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June 13
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Stephen
gave
 
to:
The Final Solution: A Story of Detection (P.S.)
by Michael Chabon
bookshelves:
american-lit,
pop-lit
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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Stephen said:
"A lighthearted (well, aside from the murder!) story of detection that proves a very quick read and is entertaining to boot. Not much worth noting here except that it's certainly not Chabon's best--or even close for that matter--and the main characte...more
A lighthearted (well, aside from the murder!) story of detection that proves a very quick read and is entertaining to boot. Not much worth noting here except that it's certainly not Chabon's best--or even close for that matter--and the main character, the Old Man, has hints dropped about him that he is most likely a very elderly and well-respected literary figure, which is a fantastic treat for geeks like me! :-) Worth checking out at your library....less
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June 12
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Stephen
gave
to:
Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation (Paperback)
by Lynne Truss
bookshelves:
pop-lit
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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read in June, 2008
Stephen said:
"The most recent, a surprisingly popular, grammar book. Funny, irreverent, and really informative, this book, while catering to the grammar geeks out there (the Sticklers according to Ms. Truss), I would wager that just about anyone could muddle thei...more
The most recent, a surprisingly popular, grammar book. Funny, irreverent, and really informative, this book, while catering to the grammar geeks out there (the Sticklers according to Ms. Truss), I would wager that just about anyone could muddle their way through this book, laugh a bit, AND learn some halfway decent grammar in the process.
I do have to admit, though, that I flew into fits of grammar rage at her dismissal of the "Oxford comma" and her complete refusal to place punctuation within quotation marks. I try to forgive her for this, reminding myself that the Queen's English doesn't always match up with American English (the President's English?), but still my inner stickler seethes.....Ah, so the grammar wars go....less
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Stephen
gave
to:
The Intuitionist: A Novel (Paperback)
by Colson Whitehead
bookshelves:
american-lit,
book-club,
contemporary-lit
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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read in June, 2008
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May 29
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Stephen
gave
to:
Skin and Other Stories (Paperback)
by Roald Dahl
bookshelves:
contemporary-lit,
pop-lit
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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Stephen said:
"I actually received this book through a kind of secret santa/book exchange last holiday season. I was excited to receive it, though, as it was billed as Roald Dahl writes short stories for adults, which, I guess, is what it was.
I grew up on Dahl...more
I actually received this book through a kind of secret santa/book exchange last holiday season. I was excited to receive it, though, as it was billed as Roald Dahl writes short stories for adults, which, I guess, is what it was.
I grew up on Dahl. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Charlie and The Great Glass Elevator, James and the Giant Peach, and The Witches were all staples of my early reading years, so I was excited to see what happened when this imagination was applied to some more mature themes.
Unfortunately, my answer is that it wasn't applied very well. The writing seemed weak and timid, although there were brief instances of brilliant imagery. Perhaps the biggest problem I had, though, is the structure of the stories.
It's as though Dahl wasn't quite certain of what to do with a short story. Tales of this nature typically involve introduction, conflict, action, and (sometimes) resolution. The majority of the stories in this collection, though, (I'd say 80%) hardly made it past the conflict stage. You met the characters, the plot line gets introduced, and then the story ends. The conflict is typically a twist of some sort, and ending the story on this twist just makes the story feel like a cliffhanger. The problem is that nothing feels resolved or even acted upon. It's like watching a play with three acts but they only show you Act I. The effect is ultimately disappointing.
The stories, although billed as "macabre," are simply more imaginative (and occasionally mildly sinister) than anything, and they do show a degree of promise, but in the end, they are lacking....less
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Stephen
gave
to:
The Woman in White (Penguin Classics)
by William Wilkie Collins, Matthew Sweet
bookshelves:
victorian-lit
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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read in May, 2008
Stephen said:
"The first sensation novel! When Wilkie Collins set out to write this novel, he invented an entirely new genre for the time...the sensation novel. This is a tale that contains a mystery of some sort, some sensational actions, and a sensational means...more
The first sensation novel! When Wilkie Collins set out to write this novel, he invented an entirely new genre for the time...the sensation novel. This is a tale that contains a mystery of some sort, some sensational actions, and a sensational means of reaching a conclusion. (It should be noted that Collins quickly followed this novel with The Moonstone, which is touted as the first detective novel--not much of a leap away from the sensation novel.)
To put it simply, this was one of the finest novels I have read in recent years. It's a clear struggle between good and evil. Shades of white and black war against each other, but as the deliciously evil Count Fosco intimates (and I paraphrase here), none of us are entirely good or entirely evil.
Walter Hartright and Marian Halcombe are superb figures, striving against impossible odds to overcome incredible and surprising difficulties posed by Sir Percival and Count Fosco. They are paragons of virtue and justice, fighting for Laura Fairlie (who is useless throughout but virginal in her own right) in spite of the danger they risk to their reputations and their lives.
Equally well painted are Percival and Fosco. Percival is the brash young upstart, who is without scrupals and without much sense to boot. Countered against Fosco, who is a truly terrifying figure, the two portray different views of the same evil ends. Fosco, though is legendary! A better villain, I can't remember.
The only thing I'm sorry about is that I haven't ready Collins prior to this! I look forward to picking up The Moonstone next....less
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April 21
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Stephen
gave
to:
Gone to New York: Adventures in the City (Paperback)
by Ian Frazier
bookshelves:
non-fiction
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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Stephen said:
"I picked this up after an event at which Ian "Sandy" Frazier read. At the event, he had me laughing so hard that tears were rolling down my face. So, imagine my surprise when I began reading this collection of essays and found a more seri...more
I picked this up after an event at which Ian "Sandy" Frazier read. At the event, he had me laughing so hard that tears were rolling down my face. So, imagine my surprise when I began reading this collection of essays and found a more serious tone. And imagine my further surprise, when I discovered this different voice of Frazier's was infinitely more poignant.
The book contains essays about New York City, and they are marvelous. I told a friend of mine, who used to live in the City that she should read the book, and her response was "Does it talk about how crappy the City is?" (She didn't enjoy her stay here, by the way.) Well, the answer to that is no. But an equally fair question (and one that receives the same answer as the first question is "Does it talk about how great the City is?"
The essays are filled not with great praise or harsh criticisms, they are simply written, with honest admissions and fascinating observations. I assume that one could argue Frazier's lauding the City simply by compiling a collection of essays about it, but I don't think that would be fair. He doesn't clean things up to make the City any better or worse than it is, he simply does his best to call a spade a spade.
And, in large part, I feel like what his observations point out illuminate much of what I feel about the City. There's a balance to this place, more than I think I've noticed in any other place I've lived. There are things about New York that are truly amazing and you feel almost humbled by being in a place that offers such a wide range of experiences. Equally true, though, is that there is much to dislike about the City. It's far from perfect. And the resounding sentiment of those who live here (and plan to keep living here) is that the balance is well in favor of the good things. (Perhaps they are the 70%/30% people.) Those who live (like my friend) are more like 30%/70% people. It's a matter of taste.
Frazier actually does a great job of showing this, laying the City bare for those who want to see. ...less
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April 13
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Stephen
marked as to-read:
Carmilla (Paperback)
by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu
bookshelves:
gothic-lit,
to-read
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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Stephen
marked as to-read:
Melmoth the Wanderer (Penguin Classics)
by Charles Maturin
bookshelves:
gothic-lit,
to-read
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my rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
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April 10
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New comment on Stephen's review of
Emma
(see all 3 comments)
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