So I've finished two books the past couple of days.... Well, I've completed 2 and a half. I'll provide my reviews of them and also the synopses of the next books I'm starting. Then I'll continue with my ongoing theme of Women Authors whose books I've been enjoying; a Classic author today.
Just Finished
"I'M SORRY! I tried, honest, I did. I had enjoyed a collection of short stories by Gene Wolfe, Storeys from the Old Hotel, finding them quirky and interesting. So I decided to try one of his novels; Shadow and Claw which contains the 1st two books in The Book of the New Sun series; The Shadow . Nervously I had high hopes for this fantasy novel. I mean the back page synopsis stated 'Voted the greatest fantasy of all time after The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit'. How could it go wrong.
Well, I repeat, I'M SORRY! I've been working through the two books since end May. I finished the first volume early July and I'm over half way through the 2nd and I still don't really get it. I've given up. The story is a journey, maybe like The Canterbury Tales? (I qualify this comment by saying I've never read The Canterbury Tales, but I just have a feeling. It stars an apprentice Torturer, Severian, whose got his 'wings' and is now on his way to be the Torturer of another town. The book is set in a very future Earth (now called Urth). I gather mankind has been to the stars and somehow Urth is now almost medieval. On this journey, Severian meets all sorts of people, has some adventures..... Yup, that's sort of it.
I finally gave up when I just couldn't see where the story was going; what the point was. Severian isn't the most relatable 'hero' and there is so much terminology that just isn't understandable. There is no doubt that Wolfe can set a stage but unlike most fantasy series I've enjoyed (and trust me, I have enjoyed quite a few over the years), it's difficult to focus on the story, the setting, even the characters. And where was this journey leading!!! I'm so disappointed that I didn't enjoy it more. I've rated it only because I completed the first volume. I don't think I'll try the others. (2.5 stars)"
"Serpent by Clive Cussler is the first book in his NUMA series. NUMA stands for National Underwater & Marine Agency. The main characters in this story are NUMA operatives Kent Austin and Antonio Zavala, both part of NUMA's Special Ops division.
It's definitely a wandering story, moving from the sinking of the Andrea Doria (hint: not an accident) back in 1956. Observed in the hold as the ship is sinking is the murder of guards protecting an armored car. Why, you ask? It will all come clear. We move to Morocco in present days with an archaeological dig and an attack by bandits, killing everybody but American archaeologist Nina Kirov. She is saved by the NUMA boat sailing nearby. We move to China where another dig is attacked, to the Mayan peninsula where marine archaeologist Gamay and Mexican historian Chi search Mayan ruins and get taken hostage. There is also a trip to Texas, well, you get the picture.
The story has lots of action, historical references to Columbus's voyages to America and whether he was the first European or not. There is a historical secret society, The Brotherhood, with a diabolical plan to create a new country and they are bumping off any perceived threats. It's a complex plot and I didn't totally understand the whole Columbus thingee, but it was kind of neat, what I did get. The ending unfortunately was kind of flat after all the build-up but it was an entertaining thriller / adventure (3.5 stars)"
Currently Reading
"On the mountainous
border of China and Tibet in 1708, a detective must learn what a killer
already knows: that empires rise and fall on the strength of the stories
they tell.
Li Du was an imperial Chinese librarian. Now he is an
exile. In 1780, three years of wandering have brought him to Dayan, the
last Chinese town before the Tibetan border. He expects a quiet outpost
barely conscious of its place within the empire, but Dayan is teeming
with travelers, soldiers, and merchants. The crowds have been drawn by
the promise of an unmatched spectacle; an eclipse of the sun, commanded
by the Emperor himself.
Amid the frenzy, Li Du befriends an
elderly Jesuit astronomer. Hours later, the man is murdered in the home
of the local magistrate, and Li Du suspects it was no random killing.
Everyone has secrets: the ambitious magistrate, the powerful consort,
the bitter servant, the irreproachable secretary, the East India Company
merchant, the nervous missionary, and the traveling storyteller who
can't keep his own story straight.
Beyond the sloping roofs and
festival banners, Li Du can see the pass over Jade Dragon Mountain that
will take him out of China forever. But he cannot ignore the murder that
the town is all too eager to forget. As Li Du investigates, he begins
to suspect that the murderer intends to kill again. The eclipse is
coming. Li Du must solve the murder before the sun disappears. If he
does not, then someone, perhaps Li Du himself, will never again see its
light."
"Young Tom French was found dead, lying in a marsh on the Norfolk coast, with his head bashed in and his binoculars still around his neck. One of the best birders in England, Tom had put the village of Rushy on the bird-watching map. Everyone liked him. Or did they? George Palmer-Jones, an elderly birdwatcher who decided quietly to look into the brutal crime, discovered mixed feelings aplenty. Still, he remained baffled by a deed that could have been motivated by thwarted love, pure envy, or something else altogether. But as he and his fellow "twitchers" flocked from Norfolk to Scotland to the Scilly Isles, in response to rumors of rare sightings, George—with help from his lovely wife, Molly—gradually discerned the true markings of a killer. All he had to do was prove it . . . before the murderer strikes again."
Women Authors I'm Enjoying - George Eliot
Mary Ann Evans was an English author, born in Nuneaton in 1819 and died in Chelsea in 1880. As many women authors of the time, she wrote under a man's pseudonym, that being George Eliot. I first tried her Daniel Deronda, after I listened to a dramatization of it with Jo on BBC Radio. It was excellent. Since that time, Over the course of her life, she wrote seven novels and collections of poetry. I've completed 4 novels and have two more on my book shelf. I'll look at the last book I completed and also those two remaining books.
George Eliot
"I've previously read and enjoyed 3 of George Eliot's 7 novels. Middlemarch, Eliot's 6th novel, originally published in 1871-2, was my 4th of her novels. It's supposed to be her best work. I enjoyed it very much, especially once I got into the flow, but I do think I preferred others.
Middlemarch is set for the most part in a fictitious Midlands town of Middlemarch. It focuses on a number of characters, all involved in 'romantic; relationships. You have Dorotea Brooke, courted by both Sir James Chettam, a wealthy land owner, and Rev Edward Casaubon, who she prefers as she wants to help him write his great novel. You have Mary Garth, my favorite character, who works for an elderly rich crank, Peter Featherstone, who is courted by a ne'er - do - well, a good looking young man with many financial issues, Fred Vincy. As well, there is Rosamond Vincy, Fred's sister, who has set her oar for the new doctor in town, Dr. Tertius Lydgate.
Of course, those are the main character and we are surrounded, richly by a great supporting cast. The book, made up of 4 mini-novels, moves from the various main characters as their relationships develop and grow. I have to say that there were a number of characters who I didn't like at all, but they were nicely counteracted by those I did like. And like all of Eliot's books, all of the characters are beautifully crafted and the story is thoughtfully told. I won't get into the plot any more. Suffice it to say, if you try this story, you will enjoy it immensely. This story was made into a BBC mini-series in 1994 with a cast of fantastic actors. I will have to try it out as well. (4 stars)"
"This historical novel,
set in the 15th century, focuses on the life and social issues in
Florence Italy. The story is centered around a local girl named Romola,
the daughter of a blind scholar. A trader who meets a shipwrecked
stranger, introduces him to life in Florence. He eventually settles,
working with the scholar, and makes many new friends in his new home
including his love Interest Romola.
Romola find loss and
tragedy throughout the novel and she struggles through wars and
political upheaval. She is faced with accusations of heresy, treason and
is forced into exile where she finds hope in caring for victims of the
plague. This novel is historically accurate, using many facts and events
to enhance the believability and enjoyment for the reader."
"Long favourite among her novels and often regarded as a mere moral 'faery-tale', it contains, along with its genial humour and its mellow portraiture, many complex ironies and a great deal of pointed social criticism. Marner's spiritual death and his resurrection through the child Eppie and the neighbourliness of the village community have, as Mrs Leavis points out, 'a multiple typicality'; through his case are examined the dire effects of the Industrial Revolution and the rich human possibilities of a way of life that, even in George Eliot's lifetime, was passing away."
The complete listing of Eliot's works can be found at this link. Enjoy your upcoming week. Stay safe. Get vaccinated! 😷
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