Wesley Britton's Blog, page 10
June 25, 2019
Book Review: Dinner With Edward: The Story of an Unexpected Friendship by Isabel Vincent
Dinner With Edward: The Story of an Unexpected Friendship
Isabel Vincent
Paperback: 240 pages
Publisher: Algonquin Books; Reprint edition (June 13, 2017)
ISBN-10: 1616206942
ISBN-13: 978-1616206949
https://www.amazon.com/Dinner-Edward-...
Reviewed by Dr. Wesley Britton
Dinner With Edward isn't the sort of novel I would normally pick up for summer reading. I don't read "food books." But as it was this month's assignment for a book club I belong to, I started reading with few preconceived ideas about it. It didn't take long for me to be glad I did.
From first to last, Dinner With Edward just hums with life and gains affirming energy as it goes along. The premise is simple enough: Edward is a nonagenarian widower grieving over the death of his wife, strongly wanting to follow her to the grave. He's a talented man with his hands, especially with cooking exceptional dinners in his New York apartment.
Isabel is a "middle-aged" reporter who Edward invites to come to weekly dinners at the request of one of Edward's daughters who hopes isabel can keep an eye on her father. Isabel's marriage is disintegrating and these private dinners become highlights of her life, along with the wisdom Edward offers as their friendship deepens. Their backstories are revealed in fragments and chunks as Vincent recounts just how this friendship blossomed in chapters headed by the short menus of one dinner after another. It's quickly obvious the nourishment the two share goes far beyond well-prepared dinners and conversations that are wide-ranging in scope and topics.
Among the lessons Isabel learns is to slow down and appreciate her life, dissecting who she is and facing things she'd rather put aside or ignore. Edward is described as a Henry Higgins figure helping his Eliza Doolittle protegee enhance her feminine aspects which she tends to downplay. Of course, she learns a lot about preparing food and allowing herself to find love again.
One of the many aphorisms sprinkled throughout the memoir is a quote by M. F. K. Fisher, that simple dinners with a friend can "sustain us against the hungers of the world." In other words, Edward's lessons for Isabel should reach out far beyond their relationship and enrich the lives of the book's readers. I often paused to jot down a note or two when a clear, clean insight tripped my trigger. I will have many good things to say about Dinner With Edward when the book club meets and eagerly await the responses of the other members.
This review first appeared at BookPleasures.com on June 25, 2019:
https://waa.ai/XZBV
Isabel Vincent
Paperback: 240 pages
Publisher: Algonquin Books; Reprint edition (June 13, 2017)
ISBN-10: 1616206942
ISBN-13: 978-1616206949
https://www.amazon.com/Dinner-Edward-...
Reviewed by Dr. Wesley Britton
Dinner With Edward isn't the sort of novel I would normally pick up for summer reading. I don't read "food books." But as it was this month's assignment for a book club I belong to, I started reading with few preconceived ideas about it. It didn't take long for me to be glad I did.
From first to last, Dinner With Edward just hums with life and gains affirming energy as it goes along. The premise is simple enough: Edward is a nonagenarian widower grieving over the death of his wife, strongly wanting to follow her to the grave. He's a talented man with his hands, especially with cooking exceptional dinners in his New York apartment.
Isabel is a "middle-aged" reporter who Edward invites to come to weekly dinners at the request of one of Edward's daughters who hopes isabel can keep an eye on her father. Isabel's marriage is disintegrating and these private dinners become highlights of her life, along with the wisdom Edward offers as their friendship deepens. Their backstories are revealed in fragments and chunks as Vincent recounts just how this friendship blossomed in chapters headed by the short menus of one dinner after another. It's quickly obvious the nourishment the two share goes far beyond well-prepared dinners and conversations that are wide-ranging in scope and topics.
Among the lessons Isabel learns is to slow down and appreciate her life, dissecting who she is and facing things she'd rather put aside or ignore. Edward is described as a Henry Higgins figure helping his Eliza Doolittle protegee enhance her feminine aspects which she tends to downplay. Of course, she learns a lot about preparing food and allowing herself to find love again.
One of the many aphorisms sprinkled throughout the memoir is a quote by M. F. K. Fisher, that simple dinners with a friend can "sustain us against the hungers of the world." In other words, Edward's lessons for Isabel should reach out far beyond their relationship and enrich the lives of the book's readers. I often paused to jot down a note or two when a clear, clean insight tripped my trigger. I will have many good things to say about Dinner With Edward when the book club meets and eagerly await the responses of the other members.
This review first appeared at BookPleasures.com on June 25, 2019:
https://waa.ai/XZBV
Book Review: Woodstock 50th Year Anniversary by Mike Greenblatt
Woodstock 50th Anniversary: Back to Yasgur's Farm
Mike Greenblatt
Hardcover: 224 pages
Publisher: Krause Publications (July 16, 2019)
ISBN-10: 1440248907
ISBN-13: 978-1440248900
https://www.amazon.com/Woodstock-50th...
Reviewed by Dr. Wesley Britton
After all these years and all the books, documentaries, interviews etc.etc., do we really need another book on Woodstock? At first glance, the answer might seem to be a resounding "no" because the mud and music has been well-trodden for five decades now. On the other hand, the 50th anniversary may well be the Woodstock generation's last hurrah, at least in terms of creating events and issuing publications commemorating the major milestone in pop culture while many of the original participants are still alive and able to stroll down their various memory lanes. Just look over the line-up of performers scheduled for the official Golden Anniversary weekend--most of the musicians weren't even born back in '69. Yikes!
For me, the value in books like Greenblatt's is learning things I didn't know before or being refreshed on things I may have heard before but forgotten. For example, I've heard of performers like Sweetwater, the Incredible String Band, the Keef Hartly band, and Quill who played at Woodstock. I've never heard a note by any of them except for a few tunes by Sweetwater. As many have pointed out over the years, not appearing in the 1970 Michael Wadleigh documentary ended up being a lost career boost. Other acts like Janis Joplin, The Band, Creedence Clearwater, or the Grateful Dead didn't need the boost but wouldn't be folded into public awareness about their Woodstock appearances until they were included in later Wadleigh collector's editions when he released previously unseen footage. Then there were the acts who were there but didn't get filmed and then there were those who turned down the gig and didn't come to the party. At the time, they had good reasons to pass on the opportunity--no one knew what the Woodstock festival would mean.
The performers were the ones on stage, but the stories of the organizers and audience members were and are equally as much a part of Woodstock lore. In particular, just how close Woodstock came to becoming a disaster many times over, it seems to me, is well worth remembering. We really were the peace and love generation no matter how fleeting that moment flickered in time. That, it seems to me, is the reason to keep commemorating what was essentially a three day rock and roll concert that became a mythologized hippie highpoint thanks in large part to the film that reached an audience able to enjoy the concert in more comfortable theatre settings. Now, we get a different appreciation when folks like Greenblatt, who was there, share their experiences with those of us who think we wish we had been in the crowd.
In terms of Greenblatt's book, I hadn't seen the set lists of all the acts before and found them a real 50th anniversary treat. I had heard many of the musicians' anecdotes before, but not all of them collected here. Not by a long shot. I hadn't heard of the shunning Max Yasgur suffered by his unhappy neighbors after the concert was over.
In fact, I think it's fair to say Mike Greenblatt may have assembled the best one-stop Woodstock book for readers who might want one, just one, hardcover exploration of the concert and how it became the phenomena it did. It's a good companion piece to all the DVDs and CDs being issued to keep the music alive. Oh, of course, it's chock-full of colorful photos. Yep, a very good memento of an August weekend only a small slice of my generation got to experience first-hand. Like Michael Greenblatt.
This review first appeared at BookPleasures.com on June 25, 2019:
https://waa.ai/XZ2r
Mike Greenblatt
Hardcover: 224 pages
Publisher: Krause Publications (July 16, 2019)
ISBN-10: 1440248907
ISBN-13: 978-1440248900
https://www.amazon.com/Woodstock-50th...
Reviewed by Dr. Wesley Britton
After all these years and all the books, documentaries, interviews etc.etc., do we really need another book on Woodstock? At first glance, the answer might seem to be a resounding "no" because the mud and music has been well-trodden for five decades now. On the other hand, the 50th anniversary may well be the Woodstock generation's last hurrah, at least in terms of creating events and issuing publications commemorating the major milestone in pop culture while many of the original participants are still alive and able to stroll down their various memory lanes. Just look over the line-up of performers scheduled for the official Golden Anniversary weekend--most of the musicians weren't even born back in '69. Yikes!
For me, the value in books like Greenblatt's is learning things I didn't know before or being refreshed on things I may have heard before but forgotten. For example, I've heard of performers like Sweetwater, the Incredible String Band, the Keef Hartly band, and Quill who played at Woodstock. I've never heard a note by any of them except for a few tunes by Sweetwater. As many have pointed out over the years, not appearing in the 1970 Michael Wadleigh documentary ended up being a lost career boost. Other acts like Janis Joplin, The Band, Creedence Clearwater, or the Grateful Dead didn't need the boost but wouldn't be folded into public awareness about their Woodstock appearances until they were included in later Wadleigh collector's editions when he released previously unseen footage. Then there were the acts who were there but didn't get filmed and then there were those who turned down the gig and didn't come to the party. At the time, they had good reasons to pass on the opportunity--no one knew what the Woodstock festival would mean.
The performers were the ones on stage, but the stories of the organizers and audience members were and are equally as much a part of Woodstock lore. In particular, just how close Woodstock came to becoming a disaster many times over, it seems to me, is well worth remembering. We really were the peace and love generation no matter how fleeting that moment flickered in time. That, it seems to me, is the reason to keep commemorating what was essentially a three day rock and roll concert that became a mythologized hippie highpoint thanks in large part to the film that reached an audience able to enjoy the concert in more comfortable theatre settings. Now, we get a different appreciation when folks like Greenblatt, who was there, share their experiences with those of us who think we wish we had been in the crowd.
In terms of Greenblatt's book, I hadn't seen the set lists of all the acts before and found them a real 50th anniversary treat. I had heard many of the musicians' anecdotes before, but not all of them collected here. Not by a long shot. I hadn't heard of the shunning Max Yasgur suffered by his unhappy neighbors after the concert was over.
In fact, I think it's fair to say Mike Greenblatt may have assembled the best one-stop Woodstock book for readers who might want one, just one, hardcover exploration of the concert and how it became the phenomena it did. It's a good companion piece to all the DVDs and CDs being issued to keep the music alive. Oh, of course, it's chock-full of colorful photos. Yep, a very good memento of an August weekend only a small slice of my generation got to experience first-hand. Like Michael Greenblatt.
This review first appeared at BookPleasures.com on June 25, 2019:
https://waa.ai/XZ2r
June 21, 2019
Wes Britton on Sci-Fi Roundtable Podcast this Sunday!
On Sunday June 23rd, Wes Britton will be a guest on the Sci-Fi Roundtable Podcast. The live version will go out at 4:00 EST.
Here is a link for apple and another for non-apple to the show.
http://sfrtpodcast.libsyn.com/introdu...
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast...
Here is a link for apple and another for non-apple to the show.
http://sfrtpodcast.libsyn.com/introdu...
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast...
June 15, 2019
Book Review: Forever and a Day: A James Bond Novel by Anthony Horowitz
Forever and a Day: A James Bond Novel
Anthony Horowitz
Publisher: Jonathan Cape/Waterstone's, London, England; First Edition (2018)
ISBN-10: 1911214772
ISBN-13: 978-1911214779
https://www.amazon.com/Forever-Day-Ja...
Reviewed by: Dr. Wesley Britton
Beginning with John Pearson's 1973 James Bond: The Authorized Biography of 007, Ian Fleming Publications has licensed a number of pre-Casino Royale Bond stories as part of their ongoing series of James Bond continuation novels. In addition, a number of unsanctioned books, often fictionalized versions of Ian Fleming's World War II experiences, have been published as alleged foreshadowings of the literary material Fleming would use in his James Bond yarns.
The longest-lasting sanctioned pre-MI5 Bond stories began with Charlie Higson's 2005 "Young James Bond" books which author Steve Cole took over in 2014.
In terms of the adult Bond, after long runs of Bond continuation novels by John Gardner and Raymond Benson, in which the character of Bond was "frozen in time" and emulated the cinematic aspects of the films, Ian Fleming Publications opted for a course change in 2014 beginning with Sebastian Faulks's Devil May care in a new series featuring books by various authors sticking as closely as possible to the spirit and flavor of the Fleming books, using settings and events occurring in the 1960s.
Then came Anthony Horowitz's well-received 2015 Trigger Mortis which took Bond back to the '50s, and included unused material by Ian Fleming himself. Horwitz, Bond, and a bit more unused Fleming material returned in 2018 with Forever and a Day, the latest offering set before the events in Casino Royale.
007 literary aficionados have been divided in their responses to Forever and a Day, with many a reader praising the book for its keeping close to the style and flavor of Fleming, its comparatively subtle introduction of many Bond tropes of the original novels, its revealing how James Bond got the 007 number, and the characters introduced by Horwitz, notably the love interest between Bond and "Madame Sixteen."
Add me to the list of critics who really, really liked Forever and a Day. I don't see much to complain about, especially as so many continuation novels were entertaining, readable, and completely forgettable. For me, Madame Sixteen is now one of my all-time favorite Bond girls, although calling her a "girl" isn't close to accurate. She's well-developed--in the literary sense--mature, resourceful, as good as an action companion as 007 could ever ask for.
True, that scene where supposed acid turns out to be merely water and some of the incursion scenes are a tad contrived, and nothing could be more contrived than Irwin Wolfe's rationalization for his motivations. But when was Ian Fleming ever flawless?
I'd wager most Bond literary fans have already read, evaluated, and passed judgement on Forever and a Day. It's the rest of you this review is for. If you're not a habitual reader of either Fleming or the continuation novels, is Forever and a Day a good read for you? Is it a good starting point, now being the first authorized 007 adventure in the chronological sequence of the canonical Bond?
Naturally, every reader should start with Fleming himself, and I recommend Dr. No, From Russia With Love, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, or Casino Royale. (Not coincidently, these became the best films.) In terms of continuation novels, yes, Forever and a Day is now an ideal starting point. It's the most memorable yarn in many a moon. More Horowitz, please.
This review first appeared at BookPleasures.com on June 15, 2019 at:
https://waa.ai/X1Dr
Anthony Horowitz
Publisher: Jonathan Cape/Waterstone's, London, England; First Edition (2018)
ISBN-10: 1911214772
ISBN-13: 978-1911214779
https://www.amazon.com/Forever-Day-Ja...
Reviewed by: Dr. Wesley Britton
Beginning with John Pearson's 1973 James Bond: The Authorized Biography of 007, Ian Fleming Publications has licensed a number of pre-Casino Royale Bond stories as part of their ongoing series of James Bond continuation novels. In addition, a number of unsanctioned books, often fictionalized versions of Ian Fleming's World War II experiences, have been published as alleged foreshadowings of the literary material Fleming would use in his James Bond yarns.
The longest-lasting sanctioned pre-MI5 Bond stories began with Charlie Higson's 2005 "Young James Bond" books which author Steve Cole took over in 2014.
In terms of the adult Bond, after long runs of Bond continuation novels by John Gardner and Raymond Benson, in which the character of Bond was "frozen in time" and emulated the cinematic aspects of the films, Ian Fleming Publications opted for a course change in 2014 beginning with Sebastian Faulks's Devil May care in a new series featuring books by various authors sticking as closely as possible to the spirit and flavor of the Fleming books, using settings and events occurring in the 1960s.
Then came Anthony Horowitz's well-received 2015 Trigger Mortis which took Bond back to the '50s, and included unused material by Ian Fleming himself. Horwitz, Bond, and a bit more unused Fleming material returned in 2018 with Forever and a Day, the latest offering set before the events in Casino Royale.
007 literary aficionados have been divided in their responses to Forever and a Day, with many a reader praising the book for its keeping close to the style and flavor of Fleming, its comparatively subtle introduction of many Bond tropes of the original novels, its revealing how James Bond got the 007 number, and the characters introduced by Horwitz, notably the love interest between Bond and "Madame Sixteen."
Add me to the list of critics who really, really liked Forever and a Day. I don't see much to complain about, especially as so many continuation novels were entertaining, readable, and completely forgettable. For me, Madame Sixteen is now one of my all-time favorite Bond girls, although calling her a "girl" isn't close to accurate. She's well-developed--in the literary sense--mature, resourceful, as good as an action companion as 007 could ever ask for.
True, that scene where supposed acid turns out to be merely water and some of the incursion scenes are a tad contrived, and nothing could be more contrived than Irwin Wolfe's rationalization for his motivations. But when was Ian Fleming ever flawless?
I'd wager most Bond literary fans have already read, evaluated, and passed judgement on Forever and a Day. It's the rest of you this review is for. If you're not a habitual reader of either Fleming or the continuation novels, is Forever and a Day a good read for you? Is it a good starting point, now being the first authorized 007 adventure in the chronological sequence of the canonical Bond?
Naturally, every reader should start with Fleming himself, and I recommend Dr. No, From Russia With Love, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, or Casino Royale. (Not coincidently, these became the best films.) In terms of continuation novels, yes, Forever and a Day is now an ideal starting point. It's the most memorable yarn in many a moon. More Horowitz, please.
This review first appeared at BookPleasures.com on June 15, 2019 at:
https://waa.ai/X1Dr
June 5, 2019
Would you like to be a Beta reader for new sci-fi stories?
Seeking Beta readers for two Beta-
Earth short stories:
One is "A Day in the Death of the Magic Mabel" with a Word Count of 10196. Set 40 years in the future on our planet, it's set on a doomed cruise ship with a horrible fear-inducing chemical compound hidden somewhere on board. Can Mary Carpenter find it in time?
The other is "The Alien That Never Was" with a Word Count of 10772. It's set on Beta-Earth during the Alman Civil War with a distinctly WWII flavor. Can sexy special operatives of the Kirippean resistance fool the forces of the power-hungry Lunta?
If interested in an Advanced reader copy PDF, or Word file, of either of these yarns, write me at spywise@verizon.net.
Thanks in advance--
Earth short stories:
One is "A Day in the Death of the Magic Mabel" with a Word Count of 10196. Set 40 years in the future on our planet, it's set on a doomed cruise ship with a horrible fear-inducing chemical compound hidden somewhere on board. Can Mary Carpenter find it in time?
The other is "The Alien That Never Was" with a Word Count of 10772. It's set on Beta-Earth during the Alman Civil War with a distinctly WWII flavor. Can sexy special operatives of the Kirippean resistance fool the forces of the power-hungry Lunta?
If interested in an Advanced reader copy PDF, or Word file, of either of these yarns, write me at spywise@verizon.net.
Thanks in advance--
May 30, 2019
Book Review: Shadow by Nicholas Woode-Smith
Shadow: A Grimdark Military Sci-fi (Warpmancer Book 1)
Nicholas Woode-Smith
Print Length: 266 pages
Publisher: Warpmancer Press (May 15, 2018)
Publication Date: May 15, 2018
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
ASIN: B07CPYFHLW
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07...
Reviewed by: Wesley Britton
In closing notes to Shadow, author Nicholas Woode-Smith admits this novel is a major retelling of the first third of his earlier version of the same tale, The Fall of Zona Nox. So there are several groups of potential readers for Shadow--those already familiar with his epic and readers like me completely new to his world-building--and world-destroying- adventures.
The story centers on James Terrin, a rough-edged thief and street-fighter turned soldier who is a bit, just a bit, reminiscent of Harry Harrison's "Stainless Steel Rat." Unlike Harrison's Jim DiGriz, who's an intergalactic rascal and con-man portrayed in light, satirical stories, Terrin lives in a grim, violent, and dark world in the 36th century where everyone has to be constantly aware of the many ways death can burst through the door in brutal cities like Galis where humans and aliens must survive meager existences.
What DiGriz and Terrin have most in common is their being almost constantly on the run, escaping or nearly escaping would-be killers and captors. Terrin is often running down alleyways and over rooftops while miraculously not getting hit by assassins, soldiers, or gangsters.
One aspect that really impressed me is Woode-Smith's ability to introduce new species and layers of his world's "cultures" with economy and precise descriptions. He's able to paint his gritty, gruff, dangerous environments in vivid detail while never letting the action slow. The book doesn't really have a plot beyond Terrin's becoming more and more involved in the various competing deadly interests on Zona Nox, especially as he goes beyond fighting for his own survival and then becomes part of his planet's defense against invading aliens and their deadly talons.
It's very obvious that Shadow is the starting point for the author's reinvigorated Warpmancer series which means the yarn isn't a stand-alone adventure with any story-lines tied up on the final pages. If you get interested in Shadow, plan to carry on with the epic in the subsequent volumes, both book length and short stories already available. The sequels begin with Trooper: Warpmancer Book Two listed here:
https://www.amazon.com/Trooper-Warpma...
This review first appeared at BookPleasures.com on May 30, 2019:
https://waa.ai/XH6W
Nicholas Woode-Smith
Print Length: 266 pages
Publisher: Warpmancer Press (May 15, 2018)
Publication Date: May 15, 2018
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
ASIN: B07CPYFHLW
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07...
Reviewed by: Wesley Britton
In closing notes to Shadow, author Nicholas Woode-Smith admits this novel is a major retelling of the first third of his earlier version of the same tale, The Fall of Zona Nox. So there are several groups of potential readers for Shadow--those already familiar with his epic and readers like me completely new to his world-building--and world-destroying- adventures.
The story centers on James Terrin, a rough-edged thief and street-fighter turned soldier who is a bit, just a bit, reminiscent of Harry Harrison's "Stainless Steel Rat." Unlike Harrison's Jim DiGriz, who's an intergalactic rascal and con-man portrayed in light, satirical stories, Terrin lives in a grim, violent, and dark world in the 36th century where everyone has to be constantly aware of the many ways death can burst through the door in brutal cities like Galis where humans and aliens must survive meager existences.
What DiGriz and Terrin have most in common is their being almost constantly on the run, escaping or nearly escaping would-be killers and captors. Terrin is often running down alleyways and over rooftops while miraculously not getting hit by assassins, soldiers, or gangsters.
One aspect that really impressed me is Woode-Smith's ability to introduce new species and layers of his world's "cultures" with economy and precise descriptions. He's able to paint his gritty, gruff, dangerous environments in vivid detail while never letting the action slow. The book doesn't really have a plot beyond Terrin's becoming more and more involved in the various competing deadly interests on Zona Nox, especially as he goes beyond fighting for his own survival and then becomes part of his planet's defense against invading aliens and their deadly talons.
It's very obvious that Shadow is the starting point for the author's reinvigorated Warpmancer series which means the yarn isn't a stand-alone adventure with any story-lines tied up on the final pages. If you get interested in Shadow, plan to carry on with the epic in the subsequent volumes, both book length and short stories already available. The sequels begin with Trooper: Warpmancer Book Two listed here:
https://www.amazon.com/Trooper-Warpma...
This review first appeared at BookPleasures.com on May 30, 2019:
https://waa.ai/XH6W
May 24, 2019
Book Review: Columbo Under Glass by Sheldon Catz
Columbo Under Glass: A critical analysis of the cases, clues and character of the Good Lieutenant
Sheldon Catz
Paperback: 428 pages
Publisher: BearManor Media (July 7, 2016)
ISBN-10: 1593939566
ISBN-13: 978-1593939564
https://www.amazon.com/Columbo-Under-...
Sheldon Catz's Columbo Under Glass is not your typical TV series episode guide. It provides very little production history or background and includes no interviews with any of the participants. As Catz admits in his introduction, that ground was already expertly covered by TV historian Mark Dawidziak in his 1989 The Columbo File: A Casebook. Dawidziak was kind enough to write a complimentary foreword to the Catz study, saying he never thought his own book was the end-all and be-all for Columbo.
Instead, Under Glass is a very personal analysis of the long-running, on-again, off-again series of TV movies. Yes, Catz reviews every one of the episodes but most of his commentary is his own thoughts on what worked and especially what didn't in the scripts and acting. Frequently, it's difficult to understand why he invested so much time in Columbo as most of his analysis points to flaws he saw in how writers established the clues in each episode, whether or not the storylines were credible, whether or not the conclusions were well-thought out, or whether or not the characters were sympathetic or two-dimensional.
Then, in a number of essays, Catz analyzes the series from a wide range of angles, essentially retrodding the same ground he had covered in the episode guide in different ways. For example, "The Bloating Problem" re-examined why the 90 minute episodes were usually superior to the over-long two-hour TV movies. He looks at the "First Clues" that usually drew Columbo into pursuing a case and then the "Intermediate Clues and Some Delayed and Slippery Ones" that carried the plots forward for good or ill. He analyzes the various kinds of endings and complains about the lackluster Ed McBain novels rewritten into Columbo scripts. He writes about the developing character of Columbo, the "Morality of Columbo," the failed Mrs. Columbo spin-off, the supporting casts, the theme music, you name it. By the end of the tome, there's no "Just one more thing" left to talk about.
As with all such TV books, your interest in Columbo Under Glass is going to rely on your interest in Lieutenant Columbo as created by Richard Levinson and William Link and portrayed by Peter Falk from 1968 to 2003. Your interest may be piqued by the opportunity to match your own opinions with those of Catz. Odds are, most readers will find themselves skimming through the essays as so many points are revisited multiple times. But it's good to know there are those who still care about Columbo. So many of those old detective shows have disappeared without a trace.
This review first appeared at BookPleasures.com on May 24, 2019:
https://waa.ai/XfWv
Sheldon Catz
Paperback: 428 pages
Publisher: BearManor Media (July 7, 2016)
ISBN-10: 1593939566
ISBN-13: 978-1593939564
https://www.amazon.com/Columbo-Under-...
Sheldon Catz's Columbo Under Glass is not your typical TV series episode guide. It provides very little production history or background and includes no interviews with any of the participants. As Catz admits in his introduction, that ground was already expertly covered by TV historian Mark Dawidziak in his 1989 The Columbo File: A Casebook. Dawidziak was kind enough to write a complimentary foreword to the Catz study, saying he never thought his own book was the end-all and be-all for Columbo.
Instead, Under Glass is a very personal analysis of the long-running, on-again, off-again series of TV movies. Yes, Catz reviews every one of the episodes but most of his commentary is his own thoughts on what worked and especially what didn't in the scripts and acting. Frequently, it's difficult to understand why he invested so much time in Columbo as most of his analysis points to flaws he saw in how writers established the clues in each episode, whether or not the storylines were credible, whether or not the conclusions were well-thought out, or whether or not the characters were sympathetic or two-dimensional.
Then, in a number of essays, Catz analyzes the series from a wide range of angles, essentially retrodding the same ground he had covered in the episode guide in different ways. For example, "The Bloating Problem" re-examined why the 90 minute episodes were usually superior to the over-long two-hour TV movies. He looks at the "First Clues" that usually drew Columbo into pursuing a case and then the "Intermediate Clues and Some Delayed and Slippery Ones" that carried the plots forward for good or ill. He analyzes the various kinds of endings and complains about the lackluster Ed McBain novels rewritten into Columbo scripts. He writes about the developing character of Columbo, the "Morality of Columbo," the failed Mrs. Columbo spin-off, the supporting casts, the theme music, you name it. By the end of the tome, there's no "Just one more thing" left to talk about.
As with all such TV books, your interest in Columbo Under Glass is going to rely on your interest in Lieutenant Columbo as created by Richard Levinson and William Link and portrayed by Peter Falk from 1968 to 2003. Your interest may be piqued by the opportunity to match your own opinions with those of Catz. Odds are, most readers will find themselves skimming through the essays as so many points are revisited multiple times. But it's good to know there are those who still care about Columbo. So many of those old detective shows have disappeared without a trace.
This review first appeared at BookPleasures.com on May 24, 2019:
https://waa.ai/XfWv
May 19, 2019
Full Text to Dove Winter interview
I decided to repost the text of the Dove Winter interview here and not just the link. Enjoy!
OWS CYCON 2019 BLITZ: WESLEY BRITTON
MAY 18, 2019 ~ DOVEWINTERS
Dove Winters asked the questions that matter of Wesley Britton! Here is the link: https://www.amazon.com/Wesley-Britton...
Hello, Wesley! What is the hardest part of being an author?
Finding your readers. Which shouldn’t be surprising when worldMeters says; “Books published this year – 458,455.” Wow. An author can drown in a flood like that.
One of many fish in the crowded pond!
Which Beatle song describes you?
My first thought was "P.S.I Love You" as my current LDG (Long Distance Girlfriend) lives 501 miles away and most of our relationship is with emails and phone calls.
But today I was at a Hospice Book Club discussion where one widow talked about George Harrison’s “Within You, Without You.” She said her husband requested the last line be read at his funeral. Made me rethink the song which I’ve pretty much ignored all these years:
“When you’ve seen beyond yourself then you may find
Peace of mind is waiting there
And the time will come when you see we’re all one
And life flows on within you and without you”
How beautiful! Quick! Ask your spouse/closest friend/parent or sibling to describe you in three words. What did they say?
The aforementioned LDG says, “Warmhearted, imaginative, compassionate.”
Aww, she is TBLDGE (the best long distance girlfriend ever)! What’s the meaning of life?
Douglas Adams taught us that in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.
Forty-two!
Do you have a nickname? If not, give yourself one now!
Not any more–there was a time when friends called me Hawkeye.
What’s the most marvelous thing you have ever seen with your own eyes?
That’s easy, before I went blind the most wonderful things I ever saw were women’s legs!
A saucy answer! Love it! What would you want to be written on your tombstone?
I’ve always liked the poem the Rolling Stones dedicated to the late Brian Jones on the inside flap of the album, Through the Past, Darkly (Big Hits Vol. 2) which reads:
“When this you see, remember me, and bear me in your mind.
Let all the world say what they may, speak of me as you find.”
A great answer! Thank you, Wesley, for joining our quirky squad! Follow the link above to learn more about Wesley, and follow my little birdy legs to our next tour stop!
https://dovewinters.wordpress.com/201...
OWS CYCON 2019 BLITZ: WESLEY BRITTON
MAY 18, 2019 ~ DOVEWINTERS
Dove Winters asked the questions that matter of Wesley Britton! Here is the link: https://www.amazon.com/Wesley-Britton...
Hello, Wesley! What is the hardest part of being an author?
Finding your readers. Which shouldn’t be surprising when worldMeters says; “Books published this year – 458,455.” Wow. An author can drown in a flood like that.
One of many fish in the crowded pond!
Which Beatle song describes you?
My first thought was "P.S.I Love You" as my current LDG (Long Distance Girlfriend) lives 501 miles away and most of our relationship is with emails and phone calls.
But today I was at a Hospice Book Club discussion where one widow talked about George Harrison’s “Within You, Without You.” She said her husband requested the last line be read at his funeral. Made me rethink the song which I’ve pretty much ignored all these years:
“When you’ve seen beyond yourself then you may find
Peace of mind is waiting there
And the time will come when you see we’re all one
And life flows on within you and without you”
How beautiful! Quick! Ask your spouse/closest friend/parent or sibling to describe you in three words. What did they say?
The aforementioned LDG says, “Warmhearted, imaginative, compassionate.”
Aww, she is TBLDGE (the best long distance girlfriend ever)! What’s the meaning of life?
Douglas Adams taught us that in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.
Forty-two!
Do you have a nickname? If not, give yourself one now!
Not any more–there was a time when friends called me Hawkeye.
What’s the most marvelous thing you have ever seen with your own eyes?
That’s easy, before I went blind the most wonderful things I ever saw were women’s legs!
A saucy answer! Love it! What would you want to be written on your tombstone?
I’ve always liked the poem the Rolling Stones dedicated to the late Brian Jones on the inside flap of the album, Through the Past, Darkly (Big Hits Vol. 2) which reads:
“When this you see, remember me, and bear me in your mind.
Let all the world say what they may, speak of me as you find.”
A great answer! Thank you, Wesley, for joining our quirky squad! Follow the link above to learn more about Wesley, and follow my little birdy legs to our next tour stop!
https://dovewinters.wordpress.com/201...
Another new interview with Wes Britton (A "saucy one," the interviewer said)Here's a link to a quirky, brand-new interview with Wes Britton. Enjoy!
Here's a link to a quirky, brand-new interview with Wes Britton. Enjoy!
https://dovewinters.wordpress.com/201...
https://dovewinters.wordpress.com/201...
May 16, 2019
A New/ Old Interview with Wesley Britton
Below is the text of an interview with me that was supposedly going to appear in a newsletter to promote my Return to Alpha, The Beta-Earth Chronicles, Book 6.
That was over a year ago and the interview was never published. I don't know why. I just rediscovered it in my files and decided to post it my blogs despite the fact another book in the series came out lastfall and a batch of new short stories are appearing related to characters introduced in Return to Alpha, especially those featuring detective Mary Carpenter before she meets the aliens in RTA.
So, at long last, here are insights into Book 6 of the Beta-Earth Chronicles:
Question: Why a book on this subject?
Answer: Twice before, I thought I was done with the Beta-Earth Chronicles, first thinking book 4 was the end, then book 5 as I had gone as far as I could with the original characters. Then an editor suggested I write a Romeo and Juliet story with a new Adam and Eve. I took those two starting points and created a new cast of characters and sent them to our own planet 40 years in the future.
Question: What was the most interesting thing you discovered?
Answer: It’s very different to project what might happen on our earth from creating totally different alternate earths. Trying to describe what humanity might become in the aftermath of devastating global warming and weaponized biological plagues.
Question: What's in the book that no one yet knows about?
Answer: That we would become very localized in the aftermath of massive devastation to the point the U.S. would split into four countries. That keeping control of our lives would mean becoming tribal and more independent.
Question: The most fascinating character is . . . .?
Answer: That’s a toughie. I’d have to say a couple, Malcolm Renbourn II of Beta-Earth and his lover from our Alpha-Earth, Major Mary Carpenter.
Question: I'm only buying one book this year. Why should this be the one?
Answer: Well, this book includes a cosmic Romeo and Juliet story, sets up a new Adam and Eve, and has much, much more. As with the previous Beta-Earth books, expect originality, surprises, the unexpected, going where you’ve never gone before. I promise.
And, it works very well as a stand-alone book. This means you wouldn’t have to read the previous five books to understand what’s going on.
Question: What are you working on now?
Answer: Since Return to Alpha was published, I’ve been working on short stories that are both prequels and sequels to what happens in RTA. Several tales you can download for free at various book publicity sites—the rest you have to wait for until a collection of these stories is ready to go.
That was over a year ago and the interview was never published. I don't know why. I just rediscovered it in my files and decided to post it my blogs despite the fact another book in the series came out lastfall and a batch of new short stories are appearing related to characters introduced in Return to Alpha, especially those featuring detective Mary Carpenter before she meets the aliens in RTA.
So, at long last, here are insights into Book 6 of the Beta-Earth Chronicles:
Question: Why a book on this subject?
Answer: Twice before, I thought I was done with the Beta-Earth Chronicles, first thinking book 4 was the end, then book 5 as I had gone as far as I could with the original characters. Then an editor suggested I write a Romeo and Juliet story with a new Adam and Eve. I took those two starting points and created a new cast of characters and sent them to our own planet 40 years in the future.
Question: What was the most interesting thing you discovered?
Answer: It’s very different to project what might happen on our earth from creating totally different alternate earths. Trying to describe what humanity might become in the aftermath of devastating global warming and weaponized biological plagues.
Question: What's in the book that no one yet knows about?
Answer: That we would become very localized in the aftermath of massive devastation to the point the U.S. would split into four countries. That keeping control of our lives would mean becoming tribal and more independent.
Question: The most fascinating character is . . . .?
Answer: That’s a toughie. I’d have to say a couple, Malcolm Renbourn II of Beta-Earth and his lover from our Alpha-Earth, Major Mary Carpenter.
Question: I'm only buying one book this year. Why should this be the one?
Answer: Well, this book includes a cosmic Romeo and Juliet story, sets up a new Adam and Eve, and has much, much more. As with the previous Beta-Earth books, expect originality, surprises, the unexpected, going where you’ve never gone before. I promise.
And, it works very well as a stand-alone book. This means you wouldn’t have to read the previous five books to understand what’s going on.
Question: What are you working on now?
Answer: Since Return to Alpha was published, I’ve been working on short stories that are both prequels and sequels to what happens in RTA. Several tales you can download for free at various book publicity sites—the rest you have to wait for until a collection of these stories is ready to go.
Wesley Britton's Blog
This just came in. My favorite two sentences of all time!
“The Blind Alien is a story with a highly original concept, fascinating characters, and not-too-subtle but truthful allegories. Don’t let the ...more
“The Blind Alien is a story with a highly original concept, fascinating characters, and not-too-subtle but truthful allegories. Don’t let the ...more
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