WARNING!!!: Naughty Sinner Fudge Words in BIG type follow below...
This is impossible for me to rate. On the one hand, I'm not sure this is a necessaryWARNING!!!: Naughty Sinner Fudge Words in BIG type follow below...
This is impossible for me to rate. On the one hand, I'm not sure this is a necessary book. On the other hand, it's clearly awesome.
Creative Cursing opens up calendar-style. Inside are two sets of pages. On the set of pages to the left are a bunch of nouns, one per page. On the right side we have either a verb, occupation or again the occasional noun.
The nouns on the left are decidedly of the "four letter" variety. Most could stand on their own as quality curse words.
The words on the right side, however, could be taken quite innocently...except for that one "fucker."
When you pair the two words together you get glorious crudeness!
Let's make sure we're clear right off the bat. I'm Proud of You: My Friendship with Fred Rogers is not strictly aboutWithin seconds I was tearing up.
Let's make sure we're clear right off the bat. I'm Proud of You: My Friendship with Fred Rogers is not strictly about Mr. Rogers, but rather about how Rogers helped Tim Madigan through rough times, specifically Madigan's marriage, coming to grips with his relationship with his father, and his brother's life-threatening illness.
And to further clear up matters, I want you to know that I think this book is awesome. Yeah, it made me weepy throughout and yeah, it wasn't the Mr. Rogers biography I expected when I picked it up, but the moment I started reading none of that mattered.
I'm definitely not saying that everyone who reads this is going to have the same visceral experience as me, not if you weren't raised on Rogers' show as I was. That man could soothe with his words better than a soothesayer! (*rimshot*) And some of you may not appreciate all the god talk in this book. But hey, I'm an atheist and I managed to get past it. I think it helps if, every time the topic is broached, you transpose their Christian ideals to your own form of spirituality, even if that means nothing more than a belief in yourself. You do believe in yourself, don't you? You should, because you're a very special person. And if you do believe in yourself, well, that's faith!
*** EXCITING UPDATE!!! ***
A friend informed me that a friend of hers is writing the script for the film version of this book! I looked it up on IMDB and they seem to have the crew in order, but no cast yet. I wonder who will play Mr. Rogers....more
Books like this make me afraid to eat. Then they make me mad at the way I've been eating. Finally, they make me a better eater.
At the start, the ideaBooks like this make me afraid to eat. Then they make me mad at the way I've been eating. Finally, they make me a better eater.
At the start, the idea seems simple: "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." When I read that I thought, okay I can stop reading. I know that already, so I've got this shit down.
But what is food today? It may not be what you think it is. Most of what you find at the grocer's is not food. That complicates things just a little bit, doesn't it?
Pollan complicates that simple "eat food" mantra a lot. Which is not to say In Defense of Food is a complicated read. Indeed no, quite the opposite. He actually does an excellent job at explaining it all in layman terms (He even helped me figured out the glucose-to-triglicerides issue I have that two doctors failed to make me fully understand). It's not Pollan's fault eating has become difficult. The problem is that the seemingly simple act of eating these days is more difficult than it used to be for our grandparents due to the food engineering/fiddling that's been happening the last few decades.
There's oh-so much more info I could lay down here for you, but you wouldn't want to bite into a rotten apple, so why would you want me too spoil this for you? No, no, read In Defense of Food. It's enjoyable, it's quick and it's full of information. Ingesting this book will do your body good!...more
Had I read this? I couldn't recall. I knew I'd seen the old tv version, but I wasn't sure I'd actually read the book, so I read it. And why not? It'sHad I read this? I couldn't recall. I knew I'd seen the old tv version, but I wasn't sure I'd actually read the book, so I read it. And why not? It's a hell of a good book, and I'd do it again!
The Restaurant at the End of the Universe is kind of the continuing adventures of Arthur Dent. Honestly, while he's a focal point of book one, he doesn't factor into the sequel as much. This is more about Zaphod Beeblebrox and Ford Perfect, as well as the kitchen sink's worth of whatever zany ideas Douglas Adams wanted to throw into the works.
I say "zany ideas" as if they are a haphazard, careless collection of ramblings, but Adams does actually stay on topic for much of the time. That topic is humanity's futility. We're a go-nowhere race going nowhere fast. Adams basically says we've been given two million years worth of time to do something with ourselves before it's all over, and frankly we will fuck it up. Oh well!
While not as sharp as the first book, this is a worthy successor and I plan to continue reading the remaining books in the series, which I'm pretty sure I haven't read yet....more
Over simplified into a vacant piece of confusing trash!...at least that seemed to be my 3 year old niece's opinion when I read to her the Little GoldeOver simplified into a vacant piece of confusing trash!...at least that seemed to be my 3 year old niece's opinion when I read to her the Little Golden Book version of Walt Disney's Peter Pan.
What ever happened to the quality product Little Golden Books used to put out? Okay, so maybe it's been about 30 years since I've read one and just maybe my literary quality requirements have changed, but I recall these stories having more substance...Oh who am I fooling? The bottom line is I've turned into a crotchety old coot who gets annoyed by everything. And dang nabbit, why isn't Tinkerbell as hot as I remember her?!
Arthur Conan Doyle created such an intriguing vehicle for his mystery stories in the figure of Sherlock Holmes, a man aGotta love the old-school dash!
Arthur Conan Doyle created such an intriguing vehicle for his mystery stories in the figure of Sherlock Holmes, a man almost inhuman, nearly robotic in his exacting speech and actions, so much so that the reader longs for and grasps on to the minute human aspects (a hint of carnal desire, for example) on the fleeting instances they appear.
In story after tightly wound story intelligence and rational thought wins the day. But before it gets all too academic, Conan Doyle throws in a bit of action, some good old fashioned horror or a grotesque morsel for the reader to chew on, for he realized man can not be sustained on thought alone.
Taken on their own, each short story in this collection would receive 3 or 4 stars, but put them together and you've got a 5 star body of work. A lone stick breaks easily, but bundled together the sticks form a strong bond. Case after solved case impresses with its almost overwhelming accumulation of ingenuity. The character of Holmes eventually develops with nuggets of personal detail and, on rare occasion, even a display of pathos. ...more
Reading Jorge Luis Borges's Collected Fictions is like being thrown into the ring with a merciless prize fighter, getting the shit kicked out of you,Reading Jorge Luis Borges's Collected Fictions is like being thrown into the ring with a merciless prize fighter, getting the shit kicked out of you, and loving every minute of it.
These pieces felt more like punches than short stories. Borges jabs to your head, jarring your brain with damning conversations with his future self, invented libraries of the Universe and stories that make you feel like a lost kid on your way to Algebra class but accidentally ending up in Trigonometry. Then he switches his stance and digs at your body with primal blows. Petty gangsters, simplistic machismo, knife fights, all with such savage bravado that you can taste the cheap liquor and cheaper blood.
I said at the top, "loving every minute of it" and perhaps that needs to be tempered. There were times, in certain stories, where my head spun and I wanted to drop to the canvas and not get up. It seemed to be all too much. But I knew if I stayed on my feet and in the ring for the whole 12 rounds I would be rewarded richly. I was. Get in the ring and you will be too.
What style! Holy Moses! Chandler writes with a purpose: to put you right in the shit. In The Big Sleep he writes with the economy of biting words thatWhat style! Holy Moses! Chandler writes with a purpose: to put you right in the shit. In The Big Sleep he writes with the economy of biting words that surrounds Philip Marlowe, a detective whose seen the hardbitten world, with the street's lexicon.
Hardboiled? Certainly. But I've read some hardboiled stuff that was boiled down to a tasteless mass. This stuff's full of flavor, bitter and sometimes bittersweet.
You've seen the movie, now read the book. They're similar in style, but the story differs enough to make each quite enjoyable on its own.
I was urged to read Chandler by a Goodreads friend or two, and boy I'm glad I did. However, since this is my first go 'round I'm going to close the dam on this review. The Big Sleep has a twisty, complicated plot and Chandler's writing is good enough that both deserve further reading to give them their due....more
Little good comes from war, however it does tend to create heros and leaders and show people how to love and depend upon their comrades. The bonds bui Little good comes from war, however it does tend to create heros and leaders and show people how to love and depend upon their comrades. The bonds built upon the catastrophic ruin that was World War II is the basis of Stephen E. Ambrose's Band of Brothers.
After watching the television miniseries a couple times through and really enjoying it for its humanity, I thought it was time I gave the book a go. There isn't much difference between the two. The timeline and events depicted in the series stay fairly true to the book, showing the birth of the legendary Easy Company as it goes through basic training, enters the war and fights through an almost endless array of seemingly impossible missions until the European theater came to a close.
Where the book and show differed was in the amount of detail and backstory that the book provided over the show. It's not a lot of extra detail - the stories of a few soldiers that had to be passed over for brevity's sake, as well as further personal details of the soldiers mainly focused upon - but if you're a big fan of the show, you're a candidate to read Band of Brothers, an admirably penned work that squeezes what good it can out of some dark days indeed....more
The best book on how to write I've ever read! Novelist and screenplay writer James Scott Bell has won awards for inspirational fiction. I say he deserThe best book on how to write I've ever read! Novelist and screenplay writer James Scott Bell has won awards for inspirational fiction. I say he deserves awards for inspirational non-fiction! So many of his books are how-to-write guides and even if only a small portion of them are as helpful as this one, he's a bloody writing guru!
Plot & Structure is part of the Writers' Digest series, Write Great Fiction. Most writers are quite aware of Writers' Digest. Before the internet, WD published the would-be author's bible, Writer's Market, an annual tome of articles with tips and contact information on publishers and agents. I gleaned some helpful lessons from the occasional Writer's Market I'd buy or borrow over the years, about as much as I'd get from reading books about writing from established writers like Stephen King or Ray Bradbury. "Just write" was and still is the most boiled down, golden rule essence of what 99.9% of them will tell you.
Bell's book goes well beyond that. Not only does it give advice like the above, it gives practical assistance, step-by-step instruction on how to put a readable, or even captivating novel together.
Granted, this is best for genre writers, those who pen thrillers, mysteries, fantasy, sci-fi, romance, and what all else where a model has clearly been established over the last century's worth of published work. But that doesn't mean literary writers won't benefit from this. Bell does his best to explain how the different aspects that make up a fine novel are nearly interchangeable. That intriguing character who meanders about in your favorite lit fic would be just as at home and welcome in chick lit. Just as the rigid three act in the countless mysteries that have downed many a tree over the years is often and surprisingly floating about behind the scenes of that supposedly inventive work of genius.
What is plot? How does it work? How do you come up with plot ideas? What is plot up to during the different stages of a book? How does the character arc unfold over a plot? These questions and more are not only answered, but many an example is given...and not only that, but helpful systems for coming up with your own answers are laid out. Recognizable patterns are discussed. Writing and revising techniques are detailed. Tips and tools are readily dispensed like candy to children on a successful Halloween outing.
This is my second time through Plot and Structure and it won't be my last. This is the sort of book that writers should read intermittently until all aspects are down pat. Read this and use the wealth of helpful advice, tips and techniques and you should be able to pump out as good or better a book than much of what's being put out these days. ...more
"To be or not to be...," that is not my favorite line. My favorite is: "Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio; a fellow of infinite jest, of most exc"To be or not to be...," that is not my favorite line. My favorite is: "Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio; a fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy; he hath borne me on his back a thousand times."
It's that recollection of innocent days that gets me every time, because you know Hamlet is being swept up in a vortex of innocence lost.
STUPID ADULTS! They screw up everything!
I grew up in a truly idyllic setting. As childhoods go, mine was a joy. But then you grow up and you wake up to reality.
My introduction to Hamlet came during high school in my early teen years. Its murderous plot of family deceit and infidelity struck home, my family being likewise stricken with such maladies. The parallels were all too similar and I love/hated the play for driving it all home.
Mel Gibson's movie version came out at this time, and its over-simplification and emotional heightening was a perfect fit for a simple-minded, emotionally-blinded teen. Less than stellar, the movie nonetheless had its effect upon me, furthering the torment.
Luckily my family drama was not as murdery as Hamlet's, although if the personalities of some of the principle players were slightly more volatile, there could easily have been a bloodbath of Hamlet-esque proportions. In my reality, we all got over it, sorted it out, and moved on with our lives wherever they led. The beauty of fiction is to see the deepest of fantasies played out. It gives us - I hesitate to use the melodramatic "victims" here, but that is essentially what we amount to - it gives us release from the pent up anger when we see the wrong-doers get their comeuppance.
For that reason, I doubt I'll ever be able to view this work through a truly unbiased, critical lens. Just because it's a "classic" doesn't mean you have to adorn it with a 5-star laurel wreath, but - for what it means to me - I do.
A memoir of a German during WWII. Siegfried Knappe started as an exuberant youth, having done well in school and with all the promise of the world opeA memoir of a German during WWII. Siegfried Knappe started as an exuberant youth, having done well in school and with all the promise of the world opening before him. Then the war came. He excelled as a soldier, though placed in an outdated, pre-mechanized unit, and soon rose through the ranks, seeing action on nearly all fronts. His story rises and falls along with his country. He was there at pivotal moments. He was in the thick of it. He was the fly on the wall. He was the every man in a German uniform.
One finds oneself rooting for Knappe. Enemy or not, he was human with a family whom he loved. And it helps that he was not a Nazi, just another patriotic German eager to see his country bounce back to prominence and prosperity.
Read Soldat to see what it was like on "the other side." Read it because from whichever side you approach it, war is hell. Without having to endure that hell, what better way to witness the horrible reminder than through the words of one who did?...more
Hilarious autobio that touches upon the highs and lows of Tina Fey's life and career.
If you're a fan of her humor, as seen on 30 Rock and SNL, you'llHilarious autobio that touches upon the highs and lows of Tina Fey's life and career.
If you're a fan of her humor, as seen on 30 Rock and SNL, you'll be a fan of Bossypants. It's not an in depth, gut-wrenching tell-all memoir. For instance, she only glosses over the incident when she got the facial scar. But if you're familiar with Fey's brand of humor then the lightheartedness of it shouldn't surprise you. She's the sort of average, nice person that has her own strong opinions, but doesn't think that they always have to be heard at the expense of others. She's more apt to poke fun at herself, dissecting her own issues with razor-sharp wit.
She's very good about never bludgeoning the reader with microscopic analysis. She highlights key life moments, considering them briefly while avoiding ponderous reflections. Some might say the book stays too surface-level. I say going any deeper would not be the point of Bossypants.
Edition Note: I'm reviewing the audiobook and I can't see why anyone would want to enjoy this book any other way. Fey is a great writer, but she's also a really good performer. And here, you get her performing her own material, literally her own life. Her cadence and inflection adds such an important element to Bossypants. If you think you can do better justice to this work with your own reading interpretation, then by all means go for it....Just realize you are wrong. WRONG!!! Stop being a conceited dickhole....more
Witches, superstition and mysticism create one of the Bard's more fantastical of plays. Add to it the very real, human elements of self-doubt, manipulWitches, superstition and mysticism create one of the Bard's more fantastical of plays. Add to it the very real, human elements of self-doubt, manipulation, betrayal and soul-tormenting regret and you get one of the most enjoyable, poignant pieces of literature of all time.
Perhaps only Hamlet reaches a higher level of human suffering encapsulated (Yes, Lear comes close.) I love the hell out Shakespeare's most popular, most well-known play, but Hamlet's interminable introspection tends to mire the spirits and reading experience, especially re-readings. Macbeth endures just the right amount of suffering for my palate.
His betrayal of a friend for the chance to vault himself up the ladder of success seems like a very American idea, but so universal is the depiction of human failings that the story translates quite easily into the entertainment of other cultures. For an example, take the excellent Japanese film version "Throne of Blood".
(The witch scene is cree-pay!)
The Curse! One of the things that furthers the play's legend is that many believe it to be cursed. All kinds of reasons for this have been bandied about. Disasters occurred, but those can/should probably be chalked up to chance accidents due to the high number of fight scenes and violent acts that take place. Nonetheless, a feeling developed that saying the title itself brought on bad luck, thus it was considered verboten to speak the name and so it became known as "The Scottish Play."
Scottish actor James McAvoy once explained to me the apparent real reason actors feared Macbeth: It being so popular, it was often put on by struggling theaters, but the production was so costly that instead of reviving the theater, it often hastened its financial ruin. If the theater went under the actors would then be out of work again, so landing a role in Macbeth became a double-edged sword. ...more
Goddamn it! I've driven coast to coast across the U.S. fives times already and yet, thanks to Travels with Charley I'm ready to go again!
During the miGoddamn it! I've driven coast to coast across the U.S. fives times already and yet, thanks to Travels with Charley I'm ready to go again!
During the mid-century period, discovering America and/or oneself through the medium of the road-trip came into vogue. While other prominent authors, such as Kerouac and Thompson, were publishing their own, more heralded versions, I prefer Steinbeck's. It lacks the hedonism of the others and I love him for that. And furthermore, these journals often get offtrack, forgetting the road for some favored topic that the writer expounds upon until it becomes a journey of its own and the original path fades from memory. Steinbeck veers off now and then, but it's always for a good cause and it never lasts too long.
Here's a few of my personal favorite highlights from his trip:
:) Charley. Before I began I had no idea who this Charley was, but he's a lovable guy and he made the whole thing all the more enjoyable to read.
:o I love Steinbeck's super sleuthing in the Chicago hotel room, where he adeptly pieces together a clandestine romance in a way that would impress Sherlock Holmes.
:) The book gets extra marks for a visit, description and kind words for Deer Isle, Maine, where from my grandmother's kin hail.
:O Discovering that what I thought were imagined characters - outrageously colorful characters - from his novel Tortilla Flat were actually real people.
While Grapes of Wrath will go down as a lasting work of genius, it carries with it the weight of moral baggage and an oppressive sadness. Maybe Travels with Charley is not the same sort of classic literature masterpiece that will survive the ages, but I found it to be a pure joy to read from start to finish. ...more
I don't give a fig if it is a kid's book, Charlotte's Web is one of the most well-crafted stories ever written. This classic children's tale deservesI don't give a fig if it is a kid's book, Charlotte's Web is one of the most well-crafted stories ever written. This classic children's tale deserves 5 stars for story craft and language usage alone! (Read your Strunk & White to understand this man's talents in that regard.) The fact that it's a heart-warmer/wrencher clinches it. Never was I made to love pigs and spiders so much in my life. Charlotte's Web will always rank high amongst my favorites. But why, for the love of god, did they make us watch the cartoon version of this tear-jerker in school? Did they want to make us weep embarrassingly in front of one another? If so, mission accomplished, you sadistic school district!...more
On Writing is for me hands-down the best book I've read about the craft of writing and living the life of a writer by a writer.
This is not a textbookOn Writing is for me hands-down the best book I've read about the craft of writing and living the life of a writer by a writer.
This is not a textbook on grammar and sentence structure. No, the subtitle very succinctly describes the contents. This is about Stephen King's journey to become a published author and his experiences in wrestling with words.
To hear stories about how one of the world's most popular authors once upon a time struggled just like the rest of us mortals is refreshing. Those stories about him just starting out were the real draw for me. They are highlighted with a sort of historic timeline, punctuated by his well-known early works. Later on in the book my attention was held by personal anecdotes, such as the time he was hit by a vehicle and nearly killed.
I read this prior to having read a single book by King. In fact, at the time I read this I could be called one of King's anti-fans. My college professors imparted a very low opinion of King's work upon me and that opinion stayed with me right up until recently when I read his stuff for myself.
So why did I pick up On Writing in the first place? Well, the man's ability to sell a buttload of books (a hell of a lot more than those nay-saying professors) can't be denied. Why wouldn't it be worth reading the advice of an author who had legions of rabid fans, even if I didn't think much of his writing? It would be like shooting off my nose to spite my face.
Young, struggling writers, don't shoot your nose off. Read On Writing....more
Oh dear heavens, a cow is having a difficult birth! A cat's sick! The local lord's thorough bred has skinned its knee! To live in a world where theseOh dear heavens, a cow is having a difficult birth! A cat's sick! The local lord's thorough bred has skinned its knee! To live in a world where these are your most worrisome worries is to live in the world of James Herriot, the pen name of the real-life mid-20th century country vet of the Yorkshire Dales in northern England.
Loosely based on his experiences, these delightful tales ("drama cozies" I call them) take place in an idyllic setting: The Yorkshire Dales and the North York Moors...
Muker in Swaledale
Addingham, west of Harrogate
The Cleveland Way near Wainstones
The story begins with Herriot, a newly graduated vet, arriving at the home and veterinarian practice of Siegfried Farnon and his aloof, fun-loving brother Tristan, two eccentric fellows who provide a good deal of comic relief.
It's the 1930s and, although war is on the horizon, this first book in the series focuses on the not-so-tumultuous time prior, when the worst that could happen is that a farmer's flock of sheep contracts a contagious disease. Certainly a serious problem for the farmer, but in general the tension for these anecdotal stories, all cobbled together into one loose narrative, is on the light side...unless you're an animal lover, in which case you will feel your heart ripped out and replenished again and again.
Recent ads here on Goodreads for this book (must've been re-released?) have caused me to reflect again upon these books, and the tv version based on them, which I've enjoyed so very much over the years. I've come to realize that although the stars of the show are the vets and their animal patients, if you look deeper into this seeming bit of fluff, you'll find it's the Yorkshire folk who are the soul that truly breathes life into Herriot's writing. The people's connection to the land and their utter reliance upon their animals continual bonds the reader to the All Creatures... books.
These stories will satisfy lovers of animals, animal husbandry, pre-WWII veterinarian practice (an industry in flux at the time), the English countryside and Yorkshire life specifically, as well as those looking for a light taste of pastoral humor. I liken reading Herriot to watching painter Bob "Happy Little Trees" Ross in action. It's soothing stuff.
PS: I enjoyed looking through pics of the Dales and Moors for this review so much that I'm going to add more. Let's call this the...
* * * PIX APPENDIX! * * *
Upper Swaledale
23 Kirkgate, Thirsk (Home and practice of James Herriot)
Middleham Castle, home of King Richard III
Goatland Railroad Station (used in the first Harry Potter movie)
Whitby Abbey overlooking the bay (Dracula's temporary abode)
Classic Wodehouse. It doesn't get any better than this...actually it doesn't get much different than this either.
Perhaps that's not entirely fair. FoClassic Wodehouse. It doesn't get any better than this...actually it doesn't get much different than this either.
Perhaps that's not entirely fair. For me at least, The Code of the Woosters contains some of my favorite scenes and some of Wodehouse's most memorable characters. Herein his hero Bertie Wooster is at his daffiest, unable to accomplish the simplest of tasks, berating a cow creamer, without getting himself in thick soup. Soon after he's got a Bassett and that malodorous Spode badgering him to no end, and this is hot off the heels of a binge to-do in honor of his fish-faced friend Gussie Fink-Nottle, the newt fancier. Everything seems to converge upon poor Bertie in a most pitiless way, providing the reader with hoots galore and good old fashioned British hijinks.
To go back to my original statement...The Code of the Woosters, while a good 'un, is not a vast departure from the normal. Book after book Wodehouse churned out pretty much the same story. But it matters not a lick! The sense of humor might put the starch up some people's collars, but it fits me like a worn-in pair of loafers. Not every book's a school prize winner, but I've seldom been disappointed. If you want to give Wodehouse a go, The Code of the Woosters is the stuff to give the troops! ...more
BEST HOW-TO PLAY HOLD'EM EVER! I've read a few books about "winning" poker from players who've won and I found this to be the best, most comprehensiveBEST HOW-TO PLAY HOLD'EM EVER! I've read a few books about "winning" poker from players who've won and I found this to be the best, most comprehensive book for the beginner. It really holds your hand and walks you through the basics, so that by the end you should be a regular winner at your local "home game" table.
Sklansky and Malmuth's books are good too, especially with all the visuals and hands that they take you through step-by-step, but they don't quite explain the fundamentals in layman's terms like Jones' Winning Low Limit Hold'em does. Get this, get the basics down, then move on up!...more
The fantasy novels of CS Lewis can barely touch the fanciful nature of love, but in The Four Loves, his work on the subject feels so in tune with theThe fantasy novels of CS Lewis can barely touch the fanciful nature of love, but in The Four Loves, his work on the subject feels so in tune with the complexity of its forms that it seems as if it MUST be written by some learned/aged Don Juan reflecting back on the lusts and loves of his past, so much so that you forget all about Lewis, the pasty white English professor and his faerie books. The Four Loves made a strong impression on me in my youth. Perhaps I didn't, and maybe still don't, take his every word on love as the end-all truth, the absolute definition, the incontrovertible conclusion, but his ideas struck me as sound and intriguing in the very least. It's been quite some time since I last read this. I think it's due for a reread, as I'm curious to see how my perception has change. ...more
The last time England was successfully conquered by a foreign army? 1066.
David Howarth takes a nearly thousand-year-old historical subject (well knownThe last time England was successfully conquered by a foreign army? 1066.
David Howarth takes a nearly thousand-year-old historical subject (well known by every British kid before they were allowed out of school I'd imagine) and retells the story in a most readable, almost fairytale way. This is not the most scholarly text on the subject, but it is one of the most enjoyable I've read.
It's especially enjoyable if you like a good underdog story, one where that lowly hero doesn't even win, but rather ends tragically with an almost martyr's death...
King Harold
He was the son of a kingmaker, who held no hereditary right to the throne, but who seemingly was given it by an almost democratic majority of lawmakers abiding by the apparent wishes of the previous king.
If Howarth is to be believed, Harold didn't even particularly want the throne, but was essentially thrust into it in order to fill a vacuum of power before the monarchy became weakened by a lack of leadership.
Howarth does a marvelous job of creating empathy in the reader for Harold. The poor sod undergoes trial after trial in a surprisingly short period of time...
There's a sea voyage that ends in a shipwreck and a greedy count's dungeon.
There is a conniving, backstabbing brother.
There is a viking king, one of the last of his kind, making a last ditch stab at glory by attempting to seize York, the seat of power in northern England.
And then there was Harold's mortal enemy...
William the Conqueror
William was born the bastard son of a Norman duke. In the treacherous times that were 11th century Normandy, William was lucky to escape childhood with his life. He grew up in the warrior's world and knew one thing, how to fight, and he did it very well.
From all accounts, it seems that just prior to 1066, Harold spent time as William's guest. During this time - and there is MUCH debate over - William felt he'd come to an understanding with Harold that when the time came Harold would aid his ol' pal Will (who may actually have been holding Harold hostage) in claiming for him the English throne, based on William's rather weak and distant line of heritage. When England decided she preferred local boy Harold over a bastard foreigner who didn't even speak their language, William was incensed to say the least, incensed enough to lead one of the most ambitious invasions of the era.
When people think "1066" they often think of the Bayeux Tapestry...
Highly regarded by historians, the tapestry is the story of the Battle of Hastings and the events leading up to it.
David Howarth's 1066 is another version of that same story. Some will see this as blatant revisionism, because some don't read the fine print, and the print isn't all that fine. Howarth is straightforward in saying that some of his theories are just that, theories that can not, and may never, be proven. But what's the difference between guessing at history that way as opposed to taking the word of the winners? William the Conqueror commissioned his version of history by way of victory. No scribe of the era wishing to retain his head was going to write anything but glowing praise of the man now in charge. And should we listen without a skeptical ear to the historians who wrote their own versions of The Battle of Hastings some 100 or 200 years after the fact, from which much of the past century's "scholarly" work on the subject has been derived? They weren't there for it and knew no more than what the accounts of William's men tell them.
Certainly, Howarth's is a liberal view of the Battle of Hastings, with the author's bias quite apparent. Having said that, it's still quite an enjoyable look from a different perspective on the event that changed England's future in a big way, the last successful invasion by a foreign enemy....more
Images...I see them. They are beautiful, but I...The images...There goes someone. What is she doing?...Those images, what do they mean?...There she goImages...I see them. They are beautiful, but I...The images...There goes someone. What is she doing?...Those images, what do they mean?...There she goes again...
And then, as if you weren't confused enough, in the second section of The Sound and the Fury, the narration is taken over by Quentin, a quick-witted, but nearly no more reliable a narrator than before. He is the somewhat confused but chivalrous Harvard-educated brother, who clings to Southern ideals. He is so passionate about his fight to uphold his beloved sister's virtue that it may be the very thing that actually undoes it. Just as you feel you're getting your bearings, we're off again!
Jason. The family bread winner. No-nonsense. Unhappy. Money over ideals. It's his way or the highway. Aside from the at-first confusing addition of "Miss Quentin," this section - as bleak and tense as it is - is the easiest to follow....so Faulkner switches it up again.
Dilsey, the head of the black servants, is the strong counterpoint to the decaying white folks she works for. While them and their way of life in late 1800s/early 1900s Mississippi falls apart, she is rock solid. Through her voice, in this final section we see the story from another perspective, which helps fill in some more of the pieces to this complicated tale.
William Faulkner is a shapeshifting devil of a writer. His pen creates impenetrable morasses of language and plot, and whether you ever emerge from his labyrinthine swamp or not is almost entirely up to you. Few lifelines will be found, and you may easily miss one amid an impossibly long descriptive drenched in the Southern artist's canvass painted lavishly with molasses and sweat. This is Faulkner at his finest. To craft a tale told four times over from disparate sources - one nearly impossible to follow - and expect to keep the reader rooted to the page is an incredible feat. By the end you're sure you've just witnessed black magic. ...more
Jeeves in the Morning, aka Joy in the Morning is the stuff to give the troops! It's one of my all-time favorites in the Jeeves/Wooster line, as pennedJeeves in the Morning, aka Joy in the Morning is the stuff to give the troops! It's one of my all-time favorites in the Jeeves/Wooster line, as penned by the prolific and long-lived P.G. Wodehouse.
It includes a heap load more tales of woe for Bertie Wooster to get into and his butler Jeeves to get him out of. Also appearing is one of the best non-appearing characters, J. Chichester Clam. The poor fellow is saddled with a ridiculous name and is put through his paces in this story without even getting to say word one. I don't want to give away much more of the story, just know that the usual suspects show up for this precisely-plotted, tightly-wound, hilarious start-to-finish rollick.
Jeeves in the Morning is not completely dissimilar to other books in the series...All right, it's quite similar. You see, Wodehouse developed a winning formula and stuck with it. Reading his books is like watching a rerun of a beloved old sitcom: you can anticipate all the jokes, but you laugh anyway. It's not only the mad-capped, slap-stick shenanigans, but rather the author's wit that has you coming back for more of the same.
I read the books first, then watched the tv series (with Stephen Frye and Hugh Laurie) based on the books.
Though it's good, I didn't enjoy the show as much and wasn't sure why. But now that I've gone back and reread one of the books, it all makes sense. The key is the narration. The Jeeves/Wooster series is written as if Wooster is the narrator and as a narrator he is hilarious. Removing that element, as the tv series did, removed half the hilarity. Read the books and get a full dose of the funny! ...more
ARRrrr, me reader! Embark now on a voyage of high seas adventure with scurvy pirates, honest jack-tar sailors, marooned souls, and a vast treasure burARRrrr, me reader! Embark now on a voyage of high seas adventure with scurvy pirates, honest jack-tar sailors, marooned souls, and a vast treasure buried on some faraway island. Aye, that's Treasure Island! Weigh anchor, me laddie! The wind's always fair for gettin' this wonderful tale under way! HAHAAAAARRRGGGHHHAAAaaaa….omg, that's exhausting....more
This was like a coloring book of pre-Pilgrim North America for me in that it filled in a lot of unanswered questions and brilliantly illuminated someThis was like a coloring book of pre-Pilgrim North America for me in that it filled in a lot of unanswered questions and brilliantly illuminated some areas of my knowledge that were mere outlines. It stays within the lines and makes my early attempts at coloring in the past look like spidery, seizure-induced scrawlings.
Being originally from New England, I'm well aware that there were inhabitants here long before the Europeans arrived. Early on in school we were inundated with stories of Samoset and Squanto, the first Native Americans to make contact with the Plymouth Colony pilgrims, and how in 1621 they strolled into the transplanted Englishmen's village and a big party broke out, thus began the tradition of Thanksgiving. I was (mis)taught in a Massachusetts classroom where heritage and history are king, so much was made of this. We were led to believe the story by elementary schoolteachers who probably wholeheartedly believed it themselves. What about the Virginia Colony of 1607 and their contact with the native inhabitants? It failed, so sweep it under the rug. Something tells me this version of America's founding by Europeans was not the one being taught in Virginia at the time...
Never was explained how the two natives could speak English (from Englishmen fishing off of the Maine coast and, in Squanto's case, from abduction and internment for seven years in England) or anything that happened in the Americas prior to the pilgrims landing. Oh sure there was talk of Incas and Mayans and their all important maize. But the extent, the sheer size of the native tribes, clans, and cosmopolitan societies of the Americas, north and south, and how Europe brought it all down upon their heads, none of this was discussed. Why? Because even during the late 1970s and early 80s when the movement to turn the Native Americans into mystical caretakers of Mother Earth, there was still a prejudicial sense of 'white is right' prevalent, at least in the neighborhood I grew up in. The other reason is a plain lack of knowledge. My simple teachers simply did not know. They can't wholly be blamed. The information wasn't readily available or flat-out wasn't available. School books were traditional and outdated. The grey-area material was swept under the rug. Now there is less grey-area material - advances in technology and archaeological practices have greatly advanced our knowledge of the past in just a few short decades - but there's still plenty of unknown patches of time in the western hemisphere. In 1491 Mann does not shy away from them.
Having said that, it should be noted that this is not just about North America. No, in fact more time is spent on everything below it. Through discovered texts and deciphered inscriptions there's just more known about Mesoamerica than the other areas, so yes, there are pages upon pages about those Incas and Mayans.
In general what I love about 1491 is that it doesn't take the Indians' side or the Europeans'. It doesn't try to cast a glowing angelic light upon the native inhabitants to transform them into woodland spirits whose only concern was the preservation of the trees and the birds, etc blah blah blah (Earth Day is quaint and misguided, but I digress...), nor does Mann attempt to attack or defend the actions of the Europeans. All is more of a statement of fact or, if lacking concrete evidence, a statement of possibility based on sound theory.
Sure, this distills oceans of scholarly study down to a more manageable duck pond, but it never tries to pretend it is doing otherwise. Mann is no pretender to vaunted erudition. He's a journalist who's done some research. He's a guy who realized his own grade school education was lacking, and when he found out the moldy stuff he was taught way back when was still being taught to his son he decided to do something about it. I'm glad for it. ...more
The Sedaris family is certifiably crazy and I love them.
Out of everything he's produced (I've read all of his major work and only missed a few shortThe Sedaris family is certifiably crazy and I love them.
Out of everything he's produced (I've read all of his major work and only missed a few short pieces) this is my favorite David Sedaris book. Yet, I don't recommend it...
...not always, not to everyone. The subject matter can be too much for some people, especially if they've been told that David Sedaris is a humorist and then they encounter some the more depressing details of his real life experiences. I laugh my ass off at the bottom-feeder personalities and occasional bargain basement morals herein, but some people will wring their hands and cry, "Oh how awful!"
Get over it and enjoy the ride, is my approach. The ride includes experiences of being gay and coming out (horrible and hilarious!), portraits of various family members that bring the people as vividly alive as any long-running sitcom is capable, and living on his own for the first time, which includes apartment living in general and specifically the trials of low-income housing.
Sedaris is a master at autobiographical essays. These short form pieces about his life read like carnival folklore, so seemingly unreal at times it feels surreal.
Some of his other books are not quite so warts-and-all. If you try Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim on for size, realize it may not suit you. Perhaps try on another first and ease your way into this strange fashion.
Audiobook Note: Listening to Sedaris read the audiobook is a must. He wrote the stories, hell, he lived the stories, so he knows how they're to be read. I've listened to him enough now that I can not only read his work in his voice, but also accurately guess at the necessary inflection in new material. Yeah, it's a gift......more
If the total output of your entire career should include only one thing, make it something special.
Not only was To Kill a Mockingbird Harper Lee's onIf the total output of your entire career should include only one thing, make it something special.
Not only was To Kill a Mockingbird Harper Lee's only novel, at one point she nearly destroyed it. That would have been a terrible loss, for - coming from an insular, white-New England upbringing - this book was a game changer for me and my young outlook on life and race relations. Having read it as a youth, it's coming-of-age or loss-of-innocence theme spoke to me while the idea of equal rights for all held by the "liberal" Southern Atticus Finch seemed heroic and opened my eyes to the closeted bigotry around me. I know I'm not alone in my reaction and the effects it had upon me.
Perhaps Lee didn't write another novel, because she took to heart the maxim "write what you know" and this was the one and only novel within her. It seems a shame such a good writer should have produced and be judged by only one book, but at least she made that one book something special. ...more
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