by Stephen King (174 pgs)
Rating: 3
Carrie is the misunderstood butt of the high school. At 16 she doesn't know what menstration is and for some reason weird stuff always happens around her. Her overbearing zealot of a mother cows her into self loathing. So when Carrie get's invited to the prom by the most popular boy at school all hell breaks loose.
Reading this book almost makes me wish that I'd never seen the movie. I'm not the biggest King fan but I must admit: This book made my skin crawl. The way it's written is highly effective at keeping the reader off balance and the multiple points of view make the suspention of disbelief a little easier.
Recommended for horror fans
Thursday, March 30, 2006
28. Passage
by Connie Willis (594 pgs)
Rating: 5
Joanna is a researcher studying and chronicling Near Death Experiences (NDEs)as scientifically as possible. Richard is a neurobiologist who's found a way to stimulated the brain into entering the NDE state by use of a drug. They team up to find out what the biological cause and function of NDEs is. This is all complicated by a sensationalist evangelical new waver named Mandrake, a labranthine hospital, and contaminated test subjects. When Joanna starts undergoing the tests as well, she finds herself on the Titanic...or does she?
It took me almost 3 months of reading, on and off, but finally I've finished it. We're back to the concept of speculative fiction, I guess. I would call Passage Sci-Fi maybe. But sci-fi has come to mean wookies and zap guns. Not that I have anything against either, but it would be a misrepresentation of this book. Much of it was about neuro-transmitters in the brain. There's a historical-fiction aspect of it in the importance the Titanic plays in the plot but even though it is important it's still tangential. I think the importance of this book is the philosophical aspects about death and grieving. There's a message there that touched me deep down and that I won't forget.
Recommended to anyone curious about death and to research scientists who I feel will appreciate some of the humor.
Rating: 5
Joanna is a researcher studying and chronicling Near Death Experiences (NDEs)as scientifically as possible. Richard is a neurobiologist who's found a way to stimulated the brain into entering the NDE state by use of a drug. They team up to find out what the biological cause and function of NDEs is. This is all complicated by a sensationalist evangelical new waver named Mandrake, a labranthine hospital, and contaminated test subjects. When Joanna starts undergoing the tests as well, she finds herself on the Titanic...or does she?
It took me almost 3 months of reading, on and off, but finally I've finished it. We're back to the concept of speculative fiction, I guess. I would call Passage Sci-Fi maybe. But sci-fi has come to mean wookies and zap guns. Not that I have anything against either, but it would be a misrepresentation of this book. Much of it was about neuro-transmitters in the brain. There's a historical-fiction aspect of it in the importance the Titanic plays in the plot but even though it is important it's still tangential. I think the importance of this book is the philosophical aspects about death and grieving. There's a message there that touched me deep down and that I won't forget.
Recommended to anyone curious about death and to research scientists who I feel will appreciate some of the humor.
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
27. Foundation
by Isaac Asimov (236 pgs)
Rating: 3
The time of the Galactic civilization is ending. Progress has receded to stagnation and backslide into mysticism. The empire fails. A psychohistorian has the foresight to create two outposts of scientific advancement. This book follows Foundation over the course of about 200 years and 3 'Seldon crises.'
Asimov is an interesting writer. I've heard it complained that this is a boring book and I certainly had a hard time getting into it as a kid. However, it's not boring, just very very slow. The premise of mathematical predication of vast social movements is an interesting one although I have a problem with the term 'psychohistory.' It is a good exploration of the problems of a galactic empire.
Recommended to Science Fiction fans, this is something that should be read for the sake of the genre.
Rating: 3
The time of the Galactic civilization is ending. Progress has receded to stagnation and backslide into mysticism. The empire fails. A psychohistorian has the foresight to create two outposts of scientific advancement. This book follows Foundation over the course of about 200 years and 3 'Seldon crises.'
Asimov is an interesting writer. I've heard it complained that this is a boring book and I certainly had a hard time getting into it as a kid. However, it's not boring, just very very slow. The premise of mathematical predication of vast social movements is an interesting one although I have a problem with the term 'psychohistory.' It is a good exploration of the problems of a galactic empire.
Recommended to Science Fiction fans, this is something that should be read for the sake of the genre.
Sunday, March 19, 2006
26. The Haunting of Hill House
by Shirley Jackson (246 pgs)
Rating: 4
Two young women, a antropologist, and a young man understake to spend a summer at the infamously haunted Hill House. Elenor is a young woman suddenly in possetion of her own life since her aged mother died. Theodora is a somewhat eccentric artist. Dr. Montague is an anthropologist, sort of, but really a researcher on the paranormal. Luke is a scalywag who is invited because Hill House belongs to his family. All four of them are there to challange the house and determine the truth of the rumors.
The Haunting of Hill House is perhaps Jackson's most well known novel. Mainly due to the fact that it's been made over into a movie at least twice I believe. The last time was in the 90's and was somewhat regretable. In any case, the book is technically fascinating. Throughout, it gives very reasonable technical explinations of the effects in Hill House while at the same time giving the idea that it is truely haunted. It's a very creepy book.
Recommended to all who enjoy a good ghost story...just don't watch the movie first.
Rating: 4
Two young women, a antropologist, and a young man understake to spend a summer at the infamously haunted Hill House. Elenor is a young woman suddenly in possetion of her own life since her aged mother died. Theodora is a somewhat eccentric artist. Dr. Montague is an anthropologist, sort of, but really a researcher on the paranormal. Luke is a scalywag who is invited because Hill House belongs to his family. All four of them are there to challange the house and determine the truth of the rumors.
The Haunting of Hill House is perhaps Jackson's most well known novel. Mainly due to the fact that it's been made over into a movie at least twice I believe. The last time was in the 90's and was somewhat regretable. In any case, the book is technically fascinating. Throughout, it gives very reasonable technical explinations of the effects in Hill House while at the same time giving the idea that it is truely haunted. It's a very creepy book.
Recommended to all who enjoy a good ghost story...just don't watch the movie first.
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
25. We Have Always Lived in the Castle
by Shirley Jackson (214 pages)
Rating: 4
Mary Elizabeth and Constance, along with senile uncle Julian, are the only surviving members of the Blackwood family. The rest of the family died under somewhat mysterious circumstances which implicate Constance, although she's been acquitted. Together, Mary Elizabeth and Constance live out their lives in a routine way hiding from the nearby villagers who hate them. And then cousin Charles comes and things begin to change.
I might not call We Have Always Lived in the Castle horror per se. I would certainly describe it as chilling or disturbing. I can't really see it fitting well in any other genre, so I suppose horror will do. In any case, Jackson does a wonderful job of building a believably creepy person. However, as is the case with most of her novels, it was a little slow.
I recommend it for a somewhat disturbing read.
Rating: 4
Mary Elizabeth and Constance, along with senile uncle Julian, are the only surviving members of the Blackwood family. The rest of the family died under somewhat mysterious circumstances which implicate Constance, although she's been acquitted. Together, Mary Elizabeth and Constance live out their lives in a routine way hiding from the nearby villagers who hate them. And then cousin Charles comes and things begin to change.
I might not call We Have Always Lived in the Castle horror per se. I would certainly describe it as chilling or disturbing. I can't really see it fitting well in any other genre, so I suppose horror will do. In any case, Jackson does a wonderful job of building a believably creepy person. However, as is the case with most of her novels, it was a little slow.
I recommend it for a somewhat disturbing read.
Monday, March 06, 2006
24. Demons Don't Dream
by Piers Anthony (340 pgs)
Rating: 3
Two mundane kids, Dug and Kim, get to wander around Xanth by virtue of a computer game. What they aren't told though is that they are actually pawns in a larger game to decide the fate of Xanth.
Reading Demons Don't Dream was skipping a ton of material in the series that I probably needed to have to really enjoy this one. Generally speaking I don't think it much matters what order you read these books in but this one needs to be towards the end I think. In any case, it was cute. There was a lot of groaning at the puns and I think Anthony pegged what a mundane kid would think of Xanth if they'd never heard of it before.
It's worth reading if you have a free afternoon.
Rating: 3
Two mundane kids, Dug and Kim, get to wander around Xanth by virtue of a computer game. What they aren't told though is that they are actually pawns in a larger game to decide the fate of Xanth.
Reading Demons Don't Dream was skipping a ton of material in the series that I probably needed to have to really enjoy this one. Generally speaking I don't think it much matters what order you read these books in but this one needs to be towards the end I think. In any case, it was cute. There was a lot of groaning at the puns and I think Anthony pegged what a mundane kid would think of Xanth if they'd never heard of it before.
It's worth reading if you have a free afternoon.
Sunday, March 05, 2006
23. Changing Places: A Tale of Two Campuses
by David Lodge (251 pgs)
Rating: 4
Philip Swallow and Morris Zapp are English professors who exchange places for a term. Zapp goes to England and Swallow comes to America. The story is set in 1969 and amid the beginnings of feminism and anti war activism, Swallow discovers a life more pleasant. Zapp finds his training as a ruthless American academic puts him in the perfect place to help the poor little English university expand and grow. Both of them find they like the other's life...better.
I want to go on the record as saying this is a strange book and my rating may change after I have more time to think about it. Whether it goes up or down is something I have no answer for.
Changing Places is meant to be a satire. It is poking at the lifestyle of the academic communities in both Britain and the U.S. making out neither to be particularly better than the other. It pokes at U.S. history surrounding Viet Nam, the sexual revolution, and woman's liberation movements. Also, it pokes at the British post-colonialism attitudes. I know just enough about all of these to identify that they are being satirized but not quite enough to really appreciate them. All except the lifestyle of the literature academic in the U.S. and that's debatable. I do know plot wise, this is a fascinating book. Something like watching a train wreck.
Structurally, there is some interesting things going on and a disturbing awareness in the text of it. The book is broken unevenly into 6 sections. The voice in the first section is third person omniscient distanced narrator. In the second and fifth section it's a more conventional third person non-distanced voice. The third section is epistolary, the forth is news clippings, and the sixth section is a teleplay. An example of what I mean about disturbing awareness can be found on page 130 deep in the epistolary section a character writes, 'There's a whole chapter on how to write an epistolary novel, but surely nobody's done that since the eighteenth century?' It's clever in a gentle sort of way but it happens through out.
In any case, I'd recommend this to anyone in academia and those who consider themselves 'serious readers.'
Rating: 4
Philip Swallow and Morris Zapp are English professors who exchange places for a term. Zapp goes to England and Swallow comes to America. The story is set in 1969 and amid the beginnings of feminism and anti war activism, Swallow discovers a life more pleasant. Zapp finds his training as a ruthless American academic puts him in the perfect place to help the poor little English university expand and grow. Both of them find they like the other's life...better.
I want to go on the record as saying this is a strange book and my rating may change after I have more time to think about it. Whether it goes up or down is something I have no answer for.
Changing Places is meant to be a satire. It is poking at the lifestyle of the academic communities in both Britain and the U.S. making out neither to be particularly better than the other. It pokes at U.S. history surrounding Viet Nam, the sexual revolution, and woman's liberation movements. Also, it pokes at the British post-colonialism attitudes. I know just enough about all of these to identify that they are being satirized but not quite enough to really appreciate them. All except the lifestyle of the literature academic in the U.S. and that's debatable. I do know plot wise, this is a fascinating book. Something like watching a train wreck.
Structurally, there is some interesting things going on and a disturbing awareness in the text of it. The book is broken unevenly into 6 sections. The voice in the first section is third person omniscient distanced narrator. In the second and fifth section it's a more conventional third person non-distanced voice. The third section is epistolary, the forth is news clippings, and the sixth section is a teleplay. An example of what I mean about disturbing awareness can be found on page 130 deep in the epistolary section a character writes, 'There's a whole chapter on how to write an epistolary novel, but surely nobody's done that since the eighteenth century?' It's clever in a gentle sort of way but it happens through out.
In any case, I'd recommend this to anyone in academia and those who consider themselves 'serious readers.'
Friday, March 03, 2006
List 3: Academia: The Joke
Source: Book Lust page 3
In celebration of me leaving my job behind I've decided to read humerous fiction about academia. It didn't occur to me that there would be enough material out there to support this list but on reflection it makes considerably more sense. After all, academics tend to be highly literate people and highly literate people are more likely to write books and people tend to write about what they know....in this case academia. (run on sentance I know) In any case, I haven't heard of any of these authors so it'll be an adventure.
1. Pictures from an Institution by Randall Jarrell
2. The Groves of Academe by Mary McCarthy
3. Moo by Jane Smiley
4. Japanese by Spring by Ishmael Reed
5. The Handmaid of Desire by John L'Heureux
6. Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis
David Lodge
7. Changing Places: A Tale of Two Campuses
8. Small World: An Academic Romance
9. Nice Work
Malcolm Bradbury
10. Eating People Is Wrong
11. Stepping Westward
12. The History Man
13. Rates of Exchange
14. To the Hermitage
In celebration of me leaving my job behind I've decided to read humerous fiction about academia. It didn't occur to me that there would be enough material out there to support this list but on reflection it makes considerably more sense. After all, academics tend to be highly literate people and highly literate people are more likely to write books and people tend to write about what they know....in this case academia. (run on sentance I know) In any case, I haven't heard of any of these authors so it'll be an adventure.
1. Pictures from an Institution by Randall Jarrell
2. The Groves of Academe by Mary McCarthy
3. Moo by Jane Smiley
4. Japanese by Spring by Ishmael Reed
5. The Handmaid of Desire by John L'Heureux
6. Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis
David Lodge
7. Changing Places: A Tale of Two Campuses
8. Small World: An Academic Romance
9. Nice Work
Malcolm Bradbury
10. Eating People Is Wrong
11. Stepping Westward
12. The History Man
13. Rates of Exchange
14. To the Hermitage
22. A Spell for Chameleon
By Piers Anthony (344 pgs)
Rating: 4
Bink is a man in a land of magic with no apparent magic of his own. Unfortunately the law is that those with out any kind of magic talent at all must be exile to the dreaded and drear Mundania. Through much adventure, Bink learns that he has a talent but no one can identify what it is.
I read A Spell For Chameleon this when I was in Jr. High and remembered almost none of the plot when I picked it up to re-read it. I have to admit, the love story was much more touching, the characters much more interesting, and the writing much tighter than I remembered it.
Anyone who likes light-hearted fantasy or Douglas Adams would probably appreciate this book.
Rating: 4
Bink is a man in a land of magic with no apparent magic of his own. Unfortunately the law is that those with out any kind of magic talent at all must be exile to the dreaded and drear Mundania. Through much adventure, Bink learns that he has a talent but no one can identify what it is.
I read A Spell For Chameleon this when I was in Jr. High and remembered almost none of the plot when I picked it up to re-read it. I have to admit, the love story was much more touching, the characters much more interesting, and the writing much tighter than I remembered it.
Anyone who likes light-hearted fantasy or Douglas Adams would probably appreciate this book.
Thursday, March 02, 2006
21. Prince of Chaos
by Roger Zelazny (241 pgs)
Merle is suddenly whisked away to the Courts Chaos and informed that with the king dead, he's suddenly in line for the throne. Unfortunately, he doesn't want it. Perhaps even more unfortunately...it's obvious that there are forces out there that want him to have it.
Apparently Prince of Chaos is meant to be the end of the series. I came away from with many more questions and a sense of incompletion. It seemed very much that this is a set up for a new series which of course will never come...at least not from Zelazny's pen.
It was a good read. Definitely worth it if you've read everything leading up to it.
Merle is suddenly whisked away to the Courts Chaos and informed that with the king dead, he's suddenly in line for the throne. Unfortunately, he doesn't want it. Perhaps even more unfortunately...it's obvious that there are forces out there that want him to have it.
Apparently Prince of Chaos is meant to be the end of the series. I came away from with many more questions and a sense of incompletion. It seemed very much that this is a set up for a new series which of course will never come...at least not from Zelazny's pen.
It was a good read. Definitely worth it if you've read everything leading up to it.
Wednesday, March 01, 2006
20. Knight of Chaos
by Roger Zelazny (251 pgs)
Rating: 4
Merle and Jasra start the Knight of Shadows off as allies. Go figure. If you haven't read the previous books that's not going to make a lot of sense...but it is, in fact, a strange turn of events. Merle's brother Mandor is introduced. Things between the Pattern and Logrus get more strained. There is a continuation of a whole mess of plot lines that could just be dropped but the book is enjoyable in a day time soap opera kinda way.
Rating: 4
Merle and Jasra start the Knight of Shadows off as allies. Go figure. If you haven't read the previous books that's not going to make a lot of sense...but it is, in fact, a strange turn of events. Merle's brother Mandor is introduced. Things between the Pattern and Logrus get more strained. There is a continuation of a whole mess of plot lines that could just be dropped but the book is enjoyable in a day time soap opera kinda way.
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