Susan Amper's Blog: Bookcrazie
January 18, 2023
"The Unparalleled Influence of Edgar Allan Poe on his 214th Birthday"
Today marks the 214th birthday of Edgar Allan Poe, one of the most well-known and influential figures in American literature.
1809, 19 JANUARY. BOSTON. Edgar Poe is born to Elizabeth Arnold Poe and David Poe, Jr., both actors, playing at the Boston Theatre and residing probably at No. 62 Carver Street. Poe’s mother afterward wrote on the back of her watercolor painting, “Boston Harbour, morning, 1808”: “For my little son Edgar, who should ever love Boston, the place of his birth, and where his mother found her best, and most sympathetic friends.” The painting has not survived.
1811, 11 OCTOBER. Elizabeth Poe makes her last stage appearance, playing the part of the Countess Wintersen in August F. F. von Kotzebue’s The Stranger. She died on October 8, 1811, leaving Poe and his siblings orphans. He was just 3.
Poe was raised by John Allan, a wealthy merchant in Richmond, Virginia. Even with his privileged upbringing, Poe struggled with financial instability and personal turmoil throughout his life (a topic for another blog).
Despite these challenges, Poe was a prolific writer and is remembered for his innovative and imaginative works of poetry and prose. Some of his most famous works include "The Raven," "The Tell-Tale Heart," and "The Fall of the House of Usher."
Though Poe is known for his works of horror and the supernatural, he is less well known for his comic tales some of which are deemed to be tales of terror.
Poe is credited with pioneering the detective fiction genre with his stories featuring the character C. Auguste Dupin.
In addition to his writing, Poe was also a literary critic and worked as an editor for various magazines and newspapers. He was a controversial figure during his lifetime and his work was not always well-received, but he is now considered a crucial figure in the development of American literature. Today he has millions of followers on social media.
In Poe’s possession when he died was a bundle of his mother’s letters, written in a round hand, very like Mr. Poe’s, and two sketches of hers, one in pencil or indelible ink, the other in water colors, and represented Boston Harbour (I think from the Cambridge side) or view.
As we celebrate Poe's 214th birthday, it is important to remember the impact that he had on the literary world and the enduring legacy of his work. Happy birthday, Edgar Allan Poe!
*some specifics come from The Poe Log by Dwight R. Thomas and David K. Jackson.
1809, 19 JANUARY. BOSTON. Edgar Poe is born to Elizabeth Arnold Poe and David Poe, Jr., both actors, playing at the Boston Theatre and residing probably at No. 62 Carver Street. Poe’s mother afterward wrote on the back of her watercolor painting, “Boston Harbour, morning, 1808”: “For my little son Edgar, who should ever love Boston, the place of his birth, and where his mother found her best, and most sympathetic friends.” The painting has not survived.
1811, 11 OCTOBER. Elizabeth Poe makes her last stage appearance, playing the part of the Countess Wintersen in August F. F. von Kotzebue’s The Stranger. She died on October 8, 1811, leaving Poe and his siblings orphans. He was just 3.
Poe was raised by John Allan, a wealthy merchant in Richmond, Virginia. Even with his privileged upbringing, Poe struggled with financial instability and personal turmoil throughout his life (a topic for another blog).
Despite these challenges, Poe was a prolific writer and is remembered for his innovative and imaginative works of poetry and prose. Some of his most famous works include "The Raven," "The Tell-Tale Heart," and "The Fall of the House of Usher."
Though Poe is known for his works of horror and the supernatural, he is less well known for his comic tales some of which are deemed to be tales of terror.
Poe is credited with pioneering the detective fiction genre with his stories featuring the character C. Auguste Dupin.
In addition to his writing, Poe was also a literary critic and worked as an editor for various magazines and newspapers. He was a controversial figure during his lifetime and his work was not always well-received, but he is now considered a crucial figure in the development of American literature. Today he has millions of followers on social media.
In Poe’s possession when he died was a bundle of his mother’s letters, written in a round hand, very like Mr. Poe’s, and two sketches of hers, one in pencil or indelible ink, the other in water colors, and represented Boston Harbour (I think from the Cambridge side) or view.
As we celebrate Poe's 214th birthday, it is important to remember the impact that he had on the literary world and the enduring legacy of his work. Happy birthday, Edgar Allan Poe!
*some specifics come from The Poe Log by Dwight R. Thomas and David K. Jackson.
January 10, 2023
"Edgar Allan Poe and West Point: The Military Career That Never Was"
Edgar Allan Poe is best known for his works of horror, mystery, and poetry, but he also had a brief stint as a cadet at the United States Military Academy at West Point. Unfortunately, Poe's time at West Point was short-lived and ended in a court martial.
In 1826, Poe enrolled at the University of Virginia, but he quickly found himself in financial trouble due to his gambling habit. Allan refused to pay Poe's debts, and Poe left the university after just one semester. After several years of struggling to make a living as a writer, Poe decided to follow in the footsteps of his foster father and join the military.
Poe attempted to enter West Point starting in 1829 to no avail. But he kept on and by March 13, 1830, he had some help. Senator Powhatan Ellis of Mississippi wrote to Secretary of War John H. Eaton a letter in Poe’s behalf: “I have recd. a letter from a young gentleman in Richmond by the name of Edgar A. Poe stating that he was an applicant for a situation in the Military Academy at West Point. He requested me to ask you, if there was any probability of his receiving a warrant to enter that institution. I am not personally acquainted with Mr. Poe — but from information I would say his capacity & learning eminently qualify him to make in a few years a distinguished officer” (National Archives; Cameron [1973], p. 168).
And Poe also asks John Allan to aid in his quest. On March 31, 1830 Allan wrote Secretary John H. Eaton: “As the Guardian of Edgar Allan Poe I hereby signify my assent to his signing articles by which he shall bind himself, to serve the United States for five years, unless sooner discharged, as Stipulated in your Official Letter appointing him a Cadet” (National Archives; Cameron [1973], p. 170).
Poe arrived at West Point on June 20, 1830 and on July 1, Poe’s name appeared for the first time on the muster rolls of cadets. His age was recorded as nineteen years and five months (Cadet Alphabetic Cards, USMA). Poe took classes in French and mathematics. However, Poe quickly found himself at odds with the strict and disciplined environment of the academy. He was frequently absent from roll call and neglected his studies. He wrote to Allan to help him get out of West Point. In a letter dated January 3, 1831, Poe writes in part “it is my intention to resign. For this end it will be necessary that you (as my nominal guardian) enclose me your written permission .... your refusal would only deprive me of the little pay which is now due as mileage.
From the time of writing this I shall neglect my studies and duties at the institution — if I do not receive your answer in 10 days — I will leave the point without — for otherwise I should subject myself to dismission” (L, 1:39-43; letter is postmarked 5 January).
Poe does neglect his duties throughout January; despite that Poe ranks 17th in mathematics from a class of 87 and third in French. He was eventually court-martialed for "gross neglect of duty" and "disobedience of orders."
Poe was court-martialed on January 28, 1831and on the 19th of February left West Point for New York.
While Poe's time at West Point was brief and unsuccessful, it did provide him with some inspiration for his writing. His experiences at the academy may have influenced his portrayal of the Military Academy in his story "The Gold Bug," which was published in 1843.
In 1826, Poe enrolled at the University of Virginia, but he quickly found himself in financial trouble due to his gambling habit. Allan refused to pay Poe's debts, and Poe left the university after just one semester. After several years of struggling to make a living as a writer, Poe decided to follow in the footsteps of his foster father and join the military.
Poe attempted to enter West Point starting in 1829 to no avail. But he kept on and by March 13, 1830, he had some help. Senator Powhatan Ellis of Mississippi wrote to Secretary of War John H. Eaton a letter in Poe’s behalf: “I have recd. a letter from a young gentleman in Richmond by the name of Edgar A. Poe stating that he was an applicant for a situation in the Military Academy at West Point. He requested me to ask you, if there was any probability of his receiving a warrant to enter that institution. I am not personally acquainted with Mr. Poe — but from information I would say his capacity & learning eminently qualify him to make in a few years a distinguished officer” (National Archives; Cameron [1973], p. 168).
And Poe also asks John Allan to aid in his quest. On March 31, 1830 Allan wrote Secretary John H. Eaton: “As the Guardian of Edgar Allan Poe I hereby signify my assent to his signing articles by which he shall bind himself, to serve the United States for five years, unless sooner discharged, as Stipulated in your Official Letter appointing him a Cadet” (National Archives; Cameron [1973], p. 170).
Poe arrived at West Point on June 20, 1830 and on July 1, Poe’s name appeared for the first time on the muster rolls of cadets. His age was recorded as nineteen years and five months (Cadet Alphabetic Cards, USMA). Poe took classes in French and mathematics. However, Poe quickly found himself at odds with the strict and disciplined environment of the academy. He was frequently absent from roll call and neglected his studies. He wrote to Allan to help him get out of West Point. In a letter dated January 3, 1831, Poe writes in part “it is my intention to resign. For this end it will be necessary that you (as my nominal guardian) enclose me your written permission .... your refusal would only deprive me of the little pay which is now due as mileage.
From the time of writing this I shall neglect my studies and duties at the institution — if I do not receive your answer in 10 days — I will leave the point without — for otherwise I should subject myself to dismission” (L, 1:39-43; letter is postmarked 5 January).
Poe does neglect his duties throughout January; despite that Poe ranks 17th in mathematics from a class of 87 and third in French. He was eventually court-martialed for "gross neglect of duty" and "disobedience of orders."
Poe was court-martialed on January 28, 1831and on the 19th of February left West Point for New York.
While Poe's time at West Point was brief and unsuccessful, it did provide him with some inspiration for his writing. His experiences at the academy may have influenced his portrayal of the Military Academy in his story "The Gold Bug," which was published in 1843.
October 7, 2022
Death of a Genius: Edgar A. Poe
It has been 173 years since Edgar A. Poe died in Baltimore. He did not, however, die as a result of haunting demons as many have suggested. In fact, the cause of his death remains unknown. Not that people haven’t surmised: laudanum, alcohol, rabies, a brain fever, cholera, epilepsy, brains lesion, tuberculosis or cooping. All have been put forward.
What is known for certain is that Edgar A. Poe died on October 7, 1849 at the age of 40. The only contemporary public reference to a specific cause of death was from the Baltimore Clipper, a somewhat cryptic “congestion of the brain” (The Poe Log, p. 851). Dr. Moran wrote to Poe’s mother-in-law, Maria Clemm saying, “Presuming you are already aware of the malady of which Mr. Poe died . . .”
Thanks, but not helpful. Death certificates were not required at the time, and none is known to have been filed for Poe. The U.S. did not start maintaining vital records until 1900.
The events prior to his death began on June 29, 1849, when Poe began a lecture tour to raise money for his projected magazine the Stylus. He went first to Philadelphia, then to Richmond and Norfolk.
His definite movements can be traced up until September 28, 1849, when Poe arrived in Baltimore. Nothing from then is certain until he is found incoherent on October 3. The Edgar Allan Poe Society has an excellent page compiling the facts of Poe’s death which includes the letter below.
On October 3, Joseph W. Walker sent the following note to Dr. J. E. Snodgrass:
“Dear Sir, — There is a gentleman, rather the worse for wear, at Ryan’s 4th ward polls, who goes under the cognomen of Edgar A. Poe, and who appears in great distress, & he says he is acquainted with you, and I assure you, he is in need of immediate assistance, Yours, in haste, Jos. W. Walker.”
At the hospital, Poe was admitted and lapsed in and out of consciousness. He did not recover and died on October 7.
He was buried in an unmarked grave until a movement for a monument came to fruition in 1875. Dedicated on November 17, Walt Whitman was one of the very few who attended.
One hundred and seventy-three years later, we know now what we knew then: Edgar A. Poe, age 40, died we know not how.
Adapted from my essay: The Death of Edgar A. Poe: “A Tissue of Malevolent Blasphemies”
What is known for certain is that Edgar A. Poe died on October 7, 1849 at the age of 40. The only contemporary public reference to a specific cause of death was from the Baltimore Clipper, a somewhat cryptic “congestion of the brain” (The Poe Log, p. 851). Dr. Moran wrote to Poe’s mother-in-law, Maria Clemm saying, “Presuming you are already aware of the malady of which Mr. Poe died . . .”
Thanks, but not helpful. Death certificates were not required at the time, and none is known to have been filed for Poe. The U.S. did not start maintaining vital records until 1900.
The events prior to his death began on June 29, 1849, when Poe began a lecture tour to raise money for his projected magazine the Stylus. He went first to Philadelphia, then to Richmond and Norfolk.
His definite movements can be traced up until September 28, 1849, when Poe arrived in Baltimore. Nothing from then is certain until he is found incoherent on October 3. The Edgar Allan Poe Society has an excellent page compiling the facts of Poe’s death which includes the letter below.
On October 3, Joseph W. Walker sent the following note to Dr. J. E. Snodgrass:
“Dear Sir, — There is a gentleman, rather the worse for wear, at Ryan’s 4th ward polls, who goes under the cognomen of Edgar A. Poe, and who appears in great distress, & he says he is acquainted with you, and I assure you, he is in need of immediate assistance, Yours, in haste, Jos. W. Walker.”
At the hospital, Poe was admitted and lapsed in and out of consciousness. He did not recover and died on October 7.
He was buried in an unmarked grave until a movement for a monument came to fruition in 1875. Dedicated on November 17, Walt Whitman was one of the very few who attended.
One hundred and seventy-three years later, we know now what we knew then: Edgar A. Poe, age 40, died we know not how.
Adapted from my essay: The Death of Edgar A. Poe: “A Tissue of Malevolent Blasphemies”
March 18, 2022
Impossible Impostor Deanna Raybourn
Four *** In AN IMPOSSIBLE IMPOSTOR, Deanna Raybourn’s 7th entry in her Veronica Speedwell series set in Victorian London, we find Veronica and her erstwhile partner/lover Stoker are asked by Sir Hugo Montgomerie, head of Special Branch for a favor. They are to go to deadly moors of Dartmoor to see if a man purporting to be the eldest and heir, thought long dead, is a phony.
Veronica and Stoker go to Hathaway Hall and find more than they bargained for. Veronica comes face to face with a ghost from her past. There is a blood red ruby, a Maharini, a con man, kidnapping and secrets long held thrown into the mix.
As always Veronica and Stoker make a wonderful duo, and while the story is lots of fun, it’s not quite as good as the previous entries. But do read it anyway.
Veronica and Stoker go to Hathaway Hall and find more than they bargained for. Veronica comes face to face with a ghost from her past. There is a blood red ruby, a Maharini, a con man, kidnapping and secrets long held thrown into the mix.
As always Veronica and Stoker make a wonderful duo, and while the story is lots of fun, it’s not quite as good as the previous entries. But do read it anyway.
February 13, 2022
Movieland by Lee Goldberg
This is the first Eve Ronin series entry that I have read. I am not impressed enough to go back and read the others. She and her retiring partner Duncan Pavone are trying to solve the many, many shootings that have taken place in Malibu Creek State Park. They both get a lot of blow back from the park police and others who are not sharing news about previous killings. This time a woman is murdered, and the ante goes way up.
There was not too much riding on the plot. It seemed very like a television script with dialogue not as funny as the author thinks and weird characters to fill in the slow parts.
#movieland #leegoldberg #everonin
There was not too much riding on the plot. It seemed very like a television script with dialogue not as funny as the author thinks and weird characters to fill in the slow parts.
#movieland #leegoldberg #everonin
January 7, 2022
Are Snow Days Gone Forever?
A blizzard paralyzed New York City in February of 1969 when John Lindsay was mayor. My family lived in Queens, one of the hardest hit boroughs, leading residents to call Lindsay a “bum” for his failure to get the streets cleaned. Central Park recorded 15 inches of snow while JFK International Airport reported 20. Forecasters underestimated the storm predicting rain, wind, and sleet with little chance of snow.
As a kid, the only thing that mattered to me was SNOW DAY! Snow days were like gifts from Santa, and every winter we had at least 2 or 3, but February 10, 1969 was memorable for a variety of reasons. Because there would be no traffic, we made snow angels in the street, had snowball fights and built a snowman; we had a ball, laughing, playing, and sticking our tongues out to catch snowflakes. But the funniest moment of that day was given over to my brother Bob. Not wanting wet feet because snow would inevitably get into his boots, he took two Wonder Bread bags to cover his feet. Wonder Bread, “builds strong bodies” claimed the advertising. Nothing about smart ones. Bob put the plastic bags over his boots, walked out of the house and immediately slid down the steps of the stoop and landed in a heap. I don't know how many of my 10 siblings were outside with me, enough so that our laughter could be heard around the block.
Even as an adult, I loved snow days. Getting that phone call from school or work was better than a raise (not really). The entire day was mine. No commuting. No forced banter with colleagues. No mind-numbing routines. I could read, and read, and read. Nancy Drew in my childhood, Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, and Dorothy Sayers in later years.
But snow days aren’t what they once were. Instead of sitting in front of the fire with cocoa and marshmallows and the latest Karin Slaughter, Janet Evanovich, or Gregg Hurwitz, I’m at my computer watching out my window as the snow is falling.
But not for long. Soon I will be sitting in front of the fireplace with my husband sipping hot chocolate, watching the snow fall, and anticipating my reading of the new Harlan Coben sitting on the table in front of me.
The pandemic changed our routines forever. Does that mean snow days are a thing of the past?
Not for me.
As a kid, the only thing that mattered to me was SNOW DAY! Snow days were like gifts from Santa, and every winter we had at least 2 or 3, but February 10, 1969 was memorable for a variety of reasons. Because there would be no traffic, we made snow angels in the street, had snowball fights and built a snowman; we had a ball, laughing, playing, and sticking our tongues out to catch snowflakes. But the funniest moment of that day was given over to my brother Bob. Not wanting wet feet because snow would inevitably get into his boots, he took two Wonder Bread bags to cover his feet. Wonder Bread, “builds strong bodies” claimed the advertising. Nothing about smart ones. Bob put the plastic bags over his boots, walked out of the house and immediately slid down the steps of the stoop and landed in a heap. I don't know how many of my 10 siblings were outside with me, enough so that our laughter could be heard around the block.
Even as an adult, I loved snow days. Getting that phone call from school or work was better than a raise (not really). The entire day was mine. No commuting. No forced banter with colleagues. No mind-numbing routines. I could read, and read, and read. Nancy Drew in my childhood, Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, and Dorothy Sayers in later years.
But snow days aren’t what they once were. Instead of sitting in front of the fire with cocoa and marshmallows and the latest Karin Slaughter, Janet Evanovich, or Gregg Hurwitz, I’m at my computer watching out my window as the snow is falling.
But not for long. Soon I will be sitting in front of the fireplace with my husband sipping hot chocolate, watching the snow fall, and anticipating my reading of the new Harlan Coben sitting on the table in front of me.
The pandemic changed our routines forever. Does that mean snow days are a thing of the past?
Not for me.
January 3, 2022
The Runaway, Nick Petrie, 2022, G.P. Putnam Sons
Peter Ash is a war veteran with a serious case of PTSD when we first meet in him in THE DRIFTER, his 2016 review. In this, the 7th in a series, Ash's PTSD is mostly under control, but he still feels the need to wander.
Ash, who seems remarkably like Jack Reacher, is a vigilante. And like Reacher and many other characters before including The Fugitive, Ash moves from story to story and finds someone in need of his help. He doesn't seek trouble, but it does have a way of finding him.
In THE RUNAWAY, Ash picks up a very pregnant woman named Helene from the side of a road not realizing what a world of trouble he is letting himself in for. The woman's husband is a sociopath, murderer, and serial burglar of high-end goods.
Ash has particular skills, and he puts them to good use here. There is lots of action, and fans of the previous novels will enjoy this entry into the series.
Ash, who seems remarkably like Jack Reacher, is a vigilante. And like Reacher and many other characters before including The Fugitive, Ash moves from story to story and finds someone in need of his help. He doesn't seek trouble, but it does have a way of finding him.
In THE RUNAWAY, Ash picks up a very pregnant woman named Helene from the side of a road not realizing what a world of trouble he is letting himself in for. The woman's husband is a sociopath, murderer, and serial burglar of high-end goods.
Ash has particular skills, and he puts them to good use here. There is lots of action, and fans of the previous novels will enjoy this entry into the series.
When the Stars Go Dark by Paula McLain, 2021 Ballantine Books.
Anna Hart, suffering from a personal tragedy not told to the reader until very near the end, returns to Mendocino CA, where she grew up to help with the missing person case of Cameron Curtis. Cameron's disappearance has eerie echoes to the disappearance and death of Hart's childhood friend Jenny some 15 years earlier. Other cases of missing girls are brought into the story as well.
It's not a fun read. Not that the subject matter is not important--it's just that I don't know how much I want to read about abused and/or missing children when I see that in the news every day. This is not a true crime book; it's a novel.
I have sympathy for none except the victims. Anna Hart's tragedy is horrific, but to keep it hidden all the way through the book cheapens it in the end.
It's not a fun read. Not that the subject matter is not important--it's just that I don't know how much I want to read about abused and/or missing children when I see that in the news every day. This is not a true crime book; it's a novel.
I have sympathy for none except the victims. Anna Hart's tragedy is horrific, but to keep it hidden all the way through the book cheapens it in the end.
December 29, 2021
Don't Look Up 2021 film with Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawerence
(2021) directed by Adam McKay with Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Cate Blanchett and Meryl Streep.
Just rewatched Martin Scorsese’s The Aviator (2004) with Leonardo DiCaprio and Cate Blanchett, and a few days ago I saw Adam McKay’s Don’t Look Up (2021) with Leonardo DiCaprio and Cate Blanchett. The two films would make for an interesting double feature. In the first, DiCaprio plays Howard Hughes billionaire weirdo and in the second, Dr. Mindy, astronomer, weirdo. Blanchett plays over the top Kate Hepburn to Dicaprio’s Hughes, and in Over the Top, she is an overblown television host Brie Evantee to DiCaprio’s Dr. Mindy.
That’s all a prelude to saying this is a fun movie. Jennifer Lawrence, Ph.D. student at Michigan State under the supervision of Dr. Mindy, discovers a comet. Wonderful news, until they all realize it’s miles wide and headed straight for earth. Assured destruction for the planet in 6 months. The two try to share their news with the president and the public at large. They are not believed; Lawrence is written off as a doomsday prophet and DiCaprio becomes the new stud scientist and falls, initially, for the attention and glory of being in the limelight, which also comes with the hot to trot Brie Evantee.
The movie depicts social media as a useless tool run amok and, technology and global warming as fake news, while celebrity is lauded and believed. This is a comedy in the vein of Wag the Dog, and if it is not as trenchant it is as timely.
McKay plays it for laughs, but he’s only half jesting because the story warns the viewer that the earth really is on its way to total destruction.
DiCaprio, at movie’s end, gets to the heart of the matter saying what everyone should already know: “We really do have it all.” And BOOM goes the planet.
Just rewatched Martin Scorsese’s The Aviator (2004) with Leonardo DiCaprio and Cate Blanchett, and a few days ago I saw Adam McKay’s Don’t Look Up (2021) with Leonardo DiCaprio and Cate Blanchett. The two films would make for an interesting double feature. In the first, DiCaprio plays Howard Hughes billionaire weirdo and in the second, Dr. Mindy, astronomer, weirdo. Blanchett plays over the top Kate Hepburn to Dicaprio’s Hughes, and in Over the Top, she is an overblown television host Brie Evantee to DiCaprio’s Dr. Mindy.
That’s all a prelude to saying this is a fun movie. Jennifer Lawrence, Ph.D. student at Michigan State under the supervision of Dr. Mindy, discovers a comet. Wonderful news, until they all realize it’s miles wide and headed straight for earth. Assured destruction for the planet in 6 months. The two try to share their news with the president and the public at large. They are not believed; Lawrence is written off as a doomsday prophet and DiCaprio becomes the new stud scientist and falls, initially, for the attention and glory of being in the limelight, which also comes with the hot to trot Brie Evantee.
The movie depicts social media as a useless tool run amok and, technology and global warming as fake news, while celebrity is lauded and believed. This is a comedy in the vein of Wag the Dog, and if it is not as trenchant it is as timely.
McKay plays it for laughs, but he’s only half jesting because the story warns the viewer that the earth really is on its way to total destruction.
DiCaprio, at movie’s end, gets to the heart of the matter saying what everyone should already know: “We really do have it all.” And BOOM goes the planet.
December 24, 2021
Two Nights in Lisbon, Chris Pavone, 2022
Two Nights in Lisbon seems like it's going to be a taut thriller. It's not. The book opens with a newly married Ariel Price. She divorced her first husband 14 years previously and now lives on a farm and owns a bookstore in small town New York with her 13 year old son.
The new husband, John Wright and Ariel appear to be on their honeymoon in Lisbon. The morning after, Ariel remembers great sex and the topsy turvy bed and clothes support this. But she can't find her husband. She asks the hotel staff and then goes to the police and then the Embassy. This is all within a few hours, and her actions seem premature, a reader can sympathize with the new wife.
Then a ransom demand for 3 million euros arrives. Ariel and John do not have that kind of money. It is at this point or even before that a reader has to wonder what the hell is happening. Past lives for both Ariel and John are hinted at but never explained until the end of the book. Ariel has to get the money from some "monster" from her past, the only one she thinks can get the money together on this July 4th.
There is lots of interest from the police, the US embassy and a newspaper reporter. A reader can't figure out why everyone is so interested. We are given a reason, but it's full of holes.
Will the ransom be paid? Will Ariel's husband be freed unharmed? Will the reader be annoyed by the end of this book. Answer to all three--YES.
The new husband, John Wright and Ariel appear to be on their honeymoon in Lisbon. The morning after, Ariel remembers great sex and the topsy turvy bed and clothes support this. But she can't find her husband. She asks the hotel staff and then goes to the police and then the Embassy. This is all within a few hours, and her actions seem premature, a reader can sympathize with the new wife.
Then a ransom demand for 3 million euros arrives. Ariel and John do not have that kind of money. It is at this point or even before that a reader has to wonder what the hell is happening. Past lives for both Ariel and John are hinted at but never explained until the end of the book. Ariel has to get the money from some "monster" from her past, the only one she thinks can get the money together on this July 4th.
There is lots of interest from the police, the US embassy and a newspaper reporter. A reader can't figure out why everyone is so interested. We are given a reason, but it's full of holes.
Will the ransom be paid? Will Ariel's husband be freed unharmed? Will the reader be annoyed by the end of this book. Answer to all three--YES.
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I will be writing short essays about Edgar A. Poe and American Literature. In addition, I will be reviewing some of the many books I read, movies I watch, and also adding assorted thoughts on whatever
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