon drama, anecdote, flirtation and digression, Yorick's destination takes second place to an exhilarating voyage of emotional and erotic exploration. Interweaving sharp wit with warm humour and irony with genuine feeling, A Sentimental Journey paints a captivating picture of an Englishman's adventures abroad.

In his introduction, Paul Goring discusses Sterne's literary career and his semi-autobiographical depiction of Yorick, and sets the novel within the context of eighteenth-century travel writing and the vogue of sentimental fiction. This edition also includes a chronology, updated further reading and notes.

Laurence Sterne (1713-1768) graduated from Cambridge in 1737 and took holy orders, becoming a prebend in York Cathedral. His masterpiece, The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman made him a celebrity but ill-health necessitated recuperative travel and A Sentimental Journey grew out of a seven-month trip through France and Italy. He died the year it was published, 1768.

If you enjoyed A Sentimental Journey, you might like Sterne's The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman, also available in Penguin Classics.]]> 170 Laurence Sterne 0140437797 Jes 4 3.32 1768
author: Laurence Sterne
name: Jes
average rating: 3.32
book published: 1768
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2013/08/13
shelves:
review:
My battered copy of "A Sentimental Journey" identifies Sterne as a writer who knows how to slip in and out of conversation, as if he's been talking to you the whole time. The novel begins in mid-conversation, and ends in mid-sentence, just as the nameless protagonist is about to enter into a menage-a-trois (or maybe it's all going to become a farce--we can't tell). After slogging through "Pamela," I found Sterne's slim novel to be a pure delight. There's something undeniably sexy going on in this book, but it's all beneath the surface. There are silly moments as well, such as when the narrator finds himself rocking a chaise back and forth, purely through the energy of writing a prologue. His relationship with a French manservant--La Fleur--is strangely tender, and he cries over a snuff-box that was given to him by an itinerant monk. Sterne views the "grand tour" with light sarcasm, and the novel is most likely a reaction against Smollett's much darker account of his trip through France and Italy. It's less of a story, and more a series of vignettes (he meets a lady, secures a passport, enters into French society, etc.) The pleasure lies in Sterne's elegant observations on human nature, and his analysis of sensibility as a global force that connects us all through networks of feeling, although our differences often drive us apart. In many ways, it's a novel about translation and its many failures. I'm not totally sure how I would teach this book, but would definitely want my students to read it, simply as an antidote to much heavier texts.
]]> 3245379 Based on the original text of 1740, from which Richardson later retreated in a series of defensive revisions, this edition makes available the version of Pamela that aroused such widespread controversy on its first appearance.]]> 503 Samuel Richardson 019953649X Jes 2
During the first half of the novel, Mr. B is a credible villain. He tortures Pamela, calls her every possible name (Fielding later mocks these epithets in "Shamela"), and basically convinces her that she's worthless and evil. He claims to be outrageously attracted by her virtue, which is like catnip to a libertine. He attempts to rape her three times, and possibly succeeds once, after she's fainted. He also warns her that he's going to rape her, that she can do nothing to stop him, and that trying to stop him will only make things worse. After a while, "Pamela" begins to feel like an FBI narrative about a serial rapist, whose captive begins to sympathize with him, simply to ensure her own survival. Pamela's captivity narrative lasts for hundreds of pages, as she begs Mr. B to let her go. You can imagine the surprise of an eighteenth-century audience, when this captivity ends in...blissful matrimony.

In spite of this, "Pamela" is a novel of tremendous innovation. Its focus on print culture and creative writing echos what was happening in London's literary marketplace at the time. Pamela herself is described as a "great writer," both seriously and in jest, and we sometimes forget that she is actually producing the narrative that we're reading. She even goes so far as to sew letters into her clothing, in order to conceal them. At times, both Pamela and Mr. B seem to be curiously aware of their own status as characters in a novel, a "postmodern" feat that may surprise us, given that "Pamela" was written in 1740. There are other moments of textual creativity, such as the presentation of Mr. B's "articles," which are positioned on the page alongside Pamela's refutations. Near the end of the novel, Pamela actually summarizes one of Mr. B's speeches into a list of points, to which she then adds her own marginal revisions.

When I was a graduate student, I heard people whispering darkly about "Pamela." It was seen as a gate-keeper text within eighteenth-century studies, a real bastard of a novel, which had to be endured if one was serious about studying the period. I'm afraid that I have to agree with this sentiment. Richardson is a highly creative writer, and he was clearly a genius at self-promotion. But Haywood and Defoe were crafting far more interesting and realistic novels twenty years prior to the publication of "Pamela." His titular character lacks the psychological depth of Moll Flanders, in spite of the fact that she spends much of her time reflecting on her situation. Moll Flanders wouldn't have run away from two cows in abject terror.

The Oxford Classics edition--compiled by Keymer and Wakely--is thoroughly annotated, and includes a very fine introduction. I agree that anyone wanting to study the eighteenth century will probably have to read "Pamela," at some point. There are memorable scenes, moments of unintentional humor, and points at which you'll want to throw the novel across the room. These are all signs of an engaging narrative, so it's obvious that Richardson has crafted something enduring, which merits close analysis. I wouldn't call it an enjoyable read, but it does illuminate certain aspects of the literary marketplace in 1740, and I can see why it caused such a scandal upon its publication. I think one of the things that graduate students learn, while reading for their comprehensive exams, is that some texts are extremely valuable, even if they aren't entirely interesting or well-written. They provide a unique view of the period, and you have to make it through them, in order to better understand the literature that was produced alongside them. ]]> 2.51 1740
author: Samuel Richardson
name: Jes
average rating: 2.51
book published: 1740
rating: 2
read at: 2013/08/08
date added: 2013/08/11
shelves:
review:
It's difficult to frame a review of "Pamela." I feel like a bit of a goon, offering my unqualified, two-star review of what is clearly one of the most important texts produced in the eighteenth century. Perhaps the debate that "Pamela" created was, ultimately, more interesting than the novel itself. Certainly, there are some very engaging moments, and some highly troubling ones. Richardson is at his best when writing sharp dialogue between Pamela and one of her captors/interlocutors, such as Mr. B and Mrs. Jewkes. In fact, I would have been happy to read a novel about Pamela and Mrs. Jewkes, who are a great duo. I love when they go fishing together, or when Mrs. Jewkes gets fresh with her in the carriage. Her eventual conversion, like Mr. B's, renders her as a far less interesting character.

During the first half of the novel, Mr. B is a credible villain. He tortures Pamela, calls her every possible name (Fielding later mocks these epithets in "Shamela"), and basically convinces her that she's worthless and evil. He claims to be outrageously attracted by her virtue, which is like catnip to a libertine. He attempts to rape her three times, and possibly succeeds once, after she's fainted. He also warns her that he's going to rape her, that she can do nothing to stop him, and that trying to stop him will only make things worse. After a while, "Pamela" begins to feel like an FBI narrative about a serial rapist, whose captive begins to sympathize with him, simply to ensure her own survival. Pamela's captivity narrative lasts for hundreds of pages, as she begs Mr. B to let her go. You can imagine the surprise of an eighteenth-century audience, when this captivity ends in...blissful matrimony.

In spite of this, "Pamela" is a novel of tremendous innovation. Its focus on print culture and creative writing echos what was happening in London's literary marketplace at the time. Pamela herself is described as a "great writer," both seriously and in jest, and we sometimes forget that she is actually producing the narrative that we're reading. She even goes so far as to sew letters into her clothing, in order to conceal them. At times, both Pamela and Mr. B seem to be curiously aware of their own status as characters in a novel, a "postmodern" feat that may surprise us, given that "Pamela" was written in 1740. There are other moments of textual creativity, such as the presentation of Mr. B's "articles," which are positioned on the page alongside Pamela's refutations. Near the end of the novel, Pamela actually summarizes one of Mr. B's speeches into a list of points, to which she then adds her own marginal revisions.

When I was a graduate student, I heard people whispering darkly about "Pamela." It was seen as a gate-keeper text within eighteenth-century studies, a real bastard of a novel, which had to be endured if one was serious about studying the period. I'm afraid that I have to agree with this sentiment. Richardson is a highly creative writer, and he was clearly a genius at self-promotion. But Haywood and Defoe were crafting far more interesting and realistic novels twenty years prior to the publication of "Pamela." His titular character lacks the psychological depth of Moll Flanders, in spite of the fact that she spends much of her time reflecting on her situation. Moll Flanders wouldn't have run away from two cows in abject terror.

The Oxford Classics edition--compiled by Keymer and Wakely--is thoroughly annotated, and includes a very fine introduction. I agree that anyone wanting to study the eighteenth century will probably have to read "Pamela," at some point. There are memorable scenes, moments of unintentional humor, and points at which you'll want to throw the novel across the room. These are all signs of an engaging narrative, so it's obvious that Richardson has crafted something enduring, which merits close analysis. I wouldn't call it an enjoyable read, but it does illuminate certain aspects of the literary marketplace in 1740, and I can see why it caused such a scandal upon its publication. I think one of the things that graduate students learn, while reading for their comprehensive exams, is that some texts are extremely valuable, even if they aren't entirely interesting or well-written. They provide a unique view of the period, and you have to make it through them, in order to better understand the literature that was produced alongside them.
]]> 229562
This Broadview edition also includes a rich selection of historical materials, including writings from the period on sexuality, women's work, Pamela and the print trade, and education and conduct.]]> 336 Eliza Fowler Haywood 155111383X Jes 3 3.34 1741
author: Eliza Fowler Haywood
name: Jes
average rating: 3.34
book published: 1741
rating: 3
read at: 2013/08/10
date added: 2013/08/11
shelves:
review:
The Broadview edition has a nice set of supporting documents (including sections from "Pamela" and conduct literature). Haywood and Fielding both do a nice job of lampooning Richardson in their own way. Haywood's "Anti-Pamela" seems like the more important document, since she actually crafts a dystopian narrative in order to chip away at Richardson's fantasy of virtue and domestic servitude. Syrena Tricksy isn't quite as compelling as Cornelia from "The London Jilt," but I did enjoy the axis of evil that she forms with her mother, Anne. Haywood's purpose is to reveal what would be the far-likelier fate of a domestic servant like Pamela. Fielding's series of cheeky letters are fun, although the heart of his critique seems to reside in the "points" on the last page, which take Richardson's novel to task. I did enjoy how he poked fun at the prefatory materials of "Pamela," which suggest that the novel is more useful than a sermon.
]]> 9097884 and maps of England, London, and the American colonies.

About the Series: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the broadest spectrum of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, voluminous notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.]]> 332 Daniel Defoe 0192805355 Jes 3 3.12 1722
author: Daniel Defoe
name: Jes
average rating: 3.12
book published: 1722
rating: 3
read at: 2013/06/20
date added: 2013/08/05
shelves:
review:
The Oxford Classics edition (eds. Starr and Bree) is well-annotated, with great explanatory notes and a fine critical introduction. "Moll Flanders" is probably one of the most teachable eighteenth-century novels, because it has a little bit of everything: sex, intrigue, picaresque adventures, skullduggery, cross-dressing, "bubbling," and even some well-timed action involving carriages. Betsy/Moll is a psychologically complex character, who manages to carve out a living space within London's hostile demi-monde. As a woman without means, her narrative is survivalist, but also filled with moments of humor and unexpected pleasure. Her repentance at the novel's end does little to minimize her singularity as a self-possessed character who becomes "the greatest among that profession" of thieves and fencers. Her attacks of morality allow the novel to function as a cautionary tale, while readers can thrill alongside her many forays into London's underworld. Admittedly, the second half of the book is far more engaging than the first, although the first half does a nice job of dramatizing her social descent.
]]> 899585 320 Sarah Fielding 1551111209 Jes 3 3.05 1760
author: Sarah Fielding
name: Jes
average rating: 3.05
book published: 1760
rating: 3
read at: 2013/08/04
date added: 2013/08/04
shelves:
review:
Fielding's last novel focuses on an unnamed protagonist, who is kidnapped from her beloved Welsh cottage and thrust into London society. Her abductor--Lord Dorchester--is attracted by her "awful purity." He manipulates her at every turn, while trying to fashion her into the perfect mistress. He vibrates with insecurity, first commanding her to attend parties, then accusing her of being too friendly (when she is mostly terrified of human contact). At one point, he tries to sever their attachment because she hasn't greeted him with the proper enthusiasm (this after leaving her alone for an entire day). Fielding's narrator spends most of her time critically observing what she considers to be the folly of London. Her descriptions of masquerades, "drums," card tables, and the Tunbridge Walks are lovely to read, even if she finds it all to be horrifying. Fielding adds many touches of psychological depth to her characters, and her narrator's observations are often sharp and entertaining. There's a wonderfully picaresque moment involving a glass-fronted closet, a bawd, and an old man with a sword, as well as other moments of subtle humor.
]]> 2753182 212 Charles H. Hinnant 1551117371 Jes 3 3.36 1683
author: Charles H. Hinnant
name: Jes
average rating: 3.36
book published: 1683
rating: 3
read at: 2013/07/28
date added: 2013/08/03
shelves:
review:
The Broadview edition is replete with useful background material, such as female picaresque narratives, and conduct manuals. The London Jilt is a great example of "low-Libertine" literature from the 1680s. The introduction makes it clear that this text must have influenced "Moll Flanders," and the similarities throughout are rather striking. The difference is that the book's protagonist, Cornelia, remains totally unrepentant, and experiences no religious conversions. We get to follow her as she cuts a mercenary path through London, manipulating suitors in order to survive as a women who has been socially displaced. I particularly loved the recurring character of the rope-dancer, a surreal villain who ends up attacking her while dressed in drag. Nothing says "Restoration" like a homicidal rope-dancer in a nun's habit. "The London Jilt" is deeply cynical, but there's a kind of pleasure in the way that it deconstructs social conventions.
]]> 2454737 536 Mary Wortley Montagu 0140434909 Jes 4 3.91 1970
author: Mary Wortley Montagu
name: Jes
average rating: 3.91
book published: 1970
rating: 4
read at: 2013/08/03
date added: 2013/08/03
shelves:
review:
Grundy's edition is obviously definitive, and extremely well-annotated. Reading LMWM's letters is like following a brilliant and multi-faceted tour guide through the eighteenth century. Her letters to Francesco Algarotti, in particular, shine with vulnerability that cuts across time. I loved her critiques of her own social positioning ("I am enraged that my body was formed to wear skirts"), as well as her teasing verse-exchanges with the pansexual Lord Hervey. You can also see her trying to delicately deflect the advances of Alexander Pope, while unable to resist the urge to critique his work (a move which soured their already precarious friendship). Her writing is erudite and passionate by turns.
]]> 2092292 648 John W. Humphrey 0415061377 Jes 4 3.94 1997
author: John W. Humphrey
name: Jes
average rating: 3.94
book published: 1997
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2013/07/03
shelves:
review:
As a historical overview of Greek and Roman technology, Humphrey's sourcebook is full of wonders. Ancient vending machines that dispensed cups of water. Giant water screws and other hydraulic devices. Steam-powered door chimes that announced visitors to temples. Portable sundials: the ancient version of the modern wrist-watch. Even a low-tech pedometer which calculated the distance traveled by wagons. The information is presented in excerpts of Greek and Latin texts. At times, I would have liked a bit more detail on certain inventions, but the sourcebook aims for breadth. It even treats the contentious subject of automata within the ancient world, an innovation which remains shrouded in mystery (did emperors really have tiny robot animals, or giant, mechanical representations of the gods?) It can't really be proven, but the sourcebook doesn't completely discount it (a fact that pleased the fantasy-writer in me).
]]> 15797355
To live past the end of your myth is a perilous thing.]]> 171 Anne Carson 0307960587 Jes 3 poetry and prose you know the old analogies prose
is a house poetry a man in flames running
quite fast through it"

I first encountered "Autobiography of Red" as a graduate student, and I was absolutely stunned by its originality. Here was a story of a queer "brokenheart," Geryon, named after a mythological creature about whom nearly nothing is known (in the fragments of Stesichoros, Herakles kills him with an arrow...he wilts like a poppy, before dying). Carson's novel in verse was infused with melancholy, subtle care for her subjects, and a gorgeous attention to detail. "Red Doc" is less of a sequel to "Autobiography," and more a tender examination of obsolescence, a look at what it might mean to "live past" one's mythology.

Although Geryon has grown up in "Red Doc," he still feels open as a character, awkward in his expressions of love and desire, gently confused by everything that seems to transpire around him. While "Autobiography" focused on his adolescence, "Red Doc" is more interested in supporting characters: his mother, Sad/Herakles, and a veteran who can "see/seeing," which recalls the motif of blindness that ran through "Autobiography." Carson also draws upon Proust and Stein in order to dramatize Geryon's experience of memory. The placement of the text--what other reviewers have accurately described as a "sliver" on the page--is both fascinating and frustrating. It does force the reader to think about narrative flowing up/down, rather than left/right, and the wide margins make the line breaks all the more idiosyncratic. At times, the form was distracting, but that's probably what was intended.

I would hesitate to call this a "novel in verse," which was how "Autobiography" was described. There is less of a narrative here, and more of a scenic collection of postcards: a road-trip, a visit to a glacier, a presentation at a seniors-centre gone awry, a conversation in a hospital room. Some of these moments are more effective than others, but all are beautifully rendered. Upon first reading, the text does feel slightly uneven. But I think that it also invites further readings, like all of Carson's work. ]]> 4.09 2013
author: Anne Carson
name: Jes
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2013
rating: 3
read at: 2013/05/01
date added: 2013/07/03
shelves:
review:
"what is the difference between
poetry and prose you know the old analogies prose
is a house poetry a man in flames running
quite fast through it"

I first encountered "Autobiography of Red" as a graduate student, and I was absolutely stunned by its originality. Here was a story of a queer "brokenheart," Geryon, named after a mythological creature about whom nearly nothing is known (in the fragments of Stesichoros, Herakles kills him with an arrow...he wilts like a poppy, before dying). Carson's novel in verse was infused with melancholy, subtle care for her subjects, and a gorgeous attention to detail. "Red Doc" is less of a sequel to "Autobiography," and more a tender examination of obsolescence, a look at what it might mean to "live past" one's mythology.

Although Geryon has grown up in "Red Doc," he still feels open as a character, awkward in his expressions of love and desire, gently confused by everything that seems to transpire around him. While "Autobiography" focused on his adolescence, "Red Doc" is more interested in supporting characters: his mother, Sad/Herakles, and a veteran who can "see/seeing," which recalls the motif of blindness that ran through "Autobiography." Carson also draws upon Proust and Stein in order to dramatize Geryon's experience of memory. The placement of the text--what other reviewers have accurately described as a "sliver" on the page--is both fascinating and frustrating. It does force the reader to think about narrative flowing up/down, rather than left/right, and the wide margins make the line breaks all the more idiosyncratic. At times, the form was distracting, but that's probably what was intended.

I would hesitate to call this a "novel in verse," which was how "Autobiography" was described. There is less of a narrative here, and more of a scenic collection of postcards: a road-trip, a visit to a glacier, a presentation at a seniors-centre gone awry, a conversation in a hospital room. Some of these moments are more effective than others, but all are beautifully rendered. Upon first reading, the text does feel slightly uneven. But I think that it also invites further readings, like all of Carson's work.
]]> 13512215
In captivating prose, Melanie Schnell offers imaginative insight into the lives of innocents in a land at war, rendering horrific experiences with exquisite clarity. While The Sun Is Above Us explores the immense power of the imagination, the human desire for connection, and the endurance of hope.

“Schnell’s prose is transparent and true, and her voice is haunting, full of emotional clout. Hers are characters made of flesh and blood—they are brave, vulnerable, strong and, ultimately, alive with hope.”—Lisa Moore

”An urgent and powerful story about two women speaking to each other across every imaginable divide. This is a story that needs to be told!”—Buffy Cram, author of Radio Belly]]> 240 Melanie Schnell 1554810612 Jes 5 4.09 2012
author: Melanie Schnell
name: Jes
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2012
rating: 5
read at: 2013/05/01
date added: 2013/07/01
shelves:
review:
Adut's narrative, although devastating at many points, is also charged with subtle hope. Schnell tells her story precisely and elegantly, with prose that lingers on physical details. The reading experience is intense, but absolutely worthwhile. I was captivated by the novel's descriptions of South Sudan, and its treatment of Dinka mythology. Schnell's style is both rich and minimalist at times, recounting without hesitation moments that can be incredibly painful. Yet there is also tremendous beauty in Adut's story, as well as the parallel story of an aid-worker who is searching for answers in the Sudan. I am still thinking about this slim, exquisitely crafted novel, which took over my life during the the time that I was reading it.
]]> 2073075 À côté de Zénon, quatre ou cinq principaux personnages font route eux aussi dans le labyrinthe de leur siècle : sa mère Hilzonde et son beau-père Simon Adriansen, emportés dans la tempête de l'anabaptisme; son cousin Henri-Maximilien, compagnon de Montluc au siège de Sienne, gentilhomme aventureux et lettré, point dépourvu de sa modeste quote-part de sagesse humaniste ; son protecteur et ami le pieux prieur des Cordeliers, grand seigneur entré sur le tard dans les ordres, déchiré par les maux et le désordre du monde, en qui s'unissent à part égale la passion de la justice et la charité.
L'Œuvre au Noir, comme les Mémoires d'Hadrien, est un de ces livres que Marguerite Yourcenar aura portés toute sa vie.]]> 384 Marguerite Yourcenar Jes 4 3.78 1968
author: Marguerite Yourcenar
name: Jes
average rating: 3.78
book published: 1968
rating: 4
read at: 2013/05/01
date added: 2013/07/01
shelves:
review:
Yourcenar makes the misadventures of an alchemist/physician in sixteenth-century Bruges feel almost contemporary. Zeno is a fascinating character, whose meditations on mortality and desire remain incredibly thought-provoking. Yourcenar's prose is simply beautiful, and although L'oeuvre au noir is longer, and at times less-focused, than MĂ©moires d'Hadrien, I think it may be a stronger book. "Our great mistake is to search within people for absent virtues, rather than cultivating the virtues that they actually possess."
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