This is a tale of unfolding public fantasy, showing the evolution of female heroes through the decades. The story ties in with developments in fashionThis is a tale of unfolding public fantasy, showing the evolution of female heroes through the decades. The story ties in with developments in fashion, film, politics and music. In exploring comic books, Madrid touches off light-shows of memories and associations in a way that's fascinating and playful....more
Sure it makes psychiatric hospitals look demonic, but the heroes champion a greater cause, challenging all the traditional ways we've imposed our stanSure it makes psychiatric hospitals look demonic, but the heroes champion a greater cause, challenging all the traditional ways we've imposed our standards on others, supposedly for their benefit....more
Heller whipsaws you back and forth between hilarity and horror, conveying not so much the stunning immorality as the utter absurdity of war. When ClevHeller whipsaws you back and forth between hilarity and horror, conveying not so much the stunning immorality as the utter absurdity of war. When Clevinger accuses Yossarian of displaying disloyal sentiments that give comfort to the enemy, Yossarian explains, "The enemy is anybody who's going to get you killed, no matter which side he's on. And don't you ever forget that, because the longer you remember it, the longer you might live." ... "But Clevinger did forget, and now he was dead."...more
Back in the 1980s, I met a woman from Iran who was working in her off hours to translate this book into Persian. I think that gives some clue what thiBack in the 1980s, I met a woman from Iran who was working in her off hours to translate this book into Persian. I think that gives some clue what this book has meant for the whole world....more
Davis's translation is clear, dramatic, and well condensed, with a smattering of brief summaries for the less important segments. The story is absolutDavis's translation is clear, dramatic, and well condensed, with a smattering of brief summaries for the less important segments. The story is absolutely enormous -- rivaling the Bible or the Mahabharata in scale and length. And like the Bible, it is full of surprises for those expecting orthodox traditionalism. One surprise is the number of powerful women. Another is the celebration of free and rebellious love affairs. A third is the open disdain for the Arab conquerors who brought Islam. But the thing that most surprised me is how this ode to heroic kings turns into an orgy of battles for power, until the whole notion of kingship starts to seem repulsive. It's a national epic with lots for future generations to draw on....more
Amirrezvani's novel rivals the great sagas of court intrigue in pre-modern China or Japan. The center of action lies not in the official male-dominateAmirrezvani's novel rivals the great sagas of court intrigue in pre-modern China or Japan. The center of action lies not in the official male-dominated court, but among the ladies and eunuchs of the harem, who are fully engaged a struggle to save their country. Princess Pari and her eunuch viceroy Javaher emerge as heroes worthy of classical Persian legend in their battle of wits between meritocracy and back-stabbing greed. The novel is more powerful because it is built on the life of a real woman, Pari Khan Khanum, a Safavid court strategist who engineered the removal of the brutal shah Ismail II, and was murdered by men fearful of her brilliance in 1578....more
This book is good for fans of Lopez, who want to know more about him personally. I found it an eclectic collection of writing, some on journeys to plaThis book is good for fans of Lopez, who want to know more about him personally. I found it an eclectic collection of writing, some on journeys to places, some on appreciating crafts, some on Lopez's adventures in fast cars as a young man. I appreciated the travel writing, especially about the islands of Bonaire, Hokkaido, and the Galapagos archipelago. ...more
I think this book is maybe the greatest thing Starhawk ever did. It's a monument of imagination, where she fully fleshes out the alternative society oI think this book is maybe the greatest thing Starhawk ever did. It's a monument of imagination, where she fully fleshes out the alternative society of her dreams -- how it will function, think, and feel. She imagines just about the worst disasters we could throw at ourselves, and then plausibly shows how the society of witches could emerge from that, as a victory of basic human decency. Of all alternative worlds I've seen in books or screens, I like this one the best....more
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