This famous book is a bit spoilt for me by his uncritical quotation of the Chinese on the Uighurs. In Schafer's text too they are 'arrogant, haughty'...moreThis famous book is a bit spoilt for me by his uncritical quotation of the Chinese on the Uighurs. In Schafer's text too they are 'arrogant, haughty' and nothing else, their behaviour when in China enough to disgust a civilized person. He doesn't seem unfair on other ethnic groups, so this sticks out for me.
For the T'ang and the foreign, don't miss Ethnic Identity in Tang China, Marc S. Abramson(less)
Another book that changed my life and thoughts. It's fairly skimpy, and old, and I almost didn't bother, when I set out to research early war. Now it'...moreAnother book that changed my life and thoughts. It's fairly skimpy, and old, and I almost didn't bother, when I set out to research early war. Now it's my bible on the topic: the book I most trust, learnt most from. The answer (how violent were we in the past?) isn't simple: oh we were bloody, but not because we enjoyed to be. He uses much evidence from early-style societies that have survived into the modern age, with people who can tell us firsthand their attitudes to war and combat. And what they say opens or often pops your eyes.
In spite of the subtitle and blurb (sensational, and cynical, for the public) you learn the most bloodthirsty natives want peace, which is almost impossible to organise, and have nightmares about combat. It gives you heart, in fact, although no lies. (less)
Wonderful, if you have an interest in ethnic groups and China, and the troubled, ambiguous history of the foreign and foreigners in China. This book u...moreWonderful, if you have an interest in ethnic groups and China, and the troubled, ambiguous history of the foreign and foreigners in China. This book uses the word 'ambiguity' a lot, always a great sign, for me. If you're into the steppe, truly, this one's not to be missed. My copy is marked heavily and dotted with commentary like 'brilliant'. Particularly like the analysis of how the Chinese felt (ambiguously) about the type of the 'barbarian general'. The 'barbarian general' saved them again and again and they love-hate the stereotype - a stereotype they make, and the generals in question themselves often ham up. Fascinating stuff, I tell you. (less)
These were hard to get hold of. They've been a bit bagged, too, as uneven (scholarship-wise), but I found them worth the hassle. Large coverage of ide...moreThese were hard to get hold of. They've been a bit bagged, too, as uneven (scholarship-wise), but I found them worth the hassle. Large coverage of ideas: religion, science, the arts. Massive in scope, in fact. (less)
This is a tiny little picture book, and at first sight, easy to mistake as one for the kids. But it's great. The pictures, along with the highly intel...moreThis is a tiny little picture book, and at first sight, easy to mistake as one for the kids. But it's great. The pictures, along with the highly intelligent captions on them, give a wealth of cultural insight. The text, while short and not a full history, is written by a marvelous French historian, and he fits into this format a great deal of... I have to use the word insight again. And again say, you'll find out about cultural matters. Better than its size suggests and stuffed with art. (less)
In which he knuckles down to writing novels. He marries his stenographer who seems to be the doormat-type. Yes, but see the last instalment of his lif...moreIn which he knuckles down to writing novels. He marries his stenographer who seems to be the doormat-type. Yes, but see the last instalment of his life; and he's absolutely desperate to deliver his novels by deadline. Guess what the forfeit is if he doesn't? Abrogation of his rights to any profit from future works for the next ten years. So he hired a stenographer to go faster... and kept her. Most of the rest of this book is crit on the novels. What else did he have time for?
D. writes: "I am convinced that not a single one of our writers, whether past or present, ever wrote under the conditions in which I am continuously forced to write. Turgenev would die at the very thought." He also wrote, "My epilepsy has worsened so much that if I work for a week without interruption I have an attack, and the next week I cannot work because the result of two or three attacks would be -- apoplexy. And yet I must finish. That's my situation."
I find Frank's crit on the turgid side, but he's made me think of the novels as "ideological tragedies". I always knew they were about people driven mad by ideas, ideas worse than the people are: I guess he’s getting me more specific, as I slog through 50 pages on Crime & Punishment. Since Frank details the ideologies bubbling at the time, you see how Dostoyevsky extrapolated or pursued ideas to consequences no-one else had seen. Obviously people objected to that. 'Excuse me, we don't believe in knocking pawnbrokers on the head.' But that's the novelist's eyes, beyond ideology to what used to be called the universal human, eh? And why he makes sense to me, vital sense, and seems to be about ideas I’ve struck or half-had in my life, not what he found in a newspaper in Russia 1866. (less)
A fable. In wild old tribal days they made robot-slaves by means of a camel's udder skin that shrank onto their shaved heads and leeched memory. The 2...moreA fable. In wild old tribal days they made robot-slaves by means of a camel's udder skin that shrank onto their shaved heads and leeched memory. The 20th century is on its way to invent a robotics of people and create a happy State, says an advocate. Elsewhere, cosmonauts discover extraterrestrial intelligence: but what intelligence can be expected from the governments on Earth?
I liked his nostalgic descriptions of the Aral Sea, and of camels; I liked the fine old Kazangap, whom they go to bury. (less)
Huge and exhaustive. The only weird thing was, he dislikes almost every book of Flaubert's except for Madame Bovary, which he thinks the world hasn't...moreHuge and exhaustive. The only weird thing was, he dislikes almost every book of Flaubert's except for Madame Bovary, which he thinks the world hasn't yet sufficiently noticed. I lie: he greatly admires the Last Tales, too. I hate that in a biography - these are books I like, they can be liked, and a biographer ought to make the effort. Bovary's the one I didn't take to, but Bart has alerted me to its art and I'll try again.
In spite of this, I found very worthwhile to spend my time with Flaubert, a devoted writer, as the famous story of him and his comma testifies. (less)
Cheating a little; I've only read the essay on Victor Hugo, in a Kindle bundle of Hugo's works with criticism. But the essay was fantastic. One great...moreCheating a little; I've only read the essay on Victor Hugo, in a Kindle bundle of Hugo's works with criticism. But the essay was fantastic. One great novelist on another. Or writers of romances, for he examines Hugo's major fiction under the name of romances, which is what John Cowper Powys wrote too. Can we salvage that name, romance? I've wanted to, and this essay sort of explains why we need to. We don't have a word. (less)
I have a partiality for animal fiction, whether it's the type that explores the real lives of animals, or the type that uses their lives, mostly, to e...moreI have a partiality for animal fiction, whether it's the type that explores the real lives of animals, or the type that uses their lives, mostly, to explore us. It isn't an either/or; the animal fiction I like does both. This one isn't out to teach me about rats; though the setting, an islet called Inchgarvie near the great Firth of Forth railway bridge, with the remains of a monastery and a WWII gun emplacement, is extremely real and present, as the author grew up in these parts. He has notable descriptive powers, too.
It reminds me more of Duncton Wood than Watership Down. As in the Duncton novels, you see the very worst and darkest of behaviour; and if we were talking about humans in history as I know it, these atrocities might be too strong for my stomach, unless I want a punishing read that night. But give me animals, talk indirectly, and I can watch, while the terrible things creatures do to each other are seriously and sincerely put and explored. The Dunctons are warmly humane (I need that too) and I saw the author say of this one, "grisly, but with heart" which is true.
It's a great yarn. I ought to have said that first. A story of revolt against injustice. Twisted Foot the cripple is our hero. Rat society on Inchgarvie has settled into a tyranny, bit of a concentration camp but the only society these island rats know. They can imagine another, however, if they escape to the bridge and beyond. It's tightly plotted and works up the excitement; human business goes on at just the wrong times for the rats. It's neatly, effectively written.
I'd just like to say the she-rats are particularly oppressed and still in need of a she-rat revolution.
I wish we'd hear more from rat world. Author?
Notes: I sampled from Amazon but bought from Smashwords. Differences in formatting and typeface - better on Smashwords, I thought. It's as error-free as you can ask. (less)
Abandoned. Twice. I found an old bookmark in it at p.120; tried again for a group read and with more incentive got to p.248. But I'm fairly bored. The...moreAbandoned. Twice. I found an old bookmark in it at p.120; tried again for a group read and with more incentive got to p.248. But I'm fairly bored. The insane king of France I felt a strong pity for and I persisted for him. Otherwise I don't care about the people, while the plot only depresses me: it's about dukes' feuds, the elite houses of France in-fighting, and I can't care about the fight, either. Nobody's standing up for a cause I can sympathise with, it's just power-struggle, and that's rarely for me. The scenes are vivid - come across in a visual way, almost like a tapestry or a stained glass window, as you associate with the Middle Ages. I'd call that the strength of the book.
Two and a half. I want to give three, because I didn't dislike it, but that seems silly when I didn't finish. (less)
Lovely hardcover. The single copy of 'Beowulf' is part of a book with other tales of marvels and wonders. Whoever made this book had 'a fascination wi...moreLovely hardcover. The single copy of 'Beowulf' is part of a book with other tales of marvels and wonders. Whoever made this book had 'a fascination with the monstrous'. I always have, so can't go past this, and my resident expert says the translations are fantastic. It's original/translation on facing pages. (less)
Perhaps nobody has written on the Crusades like this since Tasso. And if Tasso is known for a gallows poetry, if he wallows in the terror and the pity...morePerhaps nobody has written on the Crusades like this since Tasso. And if Tasso is known for a gallows poetry, if he wallows in the terror and the pity, in his footsteps W.W. (less)
Abandoned p.38 We know there is hyper-violent HF out there; to go by the first 38 pages, this is one of the worst examples. Nothing else has happened b...moreAbandoned p.38 We know there is hyper-violent HF out there; to go by the first 38 pages, this is one of the worst examples. Nothing else has happened but grisly deaths by torture. The guy doesn't only gouge out the eyes, he bites through the eye-strings. (I've tried to visualise this ever since. I hope he's done his anatomical homework).
I direct your attention to a wonderful novel on Hannibal, Pride of Carthage. Nobody bites eye-strings. (less)
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