The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, by Stieg Larson. Say it ain't so! I've now finished all three of the Larson's books. And I'm not one bit happy. I hate to see it come to an end.
Of course, I knew that Lisabeth would come out the victor--who can beat the genius of Salander, particularly when she has the help of Blumqvist? Larson doesn't disappoint in weaving the story of how she comes out the victor, at least there's not much disappointment. Either way, the court room scenes, although very different from the procedure in American courts, are captivating and dramatic. Advokat Gianini systematically takes Dr. Teleborian apart, ultimately using Lisabeth's videotaped rape from the first book.
The only disappointment is that the second end seems a little forced. Like some stories, this book has a couple of endings--the end of the trial and Salander's acquittal; Salander's growing realization of what it means to be free of guardianship and to start to trust; and the end-end, where Salander confronts her half-brother. That's the ending that seems a bit strained. I figured that he'd have to make another appearance, but the coincidence of meeting him at a warehouse that she inherited from her father is a little much. I have to give it Larson, though--what a clever way to slow Neiderman down--nailed again!
Rumor has it that there is a draft of another Salander book that was left on Larson's computer before he died. I hope so. I'm not quite ready to say good-bye to Salander.
Reading: The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Listening: Medium Raw
Friday, August 13, 2010
Thursday, August 12, 2010
In my second youth
Catching Fire, by Suzanne Collins. Maybe the name is prophetic--the Hunger Games series has set my reading on fire. I've now finished the second in the series and pre-ordered the third, Mockingjay. The elephant in the room with any sequel is whether it can live up to the original or even come close. In this case, the answer is a resounding yes. The story moves, as we head back to the Arena for round two of the Games. This year is the 75th year, which means it's time for the Quarter Quell--Games that are bigger or more twisted in some way. The "twist" this time is that the tributes will be drawn from all the past winners. Big sigh for the youth of each district, but what a horror for the former victors, one as old as 80, who are thrown back into the ring.
Once again, there is little doubt that Katniss, the only girl victor from District 12, will return to the Arena and will survive. But the suspense is just as great, and Collins kept me guessing about who the good guys were.
She clearly planned all three books, leavving us with a cliffhanger for the next one. Will there finally be peace, happiness, and free from the Capitol when the book ends? I'll know in about two weeks.
Reading: The Hunchback of Notre Dame (??)
Listening: The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest
Once again, there is little doubt that Katniss, the only girl victor from District 12, will return to the Arena and will survive. But the suspense is just as great, and Collins kept me guessing about who the good guys were.
She clearly planned all three books, leavving us with a cliffhanger for the next one. Will there finally be peace, happiness, and free from the Capitol when the book ends? I'll know in about two weeks.
Reading: The Hunchback of Notre Dame (??)
Listening: The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Quick and complex
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, by Muriel Sparks. This slim little book was far more complex and took longer to read than I would have expected. I'm not sure what I think about such an intense relationship between a teacher, in her "prime" and her six students, during which over the years, she grooms them in her quest to select the correct girl to become her proxy in a sexul affair with the man she loves. Ultimately one of the girls, Sandy, betrays her, not because Miss Brodie encouraged the affair, but because Miss Brodie is a Fascist.
I've got to give more thought to this book.
Listening: The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest.
Reading: Catching Fire.
I've got to give more thought to this book.
Listening: The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest.
Reading: Catching Fire.
Almost a martyr
Atlas Shrugged, by Ayn Rand. This book would easily take the first five spots on my worst book list! What an arrogant, misguided, simple-minded bitch who wrote this book! But I digress.
As a novel it fails. The story is weak, melodramatic, and ultimately utterly ridiculous. It's as heavy as a rain-sodden phone book and only slightly more interesting. The characters are flat--there's not a one that is likeable and few that grew or changed over the course of this gigantic tome. Indeed, the characters seem to fall into two or three categories: the beautiful, uber-competent industrialists; and the incompetent "looters" who hate the industrialists, but like what the the industrialists have. The strikers always know what to do. They handle every crisis easily and unemotionally. They're never vulnerable. On the other hand, the looters couldn't pour piss from a boot with instructions on the bottorm. They are, however, smart enough to recognize their incompetence, resorting to begging John Gault to please be a dictator!
And then there's the unimaginative dialogue. "What?" uttered with a sense of surprise seemed to be the go-to phrase. "I'm scared!" showed up far too often. When in doubt, go with the, "We -don't-know-what-to-do" line of dialogue. The Fountainhead had the advantage of an interesting story line to go with it. This story line rambles and bores, with little suspense beyond when Dagney would eventualy join the "strike." Like a soap opera, one could easily skip pages at a time and not miss anything because the story progressed so slowly and the prose was so over-blown.
As a "philosophy" it fails. Socialism fails because few people have the integrity and constitution to work harde, do their best, stand on their principles, and live morally simply because it is the right thing to do. There are few Howard Rourkes in the world. However, the same flaw in man that makes socialism an unworkable system makes unbridled capitalism flawed as well. There are too few Howard Rourkes who can resist the temptation of greed. They are unwilling or unable to make a fair trade of something of value in return for value. Witness Bernie Madoff or the executives in the most recent financial disaster. Consider the various coal mining disasters, directly attributable to the drive for profits.
Rand witnessed the wrecked economy of the Soviet Union. Too bad she missed the wrecked economy we're enjoying now. And for the record, the problem wasn't that there too many regulaions, but that there were too few of the right regulations to serve as a check on man's natural greed and tendency to cut corners if there are no repercussions.
Moreover, the book is anti-Christian if not anti-religion. Instead of loving God and loving others before oneself, the idea is to love oneself first. "I swear by my life and my love of it, I will not live for another man or ask another man to live for me." Rand mocks the basic tenets of Christianity; there is no place in her world of egotism for the altruism that forms an essential part of Christianity. Love my neighbor? Only if my neighbor has something of value to trade.
I am the center of my universe.
Finally for someone who claims to celebrate the mind of man, Rand has scant respect for the minds of her readers. She beats the readers over the head with her simplistic philosophy, I suppose, because we readers aren't bright enough to get it the first 67 times. That might explain the mega-sermon delivered by John Gault near the end. Really?
I could go on and on. I wish I had back the hours I spent, but I suppose this is the kind of thing I should read to be ready to challenge those who have bought this crap hook, line, and sinker. Ultimately, I feel like I've trudged through mud and come up dirty. Quite unsatisfying.
As a novel it fails. The story is weak, melodramatic, and ultimately utterly ridiculous. It's as heavy as a rain-sodden phone book and only slightly more interesting. The characters are flat--there's not a one that is likeable and few that grew or changed over the course of this gigantic tome. Indeed, the characters seem to fall into two or three categories: the beautiful, uber-competent industrialists; and the incompetent "looters" who hate the industrialists, but like what the the industrialists have. The strikers always know what to do. They handle every crisis easily and unemotionally. They're never vulnerable. On the other hand, the looters couldn't pour piss from a boot with instructions on the bottorm. They are, however, smart enough to recognize their incompetence, resorting to begging John Gault to please be a dictator!
And then there's the unimaginative dialogue. "What?" uttered with a sense of surprise seemed to be the go-to phrase. "I'm scared!" showed up far too often. When in doubt, go with the, "We -don't-know-what-to-do" line of dialogue. The Fountainhead had the advantage of an interesting story line to go with it. This story line rambles and bores, with little suspense beyond when Dagney would eventualy join the "strike." Like a soap opera, one could easily skip pages at a time and not miss anything because the story progressed so slowly and the prose was so over-blown.
As a "philosophy" it fails. Socialism fails because few people have the integrity and constitution to work harde, do their best, stand on their principles, and live morally simply because it is the right thing to do. There are few Howard Rourkes in the world. However, the same flaw in man that makes socialism an unworkable system makes unbridled capitalism flawed as well. There are too few Howard Rourkes who can resist the temptation of greed. They are unwilling or unable to make a fair trade of something of value in return for value. Witness Bernie Madoff or the executives in the most recent financial disaster. Consider the various coal mining disasters, directly attributable to the drive for profits.
Rand witnessed the wrecked economy of the Soviet Union. Too bad she missed the wrecked economy we're enjoying now. And for the record, the problem wasn't that there too many regulaions, but that there were too few of the right regulations to serve as a check on man's natural greed and tendency to cut corners if there are no repercussions.
Moreover, the book is anti-Christian if not anti-religion. Instead of loving God and loving others before oneself, the idea is to love oneself first. "I swear by my life and my love of it, I will not live for another man or ask another man to live for me." Rand mocks the basic tenets of Christianity; there is no place in her world of egotism for the altruism that forms an essential part of Christianity. Love my neighbor? Only if my neighbor has something of value to trade.
I am the center of my universe.
Finally for someone who claims to celebrate the mind of man, Rand has scant respect for the minds of her readers. She beats the readers over the head with her simplistic philosophy, I suppose, because we readers aren't bright enough to get it the first 67 times. That might explain the mega-sermon delivered by John Gault near the end. Really?
I could go on and on. I wish I had back the hours I spent, but I suppose this is the kind of thing I should read to be ready to challenge those who have bought this crap hook, line, and sinker. Ultimately, I feel like I've trudged through mud and come up dirty. Quite unsatisfying.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Two-fer
I think I'm regressing. These two reads are proof of that possibility.
The Wind in the Willows, by Kenneth Grahame. I'm not generally a fan of rat and squirrel books, having given Chip much grief while he was in his Brian Jacques phase. I read this book only because, 1) it's on the list of top novels; and 2) B&N made the e-version free. What did I have to lose?
Turns out nothing, but everything to gain. This beautifully written novel is poetical, lyrical, with beautiful descriptions of the setting. Plus the story is good: the adventures of a group of animals, who epitomize fellowship, friendship, loyalty, and a sense of adventure. The story begins with Mole, who tires of spring cleaning, emerges from his underground world to discover the great big world, including the river. Along the way, he becomes good friends with the River Rat, Badger, and Otter. And then there's Toad. Proud and prone to gross exageration, his adventures provide some of the funniest moments of the book. Ultimately, it was the best kind of children's literature, that which can be read on multiple levels to make it entertaining to both children and adults.
Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins. What if Mark Burnet created a reality TV show, sort of like Survivor. It would still involve the same kind of challenges that make a difficult situation even more challenging. There would still be the opportunity to form alliances and rewards of needed or desired items. But no wasted time on votes. It could be the ultimate game of survival because the fight is to the death. That would essentially be the premise of this book.
Talk about a dystopian society. North America has become the country of Panem, which consists of a capitol and 12 districts. As punishment for a failed rebellion, the Capitol keeps extraordinarily tight restraints on the Districts and requires each District to send two tributes--one boy and one girl--to the annual Hunger Games. The tributes are selected by virtue of a lottery which all children between the ages of 12 and 18 are required to participate. Children can get extra rations of food but with the cost of more entries into the lottery. Shirley Jackson, meet Suzanne Collins. Anywho, Katniss is not selected; her younger sister, Primose is selected against the odds, since her name is entered only once since is the first year she is eligible and she has no extra entries. Kantiss, howeve, volunteers to go in her sister's place. The baker's son is the boy tribute from District 12.
The stage is set, as the children are whisked off to the Capitol to eat better than they've ever eaten in their lives and to by grommed and styled for the opening ceremony and their live interviews. It's all very warped and very disturbing.
The end is a foregone conclusion--after all the book is written in first person and surely someone who is being hunted by fellow tributes is unlikely to waste time journaling the daily happenings. The real suspense is how Katniss will manage to survive and whether she will lose her humanity in the process.
I bought this book for Chip almost a year ago. B&N classifies it as teen literature. Ultimately, it's a good and suspenseful read.
Listening: Atlas Shrugged. Almost done. Hallelujah!
The Wind in the Willows, by Kenneth Grahame. I'm not generally a fan of rat and squirrel books, having given Chip much grief while he was in his Brian Jacques phase. I read this book only because, 1) it's on the list of top novels; and 2) B&N made the e-version free. What did I have to lose?
Turns out nothing, but everything to gain. This beautifully written novel is poetical, lyrical, with beautiful descriptions of the setting. Plus the story is good: the adventures of a group of animals, who epitomize fellowship, friendship, loyalty, and a sense of adventure. The story begins with Mole, who tires of spring cleaning, emerges from his underground world to discover the great big world, including the river. Along the way, he becomes good friends with the River Rat, Badger, and Otter. And then there's Toad. Proud and prone to gross exageration, his adventures provide some of the funniest moments of the book. Ultimately, it was the best kind of children's literature, that which can be read on multiple levels to make it entertaining to both children and adults.
Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins. What if Mark Burnet created a reality TV show, sort of like Survivor. It would still involve the same kind of challenges that make a difficult situation even more challenging. There would still be the opportunity to form alliances and rewards of needed or desired items. But no wasted time on votes. It could be the ultimate game of survival because the fight is to the death. That would essentially be the premise of this book.
Talk about a dystopian society. North America has become the country of Panem, which consists of a capitol and 12 districts. As punishment for a failed rebellion, the Capitol keeps extraordinarily tight restraints on the Districts and requires each District to send two tributes--one boy and one girl--to the annual Hunger Games. The tributes are selected by virtue of a lottery which all children between the ages of 12 and 18 are required to participate. Children can get extra rations of food but with the cost of more entries into the lottery. Shirley Jackson, meet Suzanne Collins. Anywho, Katniss is not selected; her younger sister, Primose is selected against the odds, since her name is entered only once since is the first year she is eligible and she has no extra entries. Kantiss, howeve, volunteers to go in her sister's place. The baker's son is the boy tribute from District 12.
The stage is set, as the children are whisked off to the Capitol to eat better than they've ever eaten in their lives and to by grommed and styled for the opening ceremony and their live interviews. It's all very warped and very disturbing.
The end is a foregone conclusion--after all the book is written in first person and surely someone who is being hunted by fellow tributes is unlikely to waste time journaling the daily happenings. The real suspense is how Katniss will manage to survive and whether she will lose her humanity in the process.
I bought this book for Chip almost a year ago. B&N classifies it as teen literature. Ultimately, it's a good and suspenseful read.
Listening: Atlas Shrugged. Almost done. Hallelujah!
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Quick read
The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man, by James Weldon Johnson. Sometimes, you get what you paid for, which means that a free book can sometimes be a dog of a story. Not so with this book, which I got free for my Nook. Why didn't I read this book before? Why does the book show up on few books other than for African-American Studies courses?
It was a fast read, that engaged me from the the first page. The ending was a foregone conclusion, but much of thebook is a report of life in the early part of the 20th century, when the "Negro question" was the raging social issue of the day. Surprisingly, the question has not been fully resolved some 100 years later, and even more surpisingly, the book retains a great deal of relevance on the issue.
I enjoyed hearing of the unnamed protagonist's travels from the South of his early childhood to Connecticut, to Atlanta, to Florida, to New York, to Europe, and back to New York. I enjoyed his observations of the world of the "Negro" which, according to the one drop rule, he was, despite his father being white and his mother being herself a "mulatto".
His observations on the race questions are keen. Why should whites devote the best of themselves trying to prove the inferiority of blacks? That's just one of the observations made by Johnson. I suppose it was true through the 50s and maybe today that many Southerners tended to be fond of the blacks they knew, but to dislike the race in general and that many Northerners tended to love the race, but to have few personal relationships with blacks.
Over the past few days, as I've been reading this book, the controversy regarding Shirley Sherrod has been raging. A white, conservative blogger edited a speech by Sherrod to make what was a message on overcoming her own prejudices appear to be given by a racist who discriminated against the white farmers she was supposed to be helping. That none of the news outlets vetted the story before publishing it resulted in her firing from the USDA. The blogger's stated purpose: to show that the NAACP, which had sponsored Sherrod's speech, was as racist as the so-called Teabag movement. All that time and energy wasted and such harm done to race relations to prove a point that merits no such proof. If the NAACP is racist in its mission, that will be abundantly clear; no person or organization can hide its true character. What does the blogger's efforts say about the issue when it's all said and done.
Either way, lest I get to far astray, I enjoyed this book. Would I have passed if I could have at that time in history? Would I pass today? Was it a sign of courage or cowardice for the protagonist to let the world define him instead of conceding to the one-drop rule. I don't know, but in the end, I can't fault him for his choice.
It was a fast read, that engaged me from the the first page. The ending was a foregone conclusion, but much of thebook is a report of life in the early part of the 20th century, when the "Negro question" was the raging social issue of the day. Surprisingly, the question has not been fully resolved some 100 years later, and even more surpisingly, the book retains a great deal of relevance on the issue.
I enjoyed hearing of the unnamed protagonist's travels from the South of his early childhood to Connecticut, to Atlanta, to Florida, to New York, to Europe, and back to New York. I enjoyed his observations of the world of the "Negro" which, according to the one drop rule, he was, despite his father being white and his mother being herself a "mulatto".
His observations on the race questions are keen. Why should whites devote the best of themselves trying to prove the inferiority of blacks? That's just one of the observations made by Johnson. I suppose it was true through the 50s and maybe today that many Southerners tended to be fond of the blacks they knew, but to dislike the race in general and that many Northerners tended to love the race, but to have few personal relationships with blacks.
Over the past few days, as I've been reading this book, the controversy regarding Shirley Sherrod has been raging. A white, conservative blogger edited a speech by Sherrod to make what was a message on overcoming her own prejudices appear to be given by a racist who discriminated against the white farmers she was supposed to be helping. That none of the news outlets vetted the story before publishing it resulted in her firing from the USDA. The blogger's stated purpose: to show that the NAACP, which had sponsored Sherrod's speech, was as racist as the so-called Teabag movement. All that time and energy wasted and such harm done to race relations to prove a point that merits no such proof. If the NAACP is racist in its mission, that will be abundantly clear; no person or organization can hide its true character. What does the blogger's efforts say about the issue when it's all said and done.
Either way, lest I get to far astray, I enjoyed this book. Would I have passed if I could have at that time in history? Would I pass today? Was it a sign of courage or cowardice for the protagonist to let the world define him instead of conceding to the one-drop rule. I don't know, but in the end, I can't fault him for his choice.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Beautiful book
The Assistant, by Bernard Malamud. This is one of the most beautifully written stories I've read in a good while. It is a story that manages to be simple, yet complex, with simple, yet complex characters. In the end, Frank Alpine, the "Assistant," struggles to be a good person, like so many of us. He wants to be good, and manages for awhile, while backsliding often, and then trying to make it up as a way to redeem himself. Morris is steadfast and honest in the way he runs his store. Always perservering, always struggling. Morris seemingly has few moments of pure joy, yet he never shirks his duty to his customers, or more importantly, to his wife and daughter, unless he can't avoid it.
Life is difficult for most of the characters in the book. But they struggle and ultimately, Frank seems to be on the path to being good. He has become the reincarnation of Morris.
I really enjoyed this book and this beautiful story.
Reading: The Autobiography of a Former Colored Man (or something like that).
Listening: Atlas Shrugged. It gets stupider by the moment. At least the Fountainhead was a good soap opera and had a theme of striving for uncompromised excellence. A thoroughl anti-Christian book that touts, "Greed is good. Rich people are good and everyone else is a 'looter.'" Yep. All that looting by people who live in the slums; who didn't contribute to the building of this great country. Yep. That's right. But, I'm getting ahead of myself.
Life is difficult for most of the characters in the book. But they struggle and ultimately, Frank seems to be on the path to being good. He has become the reincarnation of Morris.
I really enjoyed this book and this beautiful story.
Reading: The Autobiography of a Former Colored Man (or something like that).
Listening: Atlas Shrugged. It gets stupider by the moment. At least the Fountainhead was a good soap opera and had a theme of striving for uncompromised excellence. A thoroughl anti-Christian book that touts, "Greed is good. Rich people are good and everyone else is a 'looter.'" Yep. All that looting by people who live in the slums; who didn't contribute to the building of this great country. Yep. That's right. But, I'm getting ahead of myself.
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