Matthew McElroy > Recent Status Updates

It is kind of strange, but incredibly refreshing to read a story that is simply about friendship. That being said, there is this ominous hint that SOMETHING is on the horizon. But I can't imagine what it will be.

Stegner does a pretty good job of capturing a single shot of the 1930s, without making this a period piece.

This might be the most I've enjoyed a book where nothing happens.

Or nothing out of the ordinary.

Still trying to figure out where it might be heading.

There are times when I read Jackson's conclusions and I wonder if he is stretching. But we can't even decide if the people who wrote the Constitution hoped to create a Christian nation or a country that parted from the religious wars of Europe. And those men wrote hundreds of pages of documents.

Point being: Jackson does a great job of showing his work and providing new perspectives for consideration.

Jackson executes a slow burn that first introduces Hercules as an Ethiopian sun god, then the zodiac as an Egyptian creation and culminates with the origins of Christianity as Egyptian. Even as I was reading each example, I'm thinking, "where is he going with this? He'll never have enough evidence to support this claim", and then BAM! in Egypt, Orion's belt the three stars were referred to as the Three Kings.

I'm learning a lot, but Jackson's writing leaves something to be desired. He has done as much on the intricacy of early family structures as he has with the civilization of the pharoahs.

So far, a surprisingly enjoyable, mild read about two young couples who become friends. There is something cathartic about reading something so normal.

For a chapter titled "Ethiopia and the Origin of Civilization" there isn't much on what we consider Ethiopia. But the origin is interesting- it stems from two Greek roots meaning burnt and faces- hence darker people. Jackson's thesis is that this could refer to any one of three origin sites- Babylon, Kush/Meroe and the Indus Valley. All of these people were dark and had Civilization long before Europeans.

Interesting decision to start the first chapter with a brief but thorough history of biological evolution, before talking about the origins of humans.

Jackson's thesis: humans evolved in Africa. Not revolutionary today- probably a big deal in 1970.

The Introduction by John Henrik Clarke is glowing as you might expect. What I have already learned is that this will definitely be an enlightening experience. This is not going to be 200 pages on Egyptians and some throwaway lines on Benin and Mali.

Someone check this: on 113, Monroe says a hockey puck could not knock a goalie into the net. It would have to move at Mach 8, but at Mach 8, it would burst on contact.
On p177, he says a feather moving fast enough could definitely knock you down.

Monroe is pretty clear that he is just doing his best, and his calculations and connections are vastly superior to anything I could manage.
But that still seems strange.

The twists and turns have to make sense within the scope of the story and characters.
The tension and reluctance that Hawker conveys is completely reasonable for this story.

Hey Randy, this is how you build tension and drama at the end of a book.

Woof. That was way too syrupy.

(These aren't spoilers, unless you weren't going to finish the first chapter.)

Oh, i get it. The husbands' names are Ernest and Substance. And Ernest killed Substance because Ernest's wife was unfaithful.

Get it?

Get it?

Get it?

I'm a bit embarrassed that it took me more than 300 pages.

Maybe the problem is me. As the story goes on and the tension eases, I enjoy it more. And God knows, I hate confrontation.

Cora may be a fairly well-written character. She is weak, aware of it, trying to do better, but failing. The way Hawker portrays her is consistent, and her action, or usually, inaction, is in line with who she is.

There is little more frustrating than a character who just magically does something that does not make sense for their personality.

Halberstam is a brilliant writer. His ability to write about any topic and make it feel like a story is rare.

I couldn't sleep this morning at 1AM. Credit to this book- it did NOT put me back to sleep. I probably read two or three chapters- the action is heating up. There is something strangely melodramatic about EVERYTHING that happens, but it is slowly improving.

"Jo feebly considered strangling the child, if she floated within reach, but it was too much effort."

Brilliant.

When do character evolution and unreliable narrator stop being literary devices and start being something else?
In one section Nettie Mae is finally as awful as we might imagine, and Cora is as weak as we are led to believe.
Then Beulah narrates a section and Oh noooo, just wait there's more.
If we are seeing the world through a character's eyes, another character can't know more about their inner monologue?

Trying to figure out what is stereotypes here and what is a respectful depiction of a culture.

Is this what paternalism is?

What is the male equivalent of a Mary Sue?