James Williams’s Profile

236 ratings (3.44 avg)
75 reviews

http://jameswilliams.me

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James’s Bookshelves

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James is Currently Reading

James Williams is currently reading:

Throne of the Crescent Moon (The Crescent Moon Kingdoms, #1)

by Saladin Ahmed (Goodreads Author)

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— Apr 25, 2013 04:14am

Apr 25, 2013 04:14am

James Williams rated a book 4 of 5 stars

Persuasion

by Jane Austen

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James Williams said: "How should I review a Jane Austen novel? Should I talk about how well-written it is? Or about how engaging I found it? Or perhaps I should detail how it shines a little bit of life for the well-to-do in 19th century England?

But all of that is unneces...more "

progress:

(3%)
— Jan 05, 2013 06:24pm

Jan 05, 2013 06:24pm · see review

James Williams rated a book 5 of 5 stars

The Hobbit (Middle-earth Universe)

by J.R.R. Tolkien

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James Williams said: "The Hobbit! I cannot sing its praises high enough (or, frankly, well enough). This is The Book. It's The Book that introduced the world to Hobbits. It's The Book where the worlds of the Silmarillion first started to poke through beyond the Professor'...more The Hobbit! I cannot sing its praises high enough (or, frankly, well enough). This is The Book. It's The Book that introduced the world to Hobbits. It's The Book where the worlds of the Silmarillion first started to poke through beyond the Professor's own imagination. It's The Book that started it all.

If it weren't for The Hobbit (which I first encountered in the fifth grade, where I had my only teacher who kept a private classroom library because she found the school's library insufficient), I would never have read The Fellowship of the Ring (and the rest of the volumes of that glorious tale). If it weren't for The Hobbit, I would never have read The Silmarillion and encountered a world deeper and more magical than any other work of fiction I've encountered (and more divine than the Bible that I devoted my youth to). If it weren't for The Hobbit, I'd have never turned on to the world of fantasy literature which so shaped my thoughts and mind as I grew up.

In short: if it weren't for reading The Hobbit back in the fifth grade, I would be a completely different person than I am today. A worse person, I think. So it should not surprise you that I do not have a bad word to say about it.

It's been many years since I read this book, though. I've instead done many re-reads of the more epic Lord of the Rings, or eschewed Tolkien altogether for more modern works of fantasy (or science fiction). So I approached this reading with something of a clear head and fresh eyes.

This work is still marvelous. It's still captivating and enchanting. It's still a masterwork of English, where Professor Tolkien's use of the language can satisfy and amuse both children and adults. It's still an engaging tale. It's still perfect in nearly every way.

What do I love about The Hobbit?

I love Mr. Baggins and I love Gandalf and I love the Dwarves. These are deep and complex characters (even in a children's story) who were masterfully drawn. I love the imagery that Tolkien uses: how easy is it to call to mind a young Mr. Bilbo Baggins running from his tidy Hobbit hole without even a pocket handkerchief? Or to picture the vast treasure under the Lonely Mountain guarded by the fearsome worm Smaug? Though Tolkien's fantasy has been copied uncountable times since this was first published, his craftsmanship has never been surpassed.

I love the tale. It's a simple adventure tale: Hobbit Meets Wizard, Hobbit Suffers On The Road, Hobbit Helps Defeat Dragon. What more could one want from such a story? There's nothing to get in the way: no romance, no moral lessons, no Mary Sues. It's just a Hobbit on an Adventure.

I love the writing. I love the way Tolkien uses words. "His rage passes description -- the sort of rage that is only seen when rich folk that have more than they can enjoy suddenly lose something that they have long had but have never before used or wanted." What modern author can write like that? And of those, which ones turn their pens (or wordprocessors, I suppose) to writing about elves and magic rings? Maybe Neil Gaiman. Maybe.

I love the hints of the rich world of the entire Middle Earth mythos: in passing, Tolkien mentions that the Elves once gave language to men or how the Elves of Mirkwood never journeyed to Valinor and never stood in the Light of the Trees. For those who aren't familiar with the rest of the mythos, these sorts of references simply provide texture to the world. For those of us who have made at least a cursory study of Arda, though, they're bright shining beacons of...well, happiness. It's hard to explain really.

And ultimately, why I love The Hobbit so much is hard to explain. It makes me happy. Incredibly happy.

So there.(less) "

progress:

(45%)
— Sep 02, 2012 08:40am

May 30, 2012 07:14am · see review

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James's Recent Updates

James Williams is 4% done with Throne of the Crescent Moon Throne of the Crescent Moon (The Crescent Moon Kingdoms, #1) by Saladin Ahmed (Goodreads Author) progress:	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Apr 25, 2013 04:14am · like · see status
James Williams is currently reading: Throne of the Crescent Moon (The Crescent Moon Kingdoms, #1) by Saladin Ahmed (Goodreads Author)	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Apr 25, 2013 04:14am
James Williams rated a book 3 of 5 stars 2312 by Kim Stanley Robinson read in April, 2013	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I wrote what I thought was a nice review of this book and then the Internet ate it. Which I think actually speaks to some of the themes of this very novel: humanity before technology and all that. But, in this case, technology won and I'm far too ups...more
Apr 24, 2013 06:13pm · see review
James Williams is 89% done with 2312 2312 by Kim Stanley Robinson progress:	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Apr 23, 2013 06:14pm · like · see status
James Williams rated a book 2 of 5 stars Q & A (Star Trek The Next Generation) by Keith R.A. DeCandido read in April, 2013	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
When I was growing up, I read more than any kid in my classes: and it was almost entirely licensed fiction: Star Trek and Star Wars mostly. Even today, I still maintain quite the collection of these books, even though I rarely indulge. These days, I...more
Apr 07, 2013 04:50am · see review
James Williams rated a book 3 of 5 stars Shaman's Crossing (Soldier Son, #1) by Robin Hobb (Goodreads Author) recommended for: Fantasy fans looking for something a little bit more mystical read in March, 2013	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
Mar 26, 2013 05:09pm · see review
James Williams rated a book 4 of 5 stars Persuasion by Jane Austen	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
How should I review a Jane Austen novel? Should I talk about how well-written it is? Or about how engaging I found it? Or perhaps I should detail how it shines a little bit of life for the well-to-do in 19th century England? But all of that is unneces...more
Jan 05, 2013 06:24pm · see review
James Williams voted on a poll Do you use your tablet (iPad/Kindle Fire/etc.) primarily for reading? he voted for No. I have a tablet but I use it mostly for movies, games, and the web.
Jan 01, 2013 06:11am · take the poll
James Williams marked as to-read: Ada, the Enchantress of Numbers: A Selection from the Letters of Lord Byron's Daughter and Her Description of the First Computer by Ada King Lovelace	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Dec 31, 2012 12:02pm

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Quotes James Likes

“I’m done. I’m old, I’m sad - that’s on a good day. I want out of this mess. But I don’t want to fade away, I want to flame away - I want my death to be an attraction, a spectacle, a mystery. A work of art.”
― Jennifer Egan, A Visit from the Goon Squad

149 people liked it