|
July 02
|
|
Brett
gave
to:
The Last of the Plainsmen (Hardcover)
by Zane Grey
|
my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
|
| |
Brett said:
"I recently took some interest in many-things-antique and, good for me, got a 2nd edition hardcover copy of Zane Grey's The Last of the Plainsmen. For those of you who don't know, Zane Grey was a legendary author of many of the Old West novels that ha...more
I recently took some interest in many-things-antique and, good for me, got a 2nd edition hardcover copy of Zane Grey's The Last of the Plainsmen. For those of you who don't know, Zane Grey was a legendary author of many of the Old West novels that have shaped the way we see cowboys and Indians today. I gave this book a full 5-Stars for many reasons. This book is a good read on so many levels.
In an age of political correctness and cultural awareness, people can be confused as to whether to say Indians, Native Americans, or whether even that is too generalizing, and must say Sioux or Mohawk or Apache. Hell, even calling myself and American doesn't technically differentiate me from the Canadians, who also live in the Americas. What am I? A United Statesian?
"How," said he, in a deep chest voice.
"Hello, Noddlecoddy," greeted Jim Emmett, the Mormon guide.
"Ugh!" answered the Indian.
"Big paleface- Buffalo Jones- big chief- buffalo man," introduced Emmett, indicating Jones.
"How." The Navajo spoke with dignity, and extended a friendly hand.
The Last of the Plainsmen takes us back to a time that was, if anything, simpler. Even for all it's faults (among them being a very noticeable Perpetuation of Stereotype), there is something refreshing in a story so unabashedly unconcerned with pleasing everyone. I feel that when it comes to being Pee See, it's within one's rights to be offensive, as long as one knows why and how one is offending. Mr. Grey may neither have known he was a national catalyst for fitting Indians into a narrow stereotype for generations to come, nor might he have cared. Grey treated his native characters with more respect and reverence in his time and fashion than many of the day would and did. To read a story that wouldn't be published today (without a heavy dose of editing) gives a very interesting and engaging insight into the way things were, not only in the American Landscape of 1908, when the story was published, but also of the Mental Landscape of Average Joe Reader of the time.
This book was written for a certain kind of man- the men who aren't as concerned with broad cultural definitions as they are with what defines an individual man. The man directly at hand. The characters of this book are richly written, each with his own way of talking, acting, waking up in the morning, preparing his food or his saddle. Doesn't matter if he's Red Man or White Man, Navajo or Mormon- each character could have his own spin-off novels. The language used during that time, even the spelling, perfectly sets the time, place, and breed of man making up the story of Buffalo Jones.
The Last of the Plainsmen is the story of Buffalo Jones. Or rather, many stories of Buffalo Jones. Jones was a real man, as discussed in the preface of the book, a legendary hunter who one day laid down his gun, picked up his lariat, and vowed to never again kill for sport. Oh, the man wasn't stupid, he'd pick up his gun in a second if a cougar wanted to jump on his back, but he made it his mission to only capture live animals in the Autumn Years of his life. He did this for conservation reasons.
Imagine, a story written in a different era about issues that are at the forefront of our political and ecological agendas today. How very interesting. Buffalo Jones was a Buffalo Man. He saw the America Bison disappearing from the wilderness of his youth and made it his personal responsibility to set about preserving his majestic friends. This book is about two endangered species: The bison of the American Plains and the Plainsmen who paved the way for everyone who came after. Jones was the last of his kind, a breed of man who lived somewhere between Nature and what we call Progress. A man who rode along with what was inevitably coming, while understanding what was being lost along the way.
This book was, in a way, ahead of it's time. It deals with issues we're still battling today- eco-issues that we think are new. And at the same time, it transports the reader so fully back to a simpler, even cruder time. It's really a series of small stories, each one entertaining and thoughtful. Uhhhhhhhh, yeah. So. Read it.
...less
"
|
|
June 30
|
|
Brett
gave
to:
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell (Mass Market Paperback)
by Susanna Clarke
|
my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
|
| |
read in April, 2008
Brett said:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
There are two things that fascinate me with this story- one is the real historical setting, which describes the state of Europe during Napoleon's reign and, more specifically, England's landscape and society during that time. The world of upper-class gentlemen, their etiquette, fashion, business and pass-times are all well researched, described, and incorporated into the novel to give the whole story a firm believable base in reality.
The second factor that I found ultimately interesting is the way Clarke infuses magic into this historically based reality. This is no completely foreign world where everything is new and strange- this is a familiar world where magic is as freely acknowledged a thing of the past as The Roman Empire. The practical magic is almost casually described, without the glitz and flare of a Las Vegas magic act, if indeed described at all. Many of the magical feats accomplished by the magicians Strange and Norrell in this book are discussed after the fact, with only the end product being named. Clarke often chooses not to describe how the spell happened and what it took to accomplish the magic, giving the events an air of both mystery and reality at the same time, as if it's enough to say, "The gun went off," without needing to understand the chemistry of gunpowder and the physics of ballistics. This approach seems to heighten the motivations of the characters, making the story more about the relationship between two fascinating men during the rise of their power. The idea of magic is more of a backdrop than a highlight.
I left two stars unmarked for a bit of a bumpy, halting rhythm to the story. Clarke uses footnotes extensively to describe a history to her world that doesn't directly relate to the story. I found this very distracting at times, as I chose to take the time-outs to read the back-stories and anecdotes she invented to enrich her world. It seemed obvious that Clarke is attempting to build a world that goes beyond the story of Strange and Norrell, much like Tolkien did with The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, or Rowling did with the Harry Potter series. It's one thing to develop a rich world in which to tell a story. It's another thing to try to create a sensation where fans will want to buy peripheral books and accessories based on things only hinted at in the original novels, things that don't drive the story itself.
These books aren't exactly page-turners, and at times seem tangential and a little slow, but over all, they are a good read for fantasy fans, as the approach to the use of magic is both original and effective. If you can find the box set of $5, give it a shot....less
"
|
|
Brett
gave
to:
The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic and Madness and the Fair that Changed America (Audio Cassette)
by Erik Larson
|
my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
|
| |
Brett said:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
|
