Doug Lewars's Blog, page 15

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen

The Adventures of Baron Münchausen by Rudolf Erich Raspe

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


*** Possible Spoilers ***

If you don't like tall tales, you won't like this book. It's the sort of thing you might hear at a Liars' Club competition. The stories are patently absurd but quite amusing in some places. Although the author satirized people, institutions and customs of the day, the book was published in 1785 so unless you have a pretty good background in the history of the times, many of the references will go right over your head. They certainly went over mine. Some things were obvious such as certain digs against the courts and parliaments of the day, but references to people, disguised as they were within fictional characters meant little. Certain tales reminded me of the Paul Bunyan stories. Although perhaps a bit repetitious in places I think this book is worth reading.



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Good Witch Hunting

Good Witch Hunting by Dakota Cassidy

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


*** Possible Spoilers ***

I gave this book five stars not because I liked it - I didn't - but because I think the author did a good job creating what she wanted created. Frankly for me it was a bit of a struggle not to DNF it. The problem was I didn't check the keywords on Goodreads before selecting this one. I did check them on the library website but I've learned from past experience they use a very limited number of keywords. Had I checked Goodreads I would have realized this was a cozy mystery. Occasionally I do read a book from that sub genre, but I was not attempting to do so in this case. I think it was the title I found appealing. It reminded me a title Terry Pratchett might have used. Frankly I find this sub-genre too syrupy for my taste and this one was particularly cloying.

So, who is the target audience who might enjoy this book. I think it's probably aimed at Gen-Z or late-stage millennial females. For example, there is one passage I can't quote because I can't remember it exactly and will have to paraphrase, which asks the question, 'how can anyone survive without Netflix?' Well let's see. Netflix has somewhere in the order of 275 million subscribers out of a world population around 8 billion. So that would be 7.725 billion who manage to do quite well without it. While I find the assertion that Netflix - and certain other things taken for granted by Gen-Z as essential - to be annoying, I understand most in the target audience would nod in wonderment at the deprivation some people endure. One reviewer described some of the dialog as 'sassy'. Again, for young people that may be entirely correct.

In general, this book has a mystery - solved more by accident than design - coupled with elements of the occult, a menagerie of animals, a touch of romance and 'girl power'. The pacing is adequate and there is even a tiny bit of character development. I think it is well suited for a target audience of Gen-Z urban females - at least those capable of reading - who like cozy mysteries.



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The Salmon of Doubt

The Salmon of Doubt: Hitchhiking the Galaxy One Last Time by Douglas Adams

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


*** Possible Spoilers ***

I listened to the audio version of this book and while I thoroughly enjoyed it, I'm not so sure I would have liked the text version. The actual story - a very few chapters - occupies only a small portion of the book and the rest consists of accolades, interviews, and general bits and pieces from Douglas Adam's life. If you can imagine sitting around with a few people listening to them chat about the author that's pretty close to what it felt like. I listen to audio books when I'm eating, cooking or doing chores and this was excellent for those activities but I can't see sitting down and just reading it.



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The Woman Who Died a Lot

The Woman Who Died a Lot by Jasper Fforde

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


*** Possible Spoilers ***

Excellent book. Fast paced, interesting with lots of quirky characters. Fforde keeps the reader engaged from beginning to end. There is one distressingly gaping plot hole but maybe most readers won't notice it and just keep enjoying the story.

I'm not keen on time travel, predestination or the various paradoxes therein but this is Fforde's world so I'm content to go along for the ride.

This book was released in 2012 and I'm pretty certain the author was planning another in the series but it's been a while and he seems to have directed his attention to other matters. If one happens to appear I'll read it. Perhaps he wrote several and then the timeline changed and they disappeared.

It's pretty clear Jasper Fforde does not like corporations or the middle class. This is a little ironic because he published with Hodder & Stoughton which became Hodder Headline which was picked up by Hachett Livre which was picked up by Time Warner Book Group now Little, Brown which is the biggest publisher in the UK and a whopping great corporation. In addition he moved to Wales which is about as middle class as you can get. Fascinating.

All authors have likes and dislikes and often reflect them in their stories. I don't agree with, but I'm quite wiling to give him 5 stars despite his politics because the book is so well written and interesting. However I was tempted to knock him down to 1 when he expressed approval of literary censorship. That is something I categorically reject, but at least he didn't belabour the point for more than a few paragraphs.

In general I think this is an excellent book containing a few minor annoyances and a plot hole big enough to shove an 18 wheeler through sideways. It's still worth reading.



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Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson

My rating: 1 of 5 stars


*** Possible Spoilers ***

I don't often DNF a book but I may have set a record with this one - DNFed after 12 pages. Drug induced stupidity is not high on my list of things I find humorous. Likewise I'm not keen on narcissistic pretentiousness.

This book was first published in 1971 and had I read it then I might have found it super cool. After all, there was a time I enjoyed Tom Wolfe. On the back I see he rated this book highly.

Who might enjoy it? If someone believes getting stoned on any number of drugs and acting like a complete idiot is enjoyable, he or she might enjoy this. I think anyone else would be best to pass it by.



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The Constant Rabbit

The Constant Rabbit by Jasper Fforde

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


*** Possible Spoilers ***

This is a nice satire with plenty of humour and any number of sly digs at this and that. It is an allegory in which anthropomorphized rabbits stand in for the 'other' in our society.

If your politics is to the far right, you won't enjoy this book. Interestingly enough, if your politics are to the far left, you may not enjoy it either. I took a look at some of the '1' reviews and some people found it unacceptable to use humour when describing things they deem of utmost importance such as racism and xenophobia. Therefore if you take everything with the utmost seriousness, you should probably pass this book by.

I liked how Fforde took a small poke at himself when he referred to certain foxes as so pretentious they'd use a double F in their surnames.

Mr. Fforde also discussed the role of satire in literature posing the question as to whether it merely provides a momentary chuckle or actually changes readers' minds. He seems to think it may give them a slight nudge in the direction the author wants them to go. In this case I'm not sure that's true, or at least I don't think he accomplished his objective. By the end of the book I was thinking the villains had a point and maybe the 'other' is not compatible with western society, that diversity is a mistake and inclusion impossible. In addition, I think he may have written his bittersweet ending without fully realizing some of the implications. Basically he suggests the rabbits, or 'other' did exactly what their critics want - namely for them to go right back where they came from.

He also takes potshots at middle-class society, bankers, large corporations and Nigel Farage. Not living in the UK, I'd heard the name but didn't know much about the man. I had to go to Wikipedia to look him up. Frankly, from what I read he reminds me a bit of Donald Trump. He makes a big noise, jumps up and down, but doesn't really DO anything. It seemed a bit of a waste to make him the top villain although Mr. Fox was more apparently villainous in a sly sort of way and always front and center.

I also wonder whether using foxes and weasels was a good idea, because they, too, are part of the 'Other'.

Whatever the politics, this is an interesting and fun story to read. I highly recommend it provided you don't take yourself and your politics too seriously.





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Samuel Johnson is Indignant

Samuel Johnson Is Indignant by Lydia Davis

My rating: 1 of 5 stars


*** Possible Spoilers ***

According to the blurb, this is a book of short stories. It's more like a series of blog posts written by someone so self-absorbed they imagine their stream of consciousness is somehow interesting. For me, this was a DNF and about the 1/3rd mark.

So what sort of reader might like this book? Perhaps it would be enjoyed by someone in high school or university who is convinced random bits of prose must surely contain some deep underlying meaning thereby allowing him, or her, to achieve some sort of world view transcendence. I think one would have to be almost as pretentious and self-absorbed as the author to enjoy it.



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Early Riser

Early Riser by Jasper Fforde

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


*** Possible Spoilers ***

In a world where humans hibernate through the winter, some must remain awake to ensure things go well. This is the tale of an over-winter police force trying to get the goods on a corrupt corporation willing to sacrifice human life for profit. It is very well written, quite exciting in places, and provides and impressive bit of world building. I'm not sure if the author was, or is thinking about a sequel, however it seemed the villains were mostly at a lower level in the corporation and we never hear about the ones pulling the strings. In any event it's a good book and well worth reading. There are also a few nice barbs to add humour.



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Forged

Forged by Benedict Jacka

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


*** Possible Spoilers ***

This is Book 11 in a series. I may have read number one but if so it was so long ago I might be mistaken. In any event I had to figure out what was going on which wasn't overly difficult but some reference were made to past people and events which meant nothing to me.

If you like action, this book is for you. Unfortunately there wasn't much more. It was pretty much battle after battle, near escape after near escape. The protagonist is at ware with a council and needs to forge a peace with them by killing as many as he can. At least that seems to be the gist of matters. I like a bit of action from time to time but I cannot say this book is the least bit memorable. I may read other books by this author but I doubt I'll bother to go looking for them.



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Red Side Story

Red Side Story by Jasper Fforde

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


*** Possible Spoilers ***

If you happen to be a writer and want a master class in world building, read this book. Not only are details included most would overlook, but they're worked into the story in such a manner as to avoid information dumps. I was highly impressed at how well the author engineered this feat.

This book is what you might get if you combined Brave New World with 1994, updated them with modern technology such as AI and genetic engineering, and added a dash of colour (hey, I couldn't resist), One is cast into a strange authoritarian society and it takes a while to fully understand what is going on. It might have been better if I'd read the first book in the series before this one and i will go back and read it but it's quite possible to jump in here and keep going. It just takes a little getting used to.

We follow the protagonists as they attempt to understand the politics swirling about them both inside and outside their little world. Gradually small clues lead to increased understanding but result in both Jane and Edward facing annihilation from enemies both within and without.

In this book there is some character development but it is definitely subordinate to the plot. If you require a great deal of character introspection you might do better elsewhere. On the other hand, if you like excitement in a world of heavy-handed rules frequently bent by those in power, this one is for you. I highly recommend it.





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