Jeffrey Penn May's Blog, page 6

Rediscovering Vonnegut (Galapagos by Kurt Vonnegut)

In the summer of 1973, I read Breakfast of Champions and then in quick succession, Cat’s Cradle, Sirens of Titan, Slaughterhouse Five, Welcome to the Monkey House, God Bless You Mr. Rosewater, and others, even Venus on the Half Shell by Kilgore Trout. Sometime in the early 1980’s, after trying to read his “Hi Ho” Slapstick novel, my engagement with his work subsided. While grateful for his influence, I tried to dismiss his work, suggesting … Continue reading →

A Fair Amount Of Damage (The Hemingway Files by H.K. Bush)

Note: This is an updated review. The Hemingway Files does an excellent job of warmly presenting Japanese culture, appealing to academics who love discussions about literary giants, and creating believable, likable characters whose actions for the most part fit well into the plot, with the possible exception of Miyamoto, who for me never rose to the level “nemesis.” My objections probably have to do with the author’s style and voice, which never seemed to achieve … Continue reading →

Book Reviews Decmeber 2017

Brutal Bataan (Ghost Soldiers by Hampton Sides) Ghost Soldiers is the account of a WWII Japanese concentration camp rescue mission, integrating stories of the infamous Bataan Death March and the battle for the Bataan peninsula. While not as cohesive as his later work, still an excellent read, and it clearly shows Hampton Sides unique ability early in his writing career to make history come alive. Clear Skies (The Hunters by James Salter) Follows the tour … Continue reading →

In Defense of Old White Men

For a long time, old white men like me have presumably been in charge. However, that was mostly BS. We just acted like we were in charge. We were taught from a very early age that we should take control of the world. And of course that world included women. We wanted women to tell us what they wanted, but at the same time dismissed it with inane, sexist comments bemoaning the mysteries of the … Continue reading →

Hell of a Good Read (Hellhound On His Trail by Hampton Sides)

Hellhound on His Trail: The Stalking of Martin Luther King, Jr. and the International Hunt for His Assassin by Hampton Sides My rating: 5 of 5 stars Hell of a Good Read (Hellhound On His Trail by Hampton Sides) Hampton Sides knows how to write gripping historical nonfiction, and it shows again in “Hellhound On His Trail,” his account of Martin Luther King’s murderer, James Earl Ray. (He also wrote “In the Kingdom of Ice,” … Continue reading →

Facing the Future Alone (Solo Faces by James Salter)

So much strikes home for me in Solo Faces by James Salter that perhaps you should not trust my review. Salter is a writers’ writer and his style recalls an earlier literary epoch, where every word seemed to pack more weight. His precise language and elliptical literary techniques coalesce into a brilliant, poetically clear, incisive narrative. His style appears to echo the sparse prose of American literature during most of the 20th century, with obvious … Continue reading →

Run, But Don’t Write (Run or Die by Kilian Jornet)

Kilian Jornet is a brilliant athlete, a world class endurance runner who must pay attention to training details, schedules, and his competition. But he is an amateurish, immature writer. It’s okay to admire one but not the other. While he may be acutely aware of his own physical ability, accomplishments, and goals, he does not appear to be particularly attentive to others, including readers. Run or Die was written by a self-absorbed 24-year-old Jornet, with … Continue reading →

Run, But Don’t Write (Run or Die by Kilian Jornet)

Kilian Jornet is a brilliant athlete, a world class endurance runner who must pay attention to training details, schedules, and his competition. But he is an amateurish, immature writer. It’s okay to admire one but not the other. While he may be acutely aware of his own physical ability, accomplishments, and goals, he does not appear to be particularly attentive to others, including readers. Run or Die was written by a self-absorbed 24-year-old Jornet, with … Continue reading →

Dazzling End (Death’s End by Cixin Liu)

By the time you get to the end of Death’s End, and Cixin Liu’s masterpiece of a trilogy, you don’t want an ending, even death’s. Stylistically, Liu’s writing ranges from informational to poetic. He skillfully uses literary devices and techniques, referencing a book by one of the characters, inserting vitally significant fairy tales loaded with contextual clues that determine the fate of earth and the solar system, and weaves it together in the over arching … Continue reading →

Dazzling End (Death’s End by Cixin Lu)

By the time you get to the end of Death’s End, and Cixin Lu’s masterpiece of a trilogy, you don’t want an ending, even death’s. Stylistically, Lu’s writing ranges from informational to poetic. He skillfully uses literary devices and techniques, referencing a book by one of the characters, inserting vitally significant fairy tales loaded with contextual clues that determine the fate of earth and the solar system, and weaves it together in the over arching … Continue reading →