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joelogsliterature's reviews
86 reviews
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain
4.0
Twain wonderfully critiques all the institutions and ideas we still cling to while writing a fun little tale, all with his characteristically witty prose.
The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien
5.0
One of the great achievements of literature. Tolkien's lifelong project brought to life an entire history, an entire mythology, that continues to delight and amaze, being shepherded today by his equally brilliant son.
Smashing Statues: The Rise and Fall of America's Public Monuments by Erin Thompson
3.0
A very topical book. Thompson does a good job of getting the (roughly) three main points across: Monuments are not erected merely to record history but to idolize a figure or for other political aims. The history of America's monuments is filled with terrible people explicitly acting to uphold in reverence other terrible people while degrading minorities at every turn. These monuments still effect us today in important ways. What is not done as well, I think, is the actual writing. The prose is not dense or academic, yet it is fairly dry and uninspiring. It's also always annoying to have endnotes over footnotes, especially when it's endnotes of the variety where extra information is mixed haphazardly with citations. Overall, I felt I learned some important history, but it was a slog at points for being such a short book.
Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch by Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett
5.0
I started this book as part of a book club. I've heard much about the lauded authors, but I've only read two Gaimans and no Pratchetts before this experience. My reading of this book was not entirely pure in that sometime during it I also watched the quite good television adaptation---which expands the book to a second season of new content, apparently in accordance to the late Terry Pratchett's desires. In this way, the visual representation I have for each character at least is altered, but the series follows the book closely and I had some initial impressions beforehand from reading the first quarter or so. All that aside, I loved this! While there were substantial lulls at times, the ever-mocking, stylishly irreverent, and supremely witty styling that establishes itself from the very beginning remains delightful throughout. Occasionally, the temptation to be clever supersedes the duty to describe, but this only occurs during subsidiary scenes anyway and so is not detrimental in any way, albeit sometimes a bit distracting. Overall, this may be a five star book, although probably borderline. If you are looking for some light comedic fiction, there are few better books I could recommend.
The following thoughts may contain spoilers.
In any case, the plot itself leaves little to be desired. While not venturing into any new territory for sure, Good Omens' premise serves as the perfect vessel for the authors' humor and draws the reader in immediately, particularly with the oft indirect presentation. Speaking of presentation, the footnotes are fantastic! On my Kindle, they functioned as endnotes, making them somewhat clunky, but I believe they are footnotes proper in the print editions, and they contain many wonderful nuggets. That aside, the plot is not the focus. One sees the "we are not so different, after all" setup early on and due to it and the tone of the book, probably expects a resolution something like what occurs, but the journey is delightful in the construction of small scenes like the paintball incident or Shadwell's "successful exorcism" to respect the characters deeply while making the reader smile. The internal logic of the plot is also well-maintained, summarized perhaps best by Murphy's law and the ineffability of which Aziraphale is always so fond of reminding his fellow immortals.
The following thoughts may contain spoilers.
Spoiler
Crowley and Aziraphale are addictingly entertaining as well as heartwarming in no small measure: so much so that sections focused on other main characters sometimes drug on. Anathema was quite fun and her dynamic with Newton improved his character somewhat in much the same way as Shadwell would not be the same without Madame Tracy, no matter how much he initially feigns detachment. However, Adam and his gang were lowlights for the most part, as others noted, but of course, they also drive the story forward in essential and interesting ways. Not mentioned by as many other reviews is that I also felt the horsemen lacked some refinement. Mysterious descriptions full of references make their introductions enjoyable, but each lack interesting personality beyond their presence as mythological plot devices, mercenaries of Hell, as they were.In any case, the plot itself leaves little to be desired. While not venturing into any new territory for sure, Good Omens' premise serves as the perfect vessel for the authors' humor and draws the reader in immediately, particularly with the oft indirect presentation. Speaking of presentation, the footnotes are fantastic! On my Kindle, they functioned as endnotes, making them somewhat clunky, but I believe they are footnotes proper in the print editions, and they contain many wonderful nuggets. That aside, the plot is not the focus. One sees the "we are not so different, after all" setup early on and due to it and the tone of the book, probably expects a resolution something like what occurs, but the journey is delightful in the construction of small scenes like the paintball incident or Shadwell's "successful exorcism" to respect the characters deeply while making the reader smile. The internal logic of the plot is also well-maintained, summarized perhaps best by Murphy's law and the ineffability of which Aziraphale is always so fond of reminding his fellow immortals.
The Giver by Lois Lowry
5.0
I read this book many, many times as a child, and it still holds up. Does it perhaps fail to suspend disbelief to a degree? Sure, but I think that is fine for YA fiction. Thought-provoking to young audiences with timeless issues explored in a timeless manner, although perhaps with some mixed messaging. Lowry's writing is fairly crisp albeit simple and straightforward.
Blight: Fungi and the Coming Pandemic by Emily Monosson
4.0
I came across this book in a university library and idly read the introduction for some downtime between work. It had me hooked from there. The idea of a mycological pandemic is not a foreign one today with the rise of the (great) Last of Us and other such media, but like most people, I did not know much of the history of fungal disease ravaging hosts as diverse as the American chestnut to the African clawed frog. Monosson shares this history in a straightforward way without boring, including lots of fun asides for trivia nerds and a number of helpful illustrations. Key names and ideas are gently emphasized by seamless repetition, and the book reassuringly leads us from alarm to hope, emphasizing the importance of serious care for screening, reducing our reliance on crop monocultures, and other measures to prevent the history of the cavendish banana repeating itself elsewhere.
There is only as much scientific detail as is needed and no more, so people without any background in genetics for whom something like CAS9 would be foreign are able to follow along nicely. In some respects, I wish there were more detail on this front alongside more illustrations, but that's perhaps only a matter of personal taste. I've been lucky to receive a substantial education in microbiology, genetics, and the like, but the only organism-specific study I ever undertook was mammalian and human biology. Yet more and more, I've come to appreciate how incredible the other kingdoms of life are!
One other aspect of this story that I was surprised did not play a larger role given the initial pitch was the idea of fungi adapting to infect warmer blooded species such as humans and how that might play out. Presumably, this is for two reasons: first, it would involve much speculation; second, it would require more scientific detail than is perhaps appropriate for this kind of popular science.
There is only as much scientific detail as is needed and no more, so people without any background in genetics for whom something like CAS9 would be foreign are able to follow along nicely. In some respects, I wish there were more detail on this front alongside more illustrations, but that's perhaps only a matter of personal taste. I've been lucky to receive a substantial education in microbiology, genetics, and the like, but the only organism-specific study I ever undertook was mammalian and human biology. Yet more and more, I've come to appreciate how incredible the other kingdoms of life are!
One other aspect of this story that I was surprised did not play a larger role given the initial pitch was the idea of fungi adapting to infect warmer blooded species such as humans and how that might play out. Presumably, this is for two reasons: first, it would involve much speculation; second, it would require more scientific detail than is perhaps appropriate for this kind of popular science.
The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by Howard Pyle
4.0
What a fantastic collection of stories. I found it difficult to decide on a rating for this. Historically, it naturally deserves a 5-star review for reviving the great jolly yeoman knave variant of Robin Hood that today is the only one known to the world, but I think there better folktales than Robin Hood and Pyle's language leaves me internally divisive. In any case, this is the definitive Robin Hood, sans perhaps the (true) Middle English Gest of Robyn Hode. Definitely read this if you have any interest in English folklore. Tolkien fans like myself would do well to read it for that purpose as well, although the Icelandic sagas, the Kalevala, Beowulf, and Sir Gawain should all come first.
Robin Hood makes for a fun anti-authoritarian hero---a man of the people, one as gallant as any knight and as steadfast in his resolve as any friar. His style is iconic, but it is bolstered by his dwelling, making for a wonderful imagined past of the mythical England, its bountiful forests and lush fields, quaint inns and mischievous taverns, authoritative castles and cozy villages. Pyle codification of the embedding of historical figures into Robin Hood's story is a noteworthy albeit not entirely novel contribution. Today, most non-English readers probably know Richard the Lionheart primarily from stories such as this one.
Pyle's formatting is wise, although I admit this somewhat begrudgingly. The faux Early Modern English-Middle English hybrid the characters use is a bit frustrating when one has studied the real things, but still, Pyle reveals his impressive knowledge at various points and the idiosyncrasies of the dialect, especially the peculiar diction grow on you as you read the book. This language decision allows for modern readers to get by without special training while giving an air of authenticity. Supplemented by the brief one-sentence descriptions of scenes and the still-worthwhile printed illustrations, the book flows wonderfully.
The final epilogue and afterword hit me emotionally in a way I did not expect. Knowing already their contents and the tale being so ingrained culturally, I expected to feel nothing, and yet Robin Hood's end days left me both appreciating the time we spent together once more and mourning the fictional loss. This was a well-earned contrast to the light-hearted fun throughout the book, which should garner at least a few snickers provided one is paying attention.
I definitely want to go re-read some folklore and try out some new source material now.
Robin Hood makes for a fun anti-authoritarian hero---a man of the people, one as gallant as any knight and as steadfast in his resolve as any friar. His style is iconic, but it is bolstered by his dwelling, making for a wonderful imagined past of the mythical England, its bountiful forests and lush fields, quaint inns and mischievous taverns, authoritative castles and cozy villages. Pyle codification of the embedding of historical figures into Robin Hood's story is a noteworthy albeit not entirely novel contribution. Today, most non-English readers probably know Richard the Lionheart primarily from stories such as this one.
Pyle's formatting is wise, although I admit this somewhat begrudgingly. The faux Early Modern English-Middle English hybrid the characters use is a bit frustrating when one has studied the real things, but still, Pyle reveals his impressive knowledge at various points and the idiosyncrasies of the dialect, especially the peculiar diction grow on you as you read the book. This language decision allows for modern readers to get by without special training while giving an air of authenticity. Supplemented by the brief one-sentence descriptions of scenes and the still-worthwhile printed illustrations, the book flows wonderfully.
The final epilogue and afterword hit me emotionally in a way I did not expect. Knowing already their contents and the tale being so ingrained culturally, I expected to feel nothing, and yet Robin Hood's end days left me both appreciating the time we spent together once more and mourning the fictional loss. This was a well-earned contrast to the light-hearted fun throughout the book, which should garner at least a few snickers provided one is paying attention.
I definitely want to go re-read some folklore and try out some new source material now.
Tylko sprawiedliwość by Bryan Stevenson
4.0
I read this on a flight in 2018. It was a bit repetitive but overall compelling and tragic. I do not remember all the details now surely, but I do wish it hit more on the constitutional challenges to representation. Overall, it shared several touching stories and got well across the point that the death penalty is disturbingly final in a world with a number of wrongful convictions. I've added this entry just because Goodreads keeps suggesting it.