Aruba Says Her ABC's

I'm joining in too. I'm going to still retain my alphabetic challenge categories in the 1010 challenge, though that will only start with books read in 2010.

I'm going to start this challenge beginning with the next book I finish. I'm not putting any time limits on myself, and I don't have to read in alphabetical order. Also, once 2010 rolls around my 1010 alphabetical choices can overlap with these.

I'm going to do both authors and titles (1010 is only authors). I'm going to try to concentrate on my TBR pile.

This looks like fun, and good luck to everyone.

Alphabetical Author Challenge

A. Appelfeld, Aharon, Tzili 12/09
B. Brennert, Alan, Molokai 10/09
C. Connell, Evan, Diary of a Rapist 10/09
D. Dick, Philip, Counter Clock World, 12/09
E. Echenoz, Jean, I'm Gone 12/09
F. Fontane, Theodor, Effi Briest, 12/09
G. Grossman, V., Life and Fate 11/09
H. Harkaway, Nick, The Gone-Away World 9/09
I.
J. Jones, R.S., Force of Gravity 4/10
K. Knausgaard, Karl O., A Time For Everything 3/10
L. Lurker, Manfred, Gods and Symbols of Ancient Egypt, 10/09
M. Martinez, Guillermo, The Book of Murder 9/09
N.
O. Ooka, Shohei, Fires on the Plain 7/10
P. Proust, Marcel, Swann's Way, 11/09
Q. Queiros, Eca de, The Maias, 8/10
R. Rendell, Ruth Murder Being Once Done 10/09
S. Scott, Paul, Six Days in Marapore 12/09
T. Toer, Pramoedya Ananta, This Earth of Mankind 3/10
U.
V. Vailland, Roger, The Law 6/10
W. Warner, Sylvia Townsend Lolly Willowes 10/09
X. Xianliang, Zhang Half of Man is Woman 1/10
Y. Strangers by Taichi Yamada
Z. Zola, Emile, The Kill 6/10

Title Alphabetical Challenge

A. American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld 9/09
B. The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born by Ayi Kwei Armah 12/09
C. Cry the Beloved Country by Alan Paton 1/10
D. Desparate Remedies by Thomas Hardy 1/10
E. The Emigrants by Vilhelm Moberg 1/10
F. The Fortune of the Rougons by Emile Zola 12/09
G. The Good Pirates of the Forgotten Bayous, Ken Wells 9/09
H. Hippolyte's Island by Barbara Hodgson 11/09
I. In the Woods by Tana French 9/09
J. Julian Comstock: A Story of 22nd Century America by Robert Charles Wilson 7/10
K. The Kindly Ones by Jonathan Littell 6/10
L. Little Dorritt by Charles Dickens 9/09
M. Minoan and Myceaen Art by Reynold Higgins 12/09
N. Nazi Literature in America by Roberto Bolano 10/09
O. Out of Egypt by Andre Aciman 3/10
P. Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver 4/10
Q.
R. Requiem by Shizuko Go 12/09
S. The Shark Net by Robert Drewe, 12/09
T. The Trial of Robert Mugabe by Chielo Zona Eze 12/09
U. Under Observation by Amalie Skram 12/09
V. The Vagrants by Yiyun Li 3/10
W. Within a Budding Grove by Marcel Proust 2/10
X. Xingu by Edith Wharton 11/09
Y. Yellow Blue Tibia by Adam Roberts 6/10
Z. Zombie by Joyce Carol Oates 2/10

I finally finished my first book since starting this challenge, but it was a whopper. And well worth it. Little Dorritt by Charles Dickens revolves around Amy Dorritt, a young woman who was born in Marshalsea debtor's prison where her father has spent the bulk of his life. As with most Dickens's novels, there are dozens of characters, each of whom add so much sparkle to the story, however minor their role. I love Dickens's humor and irony. In Little Dorritt we have Mrs. Merdle, the social climber, who is referred to throughout as "the Bosom", since she exists primarily to have her bosom adorned with jewels. Her entrepeneur husband is completely recognizable as 19th century Bernard Madoff. And Mrs. General, who advises her students to say "P" words, such as Prune, Prism, etc. as much as possible, because it makes their lips so engaging. (She also advises that a well-bred young woman does not have an opinion on anything). And there's Maggie, to whom Little Dorritt is her "Little Mother', who believes hospitals are paradise on earth. Dickens also skewers the government bureacrats, of the Circumlocution Department, whose purpose is to prevent anyone from doing anything that might lead to progress. The Circumlocution Department is peopled by the Barnacle family. I especially liked the name "Tite Barnacle."

I find that people either love Dickens or hate him. I'm in the love category, as you can see. I heartily recommend this book. However, if you don't want to invest the time necessary to reading a book of this length, PBS dramatized Little Dorritt earlier this summer, and you can go to PBS's web site to watch it if you wish. (I haven't seen it yet, but intend to do so).

Hola Aruba. I enjoyed reading your review of Little Dorrit. I am also a Dickens fan but I haven't read this one yet. I did see the PBS movie of it earlier this year and would definitely recommend it to you.

Thanks, Chrine. I was saving the PBS show til after I finished the book, and hope to get to it soon.

Two more books:

The Good Pirates of the Forgotten Bayous by Ken Wells is the true-life story of the people of St. Bernard Parish as they suffered through Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath. St. Bernard Parish adjoins Orleans Parish, and suffered as much from the levee breaks as New Orleans did, but was closer to the eye of the storm, and bore more of the brunt of the actual storm. The peoples' stories are riveting--one must survive in 12 foot deep water by hanging on to a tree branch, as the flood waters rush by. Others try to ride out the storm on their shrimp boats. One woman ends up riding out the storm on top of one of the levees that didn't break in her car, with her invalid father, after they tried to escape flood waters, but were unable to do so. While the first two-thirds of this book, in which the storm experiences are told, is excellent, the followup part of the book is not as interesting, and the book sort of fizzles out.

The Book of Murder by Guillermo Martinez is an Argentinian murder mystery that is a lot more than a murder mystery. It begins as a noir tale when a woman from the narrator's past turns up with hysterical accusations regarding the "murder" of her entire family over a 10 year period. Were the deaths really murders, or should the narrator believe the man the woman accused? The novel ends with an ironic twist.

Both of these books are recommended.

The Book of Murder looks interesting. Onto the wishlist it goes!

I have The Book of Murder on my tbr pile (scheduled for my 1010 category challenge) so it's good to know you enjoyed that one.

edit for ts

Some more books:

In the Woods by Tana French--an engrossing psychological murder mystery. I liked the portrayal of the relationship between the two detectives partnered to solve the case. I didn't like that the detectives missed a major clue that shows up early in the investigation, and which ultimately leads to the solving of the case. I was silently screaming "Follow Up! Follow Up!" but they didn't hear. I was annoyed by the fact that the book doesn't resolve a major plot question. Overall, however, I didn't regret reading this book, and will probably read French's next mystery, The Likeness which features one of the same detectives.

American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld--a novelization of the life of Laura Bush (here Alice Blackwell). The book is totally believable, and very interesting to read--Alice/Laura is a goody two-shoes children's librarian who is swept off her feet by Charlie Blackwell, the spoiled, but likeable, son of a wealthy political family. Most of the book focuses on Alice's early life and her life with Charlie before they enter political life. However, the parts of the novel describing life in the White House are fascinating. The novel, as in reality, ends tragically with the nation at war, thousands of civilians needlessly dying, and Alice seemingly dead inside.

The Gone-Away World by Nick Harkaway--a post-apocalyptic novel raising issues of how the hubris of science has caused the end of the world as we know it, and exploring the curious relationship between the narrator and his life-long friend Gonzo.

The unanswered question at the heart of In the Woods does seem to be the thing that divides those who loved the book from those who didn't. I liked The Likeness even more than In the Woods, in part because it's told from his partner's point of view and gives a new depth to the earlier book.

American Wife is high on my TBR.

10> We read In the Woods for my book group. Like you said, some people really can't get over the fact that the one question remains unanswered - although one person in the group was certain she knew whodunnit. LOL.

I have The Likeness checked out from the library, so maybe I'll have to move it higher on my TBR list.

The author hasn't ruled out that she might do another book about the first partner.

I would really like a book about Sam, the third detective in In the Woods. He figures more prominently in The Likeness, so it seems a natural progression to have him as the protagonist. Whatever she does next, I will read it.

When I heard that Cassie was featured in The Likeness, it crossed my mind that Sam would be the feature detective in a third book. :)

Brief synopses of some October books:

Diary of a Rapist by Evan Connell--Connell is the author of a couple of my favorite books, Mr. Bridge and Mrs. Bridge. This is a very different book. It consists of the diary entries of a young man who can only be described as a loser, as he disintegrates into madness. As he descends into paranoia, he begins stalking a beauty queen. We are never quite sure of what is real and what is his imagination. His entries are all over the place: one moment he dreams of becoming a famous and successful politician, the next he is berating himself for his worthlessness. This is not a violent book, but it is a disturbing book.

Nazi Literature in America by Roberto Bolano--Having read 2666 earlier this year, I was really looking forward to this book. I was very disappointed. I'm not sure of Bolano's intent in writing this book. It consists of a series of short chapters written in the form of encyclopedia entries describing the lives of imaginary writers with political leanings toward fascism. That's it. (With the possible exception of the last entry which is sufficiently well-developed to consitute a short story). Bolano has even created an appendix for secondary figures, (fictional) publishing houses and magazines, and bibliographies. This book did nothing for me.

Gods and Symbols of Ancient Egypt by Manfred Lurker--I read this as part of my on-going study of art history. (A group of artist friends and I meet once weekly to "teach" ourselves art history. So far we've down prehistoric art and Mesopotamian art. Now we're on Egyptian art.) This was an excellent introduction to the subject matter.

eta--for some reason LT posted the first paragraph of this entry 20 or so times--sorry for the huge gap above.

Molo'kai by Alan Brenner-the life story of a young girl who is ripped from her family at age 6 and sent to the leper colony at Molo'kai. The book interweaves historical events and people with its fictional characters. Sometimes the interaction of the real and fictional seems forced, and the plot feels manipulated to allow for such interaction. The book also covers a vast time period--from the late 1800's to the late 1900's. Overall the characters were engaging, and it was an interesting and informative read.

Lolly Willowes by Sylvia Townsend Warner--a delightful novel about an unconventional woman who takes charge of her own life in the first half of the 20th century.

Murder Being Once Done by Ruth Rendell--Rendell is just about my favorite mystery writer and this Inspector Wexford book does not disappoint. It kept me guessing until the end.

In the Kitchen by Monica Ali- the chef at a prestigious London hotel restaurant basically throws his life away. I found the book to be somewhat schizophrenic--it didn't know whether it was the story of a love triangle, a murder mystery, an expose of the exploitation of illegal immigrant workers, or the story of the reconciliation of a man with his estranged father. There were a few interesting cooking tips though, and if you don't mind a mishmash of stories, it was an ok read.

I was very excited to find a book the title of which begins with X that wasn't along the lines of The X Files (no offense to anyone--that's just not my style). I read Xingu by Edith Warton (which is also the first book I read on my brand new Kindle). This is a short, gently satirical look at the ladies of a "Lunch Club" in a provincial town as they prepare for and endure a visit from a "famous" author. This is certainly not one of Wharton's best, but it is an amusing read. Wharton's writing is very entertaining. Examples:

"Her mind was a hotel where facts came and went like transient lodgers, without leaving their address behind..."

"It's in shocking taste to wear...a last year's dress when there are reports that one's husband is on the wrong side of the market."

"It was as though her countenance had so long been set in an expression of unchallenged superiority that the muscles had stiffened, and refused to obey her orders."

(Can you tell I like the highlight/bookmark feature of Kindle?)

Xingu sounds like a perfect "X" book! I have added it as a potential for my "X" title read. Thanks arubabookwoman!

For my H title I read Hippolyte's Island by Barbara Hodgson. I loved this book. Hippolyte, an eccentric 30-something who has never in his life sailed, finds some unidentified islands on an old map, and sets out to rediscover them. When he returns and wants to publish the story of his adventures, he must contend with a very down-to-earth and erudite book editor, who has a hard time believing most of what Hippolyte has written.

My S author book was Six Days in Marapore by Paul Scott. I was extremely disappointed in this book, since The Raj Quartet is one of my favorite books of all times. This book was shallow, melodramatic, and poorly written. Stay away from it.

#34 Hippolyte's Island sounds interesting - I've added it to the wishlist.

For my RL book club tonight, I read The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born (beautiful is spelled with a y in the title) by Ayi Kwei Armah. I counted this as my B title. This is a novel depicting the corruption and filth rampant in Ghana during the reign of Nkrumah. The novel is so graphic you smell the stench and feel the sweat, but it is an essential, though uncomfortable, read.

I also read I'm Gone by Jean Echenoz. This is a witty romp involving an attempted art swindle. Alternating chapters feature the art dealer and the thief, as told by a very opinionated narrator. I included this as my E author.

For the "T" title:

The Trial of Robert Mugabe by Chielo Zona Eze

This was an ER book for which I've set the goal of filing a review by the end of the year. Robert Mugabe is the leader/dictator of Zimbabwe, formerly known as Rhodesia, and was instrumental in Zimbabwe's obtaining its independence from Britain. He was also instrumental in committing genocide against some of Zimbabwe's ethnic peoples during the period known as Gukuranhundi. This book is the account of the trial in Heaven of Mugabe during which he is accused of atrocities by some of his victims, real and fictional. (Mugabe is in fact still living). There is a lot about African colonial and post-colonial history I am not familiar with, and there is much in this book I will be further researching.

For the "C" title:

Counter-Clock World by Philip K. Dick--a dated and gimmicky science fiction novel in which time runs backwards (i.e. you smoke a cigarette by picking up a butt and smoking it until it's whole and you return it to the package; you eat by "victual momentum" whereby food you have eaten in the past is returned whole to the plate to be repackaged to be put into the cupboard).
Read it as a curiosity if you like. It doesn't really have anything to say.

For the "E" title:

Effi Briest by Theodor Fontane--this 19th century German novel is on the 1001 list. It has been compared to Madame Bovary and Anna Karenina. In 1919, Thomas Mann said it was one of the six most significant novels ever written. (I wonder what the other 5 were).
It's the story of Effi, a delightful 16 year old who is married off to a man more than twice her age (and who had in fact had at one time courted her mother). They move to a bleak coastal town where he is an up and coming government official. Effi's brightness fades, and the constraints and mores of society weigh upon her.
There is no romantic hero here to sweep Effi off her feet, and her husband is basically a decent and good man who loves Effi and has her interests at heart. There is an adulterous affair, but it is so ambiguously and subtly described we are not even sure it happened. Needless to say tragedy ensues.
This is a slow and thoughtful book, but slow in a good way. It is more of a character study than a plot driven novel. Recommended.

For the "S" title:

Swann's Way by Marcel Proust

I won't presume to review or even describe this first volume of In Search of Lost Time. I am participating in a year-long group read, and although I've tried several times to read this novel I've been unsuccessful until now. I've become a Proust convert. I will only quote Nabokov's description of Proust's style:

"A tendency to fill in and stretch a sentence to its utmost breadth and length, to cram into the stocking of the sentence a miraculous number of clauses, parenthetic phrases, subordinate clauses. Indeed in verbal generosity, he is a veritable Santa."

Very appropriate to the season!

And Happy Holidays to all who pass through.

Proust must be the anti-Hemingway, who would prune and delete until he used the fewest possible words.

I enjoyed reading your remarks about Dick's A Counter-Clock World. He's always such a mind-trip. Have you read Ubik? It was given to me as a gift and it took me three reads to understand it, but now I love it.

Victoria--I haven't read Ubik but I'm willing to give it a try.

Coincidentally, I read my "U" title book, Under Observation by Amalie Skram, a late 19th century Norwegian novelist. This is actually 2 novels combined in one volume, about a woman who voluntarily enters a mental institution for "rest" when she has been unable to sleep. Once there, her doctor and the institution treat her as insane and refuse to release her. Her husband goes along with what the doctor says. Although this is a novel it is based on Skram's real life experience. A very good read.

I also read Genesis by Eduardo Galeanos, but since I've filled the "G" spaces it doesn't count. I mention the book, however, because it's excellent. It's the first volume in a trilogy which covers the entire history of the Americas from pre-Columbian times until the present.

Jiggled a few titles around between "author" letter and "title" letter to add:

Tzili by Aharon Appelfeld, the story of a young Jewish peasant girl who hides in the forest during World War II.

Requiem (wrong touchstone) by Shizuko Go, the story of the tragedies that befall two Japanese families during World War II.

The Shark Net by Robert Drewe, memoir of a boy's coming of age in Perth, Australia.

Minoan and Mycenaen Art by Reynold Higgins

Added the "F" title--The Fortune of the Rougons by Emile Zola. This is the first volume of the 20 volume Rougon-Macquart series, which includes such well-known classics as Germinal, La Terre, Nana, and others.

So as of 12/31/2009, I've finished 28 of 52 of the double author/title alphabet challenge. On to the New Year!

Added, with some juggling, The Emigrants by Vilhelm Moberg as the E title, and Cry the Beloved Country by Alan Paton as the C title. Both are 5 star books. Reviews will be posted on my 75 book thread.

Read my X author Zhang Xianliang Half of Man is Woman, a fictionalized account of the time the author spent in Chinese labor camps during the Cultural Revolution. Review on my 75 book thread.

Also read a very interesting book, Alamut by Vladimir Bartol, but I've already filled the letter spaces where it would fit.

By moving Diary of A Rapist from the title list to the author list under Evan Connell, I was able to add to the title list Desparate Remedies by Thomas Hardy. This is a Victorian "Sensation Novel," which means it has: bigamous marriages, misdirected letters, romantic triangles, heroines in physical danger, drugs/potions/poisons, characters who adopt disguises, and strained coincidences. Unlike most Hardy novels, it has a happy ending.

Also, I could not manipulate my lists to include the other book I read this week, Rumer Godden's memoir of her life in India, A Time to Dance, No Time to Weep.

After reading a number of books that I could not fit into an unused letter for either author or title, I have finally read a book that I can fill my title W with-- Within a Budding Grove by Marcel Proust. I am participating in a year-long read of In Search of Lost Time, and this is Volume II of that masterpiece.

I'm impressed with the crew tackling ISOLT. Proust strikes me as someone who has to be read slowly and with a specific mind-set to enjoy.

You're right about both things--he has to be read slowly and you have to be in the mind-set to enjoy him. In the group we read 10-25 pages a day, and I've gotten into that rhythm. Some day's it might be a little more difficult to read, but it's not overwhelming, and I look forward to my "Proust-time" every day.

Two books in a row now fit into this challenge. I've put Zombie by Joyce Carol Oates as the Z title. This book is not for the faint of heart or weak of stomach, even the most rabid Oates' fan. You spend the entire time in the mind of a sexual psychopath serial killer.

For my own benefit I'm noting that I need the following to complete the challenge:

For authors:

I, J, K, N, O, Q, T, U, V, Y, Z.

Candidates from my shelf:

I Ishiguro, Irwin, Irving
J Jackson, Jelinek, Jelloun, Jewett, Jones
K Knausgaard (reading now), Kertesz, Khoury, Kincaid, Kirino, Krabbe, Kunzru
N Nabokov, Nagai, Nister, Norfolk
O O'Brien, O'Connor, Oates, Oe, Ogawa, Ousamene, Orwell, Ondaatje, Okpeloto, Ooka
Q Queiros, Quesada
T Twain, Thackeray, Thomas, Tolstoy, Taylor, Tagore, Tremain, Tunstrom, Trevor
U Updyke, Undset
V Voltaire, Vollman, Vailland
Y Yoshimura, Yates, Yezierska, Yamasaki
Z Zola, Zweig

For titles:

J, K, Q, V, Y

J Joseph and His Brothers, Joseph Andrews
K Kaddish for an Unborn Child, The Known World, Kafka on the Shore, The Kill
Q ??????
V Villette, Voyage of the Narwahl, Vindication
Y Year of the Death of Ricardo Reis, Years of Rice and Salt

The Quincunx is a historical novel that I really enjoyed. It is long, however, and the protagonist is very much a part of his time, which I liked, but it does make it harder for a modern reader to work up sympathy for him.

Thanks for the recommendation--unfortunately (or fortunately, because I really liked it) I've already read it, and am not willing to invest the time to reread it since there are so many other books to read. Do you have any other Q recommendations? BTW I've read a couple of other books by Palliser and have enjoyed them. I call these kind of books "Neo-Victorian."

I just read Queenpin by Megan Abbott, which was a feminine take on the hard-boiled pulp novel. I loved it, but it wasn't delicate or gently worded.

There is always the sprawling historical spy thriller Q by Luther Blisset set at the time of the 16th century reformation in Germany. I can't really remember The Quincunx so I cannot compare it but whilst similiar (especially in size!) I think Q is much more chaotic, non linear and insane!

My "Q" was Quiet as a Nun by Antonia Fraser. First in a mystery series.

Just started my Q read today with Graham Greene's The Quiet American.

Thank you everyone! Very good suggestions. Now I just have to decide.

Added my K author book--

A Time for Everything by Karl O. Knausgaard. I really loved this book. It begins as the story of a young boy who encounters angels in the 16th century, and thereafter devotes his life to the study of angels. In between, there are a series of narratives retelling several Bible stories involving the interaction of angels and humans. The story of Cain and Abel and the story of the Flood are emphasized (each is almost novelette length), and the stories are imaginatively altered and refocused. The writing is wonderful. There were a few sections of theological philosophising, but it wasn't unbearable. This isn't what I would call a religious or an anti-religious book, it is sui generis.

The V Title:

The Vagrants by Yiyun Li is a beautiful, though ultimately sad book, which portrays the lives of a diverse group of individuals in an industrial town in China, and how they are affected by the execution of a young woman for being a counterrevolutionary. Everyone from a seven year-old boy to the elderly street cleaner to the government functionary who arranged the execution is irrevocably changed in one way or another.

I can hardly believe it--tlhree books in a row fit into unused alphabet spaces:
I almost didn't check because I automatically assumed that a common letter like T would already have been filled.

T Author

This Earth of Mankind by Pramoedya Ananta Toer is the first in a quartet of novels examining the effects of colonialism in Indonesia. For the first 3/4 of the book, I felt that the author was merely moving characters around to make political points. Then, the story picked up, the characters became more real, and I'm afraid I'm going to have to read the next in the series to see what happens after the somewhat ambiguous end to this volume.

O Title

Out of Egypt by Andre Aciman--A shimmering memoir of a young Jewish boy growing up in Alexandria in the 1950's. His colorful family, and the city of Alexandria itself, star in this book.

For the month of March, I read the "O" and "V" titles, and the "K" and "T" authors. I have 9 more authors to read (I, J, N, O, Q, U, V, Y, and Z) and 5 more titles (J, K, P, Q, and Y).

Message 53 list candidates from my TBR shelf. Right now I'm thinking of reading The Kill, the second novel in Zola's Rougon Macquard series, and The Maias by Quieros. Then we'll see if any other reads fit in.

For the P title, I read Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver.

For the Y title, I read Yellow Blue Tibia by Adam Roberts. In this surreal semi-science fiction book, Stalin gathers together a group of science fiction writers in the 1930's and asks them to create a convincing scenario for an alien invasion. Fifty years later, the some events imagined by the writers appear to be coming true. This is a mad-cap, fast-paced satire. I didn't totally connect with it, but it was entertaining. And you get to find out what Yellow Blue Tibia means. (You may already know if you speak Russian).

For titles I now have left only J, K, and Q. I am currently reading my K title, The Kindly Ones by Jonathan Littell, and plan to read Jesus' Son byDenis Johnson for the J title.

I will be very interested in what you think of The Kindly Ones.

Added The Kindly Ones to the K title. Review will appear on 1010 thread.

Added The Law by Roger Vailland as the V author.

Added The Kill by Emile Zola for the Z author.

This is the second novel in the Rougon-Macquart series. Involves an unscrupulous real estate wheeler-dealter, Aristide (Rougon), whose young second wife cheats on him with his son. Excellent book.

Added Fires on the Plain by Shohei Ooka as the O author.

Started this on August 28, 2009. I have 2 title letters and 5 author letters to go. Wonder if I can finish before the year anniversary?

Added Julian Comstock: A Story of 22nd Century America by Robert Charles Wilson as the J title.

#70 Well, you're making excellent progress - certainly better than I have. I'll be you'll be close to being finished by your anniversary.

Read The Maias by Eca de Queiros, as the Q author. his is a 5 star book.

Read Strangers (wrong touchstone) by Taichi Yamada for the Y author. David Mitchell of Cloud Atlas and Jacob de Zoet fame calls this a "thinking person's ghost story." V. good.