Sarah Chorn's Blog, page 23

Review | Van Gogh: The Life – Steven Naifeh and Gregory White Smith

About the Book

Steven Naifeh and Gregory White Smith galvanized readers with their astonishing Jackson Pollock: An American Saga, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for biography, a book acclaimed for its miraculous research and overwhelming narrative power. Now Naifeh and Smith have written another tour de force—an exquisitely detailed, compellingly readable, and ultimately heartbreaking portrait of creative genius Vincent van Gogh.

Working with the full cooperation of the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, Naifeh and Smith have accessed a wealth of previously untapped materials. While drawing liberally from the artist’s famously eloquent letters, they have also delved into hundreds of unpublished family correspondences, illuminating with poignancy the wanderings of Van Gogh’s troubled, restless soul. Naifeh and Smith bring a crucial understanding to the larger-than-life mythology of this great artist—his early struggles to find his place in the world; his intense relationship with his brother Theo; his impetus for turning to brush and canvas; and his move to Provence, where in a brief burst of incandescent productivity he painted some of the best-loved works in Western art.

The authors also shed new light on many unexplored aspects of Van Gogh’s inner world: his deep immersion in literature and art; his erratic and tumultuous romantic life; and his bouts of depression and mental illness.

Though countless books have been written about Van Gogh, and though the broad outlines of his tragedy have long inhabited popular culture, no serious, ambitious examination of his life has been attempted in more than seventy years. Naifeh and Smith have re-created Van Gogh’s life with an astounding vividness and psychological acuity that bring a completely new and sympathetic understanding to this unique artistic genius whose signature images of sunflowers and starry nights have won a permanent place in the human imagination.

950 pages (hardcover)
October 18, 2011
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This book was a library loan.

I was filling out an interview tonight, and one of the questions reminded me of this book. The reason being, this is one of the best nonfiction books I think I’ve ever read, and I want to tell you why. 

Now, before we dig into the meat and potatoes of this book, you need to know that I’m not a huge Van Gogh fan. Not big on his work. It fascinates me. I love how he used not only color, but texture. However, in all reality, I could mostly take or leave most of his work. It’s interesting, but not really a show stopper for me. So, be aware of that, because you do not need to be a fan of his work to read and appreciate this book. 

Also, you need to know that this book is long. It is L-O-N-G, but the entire thing is more than worth reading. I do suggest you nab a copy of this book at the library or something, because there is a lot of paintings and pictures in here that you won’t really get the full effect of on a black and white e-reader. So if that’s an option, then hit up the library and hunt down a copy. 

Okay, now, the book. 

Van Gogh is one of the most recognizable, known artists today. There are a few things nearly everyone knows about him. He was Dutch. He cut off his ear. He painted Starry Night. What Gregory White-Smith and Steven Neifeh do in this biography, though, is show Van Gogh the man. It’s not a happy book. This is not a light, fluffy read, and it’s not really a huge discourse on how to analyse and properly appreciate his paintings. Sure, his paintings are there, sometimes to make a point, sometimes to show the art he was doing at specific points in his life (and you will see them differently as a result of this book), but really, this is about a man, and it will break your heart. 

Van Gogh was born to a fairly well to do family. At a young age, his parents started realizing that something was a bit different about Vincent that set him apart from other children, and it really goes from there. He was a man who loved to dream, and longed for love, often finding both dreams and love in all the wrong places. A romantic at heart (with a turbulent romantic life), he was prone to getting lost in his own thoughts, and lashing out and feeling misunderstood by those around him. He’d often flit from career to career, often in a bid for acceptance by his family. After reading this book, I think he experienced and understood the world differently than most people around him, and that must have caused him so much pain and frustration.

In essence, this biography is about mental illness at a time when very little was known about mental illness, and even less was known about how to treat it. Here was a man who desperately wanted, yearned for understanding, love, and compassion, and he never quite managed to find any of it. Never quite managed to fit into the world in a way that other people could accept. He was lonely, isolated, and would vacillate wildly between hope and despondency, and flit from passion to passion, always coming back to art when his other ventures failed him (and, tragically, they did). He worried everyone who cared for him, but ultimately they were helpless because back in his day, there wasn’t much to do to help someone like Vincent.

It’s tragic. The entire story of his life is just sad. It’s sad because no one knew how to help him. It’s sad because no one understood, really, that mental illness was a thing that actually existed. It’s sad because he looked for love so much, and so rarely found anyone who would stick around or sync up with him for very long. It’s sad, because really, not much has changed for so many people with mental illness. 

Seriously, this book broke my heart. This might be the only time a nonfiction biography has actually made me cry. 

In the midst of all this is an artist who had a unique style which, like his mental illness, was just not understood at the time in which he lived. For example, he would give his mother paintings, and she’d hide them in her attic rather than letting people see them. He had a style that people just didn’t get. There was one point in the book where the authors told a story about Van Gogh and a friend going out into the countryside to draw landscapes. Then, the artists showed the two landscapes that were drawn, one by Van Gogh and one by his friend and the contrast was marked. Van Gogh had strong, dark lines, thick strokes, a long, lonely distance to the horizon, more focused on the ground. His friend was what you’d expect to see. Light strokes, deft movements, a focus on the distant horizon—mostly sky rather than ground. That’s really Van Gogh’s art in general. He was painting the things no one else seemed to look at, and he painted them in a way that no one else seemed to understand. 

It wasn’t until after his death that this man attained fame for his work, which is just another tragedy in a lifetime full of them. 

I could go on and on about this book. It was really one of the best books I think I’ve ever read, and it showed not just an artist who knew his craft, and blazed his own trail, but a man who yearned for love and understanding in a world that wasn’t prepared or equipped to deal with someone like him. It’s a tragedy, really. A horrible tragedy. This is the story of a visionary. It is neither glorious nor is it delightful to read, but it is very well written and it is important. 

You will never look at his art the same again. 

5/5 stars

Review | The Origins of Political Order – Francis Fukuyama

About the Book 

Virtually all human societies were once organized tribally, yet over time most developed new political institutions which included a central state that could keep the peace and uniform laws that applied to all citizens. Some went on to create governments that were accountable to their constituents. We take these institutions for granted, but they are absent or are unable to perform in many of today’s developing countries—with often disastrous consequences for the rest of the world.

Francis Fukuyama, author of the bestselling The End of History and the Last Man and one of our most important political thinkers, provides a sweeping account of how today’s basic political institutions developed. The first of a major two-volume work, The Origins of Political Order begins with politics among our primate ancestors and follows the story through the emergence of tribal societies, the growth of the first modern state in China, the beginning of the rule of law in India and the Middle East, and the development of political accountability in Europe up until the eve of the French Revolution.

Drawing on a vast body of knowledge—history, evolutionary biology, archaeology, and economics—Fukuyama has produced a brilliant, provocative work that offers fresh insights on the origins of democratic societies and raises essential questions about the nature of politics and its discontents.

585 pages (hardcover) 
Published on April 12, 2011
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This was an Audible purchase and a library loan.

So, you look at the title of this book and I think you’ll either fall into one of two camps: This is really interesting, or “I’m already bored.” 

If you fall into the second camp, hang on, because I’m going to tell you why this book is amazing. 

I’ve never read anything by Francis Fukuyama before, nor had I ever heard of him. However, Fukuyama is apparently pretty well known for his research, and his adept way of presenting complex topics to the average nonfiction reader. I’d read a few reviews of this book, and I got pretty excited. This is just the kind of thing that interests me. How politics began. How that particular wheel started forming, and how it evolved in different societies across the world.

It takes a certain kind of scholar to capably take not only this sprawling timeline and make it digestible to the average reader, but to take concepts such as political evolution and social fluxes in various pockets of the world, and make them interesting. Fukuyama, thankfully, is that person.

Now, it’s not a particularly light topic, but it certainly is an interesting one. The history of humanity is full of kinds, power, evolving societies and so much more. In this book, Fukuyama follows the trail of various political movements, starting with tribal organizations and then moving into more complex forms of social organization and it’s CAPTIVATING. The story of humanity is told in this book. 

Fukuyama is a superb researcher. He really gets into the meaty parts of various political movements, and what I really like is this never really felt like an overview, though that is exactly what it was. This book is 585 pages long. There really isn’t much room for it to be anything more than an overview. However, Fukuyama does an incredible job at knowing exactly how to tell a story without making the reader feel like they are just getting bullet points. Furthermore, I really enjoyed how he showed the evolution of this stuff, and how one thing often impacted others and moved political systems down the road to development and change. 

Perhaps, if you are well-versed in these topics, you’ll find that you know a lot of this information, but for me, I found a whole lot of new details here that I wasn’t previously aware of. It’s fascinating to trace the evolution of human thought, and how societies changed to suit their times. How the rule of law became a thing, and how different social groups dealt with certain issues in different ways. 

“Most people living in rich, stable developed countries have no idea how Denmark itself got to be Denmark—something that is true for many Danes as well. The struggle to create modern political institutions was so long and so painful that people living in industrialized countries now suffer from a historical amnesia regarding how their societies came to that point in the first place.” 

The political order Fukuyama discusses in this book are cantered on what makes strong state institutions. Namely, the rule of law, political accountability, and administrative capabilities. He avoids the trap of making this book feel like he’s just listing off a bunch of political landscapes throughout time by juxtaposing developments in China, India, the Middle East, and Europe, showing how these broad landscapes of humanity figured things out, and developed political systems in their own ways, and sometimes how these systems impacted each other.

Not every system is strong, and he goes into the pitfalls people ran into as well. And perhaps this was what interested me most, not just looking at the political successes throughout time, but the author’s ability to study the weaknesses in a fair, and even-handed way. More, these political weaknesses are not unique to history. A lot of what made one system rise or fall is still very much seen in the wider world around us right now. I always enjoy how history is a mirror for our modern times, but I was really surprised by just how clear that mirror was, as I read this book. 

“Human beings are rule-following animals by nature; they are born to conform to the social norms they see around them, and they entrench those rules with often transcendent meaning and value. When the surrounding environment changes and new challenges arise, there is often a disjunction between existing institutions and present needs. Those institutions are supported by legions of entrenched stakeholders who oppose any fundamental change.” 

The Origins of Political Order covers politics from the dawn of time to the French Revolution. That’s a whole lot covered in just under 600 pages. The second book in this series, called Political Order and Political Decay covers from industrialization to the globalization of democracy. I haven’t read that one yet, but it’s absolutely on my list. I listened to this book on Audible, and I also had a copy of it from the library and I found that having a book in both mediums was helpful. Some of the topics covered in this book are chunky, and it helped me to be able to read and re-read certain portions as I went. However, the audiobook narration was fantastic. It was really easy for me to just sit back and listen.

Fukuyama wrote an incredible book here, and I think it’s a necessary read for anyone who wants to understand modern politics. Smooth writing, and in-depth research serve to make The Origins of Political Order a fascinating, transformative read. 

5/5 stars

Review | How to Be a Dictator – Frank Dikötter

About the Book

Mussolini, Hitler, Stalin, Mao Zedong, Kim Il-sung, Ceausescu, Mengistu of Ethiopia and Duvalier of Haiti.

No dictator can rule through fear and violence alone. Naked power can be grabbed and held temporarily, but it never suffices in the long term. A tyrant who can compel his own people to acclaim him will last longer. The paradox of the modern dictator is that he must create the illusion of popular support. Throughout the twentieth century, hundreds of millions of people were condemned to enthusiasm, obliged to hail their leaders even as they were herded down the road to serfdom.

In How to Be a Dictator, Frank Dikötter returns to eight of the most chillingly effective personality cults of the twentieth century. From carefully choreographed parades to the deliberate cultivation of a shroud of mystery through iron censorship, these dictators ceaselessly worked on their own image and encouraged the population at large to glorify them. At a time when democracy is in retreat, are we seeing a revival of the same techniques among some of today’s world leaders?

This timely study, told with great narrative verve, examines how a cult takes hold, grows, and sustains itself. It places the cult of personality where it belongs, at the very heart of tyranny.

304 pages (hardcover)
Published on December 3, 2019
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This book was a library loan.

Dictators fascinate me. Seriously. I read so much about them, it’s probably shocking to some people. There’s a reason for this, though. I think it’s interesting how such repulsive people can gain, and often retain, so much power. How do they do it? Why do they do it? What makes people think, “sure, this is fine, let’s go with them”? 

I heard about this book on a podcast. I’ve really liked the author’s stuff on Mao, the Cultural Revolution, the Great Famine, and more. He has a great way for distilling complex topics, and I enjoy how he can cross the cultural divide and make some things that might seem strange to western understandings, easier to grasp. So when I heard that he’d written a book on the personality cults of dictators, I was there with bells on. 

As it happens, I got this book about two days before the libraries closed to COVID-19, so it’s still sitting in my living room, shiny and nearly new. 

This book covers a handful of 20th century dictators. The first covered is Mussolini, then Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Kim Il-Sung, Ceausescu of Romania, Mengistu of Ethiopia, and Duvalier of Haiti. Now, the book is only 300 pages long, maybe a few more pages than that, but not many, so that really doesn’t leave a whole lot of wiggle-room for exploration and I think that’s where my biggest problem rested. 

As I’ve said before, when I read history, I don’t typically enjoy overviews, and that’s really all we are left with here. A few sweeping overviews with all the nuances and nuggets I enjoy left out. And that’s fine. If someone is not very well versed in these individuals, likely an overview is exactly what you’re looking for. It’s a great jumping-off point for further research, and the important points are all detailed here and laid out nicely. However, for someone like me who has been voraciously studying dictators and routinely reads 1000+ page books on these people and topics that apply to their times in power, this book was really nothing new, and nothing incredibly informative or illuminating. 

I think the biggest problem rests with me. I went into this book wanting one specific thing, and I didn’t get it. It’s a good overview of the bullet points of these people, but there’s really nothing about the how or whys of personality cults, and that’s what I think I wanted. I wanted some deep dive exploration into WHY people follow these guys, and HOW these repulsive figures managed to get people to say, “Sure, let’s set up concentration camps. I think this is a great idea. Please pass the potatoes.” I wanted to know how this sort of thing becomes normal, and why people are so willing to buy into these really terrible, horrible, tragic ideas.

Stalin, for example, killed MILLIONS of people in his various purges. Millions. MILLIONS. And still there were Russians who were all, “This is great. All of my neighbors were executed. Long live Stalin.” Yeah, a whole lot of people followed him because they were killed if they didn’t, but many people really, genuinely believed in the dude. Talk about a cult of personality. He wasn’t even Russian. Not really, and his early days were spent very engaged in Georgian politics, not Russian politics. But still… And WHY? That’s what I wanted to know. Why, with all this death and tragedy all around him, did a whole bunch of people still march under his particular banner. 

Not only that, but there are people in Russia today who think, “If we had Stalin back for five minutes, he’d sort this shit out.” He oversaw mass executions. He starved an entire nation, wherein up to ten million people died. He really exercised the Gulag system to its limits. This isn’t a secret. And still, people are still existing in the world today who are all, “Let’s get another Stalin in this place. He is exactly what we need.” THAT is what I want to dig into. That small bit of humanity who sees all those facts, and are still behind this guy, and people like him.

So yeah, I wanted to know WHY. I wanted to know what these people do to get people to buy into what they are selling, and why humans as a species are so willing to do so—to excuse horror, in favor of the person who is at the helm of such horrific policies. However, what I ended up getting was a brief rundown of the highlights of every individual, with some new nuggets thrown in here or there to keep me going, but it wasn’t what I wanted. It wasn’t a book on how to be dictator, rather it was a footnotes course on these specific dictators. Interesting? Yes. Well written? Yes. 

Perhaps better suited to a person just being introduced to these people, and the historical periods they represent, though, and not someone who is interested in delving deeper into the psychology of these movements.

3/5 stars

Review | Hitler: A Biography – Ian Kershaw

About the Book

“The Hitler biography of the twenty-first century” (Richard J. Evans), Ian Kershaw’s Hitler is a new, distilled, one-volume masterpiece that will become the standard work. From Hitler’s origins as a failed artist in fin-de-siecle Vienna to the terrifying last days in his Berlin bunker, Kershaw’s richly illustrated biography is a mesmerizing portrait of how Hitler attained, exercised, and retained power. Drawing on previously untapped sources, such as Goebbels’s diaries, Kershaw addresses crucial questions about the unique nature of Nazi radicalism, about the Holocaust, and about the poisoned European world that allowed Hitler to operate so effectively.

1072 pages (hardcover) 
Published on November 17, 2008
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This book was an Audible purchase.

I’m not a person who enjoys a brief overview. When I read history books, I want to learn, and I often find the most interesting nuggets of information in the details, the things that typically get left out of brief overviews and vignettes. Furthermore, while the actual big event is interesting, really what captivates me is all the stuff that led up to the big event, and less the big event itself. I like to see just how things had to move, how decisions had to be made so this Big Thing was even an option in the first place. 

So, knowing that, you might not be that surprised that out of all the biographies of Hitler I had to choose from, I decided to land on one that was over 1,000 pages long. And yes, it’s a lot. A whole lot. I actually listened to the audiobook and it took me a long, long time. That being said, I didn’t regret any one of those 40+ hours. Reason? This book is amazing. 

The thing is, World War II was a big event. Big. Very big. And the guy at the center of it all was… well, he was kind of weird. But more on that later. 

For now, I will tell you the real reason I picked this book up. It was actually less due to its length, and more because I really, really want to know what life was like when Hitler was just existing in the world, rather than leading his corner of it. I wanted to understand who he was as a man. I wanted to know what events had to happen to make this guy become who he became. Mussolini considered himself the best actor in the world, and I wanted to know if Hitler felt the same way about himself, and what happened that made him that way. I’d heard of Ian Kershaw, and I knew that he was a man who was well suited to the task, so I jumped. 

This book really doesn’t skimp on any details, and if you aren’t the kind of person who finds it interesting to hear about how someone passes their free time, for example, you might find this book more of a slog than anything else. That being said, Hitler had an absolute ton of free time in his early days. He was basically allergic to work, to the point where he lived in a men’s home rather than get a job. 

If you don’t think it’s interesting to know that his contemporaries, when he lived in Austria thought he looked like he was starving, and he stunk, then maybe this book is not for you. 

If, however, those sorts of human details about a man who has burned away all his humanity are interesting, if you like the more intricate picture they paint, then you’ll probably want this book. 

That being said, to understand Hitler, you have to know where he came from. You have to know what social stresses existed at the time, and you absolutely must understand how World War I impacted the politics of the time. Kershaw does a great job of this, not just detailing how these political and social forces pushed and pulled people, but how they specifically impacted Hitler himself. It paints a vivid portrait of a rather lost, lacklustre youth growing up during an extremely changeable, and changing time, complete with all the stresses (like the Great Depression, the impact of World War I in Austria and Germany and more). 

Further, Kershaw frequently points out common and popular rumors that have spread about Hitler, like the fact that he was abused as a child, or the rumor that he was gay. He addresses them nicely, stating what the rumors are, and then giving reasons why it probably was/wasn’t like that, and here’s the evidence as to why. He often frequently sights contemporaries at the time, and people who were around Hitler when these things were reported to happen. However, he does say when an account should be considered questionable, and why.

Smooth writing, and a very balanced perspective as well as fantastic sources I’d never encountered before, really helped me understand not just who Hitler was, but why someone like Hitler was even possible in the first place, and what happened once he had all that power… and how his house of murderous, genocidal cards came falling down. He didn’t exist in a vacuum, and that’s why history is so interesting to me. There are always forces at play. Social changes, political changes, war, and the loss of a war all combined to set the stage for something like the Nazi party could even come to be. 

Cause and effect. It’s pivotal that we know these things so “never again” isn’t just a thing we say, rather something we fundamentally understand and adhere to.

The fact is, there are about a billion books on Hitler and probably that many and more on World War II. So out of all the books in the world, why should you pick up this one? 

Because, with the sheer magnitude of knowledge we have, there is still a whole lot we don’t know, and there are only a very few authors who are up to the task of presenting this wealth of information as succinctly and well-sourced as Kershaw. He takes complex, nuanced events, and makes them digestible. He paints a brilliant backstory, with which all the foreground is even clearer. One of my favorite quotes I ran across recently was, “History doesn’t repeat itself, but it sure does rhyme a lot.” We have to learn about the past, about the things that happened, and all the stuff that had to transpire so that one event could take place. And we need to understand. There are no new stories. 

But Ian Kershaw sure does a great job vividly painting a story we all know at least something about. 

5/5 stars

Review | Ten Caesars – Barry S. Strauss

About the Book

In this essential and “enlightening” (The New York Times Book Review) work, Barry Strauss tells the story of the Roman Empire from rise to reinvention, from Augustus, who founded the empire, to Constantine, who made it Christian and moved the capital east to Constantinople.

During these centuries Rome gained in splendor and territory, then lost both. By the fourth century, the time of Constantine, the Roman Empire had changed so dramatically in geography, ethnicity, religion, and culture that it would have been virtually unrecognizable to Augustus. Rome’s legacy remains today in so many ways, from language, law, and architecture to the seat of the Roman Catholic Church. Strauss examines this enduring heritage through the lives of the men who shaped it: Augustus, Tiberius, Nero, Vespasian, Trajan, Hadrian, Marcus Aurelius, Septimius Severus, Diocletian and Constantine. Over the ages, they learned to maintain the family business—the government of an empire—by adapting when necessary and always persevering no matter the cost.

Ten Caesars is a “captivating narrative that breathes new life into a host of transformative figures” (Publishers Weekly). This “superb summation of four centuries of Roman history, a masterpiece of compression, confirms Barry Strauss as the foremost academic classicist writing for the general reader today”.

432 pages (hardcover)
March 5, 2019
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This is one of those books that I probably wouldn’t have read because I typically have a rather “meh” interest in all things Roman. However, I was browsing through Kindle books and saw that it was on sale and thought, why not.

So, going into this, you need to understand that I am very uh… ignorant of most of Roman history, except for the bullet points that just about everyone knows. I do think that impacts my reading. I think if you are really into Roman history, and this is your bread and butter, you’ll likely find this book to be an overview of information you already know. However, if you’re like me and you don’t know a whole lot about anything, then you’ll probably think this book is really interesting and incredibly engrossing. In fact, I liked it so much, it’s actually put me on a bit of a Roman Empire bender, which is something I never really thought I would say.

So yeah, be aware of that going into it. If you really enjoy this topic and you’ve already read a lot about it, you might want to skip this book because it’s not incredibly in depth, and I don’t think you’ll find much new information here.

This book tells the story of ten caesars, some of them are covered with more detail than others. What I probably noticed and enjoyed the most right off the bat, was how accessible this book was, as a whole. Each life story is succinct and cleanly written in a style that is easy to sink into, and the timeline is crystal clear (though I did sometimes have a hard time understanding who was tangentially related to who and oh my god a lot of women have the same name, which is zero help but that’s not the author’s fault.)

Understanding that I knew nothing much about any of these dudes except the facts like, Nero sang while Rome burned, for example, there was a whole lot in each story that really intrigued me, and Strauss does a really good job of showing popular lore, historical evidence, and what probably happened when you balance those two things. There were also a lot of cultural nuggets that I didn’t know before. While it is not covered in the book, one thing that I perhaps took away from this (which I’m not exactly sure I should have because again, it’s not covered) was how so many of the women attached to these men were extremely powerful, both politically and socially, though they had to sort of weld their power and manipulate in far more subtle ways. For example, Nero’s mother, who was extremely adept at manipulating public opinion, and truly became a threat to those ruling during her time.

In a lot of ways, this book reminded me of The Romanovs by Simon Sebag Montefiore, not because of the topic, but because it’s a broad overview, much like The Romanovs, and some characters and historical time periods are covered more in depth than others. This book also very much feels like a jumping-off point for further research rather than a comprehensive book you read to fully understand a topic. Each of the ten caesars, starting with Agustus, are covered more like stepping stones than anything else, and while I did enjoy that treatment of them, I felt more like I was dipping my toe in the water rather than getting my whole foot wet. Since then, I have been tracking down books that cover specific time periods in more detail, and I will be honest, I do think the author could have spent a bit more time on some caesars.

However, despite the vignette nature of the lives of these people, the writing is so engrossing and engaging, I could hardly put it down, and maybe that’s what I appreciated the most about the book. This author took a period of history that doesn’t particularly do much for me, and managed to write it in such a way that now I’m just obsessed with not only learning more about the Roman Empire, but the larger world around the Roman Empire during that time. I think that’s the mark of a truly good nonfiction book, it doesn’t just inform and educate, but it makes you want to learn more and expand your horizons.

So, would I recommend this book to everyone? No. I think, by and large, having someone read this book who is already very well informed in these figures, their life and times, etc. would probably be a frustrating exercise rather than illuminating. It is so captivating, engrossing, and interesting because I don’t know much about it. The first time I read The Romanovs, I couldn’t put it down. I was so interested in it, I couldn’t pull myself out of it. However, since then, I have read a whole lot more about the Romanovs and Russian history as a whole. I tried to re-read that book, and it was interesting but it didn’t do much for me because I already knew all this stuff. An overview wasn’t really engaging anymore.

I think of Ten Caesars like that. It’s interesting, because I don’t know anything about it, and maybe if you do know something about this stuff, you’ll enjoy the writing and maybe glean some new information, but I feel like this is more of an introduction, more of a book you read when you want to dip your toe in. It’s full of great information, accessible and entertaining writing, and a whole bunch of jumping-off points for further research. For the tried-and-true Roman Empire fan, they likely won’t find much here that they didn’t already know.

4/5 stars

Review | The Obsidian Psalm – C.W. Snyder

About the Book

Betrayed by those he trusted. Resurrected by a man he should loathe. A head full of memories he didn’t make. Rook is forced into a bargain that might kill him if he refuses, and if he accepts, could mean the end of existence. Trapped in a shadow war between necromancers, his choices are dwindling to one: Cut a bloody swathe of revenge across humanity’s last remaining city.

300 pages
Published January, 2020
Author’s webpage
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I like a book that makes me wonder what the hell the author is thinking of when he/she wrote the thing. Like, take me on a trip. One massive, surreal, really weird trip. Just take me somewhere I’ve never been before, and make me experience the world in a way I’ve never experienced it. Then, if you’ve got that far, hit me really hard with some stunning, absolutely evocative prose and you’re golden. 

I’m not afraid of weird. Actually, I tend to seek it out. Weird is my go-to. I am really, really tired of the same-old-same-old. Epic fantasy, everyone has a sword, the unsuspecting person who ends up in the middle of it all, kingdoms warring. All of that is fine, but it’s safe. It’s comfortable, and I’ve read it a million times. 

So if you really want to grab me these days, you’ve got to be unafraid to see the “tried and true” heavily trod path, and say, “that’s cool but I’d rather go wander away into the weeds a bit.”

Enter, C.W. Snyder. 

First of all, this book is not perfect, but what book is? 

Secondly, Snyder is fantastic. He’s just weird enough, just daring enough, and so intensely dark. Like, take grimdark fantasy and maybe make it even darker and you’ve got Snyder. Then, marrying that darkness with some fantastic prose just puts it over the top for me. 

The world itself is… unique… and Snyder doesn’t shy away from showing how horrible it can be. In a place where people have to carve their lives out of a landscape locked in a perpetual war, you kind of have to understand that very few things will be pretty, and even fewer will be fun. This is not a book you go to if you want pretty and fun. This is a book you’ll want to read if you want to work for the story. If you aren’t afraid of being uncomfortable.

That’s not saying that the book is a slow burn or anything of the sort. The plot moves quickly, sometimes a bit too quickly, as I wished he could have lingered on a few scenes a bit longer. I do think that by lingering, some things that may have flown a bit over my head would have made more of a solid impact as I progressed through the book, maybe been a bit less whirlwind confusing at points.

However. 

The book does move forward relentlessly. There’s never a dull moment, and what I perhaps love the most is the unique world building, mixed with just stunning prose and an atmosphere that seemed to transcend the page. This book was a lyrical masterpiece. A marriage of beauty and dark that just worked for me on nearly ever conceivable level. 

The Obsidian Psalm is the first book of Snyder’s that I’ve read, but I can assure you it won’t be the last. He has a certain style I just like. His cynicism, and the layers of his thought are what really got me. We have the surface story, but under all of that is a complex exploration of deeper ideas of self, loyalty, and choice. Take a man and break him. See what happens.

Be still, my heart.

Rook is a character you’ll either love, or you’ll love to hate. He’s abrasive and dark, wounded, emotionally damaged, and determined, despite the insurmountable obstacles facing him. He has a very distinct voice, and it will unapologetically pull you through the novel, until you reach the very um… memorable end. He does not shy away from violence, and he does not shield the reader from it, either. I never did feel like things wandered into “needless violence” though. The world sucks. The situation sucks. I think it would be out of character for Rook to be anything but exactly what he is in this book. 

So, what do you have here? 

An underrated grimdark masterwork, with stunning prose, an unforgiving plot, and ultimately, a story that will burrow its way under your skin and make a home there. 

It will make you uncomfortable. All the best books do.

If you aren’t afraid of darkness, you are really doing yourself an injustice if you haven’t read The Obsidian Psalm.

Information | Of Honey and Wildfires

I’ve had a few people tell me recently that they’d like a place to point people if/when they ask about my upcoming book and I realized that in all the craziness of this pandemic and the local (frequent) earthquakes and etc, I’ve totally forgotten to write something up (I *fail* at publicity). So… here it is.

Buy the book here
Read an excerpt here

From the moment the first settler dug a well and struck a lode of shine, the world changed. Now, everything revolves around that magical oil. 

What began as a simple scouting expedition becomes a life-changing ordeal for Arlen Esco. The son of a powerful mogul, Arlen is kidnapped and forced to confront uncomfortable truths his father has kept hidden. In his hands lies a decision that will determine the fate of everyone he loves—and impact the lives of every person in Shine Territory.

The daughter of an infamous saboteur and outlaw, Cassandra has her own dangerous secrets to protect. When the lives of those she loves are threatened, she realizes that she is uniquely placed to change the balance of power in Shine Territory once and for all. 

Secrets breed more secrets. Somehow, Arlen and Cassandra must find their own truths in the middle of a garden of lies.

Set in a Wild West inspired secondary world with a magic system heavily influenced by oil and coal (both the substance and the industries), this little drop of weirdness is set to release on April 28. Currently I’ve got its kindle version ready to drop. I have the paperback cover being being prepared, but the pandemic is going on and things are a bit slow due to that (and I don’t even think Amazon is shipping actual books right now due to the pandemic?). There will be a paperback version, but it will likely drop soon after the kindle version. The book will also be available on Kindle Unlimited.

As always, if you’re a reviewer, hit me up for an eARC, and I’m always willing to do guest posts and/or interviews.

Check out some early reviews here:

“Coming into Of Honey and Wildfires, I already knew Sarah Chorn was an exceptional writer and editor but this . . . this is that whole other level and then some.” — Read the full review on Beauty in Ruins

“If you enjoyed Chorn’s other work, then you’ll similarly love this one. It’s an engaging story in an uncommon fantasy setting, and it’s written with the same beautiful and evocative style that I’ve grown accustomed to with Chorn. This is a novel that deserves a place on your bookshelves, with plenty to say and a compelling way of saying it. Do yourself a favour and dip your toes into this Western-inspired shine-soaked world that is sure to make an impression”. — Read more on Bibliotropic

Onslaught of Madness – Jesse Teller

About the Book

The Drine war machine needs to be constantly fed and has turned its sights on Tienne. Warlord Rextur devoted his life to planning this invasion, so how did he lose the element of surprise? And who is this emerging rival Peter Redfist? He can’t be much of a problem. The god of destruction has long favored Rextur. His faith is strong and his legions mighty. Who could withstand their onslaught?

869 pages (paperback)
Published on October 5, 2019
Author’s webpage
Buy the book 

This book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. 

—

Okay, before I get into the meat and potatoes of this review, I want to tell you that I’m of two minds about reviewing this book at all. I feel the need to pin up a disclaimer, of sorts, before we continue on. You see, Jesse Teller is a friend of mine. We talk almost daily, and I’ve also edited one of his other books (it hasn’t published yet and it’s nonfiction rather than fiction). So understand, I am biased. I am both his friend and his editor and likely both of those things color my opinion, though I try to keep said coloring minimal. 

Over some of our conversations, Teller has told me about the vast scope of this series, and it got me interested. I’ve read some of his stuff, but between writing and publicity-ing my own books, and editing books for other people, my reviewing has sort of fallen off a cliff. I just don’t have the time anymore. If I’m on my laptop, there’s about 40,000 other things I need to be doing and reviewing only tends to happen when I make space for it. 

Anyway. 

In my estimation, Jesse Teller is one of the most criminally underrated authors out there. He’s got a veritable library of books under his belt, and another entire library full of books that have already been written and are waiting to be published. His series all have nuances he’s told me about, that tie them all together. Prolific writer, with a mind that tends to work quite a few levels below surface, his books have a lot for a reader like me to pick through. A lot of details that I might not otherwise see, save for the fact that I know Teller, and I know that those nuances are there for a reason. 

What I’m saying in a terrible way is that Teller’s books work on a few levels. First, if you want epic fantasy, you don’t really get more epic than this, both in scope and depth. His stories tend to take the good vs. evil narrative, and turn it on its head a bit. His lands are well-crafted and sprawling. His conflicts are true to the nature of the characters and the place they are set in, and they are just as three-dimensional as the characters, and as layered. No easy answers here. No flash-bang of magic and all the sudden everything is fixed. No. His characters have to work for their endings, and it’s all that effort that is so incredibly captivating.  

One of the things I love about Teller’s work is that he trusts his reader to figure out what’s going on. He doesn’t hold your hand. He drops you right into the action and you either sink or swim on your own merits. That storytelling method is very prevalent in Onslaught of Madness. While some readers might consider that a mark against the book, I actually really liked that point of this book. There was no warming up. No long, drawn out beginnings and all this time adjusting to weird words and arcane ideas. No. Teller bypasses all of that basically shoves a story at you and say, “Here it is. Eat.” And you eat it up, because the prose are fantastic, and the characters are riveting, and the supporting world and characters are just as interesting as everything else. 

There are a handful of characters in this book. As always, some will appeal to you more than others, though I chalk that up more to personal preference rather than any stylistic thing. You’ve got a twelve-year-old boy, and a swordsman, a noblewoman known as The Porcelain Witch (awesome name, by the way) and a whole host of other characters. They all have their own personalities and drives, their own baggage they are hauling around, and while it’s not always clear how and why the threads interweave and tangle, they stand as well alone as they do together, and sometimes figuring out how all the moving parts click into place is half the fun. 

I’m going to digress a little bit here, but one thing people keep saying about my own writing is that it’s very emotional. I tend to really enjoy making the emotional landscape as vivid as the physical one, if not more so, in the books I write. Emotions are a fertile place to play, and while I at first thought maybe writing emotional stories was a mark against me, I’ve long since decided I’m fine with it. The reason is, I love a book that makes me FEEL and I want my readers to feel as strongly as I do while writing the stories they read. I don’t want to just enjoy a story, I want to LIVE in it. In all its raw, complex, beautiful, painful parts.

Make me cry. I love it when authors can make me cry. 

Now, back to the book at hand. One thing I loved about this book was how quickly it got under my skin, and how strongly it made me feel. It’s not all hearts and flowers. There’s pain and heartbreak. There’re dark scenes, and violence and blood. Teller doesn’t shy away from the dark or the light, but somehow, he manages to be honest to both and tell the story as its meant to be told, and the hope and painful elements of it as well. The plot moves forward at a relentless pace, and I advise readers to pay attention to details. However, the characters really got to me. They brought this fascinating story to life in my mind, and more than just telling a good yarn, Teller hit me right in the feels with a multifaceted masterwork that really did everything I wanted it to do, and more. 

The reason why I wanted to review this book today, is because the second book in this series, Wrath of Madness drops today, and I wanted to point readers in the direction of this book, so they can go read the book that just dropped. I also think that criminally underrated authors who show such marvelous skill and precision with their craft need—no, deserve—to be highlighted, and if I can maybe send one reader in Teller’s direction, then perhaps I have done a service to both Teller, and that reader who is sure to love the books he writes. 

And here we are. Onslaught of Madness is the start of a story, though readers will be satisfied with this one installment as well, as it has a nice, rounded ending (though you will want more, I promise). I look forward to see how things progress with Wrath of Madness. The plot is relentless, the characters are complex and pop-off-the-page real, the issues they face are just as real as the world that surrounds them. Teller trusts his readers to find their way, and I loved that. There was no warm up, just BAM here’s the story. 

More than that, though, is the fact that it’s Teller’s evocative, tightly woven prose that allowed all of this to work together so flawlessly, and really engage me on a deeper level that so many books never quite manage. I didn’t just enjoy the story, I FELT the story, and that makes all the difference. 

So. 

Onslaught of Madness was fantastic. I cannot wait to read Wrath of Madness. You all need to read Jesse Teller’s work. 

And now this review is so damn long I feel like I might break the internet singing Teller’s praises… So, off I go.

Books I’ve Edited That You Need to Read

Well, this started out as a Facebook post, but then I realized it was too long and it really should be its own blog post. So, here I am.

I just finished editing a book. I’m going to go through my list of stuff to research before I send the manuscript back, and I got to thinking… After I edit a book, I tend to close up my laptop and think a bit about what I’ve been working on, give it all some time to sink into me so I can process it a bit before I send it back with my notes and editor’s letter. Anyway, so I’m doing this and I realized that I’ve edited some absolutely amazing books over these past few months, and I really want to toot their horns a bit.

So, here I am. I want to discuss some books I’ve edited that you really need to have on your radars. Some of these have published already. Some are set to drop soon. Some don’t have covers yet, but I still think you need to be aware of them. Those ones I will link to the author’s webpages.

Buckle up. Here we go.

It’s been a few months since I’ve edited this one, but I can’t stop thinking about it, and if I don’t get to read book two soon, I’m going to sneak up to Canada and shank Fletcher. Smoke and Stone is one of the most unique, complex, layered books I’ve ever read. It’s also Fletcher-style dark and different, with a magic and belief system that, quite frankly, blew my mind. Mixed with characters that you can’t really pin down on the morality spectrum, it’s just basically everything I never knew I always wanted to read. Fletcher holds nothing back. It’s thoughtful and grim, and it will absolutely make you uncomfortable in places, but I think that’s actually a really good thing. Fletcher has a way with challenging his readers, and keeping them engrossed in the story despite some of it’s more challenging explorations of deeper themes. This book is AMAZING.

Black Stone Heart is set to drop on April 1. I’m a HUGE fan of Fletcher’s work. The gray morality he works with in his books is nothing short of inspirational for my own writing. That being said, this is, hands down, one of the best books I have ever read, period, end of discussion. I’m not just saying that because I really, really want to read the next book soon and the best way to do that is to bribe an author with compliments (har har), but I’m being real here. This book is SUPERB. There’s the gray morality, the unique world, the complex history, the plot that unfolds slowly, drip by drip. I can’t… honestly I just can’t even tell you all the reasons this book is perfect. All I can say is that this book absolutely WILL win some indie book awards. I promise you, and you really, really, really need to read it to experience some of the best dark fantasy you’ll ever read.

Next up is Rob Hayes. Now, I edited this whole trilogy, but I’m only putting the cover for the first book up.

This is another series I really love, and let me tell you why. First, it’s character-driven. I really dig character-driven books. I like it when the character is just as complex and well-crafted as the world they are set in, and Rob really nails that here. Eska might take some time to warm up to, but that’s part of why I love her so much. She’s unflinchingly who she is, and she’s absolutely unashamed of that and your job, as the reader, is to either accept that or get the hell out of the way. I LOVE that.

Now, there are some things Rob really excels at here. To be honest, I learn a lot from every book I edit, and from Rob, I learned the art of plotting, and world building. His books are just relentlessly paced. I mean, buckle up, because there’s never a dull moment. However, none of it feels contrived. Nothing happens just to feel the space, and Hayes doesn’t shy away from emotions (Yes, this series made me cry actual tears). That being said, the world is just as textured and layered as the characters and plot. He put a whole lot of thought into every aspect of this trilogy and I was, quite frankly, just blown away by the artistry of the whole thing. And while I say that, I will also say that while this book is a whole lot of things, I don’t think I’ve ever read a book by an author who has managed to be thought-provoking, dark, and fun at the same time.

So, amazing trilogy. Book one releases on March 30, and it’s just fantastic. Book two will drop in April, and book three in May. Hayes was a pleasure to work with, and I was beyond honored to be chosen to work on this project.

Author’s website

Next up is a book that doesn’t have a cover yet, nor a publication date, but I just finished editing it (literally, within the last hour) and I’m so… stuck on it, I guess… I just really want to say some things.

The book is Jesse Teller’s autobiography, and it’s the first nonfiction book I’ve edited. Now, to be completely honest with you, it also took me the longest to get through than I’ve ever taken to get through a book. This isn’t Jesse’s fault, and he’s been patient to a fault. Rather, it’s my freaking life. This book demands complete attention, and it fell on me right before a hip surgery (when I was dealing with crippling pain), then surgery, then a difficult recovery, an extended-stay houseguest to help with said recovery, a pandemic, and an earthquake and 300+ aftershocks. Life has really been something else, and through all that, through all my delays and all my, “oh my God I am SO FREAKING SORRY IT IS TAKING ME SO LONG” messages to him, he has been just… the picture of professionalism.

Anyway, this book.

This book is an autobiography, and I really hesitate to say more about it than that, because of spoilers and the fact that it’s literally his life and not my place to say a damn thing about it and privacy and etc. However, I do want to say one thing. I’ve really gotten to know Jesse throughout this editing process, and due to the content of the book and our conversations, I feel like I’ve gotten to know his wife, Bekah, a lot, too, and I feel like they both might be some of the neatest, most amazing people out there. Jesse has lived a really harrowing life, and this book is really raw and very open and honest regarding all the good, bad, and ugly. That being said, Jesse has a knack with pairing beauty and pain, and it really, profoundly spoke to me. This book never felt too dark, or hopeless, and I think that because, despite it all… despite all the hardships and all the pain, there’s a drive for life that feels hopeful throughout it all.

It took a whole lot of bravery for him to write this book, and even more to basically hand it to me and say, “edit my very personal life, please. Go ahead and pick through my soul.” He’s braver than I am, and braver than I could ever imagine myself being. Quite frankly, I almost feel like I’m standing in the shadow of a giant right now. I really hope this book drops sometime soon-ish, because there are some books that are important, and some books that profoundly move you, but it’s very rare that I find a book that does both as completely as this one did.

I often feel very honored to be chosen to work on projects, but this one really humbled me, and I just really want to bring attention not just to this book, but also to Teller’s other work. He’s an author that deserves a much larger spotlight, and I hope that by mentioning him, maybe I can help shine some light on him.

Author’s website.

This is another book I’m going to be a bit vague about. There’s no set publication date yet, and I’m not sure if he’s 100% comfortable with the title (for what it’s worth, I love it).

Anyway, there’s a novella dropping from one Peter Fugazzotto sometime soon, and you really, really need to be paying attention to this author. First of all, I love novellas. I think they are an underrated form of writing. A really good novella knocks my socks off. There’s an art to being able to write a shorter story, and still manage to pack the punch of a longer novel. Plus, there’s skill here. The author needs to meticulously pace ever aspect of the book, and know just how and when to add the perfect amount of emotion, character development, and world building to get me to feel invested and interested in a shorter amount of time.

Fugazzotto managed all of that. Quite frankly, he blew me away.

I’m really not much of a horror reader, but this one changed my mind about that. This is a story about a woman who loses her way, and through tragedy and terror, finds her purpose in her daughter, who mysteriously goes missing. Mix in a dash of mythology, a whole lot of eerie atmosphere, and some stunning prose, and you’ve got something really special on your hands.

What I loved most about Fugazzotto wasn’t just the absolutely PERFECT pacing, and the way I started to feel very real sympathy with a character I didn’t like much at first, but how he literally didn’t waste one word, one paragraph, or one syllable. Everything in this book needs to be exactly where it is. Everything. And by the end of this short jaunt through a horrifying Northern California coastal town, I was left gasping, profoundly moved, and wiping away tears.

It’s the first book by this author I’ve read, or edited, but it put him solidly on my radar and now I look forward to exploring all the other things he’s got out under his name. You should, too.

Okay, so there you go. I love my job. I love the creative people I work with on a daily basis. I’m honored to be able to tell you all about the genius works I’ve spend hours working on.

ANNOUNCEMENT | PUBLICATION DATE CHANGE

Due to the fact that I’m just drowning in life right now, I’ve pushed back the publication of Of Honey and Wildfires by a month. Now it will drop on April 28.

I just have too much going on. I’m so bogged down in editing work that I haven’t had time to work on my own book and get it ready. My kid is sick. I’m starting to feel sick. We’ve got this pandemic going on and my big kid’s school is canceled for a minimum of two weeks and it’s just… it’s a lot. So for my own sanity, Of Honey and Wildfires had to move back to April.

This will hopefully allow me to give the final pass of this book the attention it deserves, and preserve my mental state at the same time.

I apologize for the delay, but I hope you understand.