Marty has
277 books
(42 selected)
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| # | cover | title | author | isbn | isbn13 | asin | num pages | avg rating | num ratings | date pub | date pub (ed.) | rating | my rating | review | notes | recommender | comments | votes | read count | date started | date read |
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date purchased | owned | purchase location | condition | format | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0060764899
| 9780060764890
| 4.14
| 630,476
| 1950
| unknown
|
It’s been interesting to go back and reread C.S. Lewis and Tolkein this past year. For one, it’s nice to remember what made them legends. But it is al...more
It’s been interesting to go back and reread C.S. Lewis and Tolkein this past year. For one, it’s nice to remember what made them legends. But it is also nice—in a weird sort of way—to see the rawness of their stories. In the case of The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, I had not realized how underdeveloped and simple the story really is. Lewis gets his allegory off in fine form, and he has some interesting ideas for characters and the imaginary land of Narnia, but it all lacks a certain depth to it. I think a lot of that is because Lewis probably did not recognize the lasting influence of what would eventually be his master series—he was simply telling an allegory with the fun, but less important background of a story and characters. Regardless, the Christian allegory does have its strength (though in my opinion it could have been even more powerful with a heavier focus on the fictional characters rather than the symbols they are meant to represent). The characters grow more and more interesting as the story progresses, especially given the limited time we have with all of them. The best recommendation, of course, is that my children (to whom I read this time around) enjoyed it. While not super enthusiastic about it, they—and I—definitely look forward to reading some more. Which brings me back to the final, and lasting strength of Lewis’s tale: the land of Narnia itself. I guess the fact that we are all sons of Adam and daughters of Eve ensures that—somehow, in some way—we’ll be drawn into its stories again and again until the end of the series. (less) | Notes are private!
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1
| not set
| Mar 08, 2013
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Mar 09, 2013
| Paperback
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| 1406504149
| 9781406504149
| 3.17
| 489
| 1624
| Jan 01, 2006
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Sometimes reading is like a scavenger hunt for me. I pick up an old book, read and soak in the culture, meditation, and history that were a part of th...more
Sometimes reading is like a scavenger hunt for me. I pick up an old book, read and soak in the culture, meditation, and history that were a part of the author who penned it. And every now and then, when I do this, I come across a title or another author reference from that same time period, or as something that came before and inspired the work. So I search out and read that work or author, soak it in and look for more clues for future reading. Such was my experience with Francis Bacon’s The New Atlantis, which I found to be exactly the type of quirky, obscure literature that I love to find. In this case, the hunt was more rewarding than the actual literature itself … but that’s not to say that it was not a worthwhile endeavor. The story of some castaways happening upon a secret, yet highly advanced society on a remote, uncharted island is certainly alluring. And at first Mr. Bacon is able to set up the intrigue with just that same situation. Yet, while he may be many things—philosopher, astrologer, scientist—Mr. Bacon was not able to let The New Atlantis be his means of demonstrating his skill as a storyteller. At first he dispenses his ideas through some of the plot situations, but very rapidly he simply gives up all pretenses and simply has a few choice characters basically tell us what Mr. Bacon’s ideas about the ideal society are. By the end, Mr. Bacon has pretty much thrown out everything except quotation marks and journeyed on a several page treatise on the potential options for future sciences. Now The New Atlantis is an unfinished piece, and who knows if Francis Bacon were about to rein the monologues back in and then bring in a fascinating point of conflict before driving the whole thing to an impacting and meaningful conclusion that reflects back on all the ideas that he illuminated. Maybe. But my feeling is that by the time he got where he did, he realized that he had stopped telling a story, but also realized that he didn’t really want to give his ideas in story form … and so, he just stopped. Having said that, they certainly are noteworthy ideas, just as it was a noteworthy premise for a story. And I suppose if you put those two together that makes for at least an interesting read … if not a noteworthy one. I particularly enjoyed the explanation of the beginning and history of the fictional society, and then—albeit to a lesser degree—I enjoyed the vaguely pompous, though impressively accurate designations of the areas for improvement in all of the major, known sciences of the times. So, for the sake of completing a scavenger hunt of obscure, quirky literature, I don’t think you will find your time wasted. However, for a powerful work of historical speculative fiction … well, you can just wait for someone more story-centric to finish it some day. Or better yet, wait for someone to turn it into a movie. (less) | Notes are private!
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1
| not set
| Feb 23, 2013
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Feb 24, 2013
| Paperback
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| 0753454947
| 9780753454947
| 3.92
| 80,767
| 1880
| Sep 01, 2002
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Reading with my kids is really a selfish endeavor. I just want an excuse to either read childrens books I'd always meant to or revisit past worlds whe...more
Reading with my kids is really a selfish endeavor. I just want an excuse to either read childrens books I'd always meant to or revisit past worlds where a memorable part of my childhood dwelled. Heidi was the former, though as we read I vaguely recognized some story elements--though I'm not sure from what. Not that recognizing story elements took too much, since there isn't much too it. For that reason, things got off on a rocky start. Used to the simple language and brisk plotting of the Oz books (our last parent/children endeavor), the thicker reading and drawn out non-events of Heidi made neither reader (me) nor children eager for more. However, after we accepted the change of pace and relaxed into the slow-moving current, we began to enjoy the story well enough. I, particularly, found the description of life in the Alps glowing with mystical, simplistic, satisfaction--something somehow far more relevant to today's world than the one the Spyri originally wrote for. The shift at the book's halfway point took us away from the romantic (not "in love" romantic) portion of the story into plot territory, but things stayed interesting at least. Soon, though, it was time for the story to end, yet--much the same as the lingering beginning--the ending decided to delay. We lost our steam again in the last fourth and it took some discipline to finish. While that led to the completion of a protracted reading, to the credit of the novel, when I asked my six-year-old how many stars out of five she would give it, she eagerly threw up her open hand--willing to raise the other if need be. While I don't completely echo her enthusiasm, I can admit to finding it a pleasant story, with a simple, optimistic moral (perhaps unfairly simple, some might say) and with a setting worth hanging out in--even if it is for much longer than you'd expect.(less) | Notes are private!
| none
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1
| not set
| Feb 06, 2013
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Feb 09, 2013
| Hardcover
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| 0743273303
| 9780743273305
| 3.61
| 3,099
| 1623
| Feb 06, 2007
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This is the final of Shakespeare's Henry plays for me to read, and it feels as tired as any of the multi-sequeled, animated, straight-to-DVD movies th...more
This is the final of Shakespeare's Henry plays for me to read, and it feels as tired as any of the multi-sequeled, animated, straight-to-DVD movies that Disney puts out after each successful fairy tale. Just like those, however, there are glimmers of past glory and intrigue that make them at least watchable and at most enjoyable. For Henry VIII, this is the case in the first three acts. After those, however, Shakespeare is irritatingly tied by his modern day overseers. The only conflict in the play is resolved by act three, and then the rest is an effort to canonize the mother of Shakespeare's contemporary Queen Elizabeth (Anne Boleyn) and her predecessor Catherine of Aragon. Seriously, the play just starts picking up steam and interest … and then Shakespeare seems to say, "And that's all I'm allowed to write honestly. The rest will be filled with the over-the-top compliments to our current, capable-of-beheading-me-if-they-don't-appreciate-my-writing bureaucracy." Waste? No. There are some interesting, historical tie-ins, and some stunted character development. Powerful conclusion to a fascinating string of histories? Not exactly. And I think even our beloved, perfect, benevolent, charismatic, fearless, unmatchable leader Barack Obama (and his equally saintly mother) will agree with me on that count.(less) | Notes are private!
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1
| not set
| Jan 27, 2013
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Jan 29, 2013
| Paperback
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| 0439023483
| 9780439023481
| 4.44
| 1,583,180
| Sep 14, 2008
| Sep 14, 2008
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Once again, as has happened several times, the advent of the movie ushered in my reading of this book, a la Twilight and The Help. Still, though, it t...more
Once again, as has happened several times, the advent of the movie ushered in my reading of this book, a la Twilight and The Help. Still, though, it took me about as long to finally get around to reading this book as it took me to finally get around to watching reality TV shows, once they became the rage about ten years ago. And, much the same as I found reality TV shows fascinating, though a bit exploitative and not the highest quality, I found the same with Hunger Games. However, that last line may make my reading of The Hunger Games seem much more straight forward than intended. I can assure you that it was much more complicated than that. When it started out, I was pulled in by the interesting premise. I like games, and I like survival tales. Things were looking up for The Hunger Games. Then things started to flatline in preparation for the games: I wasn't as interested by this dystopian society/civilization, nor was I intrigued by the idea of kids violently killing other kids (yeah, cultural thing of mine, I guess ... also explains my distaste for Lord of the Flies). As far as the subtilized romance, I was on the fence for that one ... at least it was subtle. Then the games began. Things started to look up again. Survival started taking a more central role, and some strategy. And then finally, The Hunger Games took its slow, unraveling journey to the finish. Unfortunately, it was never destined to succeed (at least, not in a thematic sense ... financially I think I can admit that it turned out quite successful). Suzanne Collins's big problem is that she is trying to convince the audience that the exploitation the protagonist has to go through is morally and ethically wrong ... criticizing the whole reality show mentality, yet the medium through which she does that is one of exploitation of her characters, and subsequently audience, where the entertainment comes from the very thing she is trying, half-heartedly, to criticize. Yes, she does have some marginally effective jabs here and there. The conclusion of the game is one of the best, albeit a small nod compared to the rest of the narrative, which argues in favor of entertainment at all costs. Even then, however, before the conclusion she also orchestrated a conveniently hands off portrayal of the protagonist in this amoral universe, helping her to avoid making a moral decision that would either vindicate or condemn her--a bit too convenient for my taste. Fine, then. So why not let Suzanne have her cake and eat it too? you ask. No need for us to be snobs about it, right? I am the first to admit that I like to criticize reality TV shows, but I still have my favorites (though, there are some notable differences between TV shows and the book--volunteers vs. coerced, adults vs. kids, kicked off the show vs. death). The only problem is that the action, while it does have flashes of intensity, is actually surprisingly sparse ... especially in the games, where things seemed particularly sluggish. When I was more excited in the build up to the games than in the actual games, I think the author may have overreached a bit with her premise. Still though, is it a horrible book? No. It has some good writing. I was drawn in. Is it a terrible last half with all of those previously mentioned flaws? Naw. It worked as a story, though not for its purpose. Is it recommendable? I guess, though I won't be proselyting for it. Will I read the other books? With none of the promise of the original and more of the parts that never interested me ... nope. In fact, it may have convinced me not to watch the movie ... and to place another season of Survivor on my Netflix queue ... now that's entertainment.(less) | Notes are private!
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1
| not set
| Jun 08, 2012
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Jun 12, 2012
| Hardcover
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| 0543895149
| 9780543895141
| 3.96
| 9,857
| 1907
| 1907
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It was inevitable that L. Frank Baum's Oz books would run out of steam. I am simply impressed that they lasted past the first books, since the seeming...more
It was inevitable that L. Frank Baum's Oz books would run out of steam. I am simply impressed that they lasted past the first books, since the seeming nonsense story lines would only appear to hold up once. Because my kids and I had enjoyed reading the first two Oz books so much, we barreled into this one enthusiastically. And Baum fed our ambitious beginning. However, about half way through we struggled to gain traction, then there was a spurt of interest again before the story sputtered through to the finish. As always, when Baum's stories work, they have silly characters acting as humorous foils to the quirks of society. They also have characters fulfilling a set, underlying purpose, even if it is ridiculous. Ozma of Oz has its moments of these things. Unfortunately, it also has longer moments of forced or wandering narrative, places where it is clear the author was just trying to fit in characters or situations that would supposedly please fans, as they hark back to the other books, or where there is no clear purpose for the characters, so we have to wander through forgetful writing hoping to stumble upon the next important thing. All in all, though, the book had its great Oz moments, and my daughter and I enjoyed reading it. But it was noteworthy that, although I have access to the other books that follow, neither she nor I pushed to read the next. If that is the end of our adventures in Oz, I will still look back on it fondly.(less) | Notes are private!
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1
| not set
| May 27, 2012
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May 29, 2012
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| 1934781630
| 9781934781630
| 4.12
| 32,315
| Jan 01, 2009
| Jul 15, 2009
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Hurricanes stink. I think I am finally coming around to this conclusion after having been in (well, pretty near) one and reading about several. But tha...more Hurricanes stink. I think I am finally coming around to this conclusion after having been in (well, pretty near) one and reading about several. But that doesn't mean that they don't make for good writing … something that Dave Eggers caught onto when he ran into the Zeitoun family and decided to use them as the backdrop for a story on Hurricane Katrina. The reason Zeitoun was a good idea is that it takes its audience through a personal account of Katrina, a protagonist who is interesting, likable, and relatable. Isaac's Storm by Erik Larson does something similar by chronicling the story of a man's personal experience of a Hurricane as it ravaged Galveston, Texas over one hundred years ago. You get to know the man personally, you like him, and then you have to endure the horror of the hurricane with him. Zeitoun starts on a similar track. We get to know Zeitoun and Kathy, and we like them, we care about them. And then, we have to endure the hurricane with him and its affects with her. But at this point, the story starts to lose some of its power, not because of the family, but the situation. While it was interesting how Zeitoun would make his rounds and rescue people/animals after the fact, it certainly did not demonstrate the horror that undoubtedly Hurricane Katrina was. This, of course, is not Zeitoun's fault but a simple choice in perspective. The Zeitoun's did not experience the most terrifying, physical affects of Hurricane Katrina. However, the horror comes later as Zeitoun is arrested and held prisoner with a list of breaches of legal rights and protocol that should never have been ignored. His imprisonment is not cruel and unusual, but it is shocking and disturbing, besides lacking in common and rational judgment. Zeitoun is a good man who hardly did any grave or seriously wrong, and neither he nor his family deserved both the treatment he got or the psychological damage that this can cause to your own personal self and those who care about you. For all this, though, I would still not suggest that Zeitoun's story as it relates to the hurricane is extraordinary--especially considering what I imagine were other people's tales from the destructive event. So what, then, attracted Dave Eggers to this story as opposed to the many others he could have chosen from? It had to be in the telling of Zeitoun's imprisonment and it had to be to highlight the injustice of it all, if not to charge the government with blame for its occurrence. This is where Eggers and I differ, and this is where I feel the whole story unravels, as it pins its purpose on something that I don't completely buy. That does not mean that Zeitoun's experience is at all lessened or should not be empathized, but it does mean that everything that the author of the story led to feels weakened and loses its impact. You see, it is a difficult thing to do, I think, to blame the government for a hurricane. Or, if you are to do so, you need to accept the consequences for what you are asking. Yes, you must expect a government to treat all suspicious people in a fair and just way. But at the same time, regulating the lawless nature of a post disaster city and any of its residual residents is something that no government can be completely prepared for without two things: 1) a lot more power than it already has in general, which means that ONE government should ultimately have ALL control instead of sharing it between local, city, state, and national governments (and this is not in regards to simple disaster management, since, as this story demonstrates, the governing possibilities extend way beyond just physical management of the problems); 2) the expectation that all good citizens will adhere to any policies or procedures that the government issues, such as, for instance, a mandatory evacuation. The problem with the first is that will require the citizens of this nation to both give up unprecedented civil liberties and to be paying a whole lot more taxes for a service they may never need … almost like a government insurance policy--both of which pave the way for easy corruption and greater power grabs. The problem with the second is that there are people like Zeitoun, or myself, that are good citizens (I humbly propose, at least), who hear such an issue from the government and ignore it because I'm doing fine on my own. I am not saying that Zeitoun got what he deserved for ignoring the mandatory evacuation, especially because, in all honesty, I feel I would have done exactly the same as him. I am saying that you cannot shovel all the blame on a government trying to control anarchy when unjust things happen afterwards, especially when you don't give the government the tools or acquiescence to accomplish those things. Now, could some things have been handled differently? Yes. Definitely. There were some little things or single individuals who could have and should have behaved or acted quite a bit differently, but those can hardly be attributed to an entire government(s). And when it comes down to it, Hurricane Katrina defied all expectations. If it defied our expectations, defied the expectations of most everyone in the world, so how can we expect that it wouldn't have caught everyone, including the government(s), completely off guard? Realistically, considering the real-world consequences, we can't and shouldn't. Sometimes when a hurricane hits … it is a natural disaster. And that's it. It is the fault of warm air and water, ocean currents, and a thousand other intricacies of nature that I don't understand and even the best of meteorologists don't completely understand. Erik Larson got it in Isaac's Storm, Eggers didn't in Zeitoun. But that doesn't diminish the down-to-earth humanity of Zeitoun himself--his religion (though it turned out, and was admitted to in the book, it had little to no bearing on his unconscionable treatment), his family, his story of the American dream realized, and his survival against the odds of a monster of nature and the weaknesses of men. Read it for him and Kathy, but don't read it for the unrealistic finger pointing.(less) | Notes are private!
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1
| not set
| May 19, 2012
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May 22, 2012
| Hardcover
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| 0140714650
| 9780140714654
| 3.51
| 1,142
| 1623
| Dec 01, 2000
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In my quest to complete all Shakespeare Plays that have the name "Henry" in them, I was probably looking forward to this one the least. It is the firs...more
In my quest to complete all Shakespeare Plays that have the name "Henry" in them, I was probably looking forward to this one the least. It is the first part of three and about a person I have no previous knowledge of. This, some may recall, was my same feeling for the Henry IV plays, and I was pleasantly surprised. Was I pleasantly surprised this time around? Pleasantly, maybe not. Satisfyingly, sure. The intrigue of Henry VI is that there is a lot going on. Plenty of political maneuvering, plenty of stratified characters playing in that world of politics, plenty of battles and duels and fights, and a cameo by Joan of Arc herself! From the British viewpoint, no less. I was aware of Joan before, but never in minute detail, and certainly never from the British point of view. Interesting. Unfortunately, in spite of so much happening, there is not really a character to root for. No one really stands out. Talbot is the closest, but I took issue with his character as being ambiguously in-between too cocky and nobly brave, leaning towards the too cocky side. Still though, interesting play, and certainly could have been much worse according to my expectations. I will have to reserve full judgment until reading the rest of the trilogy.(less) | Notes are private!
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1
| not set
| Jan 31, 2012
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Feb 06, 2012
| Paperback
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| 1169209424
| 9781169209428
| 3.90
| 52
| 1661
| Sep 10, 2010
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Yes, I have been busy lately, and no, I probably should not be taking time away from my busyness to read yet another book/play. But when has that stop...more
Yes, I have been busy lately, and no, I probably should not be taking time away from my busyness to read yet another book/play. But when has that stopped me in the past? Well, back in '96 I actually ... wait, no, it didn't stop me then either. Still, though, if you are busy, a play is a good way to go, since they are shorter and easier to stop and start in random spots. For this reason, Moliere, who has long been on my list of authors/playwrights to read, landed in front of me and entertained me with his play The School for Husbands. It was a pleasant, breezy, and generally clever play, with some classic moments of misrepresentation and witty deception, but none of it was blow-me-away amazing. Even though Moliere probably pioneered a lot of these types of scenes that would come along later, none of them seemed too funny or sharp, simply amusing and correct. Most of the play seems to take place in a monotonous back and forth between same characters and similar gimmicks, with nothing new to offer. Besides that, the language doesn't really have a whole lot to offer in regards to adding eloquence or brilliance to these scenes. Having said all that, the premise is a worthy one, and while the situations are not written out in an outstanding way, they at least go through the checklist and deliver what it expected. I won't say that I'm going to be the first in line for the Moliere fan club, but I wouldn't mind reading another of his plays the next time I'm busy.(less) | Notes are private!
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1
| not set
| Aug 30, 2011
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Aug 30, 2011
| Hardcover
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| 0743436504
| 9780743436502
| 3.89
| 3,299
| 1872
| Apr 29, 2003
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Mark Twain is one of the main reasons I went into the English Literature field. For many of my students, that probably is cause enough for desecration...more
Mark Twain is one of the main reasons I went into the English Literature field. For many of my students, that probably is cause enough for desecration to his remains, yet it is undeniable that the man hit a chord with me that has never gone away. So, I figured I ought to hark back to the old man for some good ole' nostalgia. Perhaps these high expectations led to mediocre results; or perhaps, because this was more a collection of mini-essays in chronological order, it lost some of its appeal; or perhaps it was an earlier Twain work and therefore not his best; or perhaps, and maybe I'm getting closer here, I like the youthful side of Twain more than the young adult side of him ... you know, the one that he tapped into to write the likes of Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn and, to a lesser degree, The Prince and the Pauper. Of course, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court is more adult driven, and I enjoyed it quite a bit more than Roughing It. Maybe it is a cogent storyline that did the trick. Of course, Innocents Abroad attracted my interest more than this did and it is a travel narrative, much the same way Roughing It is. I guess what I'm saying is that it is a mystery to me why I did not enjoy this more than I did. There were some great Twain moments, true enough, but maybe it was the fact that I felt that I was mining for those moments: plenty of monotonous digging before finally getting a pinch of gold dust and then ... back to more mining in the dark. While this was not my favorite Twain, I don't think it will diminish further inquiries into his other works. Though I think I may have to revisit one of my old favorites first, just to get some of that native excitement built up in reserve first.(less) | Notes are private!
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1
| Apr 15, 2011
| May 14, 2011
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May 11, 2011
| Paperback
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| 0887342930
| 9780887342936
| 3.66
| 58
| 1712
| Aug 01, 1996
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Cato is what owning the Kindle is all about. An obscure, mostly out-of-print title that has historical if not literary value. You don't want to spend...more
Cato is what owning the Kindle is all about. An obscure, mostly out-of-print title that has historical if not literary value. You don't want to spend a ton of money getting some old copy and having it shipped to your house just to read it in five hours and then be done. Enter the Kindle. (you'll pardon the stage directions, but it was a play). All of the sudden the play is free and immediately available, you can read it off and on over the course of a few days, and once you're done, you don't have an extra book laying around that you need to find some bookshelf space for. I am glad I was able to read it. At the same time, I'm glad it was a play, which meant that it ended sooner. Cato is a jewel as far as historical insight goes. While it does shed a little bit of light on some Roman history that I wasn't entirely aware of, it does more for shedding some insight on the view of governments, nobility, and chivalry in the day that it was written. Its popularity, especially, amongst the Founding Fathers of the United States is especially telling. There are plenty of quotable lines, and many of these quotable lines are not lost on the Founding Fathers, who either directly quote or paraphrase several lines from Addison's play in their correspondences with each other and others. Like I said, pretty intriguing. At the same time, as far as tragedies go, the main character is pretty direly lacking in, well, character. Shakespeare spent some time on his tragic heroes, so that when their tragic moment comes, it is a truly emotionally straining moment--especially because of the main character's weaknesses are highlighted so clearly in advance. Cato, however, is a demi-god from the very beginning, and his tragic ending is more about situation and circumstance than character. And, as far as I'm concerned, his downfall was a huge flaw in character and decision-making that wasn't not acknowledged by the author, who seemed to mark it more as fate and as Cato's reputation as untouchable. That's not to say that the side characters and situations are not interesting. Nor that their tragic moments are not heartfelt, for they certainly are much, much more felt than when Cato has his moment of tragedy. And, again, the ideas in the play are truly republican and noble, which is why there is no surprise of how much of an impression it made on the Founding Fathers. So, I'm glad I read it and I enjoyed most of it. I think, however, that I will leave further looks at this play only to the second hand quotes that it endowed on America's Revolutionary leaders.(less) | Notes are private!
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1
| not set
| Feb 02, 2011
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Jan 21, 2011
| Hardcover
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| 0375706674
| 9780375706677
| 4.07
| 53,999
| Jul 19, 2005
| Jul 11, 2006
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What an interesting reading experience. This is my first Cormac McCarthy, someone I had intended to read for quite some time. To be honest, I wasn’t q...more
What an interesting reading experience. This is my first Cormac McCarthy, someone I had intended to read for quite some time. To be honest, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, which is why–now that I’m finished–I don’t know how to explain whether my expectations were met or not. So I will do the best I can with what I know. I was surprised that No Country For Old Men read like a thriller. While I didn’t know what to expect, I sure didn’t expect it to be a run-of-the-mill thriller. And really, that’s what it was. Sure, Cormac takes off dialogue tags, which distinguishes it from popular thrillers, and I understand why he feels that can distance the events and characters from traditional storytelling and thus drive home his metaphor more ... but, really, it’s still just acting like a thriller. Don’t get me wrong. It excels in that genre. The story is extremely gripping and paced masterfully. The characters and situations are intriguing enough, and the detail is succinct enough, to really invest you in what happens. While I cringed at some of the graphic detail, particularly towards the beginning of the book, I can at least say that I cared, and that the characters' actions had meaning for me. So I can forgive a little bit of artistic posing to hide what is a simple thriller storyline. What I can’t forgive, however, is the ending. It’s not a bad ending. And it’s even not, entirely, out of character. But it is a sellout. McCarthy had the chance to have both a driving metaphor on our country’s moral descent and a cool story. Instead, he chose to sellout on the story so that his metaphor could take full stage at the end while the story whimpered and gasped into oblivion in the background. I understand why he did it, I understand how he felt it might be the more powerful path, but a metaphor stripped of its story is, to me, shallow and ultimately meaningless. In fact I would have preferred a mindless thriller to that, I think. No pretensions, just a story–-one from which I can extract my own meaning without having one mystically thrust into my face. Maybe this only proves my stubbornness and genetically explains why my daughter doesn’t like to go potty unless it’s her own idea, but either way, I like the experience to be my own, not one contrived for me. And that’s what the last leg of No Country For Old Men is, a contrived, meditated, experience packaged for the reader. Ignoring that, however, No Country For Old Men is a gripping thriller with a great protagonist and his reflections throughout ... up until the decent, but short of what it could have been, finale.(less) | Notes are private!
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1
| not set
| Mar 25, 2011
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Nov 10, 2010
| Paperback
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| 2070377644
| 9782070377640
| 4.25
| 20
| Jan 1916
| Oct 01, 1986
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In my attempt to clear out all things Rostand from my list of things to read after indiscriminately worshipping his unmatched play, Cyrano de Bergerac...more
In my attempt to clear out all things Rostand from my list of things to read after indiscriminately worshipping his unmatched play, Cyrano de Bergerac, I flew through The Romancers, and Chantecler, both of which were quite enjoyable in their different ways. Then I found that L'Aiglon was the only thing left of his on Project Gutenberg ... so I voraciously downloaded it and printed it off. This somber play is heavy in nationalistic themes and history. It was nice, in a way, to get a view of French politics of the Napoleonic times and see how that little Bonaparte created havoc in Europe that had repercussions for years and years afterward. But it also meant that the farther away we get from that time period, the harder it is to understand and get a feel for all of the characters, settings, and events alluded to ... which to a contemporary audience of the time would have been obvious, I'm guessing. Whether you understand all of the context to the play or not, however, Rostand still excels in creating noble, tragic heroes who hold onto idealistic principles in spite of any challenges thrown against them, as he does in most of his plays. And this is something that translates across the ages without need for background research. While these noble, tragic moments of goodness were present, they were not as impactful as with Rostand's other masterpieces, nor were they as often. Even his poetic writing seemed to be toned down and limited, as characters and events took more spotlight than the words. It seemed like a lot of reading to get very few rewards by the end. Yet, the rewards were there and the reading was not uninteresting. I am glad I was able find and read yet another of Rostand's seminal works, though I will most certainly be revisiting his others plays with much more frequency and passion than I will with this one. I should mention before parting, however, that the fifth act definitely shines through as pure Rostand. The surprising and satisfying bravery and gumption of the Countess creates a great moment and completes a wonderful character that I would have loved to see more of. Then the Duke uses poetic language to conjure up images and set up a scene that would have been both haunting and beautiful to witness in the theater. For those 19th Century audiences I am, I admit, jealous. For myself as an audience right now, I am, less enthusiastic.(less) | Notes are private!
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Oct 21, 2010
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| 0385732554
| 9780385732550
| 4.11
| 532,085
| Apr 26, 1993
| Jan 24, 2006
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This was one of our before bedtime, in-between Netflix, reads. It was Bonnie's pick, primarily because she was shocked that I--an English teacher--had...more
This was one of our before bedtime, in-between Netflix, reads. It was Bonnie's pick, primarily because she was shocked that I--an English teacher--had not yet read it. I am happy to say that I've finally read it, and will now avoid the continual chastisement by students and teachers alike for not reading this oft used English classroom novel. The setting and characters that Lois Lowry sets up, especially for a young adult novel, are effortless and interesting. Her idea is a good one and she maintains her narrative fairly well throughout. All in all, this is a great novel to get young minds thinking about the world around them, what it means, how their life is relevant, and what things they might take for granted. Having said that, I think that Lois's ideas start to lose traction once they receive closer inspection. I think that, perhaps, if she had paced her story differently and been able to focus a little bit more on the revelations at the end, not as quick climaxes in their own rite, but as Act III in the novel, those ideas could have been developed more instead of left half-baked and hurried. Because she doesn't to this, I think that instead of having the climax feel like a gasping revelatory moment, it feels more like an "okay, now what?" moment. This, coupled with some gaps in the whole process of Giver/Receiver exchange that are never fully explored or developed, leave an ending that is somewhat lackluster when it could have been exciting and powerful. Still, though, that is asking an awful lot out of a simple young adult novel. And this one gives plenty of food for thought where a lot of other young adult novels don't even venture. I am glad that I've read The Giver. Now, I'll be just as glad to transfer that memory to someone else and allow this one to fade in my own mind.(less) | Notes are private!
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Jun 12, 2010
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| 0393307050
| 9780393307054
| 4.08
| 15,862
| 1959
| Aug 17, 1990
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I must preface this review with my two biases: 1. I have seen the movie Master and Commander:Far Side of the World and it is one of my, if not my all-t...more I must preface this review with my two biases: 1. I have seen the movie Master and Commander:Far Side of the World and it is one of my, if not my all-time, favorite movie. 2. I have read, and with only some of the slightest exceptions, loved every book of the Horatio Hornblower series. Knowing these two things, it may or may not be surprising that I had no desire to read Patrick O'Brian's series with Captain Jack Aubrey. The books could only match or be lesser than the movie and/or the Hornblower series. Plus, if it turned out I liked them, then I was in for a pretty long haul since there are twenty books in the series ... and I just don't have that kind of time on my hands. Well, while at the library searching for another book, I happened upon this one, and--unable to stifle the sailing adventure urges welling up inside of me--I snatched it up, with some part of me fully expecting to return it to the library in two weeks, otherwise untouched. To give Mr. O'Brian credit where it's due, his storytelling is far too engaging for that kind of ignominious end. The action sequences, the nuances of naval warfare and sailing, and the intricate leadership pecking order are all displayed and developed, I dare say, with as much skill as the already extremely talented Mr. Forester, of Hornblower fame. Where Mr. O'Brian falls short is in his character development. Jack Aubrey is an interesting enough character, flawed and full of fascinating personality. Better still is Dr. Maturin. And yet, at the end of the tale, nothing, character-wise, is resolved. Nothing with Cap. Jack has been developed all the way through to a satisfying resolution. He does not change. Nor does he come to grips with the issues he has with some of the other characters, one in particular, who simply dies. That takes care of that problem, I suppose, but there isn't even proper reflection as to how it supposedly resolved the issue. This, I grudgingly admit, might be saved for future books in the lengthy series. But seeing as how I don't want to invest myself into that much reading (of a single series), I'm not about to find out whether that might be true or not. This is my reaction to an otherwise good book. I recommend it, and I probably would have recommended it with more vigor had I not had my previously mentioned biases. But I do have them, and the result is an unenthusiastic recommendation. As for me, any time I am looking for all of the excitement that a good, naval warfare novel can muster, I'll probably be harking back to the movie and/or Horatio.(less) | Notes are private!
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| Jan 1988
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Apr 12, 2010
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| 0440498058
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| 4.04
| 315,733
| Mar 01, 1976
| 1973
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Oct 22, 2009
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| 0075556081
| 9780075556084
| 3.11
| 42,377
| 1895
| Jan 01, 1951
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I don't know that I was particularly excited to read this book, but I had felt that it was one of those books that you should read. Having now attaine...more
I don't know that I was particularly excited to read this book, but I had felt that it was one of those books that you should read. Having now attained that goal, I can say that it wasn't a waste of time, even if it wasn't the most exciting use of my time either. Stephen Crane uses pretty stirring prose and realism in depicting the vagaries of war. His descriptions linger on images and ensure that you have a full idea of the physical setting and actions, and he speculates rather convincingly on the emotions and thought processes going on during battle, slicing out the romanticism of war, without completely annihilating its moments of nobility either. While that is his strength, it is also his weakness. His tone is so measured and deliberate, that the passion of war is eked right out of the pages. I think this is largely because of his decision to leave his protagonist mainly nameless (while his name may be Henry Flemming, we only learn this from other characters, never from the narrator, who only refers to him as "the youth"). I can understand why Crane chose to do this, because a character without a name could help the reader to place him or herself in that character's shoes ... this is an everyman character. But that is where Crane loses me. In his attempt to be universal in character, his wide span only hits the mark in a couple of different places. It is hard to force yourself into another character's shoes when you disagree with a lot of the things that they are doing or feeling, or if you simply cannot see yourself doing or feeling those same things. This universal approach also, as I mentioned, robs the passion from the war. If I were more invested in this character the defeats would be that much more harsh to accept, the victories, that much more glorious. As it was, I was almost indifferent to the character's outcome, because I was not connected to him. Ironically, as Crane showed the plight and purpose of the common soldier, it gave me the feeling of the uncaring officer as a spectator to the narrative. Overall, however, Crane's work of realism cannot be discounted completely by his all-encompassing approach, and I would recommend anyone who would like an idea of the thoughts and feelings and horrors of a battle in action, to read this book.(less) | Notes are private!
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| Oct 12, 2009
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Oct 12, 2009
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| 0927534819
| 9780927534819
| 3.67
| 313
| 1999
| Jan 01, 1999
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I have to admit that I am not the biggest memoir fan. Personal therapy sessions for thousands of people to share don't interest me much, so from the s...more
I have to admit that I am not the biggest memoir fan. Personal therapy sessions for thousands of people to share don't interest me much, so from the start I was not too intently interested in Barefoot Heart. I am, however, interested in Latin American culture--I even wrote my master's thesis on Mexican migration narratives--so I wouldn't say that Barefoot Heart was completely out of my realm of interest either. In the end, I can sincerely say that I enjoyed it, even if I found much of it laced with annoying, retrospective emotional resolutions. Where the author had me most interested was in the stories of hardship and the relationship of the family during those times of hardship--particularly in the beet fields of Minnesota. Even though things were rough and didn't feel as if they could get much worse, the situation seemed to bring the family closer together, more so than any other story that the author speaks of--and as the reader, you really come to enjoy the company of each character in the family. I also appreciated the author's detailing of her journey of overcoming poverty and rising to magnificent success--the true American dream of rags to riches, with a pleasant Latin flair to the whole thing. The problem I had with these moments, however, is when Mrs. Hart looks back at those memories with, what seems to me, the bitter angst and intellectual condescension that surely was lent to her in academic writing groups or an editor with a carbon-copied memoir formula. Can it not be possible that a childhood is just that--a childhood? And is it not possible that said childhood would still be interesting, even if it weren't padded with non-creative and unconvincing reflections on societal and family oppressions? I am not suggesting that such oppressions were not real or not there, but I am suggesting that they might not have been anymore a part of her life than all of the good things that happened to her, but went unnoticed with a retroactive writing. Her siblings went through all the same things that she did, worse even, and yet as far as I can tell, they seem pretty stable at the end, without the need for extensive, emotional revisiting of their childhood lives. Why is this? Perhaps her "search for herself" (as the back of the book puts it in its most cliched, memoir language) has misplaced the source of her problems with easy, decoy literary and academic standbys. I did not live the author's life, so I can only speculate on what feels real in her writing and what is missing, but--for instance--it is interesting to me that religion played an important role in her youth, especially when most of her family was not active participants in religion, and she found comfort there. Yet, when she grows into her wild success and subsequently finds herself empty--and the implication, as far as I could tell, is that all of this is a period of her life without religion--she harks back for reconciliation with an oppressed childhood as the means for healing. There is no mention of a spiritual dearth, but of course that isn't as intellectually trendy. Personally, I don't buy the bogeyman that she has set up to be conquered. I hope she is truly happy, but I do wonder if somewhere down there are some other feelings--such as a duty to a belief and ritual that brought her happiness before--which are still struggling to come to terms with the author today. That is just one venue of ideas that could be explored. There are, certainly, many others. Please understand that I am not accusing the author of purposeful deception--I believe she is sincere in her efforts to come to terms with some depressing moments in her later life; I simply felt as if the driving force behind many of the stories had unnatural and misplaced motivations ... that is what the writing felt like to me, and this is my sincere response. For what it is worth, however, while these missing pieces mar the narrative with red herrings here and there, they still provide some touching moments. About a fourth of the way into the book, I correctly guessed where the main moment of reconciliation would come (using the tried and true memoir formula). Sure enough, it did come, just as I had predicted. But to the author's credit, it was still powerful and rang true. The funny thing is, the author then goes on to give what she thinks is the real moment of reconciliation, and it is a lackluster moment, or--more optimistically--cutely humorous. The powerful moment has already occurred, and now years later, the author is trying to force herself into another more literary/traditional reconciliation moment--which comes across to me, the reader, and probably to the second party in the reconciliation--as unnecessary, but--fine--we'll humor you. Ultimately, no harm done, but it does steal some of the thunder from the original moment. That--of course--epitomizes the rest of the book pretty well. Throughout, it has some pretty powerful images and moments, but the forced intellectualism steals a lot of the thunder ... that doesn't mean the thunder isn't there; you just have to find it.(less) | Notes are private!
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| Oct 22, 2009
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Sep 30, 2009
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| 1434604888
| 9781434604880
| unknown
| 3.32
| 133
| 1909
| Oct 11, 2007
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Because I was working up at Scout camp, and because I knew about this story that P.G. Wodehouse had written about the boy who had saved England, who w...more
Because I was working up at Scout camp, and because I knew about this story that P.G. Wodehouse had written about the boy who had saved England, who was a Boy Scout, I figured that this would be a great read for me. And it was. Silly, overarching, fun, ruthless in its parodies, The Swoop! was a blast. As far as how it compares with the rest of Wodehouse's works, I think this one was just thrown together, expanded from a short story to a novel and then sent to the press, so it is a bit disjointed, meanders at times, and ends quickly, if not anti-climatically. But it is Wodehouse. So even if it has all of these perceived faults, it is still quite entertaining. Another thing to consider is that the whole book is a spoof on invasion stories, which were apparently quite popular at the time, but Wodehouse's spoofing genius could not be fully appreciated, because I have never read an invasion story. Similarly, Wodehouse's several page parody of Bart Kennedy's writing would have fallen on an ignorant reader had I not found some of said author's out-of-date writings on-line and could giggle fiercely at Wodehouse's spot on impression of Kennedy's over-serious writing. So The Swoop! was quick and dated, but it was definitely fun, and matched my needs perfectly. A special thanks to my mom, who printed and bound a copy of the book from Project Gutenburg after I had lost it in a very un-Scout-like manner and sent it to me from the throes of civilization. And now, I will end with one of my favorite quotes from the story: "Terrible in their wrath, the Boy Scouts never forget kindness." So true ... so true.(less) | Notes are private!
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| Jul 03, 2009
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Jul 06, 2009
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| 076072850X
| 9780760728505
| 3.75
| 53,373
| 1869
| Apr 01, 2002
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First of all, let me clarify that the "twenty thousand leagues" in the title are not referring to a maximum depth reached below the sea. This may not...more
First of all, let me clarify that the "twenty thousand leagues" in the title are not referring to a maximum depth reached below the sea. This may not have been a problem for those of you well versed in the common measurement of a Roman league, but for me, who didn't think twice about it, I simply assumed that the point of the story was the Nautilus going as deep as it could go. When nothing of the sort happened, I was confused. Apparently, however, twenty thousand leagues is the equivalent of 60,000 miles--not a very likely deep water destination depth--but how was I to know that? Not to get too picky, but after some research, I think that the English translation of the French word "sous" might have been better served with the word "beneath" rather than "under." Anyway, dashed expectations aside, Twenty Thousand Leagues -Beneath- the Sea is more of Jules Verne magic. The guy does a great job of combining modern (in his day) science with great and interesting storytelling. I think, however, in this tale, Jules Verne outsmarted himself (at least for contemporary purposes). All of the things that he predicts come more or less true in ensuing years, so for me, the excitement of possibilities is lost on the reader and I kept on expecting some huge plot developments to take center stage. For Verne, those plot developments would have distracted from his brilliant imagination of an--as yet--unexplored world, for the modern reader the submarine explorations are old news. Verne's biggest asset then, to the modern reader, is the dynamic character of Captain Nemo. Nemo provides plenty of intrigue, but still remains underdeveloped by the end of the novel. Verne vindicates this in a later novel, but for now he leaves us with a fun story, a very interesting character, and exploits beneath the sea that are almost touristy in nature, but still--as with all Verne stories--interesting.(less) | Notes are private!
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| May 19, 2009
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May 19, 2009
| Hardcover
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| 1406923117
| 9781406923117
| 4.00
| 3,054
| 1867
| Nov 03, 2006
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Two pressing reasons for reading this book: 1) You read Mysterious Island, by the same author, and found out that this book has a tie in to that novel...more
Two pressing reasons for reading this book: 1) You read Mysterious Island, by the same author, and found out that this book has a tie in to that novel. 2) You watched the live action Disney film based on the same book numerous times as a child, and loved it. Two pressing reasons to vacillate as you go about the process of actually reading this book: 1) The book is out-of-print … ish. Yes, there is a publisher who publishes it, but if my copy is any indication, then they basically wait for an order, copy and paste the free domain version of this book off of Project Gutenberg, spare every expense by not having it checked by any editor whatsoever and leaving the formatting to the mercy of the software program being used, and then pocket your money and laugh all the way to the bank. Well, I hope they enjoy my delayed, explosive money … who’s laughing now?!! (Sorry, that was—admittedly—weird.) And the second reason, 2), The book is marginally boring. Now, I need to qualify reason #2 a little bit. Let me tell you where Jules Verne always excels: ideas. The man just comes up with cool premises. In this case, the protagonists are searching for castaways with the limited information that said castaways can be found somewhere along the 37th parallel. What ensues, then, is a circumnavigating exploration of all the ocean and lands that the 37th parallel crosses. Cool idea, right? I think so. In fact, I think a modern day re-imagining could be really neat … maybe I’ll have to look into that. Unfortunately, while Verne always has concepts as his great starting point, he often lacks in characters, plot development, and writing style. This is not always a problem when he lacks these things, and sometimes he doesn’t lack them at all. However, In Search of the Castaways is one of his most glaring offender in these areas—of those of his that I’ve read—and it nearly ruins the experience. The characters are two dimensional and downright annoying by their, well, perfectness. They’re all too darned happy-go-lucky/gentlemanly/nice … and this coming from a generally positive, optimistic guy. And as far as plot goes … well, it didn’t go. This book could have been half as long and been plenty more effective in its plot development. And finally, writing style. Jules Verne is an amateur geographer (among many other things), and this fictional story is his context for a geography textbook. I should note that most of these quirks also apply to The Mysterious Island, yet for some reason I loved that book. This is my best guess as to why: while The Mysterious Island did have chapter after chapter of textbook language on survival and civilization foundation skills, the information fit readily into the story and was thus excusable. In Search of the Castaways barely even tries to make the extra information fit within the narrative. It is basically thrown down on the page with only the scarcest premise. The plot for The Mysterious Island is, on the surface, a simple (though fascinatingly unique) survival tale, but the real driving force behind the story is the mystery that earned the book its title. And finally, the characters. What makes Cyrus Harding a hero (in my mind) and Glenarvan an unbelievable, melodramatic, faceless schmoe? Hard to say, but I’m guessing that it helped that the characters in The Mysterious Island were distinguishable. Yes, they were also almost annoyingly positive, but they felt much more real. Not placeholders for an idea, but real people going through real events. This is, admittedly, a bit of a harsh criticism. And yet I’m still recommending the book? I’ll have to say, I wasn’t thinking this through most of the book, but near the last third of the book, Verne actually pulls out a villain (gasp, someone who is not taken straight out of Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood!). And then he starts to move the plot along with a little bit more of an investment in the story and not the information of where they were. These things were just enough to drag it out of non-recommendable to recommendable. So, all in all, I think I can recommend this book. But certainly, if you are not a patient reader … and certainly, if you have no interest in 19th century geography understandings of limited portions of the southern hemisphere … and certainly, if you are one of those people who believes that books are always better than movies and don’t want to be exposed to any exceptions … well, then it would be best for you to let this novel remain out-of-print so that no pseudo-publishers can be casualties of your exploding money ploy. (less) | Notes are private!
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Apr 16, 2009
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| 0141321318
| 9780141321318
| 4.01
| 48,783
| May 06, 2003
| Apr 06, 2006
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It is hard to be too critical of Colfer's Artemis Fowl series. They are unquestionably fun, interesting, have great characters, exciting situations, n...more
It is hard to be too critical of Colfer's Artemis Fowl series. They are unquestionably fun, interesting, have great characters, exciting situations, numerous twists and surprises. Even the most judgmentally unsound person would agree that those are pluses to have with any book. But I have to admit that I would have stopped reading this series after the first book (definitely the second) if my neighbor hadn't lent me the first five books and would not accept them back until I read them. Again, I do not consider this a tortuous or devious plot by my neighbor. I enjoy each book I read. But I have no motivation to pick them up other than to be done with them so as to clean off our kitchen counter. What happened to the series? For me the edge was off once Artemis started to get outsmarted. That is what was so engaging and original about the first one. Sure, he may not have been the perfect hero character that a lot of kid stories boast--but he was interesting, marginally good (morally), and brilliantly conniving to a degree that brought him onto a whole new level of respectability. Now, in order for Colfer to come up with plots, he has taken his impervious genius and allowed him to trip up. Of course, it takes certain brilliance to fix those mistakes, but still, with Artemis humanized the fun is gone. Having said that, I'm not sure, really, how Colfer could continue the series without doing just that ... but in my mind that means that there should not have been any sequels at all. Then again, who am I to wag my finger at a guy who is probably living in a mansion in Ireland thanks to his follow up to the first book? (It's a rhetorical question; don't answer it.) So, the series is harmless enough, the characters are still fun and inventive, the writing is sharp and original, but the plots are contrived and tired. I suppose I ought to move on to the next one in order to chip away at our kitchen counter fixtures, but believe me, I'm not pushing people out of the way to get to it.(less)
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| Nov 02, 2008
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Nov 03, 2008
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| 0316015849
| 9780316015844
| 3.58
| 1,652,922
| Aug 2005
| Sep 06, 2006
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Having just finished a book and not starting on the next one on my list, my neighbor offered to lend me her copy of Twilight. I am not, particularly,...more
Having just finished a book and not starting on the next one on my list, my neighbor offered to lend me her copy of Twilight. I am not, particularly, a romance fan and besides the truly creepy Dracula, I've had no interest in vampires at all. One would think that I would stay away from a romance/vampire book like a vampire avoids garlic. Yet, I noticed that Twilight seemed to attract an audience outside of those normal genre bounds, so I decided that someday--with little enthusiasm--I would have to give it a try. Well, the neighbor offered, I was between books, and I knew that the movie was coming out this next month. Since learning any particulars of a story beyond its premise is sacrilege to me, I knew that if I were going to read it, it would have to be before the movie came out and plot points would be unavoidable. I took the book. It started out reading easily enough. I wasn't mesmerized, but I was interested. Unfortunately, the plot seemed to suddenly stall, and then it stayed in the same rut for two-thirds of the book. For some people who are fans of romance, it was probably their favorite section of the book, so I can see how this just might be a matter of taste. But it seemed to me as if the two were stuck in the same courting phase, day in and day out, for most of the story. Edward is mad, Bella is shy and confused, they still hang out for some reason, Edward flashes a crooked smile and every time he is mentioned no matter if it is not relevant to the situation at all, his name is always followed by sappy adjectives describing his good looks (devastatingly handsome, marble hands, smoldering eyes, graceful, a spattering of Greek gods, and many, many, many more). To quote an adjective used to describe Edward's looks, it soon became excruciating, though unlike Edward's description, I don't mean that in the positive sense. I kept on waiting for the story to move on, but it didn't. Each new page, each new chapter was met with more of the same, the reader being constantly urged to be awed and inspired by this guy. Okay, I got it! He is incredibly good-looking and for some reason has an attractive personality, I guess, even though he spends most of his time angry at Bella! Understood! Can we move on? (Maybe I'm jealous, maybe that's the problem--though my teeth are somewhat pointy too, you know--but either way, it was extremely annoying.) I suppose that long section of nothing could have been the narrative progression of their relationship, but honestly, I really didn't see a whole lot of difference between the first couple of times they met and their relationship right towards the end of the story. Anyways, I complained just about as much of the book then as I am right now, to anyone who would listen. My wife wondered why I kept reading (she was probably tired of the complaints), and I weakly admitted that it is very difficult for me to put down even a book that I'm irritated with (I have to be offended pretty badly to not finish a book). Well, praise be for my instinctive reaction to keep on reading, because the last fourth of the book was some of the more thrilling reading that I've read in a long time. The narrative suddenly got a spark and then it sprinted to the finish, in true exciting, gripping fashion. Was I reading two separate books here? It almost felt like that, but suddenly the characters came alive, the motives felt more real, things I couldn't have cared less for before that point suddenly took center stage--including the romance and all of the fascinating (now) moral aspects involved with it. The climax robbed me of one scene that I would have liked to have seen, but overall, it fit pretty well. Wow. That's a pretty stark contrast to my earlier feelings about the story. I guess where that leaves me is wanting to take the book, slice out most of the middle section, and then give it to my past self to read for the first time. I think that situation might plausibly have it end up as one of my favorite reads. Of course, it would probably lose a whole lot of its luster to the romance fans and thus never have become popular and thus I would have never heard of it and never read it ... I guess you just can't tamper with time traveling even in book reading. So, I will have to settle for a mediocre recommendation, bearing in mind that my tastes never did match the story, so it is a credit to Meyer that she was able to get me past both of my caveats (romance/vampire) and into the recommendation territory. I have no real ambition to read the other books in the series. I won't definitively say no, but don't expect a review any time soon. Pssst, this is a hint to my future self: read the series, edit them, and then send them back the revised editions to me!(less) | Notes are private!
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| Oct 30, 2008
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Oct 31, 2008
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| 0786851473
| 9780786851478
| 3.92
| 47,979
| May 01, 2002
| May 01, 2004
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Having had such a unique and fun experience with the first book in the Artemis Fowl series, I wondered whether the second would fall into sequel syndr...more
Having had such a unique and fun experience with the first book in the Artemis Fowl series, I wondered whether the second would fall into sequel syndrome or whether it would keep adding to an already lush literary world. And the result ... while it had all the same fun, clever, and exciting elements as the first book, there was one thing that it lacked: depth. Sure the premise was there: Artemis is trying to find his father, but the ending here did not redeem the story as the last one did. In this book, the climax is not as brilliantly set up as the last one, does not showcase Artemis's genius as the last one, nor did it pack the emotional power of a truly moving scene like the last one did. Good writing? Absolutely. Smart dialogue, settings, and technology? Of course. But providing anything more than the first? I would say not. Still, though, you could sit down and read much worse. And I'm sure that I will make time for more books in the series, hoping that one will transcend sequel syndrome and move on a higher plain, because Colfer has proven he has it in him. It just didn't come with this one.(less)
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| Aug 18, 2008
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Aug 18, 2008
| Paperback
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| 0812532619
| 9780812532616
| 3.51
| 6,250
| Jan 01, 1993
| Jan 15, 1994
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Am I getting so picky that when I have such a brilliantly written, fascinating, page-turning read, I only recommend it for my school bookshelf and not...more
Am I getting so picky that when I have such a brilliantly written, fascinating, page-turning read, I only recommend it for my school bookshelf and not higher because it wasn't as good as the one that came before it? Or, if I'm going to put it that way, I even agree with the way the story turned out all the way through, and I wouldn't change anything of it; yet I still demote it from the shelf that its predecessor earned? The simple answer: yes, yes I am getting that picky. But let me get something straight: as far as I'm concerned Orson Scott Card and George Orwell are the two smartest writers of our modern times. I've yet to read any author that can truly reveal the innermost workings of the human mind better than they can (if you've read my reviews of their other works, you're probably tired of hearing me say just that thing ... but it's so true and it amazes me each time that I have to keep on repeating it). This book is no exception, and if I were to compare it to any other author in any other genre, or having read it as a stand alone, it would probably receive much higher praise from me. But I am not so blessed in my view. I read the first book in the series, and I've read plenty of other Card books, so I am a bit jaded. Yet, I still recommend it. The situations are really interesting, the twists and turns exciting, the discussions are very sophisticated, and in the end, the story wraps up in a compelling and appropriate finale. Probably the reason that it feels a bit anticlimactic is that it is a middle book in a five book series (I believe). Also, while the situations were interesting and discussions sophisticated, that is about all the story offered. There was a whole lot less action that this book offered than the first one. I like an intelligent discussion as much as the next academic, but hey, give me the chases, close calls, and physical action in-between to keep me jumping from one scene to the next (I'm somewhat shallow that way, I know). Undoutedly, I will pick up the third book in this series, and for more reasons than just the fact that it says "ships" in the title (though that, alone, would be reason enough for me). P.S. There are a few scenes, perhaps one in particular, that are as such that I would only recommend this story for a more mature audience.(less) | Notes are private!
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| Aug 16, 2008
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Aug 12, 2008
| Paperback
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| 1582349908
| 9781582349909
| 4.21
| 53,393
| Aug 08, 2003
| May 13, 2005
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This is my second audio recorded-read book, and it seems as if the ratings are improving. I don't know if that is because I'm getting more used to it...more
This is my second audio recorded-read book, and it seems as if the ratings are improving. I don't know if that is because I'm getting more used to it or because of the actual books (it's the books). But I can say that I did enjoy this story quite a bit. The twists and turns were fun, the characters were interesting and I felt invested in their outcomes. Some of the surprises were genuinely delightful, nor predictable (at least for me). One problem I had is that the story took so long to get to the meat of the tale. It seemed to meander for quite a while before I was truly engaged in what was happening. The other thing that bothered me, but probably wasn't noticed by many others, was some elements of the writing style. Hale seemed to be throwing out metaphors and similes like buckshot (pardon the simile). While some of them stuck and worked well, others missed the mark entirely and seemed all too forced. All of this was forgiven as things became more interesting towards the last third of the book. I was thoroughly invested in the story by then, but as the tale rolled into the finale, everything seemed to be slapped together a bit haphazardly, some things a tad forced, and when the end came, it seemed to come as a relief rather than as a triumph. I certainly will not begrudge the final couple of chapters for a fairly decent work, but it was a bit disappointing. Also, if I may, I have one last observation. While the mystical powers of the protagonist are fascinating and are undoubtedly handled and described well by the author, I fail to see them as integral to the plot. In fact, I think that the story would have been just fine, if not better without those fantastical powers. The powers seem to take the place of a need for developing and showcasing the protagonist's personality, which I think should have been the main focus and could have provided for the satisfying ending that was lacking. Anyways, trifling things, I know. But a good story and well written, overall. I will definitely see what else Shannon Hale has to offer.(less)
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| Sep 17, 2008
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Aug 12, 2008
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| 0446580260
| 9780446580267
| 3.79
| 12,506
| Jan 03, 2008
| Jan 03, 2008
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Here is the premise: A smart, funny writer, in the vein of David Sedaris (I know that comparison is made on the back of the book, but before I ever loo...more Here is the premise: A smart, funny writer, in the vein of David Sedaris (I know that comparison is made on the back of the book, but before I ever looked there, I made the connection in my mind), travels to the happiest countries (and unhappiest country) in the world and tries to figure out what makes them tick. The premise alone merits this as a recommendable book. And you get just what the premise promises: it is entertaining and interesting. But if you were hoping for anything beyond that premise, then squash those hopes. Because besides being marginally intrigued and besides grinning at some clever writing in spots, there was no heart to this work. One big problem is that I don't think that those involved in making this book were on the same page (pun, I know) when they decided how this premise should be presented. As always, when this sort of disconnect appears in a book, I want to blame the publisher and/or editing ... but that is the author in me. This is how I see it. Eric Weiner (the author) is vaguely intrigued by the idea of researching happiness in the world's happiest countries. He is more intrigued by the idea of being able to travel around the world on someone else's dime and get a chance to employ his dynamic writing voice in a project of his own choosing. The publisher, all of the sudden, feels that there is something missing: a gritty edge. So, perhaps with the urging of a TV producer who happened to be walking past their inane conference meeting, they decide that they are going to up the ante by adding a personal element to it. Here is the phone call that must, inevitably, have ensued: PUBLISHER: Eric, do you consider yourself grumpy? ERIC: Um ... no, not really. PUBLISHER: Hmmm. That's not exactly what we were hoping to hear. Ummm, are you really cheerful and happy all the time? I mean, your writing is kind of sarcastic; that kind of feels like it comes from a repressed, bitter past. ERIC: Well, I'm not bursting with smiles wherever I go. That's just not me. PUBLISHER: Great! Have you ever been depressed? ERIC: Sure, I guess I've been depressed ... you know, just like anyone else might get depressed every now and then. PUBLISHER: Perfect! Thanks! [phone hangs up:] Here is our subtitle: "One Grump's Search for the Happiest Places in the World"! Now the book isn't just a neat, clever research/travel book. Now it is a memoir about someone trying to find themselves, a personal vendetta against unhappiness! This has got Oprah written all over it! Anyway. Unfortunately, this only made things worse, because now Eric had to make a half-hearted effort in his book to make it seem like this is some personal journey. But I don't buy it. And I don't think Eric did either. And the result is a somewhere in-between. Even disregarding this hypothetical situation, Eric makes no major revelations with his travels. And while his writing is fun, I don't think it is enough to hold up the premise for a book as long as his is (which, really, isn't that long). How much happier am I now that I've read it? Meh. How much closer to happiness am I? Not an inch. Except that I was happy to finish.(less) | Notes are private!
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| May 21, 2010
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Jun 04, 2008
| Hardcover
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| 1416936475
| 9781416936473
| 3.61
| 93,671
| 1987
| Dec 26, 2006
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I have been ashamed of the fact that I have never read Hatchet before. Somehow I made it through elementary and middle school without ever reading it,...more
I have been ashamed of the fact that I have never read Hatchet before. Somehow I made it through elementary and middle school without ever reading it, and knowing how popular it was back then, I might as well have been wearing a scarlet "H" for such a sin. Well, I can now gratefully declare that I am freed from such a benighted mark. I have read Hatchet. And what did I think? Well, it is passable with occasional bouts of being really good. I'm a sucker for survival tales. I can think of several off hand that I read and loved as a kid and that I still read to this day. The first substantial story I ever wrote was a survival tale. So the genius of a boy learning how to survive in the wilderness is the beauty of Paulson's work and what contributes to his occasional bouts of "really good." Those pages are absolutely readable, and the progression is at a great pace. That is where Paulson is at his finest. What drags the book down are the things that I am imagining were prodded in there by some editor with delusions of literary grandeur (which apparently paid off, since Hatchet won the Newberry award). The contrivance of Brian's parents' divorce and of the scattered, "realistic" writing, which throws some choppy thoughts onto the page as if the book were some canvas of impressionistic, elitist writing (especially at the beginning) were annoying to say the least. While not adverse to symbolism, I find it a burden when it is forced into the story instead of naturally arising out of it. And Hatchet's distracting plot contrivances are blatantly forced, unnecessary, and in the end they end up defying the very symoblism they were meant to tie into. Maybe this sounds like some bitter rantings, and I suppose that if you ignore these things or if they don't bother you that much, then Hatchet is more than just a passable book ... it is an engaging and exciting tale. And it is. Underneath the layers of gilded literary methods and plot contrivances there is a really well told story. I just wish I could have experienced it without all of the distractions.(less)
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| May 25, 2008
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May 27, 2008
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| 1406550876
| 9781406550870
| 3.57
| 227
| 1902
| Nov 01, 2007
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After several books of assigned reading (self-assigned, sure, but assigned none-the-less), I was hardly in the mood for any more academic or serious r...more
After several books of assigned reading (self-assigned, sure, but assigned none-the-less), I was hardly in the mood for any more academic or serious reads. The endless antidote? Wodehouse. Always Wodehouse. The Pothunters is, as far as Wikipedia tells me (and really, should I go through all the effort of checking to see if Wikipedia tells the truth? No. If my students don't, why should I?), the first book published by Wodehouse. It shows. Here, his writing style is restrained. Not the confidant narrator that he will excel at later in his career--though that's not to say that his future self doesn't pop out on a occasion. Wodehouse, even at the beginning of his career, knew a humorous turn of the phrase and situation when he stumbled across them. He also shows the glimmers of character eccentricities that he will triumph in later on, but they are, again, only glimmers and grounded in much more of--gasp--reality than his later novels. The Pothunters is much more focused on the story than other Wodehouse novels. And, as far as stories go, it is still pretty engaging. Right up until the end, I was still highly impressed with the story and interested in its events, wondering how things were going to turn out. Unfortunately, the ending is where it falters. Instead of tying everything together, Wodehouse brings all of the loose ends to their own conclusion, and in a convenient way that is not clever, just a means to bring a story to a quick end. The writing is still interesting, the characters, Wodehousian, but the end result, marginally, though not completely, disappointing.(less) | Notes are private!
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| Oct 25, 2010
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Apr 09, 2008
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| 1567923046
| 9781567923049
| 4.08
| 2,517
| 1940
| Nov 01, 2005
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This is the type of book that a trendy, self-satisfied literature teacher would assign his or her students. And if it had been assigned to me under th...more
This is the type of book that a trendy, self-satisfied literature teacher would assign his or her students. And if it had been assigned to me under those conditions, I would have absolutely hated it. As it turns out, I am not a student anymore; I am the teacher. In fact, some might consider me the trendy, self-satisfied type. Because of this, I ended up vaguely enjoying this book. I don't love it. I will never seek to read it again. But if it got thrown onto me, I wouldn't consider it a punishment to revisit it. I wouldn't assign it to my students, if only because they would hate it in spite of my battles to produce a different effect from them. But I certainly wouldn't steer people away from it either. I would cautiously recommend it to them, warning them, of course, that it is one of those books that trendy, self-satisfied literature teachers like. Buzzati is, undoubtedly, a terrific writer. He has neat ideas, and he presents them subtly, easily, and you find that the reading is gripping, even if the storyline is not. I think what I like most about his writing is that, even though he is writing a story that is really an allegory, he is not precocious about it at all. Nor does he allow his message to take precedence over his characters (a common, irritating, effect of many allegorical writers). The Tartar Steppe, while a means to an end, isn't an offensive means. It's tragically endearing and it works pretty well on its own, without the allegory behind it. As far as the ultimate meaning, I think the blurb on the back cover got it wrong (an indictment on the military state), or if Buzzati really meant it that way, then he made some errors, which I would be happy to discuss with anyone who is interested. No, I think the most fitting interpretation is a snapshot of life in general. I would discuss that more, but ... well, as well written as the book is, I'm really not that interested in discussing it further. And I think that sums up my experience.(less) | Notes are private!
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| Feb 27, 2010
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Mar 18, 2008
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