Happy Independence Day, Citizens. In celebration of a holiday born of revolt, I bring you Book Two of George R.R. Martin's magnificent A Song of Ice and Fire series, A Clash of Kings
Martin paints on a grand canvas, maintaining threads for each of the Starks as well as a small handful of others. Don't be fooled. I'm most of the way through the third volume Everybody Dies. Martin has no compunction whatsoever about sucking the reader in to a character and storyline, only to snuff it out.
Joseph Campbell, in his The Hero with a Thousand Faces, describes the classic "hero's journey" thusly:
A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder: fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won: the hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man.
This volume gets the "fabulous forces" and "mysterious adventures" in gear, larding on layers of myth, macabre and magic only hinted at in the first book. But who the hell are the heroes in this series? I've identified several potentials, only to see them offed. Other characters who, to all appearances seemed to be cast as villains, he rehabilitates with a change of perspective and/or circumstances.
I'm smitten at the same time. Martin is a brave and compelling writer. The stories twist and turn in unexpected ways, while maintaining a dramatic tension often lacking in Robert Jordan's more ponderous Wheel of Time series. The characters are more real, more engaging and more bloody too. Just what a day of ice (in the drinks), fire (on the grill) and fireworks needs!
What have you been reading?
I'm still working on the more ponderous Wheel of Time books, trying to finish The Fires of Heaven before the next Song of Ice and Fire volume comes out. This one isn't grabbing me as well as the first four did. I kind of feel like Jordan is spending too much time trying to explain Aiel customs rather than actually advancing the story. But, I'm only about halfway through so maybe that will change.
I plowed through the first 56 volumes of the Wheel pretty quickly, although the last two dozen or so kind of frustrated me as I realized that the story might never end. The series is too long by at least half.
And yet, we keep reading. Hopefully Martin doesn't fall into the same trap, and hopefully he makes it long enough to finish writing them.
First 56 and last two dozen? No wonder I feel like I'm missing plot points sometimes- I've only read the first ten. 😉
What have you been reading?
nothing.
Whaaaaa??? You need a book club, Rhu.
nothing
[Dido]
I've actually read not one, but two books since our last book discussion.
Brainiac by Ken Jennings. The book is part the story of his Jeopardy! run, part the history of trivia. It had some interesting information in it. I'd recommend it if watching Jeopardy! is something you enjoy, but I don't think any non-nerd would enjoy it.
American Gods by Neil Gaiman. I really enjoyed this book. People kept asking me "What's that about?" I had to keep saying, "I'm not sure, but it's coming up." But to me, the book was less about the plot and more about the nature of belief and what it means to come to America.
I recalled a conversation I had with my Irish roommate. When people asked where I was from when I was in Ireland, I'd say "Iowa, in the States." But here, when someone asks where I'm from, the answer is "Irish-German" It's the idea that here in America we're all from somewhere else. To me, that really came through in American Gods, that people come to America with the things from home, but those things slowly fade.
Currently Reading
Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace. This is just the preview from Amazon on my Kindle. I'm considering buying the rest of it.
Godel, Escher, Bach by Douglas Hofstadter. I'm not sure if I'm going to get much farther than Chapter 1. I barely made it out of the introduction. I'm not a fan of philosophy, and the book's much more philosophical than I initially thought it would be.
Also, I've got a new bit of Sherlock Holmes on the Kindle for just short stories when I feel like something quick.
I don't think I got more than a third of the way through Godel, Escher, Bach myself, and that was a couple decades ago.
I had a similar reaction to Hofstadter's book. I only got a couple of chapters in before setting it aside.
Reading this right now. I'm enjoying a lot of the symbology and imagery, but I have to agree, the plot is hazy right now, and I'm 143 pages in.
still waiting on american gods from the library, as it seems to be this month's offical WGOM book club selection.
i've made a couple runs at infinite jest, and i'm planning on making another one soon enough. i've read enough to know there's genius in those pages.
If I haven't recommended this one before, it's got a nice Irish bent and I found it entertaining.
Magoo, if yer lookin' fer sumptin Irish, this is feckin' Irish.
Finished American Gods this morning. This kind of novel is not my typical read, but it was entertaining. I thought that there were a few too many characters, some of which were barely developed. Plus, Americans don't like their gods? I'm not too sure about that. I'monthe fence as to whether I'll read another by this author. Maybe I will, and maybe not. But, thanks bS for introducing me to him.
Plus, Americans don't like their gods? I'm not too sure about that.
That isn't the message I got.
Finished Rendezvous with Rama. Good stuff.
Re: main characters in the A Song of Ice and Fire series:
I'm trying to get Runner daughter to read Rendezvous, with no luck so far. She hasn't hit her reading pile in quite a while. Taking after her old man, I suppose.
Rendezvous is one of the all-time greats. The follow-ups, not so much.
I enjoyed Rama. ONe thing that stuck with me from it was that when they tried to open the hatch, they pushed against the crank or whatever it's called, and it wouldn't turn. Then they realized that it was threaded backwards to what they were used to (Leftie tightie, rightly loosey in this case). Clarke said something about assuming it would be one way, when really there was no reason to. I always think of that when I see something from another culture and think "That's weird" or "That's not how you do that" or anything else elitist. Just because there's one way of doing things, doesn't mean there can't be another.
Morgan Freeman is really on board getting this made as a movie, but I'm not sure it's a good idea. It's more of a zen-like exploration with not a lot of action, and I don't think that will translate well.
Unless they have really cool theme music.
Right
nothing much here. just a couple bukowski selections: women and hollywood.
I can see it now. Famished Pete on your knee. Reading the feel good poetry of Hank Chinaski:
*taps nose*
Jonathan Franzen Freedom--One word: wow. One of America's finest writers with a big, sprawling, messy account of St. Paul's Berglund clan. It's a book about family and trying to find your place in it. It's about athletics and academics, friendship and betrayal, lust and love, and politics. Lots of politics. If this sounds boring to those of you who are into the fantasy genre, the power of his prose can be found on virtually every page. This one covers the gamut of emotions that affect the heart. Bitingly profound, funny as hell (an accidentally swallowed wedding ring and it's subsequent retrieval is disgusting hilarious), and ultimately touching (I had something in my eye for most of the final chapter.)
I happened to
readfinish Franzen's The Corrections right before this one. Interestingly enough, I'd hated the first 200 pages or so of that one when I started it a few years back. At the time, there wasn't a likable character in the book. Or so I thought. Re-reading it, I realized that Franzen slowly peeled layer after layer from each of these highly flawed and unlikable people, until you were left with real live flesh and blood characters who are entirely recognizable human beings. And his ability to string together wonderful written sentence after wonderfully written sentence is truly sublime.HG Bissinger Friday Night Lights--Found this at a garage sale a few weeks back and loved it. West Texas HS football simultaneously exposed and exalted. A thrilling and ultimately disturbing read. One of the best sports books I've ever read.
I'm about 60 pages into Jennifer Egan's Look at Me. It appears to be another winner. She, as you may remember, wrote A Visit From the Goon Squad, a fantastic book (and Pulitzer winner.)
I have to admit that it took me a long time to enjoy Freedom. The characters were so odious, so flawed, that I found it difficult to sympathize with anyone or care what happened to them. But Franzen brought kept me engaged and then won me over at the end.
As I mentioned above, I'm reading American Gods, it's been good so far.
Finished The Road by Cormac McCarthy, that is a bleak, depressing book that really held my attention. I finished it in three reading sessions. I felt like it could've gone on for a lot longer, but the end felt pretty final, even given how abrupt it was.
Also read Slaughterhouse Five and Cat's Cradle by Vonnegut. First Vonnegut I've read, and I probably won't be searching him out again. The stories are interesting, but they felt like he was telling the story just to weave a tale. Again, the endings weren't really satisfactory for me, but I did enjoy the stories on the way to the finish.
Read The Blade of Tyshalle and Caine Black Knife by Matthew Stover, the follow-ups to Heroes Die. While they weren't as good as the first book, they are well-written and continue to flesh out one of the most well-conceived and executed fantasy world/future visions I've ever been introduced to. I'm eagerly awaiting the next, supposedly final volume, His Father's Fist.
Also tried Harlan Ellison's Dream Corridor, another Tim Powers novel, Three Days to Never, and re-read the last three books of The Dresden Files. For anyone who likes their series to have definite storylines and separations between books, Jim Butcher's doing an excellent job of developing his characters and moving along his overall plot as well as any other author I've read recently.
huh. those are two of my favorite vonneguts right there.
i was surprised at how engrossing the road was for as little that happened in it.
The Road was the first book I read on my Kindle. Absolutely devastating, and yet so very beautiful.
I read The Road a couple years ago, when the movie was coming out. I don't get it. I honestly didn't think it was all that great.
I really need to re-read some Vonnegut. Adored his books as a wide-eyed college kid, but have not read them since.
The Road was a devastating read. McCarthy is a damn fine writer.
I've been reading Krakauer's Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman. It's been a difficult read on a variety of levels, and I've had to put it down several times out of frustration.
Up next is Paolo Bacigalupi's The Windup Girl.
Is anyone else on Goodreads?
Is anyone else on Goodreads?
Yep. Looks like I only used my first name. Find the me that's reading Catcher in the Wry.
I mentioned this a bit ago, but I picked up American Gods on recommendation of the Nation. I plan on starting it tomorrow.
I'm on Goodreads, as well.
I just finished The Best and the Brightest this weekend. I wouldn't rate it as highly as The Powers That Be, but Halberstam is an unbelievably gifted writer at capturing personalities.
I'm guessing that Song of Ice and Fire was brought up in part because of the TV series and in part due to Dance With Dragons coming out soon. I have to say, I haven't anticipated a book coming out like this since the last Harry Potter. And even that's maybe a tenth of the excitement that I have for this new book. I started the series about the time that Feast came out, and have been waiting for Dance for near 6 years. I've read through the other 4 three times (well, only halfway through my 3rd read of Feast For Crows) and I'm certain I will read them again when book 6 is about to come out.
I've been asking myself whether I'm going to finish FFC before I start DWD. The answer it plainly no, since there's the advantage that both are supposed to be taking place at the same time. So I will attempt to read both simultaneously, hoping to at least finish those parts of FFC that may see resolution in DWD.
So now, do I go to the store at midnight... or just pick one up Tues morning...
Actually, I'd been thinking about reading this series for a couple of years before taking the plunge a couple of months ago. The adverts for the HBO series may have played some small role in goosing me to take the plunge, but only a small one. I'd say that it had more to do with running out of paperback Wheel of Time volumes.
I am now deep into Feast.