Review: A Greater Music

A Greater Music by Bae Suah
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

"A Greater Music" was extremely relatable to me in various different ways, especially vis-a-vis the difficulties of having to maintain a relationship in a second language and having visa permit issues intrude upon a relationship.

But that would make it sound much more pragmatic than it is. In essence the novel compares and contrasts two relationships with two very different people (possibly a bit too obviously different), all recounted in memories that are probably reminiscent of Proust's À la recherche du temps perdu. I say probably because I haven't read Proust, but that is how I imagine a novel that begins with the memories sparked by the smell of Madeleines to proceed.

"A Greater music" also plays around with time, not making everything linear. However, it doesn't go as far as Time in gray, in that, the actions actually did occur linearly, only they are remembered at different moments.

Btw, is it pedantic of me to be annoyed at the English translator for having written "Erich invited M and I to his birthday party" (p. 80)? Oh well, I'll be pedantic. That annoyed me.

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Review: The Celts: A History

The Celts: A History by Peter Berresford Ellis
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is a history, and somewhat of a hagiography, of the Celts. Much of the book is spent on negating misconceptions about the Celts which have presumably been accepted as truth. I don't doubt what the book states (I'm certainly not qualified to), but it just seems like it doth protest too much.

I also found it odd that the author links the Celts to Ancient Indian practices so much, but hardly ever mentions Ancient Greek or Roman ones (except to show how the Celts influenced them). After all, those two cultures are also Indo-European, so there should be just as much in common with them.

Regardless, I found this very eye-opening. Much of the book focuses on words and etymology, and it is certainly interesting to see how many of our words have Celtic roots (including Brazil!). It is also always interesting to remember that the Celts were spread throughout Europe and how much of their influence remains (including with place names).

I found his hinting that the holy trinity has a celtic origin to be a bit of a stretch though.

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Review: The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair

The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair by Joël Dicker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

So the first review that pops up for me for this book is by someone who admits to having only read 40 pages. I don't really understand how only reading 40 pages makes someone feel they can give an extensive review, but there you go.

In fact, after having read that review, I really wish I had enjoyed this book more so I could give it a higher rating, thereby maybe undoing some of the damage.

Unfortunately there were quite a few issues that didn't sit well. Yes, as mentioned several times, the writing was very YA-ish. But then again, it's a mystery novel, and you can't really expect Camus in mystery novels (the abovementioned review does compare this to Camus. As you can tell, the review didn't sit well with me either). I also REALLY didn't like the whole pedophile angle, including the way Nola acted. The references to Lolita could have been a tad more subtle, rather than an anvil to the face.

The author also seemed to wish to accomplish way too much. I've heard authors do this with early novels. They want to impart all of their life lessons and interesting techniques in one "supernovel". I got a lot of that here.

Then again, it is a Mystery novel/Thriller, and each chapter kept me interested, and, especially at the end, I found it pretty hard to put down. That's what a mystery novel is supposed to do, so in this case it worked.

Also, kudos to the translator. I actually hadn't realized it was a translation at first, which means he probably did a great job.

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Review: Music as a Mirror of History

Music as a Mirror of History by Robert Greenberg
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I learned a lot from this course. On the other hand it wasn't what I purchased it for. This was a random history lesson, mostly about Europe, with more of a concentration on Russia. Some music was thrown in here and there.

I'm not sure how I feel about a musicologist teaching me history. I'm sure he didn't make any facts up or anything, but who knows what biases he may have.

Regardless, maybe I'm too much of a newbie to music, but I was hoping for more of the basics. Maybe concentrating on the top 5 or 10 main composers and discussing how their works were a reflection of their life and times, or something along those lines.

Mainly, however, I was hoping I'd be able to hear more music. For every 40 minutes of talk there will be one or two short excerpts of a minute or two each.

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Review: The Lost Estate

The Lost Estate by Alain-Fournier
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This novel seemed eerily familiar throughout. I'm not sure if I maybe had heard of the story in my youth, or maybe it reminded me of The Secret Garden. Or possibly The Great Gatsby.

Regardless, it is an enchanting book, and I'm not sure I mean that as a compliment. It came close to losing me from time to time, but sure enough it dragged me back in, probably through some trickery or hypnosis.

If I had to analyze it I would say it is a slightly 'coming of age', slightly 'fantasy-like', quasi-love story that is sort of about children's lives in the Northern French countryside. But it isn't enough of any of these to neatly fall into those categories. It also isn't really a happy tale, but it can't be called a sad tale either.

The plot seemed odd at points, with the narrator responding strangely when Meaulnes wishes to leave (yet again). I can't go into more details without spoilers, unfortunately, but let's just say he had information that seemingly would have made Meaulnes's life easier and didn't disclose it for some reason.

So I should probably give it a middling rating. But sure enough, probably due to some trickery or hypnosis, I'm giving it 5 stars.

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Review: Grendel

Grendel by John Gardner
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I generally enjoy stories told from the point of view of the so-called villain, from Wicked, to Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister, to the Joker (and possibly Circe?). However, there is always the feeling that the anti-hero becomes the hero. You can't really justify what they do, but you're told why they do it and so you relate to them. This is what makes the story work, in general.

So I was very impressed that John Gardner was able to do away with that, and instead make Grendel quite unrelatable (he seems to be part neanderthal, part animal, or something), and moreover he is able to do so by having us delve deep into his mind; the mind of an extremely self-aware being.

This is the first work of fiction I've read by Gardner, but I look forward to reading others.

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Review: Chaos

Chaos by James Gleick
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Reading books like this (and like Antimatter, by Frank Close), give me the impression that there is a fascinating world of mathematics and physics that lies just beyond my comprehension, and if I had the time and motivation to learn just that bit more I would be enthralled by some of these discoveries.
As it is, I can't help share in some of the excitement, but I know it's mostly over my head.

I really like the emphasis on how Chaos was discovered by intersecting the two separate worlds of physics and math, and how those who specialized in one and not the other were blind to it in their own ways.


And someone needs to try the chaos game detailed in p. 236. I'm very curious to see if it works.

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Review: William Howard Taft: The American Presidents Series: The 27th President, 1909-1913 (American Presidents

William Howard Taft: The American Presidents Series: The 27th President, 1909-1913 (American Presidents by Jeffrey Rosen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Taft is a very interesting president for many many reasons. It's too bad we only know him for being overweight (at least that's all I knew him for).

He never really wanted to be president, but always wished to be chief justice of the supreme court. So when he was elected president he approached it from a judicial (read: constitutional) point of view. He didn't care at all about politics or popularity. In a way this served him very badly. Just as generals who become president and refuse to partake in party politics tend to perform badly as a result, the same could probably be said of judges. Interesting also to see how a president who wasn't automatically campaigning for a second term wasn't praised more for it.

I guess being in between Roosevelt and Wilson doesn't help, but he is definitely someone worth reading up about.

Of course, he finally did make it to chief justice, and was a much better chief justice than president.

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Review: Fired

Fired by Chang, Kangmyoung
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Many moons ago I worked in Seoul for 2 years, in a Market research agency. My company was very similar to the one in this book, in that it was a Korean branch of a European company. Of course, this was more or less a generation earlier (back in 2002), but many of the same issues and conflicts existed.

This is unfortunately all too short, and will probably just be read in one setting, but it gives a glimpse into life in a Korean office, and the conflicts that arise beneath the surface. I enjoyed it a lot, and I'll be looking for more by this author.

Btw, the afterword is probably required reading for non-Koreans, since it will clear up a couple points of the novel. Also, I agree with another reviewer re: the McCune-Reischauer Romanization. I wish they would just do away with that already.

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Review: Alcestis and Other Plays

Alcestis and Other Plays by Euripides
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Quite a fun read, even for someone with no particular knowledge of Greek myths and tragedies (except for what I read from time to time).

Alcestis seems like a Greek tragedy, but actually has a happy ending (although quite frankly the husband deserved to be punished imho)

Medea was the juicy, scandalous and ultimately tragic one. Although Jason totally deserved it, but not his children.

The Children of Heracles was just ok. Also, I'm not sure about the timeline. Heracles's brother is an old man, but his mother is still around and kicking, and his kids are young, although his son who appears toward the end is grown. This confused me a tad.

Hippolytus was probably the most tragic (Medea was more evil). Although, once again here, when he started badmouthing aphrodite you could almost hear the ominous soundtrack of foreboding in the background.

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Review: Mythos: The Greek Myths Retold

Mythos: The Greek Myths Retold by Stephen Fry
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

After having read "Norse Mythology" by Neil Gaiman, I couldn't help but compare these two, although Stephen Fry brings his usual self to this, adding his asides and general comments related to how the god and place names are still used to this day (i.e. Bosphorus and Oxford have the same meaning). His appendices at the end also add some light to how he compiled and retold the myths.

I enjoyed this book so much I started reading Euripides' plays (Alcestis, Medea and others) right after (actually, before even finishing) and, despite the plays involving other characters, they seemed more alive having just learned that much more about the context, etc.

I get the impression that most of the low ratings I see here seem to be by people wanting to show off that they knew about Greek myths prior to reading the book, while not finding any real fault with this book per se.

If you wish to learn more about Greek myths, or even if you don't, this will be a very entertaining and informative book.

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Review: The Prophet and Other Stories

The Prophet and Other Stories by Yi Chong-Jun
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A fabulous collection of stories from an author I had never read before.

Since Goodreads doesn't give me enough space in the private notes, I will leave notes on each story here, so there are spoilers. You've been forewarned.

The Falconer
A melancholic story about the changing times. I read that many of Yi's stories were criticisms of the Park regime, and this one seems to be exactly that, with the falconer (and Min) not being able to adapt to the new ways.

The Prophet
I remember recently reading about an attraction where people could wear masks and costumes and how people started acting extremely differently when they were anonymous in that way. I can't find it right now (any search for masks brings up coronavirus), but this story reminded me of that, and made it that much more believable. This was probably my favorite story. It had a sort of Murakami feel to it, possibly because of the fortune teller in the bar.

Footprints in the Snow
There is another book by Yi Chong-Jun called "The Snowy Road", but it seems like this is the same story (and has the same title in Korean). It was a sad story. Another example of "Han" in Korean fiction.

Time's Gate
I enjoyed this very much at first, but it soon became too deep and/or convoluted for me. It could be that it was a question of translation. I don't know.

The Fire Worshippers
This was also a tad too deep for me, although I enjoyed it quite a bit (another contender for favorite story). I got the impression that it was another criticism of the Park regime, but it seemed like the dancers in front of the fire represented the student protesters, but I might have understood that incorrectly.

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Review: Europe in the Central Middle Ages, 962-1154

Europe in the Central Middle Ages, 962-1154 by Christopher Nugent Lawrence Brooke
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The perfect book for those who wish to get lost in the central middle ages. And I say "lost" because this book is 470 pages full of information. It covers all aspects of life during this time, although the section(s) on kings and monarchs couldn't help seeming like a lost list of names and dates (and there are more Henry's than I can deal with).

Some interesting tidbits:
Apparently in England people couldn't build towers (because they would threaten the king), so people with a lot of money and wishing to show off, would build churches instead.

I had always considered St. Edward the Confessor the last of the truly British kings, but it turns out he was half Norman and probably grew up in Normandy, which also adds credence to the whole "totally told William the conqueror he'd be the next king" story.

I enjoyed the reasons given for the 1st crusade (Constantinople asked for some mercenaries but got many more than they bargained for), and how all the kings who didn't participate felt left out, so they made sure they participated in the 2nd crusade.

The chapter on marriage was also very enlightening. Apparently until the council of Trent the church wasn't involved in marriage. And apparently there were issues with annulling a marriage just for the reason of no coitus, since that would be mean Mary and Joseph's marriage would have been invalid, which obviously wouldn't do.

The chapter on Abelard and Heloise made for a perfect ending.

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