http://www.goodreads.com/review/list_rss/424062 en-US Fri, 27 Jun 2008 09:12:24 -0700 60 http://www.goodreads.com/ 200 41 http://www.goodreads.com/images/layout/gr_logo.gif 22557067 Fri, 27 Jun 2008 09:12:24 -0700
author: Og Mandino
name: J.P.
average rating: 4.21
book published: 1968
rating: 3
read at: 06/08
date added: 06/27/08
shelves:
review:

]]> 25216519 Mon, 23 Jun 2008 11:28:02 -0700
Purchase this book only if you're a Lennon completist or the thought of padding Yoko's pocket$ makes you feel warm n' snuggly inside. Otherwise, check amazon.com for the paperback "two-fer" edition.

A SPANIARD IN THE WORKS is also notable for the cameo appearance it makes in the 1965 Beatles film "Help!" It's the book Lennon pulls from the bookshelf and kisses repeatedly in his hole-in-the-floor bedroom, as Paul plays a mad tune on the organ and an Arabian princess tries to bite off Ringo's finger to retrieve a sacrificial ring he was wearing. George was smoking a bong. Or not---it's been a while since I last saw "Help!"

As John might say in this book, "Hatty Reeving to Etch and Awl!" ]]>
author: John Lennon
name: J.P.
average rating: 3.82
book published: 1995
rating: 3
read at: 01/91
date added: 06/23/08
shelves:
review:
See my review of Lennon's IN HIS OWN WRITE, which includes insights on this title.

Purchase this book only if you're a Lennon completist or the thought of padding Yoko's pocket$ makes you feel warm n' snuggly inside. Otherwise, check amazon.com for the paperback "two-fer" edition.

A SPANIARD IN THE WORKS is also notable for the cameo appearance it makes in the 1965 Beatles film "Help!" It's the book Lennon pulls from the bookshelf and kisses repeatedly in his hole-in-the-floor bedroom, as Paul plays a mad tune on the organ and an Arabian princess tries to bite off Ringo's finger to retrieve a sacrificial ring he was wearing. George was smoking a bong. Or not---it's been a while since I last saw "Help!"

As John might say in this book, "Hatty Reeving to Etch and Awl!"
]]> 25214054 Mon, 23 Jun 2008 11:09:59 -0700
I guess you've got to know a bit about British nonsense verse and the British cockney tradition of word games---"Take a butcher's up the apples & pears", and that sort of thing. The selections here can be especially fun if read aloud. Otherwise, they will often seem like gibberish.

Lennon was breaking no new ground here, poetically. Authors such as Edward Lear and G.K. Chesterton (whose works Beatle John was clearly familiar with) had been mining similar veins decades before Lennon did. There's nothing especially profound or insightful here either. But there is a sly sense of humor and fun as Lennon plays with the English language and takes the piss out of literary pretense. An example from Lennon's poem "I Sat Belonely":

I sat belonely down a tree,
humbled fat and small.
A little lady sing to me
I couldn't see at all.

I'm looking up and at the sky,
to find such wondrous voice.
Puzzly puzzle, wonder why,
I hear but have no choice. . .

So, if this seems like your cup of tea (British pun intended), go ahead and imbibe with my blessings. IN HIS OWN WRITE, and its companion A SPANIARD IN THE WORKS, are good fun for a rainy afternoon---but best taken in small doses.

Lennon had a deft pen. But I think it was wise that he kept his day job.
]]>
author: John Lennon
name: J.P.
average rating: 3.91
book published: 1964
rating: 3
read at: 01/91
date added: 06/23/08
shelves:
review:
I read this title in a paperback "two-fer" edition back in the early 1990s. It was sandwiched together with Lennon's other Beatles-era book, A SPANIARD IN THE WORKS. Yoko, ever anxious to turn a buck off Lennon's legacy, has since reissued the two collections of nonsense verse and stories separately, in facsimile first-edition hardcovers. If you're a Lennon completist, then fine. Otherwise, trawl amazon for the "two-fer" version.

I guess you've got to know a bit about British nonsense verse and the British cockney tradition of word games---"Take a butcher's up the apples & pears", and that sort of thing. The selections here can be especially fun if read aloud. Otherwise, they will often seem like gibberish.

Lennon was breaking no new ground here, poetically. Authors such as Edward Lear and G.K. Chesterton (whose works Beatle John was clearly familiar with) had been mining similar veins decades before Lennon did. There's nothing especially profound or insightful here either. But there is a sly sense of humor and fun as Lennon plays with the English language and takes the piss out of literary pretense. An example from Lennon's poem "I Sat Belonely":

I sat belonely down a tree,
humbled fat and small.
A little lady sing to me
I couldn't see at all.

I'm looking up and at the sky,
to find such wondrous voice.
Puzzly puzzle, wonder why,
I hear but have no choice. . .

So, if this seems like your cup of tea (British pun intended), go ahead and imbibe with my blessings. IN HIS OWN WRITE, and its companion A SPANIARD IN THE WORKS, are good fun for a rainy afternoon---but best taken in small doses.

Lennon had a deft pen. But I think it was wise that he kept his day job.

]]> 15490780 Mon, 23 Jun 2008 10:35:43 -0700
1.) Celebrities are just as human as normal people.

2.) A good, honest editor is worth his/her weight in gold. This book would be improved tenfold if it was 100 pages shorter.

]]>
author: Kevin Smith
name: J.P.
average rating: 3.54
book published: 2007
rating: 3
read at: 01/07
date added: 06/23/08
shelves:
review:
WHAT I LEARNED FROM THIS BOOK:

1.) Celebrities are just as human as normal people.

2.) A good, honest editor is worth his/her weight in gold. This book would be improved tenfold if it was 100 pages shorter.


]]> 24807630 Wed, 18 Jun 2008 10:01:03 -0700
The most interesting section of the book for me: the post-Miami, Paris time. Davis evidently had greater access to Morrison's notebooks and papers than did previous biographers. He gives an insightful look into Morrison's work habits as a writer that I found fascinating. Davis also spends more time analyzing Morrison's poetry than other biographers did---treating JM as an actual poet, not merely as a rock star who dabbled in writing.

I also liked the even-handed portrayal of not only Morrison, but of the other major figures in his life. No saints or devils here; only very human people, with all their flaws and attributes.

Davis' treatment of Morrison's still---for some---mysterious death is also handled well and in detail. It's obvious that our pal Jimbo died (and yes, it's clear by now that he is truly dead) of some form of self-abuse. Whether it was booze, cocaine, heroin or mixing the aforementioned three with prescription drugs remains unclear. The details behind Morrison's botched burial were somewhat surprising, given the glowing account of JM's burial in NO ONE HERE GETS OUT ALIVE. Outside of consulting a psychic medium, Davis has delivered as thorough an account of these events as one can expect.

So I'd say Stephen Davis has done a damn fine job of delivering some new insights from very well-covered ground. If you've never read a book about Morrison before, start with this one. If you've read them all, give this one a try. You won't be disappointed.

]]>
author: Stephen Davis
name: J.P.
average rating: 3.99
book published: 0
rating: 4
read at: 06/08
date added: 06/18/08
shelves:
review:
If you've read other Morrison/Doors bios, you've heard most of this info before. Davis doesn't really break any new ground here, biographically. But then again, Morrison's been dead for 37 years, so how much new info could there be?

The most interesting section of the book for me: the post-Miami, Paris time. Davis evidently had greater access to Morrison's notebooks and papers than did previous biographers. He gives an insightful look into Morrison's work habits as a writer that I found fascinating. Davis also spends more time analyzing Morrison's poetry than other biographers did---treating JM as an actual poet, not merely as a rock star who dabbled in writing.

I also liked the even-handed portrayal of not only Morrison, but of the other major figures in his life. No saints or devils here; only very human people, with all their flaws and attributes.

Davis' treatment of Morrison's still---for some---mysterious death is also handled well and in detail. It's obvious that our pal Jimbo died (and yes, it's clear by now that he is truly dead) of some form of self-abuse. Whether it was booze, cocaine, heroin or mixing the aforementioned three with prescription drugs remains unclear. The details behind Morrison's botched burial were somewhat surprising, given the glowing account of JM's burial in NO ONE HERE GETS OUT ALIVE. Outside of consulting a psychic medium, Davis has delivered as thorough an account of these events as one can expect.

So I'd say Stephen Davis has done a damn fine job of delivering some new insights from very well-covered ground. If you've never read a book about Morrison before, start with this one. If you've read them all, give this one a try. You won't be disappointed.


]]> 19132962 Mon, 19 May 2008 10:57:03 -0700
author: Charles Webb
name: J.P.
average rating: 3.00
book published: 1970
rating: 4
read at: 05/08
date added: 05/19/08
shelves:
review:

]]> 17595652 Mon, 19 May 2008 10:56:30 -0700
Roger Langley, a lifelong fan of all things McGoohan and co-founder of Six of One/the Prisoner Appreciation Society, is the writer best suited for such a task. Langley has provided readers with an exhaustively researched, detailed portrait of an actor/writer/director whose career has been marked by a fierce independence and guardedness. Aside from tracing McGoohan's life and career, Langley devotes considerable space to "The Prisoner", its levels of allegory and the "Star Trek"-like fandom it spawned in the wake of its 1967 premiere.

Langley's closeness to his subject matter (through his Appreciation Society, Langley has struck up an acquaintance with McGoohan) proves to be a double-edged sword. On the plus side, the author's interest in his subject matter is often contagious. His descriptions of McGoohan's numerous film and TV appearances will have you trawling amazon.com and local TV listings for must-see programs. From the extensive research and interviews Langley conducted, the only thing you will walk away from DANGER MAN OR PRISONER not knowing is whether McGoohan prefers butter or jam on his scones.

However, this familiarity and thoroughness frequently proves to be a liability in Langley. The portrait of McGoohan that emerges here is one of a man who is very human---equal parts genius and enfant terrible. The problem is, at those times when McGoohan's behavior clearly falls under the heading of the latter, Langley chooses the former. A good biographer knows when to allow his subject to stand in the hard, cold light of day. Too often, Langley casts McGoohan in the forgiving shadows of hero worship.

Langley, likewise, could've benefitted from a tougher editor. Detailed accounts of his---let's be honest---at-arm's-length dealings with McGoohan, fan club activities and many of the hundreds of footnotes could've easily been cut or condensed to make a much smoother read. After maintaining a clear and professional tone throughout the text, the author resorts to fanzine-style gushing in its finale. The pun Langley ends his book with is flat-out terrible. A tougher editor would've sent this final chapter back for one more draft, saving the author some embarrassment and the reader an unsatisfying conclusion.

Still, I recommend DANGER MAN OR PRISONER. Casual fans and Number Six-aholics alike will find much of interest between these two covers. And while he stumbles a bit at the end, Langley delivers a commendable biography of a worthy subject. ]]>
author: Roger Langley
name: J.P.
average rating: 3.00
book published: 2007
rating: 3
read at: 05/08
date added: 05/19/08
shelves:
review:
This book is one that has been long overdue. As the principal author and star of one of the most original, thought-provoking TV shows of all time ("The Prisoner"), Patrick McGoohan is a most deserving subject for in-depth biographical study.

Roger Langley, a lifelong fan of all things McGoohan and co-founder of Six of One/the Prisoner Appreciation Society, is the writer best suited for such a task. Langley has provided readers with an exhaustively researched, detailed portrait of an actor/writer/director whose career has been marked by a fierce independence and guardedness. Aside from tracing McGoohan's life and career, Langley devotes considerable space to "The Prisoner", its levels of allegory and the "Star Trek"-like fandom it spawned in the wake of its 1967 premiere.

Langley's closeness to his subject matter (through his Appreciation Society, Langley has struck up an acquaintance with McGoohan) proves to be a double-edged sword. On the plus side, the author's interest in his subject matter is often contagious. His descriptions of McGoohan's numerous film and TV appearances will have you trawling amazon.com and local TV listings for must-see programs. From the extensive research and interviews Langley conducted, the only thing you will walk away from DANGER MAN OR PRISONER not knowing is whether McGoohan prefers butter or jam on his scones.

However, this familiarity and thoroughness frequently proves to be a liability in Langley. The portrait of McGoohan that emerges here is one of a man who is very human---equal parts genius and enfant terrible. The problem is, at those times when McGoohan's behavior clearly falls under the heading of the latter, Langley chooses the former. A good biographer knows when to allow his subject to stand in the hard, cold light of day. Too often, Langley casts McGoohan in the forgiving shadows of hero worship.

Langley, likewise, could've benefitted from a tougher editor. Detailed accounts of his---let's be honest---at-arm's-length dealings with McGoohan, fan club activities and many of the hundreds of footnotes could've easily been cut or condensed to make a much smoother read. After maintaining a clear and professional tone throughout the text, the author resorts to fanzine-style gushing in its finale. The pun Langley ends his book with is flat-out terrible. A tougher editor would've sent this final chapter back for one more draft, saving the author some embarrassment and the reader an unsatisfying conclusion.

Still, I recommend DANGER MAN OR PRISONER. Casual fans and Number Six-aholics alike will find much of interest between these two covers. And while he stumbles a bit at the end, Langley delivers a commendable biography of a worthy subject.
]]> 21926291 Fri, 09 May 2008 09:28:10 -0700
Seizing opportunity, Reed moved to Chile. There, he claimed, he was exposed to the wide chasm between the privileged and the poor classes of society. This experience turned Reed onto radical politics. He became a Socialist, activist and champion of "little people". He also became a harsh critic of the U.S. government, which he felt fed the corrupt governments of South America at the poor's expense.

COMRADE ROCKSTAR traces Dean Reed's life and career, from his days studying acting in Hollywood with Jean Seaberg and the Everly Brothers, through his stint in Italian "spaghetti westerns" and on to his rock concert tours of the Soviet Union, where he was the first American musician to take rock and roll behind the Iron Curtain (he was the only foreigner to ever be given the Lenin Award, Russia's answer to the Pulitzer Prize).

In doing so, author Reggie Nadelson provides readers with insights into the now mostly-vanished Communist world, including (who would've thought!) the Soviet rock scene of the 1960s-1980s. Nadelson has an informative, conversational writing style which makes COMRADE ROCKSTAR a real page-turner.

Eventually, Reed ended up in East Germany, where he continued to record popular records and act in and direct well-received films. In 1986, at age 48, he died there under mysterious circumstances, shortly after making plans to return to America (including an appearance on "60 Minutes"). Many who knew him claim Reed was murdered for political reasons. Nadelson keeps the reader in suspense right up to her book's end---then does a satisfying job of unraveling this mystery, at least to the extent that it can be unraveled.

Dean Reed was a household name from Havana to Moscow. But he was---and remains---almost unknown in his home country. Twenty-two years after his death, he has a wide and loyal following in Europe. While his politics may rub many the wrong way, Reed is a genuinely unique historical figure. Reggie Nadelson tells his story well.

]]>
author: Reggie Nadelson
name: J.P.
average rating: 3.38
book published: 2006
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 05/09/08
shelves:
review:
Dean Reed was an American rock singer/actor in the early 1960s. While he was mostly overlooked in the U.S., he became a major star in South America, where his records sold millions of copies.

Seizing opportunity, Reed moved to Chile. There, he claimed, he was exposed to the wide chasm between the privileged and the poor classes of society. This experience turned Reed onto radical politics. He became a Socialist, activist and champion of "little people". He also became a harsh critic of the U.S. government, which he felt fed the corrupt governments of South America at the poor's expense.

COMRADE ROCKSTAR traces Dean Reed's life and career, from his days studying acting in Hollywood with Jean Seaberg and the Everly Brothers, through his stint in Italian "spaghetti westerns" and on to his rock concert tours of the Soviet Union, where he was the first American musician to take rock and roll behind the Iron Curtain (he was the only foreigner to ever be given the Lenin Award, Russia's answer to the Pulitzer Prize).

In doing so, author Reggie Nadelson provides readers with insights into the now mostly-vanished Communist world, including (who would've thought!) the Soviet rock scene of the 1960s-1980s. Nadelson has an informative, conversational writing style which makes COMRADE ROCKSTAR a real page-turner.

Eventually, Reed ended up in East Germany, where he continued to record popular records and act in and direct well-received films. In 1986, at age 48, he died there under mysterious circumstances, shortly after making plans to return to America (including an appearance on "60 Minutes"). Many who knew him claim Reed was murdered for political reasons. Nadelson keeps the reader in suspense right up to her book's end---then does a satisfying job of unraveling this mystery, at least to the extent that it can be unraveled.

Dean Reed was a household name from Havana to Moscow. But he was---and remains---almost unknown in his home country. Twenty-two years after his death, he has a wide and loyal following in Europe. While his politics may rub many the wrong way, Reed is a genuinely unique historical figure. Reggie Nadelson tells his story well.


]]> 20300649 Wed, 16 Apr 2008 10:22:55 -0700
author: Dr. Seuss
name: J.P.
average rating: 4.18
book published: 1998
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 04/16/08
shelves:
review:

]]> 16088947 Mon, 31 Mar 2008 14:35:59 -0700
Long story made short: Farmer's story picks up where Melville's left off. Ishmael, having survived Ahab's mad quest for the white whale, is headed home on the good ship Rachel. But somehow, the Rachel slips through some kind of worm-hole in time. Sea level has dropped hundreds of feet below its present level. The moon is closer to the earth. Whales have sprouted wings and taken to the skies, where they are pursued by whalers in flying ships. Much of the remaining wildlife likewise resides in the skies. The Rachel literally falls from the sky, crushing a sky-ship and killing all on board both vessels---except two.

Those two are Ishmael and a woman named Namalee. Namalee takes up with Ishmael and teaches him her language and the ways of her people. Ishmael takes up with Namalee's people, whose city has been destroyed by a rival city; those foreign invaders have stolen Namalee's people's sacred idols. Ishmael leads Namalee and a band of her people to this other city in an attempt to steal back their sacred idols. There's a great swipe-and-chase involving a "Stone Beast" and an ensuing airship battle. Namalee and Ishmael become lovers. Ishmael declares that the two rival peoples should unite as one. The end.

If my review seems a bit. . .rushed, it's because THE WIND WHALES OF ISHMAEL reads like a "rushed" novel. Farmer has crammed 10 pounds of info into a 5-pound bag. He describes wondrous characters, creatures and places at a breakneck pace. Some are merely alluded to and never mentioned again. He takes a truly intriguing character, Namalee, and develops her back-story to a fascinating point---then shoehorns her into a stereotypical 'damsel-in-distress' role and leaves her there. I know one has to suspend disbelief with fantasy fiction, just go with the flow. But this book doesn't have a flow---it has white water rapids. At times, I felt overcome by a storm of information.

THE WIND WHALES OF ISHMAEL is an almost schizophrenic book. The first half mirrors the glacial pace of Melville's novel. Then, around page 100 or so, the speed picks up with the 'stealing back the idols' segment. It's almost as if someone spliced a few chapters of an Edgar Rice Burroughs pulp serial into the middle of MOBY DICK. The result is a bizarre hybrid---not unpleasant, but not wholly satisfying, either.

My two main criticisms are pacing and content. I believe this book could've been improved drastically if Farmer had doubled its length, taken a bit more time to fully explore the world he created in it. Either that, or he should've left out some of the myriads of details he stuffed between these two covers. Closer focus on Namalee and Ishmael as a couple would've been better, too.



Philip Jose Farmer is rightfully known as a visionary among science fantasy writers. But vision requires focus and structure. this novel doesn't have those things. Farmer has written a shelf full of s-f classics. THE WIND WHALES OF ISHMAEL is not one of them.

]]>
author: Philip José Farmer
name: J.P.
average rating: 3.31
book published: 1979
rating: 2
read at: 03/08
date added: 03/31/08
shelves:
review:
Well, I've got to give Philip Jose Farmer points for creativity, if nothing else. In THE WIND WHALES OF ISHMAEL, the guy creates a world in the relatively brief space of 157 pages. He breathes new life into a classic character (Ishmael, from MOBY DICK). At the tail-end of this book, he even brews up a good old-fashioned adventure. But somehow, the overall effect here is. . .sadly pear-shaped.

Long story made short: Farmer's story picks up where Melville's left off. Ishmael, having survived Ahab's mad quest for the white whale, is headed home on the good ship Rachel. But somehow, the Rachel slips through some kind of worm-hole in time. Sea level has dropped hundreds of feet below its present level. The moon is closer to the earth. Whales have sprouted wings and taken to the skies, where they are pursued by whalers in flying ships. Much of the remaining wildlife likewise resides in the skies. The Rachel literally falls from the sky, crushing a sky-ship and killing all on board both vessels---except two.

Those two are Ishmael and a woman named Namalee. Namalee takes up with Ishmael and teaches him her language and the ways of her people. Ishmael takes up with Namalee's people, whose city has been destroyed by a rival city; those foreign invaders have stolen Namalee's people's sacred idols. Ishmael leads Namalee and a band of her people to this other city in an attempt to steal back their sacred idols. There's a great swipe-and-chase involving a "Stone Beast" and an ensuing airship battle. Namalee and Ishmael become lovers. Ishmael declares that the two rival peoples should unite as one. The end.

If my review seems a bit. . .rushed, it's because THE WIND WHALES OF ISHMAEL reads like a "rushed" novel. Farmer has crammed 10 pounds of info into a 5-pound bag. He describes wondrous characters, creatures and places at a breakneck pace. Some are merely alluded to and never mentioned again. He takes a truly intriguing character, Namalee, and develops her back-story to a fascinating point---then shoehorns her into a stereotypical 'damsel-in-distress' role and leaves her there. I know one has to suspend disbelief with fantasy fiction, just go with the flow. But this book doesn't have a flow---it has white water rapids. At times, I felt overcome by a storm of information.

THE WIND WHALES OF ISHMAEL is an almost schizophrenic book. The first half mirrors the glacial pace of Melville's novel. Then, around page 100 or so, the speed picks up with the 'stealing back the idols' segment. It's almost as if someone spliced a few chapters of an Edgar Rice Burroughs pulp serial into the middle of MOBY DICK. The result is a bizarre hybrid---not unpleasant, but not wholly satisfying, either.

My two main criticisms are pacing and content. I believe this book could've been improved drastically if Farmer had doubled its length, taken a bit more time to fully explore the world he created in it. Either that, or he should've left out some of the myriads of details he stuffed between these two covers. Closer focus on Namalee and Ishmael as a couple would've been better, too.



Philip Jose Farmer is rightfully known as a visionary among science fantasy writers. But vision requires focus and structure. this novel doesn't have those things. Farmer has written a shelf full of s-f classics. THE WIND WHALES OF ISHMAEL is not one of them.


]]> 6859426 Fri, 21 Mar 2008 08:30:36 -0700
A DULL ROAR is one of those books that turns you on to a dozen and one other books and authors, not to mention films and music, too. Rollins is a modern-day Renaissance Man: writer, publisher, rock singer, actor, radio personality, TV show host, autodidact. Reading this book gives you a backstage, up-close look at what it means to be all those things, all at once. And you get the whole truth, as Henry sees it; Rollins pulls no punches.

So if you're looking for a fast-moving, insightful look into a rather extraordinary life, give A DULL ROAR a try.

A DULL ROAR is, as of this writing, only available through Henry Rollins' website: http://21361.com Click on the '21361 Store' link and then on 'books'.


]]>
author: Henry Rollins
name: J.P.
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2008
rating: 4
read at: 11/07
date added: 03/21/08
shelves:
review:
This is Henry Rollins best book to date. He is one the best diarists writing today. His writing voice is unique and one you can immediately identify with.

A DULL ROAR is one of those books that turns you on to a dozen and one other books and authors, not to mention films and music, too. Rollins is a modern-day Renaissance Man: writer, publisher, rock singer, actor, radio personality, TV show host, autodidact. Reading this book gives you a backstage, up-close look at what it means to be all those things, all at once. And you get the whole truth, as Henry sees it; Rollins pulls no punches.

So if you're looking for a fast-moving, insightful look into a rather extraordinary life, give A DULL ROAR a try.

A DULL ROAR is, as of this writing, only available through Henry Rollins' website: http://21361.com Click on the '21361 Store' link and then on 'books'.



]]> 17600625 Wed, 12 Mar 2008 10:26:34 -0700
author: Stephen King
name: J.P.
average rating: 3.71
book published: 1977
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 03/12/08
shelves:
review:

]]> 17596761 Wed, 12 Mar 2008 09:36:53 -0700
author: Jack Spicer
name: J.P.
average rating: 4.82
book published: 1980
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 03/12/08
shelves:
review:

]]> 15490843 Fri, 15 Feb 2008 09:53:44 -0800
"The Prisoner" (1967-68) is, bar none, the most intelligent, creative TV series ever produced. If you like spy stories, allegories or mysteries, "The Prisoner" is for you.

The basic premise: a nameless secret agent resigns and refuses to say why. As he prepares to leave town (London), he's knocked out by a mysterious gas piped into his apartment through a keyhole. Some time later, he wakes up---in the Village, the holiday resort from Hell. Its location is unknown. Each Village resident has a number rather than a name (the secret agent's is Number Six). Everyone is mindlessly happy and docile. The Village is run by Number Two, who is bent on learning why---"by hook or by crook"---why Number Six resigned. Number Six is just as determined to do three things: 1.) to keep his reasons for resigning to himself; 2.) to learn the identity of the Village's unseen ruler, Number One; 3.) to escape from the Village by any means possible. According to creator/star Patrick McGoohan (the original choice to play James Bond; he turned the part down, so Connery got it), the entire purpose of the show was to invite interpretation, analysis and even controversy. If you aren't familiar with "The Prisoner", do yourself a favor and check it out.

Once you've done so, check out this fine companion volume. The authors provide complete explications of all 17 episodes of this show, including some of the more obscure and easy-to-miss references (there are many). There's plenty of fascinating behind the scenes info as well, and generous illustrations (black and white). There is even an interview with the reclusive McGoohan himself.

Don't be scared off by the book's late-1980s publication date. The subject matter dealt with in "The Prisoner" was purposefully timeless. Issues such as politics, free will vs. orderly society, man's inhumanity to man and choice vs. predetermination are among the themes explored---and the authors do a great job of breaking them all down for us, episode by episode.

There's a lot to consider in any episode of "The Prisoner". This well-written, easy-to-read book helped to deepen my appreciation for this groundbreaking show. I recommend it highly.

"I am not a number — I am a free man!"
---Number Six ]]>
author: Matthew White
name: J.P.
average rating: 4.00
book published: 1988
rating: 5
read at: 01/92
date added: 02/15/08
shelves:
review:
I read this years ago. I picked it up again recently, after receiving "The Prisoner" DVD set for Xmas.

"The Prisoner" (1967-68) is, bar none, the most intelligent, creative TV series ever produced. If you like spy stories, allegories or mysteries, "The Prisoner" is for you.

The basic premise: a nameless secret agent resigns and refuses to say why. As he prepares to leave town (London), he's knocked out by a mysterious gas piped into his apartment through a keyhole. Some time later, he wakes up---in the Village, the holiday resort from Hell. Its location is unknown. Each Village resident has a number rather than a name (the secret agent's is Number Six). Everyone is mindlessly happy and docile. The Village is run by Number Two, who is bent on learning why---"by hook or by crook"---why Number Six resigned. Number Six is just as determined to do three things: 1.) to keep his reasons for resigning to himself; 2.) to learn the identity of the Village's unseen ruler, Number One; 3.) to escape from the Village by any means possible. According to creator/star Patrick McGoohan (the original choice to play James Bond; he turned the part down, so Connery got it), the entire purpose of the show was to invite interpretation, analysis and even controversy. If you aren't familiar with "The Prisoner", do yourself a favor and check it out.

Once you've done so, check out this fine companion volume. The authors provide complete explications of all 17 episodes of this show, including some of the more obscure and easy-to-miss references (there are many). There's plenty of fascinating behind the scenes info as well, and generous illustrations (black and white). There is even an interview with the reclusive McGoohan himself.

Don't be scared off by the book's late-1980s publication date. The subject matter dealt with in "The Prisoner" was purposefully timeless. Issues such as politics, free will vs. orderly society, man's inhumanity to man and choice vs. predetermination are among the themes explored---and the authors do a great job of breaking them all down for us, episode by episode.

There's a lot to consider in any episode of "The Prisoner". This well-written, easy-to-read book helped to deepen my appreciation for this groundbreaking show. I recommend it highly.

"I am not a number — I am a free man!"
---Number Six
]]> 15489896 Fri, 15 Feb 2008 09:14:28 -0800
author: E.L. Konigsburg
name: J.P.
average rating: 4.30
book published: 1967
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 02/15/08
shelves:
review:

]]> 10094588 Mon, 14 Jan 2008 09:53:54 -0800
I dunno. Maybe it's because of the time in Buk's life from which HWM dates, the early 1980s. By then, Buk had cut his famous deal with Black Sparrow's John Martin. Publication for anything he wrote was all but certain. Buk was out of the post office and beginning to ride the wave of critical applause he'd enjoy the rest of his life. And no, I'm not saying he didn't deserve it---he truly did. And I'm not saying he sold out---the guy never came close to doing so.

Then, what's my problem with HOT WATER MUSIC? It's dull. Chockful of stories which strain, desperately, to be 'controversial' or offensive in some way. I mean, a story about a guy shtupping a flower vase? A story about a couple of possible serial killer/cannibals? And the tales don't end so much as they simply peter out, with no resolution of any kind. At times, this can be an effective literary device, but here, it's over-used. It's almost like Bukowski was consciously trying to write an oh-so Bukowski-like book.

Perhaps it's because, at this point, Martin wasn't going to challenge anything Buk submitted. This book feels like an exercise written to fulfill a contractural obligation, rather than a literary statement. HOT WATER MUSIC reads like a self-satisfied author, seriously in need of a editor (all those lengthy, jam-packed paragraphs!) pandering to his audience.

This man wrote books (POST OFFICE, WOMEN, DAYS RUN AWAY LIKE WILD HORSES..., LAST NIGHT OF THE EARTH POEMS) which will live forever. HOT WATER MUSIC isn't one of them.

]]>
author: Charles Bukowski
name: J.P.
average rating: 3.89
book published: 1983
rating: 2
read at: 02/08
date added: 01/14/08
shelves:
review:
Bukowski is one of my all-time faves. His work has brought me much enjoyment over the years. He's a major model to me as a writer. I hadn't looked at any of his short stories in some time, so I picked up one I hadn't previously read, HOT WATER MUSIC. Imagine my sad surprise when I was actually B-O-R-E-D by it.

I dunno. Maybe it's because of the time in Buk's life from which HWM dates, the early 1980s. By then, Buk had cut his famous deal with Black Sparrow's John Martin. Publication for anything he wrote was all but certain. Buk was out of the post office and beginning to ride the wave of critical applause he'd enjoy the rest of his life. And no, I'm not saying he didn't deserve it---he truly did. And I'm not saying he sold out---the guy never came close to doing so.

Then, what's my problem with HOT WATER MUSIC? It's dull. Chockful of stories which strain, desperately, to be 'controversial' or offensive in some way. I mean, a story about a guy shtupping a flower vase? A story about a couple of possible serial killer/cannibals? And the tales don't end so much as they simply peter out, with no resolution of any kind. At times, this can be an effective literary device, but here, it's over-used. It's almost like Bukowski was consciously trying to write an oh-so Bukowski-like book.

Perhaps it's because, at this point, Martin wasn't going to challenge anything Buk submitted. This book feels like an exercise written to fulfill a contractural obligation, rather than a literary statement. HOT WATER MUSIC reads like a self-satisfied author, seriously in need of a editor (all those lengthy, jam-packed paragraphs!) pandering to his audience.

This man wrote books (POST OFFICE, WOMEN, DAYS RUN AWAY LIKE WILD HORSES..., LAST NIGHT OF THE EARTH POEMS) which will live forever. HOT WATER MUSIC isn't one of them.


]]> 11455307 Fri, 04 Jan 2008 09:30:57 -0800
Not so, Steve Martin's BORN STANDING UP. First of all, it's more focused than most celeb tell-alls. It centers around Martin's life leading up to and including his career as a standup comedian, not as an actor/filmmaker. So "Three Amigos" fans, you'll have to wait for Martin's next volume for those fascinating Chevy Chase anecdotes.

This is not a laugh-out-loud book, but there are funny bits in it. Once , while working as an up-and-coming comedian in the late 1960s, Martin recalls how he stepped on to the stage of a Playboy Club on a Monday night. Monday nights in nightclubs, he tells us, were usually as dead as graveyards. On this particular night, however, the club was packed. Martin describes how his performer's ego soared---until he realized that he was standing in front of an audience consisting entirely of Japanese tourists who spoke almost no English.

Most interesting to me was Martin's chronicle of how he slowly, painstakingly evolved from a self-conscious, teenaged magician working at Disneyland to the banjo-plucking, arrow-through-the-head wildman who sold out arenas and defined 1970s comedy. Martin is generous in providing insights into how he developed the "punchline-free", surreal humor that he's known for today.

Along the way, the comic spins numerous anecdotes concerning his encounters with those who shaped his life, both personally and professionally; old-time vaudeville comedians, writer Dalton Trumbo (and his daughter, Mitzi), Johnny Carson and the Smothers Brothers are just a few of the notables who are vividly recounted. Even Elvis makes a cameo appearance.

Even more intriguing, Martin finally answers the question of why, in the early 1980s, he walked away from standup comedy, never to return.

Martin is as skilled a writer as he was a standup comedian; he keeps the pace brisk as he tells his multi-faceted tale. If you're looking for an insightful, intelligent page-turner, look here. If you don't know much about this entertainer, you'll walk away from BORN STANDING UP with a new appreciation for his singular talents. If you're a Steve Martin fan, roll up your sleeves and dig in!]]>
author: Steve Martin
name: J.P.
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2007
rating: 5
read at: 01/08
date added: 01/04/08
shelves:
review:
I usually avoid these types of books like the Plague. Celebrity autobiographies---ego unchained, coupled with a "Then I went here, then I did this, then I went there and did that. . ." boring-ass format. Nine times out of ten, books like these put me to sleep.

Not so, Steve Martin's BORN STANDING UP. First of all, it's more focused than most celeb tell-alls. It centers around Martin's life leading up to and including his career as a standup comedian, not as an actor/filmmaker. So "Three Amigos" fans, you'll have to wait for Martin's next volume for those fascinating Chevy Chase anecdotes.

This is not a laugh-out-loud book, but there are funny bits in it. Once , while working as an up-and-coming comedian in the late 1960s, Martin recalls how he stepped on to the stage of a Playboy Club on a Monday night. Monday nights in nightclubs, he tells us, were usually as dead as graveyards. On this particular night, however, the club was packed. Martin describes how his performer's ego soared---until he realized that he was standing in front of an audience consisting entirely of Japanese tourists who spoke almost no English.

Most interesting to me was Martin's chronicle of how he slowly, painstakingly evolved from a self-conscious, teenaged magician working at Disneyland to the banjo-plucking, arrow-through-the-head wildman who sold out arenas and defined 1970s comedy. Martin is generous in providing insights into how he developed the "punchline-free", surreal humor that he's known for today.

Along the way, the comic spins numerous anecdotes concerning his encounters with those who shaped his life, both personally and professionally; old-time vaudeville comedians, writer Dalton Trumbo (and his daughter, Mitzi), Johnny Carson and the Smothers Brothers are just a few of the notables who are vividly recounted. Even Elvis makes a cameo appearance.

Even more intriguing, Martin finally answers the question of why, in the early 1980s, he walked away from standup comedy, never to return.

Martin is as skilled a writer as he was a standup comedian; he keeps the pace brisk as he tells his multi-faceted tale. If you're looking for an insightful, intelligent page-turner, look here. If you don't know much about this entertainer, you'll walk away from BORN STANDING UP with a new appreciation for his singular talents. If you're a Steve Martin fan, roll up your sleeves and dig in!
]]> 9314572 Fri, 07 Dec 2007 10:45:45 -0800
SAYERS: MY LIFE AND TIMES is an overview of Gale's life, before, during and after his gridiron days. It does NOT take a chronological approach, but rather, skips around, memoir-style. This particular feature made the book a rather refreshing read; the simple "then to now" approach many bios take can make them kind of plodding at times.

We get everything you'd want to know about Sayers---his thoughts on the many NFL greats he played against and for (Dick Butkus and George Halas among them). You also get insight into what it was like to be an African-American player in an NFL that wasn't always so welcoming to non-whites. Of course, there's a detailed and affectionate segment about Brian Piccolo. Kudos to Sayers for rendering a three-dimensional portrait of his late friend, while avoiding the temptation to make Piccolo a saint.

Not so interesting are the parts about Sayers' life since football. Since retiring from the Bears, Sayers has gone on to found a successful computer business and devote much time to many worthy charitable causes and diverse hobbies (flying airplanes, scuba diving). I'm just not so sure that readers needed to hear this in such detail. Still, such information helps to form a complete picture of the man.

More interesting to football fans are Sayers' thoughts on the current state of football and his opinions on the NFL's treatment of retired players. In a nutshell: he hates the showboating of today's gridiron heroes and makes a passionate plea to the league to remember the athletes who built the game from which it handsomely profits now.

The writing (the book was coauthored by Chicago sportswriter Fred Mitchell) is a bit simplistic at times. And it's an understatement to say that Sayers has a very healthy ego. But overall, SAYERS: MY LIFE AND TIMES would be a fitting addition to the bookshelf of any football fan. Especially Chicago Bears fans who, in light of the current team's embarrassing record, would be anxious to relive the glory days of this Monsters of the Midway icon. ]]>
author: Gale Sayers
name: J.P.
average rating: 3.00
book published: 2007
rating: 3
read at: 12/07
date added: 12/07/07
shelves:
review:
This is an autobiography of the great Chicago Bears runningback of the 1960s, Gale Sayers. If you don't recognize the name, you may recall that Gale (played by Billy Dee Williams) was featured in a TV movie which chronicled his friendship with a fellow football player, the late Brian Piccolo. The movie was called "Brian's Song".

SAYERS: MY LIFE AND TIMES is an overview of Gale's life, before, during and after his gridiron days. It does NOT take a chronological approach, but rather, skips around, memoir-style. This particular feature made the book a rather refreshing read; the simple "then to now" approach many bios take can make them kind of plodding at times.

We get everything you'd want to know about Sayers---his thoughts on the many NFL greats he played against and for (Dick Butkus and George Halas among them). You also get insight into what it was like to be an African-American player in an NFL that wasn't always so welcoming to non-whites. Of course, there's a detailed and affectionate segment about Brian Piccolo. Kudos to Sayers for rendering a three-dimensional portrait of his late friend, while avoiding the temptation to make Piccolo a saint.

Not so interesting are the parts about Sayers' life since football. Since retiring from the Bears, Sayers has gone on to found a successful computer business and devote much time to many worthy charitable causes and diverse hobbies (flying airplanes, scuba diving). I'm just not so sure that readers needed to hear this in such detail. Still, such information helps to form a complete picture of the man.

More interesting to football fans are Sayers' thoughts on the current state of football and his opinions on the NFL's treatment of retired players. In a nutshell: he hates the showboating of today's gridiron heroes and makes a passionate plea to the league to remember the athletes who built the game from which it handsomely profits now.

The writing (the book was coauthored by Chicago sportswriter Fred Mitchell) is a bit simplistic at times. And it's an understatement to say that Sayers has a very healthy ego. But overall, SAYERS: MY LIFE AND TIMES would be a fitting addition to the bookshelf of any football fan. Especially Chicago Bears fans who, in light of the current team's embarrassing record, would be anxious to relive the glory days of this Monsters of the Midway icon.
]]> 9405839 Wed, 21 Nov 2007 14:06:43 -0800
I was aware of SEAGULL's considerable reputation when I did read the book. I was hoping to be knocked on me arse by some incredibly profound, "HEA-VEEEEE, man!" allegorical experience. What I got was a fairly pleasant, tolerably written tale about---a bird. I suppose one could make a connection between JLS and Jesus, but that seems a bit too easy. I mean, this book sold in boatloads in the 1970's. There must be something to it that I'm missing.

Or maybe not. Like the Charleston (1920's dance craze), hula hoops and bell-bottoms, certain phenomena are of a time and a place. Sometimes, you just had to have BEEN THERE, man, to truly appreciate it. JONATHAN LIVINGSTON SEAGULL is one bit of 1970's hoopla which breezes right past me. In my humble opinion, it's an okay, but vastly overrated novella. ]]>
author: Richard Bach
name: J.P.
average rating: 3.72
book published: 2006
rating: 2
read at: 01/89
date added: 11/21/07
shelves:
review:
I read this years ago. I've dipped into it a few times since then. I just don't. . .get it.

I was aware of SEAGULL's considerable reputation when I did read the book. I was hoping to be knocked on me arse by some incredibly profound, "HEA-VEEEEE, man!" allegorical experience. What I got was a fairly pleasant, tolerably written tale about---a bird. I suppose one could make a connection between JLS and Jesus, but that seems a bit too easy. I mean, this book sold in boatloads in the 1970's. There must be something to it that I'm missing.

Or maybe not. Like the Charleston (1920's dance craze), hula hoops and bell-bottoms, certain phenomena are of a time and a place. Sometimes, you just had to have BEEN THERE, man, to truly appreciate it. JONATHAN LIVINGSTON SEAGULL is one bit of 1970's hoopla which breezes right past me. In my humble opinion, it's an okay, but vastly overrated novella.
]]> 9405167 Wed, 21 Nov 2007 13:44:38 -0800
While Grossman was a true blue Red, this book isn't a valentine to Communism. He compares/contrasts Capitalism and Communism, as he experienced them, with a surprising amount of objectivity. Especially interesting was Grossman's experiences in Germany just after the nation reunited in 1990, and his trip back to America shortly afterward.

The book is marred, at times, by Grossman's efforts to justify and validate certain day-to-day realities of East German life (long lines, staple products in short supply, censorship, secret informers). But by and large, I found him to be an honest and fairly objective historian.

Most of all, I walked away from this book feeling grateful for the rights and liberties I enjoy in my country. ]]>
author: Victor Grossman
name: J.P.
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2003
rating: 4
read at: 06/06
date added: 11/21/07
shelves:
review:
Victor Grossman is a Harvard graduate who defected to East Germany in the early 1950s. He spent the next 30+ years living there. His book, CROSSING THE RIVER, provides a fascinating glimpse into the now-lost world behind the Iron Curtain, as seen through American eyes.

While Grossman was a true blue Red, this book isn't a valentine to Communism. He compares/contrasts Capitalism and Communism, as he experienced them, with a surprising amount of objectivity. Especially interesting was Grossman's experiences in Germany just after the nation reunited in 1990, and his trip back to America shortly afterward.

The book is marred, at times, by Grossman's efforts to justify and validate certain day-to-day realities of East German life (long lines, staple products in short supply, censorship, secret informers). But by and large, I found him to be an honest and fairly objective historian.

Most of all, I walked away from this book feeling grateful for the rights and liberties I enjoy in my country.
]]> 8197394 Wed, 14 Nov 2007 16:47:49 -0800
The narrator happens to be the President of the United States---the LAST one, as a matter of fact.

Wilbur Daffodil-11 Swain and his sister, Eliza, have got to be two of the most sympathetic characters KV ever created. Their voices just envelope you and draw you in.

Some of Vonnegut's most ingenious devices & characters are in here---Green Death, the Hooligan (a thingie to communicate with those in the Afterlife), the Turkey Farm, tri-something-Deportamil, the super-feelgood drug Swain gets hooked on, the Raspberry family, Vera's teenaged Tourette's-afflicted son, the King of Michigan.

Yes, KV was firing on all cylinders here. Strange, then, that I found the ending to be something of a letdown. Then again, how could it be anything but?

If you have to read just one Vonnegut book, I'd say go for SLAPSTICK. SLAUGHTERHOUSE FIVE has the reputation, but in my humble opinion, SLAPSTICK is the better book.

"LONESOME NO MORE!" ]]>
author: Kurt Vonnegut
name: J.P.
average rating: 3.85
book published: 1976
rating: 4
read at: 11/07
date added: 11/14/07
shelves:
review:
This one was one of Vonnegut's best. He was creating worlds here, folks. Most specifically, a world---ours.

The narrator happens to be the President of the United States---the LAST one, as a matter of fact.

Wilbur Daffodil-11 Swain and his sister, Eliza, have got to be two of the most sympathetic characters KV ever created. Their voices just envelope you and draw you in.

Some of Vonnegut's most ingenious devices & characters are in here---Green Death, the Hooligan (a thingie to communicate with those in the Afterlife), the Turkey Farm, tri-something-Deportamil, the super-feelgood drug Swain gets hooked on, the Raspberry family, Vera's teenaged Tourette's-afflicted son, the King of Michigan.

Yes, KV was firing on all cylinders here. Strange, then, that I found the ending to be something of a letdown. Then again, how could it be anything but?

If you have to read just one Vonnegut book, I'd say go for SLAPSTICK. SLAUGHTERHOUSE FIVE has the reputation, but in my humble opinion, SLAPSTICK is the better book.

"LONESOME NO MORE!"
]]> 9121678 Wed, 14 Nov 2007 15:07:32 -0800
author: S.A. Griffin
name: J.P.
average rating: 4.24
book published: 1999
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 11/14/07
shelves:
review:

]]> 9121317 Wed, 14 Nov 2007 14:59:21 -0800
author: John Milton
name: J.P.
average rating: 4.06
book published: 1968
rating: 0
read at: 01/91
date added: 11/14/07
shelves:
review:

]]> 8884846 Fri, 09 Nov 2007 10:13:48 -0800
Well, a volunteer position, really. Until recently, I was the president of the Literary Nonfiction Haters’ Club. To me, literary nonfiction was the written equivalent of the “day-old” table at your local bakery—cold, hard collections of diary jottings, college lecture notes and, ahem, book reviews. My belief in this estimation of literary nonfiction was as firm as yesterday’s bagels.

Then I read Riding the Unit: Selected Nonfiction 1994-2004 by Mark Spitzer. Spitzer is a poet (The Pigs Drink From Infinity)/novelist (Chum)/Rimbaud translator (From Absinthe to Abyssinia) extraordinaire. His book was so fresh-from-the-oven hot, it was steaming.

I braced myself for half-baked journal entries. Instead, in “Dinner with Slinger”, Spitzer provided an engaging and even-handed account of his college days spent studying with a noted poet turned boozy blowhard. Spitzer skillfully picked through the besotted b.s. to find the bard’s point—why we, as a people, have lost the “consciousness” to truly appreciate art (8).

I expected prim pages torn from the family album. In “Dinner at My Mother’s”, Spitzer surprised me with a considerate, hilarious description of a day he spent with his literary biography-interpreting mother and his famous potter stepfather. The piece hinged on critics’ habits of analyzing artworks to hell and back. It was like an episode of “Married with Children” co-written by Woody Allen and Eugene O’Neill.

I was set for stale memoranda. Instead, Spitzer delighted me with “Fakos in France”, an insightful remembrance of his time as Writer in Residence at the Shakespeare and Company bookstore in Paris, and his stint as a stagehand at a poetry reading there for two Beat Generation icons who’d turned into kudos-collecting squares.

I anticipated a professorial review of some obscure anthology. A review, I got—of Bob Dylan’s notorious and notoriously difficult Tarantula. Spitzer solidly and lucidly defended Dylan’s poem, laying the blame for its bad rep on critics’ failure to recognize Tarantula for what it is, rather than on Dylan’s challenging, but purposeful, use of allegory.

Above all else, Mark Spitzer’s humor and energy made Riding the Unit a memorable read. Whether taking the piss out of Allen Ginsberg, arm-wrestling Jean Genet’s literary executrix or ribbing his stepdad by hyper-analyzing everything like an English major amped on caffeine, Spitzer kept the pace brisk and the overall experience entertaining and informative.

With my view of literary nonfiction turned upside-down, I resigned from my post as the president of the Literary Nonfiction Haters’ Club. But since it was due to a great book by a fine writer, I was happy to do so.
]]>
author: Mark Spitzer
name: J.P.
average rating: 5.00
book published: 2007
rating: 5
read at: 01/07
date added: 11/09/07
shelves:
review:
This book cost me a job.

Well, a volunteer position, really. Until recently, I was the president of the Literary Nonfiction Haters’ Club. To me, literary nonfiction was the written equivalent of the “day-old” table at your local bakery—cold, hard collections of diary jottings, college lecture notes and, ahem, book reviews. My belief in this estimation of literary nonfiction was as firm as yesterday’s bagels.

Then I read Riding the Unit: Selected Nonfiction 1994-2004 by Mark Spitzer. Spitzer is a poet (The Pigs Drink From Infinity)/novelist (Chum)/Rimbaud translator (From Absinthe to Abyssinia) extraordinaire. His book was so fresh-from-the-oven hot, it was steaming.

I braced myself for half-baked journal entries. Instead, in “Dinner with Slinger”, Spitzer provided an engaging and even-handed account of his college days spent studying with a noted poet turned boozy blowhard. Spitzer skillfully picked through the besotted b.s. to find the bard’s point—why we, as a people, have lost the “consciousness” to truly appreciate art (8).

I expected prim pages torn from the family album. In “Dinner at My Mother’s”, Spitzer surprised me with a considerate, hilarious description of a day he spent with his literary biography-interpreting mother and his famous potter stepfather. The piece hinged on critics’ habits of analyzing artworks to hell and back. It was like an episode of “Married with Children” co-written by Woody Allen and Eugene O’Neill.

I was set for stale memoranda. Instead, Spitzer delighted me with “Fakos in France”, an insightful remembrance of his time as Writer in Residence at the Shakespeare and Company bookstore in Paris, and his stint as a stagehand at a poetry reading there for two Beat Generation icons who’d turned into kudos-collecting squares.

I anticipated a professorial review of some obscure anthology. A review, I got—of Bob Dylan’s notorious and notoriously difficult Tarantula. Spitzer solidly and lucidly defended Dylan’s poem, laying the blame for its bad rep on critics’ failure to recognize Tarantula for what it is, rather than on Dylan’s challenging, but purposeful, use of allegory.

Above all else, Mark Spitzer’s humor and energy made Riding the Unit a memorable read. Whether taking the piss out of Allen Ginsberg, arm-wrestling Jean Genet’s literary executrix or ribbing his stepdad by hyper-analyzing everything like an English major amped on caffeine, Spitzer kept the pace brisk and the overall experience entertaining and informative.

With my view of literary nonfiction turned upside-down, I resigned from my post as the president of the Literary Nonfiction Haters’ Club. But since it was due to a great book by a fine writer, I was happy to do so.

]]> 8563791 Fri, 02 Nov 2007 08:57:10 -0700
author: John Kennedy Toole
name: J.P.
average rating: 3.97
book published: 1980
rating: 4
read at: 01/89
date added: 11/02/07
shelves:
review:
Some may call this book 'overrated', but believe me, it's worth every ounce of its reputation. Ignatius is a character for the ages. And in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the novel's value is increased; set in New Orleans, with lavish descriptions of that town, it may be describing places which no longer exist. On top of that, it's just a damn funny book.
]]> 8562554 Fri, 02 Nov 2007 08:42:40 -0700
This book---co-edited by Earle Labor, the #1 Jack London scholar in America---is currently (criminally!) out of print. But you can find a good reading copy on Amazon for as little as $1.99. Believe me, it will be the best $1.99 you ever spent on a book.

London was among the finest of the short story writers of his day---at a time when short fiction was written for mass consumption. This isn't to say that the stories are simplistic; they are anything but. I'm just saying that the guy was writing for a "popular audience," in the best sense of the term.

If all you know about London is THE CALL OF THE WILD and "To Build a Fire" (incidentially, it's in here---in BOTH versions), you're in for a pleasant surprise. As a short story writer, London embraced adventure, science fiction, socio-political allegory ("War") and psychological drama ("The Water Baby"). You'll be surprised at how deep the pool of London's subject matter was, and how sensitively and intelligently he treated those subjects. He also knew how to construct what, in those times, was called a "ripping good yarn", and there are plenty of them in this book, as well.

My favorite? "The Shadow and the Flash". Of course, it doesn't stand up as science fiction today; but London took an interesting idea---two scientists who invent an 'invisibility cloak' using two different methods---and folded it into the timeless romantic triangle. The scientists, you see, also happen to be romantic rivals, competing for the hand of the same woman. It's a unique story which deserves a wider reputation.

This book will give you a lot of fun and food for thought for two bucks. I highly recommend it.

]]>
author: Jack London
name: J.P.
average rating: 4.00
book published: 1990
rating: 5
read at: 01/95
date added: 11/02/07
shelves:
review:
If you're looking for the best of Jack London, skip THE CALL OF THE WILD, WHITE FANG and MARTIN EDEN. Those are all great books, but the cream of the Jack London crop is his short stories.

This book---co-edited by Earle Labor, the #1 Jack London scholar in America---is currently (criminally!) out of print. But you can find a good reading copy on Amazon for as little as $1.99. Believe me, it will be the best $1.99 you ever spent on a book.

London was among the finest of the short story writers of his day---at a time when short fiction was written for mass consumption. This isn't to say that the stories are simplistic; they are anything but. I'm just saying that the guy was writing for a "popular audience," in the best sense of the term.

If all you know about London is THE CALL OF THE WILD and "To Build a Fire" (incidentially, it's in here---in BOTH versions), you're in for a pleasant surprise. As a short story writer, London embraced adventure, science fiction, socio-political allegory ("War") and psychological drama ("The Water Baby"). You'll be surprised at how deep the pool of London's subject matter was, and how sensitively and intelligently he treated those subjects. He also knew how to construct what, in those times, was called a "ripping good yarn", and there are plenty of them in this book, as well.

My favorite? "The Shadow and the Flash". Of course, it doesn't stand up as science fiction today; but London took an interesting idea---two scientists who invent an 'invisibility cloak' using two different methods---and folded it into the timeless romantic triangle. The scientists, you see, also happen to be romantic rivals, competing for the hand of the same woman. It's a unique story which deserves a wider reputation.

This book will give you a lot of fun and food for thought for two bucks. I highly recommend it.


]]> 8312551 Sat, 27 Oct 2007 09:02:53 -0700
author: James Thomas
name: J.P.
average rating: 3.77
book published: 1992
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 10/27/07
shelves:
review:

]]> 8312253 Sat, 27 Oct 2007 09:01:53 -0700
Later, upon reading the stories in this book, I found the writing to be every bit as charming and insightful as the writer. These stories are among the best I've ever read concerning modern relationships---family relationships, as well as romantic relationships. Humor and drama are equally balanced here. Some of the selections deal with religious (Judeo-Christian) themes in a sensitive and intelligent way. My favorite tale in the book was the one in which Eve finally gets to tell HER side of that matter concerning Adam, an apple and a snake!

S.L. Wisenberg's writing is a gift to anyone who enjoys the short story form. Great, great stuff! ]]>
author: S. L. Wisenberg
name: J.P.
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2001
rating: 4
read at: 01/02
date added: 10/27/07
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I got turned on to this author when I attended a small reading she gave at the College of DuPage. At the time, I was taking a fiction-writing course there.

Later, upon reading the stories in this book, I found the writing to be every bit as charming and insightful as the writer. These stories are among the best I've ever read concerning modern relationships---family relationships, as well as romantic relationships. Humor and drama are equally balanced here. Some of the selections deal with religious (Judeo-Christian) themes in a sensitive and intelligent way. My favorite tale in the book was the one in which Eve finally gets to tell HER side of that matter concerning Adam, an apple and a snake!

S.L. Wisenberg's writing is a gift to anyone who enjoys the short story form. Great, great stuff!
]]> 8195810 Wed, 24 Oct 2007 14:51:16 -0700
Brooks' poetry has a delightfully strange quality about it: at once gentle and powerful, simultaneously spare and voluminous. She says more in a few lines than many novelists say in doorstop-thick tomes.

There are breathing characters and multi-level worlds contained in this verse. If "We Real Cool" is the only poem of Brooks' you know, then treat yourself and give this fine overview of her work a try.

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author: Gwendolyn Brooks
name: J.P.
average rating: 4.13
book published: 1963
rating: 4
read at: 01/92
date added: 10/24/07
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I had the honor and privilege of meeting Ms. Brooks at a reading she gave at a local college in 1992. She was the first honest-to-God poet I ever met. She was personable and down-to-Earth and, in her mid-to-late 70's at the time, as sharp as the proverbial knife. And she proceeded to give an hour+ reading which left everybody in that room a true-blue fan of hers.

Brooks' poetry has a delightfully strange quality about it: at once gentle and powerful, simultaneously spare and voluminous. She says more in a few lines than many novelists say in doorstop-thick tomes.

There are breathing characters and multi-level worlds contained in this verse. If "We Real Cool" is the only poem of Brooks' you know, then treat yourself and give this fine overview of her work a try.


]]> 8091134 Mon, 22 Oct 2007 15:43:06 -0700
author: Mark Twain
name: J.P.
average rating: 3.79
book published: 1876
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 10/22/07
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]]> 8091038 Mon, 22 Oct 2007 15:41:12 -0700
author: Jonathan Lethem
name: J.P.
average rating: 3.52
book published: 2006
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 10/22/07
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]]> 7940937 Fri, 19 Oct 2007 10:44:07 -0700