Well - I guess this is the first time I'm writing about a well-known book. Interesting. Dan Brown: people certainly have opinions about him! I picked up The DaVinci Code when it first came out and before it was all over the news and I loved it. I then read Angels and Demons and enjoyed that too. And now, finally, I've read the newest one.
I have to say - his style is certainly a page-turner! Short chapters that end on a mini cliffhanger make you want to keep reading. "Just one more," I said to myself on several occasions. The suspense kept me going, and I liked it! Part of what I like about his novels is the blending of fact and fiction. And it's the facts that, for me, make it the most interesting - well, the facts and what he does with them. Reading about the symbolism, the Freemasons, the architecture in Washington DC, the things that are there that we don't even realize, or whose significance is lost on us...It's really interesting, and that's the part that I liked best. The actual plot was okay...There was a twist at the end involving the bad guy that I did NOT see coming at all, and I thought that that was very well done. The involvement of the CIA - that part didn't stand up as much for me. But it was necessary.
I also liked the inclusion of Noetics...I've heard about this before, and it fascinates me. I like how he blended/paired it with ancient and religious teachings. I don't know if that part is fact or fiction, but it makes for interesting thinking.
So my quote - there was definitely one paragraph that stood out. And here it is.
From the Crusades, to the Inquisition, to American politics - the name Jesus had been hijacked as an ally in all kinds of power struggles. Since the beginning of time, the ignorant had always screamed the loudest, herding the unsuspecting masses and forcing them to do their bidding. They defended their worldly desires by citing Scripture they did not understand. They celebrated their intolerance as proof of their own convictions. Now, after all these years, mankind had finally managed to utterly erode everything that had once been so beautiful about Jesus.
Wow. Wow. I'm sure there are a lot of conservative Christians who would flip out about that paragraph...but I think it's very powerful, and very true. Not that I was around 2,000 years ago to have known Jesus, but still.
An interesting read. A fun read. A thought-provoking read, if you want it to be. I recommend it.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Debout Les Morts - Fred Vargas
Debout Les Morts, or - loosely translated - Dead People Are Standing. This is the third of the four Fred Vargas novels I got while in France. This one doesn't have Inspector Adamsberg, which the last one did...It has a group of guys all sharing a house. Three guys in their 30's and the one guy's uncle/godfather. And they're all historians, except for the uncle, who is a former cop. And such characters! I see why Catherine really likes these books. They've moved into this old, beat-up house because they're all pretty much broke. And they arrange themselves by time periods they study. Mathias studies prehistory, so has the second floor. Marc studies medieval history so has the third floor. And Lucien studies World War I, so has the third floor. And the uncle - former cop- well, he's firmly in the present so is on the top floor. It's just a comical way to place themselves.
The three come to be known as the Evangelists, because the uncle/godfather starts calling them Saint Matthew, Saint Mark and Saint Luke, much to their dismay. But it fits, oddly. In this book, we meet them, see them move into this house and get to know each other, and - of course - solve a mystery. Their neighbor is a former opera singer, Sophia. And one day, she wakes up, and is disturbed to see that someone has planted a tree in her yard. Overnight. For no (known) reason. Well, she's none too pleased, and even a bit disturbed. Her husband doesn't seem to care and no one claims any knowledge of it. She gets to know the Evangelists and then, one day, she disappears.
Theories abound - did she run away with a secret lover? was she killed? - until they find her body. Then the investigation gets serious. And intriguing! I had a few theories as I read about who did what, but boy was I wrong. And there was a twist near the end that I really didn't see coming. It's a great story...full of unique and memorable characters, a strong plot and a good resolution at the end. I have one more of Fred Vargas's books at home - with the three evangelists again - and am looking forward to reading it! And if you want to read it too, but don't read French, it's published in English under the title The Three Evangelists.
The three come to be known as the Evangelists, because the uncle/godfather starts calling them Saint Matthew, Saint Mark and Saint Luke, much to their dismay. But it fits, oddly. In this book, we meet them, see them move into this house and get to know each other, and - of course - solve a mystery. Their neighbor is a former opera singer, Sophia. And one day, she wakes up, and is disturbed to see that someone has planted a tree in her yard. Overnight. For no (known) reason. Well, she's none too pleased, and even a bit disturbed. Her husband doesn't seem to care and no one claims any knowledge of it. She gets to know the Evangelists and then, one day, she disappears.
Theories abound - did she run away with a secret lover? was she killed? - until they find her body. Then the investigation gets serious. And intriguing! I had a few theories as I read about who did what, but boy was I wrong. And there was a twist near the end that I really didn't see coming. It's a great story...full of unique and memorable characters, a strong plot and a good resolution at the end. I have one more of Fred Vargas's books at home - with the three evangelists again - and am looking forward to reading it! And if you want to read it too, but don't read French, it's published in English under the title The Three Evangelists.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Frontiers - Michael Jensen
The first words on the back cover: "The year is 1797." Right there, reason enough for me to not even try to read the book. Me and history, you know, we are not friends. But let me give it a whirl, I told myself. Had I seen this in the bookstore I would not have bought it. But I actually got this book - along with many others - from Jeffrey, and he liked it, so it should be half-decent, right?
I really enjoyed it! Much to my surprise. The main character is John Chapman who, apparently, is Johnny Appleseed. It doesn't say that in the book anywhere but I happened to see it online when I was looking to see what other books Michael Jensen has written. Anyway, John Chapman is leaving behind everything he knew and striking out to western Pennsylvania, which is still being settled at this time. It's his story, and the story of the people he meets.
Add in a love story - because apparently John Chapman is gay, which is the reason he's running. Sodomy don't go over too well in these times. And add in some violence and drama, because life wasn't easy back then, clearly. Especially not when one of the characters is a psychotic killer.
What I thought was interesting was how Michael Jensen treats the idea of identity. As the book opens, John is fleeing from southern Canada, where he was caught having a relationship with a British soldier. And John is scared, insecure, not very self-reliant. If he makes it through the trek to western PA, where he meets Daniel, it's through luck and divine providence rather than his own skills. Once he meets Daniel, though, and has to learn to survive and to kill and things like that - to be much tougher and, in a way, more violent than he has before. So he starts to refer to himself by his last name, as Chapman, and mentally differentiates between how John would handle something versus how Chapman would handle it. And it got me thinking about how much difference a name can make - and does it affect who we are and how we act?
Who am I, for instance. I'm Don, right? Yes and no. To my friends I am. To my immediate family, I'm Donald. To my extended family, Donnie. And in France I'm Donald, pronounced with a French accent. Does that make me a different person in each scenario? I do feel slightly different. Especially in France. Is there power in a name? Can it help us see ourselves differently and be different? Is a rose by any other name really still a rose? I don't know.
Anyway...a good read that was much more enjoyable than I thought. So, yay.
I really enjoyed it! Much to my surprise. The main character is John Chapman who, apparently, is Johnny Appleseed. It doesn't say that in the book anywhere but I happened to see it online when I was looking to see what other books Michael Jensen has written. Anyway, John Chapman is leaving behind everything he knew and striking out to western Pennsylvania, which is still being settled at this time. It's his story, and the story of the people he meets.
Add in a love story - because apparently John Chapman is gay, which is the reason he's running. Sodomy don't go over too well in these times. And add in some violence and drama, because life wasn't easy back then, clearly. Especially not when one of the characters is a psychotic killer.
What I thought was interesting was how Michael Jensen treats the idea of identity. As the book opens, John is fleeing from southern Canada, where he was caught having a relationship with a British soldier. And John is scared, insecure, not very self-reliant. If he makes it through the trek to western PA, where he meets Daniel, it's through luck and divine providence rather than his own skills. Once he meets Daniel, though, and has to learn to survive and to kill and things like that - to be much tougher and, in a way, more violent than he has before. So he starts to refer to himself by his last name, as Chapman, and mentally differentiates between how John would handle something versus how Chapman would handle it. And it got me thinking about how much difference a name can make - and does it affect who we are and how we act?
Who am I, for instance. I'm Don, right? Yes and no. To my friends I am. To my immediate family, I'm Donald. To my extended family, Donnie. And in France I'm Donald, pronounced with a French accent. Does that make me a different person in each scenario? I do feel slightly different. Especially in France. Is there power in a name? Can it help us see ourselves differently and be different? Is a rose by any other name really still a rose? I don't know.
Anyway...a good read that was much more enjoyable than I thought. So, yay.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Pars Vite et Reviens Tard - Fred Vargas
Pars Vite et Reviens Tard, or Leave Quickly and Come Back Late. This is Catherine's favorite author, the one I mentioned a few books ago. I had read her first book, and Catherine said that that one wasn't her favorite. Well, now, after reading this one, I totally get it.
This book is about a serial killer in Paris - but one who decided to kill his victims with the black plague. Which isn't around anymore, right? Or is it? A seemingly random selection of victims. Who, of course, are anything but. And a very complex reveal of who the killer is.
I loved the complexity of this book. It opens with two parallel stories: a modern-day town crier reading mysterious submissions, which makes his acquaintance suspicious; a homicide detective pulled into what appear to be number 4s graffitied on random doors. You know, from the beginning, that these two plot lines are going to come together. But they don't do so until about 1/3 of the way through the book. In the meantime, you get to know the characters and really understand what's happening. Then with the introduction of the black plague - which is what the mysterious submissions are actually about, and which the 4s are linked to as well - it all becomes fascinating.
Detective Adamsburg is the main man on the scene; he's the homicide detective. And I love the details that are brought into this story that aren't related to the murders but that feel like they couldn't have been left out of the book. His girlfriend, Camille, and their relationship...It adds such a depth to things, a richness not just to Adamsburg but to the story overall.
At the end, I wasn't sure what was going to happen, who was going to be behind it all, and I thought it was really well done. So kudos to this book. In comparison to the other Fred Vargas I read, it's clear that her writing matured very well. The other book, while enjoyable, was more - I don't know - formulaic, almost. A younger writing style, less mature. This one is rich, complex, layered, in a whole different league. I look forward to reading the two others that Catherine selected for me.
This book is about a serial killer in Paris - but one who decided to kill his victims with the black plague. Which isn't around anymore, right? Or is it? A seemingly random selection of victims. Who, of course, are anything but. And a very complex reveal of who the killer is.
I loved the complexity of this book. It opens with two parallel stories: a modern-day town crier reading mysterious submissions, which makes his acquaintance suspicious; a homicide detective pulled into what appear to be number 4s graffitied on random doors. You know, from the beginning, that these two plot lines are going to come together. But they don't do so until about 1/3 of the way through the book. In the meantime, you get to know the characters and really understand what's happening. Then with the introduction of the black plague - which is what the mysterious submissions are actually about, and which the 4s are linked to as well - it all becomes fascinating.
Detective Adamsburg is the main man on the scene; he's the homicide detective. And I love the details that are brought into this story that aren't related to the murders but that feel like they couldn't have been left out of the book. His girlfriend, Camille, and their relationship...It adds such a depth to things, a richness not just to Adamsburg but to the story overall.
At the end, I wasn't sure what was going to happen, who was going to be behind it all, and I thought it was really well done. So kudos to this book. In comparison to the other Fred Vargas I read, it's clear that her writing matured very well. The other book, while enjoyable, was more - I don't know - formulaic, almost. A younger writing style, less mature. This one is rich, complex, layered, in a whole different league. I look forward to reading the two others that Catherine selected for me.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
While England Sleeps - David Leavitt
England, late 1930's. From the point of view of our main character, Brian, most of England remains caught up in itself and is choosing to ignore the problems in Europe - namely, Hitler is in power in Germany and there's violence and war in Spain against Franco's regime.
Right there, that's enough to make me put down a book. I swear that I am missing whatever part of the brain is in charge of understanding history and politics. Maybe that part of my brain has been reassigned to help support my sparkling wit and amazing personality, I don't know. But anyway, I loved this book. Despite the history and politics! And that's no mean feat.
The story is that of Brian and the man he falls in love with, Edward. They're both about 20 years old, but from very different classes. Brian, we learn, is not able to accept being gay and his relationship with Edward, despite the fact that they really do love each other. And this leads Brian to make some pretty crappy decisions with some pretty crappy consequences. It's a love story, it's a story that takes us to war, it's a story about pain and being afraid. I truly was pulled in from the beginning which is a testament to David Leavitt's writing style. And he kept my interest the whole way through.
Two quotes...One is on that page that lists the copyright year, which I always look at to see when the book was written. And underneath that is this line that I don't understand...The moral right of the author has been asserted. Huh? Um...okay...
The other quote comes after Brian and Edward spend their first night sleeping together - and I mean sleeping. Brian wakes up to find Edward, still asleep, cuddled into him and is awakened to more than just a new morning, but to a new potential in life. And he narrates...
Edward had his arm draped over my chest. I could feel little bursts of warmth on my back as he breathed against me. I could hear the knock and whistle of the water pipes, the purr of the calico cat. And at that moment a happiness filled me that was pure and perfect and yet it was bled with despair - as if I had been handed a cup of ambrosial nectar to drink from and knew that once I finished drinking, the cup would be withdrawn forever, and nothing to come would ever taste as good.
Wow. Such a beautiful image, and filled with such sadness at the end. Wow.
Right there, that's enough to make me put down a book. I swear that I am missing whatever part of the brain is in charge of understanding history and politics. Maybe that part of my brain has been reassigned to help support my sparkling wit and amazing personality, I don't know. But anyway, I loved this book. Despite the history and politics! And that's no mean feat.
The story is that of Brian and the man he falls in love with, Edward. They're both about 20 years old, but from very different classes. Brian, we learn, is not able to accept being gay and his relationship with Edward, despite the fact that they really do love each other. And this leads Brian to make some pretty crappy decisions with some pretty crappy consequences. It's a love story, it's a story that takes us to war, it's a story about pain and being afraid. I truly was pulled in from the beginning which is a testament to David Leavitt's writing style. And he kept my interest the whole way through.
Two quotes...One is on that page that lists the copyright year, which I always look at to see when the book was written. And underneath that is this line that I don't understand...The moral right of the author has been asserted. Huh? Um...okay...
The other quote comes after Brian and Edward spend their first night sleeping together - and I mean sleeping. Brian wakes up to find Edward, still asleep, cuddled into him and is awakened to more than just a new morning, but to a new potential in life. And he narrates...
Edward had his arm draped over my chest. I could feel little bursts of warmth on my back as he breathed against me. I could hear the knock and whistle of the water pipes, the purr of the calico cat. And at that moment a happiness filled me that was pure and perfect and yet it was bled with despair - as if I had been handed a cup of ambrosial nectar to drink from and knew that once I finished drinking, the cup would be withdrawn forever, and nothing to come would ever taste as good.
Wow. Such a beautiful image, and filled with such sadness at the end. Wow.
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