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Posted on 03.18.10 by Orla @ 6:21 pm
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Written by: David Lodge Widge's Note: Everyone, please welcome new book reviewer Orla. In Deaf Sentence, David Lodge has portrayed the difficulties posed by being hard of hearing exactly as one would expect them to be. And worse. He looks at Desmond Bates, a linguistics lecturer and his gradual decline into inevitable deafness. Mundane daily activities are broken down as bigger and scarier challenges that most of us wouldn't think twice about. For example, Bates had to retire early from the university because he could no longer hear his students' questions. He has a special phone installed in his house. He has to wear a hearing aid as soon as he gets up so he can converse with his wife at breakfast. He often goes through entire conversations with strangers nodding blankly because he is too embarrassed to interrupt and confess his dilemma. Bates is a curmudgeonly man who lost his first wife to cancer. Having remarried to a divorcée Winnifred, eight years his junior, he has another chance at married life. But she soon overshadows him with her blossoming career and hectic schedule. She doesn't have time to repeat everything she says to him anymore. Categorized as: Books and Reviews
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Posted on 03.17.10 by Dindrane @ 7:08 pm
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Written by: Charles R. Maturin Melmoth the Wanderer, published in 1820, is a prototypical Gothic novel. It is a fairly simple story on the surface: the titular Melmoth is a scholar who, a la Faust, trades his soul to the devil in return for knowledge and 150 more years to live. If, in that time, he can find someone willing to trade his or her soul for his, he is free--but the volunteer is doomed to hell. The novel also references the legend of the Wandering Jew, doubling the tragedy of Melmoth's life. The finding of someone to take his place and what he does when he succeeds in this quest is nothing short of fascinating, as well as an interesting psychological study. Is redemption even possible for such a lost soul? The tale is not straightforward--its complicated structure has been the death of many an English major, but is well worth the unraveling. The book folds in upon itself, playing havoc with the reader's sense of chronology, working backwards through time. The novel's complex structure is reminiscent of the layers upon layers within Melmoth's mind and soul; while he wants out of his deal with the devil, he still possesses some human morality. It is also a commentary upon the complexity of social conditions in England at the time of its writing. The author, Reverend Charles Maturin, was greatly concerned with what he saw as the breakdown of contemporary religion between the excesses of Catholicism and the pride of his own Protestantism. Categorized as: Books and Reviews
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Posted on 01.24.10 by Jes @ 1:17 am
Comments on this: 3 so far. Add your own.  Long time friend of the site/reader Jes the DraggonLaady decided to pick up Twilight and give it a read. In the name of literary science, she's jotted down notes about the experience and, apparently, survived. And she wanted to share the results. So here we go. My totally spoiler-ific trip through Twilight. I've been worn down by the recommendations of several friends, so I finally took the chance. I realize spoilers are of the purest evil, but since this book has been out long enough that three follow up books have been published, I think purgatory is the worst I risk by letting a few things slip. If you want to be totally spoiler-free, then this isn't for you. Consider yourself warned. The basic plot is that unpopular, timid, city-girl Bella moves to the sticks, somehow becomes instantly popular, meets Edward, a boy of "god-like beauty," and they enter into what's either (depending on who you ask) a sweepingly romantic or creepily obsessive relationship. I enjoyed 10 pages out of this 500 page book, and all of them centered around the "evil" vampire. It was mediocre chick-lit, focused on an unhealthy obsessive/co-dependent relationship. I do not understand either the love or hate that this book has inspired in other reviewers. It is fairly shallow, fluffy writing, but that in itself doesn't prevent a book from being enjoyable. It is fine, I guess, for the Harlequin Romance reader, but utterly inappropriate for the apparent target audience, i.e. young girls. This is about as far from an example of a healthy relationship as you can portray without having outright beatings, and not something I would use as an example for a young girl of anything but what to run away from. It can all be wrapped up in some words of wisdom from 4-chan. (Frightening concept, I know.)... Categorized as: Books and Reviews
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Posted on 01.20.10 by Dindrane @ 11:49 pm
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Written by: Isobelle Carmody Obernewtyn isn't new, but it (and Australian author, Carmody) flew under the radar for long enough that it's worth a look. It is the first in a sci-fi series, and while some readers claim it works well enough as a standalone, I have to disagree due to the lack of resolution in some cases and the number of loose ends. The basic story follows Elspeth, born into a post-apocalyptic society bent on control via a fundamentalist religion that fears "misfits," or people born with mutations or special mental abilities. Our Heroine is, of course, one such misfit, as were her parents before her, who were burned at the stake for these crimes. Elspeth fights to blend in, but is discovered before long and sent to live at a mysterious compound in the mountains, Obernewtyn, that takes in such misfits and makes them work, promising a possible cure. While ostensibly science fiction, due to the post-apocalyptic setting and the psi powers, it reads in some ways as a fantasy--a typical hero's journey and more. There is very little technology, and our heroes can't get their hands on any of it. The only real "power" is Elspeth's telepathy, which may as well be magic. Categorized as: Books and Reviews
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Posted on 01.17.10 by Dindrane @ 4:40 pm
Comments on this: none yet. Add your own.  Written by Mary Stanton Defending Angels is the start of a promising new mystery series. The premise promised on the back cover is intriguing enough: a lawyer who defends the dead from a celestial court, shortening their time in Purgatory or even getting them reassigned from Hell to Heaven. While this premise in practice has more to do with finding earthly justice for murderers and the innocent, a law practice filled with mysterious assistants, ghostly visitors, and strange, uncontrolled powers is creative enough to keep even a relatively jaded mystery fan like myself interested. The characters are, as always, a mixed bag. For example, "Gabriel Striker" is a character? Seriously? The main character, Bree Winston-Beaufort is far less irritating than your average "self-sufficient female," though her little sister is one of the most irritating, bratty sisters I've encountered recently. Bree's ex is predictably cardboard "evil" cliché, but the other characters, even the "flaky" upstairs landlady end up much more complex than they seem at first. The downsides are minimal and will probably only annoy cranky book reviewers like myself, such as the many Savannah stereotypes that--while on the one hand show a real understanding of how a city works when it's a mix of new money and Old South--at the same time it makes use of clichés that haven't been true in 100 years or more. This includes a very self-conscious use of "The War Between the States," a phrase that isn't even used by the elderly anymore, unless they're just being tongue-in-cheek. Also beware the unnecessary and absurd slam at "desperate" English PhDs seeking employment and the misuse of the word "y'all" by supposedly Southern characters. I'm also not sold on making Metatron evil yet (?!), but I'll give her another book or two to make that work for me. Categorized as: Books and Reviews
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