Russell

Russell liked Wendy's review of The Great Gatsby:

" Just re-read this for book club, it had been years. It's hard to believe there are people as self absorbed as Gatsby, Daisy, Mrs' Wilson and the entire mirage that shows up each weekend to party at Gatsby's estate. What an utterly wasteful state o... " Read more of this review »

Russell rated a book 4 of 5 stars

The Land That Time Forgot by Edgar Rice Burroughs

The Land That Time Forgot (Caspak, #1)
by Edgar Rice Burroughs

read in April, 2013

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Book One. Here Burroughs takes his pulp fiction skills and combines them with Doyle's "The Lost World" into something a lot more exciting and, well, pulpy. I mean, really, this has u-boats of WWI, Germans, stalwart British sailors, a courageous prota...more

Russell rated a book 3 of 5 stars

The Lost Continent
by Edgar Rice Burroughs

read in April, 2013

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I was expecting something more in the lines of a scientific romance like Doyle's "The Lost World" and while it did have some of that thrill, it also had more science fiction in involved. Burroughs is a master of pulp fiction, you either like that sor...more

Russell rated a book 4 of 5 stars

The Book of Tea
by Kakuzō Okakura

read in April, 2013

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More like a long essay than a book, nevertheless it was a delight to read. The author span both his native Japanese culture and Western culture, references to both abound throughout, nods to mythology and historical events are woven in, compared to,...more

Russell rated a book 3 of 5 stars

Ayesha: The Return of She
by H. Rider Haggard

read in April, 2013

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Although not quite as bold and adventurous as the first novel, this is a fine adventure and I felt that it was even more subtle with grander vision of the star crossed love than the first. Leo had more personality and drive this time around. In a way...more

Russell rated a book 4 of 5 stars

Robinson Crusoe
by Daniel Defoe

read in March, 2013

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I had read this an age ago, and then I think it was an abridged version at that. So it was a real treat to read the full novel. Aside from the well known story of one man surviving on his own on a deserted isle somewhere near the Orinoco River, this...more

Russell liked Jason's review of Robinson Crusoe:

" Five stars for the first 2/3, two stars for the rest.

I thought most of this book was gripping. The early adventures are exciting, and shot through with the dread of ominous prophesy. The infamous long sections on the island where nothing happens a... " Read more of this review »

Russell rated a book 4 of 5 stars

A Throne of Bones (Arts of Dark and Light, #1)
by Vox Day (Goodreads Author)

read in March, 2013

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I had read Vox's short story, A Magic Broken, which piqued my interest. A Throne of Bones not only did not disappoint, but was quite a bit better than I expected. Given Vox's past writing that I've read, I was sure he was well versed in strategic act...more

Russell rated a book 4 of 5 stars

The Last of the Mohicans
by James Fenimore Cooper

read in February, 2013

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Written in 1826, Cooper's popular novel is set during the French and Indian War, 1757. I read it as historical fiction. The setting, some of the key character, and locations are rooted in history, but the rest is due to the imagination of Cooper. His...more Written in 1826, Cooper's popular novel is set during the French and Indian War, 1757. I read it as historical fiction. The setting, some of the key character, and locations are rooted in history, but the rest is due to the imagination of Cooper. His prose is wordy and dense, it's also moving, paints grand panoramas, captures the scene and characters, and moves with wild abandon when needs be. It is a classic Romance novel, the ending (view spoiler)

Cooper's Christianity shines through passages, informs Cooper's style, sometimes overtly, as with David, other times much more subtle, such as Cora and Alice's actions. Both of them expressed Christian virtues, just differently than the other. Magua's life was spared at least twice due to the dictates of the Christian characters' conscience. And speaking of Magua, what a villain! I haven't booed with as much gusto for many literary villains as I did for the subtle, and powerful, Magua.

This book packs a lot in there, themes of morality, courage, family love, honor, kindness, loyalty. I couldn't help but liking the scout and his two Indian companions. Cooper's treatment of the native people painted them well rounded, I thought. Savage, primitive, but holding on to their mores and their honor with steadfastness. A brave, stoic people, if bloody heathens.

The language, that once I got used to it, hardly was a hindrance. In fact, I found that it imparted an unique charm.

One thing that initially confused me was Hawkeye's references to him being a man without a cross. At first I thought it had something to do with religion, but it didn't track. Fortunately, Cooper supplied enough in this book to understand his meaning.
Hawkeye : "A man like yourself; and one whose blood is as little tainted by the cross of a bear, or an Indian, as your own."
And "... as one without a cross of blood, though it is not always easy to deal with an Indian as you would with a fellow Christian."
From the text, I surmise Cooper means that Hawkeye was of pure English descent, and he highlighted the fact to show how odd it was that the scout would live with those not of his race, without attributing the desire to a bloodline.

I'm giving it 4 stars. Well told, I got invested in the characters, the action was gripping, the scenery laid out and described, if not quite terse the language was lyrical, the ending was an unforgettable classic example of Romantic writing.(less)

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Russell liked Wendy's review of The Great Gatsby: " Just re-read this for book club, it had been years. It's hard to believe there are people as self absorbed as Gatsby, Daisy, Mrs' Wilson and the entire mirage that shows up each weekend to party at Gatsby's estate. What an utterly wasteful state o... " Read more of this review »
13 hours, 39 min ago · see review
Russell rated a book 4 of 5 stars The Land That Time Forgot (Caspak, #1) by Edgar Rice Burroughs 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
Book One. Here Burroughs takes his pulp fiction skills and combines them with Doyle's "The Lost World" into something a lot more exciting and, well, pulpy. I mean, really, this has u-boats of WWI, Germans, stalwart British sailors, a courageous prota...more
Apr 24, 2013 10:52am · see review
Russell rated a book 3 of 5 stars The Lost Continent by Edgar Rice Burroughs 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 was expecting something more in the lines of a scientific romance like Doyle's "The Lost World" and while it did have some of that thrill, it also had more science fiction in involved. Burroughs is a master of pulp fiction, you either like that sor...more
Apr 24, 2013 10:49am · see review
Russell rated a book 4 of 5 stars The Book of Tea by Kakuzō Okakura 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
More like a long essay than a book, nevertheless it was a delight to read. The author span both his native Japanese culture and Western culture, references to both abound throughout, nods to mythology and historical events are woven in, compared to,...more
Apr 07, 2013 12:28pm · see review
Russell rated a book 3 of 5 stars Ayesha: The Return of She by H. Rider Haggard 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
Although not quite as bold and adventurous as the first novel, this is a fine adventure and I felt that it was even more subtle with grander vision of the star crossed love than the first. Leo had more personality and drive this time around. In a way...more
Apr 07, 2013 12:21pm · see review
Russell rated a book 4 of 5 stars Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe 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
I had read this an age ago, and then I think it was an abridged version at that. So it was a real treat to read the full novel. Aside from the well known story of one man surviving on his own on a deserted isle somewhere near the Orinoco River, this...more
Mar 21, 2013 11:37am · see review
Russell liked Jason's review of Robinson Crusoe: " Five stars for the first 2/3, two stars for the rest. I thought most of this book was gripping. The early adventures are exciting, and shot through with the dread of ominous prophesy. The infamous long sections on the island where nothing happens a... " Read more of this review »
Mar 21, 2013 11:22am · see review
Russell rated a book 4 of 5 stars A Throne of Bones (Arts of Dark and Light, #1) by Vox Day (Goodreads Author) 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
I had read Vox's short story, A Magic Broken, which piqued my interest. A Throne of Bones not only did not disappoint, but was quite a bit better than I expected. Given Vox's past writing that I've read, I was sure he was well versed in strategic act...more
Mar 14, 2013 10:32am · see review
Russell rated a book 4 of 5 stars The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper read in February, 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
Written in 1826, Cooper's popular novel is set during the French and Indian War, 1757. I read it as historical fiction. The setting, some of the key character, and locations are rooted in history, but the rest is due to the imagination of Cooper. His...more
Feb 27, 2013 10:01am · see review

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