Bill Wood
This was so fun! I haven't read a lot of sci-fi from the days of yore. Mostly Burroughs, I would say. I didn't have many expectations about this book. I do have a board game called Nemo's War which is inspired by this book, but that didn't really tell me much I didn't already know from just absorbing popular culture.
Having been in the Navy and served on submarines for 10 years, and grown up in New England with whaling and the sea as a backdrop, and having just finished reading Middle Passage by Charles Johnson I was primed for a seafaring yarn, and this delivered quite remarkably well.
My favorite part of the book was the delightful turn of phrase. I know it was translated from French, and the version I read was translated by Lewis Page Mercier. I don't know how much license he took or whether the original was so clever and at times non-sensical, a majority of which centered around Ned.
“...friend Ned is busy making a kangaroo-pie which will be a marvel.”
“All these pigeons are only side-dishes and trifles; and until I have killed an animal with cutlets I shall not be content.”
“Friend Conseil, I like you much, but not enough to eat you unnecessarily.”
“Ned Land did not speak, but he opened his jaws wide enough to frighten a shark.”
“Ho! ho!” said Ned Land, moving his jaws significantly.
Ned and his jaws are apparently very impressive. I made assumptions that the translator was probably a “very proper British chap” and indeed, he was a Reverend from London educated at Oxford University. I recently read Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass and many passages were reminiscent of Carroll's intended approach to literary silliness.
I devoured many exciting passages, and loved that Captain Nemo remained an enigma throughout. While I have heard that some people were turned off by it, I never minded all of the listing of scientific names of fishes and seaweeds and other discoveries. I could imagine Professor Aronnax carried away by the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see such wonders, and was amazed at his knowledge of so much geography, being able to identify islands by the mountains and other features. I am amazed at the thought that this book was published around 1870 considering how much Monsieur Verne got right or nearly right. I'm also amazed at the idea that this was written at a time when there was no Internet, no Google, and even maps and reference books were potentially inaccurate and hard to get. Verne truly was a scholar. I mean, really, Spoilerhow much did we know about Antarctica in 1870?
As a former submariner I scoffed at some of the things he got wrong, but for the most part was very willing to grant a large amount of leeway considering the date of the book. Inaccuracy regarding the speeds and depths of submarines, for example, are part of what make it science fiction. For me the most egregious wrongs were that when you are on a ship or submarine of any kind you would need to “stow for sea” and couldn't just Spoilerhave a museum of priceless spoils on display like you were in a living room, and you can't play demolition derby with your submarine. There were many scenes of using it to batter ships and ice that had me cringing.
Despite those issues, I loved it. I couldn't give it five stars, mostly because of the sense of European colonialism that informed various interactions. Spoiler”I could easily have knocked down this native, who was within a short length; but I thought that it was better to wait for real hostile demonstrations. Between Europeans and savages, it is proper for the Europeans to parry sharply, not to attack.” That quote perfectly encapsulates both the highs and lows of the book, but as someone who wrote many years before several of my favorite early 20th century science fiction and fantasy authors, I look forward to further exploration of his work and more from that era.
This one is a really hard one to review for me. I think I remember reading it as a child, but I don't remember much of what went on. I don't think I saw the movie, but I have a vague recollection of the general plot. So did I actually read it or did I just ingest societal knowledge of the story by osmosis?
Either way, I chose it as a book to read to my seven year old daughter at bedtime. The chapters are a reasonable size except for one long one near the end. The story is fine, except that the mention of guns in the beginning kind of freaked her out, and it was nothing more than a man getting a shotgun out and looking at it.
She did enjoy the adventures of the animals and became really concerned for them. Eventually she did lose interest and got distracted by Tea Dragon books and didn't want to go back and finish this one.
We struggle to find books that work for her because she has a very advanced vocabulary and reading level, but a very low tolerance for scary and frightful situations. This book worked well for that, because although it is presumably written for children, it is written in a very literary manner.
“It is a country of far-flung, lonely farms and a few widely scattered small towns and villages, of lonely trappers' shacks and logging camps. Most of its industry comes from the great pulp and paper companies who work their timber concessions deep in the very heart of the forests; and from the mines, for it is rich in minerals. Prospectors work through it; there are trappers and Indians; and sometimes hunters who fly into the virgin lakes in small amphibious aircraft; there are pioneers with visions beyond their own life span; and there are those who have left the bustle of civilization forever, to sink their identity in an unquestioning acceptance of the wilderness.”
That is certainly not “See Dick run.” or “I do not like green eggs and ham.”
It gave us an opportunity to talk about the word Indians and how, as a Canadian book, it might in these days use the term First Nations, or here in the United States use the term Native American.
I was left to finish it on my own, and it is a quick read. It felt a little anti-climactic, perhaps suffering from the conflict between writing a literary story and one that did not want to lose the attention of children.
I'm glad we read it, and look forward to finishing our date with Tea Dragons so we can move on to The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.
What an amazing book. It has been a while since I've read a book where the writing itself was so delectable. In describing an unsavory character: “You have seen, perhaps, sketches of Piltdown man? Cover him with coal dust, add deerskin leggings and a cutaway coat tight as wet leather, and you shall have Santos's younger, undernourished sister.”
This was not what I was expecting, as I'd gone in with little research on the book itself. It was not a fictionalized historical re-enactment of a Middle Passage journey. It was more akin to Lovecraft Country in that it was set against a historical backdrop and introduced just a bit of supernatural flavor. The main character, “Rutherford Calhoun from Illinois” is not quite protagonist, not quite anti-hero, not a stereotype, but fully three dimensional and his character arc is believable and satisfying. Nobody in the cast of characters is fully played to trope. They are for the most part rich and surprising, complex, and very human. Though many do not spend a lot of time on the page, their actions speak volumes and you feel you get to know and understand many of them.
Though written in 1998 it does indeed evoke Moby Dick in flavor and context. There were some prescient passages that take you out of the 1800's, but only serve to add to the import of the commentary. The books comes with a reading group guide, and the whole structure feels like layers within layers. It is composed as a sequence of journal entries, with the journal itself both a key plot device in the story and representing the book you hold in your hands.
I'll refrain from a description of the plot that you can find elsewhere, or a discussion of themes. I will simply whole-heartedly recommend the book as immensely enjoyable and worthy of the National Book Award.
(my review from Amazon)
Memoirs are not a genre I read, but I was excited that a friend whom I admired had written one and grabbed it as soon as I could. I had no idea.
I knew Anna and her mother from their time in Maine. I knew a few of the earlier children as they'd come to my house for Baha'i children's classes and as I followed her adventures from afar after that. I grew to admire Anna's international joi de vivre and passion for accumulating children, but had lost touch before the Swedish chapter of her life. As someone who thrives on getting to know someone intimately, this book was wonderful.
I am currently raising a seven year old daughter with my wife and at times, many times, I'm stretched to my limit as I uncover familial patterns and triggers that challenge me. And that is with one child. My heart goes out to Anna in her indomitable efforts to be there for eleven children on multiple continents. The book unfolded layer after layer in an easy to read story of a loving, compassionate, struggling mother, daughter, Baha'i, professional, and friend. She did not shy away from showing the anger, fear, and challenges of a life lived in service. The culmination of the events and decisions in the last few chapters had me riveted until I finished the book, just moments ago.
I know many people who are comfortable in several cultures, but not many as disparate as the United States, Canada, Korea, and Sweden. While I am experienced with Western European cultures, Anna's experience navigating Sweden and Korea made the story even more impressive. As someone who has spent the last few years delving deeply into my family of origin and its impact on me as a person and a parent, her honest vulnerability and recollections touched me and make me feel closer to her. I remember the children I have met very fondly, and remember hearing prayers in Swedish and Korean when they'd visit. To see stories of them as capable adults and parents in their own right makes me so happy.
Often when we get to know someone, we get to know the calm, outer image they project and share with the public. I often say if you haven't seen someone crying or angry you really don't know them. This has been a wonderful opportunity to get to know Anna and her children, to see the struggles, and to celebrate the hard-won victories.
I'm not sure why I enjoyed the book so much. Is it because I know the author? Is it because there are so many timely connections with where I am at in my life right now? Is it because it is a well-written book that tells an eminently relatable story? I suspect it is all three. And I know when the further adventures of Anna come out, I'll be first in line to pick them up. It is a wonderful, wonderful book and my heart is literally warmed today as I think fondly of her very extended family and their impact on this world.
You may be thinking “they just wrote that glowing recommendation because they know the author.” I assure you that is not the case. If my love for this story and book are not coming through in this review, it is because of the limitation of my ability to convey it.
This was interesting. It reminded me a bit of Hyperion and a bit like Rendezvous with Rama in that it felt like several vastly different scenarios and stories within a single science fiction narrative and included a bit of an exploration of a strange environment with imaginative world-building. A medieval dungeon, an island of cannibals, a high-stakes casino, a heist or two, a rag-tag crew, etc.
While I won't say it is stellar or on the level of Hyperion (which is one of my all-time favorites) I did enjoy it and there were several times I was on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next. There were also a few times of “get on with it” which knocks it down a star for me.
One thing I enjoyed was the personality that was put into the various races and settings. Changers in general and Horza specifically, Yalson, Balveda. Also Schar's World, orbitals, Minds. I liked the imagination.
This is my first foray into the Culture series, and I look forward to exploring it more.
The first edition of the compilation was 5-star yummy! This one was good, but there was only one extraordinary story (The Earth Ship by Graham Storrs), one really good one (Digital Commander by J.S. Morin), and the rest were enjoyable, but this collection certainly wasn't the mind-blowing, ravenously engrossing level of the previous one.
Let me start by saying I'm very fond of Glen Cook as an author. The Swordbearer was one of the first fantasy books I read, and one scene in particular has stuck out for decades. I've gone back to reread that one, and several of the Dread Empire novels.
This was my first foray into the Black Company books.
Wow, the parallels with The Malazan Book of the Fallen are profound. I felt like I was reading a prequel, knowing this came out much earlier and played a big role as an influence.
I can't really say I related well to any of the characters. Raven was interesting and enigmatic. Silent was fun when he was front and center towards the end. Croaker, though, the POV character, was sort of just there.
There were elements of the story that I really enjoyed, like the forvalaka (I LOVED the forvalaka), and the milieu at large, with the Taken characters and the Circle of Eighteen, but though there were political machinations it felt a bit muddled. Sometimes all the character development a character received was their name. Maybe I was just slow to understand what was happening, but I felt confused at the wheels within wheels approach.
I did give it four stars. Three because of the story, one because of the seminal role it has played in influencing “dark, gritty fantasy.” I'm not compelled to continue the series, but I'm sure I'll keep pecking away at it.
Did I just damn this book with faint praise?
Thought-provoking, emotional, wrapped up a bit too neatly. Reading the author's note in the back of the book gave me a greater appreciation for the passion, interest, and work that went into this book, and the bibliography is a great resource.
I had been looking for this book for months and finally found it for sale as an ebook. Once I started reading it I had reservations about a book on race written by a white woman, especially when there are so many classic books by Toni Morrison, Alice Walker, Maya Angelou et al that I have not read, particularly one laced with so many n-words. It made me wonder why I passed so many classic works by African American women to read this one written by a white woman. Was that part of my personal bias?
Anyway, it did a good job of showing growing awareness in a white “non-racist.” It showed two ways of dealing with racism from the point of view of the protagonist and her sister. It reminds me of Cornel West in Race Matters. He spoke of race-effacing, race-identifying, and race-transcending people of color, and I think those dynamics are explored here. It explored the contradictions of hate, similar to the laundry scene in American History X and when the antagonist sees others around him soften when children and other priorities are introduced. It takes a lot of energy to hate, and in some ways it provides hope that in this current environment we can hope that extreme elements who feel emboldened to be overtly racist will one day wake up to the reality that love is what powers the universe and that we all need to work to dismantle racism.
There weren't any pat answers, and I didn't expect there to be. There were moral lessons, hard conversations, and the realistic portrayal of the delicate, painful, and rewarding nature of inter-racial friendships and the shallow nature of most “friendships” like those we share with co-workers and people we grew up with.
Well done, Ms. Picoult. Kudos!
Wesley Chu does it again. Having previously devoured The Lives of Tao, this was another page-turner I literally could not put down. Now I'm on a mission to hunt down all of his other books.
The Lives of Tao had a fascinating premise. The Rise of Io completely sprang it in a different direction and had a compelling character in Ella. She rocks!
Oh my word! One of the greatest books I've ever read!
I can only imagine what it was like to be a slave, but the artful wresting with issues related to slavery and more general in nature, the portrayal of many different perspectives and survival mechanisms, the mystery within which the entire story is framed, the counterpoint relationships... It is just brilliant.
I've been a fan of Octavia Butler for years, having most recently read the Xenogenesis series (Dawn, Adulthood Rites, and Imago) and felt they were solid, imaginative, compelling, and provocative. This one is head and shoulders above those. Rave. Rave. Rave. Cannot say enough, so I'll stop saying more.
It was a very interesting steampunk world with an imaginative take on races, technology, and magic. The antagonists were a bit one-dimensional, and the character development was a bit clumsy, with lots of telling, not showing, especially with regards to the relationships between the three protagonists. The protagonists Arianna, Cvareh, and Florence are all interesting and three-dimensional and the plot for the most part was engaging.
I got it as a discounted ebook, and I'd definitely read the next book in the series.
This book was fantastic! It has very interesting characters and an imaginative world. It was definitely world-building on a grand scale, because you just get the feeling that we have barely scratched the surface even though this book was huge. Though a little slow in some places, the structure and pacing were very good, and by the time it got to the climactic conflict I was breathlessly looking for any excuse to ditch work so I could continue reading. I love that there is so much more to learn about this world and these characters, that there are strong female characters, and the combat with Shardblades and Binding were so brilliantly done.
Really a 3.5 stars out of 5.
This is an odd one. It was first published in 1981. There are elements of Foundation, in that someone with foresight sets things up in the beginning. It feels like a mystery, because clues are followed throughout to the conclusions at the end. It is sci-fi, since they travels in space ships to this planet, and it feels like a martial arts fantasy for most of the book. It feels like a Zen treatise or a book of Eastern philosophy, because there is a lot of discussion of mindfulness and The Way.
It starts off leaning hard into the trope of “Student looks for Master. Master humiliates student. Wax on. Wax off. Student demands lessons. Student gets lessons. Student doesn't like lessons. Student learns, and continues travels.” That was probably the least interesting part of the book because it was so trite, but before and after that, Jerome's travels are interesting. The mystery really kicks in and you aren't sure where it is going to go. Jerome meets interesting people, particularly Chaka and the merchant, and situations where he has to use his wits. The ending was somewhat predictable, and the book is short. It naturally leads to the next book, and perhaps today all four books would have been released as one.
The chapters are pretty short, so the book propels you forward pretty quickly. The prose was direct, having a few really nice spots. My favorite paragraph in the whole book was the beginning of chapter VII:
“Once again the days followed the sun over the horizon like identical beads on a string. There was no sense in counting them, no logic to keeping track. To number each would have been to differentiate it from all others, to name this the Day the Tree Lizards Sang, and that the Day They Didn't, one the Day that Brought Rain, another the Day the Sun Shone. But it was useless, for even the differences repeated themselves, and even the similarities changed. It was a rhythm that needed nothing to complete or complement it.”
Some may find the amount of philosophy off-putting in comparison to the action, a lot of which happens off-screen. I enjoyed it. I'm not going to pick up the sequel immediately, but I do plan to pick it up relatively soon.
A solid book.
