This unfinished work by John Steinbeck includes an appendix of letters, mostly from Steinbeck, regarding his work on this work. The work is intended to set Mallory’s Arthurian legend in more modern English, except for chapter titles. I think it largely succeeds at telling the stories in modern English while retaining the magic of the old legends.
It starts with the strange tale of Merlin, Uthar, and Igraine. The tale is strange enough that it will not be to everyone’s taste, though I enjoyed the magic in the tale. The work proceeds from a tale of a knight with two swords, set in the early part of Arthur’s reign, through the death of Merlin and Morgan Le Fey’s first treacheries, to a quartet of tales of Arthur’s knights.
As the reader advances through the book the work becomes more and more accessible. The tale of Merlin is steeped in magic and has great deeds set down shortly, while the tale of Gawain, Ewain, and Marhalt has very little magic and the deeds are set down at length. The first chapter of Lancelot’s tale is similar or even more so. It starts with Arthur noting weakness in the younger knights, who have not been tried in battle. It includes gossip and fears. The greatest “magic” it includes is a paltry affair of illusion and forboding.
This book is well worth reading, particularly if you liked Mallory’s “Morte d’Artur”.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Monday, April 5, 2010
Book Review: “Masters Library: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: The Celebrated Cases of Sherlock Holmes”
This collection of Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes mysteries includes all of “The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes”, “The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes”, “The Return of Sherlock Holmes”, “A Study in Scarlet”, “The Sign of Four”, “The Hound of the Baskervilles”, and two late adventures of Sherlock Holmes. The late adventures are “The Adventure of Wisteria Lodge” and “The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plans”.
Overall it is a fine and enjoyable collection. Some of the stories, like “A Study in Scarlet” are not very good, but others, such as “The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle”, are Holmes and Doyle at their best. In addition to providing such wonderful stories the volume is attractive. It is hardbound in some sort of leather with embossed gold colored lettering on the cover. Within all but the last two stories are displayed as they appeared in the “Strand” including a great many illustrations of the various mysteries.
It is not clear to me what the proper title of this collection is. On the front cover is the title I use above, but on the side the title is simply "Sir Arthur Conan Doyle" followed by a list of all the works in the collection.
Overall it is a fine and enjoyable collection. Some of the stories, like “A Study in Scarlet” are not very good, but others, such as “The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle”, are Holmes and Doyle at their best. In addition to providing such wonderful stories the volume is attractive. It is hardbound in some sort of leather with embossed gold colored lettering on the cover. Within all but the last two stories are displayed as they appeared in the “Strand” including a great many illustrations of the various mysteries.
It is not clear to me what the proper title of this collection is. On the front cover is the title I use above, but on the side the title is simply "Sir Arthur Conan Doyle" followed by a list of all the works in the collection.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Book Review: "Of Other Worlds"
This book is a collection of essays and stories written by C.S. Lewis. Over all it is a mildly interesting read. The reader should know that it does not contain any works of Christian Apologetics.
The bulk of the essays deal with the way literary critics approach stories, particularly fantasy and science fiction. C.S. Lewis argues that judging stories where the point of interest is the plot by the standard of stories where characters are the center of interest is a mistake. Each essay takes this and advances along particular avenues based on the reason the essay was written.
One of the other essays is very short, and is Lewis's attempt to describe how he gets ideas for stories. Another of the essays is a response to Haldane's essay "Auld Hornie FRS". There is also an "essay" that is actually a transcript of a casual meeting between Lewis, Brian Aldis, and Kingsley Amis where they talked about writing fantasy / sci-fi stories.
A final essay describes things Lewis felt he learned from reading critical reviews of his fiction. In this essay he references honesty briefly; he saw that some reviewers felt they couldn't be honest. He then talks about the problem of reading the work hastily, or incompletely, and then assuming that the author wrote what you think he would. He goes on to talk about the serious risk of hypothesizing about how the work was written; the reviewer is usually wrong. Lewis describes reviews written that focus on the presumed psychology of the author. These, while not necessarily wrong, are generally beside the point. He also talks about the problems arising from the assumption that all stories are allegories focused on the current political events.
There are three short stories and the first chapter or two of a novel that Lewis was working on before he died. The best of the short stories is probably "Ministering Angels". In it the government is convinced to send volunteers to serve as prostitutes for the men stationed on Mars. The only volunteers they get are a professor convinced of the "new" ethic and a prostitute that wouldn't get picked up by any but the most desperate.
The bulk of the essays deal with the way literary critics approach stories, particularly fantasy and science fiction. C.S. Lewis argues that judging stories where the point of interest is the plot by the standard of stories where characters are the center of interest is a mistake. Each essay takes this and advances along particular avenues based on the reason the essay was written.
One of the other essays is very short, and is Lewis's attempt to describe how he gets ideas for stories. Another of the essays is a response to Haldane's essay "Auld Hornie FRS". There is also an "essay" that is actually a transcript of a casual meeting between Lewis, Brian Aldis, and Kingsley Amis where they talked about writing fantasy / sci-fi stories.
A final essay describes things Lewis felt he learned from reading critical reviews of his fiction. In this essay he references honesty briefly; he saw that some reviewers felt they couldn't be honest. He then talks about the problem of reading the work hastily, or incompletely, and then assuming that the author wrote what you think he would. He goes on to talk about the serious risk of hypothesizing about how the work was written; the reviewer is usually wrong. Lewis describes reviews written that focus on the presumed psychology of the author. These, while not necessarily wrong, are generally beside the point. He also talks about the problems arising from the assumption that all stories are allegories focused on the current political events.
There are three short stories and the first chapter or two of a novel that Lewis was working on before he died. The best of the short stories is probably "Ministering Angels". In it the government is convinced to send volunteers to serve as prostitutes for the men stationed on Mars. The only volunteers they get are a professor convinced of the "new" ethic and a prostitute that wouldn't get picked up by any but the most desperate.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Book Review: "Acorna"
"Acorna" is a book by Anne McCaffrey and Margaret Ball. It contains a series of episodes following the discovery of an alien escape pod by three human asteroid miners. It is the first of the books in the series.
Over all it is an easy and enjoyable read. Acorna proves to be an interesting character, along with the three miners, Rafik, Callum, and Gill. The story ends setting the stage for the next book in the series, "Acorna's Quest".
Over all it is an easy and enjoyable read. Acorna proves to be an interesting character, along with the three miners, Rafik, Callum, and Gill. The story ends setting the stage for the next book in the series, "Acorna's Quest".
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Book Review: "Acorna's Quest"
This book by Anne McCaffrey and Margaret Ball is the second book in the series dealing with Acorna, the unicorn girl. The foe changes as the story advances. Initially there isn't one. Then the Starfarers are the foe. These are defeated in a chapter or two and the main characters start cleaning up the mess that was created. Then the Kleevi show up as new enemies. They take a couple more chapters to drive off.
Over all it's an easy read. There are several interesting characters including Hafiz Harakamian, Johnny Greene, and Karina a fake psychic. The plot isn't terribly memorable, but it suffices to put the characters in a variety of situations. The overall writing is easy to read, easy to digest, and even the less interesting characters are pleasant to read.
Over all it's an easy read. There are several interesting characters including Hafiz Harakamian, Johnny Greene, and Karina a fake psychic. The plot isn't terribly memorable, but it suffices to put the characters in a variety of situations. The overall writing is easy to read, easy to digest, and even the less interesting characters are pleasant to read.
Book Review: "Ezra Pound Early Poems"
This book, a Dover Thrift Edition of Ezra Pound's early poems, contains selections from "Personae", "Exultations", "Ripostes", all of "Cathay", and the first nine sections of "Hugh Selwyn Mauberly".
If you have never read any of Ezra Pound's poetry this could be an excellent book to find out with. It is inexpensive, contains 66 poems from his various early collections, and doesn't include much in the way of distractions. Indeed as I read this book I realized that I don't much care for the poetry of Ezra Pound. The best of the poems in this book, from my perspective, would be one of poems from "Cathay", perhaps the "Poem at the Bridge of Ten-Shin".
If you have never read any of Ezra Pound's poetry this could be an excellent book to find out with. It is inexpensive, contains 66 poems from his various early collections, and doesn't include much in the way of distractions. Indeed as I read this book I realized that I don't much care for the poetry of Ezra Pound. The best of the poems in this book, from my perspective, would be one of poems from "Cathay", perhaps the "Poem at the Bridge of Ten-Shin".
Book Review: "Acorna's People"
This book by Anne McCaffrey and Elizabeth Ann Scarborough is the third in the series about Acorna, the unicorn girl. It is an easy read without being particularly noteworthy.
The plot, in brief, is that certain of the Piper's associates from the first book are looking for ways to get revenge on Acorna. They would also like to make a great deal of money using the healing powers of Linyaari horns. The Red Bracelet mercenaries, seen in the second book, are recruited to capture as many Linyaari as possible. They do so while posing as members of the Federations armed forces. This plot comes to light slowly as the book progresses, and Acorna learns what it is like to live with those Linyaari that would never normally go into space. Eventually she leaves the Linyaari homeworld in the company of Aari, a Linyaari that survived being tortured by the Kleevi, the insectoid race that likes to destroy worlds, and Joe Becker a salvage expert to go to the aid of Hafiz Harakamian, her "uncle". They arrive, save Uncle Hafiz, and learn of the larger plot. A chapter later a plan has been devised in put into motion allowing Acorna to turn the tables on the Red Bracelet mercenaries. Real Federation soldiers arrest the mercenaries and the universe is again made safe for the Linyaari.
As I said at the beginning it is an easy read. It's pleasantly written with several very memorable characters, notably Becker and the over the top, and underhanded, Hafiz. However the villains are hardly ever seen and they are so swiftly overcome they seem almost like an excuse to get Hafiz into space so that the reader can see him and his new bride being outrageous.
This was neither the most interesting book these authors have written, nor was it the most memorable, but it was a quick, easy, and pleasant read.
The plot, in brief, is that certain of the Piper's associates from the first book are looking for ways to get revenge on Acorna. They would also like to make a great deal of money using the healing powers of Linyaari horns. The Red Bracelet mercenaries, seen in the second book, are recruited to capture as many Linyaari as possible. They do so while posing as members of the Federations armed forces. This plot comes to light slowly as the book progresses, and Acorna learns what it is like to live with those Linyaari that would never normally go into space. Eventually she leaves the Linyaari homeworld in the company of Aari, a Linyaari that survived being tortured by the Kleevi, the insectoid race that likes to destroy worlds, and Joe Becker a salvage expert to go to the aid of Hafiz Harakamian, her "uncle". They arrive, save Uncle Hafiz, and learn of the larger plot. A chapter later a plan has been devised in put into motion allowing Acorna to turn the tables on the Red Bracelet mercenaries. Real Federation soldiers arrest the mercenaries and the universe is again made safe for the Linyaari.
As I said at the beginning it is an easy read. It's pleasantly written with several very memorable characters, notably Becker and the over the top, and underhanded, Hafiz. However the villains are hardly ever seen and they are so swiftly overcome they seem almost like an excuse to get Hafiz into space so that the reader can see him and his new bride being outrageous.
This was neither the most interesting book these authors have written, nor was it the most memorable, but it was a quick, easy, and pleasant read.
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