This is a brilliant and complex work of art by Mikhail Bulgakov written in 1930s Russia and unpublished until 1966, 26 years after the author's death. This version was translated by Mirra Ginsburg. The novel combines fantasy, a satirical look at the Stalin run government, and a story within a story. This is a complicated story with many possible meanings and latent content critical of the Soviet system that gave him total denunciation as his reward. I would love to sit in with a group of litterateurs dissecting this novel with all its hidden meanings and innuendoes. It's a story of the Devil and his cohorts visiting Stalin's Russia critiquing the Soviet system with a satirical view of Russia's currency, atheism, and Moscow's Association of Writers (MASSOLIT).
The story begins with Mikhail Alexandrovich Berlioz (editor of MASSOLIT) and a young poet named Homeless (pen name of Ivan Nikolayevich Ponyrev) discussing their belief that Jesus Christ never existed. They are sitting on a park bench in Patriarch's Ponds Park sipping apricot sodas. They are suddenly interrupted by a strange, tall foreigner with teeth of platinum and gold and one eye black, the other green. He tells them Jesus did exist, and there are five proofs. Furthermore, he states that he was there 2,000 years ago when Pontius Pilate was interrogating Jesus Christ! The foreigner then talks about how man is mortal and sometimes suddenly dies. Mikhail disputes that statement and says that he knows what is happening in his life everyday. The foreigner (I will now tell you that he is the Devil, also known as Woland) tells Mikhail that's not true, in fact, "Your head will be cut off!" by a Russian woman! Mikhail ask the foreigner what his profession is; he replies that he is a specialist in black magic.
Now comes "the story within the story" as the foreigner relates what happened between the Procurator of Judea (Pontius Pilate) and Yeshua Ha-Nozri (Jesus Christ) to the dumbfounded writers. This tale of Pontius and Jesus will crop up from time to time during this 402 page epic. The story of the trial and crucifixion is an amazing sidebar to the main theme and is strong enough to have become another book. After the first part of the story is told, Mikhail tells the poet Homeless that he is going to make a phone call at the train station to have this lunatic arrested. We meet a strange companion of the foreigner, Koroviev (or Fagot), the one with the cracked pince-nez. Wouldn't you know that as Mikhail is about to make that call, he slips on some oil, falls to the tracks and is beheaded by a train with a woman conductor! The strangers take-off, and Homeless the poet winds up in the insane asylum as many characters from this book will.
All of this happens in the first 49 pages, so don't think I'm giving the story away! You, the reader will have 353 pages to meet: the fanged Azazello; Behemoth, the vodka drinking tomcat; the servants, Hella and Natasha; Margarita and the Master, who has just written a book about Pontius Pilate - strange as it seems. You will learn about the bizarre occurrences at Sadovaya, no. 302-b, apartment 50 in Moscow. You will be amazed at the magic show Woland produces with falling Chervonets (ten rouble bills) and the disappearing clothes of the audience. Wait till you read about the Midnight Ball that Woland and his crew host. This was an amazing read for me, and it's hard to compare with anything else I've read. I can slightly compare the black magic to Susanna Clarke's Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell: A Novel , but even that is a stretch of the imagination. It's a shame that Mikhail Bulgakov didn't live to see his works published. The Soviet government censored publication of all his books and plays in 1929. Facing daily ridicule from the Soviet system, it's a wonder that it didn't stunt his growth as an author. GREAT BOOK!
RATING: 5 out of 5 stars
Comment: Bulgakov (5/15/1891-3/10/1940) gave up a career as a Doctor because of illness. He then wrote a short story that was published. He is also known as a great playwright featuring Zoya's Apartment. Two other novels of note that he wrote are The White Guard and The Heart of a Dog
. It is said that Stalin had a soft spot in his heart for Bulakov since he protected him from arrests and execution.
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
BLOOD AND THUNDER
The title of the book is the moniker used to describe the dime novels written about Kit Carson's adventures during the turbulent Indian Wars of the 1850's through the 1860's. Hampton Sides writes an epic account of what really happened in the Southwest. This non-fiction work is more than a story about Carson's life; it's also about America's first imperialistic strike westward led by our 11th President, James K. Polk. During his four year term, The U.S. Government annexed California from Mexico. The guts of the book deals with what happened next - What to do about the colliding worlds of the Indians, especially the nomadic and fearsome Navajo tribe, and the white settlers moving west to occupy the newly won territories.
Based on Hampton Sides research, I found Kit Carson's life quite incredible. Here is a man who couldn't read or write, yet spoke Spanish and seven different Indian languages. He lived as a frontiersman, trapper, Indian fighter, guide, and as a Colonel in the Union Army. He had the innate ability to see right from wrong, act with bravery, honor, and commitment. During his lifetime, he was married three times and had eight children. His first wife was Arapaho, the second was Cheyenne, and the third wife was Spanish. He had meetings with President Polk, he was a friend of General William Tecumseh Sherman, Navajo leader Narbona, Senator Thomas Benton, John C. Fremont, and General Stephen Watts Kearny, the father of the American cavalry. Kit's escapades gave me the feeling that he was truly an American hero. This book was worth reading just to discover what a miraculous life he led during this dangerous period in the history of America's Southwest. Yet, the author cites incidents where Kit Carson gunned down people in cold blood because he was ordered to do it by a superior officer or someone he respected. Go figure!
The inane killing of Navajo leader Narbona by a drunken Union soldier over a stolen horse caused the leader's son-in-law, Manuelito, to declare war against America. While the Union Army fought the Confederates from Texas during the Civil War, the Navajo had carte blanche to murder emigrates and steel their cattle and sheep. After the Civil War ended, the U.S.A. realized that the Navajo had to be stopped, or else the move westward couldn't continue. Enter General James H. Carleton. He prodded Col. Kit Carson to prosecute the Navajo, burn their food supply, and force them to accept a reservation life far from their natural boundaries. Many Navajo were killed, while the survivors were in a state of starvation. The rest of the book deals with the "Long Walk" of the Navajos from New Mexico to the Bosque Redondo (Round Forest) Reservation, where infectious corn crops, dysentery, syphilis, and Comanche attacks almost destroyed the Navajo people. If you want to know how they survived, you will have to read this wonderful book.
As a child I watched The Adventures of Kit Carson, staring Bill Williams on television, thinking he wasn't a real person. Wow, now I know better! His T.V. sidekick, El Toro doesn't show up in this book. I also watched The Great Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok. These cowboys were real heroes from the 1800's and need to be studied. I find myself searching for books about old western characters that helped shape America in it's early years. Hampton Sides did a yeoman's job in his research and storytelling. While it's not non-fiction that reads like fiction, it is very close. I guess that's why I felt that I wasn't reading a history book, but a good old western! I give this palatable book my highest rating.
RATING: 5 out of 5 stars
Comment: The term "blood and thunder" originated as a oath, though not necessarily a religious one. It was used by Lord Byron in the poem, Don Juan, 1818-24. It became a term for cheap literature in 1859 London. The term was used by Irwin P. Beadle & Company in America for paperback fiction at 10c a copy. Kit Carson was given the rank of Breveted General near the end of his life. This was a temporary rank with no pay increase. Kit Carson died of an aneurysm at 58 years old in Fort Lyon, Colorado shortly after his beloved wife died from complications while giving birth.
Based on Hampton Sides research, I found Kit Carson's life quite incredible. Here is a man who couldn't read or write, yet spoke Spanish and seven different Indian languages. He lived as a frontiersman, trapper, Indian fighter, guide, and as a Colonel in the Union Army. He had the innate ability to see right from wrong, act with bravery, honor, and commitment. During his lifetime, he was married three times and had eight children. His first wife was Arapaho, the second was Cheyenne, and the third wife was Spanish. He had meetings with President Polk, he was a friend of General William Tecumseh Sherman, Navajo leader Narbona, Senator Thomas Benton, John C. Fremont, and General Stephen Watts Kearny, the father of the American cavalry. Kit's escapades gave me the feeling that he was truly an American hero. This book was worth reading just to discover what a miraculous life he led during this dangerous period in the history of America's Southwest. Yet, the author cites incidents where Kit Carson gunned down people in cold blood because he was ordered to do it by a superior officer or someone he respected. Go figure!
The inane killing of Navajo leader Narbona by a drunken Union soldier over a stolen horse caused the leader's son-in-law, Manuelito, to declare war against America. While the Union Army fought the Confederates from Texas during the Civil War, the Navajo had carte blanche to murder emigrates and steel their cattle and sheep. After the Civil War ended, the U.S.A. realized that the Navajo had to be stopped, or else the move westward couldn't continue. Enter General James H. Carleton. He prodded Col. Kit Carson to prosecute the Navajo, burn their food supply, and force them to accept a reservation life far from their natural boundaries. Many Navajo were killed, while the survivors were in a state of starvation. The rest of the book deals with the "Long Walk" of the Navajos from New Mexico to the Bosque Redondo (Round Forest) Reservation, where infectious corn crops, dysentery, syphilis, and Comanche attacks almost destroyed the Navajo people. If you want to know how they survived, you will have to read this wonderful book.
As a child I watched The Adventures of Kit Carson, staring Bill Williams on television, thinking he wasn't a real person. Wow, now I know better! His T.V. sidekick, El Toro doesn't show up in this book. I also watched The Great Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok. These cowboys were real heroes from the 1800's and need to be studied. I find myself searching for books about old western characters that helped shape America in it's early years. Hampton Sides did a yeoman's job in his research and storytelling. While it's not non-fiction that reads like fiction, it is very close. I guess that's why I felt that I wasn't reading a history book, but a good old western! I give this palatable book my highest rating.
RATING: 5 out of 5 stars
Comment: The term "blood and thunder" originated as a oath, though not necessarily a religious one. It was used by Lord Byron in the poem, Don Juan, 1818-24. It became a term for cheap literature in 1859 London. The term was used by Irwin P. Beadle & Company in America for paperback fiction at 10c a copy. Kit Carson was given the rank of Breveted General near the end of his life. This was a temporary rank with no pay increase. Kit Carson died of an aneurysm at 58 years old in Fort Lyon, Colorado shortly after his beloved wife died from complications while giving birth.
Sunday, July 29, 2012
The Swan Thieves
Elizabeth Kostova avoids the sophomore jinx with her second epistolary novel. While this volume isn't the fearsome novel that The Historian is, it does have plenty of enigmas and intrigue. (What would you expect without Vlad the Impaler) I enjoy reading novels that are based on old letters retrieved throughout the drama at just the right time. This is a modern day story of a troubled painter falling in love with a French painter from the late 1800s, who has long ago passed away. There isn't anything ordinary in this well conceived and original storytelling.
Robert Oliver, a renowned artist, suddenly attacks a painting in the National Gallery of Art. Psychiatrist Andrew Marlow tries to cure his presumed mental illness. Dr. Marlow has to become a detective when Robert Oliver refuses to communicate with him at the hospital. After tracking down Oliver's ex-wife and ex-girlfriend, he begins to put the puzzle together. This leads him to a 1870s painter, Beatrice de Clerval, and her husband's uncle, Oliver Vignot. What does an attack on a painting known as Leda by Gilbert Thomas have to do with French Impressionist painters who have died a hundred years ago?
The side characters and the hint of history from the Battle of Sedan in 1870 was refreshing and ingenious. Kostova has the ability to come up with seemingly useless pieces of information and tie them together later in the story. This seems to be nearly Charles Dickens-like. (Classic readers - don't get angry; I said "nearly"!) This story was so engrossing that it tweaked my interest in the French impressionist artists of the 1870s and 1880s. I found myself looking up the likes of Edgar Degas, Claude Monet and Edouard Manet. They used common subjects, small brush strokes and a new depiction of light. Thank you Elizabeth Kostova for writing a novel that revived my interest in art. The last time that happened was after reading Carol Wallace's Leaving Van Gogh: A Novel . Great job on a riveting and engaging novel. I highly recommend this second novel by Elizabeth Kostova.
RATING: 4 out of 5 stars
Comment: Elizabeth Kostova writes in the Historical/Gothic genre. Living in Slovenia as a child, she became interested in Bulgarian folk music. As a Yale graduate, she participated in the Slavic chorus. Her next novel is due in 2013. It's going to be a mix of myth and folklore, going back and forth between past and present. It's to be set in the U.S.A. and Eastern Europe. Familiar?
Robert Oliver, a renowned artist, suddenly attacks a painting in the National Gallery of Art. Psychiatrist Andrew Marlow tries to cure his presumed mental illness. Dr. Marlow has to become a detective when Robert Oliver refuses to communicate with him at the hospital. After tracking down Oliver's ex-wife and ex-girlfriend, he begins to put the puzzle together. This leads him to a 1870s painter, Beatrice de Clerval, and her husband's uncle, Oliver Vignot. What does an attack on a painting known as Leda by Gilbert Thomas have to do with French Impressionist painters who have died a hundred years ago?
The side characters and the hint of history from the Battle of Sedan in 1870 was refreshing and ingenious. Kostova has the ability to come up with seemingly useless pieces of information and tie them together later in the story. This seems to be nearly Charles Dickens-like. (Classic readers - don't get angry; I said "nearly"!) This story was so engrossing that it tweaked my interest in the French impressionist artists of the 1870s and 1880s. I found myself looking up the likes of Edgar Degas, Claude Monet and Edouard Manet. They used common subjects, small brush strokes and a new depiction of light. Thank you Elizabeth Kostova for writing a novel that revived my interest in art. The last time that happened was after reading Carol Wallace's Leaving Van Gogh: A Novel . Great job on a riveting and engaging novel. I highly recommend this second novel by Elizabeth Kostova.
RATING: 4 out of 5 stars
Comment: Elizabeth Kostova writes in the Historical/Gothic genre. Living in Slovenia as a child, she became interested in Bulgarian folk music. As a Yale graduate, she participated in the Slavic chorus. Her next novel is due in 2013. It's going to be a mix of myth and folklore, going back and forth between past and present. It's to be set in the U.S.A. and Eastern Europe. Familiar?
Friday, July 13, 2012
ISAAC'S STORM
The deadliest natural disaster in America is told by one of the rising stars in literature, Erik Larson. The time is 1900; the place is Galveston, Texas; the event is a massive hurricane aimed directly at the Texas island. This storm will kill 6,000 to 12,000 people depending on which report you read over the next hundred years. How did it come without warning? Why didn't the newly formed U.S Weather Bureau take this storm seriously? This is the main theme of this non-fiction thriller.
It seems that there are several reasons for the lack of a forewarning. The main reason seems to be the imperialistic attitude of the U.S.Weather Bureau in Cuba. They did everything they could do to muffle the so called alarmism of the Cuban weather forecasters. Even though the Cubans were more experienced with hurricanes, the U.S. thought that their dire warnings caused unnecessary panic. Therefore, the hurricane that just passed Cuba in a much milder form was not judged to be extremely dangerous to the U.S. coast. According to the Cuban forecasters, that was a huge mistake.
The second problem was that the U.S. Weather Bureau's agent in Galveston, Isaac Cline. Mr. Cline, had previously published a book which stated that no hurricane could do severe damage to the Galveston/ Gulf area. That alone stopped the proposed building of a seawall. On the day of the hurricane, Isaac finally gave in and said that he urged people to get off the beach and seek higher ground. He said he saved at least 6,000 lives, yet no witness was ever found to substantiate his claimed warning. The book is filled with short, sad stories about local families that survived and those that didn't.
The loss of human life was much greater than The Johnstown Flood of 1889, which killed 2,000 people, or The San Francisco Earthquake and Fire of 1906, which killed 3,000 people. The only good to come out of the Galveston hurricane was that the island finally got their seawall, and the U.S. Weather Bureau paid far more attention to hurricanes and to local prognosticators. As with any Erik Larson book, it was an extremely exciting, well written book and I would highly recommend it to readers of all genres.
RATING: 4 out of 5 stars
Comment: This was the third book Erik Larson wrote and I believe it ignited his new pattern of writing fresh and exciting non-fiction. Since Larson studied Russian History at the University of Pennsylvania, I'm waiting for a non fiction book involving Russia. Let's do it! He has taught non-fiction writing to several schools including the University of Oregon - lucky students!
It seems that there are several reasons for the lack of a forewarning. The main reason seems to be the imperialistic attitude of the U.S.Weather Bureau in Cuba. They did everything they could do to muffle the so called alarmism of the Cuban weather forecasters. Even though the Cubans were more experienced with hurricanes, the U.S. thought that their dire warnings caused unnecessary panic. Therefore, the hurricane that just passed Cuba in a much milder form was not judged to be extremely dangerous to the U.S. coast. According to the Cuban forecasters, that was a huge mistake.
The second problem was that the U.S. Weather Bureau's agent in Galveston, Isaac Cline. Mr. Cline, had previously published a book which stated that no hurricane could do severe damage to the Galveston/ Gulf area. That alone stopped the proposed building of a seawall. On the day of the hurricane, Isaac finally gave in and said that he urged people to get off the beach and seek higher ground. He said he saved at least 6,000 lives, yet no witness was ever found to substantiate his claimed warning. The book is filled with short, sad stories about local families that survived and those that didn't.
The loss of human life was much greater than The Johnstown Flood of 1889, which killed 2,000 people, or The San Francisco Earthquake and Fire of 1906, which killed 3,000 people. The only good to come out of the Galveston hurricane was that the island finally got their seawall, and the U.S. Weather Bureau paid far more attention to hurricanes and to local prognosticators. As with any Erik Larson book, it was an extremely exciting, well written book and I would highly recommend it to readers of all genres.
RATING: 4 out of 5 stars
Comment: This was the third book Erik Larson wrote and I believe it ignited his new pattern of writing fresh and exciting non-fiction. Since Larson studied Russian History at the University of Pennsylvania, I'm waiting for a non fiction book involving Russia. Let's do it! He has taught non-fiction writing to several schools including the University of Oregon - lucky students!
Thursday, July 5, 2012
FIVE LITTLE PIGS
Wee, wee, wee, I had the right murderer, but then I changed my mind; I shouldn't
have.
Mais voyons, I made a faux pas that Hercule never would have made. Now I'm talking gobbledegook! Once again, Agatha Christie entertains the reader with the great Belgian detective who lives in England and loves to speak French. This time Hercule Poirot relies on a little epistolary to solve this sixteen year old crime. I say faugh to the murderer in this 1943 novel. I cheated, the word faugh was used in this novel by Agatha and is a interjection meaning "expressed contempt".
Our favorite detective is asked by a convicted murderess's daughter to investigate whether her mother killed her father. Apparently before Carla Lemarchant's (nee Crale) mother died in prison, she wrote Carla (then five years old) a letter stating that she was innocent of the murder of her husband and Carla's father, the artist Amyas Crale. Carla, brought up by a Canadian family for the ensuing sixteen years, gets the letter when she turns 21 years old. Her fiancee is upset that he is possibly marrying the daughter of a murderess. Carla wants to find out the truth in order to allay their fears. Poirot decides to take the case under the pretense that he is writing and/or editing a book about famous past murders. Did Caroline Crale really poison her artist husband sixteen years earlier? The jury believed she did and sentenced her to life in prison. She died shortly after the conviction.
There are five suspects (little pigs) that our 5' 4" sleuth zeroes in on. They include Amyas Crale's best friend Philip Blake and his brother Meredith Blake, Crale's lover Elsa Greer, the governess Cecillia Williams, and Caroline's disfigured sister Angela Warren. He interviews each suspect and then asks them to put their recollections in the form of a letter to him so he can clear up any ambiguities before the book is published. Needless to say, Hercule summons the five suspects together at Meredith Blake's house and to their surprise, he solves the murder case.
I think what makes Agatha's novels intriguing is the way Hercule Poirot solves murders. He really doesn't rely on clues, but instead he arrives at a decision by pure reasoning and only then does he draw a logical conclusion. In his own words he states "My success, let me tell you, has been founded on the psychology- the eternal why? of human behaviour." He is the forerunner of later detectives, such as The Thin Man and Columbo . Once again, as with all that Agatha Christie's writes, I highly recommend this enjoyable novel.
RATING: 5 out of 5 stars
Comment: This novel was originally published as Murder in Retrospect . Agatha's second husband was famous archaeologist Sir Max Mallowan. She accompanied him on many of his digs that served as future settings for Hercule Poirot novels. In 1971 she received one of Britain's highest honors by being named Dame of the British Empire.
Our favorite detective is asked by a convicted murderess's daughter to investigate whether her mother killed her father. Apparently before Carla Lemarchant's (nee Crale) mother died in prison, she wrote Carla (then five years old) a letter stating that she was innocent of the murder of her husband and Carla's father, the artist Amyas Crale. Carla, brought up by a Canadian family for the ensuing sixteen years, gets the letter when she turns 21 years old. Her fiancee is upset that he is possibly marrying the daughter of a murderess. Carla wants to find out the truth in order to allay their fears. Poirot decides to take the case under the pretense that he is writing and/or editing a book about famous past murders. Did Caroline Crale really poison her artist husband sixteen years earlier? The jury believed she did and sentenced her to life in prison. She died shortly after the conviction.
There are five suspects (little pigs) that our 5' 4" sleuth zeroes in on. They include Amyas Crale's best friend Philip Blake and his brother Meredith Blake, Crale's lover Elsa Greer, the governess Cecillia Williams, and Caroline's disfigured sister Angela Warren. He interviews each suspect and then asks them to put their recollections in the form of a letter to him so he can clear up any ambiguities before the book is published. Needless to say, Hercule summons the five suspects together at Meredith Blake's house and to their surprise, he solves the murder case.
I think what makes Agatha's novels intriguing is the way Hercule Poirot solves murders. He really doesn't rely on clues, but instead he arrives at a decision by pure reasoning and only then does he draw a logical conclusion. In his own words he states "My success, let me tell you, has been founded on the psychology- the eternal why? of human behaviour." He is the forerunner of later detectives, such as The Thin Man and Columbo . Once again, as with all that Agatha Christie's writes, I highly recommend this enjoyable novel.
RATING: 5 out of 5 stars
Comment: This novel was originally published as Murder in Retrospect . Agatha's second husband was famous archaeologist Sir Max Mallowan. She accompanied him on many of his digs that served as future settings for Hercule Poirot novels. In 1971 she received one of Britain's highest honors by being named Dame of the British Empire.
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Lusitania
This well written history was quite a roller coaster ride! First I was totally bored, then heavyhearted and somber, and finally was left tediously wearisome. Don't get me wrong. I liked the book. It's just that the first part of the book informs the reader endlessly about the origin of submarines and the reasons the British figured the Germans would not use them in World War I. Diana Preston, who is a Londoner, seems to be dedicated to detail in the extreme. The reader has to understand that this is a pure history book, not like the newly written non-fiction books that read like fiction. This is the story of the sinking of the Cunard ship Lusitania about three years after the accidental sinking of the TITANIC.
The Lusitania's final voyage and the passenger movements aboard was very interesting. The ship had many famous Americans on board: millionaire Alfred Vanderbilt, whose body was never recovered; theatrical bigwigs; Oliver Bernard, who sketched the disaster; and Charles Frohman, who perished. The relationship between twelve year old Avis Dolphin and traveling Professor Holbourn was gratifying (both survived). The bewildering fact is that the travellers were warned in a 4/22/1915 newspaper ad that war existed between Germany and England. The American passengers were cautioned that they were traveling at their own risk. The question was whether or not the Germans would actually torpedo a luxury liner. Nobody believed a ocean liner would be attacked without a warning shot over her bow and a boarding to inspect for any contraband. One wonders why the British and Cunard luxury liners would take that kind of chance. Were the Germans right in their opinion that Winston Churchill, the First Lord of the Admiralty at the time, wanted Kaiser Wilhelm II to sink the Lusitania, thus drawing the Americans into the war? If so, it worked two years later!
The disaster happened on 5/7/1915 just eleven miles off shore of Ireland. The Lusitania's Captain Turner made many mistakes, such as traveling too slowly and closely to shore. The German Commander of sub U20, Walther Schwieger, had a unexpectedly easy target and had the unconscionable baroque to murder 1,201 people, including 94 children. Where was the British Navy? They were supposed to escort the ship home. There are many other questions. Why was the luxury liner carrying nearly all contraband in her cargo hold, including 4,200 cases of rifle bullets and 1,250 cases of 3.3" shrapnel shells? If the U.S.A. was a neutral country, why were we supplying arms to Great Britain and not to the Germans? Diana Preston excellently sums up the epic tragedy by saying on page 393, "The truth was that no government, British, German, or American, was entirely free of blame for the situation leading up to the attack. Nor, in its wake, was any government hesitant to twist the facts, or use the disaster, to its own political ends."
The reason that I said this book was wearisome is that I'm not used to being bombarded with fact after fact and going over political motives for 532 pages. I know it was necessary to tell the entire story, but the fact is nobody to this date knows the full truth of the catastrophe. I highly recommend this book to any pure history buff out there. I also applaud Diana Preston's effort to painstakingly document this tragedy.
RATING: 4 out of 5 stars
Comment: The Lusitania could convert to a auxiliary cruiser for the British Navy if needed, but it never happened due to her high cost of fuel. The luxury liner only took 18 minutes to sink after being torpedoed by the U20. She listed heavily to the left after the hit, making it very difficult for the life boats to be lowered. Diana Preston's current book is The Dark Defile and is the author of The Boxer Rebellion.
The Lusitania's final voyage and the passenger movements aboard was very interesting. The ship had many famous Americans on board: millionaire Alfred Vanderbilt, whose body was never recovered; theatrical bigwigs; Oliver Bernard, who sketched the disaster; and Charles Frohman, who perished. The relationship between twelve year old Avis Dolphin and traveling Professor Holbourn was gratifying (both survived). The bewildering fact is that the travellers were warned in a 4/22/1915 newspaper ad that war existed between Germany and England. The American passengers were cautioned that they were traveling at their own risk. The question was whether or not the Germans would actually torpedo a luxury liner. Nobody believed a ocean liner would be attacked without a warning shot over her bow and a boarding to inspect for any contraband. One wonders why the British and Cunard luxury liners would take that kind of chance. Were the Germans right in their opinion that Winston Churchill, the First Lord of the Admiralty at the time, wanted Kaiser Wilhelm II to sink the Lusitania, thus drawing the Americans into the war? If so, it worked two years later!
The disaster happened on 5/7/1915 just eleven miles off shore of Ireland. The Lusitania's Captain Turner made many mistakes, such as traveling too slowly and closely to shore. The German Commander of sub U20, Walther Schwieger, had a unexpectedly easy target and had the unconscionable baroque to murder 1,201 people, including 94 children. Where was the British Navy? They were supposed to escort the ship home. There are many other questions. Why was the luxury liner carrying nearly all contraband in her cargo hold, including 4,200 cases of rifle bullets and 1,250 cases of 3.3" shrapnel shells? If the U.S.A. was a neutral country, why were we supplying arms to Great Britain and not to the Germans? Diana Preston excellently sums up the epic tragedy by saying on page 393, "The truth was that no government, British, German, or American, was entirely free of blame for the situation leading up to the attack. Nor, in its wake, was any government hesitant to twist the facts, or use the disaster, to its own political ends."
The reason that I said this book was wearisome is that I'm not used to being bombarded with fact after fact and going over political motives for 532 pages. I know it was necessary to tell the entire story, but the fact is nobody to this date knows the full truth of the catastrophe. I highly recommend this book to any pure history buff out there. I also applaud Diana Preston's effort to painstakingly document this tragedy.
RATING: 4 out of 5 stars
Comment: The Lusitania could convert to a auxiliary cruiser for the British Navy if needed, but it never happened due to her high cost of fuel. The luxury liner only took 18 minutes to sink after being torpedoed by the U20. She listed heavily to the left after the hit, making it very difficult for the life boats to be lowered. Diana Preston's current book is The Dark Defile and is the author of The Boxer Rebellion.
Thursday, June 21, 2012
OMG: Obscene Mind Games
The author sent me a copy of this short story to review:
C.I. Masuda writes a palatable short story of what could happen if you choose the the wrong partner in marriage. He gives the reader advice on what to look for in a possible failed matrimony along with tips for the nascent couples thinking about taking the big step. My first question to Mr. Masuda is: What were you thinking? Even I know that Japanese and Chinese cognate like The Hatfields and the McCoys of 1863. Did you forget about all the defeats the Japanese Army gave the Chinese? Anyway, I know that love camouflages future problems, but being engaged for six years should have been a red flag. Based on all the bellicosity you received from your former bride, I understand your desire to write this wonderful short story.
I think the most important lesson learned from this story is to stay away from any possible partner that displays extreme hatred. Being that she hated her family and yours is tantamount to an admission of future failure. The fact that she constantly under dressed you and over dressed herself during your social engagements and then pretended to be the loving wife is an obvious faux pas! I like the part where you state that she had the habit of saying, "Uh, it's alright". Was she really saying that she was in a constant state of agita? The fact that the hoi polloi didn't show any enthusiasm at your wedding was also not a good omen for future relations with family and friends. I think her shocking behavior at your initial attack of acid reflux was a bellwether of a coming depression for you. Does she really sleep with her eyes open?
Overall, I enjoyed this short story and would recommend it to any couple of compos mentis contemplating taking the big step. Chapter 17 in this book gives 60 tips on what to avoid and what to do if you are getting ready to ask your love to get hitched. Don't be obdurate and think your arrogance is enough to overcome any difficulty, take the sage advise of Mr. Masuda and rethink your options before taking the knee. This story is not just flapdoodle, Mr. Masuda is just trying to keep you from having a dreadful experience!
RATING: 2 out of 5 stars
Comment: Mr. Masuda is permanently disabled from a head-on collision near his home and is residing in New Jersey while contemplating another marriage(?). He is currently writing the sequel to this short story. Lets hope this next story is more euphoric.
C.I. Masuda writes a palatable short story of what could happen if you choose the the wrong partner in marriage. He gives the reader advice on what to look for in a possible failed matrimony along with tips for the nascent couples thinking about taking the big step. My first question to Mr. Masuda is: What were you thinking? Even I know that Japanese and Chinese cognate like The Hatfields and the McCoys of 1863. Did you forget about all the defeats the Japanese Army gave the Chinese? Anyway, I know that love camouflages future problems, but being engaged for six years should have been a red flag. Based on all the bellicosity you received from your former bride, I understand your desire to write this wonderful short story.
I think the most important lesson learned from this story is to stay away from any possible partner that displays extreme hatred. Being that she hated her family and yours is tantamount to an admission of future failure. The fact that she constantly under dressed you and over dressed herself during your social engagements and then pretended to be the loving wife is an obvious faux pas! I like the part where you state that she had the habit of saying, "Uh, it's alright". Was she really saying that she was in a constant state of agita? The fact that the hoi polloi didn't show any enthusiasm at your wedding was also not a good omen for future relations with family and friends. I think her shocking behavior at your initial attack of acid reflux was a bellwether of a coming depression for you. Does she really sleep with her eyes open?
Overall, I enjoyed this short story and would recommend it to any couple of compos mentis contemplating taking the big step. Chapter 17 in this book gives 60 tips on what to avoid and what to do if you are getting ready to ask your love to get hitched. Don't be obdurate and think your arrogance is enough to overcome any difficulty, take the sage advise of Mr. Masuda and rethink your options before taking the knee. This story is not just flapdoodle, Mr. Masuda is just trying to keep you from having a dreadful experience!
RATING: 2 out of 5 stars
Comment: Mr. Masuda is permanently disabled from a head-on collision near his home and is residing in New Jersey while contemplating another marriage(?). He is currently writing the sequel to this short story. Lets hope this next story is more euphoric.
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
A SECRET LIFE: the lies and scandals of President Grover Cleveland
This is the fifth non-fiction book pertaining to presidents from the late 1800s that I've read recently, and it is a good one! It's not quite of the thriller ilk, but it's close. This book stays with the facts gathered by Charles Lachman's extensive research, but still leaves the reader feeling like he is reading fiction. That's the main criterion I look for in this genre I call non-fiction thrillers. The main authors in this category are two of my favorites: Candice Millard and Erik Larson. This book does leave the reader with some doubt as to who is lying about the alleged rape of Maria Halpin by Grover Cleveland, thus qualifying as an exemplar work of labyrinthine narrative storytelling. Well done Charles Lachman!
The main theme of the book is about the sexual encounter between (at the time) private citizen Grover Cleveland and store clerk Maria Halpin. The liaison results in a child born nine months later named Oscar Folsom Cleveland, later changed to James E. King, Jr. The child is bounced around between Maria, an orphanage, back to Maria, and finally to Dr. James E. King, a friend of Grover Cleveland. All of these actions are orchestrated by Buffalo New York's foremost lawyer Grover Cleveland, while being opposed vehemently by Maria.
The secondary theme is how this sexual abuse or consensual sex affected Grover Cleveland's bid for: Mayor of Buffalo, Governor of New York, and President of the United States. Grover, a democrat, was trying to break years of republican rule dating back to Abraham Lincoln. Newspapers backed either Grover or his counterpart with many lies and innuendos provided by both sides. I found this part of the book very interesting since this was the start of what we now know as "dirty politics". The mud slinging in the 1884 presidential race between Grover and James G. Blaine set the acrimonious standard we see currently.
The third salient motif I got out of this book was the love affair between the 48 year old President Cleveland and the 21 year old daughter of his deceased best friend, Oscar Folsom. Frances Folsom and Grover became the only President and First Lady to be married in the White House. Frances stayed loyal to Grover during their marriage even with all the muckraking from the Republican Party. This is a must read for any historians out there who are interested in presidential lore. I still haven't fully made up my mind on the the alleged rape because Grover Cleveland was noted as the most honest and forthright president of all previous incumbents.
RATING: 4 out of 5 stars
Comment: Grover Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th President of the United States, the only President to serve two non-consecutive terms. As the Erie County District Attorney in 1863, Grover paid Polish immigrant George Beniski $150 to serve in his place during the Civil War. If you are interested in Cleveland read An Honest President by H. Paul Jeffers and Grover Cleveland: A Study in Character by Alyn Brodsky.
The main theme of the book is about the sexual encounter between (at the time) private citizen Grover Cleveland and store clerk Maria Halpin. The liaison results in a child born nine months later named Oscar Folsom Cleveland, later changed to James E. King, Jr. The child is bounced around between Maria, an orphanage, back to Maria, and finally to Dr. James E. King, a friend of Grover Cleveland. All of these actions are orchestrated by Buffalo New York's foremost lawyer Grover Cleveland, while being opposed vehemently by Maria.
The secondary theme is how this sexual abuse or consensual sex affected Grover Cleveland's bid for: Mayor of Buffalo, Governor of New York, and President of the United States. Grover, a democrat, was trying to break years of republican rule dating back to Abraham Lincoln. Newspapers backed either Grover or his counterpart with many lies and innuendos provided by both sides. I found this part of the book very interesting since this was the start of what we now know as "dirty politics". The mud slinging in the 1884 presidential race between Grover and James G. Blaine set the acrimonious standard we see currently.
The third salient motif I got out of this book was the love affair between the 48 year old President Cleveland and the 21 year old daughter of his deceased best friend, Oscar Folsom. Frances Folsom and Grover became the only President and First Lady to be married in the White House. Frances stayed loyal to Grover during their marriage even with all the muckraking from the Republican Party. This is a must read for any historians out there who are interested in presidential lore. I still haven't fully made up my mind on the the alleged rape because Grover Cleveland was noted as the most honest and forthright president of all previous incumbents.
RATING: 4 out of 5 stars
Comment: Grover Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th President of the United States, the only President to serve two non-consecutive terms. As the Erie County District Attorney in 1863, Grover paid Polish immigrant George Beniski $150 to serve in his place during the Civil War. If you are interested in Cleveland read An Honest President by H. Paul Jeffers and Grover Cleveland: A Study in Character by Alyn Brodsky.
Sunday, June 3, 2012
CANADA
Yes, I know Richard Ford is a Pulitzer Prize winner; but to me, this novel was just adequate at best. This is the first novel I have read of his, and I expected more based on the favorable reviews of his The Bascombe Novels . A John Irving he's not. The story was okay, but I don't know if the matter was relevant. And, why does Ford tell the reader what's going to happen many chapters before the event actually happens? I like to fall into these unexpected predicaments and marvels without the author providing his own "spoilers". I'm not complaining because I did enjoy the story somewhat. I just think there could have been a whole lot more nail-biting. Two positive points relating to the author's style are the disambiguation and resolution of the novel.
The narrator and protagonist is Dell Parson, the fifteen year old son of bank robber parents. (I'm not giving anything away, since Dell tells the reader on the first page!) This is the story of a Montana child and his escapades for the next fifty years of his life up to the present year of 2012. Dell has a twin sister that leaves home shortly after the bank heist and is hardly heard from again. Most of the tale takes place in the Saskatchewan area of Canada where Dell winds up after also leaving home. He is taken in by a nefarious gentleman named Arthur Remlinger, a former trouble maker from the U.S.A., and is supervised by the brackish Charley Quarters. This part of the novel is the most interesting section of his humdrum story.
I don't want to give away any of the remainder of the story as the author will do so himself as you read the book. I don't hold this book as an important work, but would recommend it anyway because of the writer's stature. I know Mr. Ford lives in Maine. Does he have three way conference calls with John Irving and Stephen King? Can you imagine? Wouldn't you want to be a fly on the wall? I opine that many reviewers have to realize that Richard Ford is a former sportswriter and not Charles Dickens.
RATING: 3 out of 5 stars
Comment: Richard Ford's first novel, A Piece of My Heart was written in 1976. He is currently a professor of writing at the Columbia School of the Arts. For some reason his literary movement is called "Dirty Realism". Who else is in that group?
The narrator and protagonist is Dell Parson, the fifteen year old son of bank robber parents. (I'm not giving anything away, since Dell tells the reader on the first page!) This is the story of a Montana child and his escapades for the next fifty years of his life up to the present year of 2012. Dell has a twin sister that leaves home shortly after the bank heist and is hardly heard from again. Most of the tale takes place in the Saskatchewan area of Canada where Dell winds up after also leaving home. He is taken in by a nefarious gentleman named Arthur Remlinger, a former trouble maker from the U.S.A., and is supervised by the brackish Charley Quarters. This part of the novel is the most interesting section of his humdrum story.
I don't want to give away any of the remainder of the story as the author will do so himself as you read the book. I don't hold this book as an important work, but would recommend it anyway because of the writer's stature. I know Mr. Ford lives in Maine. Does he have three way conference calls with John Irving and Stephen King? Can you imagine? Wouldn't you want to be a fly on the wall? I opine that many reviewers have to realize that Richard Ford is a former sportswriter and not Charles Dickens.
RATING: 3 out of 5 stars
Comment: Richard Ford's first novel, A Piece of My Heart was written in 1976. He is currently a professor of writing at the Columbia School of the Arts. For some reason his literary movement is called "Dirty Realism". Who else is in that group?
Sunday, May 27, 2012
In One Person
I don't know what caused John Irving to choose this subject matter, but coming from him you know it's not drivel. Does this novel have latent content that the reader is not aware of? This novel digresses from his usual course, though some of his normal settings and themes are intact. No, it doesn't occur in New Hampshire, but very close - it's Vermont. There aren't any actual bears, but the word is used in the book to describe some men. Wrestling plays a big part in this novel (Irving is a Hall of Famer), and many loved ones pass away. While not completely atypical, this novel is very enjoyable and comical. In some chapters, I actually found myself laughing out loud even though this is not a lighthearted book. You know what? Meh, it doesn't matter! It's a wordsmith's look at fifty years of a bisexual's journey through life.
The narrator and main sexual deviant is Billy Abbott, nee William Francis Dean, Jr, son of an homosexual father who departs his family early on for a relationship with a fellow sailor and sodomite. I might be too harsh on these two gentlemen, but they didn't offer much guidance to young Billy. Billy grows up with his divorced mother in the small town of First Sister in Vermont where he eventually attends the all boys school Favorite River Academy and meets many remarkable people. One of the characters is the public librarian, Miss Frost. What he learns from her (or him) is an education to say the least! The wrestler Kittredge and his mom pose a unique challenge to Billy's maturity during his four years at the academy. Only his friendship with Elaine Hadley and Grandpa Harry keep Billy on a compos mentis path. He experiences "wrong" crushes on other males during his school years while trying to find the ripened way to adulthood. His talks with his stepfather, Richard Abbott are familiar and comical at times. John Irving's character development is so good that I felt sympathy for every person in this tale.
The real melancholy part of the novel is Billy life during the 1980s when he meets that lethal disease AIDS! Obviously, many of his homosexual friends are infected. Since this novel takes Billy's life from boyhood through his late sixties, the reader kind of figures out who is going to be affected by this disease, although there are some surprises in this phase of the novel. Who else did I like in this story? How about Aunt Muriel, Uncle Bob, and Billy's European tour companion, Tom Atkins. This novel might not be Irving's best, but it's the most desolate that I have read by him. I think the theme of the book is summed up when Miss Frost says to Billy: "My dear boy, please don't put a label on me - don't make me a category before you get to know me."
One small criticism I have for this novel is the monotonous fact that the main character always becomes a successful writer. It's the reason I don't read John Grisham anymore; how many of The Summons or The Brethren can you read before your mind spazzes out! John, this was a palatable read, but next time drop the wrestling, the New England setting, the writers, and Da Bears, as Mike Ditka would say. Overall, I liked the book, but it was not your very best. Lets try a sci-fi or fantasy book next. Can you write one? Of course, I'm jesting. I know you will not write a book of that kind. That's okay because I'll read your next tale of New England anyway. John Irving is still the number one artsy writer of our time as far as I'm concerned.
RATING: 4 out of 5 stars
Comment: Irving's leanings towards sex, wrestling, and writers probably started with his famous The World According to Garp . In this book, if I remember correctly, a nurse takes care of a brain damaged Technical Sergeant Garp dying from combat. She becomes pregnant and delivers to the world: T.S. Garp! What an imagination and story! Mr. Irving is currently working on his fourteenth novel due out in 2015.
The narrator and main sexual deviant is Billy Abbott, nee William Francis Dean, Jr, son of an homosexual father who departs his family early on for a relationship with a fellow sailor and sodomite. I might be too harsh on these two gentlemen, but they didn't offer much guidance to young Billy. Billy grows up with his divorced mother in the small town of First Sister in Vermont where he eventually attends the all boys school Favorite River Academy and meets many remarkable people. One of the characters is the public librarian, Miss Frost. What he learns from her (or him) is an education to say the least! The wrestler Kittredge and his mom pose a unique challenge to Billy's maturity during his four years at the academy. Only his friendship with Elaine Hadley and Grandpa Harry keep Billy on a compos mentis path. He experiences "wrong" crushes on other males during his school years while trying to find the ripened way to adulthood. His talks with his stepfather, Richard Abbott are familiar and comical at times. John Irving's character development is so good that I felt sympathy for every person in this tale.
The real melancholy part of the novel is Billy life during the 1980s when he meets that lethal disease AIDS! Obviously, many of his homosexual friends are infected. Since this novel takes Billy's life from boyhood through his late sixties, the reader kind of figures out who is going to be affected by this disease, although there are some surprises in this phase of the novel. Who else did I like in this story? How about Aunt Muriel, Uncle Bob, and Billy's European tour companion, Tom Atkins. This novel might not be Irving's best, but it's the most desolate that I have read by him. I think the theme of the book is summed up when Miss Frost says to Billy: "My dear boy, please don't put a label on me - don't make me a category before you get to know me."
One small criticism I have for this novel is the monotonous fact that the main character always becomes a successful writer. It's the reason I don't read John Grisham anymore; how many of The Summons or The Brethren can you read before your mind spazzes out! John, this was a palatable read, but next time drop the wrestling, the New England setting, the writers, and Da Bears, as Mike Ditka would say. Overall, I liked the book, but it was not your very best. Lets try a sci-fi or fantasy book next. Can you write one? Of course, I'm jesting. I know you will not write a book of that kind. That's okay because I'll read your next tale of New England anyway. John Irving is still the number one artsy writer of our time as far as I'm concerned.
RATING: 4 out of 5 stars
Comment: Irving's leanings towards sex, wrestling, and writers probably started with his famous The World According to Garp . In this book, if I remember correctly, a nurse takes care of a brain damaged Technical Sergeant Garp dying from combat. She becomes pregnant and delivers to the world: T.S. Garp! What an imagination and story! Mr. Irving is currently working on his fourteenth novel due out in 2015.
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