So this story felt like it was all over the place, at least for the first 200 pages or so. The beginning is very Tom Cruise in "Edge of Tomorrow," wheSo this story felt like it was all over the place, at least for the first 200 pages or so. The beginning is very Tom Cruise in "Edge of Tomorrow," where our protagonist (hard to call him a hero exactly) keeps dying and getting reborn into the exact same life again - except that here he starts again each time at the very beginning, and then has to go through multiple childhoods and adolescences with all the hidden maturity, knowledge and increasing accumulated memories of his previous lives…and THEN it gets kinda Harry Potter, with its secret world of immortals who try to hide within the "muggle" world of normal folks, (even to the point of some very Hogwarts-esque dialogue: "You must be Harry. You won't do at all - those boots are quite wrong. Don't just stand there - come in!")…until after a dozen lives and a couple centuries he FINALLY ends up all Jason Bourne as he sneaks into Cold War Russia in search of a James Bond-type super-villian - all of which, mind you is interspersed with seemingly endless chunks of scientific/philosophical debate on the meaning of time and God and existence and stuff…
And yet somehow, it all kinda works (except for the debatey parts), coming together in a finely-crafted - if EXTREMELY complex - plot that is a genuine page-turner. North is a fine writer with a good ear for both dialogue (Potterisms aside) and description (I observed Rosemary picking up her clients with the delicacy of a torpedo in an oil tanker); she is also ridiculously prolific, having published some 15+ adult fantasy books under this name, as well as another ten or so YA novels under her real name (Catherine Webb), and another half dozen under yet another pen name, Kate Griffin - all in the past twenty years. Yikes....more
Eric Ambler is one of those "golden age" names you often hear in the same sentence as others like Deighton, Hall, Higgins, Innes, MacInnes, MacLean, eEric Ambler is one of those "golden age" names you often hear in the same sentence as others like Deighton, Hall, Higgins, Innes, MacInnes, MacLean, etc. - except that while I knew the name, I knew absolutely none of his books. However, after reading the wonderful Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang: The Boom in British Thrillers from Casino Royale to The Eagle Has Landed back in 2018, I started looking for him in the cavernous racks of McKays Used Books, and so found and read the enjoyable Passage of Arms a few years back...but then lost track of him until recently finding both this book and A Quiet Conspiracy,* (which I brought home for a grand total of $1.05).
So…fun story, and unique in that you don't actually learn what the "plot within the plot" is - is it a spy story, a heist, a political thriller? - until the last 40 pages.** And it also offers a nice change of scenery from the CIA-, KGB- and MI6-heavy plots that tend to dominate the genre, in that it focuses exclusively on the Turkish intelligence and police services. Anyway, will continue to watch for other Amblers if and as they land on the shelves, and of course still have Conspiracy to get to - but no rush; these books are generally light fillers best saved for when one needs a break between weightier readings. * For some reason, these are both old British editions of the books - no idea how they ended up in Manassas. But they were easily recognizable as such, since traditional British book design - much like traditional British cuisine, (and with apologies to my English friends) - is known more for its stodgy functionality than cutting-edge creativity.
** Unless, of course, you've ever seen or even heard of the 1964 movie (view spoiler)["Topkapi" (hide spoiler)], which is based on this book but basically gives away the WHOLE IDEA in not only the film's trailer, synopses, etc., but also the title itself…so, basically everything....more
A true page-turner, I finished this in just two sittings, (at a still-brief 224 pages, it was still twice as long as Ames' previous You Were Never ReaA true page-turner, I finished this in just two sittings, (at a still-brief 224 pages, it was still twice as long as Ames' previous You Were Never Really Here, and all the better for the extra length). Good voice, good characters, and a plot that is propulsive enough to carry you right past the book's flaws - of which there are more than a few:
- WAY too much soap opera backstory (abusive dad and camp counsellors, suicidal tendencies, a totally ripped-off Tyrion Lannister "I killed my mom in childbirth" trauma, another character with a totally irrelevant and unnecessary "unadopted orphan" history that is mentioned just once and then forgotten)
- WAY too much use of the word "then," often multiple times in the same paragraph (or the first word in consecutive paragraphs) to the point of being distracting and then actually funny, as in "so this is a first-person narrative being told by a character who intentionally doesn't know how to write"
- That whole breathless "works nights at a local Thai spa that offers its clients a number of special services" line that plays heavily in all of the book's descriptions? Totally irrelevant to the story, and disappears completes after about chapter three
- And so much description about driving around the LA suburbs that it starts to sound like a bad "Californians" skit on SNL
(And, of course, minor points off for our protagonist's name - "Happy Doll"? Is that some sort of inside joke, only known to Ames himself? Otherwise, just as stupid as Jo Nesbø’s "Harry Hole.")
But again - all that aside, I really enjoyed this one, and greatly look forward to reading the sequel - although will probably save that for a later date....more
Okay, I know I swore in my review of the previous book in Laumer's "Imperium," Assignment in Nowhere, that there was "NO WAY I'm going anywhere near tOkay, I know I swore in my review of the previous book in Laumer's "Imperium," Assignment in Nowhere, that there was "NO WAY I'm going anywhere near the 4th and final book in the series" (largely based on my growing disappointment with the series overall as well as the hellacious cover). But after my previous book - The Black Bats: CIA Spy Flights over China from Taiwan 1951-1969 - proved to be a bit challenging and textbooky (albeit fascinating), I decided I needed to follow that with something fluffy and dumb; and so when I saw this staring out at me recently at McKay's Used Books…well, 99 cents later there I was, and here we are.
Sadly, "fluffy and dumb" doesn't begin to describe this stinker. I wish I could say it was so bad that it was good in some sort of goofy or kitschy way, but in truth it was really so bad that it was just really bad. Plot makes no sense, characters make no sense, English- and Swedish-speaking rat/aliens make no sense…
The first three books of the "Imperium" were written in 1961, '65 and '68, before Laumer suffered a massive stroke in 1971. He eventually returned to writing, but as Wikipedia diplomatically puts it, "the quality of his work suffered, and his career declined." For whatever reason, Laumer returned to the Imperium in 1990 - a 22 year gap - for one of his final books; but, well…the world could have easily survived without this one.
That said, Laumer's concept of the multiverse "blight" is still pretty solid (see my review of Assigment for a quick summary of how that works), and so it would be nice to see a different author pick this up and run with it. But please - no more rat-people!...more
By no means my worst book of 2024 so far, but certainly the most disappointing, in light of how much I enjoyed Kingfisher's previous What Moves the DeBy no means my worst book of 2024 so far, but certainly the most disappointing, in light of how much I enjoyed Kingfisher's previous What Moves the Dead. Or at least, how much I think I enjoyed it, because in light of this totally "meh" experience I'm now questioning my memory.
Slow beginning, no mystery whatsoever and even less tension, since everything was telegraphed chapters in advance…this one screams "contractual obligation." Surprisingly, at least at the moment this book has an even higher GR score than the infinitely better What Moves the Dead, but I have to put that down to the number of reviews (only 1000+ for Feasts vs over 10K for Moves), and so I'm sure that as more people ultimately read and rate this book, the score will drop. Or better yet, you "more people" out there - just DON'T read it, and find something better; it won't be difficult.
About the only two things that this book had going for it is that (1) it's short, and (2) I got it from the library, so at least didn't waste any money on it....more
Deighton's Bernard Samson is a neat cross between Adam Hall's "Quiller" and John le Carré's "George Smiley," both in style and substance (and that's nDeighton's Bernard Samson is a neat cross between Adam Hall's "Quiller" and John le Carré's "George Smiley," both in style and substance (and that's not a bad thing). Deighton combines Hall's wry first-person voice with le Carré's complicated plotting (and odd fascination with both "moles" and cuckolds) to create a book that - if not truly unique - makes a valuable addition to the British Cold War espionage canon, (not to be confused with American espionage fiction - I recently had to break those out into two different bookshelves).
The story gets off to a somewhat slow and confusing start, dealing with an intelligence macguffin involving - German banking secrets? Not the most thrilling plot device, if you're used to ticking time bombs and space lasers, but probably more realistic. Unfortunately, like so many Brit-spook stories (and I’m especially thinking "Slow Horses" here), it spends WAY too much time in London rather than the other 99.9% of the world where British spies are actually supposed to be working; but then it does move for a good chunk towards the end into the titular Berlin where what little "action" the story actually has takes place.
Anyway - good book and glad I read it, (though no promises that I'll return, as there are another eight books in the series and I have SERIOUS literary commitment issues). Still, though, a timely call-back to the days when Russia was the Big Bad - which only shows that what goes around, comes around. Makes me wonder…the First World War was originally just "The Great War" until we decided to do it again 25 years later, and so rebranded as "WWI" and WWII." At what point are we going to face reality and accept that - in a similar situation some 30 years later - we should start calling our present situation "Cold War II"?
And finally - need to add a plug here for the late, great Adam Hall, whose "Quiller" books not only hold their own against those of Deighton and le Carre, but also surpass them in terms of both action and exotic locales. But yet for some reason they have not received the same level of recognition or respect, with none (other than the first, The Quiller Memorandum) reaching 500 reviews on Goodreads. Come on, people!...more
Like most folks (I'm pretty sure), while I had some previous - if limited - knowledge of John UPDATE ON HARPER'S FERRY (ORIGINAL REVIEW BELOW):
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Like most folks (I'm pretty sure), while I had some previous - if limited - knowledge of John Brown and his raid on Harper's Ferry, I had never heard of the Kennedy Farm (aka "John Brown's HQS," above) prior to reading this book and watching the excellent miniseries "The Good Lord Bird," (and while I've never been a real fan of Ethan Hawke, he is simply outstanding here as John Brown).
And so when we drove back out to the Ferry after Christmas, we found the town - as expected - swamped with tourists visiting the frou-frou coffee shops, "country décor" stores, and other nonsense which has totally filled up the "historic downtown" area. But a further 20 minute drive across the river along a winding, narrow mountain road brought us to the Kennedy Farm, which - aside from one Marine veteran - we had all to ourselves. Not really a lot to see - most of it shown below - but for history buffs, totally worth the side trip.*
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* (As is the excellent Asian food truck "Yatai Hibachi" a couple miles west of town, run by a delightful Balinese couple - four stars!)
Note on "downtown:" Fair enough; the town was pretty much destroyed at least twice during the war, so really nothing original remaining. And so the only recognizable piece of history is the old engine house, aka "John Brown's Fort" shown in the background on the jacket of this book, and which is in fact the most visited tourist attraction in West Virginia, even though it has been moved and rebuilt four times over the years, and is less-than-original at this point. _______________________________
ORIGINAL REVIEW: The Flashman books are uniformly brilliant, in large part because they are uniformly the same: our dastardly, cowardly hero rogering his way through various violent events of the mid-1800s, generally - but not always - as tied to the then-still-great British Empire.
Fraser's research is also uniformly outstanding, whether uncovering minor details of the historic events themselves, or simply his incredible 19th century world-building, be it Borneo, Ethiopia, Afghanistan or - in this case - late 1850's New York City. So basically, if you're a "Flashmaniac" to begin with, how much you enjoy any particular book depends in large part on how much you care about that particular incident or part of the world.
I personally have never been much interested in "Flashman in America," but now that I live close enough to Harper's Ferry that we can literally just drive out there for lunch, I figured it was time I learned a bit about the place. And while I consider myself fairly well-read on the Civil War, this particular pre-War event largely slipped under my radar, so that pretty much all I knew about John Brown was what I learned from the 1974 "Kansas" album cover,** (and more recently, from watching the excellent "Hell on Wheels" TV series, which touched on it occasionally and featured a rough version of the Pottawatomie massacre in its "Bleeding Kansas" episode).
Well, anyway, now I know a LOT more. As always, Fraser brings his history to vivid life, so that I not only learned about Brown himself - both pre- and (however briefly) post-raid - but could also probably name and describe nearly half of the ridiculously small number of individuals who accompanied him in his lunatic endeavor, (I mean seriously; what was he thinking??) With Fraser's passing in 2008, this is as close as we'll get to an actual book about Flashman and the Civil War (although his involvement serving on both sides of that conflict, and presence at Chancellorsville and Gettysburg are repeated mentioned in asides and footnotes), so while this book is up to Fraser's usual lofty standards, it also serves as a sad reminder of what could have been if Fraser had been able to squeak out just one more adventure… ________________________________
** This one here:
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…and in fact, I was so little-informed that I wasn't really sure what Brown was so pissed off about or even which side he was fighting for. I know - pathetic. ________________________________
EVEN MORE ORIGINAL NOTE: While I am a big fan of the Flashman books, I have always been put off by their almost cartoonish and often TOTALLY un-PC covers, to the point where I was embarrassed to be seen reading them in public.
Well, looks like someone else finally realized that - so kudos to Harper Collins, who from the very-late 1990's on began reprinting them in this semi-respectable series - thanks, HC!!...more
First read this (and saw the Academy Award-winning movie) nearly 50 years ago, but then recently saw my son in a community theatre production down in First read this (and saw the Academy Award-winning movie) nearly 50 years ago, but then recently saw my son in a community theatre production down in New Market, Virginia (where he played Charlie's father) and was surprised by how much I had forgotten, and so thought i'd revisit the book.
While the larger story of Charlie Gordon is as touching and ultimately tragic as ever, parts of it haven't aged particularly well. The frequent use of "retard" and "moron" by the scientists themselves is jarring to today's ear; Charlie's rather bizarre explorations of his burgeoning sexuality seemed (to me at least) overly melodramatic if not downright bizarre; and the whole middle section seemed to be more preachy than dramatic.
But with the entire book presented as Charlie's self-written "progress reports," the first section where he morphs from a severely handicapped young man to a full on genius is well-handled, and then the final section where he loses it all again is genuinely heart-breaking. So while I don't feel this has held up as well as other books of that period dealing with similar subjects (I'm thinking right now of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest), it probably still deserves its standing as a genuine classic. And so I'm leaving my original 4-star rating (based solely on my half-century-old memories) rather than drop it down to the 3 stars it probably more realistically deserves.
Merged review:
First read this (and saw the Academy Award-winning movie) nearly 50 years ago, but then recently saw my son in a community theatre production down in New Market, Virginia (where he played Charlie's father) and was surprised by how much I had forgotten, and so thought i'd revisit the book.
While the larger story of Charlie Gordon is as touching and ultimately tragic as ever, parts of it haven't aged particularly well. The frequent use of "retard" and "moron" by the scientists themselves is jarring to today's ear; Charlie's rather bizarre explorations of his burgeoning sexuality seemed (to me at least) overly melodramatic if not downright bizarre; and the whole middle section seemed to be more preachy than dramatic.
But with the entire book presented as Charlie's self-written "progress reports," the first section where he morphs from a severely handicapped young man to a full on genius is well-handled, and then the final section where he loses it all again is genuinely heart-breaking. So while I don't feel this has held up as well as other books of that period dealing with similar subjects (I'm thinking right now of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest), it probably still deserves its standing as a genuine classic. And so I'm leaving my original 4-star rating (based solely on my half-century-old memories) rather than drop it down to the 3 stars it probably more realistically deserves....more
If Hockensmith is truly the first to think of the concept "Holmes on the Range," then shame on the rest of us but kudos to him, as he should be able tIf Hockensmith is truly the first to think of the concept "Holmes on the Range," then shame on the rest of us but kudos to him, as he should be able to ride this train all the way to retirement.
Set in the Sherlock Holmes universe, brothers and former cowpokes Gus and Otto Amlingmeyer decide to become detectives after reading Dr. Watson's stories about the great detective. Clever conceit, and the mystery itself is maybe 3 stars at best - but that "HotR" tagline earns it a whole extra star. This is the sixth - i.e., most recent - book in the series, and so not sure why the one I read first; but there it is. The others are all available as audibooks from Hoopla, and these seem frothy enough that they'd probably make good listens without having to concentrate too hard - so I'll probably read at least 1-2 more, although no time soon.
Separately - not sure when "funny murders" became a whole genre, but books like this and the "Chet & Bernie" series certainly make sleuthing sound fun, huge body counts aside....more
Maybe not the best Flashman, but probably the one closest to my heart, content/history-wise, as it is the only story set in East Asia. My only complaiMaybe not the best Flashman, but probably the one closest to my heart, content/history-wise, as it is the only story set in East Asia. My only complaint* here is that Fraser breaks this incident (if one of history's bloodiest wars can be called an "incident") into two almost separate stories**- Flashman among the crazy Taipings; and then Flashman among the evil Manchus - with little connective tissue, (indeed, it's left to Fraser's first [of three] appendices to revisit and wrap up the story of the Rebellion and its main characters, since once Flashy escapes their clutches they pretty much drop out of the story).
But as with all these books, this is Flashy's personal - and therefore, totally self-absorbed - story, not a true history book, and so focuses on his own wandering rather than the larger course of history. Still (and as usual), Fraser does a masterly job of plotting in order to position Flashman Zelig-like in each crucial event of the period. Also worth noting: since we - or at least I - tend to read these books mainly for the history and hilariously un-PC humor (and trust me, Flashman here is as racist, sexist and irredeemable as ever), it's easy to forget that Fraser is actually a fairly brilliant writer - not only in his excellent battle scenes, but also in the rare contemplative stretch, such as his emotional description of the burning of the Summer Palace.
I had hoped that by reading this, I'd get enough of the Taipings' story that I could avoid reading Jonathan Spence's God's Chinese Son: The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom of Hong Xiuquan, which has been sitting on my literal bookshelf pretty much since it came out. But instead, I'm actually more interesting now in reading Spence's book - just a fascinating period, and another great addition to the Flashman canon, (which IMHO is best enjoyed at the rate of about one a year). _________________________________
* Okay, I do have one other complaint - what the hell is up with the Flashman cover art? It's been a long time since I've been embarrassed to have someone see me reading a particular book, but this one's cover is so goofily cringy that when I wasn't reading it, I made sure it was face down wherever I left it.
** Not as literally as he did in Flashman's Lady, which was truly two books in one, telling the totally unrelated stories of James Brook in Borneo and the mad Queen Ranavalona of Madagascar....more
Surprisingly disappointing conclusion to the initial "John Carter " series.* Less a third book in a trilogy than a literal continuation of the second Surprisingly disappointing conclusion to the initial "John Carter " series.* Less a third book in a trilogy than a literal continuation of the second book, picking up immediately where that one left off. What follows is basically one endless chase with none of the complex and creative world-building of the first two books; so that instead of inventive new races like the tharks and plant men, all we get here is yet another different-colored human race, (bringing us now up to white, black, red and yellow - so basically the "real" human spectrum as viewed at the time; I wonder if this was an ERB attempt at social commentary?).
And I do mean an endless chase. The whole point of the story is to reunite an even more violent and self-aggrandizing Carter with an even more beautiful but vacuous Deja Thoris. In fact, he rescues her at least three (or is it four?) times in the story, but then basically just "misplaces" her again through either his too-trusting nature or overall general dimness, because make no mistake - invincible warrior that he is, John Carter is not the sharpest crayon in the box. Our hair-trigger hero keeps walking straight into trap after trap, getting captured more easily and often than even James Bond, and only then escapes through the help of others or by suddenly remembering conveniently overheard conversations, (something which happens, like, constantly, as he regularly finds himself stumbling upon his various foes just in time to secretly hear them describe in copious detail their long-term plans, layouts of their lairs, how to use the secret equipment, etc.).
I have NO idea why the story's various villains just never killed Carter or Deja when they had endless opportunities to do so, (well, okay - apparently everyone immediately falls in love with Deja Thoris, so there's that; but still, she certainly seems more trouble than she's worth**).
I will give Burroughs extra points for basically predicting the internet with the following:
"The aid took us to his own office first, where he measured and…photographed us with a machine ingeniously designed for that purpose, five copies being instantly reproduced in five different offices of the government, two of which were located in other cities miles distant."
…but other than that, Warlord was a regrettable but thankfully short conclusion to a story that got off to such a strong start with Princess. Meanwhile, I was also not impressed with Burroughs' Caspak series - much preferred Conan Doyle's The Lost World - and have no real interest in Tarzan; so I'm guessing this is gonna be it for me and ERB. __________________________________
* Burroughs continued writing Carter and Barsoom books almost until his death in 1950. But while the next few books were Frank Herbert Children of Dune-like offspring sequels, he then branched out with totally unrelated Barsoom-based characters, with Carter himself only making the rare cameo appearance.
** Not really a spoiler, but if I were John Carter I would have dumped Deja Thoris for Phaidor in a heartbeat, as that girl really had some spunk. But then, Aragorn stuck with Arwen when he obviously coulda/shoulda gone with Éowyn, who was a total badass - so what do I know?...more
Dammit!! It's a cliffhanger! But as the third book in what is basically the "John Carter trilogy" - The Warlord of Mars - is considerably shorter, gueDammit!! It's a cliffhanger! But as the third book in what is basically the "John Carter trilogy" - The Warlord of Mars - is considerably shorter, guess I'll dive right into that. Anyway…
Before "Star Wars," before "Avatar," before "The Lord of the Rings" and well before "science fiction" even existed as a genre (such stories weren't even called "scientifiction" until 1926), there was…John Carter of Mars.
Dumb as they are, these stories are also just plain - if totally sexist and generally un-PC - fun, dopey language and all, (and narrator Scott Brick does a great job reading these stories with just the right wink in his voice). As described elsewhere, such books are "long on story and short on plot" - which is a perfect description for these silly tales of a beautiful Martian princesses and her sword-swinging Superman. And I'll say it here too - the much-maligned 2012 Disney film version was a lot of fun too, suffering more from abysmal studio marketing than from being an actual cinematic stinker. The arena fight against the white apes is far better than the similar scene in "Attack of the Clones," and the nicely edited and scored scene that intercuts Carter throwing himself into a hopeless one-man fight against about a million Warhoons and the burial of his earthly wife and child is truly touching.
COUPLA POINT ON THE STORY ITSELF: A self-professed atheist, Burroughs in this book tears a pretty big chunk out of organized religion, at least the extremist end of the spectrum. And looking at both the modern Christian Right and Muslim fundamentalists, I have to say he's not all that wrong. And while I'm tempted to wonder if his writing here was in any way influenced by "The Great War," this book was in fact published a year before the war began - so unless this was a really convoluted look at the various alliances that would lead to "world war," it was more likely just a synchronistic coincidence, because frankly, Burroughs just isn't that subtle. Case in point: for nearly 100 pages, Carter keeps staring at this young kid who kind of looks like him, is awfully light-skinned for a "red Martian," and both jumps and fights like the superhuman Earthling - and yet he is totally gobsmacked when he finally learns that the kid is his son.
BUT BACK TO THE MOVIE… Obviously had to watch it again after finishing the book, and a few thoughts here as well. The movie actually takes things from both Princess and Gods, in particular the Therns and a bit of the Issus/River Iss mythology, (I think the arena battle with the apes also comes more from the second book.) Disney also made a wise choice in having Deja Thoris be a sword-wielding badass in her own right, as opposed to the "help, save me!" bimbo of the books. And finally, from seeing the film version where it is the Thern's medallion and superior technology that transports Carter to Mars and back, I had forgotten about Burrough's totally unexplained and unsatisfying “mysterious astral projection" which in both books comes off as pretty WTF??
But yeah - fun books and even a descent movie if you're in the right mood. The "making of" extras on the DVD area also pretty interesting; especially for a former graphic designer, I was impressed to see that someone had actually designed individual and unique tattoos for each of the several hundred "red Martian" main characters and extras - yikes!...more
Just finished the second "John Carter" book (which I will review separately), but while I'm mainly listening to those during my too-short daily commutJust finished the second "John Carter" book (which I will review separately), but while I'm mainly listening to those during my too-short daily commute, I then come home and continue by reading along in this volume as well - the most recent (and probably last) addition to my thankfully small "ridiculously thick book bookshelf" (see below) - because seriously, who really reads those things? They're unwieldy and probably too heavy for their binding, and while it's nice to have "seven H.G. Wells novels in one 'convenient' book," if I actually want to read one of them, I'll probably just borrow a much more handy paper or audio version from the library.
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But…in this case I'm actually using and enjoying this, as it not only has a very nice introduction to both Burroughs and Barsoom, but also a handy glossary of all the Martian names and titles from the first five books…and THAT is indispensable....more
Had never heard of Kingfisher before, but based on other reviews of other of her books, she's apparently brilliant - and she certainly was here. GreatHad never heard of Kingfisher before, but based on other reviews of other of her books, she's apparently brilliant - and she certainly was here. Great voice and style, nice spooky tone, and well-defined characters in just a short time.
I'm sure I've read Poe in the past, at least some of his short stories (did he write anything else??) - can remember details of "Telltale Heart," "Pit and the Pendulum" and "Amontillado" - but after reading this I realized that I knew nothing about the House of Usher, which probably made this even more of a pleasant surprise, (although I will definitely get the original from the library so I can compare Kingfisher's telling to the original).
Nice way to start the new year, with a 5 star read and a new author to explore!...more
"Every man has his own underworld and a part of him never leaves it."
With his first-person, hard-boiled persona, Quiller is the most noir of all the 6"Every man has his own underworld and a part of him never leaves it."
With his first-person, hard-boiled persona, Quiller is the most noir of all the 60s spies, and Hall really begins finding his voice with this second Quiller book,* (although he has yet to start using the paragraph-long run-on sentences that are half the fun of his later stories), moving away from the retro Nazi-hunter plot of the previous book and dropping Quiller into Vietnam-era Southeast Asia.
The plot is good-but-not-great, and despite being famous as the "cerebral spy who never carries a gun," Quiller gets himself into a number of situations where he would have done far better with less thinking and more shooting - just sayin'. Other plot points hinge on dumb luck and questionable choices, (at one point, Quiller realizes the only way not to lose the bad guy he's trailing is to hop in the car with him - where he is immediately captured), but hey…it was the '60s, man.**
So anyway...a 3+ story, rounded up for signalling the potential of what was to come. Dude definitely deserves more recognition today.
(One minor - okay, pretty major - kvetch: Hall throughout refers to Beijing-controlled Communist China as "The Republic of China" [ROC; i.e., Taiwan], instead of the proper "People's Republic of China" [PRC]. Isn't that what editors are for?) ___________________________________
* This was the second Quiller book in the "original" series; i.e., books 1-10 published pretty much biannually from 1965-1981 and all titled "The (Adjective-Noun)"; e.g., The Berlin Memorandum, The 9th Directive, etc. At that point, Hall took a needed four year break before returning for another nine books all titled "Quiller Something-or-Other", (Quiller Salamander, Quiller Bamboo, etc.).
** Interesting to note that Hall published his first Quiller book the same month Ian Fleming published his last Bond novel. Also interesting - the layout and execution of the whole assassination plot here has a very "Dealey Plaza, 1963" feel to it - I've got to believe this is what Hall was going for here, as he probably started writing this barely a year after Dallas.
PERSONAL NOTE: My book was a nice leather-bound first edition, picked up for a buck or two at our local used book store; it has an embossed "Wilmington Public Library" seal halfway through, but no signs of a book pocket on either the front or back inside covers - pretty sweet.
Horrific first-person story of the on-going abuse of China's indigenous Uyghur population.
China - I mean, what is WRONG with that place? And okay, theHorrific first-person story of the on-going abuse of China's indigenous Uyghur population.
China - I mean, what is WRONG with that place? And okay, they're not alone in their atrocious, authoritarian oppression…to give just two still-very-much-in-the-headlines examples: Myanmar continues trying its best to wipe out its Muslim Rohingya minority; while Russia, after failing to wipe out its own Muslim minority in Chechnya has now deployed Chechen Kadyrovites in its devastating and unwarranted war against Ukraine. But ultimately, both Myanmar and Russia are failing states - Putin is basically Kim Jong-un with more oil and a scarier arsenal - while China is the frickin' Borg, with their take-no-prisoners (well, apparently "take ALL prisoners") "assimilate or die" mentality that is wreaking devastation from the Himalaya to the Taklamakan to the South China Sea.
My heart goes out to Haitiwaji and her long years of unwarranted incarceration, as well as (obviously) all the millions of other Uyghurs who are either literal prisoners of China's brutal laogai/laojiao system; spiritual victims who may be "free" in the "not currently in jail" sense but still suffer daily oppression and persecution; or those "lucky ones" who were simply forced to flee their homeland, leaving family and friends behind forever. And while it was certainly heartening to see just today that the Canadian Parliament voted unanimously to take 10,000 Uyghur refugees, that's still not enough. China must somehow, somehow be held to account. And yet…it just isn't happening. Beijing continues to buy UN votes, South Pacific naval bases, and corrupt African governments, while the West sits back and refuses to take any serious actions that might interrupt its precious "supply chains..."
Don't get me wrong. I love the Chinese people - my wife is ethnic Chinese (i.e., Taiwanese), and I've lived over a quarter century in either Chinese majority (Taiwan/Singapore) or minority (Malaysia) countries/cultures. But China as a political entity…with what it has done in Tibet, what it continues to do in Xinjiang and is trying to do only a little bit less blatantly in Hong Kong, and what it is certainly planning to do in Taiwan, my home for over 18 years??? Yeah…fuck those guys.
FINAL NOTE: Also…how offensive is it that when you Google the author, the first thing that pops up is this? [image] "Chinese author"??? Okay, sure - in that she is technically a Chinese citizen (if not by choice) and has - or at least as of publication, had - a Chinese passport...as do all Tibetans or Uyghurs who ever hope to travel overseas. But I'm sure that is about the LAST thing she would ever describe herself as. Shame on you, Google!!...more
"First there were the fires. Australia burned when my parents were young, then again, and worse, when I was a baby. Later, half of Africa burned, alon"First there were the fires. Australia burned when my parents were young, then again, and worse, when I was a baby. Later, half of Africa burned, along with most of the land surrounding the Mediterranean. In America, first California burned, but then the entire West, when I was a child. Slowly, at first. Then, all at once. Next the flames took the South. Walls of fire that spread for miles, devouring the land and the houses, the towns and the animals. At first we only saw it on screens. Not in person. Once the crops had been destroyed by the fires the famine began. And then: chaos."
So okay, these apocalyptic/dystopian books are just always depressing by definition. But despite it's disturbingly realistic premise - the above fires, followed by an America taken over by religious right-wing "Fundies" who "had always been loudest about making sure there was no gun control until they controlled them all" - House manages to keep his story surprisingly lighter than many of its soulmates like The Road or Far North, largely since we know from the first page that the author survives and is writing his recollections in his relatively comfortable post-apoc old age.
The first 2/3s is better than the last, as I was waiting for some sort of climactic fight/reunion/battle/escape/anything that never came. And while the unique setting in Ireland helped attract me in the first place, it turns out a desolated Ireland is little different than a desolated anywhere else, and so this really could have been set most anywhere. But the writing and characters are both strong, and Seamus the beagle is a "very good boy" for the ages....more
Fascinating if micro (vs. macro) real-time look at the earliest days of WWI, beginning with the German invasion of Belgium and ending with their devasFascinating if micro (vs. macro) real-time look at the earliest days of WWI, beginning with the German invasion of Belgium and ending with their devastation of and entry into Antwerp - so basically Aug-Oct 1914.
As America had yet to enter the war (and wouldn't do so for another two-and-a-half years), Powell was remarkably free to wander back and forth across the Belgian-German fronts; carrying messages between the sides and even dining with general officers of both armies. In fact, the Germans courted Americans in the area, as they wanted desperately to keep the U.S. out of the war.
An absolute wealth of information and observation, so let me just list a few facts of particular interest:
- The dropping of bombs on Antwerp from a Zeppelin was apparently the first aerial bombardment in history.
- In terms of weaponry, tactics, uniforms, and pretty much everything else, the early days of WWI resembled the Civil War much more than what we think of in the later war - colorful uniforms with tall furry hats, full on cavalry lancer charges, primitive machine guns pulled by dogs, etc.
- British troops who withdrew from Belgium into Holland were interned for the duration, as Holland remained neutral for the whole war; indeed, the Netherlands eventually interned over 33,000 Belgians, 1,700 British and only 1,400 Germans. Not cool, Netherlands! :(
- "Duffel bags" are called that because the material used original came from the Belgian city of Duffel; and Flushing, NY is named for the southern Dutch city of Flushing (Vlissingen). However, Hoboken, NJ is not named for Hoboken, Belgium - as the NJ name comes from the original Lenape name "Hobocan Hackingh" or "land of the tobacco pipe;" while the Belgian neighborhood is derived from the Medieval Dutch "Hooghe Buechen," meaning "tall beeches."
- The British American Tobacco Company was apparently frickin' everywhere back then, (I'm currently also reading about the Chinese warlords of the 1920s, and the company was a major player/lobbyist there as well).
…and so much more. Great book that should be read by any student of the Great War or Belgium in general - published just months after the events took place, so amazingly fresh.
FYI, despite his attempts at journalistic impartiality, Powell notes in his introduction that he is fervently pro-Belgium, (as well he and everyone else should be here). With the U.S. finally entering the war in 1917, Powell was commissioned as a captain in military intelligence. After the war he became an adventure and travel writer, traveling widely around the world and publishing some 20 more books between 1920 and 1954.
Thanks to GR friends Paul and Daren for introducing me to the Gutenberg Project and it's endless collection of rare and free ebooks - including a number of others by Powell. This is gonna be fun…...more
For a debut novel, RPT has a lot going for it - an exotic setting well-described, and a unique and realistic first-person voice; it also has a reallyFor a debut novel, RPT has a lot going for it - an exotic setting well-described, and a unique and realistic first-person voice; it also has a really clever title and an eye-catching cover.
However, story-wise it is awfully thin. The whole book reads like "The Fugitive," except without, I dunno, an actual plot - or at least one that doesn't turn out to be a total MacGuffin, which is way-too-facilely dealt with in one closing conversation where "all is explained." The book also suffers from at least two too many "Lord of the Rings"-type multiple endings, (but then I'm no one to talk about not knowing when to stop writing).
Having just finished the surprisingly enjoyable Mrs Pollifax On China Station - a more-or-less spy story set in similar parts of China but 25 years earlier - I found the present-day China setting fascinating but also (at least for me) both disheartening and unsettling. I knew China back in the mid-80s, and while it certainly wasn't free, it also wasn’t the all-pervasive surveillance - and relententlessly materialistic - state that it appears to be here. Art gallery raves, goofy performance art, all-night videogame parlors, insane wealth disparities and a Starbucks on every corner - is that all that China gained from opening up to the West?
Overall, glad I read it - but probably won't read either of the sequels. And old fart that I am, I'm also really glad I visited China "back in the day," before all…this....more
Got off to a real 5-star start with the first chapter, but then drove straight off a cliff. Heinlein does a great job of imagining interplanetary combGot off to a real 5-star start with the first chapter, but then drove straight off a cliff. Heinlein does a great job of imagining interplanetary combat and future mil-tech, literally dropping us into a raid on an alien city of humanoid "Skinnies" - but then after 20 pages he leaps back in time to waste 100+ pages telling the excruciating story of Johnny Rico's journey from rich kid to trained "M.I." (Mobile Infantryman). After that, there's another chapter of combat - finally against the more famous "Bugs" - but then he quickly sends Johnny back to school - specifically Officer Candidate's School - for another endless section, only returning to war in the last 40 pages.
This book is considered "controversial" (says so right on the cover), but I'm not really sure why. It's fiction, so the author is allowed to choose whatever POV he wants - neo-Fascist, pro-corporal punishment, apparently racist (although in what war have we not demonized and insulted our enemies?); but much less than controversial, I just found it BORING. I ended up skipping large chunks of the OCS section, in which Heinlein apparently flogs his own views on society, politics, the military…not really sure whatall because, you know, skipped large chunks. But every time I did check back in and read a few paragraphs, it was just a real snooze fest.
Would have been better if Heinlein had spent less time preaching and more time, I dunno, plotting - as there is precious little real story here, much less any back story. Why did the Bugs decide to attack humans in the first place; why were the Skinnies allied to the Bugs rather than their more human relatives? And how the hell did the spider-like Bugs develop space travel technology in the first place?? I mean - where are the opposable thumbs??
[image]
Anyway.
This book was certainly influential (or so says Wiki and many other reviews), as it was apparently one of the first real military-based sci-fi novels. Certainly Bobbie Draper's Goliath armor and fighting style in "The Expanse" is a direct descendant of Heinlein's powered armor; and his overall "war against weird aliens" led directly to future - and far better - books like Max Barry's 2021 Providence. But just because I appreciate something for being groundbreaking, that doesn't mean I have to enjoy it in and of itself, (I'm also looking at you, original "Mad Max" movie, as well as - dare I say it? - The Beatles).
The only good news, I guess, is that at least I'm NOT tempted to watch the movie…...more
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