Well, it seems that Dickens will have to wait, and the works of Rudyard Kipling will be my bedtime reading for (possibly) the next week.
First up, Rewards and Fairies.
First up, Rewards and Fairies.
May's Marvellously Mysterious Manuscript Meanderings
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Jayaprakash Satyamurthy
Knivesout no more
That's an excellent choice. Kipling was a great storyteller, and had a particular gift for the weird or magical.
Nesacat
The Cat
Am now reading The Vampyre and Other Tales of the Macabre.
Have not actually started in on the stories due to being caught up in the long and detailed introduction.
Have not actually started in on the stories due to being caught up in the long and detailed introduction.
Jayaprakash Satyamurthy said:
Yes, I read Puck of Pook's Hill when I was in my late teens or early twenties, and although I don't remember much about it a few parts made a strong impression and stayed with me all of these years since. That's why the idea of reading the sequel appealed to me.
Nesacat
The Cat
I had the same experience with this book. I read it when in primary school, didn't remember much and didn't quite understand even more. But it made a very strong impression and I went back to read and reread it when I got older. I don't feel the same way way about other books by Kipling aside from Just So Stories but Puck is somehow compelling.
Just started The Night Watch, by Sergei Lukyanenko.
I recently completed [FONT="]Tomasi Di Lampedusa'a classic The Leopard. This short novel is generally regarded as the finest work to have come out of Italy post WWII and I can see why it is so highly regarded. This is a wonderfully told semi biographical story centering around the author's great-grandfather Don Giulio Fabrizio Tomasi who like Di Lampedusa was a minor prince of Sicily.
In general terms the story focuses on this Prince of Salina, where splendour and squalor live side by side, and his efforts to 'accommodate' the inevitable democratic change, part of the overriding push for unification sweeping 1860s Italy. The Prince is a man of sensual appetites as well as being politically astute but entirely apolitical in his actions and his central 'predicament' of whether to resist or adapt is palpable, a situation perhaps best summed up by one of the many classic lines in this novel, this time issued ironically by the Prince's favourite nephew Tancredi "if we want things to stay as they are, things will have to change.”
Despite the Prince's obvious class distinction, so skillfully drawn a character is he by Di Lampedusa that one finds it difficult to not feel a great attraction indeed almost sympathy to this somewhat benevolent ruler come anti-hero. In fact the prose is one of the highlights of the novel, in particular when detailing scenes of courtly food whose descriptions must surely rank amongst the most remarkable in literature, decadence, power, wealth as well as other family members but above all death. In fact such is the overriding presence of this latter element in the novel that there is a definite twinge of melancholy that pervades the entire text, viewed as it is as by the author with a deliberately wistful nod to the inevitability of change and the demise of the island's ruling class and the particular way of life of that period, one of the most turbulent in Italy's long history.
Highly recommended with an extended review to come in my Reviews thread, I give this wonderful novel that deservedly sits alongside that other great mythologised Italian political novel in Machiavelli's The Prince, a preliminary rating of 9 stars out of 10. [/FONT]
In general terms the story focuses on this Prince of Salina, where splendour and squalor live side by side, and his efforts to 'accommodate' the inevitable democratic change, part of the overriding push for unification sweeping 1860s Italy. The Prince is a man of sensual appetites as well as being politically astute but entirely apolitical in his actions and his central 'predicament' of whether to resist or adapt is palpable, a situation perhaps best summed up by one of the many classic lines in this novel, this time issued ironically by the Prince's favourite nephew Tancredi "if we want things to stay as they are, things will have to change.”
Despite the Prince's obvious class distinction, so skillfully drawn a character is he by Di Lampedusa that one finds it difficult to not feel a great attraction indeed almost sympathy to this somewhat benevolent ruler come anti-hero. In fact the prose is one of the highlights of the novel, in particular when detailing scenes of courtly food whose descriptions must surely rank amongst the most remarkable in literature, decadence, power, wealth as well as other family members but above all death. In fact such is the overriding presence of this latter element in the novel that there is a definite twinge of melancholy that pervades the entire text, viewed as it is as by the author with a deliberately wistful nod to the inevitability of change and the demise of the island's ruling class and the particular way of life of that period, one of the most turbulent in Italy's long history.
Highly recommended with an extended review to come in my Reviews thread, I give this wonderful novel that deservedly sits alongside that other great mythologised Italian political novel in Machiavelli's The Prince, a preliminary rating of 9 stars out of 10. [/FONT]
neuroticdog
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Well it's now cast in stone...Iain M. Banks will be my spring/summer go to guy. After finishing "Consider Phlebas" I now plan on reading all the Culture novels.
I'm not really a big space opera/massive 15,000 page/bajillion word/multi volume set type of guy but I figured...well, I gave Alastair Reynolds a shot with "Pushing Ice" (meh), Charles Stross with "Singularity Sky" (double meh) and "Iron Sunrise" (getting better) so, why not give Banks a shot? It always seemed to me that these fellas were mentioned concurrently in the same sentence anyway so...I dove in with his first Culture novel.
"Consider Phlebas"---title taken from an except from the poem "The Waste Land" by T.S. Eliot with an epigram as follows..."Gentile or Jew O you who turn the wheel and look to windward, Consider Phlebas, who was once handsome and tall as you."
The surface story is basically a chaining together of one massively huge set piece after another and follows the adventures of main character Horza and his quest across the galaxy to secure a super mega AI that has gone dark during the throes of a huge space war between two races, obviously with differing philosophical raison d'etre. The story is told in a way that would make a David Lean movie look like a cartoon and enabled me to fly though this 450 page book in no time. Gripping and cinematic would be understatements.
And if the book was just that, I would still give it 5 stars but, I found it to be much much more actually upon reflection. Themes became clearer after the devastatingly great, albiet dark and depressing ending. In terms of the Eliot quote, a sense of one man's actions and deeds in a future universe that is incomprehensibly large are reduced to nothing. Phlebas, a drowned hero in the poem seems to be directly referenced to Horza (disclaimer here...I have not actually read the poem, but have read excerpts and a great, in depth analysis comparing the two works at this blog called Fearful Symmetry.) There are also links to the grail story which I should have picked up and now seem obvious but, the most interesting thing for me was the successful way Banks conveyed a sense of scope. From the vast wasteland of the known and unknown universe where ships and ringworlds exist capable of supporting billions of people and are maintained by mega-intelligent machine minds right down to the aforementioned deeds of one man and his small group of companions...AND the way Banks accomplishes the seemingly impossible, tying these two extremes together revealed in the ending that goes right down to the final paragraph...well, it's all done masterfully. For a first science fiction novel...wow!!
Onwards and upwards..."Player of Games" next.
best
Michael
I'm not really a big space opera/massive 15,000 page/bajillion word/multi volume set type of guy but I figured...well, I gave Alastair Reynolds a shot with "Pushing Ice" (meh), Charles Stross with "Singularity Sky" (double meh) and "Iron Sunrise" (getting better) so, why not give Banks a shot? It always seemed to me that these fellas were mentioned concurrently in the same sentence anyway so...I dove in with his first Culture novel.
"Consider Phlebas"---title taken from an except from the poem "The Waste Land" by T.S. Eliot with an epigram as follows..."Gentile or Jew O you who turn the wheel and look to windward, Consider Phlebas, who was once handsome and tall as you."
The surface story is basically a chaining together of one massively huge set piece after another and follows the adventures of main character Horza and his quest across the galaxy to secure a super mega AI that has gone dark during the throes of a huge space war between two races, obviously with differing philosophical raison d'etre. The story is told in a way that would make a David Lean movie look like a cartoon and enabled me to fly though this 450 page book in no time. Gripping and cinematic would be understatements.
And if the book was just that, I would still give it 5 stars but, I found it to be much much more actually upon reflection. Themes became clearer after the devastatingly great, albiet dark and depressing ending. In terms of the Eliot quote, a sense of one man's actions and deeds in a future universe that is incomprehensibly large are reduced to nothing. Phlebas, a drowned hero in the poem seems to be directly referenced to Horza (disclaimer here...I have not actually read the poem, but have read excerpts and a great, in depth analysis comparing the two works at this blog called Fearful Symmetry.) There are also links to the grail story which I should have picked up and now seem obvious but, the most interesting thing for me was the successful way Banks conveyed a sense of scope. From the vast wasteland of the known and unknown universe where ships and ringworlds exist capable of supporting billions of people and are maintained by mega-intelligent machine minds right down to the aforementioned deeds of one man and his small group of companions...AND the way Banks accomplishes the seemingly impossible, tying these two extremes together revealed in the ending that goes right down to the final paragraph...well, it's all done masterfully. For a first science fiction novel...wow!!
Onwards and upwards..."Player of Games" next.
best
Michael
All right! Another Banks convertee. I do love all his books. I must go back and re-read all his culture novels. I orignally read them in a pretty random order (typically buying them in railway stations and the like) at a time when I really didn't do much reading. So it would be interesting to read them again in a slightly more coherent fashion.
Diggler
Beam Me Up Scotty
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I'm bouncing between Ape and Essence by Aldous Huxley, The Stainless Steel Rat by Harry Harrison (nearly finished) and Day By Day Armageddon: Beyond Exile by J.L. Bourne.
I am really enjoying Stainless Steel Rat, and like Day By Day Armageddon, will probably seek out the rest in the series. Which is unusual for me because I generally do not follow on most series past the first book.
I am really enjoying Stainless Steel Rat, and like Day By Day Armageddon, will probably seek out the rest in the series. Which is unusual for me because I generally do not follow on most series past the first book.
Jayaprakash Satyamurthy
Knivesout no more
Next, After Lucifer by Daniel Rhodes, a horror novel published in 1987, picked up because it was dedicated to M.R. James and the author cites two James stories as influences. By and large, the novel lives up to its rich source material. Even thought there's nothing especially original here what we have is a subtle, well-characterised novel, tasteful but capable of delivering thrills both weird and horrific. Most satisfactory.
D_Davis
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I love these books, so much. I wish I could have a never-ending supply of good Rat adventures to read. As far as pure entertainment goes, I don't think it gets any better.
Diggler
Beam Me Up Scotty
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I've been getting some good chuckles out of this one, which again is quite unusual. I don't really find comedy that funny, but I have found this book to be quite hilarious in parts.
Yes they are good aren't they Diggler. It is another one of those series that I keep thinking of giving a re-read. Particularly since most were read a long time ago and I really have no idea if I read them all.
D_Davis
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The Solar Invasion, by Manly Wade Wellman
A group of superheroes in space, The Futuremen, fight off the evil Magician of Mars, Ul Quourn, and his meddling henchmen from Dimension X.
And that's basically it. No subtext, no nuance, no allegory or metaphor. Don't be naive, man! This is a pulp we're talking about, kid. It's pure action; it's high-octane bravado with handsome, dashing, muscular, and intelligent heroes, mustache-twirling baddies, robots, ray-pistols, tons of silly plot contrivances, and a cliffhanger at the end of every chapter.
And it's not bad, but nor is it great. It is, rather, a welcome little literary diversion that needs to be taken every once in awhile. I think that sometimes, as adults, we forgot the reasons why many of us started to read as children: the fun. Dipping back into this pulpy pool reminds me of that reason, and so, heavy with nostalgia and with a glint of childlike wonder in my eye, it was purely a pleasure to read something so light, fluffy, and fun.
On a side note, I would love to see a modern take on these characters. I think it would be a lot of fun to take The Futuremen out of the pulp pasts and put them into something more new wave or post-modern. It's a pretty neat little group of heroes:
Captain Future: the red-headed leader of the group. He's confident, strong, super smart, and makes split second decisions.
Otho: an android who can stretch his body, and who is a master of disguise.
Grag: A giant armored robot - super strong, kind of dumb.
Oog: A small alien creature called a meteor-mimic. It can change its body into any shape.
Brain: A Brain in a box.
Eek: Grag's little pet - think of Nibbler from Futurama.
I can easily imagine a very interesting Watchmen/X-Mutants examination of these characters in a world that is less innocent, sincere and naive, and more cynical, paranoid and cruel. How would these characters react if there were to be whisked away from their world and into a future more like one created by PKD, or Gibson, or even Rucker.
Although one might argue that Alfred Bester already did this with The Stars My Destination.
I think the perfect author for something like this would be Philip Palmer.
Anyhow, I can't really recommend this book to anyone unless they're really, really into the pulps. And even then, there are probably better examples out there. However, because of my recent Wellman obsession, I'm still really glad that it exists and that I read it.
A group of superheroes in space, The Futuremen, fight off the evil Magician of Mars, Ul Quourn, and his meddling henchmen from Dimension X.
And that's basically it. No subtext, no nuance, no allegory or metaphor. Don't be naive, man! This is a pulp we're talking about, kid. It's pure action; it's high-octane bravado with handsome, dashing, muscular, and intelligent heroes, mustache-twirling baddies, robots, ray-pistols, tons of silly plot contrivances, and a cliffhanger at the end of every chapter.
And it's not bad, but nor is it great. It is, rather, a welcome little literary diversion that needs to be taken every once in awhile. I think that sometimes, as adults, we forgot the reasons why many of us started to read as children: the fun. Dipping back into this pulpy pool reminds me of that reason, and so, heavy with nostalgia and with a glint of childlike wonder in my eye, it was purely a pleasure to read something so light, fluffy, and fun.
On a side note, I would love to see a modern take on these characters. I think it would be a lot of fun to take The Futuremen out of the pulp pasts and put them into something more new wave or post-modern. It's a pretty neat little group of heroes:
Captain Future: the red-headed leader of the group. He's confident, strong, super smart, and makes split second decisions.
Otho: an android who can stretch his body, and who is a master of disguise.
Grag: A giant armored robot - super strong, kind of dumb.
Oog: A small alien creature called a meteor-mimic. It can change its body into any shape.
Brain: A Brain in a box.
Eek: Grag's little pet - think of Nibbler from Futurama.
I can easily imagine a very interesting Watchmen/X-Mutants examination of these characters in a world that is less innocent, sincere and naive, and more cynical, paranoid and cruel. How would these characters react if there were to be whisked away from their world and into a future more like one created by PKD, or Gibson, or even Rucker.
Although one might argue that Alfred Bester already did this with The Stars My Destination.
I think the perfect author for something like this would be Philip Palmer.
Anyhow, I can't really recommend this book to anyone unless they're really, really into the pulps. And even then, there are probably better examples out there. However, because of my recent Wellman obsession, I'm still really glad that it exists and that I read it.
Hilarious Joke
Fool
Just started The Dragonbone Chair by Tad Williams.
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