OscarWilde87's 2014 reading log

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OscarWilde87's 2014 reading log

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1OscarWilde87
Editado: Dic 31, 2014, 6:41 am

Hi there,
this is my first year in Club Read and I hope it's gonna be fun. I always find it interesting to see what others are reading to have some kind of inspiration for my own reading. In the last couple of years I always managed to read around 25 books a year which is why I envy you guys around here because you seem to read a lot more. I thought I'd give participating in this group a try anyway.
Well my resolutions for my reading in 2014 are the following:
1) Read more than five books from the "1001 books you must read before you die" list.
2) Read a book with more than 1000 pages.
3) Attack The Complete Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe.
4) Give Clancy one more (last?) try.
5) Try something completely different. Whatever that may be...
These resolutions should give me something to focus on as I usually just read whatever I want whenever I want it.

PS: I've had a look at some of the posts of other members here and found that most of you have some kind of structure and just edit your posts as you go along. I have always done the one post per book thing. What would you suggest to someone who is new here?

Happy new (reading) year 2014,
OscarWilde87


__________________________
Finished in 2014

#1: The Forgotten by David Baldacci
#2: The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket by Edgar Allan Poe
#3: A Tramp Abroad by Mark Twain
#4: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
#5: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
#6: The Shining by Stephen King
#7: Zero Day by David Baldacci
#8: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
#9: A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
#10: The Sign of the Four by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
#11: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
#12: Our Man in Havana by Graham Greene
#13: Inventing a Nation: Washington, Adams, Jefferson by Gore Vidal
#14: Inferno by Dan Brown
#15: Polarities by Margaret Atwood
#16: Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History by Robert M. Edsel
#17: The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
#18: Foe by J. M. Coetzee
#19: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
#20: The Return of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
#21: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving
#22: The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
#23: Portnoy's Complaint by Philip Roth
#24: Ragtime by E. L. Doctorow
#25: The Valley of Fear by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
#26: His Last Bow by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
#27: The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

__________________________
Reading Statistics
Books read: 27
Pages read: 7,164

Last year
Books read: 26
Pages read: 11,618

2.Monkey.
Ene 1, 2014, 8:10 am

Re: 4: As in, Tom Clancy? *checks catalog* If the two you have entered are the only two you've read, I can certainly see why you wouldn't enjoy them. They're near the end of a rather large series, so you'd have zero history (which isn't necessarily "needed" to read them, but is what makes you actually care about the characters and be invested in their story and whatnot), and plus I think the first half of them were better. I'd suggest reading his Red Storm Rising, which is actually not in the series and was his 2nd book ever, it was the first one I read and it's one of my top favorites. If you'd rather read a Jack Ryan one, though, then I'd suggest starting at the beginning with Hunt for Red October or Patriot Games (which is second but chronologically came before).

As for the style of your thread, that's entirely up to you. I think everyone posts about their latest reads, but many of us like to keep a full list of our reads, and lots of folks do a post at the top of their thread where they keep updated on their current reads & future plans, etc. Nothing requires you to do any particular thing, nor is any way "better" or "worse," it's just whatever suits you. If you feel like trying out having posts that you edit to keep current in some manner, go ahead. If you have no interest, certainly don't bother with it just because others do it.

Welcome, and just have fun! :)

3NanaCC
Ene 1, 2014, 9:39 am

Monkey is right. I started in this group last year, and really didn't know where to start. But read through some of the other threads, and you will get ideas. Being a part of this group pushed me to read more books, and I enjoy the dialog that can happen when a book touches several people. Welcome!

4stretch
Ene 1, 2014, 9:39 am

Welcome aboard! I have had plans to get through a significant chunk of the complete works of Edgar Allen Poe for three years running now. As far as setup goes, well anything goes around here, orginaztion is completely up to you. I change mine on a yearly basis it seems. If you have questions regarding HTML or how we do something, don't hesitate to ask.

5fuzzy_patters
Ene 1, 2014, 9:59 am

Lest you feel bad about not reading as much as the others, you are not alone. I, too, seem to be right at twenty-five books every year. I always tell myself that this will be the year that I read more, but it never is. Real life has a way of intervening. Besides, twenty-five books is a new book every other week, which doesn't sound too bad when you think about it.

6dchaikin
Ene 1, 2014, 10:58 am

Welcome to CR, Wilde. Intrigued by resolution 2.

7fannyprice
Ene 1, 2014, 4:07 pm

>4 stretch:, regarding HTML, I find this site ridiculously useful. I just bookmark it and then copy the code (is HTML a code?) that I need.

http://www.w3schools.com/html/default.asp

However, I'd second the others and say that there is no right way to keep a thread. My thought is that you should do whatever is least time-consuming and allows you the most time to read! :)

8OscarWilde87
Ene 1, 2014, 4:35 pm

Whoa, first of all: Thanks for all those nice comments.
As for my post structure, I'm probably going to do one thread per book and insert some statistics in my introductory post. And I will have to have a post for The Complete Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe as this is a longer project, I assume.

>2 .Monkey.:: Thanks for the advice about Tom Clancy PolymathicMonkey. I still have one Clancy novel lying around in my apartment but I'm currently not at my place to check out which one. It's been lying there for quite some time now as a colleague of mine gave it to me as a present after her son had read it and I had loads more on my TBR pile.

>3 NanaCC:: Yeah, NanaCC, I think I'll work something out. Maybe I can use 2014 as a trial year to figure out what's working best for me.

>4 stretch:: Thanks for the HTML offer. I might be coming back to that. Right now I think I'm fine because I don't use it very much. Just for some formatting.

>5 fuzzy_patters:: Nice to know that I'm not the only one who isn't reading as much. Although I have to say you're right, 25 is already quite a good number.

>6 dchaikin:: I don't know yet which book that will be exactly. I guess it's gonna be a Stephen King novel as he tends to write longer novels than other writers...

>7 fannyprice:: I'm definitely going to do just that. Keep things as time-efficient as possible because reading time is always too short anyway.

9OscarWilde87
Editado: Ene 12, 2014, 12:56 pm

The Complete Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe

This is going to be my collective thread for The Complete Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe.

January 12: I have just finished Poe's only novel, The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket. The review can be found in another post below.

Overall progress: So far I read the The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket and a couple of poems that I thought were not worthy to mention in detail.

10rebeccanyc
Ene 1, 2014, 6:32 pm

As for my post structure, I'm probably going to do one thread per book

You might want to reconsider this, and keep a thread going until it gets unwieldy and you can activate the automatic continuation feature. If you do one thread for each book you read, it's harder for people to know when you've got a new thread. You might want to look at some of the threads from last year's version of Club Read to get an idea of what seems to work for a lot of us; here is the Club Read 2013 group page.

Of course, you should do whatever works best for you -- these are just some thoughts!

11bragan
Ene 2, 2014, 4:12 am

Good luck with the Edgar Allan Poe! I've had that book sitting on my TBR shelves glaring balefully at me for years.

12baswood
Ene 2, 2014, 5:26 am

I will also be reading some Edgar Allan Poe this year so I will follow your reading project

13arubabookwoman
Ene 2, 2014, 11:34 am

Welcome to CR. I usually do a separate post with my thoughts on each book. I keep a running list of all the books I read in the order read in a comment near the top of my thread. I usually end up with only one thread each year.

14OscarWilde87
Ene 3, 2014, 4:16 am

>10 rebeccanyc:: You're right. What I meant to write was one post per book... Sorry about my confusion.
>11 bragan:: Thanks! I guess it's not that easy to go through it completely. But as I love Poe and some of his stories and poems will be re-reads for me, I think I might be able to make it.
>12 baswood:: Starred your thread too, baswood!
>13 arubabookwoman:: Thanks! Sounds like a good idea.

15OscarWilde87
Editado: Feb 4, 2014, 3:20 pm

#1: The Forgotten by David Baldacci
(594 pages)

The Forgotten by David Baldacci is the second book in a series featuring Army CID Special Agent John Puller as its protagonist. John Puller visits his father, a retired three-star general, in a VA hospital and is confronted with a letter by his aunt who wants him to come down to her home in Paradise, Florida. In the letter, Puller's aunt talks about mysterious happenings and people not being who they seem to be. When John Puller arrives in Paradise and finds out that his aunt is dead and the police does not investigate the case, he starts investigating himself. Throughout the course of his investigation, more and more people vanish and die in the once so calm retirement village Paradise.
Next to the main plot, there is the story of a man named Mecho, who remains a very mysterious and shady character until towards the end of the book. Mecho is a tall guy who was captured by modern-day slave traders but managed to flee from an oil platform in the Gulf off the Florida coast. He arrives on a beach in Paradise, Florida, the same night Puller's aunt is killed. Mecho takes on a job as a laborer for a landscaping company, his sole purpose to remain in Paradise being to find his sister and to exact revenge on the slave traders.

When I started reading the novel, I was afraid that I should have read the first novel in the John Puller series first. However, this proved not to be too problematic. While all the characters are very interesting and I enjoyed their development throughout the story, this was especially true for John Puller. Although he has some quirks, I basically loved accompanying him right from the first page. To my mind, the characters are one of the strong suits of this book.

Baldacci manages to write thrilling crime fiction that is even humorous at times. His story about modern-day slave trade in the United States of America is credible. His pace and timing are very good so that you do not want to put down your book and do something else instead. While the story unfolds and new leads and clues are presented, the pages just keep turning and suddenly you find yourself wondering that you are already halfway through the book.

This has been my first book by David Baldacci but it certainly will not be the last. If I had not got this as a Christmas present I probably never would have tried Baldacci. But then I certainly would have missed out on some of the most entertaining crime fiction novels I have read so far. I would recommend this book to every reader who loves the genre. I will certainly go ahead and read the first novel in the John Puller series, that is Zero Day.

Entertaining, thrilling, fast-paced.

16baswood
Ene 3, 2014, 2:30 pm

That's a lot of pages for a crime thriller; sounds good though.

17OscarWilde87
Editado: Feb 4, 2014, 3:20 pm

#2: The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket by Edgar Allan Poe
(148 pages)

Protagonist Arthur Gordon Pym is a young man who seems to be bored with his life which mainly consists of attending parties and getting drunk with friends. So after one party he and his friend Augustus Barnard - both quite drunk - decide to have a boat trip although there is a terrible storm raging outside. Their boat is wrecked in the collision with a bigger ship but Pym and Barnard somehow manage to get on board the big ship and return safely to land. Intrigued by this adventure on sea, Pym decides that he needs more of that and sets out on another journey. He begins traveling as a stowaway on a whaling ship. The narrative of Pym now relates the adventures on the voyage, starting with a mutiny. The story then continues with another mutiny, shipwreck, cannibalism, murder, the exploration of new land, meeting natives ("savages") and the search of the South Pole. A note in the end explains that the end of Pym's narrative cannot be given as the last two or three chapters are missing.

The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket is the only novel Poe has ever written. It contains elements that are typical of Poe's writing and can also be found in abundance throughout his short stories. There are for example the often very bleak atmosphere and the recurring themes of murder and impending doom. Poe describes the act of cannibalism in almost every detail only to continue shortly thereafter by relating that Pym and another seaman, who have just murdered and eaten one of their own, decide to cut an opening into the storeroom of the ship in order to get more food.
The abrupt open ending is something I haven't quite figured out yet. On their journey to the South Pole, Pym and his companion suddenly see "a shrouded human figure" bigger than any human being on earth. My take is that Pym actually dies at this point which leaves the question of how the novel came into writing. This however may be due to the travel journal that Pym kept. The note in the end says that Pym's companion is still alive in Illinois but would not talk about the end of the adventure.

I read this novel as part of this year's project to read The Complete Stories and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe. I was intrigued to read a complete novel by Poe because I like a lot of his short stories. In general, his novel had all the ingredients of a good story about a voyage on a ship when there were still some parts of the world left for discovery. I am, however, tempted to say that the plot is very predictable. On the other hand, though, Poe somehow manages to give the story his own touch which I liked a lot.
On the whole, 3.5 stars for this one.

18baswood
Ene 12, 2014, 6:10 pm

Enjoyed your review of The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket which I am looking forward to reading later in the year.

19AnnieMod
Ene 12, 2014, 9:26 pm

Baldacci's series are written in a way to allow you to read them as separate novels -- you are missing some inner jokes and some of the background but it does not take away from the novels themselves. They are still better if read in order though :)

Unlike Clancy - where jumping even in book #2 without #1 makes a mess of the story...

20dchaikin
Ene 13, 2014, 9:26 am

Good stuff on Gordon Pym.

21OscarWilde87
Ene 13, 2014, 11:45 am

>18 baswood:: I'm really looking forward to hearing your thoughts on Pym. I will keep following your thread (right now I'm just passively enjoying it).

>19 AnnieMod:: Yeah, I certainly will read the other book in Baldacci's series this year. As for Clancy: I do have The Bear and the Dragon still lying here on my TBR pile waiting to be noticed. I got it when a colleague if mine was giving away some books she'd read and didn't want to keep. Have you read it? As I see here on LT it's also part of a series and probably not recommendable then without having read the rest of the series, right?

>20 dchaikin:: Thanks. It's been a nice read.

22AnnieMod
Ene 13, 2014, 12:03 pm

>21 OscarWilde87:
I would not even try The Bear and the Dragon if you had not read the previous 9 in the series. I am not even sure where I left off this series - need to catch up with it one of those days... If you really want to give Clancy a chance, find The Hunt for Red October as PolymathicMonkey mentioned or one of the standalones...

23OscarWilde87
Editado: Ene 13, 2014, 2:16 pm

>22 AnnieMod:: Thanks for the advice. Thing is I'm not really willing to invest time in the 9 novels before... But I think I will try The Hunt for Red October this year since both you and PolymathicMonkey suggested it.

24.Monkey.
Ene 14, 2014, 4:21 pm

Yeah, I'd say it's a good one to try, and if you don't enjoy it, then just move on along and leave Clancy behind. He's not everyone's cup of tea, no worries there.

25OscarWilde87
Ene 29, 2014, 12:41 pm

This is my first year in Club Read and I just have to say that it's really hard to keep up with all of those interesting threads in the group. At the moment they are basically the only reading I get done. This leads to a bigger wishlist/bigger (imaginary and hence physically not-yet-growing) TBR pile. But it's a great experience! Great group! Thanks folks!

26.Monkey.
Ene 29, 2014, 4:14 pm

I know, I have some starred but I like to try and read everyone's threads, but I've not really gone through and done that for around a week or so now I think, eek! But like you say, so many threads, so little time! I tend to kind of take it in spurts, spend some days doing little on here--lots of reading, and some days catching up everywhere here--little reading! :P

27AnnieMod
Ene 31, 2014, 6:15 am

>25 OscarWilde87:

It calms down a little bit as the year progresses. :)

28OscarWilde87
Feb 4, 2014, 2:30 pm

>26 .Monkey.:: I also started to star certain threads which I will now read on a more regular basis. I have decided to read the others when a certain amount of unread posts is reached (that number is not fixed but depends on my time). I'll just see how that's going to work out.

>27 AnnieMod:: I don't really want it to calm down, actually. I'm just torn between the greatness of it and the time it takes to read all those interesting posts.

Meanwhile I'm a little proud that I finished another book. Yay to self!

29OscarWilde87
Feb 4, 2014, 3:19 pm

#3: A Tramp Abroad by Mark Twain
(411 pages)

A Tramp Abroad gives an account of one of Mark Twain's journeys through Europe. It is one of the author's travelogues in which he shares his observations while 'tramping' through Germany, Switzerland, France and Italy. 'Tramping' here includes the ascent of Mont Blanc by telescope. With a book as this you cannot really tell what exactly it is about apart from saying what I just said. You'd either have to tell it all or just leave it. I decided to leave it for the interested readers to explore. Just imagine an American traveling through Europe at the end of the 19th century.

To my mind there are certain things that make this book an interesting, if unconventional, read. First, there is Twain's gift for humorous depictions of people and places. Twain manages to tell his stories in a lighthearted fashion that actually makes you laugh out loud at times. Second, A Tramp Abroad contains various drawings made by the author himself to support his stories with some sort of 'proof'. Those drawings further contribute to the satirical way this book is written in. Eventually I have to say that I liked how Twain constantly tries to convince the reader of the truthfulness of what he's telling. At numerous points in the book, the author uses footnotes to heighten his credibility. There is even an appendix to fit in all the accounts Twain could not get into his main narrative. This last aspect is somewhat ironic as the main narrative is just an unconnected telling of stories in which the narrator often digresses into things that are only remotely relevant to his story. To give potential readers some idea of what I especially liked about this book and about Mark Twain in general I chose some quotations that I find quite revealing as to Twain's style. Personally, I think Twain is a genius.
I have since found out there is nothing the Germans like so much as an opera. They like it, not in a mild and moderate way, but with their whole hearts. This is a legitimate result of habit and education. Our nation will like the opera, too, by and by, no doubt. One in fifty of those who attend our operas likes it already, perhaps, but I think a good many of the other forty-nine go in order to learn to like it, and the rest in order to be able to talk knowingly about it. The latter usually hum the airs while they are being sung, so that their neighbors may perceive that they have been to operas before. The funerals of these do not occur often enough.
(on opera visits, p. 50)
The Germans are exceedingly fond of Rhine wines; they are put up in tall, slender bottles and are considered a pleasant beverage. One tells them from vinegar by the label.
(on German wine, p. 84)
Now, in the end I was not sure how to rate this book in terms of stars. A Tramp Abroad is certainly an interesting and funny read. However, I think to really enjoy it you have to have been in one of the countries that are depicted in the book or have some knowledge about Germany and Switzerland. Otherwise, you just would not enjoy the book that much, I assume. Living in Germany, though, I find the book highly recommendable. Finally a note on the reading experience. A book with little above 400 pages that is divided into 50 chapters and an appendix is nothing like the usual reading experience you have with novels. But then again A Tramp Abroad is not a novel. So you might need some time to get used to the structure of the book. It is more like some fifty plus separate stories as Twain usually tells more than one story per chapter. All things considered, I would rate the book with 3.5 stars.

30mkboylan
Feb 5, 2014, 10:42 am

Hi Oscar! Finallly getting caught up here and enjoyed your reviews. It IS a lot of fun here isn't it? Hope you have a great year and I look forward to following it.

31baswood
Feb 5, 2014, 2:41 pm

Enjoyed your review of A Tramp abroad and your quotes from it that show Twain had a wicked sense of humour.

32dchaikin
Feb 7, 2014, 10:39 am

That was a fun review of Twain. Interesting that your modern experiences living in Germany add to a 19th-century satirical account of a traveler.

As for keeping with LT this year - if you figure it out, let me know how...especially if you manage to keep up and balance in actual reading time...

33OscarWilde87
Feb 7, 2014, 4:39 pm

>30 mkboylan:: Thanks! Yeah, it is a lot of fun in this group and I'm really glad I joined. I very much enjoy reading other threads but it only makes my TBR grow bigger and bigger. I added Our Man in Havannah to my TBR list based on your review.

>31 baswood:: Oh, I do love Twain's humor. I think I'm still going to read more of Twain's works if I only find the time...

>32 dchaikin:: Hey, that's what I thought as well. Twain wrote that book in the late 19th century and some of the parts are still quite accurate, I think. Germany has changed a lot of course, but his observations on the language and some remarks about people's behavior is still dead on.
Right now, reading time is still not great but it's getting a little better at least. But then I get the feeling that I just read some threads in this group quite passively without taking part in the discussions. That has definitely got to change.

34OscarWilde87
Feb 14, 2014, 10:21 am

#4: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
(374 pages)

The Hunger Games is set in a post-revolutionary territory called Panem in the former United States. It tells the story of Katniss Everdeen, a girl from a poor district who takes part in the annual 'Hunger Games' and thereby saves her sister from having to compete in the games. The 'Hunger Games' are an annual competition in Panem in which each of its twelve districts send a boy and a girl to fight each other until only one of them survives. A modern utopia, The Hunger Games depicts a world of opposites: the poorer districts on the one hand and the rich Capitol on the other hand. While this divide between rich and poor is part of the setting it is not really used as a theme by the author.

Protagonist Katniss Everdeen is a girl who lost her father and now has to go hunting in order to keep her family alive. This she does with her friend Gale who suggests they both run away from everything and live together in the woods. Just then Katniss volunteers to take part in the 'Hunger Games' to save her little sister Prim, which abruptly ends the story of Katniss and Gale. Together with Peeta, a boy from district twelve, she is sent to fight other so-called tributes in an arena until only one child survives. The relationship between Katniss and Peeta takes on an important role in the story. In the end, Katniss is not sure about her feelings for Peeta, who admits to loving her during the 'Hunger Games'. In fact, the romance between the two protagonists is somewhat the core of the novel as it is already quite clear from the beginning that Katniss is going to win the 'Hunger Games', making use of her hunting and survival skills.

I was actually more excited about the novel before I read it than afterwards. The 'Hunger Games' plot is very predictable with only a few twists in the end. The subplot about Katniss and Peeta did not really captivate me. The writing is okay and makes for a quick read. But it is nothing extraordinary, actually.
In the end, I'd say The Hunger Games is a fairly good novel but still nothing special. There is better YA fiction and there are definitely better utopian novels. However, I am still interested enough in the story to go on reading the second novel in the series. 3.5 stars.

35OscarWilde87
Feb 16, 2014, 2:20 pm

Inspired by the newly created poetry thread in this group I have re-read one of my favorite poems and thought I'd share it here. It's 'The Laughing Heart' by Charles Bukowski I have probably read this one more than a hundred times. I read it in every kind of mood and always find it uplifting, life-affirming and beautiful.

The Laughing Heart

your life is your life
don’t let it be clubbed into dank submission.
be on the watch.
there are ways out.
there is a light somewhere.
it may not be much light but
it beats the darkness.
be on the watch.
the gods will offer you chances.
know them.
take them.
you can’t beat death but
you can beat death in life, sometimes.
and the more often you learn to do it,
the more light there will be.
your life is your life.
know it while you have it.
you are marvelous
the gods wait to delight
in you.

There is also a pretty amazing video of Tom Waits reading the poem. You might wanna check it out:
Tom Waits reading Bukowski's 'The Laughing Heart'.

36RidgewayGirl
Feb 16, 2014, 2:39 pm

I'll have to find a copy of A Tramp Abroad. His essay on learning German is what got me through language classes. He's able to be humorous about a country without ridiculing it.

37rebeccanyc
Feb 16, 2014, 4:29 pm

I know someone who got interested in Bukowski just because Tom Waits was a Bukowski fan!

38mkboylan
Feb 16, 2014, 7:34 pm

Thanks for the Bukowski and the video.

39mkboylan
Feb 16, 2014, 7:36 pm

P.S. I just read my first one of "your" books The Picture of Dorian Gray and after a rough and bored start, loved it. I'll be reading more.

40OscarWilde87
Feb 17, 2014, 1:57 pm

>36 RidgewayGirl:: His essay on learning German is included in the appendix of the book. Unless he's written more than one. I think there's a copy of A Tramp Abroad available on Project Gutenberg. So if you have an e-reader you might wanna check that out.

>37 rebeccanyc:: Really? That's great, yet somewhat strange. I like it!

>38 mkboylan:, 39: Glad you like the Bukowski poem. Wilde is pretty amazing once you get into it. I would definitely recommend The Importance of Being Earnest. It's a drama and Wilde at his wittiest. Really enjoyable.

41Bridgey
Feb 18, 2014, 9:39 am

> I love Tom Waits. He sounds a little drunk there though. :)

42SassyLassy
Feb 18, 2014, 11:03 am

Tom Waits and Charles Bukowski: what a pair. Also thought he was great as Renfield in Coppola's Dracula

>41 Bridgey: Doesn't he always sound a little under the influence though?

43OscarWilde87
Editado: Feb 18, 2014, 1:35 pm

Doesn't he always sound a little under the influence though?

That's just what I wanted to say.

I love the combination of Waits and Bukowski as well!

44OscarWilde87
Mar 17, 2014, 3:17 pm

#5: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
(307 pages)

Set in the USA of the 1930s, Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird tells the story of Jean Louise 'Scout' Finch, a young girl growing up in the American South. Narrated by Scout Finch the reader experiences a young girl coming of age and making sense of her surroundings. At the same time this novel tells the story of Tom Robinson, a Black man who is falsely accused and convicted of the rape of a white woman. However, at the end of the trial it is perfectly clear to almost everyone in the court room that Tom Robinson did not rape the white woman. Yet, Black people are considered second class humans in the Deep South of 1930 and have therefore no chance of a fair trial. A third issue in this novel is Atticus Finch trying to be the perfect father for his kids Jem and Scout. He is depicted as a liberal man who sees the good in everyone.

The fact that the story is told through the eyes of a young girl makes it very insightful to my mind. The seeming naivety shown in the narrator's view on racial inequality is something I loved about the novel. Things can be so perfectly clear and so painfully difficult at the same time when seen through the eyes of a child. The novel touches upon topics such as rape, gender roles and racial inequality but nevertheless I had the feeling that the narration was somewhat warm. I cannot really put my finger on it but the combination of the narrative voice and the story that is told was a perfect fit for me.

There are many possible readings of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird. I read it as a story of racial inequality and as a bildungsroman. These two aspects are probably the most prominent ones in the novel but to do the novel justice I will certainly read it again some time. I can recommend this novel to everyone. Period. No need to restrict that statement to certain groups of readers. If you have not read it, read it. If you have, you probably know what I mean. 4.5 stars for this one.

45NanaCC
Mar 17, 2014, 3:21 pm

>44 OscarWilde87: that one is one of my favorites.

46OscarWilde87
Mar 17, 2014, 3:23 pm

>45 NanaCC:: Now it's one of mine, too!

47lesmel
Mar 17, 2014, 3:28 pm

>44 OscarWilde87: This is my next read followed by Mockingbird by Charles J. Shields.

48Bridgey
Mar 18, 2014, 7:50 am

How is The Shining going? I read it a few years back and really enjoyed it. A little different to the film. I now have the sequel Dr Sleep waiting to be read on my bookshelf.

49OscarWilde87
Mar 18, 2014, 10:03 am

Oh, I can't really say that much about the book yet. I just started it last night and was so tired that I went to bed after the first twenty pages or so. This is one of the few books where I saw the movie first. I liked the movie a lot and have seen it several times now. As I usually like books better than the movies this should make for a good read.

50baswood
Mar 18, 2014, 8:30 pm

Excellent review of To Kill a Mockingbird and glad you enjoyed it. Did you pick up on the Boo Radley angle, he hovers over much of what is going on in a strange sort of way.

51OscarWilde87
Mar 19, 2014, 2:50 am

Yeah, somehow the Boo Radley issue framed the whole story and was in the back of my head basically all the time. But I was not sure what to make of it so I left it out. My thoughts are these: Boo Radley is someone who remains unseen (until the very end) and is at the same time considered somewhat dangerous. When he finally appears he is shy but very friendly. And then there is the issue that he gives (through that tree) without taking or getting anything in return. At times I was thinking that this was a remark on the position of Blacks in the Deep South, but it seems a little far-fetched to me, to be honest.

52OscarWilde87
Mar 19, 2014, 2:50 am

What do you think about Boo?

53baswood
Editado: Mar 20, 2014, 2:52 pm

>51 OscarWilde87: I agree that it is a bit of a stretch to directly compare Boo Radley with the position of Black people in the South. The book is however full of lessons to be learned and Boo is yet another one. He is seen by the chilren as some sort of Bogie man, but this is not the case he is just someone who is different and has his own way of going about things. Perhaps the lesson here is that we should learn to respect and understand other peoples differences and ways of life. Apart from that though Lee has created a mysterious figure that fires the children's imagination and the reader wonders about him as well and in the end he proves essential to the story.

54OscarWilde87
Mar 20, 2014, 10:55 am

>53 baswood:: I like your thoughts! The point about learning to respect other people even if they are different is what I thought as well. The end suggests that view, you're absolutely right there.

55OscarWilde87
Abr 16, 2014, 8:06 am

#6: The Shining by Stephen King
(659 pages)

Stephen King's The Shining was published in 1977 as the author's third novel. It is as much about a hotel, The Overlook, as it is about the life of a family, the Torrances. The Overlook is a mountain hotel in Colorado which has a history of changing ownerships and strange goings-on. The hotel being closed in winter, Jack Torrance is hired as the caretaker to see it through the off-season without bigger damage. For Jack Torrance and his family, that is his wife Wendy and his son Danny, this is one of the last chances to make a living and come closer as a family again. Jack is an unsuccessful author with writer's block who has a past of violence and alcohol abuse that both put a strain on the relationship to his wife. When he finds a scrapbook about the history of the Overlook in the hotel's basement, Jack learns about several murders committed in the hotel. A former caretaker who also spent the winter at the Overlook went mad and killed his family and eventually himself. Intrigued by the scrapbook, Jack tries to find out as much about the hotel as possible in order to write a book about it. In the process, the Overlook gets into his head and influences his thoughts. When past and present finally fall into one, Jack plots to kill his family, seeing them as the main hindrance to his success in life.

The book gets its title from a special ability that certain people have which is called the 'shining' or the 'shine' in the novel. The 'shining' allows those who have it to communicate with other people by reading their thoughts and sending some sort of thought messages back. The novel depicts several characters who 'shine', among them the hotel cook Dick Hallorann and Danny and Wendy Torrance. The ability to 'shine' obviously plays an important role. First, the Overlook Hotel seems to have only little influence on people who have this ability. Jack Torrance, who is in the beginning said to have no shining at all, slowly succumbs to the hotel's will while Jack's wife and son feel that there is something terribly wrong with the hotel but always resist its temptations to violence and murder. Also, Dick Hallorann resists the hotel's command to kill Danny and Wendy in the end. Second, once the CB and telephone lines are destroyed Danny's shining is the only way of communicating with the outside world. Without his special ability he would not have been able to call for Dick Hallorann's help.

The Shining is on the 1001 books you must read before you die list. Although being on this list is far from saying something about the quality or literary merit of a book, this novel is definitely not among the best of King's works to my mind. A lot of time is spent on the build-up to the final catastrophe and the background story of the Overlook Hotel. While this background is certainly relevant to understand the novel, the ratio of background and actual plot is somewhat off to my mind. One can certainly read the novel as a character study of Jack Torrance but it lacks something. I cannot really put my finger on it but I assume that the book did just not live up to my expectations. Having read several of King's novels I probably expected many different characters, which this book does not have. I'm not saying that this aspect makes it a bad novel. Rather, I find the handling of a multitude of characters is one of King's strengths as an author and he did not use it in The Shining.

An interesting aspect for a re-read would be a focus on the forces that drive the Overlook and make it become alive. Towards the end I was much reminded of King's recurring theme of the 'Crimson King'. In many novels, for instance in the whole Dark Tower Series, the 'Crimson King' is a satanic figure that always remains in the background and controls certain people and events. One of these people might be the mysterious character of Harry Derwent, although I would have expected him to have RF as his initials since they are quite often associated with the 'Crimson King' in King's novels (for example 'Randall Flagg'). When the Overlook explodes the descriptions revolve around black ashes in the form of a manta combined with the orange and red color of the flames. Another aspect about color imagery is the vivid and colorful description of blood and the hotel's interior design. There are also many passages containing dark figures hiding behind corners but being magically gone when looked at. Finally, there is the repetitive cry of “Unmask! Unmask!” which also reminded me of the 'Crimson King' and his many masks or faces.

On the whole, The Shining did not live up to my expectations. Nevertheless, it is a fairly good novel. 3 stars.

56baswood
Abr 17, 2014, 5:06 pm

Enjoyed your review of The Shining. Interested to see that as a reader of several King novels you don't rate this as one of his best.

57OscarWilde87
Abr 18, 2014, 3:23 am

Thanks! Yeah, I actually loved the Kubrick movie but I don't think that spoiled my reading.

58OscarWilde87
Abr 22, 2014, 9:04 am

#7: Zero Day by David Baldacci
(610 pages)

Drake is a small rural town in West Virginia dominated by a coal company and its owner Roger Trent. When an Army officer and his family are killed, CID Special Agent John Puller is called in to investigate. Working together with local police officer Samantha Cole, Puller quickly finds out that there is something much bigger going in Drake than the murder of a family. In the 1960s, Drake was a secret government site for nuclear bomb testing. When the government closed down the facilities they left several barrels of plutonium and uranium behind which turn into an imminent threat decades later. Slowly after Puller finds out about this, he connects his investigation to the nuke site and the coal company Trent Exploration. He then has to hurry to avoid a nuclear catastrophe.

Zero Day is the first novel in a series revolving around Army CID Special Agent John Puller. Its protagonist is a former Army ranger who's father was an Army general. His brother, also former military, was convicted of treason and serves a life-long sentence at Leavenworth military prison. Zero Day introduces John Puller as an ex-soldier who enjoys working in the field for CID rather than having a desk job and climbing ranks. I found the character quite likable from the beginning which is why I'm probably going to follow David Baldacci's John Puller series.

This novel is a fast-paced thriller and reads rather quickly. One can easily get through the six hundred odd pages in a couple of days and if you like the genre it is definitely time well spent. Zero Day is a light read, but definitely an entertaining book. 4.5 stars for this one.

59OscarWilde87
Abr 28, 2014, 11:48 am

#8: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
(391 pages)

Catching Fire is the second book in the Hunger Games series and relates the events after protagonists Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark have won the 74th annual Hunger Games. They go on a victory tour through the twelve districts of Panem and have to keep pretending to be deeply in love as President Snow threatens to kill their families and friends. For Peeta this does not pose a problem as he loves Katniss. Katniss, however, is uncertain about her feelings for Peeta as she loves Gale, and has to pretend to be madly in love with the former only to protect the latter. On their victory tour, Katniss and Peeta see first signs of rebellion in the districts. This situation worsens through the course of the novel until it climaxes during the 75th Hunger Games when all districts rise up against the Capitol. Because of its 75th anniversary the Hunger Games have special rules, namely that only victors of the former Hunger Games take part this year. So, Katniss and Peeta end up in the arena again.

Collins' second novel in the series begins rather slowly in setting the stage for a rebellion in Panem. That is why I found it hard to like at the beginning. Once the pace in the novel picks up it actually gets a lot better. I was especially intrigued by the ending which made me want to go on reading the third novel. On the whole, I did not like this book any better than The Hunger Games. From a novel like this I don't expect universal truths or particularly great writing. I expect a plot that is gripping and makes you want to devour the novel page after page. It was just nothing special. Good - yes. Extraordinary - definitely no. Fortunately, the plot became more interesting towards the end. Otherwise I probably would not have wanted to read the final novel in the series. The subplot about the relationship between Katniss and Peeta, although it definitely remains important to the author in Catching Fire, is becoming fairly boring. 3.5 stars for this one.

60OscarWilde87
Abr 28, 2014, 12:01 pm

After some pop fiction I'm going back to reading some more classical literature. I'm really looking forward to reading A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle.

61OscarWilde87
mayo 8, 2014, 3:09 pm

#9: A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
(71 pages)

Published in 1887, A Study in Scarlet is the first Sherlock Holmes novel, introducing the famous detective and his sidekick Dr. Watson. The novel derives its name from a statement by Holmes who calls his murder investigation a 'study in scarlet'. It is divided into two parts, the first one introducing the characters and setting the scene and the second one providing background on the motives of the murder of Enoch Drebber and Joseph Stangerson, two Mormons who fled from the United States to England in order to avoid their looming death. Sherlock Holmes is introduced as a consulting detective who helps out Scotland Yard inspectors Gregson and Lestrade in murder investigations.

In the second part of A Study in Scarlet, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle provides a commentary on Mormonism. The reader is informed about how the Latter Day Saints deal with 'Gentiles', that is people with different beliefs from those of Mormonism. When a father does not want to marry his daughter to either Enoch Drebber or Joseph Stangerson, both father and daughter are intimidated by the people in their Mormon community until they finally try to escape their home, their community and even the state of Utah with the help of the daughter's lover, Jefferson Hope. Their flight, however, fails when the father is killed and the daughter taken back into the Mormon community. There she is married to Drebber and dies of a broken heart a month later. That is when Jefferson Hope swears to avenge the deaths of both father and daughter. It is important to mention that Doyle's criticism of Mormonism has to be regarded with respect to the time the novel was written in.

There are several things I liked about A Study in Scarlet. First, there are the rightly famous characters of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson who make a great team of murder investigators and have a lot of witty dialogs. Second, there is Doyle's style of writing which I found amazingly refreshing for a late 19th-century novel. Third, there is the topic of deduction and logic which I think is quite intriguing. While Sherlock Holmes' deductions seem strange at first, Doyle manages to explain them through his narrator John Watson. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle finds a very successful way of passing on knowledge to the reader and thereby influencing and guiding the reading process. On the whole, A Study in Scarlet is a great read which makes me want to read more of the Sherlock Holmes stories. 4 stars.

62baswood
mayo 8, 2014, 5:06 pm

Great review of a Study in Scarlet. I don't think I have ever read a Sherlock Holmes novel and so this would be a good place to start.

63edwinbcn
mayo 8, 2014, 8:24 pm

>62 baswood:

The complete Sherlock Holmes stories + novels are only about 1500 pages. They are tremendously entertaining.

64OscarWilde87
mayo 9, 2014, 11:28 am

>62 baswood: , >63 edwinbcn: I treated myself to the Complete Sherlock Holmes (leatherbound!) including all the novels and stories and I just love it. So I couldn't agree more. Really entertaining so far. A Study in Scarlet was my first Sherlock Holmes novel as well.

65OscarWilde87
mayo 9, 2014, 11:40 am

Oh, I have just noticed that I cannot rate and review A Study in Scarlet on the book page as I only added The Complete Sherlock Holmes and not every single book. Well, I won't add each and every book to my library now. That would only make things messy...
I can understand (at least to some extent) that I'm not allowed to review or rate a book that I do not 'own' on LT, but then again why shouldn't I be allowed to do so? Adding the book is not really an obstacle to rating books one has not read. Meh...

66NanaCC
mayo 9, 2014, 6:51 pm

>65 OscarWilde87: when I've had a situation like you have, I have created a new collection, and instead of "my library" I would put it in a collection, and then add the individual books as I read them to that collection. Your collection could be "the complete Sherlock Holmes" and then "A Study in a Scarlet" could be a book within that collection.

Does that work for you?

67OscarWilde87
mayo 10, 2014, 3:07 am

>66 NanaCC: Hey, thanks for that. That actually might work. I just have to figure out if it screws around with that statistics page. Nerdy as I am, I'd like them to be as accurate as possible.

68rebeccanyc
mayo 10, 2014, 12:34 pm

I've been slowly rereading Sherlock Holmes, and have been focusing on the stories, but your review makes me think I should move A Study in Scarlet up on the list.

69OscarWilde87
Editado: mayo 16, 2014, 11:39 am

#10: The Sign of the Four by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
(70 pages)

The Sign of the Four is the second novel featuring Sherlock Holmes and was published in 1890. It is actually not that easy to sum up the plot of this novel in a few words as it is very complex. The novel is about a stolen treasure, kept secret by a group of four convicts, and about the disappearance of Captain Arthur Morstan, father of Mary Morstan, Sherlock Holmes' new client. Soon, the detective finds a connection between the treasure and Captain Morstan's disappearance. Thaddeus Sholto, the son of a former comrade of Arthur Morstan, reveals that Morstan died of a heart attack and that Sholto had come into possession of information about the stolen treasure. During the investigation, Dr. Watson falls in love with Mary Morstan, who is to become his wife.

What I found more exciting about The Sign of the Four than its plot, though, was the depiction of its main character, Sherlock Holmes. Compared to the first novel, there is a change in the depiction of Holmes right in the beginning of The Sign of the Four when the reader learns about Holmes using cocaine. While the first novel depicts Holmes as a great detective with a vast knowledge in various fields of study, and someone who perfected the art of deduction, the second novel makes him seem more human. He is less perfect than in the first novel and this makes him a rounder character.

While I liked the character development in this novel, the plot was not really too exciting and a little too complex at times. On the whole, the second Sherlock Holmes novel is still a fairly good read. 3 stars.

70StevenTX
mayo 16, 2014, 11:56 am

>67 OscarWilde87: I use a collection called "Embedded works" for novels inside omnibuses so I can not only review them but record the date read, etc. They aren't in the "Your library" collection, so I still have an accurate count of volumes owned.

71OscarWilde87
mayo 16, 2014, 1:47 pm

>66 NanaCC:, >70 StevenTX:: I followed your advice and created a new collection. Now I could also rate and review the books. Thanks!

72baswood
mayo 17, 2014, 7:18 pm

Enjoying your Sherlock Holmes reviews.

73OscarWilde87
Jun 7, 2014, 4:09 pm

#11: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
(151 pages)

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is a collection of twelve short stories centered about the famous detective Sherlock Holmes. There is no direct connection between any of the stories but some of them include references to earlier Sherlock Holmes cases. Being a collection of short stories, there is not much sense in summarizing the plot. What the stories have in common, though, is that the cases that are presented to the protagonist are seemingly trivial at first sight but soon complicate and become interesting.

What I liked most about these Sherlock Holmes stories is how the cases are related through the eyes of John Watson, Sherlock Holmes' assistant. I especially like the way Doyle as an author uses Watson to narrate his stories and thereby raise their credibility. As a reader, I always find it easy to believe the stories as Doyle manages to give them a sense of being real events in late 20th century London. This technique is quite clever, to my mind, as it makes Holmes' deductions, which might otherwise seem quite far-fetched, more reasonable and credible. John Watson serves as a trustworthy reporter and additionally provides for some humorous sketches of an unsusual detective.

As a collection of short stories, the book can easily be read in twelve instalments. As I see it, this does not take anything off the reading experience as I quite enjoyed reading the book on twelve separate nights with one story each. I would recommend The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes both to people who already like Sherlock Holmes stories as well as to people who have never read Holmes but always wanted to. Although chronologically not the first book, it can definitely serve as an introduction into the intriguing cases of Sherlock Holmes. 4 stars for this one.

74OscarWilde87
Jun 7, 2014, 4:24 pm

After the third Sherlock Holmes book in a row I'll turn to two recommendations by other Club Read members. Unfortunately I just put the books on my wishlist and forgot whom to thank for the recommendations... So if you read one of the books this year and posted a review in this group: Thanks!
My next reads are going to be Our Man in Havana and the non-fictional Inventing a Nation: Washington, Adams, Jefferson. I'm reading the latter for my personal challenge to try something different this year. As I've been reading loads of fiction, non-fiction should certainly count for 'something completely different'.

75OscarWilde87
Editado: Jun 9, 2014, 4:24 pm

#12: Our Man in Havana by Graham Greene
(228 pages)

Mr. Wormold is British. He lives in Cuba with his daughter. He sells vacuum cleaners. He is not very successful. Life is dull. Then Mr. Wormold becomes 'our man in Cuba'. Recruited by the British Secret Service because he was in the right bar at the right time (or was it the wrong bar at the wrong time?), Wormold now has to adjust to the life as a spy on foreign ground. Not knowing anything about the intelligence business he fakes reports to his superiors in London, invents subagents and makes a fair living doing this. But then his invented agents start being involved in 'accidents' and his fake reports begin to have an effect on reality.

Among the reasons I like this book is the great set of characters. There is the vacuum cleaner salesman turned spy Wormold, his daughter Milly who is especially Catholic when in need of a favor, the German Dr Hasselbacher who still finds the time to see a few patients while drinking the rest of the day, a brutal Cuban police captain who divides people into a 'torturable' and a 'non-torturable' class, and secretary Beatrice who falls in love with Wormold on first sight. This makes for a cast for a humorously written Cuban spy story that manages to entertain as well as to criticize. Greene succeeds in taking his readers to 1958 Havana and experience Cuba, the spy business and one small character finding his way in the big intelligence arena. Greene probably gave one of the best fitting descriptions of Our Man in Havana himself when he said that it "was potentially a very funny plot which if it comes off will make a footnote to history."

Our Man in Havana is a great novel. It made we want to know more about Wormold, read more stories about him. It made me want to go to Havana. I love it when a book does that to me. 4.5 stars.

76baswood
Jun 10, 2014, 8:51 am

Excellent review of Our Man in Havana It's along time since I read it. I also like the idea of reading a Sherlock Holmes short story every evening.

77OscarWilde87
Jun 29, 2014, 2:53 pm

>76 baswood:: Thanks! I interrupted my Holmes spree, though. My reading slumped a bit. To get back into it, I've just started reading Inferno which is probably a quick read and a good start to get my reading going again.

78OscarWilde87
Jun 29, 2014, 3:11 pm

#13: Inventing a Nation: Washington, Adams, Jefferson by Gore Vidal
(189 pages)

Inventing a Nation portraits three of the most important figures in the shaping of the United States as a nation: George Washington, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. The book consists of seven chapters, the structure of which I could not really make out. Maybe this is due to the fact that I put the book away for a week and it took me a while to finish it. However, I somehow got the impression that Gore Vidal related events as they came to his mind. This is something which I had not expected and found somewhat distracting. I was actually seriously bugged by this at times. Of course the stories of Washington, Adams and Jefferson cannot really be told separately, but Vidal throws in lengthy passages about Hamilton, Madison and Franklin as well. Surely they deserve to be in the book but in the end I found the book lacking focus. Apart from those points of criticism, I actually enjoyed reading what Vidal had to say. Inventing a Nation is definitely not uninteresting.
On the whole, a somewhat mixed reading experience. Three stars.

79OscarWilde87
Jul 15, 2014, 3:55 am

#14: Inferno by Dan Brown
(620 pages)

The plot of Inferno is basically nothing new. A virus is threatened to be released in a few days from where the novel starts. Dan Brown adds a fourth novel to his Robert Langdon series which is of course centered around Harvard professor of iconology and symbology Robert Langdon. Waking up in a hospital in Florence with retrograde amnesia, Langdon instantly has to flee from a killer coming for him. Assisted by Dr. Sienna Brooks, he manages to leave the hospital and together with Dr. Brooks starts retracing his steps through the Italian city. Soon, they find hints and clues related to Dante Alighieri's masterpiece Divine Comedy. Following these clues, Langdon, still not remembering anything about the past few days, starts off on an adventure to avert a global crisis that would be triggered by the release of a yet unknown virus.

My interest in this novel was spiked by having read all previous novels by Dan Brown and having been to Florence. In comparison to the previous novels centered around Robert Langdon, Inferno, however, is quite slow-paced with nothing much happening throughout the overall 620 pages. Added to that, the plot is altogether not too credible. Do not get me wrong here. I was not expecting anything realistic, but I was still expecting a little more credibility. Especially the nature of the virus and what follows from a potential release seem quite far-fetched. Finally, the name of Dr. Sienna Brooks struck me as a little uncreative since Sienna is also a city in Tuscany, that is in the area around Florence where this novel is set.

Despite its flaws, Inferno is still a quite entertaining book. You have to give Dan Brown credit for having done his research. I found the parts about art and history quite interesting although the author seems to be lecturing a bit too much at times. Having been to Florence definitely added to the reading experience as I have already been to many places mentioned in the novel. What is more, the references to Dante's Divine Comedy, even if they are probably quite shallow, made me want to read Dante's epic poem.

On the whole, Inferno is a fairly decent read. Maybe even a little more than that. 3.5 stars.

80baswood
Jul 15, 2014, 6:11 am

I have been to Florence and love the place, but it would not tempt me to read a Dan Brown novel after having read The Da Vinci Code. I enjoyed your review.

81Bridgey
Jul 16, 2014, 11:17 am

Nice Sherlock reviews. I bought the complete collection a number of years ago and read one of the short stories (The adventure of the Sussex Vampire) but wasn't that impressed. Maybe I will have a try of the novels.

Rarely do I prefer tv or a film to a book, but it's going to have to be something special to live up to the Jeremy Brett performances I grew up with. :)

82OscarWilde87
Jul 18, 2014, 2:48 pm

>80 baswood: Did you dislike The Da Vinci Code that much? I usually read Dan Brown as some kind of 'in-between' thingy (for a second there, I had written 'literature' but I definitely would not want to call it that... this might have lead me to rambling about literature with a small and capital 'l' and all that). It's just when I want to read something without thinking about it too much. Happens at times.

>81 Bridgey: Thanks. I think it's a good way to start the Sherlock stories at the beginning. Maybe it's a better entry point. I don't know really. I will probably get to "The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire" some time and post my thoughts here.
I agree, I also prefer a book to a movie. Always. Although some movies are not too bad. I like the Lord of the Rings movies, for example. The Hobbit movies are overdone, though.

83OscarWilde87
Jul 18, 2014, 3:06 pm

#15: Polarities by Margaret Atwood
(170 pages)

Polarities is a collection of five short stories by Margaret Atwood. It includes the stories "Polarities", "Scarlet Ibis", "Hairball", "Death by Landscape" and "The Little Red Hen Tells All".

The first story in this collection is "Polarities". This is a story I liked very much. Morrison is an American lecturer who just started work at a Canadian university. His behavior and comments suggest that he feels quite alien in Canada. Streets, buildings, people, the weather - everything seems to be different to American eyes. Morrison's taste in women is described as being similar to his living conditions: 'Sloth aroused him'. Altogether, the picture the reader gets of Morrison is one of a person trying to figure out life. Being in Canada does not really help with that as he is still quite fond of the United States as he defends them in front of his colleagues:
"You Yanks are coming up and taking all our jobs," Paul would say, and Morrison would nod affably. "That's right, you shouldn't let it happen. I wonder why you hired me?" [...] He saw their point, of course, but he wasn't Procter and Gamble. What did they want him to do? What were they doing themselves, coming to think of it?
Struggling with his love life as well, Morrison is in a strange kind of love-her-love-her-not relationship with Louise, an undergrad at his university. To my mind this relationship reveals a lot about his character. Only in the end of the story, Morrison figures out that he probably loves her. That is, after Louise was locked up in a lunatic asylum. He wants to take her home and care for her:
He saw that is was only the hopeless, mad Louise he wanted, the one devoid of any purpose or defence. A sane one, one that could judge him, he would never be able to handle. So this was his dream girl then, his ideal woman found at last: a disintegration [...]
I would definitely recommend this story. On its own, it is a five star read.

For the other stories in the collection I will just briefly mention the plot. "Scarlet Ibis" is about the couple Christine and Don who are on holiday with their youngest daughter Lilian. From the beginning one can sense tensions in the couple's marriage. Tensions which Christine intends to solve by having this holiday with her husband who appears to be annoyed and stressed out by his everyday life.

"Hairball" derives its name from 'Hairball', the ovarian cyst that protagonist Kat had recently removed and afterwards placed on her mantelpiece in a jar of formaldehyde. After having worked in London for several years, Kat starts working for a Canadian magazine and has a relationship with a married co-worker. While the relationship is still passionate at the beginning, it soon starts to become tedious. Eventually, when Kat returns to work after having 'Hairball' removed, she is fired and her (ex-)lover gets her job.

"Death by Landscape" is about a young Canadian girl, Louise, who is sent to summer camp by her parents. In her second year there, she becomes friends with the American Lucy who suddenly disappears in the woods after a canoeing trip, the only person with her being Louise. The story is told in retrospect by the now much older Louise which makes for an interesting narrative setup.

Finally, there is "The Little Red Hen Tells All", a very short short story of only a couple of pages. From what I figure, it is a gender-critical parable. Quite thought-provoking, actually. But that is just my intepretation and you should probably read it yourself and come to your own conclusion.

Now why is this volume of short stories called Polarities? The name is probably quite fitting as each story deals with polar opposites, only on different levels. Some of the stories deal with the Canada-USA issue, some with gender issues or relationship issues in general. In each story, polar opposites are expressed through the characters and their behavior on a mostly subtle level.

This is the first time that I read Atwood and I have deliberately not started with her novels. I always find short stories a good indicator of an author's writing. This is not to say that the one or the other is a superior form of art. But, quite frankly, short stories are quite often disregarded nowadays although they can be just as entertaining, interesting, thoughtful, ... as a novel. While it took me some time at the beginning to get into Atwood's style of writing, this collection was definitely a good start to reading Atwood. Great writing, thought-provoking stories, great command of narrative techniques. All in all, a very good 4.5 star read.

84baswood
Jul 18, 2014, 4:56 pm

Excellent review of Polarities

85Bridgey
Jul 19, 2014, 5:45 am

There haven't been many times where I have preferred a movie, one memorable one is Deliverance, thought the film far better.

86OscarWilde87
Jul 28, 2014, 3:41 pm

>85 Bridgey: I have just finished reading Monuments Men and afterwards watched the movie. Actually, this is one of the rare occasions where movie and book are equally good, I think. I'd give both three stars.
But usually I would agree that books are usually better.

87OscarWilde87
Jul 28, 2014, 4:24 pm

#16: Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History by Robert M. Edsel
(473 pages)

Monuments Men by Robert M. Edsel provides a somewhat different look at World War II and the atrocities committed by the Nazis. Next to all the books written about World War II, this one most certainly stands out as regards its point of focus. Edsel relates the efforts of the MFAA, the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives program of the Allied Armies that was started in 1943. The so-called 'monuments men' were not necessarily soldiers, they were art experts. Now, what was their role in the war? During the war, the Nazis stole and 'appropriated' pieces of art all over Europe. Among them were Michelangelo's Bruges Madonna, the Ghent altarpiece, and a huge amount of paintings by Rembrandt, Rubens, Vermeer and many others. Towards the end of the war, Hitler issued the so-called Nero Decree, saying that additionally to infrastructure and ressources, all art should be burnt lest it fall into the hands of the 'enemy'. The job of the monuments men then was to rescue the stolen pieces of art and thereby help keep alive an integral part of human culture.
Finding looted Nazi treasures was just the first step of a very long process. The treasures had to be inspected and catalogued, then packed and shipped out of the mines, castles, monasteries, or simple holes in the ground where they had been stored.
Eventually everything had to be returned to the respective owners or museums in case the owners had been murdered.

When one thinks of such a mission, one would think of many people being involved. However, at the beginning of the program there were only six monuments men who traveled with the Allied troops. Until the end of the war about 350 men and women served in the MFAA effort, some of them losing their lives in the war. Considering this rather small number of people and the vast area they had to cover in Europe, their achievement is truly an astonishing feat and definitely worth mentioning or writing a book about.

The book is in many respects a very interesting one. Not only does it provide a lot of detailed background information about a war that has already been covered by tons of books. What is more, Monuments Men relates the stories of civilians who decided that something had to be done about the looting of treasures in Europe and who did not hesitate to serve at the frontlines of a war they were not trained to fight in.

The reading process was not always easy as some of the chapters were very detailed. This is probably a bonus for art aficionados, but for me, being just averagely interested in art, it was a bit too much at times. Other chapters, however, were almost gripping, which says a lot for a work of non-fiction. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in art or gaining deeper insight into World War II from a completely different perspective. On the whole, 3 stars.

88baswood
Jul 28, 2014, 7:37 pm

Good Review of Monuments men. At 473 pages it would appear to be quite detailed.

89OscarWilde87
Jul 30, 2014, 4:22 am

>88 baswood: Thank you, baswood. 473 pages is rather long-ish, yes. But I still think it was worth the read.

After a little pause I'm now back to Sherlock Holmes (among other things). I just finished The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes. My next reads are going to be Foe, Mockingjay and The Return of Sherlock Holmes.

90OscarWilde87
Jul 30, 2014, 5:06 am

#17: The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
(141 pages)

The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes is a collection of eleven Sherlock Holmes stories. In this collection, Sherlock's brother Mycroft is introduced as a new character. Mycroft Holmes is described as having even more deductive skill than his brother, yet lacking in ambition and therefore not being interested too much in detective work. Probably the most exciting story for Sherlock Holmes fans is "The Final Problem". Holmes' nemesis Professor James Moriarty chases Holmes from England across Europe to Switzerland as Holmes has managed to collect enough evidence to convict Moriarty and all his helpers. Moriarty is able to evade prosecution in England and sets his mind to kill Sherlock Holmes. At the end of "The Final Problem", which is also the end of this collection of short stories, it is alluded that Holmes takes matters into his own hands at Reichenbach Falls in Switzerland, where he is confronted by Moriarty. Watson finds a note of goodbye from Holmes but there is no sign of either Holmes or Moriarty. Both are suspected to have died falling down the cliffs at Reichenbach Falls.
An examination by experts leaves little doubt that a personal contest between the two men ended, as it could hardly fail to end in such a situation, in their reeling over, locked in each other's arms. An attempt at recovering the bodies was absolutely hopeless ...
Nowadays, the probable death of Sherlock Holmes is not a cliffhanger anymore as we have access to the complete works and know that The Return of Sherlock Holmes is going to follow. At the time of publication in 1894, however, the situation was completely different. Arthur Conan Doyle wanted to move on from Sherlock Holmes and had not intended to continue the series of stories centered around the detective. In The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes one can already find traces of the author wanting to be done with the Holmes stories. Some of the stories come to a rather sudden end and it seems that the author did not put that much work in the endings anymore. To be fair, this only goes for some of the stories while others are written with the same care as before. Before The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes were published as a collection the stories were published on their own in Strand Magazine. So, for the readers in the 1890s, the final story carries much more weight. It was not to be known for quite a while if there would ever be another Sherlock Holmes story. The readers' cry for more (and probably also financial issues) made Arthur Conan Doyle reconsider his decision and eventually bring the character of Sherlock Holmes back to life.

Despite the short endings of some of the stories, I found the stories in this collection as good as the ones in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. What I especially liked was the introduction of Mycroft Holmes as a new character and above all "The Final Problem". Given the minor flaws, The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes is still a 4 star read and a must-read for every Holmes fan.

91baswood
Ago 1, 2014, 7:05 am

Excellent review of The Memoires of Sherlock Holmes especially when you talk about the history of the series.

92rebeccanyc
Ago 1, 2014, 9:45 am

As I think I mentioned before, I've been a Sherlock Holmes fan since childhood and have been very slowly rereading the stories over the past several years. It's great to have your perspective as a new reader.

93Bridgey
Ago 4, 2014, 9:39 am

I just got my 'Complete Sherlock Holmes' in the post, so will be starting them soon. :)

94OscarWilde87
Editado: Ago 13, 2014, 3:21 pm

Back from summer vacation. Time to post again.

>91 baswood: Thank you!

>92 rebeccanyc: Yeah, I kinda love Holmes. It's great that you've been a fan for that long. How's the rereading going?

>93 Bridgey: Great! I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I do.

95OscarWilde87
Ago 13, 2014, 3:53 pm

#18: Foe by J. M. Coetzee
(157 pages)

At only 157 pages, Foe is a rather short novel that reinvents Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe. While the novel is still set in the eighteenth century, a new character is introduced in the form of Susan Barton, a woman stranded on the same island as Robinson Crusoe, who is just 'Cruso' in this novel. Foe is divided into several parts. It starts by relating the life of Susan Barton, Cruso and Friday on the island. After the death of Cruso and the rescue of Friday and Barton, the female protagonist returns to England and wants Cruso's story to be told. As she does not consider herself creative enough to tell the story herself, she turns to the author Foe for help. This makes for the second part of the novel, which for the main part consists of letters of Barton to Foe. Throughout the whole novel, a strong focus is placed on the relationships between Susan Barton and the respective male characters, namely Cruso, Foe and Friday. This is especially true for the third and fourth part of the novel, which focus on the relationship between Susan Barton and Foe, on the one hand, and the protagonist's relationship to Friday on the other hand. Towards the ending, there is a twist in the story and it ends on a somewhat strange note.

Since I liked the original Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe a lot, I definitely wanted to give this novel a try. After finishing the novel, I still have not decided which reading of it I like most. Actually, the ending left me a little confused, which I find is a good quality in a book. The novel lends itself to several kinds of reading, the most prominent one probably placing a focus on words and language. As Friday had his tongue cut out by slavers, he is not able to speak and communication with him is only possible on a very low level. This theme is prevalent throughout the book. A second theme that I find quite intriguing is the different kinds of relationship between Susan Barton and the male characters in the book. Coetzee's choice to introduce a female character and thereby rewrite the story of Robinson Crusoe with a woman on the island provides a fresh and interesting perspective. To my mind, this almost begs for a gender reading of Foe.

What I especially liked about the novel is the perspective and the themes mentioned above. This novel is moving, interesting, different, thought-provoking, and beautifully composed. On the whole, 4 stars for this reading experience.

96baswood
Ago 13, 2014, 4:34 pm

Excellent review of Foe. When I get to read Robinson Crusoe I will make sure I read Foe as well.

97Bridgey
Ago 15, 2014, 8:47 am

I read Robinson Crusoe years ago and found it a bit long, but remember it being based on the real life of a guy called Alexander Selkirk, I read a few books detailing his life and adventures and as result appreciated Crusoe a bit more.

98OscarWilde87
Sep 28, 2014, 4:50 pm

>96 baswood: Thanks... Sorry for being this late, but times have been busy lately...
>97 Bridgey: Oh, I did not think it was too long, actually. But I am intrigued by this Selkirk story...

99OscarWilde87
Sep 28, 2014, 4:52 pm

It has been what feels like ages. Actually it's been a little more than a month, but I'm not happy with my reading at the moment. I rarely get time to read and when I do, there are loads of other things on my mind. Busy times... I hope I'll have more time to catch up on threads soon...

100OscarWilde87
Sep 28, 2014, 5:13 pm

#19: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
(390 pages)

The last in a series of three novels centered around young Katniss Everdeen, Mockingjay is also the one I liked least. I cannot really put my finger on why exactly that is, but I guess this novel is just more of the same when compared to the preceding novels in the trilogy. Nevertheless, Mockingjay in itself is not a bad novel.

The novel is set after the beginning of the uprising in Panem and works its way through several issues. There is the love triangle between Katniss, Peeta and Gale on the one hand, and the end of the Capitol on the other hand. What is more, as with each successful revolution, the question arises what the new form of government should be and in how far it will be different this time. While this is always a good question to ponder, I think it is explored in a very stereotypical way in Mockingjay. When the Capitol is finally defeated, the new President wants to have one 'last' Hunger Games as a punishment for all those Hunger Games the Capitol made the rest of Panem live through. This, however, is prevented by Katniss, who simply puts an end to the new President's life.

While one can argue that providing nothing new is the greatest flaw of this novel, I quite liked the way it does not desperately try to tie up loose strands. Yes, the Gale-Peeta-Katniss situation is resolved in the end. But there is always the feeling that all this is not over yet, that Panem will see another overthrow of its government, that Katniss is still torn and conflicted.

On the whole, I have to say that I enjoyed reading Mockingjay. However, the book was neither 'on fire', nor was it really catching. An average three-star read.

101Poquette
Sep 28, 2014, 6:13 pm

Sorry to be so late arriving at your thread, but I got a late start this year and have been gradually trying to catch up. I enjoyed reading your reviews!

102OscarWilde87
Oct 14, 2014, 2:51 pm

>101 Poquette: Happy you found your way here, Poquette. I totally understand how you find it hard catching up with everything here oin Club Read. I also don't always find the time...

103OscarWilde87
Oct 14, 2014, 3:48 pm

#20: The Return of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
(182 pages)

The Return of Sherlock Holmes derives its title from the fact that the famous detective was presumed dead after the fight with his nemesis Professor Moriarty at Reichenbach Falls. And Holmes has returned alright. This volume provides the reader with thirteen short stories centered around Holmes and his partner Watson. In the first of those thirteen stories, the duo hunt down a would-be assassin of Holmes so that the detective can finally return to his lodgings at 221b Baker Street. In the last story of the collection, Watson mentions that Sherlock Holmes himself was not interested in the continuation of the publication of his adventures anymore. There is also talk of Holmes planning to write down some of his stories himself to while away the time of his retirement.

What I found most interesting about this volume of short stories is the fact that while the structure of Arthur Conan Doyle's detective stories is basically the same every time, it is quite astonishing how he always manages to engage the reader anew in every story. One would think that the author has to run out of material for his cases at some point so that the stories will become repetitive to a certain extent. But they just do not. To my mind, this is quite a remarkable achievement considering the sheer endless number of Sherlock Holmes stories. From a structuralist perspective each story can be described as beginning with Holmes and Watson idling at their place in Baker Street, followed by the presentation of a new case and eventually investigations of the matter and its, in Holmes' eyes pretty obvious, solution. This, however, does not lessen the literary quality of the stories. In the reading process you actually do not think about the structure as your attention is almost always immediately caught by the case at hand.

The looming retirement of Sherlock Holmes is something that might have troubled readers at the time of publication of The Return of Sherlock Holmes. But as we know today, there are quite some stories to follow and Holmes will not retire for quite some time. Personally, I am happy about this since reading the stories is always enjoyable. I do already dread the point when I will have read every Sherlock Holmes story that has ever been written. But then again, there is always the option of re-reads.

I know that this review does not focus too much on the content of the single stories, but as I see it this is not really necessary. I would think that readers of Sherlock Holmes would usually start with the more famous works, the novels, that is, and not with this collection of short stories. So, whoever reads this collection is probably already well acquainted with the literary figure of Sherlock Holmes. Nonetheless, it is worth mentioning that the stories in this volume do not lack in quality and are a pleasure to read.

On the whole, four stars for The Return of Sherlock Holmes.

104baswood
Oct 14, 2014, 4:55 pm

Enjoyed your review of The Return of Sherlock Holmes and thanks for telling us about the context of those stories.

105NanaCC
Oct 14, 2014, 6:35 pm

>103 OscarWilde87: I haven't read any Sherlock Holmes in years. I really should pick a few to read, as they are always enjoyable.

106OscarWilde87
Oct 15, 2014, 5:01 am

>104 baswood: I hope it's not getting too boring around here with all the Holmes stories. I'm currently reading The Hound of the Baskervilles. But in between there will always be something else. Just finished The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.

>105 NanaCC: Yeah, you should. As they are not too long it's quite nice to read one every once in a while.

107OscarWilde87
Oct 15, 2014, 5:06 am

#21: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving
(70 pages)

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow ranges among the most prominent of American short stories. Washington Irving wrote this story about a Headless Horseman in 1820. Set in the settlement of Tarry Town, New York, in 1790 the narrator, one Diedrich Knickerbocker, tells a tale about the competition of Ichabod Crane and Abraham Van Brunt for Katrina Van Tassel, the beautiful daughter of a wealthy famer. While Van Brunt is a rough fellow who likes to play tricks on the weaker people in town, the protagonist Ichabod Crane is a lanky schoolmaster who superstitiously believes in the writings of Cotton Mather's "History of New England Witchcraft."

At a harvest party at the Van Tassels' home, Ichabod Crane listens to local legends about ghosts and the Headless Horseman. The latter is said to be a decapitated soldier who haunts Sleepy Hollow. When Sleepy Hollow is described at the beginning of the story it is a place of beauty in the woods near Tarry Town. However, this description turns upside down when Sleepy Hollow is described in connection with the local legend of the Headless Horseman. It is suddenly dark and bleak, full of ghosts and fear instilling.

The story about Sleepy Hollow plays with the theme of local oral culture as stories are largely told and not written down. In contrast to that there is the schoolmaster, Ichabod Crane, a man of letters. No wonder that the stories about the ghost of Sleepy Hollow filled him with fear. They are probably more vivid than anything he has read. He, in his role of schoolmaster, is placed in a town steeped in tradition as the new and learned man. It is hence part of his initiation and his process to fit in the local community to be introduced to local lore. Deeply impressed by the story of the Headless Horseman, Crane rides home from the party during the night and there is an encounter with the ghost of Sleepy Hollow. The next morning, his horse is back at the stable but the schoolmaster is nowhere to be seen. Soon, his books are burned and he is replaced by a new schoolmaster.

All in all, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is a nice tale of folklore, tradition and a guarded local culture that includes elements of the supernatural. A short read that will definitely be worth your while. Readers who like this story might also enjoy Washington Irving's "Rip Van Winkle."
Four stars for The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.

108rebeccanyc
Oct 15, 2014, 10:34 am

Continuing to enjoy your thoughts on Sherlock Holmes.

109OscarWilde87
Oct 18, 2014, 11:55 am

#22: The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
(98 pages)

The Hound of the Baskervilles is one of four Sherlock Holmes novels written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Largely set in Devonshire, the novel takes Sherlock Holmes and his companion John Watson to Baskerville Hall in the Dartmoor area to investigate a case involving the legend of a vicious beast, the hound alluded to in the title.
The "Hound of the Baskervilles" is a curse that the noble Baskerville family is afflicted by because of the doings of Hugo Baskerville during the English Civil War. The legend about Hugo Baskerville says that he kidnapped and imprisoned a farmer's daughter. When she managed to escape, Baskerville hunted her down and followed her into the moor. Both, farmer's daughter and Baskerville, were found dead in the moor, she having died from fright and he killed by a giant hound who has been haunting every heir to Baskerville Hall from then on.
So much for the legend. The case that is presented to Sherlock Holmes involves the death of Sir Charles Baskerville in the moor, where footpints of a giant hound were found next to Baskerville's dead body. Intrigued by the uniqueness of the case, Sherlock Holmes starts investigating.

This novel differs to some extent from the previous Sherlock Holmes novels in that Holmes remains in the background for the largest part of the story and his companion Watson leads the investigation in Devonshire. The main part of the novel therefore consists of the reports Watson sends Holmes. Only when things start getting serious and the life of Sir Henry Baskerville, the next heir to Baskerville Hall, is in jeopardy, Holmes suddenly reveals himself as having been on the scene the whole time, investigating in the background, unawares of anyone in the area.

On the whole, The Hound of the Baskervilles is quite an enjoyable read although I was a bit disappointed by the ending which I will not give away, of course. 3.5 stars.

110Poquette
Oct 19, 2014, 6:13 pm

It's been decades since I read the Sherlock Holmes stories. Funny enough, I remember The Hound of the Baskervilles, but I don't remember the ending! ha ha! Maybe it would be fun to reread it. Enjoyed your comments.

111OscarWilde87
Nov 28, 2014, 4:25 pm

#23: Portnoy's Complaint by Philip Roth
(274 pages)

"Portnoy's Complaint n. [after Alexander Portnoy (1933- )] A disorder in which strongly-felt ethical and altruistic impulses are perpetually warring with extreme sexual longings, often of a perverse nature."
Sounds intriguing? Published in 1969, Portnoy's Complaint is probably the breakthrough novel that made its author, Philip Roth, famous. It describes Jewish protagonist Portnoy growing up to sexual maturity and his sexual endeavors through adolescence and adulthood. All this is given in monologue by the protagonist. Both book cover and epigraph suggest that Portnoy relates his exploits lying on a psychologist's couch and receiving therapy. In the end, however, there is a punch line, which Roth actually captioned as such. I will of course not give it away here.

This book is filled with stories about sexual encounters and also includes somewhat graphic descriptions of the goings-on in Portnoy's sex life. While this might be a bit shocking to find in a book it is actually not very unusual for a postmodern novel published in the late 1960s. Roth's wit and the humorous way in which sex is depicted in Portnoy's Complaint add to a special and worthwhile reading experience. At several points in the reading process I found myself thinking 'No, he did not just write that.' This is one of the few books that made me laugh out loud while reading.

Now, who should read this book? People interested in a description of the hardships of growing up as a Jewish boy in 20th-century America. People who like wit and humor in a novel. People who liked other books by Philip Roth. People who want to read a story that is different from (almost) everything they have read before. People interested in the topics of sexual frustration and sexual desire. People interested in the oddities of growing up as a Jewish boy who discovers he has a penis.

On the whole, Portnoy's Complaint is certainly a very enjoyable read with an ending that makes you laugh even more. You certainly will not be bored. 4 stars.

112rebeccanyc
Nov 30, 2014, 11:35 am

Oh, that brings back memories! I read my mother's copy of Portnoy's Complaint as a teenager, and definitely focused more on the sex than the writing. I like some of Roth a lot, and some not at all, so am not sure whether I want to read Portnoy again.

113baswood
Dic 1, 2014, 5:20 pm

It's a long time since I read Portnoy's Complaint and I probably read it then for the juicy bits. Don't worry about giving the ending away to Hound of the Baskervilles, most people will know the story.

114OscarWilde87
Dic 23, 2014, 1:33 pm

>113 baswood: Yeah that's true about the Hound of the Baskervilles. But it's a thing I don't do in general... Just stuck to principles, I guess.

115OscarWilde87
Dic 23, 2014, 2:20 pm

#24: Ragtime by E. L. Doctorow
(270 pages)

Published in the 1970s, Ragtime by E. L. Doctorow is set in and around New York City about 1900. While it is a fictional novel it includes historical figures such as Henry Ford, Harry Houdini, J. P. Morgan, and Booker T. Washington. But what is it about really? Actually, I can only give an attempt to answer this question. The narrator is a boy in his adolescence who talks about what is going on in his family, the members of which are aptly named 'Father', 'Mother', 'Grandfather' and 'Mother's Younger Brother'. But then again there is way more to the novel. This is especially true when an abandoned black baby comes into the family with his mother Sarah. Soon thereafter, Coalhouse Walker, a black musician, continually visits the family to see Sarah and the child. With the arrival of Coalhouse Walker the story slowly starts to unfold and the family's life is put to a test. One day, Walker is stopped on the street by a group of racist firemen who block his way and start to hassle him. They damage his car solely based on their belief that black people should not be wealthy. After this incident, Coalhouse seeks justice and wants to have his car restored to him. Since it is no use to trust in law enforcement and judicial assistance, Coalhouse Walker sees violence as his only means of exerting pressure on the city and to get his car back fully restored. He soon finds a group of followers, among them 'Younger Brother', who enter J. P. Morgan's library and threaten to blow it up.

While one could say much more about the plot of Ragtime, I find it rather hard to make up my mind of how I like it. Judging by my reading progress I'd say the novel became much more interesting, once the Coalhouse incident happened. At least that is when my reading pace started to pick up. Before that, the novel was not uninteresting but it was a bit tedious to read. Generally, there were a lot of episodes I liked, for example the one with Sigmund Freund and his colleague Jung who visit an amusement park in Coney Island. But then again there were also many parts I had to struggle through and which were just not my cup of tea. This is not so much due to the writing, which is simple at times but generally very readable, but more to the subject matter, I guess.

On the whole, because of its ups and downs, three stars.

116baswood
Dic 23, 2014, 5:34 pm

I have had Ragtime sitting on my shelf for ages and so I was interested to read your thoughts on it.

117OscarWilde87
Dic 24, 2014, 3:59 am

Oh, I would recommend you to read it. And I'd like to read your thoughts.

118OscarWilde87
Editado: Dic 25, 2014, 5:04 am

#25: The Valley of Fear by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
(98 pages)

The Valley of Fear is a Sherlock Holmes novel which is divided into two parts. While the first part concentrates on Sherlock Holmes solving a murder case, the second part provides a background story to the case. The novel starts by Holmes decoding a cipher from an informant against his nemesis Moriarty about a 'Douglas' in 'Birlstone'. Holmes, however, is too late to prevent crime as a dead person has already been found at Birlstone. Of course he assists the police in working the case. A body with a strange branding on the forearm is found lying dead in Birlstone Manor. The head was blown off by a sawed-off American shotgun and the wedding ring is missing. Strangely, both wife and best friend of the supposedly dead Douglas are in rather good spirits which quickly leads to Holmes solving the case. This is when the second part of the novel begins. This part is set in the United States 20 years before the murder and relates the story of a criminal organization called the Scowrers. It helps the reader understand the reason why Douglas was hunted down to be murdered.

The division into two parts is something I very much enjoyed about this novel as it combines the usual crime case that is solved by the famous detective from 221b Baker Street with a great background story. Actually, I have to admit that I liked the second part of the novel even better than the first one. The background story was very intriguing and well written so that I did not want to stop reading. As to the crime case itself, it is probably nothing all too different from other Sherlock Holmes stories. With the structure of the novel, though, The Valley of Fear is a reading experience that manages to keep the good elements of every Holmes story and at the same time to include something that sets it apart from all the other stories.

On the whole, it was a pleasure to read The Valley of Fear. Highly recommendable, not just to Holmes lovers. 4.5 stars.

119NanaCC
Dic 24, 2014, 6:05 am

The Valley of Fear does sound different than other Holmes stories I've read. I'll have to look for that one.

120dchaikin
Dic 25, 2014, 11:47 am

Your review of Ragtime brings up vivid but confused memories from when I saw the movie version as a kid in the 80's. I have a copy around here, but haven't read the book.

You made Portnoy's Complaint sound intriguing. I meet most of the "who should read this" bits, except one, "People who liked other books by Philip Roth." So, I'm still hesitant.

121rebeccanyc
Dic 26, 2014, 11:51 am

Ragtime is another of those books I read decades ago. I remember that I liked it, but not much more about it. Years later, I enjoyed some other books by Doctorow, including The March and Sweet Land Stories.

122OscarWilde87
Dic 29, 2014, 2:51 pm

>120 dchaikin: Have you read The Human Stain? That was my start with Roth. I liked it a lot.

>121 rebeccanyc: Can you recommend The March and/or Sweet Land Stories. I wasn't too excited about Ragtime, though...

123dchaikin
Dic 29, 2014, 2:54 pm

I read American Pastoral. I know it's highly regarded, but i did not enjoy it.

124OscarWilde87
Dic 29, 2014, 3:26 pm

#26: His Last Bow by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
(98 pages)

To set what I will say below into perspective: I love Sherlock Holmes. So most likely my thoughts will not be shared by some of you. Yet, to everyone who is not sure whether to read stories about the famous detective, just try a few of the stories and see how you like them. While His Last Bow is not a good point to start when you want to start right at the beginning, it gives a good impression of what Holmes stories are all about. If you are already familiar with the adventures of Sherlock Holmes, this volume of stories is quite likely something you will enjoy.

His Last Bow is another of many story colletions centered around detective Sherlock Holmes and his work. As it is a collection of stories I will refrain from going into detail for each one. While His Last Bow features many great stories, "The Dying Detective" is the one I liked best. On the outset, Watson is called to Holmes' rooms at 221b Baker Street and Sherlock Holmes apparently lies on his deathbed as the title of the story suggests. He seems to be terribly sick and is hardly able to speak. After refusing to be treated by Watson, he sends the latter to find Mr. Culverton Smith, who is not a doctor but very experienced with tropical diseases. As the narrative goes on and Smith arrives in Baker Street it slowly becomes clear that Holmes is actually perfectly healthy and that he just pretends to be deadly ill in order to get a confession out of Culverton Smith who murdered his own nephew.

Even if it were just for the sake of "The Dying Detective", this volume is highly recommendable to readers of good detective fiction. It is on the whole a good collection of stories, each of its own worth reading. One might think to get bored by a volume of on the outside similar detective stories but this is actually not the case. The stories each have their own little twist that sets them apart from the rest. I think one of the strong points of this volume is that the stories are not overdone and, being rather short, very much to the point.

On the whole, four stars.

125rebeccanyc
Dic 29, 2014, 6:48 pm

>122 OscarWilde87: Well, as I said I enjoyed them, and it's so long since I read Ragtime I don't know if I'd like it as much today, so I wouldn't run to them if you didn't enjoy Ragtime.

>122 OscarWilde87: >123 dchaikin: I hated The Human Stain and I really liked American Pastoral. So, as my mother would have said, that's what makes horse racing.

126OscarWilde87
Dic 31, 2014, 5:49 am

#27: The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
(134 pages)

It is time to bid farewell to a great literary figure. Sherlock Holmes: consulting detective and quirky mastermind. Solving problems and criminal cases merely by observation and deduction, the character of Sherlock Holmes, former resident of 221b Baker Street, has probably influenced literature for years to come. Now, he is retired.

The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes is the last volume of his stories. While his cases are as usual mainly chronicled by his dear friend John Watson, this volume also features stories narrated by the detective himself. In the reading process this change in narrative perspective becomes rather obvious and emphasizes the logical way of Holmes' thinking. In comparison to Watson's narration, Holmes is very straightforward and tells everything without further ado. In one case he already gives away the solution somewhere in the middle of the story, only to remark that this would not have happened, had Watson told the story.

It is somewhat sad that there will not be any new Sherlock Holmes stories anymore after having followed him for such a long time, that is four novels and 56 short stories. Then again, The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes is a worthy finish for a great series of stories. Highly recommendable, 4 stars.

127NanaCC
Dic 31, 2014, 7:17 am

>126 OscarWilde87: I really should read more Sherlock Holmes, as I've enjoyed any that I've read. I read a book a long time ago called A Slight Trick of the Mind by Mitch Cullin, which is a story about the very elderly Holmes. I don't remember much about it, except that I enjoyed listening to it. I think I seem to like the character even when written by someone other than Arthur Conan Doyle.

128OscarWilde87
Dic 31, 2014, 7:32 am

>127 NanaCC: Yet another one for my TBR pile. Thanks. I got Moriarty as a Christmas present. But I have mixed feelings about it. I'm not sure what to think about Sherlock spin-offs in general. But I guess you are right. I also quite like the character and maybe it's not as important who wrote the book then. A Slight Trick of the Mind definitely sounds intriguing.

129OscarWilde87
Dic 31, 2014, 7:54 am

A look back at my reading year

2014 has generally been a good reading year for me. There have been reading slumps, sure, but I read more books than last year. Well, one book to be exact. Then again, I read less pages than last year. Still, I am quite happy with what I read and isn't that the most important thing? Oh, and I managed to write a review for every book I read. I am quite happy about that.

In numbers, the year looks like this:
Books read: 27
Pages read: 7,164

Now what did I read? I will try to put my reading into categories.

1. Sherlock Holmes
I read The Complete Works of Sherlock Holmes. I never thought I could pull this off in a year but I managed to finish it just today. I loved reading the book. Really did. It is probably the book that dominated my reading year. At 1077 pages it was also the biggest one I read this year.

2. "1001 books you must read before you die"
I have been working my way through this list for a while now but never deliberately picked books from it. So this year I read six books off the list (see below).

3. Pop fiction
Generally I love to read. Everything. So pop fiction is of course also on my list and I enjoy it every once in a while to fit in a quick read between more, well, let's call it thought-provoking and 'classic' literature (capital L maybe?). This year I read some Stephen King, which I always enjoy a lot, I discovered David Baldacci as an author I like, I read The Hunger Games trilogy and Dan Brown's Inferno.

4. Non-fiction
I rarely read non-fiction. When I do it is history books and biographies most of the time. This year I attacked Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History as something completely different. Reading this book was actually very interesting. The second work of non-fiction I read this year was Inventing a Nation: Washington, Adams, Jefferson. This was also a three-star book for me.

I think that about covers my reading for the year. As I set some goals for the reading year as my New Year's resolutions, I will of course also have a look at them. Well, sadly I did not manage to cover everything I had planned. I will definitely set fewer goals for next year in order not to limit myself too much. I will, however, try to check off the one remaining goal on my list.
Long story short, here goes my look back at my reading resolutions for 2014:

✔ Read more than five books from the "1001 books you must read before you die" list.
1. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
2. The Shining by Stephen King
3. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
4. The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
5. Portnoy's Complaint by Philip Roth
6. Ragtime by E. L. Doctorow

✔ Read a book with more than 1000 pages.
The Complete Works of Sherlock Holmes (1077 pages)

✔ Attack The Complete Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe.
Well, I attacked it. I read Poe's only novel and a few stories and poems. But not all that much. But since the goal was to attack the complete works, I guess I can say that I did just that.

❌ Give Clancy one more (last?) try.
Nope, did not get around to it. This will be something for next year.

✔ Try something completely different. Whatever that may be...
Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History by Robert M. Edsel

This was my first year in Club Read and I enjoyed it very much. Thanks for all the nice comments and discussions and of course for making my TBR pile even bigger. See you in Club Read 2015!