My wife and I watched the TV series, Bridgerton, on Netflix. This was a very fictionalized account taking place in 18th century Georgian England. One My wife and I watched the TV series, Bridgerton, on Netflix. This was a very fictionalized account taking place in 18th century Georgian England. One of the continuing characters in the series was Queen Charlotte who was married to the Mad King, George III. We also watched the spinoff series called Queen Charlotte which told of Charlotte's travel from a kingdom in Germany to become Queen of England by marrying King George. This series was actually more interesting and enjoyable to me than the original Bridgerton series. It told of Charlotte's marriage to George and his struggle with mental illness. Again, both of these series were highly fictionalized and used a premise of Charlotte being at least partially black with other black personages being granted peerages in England. But how much in the series was close to what really happened in history? Anyway, I wanted to find out more about George III and Charlotte so checked this mammoth biography out from the library.
This is a very detailed biography of not only George III and his family but of the Georgian dynasty as a whole, including George I and George II who came before George III and ending with Victoria, George III's granddaughter. The German House of Hanover became the British royal family by default of the Act of Settlement of 1701, which assured only a Protestant monarch would rule England. George I and II were not fond of England and were miserable parents who despised their own offspring. George III came into power in 1760 at age 22, and was determined to be a better king whose power would be rooted in the affection and approval of his people. He wanted to escape the dysfunction of his predecessors by maintaining a faithful marriage with domestic harmony. His marriage to Charlotte was an arranged affair with Charlotte coming from the German kingdom of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. Charlotte agreed with George's sense of moral purpose and together they do everything possible to raise their thirteen sons and daughters with love and attention. However, as the children grow older, the men mostly stray and have affairs outside marriage while the women have difficulty in securing a husband who meets the requirements of a royal marriage. And then George III struggles through a time of change and tumult including both the American and French revolutions. Then at age 50, George is stricken with a mental illness that plagues him off and on through the rest of his life. This kept him confined and in strait jackets for many years. His symptoms included manic bouts of talking until he passed out, becoming obsessed with a certain Lady Pembroke of court and telling his wife he hated her and preferred Lady Pembroke (in front their children), trying to seduce his daughter-in-law, and using increasingly bawdy language in front of his daughters. George's illness has sometimes been identified as porphyria, a metabolic disorder caused by a genetic malfunction that alters the body's chemistry, resulting in the overproduction of toxins affecting the nervous system. However, more recent research questions this diagnosis and attributes his madness to the mental condition, late-onset bipolar disorder with recurrent manic episodes.
This biography was very well researched and contained a ton of information about life during that time period including things such as childbirth and midwifery, education of children including differences between how boys and girls are taught, religion and politics, and domestic and public life. So how does this compare to the Netflix series. Well there is some truth to the series including Charlotte's motherhood of 15 children, but the series is much more romantic than the actual life. George's mental illness is portrayed as something he was plagued with since childhood but in actuality, it didn't affect him until age 50. I would recommend this biography for anyone with an interest in Georgian England but it is a slog to get through — I admit that I did skim some of the later chapters. [image] ...more
This book has been sitting on my shelves for several years waiting to be read. Glad I finally got to it! First of all, this is a time travel novel, onThis book has been sitting on my shelves for several years waiting to be read. Glad I finally got to it! First of all, this is a time travel novel, one of the genres I always find fascinating. It also is a good historical novel dealing with the Black Death in 14th century England.
The book starts out in 2054 Oxford where time travel has been developed to assist historians in their endeavors. Kivrin, a young historian receives permission to travel back to 1320 to study the Middle Ages. But when she arrives there, she falls into a feverish delirium and loses sight of her surroundings making it almost impossible for her to find the way back to the "drop site" for her return to 2054. Meanwhile, in 2054 Oxford, a highly contagious flu epidemic occurs resulting in the "time net" being shut off for fear of a contagion coming from the past. This leaves Kivrin stranded but it turns out she is really in 1348 during the time of the Plague or Black Death! The story is told between what is happening to Kivrin during the plague and what is happening in 2054 during the flu epidemic. The novel tells of an earlier pandemic in the 21st century and the quarantines that now seem necessary again. As the doctors race to find the source of the flu in 2054, Kivrin soon discovers that she is in the wrong year and is faced with the horrors of the Black Death. [image] This book was first published in 1992, over 20 years before the Covid pandemic in 2020, but it is eerily remindful of the worst that can happen. I thought Willis did a very good job of showing the devastation that can be caused by pandemics, especially what happened during the Black Death with little to no survivors in many of the villages in England. Willis also did a good job with character development and plot even though she used the literary device of interference causing the problems encountered by Kivrin. And as others have pointed out, the world of 2054 as portrayed in the novel did not seem futuristic except for the discovery of time travel. Landline phones were still in use in this future causing many problems with communication during the flu epidemic. There were no cell phones or internet in this future — weren't these things coming into play in 1992 when the book was published? But even with this less than futuristic future, I did enjoy this and I'll probably be reading more of Willis....more
On October 30, 1938, Orson Welles, the actor and director, presented an adaptation of the classic novel War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells on his HalloweOn October 30, 1938, Orson Welles, the actor and director, presented an adaptation of the classic novel War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells on his Halloween episode of the CBS radio series The Mercury Theatre on the Air. The episode is famous for inciting a panic by convincing some members of the listening audience that a Martian invasion was taking place. The broadcast was changed from the original story and set in New Jersey using a "breaking news" style of storytelling where a music program was interrupted by bogus news alerts about a Martian invasion. Because many listeners didn't tune in at the start of the program, they were convinced this was an actual live broadcast and that we were being invaded by Martians!
Max Allan Collins used this as his basis for his novel THE WAR OF THE WORLDS MURDER. This is the sixth in his series of books that use actual historical events which interweave a murder into the story using an historical character involved in the story. I've read two of his other books in this series, THE LUSITANIA MURDERS and THE PEARL HARBOR MURDERS which I enjoyed very much. Collins is excellent at combining a good murder mystery with actual historical events that he spends a lot of time researching.
In War of the Worlds Murder, Collins starts the story with his meeting with Walter Gibson, the author of The Shadow pulp novels from the 1930s and 40s that were the basis for The Shadow radio program that originally featured Orson Welles as The Shadow. Gibson goes on to tell Collins that he was present with Welles during the infamous War of the Worlds broadcast in 1938 and that there was also a murder involved in the story. The book goes on to tell the story of the days before and during the War of the Worlds broadcast. Collins did a great job as usual in his research and tells of the collaboration between Welles and his team at CBS including John Houseman and others. And then he goes on to describe the broadcast and the panic it created in different locales, especially in rural New Jersey where the attack was supposedly taking place. And while this was all going on, Gibson was on the trail of murderer at the studio.
I really enjoyed this one. I first heard about Welles broadcast and the panic it created from reading an article about it in the back of an old War of the Worlds comic book. I am also a fan of pulp novels including The Shadow and I have actually listened to a few of the old radio broadcasts of the show with Orson Welles. [image] I'm also a fan of Welles and his movies. Many consider his Citizen Kane as the best movie of all time. His collaborator, John Houseman went on to star in later life in the movie and TV series, The Paper Chase, another favorite of mine. So overall, this one really hit on a lot of my likes. After reading this, I also found and listened to the original radio broadcast of The War of the Worlds on Youtube. It was good fun and I could see how this could cause a panic if you listened to it without knowing the context. I'll be looking forward to reading more of Collins disaster series....more
Consider the train of events that led to his passing: an avian, possessing the power of flight, finds himself without predators on a luxury island in Consider the train of events that led to his passing: an avian, possessing the power of flight, finds himself without predators on a luxury island in the Indian Ocean. He no longer needs to fly so he doesn't bother. If I could fly I'd keep on flying, whether I needed to or not. Laziness is not attractive even in a handsome creature and the dodo was no oil painting—there are oil paintings to prove it. —Paul Spooner, Museum of the Mind, 1992
This novel is a satire of Hollywood, revolving around the extinct dodo bird. The dodo (Raphus cucullatus) is an extinct flightless bird that was endemic to the island of Mauritius, which is east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. The last widely accepted sighting of a dodo was in 1662. Its extinction was not immediately noticed, and some considered the bird to be a myth.
The story is told from three different perspectives. The first is by Henry Cadwallader, an English doctor who is accompanying his daughter, Dorothy, on a trip to Hollywood where she is supposed to meet up with a Hollywood agent. Then there is Rick McCartney who Henry meets on the plane to L.A. Rick is a self-proclaimed movie auteur of the future who is trying to get the backing to make a movie set in 17th century England about a man who may own the last dodo on earth. And finally there is William Draper who lives in the Alsatia district of 17th century London and who wants to buy and mate a dodo that is on display there by a hawker above a very seedy tavern.
I actually enjoyed this satirical novel of Hollywood. The characters were interesting and Nicholson is able to expertly weave the three storylines together. At one point, Rick meets with a past life therapist who is able to regress Rick back to 17th century London where he is put in the midst of the squalor trying find historical content about the dodo. But the main focus of the novel was on Hollywood and its excesses including the porn side of movies and how people can be drawn into it. But I think I most enjoyed the chapters involving William Draper and the London of the 17th century. Poor William wanted to repopulate the dodo but the best he could do was stuff the bird after its death but the methods available then were less than long-lasting. Overall, I thought this book was a lot of fun. I have read a few other books by Nicholson including THE FOOD CHAIN and HUNTERS AND GATHERERS and for the most part, I would recommend them....more
If you were alive in January 1977, you probably were glued to your TV set for eight consecutive nights watching the miniseries Roots with Lavar BurtonIf you were alive in January 1977, you probably were glued to your TV set for eight consecutive nights watching the miniseries Roots with Lavar Burton starring as a young Kunta Kinte, who was kidnapped from his home in The Gambia and sold into slavery. Kunta was also supposedly the ancestor of Alex Haley who wrote ROOTS: THE SAGA OF AN AMERICAN FAMILY which was the basis for the TV series. I know I and my family were engrossed by the miniseries and ever since then I have been meaning to read the book. Well after almost 50 years, I finally got around to it! I think I had been putting it off because of its length at over 700 pages and because I pretty much knew the story based on the TV show. But I'm glad I finally read it. The book really provides a lot of depth missing from the series. [image] Of course this tells the story of Kunta Kinte, the young 17-year-old Mandinka taken from The Gambia and sold into slavery. The book goes into a lot of detail of Kunta's life in the Gambia before he was captured and how he and his tribe's people lived subsisting mostly on farming. The climate was sometimes harsh resulting in drought and a lack of food. Then the next section of the book after Kunta is taken described some of the most brutal and harsh conditions I have ever encountered. Kunta and other captives are stripped naked and placed in the brig of a ship, naked and chained. Conditions are nightmarish with the captives vomiting and relieving themselves as they lay chained with no cleanup of the vomit and feces. The novel goes on to tell of Kunta's descendants down through the years to Alex Haley.
I thought that for the most part this was very compelling reading. It took me a little longer than usual to read this book given its length and because I was distracted by some personal issues at home but I was always glad to get back to it. I did find some of the dialogue a little over the top. Haley used black slave vernacular throughout the story which sometimes sounded almost like portrayals of blacks in early motion pictures. Use of the N-word is also prevalent throughout. Here's a short example: "All white folks scairt us n*****s sometime gwine organize an' rise up together— But n*****s ain't gwine never do nothin' together... "
So how much of the book is true? "Haley called his novel "faction" and acknowledged that most of the dialogue and incidents were fictional. But, he claimed to have traced his family lineage back to Kunta Kinte, a West African taken from the village of Juffure in what is now The Gambia. Haley also suggested his portrayal of life and figures among the slaves and masters in Virginia and North Carolina were based on facts which he had confirmed through historical documents." However, "some historians and genealogists suggested Haley did not rely on factual evidence as closely as he represented. They said that there are serious errors with Haley's family history and historical descriptions of the period preceding the Civil War. . .Historian Henry Louis Gates Jr. was a friend of Haley's. Years after Haley's death, Gates acknowledged his own doubts about the author's claims: 'Most of us feel it's highly unlikely that Alex found the village whence his ancestors sprang. Roots is a work of the imagination rather than strict historical scholarship. It was an important event because it captured everyone's imagination.'"
And then there were also allegations of plagiarism: "In spring 1977, Haley was sued for plagiarism in separate lawsuits by Harold Courlander and Margaret Walker Alexander. Courlander, an anthropologist, claimed that Roots was copied from his novel The African (1967). Walker claimed Haley had plagiarized from her Civil War-era novel Jubilee (1966). Legal proceedings in each case were concluded late in 1978. Courlander's suit was settled out of court for $650,000 (equivalent to $3 million in 2023) and an acknowledgment from Haley that certain passages within Roots were copied from The African. The court dismissed Walker's case."
OK, well overall it appears there are some definite problems with the accuracy of Haley's history of his family. But it is still a very engrossing and compelling read and provides a very heart-wrenching story of slavery in America. I would still recommend this to anyone interested in this ugly part of our history....more
This was rather a convoluted gothic novel about a young woman, Georgina Ferrars, who wakes up in a private asylum in Cornwall, England. She has no memThis was rather a convoluted gothic novel about a young woman, Georgina Ferrars, who wakes up in a private asylum in Cornwall, England. She has no memory of her past few weeks and the asylum's doctor, Maynard Straker, tells her that she committed herself to the asylum under the name Lucy Ashton. She then suffered a seizure resulting in her loss of memory. Georgina insists that her name is Georgina Ferrars and provides the doctor with the name and location of her uncle who she lives with in London. But when the doctor sends a telegram to the uncle, the reply states that Georgina is there living with him and that the patient must be an imposter. So what is really happening here? Why is Georgina being held at the asylum under a false name? The novel goes on to tell Georgina's backstory and history through her own memories and a series of letters and entries from her journal.
A few years ago, I read Harwood's novel THE GHOST WRITER and found it to be an enjoyable gothic horror story. However, I was a little disappointed in THE ASYLUM. I thought the plot was very convoluted and quite unbelievable. The protagonist, Georgina, was also easily duped and could have easily avoided what happened to her. I know this was written in the vein of a classic Victorian gothic novel and included many of the plot points of such novels including gloomy locations, women in peril, coincidental occurrences stemming from the past, and mistaken identities. The novel also included some illicit love including a lesbian relationship between two of the protagonists. And then the ending of the novel was very melodramatic with a villain straight out of an old pulp story from the 1920s or 30s. Only a very mild recommendation overall....more
I'm a big fan of T.C. Boyle and have read several of his novels and short story collections. World's End won the 1988 PEN/Faulkner Award for American I'm a big fan of T.C. Boyle and have read several of his novels and short story collections. World's End won the 1988 PEN/Faulkner Award for American Fiction and is also listed in the "1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die." The novel is a set of two parallel stories taking place in the Hudson Valley. It tells the story of the Van Brunts who seem to be cursed with bad luck dating back to when the family settled in New Amsterdam in the 17th century. Then there are the Van Warts who were the tormentors of the Van Brunts in the 1600s and hold the higher ground as such in the 1960s. The story focuses on Walter Van Brunt in the 1960s who crashes his motorcycle into an historical marker telling of the uprising in 1693 against the Van Wart manor. Walter loses his foot in this crash and later in another crash loses his other foot. And back in the 1600s, his ancestor, Jeremias Van Brunt loses his foot to a snapping turtle. The book shifts back and forth from these two time periods with similar stories for both generations. The book is full of well-drawn characters including the Kitchwank tribe, the lords of the manor (patroons), and the lowly tenant farmers who must pay their due to the patroon and who are treated pretty much as slaves. Along the way in 1968, Walter is also trying to find his father who people say betrayed his left-wing mother and friends during a riot in 1949.
Boyle did his research on this novel. The historical background for the different time periods was such that you could imagine living in the Dutch colonies of New Amsterdam in the 1600s or in the anti-communist era of the 1940s and on into the hippie movement of the 1960s. The novel encompassed a wide-range of ideologies and emotions including racism, narrow mindedness, greed, and betrayal. Although I wouldn't consider this Boyle's best, it was overall another very well written and compelling novel that is definitely well worth the effort to read. ...more
Edwin Corle was an American writer noted for realistic portrayals of American Indian life in the early 20th century. Corle began his writing career wiEdwin Corle was an American writer noted for realistic portrayals of American Indian life in the early 20th century. Corle began his writing career with numerous short stories and non-fiction pieces for magazines. In 1934 his Mojave: A Book Of Stories was published. This was followed a year later by his first and most successful novel, Fig Tree John, based on a Cahuilla Indian from southern California. In addition to other novels, Corle also wrote non-fiction, including books on the Grand Canyon and the Gila River.
PEOPLE ON THE EARTH was first published in 1937. It is a novel of the Navajo people in Northern Arizona. The story focuses on a young Navajo boy, Red Wind's Son, from 1918 until about 1932. At the beginning of the novel, Red Wind's Son and his family were sheep farmers living the traditional Indian life with hogans for homes and sleeping under the stars. Red Wind's Son was about eight years old and had a young female playmate named Dahiba. Life was good until tragedy struck. The land was in drought and water was scarce. The Navajo had to moved their sheep herds south to try to find greener pastures. But without water, the sheep were not content and then sniffed out some water in a nearby canyon. This caused a stampede and the herd ran over a cliff leaving the Indians destitute. Then the Spanish Flu further decimated the tribe. But Red Wind's Son was saved by a traveling missionary and placed in a white man's school where his name was changed to Walter and he lived until graduating. He understood his family to all be dead. So was the schooling a good thing for Walter? When he eventually returned to his tribe, he was treated as an outcast and did not fit in. "His was the problem of the Indian who is not a white man and not a red man and where under the sun was that boy going to find a place?" Walter ends up sinking to low depths, drinking too much and getting into trouble. He didn't really have a desire to continue with his education and really didn't have the means to do so. He eventually finds Dahiba and she had suffered a similar fate. So could they learn to live again as Navajo or was that culture lost to them forever?
This was definitely a captivating story with its main theme of removing someone from their race and traditions to try to "civilize" them as a "white person." This happened all too much with American Indians. "American Indian boarding schools were established as early as the mid-17th century with an objective of 'civilizing' or assimilating Native American children into Anglo-American culture. These schools denigrated Native American culture and made children give up their languages and religion." PEOPLE ON THE EARTH is an early example of literature that tries to speak out against this forced assimilation. The language in the book is definitely dated and not politically correct by today's standards but this was still a very compelling narrative that I enjoyed very much.
This novel has been on my shelves waiting to be read for several years along with several other books by Corle. I read a few of his novels back in the 1980s including FIG TREE JOHN that I remember really enjoying and I hope to read more by him in the future....more
Interesting paranormal/historical/romance tale involving werewolves, vampires, and touches of steampunk including dirigibles and a nasty automaton. ThInteresting paranormal/historical/romance tale involving werewolves, vampires, and touches of steampunk including dirigibles and a nasty automaton. The novel takes place in Victorian era London and revolves around Alexia Tarabotti, a spinster with half Italian blood who is considered by her half-sisters and mother to be less than desirable. But Alexia is also a preternatural, a being with no soul who is able to counter supernaturals including werewolves and vampires by merely touching them. This comes in handy near the beginning of the novel when she is attacked by a vampire who she accidentally kills after rendering him normal and then using her parasol weighted with brass to drive a wooden hairpin through its heart. This leads to an investigation by the BUR, the Bureau of Unnatural Registry, and its emissary, Lord Maccon, an Alpha werewolf. All of this turns out to be related to unexpected vampires appearing and other known ones disappearing. So what is actually happening? Is it a nefarious plot to rid the land of supernaturals?
I'm not a big fan of modern vampire literature where the vampires are less than gruesome but I did find this novel to be engaging and somewhat fun. I also don't really care for romance novels and this can definitely be considered one with Alexia and Lord Maccon being the involved parties. But it did include a lot of humor and the antics of Alexia and the supernatural cast were quite entertaining. Overall, a mild recommendation and I will probably be reading more in this series....more
I really enjoyed this taut thriller. This is the first novel written by Iles and it is definitely a departure from his later novels which are mostly sI really enjoyed this taut thriller. This is the first novel written by Iles and it is definitely a departure from his later novels which are mostly suspense thrillers set in the current time. SPANDAU PHOENIX was written in 1993 and takes place mostly in 1987 but the theme of the novel involves a Nazi plot involving Rudolf Hess, Hitler's second in command. In 1941, Hess made a solo flight to Scotland, where according to history, he hoped to arrange peace talks with the Duke of Hamilton, whom he believed to be a prominent opponent of the British government's war policy. Hess was captured and convicted at Nuremberg of war crimes and served a life sentence in Spandau Prison in Germany. But is this what really happened and the reason for Hess's solo flight to Britain?
The novel tells of the discovery of a document at Spandau Prison after Hess's death that revealed a conspiracy by the British and that proved that the prisoner at Spandau was not really Hess. This document is discovered by a German policeman and is wanted by both the Russians, the English, the Germans, and a far-right group called Phoenix operating in Germany and South Africa. So what is so important about the document and why are people being tortured to try to recover it? The novel delves into the psuedo-Nazi group headquartered in South Africa and a sinister plot to eliminate the Jews in Israel.
This was a long novel at close to 700 pages but it kept me interested throughout. There were a myriad of characters involved and the plot lines went from Germany to England to Israel to South Africa with other stops along the way. The characters were well developed and the story was compelling and exciting. The story was along the lines of a Robert Ludlum or Tom Clancy novel and overall I would highly recommend it. I have read several of Iles's other novels including the first three Penn Cage novels and have enjoyed all of them. This one was no exception!...more
I recently read one of Ben Bova's science fiction novels, JUPITER. In this novel, a group of scientists on a research station orbiting Jupiter embark I recently read one of Ben Bova's science fiction novels, JUPITER. In this novel, a group of scientists on a research station orbiting Jupiter embark on a mission to determine if there is life on the great planet. The commander of the station is Chinese and names the space probe that will go to Jupiter, the Zheng He. The commander explains to the crew that Zheng He was a 15th century Chinese admiral who commanded seven expeditionary treasure voyages to Southeast Asia, South Asia, West Asia, and East Africa from 1405 to 1433. According to legend, his larger ships carried hundreds of sailors on four decks and were almost twice as long as any wooden ship ever recorded. Although I hadn't really heard much else about Zheng, I remembered that I had this book, 1421, on my shelves for several years and that it related that Zheng and other Chinese admirals supposedly explored much more of the world. Anyway, I decided to read the book and draw my conclusions from it.
1421 is a very well-researched book and unequivocally states that the Chinese explored and colonized much of the world from 1421-1423. Menzies asserts that the records of these voyages were destroyed by the Chinese Emperor based on a self-imposed isolation from the world after the destruction of the Forbidden City in Beijing by fire. The book propounds that four Chinese fleets circumnavigated the world and were comprised of more than 800 vessels containing both sailors and concubines. These fleets charted the world and supposedly passed these charts and maps on to Portugal. The charts were then used by European explorers including Columbus, Dias, da Gama, and Magellan. According to the book, the Chinese sailors and concubines settled in Malaysia, India, Africa, North and South America, Australia, New Zealand, and other islands in the Pacific. The fleets went as far as Antarctica in the South and around Greenland in the North.
Menzies does use some somewhat compelling evidence in his research including maps that predated Columbus, stone carvings from various locations around the world, DNA evidence showing that natives in various locations have Chinese DNA, etc. But how much of this is true? Looking on line, I have found many people who debunk Menzies claims and some compare him to Erich von Däniken and his claims of ancient aliens who colonized the earth.
Overall, I found this book to be very interesting although it was sometimes repetitious. I confess that I skimmed a lot of the last chapters of the book. But in my opinion, based on what is known about Zheng He and the Chinese treasure fleets, it could be feasible that the fleets could have gone much further than records show. But if Menzies theories are somewhat accurate, why haven't mainstream historians and scientists latched onto this possibility and further developed it? Overall, I would mildly recommend this but whether or not it is true is left up to the reader....more
Cornwell writes in his endnote to this novel that "it is surely obvious that every character and deity in the novel is fictitious." But he did use arcCornwell writes in his endnote to this novel that "it is surely obvious that every character and deity in the novel is fictitious." But he did use archaeological records as a basis for much of the novel. This includes where the massive stones from Stonehenge originated (some came from over 150 miles away in Wales), the various stages of building the monument, artifacts and burials found at the site, and the lifestyles of the people of Britain's Bronze Age over 5,000 years ago.
But then Cornwell spins a very interesting and compelling story of a family who were instrumental in the eventual construction of the monument. The main protagonist is Saban who had two brothers, Lengar and Camaban. Lengar is a traitorous warlord who rises to power by killing his father. Camaban was born with a club foot and was considered mentally deficient but later rises to become high priest of Ratharryn, the city responsible for building Stonehenge. The novel is full of pagan ritual, sacrifice, sorcery, love and death, greed and intrigue. Cornwell paints a vivid picture of a religion that embodied the sun and the moon as gods and made the construction of the monument coincide to these religious beliefs. He also makes a believable case for how the monument was constructed and why. [image] Again, this is a work of total fiction but it is also a very compelling adventure packed with drama and betrayal. Overall, I did enjoy this one. It's the first novel I have read by Cornwell and at some point I hope to read more by him....more
I have read several of St. James' other novels including THE SUN DOWN MOTEL, THE BROKEN GIRLS, and THE HAUNTING OF MADDY CLARE. I have enjoyed all of I have read several of St. James' other novels including THE SUN DOWN MOTEL, THE BROKEN GIRLS, and THE HAUNTING OF MADDY CLARE. I have enjoyed all of these which were mostly a blend of the supernatural and a murder/suspense story. Her more recent books take place in the recent past while her earlier book, Haunting of Maddy Clare was set in the 1920s.
LOST AMONG THE LIVING was published in 2016 and is also set in the 1920s shortly after WWI. It is also a blend of the supernatural and an intriguing mystery about the death of a young 15-year old girl who was suffering from delusions and madness. The protagonist of the story is Jo who met her husband Alex while working as a secretary. Unfortunately, Alex was shot down during the war and never returned. His body was not recovered and he is considered missing in action. Jo ends up working as a paid companion to Alex's aunt Dottie who resides in the Wych Elm House in Sussex. Dottie is estranged from her husband and her son was severely wounded in the war. As Jo moves into the house she is plagued by strange happenings including seeing the ghost of Franny, Dottie's young daughter who supposedly committed suicide. But did she really do this or was she murdered? And if so, why? The local people think Wych Elm is cursed and the woods is haunted by the ghost of Franny and her vicious dog who supposedly killed a man on the day Franny committed suicide. So what's the real story? Did Jo really see Fran's ghost or is she going mad?
I enjoyed this novel quite a lot. It was a good ghost story and suspense yarn. The locale and time period of the novel were well developed as well as the characters in the story. It was also somewhat of a romance story which I normally don't really enjoy that much but the overall story made up for this. I would definitely recommend this one if you like supernatural suspense/romance stories. ...more
This is Allende's first novel, published in 1982. It became an instant best-seller, was critically acclaimed, and catapulted Allende to literary stardThis is Allende's first novel, published in 1982. It became an instant best-seller, was critically acclaimed, and catapulted Allende to literary stardom. The novel was named Best Novel of the Year in Chile in 1982, and Allende received the country's Panorama Literario award. The House of the Spirits has been translated into over 20 languages.
This was really magical story-telling detailing the life of the Trueba family, spanning four generations. It is filled with very memorable characters, especially the women of the family who have many mystical qualities and traits such as green hair, telekinesis, and contact with the spirits of the large house where they lived. The novel was begun as a letter to Allende's dying grandfather and tells of the rise to power of her uncle, Salvador Allende who was a Socialist who came to power and became the President of Chile in 1970. He was then killed in the military coup of 1973 and these tragic events become the backdrop for this very powerful novel. The novel goes from being like an enchanted fairy tale to a very dark and powerful narrative relating the atrocities of the coup that came to power.
I was mesmerized by this novel and highly recommend it. I have read several of Allende's other works but this one is definitely her masterpiece. This was also made into a movie in 1993 starring Meryl Streep and Jeremy Irons. I saw this several years ago but I definitely need to rewatch it. I'll also be reading more of Allende's wonderful novels. [image]...more
This is the first book that Smith wrote (published in 1964) about the Courtney family in Africa. Although it is the first boo⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2 rounded up to 4
This is the first book that Smith wrote (published in 1964) about the Courtney family in Africa. Although it is the first book written, it is not chronologically first. Smith wrote several prequels to this one including BIRDS OF PREY, MONSOON, and BLUE HORIZON. These novels take place starting in the 1600s and tell of the origins of the family. I have read all of these and enjoyed them a lot.
WHEN THE LION FEEDS is set in South Africa from the 1860s-1890s and introduces Sean and Garrick Courtney, the twin sons of Waite Courtney, a wealthy ranch owner outside of the port of Natal. During a hunting excursion, Sean accidentally shoots Garrick in the leg resulting in it being amputated. Sean becomes guilt-ridden and tries to be Garrick's protector but Garrick uses Sean and manipulates him because of the injury. Then comes their participation in the Zulu war which results in Waite's death and Sean's presumed death. While Sean is missing, Garrick marries Sean's girlfriend and the fallout then drives Sean north to find riches in the gold mines near Johannesburg. He later loses his fortune and goes hunting for ivory where he meets his future wife, a Boer farm girl. And then tragedy ensues...
This book as usual was full of adventure and also provided some history of South Africa including the Anglo-Zulu war and the lead-in to the Boer War. The book was also full of violence and death with some of the main characters meeting brutal ends. It also included the brutality of ivory hunting and the needless killing of magnificent elephants. Although this could be very triggering for some, it was also a way of life during that time because of the value of ivory. Overall, I did enjoy this one and will probably be reading more in the series but I didn't really care for the tragic ending to this novel. I thought it was somewhat contrived and hard to believe....more
A few months ago I read Erdrich's Pulitzer Prize winning novel, THE NIGHT WATCHMAN, which I thought was very well-deserved. Based on that novel, I wanA few months ago I read Erdrich's Pulitzer Prize winning novel, THE NIGHT WATCHMAN, which I thought was very well-deserved. Based on that novel, I wanted to read more by Erdrich and happened to have a copy of Master Butchers on my TBR shelf. I really enjoyed this saga which reminded me of other novels of a family's love and sorrow such as EAST OF EDEN by John Steinbeck.
The novel takes place mostly in the town of Argus, North Dakota where Fidelis Waldvogel, a WWI veteran, decides to settle after traveling from Germany. Fidelis is a butcher and he is able to prosper in America. He is later joined there by his wife Eva, her son, Franz, who was fathered by Fidelis's friend who perished in the War, and his sister. The story is really a saga of family and friends and takes place from WWI to WWII and beyond. Fidelis is gifted with a beautiful singing voice and he starts a singing club in the small town. The novel includes stories of several others including Delphine Watzka, the daughter of the town drunk who is in constant mourning for his late Indian wife Minnie. When Delphine returns to Argus, she is accompanied by Cyprian who she had performed with in a balancing act on the road. Cyprian is a half-breed and is also homosexual or bisexual. So does Delphine love him? She's not sure but she does live with him for years. Then Delphine meets Eva who she befriends and ends up helping to raise her sons. The novel goes on into the years prior to WWII and includes some very devastating changes for all of them.
The novel really included some finely drawn characters and was structured very episodically with many anecdotal tales revolving around the main story. These include the four sons of Fidelis who seen to get into mischief and trouble at every turn. But Delphine is perhaps the real focal point of the story and is portrayed as a damaged person with an unknown past. There are also some great secondary characters such as a rag-picker named Step-and-a-Half who seems to know most everything that goes on in the town. And then there is the really stunning surprise ending to the novel that I thought was almost perfect. I'll definitely be reading more of Erdrich!...more
Another enjoyable novel from Hoffman. I have read several of her books and have really enjoyed most of them. This one takes place in New York and BrooAnother enjoyable novel from Hoffman. I have read several of her books and have really enjoyed most of them. This one takes place in New York and Brooklyn in 1911 and is told from the perspectives of Coralie Sardie, the daughter of the owner of the Coney Island attraction — The Museum of Extraordinary Things — and Eddie Cohen, a Russian Jewish immigrant who has left his community and is striving to work as a photographer. Coralie is watched over by her beloved but acid-scarred family housekeeper, Maureen, and lives with her father above the museum. At first Coralie loves and respects her father but on her tenth birthday, he escorts her through the exhibit for the first time, and he also puts her on display as “The Human Mermaid.” Born with webbed fingers, Coralie, an expert swimmer, spends her days in a tank wearing her mermaid suit. Later as the business starts to fail, her father arranges special showings, during which adolescent Coralie must swim naked for invited male audiences. Coralie longs to leave but in the mean time is comforted by Maureen. Then Coralie meets Eddie Cohen and her life seems to change as she falls in love with him.
The story is told between two tragic fires that occurred in 1911 — The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory and Coney Island's Dreamland fire. Eddie photographs and is haunted by images of the Triangle fire and then he becomes involved in locating a young woman who goes missing after the fire. This eventually leads him to Coralie and her dire circumstances at the museum.
I thought this novel was very engaging and provided a lot of the history and living conditions of early 20th century New York. I would recommend this one and I'll be reading more of Hoffman. I also read another compelling novel about Coney Island several years ago — Dreamland by Kevin Baker that I would also highly recommend for anyone wanting to know more about Coney Island and its inhabitants of the early part of the twentieth century....more
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