Just read this again, about 50 years after the first time. This book is very telling of our times. That it was written about 100 years ago shows that Just read this again, about 50 years after the first time. This book is very telling of our times. That it was written about 100 years ago shows that some things never change.....more
I've seen a number of documentaries on the history of Israel so very little in this book was entirely new to me but it was great for building empathy I've seen a number of documentaries on the history of Israel so very little in this book was entirely new to me but it was great for building empathy for folks on both sides of the conflict. I highly recommend it. ...more
Oscar Wilde was great when it came to writing dialogue and his sense of the ridiculous was finely tuned making his plays gems and works of brilliance.Oscar Wilde was great when it came to writing dialogue and his sense of the ridiculous was finely tuned making his plays gems and works of brilliance. However I was disappointed with the original prose version of The Picture of Dorian Gray when I read it in its original form. I guess I was expecting too much.
Conversely I'd seen a number of movies based on this tale and wasn't expecting much but the short story was a joy to read and exhibited the wit that made his plays so well loved. It was a pleasant surprise.
This book is a strangely enjoyable amalgam of 50's nostalgia, exploration of taboos, and some fantasy fulfillment, with a dab of re-imagined history tThis book is a strangely enjoyable amalgam of 50's nostalgia, exploration of taboos, and some fantasy fulfillment, with a dab of re-imagined history thrown in.
In this continuation of a story begun in Outfield Menace, Tanner and Tyler Nudo are twins living in Blackford Indiana, a small town in the early 1950's US. The popular twins are both young and athletic players on Blackford High school's baseball team.
Unlike most real high-school's of the time, the school has been rocked by a murder and residents of the town have been forced to confront the existence of homosexuality. (See Outfield Menace for details)
Now it's an open secret that the young man responsible for uncovering the murderer is homosexual. (That context for the word "gay" has not yet come into the vernacular and the word "queer" is mercifully missing from the book.)
Even before the murder it had been noted that the twins were more than usually close and some allusions to twincest had been made jokingly but never believed. While the twins were just tangential to the earlier book, this time they are the main characters and we find that there is some truth behind the jokes. However, the power of taboo in a rural small town is a powerful thing and one of the twins is beginning to feel that this type of relationship really is wrong despite how comfortable he'd been with it before.
This book explores some territory not much covered even in current fiction and does it with an earnest attempt at integrity despite some revisionist historical perspective. I was delighted to recall such once common lines as "fill her up with Ethyl" particularly when they were addressed to a bow-tied attendant who just assumed that checking the oil and washing the windshield was part of the service. When the total came to almost three dollars because the truck had been near empty I almost laughed out loud.
The author used the literary conceit/device that, because of the earlier story, teens in Blackford were more aware of homosexuality but I had trouble suspending disbelief that far. At that age in the late 60's I was certain that I WAS the only one, and even had invented masturbation myself. (If only I'd patented it - I'd be rich now!)
Other nostalgic moments came into the story when poodle skirts, A&W Root Beer stands & the different models of cars were mentioned, but I'd like to have seen more references to other 50's icons. (e.g. television - which played such a key role in the lives of Americans at the time, or Eisenhower playing golf, Korea, or even Elvis) Some other moments of 20/20 hindsight were entertaining and well done. The one twin collecting comic books as if "they might be worth something someday" hit particularly close to home for me.
This book won't be for everyone but if you got a thing for 50's era rural America, or would like to read some fiction involving non-exploitational twincest then you could do worse than The Nudo Twins....more
After finally reading Dracula I had a taste for more tales of the undead, hopefully sans sparkles. And this audiobook has Michael York as the reader. After finally reading Dracula I had a taste for more tales of the undead, hopefully sans sparkles. And this audiobook has Michael York as the reader. He seems perfect for the role.
As the story once again unfolded I was surprised by just how good this was. Dracula plus homosexual desire, plus mother love, plus post-existential questions that deserve answers. Add in a link to the Egyptian mythos and no wonder it was as popular as it was.
Revisiting this after years of tangential familiarity with the author's other works, and the author's life story made me wonder just how much she suspected about her son's sexuality and how much of this story was a means of dealing with her suspicions.
The characters are well crafted and engaging and one genuinely enjoys hearing their story and spending time with them. The slight twists in the accepted dogma add highlights that deepen and make more meaningful the details of the story. By all means read and enjoy, and if like me you read this years ago, give it another look now. ...more
Stevenson told an original tale in a masterful style. We all know the bare bones of the plot line and there was little that I found in this version that hadn't been dealt with adequately in all those adaptations. However it says something for a storyteller to have woven a tale that caught so many people's attention spawning all the re-tellings.
As with many of the original gothic works, I'm a bit surprised by how self absorbed the main characters are, how little they consider the consequences before they act, and how much they are driven solely by their overwhelming curiosity in these tales. Perhaps that's indicative of the uneasiness that folks of the period had for how quickly mankind was gaining new and dangerous knowledge. Given how quickly scientific knowledge is advancing today perhaps there should be more concern now as well.
By all means read this one for yourself. It's a fast well crafted tale well told and should very little time. It's worth it....more
Though I've been familiar with this story since I was child scared witless by the "monster movie" classic, I'd never actually read the classic novel oThough I've been familiar with this story since I was child scared witless by the "monster movie" classic, I'd never actually read the classic novel on which it was based. Now, that I've amended that shortcoming, I can say that I enjoyed the book and can see it's genius as an original Gothic thriller but I think some of the later treatments actually made it a better story.
Victor Frankenstein was a bit of a whiner and from some of his later quotes it appeared that he'd learned nothing from his ordeal. "I felt as if I'd committed some great crime, the consciousness of which haunted me. I was guiltless, (really, Victor?) but I had drawn down a horrible curse upon my head, as mortal as that of crime." How he can feel guiltless after creating a sentient being and then abandoning him to become the monster that he became escapes me.
In some ways, Victor was the original Deadbeat-dad. Still, it IS a great tale and the iconic images that Ms. Shelley crafted are unarguably memorable.
Perhaps I was a bit put-off by the sub-plots that Shelley decided to spend time upon. The story of the De Lacey family was well enough, but I can't see what was added by the tale of the first mate's failed romance.
The fact the book is so popular today says a lot about that greatness. But I'm guessing that Victor's inability to acknowledge his hubris as being the fault of so many of his troubles played a big part in J. Robert Oppenheimer's quoting The Bhagavad Gita rather than Frankenstein after unleashing the first atom bomb.
Finally got around to reading the original and the story is well told in a series of letters and journal entries that allow for several different viewFinally got around to reading the original and the story is well told in a series of letters and journal entries that allow for several different viewpoints and an occasional break from a somewhat annoying "Dutch" accent by the Van Helsing character. I liked the way that the novel reflected the historical stereotype of women as being more easily influenced but yet had Mina as a strong, smart character.
I was a bit disappointed with the denouement taking place outside after all the death in a crypt scenes that I'd grown up with but it was a more fitting end to the story as told. Adding to the chase toward the end of the book I'd just finished a computer game simulation that required me to build a railroad between Vienna and Istanbul and seeing all the names of towns and terrain features that I'd just so recently become familiar with made the chase even more interesting. Immediately after completing the book, I went back to the simulation and found the exact location of the Borgo pass and traced the rivers that the boats had pursued the count along.
With a classic that has been so widely read there's no real need for a plot summary and the fact that the novel is still a good entertaining read this many years after being published, speaks for the storytelling and craftsmanlike writing that Stoker exhibit. No matter how well you think you know the story, this one is worth reading in it's original form....more
A second reading of this brought the story into even better focus and I appreciate it more than the first time through. This really is a great book wiA second reading of this brought the story into even better focus and I appreciate it more than the first time through. This really is a great book with a robust storyline that I'm sure will just get better and better with subsequent readings. ...more
Lovable hoyden Jo from Little Women has grown up and married and, along with her Germanic Bhaer of a husband, now runs a school for boys at Plumfield.Lovable hoyden Jo from Little Women has grown up and married and, along with her Germanic Bhaer of a husband, now runs a school for boys at Plumfield. In addition to her own children she's got 12 little men that she's lovingly shaping and wants to add some girls to the mix as well. Through a series of vignettes we see Jo and her charges through a series of adventures where the March family continue their almost too good to be true development of "real family values" in post civil war Massachusetts.
Unlike Dickens and the waifs he writes about, Alcott and her characters seem to always end up making the right and loving and ultimately virtuous decisions in an almost "panglossian" best of all possible worlds, where virtue is rewarded and everyone who deserves to be loved, is.
While this is perhaps somewhat unrealistic, it provides a number of healthy values lessons while at the same time providing a wholesome break from our more up to date, less optimistic modern fiction. And unlike much escapist fiction, there is much here that is actually good for you. Read and enjoy. ...more
A Boston mother struggles with raising four daughters while her husband is away during the Civil War. Sure it's a classic but it's still a great read A Boston mother struggles with raising four daughters while her husband is away during the Civil War. Sure it's a classic but it's still a great read today.
It presents a wonderful, slightly idealized (wholesome, moral) portrait of life at the time. And folks would probably think of the family as a moderately prosperous New England family rather than as a truly poverty stricken as they seem to think they are. Perhaps its a bit too sweet for steady adult consumption but the story works. Even more than 100 years later, the language is still surprisingly accessible and the historical detail lends interest to what has become a timeless story.
Starting as it does with a Christmas eve when the girls are still all at home and young it follows the maturing of the young women and their adventures, their travels and eventually their marriages and cleverly sets up the next book in the saga Little Men
I was given beautifully bound and illustrated copy of this by my grandmother when I was quite young but since "it was about girls" I never actually read or appreciated it. I'm glad that I've finally getting around to rectifying that now. ...more
Finished this and I'm NOT going to write a review that does it justice. There are plenty of those already. There are also plot synopses aplenty. Just Finished this and I'm NOT going to write a review that does it justice. There are plenty of those already. There are also plot synopses aplenty. Just a few personal notes on MY impressions about this book.
1) Hugh Grant made a much more charming Edward than the one Jane Austen created. While I like hers, I did find myself missing the Hugh Grant version at times.
2) The Colonel Brandon character was more saint-like in the book than in the movie version. I found that I liked them both.
3) I was much more aware of the pettiness and greed of John Dashwood in the novel than in the movie. While the characterization was probably necessary and did enhance the book version, I found that I hated spending time in the character's presence.
I very much enjoyed Willoughby's remorse toward the end of the book. Also in Mr. Palmer I saw some of the beginnings of an "early book Darcy" that I enjoyed.
Overall I was not as gobsmacked by this as by Pride and Prejudice but it still deserves a full five stars. I am glad that I read it and probably will again at some point.
It's certainly worth the time and amazingly still enjoyable for a book that enjoyed its sesquicentennial. ...more
Surprisingly upbeat for a book set in the Great Depression and dealing with the subject of autism. From the first paragraphs I realized that this was Surprisingly upbeat for a book set in the Great Depression and dealing with the subject of autism. From the first paragraphs I realized that this was not the light-hearted, funny book that the title suggested. And yet it was a good wholesome read that left one feeling better rather than worse. This book walks the fine line between tense and funny and yet has heart. It should be a good recommendation for reluctant readers, particularly of the young male persuasion.
Told from a young man's perspective, it in some ways it reminded me of a Walton's episode. Nevertheless, it was a fast engaging read that I'm glad I experienced. It certainly is worthy of the Newbury Honor that it received. It's entertaining and yet one somehow finds toward the end that the author has slipped you a nutritious book as well as an entertaining one.
One wonders what Dickens would have thought of the way convicts were portrayed here. ...more
This is a fun fantasy fulfillment book for any youngsters that fancy themselves thespians. A young man falls asleep in modern-day London only to wake This is a fun fantasy fulfillment book for any youngsters that fancy themselves thespians. A young man falls asleep in modern-day London only to wake up back in Shakespeare's day.
The book has a lot of interesting detail about what life really might have been like back then and it has a lot of detail about Shakespeare and his players that a theater fan will find interesting.
The temporal transplacement is artfully handled and the story hangs together on several levels. Yet, it felt a bit artificial and underdeveloped in the protagonist's longing for a father that he never really knew.
Still and all it's a fast read and worth the time, if one enjoys reading Newbury style children's literature. ...more
After watching the movie again and again, I decided that it was time to finally tackle the book. Having being disappointed with the stodgy/stilted/unwAfter watching the movie again and again, I decided that it was time to finally tackle the book. Having being disappointed with the stodgy/stilted/unwieldy nature of so many classics, this one was a real surprise and a delight.
For the most part the prose is still fresh and easy to follow and the story has all of the best aspects of a modern romantic comedy. I've heard that this may be the perfect novel and while that's a rather strong superlative, I can see why folks might thinks so. First published in 1813 (James Madison was the U.S. President) it's still a great read today.
The characters are still fresh and believable and if they weren't so firmly rooted in their era I'd say that they were timeless. I enjoyed spending time with these folks.
I highly recommend this to anyone who likes historical works of fiction, particularly those who like romances. This novel has so many positive aspects to it that they're difficult to catalog here but do yourself a favor and check it out. ...more
Set in the 1800's on an isolated island off the coast of California, I'd once heard this book described as the left coast's answer to Squanto. This boSet in the 1800's on an isolated island off the coast of California, I'd once heard this book described as the left coast's answer to Squanto. This book is different though in that it's one girl's tale of losing her people, meeting European explorers and becoming marooned alone on an island for many years. It's a cross between My Side of the Mountain, Robinson Crusoe and Hatchet.
It's a short first person read that draws in the reader and gives one an idea what it really might have been like to live on that island at that time. The accepting, matter of fact attitude of the main character might well be inspiring to many youths who today think that they have it tough.
At 186 pages it's well worth investing the time to read it. The reader will gain perspectives and images that will stick with them much longer than many other books of this length. ...more
Epic approach to history and the pivotal battle of the U.S. Civil War. The movie is an all time favorite and the movie makers were very faithful to thEpic approach to history and the pivotal battle of the U.S. Civil War. The movie is an all time favorite and the movie makers were very faithful to the book. I listened to this in the audio-format and the reader (Stephen Hoye) did a masterful job - often mimicking the dialects and accents of the parties and even separating younger voices from old in a performance that is one of the best I've encountered.
A timely read in light of the recent events surrounding the removal of statues of Confederate generals. This story stick to the traditional interpretations though it does show Lee in a less venerable light than other histories....more
Another great installment in the Cadfael series. This time Hugh Berringer gets a bit more play and perhaps Saint Winifred as well.
This one varies greAnother great installment in the Cadfael series. This time Hugh Berringer gets a bit more play and perhaps Saint Winifred as well.
This one varies greatly from the TV adaptation so might as well be a new mystery. As is usually the case, the novel is a richer, deeper, more nuanced and ultimately more satifying experience than the TV adaptation but both are still enjoyable.
We also get to revisit a few characters from earlier episodes. Between the familar faces, and the charming evocation of medieval England, this may be my favorite.
Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin are admirable successors to Horatio Hornblower. While Aubrey doesn't have the visceral appeal for me that Hornblower dJack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin are admirable successors to Horatio Hornblower. While Aubrey doesn't have the visceral appeal for me that Hornblower did, I look forward to reading more of his adventures. The nautical aspects of the story are engrossing and the interplay of Aubrey and Maturin promise to be interesting but the narrative doesn't flow yet as organically as it did in Forester's books. I'm hoping that that will change as I read further.
These do appear to be worthwhile reads and do a credible job of evoking the period and the situations involved. I found myself at several points trying to decide why this didn't grip me the way that the Hornblower novels did and I think, at least in part, its the nature of the characters and the points of narration. Hornblower was intensely introspective and seeing everything from his point of view made it easy for the reader to identify with the hero, Jack Aubrey is not of the same character. Maturin was required to carry some parts of the narrative, particularly in regards to Aubrey's character and it felt a bit second hand. I'm curious to see how this develops as their friendship develops. ...more
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