The Golden Compass. Philip Pullman.

The Golden Compass.
Philip Pullman.
Del Rey: 1997.

A celebrated book and rightly so.  The writing is simple enough for young adults yet good enough for adults, the plot is relatively coherent and complex, the characters are excellent, and the setting is superb without the author having to write long, encyclopedic paragraphs about his alternate universe.

The first part of a trilogy, this is the coming of age story of an orphan girl being raised by University dons.  Mysterious things are afoot, including an assassination attempt on her uncle, and strange scientific discoveries are at hand, and so off she goes with some gypsies to the North Pole.  The plot & setting mirror some of the boy adventure novels of "the good old days."  Very good book, appropriate for anyone old enough to read it, and a good one to find in hardcover.

The only drawback is that I have never found the plot device of a prophecy to be very fulfilling, if you'll forgive the pun.  It's more hokey than coincidence, unless done in a new & interesting way, which this novel does not.

The Marriage of Mr. Mississippi. Friedrich Durrenmatt.

The Marriage of Mr. Mississippi.
Friedrich Durrenmatt.
Grove Press: 1964.

Durrenmatt, a playwright by profession, wrote one of my favorite books: Traps.  Mr. Mississippi, a play, is more his standard work.  One funny thing about plays is that characters often spout off didactic monologues--this is allowed in a dramatic situation, but not in the (usually) more realistic prose work.  This play is full of mini-monologues as instructive & thought-provoking for the audience as they are revelatory of the characters' inner beings.

The play centers around the theme of justice--who decides what is just? a mass or a man, and in what situations?  Dare we follow a dream of ideal justice or settle for practical justice? Are there any truly just men?  In the midst is a love quadrangle between a married couple (who have killer their former spouses and have married each other for penance), a political aspirant, and a failed professional--and the lady, of course.  Very good.

The Nun and the Bandit. E.L. Grant Watson.

The Nun & the Bandit.
E.L. Grant Watson.
Albatross: 1935

Another good book from Grant Watson. This one revolves around the changing relationship between a desparate man and the nun he accidentally kidnaps (she was with the girl he intended to kidnap.) The nun, Lucy, is of course beautiful, but it is not love which drives Michael; rather a combination of animal lust and revenge--revenge against God for the rotten hand he has been dealt.

Michael's tale is one of an everlasting search for meaning and escape. Lucy's tale is again a search for meaning (as, I suppose, it is for us all) and a complex one of acceptance and forgiveness. For she allows Michael to take her (in exchange for sparing the child) and she stays with him--not quite willingly, but at least passively, obediently, and even companionably.

The setting is the Australian outback, and Grant Watson once again evokes the horror close beneath it and the feeling of insignificance one feels amongst it.

An Unkindness of Ravens. Ruth Rendell

An Unkindness of Ravens.
Ruth Rendell

Yet another modern female British mystery novelist who needs to have weird sex and/or a severely troubled childhood thrown into the plot. In this case, at least, the detective seems to be as normal as the rest of us. As it turns out, the semi-pedophile bigamist who was murdered did not rape his own daughter, but she had half-convinced herself that he had. Or something like that. The killer is fairly obvious, but when, for no real reason, Rendell evaporates the motive to a mere vapor of a motive, it leaves me wondering why.

Anniversary Sale....

The sale is over, and my faith is renewed (once more). It's great to see people who are really passionate about books--not just in reading the text, but in the book itself. For there is so much more to a book than the text. This is why I am not convinced that e-readers will take over the world. At any rate, thanks again to all of our customers for another wonderful year!

Wicked. Gregory Maguire

Wicked.
Gregory Maguire.

An awful and tedious perversion of the Oz story. I can think of nothing to recommend it: the writing is ostentations, the characters are ridiculously unbelievable, the plot is both boring but also beyond belief and contradictory to Oz.

The whole idea is telling the story of the Wicked Witch of the West. However, if one is going to write a book using the characters, setting, AND plot from another novel, one ought to follow the rules set by the previous author. Wicked takes the wonderful world of Oz and its rich characters, and turns it/them into a soap opera complete with useless drama, pointless sex & perversions, cardboard characters who don't act like normal--or even abnormal--humans, sophomoric moralizing, etc. etc.

This is a best-seller, and I can't for the life of me figure out why. There can't be that many people who hate the Oz books so much they'd like to see them destroyed like this.

The Mainland. E. L. Grant Watson

The Mainland.
E. L. Grant Watson
Alfred A. Knopf: 1917

The first half of this book is excellent. Grant Watson excels at a few things: intense psychological suspense, interesting nature writing, and mysticism. All of these are present and strong in the beginning of the book, and I had high hopes of a book as good as Lost Man.

After John's heartbreak, however, the book turns into a sort of epic, rather than a detailed description of his attempts to get Mrs. Cray back &/or is utter annihilation. Instead, as John grows and matures (he was raised on an island with only his parents), the intensity of both his emotions & Watson's writing lessens, and the detailed descriptions become more generalized (as John himself is learning to generalize.) Stylistically, this is successful, and it is still a very good novel, but I miss the intensity, the mystical response to nature, and the suspense, that was present in the first half. Grant Watson needed to have John be that intense as a youth in order to show his mellowing and maturing as an adult--perhaps I just miss my own intense youth...?

Island of the Sequined Love Nun. Christopher Moore.

Island of the Sequined Love Nun.
Christopher Moore.

Avon: 1997.

Although I'm surprised that this 3rd printing had as many typos as it does, this is nonetheless a funny and enjoyable trip to the tropics with Moore.

The underlying plot is actually rather gruesome: a missionary doctor and his stripper/nurse/wife use religion to harvest organs from a primitive tribe on a remote tropical island. The organs, of course, are sold for enormous profit.

The spirit of the man (a WWII fighter pilot) who is worshipped as a savior on this island helps a luckless and gutless modern-day pilot to save the day. The characters are generally good, the plot bizarre but believable (unlike Fluke), the humor is great for the first half, but sort of peters out as the plot gets moving. Still, an enjoyable book, though it may not be a keeper.

Car. Harry Crews

Car
Harry Crews
William Morrow, 1972.

A shockingly good story. Herman, the son of a junkyard owner, decides he is going to make his claim for fame by eating a car. The short novel follows the repurcussions within and out of their small family.

The writing is intense, the strange psychology of all characters is at once absurd and utterly believable. Crews is successfully able to tie together a devotion and obsession with pop culture, an expose of crass commercialism, and a wholly believable look at some strange sexuality, in a way which is riveting, disturbing, and fun.

I must get my hands on more of his books, but they are apparently all highly sought-after...

Radio Free Albemuth. Philip K. Dick

Radio Free Albemuth Philip K. Dick
Arbor House: 1985.

Dick is known for his paranoid-loner-goes-against-the-system theme, and this book fits in well. Dick himself is a sort of side-kick character in the story. It is always interesting to me when authors are characters in their own stories, but this lacked the self-reflectivity and suspense that the Dark Tower excelled in.

Dick published the complete "Valis Triology" during his life--the first volume of which is Timothy Archer, the novel that got me hooked on PKD in the first place. Albemuth is a sort of prequel posthumously published.

Nicholas is a Berkeley loser who receivs helpful transmissions from aliens. He bcomes one of a vanguard underground whose task is to help humanity return to the cosmic consciousness it lost zillions of years ago. The last person who tried to help was Jesus. Now, an Orwellian dictator is in power, and the aliens are sending signals to select humans to help them resist.

Well-written, great cosmic insights along with fluff, and a good psychlogically interesting story.

The Tango Briefing. Adam Hall.

The Tango Briefing.
Adam Hall

Pretty bad adventure/spy novel. This has two appealing aspects. First, Hall is not obsessed with either technology or violence, so one does not become bored or aggrieved. Second, the main character, Quiller, is funny: he has an addicts' attitude toward his job & a very weird attitude towards himself in that his body is always referred to as "the organism" and his mind (he thinks) is totally separate from it.

English Country. E.L. Grant Watson

English Country
E. L. Grant Watson
Jonathan Cape: 1924.

Brief essays and journal entries that Grant Watson made throughout one year. He claims they were not meant for publication, but can one believe this? Perhaps. The writings are of such astonishing depths at times, that when reading, you are aware of being in the presence of genius. This guy is just amazing and some of the things he thinks about on a daily basis are wonderful. It seems that much of this comes from his having time to contemplate nature for hours or days on end. No talk of work, family or friends to muddle his thoughts with daily existence--he concentrates on nature immediately before him, the significance of life, of thought, of the source & nature of spirituality. Great stuff, made greater by his honest searchings, and his belief in the explanations he develops, even knowing that they are partial at best and mysterious for certain. Grant Watson's writing is both poetic and scientific; his grasp of language is beautiful to read.

Fluke: Or, I Know Why the Caged Whale Sings. Christopher Moore.

Fluke: Or, I Know Why the Caged Whale Sings Christopher Moore.
William Morrow: 2003

A big disappointment after Lamb, this is still a good book. Whale scientist Nate Quinn discovers the ultimate conspiracy: at first you think it's local scientists, then the government, then aliens, the . . . it's the original organism that evolved on Earth. This thing--Goo--can create and control life via DNA (or something like that. It kind of makes sense when you are reading it, but only kind of.)

Moor is off on his humor on this one. Yes, there are some funny parts, but nothing hilarious, and there are no consistently funny characters. Moore seems a bit too concerned about making the far-fetched storyline work than becoming engaged with any of his characters or developing any themes beyond a preachy save-the-whales moral. Still entertaining, but not up to his others.

Zen & the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. Robert Pirsig.

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.
by Robert Pirsig.

A frustrating book to read because the whole time I was wondering: "But why is this book so popular?" A novel about a vain, egotistical and uncaring technical writer on a trip with his son. He (the narrator) used to be a vain, egotistical studing and teacher who perhaps cared a little for others. He then reinvents the philosophical wheel (or at least thinks he does) and becomes obsessed with the notion of quality. At last he has a moment of spiritual insight where it all makes sense. Instead of inspiring him--as such moments do for the rest of us--it drives him crazy and he goes to the psych ward where he undergoes electric shock therapy.

He re-emerges, feigning ignorance of his past life (but really he hasn't lost a single memory), discounts his previous obsession to a practical motorcycle-maintenance level and tries to live a 'normal' life. At the end, his old self comes back.

Boring. Author talks to you like you're an idiot. He is unaware of ridiculous logic and covers it up with long history lessons. Strange book, not to be read again.

It Ends with Revelations. Dodie Smith

It Ends with Revelations.
Dodie Smith.

Little, Brown: 1967.

From the author of 101 Dalmations comes . . . a drama of homosexuality? Yes, and a good one. Jill Quentin is (we learn halfway through the book) married to a gay actor whom she loves dearly as a friend. He saved her from a hard life and so she is loyal to him as a wife. She, however, has just fallen in love with a widower, and enjoys the company of his teenage daughters, as well. So -- should she leave Quentin or remain loyal to him?

It is amazing that I, normally a plot-driven reader, enjoyed this novel, as nothing really happens. But every character is superbly written, and the complexity of Jill's emotions are handled brilliantly. Smith's sparse explanations and delicately handled and the entire book is a masterpiece in this regard.

The ending is disappointing -- because it is not the happy endng which we have been hoping for -- but very realistic, and eminently justified by the novel's complexity. Any simpler, happier ending would have cheapened the entire novel.

The Princess and the Goblin. George MacDonald.

The Princess and the Goblin.
George MacDonald.

MacDonald is well-known for being an idol of C.S. Lewis and, to a lesser degree, of J.R.R. Tolkien. This is the second story of his I have read and it is quite wonderful.

As before, I came away a little confused by the imagery of this "Christian" (as he is packaged today) author. The main image in this book is that of the Princess Irene's great-grandmother who can only be seen by those who believe in her, or whose light can be seen by those she wishes to save. These are concepts clearly familiar to Christianity, and yet this magical person is a woman: unusual. Compare this to Lewis' Aslan, who -- although a lion -- is both male and masculine.

Another note of interest is MacDonald's acceptance of and use of evolution. Although approached from a fantasic storyteller's point of view rather than a scientific one, MacDonald makes liberal use of the theory which is now fought against by so many Christians. These two extended metaphors (among others) make me belive that MacDonald's faith is more personal than the over-politicized faith of some today. It would be interesting to read his original romance novels and compare them to the modern 'reprints' edited for a specifically Christian audience. I wonder what exactly needed to be "edited" out of or into these novels? Surely MacDonald is a superior writer to his editor!

In an interesting twist on the Genesis account of the Flood, the goblins in this story wanted to mate with the "higher species" (princess) and were punished for that desire. In Genesis, fallen man had become even worse by the nephilim who had taken the women as mates.

Fun story, well told. Highlight of ridiculous writing: foot-stomping fights.

The Da Vinci Code. Dan Brown

The Da Vinci Code.
Dan Brown.
2003

The writing is mediocre. The characters are utterly unbelievable. The plot is ridiculous. Yet the book is the best-selling adult novel in years: why? It is a decent chase/treasure novel with little puzzles to solve, but that can't possibly be the point of interest for so many millions of people.

The "sacred feminine" is brought up repeatedly in the novel, and yet no one I talk with who has read the book seems to care. Indeed, it is just the conspiracy of the Catholic Church that people talk about (ironic in this case, because the Church is pointedly exonerated by Brown from any involvement in his plot, and indeed is portrayed as a source of inspiration and comfort.)

Grail legends, lost treasures, and vast conspiracies will always be popular, but I don't think they are enough to make this a runaway bestseller, especially considering the bad writing. It is beyond me.

Thoughts on the Dark Tower series. Stephen King.

I believe that King did not know where the story was going when he wrote the first book or two. This may, of course, strengthen his argument that the story was told through him rather than by him. Still, he seems undecided as to the reality of his characters and their worlds. Are we to take this series merely as a tale told by a "word smith," or are we to believe in it? Are these characters going to connect with us in a deep way, or are they only part of King's personal mythology? Or, is Stephen King opening himself up, as few authors do, and allowing us full access to his imagination and subconscious so that we may identify with what he hopes is a universal tale? I opt for this last theory.

One must wonder how he and the series will be regarded in 100 years. Will King be the Dickens of our time, in which case vast reference volumes and concordances shall be written? Or will he be yet another semi-forgotten author which just a few people will be interested in? This series is good; his writing matures (yet calcifies) over the 30 years it took him to write it. This may be his best shot at respectability and remembrance amongst our posterity.

The Dark Tower. Stephen King.

The Dark Tower VII: The Dark Tower.
Stephen King.
Grant: 2004.

[warning: plot spoilers]
The final volume in this interesting series is as good as the first. All the good guys and the bad buys die -- including some real tear-jerking moments -- except Susannah (who gives up--a very disappointing move on King's part) and Roland. He, of course, successfully reaches the Dark Tower. As he ascends, he passes through rooms, each of which encapsulates one moment, one part of his life. When he at last reaches the top and opens the door, the horrible truth comes to him: he has done this already, perhaps an infinite number of times. He is immediately sent back to the desert, chasing the man in black (the opening scene of Gunslinger, already forgetting what he knew. King could have made this a great commentary on the curse of a character who has to relive his painful life each time the book is read anew (he is, after all, aware that he is a character), but he backs away from this by changing one detail, which implies that next time Roland goes through this, he might find redemption, or at least be one step closer. Oh well, at least it's a positive message of perseverance and hope.

Sails of Hope. Simon Wiesenthal.

Sails of Hope: The Secret Mission of Christopher Columbus.

Simon Wiesenthal.
Macmillan: 1973.

A fast and interesting read which proposes that Columbus was either a converted Jew, a crypto-Jew (marrano), or came from a family of conversos. Wiesenthal is never foolish (or confident) enough to make a solid claim, and indeed, his scholarship is definitely at an interested amateur level, but he draws on the research of others and does two things: he shows that Columbus being Jewish or of Jewish descent is an Occam's razor for many of the unanswered questions about him, and he also poses a few questions that lead one to accept his idea, at least as a working hypothesis.

The bulk of the book, actually, deals with the plight, importance, and fate of Jews in Spain; this in itself makes for interesting reading.

The Cook. Harry Kressing.

The Cook.

Harry Kressing.

Random House: 1965.

This has been on my 'to read' shelf for at least two years. I'm glad I got to it (rather than giving up), as it goes into the permament collection.

A tall, thin, mysterious man comes to town to apply for a job as the cook at an estate. There are two families in the area, and when they inter-marry, they will be able to move into a large castle. Gradually, through means both sly and harsh, he succeeds in having the town kow-tow to his needs, the staff at the house fired, and his employers become the butler (the father), housekeeper (the mother) and cook (the son.) He marries the daughter, and after the son marries into the other family, they all move into the castle -- after which, the son's bride dies.

Conrad, the cook, is an awesome character, clearly possessed of demonic power (if not Satan himself, on a little holiday), yet always seeming to accomplish things by verbal and culinary methods. Funny and suspenseful; difficult to accomplish. Excellent book.

R.U.R. Karel Capek.

R.U.R.

Karel Capek.

Washington Square Press: 1969/1923

I have always known this book for two reasons: it is the origin of the word 'robot' and it has always been hailed as being ahead of its time. Despite the advance warning, I was still taken aback by its ability to be applied to today's world. Indeed, the main plot of the book (robots come to realize that they can take care of things better than people can) is one of the plots in Asimov's I, Robot.

The play reads fast, yet even a fast read cannot ignore the huge issues raised: who is responsible for the moral use of technology?, what should the relationship ultimately be for man & machine?, will humans evolve or be replaced by another species -- even one of our own design?, what are the effects of leveling of the economic/political strengths of the world's economies?, who watches the watchers?, how does one face personal vs. global annihilation?, etc. This guy is good!

Rasselas. Samuel Johnson.

Rasselas: Prince of Abyssinia.
Samuel Johnson.

John B. Alden: 1887.

A short classic about a young prince who leaves his overprotective castle to search the world for happiness -- or, the way to live happily. He is joined by his sister and an older "man of learning," Imlac, on his quest.

Along their way, they meet with a variety of people who seem happy: farmer, hermit, scientist, philosopher, ruler, etc.; yet each one declares himself to be unhappy. Eventually, they decide to return to Abyssinia.

Johnson's cynicism and pessimism are laughable at times, probably intentionally. Rasselas intends to find a life of continual ease and happiness -- such as his father intended for him at Abyssinia -- yet despite his own experience and observations, he his unable to see that struggle and strife are necessar to experience true happiness.

The Broken Bubble. Philip K. Dick

The Broken Bubble.
Philip K. Dick
Arbor House, 1988.

One of Dick's posthumously published non-SF novels. This follows a man who is 30-35 but still refuses to succumb to societal norms. One day, he refuses to read a blaring radio ad on his programme; his refusal speaks clearly to some teenagers who proceed to -- believe it or not -- rebel against authority. More interesting than this guy is his ex-wife (whom he is pursuing again) who has a complete emotional and moral breakdown.

Ultimately, though, the reader is watching these people's lives rather than understanding or participating in them. Dick's writing is good enough that we believe him when the ex-wife seduces the 18 year old fan, or paints the whole apartment black, etc., but the emotional distance remains -- as with his naked woman in a giant ball, we are always watching through a plastic bubble.

Journey Under the Southern Stars. E. L. Grant Watson

Journey Under the Southern Stars.
E. L. Grant Watson.
Abelard-Schumann, 1968

Because his novel Lost Man! is one of my favorites, and because the first part of the book reveals the real life experiences of the author which mirror his novel, I was immediately fascinated by this autobiography.

What I come away most clearly with, however, is the author's experience on a Fijian island in the plantation house of a white man. There are ghosts, a mysterious and horrific volcanic lake, and a magical calling of sea turtles.

The author is a young scientist out for adventure, and he maintains a firm belief in magic -- a belief which is confirmed by his observations.

Grant Watson's narrative prose in this book is beautiful and haunting in many sections. An excellent book to re-read as I find more of his works.

Secrets of Our Spaceship Moon. Don Wilson.

Secrets of Our Spaceship Moon.
Don Wilson.
Dell: 1979.

Sequel to Our Mysterious Spaceship Moon, this book rehashes a lot of the same info, but also presents new "evidence" and expands earlier statements offering proof that the Moon is a hollow vessel from another planet. This book is just as good as the first, and presents strong arguments as to why the other theories of the Moon's origin cannot be true, and why it could be that it is hollow.

The most recent (last 10 years) scientific theory is one that says the Earth, in its early formation, was "whacked" by a HUGE (planet-sized) object which caused the Moon to form out of the fragments. At a glance, this doesn't quite answer a lot of the structural questions Wilson raises (such as mascons), though I plan to look into it, as that theory is more plausible than the spaceship one (though not as exciting.)

Still, there are enough doubts about the moon's structure and composition, NASA's lack of communication to the public about certain things, and those pesky UFO's that will keep me open-minded on this subject for a while! :)

Flowers in the Attic. V. C. Andrews

Flowers in the Attic.
V. C. Andrews.

This book is generally classified as horror, though I don't know why as there's nothing really scary about it. Four kids are locked in the attic for a few years, so that their mom can inherit lots of money. After she does, she tries to poison them slowly.

The whole point of "willing suspension of disbelief" is that you will accept the premise of the book as long as people still act like people. And that is the flaw with this book: it's totally unbelievable. And as such, boring.

People usually say that this book is just about incest and child abuse, but it truly is not overloaded with nasty details -- only a few instances which are actually handled rather well. Indeed, the writing is good throughout, markedly so for this type of book. Character development, though, is its downfall: the narrator is the most believeable, but even she has moments of being too innocent.

Not too interested in the sequels, of which there are many.

With Clive in India. G. A. Henty

With Clive in India.
G. A. Henty.
A. L. Burt, ca. 1900.

Henty is an author much sought-after by homeschoolers. He wrote historical fiction for teenage boys, although the writing style and vocabulary of this book far exceed that of most modern teen writers.

This book takes place in India around 1750, when England and France are battling for control of the country. Clie is the British officer who made many daring attacks against the French and helped turn the tide for the English. Henty, however, does not make him into a superhero, and points out emphatically that Clive's connivings in one battle were greedy, ungentlemanly, and one of the blackest moments in British military history.

The book flows quite smoothly and is interesting and humorous when describing the fictional adventures of Charlie Marryat (the main character), but becomes bogged down in military detail and jargon when the author describes some of the battles that took place -- his laudable concern for historical accuracy hampers the otherwise enjoyable prose. Overall, quite a good book and I would be interested in reading some more by Henty.

Myths of Precolumbian America. Donald A. Mackenzie.

Pre-Columbian America: Myths and Legends
Donald A. Mackenzie.
Senate/Random House: 1923/1996.

This book was originally written when scholars were gravitating to the theory that America remained completely isolated until Columbus. MacKenzie doesn't believe this and attempts to disprove the theory by a comparison of American myths to those of Egypt, India, and Asia.

There are two major flaws to the book. First, I'm reading it 80 years late, and a lot of new information has come to light. Second, his writing style is lacking in proper structure which makes his rambling, unorganized thesis hard to follow sometimes. The main theoretical problem is lack of dating -- when did the Indian my of such-and-such arise vs. the first appearance in America? Whas there time for transference of ideas? Are the ideas separated by many centuries?

The book does a good job in bringing to light how much you need to assume is a natural psychological process for two cultures to develop similar ideas if they don't have any contact, e.g., why would Egyptians, Chinese and Aztecs associate colors with four cardinal points? Overall, the book is persuasive that there was at least some sort of contact between Old and New Worlds.

The Proving Trail. Louis L'Amour

The Proving Trail
Louis L'Amour.
Bantam: 1979.

This is the first Western I have read. Centers around a young man whose "pa" has been killed after winning big at gambling. Mysterious men come after him -- turns out Pa's family back east isn't so nice. Our hero has to wander around the West -- mostly Colorado -- to avoid the bad guys. Along the way, he chats with a nice waitress. In the end, there's a shoot-out, the bad guys die, and the boy gets the girl.

The most annoying thing about this book is that although it is written in heavily accented and lingo'd first person, our 18-year-old narrator steps outside himself and starts teaching the reader how things were "in his day." There are other, slightly less obvious paragraphs where L'Amour is trying to teach us something about the Old West, but overall, the segments are indicative of a complete lack of subtlety in writing. Passable, but not a genre I want to get deep into.

The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm. Nancy Farmer

The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm
Nancy Farmer.
Orchard Books: 1994.

In Africa 2194 AD, the top General's three kids are too over-protected by their parents and not allowed out. They finally escape and during the course of the story are kidnapped several times - by a slaver, a ransomer, a commune, and evil gang. Meanwhile, Mother hires three mutant detectives (see title) to find them.

Story centers around maturing of 13-year old boy and on Arm, the psychic-sensitive detective. In both cases, sensitivity to others is shown to be a handicap: Tendai is too sensitive to be a brave warrior, and Arm is so sensitive that he turns into a baby when he's near one. Tendai loses his compassion for the enemy during a final battle scene, and Arm actually dies during the battle: when he comes back to life, he has lost his psychic sensitiviy. Not sure if I like this message for teens, but it is still a good story. Main flaw is that it spends too much time teaching us the vocabulary and customs of the future and traditional Africa -- overdone and it slows the reading down.

Truckers. Terry Pratchett

Truckers
Terry Pratchett
Delacorte: 1990.

The first in a new series for teens, Truckers has the usual (though a bit toned down) Pratchett humor and wacky mythology. This mythology is a biblical-sounding one based on the store (in which these little guys live) being the universe, and the store's founder being God. The creatures in question are "nomes," 3-inch high people who don't live very long -- but they live fast. Thus, a minute for us humans is like an hour for the nomes.

Some rural nomes are forced to move and they wind up in a store which is like a great metropolis with rival families and guilds. However, none of the store nomes believe there is a world outside of the store. Various political battles ensue, and soon it is revealed that the store is about to close down. So Masklin, our hero, gets everyone together and they steal a truck and make it to a quarry, their new home.

As it turns out, they arrived on this planet a long time ago, but have since lost all knowledge and technology -- except the Thing, which turns out to be a super intelligent computer that helps them.

Good, not his best, and definitely for teens.

Rising Tides. Nora Roberts.

Rising Tides
Nora Roberts.

Felt I had to read this due to Roberts' tremendous popularity. After consultation with Diana, I've learned that this follows the basic pattern of romances: two people feel undeniable and irresistable attraction, but against the better judgment of at least one of them. Fate throws them together and they're quite happy for a while, but then break up. Of course, in the end they get married.

This one involves a guy who was sexually molested (sold to men by his prostitute mother) and now doesn't want to have kids of his own: he does not want to pass on his evil mother's genes. The rest is pretty boring, though there's nothing actually bad about the book. It's inoffensive, but by no means am I inspired to read everything she's written.

Who Was Jesus? G. A. Wells.

Who Was Jesus?
G. A. Wells.
Open Court, 1989.

Subtitled "A Critique of the New Testament Record," this book is unfortunately too biased for my taste. However, the main flaw is its poor quality of writing, which makes the book difficult to read.

Despite that, there is a lot of interesting information here, although not always documented. The author's main point is to show how different Gospels treat Jesus differently -- either because of the author's theology or because the mythology surrounding Jesus had changed. Thus, the earliest NT texts say nothing about John the Baptist or virgin conception, and the latest texts are full of this. Wells has another book called Did Jesus Exist? which, according to his references in this book, purports to show that the early NT texts refer to Jesus as a long-ago teacher, not a recent one, and say nothing of his resurrection. (Seems a stretch, but might be interesting to read.) The main strength of his argument comes from his extensive use of Christian theologians as sources.

Columbus & Cortes, Conquerors for Christ. John Eidsmoe.

Columbus & Cortes, Conquerors for Christ.
John Eidsmoe.
New Leaf Press: 1992.

Obviously written in response to liberal Columbus-bashing on the 500th anniversary of his voyage, this book is an overly apologetic defense of Columbus and Cortes.

The foreword by Peter Marshall gets off on the wrong foot, decrying adultery and homosexuality in entertainment, yet saying nothing of violence, rape, murder, etc. Eidsmoe's main fault is that he does not apply the same standards across the board -- thus, we have to understand that slavery and warfare was an acceptable practice back in days gone by, but those idolatrous cannibals must have worshipped Satan because their actions were so evil. His other main flaw is putting words in the mouths of his opponents who, he claims, either deny that Cortes and Columbus were Christians (saying they only gave lip-service to Christianity), or that they suffered from severe delusions. Although Columbus was, indeed, "visionary", none of the books I have read on Cortes indicate anything other than that he was a devout Christian.

The bulk of this book is retelling the story with occasional jabs at non-Christians. Eidsmoe uses older sources, and at least one teen-age book, rather than newer and/or more accurate texts, and he provides no historical or textual criticism. Disappointing and poorly written.

The Human Encounter With Death. Stanislav Grof & Joan Halifax.

The Human Encounter With Death.
Stanislav Grof and Joan Halifax.
Dutton: 1978.

Certainly one of the most interesting books I've read for quite some time. The authors are psychiatrists who administered LSD to dying cancer patients to see if it would alleviate pain or enable them to cope with their impending death. It did both -- sometimes, and in varying degrees.

After discussing this research project, the authors launch into a comparison of LSD sessions with both near-death/resuscitation experiences as well as initiation rites throughout world history. Not surprisingly, a major component is the death-rebirth experience (perinatal) where the subject describes a scene much like the process of birth; often followed by a transcendental feeling of unity with the cosmos. The authors, having experienced LSD themselves, may give too much credence to the reality of the hallucinations/insights, even after explaining that they are caused by lack of oxygen to the brain -- inhibited by LSD, through meditative breathing techniques, fasting, etc. Their argument is that because those archetypes are within all of us, they must point to an external reality. Not so sure...

Death and Dishonor. Iaian Pears.

Death and Dishonor.
Iaian Pears.
Scribner's: 1996.

Jonathan and Flavia Argyll are the husband and wife team of this mystery author, who is an art history professor. As we saw with Elizabeth Peters, the novel allows the author to show off (rather than share) his or her specialized knowledge. Fortunately, Pears is not nearly as obnoxious as Peters in this regard. I rather enjoyed the basic plot of the book, because although there were two murders, the mystery to be solved is an art theft, not a murder. However, there is a major stretch of imagination to be made (a monestary has proof that Constantine spent his last days there and brought a holy relic with him), and the crime is too easily solved. On the other hand, one character, who is a retired art thief and now a grandmother, is pretty amusing.

The author has the opportunity to develop some interesting points -- do supernatural powers of holy icons dissipate if no one believes in them? why is the mass public satisfied with religion, yet not the clergy? etc., but the author opts for a short, mostly-brainless, easy-to-read book instead.

Lord Foul's Bane. Stephen R. Donaldson.

Lord Foul's Bane.
by Stephen R. Donaldson.
Ballantyne. 1977.

First novel in popular epic fantasy series. Thomas Covenant has leprosy and is magically transported to fantasy world, which he refuses to believe in. The whole leprosy thing is done well, though overdone at some points, but his constant anger and disbelief are a bit wearisome. The problem with the book is that the reader doesn't care about any of the characters. The plot (Covenant has to defeat the evil Lord Foul) is so inane that it doesn't hold the reader's interest, either. So, the author does what all epic writers do: keep the characters moving, keep introducing new settings, weird characters, etc.

Well-written from a technial standpoint, but the author never gets us to question our own reality (even though this is the whole point of the book), and only in a limited way get us to see that there are other realities: specificly, how different it must be to be a leper. Overall, rather boring, and I doubt I'll read any further in the series.

King Solomon's Mines. H. Rider Haggard.

King Solomon's Mines.
by H. Rider Haggard.

Supposedly the first African adventure novel, this book contains interesting details of the white man's experience of Africa circa 1885, but since so much is obviously made up, there are some places where you're not sure how much Haggard is intentionally stretching the truth.

Two English men approach a white hunter to locate their brother whom the hunter (Alan Quatermain) knows has gone off to search for King Solomon's Mines. They enlist some native help, and discover a lost valley. One of their helpers happens to be the rightful king. They invoke a civil war, win it, and are led to the diamond mines by an evil and ancient witch, who then betrays them, only to wind up dead thanks to the efforts of African maiden in love with John Good. They escape with a few diamonds and live happily ever after, etc.

The plot is too simple for its time and genre, but laced with enough humor to keep your interest. Quatermain stars in 16 more books and stories, although he dies in the sequel to this one.

The Gnostic Gospels. Elaine Pagels.

The Gnostic Gospels.
by Elaine Pagels.
Vintage: 1979.

Written by an academic who is an 'expert' in gnosticism, this popular work gives a brief introduction to the texts discovered at Nag Hammadi.

This book is far, far too short, and inspires me to read the complete translation of these early, unorthodox Christian texts. As short as it is, the book is dense with information and valuable interpretation.

Most interesting is the author's main argument that the conflict between orthodoxy and gnosticism was as much political as it was theological -- in fact, that doctrine comes more from politics than from the teachings of Jesus.

Pagels does a very good job of evoking the climate of A.D. 60-200, during the establishment of the Catholic church and its constant attacks against the gnostic Christians -- who were often part of the catholic church itself -- especially their belief in personal experiences of enlightenment, even though they did not necessarily disbelieve in having a "regular" church.

The Five Flamboys. Francis Beeding.

The Five Flamboys.
Francis Beeding.

Little, Brown: 1929.

This mystery/adventure gets a regular guy involved in an international espionage scheme involving the overthrow of the Roumanian government. It's truly impressive the number of plot twists Beeding is able to invent.

Excellent Hitchcockian adventure, even though it predates Hitchcock. One interesting thing about reading pulp fiction from this era is that, because the authors generally didn't spend much time concerning themselves with high quality of writing (sort of like writing a blog, don't you think?), a lot of colloquialisms come through, rendering several sentences absolutely unintelligible. In this case, outdated British slang makes a few spots even harder to figure out...

Character-wise, the evil villain is fairly interesting, as well as self-reflective, and the super-spy who helps the narrator is flat, but very cool in a pre-James Bond sort of way.

'H' is for Homicide. Sue Grafton.

'H' is for Homicide.
Sue Grafton.

The two complaints that I hear most often about Grafton are that she's wordy and that all her books are alike. I read this book as an abridged audio book, which takes care of the first complaint, and I probably won't read another of her books, which takes care of the second.

Nothing really mysterious about this mystery. The reader and narrator both know that she's investigating a bad guy. This is more of a suspense novel without the suspense.

Kinsey Millhone is an insurance PI investigating false claims. The police persuade her to work under cover. She does, and does nothing too interesting, until the bad guy shoots someone, then she chases after him. No Poirotesque grey cells in action here: this is the new breed of mystery novel.

Great Author Alert! Jean-Patrick Manchette!

The books I blog are generally ones I read 3-4 years ago (I keep a handwritten journal. I am a nerd.) So, rather than wait that long to tell you about a modern author, I will tell you now: Jean-Patrick Manchette. French. Noir. Crime. I'm on chapter four, and I can already tell it will be one of my favorites!

Voyagers to the New World. Nigel Davies.

Voyagers to the New World.
Nigel Davies
William Morrow: 1979.

Here is a book that should be updated every decade or two. This is a thorough review of the main theories of precolumbian contacts between the Americas and the rest of the world.

Davies covers everything from the colonists' theories, to the Mormons, to scientific hypotheses, and even UFO contacts. His most interesting writing involves the very earliest ideas.

By reviewing the scientific literature on plants, arts, histories, ships, etc., the author is pretty convincing that there was probably scant contact between the Old and New worlds, and if there were, such contact had little, if any, impact on American culture. Not entirely convincing, and I personally suspect there may have been more contact than Davies thinks.

The author's final chapter deals with alternative theories on the striking similarities between cultures: these are cognitive, archetypal, and dream/hallucinogenic theories which, he urges, need further research.

By Neva's Waters. John R. Carling.

By Neva's Waters.

John R. Carling.
Little, Brown: 1907.

An uncommon title by Carling, who was a writer of historical romances. A hundred years ago, there was much more emphasis on the adventure than the romance, though. This is a simply marvellous tale of Russia at the time of czar Alexander I's rise. A dashing and gallant Englishman, Lord Wilfrid Courtenay, falls in love with a beautiful Russian noblewoman.

Various adventures and political intrigues ensue. At times, this is more a drama of manners, as it were, since so much of the plot revolves around certain people's perceptions of other people. Nowadays, of course, such thinking seems quaint and it is felt to be an outdated plot device.

At the end, it turns out that Wilfrid's love is in fact the Czarina, and as such, a relationship is impossible. So, he settles for his second favorite lady, who was in love with the Czar, but now prefers Wilfrid. Strange, but wistfully happy.

Browsers' Bookstore buys Albany Book Co.

Yikes! It's been a long time since I've made any blog entries. As you may have heard, we've completed the purchase of the Albany Book Company. Be sure to stop by our new store! It has the same hours -- 9:30-6:00 Mon-Sat -- and is located at 1425 Pacific Blvd. SE in Albany (Oregon.) It's taken me three weeks to move boxes and stacks of books off of the floor and into storage. We've got more cleaning to do, and then we'll be concentrating on expanding the floor space. But, now that the cleaning is almost done, I've got time to write my little notes about books again...

Aztecs: An Interpretation. Inga Clendinnen.

Aztecs: An Interpretation.
Inga Clendinnen.
Cambridge: 1995.

Along with Bernal Diaz and Todorov, this is among the best Aztec books I've read. This book takes a close look at the rituals of Tenochtitlan and who those meant to the common people, as well as what they indicate to the historian.

Heavily underlined is the Aztec dependence on maize and their belief that humans were made of corn -- because we eat, we owe the gods. This is why we must feed the gods our blood. Also of primary importance is the constant competition, skill, destiny which is always tempered by the capriciousness of the gods, and drastic luck.

She spends quite a bit of time maturely discussing the role of women, and includes an interesting discussion of breastfeeding and weaning. Another good chapter is on the sacred & art: the transient beauty attained by art can be a connection with the sacred, but the transient quality is as important as the beauty. The author's epilog is just a paragraph, but is a beautiful piece of writing on historians. Lots of good notes in back.

K-PAX. Gene Brewer.

K-PAX.
Gene Brewer.

Classified as sci-fi, this was a disappointing novel of a mental patient who thinks he's from another planet. (Disappointing mainly because there's was nothing "sci-fi" about it.)

Turns out the guy has multiple personality disorder, and this alien, "prot" by name, is one of his personalities. This was discovered through - what else? - hypnosis. MPD is interesting in itself and I would think that real-life cases would have more interest than this sensational, though silly, fantasy.

I guess I wanted the narrator, who is the psychologist treating prot, to have convinced himself that his MPD diagnosis was correct, only to have prot return to his home world. As it is, prot (the personality) does leave. This departure leaves Robert (the patient) near catatonic. There's some question of how he got out of his room and his unusual eyesight, but overally, a catastrophic return to reality that left me only slightly less catagorically despressed than Robert.

Man's Search for Ultimate Meaning. Viktor E. Frankl.

Man's Search for Ultimate Meaning.
Viktor E. Frankl.
Insight Books: 1997.

A series of lectures and essays by Frankl, the inventor/developer of Logotherapy, a theory of psychology he developed while in WWII concentration camps. Besides Jungian theory -- which really appeals to my aesthetic side -- this is the only psychology I have found which I feel is pretty much correct. His basic tenet is that people's primary objective is to find meaning, "logo", in and for our lives. Along with this, Frankl believes that man is spiritual at core. Thus, for us to be really happy, even in a concentration camp, we must see a spiritual meaning for our lives. This doesn't mean we have to know the Meaning of Life, but at least an individual meaning.

Logotherapy is practical, though not to the extreme of behaviorism, yet it keeps psychology existential and humanist, not reducing man to Freudian drives & impulses.

An extremely important book, with a lot of truth mixed in. A good one to reread every few years.

The Story Without a Name/A Nameless Story. Barbey d'Aurevilly.

The Story Without a Name.
Barbey d'Aurevilly.
W. B. Conkey: 1882/1902.

An interesting little book, with a Robert Louis Stevenson short story at the end. For some reason, "Collins" is on the spine of this book (along with the title "Nameless Story"), but this was penned by d'Aurevilly although he is not credited anywhere in the book. Most likely a pirated edition. The first legit U.S. edition seems to be 1919 published by Brentano's of New York.

At times, this book seems almost more of a sketch of a longer one. This story takes place in a remote valley, where a widow and her daughter are host to a wondering Capuchin monk for a few weeks. Neither like him, and they are relieved when he leaves.

The daughter, Lasthenie de Ferjol, becomes sick, and her mother thinks she's in love; a suspicion reinforced when the daughter is discovered to be pregnant! Lasthenie has no knowledge of how this happened. Mme. de Ferjol is harsh and unforgiving. Daughter gives birth to still-born, slowly pines away and dies, not having spoken for years. Of course, it turns out that the monk was the father of the baby, and the mother goes to the grave and curses him.

Sections of nice detailed writing interspersed by long sections of simple, almost hurried writing (or translation.) Could be reworked into a great gothic or Dickens novel.

Interestingly enough, French doctors have described as "Syndrome of Lasthénie de Ferjol" a syndrome in which women bleed themselves repeatedly and secretly to the point of death or grave illness.

Too Many Cooks. Rex Stout.

Too Many Cooks.
Rex Stout

This is a Nero Wolfe mystery. Wolfe is a big fat detective, and his stories generally have a gastronomical lean.

The great chefs of the world hold a conference, and one of them is murdered. The killer is very easy to identify, and although this is written as a Christie-like mystery, you get the feeling that Archie Goodwin, Nero's sidekick, would rather be (or thinks he is) in a hard-boiled detective novel. At any rate, his very dry, sarcastic wit carries the story along, and Nero Wolfe himself is more of a plot device than a truly interesting character (although he does have his share of good lines.)

Genesis. W. A. Harbinson

Genesis.
W. A. Harbinson.
Dell: 1982.

Mad genius joins the Nazi's in the 30's to build flying saucers. By the 1970's, he is starting to control world governments from his secret base at the South Pole. UFO investigators who learn too much are either captured and turned into robots (electrodes in the brain) or are killed.

Part techno-thriller, part sci-fi, overall a rather good book, despite how it may sound. The main flaw is that mysteries are solved by very long monologues by various characters; this is more like an (alternative) history lesson than anything interesting.

Much of the book is believeable. Some things stand out, such as ESP, but overall, I'd buy it. The writing is generally clear and concise, but when the author forays into more fancy writing, he does so with some small skill, unlike many genre writers.

UFOs and government cover-ups are fun topics and this book, though strictly one-sided, does not go overboard with the whole consipiracy thing.

The Nothing That Is. Robert Kaplan

The Nothing That Is: A Natural History of Zero.
Robert Kaplan.
Oxford: 1999.

An interesting topic that intrigued me when I first read about this book in a review. The first half of the book is rather interesting, as Kaplan follows the development of the idea of zero through the 16th-17th centuries. Zero as a number was never really accepted until this time; before then, it was either non-existent, a place-header only, or a suspicious number used by mathmeticians and magicians.

Throughout this half of the book, the author's innumerable tangents, asides, and references -- literary, philosophical, historical, scientific, religious, or otherwise -- are distracting and annoying, but we still follow something of a course.

Once we reach the modern era, however, the book collapses into a rambling essay on "what is the meaning of nothing" with all the author's usual asides. Boring to wade through, as he seems to have no point other than show off his wide array of knowledge (which, of course, is a valid point for discussion, but not one I particularly care about.) If he had stuck to the history, this would have been a great, albeit short, book.

Tales of the City. Armistead Maupin.

Tales of the City.
Armistead Maupin.
Harper: 1990.

Essentially a soap opera with San Franciscans. Maupin has presumably lived in San Francisco, and he really hits on the middle- to uppoer-class white folks there, with their casual acceptance of everything and their amateur philosophy. There are, of course, other sides of SF, but perhaps he touches on those in one of his other five novels in the series.

The book centers around a house owned by a marijuana-growing woman with a secret past, who is like a mother to her young tenants. None of the tenants have any real direction in their lives, nor are any very lucky in love. Although largely a soap, there are some truly comic moments in the book (but not as many as the author thinks.)

Overall, this is a safe, well-written story. I listened to the audio book, which is read by Maupin who has a distracting accent. I probably will not read more in the series, but would like to read another book of his to see if he ever really develops his sense of absurdity, or if he just keeps it at the sit-com level.

The Treasure. Selma Lagerlof.

The Treasure.
by Selma Lagerlof. Translated by Arthur Chater.
Doubleday, Page & Co: 1925.

A very enjoyable book. Set in 16th century Sweden, it tells the tale of a brutal murder by villains, and how the only survivor, the ghosts of the victims, and the last person to see them alive avenge their murders. The plot twist is that the survivor, a 14-year old girl, falls in love with the leader of the villains. The leader is haunted by a ghost and is very remorseful; he falls in love with the girl. The witness is too cowardly to do much of anything.

It ends with the lovers hating each other, the girl kills herself so that the leader can get caught (he doesn't) and the witness finally gets the courage to make a stand. The bad guys are eventually caught, and the girl is honored in/by her death.

This has all the aspects of a successful fairy tale: a fun yet dark & twisted plot; good characters; yet reads as easily as a young adult novel. Lots of neat setting details make this successful just as an historical novel.

The Hunters and the Hunted. Lesley Egan.

The Hunters and the Hunted.
Lesley Egan.
Doubleday: 1979.

The only reason I read this is that I happened to notice it takes place in Glendale, California, the city I grew up in. It was kind of fun to read along and see familiar street names and landmarks...

The book itself, however, is boring. Supposedly about an ex-husband wanting to kill his ex-wife, it is really just a couple of weeks on the beat with Glendale's finest. A bunch of completely unrelated cases occur, paperwork is filled out, and the bad guys confess.

No suspense is built at all on this main "case" and it ends with the bad guy getting killed in a car accident when someone runs a red light. What kind of plot device is that? Egan is scratched off my list of potential authors to read.

THX 1138. Ben Bova (based on screenplay by George Lucas & Walter Murch)

THX 1138.
Ben Bova (based on screenplay by George Lucas & Walter Murch)
Warner: 1978

Reissued after the success of Star Wars, this book is sort of a dumbed-down version of 1984. Overall, it is quite good, and Ben Bova keeps us moving along at a fair clip.

The world of THX 1138 is living underground in vast, overcrowded cities, everyone takes mood pills to stay sedated (not taking drugs is a crime), sex is illegal, and everyone is constantly being monitored by cameras and police robots.

THX falls in love with LUH, a sex-born woman who secretly isn't taking her pills. Plot is obvious from here with minor exception being that LUH turns out to be pregnant. She's killed by the state while THX is in jail, but they save her fetus, renaming it LUH - it being more economical to save the name than think up a new one. THX is able to change the record on the fetus from sex-born to "natural" (meaning artificial), thus ensuring his baby a "normal" life.

THX escapes to edenic surface of the earth and vows to return to retrieve his daughter.

The Longest Night. J. N. Williamson

The Longest Night
J. N. Williamson.
Leisure: 1985.

Psychologist tricks friend into living in a haunted house. Shrink winds up dead, main character is annoying, bad guy (ghost) is too boringly evil, beautiful girl ghost is never aware of anything going on, and the book isn't scary at all.

Supposedly a horror novel, the only thing that's horrible here is the author's writing.

Mirrorshades: The Cyberpunk Anthology. Bruce Sterling.

Mirrorshades: The Cyberpunk Anthology.
by Bruce Sterling.
Ace: 1987

Contains:
"Gernsback Continuum" William Gibson. Guy sees alternate present: the 1980s as pictured by 1930s people. Dumb.
"Snake-Eyes" Tom Maddox. Guy has computer implanted in brain which becomes hooked up with supercomputer. Okay.
"Rock On" Pat Cadigan. Fresh rock-n-roll only lives when people plug into a human synthesizer's brain. Dumb.
"Tales of Houdini" Rudy Rucker. Houdini still alive in 1948 performing in cheesey movie. Pointless.
"400 Boys" Marc Laidlaw. Futuristic gang war against mutant children. Pretty good.
"Solstice" James Patrick Kelly. Druggies have personal problems at Stonehenge. Dumb.
"Petra" Greg Bear. God is dead - or has he just weaned us? Cool.
"Till Human Voices Wake Us." Lewis Shiner. Guy becomes mermaid. Okay.
"Freezone" John Shirley. Rocker becomes terrorist. Dumb.
"Stone Lives" Paul di Filippo. Blind guy gets new vision and is taught how to see world, history, etc. Okay.
"Red Star, Winter Orbit" Bruce Sterling & William Gibson. Last cosmonaut revolts on Soviet space station. Good.
"Mozart in Mirrorshades" Bruce Sterling & Lewis Shiner. Future corporation goes into past & alternate universes for natural resources. Dumb.

The Last Camel Died at Noon. Elizabeth Peters.

The Last Camel Died at Noon.
Elizabeth Peters.
Warner, 1991.

The worst elements of series writing abound here: flat characters, inside jokes, repeat jokes (I mean, repeated within the same book -- I can't imagine how tedious it must be to read all of her books), and lack of interesting plot. Author is professor of Egyptology and likes to show it off. She attempts to compare her novel with Haggard and Wilkie Collens, yet she is seriously deficient in one area: she lacks the ability to write a good story.

The plot moves lamely along and mostly consists of opportunities for the characters to make jokes or refer to previous novels in the series. Two 19th-century egyptologists find a lost emplire that sill mostly lives as ancient Egyptians. Various forms of danger follow, their son usually helps them because he's so darn smart, and evetually the good guys win. I finished it yesterday and can't even remember how it ends, it was so unimpressive.

Billed as a mystery, the only redeeming quality of this book is that it sort of tries to be an old-fashioned mystery. It fails, but at least it makes the attempt.

Death of the Fifth Sun. Robert Somerlott

Death of the Fifth Sun
by Robert Somerlott.
Viking, 1987.

Historical novel of the Conquest told from Malinche's point of view. Somerlott is most successful when giving Aztec points of view on religious matters: it is complex, mysterious, yet matter-of-fact. He has clearly done his homework on Aztec history, both social and political (and has lived in Mexico for 30 years, apparently), but his understanding of some of the historical pressures on the Spaniards seems superficial and basic. Perhaps this is because Malinche (the narrator) was never able to learn much more than the basics.

Characterization is quite good even though personalities may not fit with my own imaginings - especially Cortes. Malinche, especially, is truly a well developed character. Somerlott really only uses the parts of history he wants -- he skims over some parts, makes up others (to give Malinche more power). I think he got tired toward the end, for he covers the seige & destruction of Tenochtitlan in just a few paragraphs! Oh, well, still an enjoyable book.

The First Coming. Thomas Sheehan.

The First Coming
by Thomas Sheehan.
Vintage: 1986.

Subtitled, "How the Kingdom of God Became Christianity," this book attemps to look underneath and through the surface of the Bible to find the original teachings of Jesus and the original meaning and sentiment of early Christians.

A scholarly book, it is obviously written by a professor (it happens to be of philosophy), yet readable by a general audience. Very convincing in most of its arguments, although there are a few minor assumptions which do not quite fit -- though the author is honest enough to point out that they are speculation.

The main thrust of the argument is that although Jesus was an eschatological prophet, his message was that the Kingdom of God is love for one another, and this kingdom is at hand, but only if we live it. And if we do live the Kingdom of God, it would mean the end of organized religion. Early Christians betrayed Jesus by confusing the message with the messenger. Jesus used apocalyptic imagery, as was the custom, but Christians took it to mean he was literally coming back. Two thousand years later, modern liberal theologians are revealing his original message (says Sheehan.) Very good, need to reread later.

Jesus Christ Is Not God. Victor Paul Wierwille.

Jesus Christ Is Not God
by Victor Paul Wierwille.
American Christian Press: 1981.

Wierwille, who is considered in some circles as a cult leader, has been going through something of a revival lately. A less common title, this book is obviously an anti-trinitarian study.

This book presents the argument that there is no Biblical basis for the Holy Trinity, and that trinitarianism is a dogma with a historical basis rather than textual. This book provides support for the view that the Bible says God and Jesus are distinct individuals, but that Jesus was with God in his foreknowledge in creating the world.

I was surprised to see close textual and linguistic details for many of the verses discusses, as I had assumed Wierwille was more fluff than substance. The support runs a bit thin at times, and he should have made this a much longer and more thoroughly documented book. The book would also have been improved by a more careful examination of trinitarians' evidences.

Calendar. David Ewing Duncan.

Calendar
by David Ewing Duncan.
Avon Books: 1998

Subtitled "Humanity's Epic Struggle to Determine a True and Accurate Year", this book mainly focuses on the Gregorian calendar, mentioning non-western developments only as side notes or when they have something to do with Europe.

The book devotes equal time to two aspects: the technological/scientific advances -- and retreats -- in figuring out the length of the year, and the political/social intricacies in developing an accurate and universal calendar.

We quickly reach 100-300 AD at which point the book is an interesting history of the Catholic Church, with an episode in the Middle East. What was most surprising to me is how the most vital aspect of calendar-keeping to the Europeans was the keeping of saints' days -- the commercial and personal aspects were not that important (and were still frequently tied to seasonal time), especially compared with the struggle to accurately determine when to celebrate Easter! Good book.

The Aztecs: People of the Sun. Alfonso Caso.

Return of the Nephilim
by Alfonso Caso.
University of Oklahoma: 1970.

Wonderfully illustrated by Miguel Covarrubias, this book is at times a general overview of the confusing and complex Aztec religion and deities, and at times provides insight into some interesting details.

Intended as a popular introduction, this is also a great reference. His economy with words and clear prose make a difficult subject more accessible to us non-experts.

Return of the Nephilim. Chuck Missler.

Return of the Nephilim
by Chuck Missler
Koinonia House: 1997. (audio only)

UFOs, Stonehenge, the Book of Revelations - what more can you ask for? Missler explains that Genesis chapter 6 means that when fallen angels were having sex with women, their offspring were monstrous 'people' called Nephilim.

He suggests that these Nephilim, or perhaps their spirits (demons?) are reappearing today, this time as UFOs and aliens. He also suggests that they have done so for thousands of years and were involved in building Stonehenge, the Great Pyramid and other monuments. Heathen legends which talk of intercourse between gods and humans are further evidence. CIA and other government cover-ups indicate our government is aware of the situation and is on the wrong side.

Although he does a good job talking about the Nephilim, he does not convincingly tie them to UFO appearances. He gives too much credence to wackos who claim alien abduction. He says that every single abductee has dabbled in the occult, and yet he takes them at face value when they claim to have had an embryo implanted. I always wonder what the babies are like when they're born...?

The Squares of the City. John Brunner.

The Squares of the City
by John Brunner.
Ballantine: 1980s.

Packaged as a science fiction novel, and of course Brunner is well-known as such, this was not what I had hoped. Rather a boring read, as nothing of any real interest happens.

South American dictator builds new city and uses subliminal messages and other means to control citizens. He and his main political rival chose 15 people to be "chessmen" -- these two guys influence their chessmen to make "moves" in a giant game of chess to see which one of the two leaders will win the game. A vaguely interesting idea, but not well carried out.

The only thing that keeps the book readable is Brunner's skill as a writer - if this had been written by a run-of-the-mill pulp author, I would probably not have been willng to finish. But the writing is good, and he throws in a few interesting philosophical conversations along the way.

Montezuma, the Serf. Joseph Holt Ingraham.

Montezuma, the Serf
by Joseph Holt Ingraham.
H. L. Williams: 1845.

Interesting book. A historical romance revolving around a one-week period in which Montezuma I rises from serf to King. I got this book online, knowing only the title and date, hoping it was some cool history. As it turns out, the author must have known very little about the Aztecs, as historical inaccuracies fill every page.

I would like to read more 'chivalric romances' from the era to see how stylistic this book is. Obviously, 19-century readers had fewer demands for historical research for their fiction. The ending is very Shakespearean, complete with people in disguise, everything coming to a climax at once, and even a fool.

Ingraham, who was a Reverend, makes the Aztec religion something like Christianity, complete with a Noah's ark legend. What's interesting, though, are the parallels he draws between Montezuma and Jesus: he even gives Montezuma a 1000-year reign, until the white man comes -- perhaps suggesting that whites are to bring the Aztecs to heaven?

Of course, 1845 was a time of much speculation about the pre-columbian mesoamericans, and many professionals had proclaimed dramatic parallels between Christianity and the Aztec religion, as well as the possible Hebrew origin of the Mesoamericans. Also of interest, given the novel's year of writing, are the constant tirades against slavery, and for equal rights & representation.... probably not a popular novel in the southern U.S.

The Johnny Maxwell Trilogy. Terry Pratchett

The Johnny Maxwell Trilogy
by Terry Pratchett.
Doubleday: 1992, 1993, 1996

Humorous trilogy, geared for teens:

Only You Can Save Mankind. Johnny is sucked into a video game world, while the country is bombing Iraq. What is war and why are there rules? What does it mean to kill someone? Do fighter pilots feel like they're playing a game?

Johnny and the Dead. Johnny tries to save the local graveyeard from being built upon by a mega-corporation. The spirits become "free" because of Johnny and eventually don't care about the graveyard, because they're ready to leave. Johnny still wants them there because their history is important.

Johhny and the Bomb. Local bag lady has shopping-cart time machine, which Johnny must use to save the town from being bombed during WWII. The lesson here is that all of your actions have consequences.

The whole triology has great side-kicks, and are well-told stories. Thought-provoking yet humorous.

The Rise & Fall of the Third Reich. William L. Shirer

The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich
by William L. Shirer.
Simon & Schuster 1959.

A huge book of equal significance. Shirer was a journalist who spent much time in Nazi and pre-Nazi Germany, and his personal insights add to the wealth of information contained in the book.

Beyond doubt, this is one of the best books I've ever read; yes, partly due to the inherently fascinating topic, but also due to Shirer's ability to explain complex situations in a comprehensible way.

Interestingly enough, even Shirer admits Hitler's genius, and it is phenomenal to watch him rise from a nobody to arguably the most powerful man in the world. It almost becomes tragic to watch his personal, military, and political collapse. This sense is partly due to Shirer's objectivity; during the whole "Rise" book, Hitler seems to be merely a radical politician.

The "Fall" book becomes a bit tedious - even though Shirer stays away from a lot of the military history, some is of course necessary. However, his continual focus on the political history of this period really makes the long book a relatively fast read.

Hitler was undoubtedly a madman, and his physical deterioration assuredly indicates mental deterioration, yet at the same time, he was amazingly successful in most of his endeavours. What really stands out are the few bad military decisions he made - if not for those . . . ? Would we be living in a world of daily terror, and would our innate capacity for evil be nutured by the state?

Twelve Trains to Babylon. Alfred Connable.

Twelve Trains to Babylon
by Alfred Connable.
Little, Brown: 1971.

Jon is a spy, transferred to America several years ago. His job is to transfer messages or suitcases from one place to another. He is part of a vast network and nobody knows who anyone else is or what they do. All is well until a government agent discovers him and coerces him to find out who the other links in the network are. The network finds out he is discovered and needs to kill him in order to protect its secrecy. During all of this, he is also trying to decide which of two women he loves - and what is love, anyway?

Things get even more complicated when it is revealed that the spy network has been taken over by the mafia, and he has actually been smuggling heroin for the past several years. Soon, good guys become bad guys and vice versa, and multiple people have had the same identity. This book is very complex and slightly confusing, but it makes for one of the best spy novels I've ever read. A 'classic' suspense story that emphasizes the action and mystery rather than dwelling on gruesome people or graphic details as in most modern suspense stories. Very well written, and it is interesting to watch Jon change - again, it is refreshing to have a dynamic character is what is formally, at least, pulp fiction.

Tall Mass Markets?

In a move which will be enjoyed by consumers, many publishers are now binding books in a "tall" mass market size? These are on the same low-quality paper, and bound with the same low-quality binding, as your typical pocket book, but are about 3/4" taller. The good news is, the type is much easier to read - it's a little bigger and the space between the lines is a little wider. The other good news is that these "premium" mass markets are generally $10 new compared to $8 for a new traditional mass market or $15 for a new trade paperback. So, for a price closer to a mass market, you can enjoy the something close to the readability of a trade paperback or hardcover.

The bad news is that they don't fit on mass market shelving. Is this the new size that all pocket books will be made? Will bookstores around the world re-size their shelving? A quick glance at our paperback section reveals that the pocket books printed in the 1940s-60s were, in fact, 1/2" shorter than the pocket books printed since. So, this has happened once before. What is the deciding factor here? Are Americans' eyes failing? Are today's pulp novels just so horrendously long that no one can stand to read 400 pages of small-type anymore? Has the readership market changed from 1940s teenagers (with better eyesight on average) to 2000s retired couples (with worse eyesight on average)?

Or do publishers just want the extra $2 a pop? It is, after all, convenient for publishers that you get a book that's 10% larger for 20% price increase.

I will see what I can dig up, and keep you posted.

Guardians of the Singreale. Calvin Miller.

Guardians of the Singreale
by Calvin Miller.
Harper & Row: 1982.

This tale takes place on a world akin to Eden: people are vegetarian, live for thousands of years, etc. The evil black-haired (the rest have gray hair) Parsky tricks people into eating meat and is after a magic diamond which is symbolic of God's love.

This is the first of a trilogy, and suffice it to say that I will not be reading the next two volumes. Simple in plot, boring in characters, tedius in moral teachings, the book could effectively be read in an hour or two. Perhaps its biggest flaw is a lack of imagination: the only interesting thing are the tilt-winds which are powerful seasonal winds the locals use to go hang-gliding. Whoopee.

Up Against the Wal-Marts. Dan Taylor; Jeanne Archer.

Up Against the Wal-Marts
by Dan Taylor; Jeanne Archer.
Amacom: 1996.

Easy-reading book with 90% self-evident information: focus on customer service, keep costs low, plan and evaluate everything.

However, their points are often backed up with examples of how smaller businesses can compete with the retail giants. They also extensively elaborate on several points -- especially making sure your employees are as focused on customer service -- and able to provide it -- as you are. Another major point, though sort of passed over, is to use modern merchandising.

There is a good reference section on simple accounting reports and types of evaluations one can & should do, some worthless examples & tips at the end, and good background info on the big chains. I only wish this were more up-to-date with online retailing.

The Changeling. Alison MacLeod.

The Changeling
by Alison MacLeod.
St. Martin's Press: 1996.

MacLeod really wants to teach us about old wives' tales. This historical novel of the pirate Anne Bonny can't go a single chapter without reciting some such thing; at first it was good local/temporal color, later it became annoying.

Strangely written novel, possibly borrows from magical realism tradition. Anne comes across as a 1990's strong woman -- a cross-dressing experimentally lesbian womyn who "gives birth to herself" and can do whatever men do as well as they do -- yet, in the ultimate (unintentional?) irony, all of her actions are either directed by or reactions to men: her father, husband, or male lover.

As is often the case, the artsy-fartsy writing style, while interesting in its own sake, and done consistently well, ultimately leaves me distanced from both plot & character. And setting. Perhaps MacLeod's intention was a disconnected feeling, yet something so physical as piracy ought to be more tangible.

A Skeleton in God's Closet. Paul Meier.

A Skeleton in God's Closet
by Paul Meier.
Thomas Nelson & Sons: 1996

A fast-paced archaeological thriller about the discovery of Jesus' bones. Since it was published by a Christian publisher, the ending (the bones are a hoax) is a forgone conclusion, yet the book would really have been more interesting if it had not been a hoax.

The author is very concerned with teaching the reader about modern archaeological methods - a bit ironic, since some segments of Christianity reject any archaeological finding beyond 6,000 BCE.

At any rate, the bones' discovery necessarily rocks the Christian world. It is in describing the emotional and spiritual effects of the discovery that the author falls short of good writing -- the reactions are unbelievable, uninteresting, too simplified, or just plain dumb. Meier should perhaps stick to writing non-fiction, as that might be more his forte.

The European Discovery of America. Samuel Eliot Morison

The European Discovery of America: The Northern Voyages
by Samuel Eliot Morison.

S.E. Morison is renowned as a naval historian, and I fear it may be going to his head. Throughout this lengthy book, he peppers his rather dry history with scathing attacks on those unfortunate historians who have held a different opinion than himself. Very amusing.

If one were a sailor, one would get much more out of this book, which overflows with maritime terminology, exhaustive descriptions of ships and methods, and detailed analysis of the eastern North American coast.

Despite the above criticisms, this book is quite rewarding due to the obvious knowledge and research behind almost every sentence. The sailor's point of view that Morison uses often provides refreshing insight into people & events. And despite his frequent commentary, the book is loaded with facts about discoverers who aren't even mentioned in most standard American school textbooks. I probably won't re-read this one, but will keep it as a reference and brace myself (at some point) to read the second volume on the Southern Voyages.

The Moonstone. by Wilkie Collins.

The Moonstone
by Wilkie Collins.

One of my favorite boks of all time. Collins was a friend of Dickens, who acted in two lays written by Collins. Moonstone is described by T.S. Eliot as the first, longest, and best of English detective fiction. And rightly so.

Switching narratives as the story progresses, the book follows the Moonstone diamond's capture from India, delivery to young English woman, theft, and recovery.

Two things really stand out: first is the quality of writing - excellent characters, all believable, most a bit absurd - excellent shift in voices with changing narratives, concise plot (Collins was criticized for placing too much emphasis on plot, though I'd rather read a good story than a good description); second is a plot that gradually narrows your suspicions, yet never actually solves it for you until the end. Very unlike Agatha Christie, for example, who tends to make a puzzle rather than a book.

The Passion. by Donna Boyd.

The Passion
By Donna Boyd.

I do like werewolf stories, and this is a good one. The setting is turn-of-the-century (1900), and the plot is one of "pack" politics. The werewolf pack has become scattered over the centuries, and now two parties (each represented by one of two brothers) are vying for control: one wants to take advantage of the Industrial Revolution and work with humans (yet be in charge of them), and the other brother wants to exterminate humans. Caught in the middle is a human woman captivated by the "good" brother. He winds up marring the female pack leader, and sends the human off to Alaska with his brother for what he thought was her & the brother's conspiracy against him. These two find a lost werewolf castle and mate (which was not thought possible). The good brother realizes the woman was trying to protect his wife, so they set off to Alaska in search of her, only to wind up killing the bad brother. Whew, what a plot!

Most characters are done wwell, though we connect with none. Well written, thought a bit repetitive in general descriptions of werewolf attitudes.

The Thinking Machine: Adventures of a Mastermind
by Jacques Futrelle.

Originally written during the first decade of the 20th century, the Thinking Machine stories introduced one of the first story-book scientist-detectives (alas, they don't really make them like this any more.) Professor Augustus S.F.X. Van Deusen, a.k.a. The Thinking Machine, uses his great powers of logic and deductive reasoning to solve crimes and other problems.

These stories are great fun and although they require some stretches of imagination, they are on the whole well thought-out. The best puzzle was the secrety who was stealing company secrets by typing memos in such a way that her key strokes were Morse code translations of the memos she was typing. Awesome!!

These stories are written for grade schoolers, and are entertaining & thought-provoking. Interestingly enough, Futrelle went down with the Titanic. Lost with him were several unpublished Thinking Machine stories.

Crawlspace. Herbert Lieberman

Crawlspace
by Herbert Lieberman. McKay: 1971.

I read this book as a teenager and remembered it as scary. On this reading, however, the book is merely inane.

The flaw with this book is that the two 'adoptees' of the psychopath living in their basement do not behave within any boundaries of normalcy whatsoever. The novel is touted as one of "growing menace and terror" but is instead one of growing ridiculousness and boredom.

The psychopath is a fairly interesting character, however, although he's not really in the book too much as an interactive character. (Perhaps that's why he is good - the author didn't have a chance to wreck him.) The villain of the book (the corrupt small-town sheriff) is a boring stereotype who at best reflects the author's disdain of small towns.

The Woman Chaser
by Charles Willeford. 1991.

Richard, a used car salesan who thinks he's hot stuff, decides to make a movie with his step-father, an ex-movie director. He embezzles money from his boss to finance the thing which turns out to be 63 minutes long & brilliant (it's about people with dead-end lives but who can't see it.) But it's too short for the theatre and too long for TV.

His step-father sells him out to get his career back on track and Richard's pissed. He gets drunk, slashed step-dad's $100,000 painting, punches a knocked-up flame in the stomach, sets the movie studio on fire, and prostitutes a Salvation Army lady for $150, along with other bad things. Ends with his arrest.

Strange book, and strangely written: part script, part memoir, part story. Village Voice said: "Profound pulp with low sex and high energy." Not sure about the profound part, but still pretty good. I guess.

Bed-Knob and Broomstick
by Mary Norton.

A well-written little book for early or pre-teens which has apparently been made into a Disney film.

Three English children befriend Miss Price, a local witch, and blackmail her: they'll keep her secret (that of being a witch) if she gives them magic. She refrains from turning them into frogs (she's a good person, after all), and accepts the agreement by making their bed magical: it can teleport anywhere & anywhen.

Needless to say, the kids have various misadventures with the bed. Finally they bring a 1611 necromancer to the present time. He and the witch like each other, and she eventually moves back in time to be his wife. The book ends with the girl being able to see and hear the by now 300-year-dead Miss Price puttering about in the garden, happy with her new life.

Memoirs of an Invisible Man. H. F. Saint.

Memoirs of an Invisible Man
by H. F. Saint.

My penchant for invisible man stories has already been stated; this one is an excellent adventure. It is essentially an extended chase scene: man who becomes invisible after industrial explosion is hunted by government. But Saint has put a lot of thought into the details of how an invisible man could hide, and his efforts come off very well in a wholly believeable story.

My dad said he thought there was a lot of sex in the book - I hadn't remembered that the first time I read it, but noticed some now; nothing really extraordinary, and I'm a bit puzzled by his way of remembering the book. I just remembered being able to clearly visualize several scenes, and not wanting to put the book down.

The chase-plot works because the chase gets increasingly complex as the story progresses - at the end there is actually no physical chasing or hiding - just information chasing & hiding.

Full Moon. P. G. Wodehouse.

Full Moon
by P. G. Wodehouse

Read this on insistence of Diana who laughs hysterically every few pages when reading a Wodehouse novel. This book displays an ungodly amount of British humor - lots of slapstick, situation comedy, puns and other word play, etc., and entirely lacking in the great English tradition of satire. Some of the dialog is amusing, to be sure, but, as Diana always says, I was "underwhelmed."

Fade

Fade
by Robert Cormier

I love invisible man stories (and enjoyed Cormier as a teen), so it's no surprise that I found this book enjoyable. Here, the invisibility is genetic, passing from uncle to nephew in a working class family. Along with the power to turn invisible (fade), which comes along right when the boy is entering puberty, comes an evil little voice that tells him to do bad things.

Paul, the main character, has got sex on the brain, as do most boys. He's crazy about his aunt, on whom he spies and discovers with the local gangster. He is very jealous. He then spies on others, while in the fade, and witnesses pedophilia & incest. This gives him a pretty jaded view of life and he eventually kills the gangster who happens to have been indirectly responsible for hurting his father.

Next generation is Ozzie, from a broken home, who starts killing people he's mad at and causing a general ruckus. Paul eventually finds him and has to kill him. Last generation is nameless and kills lots of people en masse.

Excellent depiction of descent of society into violent chaos.

The Cure
by Sonia Levitin

A teen novel about cultural diversity, specifically anti-Semitism. A boy in the distant future, when everyone wears alike masks and chants "harmony is happiness," finds he loves music -- which is against the rules. The elders have to "cure" him by sending him to the past - Strasbourg in 1348 when & where anti-Semitism is rampant, and the Jews are being blamed for the Black Plague.

Like Snow Falling on Cedars, the racism in this book is always blatant: never the subtle & more devious (not to say realistic) sort. As a result, the book comes off preachy to an adult reader -- would teens be able to detect subtlety or do they need in-your-face depictions? I assume they are smarter than many authors give them credit for.

Unfortunately, the author is best at depicting the future world. The past world seems a bit lacking in authenticity (does that mean I think her future world is more authentic?); yet the bulk of the story is set in the past. Overall, however, a fairly interesting if not engrossing read that preaches that ethnic diversity is more difficult, but that society and its individuals would ulitmately be happier.

Snow Falling on Cedars
by David Guterson.

Winner of two mid-size awards, this very popular book is ultimately disappointing. In comparison to pulp mysteries it scores with better writing, but fails with plot. In comparison to "literature" in pales all around. The characters are flat with one or two defining inner conflicts, the plot is only vaguely interesting. What keeps this book going is its descriptions of small-town/small-island life. Although these depictions fall into ready stereotypes, Guterson at least gives a coherent rationale for their existence.

The writing is clear and easy to read. The plot revolves around a Japanese man wrongly accused of murder. Ten years after WWII, internment, Pearl Harbor, etc., tensions still run deep on this small island in the Pacific Northwest. The real guts of the story is supposedly a love affair between a white boy and Japanese girl before the war, but it is really quite uninvolving. I wish the Japanese guy had killed the other guy, just for some kind of interesting plot twist!

The Book of Sorrows
by Walter Wangerin, Jr.

The title nails it - this is a sad book. A sequel to the brilliant "Book of the Dun Cow", this book again displays the author's great writing technique in an allegorical tale of animals fighting Evil. In the "Dun Cow", the climax was a great war, and the "Sorrows" deals with the psychological aftermaths of the war, especially on Chauntecleer the rooster-pastor.

Beautifully written, though lacking much character development except a few (common to sequels, I suppose, though in this case, the main character continues to be a dynamic one). The main themes are the survivors' guilt, and loss of active faith: both of which are experienced by Chauntecleer who eventually must die for his sins.

Metaphors We Live By

Metaphors We Live By

George Lakoff & Mark Johnson. University of Chicago: 1980.

A fascinating study on metaphors. This is the kind of linguistics I like because by studying the language, you can get to philosophical 'truths.'

The authors use many examples of metaphors, such as LOVE IS WAR or IDEAS ARE FOOD, giving specific instances of each over-arching metaphor. But they are primarily concerned with our use of metaphors as concepts - if we use the LOVE IS WAR metaphor, our reality is different than someone who uses the LOVE IS A JOURNEY metaphor.

The most interesting thing (a tangent, really) about their theory is the realization that within these conceptual metaphors, such as ARGUMENT IS A BUILDING, are unused specific metaphors, such as "his argument had many small rooms", that can still be understood. Attention, all poets!

The book, although not very interestingly written, contains some great content. A definite keeper to re-read if I ever find myself becoming too settled in my thoughts.

The Exploration of Space

The Exploration of Space

Arthur C. Clarke. Harper: 1951.

A non-fiction book by Clarke endowed with the same optimism inherent in most science fiction. He is not only sure that space exploration is possible with current technology (true), but that it will be a Great Endeavour that all humankind will rally behind (not yet true).

Imagine being a SF writer on the cusp of space exploration, though! It's amazing how much we knew about space travel in 1951 -- as if we just lacked the money, courage, or inspiration to do it.

Many of Clarke's predictions have come true - and although they may be obvious to us today, they may not have been half a century ago. The International Space Station is in orbit, though it is behind Clarke's time table. Just for fun (probably), he brings up some interesting points about alien life-forms at the end.

John MacNab

John MacNab

John Buchan. Wordsworth Classics: 1986.

A fairly short but entertaining adventure/mystery about three men, bored with respectable life, who go to the country and challenge their neighbors that "John MacNab" will poach an animal from their estate during a given time period of three days.

Of course, there are minor subplots, and some fun characters, but the bulk of the story is the planning and execution of the stunts. It has the same intellectual stratagem of a mystery, the excitement of a suspense novel, and a LOT of Scottish colloquialisms.

Yes, this is fun, but the former English major in me cannot resist seeing the Christian Trinity in the MacNab three-in-one persona: father (loss of innocence plot), son (fish miracle plot), and Holy Ghost (power of love plot.)

Bully for Brontosaurus

Bully for Brontosaurus

Steven Jay Gould. Norton: 1991.

A collection of essays for the popular/ist scientist. One reason for his success as a popular writer is that he is a great storyteller. He can also truly explain complex ideas in an accessible manner. However, his success has created a noticeable ego, his Harvard professorship a certain supercilliousness, and his absolute faith in his ideas a little too-zealous evangelism.

His essays, however, which usually stay on the topic of the history of science, can be quite interesting (though occasionally not). He is always sure to bring out the moral of the story (and rest assured they always do have a moral - a sort of Aesop for undergrads.) The moral is usually: never belive in something too much because the inexorable progress of science may eventually disprove it. Yet, Gould is no more able to follow this advice than the rest of us. He does, however, readily admit to mistakes he has made in the past (better than most of the rest of us, perhaps?)

June 4, 2005

Cat's Eye

Margaret Atwood. Doubleday: 1989.

A dry and witty novel about a 50-ish artist looking back on her life. Atwood is at her best when describing the early childhood of Elaine: the innocence of the child clearly comes through. Abused by a childhood "best friend", the adult Elaine keeps thinking she'll run into her former tormenter Cordelia while she's back in Toronto for an art show.

Good enough to be a "modern classic": it is very good, and Atwood packs in the thematic subtext. Yet she pokes fun at all of this: Elaine's artwork, when seen from her perspective is largely autobiographical. However, when the art critics dissect her artwork -- lots of long words, high-falutin' stuff -- they do so much to Elaine's amusement. Just goes to show that 90% of criticism comes from the critic, not the work.

June 4, 2005

A Tale of Two Cities: The Mormons, The Catholics

William Taylor. Little Red Hen, 1980.

Written by a post-Vatican II Catholic with many Mormon relatives, this book compares and contrasts some of the beliefs and viewpoints of both religions. One of the main differences, according to the author, is that Mormons view the Bible and other texts as literally true, whereas Catholics view the Bible contextually. What this boils down to is that you can shoot holes in the Mormon claims, but the Catholic viewpoint is never nailed down because they can always hide behind the "mystery" of Catholicism.

The main LDS work cited is Mormon Doctrine which, of course, is not approved-by-the-church-doctrine. The entire two thousand year history of the Catholic church is ignored (unlike the 150-year history of the Mormon church), saying only that the Church has sinned, but that now they're a bunch of believers. A bit lopsided, I'd say.

June 4, 2005

A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies

Bartolome de las Casas. Penguin: 1992/1552.

Written by the "Friend of the Indians", Las Casas was the first & perhaps fiercest critic of the Conquest and Spanish colonization of America (though, I was later to find out, this opinion only developed later in his life. He was always, however, all for Spanish presence in America, for the purpose of instructing the natives in the Christian faith.)

His account rarely gives names of the conquistadors and usually stays away from gruesome details. His estimates of casualties are notoriously & grossly exaggerated in his favor. Overally, an interesting read in conjunction with other narratives. The book was widely read at the time and has greatly influenced Europeans' view of this period of history.

May 28, 2005

Fanny Hill

John Cleland. Wordsworth Classics: 1993/1748.

One of the early works of Western erotic literature, this novel, in two parts, follows the adventures of a country maid who goes to London and becomes a prostitute. Heavily idealized: she is always well paid, well treated, gets no diseases, never becomes pregnant. At the end, when she catches her man, she spouts off for a while about how much better it is with someone you love, and how much more pleasure is derived from Virtue rather than Vice: a questionable conclusion coming from someone (this applies to the author as well as the character) who so clearly relishes giving full detail to her life's erotic adventures.

Great line "me, whose natural philosophy all resided in the favourite centre of sense." Reminiscent of de Sade: reliance on the sense to develop a philosophy. Indeed, and perhaps some interesting conclusions may be drawn, this is the same groundwork of empirical science, which was blossoming roughly at this time; and both empiricism and eroticism were both heavily attacked by the Church.

May 28, 2005

Divine Rest for Human Restlessness

Samuele Bacchiocci. Biblical Perspectives: 1994.

Written by the first Seventh Day Adventist to graduate from some Catholic university in Italy, this is a poorly-written combination of historical research, SDA apologetics, and popular writing. He would have been better off (and the best parts of the book are) writing just the history of the Sabbath and Sunday worship. As it is, his clear slant and the odd philosophical questions he pops in the text weaken the strength of the research. I'd much rather see history written from as detached a perspective as possible. Or, if that is too hard to manage, I'd like to see some of the contrary viewpoints considered thoughtfully.

Overall, it is best to read the first chapter, and the last section "From Sabbath to Sunday" both of which are very interesting.

May 28, 2005

Vanity Fair

William Makepeace Thackeray.

A contemporary of Dickens, and Vanity Fair being his masterpiece, Thackeray displays an equal though not as subtle wit to Dickens, with similar social commentary running through both authors' works.

This is the tale of two women -- one is pure & good, the typical timid & meek woman, the other (the more engaging Becky) is poor and struggles constantly toward fame and fortune by lying and Machiavellian schemes. A very long novel, but reads quickly due to the interesting characters. Even though Becky is rarely portrayed doing anything good - and when she does, it is almost always for selfish reasons - the author clearly enjoys her character as much as the reader does. I am always rooting for her to achieve the success she longs for.

Well, eventually, she does in a way, and even makes a generous gesture towards Amelia, whom she had much abused in the past. Happy ending, fun reading with some truly great moments along the way.

2005 update (this was originally written in 2000): Glad this classic has been made into a popular movie & created a new generation of readers for the book!

May 23, 2005

Fanfan

Alexandre Jardin. St. Martin's Press.

A very amusing story which pokes fun at erotic literature and love stories a la "Romeo and Juliet. "

A young man finds himself vacillating wildly between his steady, down-to-earth fiancee, and the luscious Fanfan whom he has just met and mentally declared to be his one true love.

Instead of trying to get together with Fanfan, though, he wants to make their courtship last a lifetime and indefinitely postpone the first kiss, believing that once a relationship is established, it will inevitably grow stale.

Jardin makes use of multiple layers of fantasy on various characters' parts to expand the ever-growing absurdity of the plot.

The story has a happy ending when Alexandre's grandfather-figure tells him: "grow up."

May 23, 2005

Song of the Black Witch

Elizabeth Barr. Playboy: 1981.

Although surprising well-written for a gothic romance, this novel does not rise above its genre. Orphan girl, mysterious powers, young love, frigid wife, big house, every sex act gets someone pregnant, obstacles die, and couple are united.

It always frustrates me to see the characters in "historical" fiction judged by today's standards. The good guy is a sensitive liberal, and the bad guys are greedy conservatives. Why not acknowledge that people did have different values 150 years ago? This is what Angle of Repose did so well.

Nevertheless, Barr has drawn some very good minor characters, who do fit into the setting better, and who are of some interest.

May 23, 2005

Toxin

Robin Cook. Berkley: 1999.

Called by the AP a "heavyweight of a book" and the "most socially significant work" of Cook's, and recommended by my father as making him want to stop eating meat, this fluff of a novel centers around a jerk surgeon whose daughter dies from e coli. We're supposed to feel for him because he doesn't have the money to fix his 10-year old Mercedes, and the poor guy can't sell his Tudor house in the city.

This book must be loved by the meat industry. Instead of the plot line being created by a run-of-the-mill health hazard violation, this thing starts by two greedy backwards hicks and an evil corporation with a secret committee that kills people who ask too many questions. Thus, the story takes place in fantasy-land instead of the heart-land. We're left with the feeling of relief that any danger to/from our meat can only come from psychos, not from the way things really are.

The writing is atrocious, plot inane, characters flat. The only saving grace is the nice medical descriptions of the dying girl, as bad as that sounds.

May 5, 2005

Halo

Tom Maddox. Tor: 1991.

What in the world is this? Some strange mix of cyberpunk, pseudo-Eastern mysticism, and 60's hallucinogenic utopia. Plot revolves around an orbiting computer which controls a biosphere-opia. It wants to absorb the soul of a dying man so it can evolve to the next step of machine intelligence. Questions such as what does it mean to be intelligent or to have a soul are dealt with only in superficial ways - or buried in so much mumbo-jumbo as to be meaningless.

May 2, 2005

Mastodonia

Clifford D. Simak. Del Rey: 1978.

An alien possessing innate powers of time travel crash-lands (guess he's not as good at space-travel) on Earth one million years ago, only to be discovered by an archaeology professor who is then visited by his ex-girlfriend of 20 years ago who immediately sleeps with him. Fortunately for Asa, Rila has "business sense" and they work out schemes to make big money - all of which collapse when the alien Catface "evolves" into a higher life-form, but he fortunately leaves Asa with the time travel ability.

Simak may never be known for the quality of his writing or coherence of his plots, but at least he has been prolific.

I am always disappointed with time travel books that don't consider the consequences of, say, shooting a bunch of dinosaurs, but this did have an interesting little subplot about Christians not wanting them to travel to Christ's era. Which reminds me, this whole business of someone being transformed into what is described as "a god" and being the only one of its kind on a planet smacks of one of the more far-fetched tenets of some Mormons, and I wonder if there's any connection?

May 2, 2005

Angle of Repose

Wallace Stegner. Penguin: 1971.

A sad, hopeful, and beautiful book about a paralyzed man writing a 'biographical novel' about his grandparents - discovering the truth about them & himself along the way.

As corny as it sounds, this is actually a powerful book. Most of it are chapters from the narrator's book-in-progress about how his parents tried to conquer & tame the West, but are eventually defeated - and only survive because of his grandmother's art and stories that she sells to the East Coast.

Even though Lyman (the narrator) pokes fun at Susan's (grandma) over-developed sense of "local color", this book oozes it, and it is for the most part exquisitively written.

Much of the action occurs along romance-novel lines (such as one Susan writes and Lyman belittles), yes the significance of Susan's, Lyman's, and Lyman's young assistance's reactions and interpretations give the book a hearty substance.

May 2, 2005

They Speak with Other Tongues

John Sherill.

Ostensibly an unbiased report on the charismatic/Pentecostal movement, the book is actually an apologetic work for it.

The history of the Pentecostals was quite interesting, although romanticized. One neat little tidbit that the author freely admits is that the charismatic revivals didn't really start until the turn of the century. Since then, they have spread and are becoming more accept by the "establishment" as genuine supernatural experiences.

The author tries to establish a scientific basis for the phenomena, but all he is able to come up with is hearsay and speaking in tongues that sounds like a language even though no linguist can identify it. However, the author has a break-through one day and overcomes his self-consciousness by yelling "Praise the Lord!" and letting "words" come out of his mouth - and voila, he's converted.

His wife never is.

April 9, 2005

The Russian Revolution 1917-1932

Sheila Fitzpatrick. Oxford: 1987.

A small book that is written so succinctly that it packs in enough information to boggle the mind. This is, however, a very readable history of the Russian Revolution & Civil War. Fitzpatrick clearly shows the underlying social, economic, and political issues during this turbulent time. This Russian culture is very foreign to a modern American, yet the book allows us insight into the minds of the various social groups within Russia.

Truly the Revolution seems to have been a great idea gone horribly wrong, although the author is careful to avoid much moralizing, and tries to point out Western interpretations vs. Russian interpretations.

April 9, 2005

The Onion Field

Joseph Wambaugh. Delacorte, 1973

The "true crime novel" of the first execution-style killing of an L.A. Police officer.

Starts off very slowly with background information on the four major players. The night of the actual crime is interesting, but the book doesn't really get good until the aftermath of the crime (about halfway through the book.)

The two killers, unfortunately for the author, are so well and extensively dealt with in the book, that we almost feel sorry for them - it's not their fault they're sociopaths and lack the ability to feel sympathy or remorse, is it? The author makes a few tear-jerking attempts to keep our sympathies with the two cops, but ultimately, it is the killers whom we will remember.

March 26, 2005

The Screwtape Letters

C. S. Lewis.

A series of letters from "Uncle" Screwtape to his dear Wormwood reveal the thought-processes behind the tempting of humans to sin. The junior demon Wormwood gets in trouble as his "patient" becomes a Christian, falls in love, and dies suddenly, going to Heaven.

Very cleverly done, it is a bit difficult to read, since we are so used to the opposite perspective. However, Lewis makes some very astute remarks and insights into human nature and the challenge of Christian living.

Lewis probably didn't want to develop too much a vision of this beaurocratic Hell, but the few off-hand comments about Hell and the personalities involved (i.e., Wormwood trying to turn his uncle in for heresy) are vastly entertaining.

(p.s. don't you love how I read this right after de Sade?) :)

March 26, 2005

Justine: A Philosophical Romance, or "The Misfortunes of Virtue"

Marquis de Sade. 1791/1963.

This is supposedly "for the first time translated from the original French" version. Hilarious book. De Sade loves to tack a seemingly good moral at the end of various episodes, but he clearly revels in the debauchery and libertinism of his scenes, and he devotes so much time to the development of logical rationalizations for the villains' actions. Justine/Therese's 'virtues' and the conclusion of the story are tongue-in-cheek attempts to placate the good Christian reader more than anything else.

The villains' underlying philosophy is two-fold: first, that we are of nature and therefore everything we do is natural, and second, that good and evil must always be balanced, and since society is always urging people to be good, the villains take it upon themselves to do bad, which feels better anyway.

March 19, 2005

The Broken Spears: The Aztec Account of the Conquest of Mexico

Miguel Leon-Portilla. Beacon Press: 1962.

Leon-Portilla draws from numerous indigenous accounts of the Conquest of Mexico. He introduces briefly each chapter, then lets the natives speak for themselves.

It is interesting how much the Aztec life was dominated by omens, prophecies, magic. Everything that happened had been "foretold", yet the mixed signs (and his advisors' advice) clearly were confusing to Moctezuma and may help explain his actions. The Aztec account shows none of the fight or cunning of Montezuma that the Spanish accounts do.

Also of interest were the accounts by the allies of the Aztecs and the Spanish.

The book ends with some Aztec poetry that is truly moving, and reminds one of the unimaginable suffering caused by the complete destruction of their city, history, gods, and culture.

March 19, 2005

Mystery of the Ages

Herbert Armstrong. Worldwide Church of God: 1985.

Armstrong is one of these people who developed his own religion after reading the Bible and interpreting it himself. The result - The Worldwide Church of God - is a mix of sound theology and far-out hypotheses.

The main difference from standard Protestantism is that he believes in God's Law and that Jesus did not "update" it. The Church of God is a training ground for people who, because they are true Christians following God's Mosaic Laws, will be the governing class when Jesus returns for the Millenial Reign. After this, they become God-beings: part of God's family. They can then go "fix" other worlds that were mishandled/ravaged by the angels, as Earth was before God created Man. (Sounds like a fun mix of Jehovah's Witness plus Mormonism.)

Lots of good information on the history of various sects is in here. A good interesting read, but I'm not sold.

March 12, 2005

The Case of the Borrowed Brunette

Erle Stanley Gardner. Walter J. Black: 1946.

This is the first Perry Mason novel I've read and I was reasonably impressed with the writing style and the story itself.

It seems to be more of a "story" than some mysteries, but less of a drama (read: soap opera) than others - a happy medium, perhaps. No real interesting stylistic manoeuvering or symbolism, but at least the story is clear and concise.

The case involves impersonation, murder, theft, adultery, blackmail, gambling. The whole gamut, I suppose. The plot line, however, pulls you through a lot of the miscellanea, and it is interesting to see Perry Mason's guesswork and hypotheses (not always accurate) develop along the way.

(Also of note is Mason's age and description being not at all similar to the TV program!)

March 12, 2005

Wieland & Memoirs of Carwin

Charles Brockden Brown. Kent State University Press: 1977.

Brown is touted as the first American professional novelist. Wieland was first published in 1798, and by the early 1800's, Brown started writing more articles and essays, since his novels weren't doing too well.

Although Wieland is a gothic novel, it differs from the norm in a few ways. The woman's romantic attachment is not the cause of all these horrors (nor her saviour from them), and although there is a special building, it is a garden pagoda, not a haunted house. There is a villain, of course, who creates seemingly supernatural events (through biloquism), but he is neither the murderer nor the sole cause of evil, as her brother turns out to have gone insane - or religiously inspired - and kills his family.

I liked the book, but was dissapointed in the epilogue which seems tacked on to an otherwise brilliant ending, just to give closure to a few points better left open

March 5, 2005

The Bible Unmasked

Joseph Lewis. Freethought Press: 1926/1957.

Lewis is a devout Thomas Paine disciple (and wrote a book proclaiming Paine to be the author of the Declaration of Independence) who puts his faith absolutely in Science, and who has quaintly conservative morals (perhaps exaggerated for this book) about sex and sexual situations.

In this book, he goes through the Bible and re-tells some of the stories that involve rape, incest, prostitution, adultery, etc. In most instances, the incidents are indeed as written, but in a few stories -- such as the dirty deeds of the Virgin Mary -- he reads between the lines to draw his conclusions.

His whole point is that the Bible is a lewd book which should not be read to children. He follows the pattern of Twain in which his form of persuasion is often in the form of humor to make the point.

Whatever one may think of the conclusions, the book is highly entertaining, not only because of the scandalous Bible stories themselves, but also because of Lewis' running sarcastic commentary.

March 5, 2005

Ancient Mexico: An Introduction to the Pre-Hispanic Cultures

Frederick Peterson. Capricorn Books: 1962.

This book is essentially a lengthy encyclopedia entry: a bit dry to read, but filled with the most amount of general information in the least amount of space.

Peterson clearly has passion and appreciation of the art and artifacts of the precolumbian cultures, and is therefore most interesting to read when he discusses these items. His book is so fact-filled, however, that any page will be of interest.

March 5, 2005

The Maze of Mormonism

Walter Martin. Vision House: 1978.

Although I find the Mormon religion quite fascinating as a curiosity, I am by no means a Latter-day Saint apologist. However, Dr. Martin's attack on Mormonism and the LDS church is illogical in many places, overly biased throughout (a little bias is okay, if not healthy, but Martin goes overboard), and just plain dull in several chapters. With the wealth of weird, contradictory, secret, can-be-made-to-seem-Satanic beliefs, theology and history of the LDS church, one would hope that a much better book could be written.

An ex-Mormon himself, Martin is too close to the issue to write a very powerful book: he gets lost in little details about history, rather than exploring either the significance of the history or the big theological issues and their implications. His insistence to rely upon the Bible as a foundation from which to attack is the wrong stand to take, since Mormons accept it only as far as it has been "translated correctly." The LDS church makes no claim to believe the Bible is 100% accurate, so why bother? Martin should step out of his new Christian shoes and jump into the Mormon framework to expose its weaknesses.

One of the appendices is quite interesting, though.

February 26, 2005

My Name is Izzy

Izzy Covalt. Strawberry Hill Press: 1999.

Izzy Covalt is the founder of Izzy's Pizza, a local & Northwest chain. Her autobiography has a straightforward and personal style.

Born during the Depression on a North Washington farm, her life as a child was tough. Although her life gradually improved, largely through her own determination, she still had to deal with a bad marriage decision, the death of her second husband, and a long fight with alcoholism.
Having met Izzy in 2000, I was struck by her shyness and apparent insecurity - her book concentrates more on her toughness.

February 25, 2005

The Library of Congress

Charles A. Goodrum. Praeger: 1974.

Although one might expect a very dry text -- this is, after all, a history and explanation of the Library of Congress -- this book is actually quite fascinating and full of good information. The sheer size of the LC, the enormity of their tasks from cataloging to writing speeches for members of Congress to research to preservation, is truly awe-inspiring.

When this book was written, the LC was disappointed with what computers were able to do; or, rather, with what they were not able to do. So, the reliance on an incredibly complex card catalog continued. I would love to see how the LC operates now that it is most assuredly computerized.

It is also interesting to realize that the LC is really meant for the Congress -- and that although it by defaul fulfills the role of a National Library, it is not meant to be one.

February 18, 2005

Pearl of Great Price Commentary

Milton Hunter. Stevens & Wallis: 1948.

Although a logician might find fault with the circular reasoning used throughout the text, this book is truly fascinating for the non-Mormon, as it describes many of the unusual beliefs of the religion, as well as providing some historical information on the religion, its texts, and of course, Joseph Smith.

After reading about mummies, ghosts, other planets, and spiritual beings, one can't help but wonder if this was all meant as a great joke; is Eden really in Missouri? was South America really settled twice by Europeans and Mid-Easterners? But Joseph Smith's autobiographical writings seem quite sincere, so who knows if he really thought he was (or if he actually was!) visited by angels, and was actually translating "reformed" Egyptian.

One can also understand why non-Mormon Christians might view the Latter-Day Saints as deceived by Satan -- joy at the Fall of Man, ascendency to Godhead, etc., are not exactly traditional Christian concepts...

February 18, 2005

The Midwich Cuckoos

John Wyndham. Michael Joseph Ltd: 1957/1977.

Short sci-fi novel concerning the implantation of aliens into the wombs of the entire female population of a small town. The town and government conspire to keep this a secret from the rest of the world. The babies are born and raised, and after a period of time, the townspeople discover the children have extraordinary powers of persuasion and ESP. Finally, the children admit to being a superior species, and, yes, they plan to take over the world. Fortunately, they are blown up by the kamikaze action of the man whom they had viewed as somewhat a father figure.

I realize the British are a bit more reserved than we Americans, but the very non-chalant attitude toward these creatures that have shiny golden eyes, that grow and develop much faster than humans, and that control people's actions is a bit too much to accept.

February 10, 2005

Bleak House

Charles Dickens. Houghton Mifflin: 1956.

Truly a masterpiece, and one of the best books I've read. It has the usual Dickensian coincidence, humor, outrageous characters, social commentary, and pre-detective novel plot twists galore, but it is all presented in such excellent form as to surpass the other works of his I've read.

The story revolves around an orphaned girl (told in first person at times) who becomes connected with Mr. Jarndyce, whose surname is best known for Jarndyce & Jarndyce - a suit in Chancery which has gone on for two decades and destroys anyone who becomes involved.

In spite of the fact that it has taken me a long, long time to read, I hope to have the pleasure of re-reading it someday.

February 10, 2005

This Present Darkness

Frank Peretti. Crossway Books: 1988.

A Christian fiction, spritual warfare novel. Revolves around a small town being taken over by an evil rich man who is into Eastern religion/witchcraft/devil worship/pagan rituals (no distinction is ever made - anything not along the narrow path is lumped together in one evil structure.) Angels are called by prayer and protect the humans and kick some demonic butt.

Overall, a very good novel with ordinary by somewhat dynamic characters. I think the author fails on two points: first, the demons, with their 'human' flaws and weaknesses are more sympathetic to the reader than are the perfect - and perfectly boring - angles; second, the angels' ultimate victory in the end is not due to "prayer cover" as the book states, but due to these same imperfections and vices in the demons! Although still a good Christian message, it is not at all what the author intended...

February 3, 2005

Beyond Greed: The Hunt Family's Bold Attempt to Corner the Silver Market

Stephen Fay. Penguin: 1983.

"Silver Thursday" was the first day since "Black Monday" to earn a special designation by the financial world. This book gives a very detailed historical analysis of the events leading up to it.

Fay does an excellent job of explaining some of the inner workings of a confusing and complex issue. This history reads like a thriller, a similarity which is supported throughout by some incredible personalities. Although Fay is careful to state when he is speculating (no pun intended) on certain issues, and although he has to use a little poetic license, the real people and real events are shocking! Some of the best parts of this book involve transcriptions of dialogues between various government agencies. Also, when he shows the reader how very different the billionaire Hunt family's reality is than ours, Fay is able to paint a magical world.

February 3, 2005

The Girl in a Swing

Richard Adams. Signet: 1981.

The New York Times quote on the front cover declares it to be of "beautiful, haunting, erotic love and an absolutely terrifying ghost story." Although these are certainly elements of the novel, this quote seems to be cheap American sensationalism on a story that truly deals with some of the larger issues in life - the extents to which we go for love, the ability of religion to express true spirituality, and forgiveness of our own and others' sins.

There is definitely a New Agey, humanistic approach to some of these ideas. There were several instances where Kathe is described in very similar terms as Rima of "Green Mansions" and one can't help but wonder if the "Green Mansions" era was similar to "Girl in a Swing"'s era.

January 27th, 2005

Father's Arcane Daughter

E. L. Konigsburg. Atheneum: 1976.

Teenage novel about a woman who claims to be the long-lost & kidnapped daughter, and the effects of this claim on the family. The teenage son and handicapped pre-teen daughter have a very close relationship which is interesting to watch change, complete with realistic conflicting emotions in the boy.

The book is, in the end, perhaps too simplistic: the stepmother has kept the handicapped child secreted away, thus making her more socially & emotionally handicapped, and therefore making it more important to keep her separate from society. However, in the context of the novel, especially as it is written for teens, it works well enough.

A curious side-show is whether or not the father really believes the returned daughter is his - and the semi-incestuous feelings he has. Not really sure what the author is driving at with this.

January 19th, 2005

Atticus

Ron Hansen. HarperCollins: 1997.

Well-written novel that keeps you guessing. Suicide? Murder? Suicide? Although the main sequence of events is fairly easy to determine, this is a mystery that is not meant to be a mystery. Rather, it is the relationship between conservative, rural, meticulous Atticus and is youngest son, Scott, an artist frequently drunk. Scott's mother died in a car accident: he was responsible and has never gotten over it. A move to Mexico ends with his death . . . or does it?

Atticus - the only truly compelling character - meanwhile is able to forgive, albeit quite stoicly (is that a word?), and only wants his son to know that he loves him.

Hansen is at his best when describing Atticus when he is along and going through his daily routines. He is portrayed with a touch of loneliness, but also with comfort in the familiar.

January 13th, 2005

The Forest and the Sea

Marston Bates. Time, Inc.: 1964.

Bates' catch-phrase for his book is "the economy of nature and the ecology of Man." A biologist whose specialty is mosquitoes, Bates has written a refreshingly accessible, philosophical survey of biology. His humble confusion as to certain basic principles is most illuminating (i.e., where does one draw the line between organism and environment?)

The book follows a linear progression of comparing forest to sea, to studying organisms in their environment, their relation to the environment and other organisms, and finally to humans - our environment and culture. Bates wrote at a time when a certain awareness of the damage humans do to their environment was just coming to light in popular culture.

An ardent evolutionist, he sees human culture as natural, yet also as un-natural. His honest attempts to reconcile this difference end with the idea (not his own, he admits) that man must extend ethics and morality beyond our dealings with each other: we must be ethical and moral towards our environment.

January 7th, 2005

Bedelia

Vera Caspary. Dell, 1960.

Although the cover calls this a mystery, it is more accurately labeled a gothic novel, for all of the elements are here, with a modern twist: the man is the one who must figure out the mystery. Everything else is standard: the old mansion, a dark and stormy night, the protagonist questions his sanity and thinks the worst of his mate.

Written in 1945, this novel has some interesting thoughts on Ellen, a career woman, and Charlie, an upper-class man who nevertheless must work as an architect to earn a living. Other characters display hostility or subltle derision towards these two, but the author is sympathetic, and in the end (after Charlie forces his wife to commit suicide), they get together.

The author at one point laughs at her genre - Bedelia makes up ehr past and her name based on the ridiculous plot lines and absurd names of the romance and gothic novels she reads! Perhaps a silent plea for a bit of normalcy to the genre - yet she is betrayed by her own plot!

January 4th, 2005

The Thousand and One Nights

Translated by Edward William Lane, rev. by Stanley Lane-Poole.

Harvard Classics: P.F. Collier & Sons.

The basis of the story is a newly-wed queen must tell her king a wonderful story each night or he will kill her. This becomes quite complex, as the characters in her stories tell stories in which people tell stories, etc., so that one winds up with an intriguing hierarchy of tales. The importance of the story is paramount - which makes sense not only in the framework of the story itself, but also when the stories were written (13th century) - a largely pre-literate time when oral story-telling was an art.

The tales are pure fantasy, often involving great wealth, fair damsels (always compared to the full moon), strange creatures including the Jinn, and always a Sultan or two. God is repeatedly praised and invoked, and the characters verbally exhibit a fatalism and resignment to God's will; yet, their actions frequently reveal a strong desire to change their rueful destiny.
One note of interest is the differences between these versions of Aladdin and Ali-Baba and the modern understanding of them.

December 20th, 2004

Our new year's resolution will be: to post a book review at least once a week!! Many of these reviews will be my (Scott's) own. My interests lean towards nonfiction, but most of my favorite books are novels. I have two ways of selecting a novel to read: I either read a very popular or very well-recommended author/title, or I will read something that has an unusually high value - I figure it MUST be good! Just because I've reviewed a book doesn't mean I have in stock, would recommend it, or even like it - in fact, there are plenty of reviews you'll see that involve serious book-bashing. Enjoy!