Meh. I could easily deduce what Doyle was trying to do here, but he just didn't quite pull it off.Meh. I could easily deduce what Doyle was trying to do here, but he just didn't quite pull it off....more
With this biography, Meacham appears to continue to float in that narrative sphere between popular journalist-historians (Alter, Woolfe) and popular aWith this biography, Meacham appears to continue to float in that narrative sphere between popular journalist-historians (Alter, Woolfe) and popular academic-historians (Ellis, Kearns Goodwin, Morris). His writing most closely resembles (in many, many ways) Walter Isaacson and David McCullough. They write similar types of biographies and seem to inhabit a similar clumped intellectual range.
That said, while Meacham's style will never perfectly thrill academic historians, this biography is interesting and paced-well and shouldn't trouble too many presidential history buffs. Meacham has never had a real boat-tipping agenda with his biographies. He certainly wants to make Jefferson's life, times and experiences (told largely through secondary sources, anecdotes and at times brilliant story-telling) relevant to our current political and social setting. He did this wonderfully with FDR and Jackson and has continued his record with this excellent bio of Jefferson....more
Read it again in 2013 after reading Dickens' Hard Times just to make sure JSM wasn't as crass as the industrial, totally rationalized society, UtilitaRead it again in 2013 after reading Dickens' Hard Times just to make sure JSM wasn't as crass as the industrial, totally rationalized society, Utilitarians presented in 'Hard Times'. He wasn't, and so it is still safe for me to still have some affection for Utilitarianism as an ism.
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Since I hadn't read Mill since college, I figured it was high time to revisit his famous ethical essay on, and defense of, social utility, justice and the greatest-happiness principle. I remember loving the clarity and simplicity of Mill's arguments when I was first exposed to this essay in college, and the central ideas of utilitarianism still resonate with me 15 years later.
Thomas Paine is one of those writers who seemed to have been dropped by a deist God 200 years before the world was really ready for him. His energy, hThomas Paine is one of those writers who seemed to have been dropped by a deist God 200 years before the world was really ready for him. His energy, honesty and political bravery was intense. By his voice alone he helped to transform the West. Common Sense, the Rights of Man, and finally the Age of Reason have all thrown the political and social gauntlet down and caused people to either cheer him (Common Sense) or hiss his name (Age of Reason).
The Rights of Man was visionary in its call for intellectual republicanism and social justice. Paine was and is a prophetic voice for individual freedom and moral equality. He is my favorite founder to quote whenever I find myself in a debate where someone wants to lump the 'Founders' together in some giant Libertarian Christianity pudding. He was a true radical and a true American....more
“If blood can produce money through rituals or the so-called human sacrifice, then it is the basis on which we live, so it is very essential to save a“If blood can produce money through rituals or the so-called human sacrifice, then it is the basis on which we live, so it is very essential to save and protect it from the fiendish eyes of blood sucking predators.” ― Michael Bassey Johnson
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While this is probably my favorite Highsmith/Ripley novel so far, it is also the most unsettling. She manages - by introducing a new counter-Narrator (Jonathan) - to make Ripley's amorality seem even more fragile and desolate. Jonathan's wife Simone also stands as an interesting counter-spouse to Heloise. Throughout the novel the twisting and sometimes converging tales of Ripley and Jonathan seem like spinning endless mirrors. Each narrator reflecting the existential, blood-splattered flatness of the other. It was brilliant and disconcerting at the same time....more
“Honestly, I don't understand why people get so worked up about a little murder!” ― Patricia Highsmith, Ripley Under Ground
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While I don't believ“Honestly, I don't understand why people get so worked up about a little murder!” ― Patricia Highsmith, Ripley Under Ground
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While I don't believe 'Ripley Under Ground' is quite on the same level as 'The Talented Mr Ripley' it is still amazing to think about on how many levels Highsmith is writing. This novel reminds me a lot of Peter Carey's novel My Life as a Fake and obviously Gaddis' The Recognitions. It also makes me want to explore deeper into the life of Wolfgang Beltrracchi, but that will have to be another day.
These novels all explore ideas/themes of art, authenticity, fakery, artistic isolation and basic counterfeits of all forms. What happens when the poseur becomes a greater poet/painter than the original? How do we measure art? How thin is the line between truth and fiction? I do love how fascinated some writers become with the idea of fakes, forgery, doppelgängers, etc. There is a deeper undercurrent here than I've explored. There is: Nabokov, Highsmith, Doestoevsky, Carey, Gaddis, etc. I'd love to find the Urtext on forgery; the first fictional exploration. Where did the spring of this all come from?
Anyway, Highsmith deserves to be recognized not just as a hard-boiled crime writer, but as a literary/genre example of Gresham's law. When the gods of fiction made Highsmith, they broke and buried the plates....more
I was surprised at how good 'His Last Bow' was. While not an absolute masterpiece like The Adventures and Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, it is easily on I was surprised at how good 'His Last Bow' was. While not an absolute masterpiece like The Adventures and Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, it is easily on par with The Return of Sherlock Holmes. I think part of the genius of Sherlock Holmes is how easily the primary charcter allows for adaption to the patterns of the time and the age he is read. Sherlock Holmes is like a literary dress form stand, upon which the fashions of every age can and do hang....more
ACD's last novel (novella?) isn't as masterful as The Hound of the Baskervilles but it's still classic Doyle. It reminded me a lot of The Sign of FourACD's last novel (novella?) isn't as masterful as The Hound of the Baskervilles but it's still classic Doyle. It reminded me a lot of The Sign of Four, exept the Mormons are now replaced with the Scowrers. I'm probably repeating myself from earlier reviews of ACD's novels, but Doyle is a born writer of short fiction and his novels just don't carry the same force, and seem like watered-down/diluted versions of his better stories. That being said, I love Sherlock Holmes. ...more
My least favorite of Doyle's Sherlock Holmes story collections. Probably 3.5 stars, all but a couple stories remind me of listening to the Rolling StoMy least favorite of Doyle's Sherlock Holmes story collections. Probably 3.5 stars, all but a couple stories remind me of listening to the Rolling Stones post 2000 (appreciate the work, but it is obvious the exceptional stuff was done 20 years previous). Still here and there I found the Case-Book enjoyable, the rest of the stories seemed phoned in. Doyle wasn't carving new channels here, but his craft was still formidable....more
“Most men—it is my experience—are neither virtuous nor scoundrels, good-hearted nor bad-hearted. They are a little of one thing and a little of the ot“Most men—it is my experience—are neither virtuous nor scoundrels, good-hearted nor bad-hearted. They are a little of one thing and a little of the other and nothing for any length of time: ignoble mediocrities.” ― Robert Graves, Claudius the God and His Wife Messalina
Obviously, Shakespeare is the master of historical fiction/drama but he is so obviously the deified king of historical fiction that the Shakespearian 'sun needs no inscription to distinguish him from darkness'.
Grave's duology must be intimidating to a historian of Imperial Rome. The personality of Claudius has been so deeply set by Graves that I'm not sure any tweaking by modern historians will be able to fool with Grave's fool.
The Genius of 'I, Claudius' and 'Glaudius the God' is derived from Graves' ability to create such an amazingly rich and deep literary character. The closest I've come across in recent times is Hilary Mantel's Thomas Cromwell. Historical fiction like this are rare and seem to grow more amazing with each year. I rarely reread novels, and these Claudius novels might prove to be two exceptions to that rule....more
I absolutely love Dickens. This is one of those stories where it has moved almost into the soul and center of Christmas. Dickens' style is sharp, his I absolutely love Dickens. This is one of those stories where it has moved almost into the soul and center of Christmas. Dickens' style is sharp, his wit is evident, and the story flows like a crisp step waterfall. I could imagine a December without Ebenezer Scrooge, like I could imagine a December without lights, peppermint, Nativity scenes or Bing Crosby's 'White Christmas'. This was the first year I shared the story with my kids and they enjoyed it as much as I did....more
Anticipation! It occurred to him that his anticipation was more pleasant to him than the experiencing.” ― Patricia Highsmith, The Talented Mr. Ripley
[Anticipation! It occurred to him that his anticipation was more pleasant to him than the experiencing.” ― Patricia Highsmith, The Talented Mr. Ripley
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Highsmith is amazing. She alludes to Henry James, plays with Nabokovian style, James Cain's dialogue, and blends it all with a Camus-like modern existentialism. Plus, the goddess walked around with snails in her purse. Face it, pretenders, 'The Talented Mr. Ripley' is an amazing psychological crime novel. This is one of those books which should be used as evidence to highlight the case that some of the best literature of the 20th Century came out of genre fiction. The novel is high-wire, high-risk, high-reward masterpiece. It leaves me amazed the Cure didn't just write their existential anthem to Highsmith:
I can turn And swim away Or I can raise up my oar Staring at a boat Staring far ashore Whichever I chose It amounts to the same Absolutely nothing.
I'm alive I'm dead I'm lying Tom Ripley Killing a Signor....more
My least favorite Ian Fleming thus far. The movie was Über-campy but the book was worse. Maybe I'm just spoiled with Chandler, Hammett, Thompson, et aMy least favorite Ian Fleming thus far. The movie was Über-campy but the book was worse. Maybe I'm just spoiled with Chandler, Hammett, Thompson, et al. Anyway, Diamonds are Forever made me want to rethink my whole 'read Ian Fleming from A to Ω' plan. To be fair, it did pick up a little bit towads the end, but it was uneven, with a plodding narrative. Gah!...more
“The things you think are the disasters in your life are not the disasters really. Almost anything can be turned around: out of every ditch, a path, i“The things you think are the disasters in your life are not the disasters really. Almost anything can be turned around: out of every ditch, a path, if you can only see it.” ― Hilary Mantel, Bring Up the Bodies
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100 pages in and it is hard to miss that this isn't just a nominal sequel to Wolf Hall, but rather the first book's logical annex. There is no drop-off in complexity. No laxity of language. Again, Mantel manages to shift form, change structure and reinvent her style. She even manages to give the character of Thomas Cromwell more depth and complexity, a feat which seemed near impossible after finishing Wolf Hall.
Anyway, Mantel is one of the finest writers of English prose living. Each sentence is crafted like a unique piece in an Italian inlaid music box. She has a purpose for each comma, and makes words seem to dance, fall and recover right off the page. She pulls the history out of the history and has written Tower interrogations so deft and chilling one is left afraid of both language and the law. As readers we watch Cromwell destroy men, overthrow queens and change history with words, paper and a sharp understanding of men's motives. We aren't afraid because Cromwell is a monster, but because he is so heroically human....more
There is something almost ineffable that hits me when I read Walker Percy. I think it is the grace of Percy's confrontation and struggle with spirituaThere is something almost ineffable that hits me when I read Walker Percy. I think it is the grace of Percy's confrontation and struggle with spiritual belief. His characters are amazing, his prose is lovely. He writes these quirky scenes, in a sometimes peculiar prose without them seeming fussy or overwrought (an amazing balancing act right there).
Perhaps, I am just drawn to my big Trinity of Catholic Novelists(Greene, O'Connor, Percy). They don't play in an easy playground of consecration. They don't write about faith, belief, or redemption as if these topics were easy loads to lift. Percy, to me, meets the Modern man where he is; trapped between light and darkness, between falling and hoisting, between Heaven and Hell. Percy greets the reader and lifts him, slaps him on the ass, and pushes him on his way....more
“It is the absence of facts that frightens people: the gap you open, into which they pour their fears, fantasies, desires.” ― Hilary Mantel, Wolf Hal “It is the absence of facts that frightens people: the gap you open, into which they pour their fears, fantasies, desires.” ― Hilary Mantel, Wolf Hall
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Brilliant. This is one of those rare novels that hits me on almost every level. The writing is crisp, deep and unsettling all at the same time. The narrative leads without pushing. Its prose sings but never strays into cliche. Every thread and sinew of this novel seems destined to weave into the body of this story's tapestry. Mantel is able to invert the standard feelings and assumption about everybody. Moore, Cromwell, Henry VIII all become more than characters in this historical fiction. They become epic myths; giants of time and space. Mantel is able to stretch and mold her characters into places where they seem to inhabit zones usually reserved for saints and devils. Mantel gives us both saint AND devil with Moore, Cromwell and Henry VIII. Seriously, if you haven't read this novel, put down what you are reading NOW and pick it up. ...more
“When into the womb of time everything is again withdrawn chaos will be restored and chaos is the score upon which reality is written.”
This is one of“When into the womb of time everything is again withdrawn chaos will be restored and chaos is the score upon which reality is written.”
This is one of those amazing books that does violence to your system (think Lolita, Naked Lunch, Ulysses) but still leaves you gobsmacked by its brilliance. IT is the brazen, tortured soul of a man going through an existential crises in Paris. The novel is a cry in the dark; a delirious shout in the void. Miller's prose dances on the edge of the cracked mirror of Modernism. It is dazzling, sharp and extremely dangerous.
This is NOT a novel for the weak, the timid, the easily shocked or those that believe art exists without shadows. Miller lifts the sheets and describes the decay, the despair and the rot of humanity. If you are not prepared for the monstrous vision of Miller you won't be able to find the roses in the dung heap, and thus you will be unable to question your own desire for roses in the first place....more
There is something magical and impossible about O'Conner's short stories. They pulse, plunge and roll like one giant allegorical ocean. At one level hThere is something magical and impossible about O'Conner's short stories. They pulse, plunge and roll like one giant allegorical ocean. At one level her writing is beautiful and charged with a cold and lonely realism, but she pounds again and again with the brutality of her words until she absolutly devours and transforms whole continents of readers. One cannot read these stories and not be pulled away by the current of her imagination transfixed, transformed and thinkin' kinda funny....more
Church's second Inspector O novel struck gold with its dialogue and textured setting, was hit-and-miss with its characters, and was only so-so in deveChurch's second Inspector O novel struck gold with its dialogue and textured setting, was hit-and-miss with its characters, and was only so-so in developing its plot (sorta felt phoned-in on a spotty line). For me, the novel was a bookshelf whose corners just didn't quite square. You can tell the Church cared about the project, but the pieces just didn't all fit in the end....more
Nice Catholic ladies aren't supposed to demolish you like this. O'Connor was born to be a literary knife fighter. Page after page, with zero sentimentNice Catholic ladies aren't supposed to demolish you like this. O'Connor was born to be a literary knife fighter. Page after page, with zero sentimentality, O'Connor rips the grotesque out of her characters and with a bareknuckle, Christian realism absolutely dares you to turn the page. Hers is a painful grace, a search for the holy in the swamps of the Southern absurd. The brilliant thing about O'Connor is by telling her stories of divine grace among the heretics and the horrors, the reader might easily miss the divine spark in the grotesque and absurd darkness....more
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