Martin
Based on his diary, this little volume tells the story of the life of J.C.E. Bitterlich who lived from 1795 to 1876. A man from the Kingdom of Saxony born into a poor family whose life's road led him from the Battle of the Nations to a successful career as a country constable and finally after retiring into farming.
The author weaves a compelling biography by telling the story in the diary's words (translated into modern, readable German) interwoven with her own. The first-hand accounts are connected by explanations of the events not mentioned in Bitterlich's report and short summaries of occurrences she doesn't go into in detail. Through this technique the author gives the narrative a nice flow that paints a first-hand picture of the way life was in the early 19th century in Middle Germany.
We learn how a Roman Beneficarius, a senatorial tribunus and a Germanic slave girl experienced the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest. As the exact circumstances of this decisive defeat of three Roman legions are still unknown - and will probably remain so given the sources - the author doesn't dabble too much into the political background, but focuses on her characters. Showing a Roman perspective the Germanic men (not the females, mind you) are described as raw barbarians, brutal and treacherous. The only downer really. Nice and easy read.
Had this been my first novel by Kazuo Ishiguro I would have given this novel five stars. But after reading “A Pale View of Hills” and “The Remains of the Day” I am - how to say - used to his style and the relativity going on his books. Masuji Ono, the namegiving artist, is another typical protagonist of Ishiguro - as far as I have come to know his work. I deeply appreciate his style of telling the story from a purely subjective point of view. The way his characters relate stories from their past. ‘An Artist of the Floating World' worked great for me with Masuji's meandering voice and the hints at things and dark secrets that were yet in store for the reader. Yet somehow I was missing something here I found in his other works, or rather, I did not find more than what I had already found in his other works.
I really liked the way the author brought the terrors of Stalinist Russia to life. The fear, the resignation, the apathy. Well researched. The story itself was not so much to my liking, but interesting enough to keep me reading on. The characters seemed pretty real with their own agendas and motivations. What bugged me was that we didn't get to know what Vasili's personal problem with Leo was. Was it purely a competition thing? Or a way to show his obsessive and psychotic character? The transformation of Leo was nicely done, didn't seem too far fetched and was neatly explained by his tendency to selective perception through his childhood experience. All in all a good read with vivid descriptions, but I would have wished for a stronger crime story.
This is a tough one to review. I had this one on my wishlist for quite some time before I finally decided on getting a copy. Then quite some time passed before I picked it off my to-read-shelf. I wasn't sure what to expect from this one. Adult Fantasy. It sounded to me appealing in some way but on the other hand I was afraid of some Romance story set before a fantasy background. Sporting 928 pages was another thing that made me reluctant to begin.
I must confess though when I opened the book and began the first pages I was immediately hooked. The style of the narrator is very intriguing. Being the memoir of a courtesan in an alternative medieval Europe something about the way the words were chosen and the way the story was told rang true. I don't consider it an easy task to bring such a world alive through a first person narrator, but the author did a remarkable job (This being a debut novel!)
The first part of the story that described the training of the protagonist - Phèdre - and her coming of age in this world of intrigue was highly entertaining. I am not a big fan of foreshadowing telling, but it suited the character. Next Phèdre's world is torn apart and she has to get herself out of a dark destiny bestowed upon her. And here came the point - roughly in the middle - I got somehow bored with the book. I was halfway through yet I wasn't able to go on reading. I can't really pinpoint exactly what it was that evoked the boredom, but I put the book down for several weeks. When I got back to it I was strangely enough hooked again and finished the book in 3 days.
Having finished it this afternoon I am still not sure what to make of it. This I know. It is very vivid in description. I liked the style. I liked the way the author brings her vision of this world alive and makes it realistic. I was amazed by the way the action was told. I even liked the foreshadowing and repetitions. I am impressed by the details the author created: The lore, the poems, the history. It is definitely an intense vision in its own voice. But something keeps me from giving this a straight 5. So for lack of a more refined rating choice I give a solid 4.5 stars. Not sure though if I will pick up the succeeding book. I have the feeling this is one of the books I need to ‘digest' before I can make a definite judgement.
Recommended to people who enjoy well-crafted and unique fantasy worlds, the game of thrones and don't mind a foreshadowing, gloomy narrator with highly self-destructive tendencies.
I thoroughly enjoyed the “first” three Sharpe novels set in India with their fast paced action, likeable characters and intriguing side plots. When the fresh baked Lieutenant left India and set out to join the 95th I could hardly wait for my order of the next two books to arrive. But, boy, was I in for a disappointment. [b:Sharpe's Trafalgar 906675 Sharpe's Trafalgar (Sharpe, #4) Bernard Cornwell http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1179348299s/906675.jpg 891820] was a serious letdown and the following [b:Sharpe's Prey 906728 Sharpe's Prey (Sharpe, #5) Bernard Cornwell http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1179348512s/906728.jpg 2030978] was despite some redeeming qualities almost as bad. I was close to giving up on Sharpe and move on with life.[b:Sharpe's Rifles 906669 Sharpe's Rifles (Sharpe, #6) Bernard Cornwell http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1179348292s/906669.jpg 2918547] was to be the final chance I was willing to give the series, and I am glad I did, because this novel made me feel the spirit of Sharpe's Indian adventures again. Not quite as good, but good enough to make my hopes rise again. Sharpe's Havoc ties in a few months after Sharpe's Rifles. He and his half batallion of the 95th that were separated from their main force in the preceding book are witness to the battle of Porto and the subsequent capture of the town by French forces. Joined by a young Portuguese lieutenant and his men they try to join with the British army, but get stuck in a small village in the mountains. A siege of their makeshift fortress, betrayal by a slimy agent of the Foreign Office, last stands and a damsel in distress ensue.Highly recommended.