never a fun author but always a deep one, John le Carré. a pensive, carefully controlled writer and a deceptively placid novel: the perfect ingredientnever a fun author but always a deep one, John le Carré. a pensive, carefully controlled writer and a deceptively placid novel: the perfect ingredients for the start of what will become a classic series. one that will take the thrill out of 'spy thriller' and which will explore previously unmined depths within the genre. we meet George Smiley and gradually become impressed by this seemingly dull, lumpish, rather vague man. we appreciate his dry insights, his dislike of the pompous and the showy, his sardonic outlook on the systems around him, that almost control him. almost, but not quite, not fully; and not fully means he is, at heart, unable to be controlled. his empathy slowly becomes clear: an empathy that defines him, that is key to what makes him strong, and that is also his greatest weakness. this is not only a novel of spies and espionage, it is also a murder mystery. sadly for George, empathy is perhaps not the most helpful attribute when it comes to solving a murder....more
An absorbing account of the mind of a man. This is not a book of action but rather one of contemplation, as Frederick Douglass maps the deepening of hAn absorbing account of the mind of a man. This is not a book of action but rather one of contemplation, as Frederick Douglass maps the deepening of his perspective throughout his life as a slave, and a little of his life as a free man. The reader is provided multiple examples of the psychotic brutality of slavery, of course. But the book's underlying goal - outside of chronicling the key pivot points in a man's life while on his path to freedom - is to illustrate how it feels to have your life controlled not just by a system, but by fellow humans who do their best to see you as less than. This is all too relatable - to anyone, in any time period. Douglass understands the ways that a person can rationalize their immorality and how a desire to control others is linked to self-esteem, to a sense of worth; he understands how those controlled can rationalize their inaction by identifying with their controller's status; he understands that systems of control require the enforced ignorance and bits of reward that will keep those controlled compliant. Through it all, he seethes, while never forgetting the fallible humanity of both enslaved and enslaver. The reader seethes as well, while perhaps finding it more of a challenge to view those enslavers with the same level of equanimity. No surprise there: Douglass's equanimity and his perfect grasp of human nature, along with his keen intelligence, were all more important traits than his understandable anger: they were what made him such a great man.
Also includes the scathing poem "A Parody" that lampoons the hypocrisy of the Christian slaveholder. That was a surprising way to end this Narrative. Loved it....more
a flowery collection of Decadent fairy tales; the capital D means that these flowers are evil and they aren't even flowers, nor are these fairy tales a flowery collection of Decadent fairy tales; the capital D means that these flowers are evil and they aren't even flowers, nor are these fairy tales actual fairy tales. they are gemstones, precisely cut into floral shapes, entrancing to the eye, beautiful but dead; they are contes cruel, anti-fairy tales full of magic and awe, yet cold, ruthless, heartless. the intrepid young knight is no courtly rescuer, he is a savage raised to hate his father or women or both; his adventure is a waste of his life. the princess isn't human, she's made of silk and pearls; she shall be literally undone by a malevolent mouse. the fairy has kept her paramours enchanted; when another callous young knight appears, champion of Jesus, her lovers shall waken into putrescence, melting horribly into the ground. we never meet Snow White or her dwarven rescuers; the wicked Queen is halted on her mission of vengeance by the passing of Christ's Magi, and is soon torn apart by wolves. these are lovely, slight, and often nihilistic tales, with only one happy ending in sight. it did feel a bit out of place to see the lovers reunited, the girl's journey rewarded, the boy's heart unfrozen... but good for them. and good for decadent Jean Lorrain, journalist, Marcel Proust's old foe: he let one happy ending slip through, at least....more
Beautifully composed but unfortunately kind of a pain in the ass to read. This was like a nicely plump pillow with no actual support or a cozy-lookingBeautifully composed but unfortunately kind of a pain in the ass to read. This was like a nicely plump pillow with no actual support or a cozy-looking comforter that provides no actual warmth. Except for the mysterious author at the heart of the tale, characterization was flat and unbelievable. Don't get me started on the weirdly morose, insipid protagonist - what a drip. She's miserable and dying inside over missing her dead twin - a twin she only found out about yesterday (basically)? Spare me that bullshit. And good grief, the pat tidiness of that ending. I did enjoy the sequences featuring a Mary Poppins-esque governess and I wish that the entire book had been about her adventures in research. The lovely and evocative prose at first had me turning the pages eagerly. But eventually I was turning the pages as quickly as possible to get the damn experience over with. Still, it has to be said that stylistically and technically, the writing was lovely and accomplished - no complaints about Setterfield's skills as a wordsmith. This wasn't an objectionable experience, it was merely mediocre. In other words, a perfect #1 New York Times Bestseller, as the cover proudly acclaims....more
an ingenious premise: take the old tale of a town beset by a terrifying supernatural threat and plunge it into the modern world with its internet, itsan ingenious premise: take the old tale of a town beset by a terrifying supernatural threat and plunge it into the modern world with its internet, its surveillance, its bored youth wanted to youtube and to influence, and most of all, that modern ability to compartmentalize and normalize and live with any mystery, any threat. the phantom with her eyes and mouth sewn shut can materialize anywhere, anytime; her touch will drive you mad; her curse means you can never leave her town for too long, otherwise you'll die by your hand. but is this terror so terrifying if you can just put a dishrag over her face as she skulks in a corner, then go about your day? perhaps put something in her path, watch her trip and fall. maybe poke her with a stick, push her into a hole. the kids can think of all kinds of things to do with this ancient witch, once abused by villagers of older times, now ready for further humiliation and abuse.
sadly, the book betrays its interesting and even rather amusing premise by focusing on an uninteresting father who goes down a dark path in the name of love. the novel was eerie-funny at first, this witch and how the town deals with her, the whole bizarre situation. the bored teens lashing out was gripping as well... where will their crass shenanigans lead them? but somewhere along the way, the whole thing became increasingly flat rather than taut. its surreal setting turned ridiculous. there were still occasional moments of frisson but eventually the eyerolls came and never stopped. maybe part of the problem was the translation? only a slight part though. Hex started as the tale of a town coping with something unimaginable and making it somehow mundane, and slowly turned into a rather tedious and predictable morality play about the ignorance of groupthink. it also didn't help that the author is surprisingly obsessed with high foreheads (he hates them) and unsurprisingly obsessed with nipples (I'm guessing he loves them).
recommended for fans of Stephen King who found a lot of enjoyment in the groupthink-turned-deadly scenarios of The Mist and Under the Dome. and admirers of The Lottery and The Crucible, of course....more
a lot of beautiful libraries! but also a fair amount of ugly ones, mainly in Italy, which was surprising. whether beautiful or ugly, all of the librara lot of beautiful libraries! but also a fair amount of ugly ones, mainly in Italy, which was surprising. whether beautiful or ugly, all of the libraries in this massive, library-sized book (could easily kill a family of four with it) have been around for centuries - a few for over a thousand years. as far as "beautiful" goes, I think Spain, Portugal, Germany, and maaaaybe Brazil all tied for runner-up. second to the Vatican of course, which in a surprise twist is tied for first place with the relatively homey library at Eastnor Castle in England. besides the cozy castle library, all of the beautiful libraries look like hallucinogenic showrooms rather than anything usable. except for those that favor white pigskin bindings for books set in white shelves within white and pale blue walls; those libraries look like a sinister version of heaven (and also not usable). all of the ugly libraries look like wonderful settings for a creepy gothic adventure, but are certainly not places I'd like to visit because *dust*.
if you read the copious notes, expect to see the words "Rococo" and "Baroque" so many times that you'll never want to see those words again. the writer Elisabeth Sladek also leans very heavily on the words "sumptuous" and "magnificent" - the latter at one point is used twice in the same sentence, which should be a crime.
feels strange to describe a book as "literate" but Doctors Wear Scarlet is certainly that. I noticed that descriptor on the back cover - along with thfeels strange to describe a book as "literate" but Doctors Wear Scarlet is certainly that. I noticed that descriptor on the back cover - along with the equally apropos adjective "alarming" - and sneered. but I've realized it really fits. unnamed reviewer at Chicago Heights Star, you were absolutely correct in calling this "literate and alarming."
the novel is about a young man lured into vampirism. no burning in sunlight or shape changing, but vampirism nonetheless: hypnotic powers, bloodsucking, embracing the darkness, stakes required, etc. the young man in question, Dick Fountain (that name!), is an even-tempered, well-spoken, scholarly, athletic Top Lad at Cambridge who appears totally normal on the surface and is definitely going places academically, if only he would let those around him micromanage his life. but get to know him intimately and you learn he's a little off. surprisingly animalistic in a fight. oddly subservient to authority yet just as oddly sadistic when it comes to freezing out those who would control him. low-key obsessed with the idea that buttoned-up humans need to cast off their shackles and return to their primal, pagan natures. and a writer of pleasant, floral poetry to boot! honestly, I developed kind of a crush on the little weirdo. eventually, Dick Fountain (that name!) goes off to study abroad at various Grecian isles and there he meets a lady who introduces him to a different way of looking at life.
we learn all of this via our erudite, snobby, and rather louche narrator, Mr. Seymour, a schoolchum of Dick Fountain (that name!) - the latter is often viewed from a distance, a flame that the rest of the characters are terribly attracted to. the book itself is much like Mr. Seymour: erudite, snobby, rather louche. Simon Raven has a way of writing a book that makes everyone in the story and the author himself sound like what the English call a toff. even the perfectly amiable detective involved in this case admits that he's only interested in protecting the lives of his friends and "special, talented persons" because "there's no time for the rest." author and cast are all very Ayn Rand, very Nietzsche. as well as exceedingly and obnoxiously languid, casual under pressure, well-read, and hyper-articulate. they were fun to read about.
there are two amazing setpieces in the book: a confrontation in a remote mountain monastery with the vampiress who has ensnared Dick Fountain (that name!) and the detailing of a ghastly-sounding welcoming/graduation ceremony of sorts - students vomiting during their dinner from all of the alcohol they're drinking while their elders look on affectionately and servants rush to clean up the mess - at which a hysterical and very mean-spirited speech is given by Dick Fountain (ok one last time: that name!). the finale is suitably bloody and tragic. (view spoiler)[we also get a description of how the vampiress relaxes, which is basically by hypnotizing children into getting raped and then raping each other, and I really, really didn't need to read about that. hate to end this review of an excellent book with that last sentence, so I put it in a spoiler. but probably important for squeamish readers like me to know about that scene, which occurs late in the book. (hide spoiler)]
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#11 on Karl Edward Wagner's list of "13 Best Supernatural Horror Novels"...more
the best part of this compulsively readable horror-thriller is how well Janz characterizes his Normal Boy protagonist. we're in his head the entire tithe best part of this compulsively readable horror-thriller is how well Janz characterizes his Normal Boy protagonist. we're in his head the entire time and his thoughts, emotions, and reactions all feel completely realistic. he enjoys baseball, he likes his friends, he moons over his crush, he resents his mom, he hates bullies, and he loves his little sister. he really is an outstanding example of normality - which Janz actually makes compelling. perhaps because Normal Boy's normality is in such stark contrast to the various examples of cruelty, stupidity, and villainy that surround him. or maybe because he really is an outstanding older brother, heroically unselfish - I should probably think of him as more than normal, because plenty of siblings lack his impressive kindness. and his empathy extends well beyond his sister: this teen really gets the "hurt people hurt people" concept, certainly to a degree that is well beyond me. I'll upgrade my title for him: he's an Especially Decent Boy. despite this being an often grueling story about a kid versus evil, the writing and the characterization made this feel like a pacey young adult novel featuring a teen protagonist you wouldn't mind seeing your daughter marry.
synopsis: an especially decent boy fights bullies, incompetent policemen, a cannibalistic serial killer, and depraved monsters from underground, while making sure his kid sister has a good breakfast and gets to bed on time....more
in honor of Gay Pride month, I thought I'd read a book about sailors eating each other. sadly, The Wager features shipwreck, mutiny, and murder, but pin honor of Gay Pride month, I thought I'd read a book about sailors eating each other. sadly, The Wager features shipwreck, mutiny, and murder, but precious little man-on-man cannibalism. which frankly I found to be rather homophobic. the passionate hunger a sailor might feel for his fellow shipmate(s) is only mentioned glancingly, kept in the closet. as a society, I really thought we had moved past this kind of erasure. *sigh*
the writing is crisp, brisk, and efficient, similar to a well-paced Wikipedia article. I really appreciated how David Grann made sure to repeatedly remind ignorant readers like me that colonialism and slavery were actually bad. the murderous, micromanaging Captain Cheap (great name) has some similarities with my boss; I often wonder who she'll kill or micromanage next. I should put this on her desk.
okay, clowntime over. the book was fine and was certainly a pleasant way to spend a couple Sunday afternoons. the many hours of research David Grann clearly put in really showed up on the page, but never in a dry, pedantic way. this is a very readable book. it was interesting to learn that common phrases like 'under the weather' & 'toe the line' & 'pipe down' & 'piping hot' & 'scuttlebut' & 'turn a blind eye' were all originally nautical terms. the details about press gangs infuriated me. I loved reading all about the resourceful Kawésqar, an indigenous people living in Chilean Patagonia. and the verdict coming from the court martial at the end of this whole misadventure was very surprising! unfortunately, SPOILER, a delicious dog does die....more
an English author visits California to discuss the adaptation of his novel and is rather appalled. such a trying experience. what have they done with an English author visits California to discuss the adaptation of his novel and is rather appalled. such a trying experience. what have they done with this place? and why is everyone so casual in their style of dress and in their mode of conversation? these Americans are simply absurd. but the brave little lord makes do. per this gentleman's journal: "We have trained the waiters in the dining-room not to give us iced water and our chauffeur not to ask us questions. There is here the exact opposite of the English custom by which the upper classes are expected to ask personal questions of the lower."* egads, this place sounds barbaric. but the English are justly famous for stiff upper lips, and so an Englishman must soldier on.
the author does find "a deep mine of literary gold in the cemetery of Forest Lawn and the work of the morticians" and proceeds to pen a satiric novel once he returns to the damp and chilly embrace of Mother England. the novel is competently written and scores some light points in its spoofery, particularly when its barbs are aimed at the community of English expats ensconced in Hollywood. the book's worth rises or falls on its reader's willingness to see all Americans as ugly or ignorant or perhaps both. as well as the ability of a reader to find amusement in the wacky suicide of its most sympathetic character, during the novel's closing. unfortunately, this provincial American found that plot twist to be rather tasteless and even worse, distinctly unfunny. this is an occasionally droll novel but also quite a cheap and shallow one. and such pat nihilism. one expects better of the sophisticated English upper crust! I assumed the least I could hope for from such a class-conscious subset of the human race would be... a little class. well, I suppose that is what I found: little class. and little humanity.
An amusing autopsy. The corpse is still fetching, still an inspiration to many, despite the rot that started internally and that now corrupts most of An amusing autopsy. The corpse is still fetching, still an inspiration to many, despite the rot that started internally and that now corrupts most of the body, a sickness that led to its recent death. But is it truly dead? The pathologist, Nellie Bowles, is not quite sure. Not long ago, she was a devoted follower of this corpse, during her time at the New York Times. I read her wry, deadpan pieces back then, and enjoyed them thoroughly; I was a like-minded fellow traveler as well, the corpse an inspiring friend. As a queer POC who works at a social services nonprofit, I was put forward as one of the leaders of my workplace's little reckoning. "Little" but it still had its victims, regardless of their race, politics, orientation. Such movements always take the heads of their own. As a progressive lesbian journalist, Bowles was also a part of this movement. Until she became too curious about certain topics, until she fell in love with a contrarian. And then, rather suddenly, that corpse and its followers rejected her; she became exiled but also self-exiling. A happy expat in a new place, with new friends now.
The clinical report that she produced doesn't condescend to its subjects, it doesn't mock them; it eschews spikiness and hot takes; there are no cheap shots. She doesn't forget: she was once one of them. Her scathing wit is reined in; instead we have both coolly composed distance and and an understanding that the corpse and its legions held their beliefs in genuine good faith. There is a surprising amount of empathy here, no matter how toxic the behavior. The result is that I smiled at times, shook my head or rolled my eyes at other times, but never felt as if Bowles were settling scores or viewing her subjects with derision. The book portrays a range of bizarre and infuriating situations, but the tone remains dryly ironic, never sneering.
And so the reader visits Seattle's brief autonomous zone, Portland's masked antifa, Black Lives Matter and Abolish the Police, progressive speaking order, the entirely insipid yet incredibly influential Tema Okun and Robin Diangelo, homelessness in Los Angeles and drug addiction in San Francisco, trans rights activists and gender ideologues, and of course the bloodsport known as canceling. Nearly all of these visits are even-tempered ones, despite the embarrassing, complacent ignorance on display. Naivete can be charming; good intentions don't deserve mockery. This corpse meant well, at least at the start. Only when it comes to women's rights and to raising children does Bowles show anger and righteousness: she is an old school feminist and she is a mother, after all. Beyond those topics, she is content to deliver her appraisal of the past few years' various sociopolitical movements in a style that is detached but not dismissive. This pathology report is suitable for publishing in a glossy weekend magazine: I-was-there reporting that is also a droll lifestyle feature. A sardonic long-form article about important topics, that somehow keeps things light. One has to have a sense of humor, even during an autopsy....more
I loved this. so spooky, so emotional. and heartwarming! the stories intrigue, the setting is richly developed, the morals of the tales are wise ones.I loved this. so spooky, so emotional. and heartwarming! the stories intrigue, the setting is richly developed, the morals of the tales are wise ones. the first arc is particularly compelling, as only a story about a little witch hunted by the people she loves most can be. I love the forgiveness at the end of that story, and demonstrated through later arcs. I loved (both of) her horrible-wonderful familiar-mascot(s), an endearing little skinless (or body-less) fellow. I loved the visuals as much as the story! using watercolors was such a great choice. it's easy to see why this comic was so beloved by audiences and acclaimed by critics. adorable and horrible in nearly-equal measures - adorable wins, by a hair.
surprisingly, this collection is superior to its predecessor Nasty Stories, which was often fun and well-written but also kinda dull. there's only so surprisingly, this collection is superior to its predecessor Nasty Stories, which was often fun and well-written but also kinda dull. there's only so much sniggering nastiness a person can take, well at least this person. the stories in Even More display much more creativity: McNaughton jumps into so many different genres and throws so many unusual ideas around; the stories here felt like he was testing himself creatively, not just trying to build nasty little traps for his characters. there were a number of duds as well, but no need to get into them and I haven't even summarized them below.
Clark Ashton Smith receives a double homage with the baroque fantasy "Benevolent Emperor" and the amusing but ultimately deflating "Return of the Colossus" - the latter a sequel to CAS' classic "The Colossus of Ylourgne." the ideas of H.P. Lovecraft are front and center in the dizzying "Beyond the Wall of Time," plus a fun reference to wonderful character actor Jeffrey Combs of Re-Animator fame. that subset of Lovecraftian mythos featuring the Deep Ones, Dagon, and other watery horrors are the subject of the collection's strongest and nastiest piece "The Doom that Came to Innsmouth." Doom was delightful, although keep in mind I'm calling a story that features a ritualistic torture-rape-murder 'delightful' (I'm problematic). And McNaughton revisits the rules for ghouls of his own classic Throne of Bones in the typically grim but still droll "Ghoulmaster," set in and under that quaint university town that huddles on the shores of the Miskatonic River.
☠️
"The Doom that Came to Innsmouth" - a child of Innsmouth is tricked back to his home, a town devastated by government pogrom; fortunately, the canny and murderous lad finds that supportive relatives and ancient rituals may save the day.
"Getting Around" - an invalid's quantum hand unfortunately does not save the day.
"Marticora" - a father rescues his child from a cult that believes in certain fantasies; but what exactly has he saved?
"Fragment of a Diary" - the castaways must draw lots and so choose whose bodies will provide sustenance; but what's dead does not stay dead, and may instead join in the feast.
"Malpractice" - a boy's crush on a strange neighbor is complicated by her father, a mad scientist with certain plans for them both.
"Ghoulmaster" - an uppity author of a book on ghouls battles some equally uppity ghouls.
"A Donation to the Homeless" - never give your coat to a satanist with a personal grudge: he may help himself to even more of you.
"Impatience" - the world just moves too slowly for some torture-murderers.
"The Flight of the LZD1" - an English spy finds himself aboard an German zeppelin; but does a zeppelin have eight wings, a gaping maw, and one terrible eye?
"The Benevolent Emperor" - a kindly ruler discovers an enemy; a curse of black dust has infiltrated his kingdom, killing his subjects then reviving them into beings both unkillable and entirely apathetic.
"Beyond the Wall of Time" - various personalities come together; an unusual author's origin story is recounted.
"Self-Restraint" - back from the Amazonian jungle and into the urban jungle, Timothy learns the power of the hypnotic phrase Simon sent me...
"The Return of the Colossus" - in the French province of Averoigne, English soldiers find a unique weapon to fight the enemy Germans: a giant made of corpses....more
the children are born from the earth, born hungry. they grow, they eat, they explore the world. some put on the costume of a human adult, playing dresthe children are born from the earth, born hungry. they grow, they eat, they explore the world. some put on the costume of a human adult, playing dress-up, until they believe the role they've taken on, until they forget what birthed them. but return to their mother they must; those born of the earth must go back into that earth, eventually. to be reborn again, eventually. it is a cycle...
although one book remains in this series of standalone novels, The People of the Dark feels like a natural ending. we return to the original setting of the first two books, and to the abandoned upscale housing development and massacre site of the second, and a key character from the third makes an appearance. the first book had a child born and an adult realizing their true nature; the second book had more children born, and born hungry. the third book had children exploring, and still hungry. this fourth book has a child turned adult, a strange being who thinks she's a human realizing she's something different, her husband unable to understand what is happening to her and in the nearby town, unable to make sense of what has come from the woods that surround them, from the woods and from the earth. people, or rather "people," wandering around the town and up to his doorstep, not knowing what they are but going through the motions, wondering why, slowly fading. all of this is a spoiler if this is the first book being read (not recommended) but all of this makes perfect sense if the prior books have been read first (highly recommended).
this is a minor novel; none of the novels after the first, Strange Seed, have quite reached that book's heights or depths. minor note in tone as well. nevertheless, T.M. Wright is a masterful writer and his talents are on full display here. this is a surprisingly moving story, suffused with a forlorn longing, in the words of the lost earth-beings, and in how a man sees his love and his life with that love slipping away, for reasons he refuses to understand, no matter how many people try to explain to him why. The People of the Dark is an eerily quiet novel, full of ambiguity and unsettling occurrences, whispery voices from the walls and blank faces at the door, the sense of another world overlapping with our world. this other world has its own rules and ways of living, just as Wright has his own unique style and way of writing....more
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