Ender's Shadow

By Orson Scott Card

            Ender’s Shadow is a companion novel to Ender’s Game which is told from the perspective of one of the other students in Battle school.  I had a tough time deciding which book I wanted to read after Ender’s Game, and after some contemplation I went with Ender’s Shadow.  (There are over 7 books in the series, covering the period of time before the bugger war, during ender’s time as a launchie, and many books in the aftermath). 

            The main character is Bean, a tough little orphan from the streets of Rotterdam.  Among the orphans living on the street, some of the bullies are forming “families” to curry favor at the soup kitchens.  This idea was thought up by Bean, and his family is being run by Achilles.  Achilles is a tough cripple with a big chip on his shoulder.  He is wary of Bean, and makes it obvious that he will do whatever it takes to be in charge.  Bean plays dumb to avoid the eye of Achilles, but ends up being noticed by Sister Carlotta.  Sister Carlotta is working for the IF, and she has been testing orphans for years to see if they have what it takes to be placed in battle school.  Bean’s talents are noticed immediately, despite his best efforts to hide his intellect, and he soon finds himself in battle school.  Bean’s aptitude puts him in contention with Ender for Commander.  Similar to Ender, he is rigorously challenged and also excels in his studies.  Bean also pushes back against the IF, and does a lot more spying to discover the inner workings of battle school.  Bean finds himself in Ender’s army and becomes a very reliable teammate, in and outside of battles.  In addition to Enders storyline, Bean and Sister Carlotta are actively searching for where Bean came from and the mystery of his intelligence.

            I’m very glad that I decided to read this book in the order that I did.  Since all the activities of Ender’s Game were fresh in my mind, it was great to read the same story from a different perspective.  The reader gets a behind the scenes view of the competition between Bean and Ender, and how the Commander’s in battle school struggled with the decision of who is the best.  Some of the events from Ender’s Game are also reexamined, which gives us a more in depth view of what was going on.  By the end of the book, Bean was definitely a memorable and well developed character.  I would definitely check this book out if you enjoyed Ender’s Game.

Rating: 4 out of 5 Bunsen Burners

Up Next: Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card

Ender's Game

By Orson Scott Card

            Ender’s Game is a sci-fi story that takes place in the future, 70 years after an alien invasion nearly wiped out all of civilization.  Things are rather bleak in the world, and another invasion by the “buggers” is imminent.  The IF, or International Fleet, is monitoring and searching for children who will make the perfect leader for the next bugger attack.  Ender Wiggin might just be that person, but the road to success will not be easy.

            Ender is a “third,” or the third child born to his parents.  The government has instituted a policy that restricts the number of children a family can have.  Ender’s siblings, Peter and Valentine, showed great promise in the IF initial testing, but were not accepted into command school for being too aggressive or passive, respectively.  The IF encouraged Ender’s parents to have Ender in hopes that he would be the ideal combination of attributes that they were looking for.  After they have finished their preliminary testing, Ender is admitted into the program and they immediately have high expectations for him.  Ender’s abilities, as well as overt favoritism (exhibited through promotion and academic success) paint a bullseye on him for all the other students.  He is continually tested, both mentally and for his capability as a leader for battle.  He is constantly being pushed, and given challenges of increasing difficulty.  Ender’s drive to overcome all odds, no matter what the cost, make him the ideal leader and take a heavy toll on his psyche.  Each chapter leaves the reader wanting more, as we gain momentum through this novel; will Ender be the leader that Earth is looking for, and can he do what is deemed necessary to defeat the buggers?  And most importantly, will Ender survive both his classmates and the mental strain?

On Earth, Ender’s siblings are also making waves in the political arena.  Intelligent, but rejected from battle school, Valentine and Peter have invented personalities with which they are writing essays designed to stir the pot.  With opposing viewpoints and maintaining anonymity, Demosthenes and Locke (Valentine and Peter), are slowly creating a following.   The whole world is in turmoil, and the Bugger War might be the catalyst which induces worldwide revolution.  If Peter has his way, he will be at the center of it.

            I really enjoyed this book and thought that the author did a good job developing Ender’s character and creating an interesting and relatable story.  The pressure he is put under is palpable and unrelenting.  As a reader, you can’t help but sympathize with Ender who is being placed under a ton of pressure for a young child.  I would definitely recommend this book for anyone interested in Science Fiction/space themed books.  Despite what I have read previously with Card, and omitting recent media attention to Card, I am impressed.  Check it out. 

            A brief note about the movie:  I really enjoyed the movie, but like most book people I thought that the book was much better.  The movie omitted much of the importance of Ender’s brother and sister, as well as downplaying the pressure Ender was under.  My prediction is that this movie will not continue into the series that Lionsgate wanted, but it could make for an interesting television series following the movie.

Rating: 4 out of 5 Bunsen Burners

Up Next: Ender’s Shadow by Orson Scott Card

Coma

By Robin Cook

            I picked this up at a book sale a while ago and hadn’t had a chance to read it until now.  This book piqued my interest at the sale because it is written by a doctor.  I often have a tough time with authors who overextend themselves in their writing.  Who better to write a book about medical procedures than a doctor? 

The story is centered around third year medical student Susan Wheeler.  She has just finished up with the formal learning, and today is her first day at Boston Memorial Hospital.  Her pretty face makes her a fast favorite with her assigned mentor, Mark Bellows, and she is quickly given additional responsibilities.  She is assigned to start an IV on a patient, who later lapses into a coma as an unfortunate result of this routine procedure.  Susan begins to notice a pattern of high incidence of comas affecting patients of the hospital.  She dives straight into this perceived problem, much to the chagrin of Dr. Bellows, which makes many waves with the faculty.  Susan is convinced of an underlying conspiracy, or a new medical condition.  She pursues this idea with reckless abandon, and steps on the toes of the faculty by blaming them for the coma epidemic .  She is surprisingly rebellious, missing lectures and throwing herself head first into the potential new discovery.  Susan begins to get push back from the faculty, and it seems like there is definitely something going on at Boston Memorial.  Soon she begins to be paranoid that she is being followed, and that there is a large conspiracy at work at the hospital.  Susan relentlessly pursues the truth, as she finds that this may be more than she bargained for.

The suspense of the novel was tangible, and I thought the pacing was appropriate.  However, I found it very hard to swallow how insubordinate Susan was in her pursuit of “the truth” in regards to these mysterious comas.  The book starts on Susan’s first day, not long after she gets her first hands on experience, she is bailing on lectures and rounds.  For some reason she thinks this behavior is admirable, and rebuffs anyone who tries to get her back on track.  She lies, and obtains information on patients under false pretenses.  For someone who badly wants to be a doctor, it’s hard to believe that anyone would see this as anything less than inappropriate behavior.  This book was enjoyable, and I appreciated the sound medical content (as far as I can tell).  The ideas were scientifically feasible, if not unlikely.  Overall it made for an entertaining and smart read.  I would recommend this book, but stay away from the TV series/movie they made last year.  I watched the first half of it on Netflix and it’s pretty terrible.

Rating: 3 out of 5 Bunsen Burners

Up Next: Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card

NOS4A2

By Joe Hill

Taking the pseudonym Joe Hill was no doubt a two pronged strategy: Establish your own reputation and don’t get pigeonholed into a particular genre.  If there ever was a secret, the reader need only to look at the picture gracing the back cover of the book to know the truth.  Joe Hill is Stephen King’s son.  Joe Hill has actually been writing for a bit longer than I thought, and he has been responsible for several graphic novels.  Joe delivers here what he has referred to as his "senior PhD thesis on horror.”  I must say that his background in graphic novels was palpable when reading this book.  I was very impressed that he was able to convey such intense visualizations to the reader, through the use of words rather than graphical representation.  Combining this talent with a writing style that is impossible not to compare to his father’s, this book was an enjoyable read.  In King-like fashion, he even makes several nods to characters/locations in novels by his father.

            This story centers on Victoria McQueen, or to her father, “the Brat.”  Vic has the ability to traverse space via her Raleigh Tuff Burner Bike and the “shorterway bridge.”  This travel is accomplished by what is known as “the inscape.”  When Vic is young, she uses this talent without thinking to find her mom’s jewelry or a neighbor’s cat.  As she grows older, she doubts the ability of the shorterway bridge and starts to believe the stories she told herself to rationalize her travels.  The antagonist of the novel is Charlie Manx, an evil man who also has the ability to traverse the inscape by means of his own vehicle.  Manx kidnaps children and takes them for a ride in his 1938 Rolls Royce wraith.  The children are lead to believe that they are being taken to Christmasland, a wonderful place where everything is as joyful as Christmas morning.  However, traveling with Manx comes with a heavy price, and Christmasland is not at all what it seems. 

            Charlie Manx exploits simple-minded chemical plant worker, Bing, to help him anaesthetize the children that he kidnaps with gingerbread scented Sevoflurane gas.  Eventually Vic crosses paths with Charlie Manx and narrowly escapes being kidnapped.  Her hero, Lou Carmody, picks up Vic as she flees from Manx.  Manx is captured, and we jump several years ahead to learn that Vic and Lou now have a son, Wayne.  Manx manages to escape from custody and goes after Wayne.  Vic must remember how to navigate her inscape, and accept help from old friends if she is going to defeat Manx and his minion, Bing.

            This was a very enjoyable story that was a “pedal to the metal” type of tale.  The pace quickens as the book progresses, and the author’s talents help to drive the story to a tense and satisfying conclusion.  The author certainly has a real talent for description and character development, much like his father.  What I found to be most impressive was his ability to describe scenes and violence in a way that was very easy to visualize.  I would attribute this to his prior experience in the realm of graphic novels.  It is very hard not to compare Hill’s writing to that of his father, but fortunately for Hill this book can hold a candle to the best of his father’s work.  It seems to some extent talent is genetic, and I personally will not be so worried when my wife reminds me that, “Stephen King isn’t going to write forever.”  Check out this book, as well as his future work.  I know I will.

Rating 4.25 out of 5 Bunsen Burners

Up Next: Coma by Robin Cook

The Lost Symbol

by Dan Brown

          In this third book we again follow protagonist Robert Langdon on another academic adventure, this time in Washington D.C.  The book begins with readers looking into an ancient ritual as a man becomes a part of the brotherhood of the Masons.  As this chapter unfolds it becomes clear that this man is lying in order to go through this ritual and his intentions are misleading.  This chapter serves as the reader's first introduction to the subject of the Order of the Masons and it continues to be an instrumental subject as the book continues.
         When readers meet up with Langdon, he has been called by his longtime friend and mentor Peter Soloman to fill in as a keynote speaker at a gala in Washington D.C.  When Langdon arrives, he is confused to find that there is no gala.  When he calls Peter's office to inquire about the mix-up, he finds out that he has been lured to Washington on false pretenses.  The man on the phone pretended to be Peter before and also explains that Langdon is here is because he orchestrated him to be.  He also says that he has kidnapped Peter, and will release him after Langdon has solved a series of puzzles having to do with the Freemasons.  Right after Langdon hangs up with this mysterious man, the screams of a young boy have him running into the rotunda.  In the middle of the floor he discovers a severed hand.  Recognizing the Masons ring on the hand reveals that it is the severed hand of his old friend Peter.  This is all the proof that Robert needs to understand that the voice on the phone has truly kidnapped Peter and that he needs to solve the puzzles of The Masonic Pyramid in order to save him.
         Meanwhile across the city, Peter's sister Katherine is waiting for her brother at the laboratory in one of the Smithsonian buildings.  Katherine is a Noetic Scientist and her research of the mind and intellect has recently had a breakthrough that could change the world and world's view of everything including the afterlife.  Katherine doesn't realize that her brother is in danger, and his kidnapper is soon coming to destroy her and her research.
        As I continue to read Dan Brown's books one of the things I appreciate the most about him is his ability to create such a cruel and hated villain.  The way he develops these evil characters makes the book even more thrilling and interesting.  They always have such a great back story and are so vastly different.  While Dan Brown's books have an obvious commonality, (i.e. Professor Langdon helping solve academic and historical mysteries), you can count on his antagonists being completely different in each of these books.  I also love how these fictional books are created around factual places, buildings, and events.  Readers are given an adventurous tour of whatever city the setting is, and given a history lesson as well around the symbols and rituals of the a historical group, such as the Masons.
       This particular book was probably my least favorite of his books so far due to some information and some really unlikely parts to it, although I found it worth reading all the same.  It kept my interest and I still enjoyed reading it for the educational facts and intriguing fictional events.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Up Next: Al Capone Does My Shirts (Young Adult) by Gennifer Choldenko

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Angels and Demons

by Dan Brown

        After reading Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code I was thrilled to learn that he had turned it into a series featuring the main character Robert Langdon in each of them. I am always skeptical about sequels - I have been let down by them many times before. However, Angels and Demons, in my opinion, surpassed The Da Vinci Code in thrills, puzzles, adventures, and character development.
        In the middle of the night, Robert Langdon is summoned to Swiss research facility (CERN) where a murder has just taken place.  The body of the murdered physicist, Leonardo Vetra, has been branded in his chest with a cryptic symbol.  He and his daughter Victoria Vetra had been working on a scientific breakthrough.  Not only has this prominent physicist been murdered, but his protected laboratory has been broken into and an essential piece of his research is missing.  This piece of their research is called "antimatter" and can hold wonderful new insights into scientific research.  Or it could be used as a weapon of mass destruction, since it acts like a bomb when it is not in a stable environment.  Given some evidence at the crime scene, it is thought that the ancient underground brotherhood, the Illuminati, are behind the murder and the stolen antimatter.  Throughout history the Illuminati were known to be enemies of the Catholic Church.  While the evidence leans towards the Illuminati as the perpetrator, Langdon is not convinced as there has been no attack against the church.  However, on the eve of holy conclave a representative of the Illuminati says the antimatter is hidden somewhere in the Vatican and will explode once its battery source runs out.  Langdon immediately fears for the lives of the cardinals that are involved in holy conclave.  Langdon flies to Rome in order to join Victoria Vetra in the search for the father's killer and to help save the Vatican. This amazing chase for the truth unearths many facts about history, dozens of puzzles, and pages of fast paced adventure.
        This book was a fantastic sequel to the Da Vinci Code - in fact I liked it even better.  The thrills in this book never stopped and the way it intertwined with history was fascinating.  Dan Brown again makes the landscape in Rome so real that I felt I was back there traveling.  I was lucky enough to read the Special Collectors Edition that shows the buildings, art, and objects of history he is describing in the book.  If you can, I would recommend this version as it was truly a great way to immerse yourself in this book.  My only criticism of this book involved the overly drawn out ending.  I would have been satisfied had it ended 50 pages earlier, but it did not severely alter my opinion of this book.  I could not put this book down!

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Up Next: The Lost Symbol
   

Micro

By Michael Crichton and Richard Preston

            Micro is Michael Crichton’s final novel, due to his unfortunate death from throat cancer in 2008.  This is the second posthumous novel released, and was actually only about 1/3 completed at the time of his death.  Richard Preston was selected to complete the novel based on Crichton’s extensive notes and research.

             The novel begins by introducing us to a group of graduate students in various areas of study.  Their studies include venomology, toxicology, and arachnology. Nanigen industries visits the group while they toil in obscurity in Cambridge, Massachusetts.  One of the Nanigen recruiters also happens to be the brother of Peter, one of the graduate students.  The lure of industry is too much for the lowly graduate students, and they decide to go check out the Nanigen facility.  The day before the students are set to travel to interview at Nanigen, Peter gets a phone call that his brother has been killed in a boating accident. 

            The cadre of grad students head to Hawaii to visit the Nanigen labs.  They learn that Nanigen is using unique and innovative technology to mine the environment in search of novel compounds for medicinal use.  Their trip soon takes a turn for the worse as they realize what a narcissistic maniac the President, Vin Drake, is.  Peter believes that Vin is responsible for his brother’s death, and soon all the graduate students have a much bigger (pun intended) problem to deal with.  Subjected to the company’s technology, the students must use their particular area of expertise to survive the wilderness in a way that they never thought they would have to experience. 

            Like many times when an artist dies, their fans are left wanting more.  When musicians die, we are treated to previously unreleased tracks or live recordings.  Typically these works of art require some touching up or interpretation, but in order to be released they need to be mostly completed.  I would equate this book to not just remastering some rough tracks to complete a song, but rather redubbing guitar solos, rerecording imperfect vocals with an impersonator, and even rewriting the chorus.  It’s as if your favorite artist wrote three to five lines of a song and the rest was completed by someone else.  This is not a knock on Richard Preston, but I couldn’t help but think of Crichton like Terry Kiser in Weekend at Bernie’s.  The change in authorship was palpable, and it just didn’t really seem like a typical Crichton novel. All the familiar Crichton themes (opposition of morality and science, fear about progressing technology etc) were present, but the remainder of the book lacked the significant and sound scientific thought that Crichton’s books typically present.  Unfortunately, Preston can’t hold a candle to the intellect of Crichton.  Unless you can separate the two authors, I would avoid this book if you wish to not tarnish the reputation of the late Michael Crichton.  The book wasn’t terrible overall; it just really should not be published with Crichton’s name.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 Bunsen Burners

Up Next: Coma by Robin Cook

Something Wicked This Way Comes

By Ray Bradbury  

              I had never really heard of or read anything by Ray Bradbury.  However, a quick internet search will often tie Ray Bradbury to authors I enjoy.  My lovely wife bought me this book for Christmas, so I decided that now was the time to dive in.  I must say that this book was vastly different from other books I have read in this genre.  One way that this book was so different from my other reads was the way the setting was described.  I often had to reread paragraphs in the beginning of the novel because of all the words spent describing settings, characters, and aspects of the books.  After I adjusted to Bradbury’s writing style, it became less of a distraction and was ultimately appreciated. 

            The book begins detailing the life and friendship of Will Halloway and Jim Nightshade.  The boys are fresh into adolescence and experiencing the multitude of growing pains we all know so well.  Silly games of childhood are left behind and more mature adventures take place.  They are on the cusp of growing up and it’s hard.  A carnival comes to town, and the boys are curious about the many characters employed by the circus.  The boys sneak into the carnival and witness some magic that occurs on the carousel.  After witnessing this secret, the carnival workers begin to hunt down both boys.  Their curiosity puts both them and their families in danger.  The many creepy sideshow characters, who are wonderfully described and presented, add to the drama and peril of the boys’ situation.

            At the beginning of the book, I assumed that this story was all about Will and Jim.  As I progressed, I began to realize how important Charles Halloway’s character, Will’s father, was to the story.  This was most important for the subplot of growing up.  The dynamic that was created involving an older father (50’s with teenage son) interacting with his young son was an important part of the story and was very well done.  The contrast between experience brought by age, and the carefree nature of youth was an important motif in the story.  Bradbury did a wonderful job capturing both of these aspects of their personalities and really made Charles Halloway relatable.  I think that what you get from this novel may be highly influenced by what stage of your life you are in when you read it.  Young adults will likely relate more strongly with the kids, while adults will read the first chapters with a feeling of nostalgia and some sadness as the book progresses.  As one of the better known Bradbury books, I would definitely recommend this book.  This recommendation is more closely tied to the pedigree of the author, and the wonderful job the author did conveying the emotions of the characters.  On the contrary, while I enjoyed the book, I was never on the edge of my seat nor did I race home from work to sit down and read it. 

Rating 3.25 out of 5 Bunsen Burners

Up Next: Coma by Robin Cook, or Micro by Michael Crichton

The War on Football: Saving America's Game

By Daniel J. Flynn

            If you base your opinion of football on only what you hear in the media, your opinion will likely be as follows.  Football is a violent, barbaric game which is inherently dangerous to all participants with potential for immediate and long lasting bodily harm.  The War on Football further examines the media’s claims and encourages further discussion of America’s sport.

            In his speech to Ivy League students, Malcolm Gladwell suggested “When people die of a dumb and violent nineteenth-century game that serves no educational function, I think the obvious thing to do is to stop playing the dumb and violent nineteenth-century game.”  Even recently President Obama suggested that if he had a son, he would think very hard about letting him play football.  But in a time where more and more children are being classified as obese, where do we place our priorities?  Is it worth the risk to let our kids play a sport that the media has so vilified?  Surely the skills they learn on the field cannot outweigh the damage it does to their bodies, and the risk they face each time they put on their helmet and shoulder pads.  This is likely the thought of most parents and, as this book points out, the fallacy.

            This years’ Winter X games killed more athletes than the NFL has in 93 seasons.  Bicycling kills about 700 Americans every year, but there’s no media attention suggesting parents ban bicycles.  In 1970, 23 highschoolers died from hits in football.  Last year, only 2 highschoolers lost their lives.  If anything, football is becoming a safer sport than ever before.  Now that we know that football players aren’t dropping dead all over the country, what about lifelong impacts of playing the game? 

            The author investigated further by looking into concussions, CTE (Chronic Traumatic encephalopathy, which is associated with repetitive head trauma) and other diseases.  Former football players show an increased risk of Alzheimers, ALS and Parkinson’s.   We’ve all heard the media say that the average life expectancy of football players is significantly shorter than average Americans.  Fortunately, this is an outright lie with no scientific basis.  At some point, a nonexistent statistic was quoted and has continued to pop up erroneously in the media.  Logically, football players are chosen and rewarded for being at the peak of fitness.  In most cases, this extends to later life as players maintain a certain level of fitness.  In both 1994 and 2012, the NIOSH found that NFL players live longer than American males outside of football.

            What about the concussions, and the lawsuit against the NFL by former players?  Well I won’t even go into detail about how Riddell is the primary helmet manufacturer being sued and how many players did not actually even wear Riddell helmets.  Or the fact that 10% of the litigants never saw action in a single NFL game.  Or I could mention how the concussion studies by Mark Lovell are more about profit than science.  Read the book, you will be enlightened.

            It’s around this point where you can’t help but cry out “What about all the people the media has highlighted who have gone crazy or killed themselves because of lingering effects of football and concussions?!”  Autopsies have shown tau protein in the brains of people who have sustained repetitive head trauma, and tau is associated with mental problems such as dementia, poor decision making and depression.  But CTE can only be diagnosed in the dead, and brains are often donated under suspicion of CTE, which results in selection bias in the studies.  What about the athletes who have killed themselves “as a result of CTE?”  Unfortunately, cases like the happy go lucky Junior Seau have been misrepresented by the media.  What you won’t hear is that Seau reportedly drank heavily 5 to 6 nights a week, gambled excessively, had an insatiable appetite for women, and was experiencing financial difficulties after several investments went belly-up.  Several more examples include: Dave Duerson – shot himself in the chest and asked that his brain be studied.  His business was also held in receivership, his home foreclosed, and he filed for bankruptcy listing liabilities of ~$15 million.  Mike Current – his suicide was followed with the subheadline “due to the inability to deal with the traumatic brain injury caused by concussions.”  What was pushed aside was how he was facing a possible 30+ year sentence for allegedly molesting three children.

Daniel Flynn weaves history, quotes, and research into a coherent story about football.  We learn that football is a sport that has evolved over the years into the game it is today.  Flynn also points out how important it is to read between the lines of media reports, and to do your own research before you believe anything.  While we do not know for sure what causes CTE, as football fans we must accept the ever changing rules of our game.  I really enjoyed this book, as it provided a thorough dissection of many of the current issues surrounding the game as well as a history of the game itself.  I hope that parents who are worried about their children’s minds being made soft by football will read this book and learn that maybe a soft body is worse than a hard hit in the long run.

Rating: 4.25 out of 5 Bunsen Burners

Up Next:  I’ve got a huge list of books that need reviewing, too many to list.  Stay tuned.

Winter of the Worlds

By Ken Follett

In the second book of the Trilogy, Ken Follett details the lives of the offspring from the first novel.  The book is set in the time of the Second World War, which includes details leading up to and through the conclusion of the war.  He artfully sets events in motion, and details history by giving a face to the problem.  The spread of Fascism is much more tangible and relatable when we are scared what will happen to Maud and her children.  Once again, Follett does a wonderful job of teaching history to the reader.  He not only provides an interesting story with very relatable characters, but also one that makes the events of the world at this point in time easy to grasp.

One of the first events in the book demonstrates the progressive takeover of the Nazi regime.  Ethel and her son Lloyd are visiting Maud and her family in Germany.  During this visit, the Nazis raid and shut down the local paper where Maud works, and persecute Robert Von Ulrich and his partner Jörg.  The Nazi regime continues to gain ground and political power, with Adolph Hitler ultimately leading the country as Dictator.  Through the eyes’ of Maud’s family; we witness Jewish persecution, family schism due to nationalism, the economic effect of war on the German people, and many other tough situations.  It was very real and understandable why the characters behaved the way they did because of Follett’s wonderful writing.  In a point I have beaten to death with my previous review of Fall of Giants, Follett does a terrific job with character development which fosters the readers’ empathy.

On the English side, the three families are the Leckwiths, Williams’ and Fitzherberts.  The Fitzherberts still languish in luxury, and Boy Fitzherbert is being groomed as heir to the estate.  He is being educated at the best schools, and is very active politically.  This garners the attention of American Daisy Peshkov, Lev Peshkovs daughter, who is very attracted to the wealth and power of upper class life.  Lloyd Williams is also pursuing his education in Europe, and later becomes involved in the Spanish Civil War with his cousin Dave Williams.  The accounts from the Spanish Civil War are some of the most memorable parts of this book.  Without revealing any surprises, these events had me shocked at the injustice and on the edge of my seat in suspense.

I felt that the American families in this book took a larger role this time around.  Gus Dewar, and more notably his son Woody are major characters.  Woody gravitates towards politics like his father, while younger brother Chuck ultimately joins the Navy.  Follett focuses his attention on The Great Depression, socioeconomical unrest, and events leading to American involvement in World War II.  It was interesting to relearn all the events that almost resulted in America entering the war effort, and how much we tried to avoid it. 

As I write this review, I realize how complex and intertwined the characters of this book are.  It would be impossible to describe each family, each member of the family, their love interests, etc. without consistently referencing back to previous parts of my review.  I don’t consider myself someone who can easily follow a multitude of characters, as well as their motives.  To this note, it is probably the reason I don’t often gravitate towards this style of writing.  In this case, I found that it worked well, even if I truthfully did not always know who the author was talking about for several pages.  As with Fall of Giants, this book was a refreshing and not heavy handed history lesson featuring relatable and well developed characters.  I would highly recommend this book for those of you who are interested in historical fiction, or anyone who (like myself) felt as though they had forgotten much of their American history. 

Rating: 4.25 out of 5 Bunsen Burners

Up Next: The Given Day by Dennis Lehane

Fall of Giants

By Ken Follett

            Over the past few years I have expanded my scope of preferred authors.  My wife is thrilled that when we go to a book store or book sale, my first comment is no longer “where’s the Stephen King section?”  My sister took a gamble this last Christmas and purchased this book by Ken Follett for me.  Aside from Matterhorn, I haven’t read much historical fiction, so I was not sure how this would turn out.  I must say that she certainly hit the mark and really grabbed a terrific novel. 

            Fall of Giants is a novel based upon the time period before and through the First World War.  The story is told from the perspective of families from four of the major countries involved in World War I (America, Germany, England, and Russia).  By interweaving personal drama with national peril, the author creates sympathy for the characters and also teaches the reader history.  I had forgotten much of middle school history, but I can say that this was a pleasant and entertaining way to get a refresher on world history.

            In the mining town of Aberowen, England we follow the Williams family.  The Williams family is a coal mining family which includes David (head of the coal miners’ union), Cara (Mom), Billy (aka Billy Twice), and Ethel.  When we meet the family, Billy is getting ready for his first day in the mines.  Billy meets a great deal of hazing and harsh treatment.  His inner fortitude shines through as he sticks to his guns, and stands up to his bullies.  Ethel Williams is a maid at Ty Gwyn, which is owned by the Earl (Teddy) Fitzherbert or “Fitz.”  Fitz is the ninth richest man in England, partly due to his ownership of the Aberowen coal mines.  Ethel begins an affair with Fitz, which ultimately changes her life.  Ethel learns to fend for herself, and ultimately becomes one of two main voices in support of women’s rights.

            On the American front, we meet the Dewar family.  Gus Dewar is from a wealthy family and is a close adviser to Woodrow Wilson.  Gus’ personal relationships along with his political encounters drive the American plotline.  We learn about America’s reluctance to enter the war, and their plans for worldwide reformation based on “The Fourteen Points” directly from Woodrow Wilson

            In Germany, we learn about cousins Walter and Robert von Ulrich.  Walter becomes involved with Earl Fitzherbert’s sister, Maud.  As the relationship between the two begins to flourish, the developing conflict between England and Germany becomes a major hurdle.  Will their love be able to survive such a widespread skirmish?

            Russian brothers Grigori and Lev Peshkov, detail the struggles of daily Russian life.  Grigori is the responsible brother, always taking care of his younger brother Lev.  So when Lev gets into some trouble, Grigori gives up his ticket to America to save his brother’s life.  In America, Lev winds up falling back into his old ways and gets himself into trouble following his libido.  Lev ends up working for a very powerful and corrupt family in Buffalo.  Grigori’s side of the story is especially interesting as it details the struggles of the Russian people in the early 1900’s.  He fights corruption, starvation, and for equality for all citizens of Russia.  Ultimately Grigori becomes a soldier in the Russian army and becomes intimately involved in the Communist revolution.

Follett must be praised not only for creating interesting characters with relatable conflicts, but also for his attention to detail in regards to historical events.  Important events in each country are easily understood because the reader experiences them through the eyes of his characters.  Along with the political developments (the league of nations, assassination, and war), there is also a wealth of information sprinkled in about the women’s rights movement told from strong female characters developed by Follett.  Follett does an amazing job of teaching you about the period without making you feel like it’s a history lesson.  Like most people, I have forgotten the majority of the history lessons I was taught in my formative years.  It was so refreshing to read about the 14 points, the League of Nations, Archduke Franz Ferdinand’s assassination and many of the semi-familiar events surrounding World War I.  I had no difficulty following the story arc of

each character, even as the author jumped from story line to story line.  It’s so easy to forget how ubiquitous the impact of The Great War was for the citizens of each country involved.  Follett’s writing makes this impact accessible and relatable to the reader, and he tells a terrific story at the same time.  I would highly recommend this book for the ample historical information along with the entertaining plot.

Rating: 4 out of 5 Bunsen Burners

Up Next: Winter of the Worlds by Ken Follett

The Da Vinci Code

by Dan Brown

      In the late hours of the night a ghastly murder has taken place in the famous Louvre Museum in Paris, France.  The victim is the Louvre's chief curator whose body was found in an odd pose by the famous Mona Lisa painting.  Robert Langdon is called to the scene by police as a person of interest because he was scheduled to meet with the curator the night he was murdered.  Langdon is a Harvard symbologist and works together with the curator's granddaughter, Sophie, who is also a French cryptographer in order to try to solve this murder.  The two follow clues left by the curator that lead them to a trail of secrets that date back to the time of Leonardo Da Vinci.  It turns out the curator was a member of the secret society, The Priory of Sion.  In fact, the curator died trying to protect the most sacred of the Priory's religious artifacts: the Holy Grail.  Sophie and Robert find help in one of Langdon's old friends who happens to be a member of Opus Dei - a Catholic group determined to snatch the Priory's secret.  As they search for clues that will lead to the identity of the murderer and the answers the secret the curator was supposed to protect, they are challenged physically and mentally to uncover the truth so that the secret is not lost forever.

      This adventure takes readers through the streets of France and England which I absolutely loved having been to both of these places in my own travels.  If you have not seen these beautiful cities, this book describes them wonderfully.  This book is rich with art history, religious history, and intricate puzzles.  If you can get your hands on the special illustrated edition, it allows you to see the pieces of art discussed and some inside to the puzzles he is describing.  The plot is complex and full of new terms and historical information that require an attentive reader.

      The main character is definitely not your average knight in shining armor meets modern day action superhero.  He is the exact opposite, which in a sense is a refreshing change.  I love his intelligence, ability to decipher puzzles, and his quick thinking.  I even enjoy the fact that he is an unassuming hero majority of the time.  Brown has an ability to take otherwise monotonous facts in history and weave them into a deliciously fabulous tale.  Another great read for me, and a fantastic recommendation for you!  This book is part of a series.  Brown just released the 4th book with Robert Langdon as the main character.  Needless to say I will be picking that up soon.    

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Up Next: Angels and Demons by Dan Brown

Rage

By Richard Bachman (Stephen King)

            This is a special review of Stephen King’s only out of print work.  Being a Stephen King nut, my wife knew that I was dying to read this rare King work.  She was able to find a hardcover copy of “The Bachman Books,” and in an effort to add to her lengthy list of “Best Wife Ever” she bought it for me.  I probably would have finished the story in a single day, if day to day responsibilities hadn’t gotten in the way.

            The story begins with Charlie Decker being summoned to the principal’s office from his math class.  Mr. Denver has called Charlie down to expel him for almost beating his Chemistry teacher to death with a pipe.  While being lectured, we get our first insight to Charlie’s mental state.  Soon after being informed that his chemistry teacher survived the beating, Charlie begins to rebel against Mr. Denver’s psychoanalysis and starts to deride Mr. Denver personally.  Making inappropriate comments; Charlie leaves the office, grabs his weapon, sets his locker on fire, and takes his class hostage when he shoots his math teacher in the head. 

            While Charlie is in control of the classroom, we gain further understanding about his mental health.  We learn about his life and struggles through a shared story time with his classmates.  This is a very effective way to provide backstory, motive and compassion for the main character without doing so in some overt way.  His fellow students share stories as well, further supporting the motif of teenage angst.  As the story reaches its rapid conclusion, Charlie has changed in the eyes of the reader from a nebulous hard case to a relatable troubled teen.  The story kept a moderate pace and quickened slightly at the conclusion as the reader anxiously waits to see what will happen to Charlie and his classmates.

            I found this story to be edgy, relatable and distinct.  As always, Stephen King has created an interesting story with relatable characters.  I am sure that my enjoyment is somewhat colored by the rarity of this story, much like an expensive pair of shoes or clothing just feels “better.”  But I must say that this early story (started when King was in high school) caries all of the familiar elements of a Stephen King book.  In a recent interview; Stephen King stated that he does not believe that music, video games, and other media are to blame for violent behavior.  He does, however, feel that these types of media can act as an “accelerant” for certain individuals who are looking for a specific outlet for their behaviors.  This “book control” is the reason he has pulled “Rage” from print.  Having read the story, I can understand why the book was pulled.  While the book does not romanticize or glorify violent behavior, the attention Charlie gets from his classmates as well as the sheer fantasy provided by the plot of this book could be dangerous in the wrong hands.  I respect Mr. King’s resolve to keep this controversial (and possibly dangerous) story out of the hands of the general public, as a sacrifice to keep this story out of the hands of “broken” individuals.  I would definitely recommend that you read this book if you are a fan of Stephen King as I am.

Rating: 4.25 out of 5 Bunsen Burners

Up Next:  I have really fallen behind on my postings.  My intention is to post my reviews of the following stories which I have read within the past few months.  Fall of Giants (Follett), Winter of the Worlds (Follett), Something Wicked this Way Comes (Bradbury), NOS4A2 (Hill), The Given Day (Lehane), and Micro (Crichton and Preston).  I am also currently reading Coma by Robin Cook.  I apologize for the delay, but keep coming back if you’re looking for a good read and don’t know what to get.  

A special post

For those of you who are unaware, another adaptation of Stephen King's work is hitting the small screen.  Tonight on CBS at 10pm, tune in for what will no doubt be an interesting TV series.  I have read the book myself (I was fortunate enough to get an advanced "reader" copy from my wonderful mother-in-law, and made sure to finish it before the book hit shelves), and I can only imagine how it will transition to TV.  Unfortunately I read this back in 2009, and therefore it doesn't appear on this blog (maybe I'll have to reread it).  I have a feeling this will be a bit different than the book, but the microcosm the dome creates can only lead to suspense and a very interesting story line.  Tune in!

The Shining

                                                                 By Stephen King

            Ok, it’s time for me to admit something.  Despite being a huge Stephen King fan, I have never read The Shining before.  Shocking, I know.  I’ll go one step further; since I have not read the book…I have never seen the movie either (aside from brief glimpses on TV).  Recently I read that Stephen King is workin a new book, with a grown up Danny Torrance as the main character.  Clearly I needed to read this classic novel, especially so I can read the new novel “Dr. Sleep.”

            The story of Danny, Jack and Winnifred Torrance begins in Vermont.  Jack has recently lost his job as a teacher for assaulting a student who had vandalized his car.  Jack accepts a job from a former drinking buddy as caretaker of the Overlook hotel.  He moves the whole family into the Overlook Hotel, where they will be isolated all winter long.  Jack in in charge of heating sections of the hotel and making sure the boiler isn’t damaged from over pressurization.  As caretaker he is also in charge of minor maintenance, but mostly he looks forward to being able to work on his play in solitude.  After a short period of time in the hotel, Jack starts to become very interested in the history of the building.  He spends a great deal of time wandering the halls, and looking through a scrapbook he found.  His mood slowly transforms from loving husband, to impatient jerk, and beyond as the story progresses.  His wife is convinced he is drinking again, even though the bar is completely dry.  Wendy fears that Jack will hurt Danny in another drunken incident.  As the reader, we can only watch Jack plummet as we know he will eventually hit bottom.  What we don’t know is: When will he reach it, and what will he do when he gets there?

            The supernatural aspect of the book is centered on Jack and Wendy’s son, Danny.  We learn that Danny has special abilities; which is referred to as “shining.”  This can manifest itself as precognition, ESP, or even a type of telepathy.  Danny is often able to know things or sense the moods of people without fully understanding what is going on.  “The shining” is very powerful in Danny, but being young means that he doesn’t fully understand how to use or interpret this power.  Danny’s invisible friend Tony makes many appearances (Tony is often used to help Danny understand what’s going on), and Danny is terrified of visions he is having.  While he isn’t always a witness to the discord between his parents, he has the ability to sense what is happening in the hotel.  And Danny is afraid.   

            The story is told from the third person perspective, which allows for a great deal of insight into each characters thoughts, fears, and actions.  This allows Jack’s slow descent into insanity to be reinforced and reflected by his behavior, his thoughts, as well as how others react to him.  I felt that this mode of storytelling, as well as the quality of the writing made it very easy to crawl into the characters’ minds and really understand what was going on.  The use of flash back was also prevalent which helped to reinforce the tumultuous relationship between Wendy and Jack.  The isolation, introspection, and fantastic suspenseful writing leaves no doubt as to why this is one of King’s most famous novels.

Rating 4.5 out of 5 Bunsen Burners

Up Next: Fall of Giants by Ken Follett

A Time to Kill

by John Grisham

        When a 10-year old black girl is found beaten and brutally raped by two southern redneck deadbeats, her father Carl snaps and takes justice into his own hands. Carl waits as the two men are taken to their hearing in the courthouse, and when they are close enough, he charges out shooting them both. Carl is soon arrested on charges of murdering these men. In this desperate time, he turns to small town lawyer Jake Brigance to take his case. Jake is used to taking small time cases and only enough to just get by. Jake knows that if he wins this case it could make his career.

        Jake is a young, but an extremely intelligent small town lawyer in Clanton, Mississippi. Jake takes the case knowing the outcome Carl wants will be hard to get. Carl wants to escape the gas chamber, however the town will not look favorably of a black man that has killed two white men, especially when the audience is an all white jury. It infuriates many that if Carl was a white man, avenging his daughter would have been dismissed and he would never have been taken to court. Jake puts together a small team in order to try and prepare for this case. Jake soon realizes that this case not only puts Carl's life in danger, but his own life, and his families life in danger as well. With growing violence between the black community members and the Ku Klux Klan this case soon captivates Mississippi.  In no time, things start escalating and Jake comes up against more obstacles then he can imagine.

       John Grisham's novel has become one of my favorite books. While difficult to read at times because of the brutal way he describes the child's rape, the premeditated murders, and the harshness of racial inequality, this book was very hard to put down. It touched on very tough subjects that still evoke a lot of emotion despite the time that has passed. Grisham's attention to detail and ability to evoke such emotion is why I enjoyed this book so much. Many readers feel that his attention to detail can sometimes be overkill and that even the smallest of items is easily two paragraphs long. What readers need to realize is that John Grisham is a lawyer and knows the "ins and outs". This makes his writing very powerful and full of descriptions that only help to immerse the reader into the book. My advice? Soak in the details, sit back, and enjoy this emotional ride.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Up Next: The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

Holes

by Louis Sachar


       This story begins with the main character, Stanley Yelnats, being accused of stealing a pair of sneakers donated by the basketball star Clyde "Sweetfeet" Livingston.  This doesn't surprise Stanley.  Stanley believes it is his cursed relatives (especially his "no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather") that have done this to him.  His family has been cursed with terrible luck for generations.  When Stanley tells the judge the sneakers fell from the sky, the judge doesn't believe him.  At court, he and his family were given a choice.  He can go to jail or he can go to Camp Green Lake in Texas, a reform camp for juvenile boys.  

        What Stanley soon finds out, is there is no lake, but just a barren wasteland. What's more is Camp Green Lake isn't a "camp" either. The warden believes that the boys need to build character. In order to do that, they are expected to dig a 5 foot wide and 5 foot deep hole. After awhile, Stanley starts to realize that they are not just building character, but the the warden is using the boys to search for something.  This sends Stanley on an adventure he never anticipated as he searches for the truth.

       This books is a wonderful and quick read for young adults/students.  The author takes a very complex story with multiple characters and spins an adventure that is sure to keep there attention as well as expand their vocabulary.  It is interesting for them to map out different aspects of the book - for example how the main character, Stanley, changes from the beginning of the book until the end.  Or challenge them to visualize different scenes in the book.  Louis Sachar's descriptions are very well done, so for children who are starting on chapter books, it is easy for them to visualize the scenes with some guidance.

      My only critique of this book is that with its complex story line and multiple characters, it can be difficult for children to fully understand and comprehend it.  They might need some help understanding some hidden jokes, part of the story-line, or difficult words.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Up Next: A Time to Kill by John Grisham

A Brief Call for Feedback

I just wanted to take the opportunity to address the readers of this blog.  None of the contributors are under any delusion that this blog is reaching a vast audience.  I cannot speak for every contributor, but I know that my main motivation for doing these reviews is so that I will remember what the book was about and whether I enjoyed it.  I hope that while achieving this goal, I also reach a few readers here and there who either enjoy my review or are encouraged to read a book I recommend.  That being said, this is my call for feedback.

For the small audience we have, I would like to encourage you to comment and critique the reviews.  It's simple enough for me to read a book, briefly summarize it, decide what I liked and didn't like about it, and slap it up on this website.  But oftentimes I feel like I get in a descriptive rut, bogged down with verbal crutches and describing books in the same fashion.  I promise that I will make little progress in amending this, unless it is pointed out to me.  Let me know what would make a review more clear to you, or ask for more information about the book if you are interested.  And, above all, recommend books that you think we might enjoy.

While this book blog will never be featured on Oprah, or whoever is on daytime TV now, I would still like to produce reviews which are helpful to the readers of this blog.  Help me continue to improve upon my reviews.  And for the regular viewers of our blog, thank you.

Treasure Box

By Orson Scott Card

   

For my first endeavor into the writing of Orson Scott Card, I picked up this book at a local book sale.  I have been slowly acquiring books from “the ender’s game” series, and thought it’d be fun to give Card a try before getting deep into a lengthy series.  In the end, I appreciated the writing style and the way the story began, but overall the story was flat and somewhat uninteresting.

            Quentin Fears is in the hospital with his sister Lizzy, who is in a coma due to a recent auto accident.  His parents have decided to pull the plug, but Quentin isn’t ready to give up his best friend.  Lizzy speaks to Quentin, and convinces him that it is time for her to go.  After Lizzy dies, Quentin develops certain habits and behaviors which are disturbing to his parents.  He reads Lizzy’s old books compulsively and acts out to express his grief.  Quentin’s parents have finally had enough, but Quentin is well down the path to becoming a recluse.

            Many years later, we catch back up with Quentin.  Card glosses over his uneventful adolescence and briefly addresses the success he has had as an adult.  Quentin is a very wealthy entrepreneur who has gained his riches mostly through computer programming.  However, Quentin is alone and looking for a woman in his life.  He soon meets Madeleine who is everything he could ever want in a woman.  She meets every expectation he has, but something isn’t quite right.  Her behavior in certain situations is unusual, and things get really weird when she takes Quentin to meet her family.  Madeleine then gets very upset when Quentin doesn’t open her grandmother’s box.  The next day, Quentin wakes up and finds his wife and her family gone.  The house is deserted and even looks as though it hasn’t been lived in for some time.  Quentin is very troubled and realizes that Madeleine is not the woman he fell in love with.  As he tries to find his wife, he begins to learn the truth about his wife and her family.  Quentin has fallen in love with a manipulative and powerful person, and a dangerous mystery threatens.

            I was initially intrigued and impressed by this book.  I thought Card did a good job creating some relatable characters, and making the reader sympathize with Quentin.  The initial situation was believable and well done.  However, I didn’t feel that this somewhat brief character development was sufficient to carry the character through the story.  The end of the book was exciting, but fairly predictable.  From checking out other reviews, fans of Card do not hold this novel in high regard.  I will definitely be reading more books by Card, but this one certainly didn’t light a fire under me to read another one. 

Rating: 2.75 out of 5 Bunsen Burners

Up Next: The Shining by Stephen King

Sacrifice

By John Farris

            This book starts out with a tragedy; Greg Walker is shot in the head while jogging.  Miraculously, he survives.  After recovering in the hospital for a time, he moves back home with his wife and daughter.  Somewhat abruptly, the novel takes a turn and we find out that Greg is actually a rare being who is blessed with the secret to longevity.  However, this longevity comes with a sacrifice.

            The book is a bit different, in that it is told from the first person perspective of 3 different characters.  The main character is Greg Walker, and the story begins with Greg taking a stray bullet while going for a jog.  This disastrous head wound lays him up in the hospital, and he miraculously shows signs of recovery.  Greg makes amazing strides in recovery, and is able to go back home to his wife Caroline and daughter Sharissa.  The family dynamic is introduced, and it is obvious that Sharissa is Daddy’s little girl.  Like any father, Greg is concerned with the developing intimacy between Sharissa and her boyfriend Bobby Driscoll.  Things are getting serious and Greg starts following the couple to make sure that Sharissa isn’t compromising her virtues.  After Greg confronts Bobby, the story starts out on an odd path.  Later, Greg and Caroline are out to eat and he is accosted by a strange woman who insists that Greg is her astranged husband.  After several additional family tragedies, the action picks up and Greg disappears with Sharissa to South America.

            Sergeant Butterbaugh is a police officer who is initially assigned to Greg Walker’s case when he is shot.  He begins to form a relationship with the family, especially Sharissa.  He soon becomes highly suspicious of what is going on with the Walker family, and follows them when they leave the country.  He realizes that there is more to Greg Walker, and he might have an ancient and ominous secret.

            Overall the book was well written and I found the characters to be agreeable.  However, this book fell apart after the first 150 pages.  It started off in an unusual way and you wondered how Greg was going to recover from his injuries.  Within the span of a few chapters, the whole story shifts direction.  The shift itself is interesting, but the story eventually devolves into a predictable apex and conclusion.  I enjoyed reading it and still enjoy the writing of John Farris, but this book was a very poor example of his ability to craft a good story.  Give Farris a chance, but not on this novel.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 Bunsen Burners

Up Next: Treasure Box by Orson Scott Card

Phantom Nights

By John Farris

            This is the first John Farris book I have read outside of The Fury series.  I thoroughly enjoyed that series, so I was very happy when my wife bought me this book to read.

            The plot of this book is nothing original, a murder has taken place and a kid (Alex Gambier) has supernatural contact with the dead and wants to help to bring the murderer to justice.  Since the idea has been done before, the value of the book can only be determined by the quality of the characters and the writing. 

            Alex Gambier is a teenage boy who is mute (due to illness) and rebellious in nature.  His father and mother were killed in a fire, and he is now being raised by his older brother Bobby.  Bobby is a police officer with a young wife and family.  Alex is caught doing a dangerous stunt at the railroad tracks, by Mally Shaw.  Mally’s house soon becomes a refuge (from which) he can escape from problems at home.  Mally was also the nurse providing hospice care for the dying Priest Howard.  On his deathbed, Priest Howard’s reunion with his son was a tumultuous event.  It was very clear that Leland and his father did not see eye to eye, and that Priest Howard wanted Leland to pay for an unexplained wrongdoing.  Leland was confident that his secrets would die along with his father, and was not concerned about any secrets ruining his political career.  That is, until he begins to suspect that Mally might have been informed about his wrongdoing.

            The book was well written, and you can understand the characters motives and actions.  However, there was nothing extravagant about the story or the characters.  I wouldn’t say that I couldn’t put this book down, but the action was sufficiently interesting to keep me reading.  I would classify this as what my wife calls a “beach read.”  No thinking involved, and straight entertainment.  Not a bad book, but don’t knock down any ladies at the library or Barnes and Noble to pick it up.

Rating: 3 out of 5 Bunsen Burners

Up Next: Sacrifice by John Farris

Imajica

By Clive Barker

Since I read a lot at work, it was only a matter of time before I started to get recommendations from coworkers.  My boss recommended “Weave World” or “Damnation Game” by Clive Barker.  Unable to find either of these books at a library book sale, I opted for “Imajica.”

This book was quite different from anything else I have read in the past.  The book begins in England where we are introduced to the main characters: Judith and Gentle.  Gentle is a womanizer, and he has been romantically involved with Judith in the past.  Judith has broken up with her most recent lover, Charlie Estabrook, and he’s not taking it well.  In fact, Charlie has decided that if he can’t have her, nobody can.  He hires Pie “oh” Pah as the assassin to do the deed.  Soon, he’s having second thoughts and asks Gentle to help him stop Judith’s murder. 

Gentle tracks down Judith, and has his own run in with Pie “oh” Pah.  As everyone’s complex relationships develop, we are slowly introduced to the fact that there are other “dominions” besides the one in which we live.  Earth and our reality is the fifth dominion, and is unreconciled from the others.  Later, Judith and Gentle are separately escorted into the other dominions where they learn more about their past and their positions in the Great Reconciliation. 

We follow Gentle as he works his way from the Fourth Dominion, to Yzordderrex.  Yzordderrex is a city founded by the Autarch, a cruel dictator who rules with his queen Quaisoir.  During the journey, we learn of the many Goddesses who have been persecuted and imprisoned by “The Unbeheld.”  “The Unbeheld” is one of many names for their God, a ruler who resides beyond the Erasure in the first dominion (I realize I’ve thrown a lot of terms at you, but be prepared for more if you decide to read this book).  As the story progresses; we learn more about “The Unbeheld,” the Autarch, his queen, and their connection to Gentle and Judith as we build towards the Great Reconciliation.

Clive Barker may be a fantastic storyteller, but this was a hard novel to start with.  There were many unearthly creatures introduced, as well as strong supernatural themes to the book which made some of the story difficult to follow.  There were gods, goddesses, foreign lands, along with the rules that govern these foreign places.  It’s hard to remember who characters are, let alone what species they are.  And it is especially difficult when they are introduced, disappear, and then reappear later.  I couldn’t help but notice the undertone of gender roles or gender identity that existed in this book, as well.  This is an idea that I have struggled to articulate, but this is the best way I can put it.  What really made me think this were discussions which took place between Judith and the Goddesses, Judith and Quaisoir (I think that’s who it was, it was near the middle of the book), male imprisonment of the female goddesses, and also the inclusion of the Mystif character.  A mystif is an androgynous character which has the capacity to love both men and women.  I also can’t decide whether Barker is pretentious, or really smart.  I’ve got a decent vocabulary, but I felt like Barker wrote this book with one hand on the keyboard and the other grasping a thesaurus.  And maybe it’s just a personal issue, but I got to the point where if Barker used the word “din” one more time, I would have to stop reading the book.  While I have read a bunch of books involving other dimensions or worlds, this one was especially difficult.  The end was somewhat predictable, and only satisfying in its lack of ambiguity.  To summarize how I felt about this read, I would say it was more a tour de force to get through it, rather than something I longed to pick up at every opportunity.  This detracted from my enjoyment, but I don’t want it to ruin anyone’s impression of the novel.  In (final) summary, it was good, but be prepared to think a little bit and stretch your mind to get through it.

Rating: 3.25 out of 5 Bunsen Burners

Up Next: Phantom Nights by John Farris

Everything's Eventual

By Stephen King

            At this point, I have read most of Stephen King’s body of work.  This includes a few of his compilations of short stories such as: Just After Sunset, Full Dark No Stars.  I have enjoyed his short stories in the past and was excited to crack open Everything’s Eventual; especially because of the story “Little Sisters of Eluria.”

            The way I feel about short stories is that they are pretty much hit or miss.  There is always something of value in each story, but in the end I usually liked it or didn’t like it.  The same can be said about Everything’s Eventual.  I won’t go through the good and bad of each, but I’ll hit the ones that had an impact worth mentioning.  The “Man in the Black Suit” was a suspenseful little thriller told from the perspective of a young boy.  The merit of the story resides in the exaggeration and runaway imagination of children and the way they can freak themselves out over nothing.  But is it all in his head?  Not surprisingly, the “Little Sisters of Eluria” is the most developed story of them all.  It was good to catch back up with Roland, and only made me excited to read “The Wind Through the Keyhole.”  I’d say it was my favorite story, but that is almost a meaningless statement due to my inherent bias.  “Everything’s Eventual” was in the typical sci-fi paranormal vein of so many of King’s novels.  Told from the perspective of an unnamed (if he was named I don’t remember it) narrator, who is in a unique living arrangement.  All of his expenses are taken care of, and he is given a salary.  However, he cannot save any money, and must dispose of any extra.  We soon find out that his living situation is guided by the exploitation of his psychic powers.  “The Road Virus Heads North” was just a creepy and tense story.  “Lunch at the Gotham Café” was very odd, and there are some scenes/mental images that have stuck with me.  “That Feeling, You Can Only Say What It Is In French.”  I liked the premise of the story, but wasn’t blown away by the story itself.

            This collection of short stories was definitely worth the read, but I wouldn’t go and insist that anyone pick this up immediately.  If you do check it out, appreciate it for what it is, but don’t have high expectations.  Also, I apologize if this wasn’t a very good review but reviewing short stories is rather difficult.  I have a huge backlog of books I have read, and this one was really slowing my progress.

Rating: 2.75 out of 5 Bunsen Burners

Up Next: Imajica by Cliver Barker