In 1991, when I visited the USA as a tourist for the second time, I stumbled upon this book. I bought a copy, brought it home with me and before I had a chance to read it, I gave it away to my friend Valmir Barbosa, who had introduced me to Asimov's Foundation universe. The years went by, the book went out of print and then I finally remembered there was this one novel by The Good Doctor, which I had not read yet. I scoured bookstores looking for it, without any luck, until a few weeks ago, my friend and housemate Fred Henle dug up a copy for me from the depths of his most amazing library.
What an fantastic book! It's Asimov at his prime. The story is based on an institution called Eternity, that operates outside the confines of time. Eternity uses people and equipment to ferry goods from one time period to another, but also to guide the history of mankind. Using complex mathematical analyses and deep observations, they can change Reality to improve the goodness of all.
So, there is a component of hard science and time paradoxes to your heart's delight, but there's also a very human story interwoven in this plot. Andrew Harlan is a Technician: a member of Eternity (aka an Eternal) in charge of carrying out the deeds that change Reality. If one of these math specialists, a Computer, determines a new course for Reality, Harlan is one of those who must travel in time to set things in motion. The society in Eternity is caste-based and Technicians are not viewed with much love by the rest of the populace. After all, they are the ones who actually change Reality and may cause grief to other Eternals; even if they didn't determine these changes, they are seen as the cause of the effect and their existence is ignored by the others as much as possible.
The human drama of Harlan's existence develops when he meets a woman called Noys, while travelling through time in one of his assignments. Much against the rules of Eternity, he falls in love and risks not only his career, but also the entire institution for his feelings. To say much more than this would be to take away from you the pleasure of reading this page turner and being stunned by the surprises that come along.
Suffice it to say that this book will get you thinking hard about time and relativity, about sociology and society as a whole, and about individual human lives. Just like most of Asimov's novels do. Fans of the Robot, Galactic Empire and Foundation novels may even find something of a tie between that universe and the one of "The End of Eternity". A must read for any serious fan of science fiction.
Friday, December 22, 2006
Childhood's End, by Arthur C. Clarke
A classic in science fiction by one of its major exponents. How can one go wrong with this? On a certain day, without any warning, massive alien spaceships show up on Earth. There's one hovering over each major city in the world and soon their occupants disclose the nature of their visit. These "Overlords" come to put an end to all the nonsense that permeates human existence: war, hunger, crime, etc. But at what price?
It's a fast and short read and the least I tell you about it, the more you'll enjoy it. It's definitely worth the time.
It's a fast and short read and the least I tell you about it, the more you'll enjoy it. It's definitely worth the time.
O Clube dos Anjos, by Luis Fernando Verissimo
For those who haven't had the pleasure, Verissimo is one of the most celebrated and accomplished Brazilian writers of today. The man has a touch for comedy that's unparalleled and in this book he shows his skill in the mystery genre telling the thrilling story of a group of people caught up in a macabre dinner club.
The "Clube do Picadinho" meets every month to indulge in food and drinks arranged by a different member each time. The organization goes through its ups and downs, celebrating here their friendship and there their differences, for 21 years. Until one of the original 10 members passes away. As the new year begins and they wonder if the club should still have a place in their lives, a mysterious character joins them, not as a member, but as an expert chef behind the curtains, preparing dinner after dinner for them. And then, one by one, people begin to die. One after each and every dinner, where the main course was the victim's favourite dish. They suspect their food is being poisoned; they figure out a pattern for the deaths so that they can predict who the next one will be. But they cannot stop eating because the food is too good to pass.
This is a great and bizarre story to make you think on the "whodunit", but which also makes you laugh as it goes on. I'm not sure it's been translated from the original Portuguese, but it certainly is something to keep an eye out for.
The "Clube do Picadinho" meets every month to indulge in food and drinks arranged by a different member each time. The organization goes through its ups and downs, celebrating here their friendship and there their differences, for 21 years. Until one of the original 10 members passes away. As the new year begins and they wonder if the club should still have a place in their lives, a mysterious character joins them, not as a member, but as an expert chef behind the curtains, preparing dinner after dinner for them. And then, one by one, people begin to die. One after each and every dinner, where the main course was the victim's favourite dish. They suspect their food is being poisoned; they figure out a pattern for the deaths so that they can predict who the next one will be. But they cannot stop eating because the food is too good to pass.
This is a great and bizarre story to make you think on the "whodunit", but which also makes you laugh as it goes on. I'm not sure it's been translated from the original Portuguese, but it certainly is something to keep an eye out for.
The Talented Mr. Ripley, by Patricia Highsmith
It seems to me this one of those unusual cases when the movie made a story better than it was in the original book. I'm not saying the book isn't brilliant, it is very much so, but I think that watching the movie first helped me to build a very concrete image of passages in the book. Actually, I recommend people interested in a good thriller to see the movie first and then read the book. There are many similarities between the two, but also many interesting differences. Characters that do not exist in the book have key parts in the screenplay and end up complementing the story in a masterful way. I'm not the first one to say that was the most underrated movie of 1999. Ok, back to the book.
It is unfair to say that Tom Ripley is a criminal. He's so much more than that. He's one of those people who can get away with it thanks to his good boy charms and a vast amount of luck. When he is living his small life in New York City, the father of an old acquaintance asks him to go on a trip to Italy and bring back his wayward son. With all expenses paid and more money to get in the end, struggling, poor Ripley embarks on this first class voyage to the Old World. What happens next is complicated to describe, analyze or judge because you're offered a view of the world through Ripley's eyes and, in that framework, all his actions are understandable, if not justified.
I found this an incredible story that put me on the edge of my seat, sometimes sweating along with the main character, sharing his terror and his sadness, commiserating with one of amoral behaviour who, for the most part, really deserves no sympathy.
It is unfair to say that Tom Ripley is a criminal. He's so much more than that. He's one of those people who can get away with it thanks to his good boy charms and a vast amount of luck. When he is living his small life in New York City, the father of an old acquaintance asks him to go on a trip to Italy and bring back his wayward son. With all expenses paid and more money to get in the end, struggling, poor Ripley embarks on this first class voyage to the Old World. What happens next is complicated to describe, analyze or judge because you're offered a view of the world through Ripley's eyes and, in that framework, all his actions are understandable, if not justified.
I found this an incredible story that put me on the edge of my seat, sometimes sweating along with the main character, sharing his terror and his sadness, commiserating with one of amoral behaviour who, for the most part, really deserves no sympathy.
Temple of The Winds, by Terry Goodkind
I guess when I started the "Sword of Truth" series I was so engaged in the story that I didn't pay much attention to the low quality of Goodkind's writing. This book is not terribly engaging and lacks much in terms of creativity, so the authors weaknesses really show through.
I found the book fairly entertaining, but it read like a scene observed from afar: I never recaptured the bond I had built with the characters and never cared much for what was happening to them. The author seems to be focusing on throwing in too many plot twists and unexciting surprises. To make up for the lack of really wondrous developments, he seems to be trying to capture the reader's interest with the worst elements of soap opera.
Among the new characters introduced in this volume, there were a bastard brother and a long lost lover which are shamelessly used to stir up jealousy and intrigue and to create space for an attempt at writing cheap erotica. Having lost the initial excitement with the Sword of Truth series, I now think it's not to be regarded as more than mass market entertainement and certainly never as literature.
I found the book fairly entertaining, but it read like a scene observed from afar: I never recaptured the bond I had built with the characters and never cared much for what was happening to them. The author seems to be focusing on throwing in too many plot twists and unexciting surprises. To make up for the lack of really wondrous developments, he seems to be trying to capture the reader's interest with the worst elements of soap opera.
Among the new characters introduced in this volume, there were a bastard brother and a long lost lover which are shamelessly used to stir up jealousy and intrigue and to create space for an attempt at writing cheap erotica. Having lost the initial excitement with the Sword of Truth series, I now think it's not to be regarded as more than mass market entertainement and certainly never as literature.
Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban, by J. K. Rowling
The best of the 3 Potter books, in my opinion. Granted that the books have been completely formulaic: it always starts out with Harry having a miserable time at the Dudleys', then going to Hogwarts School of Magic for another academic year where he gets sucked into some exciting adventure only to return to the Dudleys' one more time. Well, yeah, that's true, but how cares? The books are extremely fun to read and that's what matters.
I still can't get over the whole Quiddich thing and everytime Rowling describes a game she gets me jumping in my seat, cheering for Potter. The descriptions are so vivid that I can see the whole match unfolding before my eyes: kids flying around on broomsticks, trying to send floating balls into a floating goal and the Seeker flying around everybody at high speed, frantically chasing the Golden Snitch. It's almost as exciting as watching World Cup Soccer. I reached the Quiddich final on a Saturday morning and the only thing that kept me from screaming with excitement was the fact that there other people still asleep in the house.
My only complaint is that, every time I start one of these books, I get so sucked into the story that it almost hurts to put the book down if I'm not finished. I think these are best when read in one sitting, so the reader doesn't suffer from withdrawal until the story is resolved and finished. I'm eagerly waiting for the next one.
I still can't get over the whole Quiddich thing and everytime Rowling describes a game she gets me jumping in my seat, cheering for Potter. The descriptions are so vivid that I can see the whole match unfolding before my eyes: kids flying around on broomsticks, trying to send floating balls into a floating goal and the Seeker flying around everybody at high speed, frantically chasing the Golden Snitch. It's almost as exciting as watching World Cup Soccer. I reached the Quiddich final on a Saturday morning and the only thing that kept me from screaming with excitement was the fact that there other people still asleep in the house.
My only complaint is that, every time I start one of these books, I get so sucked into the story that it almost hurts to put the book down if I'm not finished. I think these are best when read in one sitting, so the reader doesn't suffer from withdrawal until the story is resolved and finished. I'm eagerly waiting for the next one.
The Alienist, by Caleb Carr
A fantastic book not for the faint of heart. "The Alienist" tells the story of an investigative team lead by a modern psychologist in the pursuit of a serial killer. The setting is Manhattan circa 1896 and it's as real as a book can ever make it. The narrative takes place in the complex landscape of a city which struggles with incipient overpopulation, corruption and crime. The author does an incredible job of painting this scenery which becomes easy to visualize with your mind's eye. The drawback to this quality is that, in a story as gruesome as this one, you may not welcome the level of realism.
The book should appeal to readers of good mysteries such Agatha Christie's or Conan Doyle's, but more specially to those who appreciate a thorough study of the criminal mind more than just the answer to "who did it?" Another interesting facet of this book, is its strong historical appeal: to someone as ignorant on American history as I am, you get the impression that you're learning at the same time you're being entertained. The line dividing reality and fiction becomes a little too tenuous to decypher, but a little research can confirm many of the facts fed you throughout the book. So, in the end, if you paid attention to what you read, you really did learn quite a bit.
When most of the setting for the story is derived from historical facts and the characters are so well fleshed out, the level of realism attained makes this a very scary book. There were passages where I was literally afraid to keep on reading so revolting were the scenes they depicted. I thoroughly enjoyed the profiling of the killer and the trip into this disturbed person's mind, but I can't recommend this book for people who wouldn't enjoy a ride such as "The Silence of The Lambs".
The book should appeal to readers of good mysteries such Agatha Christie's or Conan Doyle's, but more specially to those who appreciate a thorough study of the criminal mind more than just the answer to "who did it?" Another interesting facet of this book, is its strong historical appeal: to someone as ignorant on American history as I am, you get the impression that you're learning at the same time you're being entertained. The line dividing reality and fiction becomes a little too tenuous to decypher, but a little research can confirm many of the facts fed you throughout the book. So, in the end, if you paid attention to what you read, you really did learn quite a bit.
When most of the setting for the story is derived from historical facts and the characters are so well fleshed out, the level of realism attained makes this a very scary book. There were passages where I was literally afraid to keep on reading so revolting were the scenes they depicted. I thoroughly enjoyed the profiling of the killer and the trip into this disturbed person's mind, but I can't recommend this book for people who wouldn't enjoy a ride such as "The Silence of The Lambs".
The Path of Daggers, by Robert Jordan
It's so boring I haven't been able to go past the first half. Mr. Jordan is developing a talent for writing a story that does not advance, where nothing happens, where nothing gets resolved. When you finally get the sense that something is happening, or is going to happen, Jordan switches you to a different thread and restarts the excrutiatingly slow ramp up to a vaguely meaningful event. Only if you're really stubborn and desperately need to justify all the time you already invested in the series you can manage to finish this. This may have well been the last one in The Wheel of Time series I ever (kind of) read.
Harry Potter and Chamber of Secrets, by J. K. Rowling
Another fun book to read by Mrs. Rowling. I feel sorry for the "grownups" looking down us who can enjoy and appreciate this great storyteller. Don't let anyone convince you this is just for kids.
The book is about Potter's return to Hogwarts School of Magic, about the mysterious new threat that Lord Voldemort poses to his life, about Quiddich, about friends supporting each other, about laughing in the face of danger and I don't know how many other things. Read it if you liked the first. These books are destined to become classics.
The book is about Potter's return to Hogwarts School of Magic, about the mysterious new threat that Lord Voldemort poses to his life, about Quiddich, about friends supporting each other, about laughing in the face of danger and I don't know how many other things. Read it if you liked the first. These books are destined to become classics.
The Unbearable Lightness of Being, by Milan Kundera
Undoubtedly, one of the most beautiful and insightful books ever written. It's a book for sentitive people who often ponder on the nature of romantic relationships. It's an honest story full of life and about life, which does not develop linearly. The characters are solid and palpable and extremely intriguing. I had to read this book slowly because I didn't want it to end. Several times I was led to stop and think deeply about the pearls that Kundera wove into the plot.
The story evolves around the lives of four lovers as their relationships grow and get intertwined with one another. The settings are also very real and can get one totally immersed, in both spatial and temporal sense. When I finished to book, I ran to the video store to get the movie, but the screen version was a great disappointment. I couldn't stomach what was done to characters that I came to love as I read this book and didn't get to finish even the first half of the movie.
The story evolves around the lives of four lovers as their relationships grow and get intertwined with one another. The settings are also very real and can get one totally immersed, in both spatial and temporal sense. When I finished to book, I ran to the video store to get the movie, but the screen version was a great disappointment. I couldn't stomach what was done to characters that I came to love as I read this book and didn't get to finish even the first half of the movie.
Dune, by Frank Herbert
As soon as I finished reading the prequel to this, I had to go back and reread it. It had been over 15 years since my first read and I had to give it another shot. After all these years and so many other books, it's still stands apart as a masterpiece to be admired and revered.
This is a sci-fi story alright, but the future is quite different from what one might imagine. The known universe is ruled by an Emperor and the government system is basically feudal. Titles of nobility abound: dukes, barons, counts, earls and all that. Implausible? I don't know, but I recommend you suspend any disbelief you may have and read on.
In several aspects society depends on a substance called the spice melange, which extends life and expands consciousness. Faster than light travel lies at the core of the empire's economy and requires that spaceship navigators use this substance's power to fold space and compute trajectories between source and destination. The only problem is that the spice exists on only one planet in the entire universe. A desolate, dry planet called Arrakis or Dune.
The story that unfolds as you read on is one of political intrigue, social manipulation, warfare, ecology, mysticism and, of course, of fantasy. Said to be the best selling sci-fi series of all time, Dune is a majestic piece of imaginative work, a puzzle carefully and beautifully crafted. It talks about the nature of men, about good and evil, honor and friendship and all that lies at the core of an entire society. Undoubtedly, this is one of my favourites and I can't help but recommend it to anyone who enjoys an intelligent read.
Having refreshed my memory with this volume helped me appreciate the prequel a little more. Characters who are no more than sidekicks here, such as Shaddam IV, Count Fenring, the Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam and even the Baron Harkonnen are given a fuller background and made more solid. In light of this new realization, I must also recommend you read the prequel, but read it after Dune.
This is a sci-fi story alright, but the future is quite different from what one might imagine. The known universe is ruled by an Emperor and the government system is basically feudal. Titles of nobility abound: dukes, barons, counts, earls and all that. Implausible? I don't know, but I recommend you suspend any disbelief you may have and read on.
In several aspects society depends on a substance called the spice melange, which extends life and expands consciousness. Faster than light travel lies at the core of the empire's economy and requires that spaceship navigators use this substance's power to fold space and compute trajectories between source and destination. The only problem is that the spice exists on only one planet in the entire universe. A desolate, dry planet called Arrakis or Dune.
The story that unfolds as you read on is one of political intrigue, social manipulation, warfare, ecology, mysticism and, of course, of fantasy. Said to be the best selling sci-fi series of all time, Dune is a majestic piece of imaginative work, a puzzle carefully and beautifully crafted. It talks about the nature of men, about good and evil, honor and friendship and all that lies at the core of an entire society. Undoubtedly, this is one of my favourites and I can't help but recommend it to anyone who enjoys an intelligent read.
Having refreshed my memory with this volume helped me appreciate the prequel a little more. Characters who are no more than sidekicks here, such as Shaddam IV, Count Fenring, the Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam and even the Baron Harkonnen are given a fuller background and made more solid. In light of this new realization, I must also recommend you read the prequel, but read it after Dune.
Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone, by J. K. Rowling
"A book for children", one would say... Yes, right, or perhaps for those who still have the child inside. Having heard all the hoopla, seeing that the 3 existing Harry Potter books headline the best-seller lists, hearing how so many adults are falling in love with this series, I had to read it if only to discover what was supposed to be so great about it.
And there's a lot about it that's really great. Like so many fairy tales, it starts out very sad, but never losing a sense of humour. The story of Harry, whose parents have been killed by an evil magician, begins on a dark tone: the rough time he has with his foster parents until he's sent away to a special school is really emotional and depressing, kind of a Cinderella beginning.
Next thing you know, his talent for sorcery is discovered and he leaves the sorry world of the ordinary people, the "Muggles", to be trained at Hogwarts School of Magicians. From that point on the ride takes off and it's fun on top of more fun and you can't put it down until you're done. I'm looking forward to reading more of this series and hoping the author can keep up with the wonderful quality of writing she achieved in this first book.
And there's a lot about it that's really great. Like so many fairy tales, it starts out very sad, but never losing a sense of humour. The story of Harry, whose parents have been killed by an evil magician, begins on a dark tone: the rough time he has with his foster parents until he's sent away to a special school is really emotional and depressing, kind of a Cinderella beginning.
Next thing you know, his talent for sorcery is discovered and he leaves the sorry world of the ordinary people, the "Muggles", to be trained at Hogwarts School of Magicians. From that point on the ride takes off and it's fun on top of more fun and you can't put it down until you're done. I'm looking forward to reading more of this series and hoping the author can keep up with the wonderful quality of writing she achieved in this first book.
Dune: House Atreides, by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson
Frank Herbert's "Dune" series is said to be the top seller among all science fiction sagas written so far. When asked to pick a favourite, I usually feel cornered to provide an honest reply because, to me, it ties with Isaac Asimov's Foundation and Arthur C. Clarke's Rama books. Dune is a totally different opus, though: Herbert created a very complex and thorough universe where one can get completely immersed or perhaps even trapped. I remember being deeply affected when I read the first book: I felt terribly guilty taking a shower after having read how scarce and valuable water was in Arrakis.
One of the biggest merits of the Dune books is their vast scope: they're not all about science or technology. They talk at length about military, politics, religion, ethics, ecology, sociology, you name it. What got me so engrossed was the fact that I was reading a fascinating story about people, individuals and societies, which at the same time made me consider all other "aspects of reality".
Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson put out this brave and bold attempt to revisit Frank's worlds, but it can't be compared to the older books. What's interesting about this one is that it details events in the near past before Dune and gives more background on characters that people came to love. It also sheds a light on the Guild, which good old Frank kept as a mysterious, obscure organization in his tomes.
All in all, it's a must read for any Dune fan, but it's not the type of book that is going to start a following on its own.
One of the biggest merits of the Dune books is their vast scope: they're not all about science or technology. They talk at length about military, politics, religion, ethics, ecology, sociology, you name it. What got me so engrossed was the fact that I was reading a fascinating story about people, individuals and societies, which at the same time made me consider all other "aspects of reality".
Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson put out this brave and bold attempt to revisit Frank's worlds, but it can't be compared to the older books. What's interesting about this one is that it details events in the near past before Dune and gives more background on characters that people came to love. It also sheds a light on the Guild, which good old Frank kept as a mysterious, obscure organization in his tomes.
All in all, it's a must read for any Dune fan, but it's not the type of book that is going to start a following on its own.
nto The Wild, by Jon Krakauer
Christopher McCandless, aka Alex Supertramp, graduates from Emory College and severs contact with his family to get out on the road on the adventure of a lifetime. He doesn't realize, perhaps, that life is a very fragile thing and two years later, his emaciated body is found inside an abandoned bus on the Stampede Trail in Alaska.
This book is about "why's", a great many of them. Why a well-to-do kid abandoned his family. Why he passionately loved his outdoors excursions. Why he wanted to push his limits. And also about why and how he died in the pursuit of his own self.
I decided to read this book for a variety of reasons. I've read "Into Thin Air" and immensely enjoyed Krakauer's ability to tell a good story, even if we all know it's a tragic one. My passion for the outdoors has been growing fast and steadily in the last year and I've been trying to understand why and how a big city guy like me suddenly becomes so enamoured and enthusiastic about being in the wilderness. I've never taken any mighty risks, but I do enjoy the feeling of a solo trip. Can I ever put myself in the same situation that Alex found himself? Am I pushing my own envelope farther than my abilities?
Somehow I felt like Alex and I had a few things in common and thought it would be interesting to see where our philosophies diverged. It was an outstanding read, much like a "mystery" book, but also because it forces you to look inside your own self and reach out to someone who got lost in the way. You turn page after page hoping to figure out what drives a human being to seek communion with the environment at the expense of risking his own life. Krakauer masterfully interweaves Alex's story with those of others who perished in similar circumstances and with his own personal experiences. Although very sad, it's a wonderful book, an eye opener for the outdoors enthusiast and a wonderful beginning for those seeking to understand themselves through the lives of others.
This book is about "why's", a great many of them. Why a well-to-do kid abandoned his family. Why he passionately loved his outdoors excursions. Why he wanted to push his limits. And also about why and how he died in the pursuit of his own self.
I decided to read this book for a variety of reasons. I've read "Into Thin Air" and immensely enjoyed Krakauer's ability to tell a good story, even if we all know it's a tragic one. My passion for the outdoors has been growing fast and steadily in the last year and I've been trying to understand why and how a big city guy like me suddenly becomes so enamoured and enthusiastic about being in the wilderness. I've never taken any mighty risks, but I do enjoy the feeling of a solo trip. Can I ever put myself in the same situation that Alex found himself? Am I pushing my own envelope farther than my abilities?
Somehow I felt like Alex and I had a few things in common and thought it would be interesting to see where our philosophies diverged. It was an outstanding read, much like a "mystery" book, but also because it forces you to look inside your own self and reach out to someone who got lost in the way. You turn page after page hoping to figure out what drives a human being to seek communion with the environment at the expense of risking his own life. Krakauer masterfully interweaves Alex's story with those of others who perished in similar circumstances and with his own personal experiences. Although very sad, it's a wonderful book, an eye opener for the outdoors enthusiast and a wonderful beginning for those seeking to understand themselves through the lives of others.
Wizard's First Rule, Stone of Tears, and Blood of The Fold, by Terry Goodkind
Fantasy fans rejoice: what a good series !!! People have said that Goodkind has borrowed too much from Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series and you do find several points in common between the two. What people forget to point out is that there are also very marked differences.
For one, I think that Goodkind's writing seems more "to the point" and you don't have to turn 500 boring pages with nothing going on (true of the latest books in TWoT, in my opinion). Another major distinction is that these books are not for the faint of heart. I've heard of people who have put them down because of explicit gore and I do agree that there is a long passage in the first book that is a bit too bloody. But, is that bad ? The point is: it's a passage where a character undergoes a major experience in his life and his suffering is to change him substantially from that point on. The author succeeds in making the reader feel what his characters feel and I can't say it's a bad thing. You may double up in pain with every new wound your favourite character receives, but that's a sign you've been pulled into the story. Maybe it's just not everyone's cup of tea.
In it's utmost essence the plot is not terribly original: the story revolves around someone who led a peaceful, bucolic life until the world as he knew it collapsed under his feet: Richard Cypher is swept into a life of magic, mythical creatures and constant adventure. This seems to be a well beaten formula since Tolkien and perhaps even before his days, but it works: it fires the imagination and delivers a lot of excitement.
I highly recommend this "Sword of Truth" series to anyone into fantasy.
For one, I think that Goodkind's writing seems more "to the point" and you don't have to turn 500 boring pages with nothing going on (true of the latest books in TWoT, in my opinion). Another major distinction is that these books are not for the faint of heart. I've heard of people who have put them down because of explicit gore and I do agree that there is a long passage in the first book that is a bit too bloody. But, is that bad ? The point is: it's a passage where a character undergoes a major experience in his life and his suffering is to change him substantially from that point on. The author succeeds in making the reader feel what his characters feel and I can't say it's a bad thing. You may double up in pain with every new wound your favourite character receives, but that's a sign you've been pulled into the story. Maybe it's just not everyone's cup of tea.
In it's utmost essence the plot is not terribly original: the story revolves around someone who led a peaceful, bucolic life until the world as he knew it collapsed under his feet: Richard Cypher is swept into a life of magic, mythical creatures and constant adventure. This seems to be a well beaten formula since Tolkien and perhaps even before his days, but it works: it fires the imagination and delivers a lot of excitement.
I highly recommend this "Sword of Truth" series to anyone into fantasy.
Tuesdays with Morrie, by Mitch Albom
This is a book about people, about friendship, about living and about dying. Morrie Schwartz, one of those big hearted human beings who devote their lives to teaching, is diagnosed with Lou Gherig's disease. In a short span of time, he progressively loses control over his body and, as he gets closer to his final breath, he shows everybody around him there is more to life than most people realize.
This is the account of the last weeks in the life of a wonderful man written by one of his former students. Mitch Albom, an accomplished sports writer, discovers that his beloved professor is wasting away and turns his life around to sign up for one more class with his master.
The author tells us about his weekly meetings with a man who still had much to teach and while some people have claimed this book to be "mushy stuff that everybody already knows", I found it a beautiful read. There's much about life we all take for granted and I think it important to be able to stop and look at where we are going. Without reevaluating who we are, who we have become, we can never really turn into who want to be. This book touches many deep issues, but the most important one for me is about relationships.
We can get caught up in a thousand things, running around just to keep life going day by day, and still forget to live. This book is can be a great reminder of lessons we may learned along the way and forgot to put in practice or even an introduction to "what really matters".
This is the account of the last weeks in the life of a wonderful man written by one of his former students. Mitch Albom, an accomplished sports writer, discovers that his beloved professor is wasting away and turns his life around to sign up for one more class with his master.
The author tells us about his weekly meetings with a man who still had much to teach and while some people have claimed this book to be "mushy stuff that everybody already knows", I found it a beautiful read. There's much about life we all take for granted and I think it important to be able to stop and look at where we are going. Without reevaluating who we are, who we have become, we can never really turn into who want to be. This book touches many deep issues, but the most important one for me is about relationships.
We can get caught up in a thousand things, running around just to keep life going day by day, and still forget to live. This book is can be a great reminder of lessons we may learned along the way and forgot to put in practice or even an introduction to "what really matters".
Timescape, by Gregory Benford
Before I got started on this, I read somewhere that his writings were "hard" science fiction. It was not until I finished the book and read an essay at the end of my edition that it was explained to me that hard sci-fi is based on physics while soft sci-fi is based on the sociological repercussions of scientific achievements. Well, I thought to start my comments on this book with this bit of trivia because this classification may discourage people to read it. And then they'd miss an incredible story that makes you think not only about science but also about the people behind it.
This book tells the story of an Earth with a collapsing ecosystem in which scientists seek to mitigate troubles of the present by sending a message to the past. Hopefully, if someone in that time is able to receive, decode the message, and take action to avoid a disastrous future, the crisis in the present will be averted. But does anyone know what kind of paradoxes this would create ? No, not really. Present science can't say anything about that. Thankfully, the book is fiction and presents extrapolations and hypotheses to explain what 'could' possibly happen.
In addition to the strong scientific background presented in an easy to absorb style, the main strength of the book is that it's by no means dry and technical. Benford writes about cutting edge physics, it's true, but he also writes about human beings with passions, quirks, failures and shortcomings. It smells a lot like life and not so much as a distant, impossible reality. The book got me going strong from the first few pages and it was hard to put down until I was done. It's a highly non-linear story and when you get into it and begin to yearn for some kind of closure, you really can't stop. The last 200 pages go really fast and in the end you come to some very interesting twists that leave you with a sense of having accomplishing something by the mere fact of reading a science-fiction story.
This book tells the story of an Earth with a collapsing ecosystem in which scientists seek to mitigate troubles of the present by sending a message to the past. Hopefully, if someone in that time is able to receive, decode the message, and take action to avoid a disastrous future, the crisis in the present will be averted. But does anyone know what kind of paradoxes this would create ? No, not really. Present science can't say anything about that. Thankfully, the book is fiction and presents extrapolations and hypotheses to explain what 'could' possibly happen.
In addition to the strong scientific background presented in an easy to absorb style, the main strength of the book is that it's by no means dry and technical. Benford writes about cutting edge physics, it's true, but he also writes about human beings with passions, quirks, failures and shortcomings. It smells a lot like life and not so much as a distant, impossible reality. The book got me going strong from the first few pages and it was hard to put down until I was done. It's a highly non-linear story and when you get into it and begin to yearn for some kind of closure, you really can't stop. The last 200 pages go really fast and in the end you come to some very interesting twists that leave you with a sense of having accomplishing something by the mere fact of reading a science-fiction story.
Romeo & Juliet, by William Shakespeare
I can't really get deep into this because I'm no expert in literature and consider anything I may say about such a classic a petty, frivolous comment. I reserve the right to say, though, that this it is so incredibly romantic it hurts. I get the feeling that it's not what Shakespeare writes about that makes him so great, it's how he writes. The wit, the beauty, the complexity and depth of the dialogues are worth much much more than the time you put into reading one of his plays. I should repeat that I've been extremely happy to read the Folger Library editions of Shakespeare plays. I don't believe there can be an easier and more pleasant way to tackle Shakespeare works than with authoritative scholars out to help you through the archaic vocabulary and historic/literary references you might miss.
Inferno, by Roger MacBride Allen
Interesting book in the same universe of Isaac Asimov "Robot/Foundation" novels. If you're a fan of The Good Doctor's, you may want to check this out.
The story continues where Allen left off in the first volume of his own Robot Trilogy, "Caliban". In the Spacer planet of Hades (or Inferno), a new breed of robots is introduced. The new sentient machines, dubbed New Law robots, obey a different set of laws intended to give them more freedom of action and thought than the original Three Laws. Whereas Asimov explored the social impact of the introduction of robots, Allen goes a bit further with the same theme conjecturing the changes that would be brought by robots that would be more than slaves to mankind.
Inferno is a planet in deep trouble and the advent of NL robots only adds another variable to a complex system of equations. With an ecosystem in imminent collapse, there is an increased need for labour. A reterraforming effort requires that many personal robots be reclaimed and added to the workforce. NL robots don't seem to work as well as Third Law robots, though, and many of them try to escape their duties and run away to join a community of their own. This introduces the new business of smuggling robots out of society or "rustbacking".
In the midst of this crisis, a high profile murder is committed and two robots, Prospero an NL and Caliban, a no-law robot, may be implicated. Sheriff Alvar Kresh is then faced with the task of solving the crime and in the process begins to unravel a conspiracy of great proportions.
Think of this a good murder mystery with a great science fiction setting. Perhaps it's not as grandiose as Asimov's Elijah Bayley novels, but then again, it is really hard to equal the Good Doctor. The story is peppered here and there with interesting philosophical dillemmas that are not necessarily pursued to the depth one would wish. The most intriguing material here lives in the background of the murder investigation, but still its presence is strong enough to provide great food for thought.
The story continues where Allen left off in the first volume of his own Robot Trilogy, "Caliban". In the Spacer planet of Hades (or Inferno), a new breed of robots is introduced. The new sentient machines, dubbed New Law robots, obey a different set of laws intended to give them more freedom of action and thought than the original Three Laws. Whereas Asimov explored the social impact of the introduction of robots, Allen goes a bit further with the same theme conjecturing the changes that would be brought by robots that would be more than slaves to mankind.
Inferno is a planet in deep trouble and the advent of NL robots only adds another variable to a complex system of equations. With an ecosystem in imminent collapse, there is an increased need for labour. A reterraforming effort requires that many personal robots be reclaimed and added to the workforce. NL robots don't seem to work as well as Third Law robots, though, and many of them try to escape their duties and run away to join a community of their own. This introduces the new business of smuggling robots out of society or "rustbacking".
In the midst of this crisis, a high profile murder is committed and two robots, Prospero an NL and Caliban, a no-law robot, may be implicated. Sheriff Alvar Kresh is then faced with the task of solving the crime and in the process begins to unravel a conspiracy of great proportions.
Think of this a good murder mystery with a great science fiction setting. Perhaps it's not as grandiose as Asimov's Elijah Bayley novels, but then again, it is really hard to equal the Good Doctor. The story is peppered here and there with interesting philosophical dillemmas that are not necessarily pursued to the depth one would wish. The most intriguing material here lives in the background of the murder investigation, but still its presence is strong enough to provide great food for thought.
Pandora, by Anne Rice
To me this was one of those books... One of those I regret reading.
A while ago, a book by Anne Rice used to mean hours of pure delight to me. The woman used to concoct the most gripping, intriguing and entertaining stories; her characters used to be so well developed you could swear they were flesh and blood. I used to wait anxiously for every new book she would write, but, well, that was then.
It didn't hurt to read Pandora, but it didn't add anything either. Unlike other volumes in The Vampire Chronicles, this one reads without any passion. I kept turning page after page hoping that something powerful would develop, but it never did.
All I can say about this book is that it's set in ancient times and is about a Roman woman who loses everything in life and is given the dubious gift of immortality as a blood drinker. The story sheds a little more light on the life of Marius, a major character in the Chronicles, but the lack of truly exciting events or earth shattering revelations makes it no more than a little decoration on a cake that is about to get stale.
Rice's determination to write two books a year (one in the Vampire Chronicles and something else new) seems to be taking a heavy toll on the quality of her work.
A while ago, a book by Anne Rice used to mean hours of pure delight to me. The woman used to concoct the most gripping, intriguing and entertaining stories; her characters used to be so well developed you could swear they were flesh and blood. I used to wait anxiously for every new book she would write, but, well, that was then.
It didn't hurt to read Pandora, but it didn't add anything either. Unlike other volumes in The Vampire Chronicles, this one reads without any passion. I kept turning page after page hoping that something powerful would develop, but it never did.
All I can say about this book is that it's set in ancient times and is about a Roman woman who loses everything in life and is given the dubious gift of immortality as a blood drinker. The story sheds a little more light on the life of Marius, a major character in the Chronicles, but the lack of truly exciting events or earth shattering revelations makes it no more than a little decoration on a cake that is about to get stale.
Rice's determination to write two books a year (one in the Vampire Chronicles and something else new) seems to be taking a heavy toll on the quality of her work.
Neverwhere, by Neil Gaiman
Perhaps you've heard of this author before: he's the creator the "Sandman" stories that have been around as graphic novels for quite a while. I guess one can say he's big on dark, surreal matters, and constructs the kind of fantasy that smacks of some kind of alternate reality. If that's your cup of tea, you don't need to read this review any further: pick up this book and enjoy.
This is a dark faerie tale in modern times. The subject sounds a bit like a story you'd see in "The Twilight Zone" or even in "Alice In Wonderland": someone falls through a crack in reality and ends up in a parallel universe. It doesn't sound very original, but sometimes originality in the basic plot is not all that matters. In this case I'd say it's how the story is told that makes it so mesmerizing.
One day this ordinary guy Richard Mayhew goes out of his way to help someone and that's how his troubles begin. He's pulled out of modern London into a what Gaiman calls "London Below": a place where the currents of time meet and which is populated by strange and fascinating characters such as people who can talk to rats, sadistic killlers, angels, knights and kings, hunters and mythical beasts, in short, all sorts of blokes. There Richard goes through many ordeals and I won't say another word about his adventures for fear of spoiling it for you.
It's an easy and enjoyable read and even if some details of the story seem to be not terribly well explained in the end, I still enjoyed the ride. Gaiman tells his story in a way that sparks excitement and contructs solid images of his fantastic places and characters in the reader's mind's eye.
This is a dark faerie tale in modern times. The subject sounds a bit like a story you'd see in "The Twilight Zone" or even in "Alice In Wonderland": someone falls through a crack in reality and ends up in a parallel universe. It doesn't sound very original, but sometimes originality in the basic plot is not all that matters. In this case I'd say it's how the story is told that makes it so mesmerizing.
One day this ordinary guy Richard Mayhew goes out of his way to help someone and that's how his troubles begin. He's pulled out of modern London into a what Gaiman calls "London Below": a place where the currents of time meet and which is populated by strange and fascinating characters such as people who can talk to rats, sadistic killlers, angels, knights and kings, hunters and mythical beasts, in short, all sorts of blokes. There Richard goes through many ordeals and I won't say another word about his adventures for fear of spoiling it for you.
It's an easy and enjoyable read and even if some details of the story seem to be not terribly well explained in the end, I still enjoyed the ride. Gaiman tells his story in a way that sparks excitement and contructs solid images of his fantastic places and characters in the reader's mind's eye.
The Climb, by Anatoli Boukreev and G. Weston DeWal
Why read another book about the same incident described in Jon Krakauer's "Into Thin Air" (ITA) ? Well, the answer to this question is a bit complex.
The whole drama that unfolded in the 1996 climbing season on Mt. Everest is perhaps very difficult to understand: the people involved were all under the effect of the hardships caused by high altitude, fatigue and terrible weather conditions. One hopes that Krakauer has done his honest best to describe what happened, but we have to take into consideration that he alone cannot portray all that really happened. In his book [ITA], he paints the side of the picture that could be observed from the perspective of those into Rob Hall's group. Boukreev, a guide for Scott Fischer's Mountain Madness group, obviously had a totally different perspective.
More than anything else, what motivated me to read this other title was the fact that in [ITA], Boukreev is described as a selfish, irresponsible bastard. This alone would have been enough to make me want to hear his side of the story. And indeed it's a much different one.
The book is very gripping and easy to read: DeWalt and Boukreev take turns narrating the events giving the book more of a "documentary" style than that of [ITA]. The reasons for Boukreev's actions take solid shapes, being more than the speculations made by Krakauer. If [ITA] sparked your interest or if you just want to read a good book about high-altitude climbing, pick this one up. It's a sad story, but it sounds honest and is a echo of the voice of a man who seemed very aware of what he was doing as a guide and as a climber.
The whole drama that unfolded in the 1996 climbing season on Mt. Everest is perhaps very difficult to understand: the people involved were all under the effect of the hardships caused by high altitude, fatigue and terrible weather conditions. One hopes that Krakauer has done his honest best to describe what happened, but we have to take into consideration that he alone cannot portray all that really happened. In his book [ITA], he paints the side of the picture that could be observed from the perspective of those into Rob Hall's group. Boukreev, a guide for Scott Fischer's Mountain Madness group, obviously had a totally different perspective.
More than anything else, what motivated me to read this other title was the fact that in [ITA], Boukreev is described as a selfish, irresponsible bastard. This alone would have been enough to make me want to hear his side of the story. And indeed it's a much different one.
The book is very gripping and easy to read: DeWalt and Boukreev take turns narrating the events giving the book more of a "documentary" style than that of [ITA]. The reasons for Boukreev's actions take solid shapes, being more than the speculations made by Krakauer. If [ITA] sparked your interest or if you just want to read a good book about high-altitude climbing, pick this one up. It's a sad story, but it sounds honest and is a echo of the voice of a man who seemed very aware of what he was doing as a guide and as a climber.
De Profundis, by Oscar Wilde
Not recommended for people suffering from deep homophobia or deep depression. This work is a letter, a long letter, written by Oscar to his ex-lover Lord Alfred Douglas (aka Bosie) while carrying out his sentence in prison. I believe this work can only be appreciated by one who's acquired biographical information on Oscar and the events that led him to be sentenced to two years of hard labour in prison for something like "gross indecency" or "sodomy". I highly recommend this reading, specially to those who have read Richard Ellmann's biography or seen its screen version "Wilde" (Brian Gilbert, 1997).
The letter starts out by describing in minutiae to Bosie how he was ultimately responsible for destroying Oscar's life. Bosie was too coarse to realise this by himself and Oscar does tell him all the hard cold facts bringing up memories from various events. Even in what one would say is such a low moment in his life, Oscar manages to overcome all his grief and brings out all the kindness one can ever expect to find in a human being. While most people would just rip Bosie to shreds, but Oscar tries to instill in him something he never had: a conscience.
What I would call a second part of the letter gets deep into human psyche and talks about the evolution of the individual and relationships with with people, with Art, with God. While the first "part" is very sad and painful to read, in the sequence Oscar shows us how he was able to find himself and a deeper meaning to all his suffering and how he thought the destruction of his career as an Artist brought about the betterment of his own soul.
Despite all that can be said about his lifestyle and the supposed perversity of his character, this letter shows what kind of person Oscar really was: a beautiful human being who had so much to teach all of us and was led down to a path that utterly abbreviated his life depriving us of his wit, humour, intellect and appreciation for beautiful things.
To give you a taste of what you can find in this work, I'll leave you with a few short passages:
"Love is fed by imagination, by which we become wiser than we know, better than we feel, nobler than we are: by which we can see Life as a whole: by which, and by which alone, we can understand others in their real as in their ideal relations."
"If after I go out a friend of mine gave a feast, and did not invite me to it, I shouldn't mind a bit. I can be perfectly happy by myself. With freedom, books, flowers, and the moon, who could not be happy ? Besides, feasts are not for me anymore. That side of life is over to me, very fortunately I dare say. But if, after I go out, a friend of mine had a sorrow, and refused to allow me to share it, I should feel it most bitterly."
The letter starts out by describing in minutiae to Bosie how he was ultimately responsible for destroying Oscar's life. Bosie was too coarse to realise this by himself and Oscar does tell him all the hard cold facts bringing up memories from various events. Even in what one would say is such a low moment in his life, Oscar manages to overcome all his grief and brings out all the kindness one can ever expect to find in a human being. While most people would just rip Bosie to shreds, but Oscar tries to instill in him something he never had: a conscience.
What I would call a second part of the letter gets deep into human psyche and talks about the evolution of the individual and relationships with with people, with Art, with God. While the first "part" is very sad and painful to read, in the sequence Oscar shows us how he was able to find himself and a deeper meaning to all his suffering and how he thought the destruction of his career as an Artist brought about the betterment of his own soul.
Despite all that can be said about his lifestyle and the supposed perversity of his character, this letter shows what kind of person Oscar really was: a beautiful human being who had so much to teach all of us and was led down to a path that utterly abbreviated his life depriving us of his wit, humour, intellect and appreciation for beautiful things.
To give you a taste of what you can find in this work, I'll leave you with a few short passages:
"Love is fed by imagination, by which we become wiser than we know, better than we feel, nobler than we are: by which we can see Life as a whole: by which, and by which alone, we can understand others in their real as in their ideal relations."
"If after I go out a friend of mine gave a feast, and did not invite me to it, I shouldn't mind a bit. I can be perfectly happy by myself. With freedom, books, flowers, and the moon, who could not be happy ? Besides, feasts are not for me anymore. That side of life is over to me, very fortunately I dare say. But if, after I go out, a friend of mine had a sorrow, and refused to allow me to share it, I should feel it most bitterly."
Into Thin Air, by Jon Krakauer
n my attempt to read something other than fiction for a change, I decided to pick this bestseller about the tragedy on Mt. Everest in 1996. A morbid start, some people would say, to read about how all these people died in subzero temperatures in a place over 8km high.
There is much more than morbid curiosity to all of us who have picked up this book, I'm sure. First, it's extremely well written and will keep one turning page after page. Second, it does not only focus on the tragedy: it tells a lot about other historic expeditions to the top of the world explaining in detail, without ever becoming boring, all the dangers and hardships of such an endeavour. Anyone who'd like to know what it takes to get to the summit of Mt. Everest would enjoy this book. Mountaneering fans rejoice.
The book was born from an article that would originally have meant to discuss the comercialization of climbing the mountain: Jon Krakauer was sponsored in this expedition by Outside magazine with this specifi goal in mind. And the book does talk about this subject at lenght. But then, things went wrong and people died. And people got scared and scarred. Krakauer as one of the survivors was forced to relive in his mind, over and over, the actions of all those involved in the climb, including himself. Not satisfied with the depth he could get to in a magazine article, he sought catharsis in writing a full-fleshed account in book form and so it came to be.
The book is his version of the events. It's fair to expect that one who's been at the heart of such a shocking experience might not be able to retell all important details with clarity of mind and impartiality. It seems, however, that Krakauer did his homework and interviewed other members of the expeditions involved to get an accurate view. Probably there will not be an authoritative description of what went wrong in 1996 and on whose shoulders the blame should be placed, if at all, but this is definitely worth reading. If you become as interested in the subject as I have become, perhaps you'll want to read "The Climb", by Anatoli Boukreev, another survivor of this climb that is supposed to paint a pretty different picture. Or maybe before reading any of these books you'd like to read some online articles about it at Outside.
There is much more than morbid curiosity to all of us who have picked up this book, I'm sure. First, it's extremely well written and will keep one turning page after page. Second, it does not only focus on the tragedy: it tells a lot about other historic expeditions to the top of the world explaining in detail, without ever becoming boring, all the dangers and hardships of such an endeavour. Anyone who'd like to know what it takes to get to the summit of Mt. Everest would enjoy this book. Mountaneering fans rejoice.
The book was born from an article that would originally have meant to discuss the comercialization of climbing the mountain: Jon Krakauer was sponsored in this expedition by Outside magazine with this specifi goal in mind. And the book does talk about this subject at lenght. But then, things went wrong and people died. And people got scared and scarred. Krakauer as one of the survivors was forced to relive in his mind, over and over, the actions of all those involved in the climb, including himself. Not satisfied with the depth he could get to in a magazine article, he sought catharsis in writing a full-fleshed account in book form and so it came to be.
The book is his version of the events. It's fair to expect that one who's been at the heart of such a shocking experience might not be able to retell all important details with clarity of mind and impartiality. It seems, however, that Krakauer did his homework and interviewed other members of the expeditions involved to get an accurate view. Probably there will not be an authoritative description of what went wrong in 1996 and on whose shoulders the blame should be placed, if at all, but this is definitely worth reading. If you become as interested in the subject as I have become, perhaps you'll want to read "The Climb", by Anatoli Boukreev, another survivor of this climb that is supposed to paint a pretty different picture. Or maybe before reading any of these books you'd like to read some online articles about it at Outside.
The Miracle Strain, by Michael Cordy
The best thing I can say about this book is that it's a quick read. That means, if you don't like it, it will be over soon. However, I'm not going to recommend you read it...
The main argument is interesting enough: a group of scientists studying genetics and development of treatments for the maladies that come coded in our own DNA, comes across the opportunity to study "the genes of God". In this endeavour, they encounter the opposition of a secret society that keeps watch for the second coming of the Messiah.
The front cover of the book describes it as "Jurassic Park meets Indiana Jones meets the quest for the Holy Grail". Ok, perhaps that's a fair description because there could be a little of each of these elements in there. What is lacking are the thrills it seems to promise. I didn't find any excitement at all in the whole thing. It's fairly predictable and seems to enjoy taking a ride on the blasphemous side. Now, I have nothing against speculations that go against scripture, specially if they are intelligent enough. This was not exactly the case here. If you want something really exciting about secret societies, holy relics and that kind of thing, you'd be much better off reading Eco's Foucault's Pendulum.
It seems that the rights have been bought by Disney or Touchstone, so there might be a movie in the works. I recommend you don't spend your time reading this, because if the screen version is decent enough, it will cost you about the same in monetary value and much less in time to get through the story. Hopefully, it may even be more entertaining than the book...
The main argument is interesting enough: a group of scientists studying genetics and development of treatments for the maladies that come coded in our own DNA, comes across the opportunity to study "the genes of God". In this endeavour, they encounter the opposition of a secret society that keeps watch for the second coming of the Messiah.
The front cover of the book describes it as "Jurassic Park meets Indiana Jones meets the quest for the Holy Grail". Ok, perhaps that's a fair description because there could be a little of each of these elements in there. What is lacking are the thrills it seems to promise. I didn't find any excitement at all in the whole thing. It's fairly predictable and seems to enjoy taking a ride on the blasphemous side. Now, I have nothing against speculations that go against scripture, specially if they are intelligent enough. This was not exactly the case here. If you want something really exciting about secret societies, holy relics and that kind of thing, you'd be much better off reading Eco's Foucault's Pendulum.
It seems that the rights have been bought by Disney or Touchstone, so there might be a movie in the works. I recommend you don't spend your time reading this, because if the screen version is decent enough, it will cost you about the same in monetary value and much less in time to get through the story. Hopefully, it may even be more entertaining than the book...
The Dragonbone Chair, The Stone of Farewell, To Green Anger Tower, by Tad Williams
These three books comprise a series called "Memory, Sorrow and Thorn". The first book took quite a while to begin to appeal to me, basically 150 pages. I considered putting it down in the beginning, for a number of reasons. First, because it seemed that it was that same kitchen boy turned hero story. Second, because it starts very slow and I was ready to infer this was going to be a series that drags on for thousands of pages and hardly goes anywhere.
Well, after that initial disappointment, I decided to keep going because a friend who's well-read in the fantasy department advised me against giving up. I'm glad I listened to his advice. Maybe I've gotten too used to how Raymond E. Feist writes fantasy and now tend to expect that kind of intensity and action that begins on page one when I read a book of this genre.
The series is not exactly about magic, like Feist's "Riftwar Saga", although it does have some of it. I would also say that it is not like Tolkien's "Lord of The Rings" in that it is not centered around a carefully crafted mythical universe, with many different and fascinating creatures, although it does have some of this element. The strongest point of this series, in my opinion, is what it does with military campaigns. Now, I'm not really fond of this kind of thing, but somehow I could not put down these books until I finished the whole series.
There are some very interesting races, like the Yiquanuq and the Sithi, who to a certain extent remind one of Tolkien's mythology. The interesting thing is that that's as far as it goes: they may bear some resemblance to races you've read about before, but they have unique and amazing characteristics all their own.
Apart from the emphasis on battles that permeates all the books, the most obvious and alluring feature for me was the strong focus on personal relationships, especially friendship and loyalty. The characters are very well-developed and very interesting and, ultimately, I think it was the love I developed for them that kept me turning page after page. I enjoyed this books immensely and highly recommend them to anyone who enjoys fantasy works.
Well, after that initial disappointment, I decided to keep going because a friend who's well-read in the fantasy department advised me against giving up. I'm glad I listened to his advice. Maybe I've gotten too used to how Raymond E. Feist writes fantasy and now tend to expect that kind of intensity and action that begins on page one when I read a book of this genre.
The series is not exactly about magic, like Feist's "Riftwar Saga", although it does have some of it. I would also say that it is not like Tolkien's "Lord of The Rings" in that it is not centered around a carefully crafted mythical universe, with many different and fascinating creatures, although it does have some of this element. The strongest point of this series, in my opinion, is what it does with military campaigns. Now, I'm not really fond of this kind of thing, but somehow I could not put down these books until I finished the whole series.
There are some very interesting races, like the Yiquanuq and the Sithi, who to a certain extent remind one of Tolkien's mythology. The interesting thing is that that's as far as it goes: they may bear some resemblance to races you've read about before, but they have unique and amazing characteristics all their own.
Apart from the emphasis on battles that permeates all the books, the most obvious and alluring feature for me was the strong focus on personal relationships, especially friendship and loyalty. The characters are very well-developed and very interesting and, ultimately, I think it was the love I developed for them that kept me turning page after page. I enjoyed this books immensely and highly recommend them to anyone who enjoys fantasy works.
# The Importance of Being Earnest, by Oscar Wilde
If you like good fun, wit and intelligence and haven't read this play or seen it performed, go read it NOW. I heard a Wilde scholar say that this is pretty much a play about nothing. Would it be possible that Wilde defined with this play a genre followed much later by Jerry Seinfeld in his sitcom ? If so, the quality went way down with time because the first in the genre was a masterpiece.
As a show about nothing should be, this has a lot of cynicism, social satire and a bit of farce. It would perhaps help to read an annotated version (reading the side notes only after finishing the whole thing, of course) - there are some details that would perhaps require a bit of help to be placed in the right context, but not many.
I advise you to be careful when reading this in public places. If you're the sort of bloke who would be embarassed when strangers look at you in amusement, beware that you will laugh out loud and so may draw at least some attention.
As a show about nothing should be, this has a lot of cynicism, social satire and a bit of farce. It would perhaps help to read an annotated version (reading the side notes only after finishing the whole thing, of course) - there are some details that would perhaps require a bit of help to be placed in the right context, but not many.
I advise you to be careful when reading this in public places. If you're the sort of bloke who would be embarassed when strangers look at you in amusement, beware that you will laugh out loud and so may draw at least some attention.
The Gospel According to Jesus Christ, Jose Saramago
I've heard and read several different opinions of this book before actually reading it; they ranged from "bad theology" and "outrageous" to "a must read for every Christian". Of course this by itself got me curious enough to check it out.
The whole controversy comes from the fact that this is a highly speculative work which shows a much different Jesus than the one in the Bible, not unlike the one in "The Last Temptation of Christ". If you've read that book or seen the movie and liked it, go ahead and read this one.
It may be hard for many people to stomach all the changes and twists Saramago introduces to the story, but I found the book to be very inspiring regardless of being so different. Be prepared to see many dogmas refuted, to meet a Jesus who does not always know what his mission is, a devil who's not necessarily evil, and a God who has to work hard to achieve his goals. But above all, be prepared to read a very emotional narrative written in a very poetic way.
The whole controversy comes from the fact that this is a highly speculative work which shows a much different Jesus than the one in the Bible, not unlike the one in "The Last Temptation of Christ". If you've read that book or seen the movie and liked it, go ahead and read this one.
It may be hard for many people to stomach all the changes and twists Saramago introduces to the story, but I found the book to be very inspiring regardless of being so different. Be prepared to see many dogmas refuted, to meet a Jesus who does not always know what his mission is, a devil who's not necessarily evil, and a God who has to work hard to achieve his goals. But above all, be prepared to read a very emotional narrative written in a very poetic way.
Cradle, by Arthur C. Clarke and Gentry Lee
This is probably one of the weakest books Clarke ever co-authored. It reads almost like a movie script and not a very good one at that. The bits of science fiction in there are diluted among the intrigue and conspiracies of a band of treasure hunters and journalists. I don't really feel like saying much more about this book, which is at best cheap entertainement for a lazy summer afternoon (really cheap since I bought the hardcover by $1).
Just don't make the mistake of assuming that all books written by these two guys together are like this, because they're really not. This is definitely the black sheep among their other works (which include the amazing Rama series).
Just don't make the mistake of assuming that all books written by these two guys together are like this, because they're really not. This is definitely the black sheep among their other works (which include the amazing Rama series).
The List of 7 and The 6 Messiahs, by Mark Frost
These are two really interesting and exciting books which should appeal to readers of Sherlock Holmes stories. The premises are based on the fictional idea that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle went through some pretty thrilling adventures himself which would have inspired him to create Sherlock.
The first book, which is the best of the two, introduces Jack Spark, a man of potent intellect, master of disguises, addicted to heroin and enthusiast of the violin. Sounds like good old Sherlock to you ? That's the idea. Together with Doyle, Spark goes about unveiling a misterious secret society which plots to achieve supernatural powers to put their evil plan in motion. It's gripping, exciting and amusing: who would have been the inspiration for Dr. Watson if not Doyle himself ? I enjoyed it a lot, specially the shocking finale.
The second book is more of the same good entertainement and should appeal to anyone who enjoyed the first. More occult powers in motion, religious fanatics and all, but this time set in the New World. The whole thing would have happened during Doyle's first American book signing tour and the story takes you all over the country.
Maybe you'd be interested to hear that Mark Frost was one of the creators of the bizarre, surreal and intriguing series "Twin Peaks".
The first book, which is the best of the two, introduces Jack Spark, a man of potent intellect, master of disguises, addicted to heroin and enthusiast of the violin. Sounds like good old Sherlock to you ? That's the idea. Together with Doyle, Spark goes about unveiling a misterious secret society which plots to achieve supernatural powers to put their evil plan in motion. It's gripping, exciting and amusing: who would have been the inspiration for Dr. Watson if not Doyle himself ? I enjoyed it a lot, specially the shocking finale.
The second book is more of the same good entertainement and should appeal to anyone who enjoyed the first. More occult powers in motion, religious fanatics and all, but this time set in the New World. The whole thing would have happened during Doyle's first American book signing tour and the story takes you all over the country.
Maybe you'd be interested to hear that Mark Frost was one of the creators of the bizarre, surreal and intriguing series "Twin Peaks".
Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens
This is the wonderfully written (what could you expect?) story of Pip and the events in his life that lead him from a proletarian life in Victorian London to being an educated, upper-class gentleman. It's sad, it's funny and it's witty.
At times it's very dark, but not in the same way a Gothic novel, like Wuthering Heights or The Picture of Dorian Grey, would be. I'd say this book is a wonderful collage of pieces which at the same time constrast with one another and come together in harmonious fashion. It is a linear narrative, but one in which each character adds a different colour of his or her own to a final result that is a depiction of many different facets of the human condition.
The characters are pumped full of life and as solid as letters on paper can make them. It shouldn't be surprising that it became one of my all-time favourites.
At times it's very dark, but not in the same way a Gothic novel, like Wuthering Heights or The Picture of Dorian Grey, would be. I'd say this book is a wonderful collage of pieces which at the same time constrast with one another and come together in harmonious fashion. It is a linear narrative, but one in which each character adds a different colour of his or her own to a final result that is a depiction of many different facets of the human condition.
The characters are pumped full of life and as solid as letters on paper can make them. It shouldn't be surprising that it became one of my all-time favourites.
Shadow of a Dark Queen, Rise of a Merchant Prince, and Rage of a Demon King, by Raymond E. Feist
These three books form a new fantasy series "The Serpentwar Saga" in the same universe of Feist's "The Riftwar Saga". If you've read all the Riftwar and the continuing books and you miss Pug and the conDoins, this series will be a real treat. Maybe it's because I'm a sucker for fantasy, but I think Feist is an incredible author and these more recent books just served to reinforce the feeling.
The first book continues in the wake of "Prince of The Blood" introducing a major threat to the Kingdom: the serpent people, the Panthatians, and the lizard people, the Saaur, get ready to launch a massive campaign against the Kingdom. It starts out in the small town of Ravensburg introducing the two main characters in this new saga: Eric and Roo. Eric is basically the nice guy: although massive and strong this apprentice to blacksmith has a gentle and kind soul. Roo is the cunning kid and Eric's best friend. Something major happens to change their lives and put them on the road to Krondor, one of the Kingdom's capital cities and off they go in their adventure.
From the point of view of role playing (and much of Feist's work can be seen from that perspective), this first book is about a warrior type. It's about military campaigns and battles, about hacking away at living beings and about Eric's development as a soldier. The second book is quite different, since the focus is more on Roo and how he grows to become the rich man he always intended to be. It's about business and treachery, about big sharks and little fish.
Throughout these two books, the unifying thread is the campaign the Dark Queen is preparing against the Kingdom. Here is where some favourite characters like Pug, the magician, and many others from previous books come into play. Macros The Black, Tomas, the half-human half-Valheru warrior, the people of Elvandar, the thief Jimmy The Hand now Duke of Krondor, Nicholas conDoin and some other old friends are all there.
I won't tell you much more for fear of spoiling the story for you, but what I can say about the series as a whole is that this is quintessential Feist and if you've been enjoying all the books set in the world of Midkemia, there is no reason you wouldn't like these. Feist has the knack for telling a good story and like a practiced "Dungeon Master", he's careful enough to take characters out of play when they become invincible only to reintroduce them in the face of more potent enemies keeping the universe in balance. If you thought that Pug had become the cure for all evils in Midkemia, think again... maybe that was just because the didn't have a match for a while...
The first book continues in the wake of "Prince of The Blood" introducing a major threat to the Kingdom: the serpent people, the Panthatians, and the lizard people, the Saaur, get ready to launch a massive campaign against the Kingdom. It starts out in the small town of Ravensburg introducing the two main characters in this new saga: Eric and Roo. Eric is basically the nice guy: although massive and strong this apprentice to blacksmith has a gentle and kind soul. Roo is the cunning kid and Eric's best friend. Something major happens to change their lives and put them on the road to Krondor, one of the Kingdom's capital cities and off they go in their adventure.
From the point of view of role playing (and much of Feist's work can be seen from that perspective), this first book is about a warrior type. It's about military campaigns and battles, about hacking away at living beings and about Eric's development as a soldier. The second book is quite different, since the focus is more on Roo and how he grows to become the rich man he always intended to be. It's about business and treachery, about big sharks and little fish.
Throughout these two books, the unifying thread is the campaign the Dark Queen is preparing against the Kingdom. Here is where some favourite characters like Pug, the magician, and many others from previous books come into play. Macros The Black, Tomas, the half-human half-Valheru warrior, the people of Elvandar, the thief Jimmy The Hand now Duke of Krondor, Nicholas conDoin and some other old friends are all there.
I won't tell you much more for fear of spoiling the story for you, but what I can say about the series as a whole is that this is quintessential Feist and if you've been enjoying all the books set in the world of Midkemia, there is no reason you wouldn't like these. Feist has the knack for telling a good story and like a practiced "Dungeon Master", he's careful enough to take characters out of play when they become invincible only to reintroduce them in the face of more potent enemies keeping the universe in balance. If you thought that Pug had become the cure for all evils in Midkemia, think again... maybe that was just because the didn't have a match for a while...
The Songs of Distant Earth, by Arthur C. Clarke
I found out about this one through a beautiful CD by Mike Oldfield with this same title. Some say that this music is new age, I don't really care to comment on the accuracy of this classification, but it's great electronic music. After listening to this CD several times and reading the insert, I realized that if someone was so inspired by the book to create all that good music, it was at least worth a read.
And the truth is: it was worth a read, but not on a par with other works by Clarke. In the preface, the author explains that he's been very entertained by space-operas like Star Trek and Star Wars and how this book is his attempt at the genre. It's definitely high quality space-opera because, according to Clarke, all the science in it is plausible and not pulled out of thin air.
"The Songs of Distant Earth" tells the story of how mankind discovers the end of the world is near and launches a brave attempt at perpetuating the species across the galaxy. After setting up the hard science facts and creating the background for the story, Clarke takes the reader on a trip to planet Thalassa. In this world resembling pre-historic Earth, mankind starts afresh and develops into a harmonious society until one day important visitors arrive from outer space. And here I stop this teaser for fear it would become a spoiler.
Although this was surely an enjoyable read, it won't be one of those books I'll remember forever. Clarke has been said not give a lot of attention to character development; I'm not sure I would agree with that observation in a general sense, but at least in this book I found it to be true. The story is great: interesting, intriguing, even gripping, but the characters a tad too shallow and you're guaranteed not to develop much feelings for any of them. While I read this book I felt like a mere spectator, very much willing to turn page after page, but not really involved in the story. If you've never read anything by this master of science fiction, I would choose another title to start with, something like the Rama series, Childhood's End or the Space Odissey series. Leave this one for later, when you've become a die hard fan like me.
And the truth is: it was worth a read, but not on a par with other works by Clarke. In the preface, the author explains that he's been very entertained by space-operas like Star Trek and Star Wars and how this book is his attempt at the genre. It's definitely high quality space-opera because, according to Clarke, all the science in it is plausible and not pulled out of thin air.
"The Songs of Distant Earth" tells the story of how mankind discovers the end of the world is near and launches a brave attempt at perpetuating the species across the galaxy. After setting up the hard science facts and creating the background for the story, Clarke takes the reader on a trip to planet Thalassa. In this world resembling pre-historic Earth, mankind starts afresh and develops into a harmonious society until one day important visitors arrive from outer space. And here I stop this teaser for fear it would become a spoiler.
Although this was surely an enjoyable read, it won't be one of those books I'll remember forever. Clarke has been said not give a lot of attention to character development; I'm not sure I would agree with that observation in a general sense, but at least in this book I found it to be true. The story is great: interesting, intriguing, even gripping, but the characters a tad too shallow and you're guaranteed not to develop much feelings for any of them. While I read this book I felt like a mere spectator, very much willing to turn page after page, but not really involved in the story. If you've never read anything by this master of science fiction, I would choose another title to start with, something like the Rama series, Childhood's End or the Space Odissey series. Leave this one for later, when you've become a die hard fan like me.
Lord of The Dead, by Tom Holland
At around page 50 in this book, I was tempted to put it down for good. Not that the writing isn't good, but the feeling of traveling down a much trodden path was too intense to ignore. The premises are very intriguing: Lord Byron, the utmost romantic: a vampire. Since Byron's life has always been surrounded by gothdom, this would almost make sense. Tom Holland writes with the authority of the scholar he is and with a style to resemble that one of his very own character Lord Byron. The real facts of Byron's life are intermingled with the fantastic to the point of blurring the line that divides history and fiction. And overall, it's a real page turner and a delightful read for fans of the genre.
My sole problem with the beginning, which I overcame with a bit of persistence and hope that it would turn to a different direction, was the similarity with Anne Rice's Interview With The Vampire. After some moments full of darkness and suspense right in the first few pages, the narrative shifts from third to first person as Byron tells his story to an avid listener. How closer could that setting be to that of Interview ?
My advice is: put this aside and keep on reading. Holland's mythos is quite different from Rice's and the book is well worth reading. Fans of Lestat de Lioncourt and Louis Point du Lac will probably enjoy this a lot, but it will take some effort to forget this is not about Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles and enjoy it for what it is.
My sole problem with the beginning, which I overcame with a bit of persistence and hope that it would turn to a different direction, was the similarity with Anne Rice's Interview With The Vampire. After some moments full of darkness and suspense right in the first few pages, the narrative shifts from third to first person as Byron tells his story to an avid listener. How closer could that setting be to that of Interview ?
My advice is: put this aside and keep on reading. Holland's mythos is quite different from Rice's and the book is well worth reading. Fans of Lestat de Lioncourt and Louis Point du Lac will probably enjoy this a lot, but it will take some effort to forget this is not about Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles and enjoy it for what it is.
Hyperion and The Fall of Hyperion, by Dan Simmons
The books tell the story of a planet, its dark secrets and how it is central to the survival of the human species in the distant future. Seven strangers are selected by the Church of the Shrike, a mythical murderous creature, to embark on a pilgrimage to the world of Hyperion for reasons they don't understand. Each one of them has had some time of past encounter with the Shrike and since no one knows much about this creature they decide to share their tales to try to learn something from each other. These six incredible tales are interwoven with the central story to make up the first book, which has been awarded a Hugo.
The awe inspiring Shrike, which now and then surfaces from a dark background to sow murder and mayhem, are the connecting link to all these tales and hold the key to the mystery that will keep you turning page after page. If the first book falls short on anything, that would be "closure". The last page is a cliffhanger in the best style of those TV shows that leave you waiting the entire summer for some conclusion. But fortunately, this has been published a while ago and you can pick up a copy of The Fall of Hyperion and continue right away.
The second book is written in a totally different way from the first and with it Mr. Simmons shows he can master a number of styles. This book is heavily and heavenly laden with the poetry of John Keats, who to anybody's surprise make more than a passing apperance in the story.
The series consists of four books, these first two plus Endymion and The Rise of Endymion. From what I've read so far, this is bound to be one of those major sci-fi epics like Dune and Foundation, but written in a dark tone mixing up the poetry of Keats, time paradoxes and a carefully constructed and original vision of the future.
If there is anything to criticize about these books is the misuse of an old idea: that technology can be used to predict the course of history. While Asimov has been careful enough to define his psychohistory to apply only to large universes over long periods of time, Dan Simmons talks about computers being able to pinpoint specific variables that can tweaked with to change the course of events in a short timespan. Much less plausible, in my opinion: science-fiction should stay within the realm of scientific possibilities, but anyway, who is to say what will be a possibility in the distant future ? Certainly not me.
The awe inspiring Shrike, which now and then surfaces from a dark background to sow murder and mayhem, are the connecting link to all these tales and hold the key to the mystery that will keep you turning page after page. If the first book falls short on anything, that would be "closure". The last page is a cliffhanger in the best style of those TV shows that leave you waiting the entire summer for some conclusion. But fortunately, this has been published a while ago and you can pick up a copy of The Fall of Hyperion and continue right away.
The second book is written in a totally different way from the first and with it Mr. Simmons shows he can master a number of styles. This book is heavily and heavenly laden with the poetry of John Keats, who to anybody's surprise make more than a passing apperance in the story.
The series consists of four books, these first two plus Endymion and The Rise of Endymion. From what I've read so far, this is bound to be one of those major sci-fi epics like Dune and Foundation, but written in a dark tone mixing up the poetry of Keats, time paradoxes and a carefully constructed and original vision of the future.
If there is anything to criticize about these books is the misuse of an old idea: that technology can be used to predict the course of history. While Asimov has been careful enough to define his psychohistory to apply only to large universes over long periods of time, Dan Simmons talks about computers being able to pinpoint specific variables that can tweaked with to change the course of events in a short timespan. Much less plausible, in my opinion: science-fiction should stay within the realm of scientific possibilities, but anyway, who is to say what will be a possibility in the distant future ? Certainly not me.
Caliban's Hour, by Tad Williams
This is a short book that you might be able to devour in one sitting. It tells the story of a man wronged and hurt so much that pain invades his paradise turning his life onto the road for a bloody vendetta. It's very creative and well written in a darkly romantic tone. Caliban comes back to Naples (if I remember correctly) from the paradisiacal island, where he had lived his entire life, in search of the man who brough disaster into his existence. When he can't find his nemesis, Prospero, he reaches out for another fitting victim. He singles out Miranda, Prospero's daughter, to hear the tale of his fall from grace in a single hour after which he promises to kill her.
Bright Messengers, by Gentry Lee
This is another beautiful novel set in the universe laid out in the Rama series which Gentry Lee co-wrote with Arthur C. Clarke. And also another novel about contact between humans and aliens... Maybe you don't really need to have read the Rama series to enjoy this book, but it would probably help you place it in the right context.
The story is set on Earth after the "Great Chaos", a major economic depression that puts the world in a state of misery. In the midst of the turmoil a simple man with simple ideas lays down what he thinks is the path to a better life of equality and love for everybody. In the process he is canonized becoming St. Michael of Siena, not exactly a character in the story, albeit strong presence.
Sister Beatrice, a Michealite pristess that will tell you all you may want to know about St. Michael, has "a vision of angels". The strange phenomenon is observed by another member of her religious order and yet another time in a different country with a Johann, a man to who the idea of God is as alien as the creatures Beatrice calls 'angels'. All these characters end up meeting in Mars, where they become members of the human colony on that planet, where the strange "angels" show up once more. Maybe much more than "once more"; read the book.
This turns into a journey as exciting as in Rama that no Clarke fan should miss. It's also good to see that Lee is carrying the torch of such good science fiction. The warning I have for you is that although you'll read in the last page of the paperback edition that the sequel Double Full Moon is scheduled to come out in 1996, it did not. I hope Mr. Lee is busy working hard, because all of us who read this book are waiting for the sequel at the egde of the cliff where he left us.
What I found particularly interesting in this book was the fact that it shed a light on the question of what was Lee's collaboration in the Rama project. His input in storyline, character development, writing style and rhythm must have been quite large, because you'll find the same qualities of Rama in the same quantities in his first solo effort. Beware that the book ends in a cliffhanger that continues into a sequel.
The story is set on Earth after the "Great Chaos", a major economic depression that puts the world in a state of misery. In the midst of the turmoil a simple man with simple ideas lays down what he thinks is the path to a better life of equality and love for everybody. In the process he is canonized becoming St. Michael of Siena, not exactly a character in the story, albeit strong presence.
Sister Beatrice, a Michealite pristess that will tell you all you may want to know about St. Michael, has "a vision of angels". The strange phenomenon is observed by another member of her religious order and yet another time in a different country with a Johann, a man to who the idea of God is as alien as the creatures Beatrice calls 'angels'. All these characters end up meeting in Mars, where they become members of the human colony on that planet, where the strange "angels" show up once more. Maybe much more than "once more"; read the book.
This turns into a journey as exciting as in Rama that no Clarke fan should miss. It's also good to see that Lee is carrying the torch of such good science fiction. The warning I have for you is that although you'll read in the last page of the paperback edition that the sequel Double Full Moon is scheduled to come out in 1996, it did not. I hope Mr. Lee is busy working hard, because all of us who read this book are waiting for the sequel at the egde of the cliff where he left us.
What I found particularly interesting in this book was the fact that it shed a light on the question of what was Lee's collaboration in the Rama project. His input in storyline, character development, writing style and rhythm must have been quite large, because you'll find the same qualities of Rama in the same quantities in his first solo effort. Beware that the book ends in a cliffhanger that continues into a sequel.
Contact, by Carl Sagan
Do you think you know all about the story because you've seen the movie ? Wrong, you're so wrong you can't even begin to imagine. The movie is a more or less loose adaptation, however brilliant it might be, of this fantastic book. The premises are, of course, a first contact between mankind and alien species. The focus is on how the world community deals with this, the ignorance and arrogance our "intelligent" species possesses and the impact on the life on a strong woman in the center of The Event.
The corny romantic stuff you find in the movie did *not* come from this book which takes the story much deeper into the theme and wraps it up in a much better way. You also get a lot more science (and actually some math, hooray for math!) in the book than in the movie, which is clearly geared to the genre buffs while the screen version was supposed to have a broader appeal. And science plus good fiction coming from the great, late Carl Sagan is something you should not pass. Too bad he is not around to write more fiction like this.
The corny romantic stuff you find in the movie did *not* come from this book which takes the story much deeper into the theme and wraps it up in a much better way. You also get a lot more science (and actually some math, hooray for math!) in the book than in the movie, which is clearly geared to the genre buffs while the screen version was supposed to have a broader appeal. And science plus good fiction coming from the great, late Carl Sagan is something you should not pass. Too bad he is not around to write more fiction like this.
Children of The Mind, by Orson Scott Card
This is for those who've had the pleasure of reading the previous three books in this most awesome saga, namely Ender's Game, Speaker For The Dead (both awarded with Hugo and Nebula) and Xenocide.
I can't tell you a whole lot about the ongoing story for fear of throwing serious spoilers at you in case you haven't started on this series. But I can give you a vague idea: the ride begins when makind discovers it's not the only sentient species in the universe and goes on with encounter after encounter with one alien species or another. Ender's Game is about this first contact and how wickedly destructive mankind can be. Speaker For The Dead and Xenocide develop the phylosophical dilemma even further when mankind meets other alien species as it expands to colonize other worlds.
Throughout these books an unsual character grows in power with the turn of every page: a distributed computer program created by one of the alien races which later becomes sentient on its own. It's fair to say that this character becomes so important in the story that the last book is centered around it. The program develops an indentity, a conscience that's more evolved than ours and a technology for space travel that breaks the barriers of relativism.
You won't be sure if mankind is ready to deal with this entity until you reach the end of this book and then you'll be sorry you finished it. It's exciting and creative but also beautiful and deep. Card writes science fiction with poetic prose and not only fuels your imagination but also feeds you with pages and more pages about philosophy and ethics.
I can't tell you a whole lot about the ongoing story for fear of throwing serious spoilers at you in case you haven't started on this series. But I can give you a vague idea: the ride begins when makind discovers it's not the only sentient species in the universe and goes on with encounter after encounter with one alien species or another. Ender's Game is about this first contact and how wickedly destructive mankind can be. Speaker For The Dead and Xenocide develop the phylosophical dilemma even further when mankind meets other alien species as it expands to colonize other worlds.
Throughout these books an unsual character grows in power with the turn of every page: a distributed computer program created by one of the alien races which later becomes sentient on its own. It's fair to say that this character becomes so important in the story that the last book is centered around it. The program develops an indentity, a conscience that's more evolved than ours and a technology for space travel that breaks the barriers of relativism.
You won't be sure if mankind is ready to deal with this entity until you reach the end of this book and then you'll be sorry you finished it. It's exciting and creative but also beautiful and deep. Card writes science fiction with poetic prose and not only fuels your imagination but also feeds you with pages and more pages about philosophy and ethics.
Franny and Zooey, by J. D. Salinger
I have to confess that spent some time in sort of a daze after I read "The Catcher in The Rye". I'm not exactly sure why, but perhaps because I liked Salinger's style so much and because I share some of Holden Caulfield's feelings about people and life in general (what should worry me a lot but doesn't). All this compelled me to make a trip to the nearest decent bookstore and get more by Salinger (and you should know there isn't a lot more). I came back home with this book and I had to ditch Robert Heinlein's "Time Enough For Love", which was not really captivating my attention, to start on this new one.
No regrets. "Franny and Zooey" is very different from "Catcher" and yet very similar; that's a paradox for you to figure out, thank you. This is about the Glass family or rather about their seven wonder kids who captured peoples attention for years on a radio quiz show. The story's direct focus is on two of these kids, Franny and Zooey, but goes on with the haunting presence (or rather the strong absence) of the oldest brother Seymour, who killed himself years earlier, and the second oldest Buddy, who lives basically incommunicado somewhere in New Hampshire.
Franny was going through a really harsh time in life, looking for her own directions or something, when a book picked up from her dead brother's collection stirs things up in her mind. The book talks about a pilgrim who discovers a way to pray incessantly and how this radically changes his life. She becomes highly obsessed with this form of prayer, which amounts to using the Jesus Prayer as a mantra, and seems to be heading for a nervous breakdown worrying her family sick.
Her mother and father experience a feeling of impotence when they discover they cannot help her out and leave the task of rescuing her fall to their charming son, Zachary Glass, a young actor who describes himself and his sister as freaks created by their two older brothers.
It's a beautifully written book, highly and deeply spiritual, that should be a must read for Salinger's fans. Also note that the Glass family appears in several other works such as "Seymour: An Introduction" and short storiesin "Nine Stories". If you really get into the Glasses, don't forget to go dig for the other references. I'll make sure to post all my findings here for you, but just to tease you a little, the June 97 issue of Esquire has an article on "The Haunted Life of J. D. Salinger" that was motivated by the reissue of yet another story about the Glass family, originally printed in The New Yorker in 1965, which has recently been authorized by it's author.
No regrets. "Franny and Zooey" is very different from "Catcher" and yet very similar; that's a paradox for you to figure out, thank you. This is about the Glass family or rather about their seven wonder kids who captured peoples attention for years on a radio quiz show. The story's direct focus is on two of these kids, Franny and Zooey, but goes on with the haunting presence (or rather the strong absence) of the oldest brother Seymour, who killed himself years earlier, and the second oldest Buddy, who lives basically incommunicado somewhere in New Hampshire.
Franny was going through a really harsh time in life, looking for her own directions or something, when a book picked up from her dead brother's collection stirs things up in her mind. The book talks about a pilgrim who discovers a way to pray incessantly and how this radically changes his life. She becomes highly obsessed with this form of prayer, which amounts to using the Jesus Prayer as a mantra, and seems to be heading for a nervous breakdown worrying her family sick.
Her mother and father experience a feeling of impotence when they discover they cannot help her out and leave the task of rescuing her fall to their charming son, Zachary Glass, a young actor who describes himself and his sister as freaks created by their two older brothers.
It's a beautifully written book, highly and deeply spiritual, that should be a must read for Salinger's fans. Also note that the Glass family appears in several other works such as "Seymour: An Introduction" and short storiesin "Nine Stories". If you really get into the Glasses, don't forget to go dig for the other references. I'll make sure to post all my findings here for you, but just to tease you a little, the June 97 issue of Esquire has an article on "The Haunted Life of J. D. Salinger" that was motivated by the reissue of yet another story about the Glass family, originally printed in The New Yorker in 1965, which has recently been authorized by it's author.
The Catcher and The Rye, by J. D. Salinger
So I had a week that was not going so well and a good friend recommended me this book. I'm not going to be corny and say "oh, man, this guy in the story had a much harder time with life than me" because that's what it is. I mean, it would be corny to say that, but I'm sure some people wouldn't resist, what would only mean they are really corny.
If you're one of those like me who didn't have the book as a reading assignment in school (in Brazil they force us to read the Brazilian classics instead), this is something you might want track down and read as soon as possible, because it's absolutely great. It's an easy read, it's short and it's extremely enjoyable, not to mention the fact that it's great "food for thought".
The story takes you deep into the mind of a person who is going through a rough time: problems relating to other people, problems with the opposite sex, dealing with parents and siblings, facing the uncertainty of the future, etc. But it does so from a very emotional point of view and sometimes in a delightfully sarcastic tone. I love Sallinger's honest style and how he leaves a lot more to be understood than meets the eye.
If you're one of those like me who didn't have the book as a reading assignment in school (in Brazil they force us to read the Brazilian classics instead), this is something you might want track down and read as soon as possible, because it's absolutely great. It's an easy read, it's short and it's extremely enjoyable, not to mention the fact that it's great "food for thought".
The story takes you deep into the mind of a person who is going through a rough time: problems relating to other people, problems with the opposite sex, dealing with parents and siblings, facing the uncertainty of the future, etc. But it does so from a very emotional point of view and sometimes in a delightfully sarcastic tone. I love Sallinger's honest style and how he leaves a lot more to be understood than meets the eye.
Feersum Endjinn, by Iain M. Banks
A surreal futuristic tale of conspiracy in a high tech universe where people have several "incarnations" (you die, you go into a databank, you're reborn in flesh and blood with memories of your previous lives). Well written, highly imaginative, but can be quite a challenge if you're not patient enough: there are entire chapters narrated by this character with some kind of speech disorder that are written in some constantly changing phonetic lingo (for instance: feersum = fearsome, endjinn = engine). Just don't think that because you found "business" written as "bidnis" once it will always show up like that. The premises: a man is murdered up to his last life and goes to live in the "crypt", that virtual world or databank, only to discover that his assasination has something to do with a corrupt monarchy and an ancient race of superbeings that departed Earth a long time ago and left behind a technology that can prevent a cataclism that would wipe life out of the face of the planet.
Wraeththu, by Storm Constantine
After a nuclear/biological holocaust humanity has to live side by side with another sentient species derived from itself called Wraeththu. They are passionate beings with strange magical or psychic powers and they are fast obliterating the humans either by death or by converting them to their numbers (what is done by an injection of wreaththu blood). But that only works on males... and the Wraeththu are hermaprodites... Awesome reading and probably the kind of material any goth or romantic would fall in love with. By the way, Storm Constantine has some music connections in the goth scene and had Valor, of Christian Death, write little poems for each chapter in the second book of the trilogy. Read them listening to "The Wind Kissed Pictures", by Christian Death.
Hamlet, by William Shakespeare
Why should anyone need to read a review of this book, specially when it's been written by a Shakespeare newbie like me? Maybe because you never read anything by The Bard for fear of it being too obscure or too heavy, a concern I used to have. No one ever tried to coerce me to read Shakespeare (again, they don't shove English classics down our throats in Brazil) and all that I knew about him was that he was supposed to be good and almost unreadable. But I was very wrong, oh how wrong I was, to be afraid of reading him.
When I read the Rama Series, this character Richard Wakefield, a true afficionado, kept throwing in quotes from Shakespeare works here and there and it got me truly curious and eager to read some if it. Then I watched Mel Gibson's film on this play and I was much more than very impressed. Whether it's a good or bad adaptation to the movies is besides the point for me; I loved the dark medieval setting, the broadswords, the stone castles, the poetry and the wit.
So that was the time for me to start and I picked up a copy of Folger's Library's edition of the classic. These editions are exceptional for people like me who might get lost in the archaic English idioms you're bound to encounter and it made what should have been a herculean task a very enjoyable reading.
If you still want to know what I have to say about this play here it goes: Hamlet's uncle murders his father, the king of Denmark, and weds his mother, what is enough to throw him into a very dark mood he can't seem to shake off. Dressed in black and roaming the new king's domains, Hamlet meets his father's ghost, learns the truth about his death and plots revenge. Although the story line can seem almost commonplace, it shouldn't matter too much what it talks about, but how it talks about it. Hamlet is a deep and perhaps morbid tragedy, but it's witty, poetic, sarcastic, funny and very romantic. If you're a Goth, that's definitely a good read for you. Read it if you need to find your entrance to Shakespeare's world or if you've read other works by him and haven't read this one yet. I'm sure I'm not qualified to make an authoritative statement about this, since I'm a newbie myself, but Hamlet is an incredible piece of work and probably one of The Bard's best.
When I read the Rama Series, this character Richard Wakefield, a true afficionado, kept throwing in quotes from Shakespeare works here and there and it got me truly curious and eager to read some if it. Then I watched Mel Gibson's film on this play and I was much more than very impressed. Whether it's a good or bad adaptation to the movies is besides the point for me; I loved the dark medieval setting, the broadswords, the stone castles, the poetry and the wit.
So that was the time for me to start and I picked up a copy of Folger's Library's edition of the classic. These editions are exceptional for people like me who might get lost in the archaic English idioms you're bound to encounter and it made what should have been a herculean task a very enjoyable reading.
If you still want to know what I have to say about this play here it goes: Hamlet's uncle murders his father, the king of Denmark, and weds his mother, what is enough to throw him into a very dark mood he can't seem to shake off. Dressed in black and roaming the new king's domains, Hamlet meets his father's ghost, learns the truth about his death and plots revenge. Although the story line can seem almost commonplace, it shouldn't matter too much what it talks about, but how it talks about it. Hamlet is a deep and perhaps morbid tragedy, but it's witty, poetic, sarcastic, funny and very romantic. If you're a Goth, that's definitely a good read for you. Read it if you need to find your entrance to Shakespeare's world or if you've read other works by him and haven't read this one yet. I'm sure I'm not qualified to make an authoritative statement about this, since I'm a newbie myself, but Hamlet is an incredible piece of work and probably one of The Bard's best.
Rama II, The Garden of Rama, Rama Revealed, by Arthur C. Clarke and Gentry Lee
Rama II, by Arthur C. Clarke and Gentry Lee
The Garden of Rama, by Arthur C. Clarke and Gentry Lee
Rama Revealed, by Arthur C. Clarke and Gentry Lee
WARNING: stay away from these if you don't have free time to read. Failure to observe this warning could result in serious problems like not meeting deadlines or extreme exhaustion because you had to stay up all night until you finished a book. The premises: mankind's fears that Earth could by hit by a massive asteroid or meteor lead to the deployment of an observation system to send out a warning of a colliding astral object early enough in time so that some action could prevent any disaster. What the system shows, though, is that a 50km long cylinder, obviously of alien manufacture, is coming towards Earth. The books talk about manned missions sent to investigate this massive spacecraft and the sociological implications of human contact with a sentient alien race. This is science fiction of the best possible kind and paced in such a way that you get a new revelation every chapter leading you to hours and more hours of uninterrupted reading. You've been warned. If you really get into this, you might want to try to find the old Rama game by Sierra - good luck making it run in a modern Windows PC.
The Garden of Rama, by Arthur C. Clarke and Gentry Lee
Rama Revealed, by Arthur C. Clarke and Gentry Lee
WARNING: stay away from these if you don't have free time to read. Failure to observe this warning could result in serious problems like not meeting deadlines or extreme exhaustion because you had to stay up all night until you finished a book. The premises: mankind's fears that Earth could by hit by a massive asteroid or meteor lead to the deployment of an observation system to send out a warning of a colliding astral object early enough in time so that some action could prevent any disaster. What the system shows, though, is that a 50km long cylinder, obviously of alien manufacture, is coming towards Earth. The books talk about manned missions sent to investigate this massive spacecraft and the sociological implications of human contact with a sentient alien race. This is science fiction of the best possible kind and paced in such a way that you get a new revelation every chapter leading you to hours and more hours of uninterrupted reading. You've been warned. If you really get into this, you might want to try to find the old Rama game by Sierra - good luck making it run in a modern Windows PC.
O Xangô de Baker Street, by Jô Soares
(English title: A Samba for Sherlock) It's late 19th century and D. Pedro II is the emperor of Brazil. His gift to a mistress, the last Stradvarius violin ever made, is stolen. As suggested to him by his friend, the French theatre diva Sarah Bernhardt, he calls Sherlock Holmes to discover what happened to the disappeared valuable instrument. Just as the famous detective prepares to come to Brazil with his inseparable companion Dr. Watson, a prostitute is perversely killed and a string is left in the scene of the crime, suggesting the possibility that the theft of the Stradvarius is somehow connected with the murder. Mr. Holmes is then enlisted by the local police to help to solve this extra mistery. What follows then is a hilarious and intriguing succession of events set in a historically accurate depiction of Rio de Janeiro that constitutes an undocumented Sherlock Holmes adventure. The funny part of the tale has to do with the quirks of the two Englishmen, how they relate to the tropical environment and how they interact with a culture they know virtually nothing about.
Servant of The Bones, by Anne Rice
It's possible that I'm getting out of my Anne Rice phase or that this book really pales in comparison with her previous works. This is the story of Azriel, a Hebrew youngster in Babylon who can speak to gods and who gets caught up in a macabre scheme that turns him into a sort of genie. It's at best an entertaining book, but not more than that. It starts off looking a lot like Interview With The Vampire (IWTV): Azriel goes to someone to have his story written. He talks about his pain and suffering much like Louis Pointe du Lac, from IWTV, and goes through his tale with the exaggerated romanticism that we've come to love in Mrs. Rice characters. The story goes on and on like a TV movie and doesn't get much better than that. No exquisitely taylored characters as in "Cry To Heaven", no deep philosophical and theological dillemas as in "Memnoch The Devil". Worth reading if you are a die hard fan, but if you are not, you would probably have more fun reading something else, perhaps even one of her other books. I highly recommend "The Vampire Chronicles", "The Mayfair Witches" series and "Cry To Heaven", which is a beautiful description of the tragic lives of the castratti (men castrated at a young age to preserve the qualities of their voices).
Faerie Tale, by Raymond E. Feist
A renowned fantasy writer, who brought us the incredible series The Riftwar Saga, Feist takes his shot at different kind of story. This a dark piece of fantasy, set in contemporary times, that mixes Irish folk myths and a bit of paranoid conspiracy theories (a la Illuminati) into the lives of a family that has just moved to New England. Excellent rhythm and a lot of action that will make you jump from one page to another until you know the outcome of this tense story: two boys get mixed up in a world of magic beyond their control and comprehension that was opened up by an initiated Magus who was trying to tap into a source of vast powers. This is a fast read that will appeal to both fantasy and horror readers (specially the fans of Stephen King's).
Foucault's Pendulum, by Umberto Eco
I have heard many people say that this is a hard book to get through. Given that Eco is a true scholar, his writings might not be exactly light, but this is one of the most fantastic books ever written, in my opinion, and could well be one of my 5 favourite books of all time.
What makes it heavy for most people is the fact that the book is highly non-linear and takes you on long historical side lectures every now and then. But you should never be discouraged by that if you're really into it: first, it adds substance to the story and second, you could be a chance to learn some hard facts at the same time as you entertain yourself with the book. Just try not to get reality mixed up with fantasy in this story about conspiracies, secret societies and mysticism if you can, because that's what it's all about.
If you ever wondered what truly happened to the Templar Knights, if the Holy Grail is out there with the Ark of The Covenant, if the Count of Saint Germain is real, if there is a vast source of energy in the universe waiting to be tapped in, if the Nazis had some secret mystic weapon, if any true power can be obtained from the Jewish Kabbalah, if there are secret societies controlling the media, international financial institutions and basically, your simple existence, this book is going to keep you up until you read the last page. And then it's going to shock you, slap you in the face and maybe even annoy you a bit. But it's all in the name of wisdom, because you might even learn something important about all this paranoia from it.
Here's your teaser: a man who is writing a graduate thesis on the Templar Knights gets mixed up two others who work for a publishing house. They receive a manuscript from a misterious character that inspires them to publish a book about a certain "plan" for world domination based on the writings they received. It turns out that the plan is "too close" to something that someone out there is doing for real and there begins their whole trouble because the powers behind it are not happy that uninitiated people are going around openly talking about their darkest secrets.
What makes it heavy for most people is the fact that the book is highly non-linear and takes you on long historical side lectures every now and then. But you should never be discouraged by that if you're really into it: first, it adds substance to the story and second, you could be a chance to learn some hard facts at the same time as you entertain yourself with the book. Just try not to get reality mixed up with fantasy in this story about conspiracies, secret societies and mysticism if you can, because that's what it's all about.
If you ever wondered what truly happened to the Templar Knights, if the Holy Grail is out there with the Ark of The Covenant, if the Count of Saint Germain is real, if there is a vast source of energy in the universe waiting to be tapped in, if the Nazis had some secret mystic weapon, if any true power can be obtained from the Jewish Kabbalah, if there are secret societies controlling the media, international financial institutions and basically, your simple existence, this book is going to keep you up until you read the last page. And then it's going to shock you, slap you in the face and maybe even annoy you a bit. But it's all in the name of wisdom, because you might even learn something important about all this paranoia from it.
Here's your teaser: a man who is writing a graduate thesis on the Templar Knights gets mixed up two others who work for a publishing house. They receive a manuscript from a misterious character that inspires them to publish a book about a certain "plan" for world domination based on the writings they received. It turns out that the plan is "too close" to something that someone out there is doing for real and there begins their whole trouble because the powers behind it are not happy that uninitiated people are going around openly talking about their darkest secrets.
The Name of The Rose, by Umberto Eco
Whether you've seen the film by Jean-Jacques Annaud or not, this is a book definitely worth reading. Don't let people's comments that this is a heavy read intimidate you: somehow they say this about most of Eco's books (see review above), but the fact is he writes like a true scholar and thus reading him is not the same as reading comic books. The book comes loaded with history facts and perhaps this is what discourages most readers. If you let yourself get into the plot of the misterious series of deaths in a medieval monastery, the history that some find thick will create a wonderful and solid background for this story.
An English monk, William of Baskerville, who is sort of a medieval Sherlock Holmes type, is called to solve an unlikely crime in this monastery when suddenly it becomes much more than a single death threatening to expose the cloud of hypocrisy that looms over this ominous place. Innocent sinners and blasphemous holy men, intrigue, poison, blood, fire, the inquisition and great characters wait inside, so dig in and think about playing that gregorian chant CD you have while you read this.
An English monk, William of Baskerville, who is sort of a medieval Sherlock Holmes type, is called to solve an unlikely crime in this monastery when suddenly it becomes much more than a single death threatening to expose the cloud of hypocrisy that looms over this ominous place. Innocent sinners and blasphemous holy men, intrigue, poison, blood, fire, the inquisition and great characters wait inside, so dig in and think about playing that gregorian chant CD you have while you read this.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)