Review: Act of Oblivion

Act of Oblivion by Robert Harris
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A true work of historical fiction. As the author states, all the characters are real save one (the bounty hunter). All of the major events are real, and Harris essentially fills in the gaps.

This is great insight into the United States as a British colony during the mid 1600's, and how it was progressing in relation to the continent.

It was also, incidentally, a riveting story.


Highly recommend, like all Robert Harris's books.


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Review: L'angelo di Monaco

L'angelo di Monaco by Fabiano Massimi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Surprisingly interesting book. I can't remember why I had this in my wishlist; I believe it was because I saw the author speak at the Taipei book fair and he spoke about Umberto Eco, so I assumed the book would be in an Umberto Eco style. It isn't, but it was still a great murder mystery - historically accurate and tackling the real murder of Geli Raubal, Hitler's niece.


I look forward to reading more by the author.



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Review: Remarkable Creatures

Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A great story with a fascinating topic. It was especially interesting to read about people finding it difficult to accept God would let a species go extinct. I remember hearing this was an issue, but had never given it much thought. I guess it really was difficult for some people, however.

The only part that irked me somewhat was the relationships between men and women, as do many novels taking place in this era. This is probably more a fault of those times than the actual book, however, although it would've been nice to have a more satisfying ending in that sense.


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Review: Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

#books #bookreview

These fantasy books are always a waste of time. The authors can just make up any new law of physics/miracle/world/alien being to suit their needs, which is why the genre never really attracted me. 

So I have no idea why I had this in my wishlist, and then proceeded to buy it, and then decided to read it. Then I stuck with it (over 1,000 pages) for some reason. 

Anyway, I probably still won't admit it to my friends, but I really enjoyed this. I actually opted for the audiobook, which probably helped with all the footnotes. I imagine turning pages every time there was a new footnote would've been a huge pain (the footnotes are pretty intrinsical to the story). 

It is by no means a quick read. But if you feel like diving into a slightly-fantastical Britain (and Europe) during the Napoleonic Wars, then this is probably the book for you. 

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Review: Q

Q by Luther Blissett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Wow. This had been on my wishlist for a long time, so when I saw it for sale at 2nd and Charles for a cheap price, I figured it was a sign. Of course, that means reading through all 750 pages, but I have to say, it kept me interested throughout. 

This book delves deep into the post 95 theses years (the Reformation) in and around Germany and Italy. And I mean very deep. In fact, it made me feel like I should have known more about characters such as Thomas Muntzer, Jan Matthys, Melchior Hoffman, Reginald Pole and many others. 

I am also glad I have more of a sense of what a unique time that was. I basically knew Martin Luther posted his 95 theses, and there was a peasants' revolt in Germany. But there was so much more to it. 

It definitely had echoes of Umberto Eco, but with more action. 

4.5 stars

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Review: The Girl from Venice

The Girl from Venice by Martin Cruz Smith
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a light and quick-paced novel taking place in Italy at the end of WWII. All things that rank favorably for me. Unlike other reviewers, I didn't find the talk about fishing and boating at all boring. I found it pretty fascinating in its own way, and it was pretty much the sum of character development.

Which brings me to the issue I had with this. The characters just seemed odd for some reason. I felt like I had stumbled in halfway through the book or something. They kept saying and doing things that seemed odd, with no real explanation. This included Cenzo, the protagonist, when dealing with them. Why does he feel he can say this and that to one person and not another? Why does he go to this person's house and not the other's? It all just seems to be quite random. Maybe I need my hand held more or something, but there you go.

Anyway, 3 stars in all, since I enjoyed Cenzo, his fishing, and his friends back home.

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Review: Il ladro di ragazze

Il ladro di ragazze by Carlo Silini
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

All in all a good historical novel, with interesting twists and turns, taking place in the 1600's between Mendrisio and Northern Italy.

It did drag on at certain points, however, and could probably have been around 100 pages shorter (there were some tangents and meanderings that didn't seem to add anything to the story).

3 stars, but since it's so difficult to find historical novels taking place in Ticino, I'm bringing it back up to 4 stars.

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Review: Kristin Lavransdatter

Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Wow what a journey! This was an epic the way an epic is supposed to be written. Rather than using a tome to go through as many generations of a family as possible, it focuses on one generation (actually just one person), but we get to see all the good points and faults of the protagonist as well as many of the other characters. Hardly any cardboard cutouts, but rather people in their complexity. Oh, and it takes place in 14th century Norway.



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Review: The Last Dickens

The Last Dickens by Matthew Pearl
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book was sort of a let-down, but I'm really not sure how it could have improved. It's a mystery, but also a historical novel. For some reason, these two genres seem to often be in conflict. A mystery should be quick-paced, leaving the reader with cliff-hangers and wanting to know more, while a historical novel often delves into life in a certain place at a certain time, creating the atmosphere for that locale, which takes time. So these two things often don't go hand in hand (I've rarely seen it work well, as with Umberto Eco).

Anyway, all that was to say that this novel seemed disjointed. Some exhilarating action, followed by a deep dive into 19th century Boston, or the publishing industry during Dickensian times. I enjoy all of these, but they didn't really seem to mesh. Add some scenes in India that add absolutely nothing to the story, and it is rather frustrating.

Having said that, it did make me very curious about The Mystery of Edwin Drood. I remember, as a kid, seeing the play of Edwin Drood at a theater in Cape Cod. I knew nothing of it ahead of time, and halfway through the performance the actors came out, saying that Dickens never finished the novel, so the audience would vote on the final outcome. I don't remember what we voted for, but I do remember being frustrated there too.

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Review: Purity of Blood

Purity of Blood by Arturo Pérez-Reverte
My rating: 3 of 5 stars



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Review: Everlasting Empire

Everlasting Empire by In-hwa Yi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In many ways this was a dream come true. It is a story taking place in the Chosun dynasty that seemed very reminiscent of "The name of the Rose", complete with an introductory "Author's note" about how the book's pages were a manuscript from long ago that had been found recently, and in the way in which a murder mystery kicks off the entire convoluted story.

In a way Eco had much more leeway, since most of the characters were invented. In this book, however, most of the characters seem to be real people, so all events have to take place within what we know of their actions, beliefs and situations.

Having said that, I did find it rather confusing at times. I think the English version could have done with another editor. There were a few typos (including one of the names, which didn't help since there are many names), and I think some more background would have helped for non-Korean audiences. Maybe a brief overview (or visual) showing the rival factions and main players. Oddly enough I thought a map of the main court or capital would have been useful.

The arguments on page 191-192 against progressivism and democracy are very interesting. Particularly "A restoration is not possible in a democracy. The saying that the people are minju (masters) is a sort of intellectual syllogism, meaning that no one is the master. The president is a constitutional ruler elected by the people, so he is not the master."

Loved the discussions on how the Qin emperor had all books burned and so all Confucius teachings that have been handed down have been corrupted by Laozi's teachings, which came later (and the other side arguing against this). I find stuff like this fascinating.

The explanations about - and the use of - the poetry of allusion was also extremely interesting.

4.5 stars


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Review: Pompeii

Pompeii by Robert Harris
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was excellent. Pompeii and the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius is something we've all heard about. I thought I had heard quite a bit about it, and I also went to visit Pompeii several years ago, and yet it wasn't until reading this book that I felt I got a real sense of what it must have been like to go through this ordeal. I've heard it said that A Tale of Two Cities does a better job than any history book of conveying what it was like to go through the French Revolution, and I suspect this is its equivalent for Pompeii and its inhabitants.

I also enjoyed the angle, and how the observations started from the changes in the water supply and aqueducts.

The (love) story in itself was a tad simplistic, but there were many other reasons to enjoy this book. The story was almost just an excuse to tell all the rest.

Also (SPOILER AHEAD) it seemed to be a bit of a stretch how Attilius manages to be on Mt. Vesuvius when the eruption starts, passes through Herculaneum and then Misenum, and the gets to Pompeii for the final pyroclastic surge (and obviously survives).

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Review: Down the Common: A Year in the Life of a Medieval Woman

Down the Common: A Year in the Life of a Medieval Woman by Ann Baer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a very pleasant surprise. Picked this up on spec in a used book store in Southern Taiwan. I was afraid it would be overly simplistic, or a children's book or something along those lines. It turned out to be entertaining and, as far as I can tell, quite accurate. The author goes into so much detail, it is obvious she has a passion for this subject (and she illustrated the book as well!).

All in all, an excellent perspective on life for a medieval woman somewhere in England, and it also makes you wonder how many stories like this there have been throughout time: people living their lives, with their family, friends, neighbors, dreams, desires, and thoughts.





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Review: A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It took me a while to get into it (maybe the first chapter), but after that it was excellent. They really need to create a modern day version of this. Possibly a movie. Obviously most things are tongue and cheek, although the ending is a bit different.

I listened to the audio version, narrated by Nick Offerman, and he was excellent as well.

The only quote I jotted down:
"It reminded me of a time thirteen centuries away, when the "poor whites" of our South who were always despised and frequently insulted by the slave-lords around them, and who owed their base condition simply to the presence of slavery in their midst, were yet pusillanimously ready to side with the slave-lords in all political moves for the upholding and perpetuating of slavery, and did also finally shoulder their muskets and pour out their lives in an effort to prevent the destruction of that very institution which degraded them."

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La sciamana di Chatsil by Tong-Ni Kim

La sciamana di Chatsil by Tong-Ni Kim
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Molto interessante, una sciamana che vede suo figlio "posseduto dal demone Yasù", e il figlio cristiano che vuole convincere la sua mamma sciamana a convertirsi. Uno scontro di religioni e di generazioni diversi.

Mi chiedo se esiste ancora questo tipo di sciamanesimo in Corea. Sarebbe un peccato se non ci fosse più, ma mi ricordo d'aver intravisto alcuni pali totem come descritti nel libro nelle vicinanze di Busan diversi anni fa. Forse ci sono ancora sciamani come lei...




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The Club Dumas by Arturo Pérez-Reverte, Sonia Soto (Translation)

The Club Dumas by Arturo Pérez-Reverte
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Some of it was rough around the edges, and I had some issues with the whole ending/denouement, but all in all it was a satisfying read.

I liked many of the asides and quotes, such as the one about Marquis de Paulmy and the Comte d'Artois. Or the discussion about why Death carries a scythe while the devil has a pitchfork:
"Because Death reaps, but the Devil harvests"

Also, this introduction happened at the party, which made me happy: "Look who's arrived. You know him, don't you? Professor of Semiotics in Bologna..."

3.5 stars





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