Books: Last Book You Read and Rate It

[Spring in Fialta]

A Hero of Our Time by Mikhail Lermontov (1840) - One of the first Russian novels, the book follows three separate tales revolving around Pechorin, a young, wealthy Russian of a Byronic mold. The three stories aren't necessarily in order but all offer a deep dive into its main character's philosophy, intelligence, callousness and struggles against boredom and philistines. This largely takes its form in romantic manipulations. Anyone familiar with 19th century Russian literture is familiar with the concept and it's done just about as well as its successors. Naturally, some it hasn't aged very well in terms of progressive - well, Byronic - but I thought it was an entertaining read and I'm not comfortable criticizing the seed of a literary development for not being fully grown. But like I said, it still holds up very well on its own. I don't mind unlikeable characters and I don't care to relate with them, although, the title of this piece seems to suggest that Lermontov held Pechorin in higher regard than I do. Still, this would probably get edited out in a second in 2021, but I did especially love the flair of this exchange:

Grushnitski (to Pechorin): "Mon cher, je haïs les hommes pour ne pas les mépriser car autrement la vie serait une farce trop dégoûtante." ("My friend, I hate people to avoid despising them because otherwise, life would become too disgusting a farce.")
Pechorin (replying to Grushnitski): "Mon cher, je méprise les femmes pour ne pas les aimer car autrement la vie serait un mélodrame trop ridicule" ("My friend, I despise women to avoid loving them because otherwise, life would become too ridiculous a melodrama.")

The Blue Room (1964) by Georges Simenon - Loved it. Simenon, cartoonish in the abundance of his output (he published hundreds of novels and makes Woody Allen look like a snail), is awe-inspiring considering the quality of his works when taking into consideration the speed at which he worked (it's hard to imagine how much revision could be done when you're cranking out 80 pages a day). The Blue Room is a fine book and an even better film (2014, Almaric). It works both as an erotic thriller and as a police procedural. The plot is simple: Tony Falcone, a Frenchman of Italian descent, has an affair with Andrée Despierres, a statueesque woman who while distant and above his station, has had her eyes on him since she was a youth. She loves him more than he realizes. She takes measures to ensure that they can be together. They both get arrested. The book essentially starts from there. Falcone is already under arrest although the reader is not told why - I knew why because I'd seen the movie years ago - and the narrative expertly merges between recollections of their affair, his family life, his past and his current predicament, questioning and trial included. It's not a flashy (or even intense) book, but just a perfect dissection of what an affair entailed, what it meant, what it led to and what were the consequences, both internal and external. The slight mannerisms are superb, and despite her craziness, it's, eum, how can I say this, difficult not to be impressed by Andrée's dedication and fortitude, even after her arrest. In short, she is always in control, and somehow more mature than Tony ever is. She is two steps ahead of him to their demise and this is what ultimately makes Tony a stupid and tragic character. It was the right choice to have the story told from his perspective. I think I'll watch Amalric's adaptation again this week.

 

[Rodgerwilco]

Edit: wrong thread

 

[Spring in Fialta]

The Once and Future King, by T. H. White

I loved this book when I read it half a century ago, and I love it now. But I was amazed how much I chose not to remember from this most elegant and magical retelling of the Arthurian legend. What I remembered most all these years--I suspect I am not alone in this--is the beautiful opening third of the book, the part that deals with young Arthur, nicknamed Wart, and his education at the hands of Merlyn, the Magician, who lives backwards in time and has the power to turn Wart into various animals so as to further his understanding of the natural world. This section represents truly magical writing, as imaginative and far more witty than anything found in Harry Potter. But what I chose to remember less well is how dark the novel becomes once Arthur takes the throne. Arthur believes that might does not make right and instigates radical new laws and a roundtable filled with like-minded knights whose vow it is to protect the weak from the strong, the innocent from the unscrupulous. His greatest knight Lancelot is Arthur's best friend, a man thoroughly dedicated to Arthur and his ideals. But then, an unexpected but human thing happens: Arthur's Queen Guenevere and Lancelot fall in love, a reality that Arthur tolerates for the good of his Kingdom. But within Lance and Jenny's embrace lie the seeds of destruction that will follow, eventually tearing apart the noble dream. The Once and Future King isn't about a grand ideal realized. Ultimately it is about the impossibility of realizing grand ideals because human weakness of one kind or another will always gum up the works. The novel is first a dazzllingly comic tour de force only to become a depairing tragedy at the end, though White is wise enough to leave is with a note of hope. The Once and Future King is one of the great books of the English language.

Good to see you back. Dry spell?

 

[kihei]

Good to see you back. Dry spell?

Yeah, I guess. It usually doesn't take me five months to finish a book but every time I picked it up the damn thing got 50 pages longer. Just imagine how many more weeks it would have taken if I had hated it.

 

[Chili]

The Once and Future King, by T. H. White

I loved this book when I read it half a century ago, and I love it now. But I was amazed how much I chose not to remember from this most elegant and magical retelling of the Arthurian legend. What I remembered most all these years--I suspect I am not alone in this--is the beautiful opening third of the book, the part that deals with young Arthur, nicknamed Wart, and his education at the hands of Merlyn, the Magician, who lives backwards in time and has the power to turn Wart into various animals so as to further his understanding of the natural world. This section represents truly magical writing, as imaginative and far more witty than anything found in Harry Potter. But what I chose to remember less well is how dark the novel becomes once Arthur takes the throne. Arthur believes that might does not make right and instigates radical new laws and a roundtable filled with like-minded knights whose vow it is to protect the weak from the strong, the innocent from the unscrupulous. His greatest knight Lancelot is Arthur's best friend, a man thoroughly dedicated to Arthur and his ideals. But then, an unexpected but human thing happens: Arthur's Queen Guenevere and Lancelot fall in love, a reality that Arthur tolerates for the good of his Kingdom. But within Lance and Jenny's embrace lie the seeds of destruction that will follow, eventually tearing apart the noble dream. The Once and Future King isn't about a grand ideal realized. Ultimately it is about the impossibility of realizing grand ideals because human weakness of one kind or another will always gum up the works. The novel is first a dazzllingly comic tour de force only to become a depairing tragedy at the end, though White is wise enough to leave is with a note of hope. The Once and Future King is one of the great books of the English language.

Maybe you're familiar with this...Le Morte D'Arthur was one of John Steinbeck's favorite books from youth. He wanted to rewrite it and spent years on the project, living and researching the story in England. He put it aside for other work and intended to get back to it but didn't finish before he passed away. His family later published what he was able to complete ( The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights). Read that in 'John Steinbeck: A Life in Letters'.

 

[kihei]

Maybe you're familiar with this...Le Morte D'Arthur was one of John Steinbeck's favorite books from youth. He wanted to rewrite it and spent years on the project, living and researching the story in England. He put it aside for other work and intended to get back to it but didn't finish before he passed away. His family later published what he was able to complete ( The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights). Read that in 'John Steinbeck: A Life in Letters'.

I didn't know that. Too bad he never got around to completing it, though. Thanks for the information.

 

[kihei]

The Blue Room (1964) by Georges Simenon - Loved it. Simenon, cartoonish in the abundance of his output (he published hundreds of novels and makes Woody Allen look like a snail), is awe-inspiring considering the quality of his works when taking into consideration the speed at which he worked (it's hard to imagine how much revision could be done when you're cranking out 80 pages a day). The Blue Room is a fine book and an even better film (2014, Almaric). It works both as an erotic thriller and as a police procedural. The plot is simple: Tony Falcone, a Frenchman of Italian descent, has an affair with Andrée Despierres, a statueesque woman who while distant and above his station, has had her eyes on him since she was a youth. She loves him more than he realizes. She takes measures to ensure that they can be together. They both get arrested. The book essentially starts from there. Falcone is already under arrest although the reader is not told why - I knew why because I'd seen the movie years ago - and the narrative expertly merges between recollections of their affair, his family life, his past and his current predicament, questioning and trial included. It's not a flashy (or even intense) book, but just a perfect dissection of what an affair entailed, what it meant, what it led to and what were the consequences, both internal and external. The slight mannerisms are superb, and despite her craziness, it's, eum, how can I say this, difficult not to be impressed by Andrée's dedication and fortitude, even after her arrest. In short, she is always in control, and somehow more mature than Tony ever is. She is two steps ahead of him to their demise and this is what ultimately makes Tony a stupid and tragic character. It was the right choice to have the story told from his perspective. I think I'll watch Amalric's adaptation again this week.

I'm a big fan of both the book and the movie, too. I really like Amalric's direction and his performance.

 

[pucksakes666]

11/23/63 by Stephen King I actually enjoyed it’s a very long read I think around 740 pages. Time travel and alternate periods are interesting. The biggest being how different would our own time had Kennedy been saved.

 

[Osprey]

A Higher Call: An Incredible True Story of Combat and Chivalry in the War-Torn Skies of World War II (2012)

This is a great true story about a Luftwaffe pilot who escorted a severely damaged B-17 bomber and its American crew out of Germany instead of finishing them off. It's written like a novel and alternates between the stories of the German pilot, Franz Stigler, and the American pilot, Charlie Brown (no relation). It covers both men's personal lives and experiences in WWII leading up to the day that they met over Germany, and, finally, their meeting in person 47 years later. What I found most interesting were the experiences of Franz and what it was like being on the German side in WWII. I liked how it was made clear that he and most of the men that he served with didn't like or associate themselves with the Nazis. You were a "Nazi" only if you joined The Party, most men who served were not members and those who were members were not appreciated much by the rest because they might squeal on you for saying something "treasonous." Also, the Luftwaffe were especially not too fond of the Nazis because, unsurprisingly, pilots had a code of honor (that went back to WWI and the days of the Red Baron)... which helps explain the central event of the story. It's a good read. My only complaint is that it's much longer than it needed to be. It becomes the life story of both men when much of what they experienced doesn't have much relevance to the 15 minutes that their stories intersect over Germany. I eventually skimmed through some parts in the middle because I wanted the story to get to that day, but other readers may have more patience and appreciation for the side stories. Despite the length, I enjoyed the book and, especially, the conclusion. It's a feel good story that restores faith in humanity.

If you're interested, but would rather watch a video, here's a short news piece:

 

[heatnikki]

These are Leviathan- Hobbes Thomas and The Prince - Machiavelli, Niccolò. These books are required to read in college but I still like them. I'm writing an essay about this book right now. I found an article about book review essay and how to write it at the highest level. Hope with these tips I'll finish it faster.

 

[Pink Mist]

These are Leviathan- Hobbes Thomas and The Prince - Machiavelli, Niccolò. These books are required to read in college but I still like them.

God, I can't imagine anyone reading Hobbes' Leviathan for fun

 

[Chili]

The autobiography of the man with the suspenders. Interesting that he didn't prepare much for interviews, he asked questions by instinct. He had the ability to make his guests feel comfortable, like they were talking to a close friend.

Lots of anecdotes from his many years of interviews (est. over 50k). After getting his start in radio in Miami, he met and befriended Jackie Gleason. The Great One asked Larry what he could do to help him out. Jackie got him a three hour interview with Frank Sinatra (who hated doing any interviews but owed Gleason a favour). Frank sang Larry's praises afterwards and he was on his way.

While he was in Florida, he wasn't paying attention one time while driving and ran into the convertible in front. Out of the car came an angry JFK. Larry and his passengers got off promising to vote for the future president in the next election.

Favorite story is about his son, Larry King Jr. The son knew who his father was growing up but had never met him and father Larry was not aware he had another son. When Larry's ex-wife was diagnosed with cancer she finally decided to let him know about his 33 year old son. From the book, it appears that they bonded well.

Larry said in the book, didn't believe he would reach 90. He was right but reached 87 after a major heart attack more then thirty years earlier. He gave up his 3 pack a day smoking habit and changed his diet.

Always enjoyed his interviews, nice light read.

 

[End on a Hinote]

The Pelican Brief - John Grisham

I enjoyed the majority of it but felt it got a little convoluted and confusing as it went on. I usually prefer Grashams legal dramas to this which was more espionage. Not a bad read, overall.

 

[Pink Mist]

Firewall (Kurt Wallander #8) by Henning Mankell

In the sleepy town of Ysted, Sweden, Inspector Wallander is on the case looking for clues in the crime scenes of a series of connected murders and deaths. Little does he know that they are all part of a conspiracy to take down the world’s financial markets. Meanwhile, one of his closest colleagues is making a power play to undermine him to his superiors, and Wallander is caught photographed hitting a key witness. Way too much going on in this book and its kind of a mess. The techno-mystery of the financial systems crashing which involves the Ysted detectives to hack into a computer may have seemed novel at the time of writing in the late 90s, but today is kind of silly and implausible. Probably Mankell’s laziest effort in the series as he doesn’t even try to resolve many parts of the mystery or does it in such a hackish way. Not a good entry into the series.

 

[Thucydides]

Firewall (Kurt Wallander #8) by Henning Mankell

In the sleepy town of Ysted, Sweden, Inspector Wallander is on the case looking for clues in the crime scenes of a series of connected murders and deaths. Little does he know that they are all part of a conspiracy to take down the world’s financial markets. Meanwhile, one of his closest colleagues is making a power play to undermine him to his superiors, and Wallander is caught photographed hitting a key witness. Way too much going on in this book and its kind of a mess. The techno-mystery of the financial systems crashing which involves the Ysted detectives to hack into a computer may have seemed novel at the time of writing in the late 90s, but today is kind of silly and implausible. Probably Mankell’s laziest effort in the series as he doesn’t even try to resolve many parts of the mystery or does it in such a hackish way. Not a good entry into the series.

I’m guessing the first few books are excellent ?

 

[Spring in Fialta]

Les enfants terribles by Jean Cocteau (1929) - Hadn't picked it up in a week and feel like reading something else. I can respect Cocteau's style and his capacity with sentences, but the work felt like it was navel-gazing a little too much. Not what I feel like reading at the moment. Since it's a such a short work, I'll return to it soon enough. Probably sometime when I'm on vacation. Got to say - so far what I've read from Cocteau hasn't done much for me, despite his obvious skill.

 

[Thucydides]

Great “human” stories, told from lots of different perspectives , from a woman who joins ISIS, to brothers who become spies for Iraq & bravely infiltrate ISIS. This book doesn’t go too deep, but provides a great overview on the Iraq situation, and tells a pretty riveting story to boot.

7/10

 

[Spring in Fialta]

From another forum.

 

[sdf]

From another forum.

Nice, but i afraid your understanding of russian literature are pretty similar to those russian hollywood movies.
Btw the word "hero" in the title of that novel does not have literal meaning, it has a specific interpretation towards to the novel

 

[Spring in Fialta]

Nice, but i afraid your understanding of russian literature are pretty similar to those russian hollywood movies.
Btw the word "hero" in the title of that novel does not have literal meaning, it has a specific interpretation towards to the novel

I'm not familiar with Russian Hollywood films. I didn't even know they existed. What does that mean? Also, it seems a bit odd to assume that Russian Literature has an understanding that engulfs all of its works. Curious to read your interpretation of Lermontov's novel because while I agree that he doesn't worship him, I think he still holds him above the level of bloated nincompoop, which is where I have Pechorin.

 

[sdf]

Also, it seems a bit odd to assume that Russian Literature has an understanding that engulfs all of its works. Curious to read your interpretation of Lermontov's novel because while I agree that he doesn't worship him, I think he still holds him above the level of bloated nincompoop, which is where I have Pechorin.

Ok i write some reply to you but then decided to delete it, bye

 

[Tyler Durden]

Cujo: The Untold Story of My Life On and Off the Ice - Curtis Joseph with Kristie McLellan Day - 8/10
Shift Work - Tie Domi and Jim Lang - 7.5/10
My Life - Teemu Selanne with Ari Mennander - 7/10

 

[Pink Mist]

The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer by Siddhartha Mukherjee

Weaving the author’s experiences as an oncologist, Mukherjee tells the “biography” of cancer (in that he anthropomorphises the diseases, but he’s really telling a history of cancer) from its first known depictions in ancient Egypt to the understandings of its genetics today. A tall order especially as cancer is not one disease but hundreds of diseases which are only tied together through their shared traits of abnormal cellular growth. Mukherjee is more than up to the task though and is able to write a compelling history that not only gives due to the many surgeons, scientists, nurses, activists, patients, and politicians who play a role in our understanding of cancer, but also writes in a way that can be understood by a layperson (such as myself who only has a high school education in science) without dumbing down or underemphasizing the seriousness of the books content through cliches or stupid examples like you see in a lot of pop science books. The book does drag a bit in its last chapter which discusses the genetics of cancer, although perhaps that’s just because where I really found my high school science education really began to be stretched, but overall it is a fairly comprehensive introduction to the topic of cancer and told in an accessible and elegant manner.

 

[Hammettf2b]

Just finished Ready Player 2. 6/10. It was ok. Definitely not as good as the first one but still had a good time with it. Some parts seemed forced and drawn out but overall decent. About to start the Red Rising series. I here good things about it.

 

[kihei]

Hamnet, by Maggie O'Farrell

Hamnet is a painstakingly researched speculative novel about an Elizabethan playwright's relationship with his partner Agnes and their three children, two girls and a little boy, Hamnet, who dies early but leaves behind a grief that neither parent can overcome. O'Farrell never mentions Shakespeare by name but it is made unmistakably clear whom the novel is about. O'Farrell traces his and Agnes' relationship from the very beginning when he was something of an ineffectual dreamer and she had the reputation of being a witch because of her knowledge of folk medicine. O'Farrell deals with the struggles that Agnes faced as her husband spent so much time in London doing god knows what. O'Farrell shows just how hard life was in the late 16th century, especially for women who handle most of the drudgery but with little freedom and reward. Hamnet is a twin with Judith, and in a way he sacrifices his young life so she can survive. While parts of the novel are heart-wrenching, the loss of a child being the most debilitating tragedy that a family can face, the story ends on a note that is both revelatory and hopeful. If this sounds to anyone like a novel that could well end up in a "Women's Studies" class, I'd say you wouldn't be far wrong. Be that as it may, Hamnet is a fine piece of writing that I thoroughly enjoyed.