Stephen King's Library & Book Club

[Commy Pandy]

For the past few months, a few people have asked me multiple times to give critiques on their writing, the most recent request I received was last night. I've thought about it and I think that it would be more productive for me to try something a little less conventional. You see, I am a big fan of the slogan: 'Write what you know!' I could dive into a rant on this but let's keep it simple: it helps with your authenticity and ability to relate to your audience.

I believe the largest mistake we see by young writers is that they base their writing off of what they see on the Television. Your craft will suffer immensely because the TV limits your imagination and your ability to evolve. You may be able to garner ideas and inspiration from what you see on Network TV but you can only improve your craft by reading novels and more specifically, reading novels of the genre you wish to excel in.

Food for thought: it is said that Stephen King reads at least 12 novels a year. This is not including the research he puts into a subject before writing on it. This is also not including the novels he reads of those whom he considers his competition. This is also not including comic books/magazines/newspapers and any other periodicals. So in all, Stephen King may read 50-100 pieces a year, maybe more!

So in honor of Stephen King, I'd like to start this book club of sorts. As you all embark on your journeys of self enrichment, I implore you to share critiques (at least two paragraphs) of any literary substance you read. It does not have to be a novel, it can be a news or magazine article, it can be graphic novel, the only requirement is that it is a published work that you have read.

Once you've decided on the literary piece, please fill out the following form:



Title

Author

ORIGINAL Copyright (I want you to find out the first year in which this piece was published and the location. Do not be tricked by re-release dates. This is particularly important because as you garner knowledge, you will be able to pin down authentic customs and believes by merely dissecting the author's technical craft. There are details that the author will have included that were nothing but an afterthought to both him/her and her audience but will be glaring in our eyes. So please note, was the piece written in the 1800s or a year ago?)

Quick Summary (It can be one sentence, doesn't matter)

Evaluation (It can be quick and informal. You're not being graded, lol. Just account your likes and dislikes regarding the plot, the characterization and the craft. Also feel free to include anything else you would like. Also, rate 1-10, ten is the highest)

Five questions For the Author (Obviously the author won't be around to answer it, but I would like you to ask them anyway. It will also incite discussion for anyone who has happened to read the book and spark interest for anyone who hasn't)


This may look a little overwhelming but once you get into the groove, it will go quickly. Remember, this is for leisure and betterment. Have fun with it and be open to discussion. What makes literature so beautiful is that it is constantly debated, providing stimulation to your mind and churning to your soul. Please feel free to ask questions and post your critiques, don't wait for me. I'll probably have my first one finished tonight.

[Commy Pandy]

Title Landscape and Dream

Author Nancy Krusoe

ORIGINAL Copyright 1993. Also won short story of the year during that time.

Quick Summary It's prose that recalls a girl's life on a farm when she reached adolescence. Particularly calls out to a time when she vividly remembers her father brutally beating a brown dairy cow with a lead pipe.

Evaluation It is a poetic piece of work, maybe semi-autobiographical and full of jarring imagery that left me by the end, feeling raped. I was slightly turned off in the beginning by her short but accusatory shift from 1st POV to 2nd POV and right back again, but then she went on to describe the scent of a barn hold the same fragrance as: "the scent of two fingers pulled from a vagina,"

Before I could recover from that revelation, Krusoe had gone off to vividly recall the cows pink nipples being roughly twisted and tweaked by the cold hands of the men farmers and I could barely recover.

Most readers are disturbed by the beating and the beating alone, but I will reach that soon. First, it must be noted that she describes the dichotomy of farming families to be similar to that of an extreme Muslim home. The wives are stuck in the kitchen, their spirits rotting away in diffidence, but the protagonist is still young enough (prepubescent) to follow her father to the barn. The mother's jealousy of watching her child frolic to the barn is unnerving, and by then the reader cannot help but make the connection between the farmer's intimacy with cows to the women they've herded into the kitchen.

Now, to the beating, with is so unbelievably crude. She portrays her father as senselessly smashing a lead pipe into the ridge of a cow's back and then watching the cow fall "onto their bones" on a floor full of excrement. Her father will wait till the cow rises and then knock it down again. It's implied to be absolutely useless, for the cows are both docile and obedient, they don't even really need to be herded, they know their stalls.

She calls the cows stupid, begs silently for it to stay down but it just gets up again and her father repeats the cycle for hours. A lot symbolism in this passage, as you can imagine. The men are portrayed very negatively and despite how gentle the cows are, there is a level of impetus to the animal that even the child shares. Almost as if she's trying to break the barrier. Then again, maybe it is just a creature of habit caught under barbaric times.

By the end, I'm forced to lean toward the latter once Krusoe begins to wrap up her story. The protagonist is relatively quoted for saying: 'I became the cow, the wife of the farmers, I embodied the barn, the rolling hills behind it. And even this isn't enough,'

There is no resolution that we as readers would like to see. There is no liberation, no break in habit. She becomes the very thing she was so vividly aware of but may not have loved. And even then, it isn't enough? What a dull feeling Krusoe leaves her readers with. Ultimately, I know that many people have come to view this as a man bashing story. While I do like to man bash ( ^.~) I believe that this is a poetic documentary of habit and humanity. When is it okay to break the habit? Where does that leave you? Even if you break out from the mold, can you really escape who you are?

8-Plot
10-Imagery and style
9-Reflection
Average: 9


Five questions For the Author

1) Why isn't it enough? Do you believe that even in death, our questions will never be answered?

2) Who is this "you" that you speak to in the beginning and why is there so much contempt?

3) Did you also watch your daughter with the same beady jealousy from the kitchen as your own mother watched you?

4) The relationship with the Farmer and his wife seemed nonexistent, but how about with their children?

5) How do you feel about the play adaptation?

[cloud390]

Title:Catcher and the Rye

Author: J.D. Salinger

ORIGINAL Copyright: 1945.

Quick Summary: First person depiction of a confused boy over a time period of about three days.

Evaluation: This book reminded me a lot about Seinfield and how it's not about getting some where but how you get there. It's roughly 214 pages all in first person about a high school teenager (not a freshman or senior, I believe he's a junior. He never tells us his age though) who starts off the story by telling a little bit about his past. Just little details about where he was born and his siblings and all.

He doesn't stay too long on that subject though as it seems to bore him too much. You quickly learn he has been expelled from a private high school, not his first expulsion from a private school, a very rich one by the sounds of it. His father is a lawyer and his mom is depicted as a normal mom. He doesn't go into much detail about them, saying they were good but they would hate to read a book and have them depicted in it.

The story goes on for about three to four days of his life after getting expelled. He doesn't have to leave until Wednesday, when Christmas break is, but ends up leaving on a Saturday night (if I remember correctly) after getting into an argument with a room mate over a girl he went on a date with that Holdun, the main characters name, knew from last summer.

What I liked most about this story is how he portrays everything. You can tell it's the earlier to mid 1900's as they still use type writers and he goes to a lot of clubs and bars that are all about the jazz and blues. This is all based in New York also.

He uses riffs a lot during his story to explain stuff about his past. Stuff you would think was just there to be there to lengthen the book. But in actuality it is used for you to understand the character. For example, in the beginning of the book he does a riff about how he is a compulsive liar and if given the oppourtunity he could lie about anything and everything.

Fast forward about ten or so pages and he is talking to a woman on the train and what do you know, he starts lying. It's nothing small either, he talks about having a brain tumor. But only a small one he would reassure her. I liked this story as this was greatly based on the person and how he tries to understand everything. It's not about how to get from point A to point B and his questions on life in general is not answered in the book and in the end it is up to the reader to decide what happens.

It tackles a few harsh issues, especially for that time, in Holdun's life. During his time of despair he was always smoking, going through almost three packs in one day he states. Every night he is looking for a girl to hang out with, showing how sad he really is. He even hires a prostitute just to bang but in the end all he wanted was to talk to a girl. He also tackles the issue of always having to get an alcoholic drink when going anywhere, he could never simply order a coke unless forced to.

I just like how this story is based around character development about a character that doesn't develop. He goes about two thirds of the way but stops. He gets up to the point of realizing everything that was wrong with him and what he needed to change to be happy or he would die at a young age and end a very unfulfilled life. Due to how the author writes some of it we can tell he lasted a bit after how the book ended but as I said it is left up to the readers perception of what really happened. I like to think he went to the new private school and found his passion for writing to be enough to let him finish. I'd give this book a solid 7.5

Five questions For the Author:

-Why never tell us what happened with Jane and Holdun's room mate?

-Why can't you be happy? Your life is not hard and you obviously have your shit together to have all the friends you had?

-Did you notice how much your younger sister took after you at the end of the book?

-Why can't you just enjoy movies for what they are?

-Looking back at the book now, anything you would like to change/add?

[cloud390]

Title:The Things They Carried.

Author: Tim O'Brien

ORIGINAL Copyright: 1990

Quick Summary: First person depiction of a unit of troops, a band of brothers if you must, over in Nam.

Evaluation:Growing up my papa, my mom's father, was in World War 2; and for whatever reason had a huge fascination with wars after returning from it. When he came to live with us when I was around ten, I began watching History Channel with him with all their specials and any and all war movies he got. Ranging from Gods and Generals to Saving Private Ryan.

I think it is because of all that that I have such a huge fascination with war and trying to see and understand how people lived and died in times of battle. The Things They Carried is truly a book for me. Every chapter is a different story about a different soldier in the platoon and something they experienced.

It was due to this we grew to know each person with the book which in turn added weight to their deaths. I think what I like most about this book is how truthful it seems. How fast people are killed, not rolling around for ten minutes before finally kicking it, and how they are killed just makes it seem that more believable. These aren't super soldiers that are sniping someone five hundred feet away. These are average Joe's that were thrown into a war that most of them did not believe in.

One of the problems with war novels and movies, as he touches on, is soldiers have a hard time deciding what really happened over there and what they made themselves believed happen so they could survive. It's a harsh reality that it too much for some to live through and they have to make up stories so they can sleep at night.

Tim O'Brien, the author, never stops writing. He tells all and any feelings he has towards his fellow soldiers and what he felt about them. This book is so hard for me to evaluate because it has so much, probably one of my favorite books I have read. It's hard for me to rank someones troubles and life so I'm going to steer away from giving a value to this story. But what I will say is I barely touched on the stories and how he goes about telling them. He even describes the weight that a soldier carries, both physically and mentally.

This truly is a classic and I would recommend it to anyone to read.

Five questions For the Author:

-Did you find it hard talking about your fellow soldiers stories like this?

-Whose death was the hardest for you to deal with?

-Why do you never talk about your wife but you bring up your daughter and first and true love?

-Is your daughter adopted?

-Do you feel you accurately portrayed everything you wanted us to see and learn?

[cloud390]

Title:Alice's Adventure in Wonderland

Author: Lewis Carroll

ORIGINAL Copyright: 1865

Quick Summary: Third person fantasy story of a young girl Alice as she lives through a very vivid and exciting dream.

Evaluation:Everyone knows about this classic fantasy story. It is about a ten year old girl named Alice who starts off the book of going down a "rabbit hole" and finding herself in this strange but magical world. She meets talking animals, continues to change in height due to food and drinks, and even meets the Queen and King of Hearts.

Even though it was written so long ago I didn't find it too hard to follow the story. It's one of the few stories that will probably stand the test of time because of just how brilliant it is. My favorite scene has to be when Alice meets the Mad Hatter and March Hare and Door Mouse. It is just so out there and unique. The Mad Hatter is easily my favorite character in the book and I just wish his role was longer.

I had watched the movie a few times when I was younger but honestly never picked up the source material. I will say there are quite a bit of differences between the book and movie and I have to say I like the book more. It was fascinating going from chapter to chapter and scene to scene and being engulfed by the story and creative mind of Lewis Carroll.

I feel this short story really showed me how you can make a very enjoyable and creative fantasy story without it having to deal with space and demons or magical powers. All you have to do is take normal things and just put them in extraordinary places. Like a hookah smoking caterpillar. That in itself could have been it's own story.

I'd have to give this story a 9.5, it's damn near perfect.

Five questions For the Author:

-What made you even think up these stories when you would tell them at bedtime?

-Who was your favorite character?

-Was it pretty clear to you how you wanted to start and end this story?

-Did your time period really shape how this was written?

-I read you based the Mad Hatter after a man in England I believe that was a hat maker and had gone crazy because of it. Were any other characters based of real life people?

[cloud390]

You were right Carol, the book was really good and really out there. I enjoyed it a lot though, much more than the movie. Can't wait to see Depp's take on my favorite character

Have you read Rainbow Six by chance?

[Lord Agent Dr. Vect]

I read very... Different things...



Title: Our Dumb World: The Onion's Atlas of the Planet Earth

Author: Several. Chief-Editor (T. Herman Zweibel)

ORIGINAL Copyright (October 30, 2007)

Quick Summary (A satirical Atlas whose sole purpose is to lambast and take heavy satirical jabs towards the nations of the world)

Evaluation I found it to be an absolutely hilarious book. The writers in The Onion have truly no qualms of making light of anything, especially Africa in all it's horror. The descriptions of all the United States (Land of Opportunism) are all rather fun and are at the least based in some truth. For anyone who finds interest in History and/or World Issues, they would get quite some laughs out of this. I should know, I've shown this to some of my more sophisticated teachers and they've all ended up bursting into laughter after reading a few passages.

Do be prepared for some really blunt and harsh humor however, especially with places like Uganda (No Child Left Alive), Swaziland (Fighting AIDS with Bamboo Spears), Democratic Republic of Congo (Like a Zoo You Get Killed At) and others.

Five questions For the Author(s)-

1. When will you make a new one?
2. How much research did you do?
3. Did any of you actually visit the nations?
4. Where did you get some of the images that you didn't Photoshop together?
5. How much do you hate the world and all it's myriad people?

[Commy Pandy]

May 10, 2009 20:58:51 GMT -5 cloud390 said:

You were right Carol, the book was really good and really out there. I enjoyed it a lot though, much more than the movie. Can't wait to see Depp's take on my favorite character

Have you read Rainbow Six by chance?

What I love about the tea party is this idea that it only happens because the clocks don't work, LOL! The hand is always stuck on tea time and just when it ends, they have to start all over again! In fact, Disney is way too bubble gumdrop. Carroll portrays it as purgatory, so you can bet that with Burton and Depp on the case, it will be a dark act.

I also would like to point out that the doormouse is drunk! XD YEAAAAAH BOY!

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Title The River God

Author Wilbur Smith

ORIGINAL Copyright 1994

Quick Summary First person encounter that takes place in Ancient Egypt. We follow Taita, a multitalented Eunuch and slave to the corrupt grand Vizier, through his trials and tribulations. He must save Tanus from the Grand Vizier and somehow unite him with his love, Lostris, the Vizier's daughter who is promised to the Pharaoh. He also vividly recounts the decline of the Middle Kingdom that eventually split in half before being conquered by the advanced Hyksos. We watch the introduction of horses and chariots into Egypt, which did not happen until the Hyksos came down. We also follow the fleeing fleet down into the debts of Nubia and back again to see the young Prince take back what is rightfully his and begin the New Kingdom.

Evaluation
Anyone who knows me knows that I am a history buff. My ultimate dream is to write two Historical fiction series, both of which I work even now. My friend, who is getting a Masters in History at UCSC, recommended the novel to me. I looked it up and immediately was intrigued since Stephen King has proclaimed it to be, “The Best Historical Fiction ever written!”

Wilbur is a detailed writer and it was absolutely amazing to see how far his knowledge of Ancient Africa extended. For example, who knew that sport among the warriors of ancient Egypt was to hunt Hippos? Or how dependent on the Nile Egypt was, too the point that it was reminiscent of an Ancient Venice. The Festival of Osiris intrigued me the most and the parallels between Isis and Horus to Mary and Jesus are mind-boggling.

At the same time, there was something very carnal in his writing. From gore to pedophilia to rape, there wasn’t a taste that he did not cover. There were times that he wrote such graphic encounters that I literally closed my eyes and turned the page. Most gruesome was the execution of the Shrike heads (terrifying bandits in Egypt) and Rasfer (the Royal Vizier’s bodyguard). Their execution was to be crucified upside down on the gates of Thebes. Every painstaking nail driven through a limb made me flinch, but nothing was so worse than when the nails could not hold Rasfer and fell down, leaving rips in his shins and wrists.

Oh, speaking of Rasfer, we get a full encounter of all his killings. We are unlucky enough to have Taita recall the day Rasfer was ordered to sever off his testicles. Right before then he’d made Taita watch as he killed Taita’s lover. Rasfer used a torture device reminiscent of the reef of thorns worn by Jesus Christ. He literally tightened the spiked headband until the thorns dug into her skull and popped the top of her head off-I wish I was joking. OH! Let’s not forget Rasfer’s kill at the festival of Osiris skit with whom Smith calls: “The unfortunate Todd.” I won’t ruin it but I will reiterate. It was very, very, very unfortunate.

If you do not know their creation story, you’ll know it very well by the end of this novel. I’ll save the details unless someone asks but just take away this: it is very startling to see how much our present religions relate to Ancient Egyptian Mythology. It’s the theory of relativity, the conservation of energy at its best.

Now let’s talk about romance! I’ve never fallen in love with a fictional character before but I was in love with Tanus. Taita was too pitiful and at times his abilities were too hard to swallow. Taita must have originally started as five characters whom during revisions, Smith decided to combine because this Eunuch was an architect/surgeon/oracle/war god/poet/astrologist and much more. He was also quite pitiful at times, wrapped up in his blubbering love for Lostris as well as his own vanity. Really, do I have to hear him refer to himself as beautiful again? Really, the only one more insufferable than Taita was Lostris.

Lostris is our heroine, torn apart from her lover, forced to marry the pharaoh and so forth. We are supposed to feel sympathy for her but all I felt was pure annoyance. Her immaturity was so preposterous and even when she had her clever moments, she used Taita like a toy and often it was her dumb decisions that got them in worse situations than to begin with. Then again, she also stepped up to the plate when it was time so I will give credit where it was due, but Tanus? Oh the Tanus of it all. He was the perfect example of a romantic hero. He was a soldier who was driven on his love for Lostris. He was a prince, a man who held his morals to his heart and honest! I value honesty so much and a warrior who knows he could overtake the Pharaoh but chooses not too out of faith and loyalty is just…so damn sexy!

Of course once Prince Memnon came around, my love transferred right over to him. I so thoroughly enjoyed when he ran into the captured Nubian Princess named Masara who later became his wife. It was love at first sight and I must add that Masara was stark naked and urinating when he ran into her-yes, yes that’s how carnal Smith’s writing is.

Overall, I think I’ve rambled enough, this is a great story and I recommend it to anyone who loves period novels. However, if that is not the case, then consider purchasing another for to the reader who is not involved in history, it will read no more fascinating than a Webster’s Encyclopedia.




Five questions For the Author

1) Taita had so many inventions that I cannot help but wonder which ones were true and which were of your mind.

2) Tanus was a part of the Blue Crocodile army and later rose to become the "Great Lion of Egypt." Are those accurate terms?

3) Once we left Egypt and dove into Nubia, I was startled by your portrayal of female genital mutilation. I thought that was a somalian trait, not sudanese? But I adored our time in Ethiopia, I thought that it was a great story! But I cannot help but wonder if Taita's prejudices are accurate or are they projected by the author.

4) This book could have been broken into a 3 novel series. Why did you not do that? I often grew wary of all the arcs you took us through, not too mention, two generations!

[cloud390]

I've never read a book like that Hanz; I'll have to give it a try. I'm also curious, like you are, how much research he did have to do and if he did visit the places mentioned in the book.

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(yea-affirmation as in "yay!" vs. yeah-confirmation as in "yes, that is correct". Think before you post!) I can't wait to see Depp's portrayal. I plan on reading the sequel today and posting a review on it. The more Mad Hatter the better.

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(yea-affirmation as in "yay!" vs. yeah-confirmation as in "yes, that is correct". Think before you post!) our religion derives a shit load from Ancient Egyptian mythology. What's even more amazing is a lot of our stories are from Ancient Egypt. I remember learning in Ancient History this past semester how Ancient Egypt had an identical story of Moses just with a different name and I can't remember but I believe, don't hold me to it though, is that the stories came out close together.

[cloud390]

Title:Through the Looking-Glass

Author: Lewis Carroll

ORIGINAL Copyright: 1871

Quick Summary: Third person fantasy story of a young girl, Alice, as she lives through a very vivid and exciting dream.

Evaluation:Through the Looking Glass is the sequel story to Alice in Wonderland. It deals with Alice escaping into another world, yet again, but this time instead of going down a rabbit hole she goes through her mirror. The story relies a lot on chess. The whole adventure is based around how chess works.

She starts out as a pawn who can only make two moves before having to stop, to which she gets on a train. She then meets a wide variety of characters such as Humpty Dumpy, Tweedledee and Tweedledum and even my favorite character again. Unfortunately however the Mad Hatter was barely in this story, nor was it to recapture the same magic that fascinated me with him from the last book.

Basically her whole adventure is to get to the end to become a Queen herself. She meets a knight and he always falls off his horse, symbolizing chess again since a knight can only move three moves in the game. Finally she reaches a party that apparently she was holding and has dinner with about fifty guests and the red and white queen.

The dinner is fantastic as once you've been introduced to your food you can not eat it, as it is bad manners. Seeing as how would Alice feel if she was introduced to someone and then eaten? The story ends with Alice defeating the red queen and thus checkmating the king since he never moved in the story.

Poetry is very relevant in this story and actually is a big factor this time around compared to his first story. His imagination is just plain spectacular and it really draws you into another world. Because of how old it is however it is kind of hard to follow at spots and it jumps a lot. I kind of like how it jumps though, it really shows a seven year old would act in such a world. She wouldn't just be sitting around she would be exploring it to her hearts content.

All in all this book is just as great as the last one even though Mad Hatter was barely in it. I give it a 9.5

Five questions For the Author:

-How do you come up with these fantasy worlds?

-Was it easier coming up with the poetry or coming up with the story itself?

-Did you find it hard to capture the same magical feel this time around?

-Why was my favorite character barely in this one??!?!!

[cloud390]

Title: Just After Sunset

Author: Stephen King

ORIGINAL Copyright: 2008

Quick Summary: A collection of short stories written by Stephen King.

Evaluation: Just like the summary said, this is a collection of short stories that King wrote. I must say this man seems to have an endless supply of creativity in him. The stories are very different from one another, but the funniest thing is they all are about normal things with just some uniqueness added to them to make them interesting.

For example my two favorite stories in here were "N" and "Mute". N was about a man that goes to his psychologist to talk about his OCD problems. Ranging from him always having to end on an even number because odd numbers just don't feel right; they're evil. He also talks about his other problems such as having to touch the stove tops before leaving and making sure every door is locked. It doesn't sound like a big deal, but he has to do this EVERY TIME he is going to leave. Even if he is going for a walk he has to do it.

So here is a normal story, a man with OCD having troubles going through life. But then Stephen King decides to add his creativity to it. I don't want to explain what happens next because it is much better if you read it instead of try to hear a compressed version of it. To say the least his OCD turns into a contagious disease you could say.

The other story I loved was Mute. It was about a man driving and picking up a mute to give him a ride. The story starts with him going to confession saying he has sinned to the father, a mortal sin. He tells his story about how he talks to the mute about his wife problems for the whole drive. It really is amazing how this story is told.

There are other stories that are good, but these two just stuck out to me. I also love how he does first person for every one and each time it really feels like a different person. It doesn't come off as Stephen King telling another story.

Five questions For the Author:

-What made you decide to do short stories this time around?

-Which one was your favorite to write?

-How did you come up with the idea behind "N" and "Mute"?

[RowBoat]

Title Eragon

Author Christopher Paolini

ORIGINAL Copyright 2002

Quick Summary The story of a farm boy raised by his uncle who discovers that the old hermit of his village is one of the last surviving members of a forgotten warrior race destroyed by a malicious empire and that he must now take up the mantle in order to save his people from the Emperor's tyranny. ...No really, that's it.

Evaluation I've read this book a few months ago, but picked it up again after buying the third installment, so yeah, I'll probably review the next two in the series as I finish them. Anyway, I was surprised to see the polarizing reactions to this book--just from people in my own circle of friends who have read the book.

The story starts off pretty close to the Star Wars summary. There is a girl in the woods with connections to a rebel force that gets attacked by the Emperor's righthand man and captured, but not before she sends something through a magical portal that is the future of the rebel alliance. This object lands in the hands of an unsuspecting farm boy. It turns out to be an egg, unleashing a blue dragon named Saphira that grants him access to a magical world while developing a kindred relationship with this new creature.

This relationship has been described as the kernel of the story. And indeed it was, for the first few chapters they were together. However, Paolini fell into the trap of many sci-fi / fantasy writers--the universe overtook the characters. He started this book at the age of 15 and I know where he comes from wanting to introduce this rich mythology. Of course, developing it is the easy part.

I would say the main flaw of the book is that it fails to let the characters develop as naturally as they should. Characters like Brom and Murtaugh turned out to be the most interesting simply because they acted in an independent and quirky manner that matched their personalities. Compare it to the protagonist and main POV, Eragon. Eragon starts off as a very bland character but fails to develop further. Rather than live his own life, the characters tend to tell Eragon what to do from day to day, whether it's his older cousin Roran, his mentor Brom, or the lovable rogue Murtaugh.

The character of Eragon ends up as a blank slate so that the mythology can better be shown. While over the course of the book, he develops some personality, but he continues to be overshadowed by the actions of others. This lack of development leads to the feeling of a detached main character with very little sympathetic qualities, despite the constant reinforcement by Paolini in the narrative of saying, now showing Eragon is sympathetic.

There are many flaws in this book, like the plot, the magic system, the ancient language, and the overdone writing style. But I believe that these problems could have been remedied by simply working harder to introduce Eragon. It's a shame, but I trust that with more age and experience, Paolini can salvage the series.

Five questions For the Author

1. There is a lot of similarities to the plot of Star Wars laced in this book. Do you feel that as the series progresses and diverges from the premise that the reader can develop a deeper appreciation of the work? Or does it merely detract, you think?

2. You've often said Eragon is reminiscent of yourself. If so, who are Arya and Murtaugh based off?

3. Eragon, a farmboy with little combat training, is seen killing extensively in this novel. Do you feel he is desensitized to this violence and if so, do you feel it detracts from his believability as a character?

4. The main antagonist of this book is the sorcerer Durza, whose tragic past is revealed in the paragraph before his death. Looking back now, do you feel it was a mistake to include it, or not to include it sooner given the sympathy it could have developed in his character?

5. The main antagonist of the series, Galbatorix, makes no appearance in the book and is given no real redeeming qualities for people to see. Do you feel it creates a detracting black and white morality in a story otherwise laced with some moral ambiguity on the parts of other characters like Brom and Murtaugh?

[Lord Agent Dr. Vect]

The Inheritance Cycle is probably amongst the most polarizing book series around, probably next to Twilight and the Sword of Truth series. It's the type of book that has a bunch of critics who can point out many of it's flaws.


Just don't watch the movie.

[cloud390]

FINALLY got around to finishing this book.

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Title: The Big Bad Wolf

Author: James Peterson

ORIGINAL Copyright: 2003

Quick Summary: Alex Cross has just entered the FBI and his first case is to catch a very powerful and smart man that partakes in many illegal acts ranging from money laundering, fixing sport games, but worst of all stealing different individuals to give to the buyer.

Evaluation: I'll just say it: I LOVED this story. I've always been a sucker for a story more on the characters than the plot. James Patterson delivered that for me. He may not be the best writer in the world but damn was I brought into his world. I loved how his story was presented to us. Chapters were only about three pages long but it kept the flow nicely. He knew how to end them and begin them, perfectly.

He incorporated his handful of characters at the best time to really flesh out Alex Cross to us. Patterson seems to have a strange talent to be able to say so little but give us so much. He barely describes characters but I can easily envision them. He can barely have a character in the story but I can instantly get an idea of how he is being portrayed and how he is different from the others.

For example, towards the end of the story, Alex goes to see an old friend that he had arrested for mass homicide to get key information to help him get The Wolf. This friend of his (the killer literally is an old friend before he got busted) is in the story all of three pages, but in those three pages I could distinguish him from other characters. His personality just flourished to us from him behind bars.

Alex Cross was also a very likable protagonist. He wasn't perfect, he wasn't a young hot shot in the force (he was actually the complete opposite: an old hot shot) and he wasn't James Bond. He had a family he took care of with the help of his Nana and even had legal problems with one of his ex's over their son. He also has a love interest from back where he use to work. You get an inside glimpse of his past to see why he is where he is now and you really do care about everything that happens to him

There were a few things wrong with this story of course. Even though I really enjoyed this story, I said earlier he isn't one of those once in a generation type writer. His story is pretty straight forward but he does allude to some other things and all his riffs and back stories to characters have meaning; it isn't just ramblings of thought.

Not all of his characters are memorable though and it is most apparent in his fellow cops. Out of about probably ten he worked, four are memorable and weren't just there to progress the story. There wasn't any cowboy type persona cops in this story which I enjoyed. There wasn't many action scenes but when they were presented they seemed to work. Like when someone was abducted it felt fast paced and planned.

The final thing I will say is when someone was abducted we learned about each character so if they lived or died through their ordeal we cared about them. There wasn't a lot either so it wasn't like an over used formula. There is maybe three twists in this story that you won't see coming and it is enough. All in all it was a very fun read, and I really look forward to the sequel.

Five questions For the Author:

-Did you plan to have a sequel or did you decide that while writing this?

-How do you give so little details of individuals but still make it that I can envision them perfectly?

-Are any of your characters based off anyone in particular?

-Will we ever learn who the true Wolf is?

-I'm assuming The Wolf wants revenge on Alex Cross not because he killed some of his men but because he hurt his ego by actually catching as many people as he did. Is that a correct interpretation of The Wolf?

[cloud390]

Title:Prey

Author: Michael Crichton

ORIGINAL Copyright: 2002

Quick Summary: First person depiction of a man that is brought in to stop a highly sophisticated predator that is learning at an alarming rate.

Evaluation: Alright the quick summary was vague I know that. Just be warned, I can't in any way evaluate this story without spoiling A LOT. Just know the story is very good so if you plan to read this DO NOT READ ANY FURTHER. STOP NOW. Ok now that that is done the story, as I said earlier, is very well written. Michael obviously did his research on the science field and I can see how Lost got their idea for their monster from this book.

If you watch the show Lost, the monster is basically the monster presented in this story. How it is described to sound/look/act/mimic people's looks is exactly how Lost portrays it. Hell, the main character in the book is named Jack and the Jack from the show kind of acts like him. Alright so basically Jack is at home being a dad at home for being laid off and his wife works out in the desert (I'll cut most out because there is A TON of story) and basically he ends up going to work there too mainly because he thinks his wife is cheating on him.

A few strange events happen at his house before he leaves and then long story short this monster is introduced and there are basically rules on how it works (it's nanotechnology) and his friends start dieing. Fast forward to the end and two of them were basically the monster (his wife included) and basically the monster takes the weakened bodies and swirls around it and ever since the accident his wife has been controlled by the monster.

Two people, him and a woman named Mae, escape the place and blow it up leaving in a helicopter (it makes sense so it isn't out there) and it ends with Jack going back to heal his kids. Julie, his wife, ended up kissing them and infected them. Well she didn't, the monster did. So it ends with them all healing and Jack telling how humans will probably never learn.

This book was written GREAT. In the beginning I wasn't sure because it was a lot of science jargon and I was put off but it isn't used as much as I thought it would be. There are a hand full of characters and he balances them perfectly and has a good handle on writing with suspense. This all happens in about two days so it has a 24 type feel to it.

One of the things I didn't like is at the end Jack finds out his wife is basically dead and never really meant to do any of the bad things (she did try to train the monster but that was because she didn't want the company to go belly up) and he showed like no emotion. Like seriously they were married for TWELVE years and he didn't show any remorse for her. Honest to god the only thing he says is he was angry Juliet never said anything to him and it wasn't sad angry, it was angry angry. I didn't like that since Jack was so invested in her in the beginning and so scared she was cheating on him (which she wasn't.)

It's 364 pages, so it's not too long and aside from the ending with his wife it ties everything together and explains everything aside from one thing. But I really didn't care what they didn't explain because it wouldn't have added anything really.

Five questions For the Author:

-How much research did you have to do on this? I mean I know it was a lot, but I'm talking time frame. A year? Two?

-Why did you make Jack's reaction to Juliet's death so emotionless? I mean the man finds out that his wife, the woman he LOVES is now dead and it didn't even affect him. I get he was mad, but come on.

-How did you even come up with this idea?

-Are you mad Lost ripped so much from you. Not only is the two monsters almost IDENTICAL, they have a Jack that is like your Jack and a woman he was interested in named Juliet. I mean come on! You have to get some compensation for it right?

[cloud390]

Title: The Keys to the Kingdom: Mister Monday.

Author: Garth Nix

ORIGINAL Copyright: 2003

Quick Summary: A third person story about a young boy Arthur and his adventure after inheriting a strange minute hand and a book called "The Atlas."

Evaluation: Mister Monday is the first book in the Keys to the Kingdom series, it spans seven books, with the rest of the books following suit and naming them such things as Grim Tuesday, Sir Thursday, Lord Sunday, etc. Well anyways, this story starts with a young boy named Arthur starting his first day at a new school and it is revealed he has bad asthma and has had cases where he has have to go to the hospital after a bad attack.

Well the gym teacher forces him to run and he does but ends up having another asthma attack. Two people try to help and even run to get help. While he is there a mysterious man in a tub and his servant appear. The servant is called Sneezer and his master is called Mister Monday. Sneezer says how this boy is dieing and if you give him the key it will complete your part of the will.

It is revealed in the prologue that a document is being sealed basically in something it isn't suppose to escape and is under constant watch. Well come to find out it escapes, just a part of the will, and if it touches any of the Morrow Days (like Mister Monday) then it can do unimaginable things to them for not completing the will. Well the minute hand key is giving to the young boy and he instantly feels better.

Flash forward he is in a hospital and the two that helped him come to speak to him. As he returns to school on Monday there are these creatures that are trying to get to him but if not invited into a building can't go in. Flash forward again there is a disease that causes people to fall into a coma and Arthur ends up going to this house that only he can see.

He goes in and is brought into a world of nothingness in a sense. He learns that this is where the Architect (basically god) was when creating worlds and left for whatever reason leaving the will and what must be down in the seven people it trusted.

Arthur gets help from a girl named Suzy Blue and a frog that the will has turned into. Anyways they run through the bottom part of the house that Mister Monday controls called the Lower House I believe. Well anyways he meets an assortment of creatures and defeats Mister Monday. The Will comes off as something that is very manipulative and a creature known as the Old One that he met earlier on told him to not trust it too much.

It wanted Arthur to get the other keys from the Morrow Days and become ruler of this house (basically the whole universe) but he doesn't want to because the only reason he came here was to help out his friends and everything. So basically he agrees that if he gets five to six years then he will return again and so he appointed people to rule for him in his time away.

He returns back home and everyone is cured. It ends on 12:01 on Tuesday morning and the red box (basically a telephone that The Will gave him just in case he needed help) starts to ring and only Arthur can hear it.

Alright I'm always a sucker for fantasy stories like Alice in Wonderland and Harry Potter and junk so this book is right up my alley. Now by no means is this book as nicely written as say the book Prey or any of James Patterson books but if you like fantasy you would probably like this. There are a few similarities with Harry Potter and all but it didn't really deter me to much and I still enjoyed it. This book also has magic in it a bit so if you aren't big on magic you probably wouldn't like this too much.

Surprisingly this book doesn't lag on like Harry Potter does. It kind of knows where it is going and is always going to that destination. It's good because you get answers quickly but it takes away what was done so nicely in Harry Potter books, and that was the character building and learning more about the wizard world and even about relationships built between everyone. This was an average book that was fun to read in the end though.

Five questions For the Author:

No questions seeing as he actually answered them at the end of his book by doing a Question and Answers section.

[cloud390]

Title: London Bridges

Author: James Patterson

ORIGINAL Copyright: 2004

Quick Summary: Alex Cross returns in his 10th novel in an attempt to finally bring The Wolf down.

Evaluation: London Bridges is a sequel to the Big Bad Wolf and it follows Alex Cross as he tries to catch the madman. In this novel an old criminal returns, The Weasel. The Weasel is known for picking up woman and brutally killing them. The novel starts with The Wolf blowing up a small city after evacuating everyone. In this novel he holds the world hostage at threats of blowing up London, New York, some place in Germany and I forget the fourth place. He basically demands close to 2 billion dollars.

The thing I like so much about The Wolf is he is smart. If someone messes up he kills them. For example he hired a sniper and she ended up telling her husband about the job. He had her killed at the end of the mission and her husband. He has only been seen by a select few and sets up others to portray him.

I don't want to say too much but I really have found a writer I like out of these two books. I'm going to have to read his past books on Alex Cross (there are eight others) so I can get his full story but if you like Thriller books you would like this. He has a great talent in how he paces everything. The only thing I probably didn't like was how it ended.

*SPOILERS*



Basically it ends with Alex Cross seeing The Wolf in the woods watching them investigate a lead that can lead them to The Wolf and who he truly is. Alex knows it is The Wolf because he sees him squeezing a black ball that his son gave him when he was younger before being killed. He basically runs after him and The Wolf doesn't run until a little later. He gets in his convertible but Alex jumps in too, breaks his noise and punches his jaw. The Wolf kills himself by biting down on some poison that was in his mouth. That's how it ends.

Five questions For the Author:

-How did you come up with the concept for The Wolf?

-Who is your favorite villain in the Alex Cross novels?

-Do you feel you could flesh Alex Cross out anymore? It seems you have thrown everything his way and have told his story from being a young psychologist to a great FBI.

-Did you end it the way you did to make the reader question if the Wolf wanted to do what he did at the end?

[Commy Pandy]

Title: Notes To My Biographer

Author: Adam Haslett

ORIGINAL Copyright: 2002

Quick Summary: One of his short stories from his compilation: 'You Are Not a Stranger Here.' This is an 1POV account of an old man going to visit his youngest son, Graham. As the story goes on, we soon find out that our character is a manic depressive who shies away from his meds and Graham reveals that he has also been diagnosed. In the end, our "hero" leaves his son sleeping in a hotel room after their emotional revelation and we are lead to believe that this is the last time they ever see each other. Whether he killed himself, had a metaphorical death or eventually died without contact with his son is all up for speculation.

Evaluation: If any of you are wondering how to write in 1POV, then you must read this short story. You have no choice. I am a firm believer that when you read a story in 1POV, you should not hear your voice, you should not see the writer's hand, all that connects you to the story is the perception of the protagonist. When I read this story, I hear him loud and clear, from his grumpiness to his conviction. It's amazing.

Furthermore, I know that WWC has had the debate of plot driven vs character driven. We all know that I am biased. I love character psychology and in my humble opinion, the brilliance of a character driven plot will beat out the bluntness of a character driven plot each and every time. This story is a testament to that. If you ask me what the plot is, I'll tell you, that really there is no plot beyond the fact that he's going to see his son. BUT, there is a story and my lord, it is a story to tell.

Think about perception. In 1POV, that's all you have, is the character's perception and readers have to believe their character to make it credible. However, how can readers not discredit someone who is as obviously unreliable as a manic depressive with hints of schizophrenia? Haslett performs beautifully. We are jettisoned into his thoughts, his logic and during our time with him, we find a man who in the thick of his illness is very perceptive, maybe even more so than those who are healthy around him. Dialogue interplay beautifully with his thoughts. The disconnect between his actions and the little left of himself that shows logic and his impulsiveness are so carnal that I can't help but wonder if Haslett has PERSONAL experience with this manners. The character is an isotope. There is part of him that could push over the hill to "sanity," he's almost there, he almost understands that he should take his meds or maybe he completely understands.

The reader can see it in his thoughts, in the way he values his son, but then he speaks and he spews nonsense and his inability to voice his love toward his son makes him appear insensitive or even too far gone to understand how much he's hurting our son. The beauty of Haslett's writing is that he's managed to empower his readers to see more than any of the characters. Readers are more aware, more knowledgeable than the protagonist himself but there are times when he maybe he is more knowledgeable than us.

Parts that stuck out to me:

-He tries to express his acceptance and love for his son by bringing up Graham's homosexuality at the most unreasonable of times.

-He villainizes his third wife, claiming that he is unable to remember three years of his life because she was secretly tranquilizing him (Though we're first inclined to hate her, we later figure out that she was actually slipping him his medication for Bipolar disorder. The very medicine he refuses to take).

-His tie to his youngest son is but of cruel irony. The love he feels for Graham unknown to him is solidified in the fact that Graham understands him mostly due to sharing his father's illness.

-Graham's dialogue. Whether weak or explosive, sometimes more powerful than the protagonist himself.

In the end, I rooted for our protagonist. I rooted the whole time for him to finally listen to his son and take his meds. I rooted against the inevitability that all of the readers must feel when reading this short. We know he won't take his meds. We know that there won't be a campy ending for him and we really don't want it. It's what makes this story as powerful as it is.

9.5/10

Critique:

I don't have much to critique, it's a powerful story. Two things that are grating to me are:

1) Grandiose dialogue. At the end, the characters tended to take on a more omnipresent sense of themselves. I could see the writer's hand at work, trying to resolve his untied ends before his conclusion. As a result, the characters said things that they wouldn't and shouldn't have known or at least come to in this lifetime. It was breaking the fourth wall in a sense.

2) Haslett's repetition. I know that part of Manic Depression is insistent repetition but it went a little too far. When he "invents" the motorcycle (or as he called it, the bicycle with an engine) and rampages about the restaurant about how he'll be rich and so forth, it was satirical and slightly comedic. However, Haslett should have stuck with that, instead of having him build another "new invention" to give to his son.

---

Five questions For the Author (Obviously the author won't be around to answer it, but I would like you to ask them anyway. It will also incite discussion for anyone who has happened to read the book and spark interest for anyone who hasn't)

1) Where the hell did Eric go? I believed that he wanted Graham to spend time with his father alone but there has been a little debate if that happened.

2) What is your personal experience with Manic Depression?

3) How did you prepare to write from this man's perspective?

4) Any books you'd recommend for those who seek to write in your style?

[RowBoat]

Title A Game of Thrones

Author GRR Martin

ORIGINAL Copyright 1996

Quick Summary A web of political schemes set in a fictional medieval world.

Evaluation (It can be quick and informal. You're not being graded, lol. Just account your likes and dislikes regarding the plot, the characterization and the craft. Also feel free to include anything else you would like. Also, rate 1-10, ten is the highest) I've heard a few people both in real life and over the internet talk about this book and the sequels to it. I have had it for a few months but with summe work I've only now gotten a chance to complete it.

First and foremost, it can look really daunting at first. There's about 8 focal characters to begin with, with each 'setting' having about 6 or so side characters. The easiest way, I found, to remember all of it is to break it up. There's one storyline mainly concerning the Starks, a northern kingdom that holds most of the characters. They have been dragged into a conflict involving the King, King Robert. The second storyline consists mostly of Jon Snow, the bastard child of Lord Eddard Stark, and life on the Wall, this massive barrier in the North that keeps forces unknown from invading the Seven Kingdoms. With a long winter (consisting of several years, summer works the same way) well on the way, the forces on the other side of the Wall seem to be growing stronger and bolder. The final storyline is about the deposed Prince and Princess from the kingdom King Robert usurped. It consists of them attempting to raise an army to regain their lost thrones.

The first storyline was the most interesting to me at first, especially with Eddard Stark, but I was disappointed with that ending. Jon Snow's storyline I felt had the best ending. I saw the third storyline's ending coming for the most part, but it was still really well written. Overall, the entire story was just really great, I even went to three bookstores in Mexico to try to see if I could find the sequel in English. Unfortunately, I couldn't, so I'll probably end up reviewing Brisingr, a book I have also yet to finish. But I would definitely read this book. I think it's just really accessible to a really large audience. The multiple storylines read almost like a television show (which is why it's probably becoming a TV show instead of a movie), it has a lot of historical references if you're interested in that, and even if you're not, I think the plotlines really stand up on their own well.

Five questions For the Author

1. The story takes place through multiple storylines. At the same time, did you write A Game of Thrones with a 'main' character in mind? If so, which character?

2. I think it's impossible not to be a little overwhelmed by the vast world you created. What were your inspirations for creating the universe?

3. While researching the series, I noticed that A Song of Ice and Fire was originally planned as a trilogy, which expanded to six books, which expanded to seven. Do you think that has affected your writing at all negatively, or has it allowed you to tell the story more fully?

4. Which character's perspective did you enjoy writing from the most?

5. How did your past as a writer for television affect how the story was told?

[RowBoat]

I've read up on a few books, so I figured I should try to review a couple of them at least.



Title Brisingr

Author Christopher Paolini

ORIGINAL Copyright 2008

Quick Summary (It can be one sentence, doesn't matter) Eragon continues his struggle against the evil King Galbatorix and his forces.

Evaluation I always forget the score, so I'm just gonna say it at the top here: 5 out of 10.

Brisingr starts out exactly how the second book said it would start out. They carry out their mission. They move onto the next mission after a minor delay. Wash, rinse, repeat. I didn't review Eldest here, but basically, the one massive criticism leveled against it by most readers and reviewers alike is that it's an overly long story that doesn't really reach any sort of tension or high mark until the last 50 pages. The fact that it's flooded with so much unnecessary gunk is probably why the series had to expand from being three books to four. In the hands of a more competent writer, Eldest and Brisingr most likely could have been condensed into a single book that would still be shorter than Eldest, which is just over 600 pages if memory serves.

So I think with that major flaw in mind, Paolini set out to add more action to Brisingr. Was he successful? Yes. Is there less bogging down the narrative? Arguably. However, the problem is that it all tends to lack tension. Because Eragon has a dragon, 13 Elf companions, the loyalty of a Dwarf clan, and a high supply of magic, a Yoda-like mentor, it's hard to ever feel like he's in any real danger. As for Roran and Nasuada's POVs, they tend to fall flat and read more like a Point A to Point B than a dynamic narrative. The introduction of Saphira POVs was an interesting touch, but it failed to amount to anything; it was just her flying around. It would be interesting to see her POV during a battle or in contact with another dragon, or something that would help to showcase that she is indeed different from the human POVs.

One major problem that I feel Paolini did tackle well came in the form of Eragon's derivative storyline. It was really just a hodgepodge of different fantasies strewn together with a relatively flat narrator. In Brisingr, Eragon was still as much of a blank slate as Bella (which is why the series is as attractive for boys as Twilight is for teenage girls), but the storyline begins to diverge. There starts to have heavy focus on the war as an actual plot point, not something that just juts out awkwardly at the last 100 pages to let the book end with a big battle.

I was mildly surprised by the book. It doesn't change the fact that it's overly long (paperback is nearly 1100 pages), the story fails to engage, and any straggling plot line is summed up with a simple word: magic. I look forward to the fourth book in a couple years, because I do think Paolini is overall a decent and likeable guy. He got lucky that Eragon got published, but you know what, all authors who make it big have to count on a bit of luck, from Meyer to GRRM. Paolini still engages his fan through mail, conferences, and seems to have an overall appreciation for fantasy as a genre, as opposed to someone like Meyer who pays no homage to previous lore that came before her. Both series are written poorly, but Paolini doesn't go out of his way to criticize and demonize his opposition either in the same way that Meyer does. I think it does show some class and grace to know that the criticism is out there but he continues to chug away on a series that he and many other people clearly enjoy and love. So I wish Paolini luck on finishing up the series soon and I look forward to reading it =)

Five questions For the Author

1. What made you decide to add the Saphira POV to Eragon? Did you consider any other character's POVs, such as Orik or Murtaugh as well?

2. Do you think the lack of appearances by Galbatorix hinders the ability to portray Eragon's struggle in a more fleshed out way?

3. Having recently started into A Song of Ice and Fire, was your Arya influenced in anyway to Martin's, or is the name mere coincidence/homage?

4. Is there any deceased character's whose past you wish you could flesh out more thoroughly?

5. Many people viewed Murtaugh as the most complex and gray character within the Inheritance Cycle. Do you think limiting his appearances to only battle scenes hurts his previous character development?

[sifth]

Arya’s character development really does go off the chart when you compare how she was in book one compared to the women she becomes in book two. I guess losing everything would do that to anyone, but Martin really knows how to rub salt in the wound. A Game of Thrones really was a great book, if only for how cleverly Martin was able to concept all of the POV and still make them interesting. I love the fact that no one is truly good or evil in his books. Sure there are antagonists, but even they have logical reasons for doing what they did; Jamie Lannister is the prime example of this. I hated him in book 1, but by the time I got to book 3 the guy seemed to have a combination of Eddard and Tyrion’s personality in him. The only truly irredeemable character in the series is Tywin Lannister who I view as the godfather of the series. He does evil deeds, but he does them mostly to protect his family and its honor. His pet the mountain the ride is pretty f’d up too, but he’s more insane than he is evil.

[RowBoat]

Title One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich

Author Alexander Solzhenitsyn (Soul-Jen-Itsen)

ORIGINAL Copyright November 1962

Quick Summary (It can be one sentence, doesn't matter) The reader is taking into the day of a Russian prisoner in Siberia.

Evaluation Easily a 9 out of 10, and that's being modest.

This is a book I had to read for school, but after reading Crime and Punishment, Russian literature certainly became an interest. Like any Russian book, it uses a lot of language that's tough to understand, so obviously it's best to get a footnoted edition. One of the unique things about this book, and it's not a style I've really seen anywhere else, but it uses three narrative styles, an omniscient third person, a backtalking first person, and a limited third person that tells the story through Ivan Denisovich's perspective.

Despite that, I still found the book to be really accessible in comparison to Crime and Punishment in terms of being able to understand what was going on without the use of Sparknotes or something. Now, onto the story. It starts out with Ivan Denisovich (called Shukhov) waking up early in the morning. One of the earliest themes to emerge is repetition within the camp, as well as a dehumanization on the part of the camp guards (for instance, being assigned a number and to a numbered squad).

Shukhov faces death multiple times in the novel despite his clever and cunning ways. And at the of the day/novel, he reflects upon how it is a good day, and one of the 3653 days he has to serve in. By showcasing what Shukhov would consider a good day as the novel, Solzhenitsyn is able to cover a prisoner's entire struggle in that one day. Each day, even ones that may have high notes, are always a living hell, yet they continue to have hope that once those days of their sentence is over, they can return to the lives they once had. At the same time, it is never revealed if Shukhov will be set free, as was the case with many Russian prisoners,

Overall, it's extremely well written with compelling characters and an excellent insight into the lives of these prisoners. I'd recommend it to anyone interested in history as well as realistic fiction.

Five questions For the Author (Obviously the author won't be around to answer it, but I would like you to ask them anyway. It will also incite discussion for anyone who has happened to read the book and spark interest for anyone who hasn't)

1. Why did you choose a prisoner who was imprisoned for a crime he did not commit?

2. The character of Fetuikov is designed mostly as a foil to Shukhov. Do you wish more insight could be given into their relationship?

3. A lot of characters are compared to animals. What animal do you consider Ivan Denisovich and why?

4. What inspirations did you have for the narrative style employed in the novel?

5. Do you feel that writing a fictional account of a Russian prisoner's life at all diminishes the real life struggles of the prisoners?

[RowBoat]

Got homework I don't feel like starting, so here is another book I've been meaning to review.



Title A Clash of Kings

Author George RR Martin

ORIGINAL Copyright 1998

Quick Summary (It can be one sentence, doesn't matter) Civil War breaks out in Westeros while forces mass beyond the Wall and the usurped Princess seeks a way to gather power to retake her land.

Evaluation (It can be quick and informal. You're not being graded, lol. Just account your likes and dislikes regarding the plot, the characterization and the craft. Also feel free to include anything else you would like. Also, rate 1-10, ten is the highest) Definitely a 9 or 10.

The novel picks up where A Game of Thrones left off and the first event witnessed by the POVs is a red comet swirling across the sky. With the deep seated ambitions of nearly every POV, they all read it as a sign that their plan will carry the day in the end. But, like the book's predecessor, everyone is ready to stab just about everyone they know in the back to achieve their goals.

Some of the new characters introduced are Davos Seaworth and Theon Greyjoy. One I found to be an utter bastard while intrigued me a lot. Guess which one got 8 chapters and which one only got 3? Yeah... Speaking of which, the other plotlines, the one on the Wall with Jon Snow and the other involving Daenerys, the exiled princess, fell really flat with me, after having some dynamic and very intriguing stories. However, both their chapters combined are only like 12 chapters out of about 80.

The main storyline that was built up in the climax of A Game of Thrones was the introduction of a civil war. I found this storyline, definitely the main focus of the novel, to be very well written. Even though the plotting and out-maneuvering is placed on the battlefield (With a bit of sorcery for good measure), it still continues to be very fast paced, engaging, and overall make for a really fun read.

The only thing I didn't like were the dispersion of the POV characters. For instance, there's no POV with a lot of the factions actually in battles. I suppose adding those characters would result in it becoming more action-oriented, but it was still disappointing to hear about all these amazing military strategies and then only get to see a few actually enacted, often just the tail-end of them. Nevertheless, I felt most of the POVs were really engaging, even if I really didn't like the character just because even in a bad chapter, there's always at least one character than turns out to be pretty interesting.

Clash of Kings is definitely an amazing read, and my only regret is not bringing A Storm of Swords with me. I'm certain anyone here would love it just based on the writing style and the really entertaining stories.

Five questions For the Author

1. The female characters in the story undergo several dramatic changes even within this one novel, namely the sisters Sansa and Arya. Are their struggles to cope with the realities of the world made to be parallel?

2. When writing A Clash of Kings, were there any characters that wanted to use as a POV? If so, which characters?

3. Do you think truly despicable characters like Ramsay Snow and Gregor Clegan can detract from the otherwise rather gray setting or it just another layer of ambiguity in your mind?

4. Both books ended with the conclusion of a massive battle. While the circumstances leading up to them were incredibly suspenseful, do you worry of the pattern becoming too Fantasy-oriented?

5. As mentioned in my review above, Jon and Dany got very little presence in this book. While you're writing these characters in particular, whose storylines are written rather independently from the other storylines, do you overwrite chapters for them that your editors push to the next book? Or, were the conclusions given to each character at the end of the book the ones you originally intended?

[RowBoat]

Title A Storm of Swords

Author GRRM

ORIGINAL Copyright 2000

Quick Summary (It can be one sentence, doesn't matter) War continues to brew while forces beyond the Wall and in the East continue to mass to take the continent of Westeros.

Evaluation I just finished the book today after weeks of wishing I had it. It's an amazing read. Pretty damn long at 1100 pages paperback, but I've certainly read worse at that length. It's a definite 10 out of 10 book. I feel like I would be doing an injustice describing the plot, because all of it has allusions to the previous books, unexpected reveals, and a whole mess of engaging plotlines that was enough to keep me from WWC this week while I read it, lol.

I definitely, DEFINITELY, think that anyone RPing here would love A Song of Ice and Fire series. They do a good job of capturing a fictional world grounded in realism, fantastical events, dynamic and ever evolving characters, and one of the most interesting stories I've ever read. I definitely can't wait to start A Feast for Crows, some negative remarks about it be damned. I'm hooked, lol.

Five questions For the Author

1. Do you feel that the death of major characters in your novels will help redefine the fantasy genre or at least broaden it into some darker tones that it may otherwise have not reached?

2. I was surprised by the number of things that came back from A Game of Thrones and the foreshadowing there. Even so, did you ever read the first book in retrospect and decide to add a plot point or homage?

3. Fantasy novels usually have long page counts, but do you ever feel that you had too much happen at once in A Storm of Swords?

4. A Feast for Crows was supposed to take place five years after this book but you decided to change that. If you could, what would you rewrite of A Storm of Swords to better reflect the transition?

5. Magic always played a subtle and dangerous role in the story. Do you ever worry that its expanding role may take away from the political intrigue that is the main crux of the writing? Or do you feel that magic even deepens that political intrigue?

[Lord Agent Dr. Vect]

Title: Badass: A Relentless Onslaught of the Toughest Warlords, Vikings, Samurai, Pirates, Gunfighters, and Military Commanders to Ever Live

Author: Ben Thompson, AKA the Badass of the Week guy.

Original Copyright: 2009

Summary: A list of historical figures both famous and obscure that should be commended for either their combat prowess, ruthlessness, cunning, courage and most importantly sheer audacity.

Evaluation: I'm someone who enjoys being both educated and entertained at the same time and this book is absolutely perfect. Don't just think that this book is just some random variations of This Person Is Awesome. Thompson is to some degree a historian who's done quite a bit of research on badasses of the past. The writing style, while certainly less sophisticated than either Martin or Terry Pratchett has the zeal of a fanatical watcher of the History Channel (or History as it calls itself nowadays) shotgunning Red Bull during a war documentary. Mass exaggeration of some things are used for a lot of humor (though for the most part the actual deeds are well-recorded) and seemingly immature descriptions are often used as the following description for "Wolf the Quarrelsome" (Gaelic barbarian who fought against the Vikings) cold contest...


In the Viking histories his first name is translated as "Ulf", and as we all know Ulf is the sort of name that's reserved for guys who eat entire chickens in one sitting, drink their weight in beer, grow beards at the rate of one inch per hour, wail death metal on X-plorer guitars, play professional ice hockey and who are so ripped that every time they flex their shirt explodes and fly off. Ulf isn't a name, it's the guttural sound that your enemies make when you punch them in the stomach with enough force to make Rocky Balboa cough up blood.

Now it's not only warriors or soldiers that get a mention. Conquerors get a good mention as well as in one case Julia Agrippina (the Younger), sister of Caligula and mother of Nero for being basically the Queen Bitch of the Roman Empire who ruthlessly backstabbed and/or slept her way through politics while keeping the Empire in an iron grip from behind the scenes. Emperors or Conquerors get special note however, since they're the ones with the most legendary deeds under the belt (at least during that specific time era).

The book is also accompanied by some impressive artwork by various different artists with the figures either in powerful poses (reminiscent of the work of GENZOMAN of DeviantArt). There's even little sketches of said figures facing off with the one after them (for example, Julius Caesar Vs. The Surena, a General who defeated Crassus of the Triumvirate)


Overall it's a great read for people who like history, or just red-blooded individuals who enjoy Crowning Moments of Awesome from history.

[RowBoat]

That seems like an entertaining book Vect, lol. I'll have to check it out, and that site too.



Title A Feast for Crows

Author George RR Martin

ORIGINAL Copyright2005

Quick Summary (It can be one sentence, doesn't matter) Winter approaches the southern lands as the power vacuum remains unfilled.

Evaluation As petty as it sounds my hopes for this book were already pretty wary when I saw the title. The previous three were titled "A X of Y" so even the breaking of that formula told me that this book would probably be different. I really loved the first three. I'd say this one is paced about as well as the first book was (really, as good as A Game of Thrones was, the main plotline doesn't really pick up about until the halfway mark or so). For those who don't know, a bit of background on the publication, and the reason this book is five years after A Storm of Swords.

The book series as of the end of A Storm of Swords was going to be six books long. A Feast for Crows would begin after a five year timeskip. GRRM changed his mind because he thought the book was too overly reliant on flashbacks. I mean, no one but him and his editors probably saw these chapters, but I think it was probably the right thing to do. If it was making the book a hinderance to write or was weakening the level of storytelling and suspense, then he obviously was right to change it. I think given the major plot twists and cliffhangers, it would make AFFC seem so much more suspenseful if the five year skip had happened, but alas it didn't. And the series has seemed to slow considerably in terms of writing, this book taking five years and A Dance with Dragons likely to take five if not more as well at this rate.

The sheer size of the story GRRM wanted to tell required that the book be split in two, AFFC and A Dance with Dragons. Rather than them being a Volume 1 and 2 style, the characters were split by location. POVs in the south, mainly, would be written about in AFFC with the remainder appearing in the fifth book. I guess this is an interesting way to go about it, but I still think I would have preferred a Volume 1 and 2 style, especially since the narrative flow might have made it easier for GRRM to write the novels. Instead, he's probably having to go back to read and reread passages of AFFC to make sure the events that take place in A Dance with Dragons don't contradict or completely mess up the established continuity.

At least that's my rationale for why the series is taking so long. Another major flaw in this split is that several fan favorites are only in brief scenes and mentions, replaced by pretty boring characters. I thought the Greyjoy chapters were pretty enjoyable, and even the one-off chapter in The Soiled Knight. I thought including so many of these new characters in one or two chapters was a mistake though. The Greyjoys had three separate POVs representing five chapters, for example. I think established fan favorite Asha could have been able to carry the five chapters and it would also let us develop a closer connection to one character rather than two other, less compelling narrators. While the prologues of A Song of Ice and Fire have one-off characters, I really didn't like it in the rest of the book. It came off as a cheap way to stuff exposition in without really expanding on the characters. And it's a damn shame too, because by the end of one chapter, I did feel some connection to some of the characters, like Arys for example, but his POV was gone before we could learn anymore about him.

Even the added POVs that got more screentime were pretty static. Brienne and Cersei, while having a lot of potential for intriguing storylines and indeed, I thought they did especially near the end, were pretty boring otherwise, and their storylines put together made up about one-third of this book. Other characters like Jaime and Samwell were a bit more interesting, but the kick in the pants to all of it is that none of these characters will be seen in A Dance with Dragons. So of the suspense and interest that was created, it's not just gonna wax, wane, and pretty much be forgotten at least until the sixth book comes out.

Maybe this is just stemming from my lack of experience with on-going book series. I never remember how I waited for the fifth, sixth, and seventh books to emerge in Harry Potter, but that's because even though Rowling left us wanting more, there seemed to be a finality to the writing, that while it left us wanting more, it concluded on some note that let the reader know what we could expect, without revealing too much obviously. This could be one of GRRM's intentions of course. A Song of Ice and Fire is one of the best written fantasy series I've ever read, but it's also a major deconstruction of the fantasy genre. One of the major themes is that no one really knows what's going to happen next and even if there are plans for the future, there's usually someone there ready to screw them up for their own gain. Maybe this is how the reader is supposed to feel.

Now that I'm caught up in the series, I guess I have to wait like all the others now to see if GRRM makes it worth the wait. I hope A Dance with Dragons returns to the much faster pace, character-driven rather than plot-driven POVs, and gives us new insights into the lives of characters we actually have a chance to really bond to. I think he will.

But now that I'm caught up on GRRM, I have a new book series to start reading: The Twilight Saga (series? dunno). That should be fun. I got them hardcover and everything.

Five questions For the Author

1. Is there any storyline that was drastically changed due to the removal of the five year timeskip?

2. A lot of deaths seemed to occur offscreen with hints they may still be alive. Do you feel the number of them present here may dull the Anyone Can Die vibe of the previous books?

3. Do you regret any of the POVs in this book or wish you had included another one-off POV?

4. In A Dance with Dragons, do you plan for any of the cliffhangers to be resolved or with they have to wait for The Winds of Winter?

5. Over the past decade or so, the writing pace of the series has considerably slowed. Do you think the storylines in A Feast for Crows and A Dance with Dragons are the hardest you've had to write and do you anticipate such a long wait for the sixth and seventh books as well?
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