Phenomenal. I was surprised at how much I loved this.
Initially I thought the narrative framework of the novel would be off-putting, 6 characters on aPhenomenal. I was surprised at how much I loved this.
Initially I thought the narrative framework of the novel would be off-putting, 6 characters on a pilgrimage, each in turn recounting background stories about themselves. Their stories helped explain how and why they were on this pilgrimage to this mysterious and frightening thing called the Shrike. This kind of narrative breakdown, patterned like the Canterbury Tales, is easy to screw up and is usually hard to get into (IMO), but this book did a great job with it.
Each pilgrim’s story was unique, interesting, wonderfully written. Simmons’ brings each character to life, draws you in so effortlessly. My favorite was probably the Poet’s story (the audiobook narration for this character is sublime). He has a stroke as a young child and is reduced to a 9 word vocabulary. Of course these 9 words are all offensive silly words, and his use of them within the story is quite funny (kind of reminded me of George Carlin’s comedy bit about the 7 words you can’t say on the radio).
The whole story is over-layed with a magical sense of mystery, wonder, and tension. Fear and horror also at work, helping fuel the deep dark undertones (which I loved!). At the book's core is the mystery of the Shrike and the Time Tombs (structures that move backwards through time). Lots of weirdness. Lots of questions. And lots of literary and mythical allusions, many of which went over my head but whatever.
Also, I was talking with a good friend about this book, and in mentioning the Shrike, she dropped some huge knowledge on me. She is a bird watcher, and so I learned that the shrike is a bird. A bird that impales insects on thorns and barbed-wire fences. That is super neat. Learning about this bird kindled new hopes and dreams for me, namely that I shall be reincarnated as a shrike. But sadly, with my luck I shall probably be reincarnated as a woodpecker (a creature that has to bash its head all day long against trees to get its food. God has to hate you if you get reincarnated as a woodpecker. I am convinced Hitler is flying out there somewhere, in the form of a woodpecker).
The book ends with a total cliffhanger without a lot of answers, which is fine.
Simmons is a damn good storyteller and a wonderful writer, my first read of his, looking forward to more, can’t wait to read the next one in the series....more
Whatever you think of Harari's ideas and sweeping overly simplistic statements and broad overviews, I have to say this book grabbed my attention from Whatever you think of Harari's ideas and sweeping overly simplistic statements and broad overviews, I have to say this book grabbed my attention from the get go. Did I agree with all he had to say, hell no. And yet, I did agree with a lot of it. He delves into a broad history of humanity, that takes big turns looking at cultural, philosophical, and socio-political constructs. I really love this stuff.
The part where he calls the agricultural revolution a complete disaster and one of the worst things to ever happen... ummm, I don't know on that. I don't think humans pre-agriculture were living some idyllic amazing lifestyle. Agriculture opened the doors for humanity to build denser communities which in turn turbocharged the exchange of ideas and allowed for the rapid increase in science and technology. It did also lead to a whole host of new issues, it didn't just turbocharge science, it turbocharged infectious diseases and zoonotic illnesses (from our domesticated animals), and it did lead to a vast agr0-industrial complex that treats animals like objects and completely shredded the environment and terraformed vast landscapes. The advent of agriculture had certain negative effects on human and animal health, that is for sure.
So yeah, I didn't fully disagree with his assessment on the agricultural revolution, twas a bit too simplistic in my opinion. Same with his overviews on capitalism and consumerism, I do agree that these two things, unchecked, are very dangerous, but I do not believe they are what will destroy us. Without capitalism and consumerism, I'm sure we are smart (stupid?) enough to discover other methodologies that will lead us to our doom, ha. But yeah, we aren't exactly on the perfect path as things stand today, can't disagree with that!
The best part about this book is it made me think, and it made me think about very interesting concepts and forced me to question the paradigms we have constructed for ourselves. I respect Harari and his way of thinking, and the writing was very well done and very accessible. ...more
A fantastic history of lyme disease, this story deeply examines the disease, its geographic evolution, its monumental human costs, and the tragedy of A fantastic history of lyme disease, this story deeply examines the disease, its geographic evolution, its monumental human costs, and the tragedy of the politicization of the science and research behind lyme. Highly recommended. Also just wonderfully written....more
Wow! just awesome. Beautifully written and filled with a fantastic sense of mystery. It started off kind of slow but there was such a great slow buildWow! just awesome. Beautifully written and filled with a fantastic sense of mystery. It started off kind of slow but there was such a great slow build. The characters are so fully fleshed, the bad guys are so bad and that is just the best. I adore despicable characters and Robin Hobb knows so perfectly well how to create the most aggravating baddies. Sure, maybe they are a bit too outlandishly bad and despicable, but that’s how I like my bad guys. And so much courtly intrigue, which is kept interesting because the bad guys (Galen and Regal, gawd I hate them so!) are such sneaky evil little dorks. They remind me a lot of Joffrey from Game of Thrones. I'll take an interesting bad guy over a solid hero any day. A good bad guy can carry a book and keep me engaged more than anything else.
It’s not often I connect with characters and get so sucked into a story, but this book does it. It took a while for the story to suck me in, but the characters were so solid that if you stick with it, once things start happening you actually feel things because you’ve got some real emotional connections to these characters. So while the seeming lack of narrative drive in the first half of the book seems like a weakness, it’s not, in my opinion, because Hobb uses that first half to paint the backdrop and flesh out her very rich characters.
Within the story, there are so many illusions, shifting alliances, hard to figure out each character's motivations, we are kept in the dark and snippets are revealed here and there. That's what keeps the tension in the book going, great character dynamics and shifting intrigues.
Fitz is our underdog hero, a bastard son of noble heritage. But he is trodden upon and disrespected from the very beginning. But fear not, he’s got some cool powers, like he can magically link to animals so that will fix everything and he will save the world. Or at least he will be able to link to a dog and sniff poop and realize how great it is? can’t remember, the point is it’s a cool power. Just don’t get tricked into thinking like a dog and think sniffing and eating dog poop is the best. Because it’s not and dogs are idiots. (can you tell I have a lot of residual frustration about my own dog's poop eating habits?)
Fitz trains to become an assassin and big surprise everything goes to hell. I couldn’t believe it. I would’ve never imagined that training a 6 year old to become an assassin could in any way lead to a crazy whacked out people trying to murder you life. But it does. So that’s a lesson for all the kids and parents out there.
Looking forward to reading the following books in the series, got the audiobooks on hold from the library. ...more
Superb! David Quammen brings to life the stories of a wide variety of infectious diseases and their spillover from animals to humans. David is a greatSuperb! David Quammen brings to life the stories of a wide variety of infectious diseases and their spillover from animals to humans. David is a great writer, his narrative drive and prose are magnificent. He does this while presenting the science in a very accessible yet amazingly informative way.
What is astounding is the amount of work and research that must have gone into this book. David conducted a seemingly endless amount of interviews with scientists, researchers, doctors. To say he took it to the next level, well that is a vast understatement. This is science journalism/writing at its pinnacle.
My particular favorite was the section on the ecology of borrelia (lyme). This is a subject that hits close to home for me.
The section on malaria was very intriguing, learned a lot. The coolest thing was learning that a form of malaria had been used as therapy to treat syphilis (a form of therapy known as pyrotherapy). That blew my mind. If you're curious, here's an article on the subject: http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/bod...
I was also fascinated by the HIV chapter. Could have done without his hypothesizing and reimagining of the original patient 0 story, I saw what he was trying to do, but that seemed a bit clunky and unnecessary. But that's a minor quibble with an otherwise outstanding book.
Dang, the ebola chapter was incredible as well... so much good stuff in here....more
Phenomenal book. I can't recommend this enough. Impeccably researched and told in a narrative style that is incredibly accessible. Hochschild focuses Phenomenal book. I can't recommend this enough. Impeccably researched and told in a narrative style that is incredibly accessible. Hochschild focuses on a small cast of characters, follows their stories in such an intimate way that the history and the story come to life in a novelesque way.
I don't know much about colonialism. This book was a great way to get a sense of it and its exploitative evils and how imperialistic capitalism can bring out the absolute worst in human beings. The cool thing is there is a counter to this, there are people who combatted this evil, often times at great peril to their own selves and reputations. The author does tend to give a nuanced assessment of the historical figures involved in this story, no one is overarchingly good or evil. Everyone has a variety of motives, everyone has their own flaws and blindspots and ideological strengths and weaknesses.
I absolutely loved Hochschild's chapters on Joseph Conrad. Conrad is an interesting character, an immigrant to the UK, he vehemently opposed Belgian colonialism and its dark evils of murderous exploitative genocide. He spent time in the Congo and was utterly appalled, appalled enough to write a book about it. And yet Conrad was a major cheerleader for his adopted country's own colonialism. Wtf! it showcases a striking hypocritical blindspot, a complete breakdown in ideological consistency. But Conrad was in love and had such faith in British colonialism and its positive impacts on the world that he was blinded to its dark crimes and exploitative aspects. It's noteworthy that a man as smart and talented as Conrad was not impervious to a shocking breakdown in ideological consistency. A good reminder that shows any one of us can fall into such traps with ease, we can find self-serving justifications for anything and execute the most incredible somersaults of logic to provide cover (most especially for thing/paradigms that benefit us personally). And I have no doubt I do so on various issues.
Hochschild also gives a great overview and insights into Conrad's book Heart of Darkness, which was based on Conrad's own time in the Congo. Makes me really want to reread this book. As disgusted as he was by the Belgians treatment of the African natives, Conrad still portrayed them as uni-dimensional savages which is another example showing how hard it is to transcend one's culture and time. We are people of our own time and place, and societal and cultural constraints and habits can blind us to what might now/or in future seem obvious truths or justice. Lord knows how many things I'm blinded to due to my own circumstances. But that's what I loved with reading this kind of analysis and critique of Conrad, it makes me contemplate myself, my conduct, my life. Where are my failures and inconsistencies, where am I blind to truth and justice due to my cultural habits and upbringing? How am I contributing to problems and how can I open my eyes and discover what I cannot currently see? The hope is that I will find ways to challenge myself to not be lazy in my thinking, in my views, and to continually search and seek the truth and trying to be honest and self-critical in analyzing my conduct and ideologies. Such things are hard, it is very easy to slip into defensiveness and anger when our world views/values/ideologies are challenged, our hypocrisies or double standards pointed out, so this is something I have to continually work on... Ok I'm deviating into self-indulgent self-reflection here, but come on, it's good fun haha...
My favorite character in this story was Roger Casement. A man of ideals. I found him inspiring. His story is so interesting, he was an anti-colonialist and Irish nationalist. I won't give away the arc of his narrative but it is really good.
Leopold was a fascinating character in his own right. A devilishly clever man who expertly manipulated media to control public opinion so he could continue his criminal enterprises. But his ambition and lust for power corrupted his soul, at least that's how I see it.
George Washington Williams, another complex and fascinating figure featured in this book...
Another great aspect of the book was its insights into the workings and nuances of European and American diplomacy. Diplomacy played a large role in shaping and legitimizing colonialism. The US had an interesting role in this, being the first country to legitimize the Belgian Congo.
What else what else... so many things to say on this book I'm losing track...
Oh yeah. Another interesting point. The Belgians, even long after leaving behind colonialism in the Congo, continued to hide and bury the history of what they had done. They did not want to own this history or have it widely known. It was because of the dogged tireless work of a Belgian foreign minister that the documents and archives were finally opened and revealed (I think this happened in the 80s), allowing the scope and depth of the crimes to be more fully understood and acknowledged. I cannot emphasize enough how important I think it is to own one's history, which is why I applaud what this Belgian foreign minister did. As we much as we wish to own and celebrate the beautiful aspects of our history (or what we consider such), we must also embrace and recognize the dark crimes within our past. They are both equally important.
The other bummer with this story, which Hochschild laments, is that there were few African natives from the Congo who left behind a written record of their experiences. So we are left to have this story told to us through the eyes of outsiders. There is some documentation and testimony from the victims, but sadly it is relatively scant....more
I came across Jansson's work some years back and was utterly charmed. I finally finished the first volume of her comic strip which is absolutely wondeI came across Jansson's work some years back and was utterly charmed. I finally finished the first volume of her comic strip which is absolutely wonderful. The drawing style is deceptively simple and her quality of line and mark-making is magnificent. Lovely compositions, the writing is brilliant too (very hard to be good at both art and writing imo, heck it's hard enough being good at just one of those things!). There is a charming magic to it, a deep wryness enshrouded by cuteness. Truly imaginative, inventive, absurd, poetic, whimsical. It feels true, she captures the realness of life within her make-believe world. Anyhow it is rare that I love both the art and writing when it is done by only one person (Mike Mignola's Hellboy work comes to mind).
I really look forward to reading the whole collection of the strips. I also want to check out her Moomin' children's books. Tove Jansson's back story is interesting as well. She wanted to do more fine art painting (she did impressive work in this area too) but generating income was incredibly difficult and that's how she ended up doing the strip (for financial reasons, still you can tell she poured her heart and soul into this). I always love learning about artist backstories, people don't work in vacuums. The constraints and currents of life channel people in different directions. Anyhow, either way you cut it she was an incredibly versatile and talented artist, that is undeniable....more
This book was so long, but it was very easy to get into and enjoy. I mean, I enjoyed it in a queasy sort of way, since the story is about a post-apocaThis book was so long, but it was very easy to get into and enjoy. I mean, I enjoyed it in a queasy sort of way, since the story is about a post-apocalyptic time where most everyone has died from a virus (good times!). The few humans that survive find that there are two societies gaining strength: one society is intent on evil and violence and centered around totalitarianism; the other society is intent on living somewhat peaceably and developing around democratic ideals. I think the word I'm looking for to describe the struggle between these two societies would be manichean. Yes, that is it, manichean. Normally I am leery of stories that involve straight up struggles between good and evil, since they tend to be overly simplistic and boring... but it works in this book. King has a decent feel for nuance and is a really good writer and damn, he knows how to spin an engrossing narrative. I also really liked the spiritual aspect that some of the characters and events had (it went well with the post-apocalyptic theme). The ending was a bit silly and some of the characters weren't that well-developed but hey, but what can you do, everything can't be perfect... really good read, highly recommended....more
This was an incredible read for me. Never read McCarthy before. Totally blown away, master of language imo. Love the style. The starkness, iHaunting.
This was an incredible read for me. Never read McCarthy before. Totally blown away, master of language imo. Love the style. The starkness, imagery, use of language. Phenomenal. This will not be up everyone's alley but worth trying out especially if you enjoy a certain mastery (and style) of language. Also recommend if dystopias are your thing (personally I LOVE them!). But when you come down to it this story is about relationships, human emotions and coping under extreme duress, themes that are universal. Dystopia is merely the backdrop but it is important. A dying earth... setting the stage for the themes on the nature of hope, redemption, love, loss, fear, suffering.
Many things are unspoken and unwritten, McCarthy doesn't show you or tell you everything, and this mystery adds power and poignancy to the story forcing you to think, imagine, fill in the blanks. He is crafty in what cards he shows you and what cards he decides shall remain hidden. No need to worry about overexplaining and overwriting from this writer!
I was riveted throughout the story (focused on a man and his son). There was a pall of tension, mystery, and terror overhanging the whole thing that kept me reading and reading. The granular details and writing brought it to life in the most amazing ways, the story ended up hitting me hard, much harder than I could have imagined. I was quite surprised by that. The way McCarthy describes things, he has a granular mechanistic approach and understanding of a lot of things, both industrial things and natural things. I think he is a lover of the outdoors and as I found out because I was curious he worked as an auto mechanic, so his understanding of the industrial and how it infuses the writing makes a lot of sense. I found McCarthy's mechanistic, granular detailing had a grounding effect on the story and made the horror (of the situations, backdrop) all the more palpable, making this terrifying reality pop up with contrast.
I haven't read much fiction of late, and reading this was like a lighting bolt to the head. Yowee. Love. I often think the best fiction, or the fiction that we end up connecting with, is the fiction that puts a mirror up to our own selves and helps us see and think about life and how we are operating in this thing.
And that ending (I mean you see this coming, the pending outcome slowly unfurling throughout the book but it still hit me like a truck)... just damn.
How does a person maintain purpose, hope, keep traveling down the road when they have lost everything? I guess the only thing you can do is hold tight onto that fire and make sure it doesn't go out. Because without that there is nothing. It is not easy to keep alight. The question of morality is central and what type of person one chooses to be is a question that features prominently in this book....more
It's surprisingly readable, I love Proust’s voice, his sensibility, and the poetic nature of the memories. He is a keen (!!!!) observerReread/May 2020
It's surprisingly readable, I love Proust’s voice, his sensibility, and the poetic nature of the memories. He is a keen (!!!!) observer and amazing at world-building, you sink into the memories and the writing. You can almost touch and feel these memories, these places he writes about… and everything flows together, a sinuous imperceptible flow from one scene to the next.
Now I can see why people wouldn't like Proust but it's always a question of taste and what you look for in the media you consume. But I actually find Proust more accessible than a lot of other "fancy" writers (whatever that means but you know what I mean). Maybe the length of the work, and the languid nature of memory and how he presents may be off-putting to some. People might also not like the belle-epoque aristocracy who are admittedly (for the most part) highly obnoxious. Petty, jealous, obsessed with social-climbing, endlessly judgmental, psychotically obsessed with social punctilios, etc. But I do enjoy Proust's sensibility, and he does provide some insightful deconstruction (read vicious evisceration) of this belle epoque aristocracy.
He does open with what feels like 50 pages talking about how upset he gets that his mom won’t give him a goodnight kiss. That... might put off a few readers. Personally I find that whole section is rather sweet and vulnerable, and even wonder if maybe it’s kind of badass admitting to the world how much of a massive momma’s boy you really are (takes some guts imo haha!). He’s so damn precocious, so vulnerable, so obsessive in observation and in infatuation.
The love in this book so often has the feeling of poison, with characters being poisoned and getting sick with it left and right (which maybe it is not love if it operates like a poison no? more a toxic type of jealous possessiveness around the object of desire and or a tortured romanticism with idolatry at its core which is not love to me but a twisted and rather self-absorbed deviation. Basically there’s a lot of #%@%’d up people in this book). But at the core, one senses a yawning emptiness in so many of these people, and this maddening drive for love is centered around lack of purpose and an unrelenting need for some concrete meaning in this world, something to anchor the mind around...
Anyhow, my guess is a lot of people who don't like the work either don't connect with the style, or don’t relate or like the privileged characters. Or they may find the languid nature of the memories too boring. All perfectly valid sure. But Proust is an introvert (big-time), so that might be a relatable point for a lot of people. I do think things get more interesting the further along you get in this tome, so don’t let the author’s seemingly eternal lamentations about a goodnight kiss from mom put you off!...more
Loading...
