I fancy myself as something of an armchair psychologist and so books like this always appeal to me. The cover tells me that 1 i...moreMore of a 2.5 really...
I fancy myself as something of an armchair psychologist and so books like this always appeal to me. The cover tells me that 1 in 25 Americans are secret sociopaths and asks who the devil is that you know, so I was looking forward to surreptitiously scrutinising my acquaintances for signs of no conscience. It's easier said than done, even superficially. Although the statistics would assume that I know at least a couple, it's hard to assign something like lack of remorse to people as I can't really imagine any of them - even the most destructive and awful of them - being a true sociopath. Except, predictably, those currently in Government.
This book was easily accessible to a layman like me, especially when looking at the potential makings of a sociopath (nature vs nurture) and coming out with interesting points (such as the effect of war on the psychological make-up of countries. With Genghis Khan being the sort of guy who slaughtered all he vanquished and fathering tons of sons, apparently now 8 percent of people currently living in the region of the former Mongol empire - 16 million - apparently have a genetic predisposition to genocide).
However, at times this also felt repetitive and some of the anecdotal evidence felt like hammy writing, along with a little too much focus (for me) on presenting sociopathy as a battle between good vs evil. Apparently desiring to put a stop to the damage Stout sees done daily by sociopaths, who she sees as the biggest danger to the world and ourselves, this tipped too much into "Won't someone think of the children?!" for my liking. Even if every now and then she'd do a complete 180 and start banging the drum of understanding and shedding tears over how awful it must be to live without an emotional life.
A good primer, but I'd have preferred it had it come with less of an agenda, and less hysteria.(less)
"There she is, sir, just under the sprits'l yard. Tops'ls: maybe mizen t'garns'ls. Close-hauled, I take it."
Nope, me neither. But you know what? This...more"There she is, sir, just under the sprits'l yard. Tops'ls: maybe mizen t'garns'ls. Close-hauled, I take it."
Nope, me neither. But you know what? This book is such ruddy good fun that it really doesn't matter - I spent most of my reading time with a huge grin on my face when I wasn't laughing. Life's been a bit rocky lately, and this did a fantastic job of cheering me up and keeping my mind occupied, which was just what I needed.
Spending the first third of the book on land, the 'Jane Austen for blokes' tag has never fit more as Jack and Stephen become entangled in a love triangle (or rather, quadrangle) by the grasping Mrs Williams attempts to find husbands for her girls. Personally, I think the only people they should be considering settling down with are each other - and if Stephen wants me to stop imagining smutty happenings between them then he really needs to stop calling Jack 'my dear'. With Jack not doing nearly so well on land as he does on sea, I loved Stephen's theories of tars on land and the psychological problems of day to day life (Maybe I should have been a sailor? Apart from being terrified of the sea, sharks and authority)
Needing to escape his debtors (which he does, rather awesomely, by (view spoiler)[disguising himself as a dancing bear (hide spoiler)]) Jack needs a ship, any ship, and is grudgingly given the Polychrest, a dog of a boat with the strange habit of going backwards when her sailors want her going forwards, as well as having a constantly shitfaced ape on board, amongst other problems. Other highlights include Jack saving a sailor from a shark, which he's rather blase about - does it all the time apparently, Stephen hitting the laudanum when his friendship with Jack is tested (that bloody Diana Villiers. She doesn't deserve someone as awesome as Stephen. Only Jack is good enough) as well as his bringing thousands of bees on board.
By the time we reached Plymouth (which I always take as a personal shout-out) I didn't think my smile could have been any broader, but having just cheered a mate on in the marathon taking place on "that sparse barren dismal grass-plat they call the Hoe", when Stephen "looked out of the cabin at the water of the Sound, oily, with the nameless filth of Plymouth floating on it" I was tickled pink by his assessment of my hometown:
"So much wretchedness, misery and squalor I do not believe I have ever seen collected together in one place, as in this town of Plymouth. All the naval ports I have visited have been cold smelly blackguardly places, but for pox-upon-pox this Plymouth bears the bell. Yet the suburb or parasite they call Dock goes even beyond Plymouth, as Sodom outran Gomorrah."
Starting off particularly well, with Harry hugging a box of puppies and running from some purple monkey demons flinging explosive poo (definitely one...moreStarting off particularly well, with Harry hugging a box of puppies and running from some purple monkey demons flinging explosive poo (definitely one of the most memorable opening moments I've read), this was another great instalment of Harry for me.
Taking on a case for his friend Thomas, the possibly shady vampire, Harry gets dragged into a mess involving gruesome entropy curses, porn stars and succubi. Oh, and Mavra, the badass Black Court vampire that he came up against a while back, is gunning for him. Luckily, Harry's got a few friends that have his back.
And by the end of the book, a couple of new additions to his household too - both of which I heartily approve.(less)
I should probably start this review by admitting that if you are looking for something intelligent or insightful to be said about this book you should...moreI should probably start this review by admitting that if you are looking for something intelligent or insightful to be said about this book you should probably look elsewhere, as not only am I still slightly agog at how brilliant it is but I'm also quite likely to descend into fangirl wibbles fairly soon. I should also probably confess to the fact that I previously knew sod all about this period in our history, and the people who ruled us, other than what I have gleaned from Horrible Histories (and even then it's mostly the songs I remember, particularly this one - spoiler alert!)
A big, fat book, I put off reading this one for ages, daunted by not only the size but its reputation, its many awards and the fact that I somehow thought it was going to be heavy going, ever so clever and very dour, while hearing rumours of hard to follow dialogue. However, while I did find it handy to read with the cast of characters beside me initially, I now regret not having picked this up sooner as it confounded every one of my expectations and was more than worth the effort.
Putting flesh on the bones of the many names and events that I'd previously only been slightly familiar with, this charts the rise and rise of Thomas Cromwell as we're taken through the fall of Cardinal Wolsey, the great annulment/divorce debacle and the union of King Henry VIII and Ann Boleyn, the growing enmity between Henry and Rome, the birth of Elizabeth and the hopes for male heirs, the changing spiritual and political landscape of England, the changing fortunes of Sir Thomas More, the squabbling and maneuvreing of the preeminent families of the land and a host of other things besides, and every last second of it was utterly fabulous.
Clever, funny, beautiful, shocking, lovely, terrifying, and a wealth of other things besides, I'm now bereft that the book didn't go on forever as I could have continued reading it for eternity. I now wish every book I read could star Cromwell, fantastically cunning bitches like the Boleyns, grasping and calculating nobles, religious maniacs, superstitious monarchs and some cracking verbal sparring, and am impatiently awaiting the minute I get my mitts on Bring Up The Bodies while being ever so grateful to Is, who insisted I should read it.
After The Age of Innocence and now this, I'm starting to wonder if Wharton's husband secretly fancied her cousin.
In an intense tale that made me feel...moreAfter The Age of Innocence and now this, I'm starting to wonder if Wharton's husband secretly fancied her cousin.
In an intense tale that made me feel as trapped as its protagonist, Ethan Frome is bound by poverty in a harsh life on a pitiful farm in a small rural community, married to a mean and hypochondriac woman. It's small wonder his wife's poorer cousin, brought in as help for Zeena (the wife) looks so appealing. But when it looks as though Mattie is to be sent away, Ethan's predicament becomes even more awful.
As excellently written, though a lot more depressing than The Age of Innocence, this packed a surprising amount of weight for such a small book and, while I'll probably give it a while before I pick up more of Wharton's work, I'll definitely be reading more.
A Victorian scientist transports himself 800,000 years into the future via his Time Machine and arrives in a version of our world which on first glanc...moreA Victorian scientist transports himself 800,000 years into the future via his Time Machine and arrives in a version of our world which on first glance would appear to be a utopia, peopled by a simple and child-like race called the Eloi. But they're not the only ones populating this future world and the Eloi live in fear of the Morlocks, a subterranean and violent race.
Instead of Mankind evolving into ever better versions of ourselves, humanity has divided itself in reaction to the growing disparity of the classes, with the rich becoming ever more refined and indolent, leading to the Eloi who are now prey to what has become of the ancestors of the increasingly brutal poor, the Morlocks.
I've somehow managed to go my entire life without any familiarity whatsoever with the many adaptations of this story, and so was pleasantly surprised to find that it wasn't just an adventure story. The gap between rich and poor was huge in Wells' time and so his speculation on what might become of mankind is a nice little nightmarish piece of social commentary that is still rather relevant (especially as that gap is widening again in the present).
I expect that if this had been one of my first forays into science fiction I would have rated it higher, but I can't help but bring my own reading history to it, and as such I would have liked a little more meat. (less)
Well, that was exciting! And fun, and quite possibly taking a turn toward the epic...and I'm now even more excited for the rest of the series.
Harry's...moreWell, that was exciting! And fun, and quite possibly taking a turn toward the epic...and I'm now even more excited for the rest of the series.
Harry's still broke, but that's not his only problem. For one, a Duke of the Red Court of vampires has turned up and challenged Harry to a duel. For two, the Turin Shroud has been stolen. Three, assassins (both demon and otherwise) keep trying to take him out and four, Susan's back in town.
Throw in not one, not two, but three Knights of the Cross and some big hints about Harry that we weren't clear on before - just who did his mum run around with? And could he really (view spoiler)[be immortal, as Nicodemus implies? (hide spoiler)] - and throw in that he's now (view spoiler)[in possession of a holy sword (it's my bet that it's gonna go to Murphy - I remember that vision of her as an avenging angel from a few books ago) (hide spoiler)] and you have one of the best entries yet, with a promise things are only going to get bigger and better from here on out.
Kurt Vonnegut seems to have the rare gift of packing more ideas, power and profundity into his books than other writers who toil over thousands of pag...moreKurt Vonnegut seems to have the rare gift of packing more ideas, power and profundity into his books than other writers who toil over thousands of pages in an attempt for the same effect. I dangle his books in front of me like a carrot - something to always look forward to, a treat only to be savoured every once in a while, to make it all the more special.
Mother Night doesn't disappoint. American Howard W. Campbell Jr was one of Nazi Germany's greatest propagandists. He was also a spy. Now facing trial for war crimes, does the fact he didn't truly believe in what he was saying make him any less guilty of his role in the deaths of millions? Is he his secret self - a hero? Or is he what he did - a villain?
Thought provoking, powerful and compelling, I read this in one sitting as I was completely unable to put it down. I don't think I'll leave it so long before I allow myself my next carrot.(less)
And so we come to the end of a great fantasy trilogy that I've had trouble putting down, full of intrigue, emotion and characters I could both believe...moreAnd so we come to the end of a great fantasy trilogy that I've had trouble putting down, full of intrigue, emotion and characters I could both believe in and root for (as well as many that I wanted to tear apart with my bare hands), tinged with sadness and ever so bitter-sweet.
I spent much of this book willing Fitz either not to be so bloody dense, or to tell everyone around him to get bent. After everything he's been through, with yet more and more flung at him in this, the attitudes of those who supposedly cared for him (apart from Nighteyes and The Fool, my favourites) really started to piss me off. Have you not had enough out of him already folks? Kettricken, Starling and Kettle (particularly Kettle) wound me up by constantly insisting he was an ignorant fool, but then refusing to illuminate anything for him. I'd make a terrible fantasy character as instead of not only putting up with it, but giving even more as Fitz did, I'd have told them all to swivel on my middle finger before stomping off into the woods and taking my wolf with me.
After everything endured in this series, I did find the ending a little rushed and anticlimactic, but it's a small flaw in something that held sway over me for so long. I'm glad to see there are many more Robin Hobb books for me to get into next!(less)
Another 4.5, this one is as unputdownable as its predecessor although I did have to put it down for a day, much to my consternation.
King Shrewd isn't...moreAnother 4.5, this one is as unputdownable as its predecessor although I did have to put it down for a day, much to my consternation.
King Shrewd isn't so shrewd these days and King-in-Waiting Verity spends his time attempting to battle the Red-Ships still raiding the coast, while those they've Forged are getting ever closer to Buckkeep. Prince Regal continues to bastard about and is in the process of dismantling the kingdom around them as he furthers his ambitions, and making life harder and harder for our Bastard.
While reading this entry was even more frustrating than Assassin's Apprentice, given all that's getting relentlessly thrown at Fitz (and his denseness around the Fool. Listen to him you fool - he's told you loads more than you've picked up on, plonker!) this is only because I'm so ensnared by the intrigue that abounds in the Six Duchies and care about the characters we've been following (as well as some newbies - yay for Nighteyes!). I'm loving to hate the villains of the piece and can't wait for their comeuppance, and want lots more of the Wit.
More of a 2.5 really, this takes a look at the real lives of the town and people on Deadwood (which this assumes familiarity with) and provides a bit...moreMore of a 2.5 really, this takes a look at the real lives of the town and people on Deadwood (which this assumes familiarity with) and provides a bit of background colour. Not much though, and I would have preferred something a lot more in-depth, but it did also provide some pointers for further reading.(less)
Hmmmm, well, er...bit hard to pin down, this one...
Vernon Little is from a small Texan town, Martirio, and his best friend has just shot up the school...moreHmmmm, well, er...bit hard to pin down, this one...
Vernon Little is from a small Texan town, Martirio, and his best friend has just shot up the school before turning the gun on himself. With the culprit dead the town, the cops and the media turn to Vernon, who they've already decided is also guilty as it fits better with the narrative playing out on their TV's, where they're now small-screen stars too.
At equal turns compelling and frustrating this almost worked for me as Vernon has a brilliantly bitter voice, but the more ridiculous things became on the way to the climax the less I enjoyed it.(less)
I've been listening to Prince since before I can remember. With my mum being a huge fan with an extensive back-catalogue, not a day went by that his m...moreI've been listening to Prince since before I can remember. With my mum being a huge fan with an extensive back-catalogue, not a day went by that his music wasn't heard in our household. By the time I was old enough to really listen to music, instead of it simply being background noise, I soon realised that Mum's Prince records were music in a way that Dad's collection of Mariah Carey, Kenny G and Phil Collins could never hope to be, and my life-long love affair with His Purple Highness really started to get underway.
Whether writing songs so sexy they can knock you up just by listening to them, spiritual introspective grooves, songs with a social conscience or floor-stomping funk, Prince has been hugely important to music with his influence still obvious now (TV On The Radio's Dear Science is one of my favourite albums of recent years, and definitely owes him a large debt). His battles with Warner (the record label who, when first presented with the Purple Rain album, apparently reacted with: "What kind of fucking record is this, with a bunch of strange sounds?", the fuckwits) may have made him something of a joke in the media but his fight for artists' rights and ownership of their own music, as well as innovation when it came to other methods of distribution, have left a lasting impact on the recording industry (who are only now coming round to the fact that they can no longer force music fans through an outdated business model and are struggling to change the model to suit the new landscape).
An extensive overview of the Sexy MF's career, there's nothing really new in here except for the most casual of fans, though it's still an enjoyable read with a refreshing lack of 'everything he does is fantastic' reverence which sometimes mars star biographies (Crazily creative and prolific, it's undeniable that there have been lows as well as highs in his musical career, although I'm of the opinion that even his most mediocre work still kicks the living daylights out of 99% of what we're subjected to in the charts these days. I'd rather listen to Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic than any amount of American Idol/X Factor finalists, or Coldplay) although if you're looking for anything particularly insightful, you'd do just as well trawling the internet for the old interviews that this was stitched together from. (less)
Being well on my way to becoming a shut-in, I bought the majority of my Christmas presents on Amazon. To assuage the guilt over handing over large amo...moreBeing well on my way to becoming a shut-in, I bought the majority of my Christmas presents on Amazon. To assuage the guilt over handing over large amounts of my money to the tax-dodging swines I also got this for my kindle (currently 77p on said site). It had one point to make, and it made it well.
Continuing my journey through the Discworld I spend some time outside of Ankh-Morpork, and find it less irritating than the wizards, but not as good a...moreContinuing my journey through the Discworld I spend some time outside of Ankh-Morpork, and find it less irritating than the wizards, but not as good as the witches or Death.
"Not last night but the night before, 24 robbers came knocking at my door. As I went out, they went in, and hit me on the head with a rolling pin"
Tha...more"Not last night but the night before, 24 robbers came knocking at my door. As I went out, they went in, and hit me on the head with a rolling pin"
That's the version we used to skip rope to when I was a kid, but thanks to Mr King it's even creepier now that it's the Tommyknockers coming to do an Invasion of the Bodysnatchers. That's right, instead of a supernatural threat this time it's aliens menacing a small town in Maine, and ticking two of my 'things that freak me out' boxes - body horror, and something taking over your mind...
Initially I struggled with this one, partly because of my own shaky state when beginning and partly due to just how drawn out Part One of the book is - essentially a two-hander taking us into the minds of old friends Bobbi and Gardener, as Bobbi stumbles over something on her land and feels the compulsion to dig. Either I got better around Part Two, or the book did, as we saw the wider effect Bobbi's discovery was having on the town.
With one of the effects of the Tommyknockers being a staggering array of gadget invention, King clearly had as much fun making these up as I did reading about them (even if some bits of this did threaten to make the book jump the shark at times - the killer Coke machine dragging me out of my nail-chewing reading and making me giggle stupidly instead, being one of these). I also found the self-references a little more jarring in this - while some of them worked within the context of the story they're starting to come a little thicker these days, and I found the IT reference in particular unnecessary, reminding me that I was in the act of 'reading' (instead of my usual feeling with King's books that I'm an invisible bystander in the town, unable to stop what's happening). However, King wins out by keeping things so deliciously creepy all the time that small niggles can't sink it.
A tale of 90's Brixton, starring Elfish - a spectacularly filthy (not just long unwashed, but prone to vomiting and urinating all over herself and sti...moreA tale of 90's Brixton, starring Elfish - a spectacularly filthy (not just long unwashed, but prone to vomiting and urinating all over herself and still not washing or changing, and yet still able to find people willing to go down on her!), lying and manipulative, completely appalling person who has a dream: to stop her ex-boyfriend from claiming the name Queen Mab for his band by reciting the Queen Mab speech from Romeo & Juliet before his gig.
Bullying and deceiving whoever could help her on her way, it's odd to find yourself hating the main character as much as I did, and yet still enjoying the ride...(less)
Like me, Harry's had a rough time of it lately. Unkempt, exhausted and prone to bawling like a baby (also like me at the moment), he's still restlessl...moreLike me, Harry's had a rough time of it lately. Unkempt, exhausted and prone to bawling like a baby (also like me at the moment), he's still restlessly searching for a way to undo the changes wrought upon Susan in the last book. On top of this he's being held responsible for the war brewing between the Red Court of the vampires and the White Council, and people (and things) are trying to assassinate him every way he turns. So the last thing he needs is to get drawn into intrigue between the Winter and Summer Courts of the Faeries, but drawn in he is.
Losing the saintly but dull Michael and making way for allies such as Billy the werewolf and his alphas, and Toot-Toot and his tiny pizza-loving posse, this was as entertaining and intriguing as I've now come to expect. I even started to like Murphy this time around.
Another great entry, I'm looking forward to continuing my adventures with the series but will be putting off for a little while...my present mental state is having difficulty even facing the mild peril and stress faced by a fictional wizard so I'm off to even shallower climes for a while.
Following Fool Moon with this, it seems Harry's gone from one breathless and desperate situation to another, as we move on from werewolves and onto gh...moreFollowing Fool Moon with this, it seems Harry's gone from one breathless and desperate situation to another, as we move on from werewolves and onto ghosts and vampires. Poor fella must be knackered.
Taking familiar figures and once more giving different sets different traits (like the many species of werewolf in Fool Moon, the different vampire courts all have different powers and strengths), it makes for exciting reading as I can never quite guess how we're going to get to the ultimate smackdown. Character-wise I continue to enjoy Bob the most, and while I'm not full of affection for the 'Fist of God'-ly Michael I did enjoy Thomas as a counterpoint.
Thinking of Michael, I was a tad irritated at the way he was introduced as if we should know who he was - is there some side short that I needed to read? If so, that's annoying.
A 4.5 really, this was leagues ahead of the first book in the series, possibly by taking every flavour of werewolf (some of my favourite paranormals e...moreA 4.5 really, this was leagues ahead of the first book in the series, possibly by taking every flavour of werewolf (some of my favourite paranormals ever) and flinging them all in. We've got loup-garou's, lycanthropes, hexenwolves and more...and it's awesome.
There's little to no downtime in Harry's world as instead we race from scene to scene and plot point to plot point, but I rather appreciated the lack of flabbiness (possibly because I've read some lesser books in the genre lately, which were mostly flab) even if I did miss seeing more of Bob the Skull (who works in a similar way to one of my faves - Bartimeaus - though not quite reaching his levels of snark).
Being in the middle of a high stress period, overworking and with not time for much reading, this also kept my attention perfectly in the short bursts of me-time I had, and I may continue in this vein while my employers see if they can make me get sectioned before Christmas.(less)
A 3.5 really, this is what Macbeth might have been like had the three witches been Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg and Magrat Garlick (the two latter bei...moreA 3.5 really, this is what Macbeth might have been like had the three witches been Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg and Magrat Garlick (the two latter being additions to Discworld that I wholeheartedly approve of).
Fun and undemanding with lots of lovely in-jokes, here's hoping I get more witches in my Discworld-reading future and less wizards...(less)
In which we learn my favourite character's first name, and I have conniptions when I think he's leaving us for good.
Artemis' father is now back, saved...moreIn which we learn my favourite character's first name, and I have conniptions when I think he's leaving us for good.
Artemis' father is now back, saved by Captain Holly Short in the last book, and things are going to be changing. For one thing, Fowl Senior would like the family to go straight from now on, so Artemis is in a rush to finish one last job before his dad gets out of the hospital.
Unfortunately for our (anti) hero, the job goes wrong when the fairy technology he stole from the People is stolen from him in turn, and he'll need the help of a certain LEP Officer and a centaur tech-genius to get it back and save the People from discovery by people with even less scruples than he...
More excellent fun which acts brilliantly as brain sorbet (I'm reading a table-breaker of a book at the same time), and a lovely perk-me-up for when things started to bog me down.(less)
A great introduction to what promises to be a fun series, this is a boisterous naval adventure set during the Napoleonic Wars in which our protagonist...moreA great introduction to what promises to be a fun series, this is a boisterous naval adventure set during the Napoleonic Wars in which our protagonist Captain Jack Aubrey dashes up and down the Med in the sloop The Sophie taking 'prizes' (basically, being a pirate with his Madge's blessing), ranting about papists, playing violin, getting roaring drunk, yelling indecorous things at posh parties and cuckolding his betters.
Knowing absolutely nothing about sailing (other than it's done in boats, on water), none of the jargon meant anything to me (even when it was explained by one kindly character or other) rendering whole sections completely incomprehensible, and yet I still couldn't help finding it all wildly enjoyable. This was all down to the style employed (very much Jane Austen, for blokes) and the characters - particularly Jack and his BFF Dr Stephen Maturin who, despite the constant book obsession with denouncing buggery, gave me immense slashy fun. I also got a few unexpected prods back into the reality of things back then, via a crew made up of young boys and pressed men along with the odd officer, dodgy medical treatments and questionable hygiene (need to cut up your roast beef, Doctor? Just wipe off the scalpel you used to dissect a dolphin), and what it might have been like on deck of a boat engaged in a battle.
Good stuff, I imagine I'll be coming back for more soon.(less)
More like a 3.5, this provided welcome respite and much needed brain bleach after The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty as we enter the world of Anne Elliot...moreMore like a 3.5, this provided welcome respite and much needed brain bleach after The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty as we enter the world of Anne Elliott, a more mature heroine than the usual in Austen, and the only member of the Elliott family that isn't immediately and completely awful. Having been persuaded by a family friend to relinquish an engagement to one Captain Wentworth years prior to the book, we join her at a time when he is about to be reintroduced, and the usual to-do ensues.
With the usual brilliant characterisation and eye for the less flattering ways people have of carrying on, this one did however lack any real tension for me. It's not that I was ever in any doubt as to whether or not previous heroines were to get their happy-ever-after, just that those priors got to interact with the object of their affections more which perhaps increased my enjoyment of their journeys to the resolution.
Still, it was nice to lose myself for an afternoon amongst a world of drawing rooms and being indisposed by rain, minor falls being treated as life-changing, death-inviting events, constantly visiting neighbours and fretting over rank and precedence.(less)
It's here, it's here! Having pre-ordered this for my Kindle, I felt a little like a kid at Christmas when I woke up this morning and found it sat ther...moreIt's here, it's here! Having pre-ordered this for my Kindle, I felt a little like a kid at Christmas when I woke up this morning and found it sat there, waiting for me. I'm a little bit excited about this. Possibly too much - I'm slightly worried that my stratospheric expectations will leave me disappointed, but Mr Abercrombie's not let me down yet.
Before we start, some thoughts. I'm sincerely hoping that all previous the talk of Logen having gone back to the mud was just that - talk. After all, we didn't see him die, did we? So there's a little chance that maybe, just maybe, we might bump into him again shortly...? Shall we find out? Aaiiee!!
Whew. However many pages, a few near panic attacks and some lumps in the throat later, and we're done. And we're sad about that.
Delivering some pretty hefty blows to faces both familiar and new as Shy South takes off on the trail of the men who burned her farm and stole her brother and sister, with her cowardly (heh) old step-father Lamb in tow, the Far Country proves to be very red indeed. And a touch Deadwood-y too (if you took out the more upright characters and replaced them with more swindlers, thieves, liars and psychopaths), as rumours of gold bring scores of people rushing to settle the land.
Always brilliant, often surprising, and forever making you question what outcome you could possibly hope or wish for, I wish I could read books as good as this forever. So hurry up and write another one, Joe!
A fascinating look at the rich and chequered history of Bedlam, as well as our changing attitudes and treatment of the mentally ill.
Abounding with man...moreA fascinating look at the rich and chequered history of Bedlam, as well as our changing attitudes and treatment of the mentally ill.
Abounding with many facts and anecdotes about asylum life, I was astounded at the shocking cases of appalling treatment and the management of the asylums, both from the days when better off and bored visitors could trawl through the hospital, awash with drink, gawping at the poor maniacs in their chains for a fee, right up until its more modern incarnation.
Particulary interesting around the treatment and perceptions of women, we're now a far cry from the days when it was thought that our wombs travelled around our bodies causing hysteria, but not so far from the 'delightful' and deranged opinions of the Victorian men working in the fields of psychiatry. From Dr Edward Tilt, who:
"regarded menstruation as so dangerous that it should be retarded for as long as possible, with the aid of cold showers, meat-free diets and the wearing of drawers. He maintained that feather beds and novels, on the other hand, could only hasten sexual maturity."
and who:
"regarded menopausal women as pitiful creatures, and the idea of their partaking in sexual intercourse ridiculous and absurd. Husbands of menopausal women were advised to withhold their conjugal rights, and he recommended that any stirrings of desire should be treated with ice-cold douches, ice enemas and the aplication of leeches to the labia."
to the even more deranged Dr Isaac Baker Brown, who introducted clitorectomy as a cure for female insanity, and who was:
"convinced that madness was caused by masturbation and that by removing the clitoris he was saving women from a life of hysteria, spinal irritation, idiocy, mania and death."
If you pay any attention at all to the (mostly male) politicians currently spouting off on women's rights, it seems we've not come so far as we thought...(less)
Vonnegut's first book, and while he hasn't quite developed his voice yet this is still a great little satire on the politics of mass production, labou...moreVonnegut's first book, and while he hasn't quite developed his voice yet this is still a great little satire on the politics of mass production, labour, radicalism and zealotry, as Doctor Paul Proteus finds himself knocked from his lofty position as Manager of Ilium Works and becoming the figurehead for a revolution.(less)
A decent true crime book following two detectives assigned to South Central over one summer in the mid-nineties and showing what an uphill battle both...moreA decent true crime book following two detectives assigned to South Central over one summer in the mid-nineties and showing what an uphill battle both they and the residents of South Central face in relation to the violence that affects the lives there. In an environment where a couple of homicides can occur an evening, in addition to the over-abundance of cases and mountains of paperwork the detectives are struggling through they also face scared witnesses refusing to cooperate, young people immersed in gang culture, strained relations between residents and the LAPD, and a media and wider population that seems happy to ignore the problems, as long as they’re confined to the ghetto.
Giving a face and voice to some of the forgotten victims and perpetrators of these crimes, I’d be interested to see how things have changed in the intervening years and, if they have, whether it’s for better or for worse… (less)
A strange stream of consciousness about squatting, pining for the lover that's left you, gods and goddesses, weightlift...moreUmmm, well....that was strange.
A strange stream of consciousness about squatting, pining for the lover that's left you, gods and goddesses, weightlifting, werewolves, finding a drummer for your band, cactuses, hallucinations, and some other odds and sods.
Still recognisably Millar, but left me a little perplexed and more sad and melancholic than with the usual grin on my face. (less)
More amusement from the pen of Mr Pratchett, that's only slightly marred by the fact that it focuses once more on Rincewind and the other wizards, who...moreMore amusement from the pen of Mr Pratchett, that's only slightly marred by the fact that it focuses once more on Rincewind and the other wizards, who all get on my tits. It does have Death and the Four Horsemen of the Apocralypse, amongst some other great peripheral characters, to save it though.(less)
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