Challenge Complete: Mixing It Up

Another 2012 Reading Challenge has bitten the dust.  The Mixing it Up Challenge through Dana over at Much Madness is Diviniest Sense asked participants to branch out and try books in different genres.  There were different levels to choose from and I decided to go for for the “All the Trimmings and a Cherry on Top.” Here's the list of categories and books I read to fulfill them:

1. Classics: A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens (2/29/12)
2. Biography: From Sawdust to Stardust: The Biography of DeForest Kelley, Star Trek's Dr. McCoy by Terry Lee Rioux (3/14/12)
3. Cookery, Food, and Wine: The Food of North Italy by Luigi Veronelli (10/27/12)
4. History: Chancellorsville & Gettysburg by General Abner Doubleday (4/15/12)
5. Modern Fiction: 11/22/63 by Stephen King (2011) [10/8/12]
6. Graphic Novels and Manga: The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen by Alan Moore (4/6/12)
7. Crime and Mystery: Murder Has Its Points by Richard & Frances Lockridge (1/2/12)
8. Horror: Dracula by Bram Stoker (4/25/12)
9. Romance: Venetia by Georgette Heyer (4/7/12)
10. Science Fiction and Fantasy: My Name Is Legion by Roger Zelazny (1/4/12)
11. Travel: Reading Imagined London: A Tour of the World's Greatest Fictional City by Anna Quindlen (2/10/12)
12. Poetry and Drama: The Rose Window & Other Verse from New Poems by Rainer Maria Rilke (3/22/12)
13. Journalism and Humor: History of the Millennium (so Far) by Dave Barry (9/30/12)
14. Science and Natural History: Proust & the Squid: The Story & Science of the Reading Brain by Maryanne Wolf (1/28/12)
15. Children’s and Young Adult: The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin (4/7/12)
16. Social Sciences and Philosophy: Star Trek & Philosophy: The Wrath of Kant by Jason T Eberl & Kevin S Decker (eds) [12/1/12]

Star Trek & Philosophy: Review

Star Trek & Philosophy: The Wrath of Kant is a collection of essays edited by Jason T. Eberl and Kevin S. Decker.  These essays use episodes and moments from Star Trek's various incarnations and feature films to explore philosophical issues ranging from the nature of communication between very disparate species to logical development of Vulcans to the ethical dilemmas found in Deep Space Nine.  The essays use one of the icons of fictional space exploration to explore the philosophies of the human race.

The collection opens with an examination of one of my favorite Next Generation episodes, "Darmok."  It discusses the essence of truly alien communication and commends the popular television show for addressing the difficulties in a very real way.  Most science fiction novels and programs represent the universe as being full of very human-like creatures who all, magically, either speak English or have a language that translates very nicely into English when run through a universal translator.  But philosophers have posited that a truly alien species would probably have points of reference so very different from ours that there may not be the common ground to allow such easy translation.  "Darmok" reflects this idea while keeping it grounded in just familiar enough territory for the average viewer to understand.

Next up are two essays on the nature of Vulcans. One explaining the logic of Vulcan by giving a brief overview of the civilization of Vulcan and its dependence on the teachings and philosophy of Surak.  The second compares Data's wish to be human to Spock's efforts to completely control his human side.  It also discusses the relative merits of being able to control one's emotions versus the complete absence of them.

Other topics covered include revenge (courtesy of The Wrath of Khan) and whether it has a part in a meaningful life--and, ultimately, just what a meaningful life is; issues of morality and how it relates to the Q; the ethics of cloning and genetic manipulation (courtesy of Dr. Bashir and "The Masterpiece Society"; rational moral autonomy vs. full moral autonomy (Star Trek: Insurrection); the consequences and effects of collaboration (Nazi Germany  via the Cardassians and Odo & the Bajorans); Business Ethics 101--can the Ferengi teach us anything?; human nature and individuality (vis-à-vis the Borg); the idea of recognition and importance of each individual (the entire philosophy of Star Trek); fantasy versus reality and the merits of the holodeck; the nature of time; the foundations of faith, and the nuts & bolts of life, death and immortality.

This is a very interesting, but very dense book.  For someone who doesn't have a hefty philosophical background it gets a bit deep at times, but never so deep that I felt like I was drowning.  Thoroughly enjoyable and well worth the time.  My favorite essay?  The one on "Darmok" and language. Four stars.

The Food of North Italy: Review

The Food of North Italy by Luigi Veronelli is a cookbook giving some general information about the region, cuisine, dining and drinking habits of northwestern Italy.  We also get a collection of over 50 recipes full of "rich, sophisticated dishes, especially those from Turin, once the capital of the Savoy dynasty. Much of the area is rural, however, which has fostered a long tradition of country cooking. The people know how to make the most of their ingredients in such dishes as zabaglione (an egg yolk, sugar, and marsala dessert), agnolotti (meat-filled ravioli), and monte bianco (a chestnut dessert). The region is also famous for its rare white truffles, shaved over risotto, pasta, fonduta, fried eggs, and more. Several of the finest red wines in Italy also come from this region, such as Barolo, Barbaresco, and Barbera, as well as one of the world's best-known champagnes, Asti Spumante." 

What I learned from this book....If these sorts of dishes are what's cooking in northern Italy, then I probably don't want to go  If these recipes involve "sophisticated" dishes, then I am quite happy to remain unworldly.  From an apparent obsession with veal to really nasty looking Watercress Soup with Frog Legs to Bergamo-style Polenta & Game Birds (where the birds look like they were deep-fried whole....seriously) to Horse Steak (HORSE, for crying out loud)--I politely, but emphatically say, NO, thank you.  A great deal of the time I was asking--out loud to my husband who really didn't want to know--"Why the heck would you do that to a horse [bird, frog, rabbit, fill in the blank]???!!!!!  Because, honestly, if I didn't have an aversion to eating horses, I still can't figure out why the dish should sound appealing...not to mention the bird and frog dishes look positively disgusting.  I really mean it.  

I thought learning about authentic Italian food would be interesting. Not really.  My advice: If, after my review, you're still curious and want to check this out for yourself, DO NOT read before dining.  Trust me.  One star.

11/22/63: Review

I'm sure everybody knows what Stephen King's 11/22/63 is about.  But for those of you who have been out of touch and the title isn't enough of a clue....here we go:

First off, we have Jake Epping, who is just your average high school English teacher--plugging along, grading horrible essays, getting over a divorce, preparing to be a time traveler.  (What? You say you're an English teacher and you don't get be a time traveler.  What's up with that?)  His buddy (well, actually, acquaintance, but let's not quibble) Al who owns the local diner has just revealed to him that he has this time portal in the diner's pantry.  You know, go in the back room for a loaf of bread and if you're not careful you'll step right into 1958.  Always.  It's a wacky time portal like that--no variation, 1958, same day, same time. 

So....Al has decided that it would be the best thing in the world to go back in time and hang out for about five years until President John F. Kennedy can be saved from assassination.  He tried to do that, but got diagnosed with cancer before he could complete his mission and returned to the present to recruit somebody younger and healthier--that would be Jake.  Now Jake is an English teacher who doesn't seem to know a whole heaping lot about history. Al gives him the goods in a nutshell and provides him with a handy-dandy timeline on all the important players (as well as the winners of every sporting event between 1958 and 1963--the better to make 1950s money with) and convinces him to give this a try.  Of course, it takes a few trial runs (to convince Jake that this thing is real and that he really can affect the past) before Jake is set, but in the end he decides to do it.  He's off to save the President of the United States.

There are also a couple of side stories going on: Jake is interested in saving the lives of Harry Dunniing's family as well.  Harry is a janitor at the school where Jake teaches and has been enrolled in Jake's Adult English class.  When asked to write about an event that changed his life, Harry tells about the murder of his mother, sister and brother at the hands of his father.  Jake is determined to set that right.  There's also a young woman that Al wants saved from a terrible accident.  And then there's Sadie.  The woman Jake falls in love with while waiting for November 1963.  What happens with Sadie....and with President Kennedy will have to wait until you read it. And you'll find out if traveling through time was really such a good idea after all....
 
***************
My take:  There are going to be spoilers, I'm just telling you now.

OMG.  Almost 900 pages!  That's what I thought when I received 11/22/63 for Christmas from my husband.  Not that I hadn't asked for it, mind you, because I had. And I knew it was a big book--but not THAT big.  And now that I've read it (but, I have to admit, not every single word--yeah, um, I skimmed a bit)....OMG. Almost 900 pages! That's the overwhelming thought that I have.

This was my first King novel.  And my thoughts aren't any of the following: Hey, Stephen King is a wonderful storyteller.  OR Boy, am I glad I finally gave Stephen King a try. OR What a terrific time travel story.  Nope.  It's: What a god-awful long book that was.  Somehow, I don't think that was the reaction King was looking for when he sat down to write this.  The thing is, King doesn't even have the excuse of the conventions and style of the time the way a George Eliot does with Middlemarch.  Middlemarch is another god-awful long book--but Victorian writers tended to produce those. And, if you're the type who occasionally (or more than occasionally) likes to settle into a nice classic, then you expect to be settling into a different pace.  It's part of the deal and you work with it.

But King is a modern writer.  He's writing for a modern audience.  The modern audience has a whole lot of people in it who are used to texting and get impatient because email takes too long.  So, he decides to take 900 pages to tell a story that could easily have been told in half that.  Did we really need to go back in time several times just to make sure things work?  Does that really matter?  After all, we still don't know why they work and we have no idea what will happen if we manage to save JFK's life. And by the time Jake Epping is done messing around in the past I'm not sure if saving JFK is what made the world go you-know-where in a handbasket or if it was all the "little" things he did over the course of five years or both together.  We'll never know. Jake will never know.  So, why did we have to take over 700 pages to get to the whole point of the story--stopping the assassination?

The really sad thing for me is this wasn't the book I expected.  This is more about getting to the assassination attempt than it is about what happens if the President is saved.  I had hoped for a real look at what would happen if JFK didn't die in 1963.  But that part is really glossed over.  We are given a 2-3 page run-down of life after Dallas, but as far as results go, the concentration is on how Jake saving JFK has caused world catastrophes--not people-catastrophes, but earthquakes and freak tornadoes and geez-louise the world is falling apart. And some strange guy who "guards" the time portal is wanting Jake to fix things.  I tried really hard to buy into the whole "Al and Jake went back in time and messed with too many things and that caused all these 'strings' of history that somehow got all tangled up and that will cause everything to explode" thing but I've read too many other science fiction/time travel stories where messing with history causes alternate time lines (that, generally speaking, do not affect one another) to put any money down.  'Cause you see, if each time they went back only tangled things up more, then I don't see how Jake going back one more time is going to wipe the slate clean.  Wouldn't that just add one more twist to the tangled "strings"?  If the world is that close to exploding (imploding?) then I'd think one more trip would set the whole thing off.  But I guess nobody said it had to make sense.

I managed to make it all the way to 43 without reading any Stephen King...I'm kind of wishing that I had kept that record going.  I just don't think that he's for me.  I did enjoy slipping back into a less complicated era--the feel of the late 50s and early 60s is so much different from today.  And I also really liked Jake's relationship with Sadie--that's the part of the book that makes this a two-star read rather than a one-star read.  As the quote below states, it evoked a response.  I wanted them to have a good life together.  I was sad when it didn't happen.  King touched me there.  It's a shame he didn't hook me with the main story line as well.

Quote:

I stroked a big red A on top of his paper. Looked at it for a moment or two, then added a big red +. Because it was good, and because his pain had evoked an emotional response in me, his reader. And isn't that what A+ writing is supposed to do? Evoke a response? [about Harry's theme written in the Adult English class, p. 5]

 Oh, and by the way, that completes my Stephen King Project challenge.  I signed up as a King Novice--read one book.  Mission accomplished!  [I am going in fear and trembling to post my link though.  I haven't read every single review posted there....but I didn't see any reviews as low as mine among what I have read.  I hope the posse doesn't come searching for me. :-)]

History of the Millennium (So Far): Review

I picked up Dave Barry's History of the Millennium (So Far) at the local Friends of the Library Bookstore in a moment of nostalgia.  I remember looking forward to his year-end wrap-up column in the Sunday paper each year.  His take on the year that was always had me laughing out loud.  So how was it all tidily compacted into a book?  So-so.

There were still moments of laugh-out-loud humor.  I particularly enjoyed his take on history pre-2000.  As the Goodreads synopsis says: "Crusaders! Vikings! Peter Minuit's purchase of Manhattan for $24, plus $167,000 a month in maintenance fees! The invention of pizza by Leonardo da Vinci and of the computer by Charles Babbage (who died in 1871 still waiting to talk to somebody from Technical Support)!" It was all good.  Reading the more recent years one right after the other (rather than waiting a whole year--as one had to when Barry was writing his column), I realized how formulaic his humor was...from beginning each year with a similar phrase ("Let us take one last look back at 'Year X,' which began, as so many years seem to, with....January") to rearranging people's names to say silly things to finding one incident each year to repeat over and over (example: one year it was Tiger Woods winning everything from golf championships [real] to Academy awards).   It was kind of like watching a whole season of some of the TV shows I loved as a kid.  I enjoyed them much better when a whole week had gone by rather than just five minutes. I think that sort of thing goes over much better in small doses. 

Over all, a fun, three-star read--but not an out-of-the-park funny book like some of his others (Dave Barry's Guide to Guys, for instance).

Dracula: Review

Dracula by Bram Stoker is the classic horror story.  No sparkling boy-vampires here.  No teen angst.  Just plain and simple, down-right nasty evil--the Master of the Undead and the "children of the night" (read wolves).  This vampire story, despite all the in-depth criticism and literary analysis, is not about seduction.  It's not sexy.  This is Count Dracula in all his baseness wanting to exert his mastery over the human race and to make everyone--especially Mina Harker--do his bidding and become like him.  He doesn't want Mina Harker because he wants to thrill her with his all-powerful, undying masculinity.  He wants first to punish her for interfering with his plans and then to make her his creature to in turn harm her husband and the others in their small group of crusaders.

Dracula is one of those stories that you assume that everyone knows.  It has been such a part of our culture--from Bela Lugosi's Dracula of the 1930s to the 1992 "Bram Stoker's Dracula."  Stoker's version may not be the very first vampire story--but it is the one that set the standards for vampires.  We all know how vampires behave because of this novel--they can change form (primarily bats and wolves), they are stronger than normal men, they are strongest at night (and in some cases can't bear daylight), they must have their native soil with them for strength, they can almost hypnotize their victims when overpowering them, they can't stand garlic and crosses and other religious icons. 

This story tells us about Jonathan Harker, a young lawyer, who is sent to Transylvania to complete business affairs for a mysterious Count.  Count Dracula has plans to leave his native land and take up residence in England.  Harker and the office he works for have been procuring a house for the count and he has brought the final paperwork and summary of preparations for the count to sign and approve.  Harker's journey to the castle home of Count Dracula should warn him of what is to come.  The residents of the surrounding town and his fellow travelers all make signs to ward off the evil eye and his driver and the horses are more and more nervous the closer they get to castle.   Once at the castle, Harker notices that his host never eats with him and he discovers that the man casts no shadow and no reflection in the mirror Harker has brought to shave with.  Soon he finds that he is a prisoner in the castle and the Count does not intend that he will ever leave.  The young lawyer fears what fate awaits him at the hands of the Count...or the evil women who also inhabit the castle.  Harker makes a daring escape by climbing out a window and down the sheer castle wall below.

The story shifts to England where Harker's fiancee, Wilhelmina Murray is visiting with her dear friend Lucy Westenra.  Lucy has not been feeling well and falls into an old habit of sleep-walking.  Mina tries to restrain her, but Lucy cannot seem to resist the urge to walk at night.  Mina finds her one night up at a favorite sitting place--very weak and pale.  Dr. Seward is called in to examine her, but he cannot find a cause for her weak health.  He is mystified by odd puncture wounds in her neck.  He in turn calls upon his mentor, Professor Van Helsing to attend the girl.  Van Helsing is appalled at her state of health and eventually calls upon her fiancee, Lord Arthur Godalming (as well as Dr. Seward, Quincey Morse (another admirer of Lucy's) and himself) to give the young woman blood transfusions....all in a vain attempt to save her life.  But the blood of four good, strong men is not enough to save her and soon they are laying her to rest in the family vault.

Meanwhile, Harker has made it back to England--albeit unwell and delirious--and Mina had gone to his side to nurse him back to health. She is away when her friend dies.  It isn't long before children begin wandering off and when found they exhibit similar neck wounds to those found on Lucy.  All they can say about their experience is that they were lured away by a "bloofur lady."  Seward, Van Helsing, Godalming, and Morse band together to seek out the "bloofur lady"--and incident that will bring much heartache to Lord Godalming.   Harker recovers from his trauma and he and his now wife, Mina meet up with others.  They pool their stories and recollections of the incidents and Van Helsing convinces them that they must now go after the source of the trouble--the mysterious Count.  The rest of the book revolves around the group's efforts to thwart Dracula and end his reign of terror.

Told in the form of letters and diary entries, Stoker uses the various points of view very effectively.  Switching often from Harker's journal, Mina's letters and diary, Lucy's letters, and Dr. Seward's journal, we see events as they happen and sometimes from more than one perspective.  It is a very well-rounded method of story-telling--and quite good when done well.  As it is here.  Stoker manages to build the suspense and horror without the blood and gore and shock techniques often found in modern horror stories.  His use of atmosphere is superb.  A long, sometimes dense classic--but well worth the investment.  Four stars.

Two more comments:  First--my initial contact with the Dracula story was in an illustrated children's version (what would now be considered a graphic novel--although I don't believe that term was in use back in the dark ages when I was young).  Having now read the entire classic novel, I am amazed at how well done that condensed version was.  It was a very short paperback book--no more than 70 pages, I'd say--but it hit all the most important points.  And didn't skimp on the palpable horror either, I'm thinking in particular of the scenes with the "bloofur lady"--kids in the "dark ages" were apparently expected to be up to the challenge.  Here is a link that Pendulum Press classics illustrated edition..

And....One of the main reasons I'm reading this now is for the Man of la Book's League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Challenge (among others).  Having read the graphic novel of The League of Extraordinary Gentleman (and not being extraordinarily impressed--click title for review), I just want to emphasize that I'm really unenthused with Alan Moore's vision of Mina Harker--er, Murray, since he has her divorced from Harker.  I'm not going to claim that I entirely endorse the Victorian view of women that Stoker presents--women as the angel of the home, bringing sweetness and comfort to their men.  A good woman giving her man "heaven on earth."  But he (Stoker) does get some kudos for showing Mina to have some brains and to be the true heroine of the novel.  I digress.  The point is, if we go with her creator's vision--she IS a very sweet woman.  She truly loves and is devoted to both her friend Lucy and her husband Harker.  And there is no way on earth you can get me to buy into the sour-faced wench that Alan Moore & Kevin O'Neill (illustrator) has given us in League.  I still say she looks like she's got a poker shoved where the sun don't shine.  Yes, she's a strong female character--but Stoker gives us that with sweetness, not as lemonade with no sugar.

Chancellorsville & Gettysburg: Review

Campaigns of the Civil War: Chancellorsville & Gettysburg by General Abner Doubleday

The author, a Union general at both Chancellorsville and the Battle of Gettysburg, was purported to be the inventor of baseball--this has been debunked by almost all sports historians--although Doubleday himself never made such a claim. The book was initially published about 20 years after the Civil War ended. Doubleday's convictions permeate the book. As a commanding office in both battles, his perspective is essentially that of a military professional, yet is strongly flavored by personal feeling. In revisiting these campaigns, he rekindles old political hostilities that had lain dormant for almost 20 years.

My take: The 20 years theme is kind of interesting. Doubleday wrote this account about 20 years after the war had ended. I've had this reprint edition for almost 20 years. Back in 1996 when my parents wanted a suggestion for a birthday present, I gave them this title (among other present options) and it wound up on my shelf. Life and other interests have gotten in the way and I just now have gotten around to reading it. And, let me tell you, a gripping story-teller Doubleday ain't. This is a very dry-as-dust blow-by-blow rattling off of every little military move of the two campaigns. "General So-and-So had a brigade (division...regiment...insert suitable military unit) of Umpity-Thousand men. It was decided to move them over the XYZ Gap to try and hold off the enemy--Rebel General Whosiwhatsit's brigade (division... regiment...you get the idea) of Hmm-Hmm Thousand men." The only time Doubleday gets passionate or injects any interesting bits into his narrative is when he is talking about how General So-and-So disobeyed this order or that OR when various generals disagreed with one another or jockeyed for position.

Give me Michael Shaara's account of Gettysburg in The Killer Angels any day. 2 stars--very informative, but better as a sleep aid than as a riveting tale of the Civil War.

Venetia: Review

From the back of the book:

She wasn't looking for love..Her beauty rivaled only by her sensibility, Venetia Lanyon is nearly resigned to spinsterhood, thanks to the enormous amount of responsibility she inherited with a Yorkshire estate, an invalid brother and the lackluster efforts of two wearisomely persistent suitors. Then she meets her neighbor, the infamous lord Damerel, a charming rake shunned by polite society--exactly the type of man that a woman of quality should stay away from.

He wasn't looking for redemption...Though his scandalous past and deepest secrets give Venetia every reason to mistrust him, a rogue always gets what he wants....

Georgette Heyer writes really fine Regency Romances. Her books have it all: witty dialogue, the life and doings of the ton, creditable characters that are some sometimes a bit larger-than-life (but not too, too much larger), a great concern with social standing which always, always puts a twist on the romance in question. Venetia has all that and more....a frank sexuality that runs through every encounter between Venetia and her rake. Note the word frank, which is entirely different from blatant. For blatant, Heyer is not. There is nothing beyond kissing going on here and the scenes between Venetia and Lord Damerel fairly smoulder with the unspoken. And she does represent the mores of the time quite openly--and makes clear what kind of position a young woman who has made herself appear fast or, dare we say it, wonton may find herself in. Reputation is the coin of the realm when it comes to being marriageable--which of course is a girl's primary concern.

Venetia Lanyon is viewed as an innocent by her acquaintances (I can't really call them friends, because none of them seem to know her very well). She is a young woman of twenty-five who has been kept secluded in the country, never brought out into society, and only the company of a scholarly, invalid brother and two very dull suitors and various martronly women to "brighten" her days. Everything she knows about life she had learned from the books she has read and one would think her very naive and unworldy as a consequence. But, when meeting Lord Damerel, her family's neighbor and a notorious rake, for the first time she seems well aware of what and with whom she is dealing. In fact, Venetia is the most self-possessed and assured character in the book.

Venetia is a very complex character and may seem to be a bit too self-possessed for the time period. But Heyer gives us a very plausible back-story to give truth to her situation. She has, it is true, been buried in the country by a father who apparently wanted to be alone with his grief after her mother's death. But, once her father died and her elder brother took off with the army, Venetia is left to manage the estate and oversee the care of her younger brother. This allows her to be far more independent than most young women of the time. What is astonishing is not so much that she is independent and independently-minded, but that those who have supposedly known her from birth don't really understand her character.

Naturally, the course of true love cannot run straight (lest we not have a story) and everyone, including the rake himself, throws stumbling blocks of conventionality in the path. But Venetia is having none of that. When plans go awry, she simply comes up with better ones. Because, contrary to what the back of the book says...an intelligent and determined woman always gets what she wants.

Heyer, as always, has done her research well and writes the period like she was born then. Her characterizations are superb--you love Venetia and her rake as well as her touchy younger brother and her devoted Nurse. You will also love to hate Conway's (Venetia's elder brother) horrible mother-in-law and will be just as exasperated with Venetia's lackluster suitor's as she is. And that's because Heyer makes her characters real. A very enjoyable Regency Romance--picked up primarily for the Getting Lost in a Comfortable Book Challenge, but fulfilling several others as well. Four stars.

The League of Extraordinary Gentleman: Review

First off, let me say...the movie The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen? I loved it. Absolutely loved it. That was one of the main draws for me for taking part in the challenge of the same name. That and the desire to read some of the classic novels on the list of books that serve as back-stories for the graphic novel and the movie. Now, the graphic novel...I did not love. Perhaps it's that graphic novels really aren't my thing. But mostly, I think it's the incredibly violent, overly-sexualized drawings that turn me off. I may be from the prehistoric age when it comes to comic books (and, let's face it, that's what I think of when we talk graphic novels)--but I don't expect to see more-than-half-naked women (and a few men), with grossly over-sized bosoms heaving all over the place. And I'm not terribly keen on seeing bloody bits of human beings flying across the page. Seriously. Oh...and Mina Murray is drawn (when we're not emphasizing her feminine attributes) to look as if she's sucked on a pound of lemons AND has a poker shoved where the sun don't shine. That's marvelous as well. And, of course, there are the sexist and racist bits.

Once I turned on my visual filter and skimmed the pictures for the written word only, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (Vol. 1) and I got on a lot better. It's a pretty good story--and the plot-line is well-written. I like the action and twist and double-twist at the end. I liked that the graphic novel gives a bit more explanation of how the league came together. I just think I would have enjoyed it a lot more if it had been a straight novel rather than a graphic novel.

The story itself is a bit different from the movie. The League is gathered together by a certain Campion Bond, who is in the employ of "Mr. M." "M" is supposedly the head of intelligence in Britain and he wants Bond to put together a group of agents who can help the Empire in a time of great need. A certain Asian "Doctor"--kingpin of crime in London's East End--has stolen cavorite, a substance which will enable flight and allow the Doctor to attack Britain from the air. Mina Murray works at Bond's behest to gather Allan Quartermaine, Captain Nemo, Hawley Griffin (The Invisible Man), and Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde together to track down the Doctor and save the Empire. Little do they know what evil adventures await....and who they're really working for.

Two stars--all for story. There are other volumes in this graphic novel series. I can't say that I'll be seeking them out.

The Rose Window: Review

Suddenly a shaft of moonlight
shines out fiercely, as if somewhere
the archangel had unsheathed his brilliant sword.
~from "Townscape"

I'm really working on clearing out books that have been sitting on the TBR shelves for much too long. The Rose Window & Other Verse from New Poems by Rainer Maria Rilke has been hanging out for about 10 years or so. I fell in love with Rilke's poetry in college. I went out immediately and bought myself The Complete French Poems and have read and reread those. Then in about 2000, I found this pretty little book sitting in the clearance bin of a now defunct bookstore. And somehow managed to never read it. So...I put it down for a number of reading challenges just to ensure that I would finally do so.

This book of poetry isn't quite as compelling as the translated French poems. I think perhaps it suffers from the fact that there are multiple translators rather than just one--nine translators in all. I would get into a certain rhythm (or rather the translator seemed to) and then a poem would come along that brought things to a screeching halt. Word choice and order seemed a bit off. Then there would be a few more good ones. It made for very uneven reading. My favorite poems were "Early Apollo" and "The Angel of the Meridian" (both translated by the same person), "The Poet" and "Townscape" (translated by a second person) and "Lullaby" (translated by a third). My rating for the entire collection: three and a half stars.

[for the European Reading Challenge: Rilke was born in Prague, died in Switzerland, and the poems are translated from German]

From Sawdust to Stardust: Review

Wow. Just wow.

I don't care if you're not a Star Trek fan. I don't care if you've been living in some weird other world and have no clue who DeForest Kelley was (the Original Dr. "Bones" McCoy and cast in many westerns prior to Star Trek stardom). You really must read this book. From Sawdust to Stardust: The Biography of DeForest Kelley, Star Trek's Dr. McCoy by Terry Lee Rioux is an absolutely amazing book about one of the most decent men of the 20th Century--and definitely one of the most decent people to go ever through Hollywood.

The down-to-earth son of a Georgia Baptist preacher, DeForest Kelley was all that a true Southern gentleman should be--a Southern gentleman without all the prejudices and stereotypical behaviors ascribed to the people of the South. He always treated women as ladies--without being condescending. He always treated everyone--black, white, Asian, older, younger, it did not matter--with the respect due an equal. He grew up with certain principles--principles that came both from his preacher father and his gentle mother--and he never let them go. Not when trying hard to make his way in the dog-eat-dog world of movie industry and not even when late in life he finally reached the star status which being part of the iconic Star Trek mythos brought him.

In the glittering world of Hollywood where marriage partners could be changed as often as one's outfits, Kelley remained married to the same woman for over 40 years. And not only remained married, but friends said he was just as in love and just as romantic as when he first courted her. He was infinitely patient with the clamoring fans who loved him for the space age doctor he portrayed. And up until the end of his life, he had all his fan mail delivered directly to his home and he and his wife Carolyn opened, read, and answered every piece they possibly could. He touched more lives "playing a doctor on TV" than he ever could have had he become one in real life--visiting sick children who were fans, inspiring young people to become doctors themselves, and influencing everyone he met to be kinder, gentler, and better than they were before.

Terry Lee Rioux has given us an incredible look at a truly remarkable person. McCoy has always been my favorite Star Trek character. DeForest Kelley is one of my favorite human beings. Five Stars--unreservedly.

A Tale of Two Cities: Review

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity...."

It was the best of Dickens, it was the worst of Dickens, it was passages of brilliant description, it was pages of tedious detail. A Tale of Two Cities is very much a best of and worst of kind of book--with a final tally in favor of the best. I love the story. I love some of the descriptive passages....like this one:[about Tellson's Bank] Thus it had come to pass that Tellson's was the triumphant perfection of inconvenience. After bursting open a door of idiotic obstinacy, with a weak rattle in its throat, you fell into Tellson's down two steps, and came to your senses in a miserable little shop, with two little counters, where the oldest of men made your cheque shake as if the wind rustled it, while they examined the signature by the dingiest of windows, which were always under a shower-bath of mud from Fleet Street, and made the dingier by their own iron bars proper, and the heavy shadow of Temple Bar.

I can see Tellson's. I feel like I'm there. But then there are the long, drawn out bits (pages--especially when Dickens has taken us to France) where I despair of Dickens ever getting back to the story.

The story is a familiar one to most classic literature enthusiasts. Dickens depicts the years leading up to the Revolution in France. He begins with the freeing of Dr. Manette--a man who has been kept prisoner in the Bastille for all of his daughter's life. They are reunited and begin to live a normal life in London. They soon become involved in the life of Charles Darnay, a French expatriate, who is being tried for treason. They are witnesses at his trial and through their evidence and the work of Sydney Carton he is acquitted. Darnay marries Lucie, Manette's daughter, and Carton (who harbors an unrequited love for Lucie) becomes a close friend of the family. Several years later, Darnay (who is really a French aristocrat) is lured back to France when he receives a message that a former servant is imprisoned. The vengeful peasants, led by Mr. & Mrs. Defarge, have begun the movement towards revolution and Darnay is captured and sentenced to death. Carton, who closely resembles his friend, performs the ultimate sacrifice and takes Darnay's place in prison--and finally at the scaffold. To paraphrase: It is a far better thing that he does than he has ever done before.

Dickens does a terrific job in balancing the story between London and Paris. He shows us the building resentment among the poor and oppressed people of France. He uses the backdrop of the horrors of the time to set off and highlight the sacrifice of Sydney Carton. It is a timeless story and a very touching story of redemption and new life. If only Dickens could have trimmed out some of the long-drawn out descriptions in France, then I would give a five-star rating. As it is--four stars--for a timeless classic, for a Dickens novel that I liked so much better than Great Expectations (which I read and slogged through in high school), for Carton's sacrifice, for Manette's suffering, and for Miss Pross's stand-off with Madame Defarge. (Miss Pross is Lucie's devoted former nursemaid and current companion.) A rollicking good historical classic.

Oh...and another plant for my victory garden this one has been on the TBR shelf for...um...30 years. Yikes! But done now. Oh yeah.
Quotes:
...perhaps second-hand cares, like second-hand clothes, come easily off and on. (Book 1, Ch. 4)I have sometimes sat alone here of an evening, listening, until I have made the echoes out to be the echoes of all the footsteps that are coming by and by into our lives. (Book 2, Chapter 6)

The time will come, the time will not be long in coming, when new ties will be formed about you--ties that will bind you yet more tenderly and strongly to the home you so adorn--the dearest ties that will ever grace and gladden you. O Miss Manette, when the little picture of a happy father's face looks up in yours, when you see your own bright beauty springing up anew at your feet, think now and then that there is a man who would give his life, to keep a life you love beside you! (Book 2, Chapter 13)

If you remember the words that passed between us, long ago, you will readily comprehend this when you see it. You do remember them, I know. It is not in your nature to forget them. I am thankful that the time has come, when I can prove them. That I do so is no subject for regret or grief. If it had been otherwise, I never should have used the longer opportunity. If it had been otherwise. (Book 3, Chapter 13)

It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known. (Book 3, Chapter 15)

Imagined London: Review

Atop it [the London Eye, a Ferris wheel], in one of the glass cars in which tourists ride, it is possible to see most of London. The London that was rebuilt after the enemy bombs wrecked it. The London that was rebuilt after plague and fire ripped through. The London of Holmes and Watson and Nancy and Fagin, of bright young things and enemy bombs. London upon London upon London, a city in which the destruction of the Blitz managed to unearth a section of the original Roman walls nearly two millennia after their construction. No novelist would use such a metaphor; reality is often more heavy-handed than we can afford to be. (p. 159)

Imagined London: A Tour of the World's Greatest Fictional City by Anna Quindlen is a sweet little book. But it's not a travel book if that's what you're looking for. It's not a real tour of the city. It won't really introduce you to the highways and byways of Doyle's London (or Dickens's or Austen's or...). It's Anna's love letter to the city of her literary dreams.

I liked it best for the descriptions of Anna as a reader and ardent Anglophile. I enjoyed her excitement at finally setting foot in the city she had loved from afar (and hope one day to share that excitement--I'm an ardent Anglophile as well). She has a lovely way of describing her early reading habits and her first journey through the city. She brings along Austen and Dickens and Heyer and others to help us enjoy the city.

The only disappointment I had in the book was that I expected to feel like I'd been to London too. And I don't. It wasn't nearly descriptive enough and it wasn't the literary travelogue that I'd expected. Perhaps that wasn't her intention in writing the book and the fault is mine for false expectations. Overall, a fun, sweet book that I enjoyed once I accepted it for what it is (rather than being disgruntled that it wasn't what I thought it was). Four stars.


Some quotes I gathered:

Since the age of five I had been one of those people who was an indefatigable reader, more inclined to go off by myself with a book than do any of the dozens of things that children usually do to amuse themselves. I never aged out of it. (p. 7)

I read and reread and recommended and rarely rejected, became one of those readers who will read trashy stories as long as they're not too terrible--well, even perhaps the truly terrible ones--and will reread something she's already read, even if it's something like a detective novel, when you'd suspect that knowing who had really killed the countess would materially detract from the experience. (It doesn't, and besides, I often can't remember who the murderer was in the first place.) (pp. 7-8)

London has the trick of making its past, its long indelible past, always a part of its present. And for that reason it will always have meaning for the future, because of all it can teach about disaster, survival, and redemption. It is all there in the streets. It is all there in the books. (p. 19)

The choice of neighborhood by the Woolfs and their circle makes clear what any reader knows about London: that geography is destiny. It is one of the central tenets of English literature: Where you live tells us who you are, or who you have become. (p. 32)

Round and round the square, peering at the house numbers for 62, where Soames kept her like an especially beautiful painting in a frame of crystal and polished furniture. Round and round again. But there is no number 62. Perhaps the author wanted to protect the actual house from the taint that might attach to the fictional unhappiness in his own creation. Perhaps he chose a number out of the air, without any attention to the house numbers on Montpelier Square itself. Perhaps in a small way he wanted to drive home what is always a valuable lesson, when we insist on learning the world through books: that accuracy and truth are sometimes quite different things. (p. 47)

Each of us has an illusion that we would prefer to maintain intact. (p. 57)

A visitor can take the Tube to London's most notorious neighborhoods, and not see anything that approaches the dingy squalor of Dickens's London. This is either a tribute to urban renewal or literary overstatement. (p. 68)

Behind every door in London there are stories, behind every one ghosts. The greatest writers in the history of the written word have given them substance, given them life. (p. 160)

Proust & the Squid: Review

Chosen primarily for the Mixing It Up Challenge (as the entry for Science & Natural History), Proust & the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain by Maryanne Wolf sounded really interesting when I went on a hunt for something to fulfill the category. As the annotations told me, "The act of reading is a miracle. Every new reader's brain possesses the extraordinary capacity to rearrange itself beyond its original abilities in order to understand written symbols. But how does the brain learn to read? As world-renowned cognitive neuroscientist and scholar of reading Maryanne Wolf explains in this impassioned book, we taught our brain to read only a few thousand years ago, and in the process changed the intellectual evolution of our species."

As a book-blogger and, more importantly, as an avid reader from the age of four, I had no need to be convinced of the importance of reading and how very much humanity's intelligence depends on the critical thinking processes that have developed because of our "rewiring" our brain to be able to read. Our brains come prepackaged for oral and visual communication. We're all set to verbalize our needs and share information through speech. We're just as set to take in all the information given to us by our eyes. But, as Wolf says, we were not "born to read" (despite my definite feeling that I, most certainly, was born to read...I mean what would I do with myself if I weren't a reader?). It is only through training and repetition and the "rewiring" of brains...each child making the new connections necessary that allows him or her to read. In fact, according to Wolf, each child completes the 2,000 year process that led to early writing and the interpretation of those symbols in about 2,000 days. That is a miracle, indeed.

This was an interesting book. It gives details about exactly how our brains work when they read. And brains that read English and similarly-based languages differ from from those that read Chinese. We also learn some of the barriers that are involved that lead to reading disabilities--particularly dyslexia--and what those disabilities can teach us about the reading process.

It was also interesting to learn that Socrates had some of the same arguments against the written word that are being made against the transition to internet/visual-based knowledge. It became apparent that Socrates' fear that the ability to think critically would be lost as soon as information was "permanent"--written down so students wouldn't have to memorize it--was unfounded. In actuality, the process of becoming an expert reader encourages the critical thinking process. A recent essay on SAT scores echoes Socrates' fear. It asks "How Low Can They Go?" and tells how students are testing lower and lower on the SAT test portions that place more emphasis on reading skills than vocabulary--rewarding those with refined analytical skills and more prepared to evaluate the underlying meanings of a text. Wolf wonders if the reasons are because current students have had far more exposure to the internet and instant information or if there are other factors involved. I can only say that, as a representative of a college English Department, current students do seem to exhibit fewer and fewer critical thinking skills--at least in my experience.

My main disappointment with the book is that after talking about how she has written this book for the general public, she still is very entrenched in her scientific, scholarly mode and there is much more science thrown at the reader than I anticipated. It is not an incredibly difficult book to read, but it is technical enough that it might put off the more casual reader. Interesting and informative, I give it three stars.

My Name Is Legion: Review

"He could be anyone he chose to be...wherever and whenever he wanted. Not a bad cover for a confidential agent on assignment."

My Name Is Legion by Roger Zelazny is not really a novel. It is more properly a set of three inter-connected novellas of the future (from the perspective of 1976). In the first section, "The Eve of RUMOKO," we meet "Albert Schweitzer." A man who was originally part of the global computer effort to enter every piece of data about every single person in the world--theoretically, a useful thing, because if all your health records were available at any time to any doctor then the chances of saving your life go up, right? And if everybody's activities and income and all that can be tracked it would difficult for crime to exist, right? The more involved Schweitzer had gotten in the project, the more doubts he had about the truly humanitarian motives behind it and the more invasive and controlling he found it. And then he's offered the chance to opt out. Certain people have been given the chance to beat the system. And so he does. His previous identity is ended (we never find out that name) and the poor computer data specialist "dies" and so he begins his life outside the system. In order to make a living, he becomes a confidential agent, available to the second largest detective agency in the world and able (with his knowledge of the Central Data Bank--how to enter and erase data at will) to change identity whenever necessary. His first assignment in the book is to find out who's trying to sabotage the RUMOKO project--designed to create a new island and more space for the every-increasing human population--and stop them. But will stopping them really be as good an idea as it seems?

In the unpronounceable "Kjwalll'kje'koothai'lll'kje'k," our hero--now "James Madison"--is assigned to discover if dolphins really are to blame for the deaths of two men in an aquatic preserve/lab area. The media has hyped the deaths as "dolphins gone mad," but there are those who want the dolphins exonerated. Could somebody have deliberately agitated the normally peaceful dolphins to violence or has a human agent tried to cover their own murderous attacks by making the wounds look like those made by dolphin teeth? And if so, why?

And, finally in "Home Is the Hangman," a semi- (and possibly fully) sentient deep space exploration robot comes home after having an apparent "nervous breakdown" and losing contact with its creators for a number of years. All the evidence seems to point to the "Hangman" device being on a mission to wipe out the four members of the team which designed it. "John Donne" is assigned to find out if the Hangman really did survive the crash landing, if it is responsible for the death of the first member of the team, and if the others know why it might be out for revenge. Donne finds that, as usual, everything is not necessarily what it seems.

At the heart of each of these stories are some very interesting questions about humankind, especially our behavior towards one another and to other intelligent species--from our fellow mammals to artificial intelligence of our own making. How much control should we have and how do we decide who holds it? Can we ever overcome the tendency to take the most benign control and somehow turn it to evil purposes? And can we appreciate and learn from intelligence different from our own without fearing it?

Even thirty-some years later, these novellas seem very relevant. We still don't really understand the intelligence of dolphins. We are living in a world where more and more data is collected about our lives and stored in that mysterious place called the internet. And as computers get more and more sophisticated, who can say whether we will, either inadvertently or purposefully, create intelligence along the way? My only misgivings with this read are two-fold. First, the characters are not quite as fully developed as has been usual in Zelazny's work--even his short stories. And, second, there is a somewhat disjointed feel to the work--in part due to the clear division of three novellas, but also because of some of the main character's introspective musings. These musings seemed to break into the flow of the narrative rather than helping it to move along. I'm not quite sure how Zelazny could have provided the details in a better manner--just that I wish he had. Three and half stars (would have been four, but for the misgivings).

**This counts for the Read Your Own Library Challenge--January edition. It's another book that I picked up during my science fiction binge days (teens-20s) and then never got 'round to it. I'm glad I finally did. I'm not sure what my February book will be...have to think on it.

Murder Has Its Points: Review

One down, only 199 more to go--if I'm to meet my Goodreads goal for this year. This also counts for the 52 Books in 52 Weeks, Cruisin' Through the Cozies, 150+, Mixing It Up, and Off the Shelf.

I thought I'd start things off nice and light and cozy with a trip to New York City in the late 50s/early 60s and drop in on Pam and Jerry North and see what they're up to. In Murder Has Its Points by Richard and Frances Lockridge, the Norths are embroiled in another murder investigation when one of Jerry's star authors is killed by an apparent sniper shot after a publicity party. Only...maybe it wasn't a sniper after all. Sure, the city has had a rash of such shootings over the past few weeks, but it does seem odd that Anthony Payne just happened to have a whole lineup of people who would have loved for him to drop dead. In fact, a few of them mentioned what a fine idea that would be while supposedly celebrating his success at the party. And then, of course, he did...drop dead, that is.

It's not long after that Pam has visits from from various "well-wishing" party-goers who seem to be brimming with information that she might pass on to her "nice policeman." Pam's quicksilver brain begins working furiously while her nice policeman, Captain Bill Weigand, goes round to see if there is any reason to believe that this wasn't just another sniper shooting. And not too long after that Pam is off "sticking her neck out" as Jerry and Bill call it, trying to help one of her "lame dogs"--a suspect in trouble who she believes to be innocent. It all winds up with Pam and a group of suspects in a lonely house in the country. Someone gets shot, someone gets framed and Bill, Jerry, and the troops arrive just in time for the grand finale.

As always, the Lockridges provide a nice, breezy little mystery. Sure, it may be a bit much to believe that one couple (and particularly the female half of the couple) could wind up involved in so many murders (Jessica Fletcher, anyone?), but a little suspension of disbelief never hurt anyone. Especially when it's so much fun. I love slipping into an earlier time when there are taxis waiting on every corner, special restaurants serving the perfect martinis, and small publishing firms like North Books. I also enjoy the way the Lockridges work the Siamese cats into their stories. They write about the cats with just enough humor to make it fun, without making it too cute. Four stars.


Favorite Quotes:

Criminal investigation has been loosely compared to many things, including the putting together of a jigsaw puzzle. It is seldom that simple. The pieces of such a puzzle are of a fixed shape, immutable. Men and women change shape when touched. (p. 111)

"Lame dogs over stiles," Jerry would say--had so often had occasion to say. "Show Pam a lame dog," he had told Bill Weigand once, "and she'll find a stile to help it over. H---, she'll build one. And sly dogs begin to limp when they see her." (p. 134)

Bev's Book Stats
Original Pub Date: 1961; reprint 1984
American author/s
Paperback: 221 pages

Mixing It Up Challenge

Yup. I found another one. That's the danger of hosting my own challenge. When I venture out to welcome new folks to the Mt. TBR Challenge, I discover that they're taking part in all sorts of challenges that I haven't found yet. And you all know that it's rare that I meet a challenge that I don't like. Just found the Mixing it Up Challenge through Dana over at Much Madness is Diviniest Sense. The idea is to branch out and try books in different genres:

1. Classics: A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens (2/29/12)
2. Biography: From Sawdust to Stardust: The Biography of DeForest Kelley, Star Trek's Dr. McCoy by Terry Lee Rioux (3/14/12)
3. Cookery, Food, and Wine: The Food of North Italy by Luigi Veronelli (10/27/12)
4. History: Chancellorsville & Gettysburg by General Abner Doubleday (4/15/12)
5. Modern Fiction: 11/22/63 by Stephen King (2011) [10/8/12]
6. Graphic Novels and Manga: The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen by Alan Moore (4/6/12)
7. Crime and Mystery: Murder Has Its Points by Richard & Frances Lockridge (1/2/12)
8. Horror: Dracula by Bram Stoker (4/25/12)
9. Romance: Venetia by Georgette Heyer (4/7/12)
10. Science Fiction and Fantasy: My Name Is Legion by Roger Zelazny (1/4/12)
11. Travel: Reading Imagined London: A Tour of the World's Greatest Fictional City by Anna Quindlen (2/10/12)
12. Poetry and Drama: The Rose Window & Other Verse from New Poems by Rainer Maria Rilke (3/22/12)
13. Journalism and Humor: History of the Millennium (so Far) by Dave Barry (9/30/12)
14. Science and Natural History: Proust & the Squid: The Story & Science of the Reading Brain by Maryanne Wolf (1/28/12)
15. Children’s and Young Adult: The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin (4/7/12)
16. Social Sciences and Philosophy: Star Trek & Philosophy: The Wrath of Kant by Jason T Eberl & Kevin S Decker (eds) [12/1/12]

And of course, I’m going for the “All the Trimmings and a Cherry on Top” level of participation at one book in each genre. I've posted the books I know will work for some of the categories. Will need to think about some of the others. If you want to join us: Sign up here.