tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10109712870610691152024-02-20T13:57:59.533-06:00The Hercules Notes<center>Book Reviews, movie reviews, short stories, and random thoughts.</center>
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<center>A Literary Blog, Journal Blog -- A wannabe writer's attempt at online literary genius!</center>M.P. Andoneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01470972197953423108noreply@blogger.comBlogger66125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1010971287061069115.post-32568342425368442572019-08-20T18:49:00.002-05:002020-10-28T17:05:50.114-05:001397. The Cruel Stars<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0399593314/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0399593314&linkCode=as2&tag=herculesnotes-20&linkId=85b86afd611b766f4fbe24eabe452f8c" target="_blank"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixTvZmbHr9FNgKfQF63kxRwcbubBkuG8iaiRNa1u1gUcAyBRFrXiN5ymqXASgC19zwMkQfmV4Hxdb4XosZXsszSDXHoBH-JrjUFXmXScNqZamKdp5K-jPTIcPlkJdweNIzLKTkiRsNPAA/h480/" /> </a><br />
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I have a confession to make. I love the work of <a href="https://cheeseburgergothic.com/" target="_blank">writer John Birmingham</a>. I have read, ALMOST everything he ever wrote, and those things I haven't read, I either own and will soon read, or I am in the process of buying (see further pics below). Additionally, I follow his blog (along with the blogs of many other writers I like.) However, I do not personally know the author, nor have I been paid to write the following review.<br />
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Having said all of that.... Sometime in July 2019, <a href="https://www.netgalley.com/" target="_blank">NetGalley</a>, gave me the opportunity to read an electronic copy before its publication and then review it. As a fan of Birmingham, since the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Birmingham#Axis_of_Time_Series" target="_blank">"Axis of Time series"</a> and then <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Birmingham#The_Disappearance_Series" target="_blank">"The Disappearance series"</a> I was thrilled to read his first foray into <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_opera" target="_blank">Space Opera</a>, in this particular instance, Military, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hard_science_fiction" target="_blank">Hard Science Fiction</a>.<br />
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Now, ever since "The Axis of Time" and "The Disappearance", I knew that John Birmingham could write on "military" matters and subjects. Military subjects involving battles fought, the language of warfighting and even tactics. Mind you, I do not know what his military background is, but the grasp of the subject matter is accurate. Similarly, in this new novel, his grasp of the themes of science is very very good. Therefore, making this book, both "military" and "hard" in the science-fiction department.<br />
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On to the story...<br />
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We begin as Lieutenant Lucinda Hardy boards hew new ship. She comes to it after receiving a field commission. But, and this is really important, she does not come from the type of background that would give her, not just her Space Navy rank, but status and position within society. She does not come from Royal or Corporate background, and should therefore be a non-person. Yes, she's an augmented human, but really, in this universe, who cares? Alas, even though she started as an Ensign and received a field commission, she also received a medal for gallantry during her last tour, putting her in this position, as the tactical officer of the <i>Defiant</i>.<br />
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Lucinda's Universe is populated by humans who left the homeworld and established new colony worlds over which they became corporate rulers, and eventually promoted themselves to nobility and royalty. In this universe, humanity contains, robots, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_intelligence" target="_blank">AI</a>, and are themselves technically augmented. As Hard Science Fiction goes all the types of augmentation proposed within this story are feasible today OR have been discussed in various formats. Humanity <i>WILL</i> merge with technology. The when of it is the only unknown. This movement is called <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transhumanism" target="_blank">transhumanism</a></i>.<br />
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But, not everyone, in this Universe, is on-board human-augmentation, infinite rebirths, and virtual immortality. There is an offshoot of humanity called "The Sturm"...(I am presuming, based on the German origin of the word, it means, "The Storm".) The Sturm are opposed to these modern, augmented, humans, and have already fought one war with Earth (almost completely destroying it in the process.) They are now on the way back into the human sphere of influence, after rebuilding their strength. As the "big bad" (if you see them as such), they're not that bad of a people, meaning, some readers might actually agree with their viewpoint. And John Birmingham does a great job not painting them as a totally evil caricature. They are, the way they are, because of what they believe -- and isn't that true of all of us?<br />
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There are other major players in this Space Opera, including a Princess, an almost Ancient, General, from Earth's first forays into interplanetary space, and a bunch of criminals (from a certain point of view.) In many ways, you will, as I did, fall in love with these varied characters, but, my first love, throughout book one of this story was Lucinda Hardy. I would follow her, I would serve under her and obey her orders. Not because as a transhumanist she's perfect, but because of it. She is anything BUT -- she struggles with what she is, what she has accomplished. She is unsure of her footing and second guesses her decisions. In short, she is perfect in her human imperfection.<br />
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If you're a fan of a richly detailed future, immersed in high technology, AI and almost instantaneous space travel, then this book is for you. But beware, this future is populated with LGBTQ characters and faulty human beings. If you're looking for "perfect" and "completely ethical" human beings, look into the work of a different author. This author, lavishes every page with human failings and faults. Because today's "Humans" are faulty, and not perfect. This book then, puts up a mirror for us to look into what we have become and what we might become.<br />
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OH!, and it's a great action-adventure to boot.<br />
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When I first read the book (I have since re-read my paper copy -- yay "stay-at-home" orders), I posted a one word review for John Birmingham on facebook: <b><span style="font-size: large;">WOW!</span></b><br />
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I would not presume to suggest that this book is "the greatest space opera" or "the greatest military science fiction" ever... However, I would presume to say that John Birmingham's first attempt at a space opera is magnificent. Be forewarned, it is the first book in a trilogy, and you will have to come back for more dips in the pool. From me it gets a 5 out of 5 or "five stars". Back when I first started reviewing books in my book-journal, I used to place a huge "star" next to my super-favorite books... those books that gave me such an amazing thrill, such a great feeling, and that transported me to a universe that I so completely wanted to live in. It is not a perfect place, then again, where in the world, past or present, is perfect?<br />
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<br />M.P. Andoneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01470972197953423108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1010971287061069115.post-78153815179307713002019-06-29T21:59:00.211-05:002020-10-27T19:42:45.551-05:001394. A Matter For Men<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0671464949/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0671464949&linkCode=as2&tag=herculesnotes-20&linkId=88c2db8b259b3d4d65efce38ae07fed9" target="_blank"><img alt="A_Matter_For_Men" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi4Xu_g8UkiGQ1LO0qjcCly_PDm8WGdVozFDM5ArKIzIpQnmQp-e2Qrp3-jFrANhBIxrysdkTCSPZtoPHZAvf_ZqsMmwjIy7q7oZCRhvJUmbTwUu4GZ1TM9dqI4E17_sWlxPB9u6eLxC8/w224-h336-no/?authuser=0?.jpg" /></a> I became a science fiction reader because of my friends - in particular my best friends. I was raised in a very religious, very conservative household. However, the truth was that my father allowed us to read. He never locked the home library away, and we were allowed to pick any book from it to read. Most of it of course was christian themed. The highlight of that library was some literature and a set of Encyclopedias, bought when I was around eight years old from a traveling encyclopedia salesman. Yes, we still had those where I grew up. Before I turned ten I had read through the complete encyclopedia and all the literature in that library. Still, I wanted my horizons expanded further. <br /><br />To further my reading horizons, along came comic books and my best friend Yiannis T. (Ioannis in Greek parlance). His family was not as heavily into the religious book reading and so, they read pulp novels. The idea of pulps, originated in the U.S. of course, but in the late sixties and early seventies, really took off in Greece. A lot of these were "adventure", "mysteries" (like Agatha Christie), and "Science Fiction" stories, translated and reprinted in the greek language. The other thing that was very popular of course were the Greek Language versions of romance stories. So, my best friend Yiannis, introduced me to science fiction. And by the way, not all of the science fiction that I read was from US authors. One of the first science fiction books I ever liked was <a href="https://amzn.to/35DZ6kK" target="_blank">"Τhe Black Blot" (La Tache Noire) by French Author Robert Clauzel.</a> Suffice it to say, I read all the adventures of Claude Eridan. At age thirteen I got my first "library card" and borrowed the translation of <a href="https://amzn.to/37IWmoN" target="_blank">"The Illustrated Man" by Ray Bradbury.</a> I have not looked back since then.<div><br /></div><div>Why do I share the story above? Well, when I finally got my first job on my own, in this little corner of Alabama, my new best friend, Mike H., was an avid science fiction reader. By the time we became best friends, we had read many of the same books, and had very similar interests in authors, as well as type of stories. But while I had read a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/When_HARLIE_Was_One" target="_blank">David Gerrold book back in the 80s</a>, I had not read <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_War_Against_the_Chtorr" target="_blank">this particular series, The War Against the Chtorr.</a> Mike had the first 4 books. Mike also refused to lend me his copies of the series to read, even though we had lend each other books from our respective libraries. To this day of course, Mike has not returned to me my hard cover copies of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foundation_series" target="_blank">The Foundation series by Asimov.</a></div><div><br /></div><div>So many years later, in part because I see a lot of the books that come in to our bookstore, as a member of the Friends of the Library group at our local library branch, I got my hands on the first two books in the series. And let me tell you something, the wait was worth it. <a href="https://amzn.to/31Q5pAp" target="_blank">"A matter for men"</a> is the first book in the series.</div><div><br /></div><div>Was the wait worth it, you might ask?<br /><br /><b>Yes</b>. This is one of the best books I have ever read. And in many ways very frustrating. I am not saying that it's frustrating to read because of the way it's written, or because of "language", or because of any other literary virtue. No. It's frustrating because of the lessons Jim McCarthy, the hero of this tale, has to learn.<br /><br />Jim McCarthy is your average young Biologist with a bright future. It's just that when he was a young kid, various plagues hit the world, decimating (or worse) the population. He lost much of his family. Eventually, the plagues were discovered to be aspects of an invasion by alien organisms which are eventually called "The Chtorr." Are the Chtorr intelligent? Are they trying to conquer the planet? Whoa, slow down there cowboy. It appears so, but so far I've only read book one. I'm not sure that's the conclusion the author wants you to reach. What is fascinating is the way humanity as a whole deals with the problem of the Chtorr. There are parallels to many crises we face today, especially "Climate Change" (what we used to call the Greenhouse Effect.) There is a certain inattentiveness, inaction through words, a certain "shrug your shoulders, what can we do" type of reaction. This is very evident in <a href="https://amzn.to/31Q5pAp" target="_blank">"A matter for men."</a></div><div><br /></div><div>The reason I got frustrated was not only this human indifference to events (and this might be a spoiler for some - so, don't read the rest of this paragraph, ok?), but....</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="color: #990000;">[ Attention: SPOILERS BELOW]</span></div><div><br /></div><div>...the way Jim McCarthy was manipulated by some of those in power and some of his superiors. Used? Don't get me wrong, REALLY GOOD WRITERS will do that to you (er, I mean their characters.) But pulling the curtain back and dispelling the reader's misconceptions is very dramatic in this book. Because, although this book starts as a standard "us" against "them" adventure sci-fi story, it becomes something else, something better by the end. Without giving anything away, I can say clearly that your expectations will be subverted.<br /><br />Did I get OR did I understand everything the author was going for in this book? Probably not. But, just as Jim McCarthy learned more about himself and about the enemy, so did I learn something about myself. And, I also learned that the simple act of writing good characters is a lot more complicated than what I, as I attempt to write my own fiction, can even envision, let alone master. (No, I won't quit writing.)<br /><br /><a href="https://amzn.to/31Q5pAp" target="_blank">"A matter for men"</a> is an exceptional novel that deserves a read, even 30 plus years since its publication. I plan to review individually subsequent parts of this story.<br /><br />Easily, a five star read.<br /><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlPUxtcJyrRU9XTVEa4_JBs2Qv2W16J8QGVc1267IraWuuLoEygbEvaQSVKRJ0TrNg7EiLzdZsyprx3-Kdw2FGkC5WqN5YSjcx1HzLMyDiI_XOsiRnmCVEol9CQfp1EzZ6HZM9GdV6jVA/s940/5-stars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="193" data-original-width="940" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlPUxtcJyrRU9XTVEa4_JBs2Qv2W16J8QGVc1267IraWuuLoEygbEvaQSVKRJ0TrNg7EiLzdZsyprx3-Kdw2FGkC5WqN5YSjcx1HzLMyDiI_XOsiRnmCVEol9CQfp1EzZ6HZM9GdV6jVA/s320/5-stars.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />M.P. Andoneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01470972197953423108noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1010971287061069115.post-58841987796497270812017-12-30T20:34:00.002-06:002021-02-18T09:31:12.218-06:00Star Wars VIII: The Last Jedi<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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People of a certain age grew up with <a href="https://draft.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22https://www.amazon.com/Star-Wars-Hope-Mark-Hamill/dp/B01A6C2RSE/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&qid=1513885694&sr=8-6&keywords=star+wars&linkCode=li2&tag=thehernot01-20&linkId=0bc39ad36503d08a952d1b1d97520a85%22%20target=%22_blank%22%3E%3Cimg%20border=%220%22%20src=%22//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B01A6C2RSE&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=thehernot01-20%22%20%3E%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=herculesnotes-20&l=li2&o=1&a=B01A6C2RSE%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">Star Wars</a> in their lives. Up until 1977 there had been Science Fiction movies and shows, but nothing like <a href="http://www.starwars.com/" target="_blank">Star Wars</a>. There had also been fantasy movies, but again, nothing in the style of <a href="http://www.starwars.com/" target="_blank">Star Wars</a>. The reason Star Wars was different, was because it introduced a theme, society had long been aware of, in a new package. Some say that the introduction of this theme was what made the movie so successful. Of course the theme I am talking about is the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hero%27s_journey" target="_blank">"Hero's Quest"</a> or <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hero%27s_journey" target="_blank">"Hero's Journey"</a>. This then is what inspired many imitations (some good, some bad), many sequels as well as many words written, both for and against the basic story, the Luke Skywalker story. There is one more thing; A lot of people do not consider Star Wars (and its many sequels) true science fiction, inventing instead a new genre called <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_fantasy" target="_blank">"Space Fantasy."</a><br />
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So buckle your belt as I endeavor to "review" and "critic" the latest movie in the Star Wars pantheon, <a href="http://www.starwars.com/films/star-wars-episode-viii-the-last-jedi" target="_blank">"Star Wars VIII: The Last Jedi"</a>. Let me also be upfront with you as I describe what I liked and what I disliked about Star Wars 8: <span style="color: red;">there are going to be a lot of spoilers in this discussion;</span> So if you need a spoiler-free review, go elsewhere.<br />
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It's not that I hated this movie. Indeed, there were many things that the movie offered that I liked. Some people have suggested that the movie followed a similar story telling path as a previous Star Wars movie, Episode V, <a href="http://amzn.to/2DbwJLj" target="_blank">"The Empire Strikes Back"</a>. The desperate fleeing rebels, the ice planet, at the end of the movie, rather than at the beginning, the training of a Jedi, the confrontation in the throne room, the cloud city and the casino city, and many more comparisons. You can find more about these comparisons elsewhere on the Internet. On a fundamental level, what the Director/Story-teller was trying to do here, is make a Star Wars <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fan_film" target="_blank">fan-film</a>. Obviously, he embellished his story and crafted elements into it that go beyond the mere tropes of fan-films. Yet, his appreciation of Classic Star Wars are written all over this movie. And there-in lies my whole problem with Star Wars, the Star Wars Universe as it stands now under the direction of Disney and Lucasfilm.<br />
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Star Wars itself is the creation of a single individual, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Lucas" target="_blank">George Lucas</a>. Like any creator, Lucas had the audacity to create a "Universe" populated by characters he devised and who behaved in ways that he directed them to behave. As the "God" of this Universe he set certain rules, tropes, manners, behaviors and events into motion. Specifically of course, we can only attribute 6 movies to the mind of George Lucas (and some TV content). There were of course points throughout his life that Lucas said certain things about his creation. Was it originally thought-up as a 9 movie series? Or did he only have "Star Wars: A New Hope" in mind when he sat down and took pen to paper and produced the original 1977 Star Wars. Was everything else an afterthought? Did he think he left something unfinished with "<a href="http://amzn.to/2Dd6JPL" target="_blank">Star Wars VI: Return of the Jedi</a>"? Is that why he returned and created volumes 1 through 3? Is this the story of Luke Skywalker or the redemption story of Anakin Skywalker? How about the "virgin birth"? How about <a href="http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Chosen_One" target="_blank">"restoring balance to the Force"</a>?<br />
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At this point, let me step away from the questions and point out a couple of things. I am, by definition a huge Star Wars fan. No, I am not as big a fan of Star Wars as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Sansweet" target="_blank">Steve Sansweet</a>, who wrote the <a href="http://amzn.to/2DDN1gV" target="_blank">Star Wars Encyclopedia</a>, but I have a large collection of Star Wars toys, memorabilia and primarily books. See, I went ALL IN to the Star Wars Universe as it became an escape, a place where I can go travel virtually and where I can be a silent participant, yes, I even played a few of the computer games. I even used to have "a high score" in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Wars_(1983_video_game)" target="_blank">Star Wars Arcade Game</a>. I breathed Star Wars, I lived Star Wars. When the Star Wars craze reignited in the 1990s, I was even interviewed for a newspaper article. I stood in-line to get tickets to the remastered movies (IV - VI). I won tickets in a contest to see the premiere of Star Wars I: The Phantom Menace. I bought EVERY BOOK in hardcover when they were published and every comic book when they were launched. I embraced the Expanded Universe.<br />
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Does the Star Wars Universe as it stood before Disney bought Lucasfilm, exist as a commercial entity or as a separate creation? Does that universe and my (and other's) involvement with it matter at all? Of course Star Wars was not a perfect creation. I leave it to others (such as, famously, David Brin did in <a href="http://amzn.to/2rf1eyk" target="_blank">"Star Wars on Trial"</a>) to critic it at a such a fundamental level. My issue is not with Star Wars as an effective myth, or as an effective tale. There are many things that are problematic in Star Wars, and there are many criticisms that can be leveled, on even fundamental concepts within the story. But at what point does one say, this is a story. It is circumscribed by the ideas of its original creator. It belongs in its own Universe which is sort of a framework, and there are those who have written other stories to fit within the constraints of that framework.<br />
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Yes, <a href="http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Jar_Jar_Binks/Legends" target="_blank">Jar-Jar Binks</a> bothered me. Yes, <a href="http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Midi-chlorian" target="_blank">midi-chlorians </a>bothered me. Yes, Anakin, his virgin birth and his rotten attitude were obnoxious. But, they all belonged within the Universe, within the framework <b><span style="color: red;">made</span></b> by their creator. All these things, even those things that were deemed, irredeemable, that were thought of as wrong by fandom, by other creators, by reviewers, were part of this singular creation and vision of George Lucas. And this vision was added to faithfully, almost reverently by other creators. George Lucas did not write or sketch out Episodes 7, 8 and 9. George Lucas did not write the stories that became the expanded universe. But he showed the way, he showed the path. And, on a fundamental level, this story, his story was the story of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skywalker_family" target="_blank">Skywalker Family</a>. From Shmi, Anakin and Padme, to Luke, Leia, Ben, Anakin, Jacen and Jeina and so on. The family continues. Their story is ongoing. A lot of old, traditional myths could do with a family tree that strong. Whether it was the story of Anakin Skywalker who became Darth Vader and was redeemed by Luke Skywalker, or the story of Luke Skywalker who brought the Force back into balance, this was a tragic story to rival Shakespeare and Dickens. This was an epic to rival Gilgamesh and Rama. It was told in such a way as to involve the reader and viewer in a tale as old as time. Hate, love, revenge, war, faith, belief, trust, vision, anger and strength were put on the cosmic scale and weighed. This is what a good story will do, should do.<br />
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Is <a href="http://www.starwars.com/films/star-wars-episode-viii-the-last-jedi" target="_blank">"Star Wars VIII: The Last Jedi"</a> a good story within that framework?<br />
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Well before I can fairly judge that question I must point out a couple of more facts. After the sale of Lucasfilm to Disney, the keeper of the <u>Holocron</u> (the keeper of continuity in other words) at Lucafilm, <a href="https://www.wired.com/2008/08/ff-starwarscanon/" target="_blank">Leland Chee</a>, <a href="https://screenrant.com/star-wars-chewbacca-death-expanded-universe/" target="_blank">decided to reboot the franchise</a>. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reboot_(fiction)" target="_blank">Rebooting a franchise</a> is not an easy business by any stretch, but rebooting a franchise is a business decision NOT a creative decision. If you are tired of the stories within the framework of a given franchise, within a given universe, why not "create" something new? Why destroy the original franchise for the need of some extra cash? Of course, when <a href="http://amzn.to/2Dma95J" target="_blank">"The Force Awakens"</a> was imminent, there were those voices who suggested that <a href="https://www.inverse.com/article/8254-the-star-wars-expanded-universe-is-dumb-and-should-be-forgotten" target="_blank">"scrapping" the expanded Star Wars Universe was a good thing</a>. This was something that many fans, myself included took very personally, but were willing to forgo criticism until the new movies came out. Many of the owners of other movie franchises have rebooted those franchises, such as "Planet of the Apes", "Fantastic Four" and many others. Each of these reboots needs to stand with its own two feet and judged as such. I am not criticizing the decision to reboot those franchises, or any franchises for that matter. I mean, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Clancy" target="_blank">Tom Clancy, author,</a> died, yet his Jack Ryan novels continue to pour out. For the record, I have not read any of the new novels.<br />
<br />
As for Star Wars, I have owned every iteration of George Lucas' seminal creation as released by Lucasfilm. From VHS to BluRay Discs. I do not own any of the new movies. And on the flip side of having watched <a href="http://amzn.to/2DaxxjA" target="_blank">"The Last Jedi"</a>, I do not plan to purchase that movie or for that matter watch any upcoming movies. The Star Wars Universe died, for me, when Disney bought Lucasfilm. That's not to say that other people are not liking the new stories, that those stories do not have something to say, that the characters in those stories do not have a unique voice of their own. But that voice is not the Star Wars voice I grew up with. They really should have rebooted the franchise by telling completely new stories.<br />
<br />
There have been a lot of criticism leveled at those who are criticizing <a href="http://amzn.to/2DaxxjA" target="_blank">"The Last Jedi"</a>, Some are saying that uber-fans like me are ruining the movie for others by criticizing it. Let me make it clear. I have no vested interest in Lucasfilm, Disney or any other organization. I am as apolitical as they come, and have no interest in seeing racial overtones in anything. I just look at the vision of one creator as it was handed to us, and as we embraced it and occluded it into our lives. The new Star Wars was therefore NOT created for me, but for a younger generation. They can make of it what they wish, whether good or bad. But, for that generation who grew up watching the original, re-watching it, and reading every novel, late into the night, I have a few criticisms and questions.<br />
<br />
If Star Wars was the story of Luke Skywalker, or the Skywalker family, there are no members of that family left (unless of course, you count Kylo Ren -- aka, Ben Solo). Then, what is this new story about? Kylo Ren? Will he be redeemed as Darth Vader was? Will he renounce the dark side and "bring balance to the force"? Is Rey a Skywalker? Is she another "virgin birth" on a desert planet who is supposed to bring "balance to the force"? How about Snoke, Supreme Leader Snoke, or Darth Snoke? Who is he? If he's a Dark Jedi where did he originate? Was he a student of Darth Vader? Or Darth Sidious (aka, Emperor Palpatine)? He appeared like a comet out of nowhere, and he was extinguished like an afterthought, like someone who did not have mastery of the Force. What was the point then? How, or why was the Republic unable to reconstitute after the Empire was defeated? How or why were the Empire remnants able to regain strength and destroy Coruscant? And Leia Organa Solo maintained a small rebel army while the New Republic was flailing around because she knew that remnants of the Empire were going to return and fight for control of the Galaxy? When a new government takes over, whether through war or rebellion, typically the administrative wheels continue to spin, the world (or worlds of the Republic) continue to function, but under different administration. Yet, somehow, in order to satisfy the needs for a "New Rebellion" with ties to the "Old Rebellion", the Republic failed completely in administering the vast galactic bureaucracy. And the worlds and the peoples of the galaxy, with mostly an interest in the "business of war" brought about the resurrection of an Empire Fleet controlled by Supreme Leader Snoke. (Yes, yes, I know, there are parallels with our own world, today, but, I reach back into the Star War's framework, when hundreds and thousands of worlds rejoiced when the Empire fell. What happened all of a sudden? Where all those people "chumps" who were tricked by those with business interests?)<br />
<br />
A myth has no power unless it connects on a fundamental level with the reader, with the audience. In this case, Luke Skywalker's <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hero%27s_journey" target="_blank">hero's journey</a>, or Anakin Skywalker's faulty <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hero%27s_journey" target="_blank">hero's journey</a> and redemption provide the basis for a tragic tale with a happy ending. Yet, in the latest movie we're to believe that Luke Skywalker's only significant accomplishment was to redeem his own father. He failed to restart the Jedi order and in his failure he create a new villain, Kylo Ren. What was the point of Luke Skywalker, the hero of my childhood myth then? He's dead now. What did he achieve? Sure, there are other force adepts, and I guess, with the books Rey has she will teach them to use the force. And there will be a new generation of rebels. But that is a NEW STORY just as I previously defined it. Why did Han Solo die? Why did Leia Organa Solo die? Why were they even included in these movies? To make an homage, a connection to the past? Τo draw in viewers invested in the Star Wars Universe? But with the simple actions and moves taken within these movies, you just lost these viewers. If these movies had been presented to me as "new stories" within the Star Wars cannon, in the same way that <a href="http://amzn.to/2DGATLY" target="_blank">"Rogue One"</a> was, then I would have seen them as such. But the rebellion never died after the return of Democracy in the galaxy. And now the rebellion is dead...; So that a new rebellion may arise. And all of it, all of the Jedi and all of the sacrifices and all the deaths and fights and pain, and finally all the redemption and triumph of Luke Skywalker <b><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">WERE FOR NOTHING.</span></b><br />
<br />
That is the only conclusion I can reach.<br />
<br />
I want to like the new characters. I want to like Poe and Finn and Rose and Rey. I want to like their stories. But instead of reaching back and connecting their stories, they have been disconnected, send on an irredeemable quest to create from scratch that which already existed. Within the death of the Old Republic laid the seeds of the Rebellion in the snatching away of the two Skywalker children. Within the defeat of the Empire laid the seeds of the New Republic. Yet, again, all this history is wasted, thrown out and disposed of without the main participants. This is no longer George Lucas' Universe. This is some other "alternative" Star Wars. And in this universe, former stormtroopers can wield a light-saber and a band of a few people in hiding can take on the remnants of super-galactic military force led by an inadequate dark Jedi. As such, I give this universe to the next generation. It is not my Star Wars. It is not the universe I grew up with and loved and lived in, even vicariously. So to summarize, the franchise, for me at least, was ruined. Yes, new Star Wars stories are welcomed, but new stories that throw away the baby and the bathwater are not interesting to me. No, I am not going to go to JRR Tolkien's grandson and ask to reboot "The Lord of the Rings". The original story, the original framework is in effect still. Everything else is working within that framework to tell other stories. I would expect other writers to feel the same concerning their work. It is after all their work. So, in the interest of making a quick, extra buck, Disney and Lucasfilm sold the soul of Star Wars. And that soul has no room for me. So, I will take what you call "Legends" Expanded Universe and retreat into my corner of the Universe where the myth continues to live on.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYwkioM5NwRR-tzZxbLa6ljKDajt8bDu9wJY9fgHnSvFOb5zaKhUJJbqYMxHWVN-dXEXG15zrQ8i_HPyMV4v7z2oaO-aypTjEUsSh1g72wIq99ISKnn-9HpSRUp_q-6-Ck22KnZqRq5z4/s1600/1-star.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="189" data-original-width="174" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYwkioM5NwRR-tzZxbLa6ljKDajt8bDu9wJY9fgHnSvFOb5zaKhUJJbqYMxHWVN-dXEXG15zrQ8i_HPyMV4v7z2oaO-aypTjEUsSh1g72wIq99ISKnn-9HpSRUp_q-6-Ck22KnZqRq5z4/s200/1-star.jpg" width="184" /></a></div>
Just one star out five for me....<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />M.P. Andoneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01470972197953423108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1010971287061069115.post-7644287947129712062017-07-04T10:46:00.000-05:002020-04-23T19:17:54.238-05:001301. My Favorite Thing is Monsters, Book One<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1606999591/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1606999591&linkCode=as2&tag=theherculesno-20&linkId=8daec5b026e51803983aa4906dd3b071" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo MyFavoriteThingsMonsters.jpg" border="0" src="https://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x171/Hercules67/Book%20Covers/MyFavoriteThingsMonsters.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
What can I say about this book that would not sound corny or extreme to either side of the graphic book reading public?<br />
<br />
This book is a Graphic Novel.<br />
This book is a Regular Novel (at almost 300 pages)!<br />
<br />
<i><u>Does it succeed in being a Graphic Novel?</u></i><br />
<br />
Apparently, <a href="http://emilferris.com/" target="_blank">Emil Ferris</a>, first and foremost is an artist, mainly a graphic artist. Yet, she in not an graphic book industry veteran. She has not worked for Marvel or DC Comics for years. So, in other words she's not a Comic Book artist. Yet, as a Graphic Novel, this book succeeds beyond expectations. In reality, it reinvents the Graphic Novel. Ms. Ferris, not being associated with the comic book industry has done something here that has never been done before. She writes a novel, turns it into a graphic novel and in so doing rewrites the tropes and manners of writing a graphic novel. Her pencils are incredible. She has a style that I have seen before, but I have never seen them done so well, with such humility, and such perfection. There are pages that buzz with so much detail it forces you to dive into the page. Literally run your eyes up and down every single pencil mark.<br />
<br />
And the drawn characters sparkle with an authenticity, with an individuality and with a humanity all their own. I was astonished at the crispness of the looks of the main characters. I could read emotions and thoughts in their faces. Those faces have so much to tell. And what a telling it is!<br />
<i><u><br />
But does this book work as a story, as a traditional Novel?</u></i><br />
<br />
Beyond any one's wildest imagination. This is a complex story, mainly centered around young Karen Reyes and her notebook drawings of monsters as she investigates the death of a neighbor. Her story covers many events that took place in the 1960s, but also flashes back to 1930s Berlin, following the life story of the dead neighbor. Between those two places, Ms. Ferris weaves a surprising griping drama, that is part family drama, commentary on society, historical retrospective and a monster story.<br />
<br />
There are monsters in all of us the story seems to say...but we fight to keep them at bay. For some of us though, the monsters are what propel us every day, hiding our true faces, or maybe, after consideration, revealing that the monster is our only face.<br />
<br />
If you have never read a Graphic Novel in your life, this is the one to pick-up.<br />
If you want to read a really good book, get this one.<br />
And, if you want to take a peek at your own monsters, read this book.<br />
<br />
I can't more highly recommended it than giving it a 5 star rating:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlPUxtcJyrRU9XTVEa4_JBs2Qv2W16J8QGVc1267IraWuuLoEygbEvaQSVKRJ0TrNg7EiLzdZsyprx3-Kdw2FGkC5WqN5YSjcx1HzLMyDiI_XOsiRnmCVEol9CQfp1EzZ6HZM9GdV6jVA/s1600/5-stars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="193" data-original-width="940" height="65" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlPUxtcJyrRU9XTVEa4_JBs2Qv2W16J8QGVc1267IraWuuLoEygbEvaQSVKRJ0TrNg7EiLzdZsyprx3-Kdw2FGkC5WqN5YSjcx1HzLMyDiI_XOsiRnmCVEol9CQfp1EzZ6HZM9GdV6jVA/s320/5-stars.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Bravo, Ms. Ferris. Bravo!M.P. Andoneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01470972197953423108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1010971287061069115.post-8621380892128924022017-07-01T10:44:00.001-05:002021-02-10T12:34:23.673-06:001300. Rocket Girl, "Times Squared", Volume 1<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1632150557/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1632150557&linkCode=as2&tag=herculesnotes-20&linkId=28f3796deae3a6625c69ee546c63d41e" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo Rocket_Girl.jpg" border="0" src="https://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x171/Hercules67/Book%20Covers/Rocket_Girl.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
Going into this Graphic Novel I knew nothing about the artist or the writer. There was just something about a girl using a rocket pack to fly. As I got into the story, I found it to be an interesting Science Fiction themed story from a future that took a slight turn. So, this is NOT a comic book about a Superhero, but rather, it's a story about a 15-year old NYPD officer from the future. And there is Time Travel. This girl, teenager, cop knows what has made her future so wrong, so she decides to go back to 1980s NYC to fix it. And while there, she still tries to be a cop. Of course, that simply won't work... A teenage cop? No one can accept that in 1980s America. So, what is Dayoung Johansson, the heroine of this comic to do?<br />
<br />
Read this book -- It has a price of only $9.99. It collects volumes 1-5 of the ongoing comic book series. I recommend it.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF-OGGlTl3ouBeUKn-jtf8odYhQAZkh5yeGsrY_t9DID9KWBz-7YrehXiYLqsp926DlIsioCNkDokPGGsWhi1PT5urGT6vjq2AiFGiE1lJk7aZNmay0LQSrDDOWTZ7jsE03hTXquc456c/s1600/4-stars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="748" height="77" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF-OGGlTl3ouBeUKn-jtf8odYhQAZkh5yeGsrY_t9DID9KWBz-7YrehXiYLqsp926DlIsioCNkDokPGGsWhi1PT5urGT6vjq2AiFGiE1lJk7aZNmay0LQSrDDOWTZ7jsE03hTXquc456c/s320/4-stars.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
M.P. Andoneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01470972197953423108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1010971287061069115.post-62211680380580268562016-03-22T20:51:00.003-05:002021-02-10T12:35:05.686-06:001227. Superman: Last Stand of New Krypton (Volume 1)<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1401229328/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1401229328&linkCode=as2&tag=herculesnotes-20&linkId=WD2LXOKFRNPZDBTT" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo Superman_Last Stand of New Krypton Vol 1.jpg" border="0" src="https://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x171/Hercules67/Book%20Covers/Superman_Last%20Stand%20of%20New%20Krypton%20Vol%201.jpg"></a><br />
<br />
Decent story. But I got distracted by the two page, full panel sets. And sometimes I could not tell where to go next (as in, which panel).<br />
<br />
Ah well, I enjoyed it and it was a quick read.<br />
<br />
Three-and-a-half stars.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv13_DFxozBkTN9B1FMiuPkhICZTjaEhB1LyS8Q-cBvRLrUJBHupOVTvl8QOyaDulwZm_atQ8m12QbNXJ74id2cuMwbCKQVArop799VjXkh04WPuWMfcpxzix0FLfpdgDsLeMLijcbrsM/s1600/3.5-stars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv13_DFxozBkTN9B1FMiuPkhICZTjaEhB1LyS8Q-cBvRLrUJBHupOVTvl8QOyaDulwZm_atQ8m12QbNXJ74id2cuMwbCKQVArop799VjXkh04WPuWMfcpxzix0FLfpdgDsLeMLijcbrsM/s320/3.5-stars.jpg" /></a></div>M.P. Andoneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01470972197953423108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1010971287061069115.post-12295778237933039312016-03-20T20:53:00.001-05:002021-02-10T12:35:46.753-06:001226. Superman: War of the Supermen<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1401229670/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1401229670&linkCode=as2&tag=herculesnotes-20&linkId=BYDGDRSAUBYUCYB7" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo Superman_War of the Supermen.jpg" border="0" src="https://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x171/Hercules67/Book%20Covers/Superman_War%20of%20the%20Supermen.jpg"></a><br />
<br />
<br />
Not a bad little Graphic Novel.<br />
<br />
Enjoyed it.<br />
<br />
Three and a half stars.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv13_DFxozBkTN9B1FMiuPkhICZTjaEhB1LyS8Q-cBvRLrUJBHupOVTvl8QOyaDulwZm_atQ8m12QbNXJ74id2cuMwbCKQVArop799VjXkh04WPuWMfcpxzix0FLfpdgDsLeMLijcbrsM/s1600/3.5-stars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="97" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv13_DFxozBkTN9B1FMiuPkhICZTjaEhB1LyS8Q-cBvRLrUJBHupOVTvl8QOyaDulwZm_atQ8m12QbNXJ74id2cuMwbCKQVArop799VjXkh04WPuWMfcpxzix0FLfpdgDsLeMLijcbrsM/s320/3.5-stars.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>M.P. Andoneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01470972197953423108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1010971287061069115.post-37760247931675177112016-03-16T20:46:00.001-05:002021-02-10T12:36:18.039-06:001225. JSA: Darkness Falls<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1563897393/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1563897393&linkCode=as2&tag=herculesnotes-20&linkId=WASE7EFIA336WFI6" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo JSA_Darkness Falls.jpg" border="0" src="https://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x171/Hercules67/Book%20Covers/JSA_Darkness%20Falls.jpg"></a><br />
<br />
This second chapter of the "Justice Society of America" return is OK, with some new characters entering the fray, but not as good as the previous volume.<br />
<br />
Enjoyed it.<br />
<br />
Three-and-a-half stars.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv13_DFxozBkTN9B1FMiuPkhICZTjaEhB1LyS8Q-cBvRLrUJBHupOVTvl8QOyaDulwZm_atQ8m12QbNXJ74id2cuMwbCKQVArop799VjXkh04WPuWMfcpxzix0FLfpdgDsLeMLijcbrsM/s1600/3.5-stars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv13_DFxozBkTN9B1FMiuPkhICZTjaEhB1LyS8Q-cBvRLrUJBHupOVTvl8QOyaDulwZm_atQ8m12QbNXJ74id2cuMwbCKQVArop799VjXkh04WPuWMfcpxzix0FLfpdgDsLeMLijcbrsM/s320/3.5-stars.jpg" /></a></div>M.P. Andoneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01470972197953423108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1010971287061069115.post-50021004015331455582016-03-14T20:48:00.001-05:002021-02-10T12:37:06.844-06:001224. JSA: Justice Be Done<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1563896206/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1563896206&linkCode=as2&tag=herculesnotes-20&linkId=YEF4OAYWKD6VSNKM" target="_blank"><img alt="photo JSA_Justice Be Done.jpg" border="0" src="https://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x171/Hercules67/Book%20Covers/JSA_Justice%20Be%20Done.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
So, for the return of the JSA, an excellent first chapter. What is the JSA you ask? It is the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justice_Society_of_America" target="_blank">"Justice Society of America"</a> or in more simple terms, the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justice_League" target="_blank">"Justice League's"</a> little brother. You might not like the characters or heroes that serve on the JSA, but in many respects they are more interesting than Superman, Batman, etc.<br />
<br />
So anyway, this TPB (trade paperback) collects the issues that re-introduced the JSA. And the story itself is pretty good.<br />
<br />
Four stars.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbFqHgMA9GmhyiBX9aK9kD7iASFdbJ94do2lNjeMvV2nUQKJvOs0RhEDSMnZH-JSE29vOff_BWIHNHZQjPMLibVNwbvDvGU7jgLeBYg5HQyXzsaThYC3VlzHImDmXA-pjBSIc-nrVVhvU/s1600/4-stars.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbFqHgMA9GmhyiBX9aK9kD7iASFdbJ94do2lNjeMvV2nUQKJvOs0RhEDSMnZH-JSE29vOff_BWIHNHZQjPMLibVNwbvDvGU7jgLeBYg5HQyXzsaThYC3VlzHImDmXA-pjBSIc-nrVVhvU/s320/4-stars.jpg" /></a></div>M.P. Andoneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01470972197953423108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1010971287061069115.post-64528567320282904682015-04-18T17:30:00.000-05:002020-04-23T23:29:44.104-05:001181. [LIMIT]<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=as_li_qf_sp_sr_il?ie=UTF8&tag=theherculesno-20&keywords=B01K8ZZ8RQ&index=aps&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=ur2&linkId=0afc8259cd9ce8f8f6ab928d534cac64" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&MarketPlace=US&ASIN=B01K8ZZ8RQ&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&tag=theherculesno-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="//ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=theherculesno-20&l=ur2&o=1&camp=1789" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
<br />
LIMIT is a German Science Fiction novel that clocks in at 1227 pages. Of these pages, I probably read 150 or so before I gave up.<br />
<br />
I suspect that LIMIT is a real good "story", but I just could not get into it.<br /><br />I apologize to the author and everyone else attached to this book.<br /><br />What was this about anyway?<br /><br /><br /><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRCNH3GR__K3Ol6WOcCeCMG-NMaF83_FpF8PxrrjNZXTEw9ljs962-HdPCsrXcGOqz8X0AxTF2blH_RsVaIOejzsmps2c0XcEdnMXHh956Z8zigG1AhuzMVhFFdjdCiFIr68sa8oSwg_k/s1600/1.5-star.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="246" data-original-width="334" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRCNH3GR__K3Ol6WOcCeCMG-NMaF83_FpF8PxrrjNZXTEw9ljs962-HdPCsrXcGOqz8X0AxTF2blH_RsVaIOejzsmps2c0XcEdnMXHh956Z8zigG1AhuzMVhFFdjdCiFIr68sa8oSwg_k/s320/1.5-star.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This is all I'm willing to give it.</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />M.P. Andoneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01470972197953423108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1010971287061069115.post-28900760847839896882014-07-06T17:00:00.001-05:002021-02-10T12:43:14.866-06:001148. The Goldfinch<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0316055433/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0316055433&linkCode=am2&tag=herculesnotes-20&linkId=JK6UIH2VUWZRGPGT" target="_blank"><img alt="The_Goldfinch photo The_Goldfinch.jpg" border="0" src="https://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x171/Hercules67/Book%20Covers/The_Goldfinch.jpg"></a><br />
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<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0316055433/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0316055433&linkCode=am2&tag=herculesnotes-20" target="_blank">The Goldfinch</a>, by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donna_Tartt" target="_blank">Donna Tart</a> is probably one of the best novels ever written. It is what is termed in the industry a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Novel" target="_blank">Literary Novel</a> like <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Tale_of_Two_Cities" target="_blank">"A Tale of Two Cities"</a> by Charles Dickens or <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_and_Peace" target="_blank">"War and Peace"</a> by Leo Tolstoy. Other <span style="color: #351c75;">literary novels</span> abound, and many of them have won <a href="http://www.pulitzer.org/bycat/Fiction" target="_blank">The Pulitzer Prize</a>. In fact, for many a novelist, this is a dream or maybe call it a desire: to win the Pulitzer Prize in fiction. Just like an actor covets an Emmy or an Oscar.<br />
<br />
There are other awards of course, as each sub-genre in fiction has its own award, Mystery has its "Edgar Award"; Science Fiction has its Hugo and Nebula; and so-on. There is also the Man - Booker Prize and some other fiction awards, but it seems that the Pulitzer has always had the highest luster, has always been the most coveted award.<br />
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Last spring, I remember watching a "60 Minutes" report on "The Goldfinch" centered around readers of the book who were visiting the Hague to look at the original painting. I thought to myself then, how could a book, so influence a person to do such a thing. Is this book really that good?<br />
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There are many reviews of this book, and mine will be one more in that torrent. Will it sway your opinion one way or the other? Will it make you absolutely hate the book? Will it make you absolutely love the book? There are those who believe that the book was not and will not be a long term commercial success, will not, in other words have staying power, despite the fact that it has already been optioned to become a movie (something I am already disturbed about). There are those, <a href="http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2014/07/goldfinch-donna-tartt-literary-criticism" target="_blank">like this writer, who have a lot to say about this book.</a> I am not going to comment on the Vanity Fair article, or try to copy or plagiarize any of the other reviews that are out there. Instead, I will give you this novice's review of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0316055433/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0316055433&linkCode=am2&tag=herculesnotes-20" target="_blank">"The Goldfinch"</a> (mine).<br />
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It took me a long time to read this book, because it is a big book, almost 800 pages long. Oh, I've read big books before, but not like this. This book is best consumed in small bites, with a clear head. It's not a difficult book, the words in it are not complex and do not require a PhD in English Literature, but the content behind each sentence and the power of each word is such that the whole is greater than the individual word. Please don't misunderstand me. <i style="font-weight: bold;">This,</i> is not a pretentious book. <b><i>This is,</i></b> a really good book for everyone, except children of course. I do see a future where professors will be teaching this, just as "A Tale of Two Cities" has been taught, just as "War and Peace" has been taught.<br />
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The book is about 13-year old Theo Decker and his journey to adulthood. But this ─ this is the only plot point you need to know before you need to open it. Because Theo Decker can be anyone. Theo Decker could be me. Theo Decker could be you. Theo Decker could be your best friend from high school. And that journey will make sense to you, you will understand it. In that journey (or in parts of it) you will recognize yourself, you will recognize others you might have been around, you will recognize situations, and characterizations you would be familiar with. Theo, therefore is in archetype born from inside all of us. Is he a hero? Is he a villain? Is he redeemed at the end? <br />
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<b>I can't tell you that! You must read the book to find out.</b><br />
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For me at least, this book worked. It worked, because it was a great coming of age story and because Donna Tart, somehow understood everything at the center of Theo Decker and was able to make everyone in his orbit work. Whether you believe she achieved this to make this a "Great Novel" that's for you to decide.<br />
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As to whether, I think this is a great novel, up there with the classics of literature... I have these last few thoughts: As I was going along, walking with Theo in Amsterdam, late in the Novel, questioning the trajectory of his life, I understood what Donna Tart was saying. I understood completely her message, the revelation that Theo had reached and the message she was trying to impart to her audience; <i>us the readers.</i> The problem is, I don't know how many people will get(got) that message. Not because it is in some code. Not because it's like <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bible_code" target="_blank">"The Bible Code"</a> and a higher power must impart it, or finally because it is hidden in the text somewhere. The problem for me arose when Theo Decker either in monologue or in dialogue with other main characters imparts that message to the readers near the end of the book:<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">─four hundred years before us, four hundred years after we're gone ─ it'll never strike anybody the same way at all but ─ a really great painting is fluid enough to to work its way into the mind and heart through all kinds of different angles, in ways that are unique and very particular. <i>Yours, yours, I was painted for you.</i></span></blockquote><br />
<div style="text-align: right;"><b><i>(ed: Obviously, so can a great piece of literature.... hint, hint.)</i></b></div><br />
And:<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">'Why be good.' But ─ this is what took hold on me last night , riding here in the car. What if ─ is more complicated than that? What if maybe opposite is true as well? Because, if bad can sometimes come from good actions ─ ? where does it ever say, anywhere, that only bad can come from bad actions? Maybe sometimes ─ the wrong way is the right way? You can take the wrong path and it still comes out where you want to be? Or, spin it another way? sometimes you can do everything wrong and it still turns out to be right?</span></blockquote><br />
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Also:<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Only here's what I really, really want someone to explain to me. What if one happens to be possessed of a heart that can't be trusted ─ ? What if the heart, for its own unfathomable reasons, leads one willfully and in a cloud of unspeakable radiance away from health, domesticity, civic responsibility and strong social connections and the blandly-held common virtues and instead straight towards a beautiful flare of ruin, self-immolation, disaster?</span></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div> So, is this book about love then? Is this book about the redemptive power love has? Is it about redemption? Does our hero get redeemed in the end? Does he <b>find himself</b> in other words? Why did <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Goldfinch_(painting)" target="_blank">"The Goldfinch"</a> painting speak to 13-year old Theo Decker and how did he change during the course of the book? For that, you'll have to read the book. It's all in the journey. A wonderful journey indeed. Do not let negative reviews dissuade you from the book. I wish, the author had refrained from so openly preaching near the end of the book. I, as a consumer of Great Literature, understood everything she had to say. I expect Literature to preach to me. I expect it to have a message. I also expect myself to discern that message without help from the motivator of the story, the author. It is for this and only this reason, I can not give this book a perfect score:<br />
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4½ out of 5 stars.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq"></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiqoIkf9v_Ef5DwspepCWnRyvLh7ynhyphenhyphendAL8dhyphenhyphenKcpLkrhQhASdEpLYqRiCsj58cS5X8m6ore0948AiOKwJhpUzK_r6LV8rVhbe1TGjFIQMvyA00gTwCFmih4arJlJnG7owiuS3p9MYn8/s1600/4.5-stars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiqoIkf9v_Ef5DwspepCWnRyvLh7ynhyphenhyphendAL8dhyphenhyphenKcpLkrhQhASdEpLYqRiCsj58cS5X8m6ore0948AiOKwJhpUzK_r6LV8rVhbe1TGjFIQMvyA00gTwCFmih4arJlJnG7owiuS3p9MYn8/s1600/4.5-stars.jpg" height="89" width="320"></a></div><br />
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M.P. Andoneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01470972197953423108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1010971287061069115.post-6881801634646602732014-04-24T16:30:00.001-05:002021-02-10T12:37:57.125-06:001144. The Here and Now<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0385736800/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0385736800&linkCode=am2&tag=herculesnotes-20" target="_blank"><img alt="The_Here_And_Now photo The_Here_and_Now.jpg" border="0" src="https://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x171/Hercules67/Book%20Covers/The_Here_and_Now.jpg"></a><br />
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Reading another time travel story immediately after finishing one, could be construed as unnecessary punishment. Thankfully, even though, this is a Time Travel story, at heart it's a (YA) or Young Adult novel. First off, let me note that I have never read anything by <a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/teens/annbrashares/" target="_blank">Ms. Brasheres</a>, of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0385736479/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0385736479&linkCode=as2&tag=theherculesno-20" target="_blank">"The Sisterhood of The Travelling Pants"</a>. It's not that I do not like her. It was just that these novels where not intended for me as an audience. If they were anything like this novel, I have one overarching comment to make about her teen characterizations. I prefer them to most of what I've seen in recent YA Fiction. There is a lot "angst" in teen YA Fiction today, and in all honesty, I do not understand where it comes from. Yes, it could be said, it's an expression of identity, just as the 1960s and the counter-culture where an expression of identity for that generation, but sometimes I wonder about the depth of those feelings, and the generation that holds them. Did we raise a generation of narcissists?<br />
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Moving on....To the book itself. <a href="https://draft.blogger.com/"><span id="goog_1097623711"></span>The Here And Now<span id="goog_1097623712"></span></a> is not your typical time travel story. Yes, of course, there is always the question of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grandfather_paradox" target="_blank">"Grandfather Paradox"</a> in time-travel and what would happen if you were to interact with said Grandfather, or for that matter anyone in your past. As I said in the review of the previous book, <a href="http://theherculesnotes.blogspot.com/2014/04/1143-first-fifteen-lives-of-harry-august.html" target="_blank">The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August</a>, one possibility is the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiverse" target="_blank">multiverse theory</a> of the Universe which holds that every time there is a significant change in events, History changes, it forks into a new direction, creating a new parallel universe. The old Universe where the Time Traveler originated from, still exists, BUT, after having initiated the change, there is now a new parallel universe where events unfolding will be different than originally experienced.<br />
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This is but one interpretation of Time Travel. There are other, logical interpretations of time travel that suggest that changes are incorporated into the Universe Prime (the one and only Universe), creating temporary branches that collapse, logically, as actions take place, cause preceding effect and so-on, but, as changes accumulate in the branch, the branch merges back into Prime in a logical manner. This has been demonstrated in a manner of novels.<br />
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I do not know which theory I support, and I do not want to influence you before reading this novel. But before reading it, you ought to know that it involves people from our almost near future (late 21st century), traveling back to our time and attempting to assimilate. The affect of their travel has an unwitting effect on our heroine, Prenna. First, because she is seen as she emerges from the wormhole bringing her here, and second because she does not accept her condition. Is she the only one in the group of travelers willing or wanting to change the future they came from? What effect will those changes bring forth? Will she succeed? She has a companion in her attempt to change the future... The person who saw her when she arrived. A 17 year old boy. Ethan.<br />
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Written in a very enjoyable style and told from the perspective of two teenagers on the run, this is a surprisingly enjoyable read. In a few words: <b>"I could not put it down."</b> And one other commendation for this book: <b>"This is not your typical YA Fantasy"</b>. You might think what these characters go through is improbable, but not to me. Ethan is old enough to be capable of achieving everything he does in this book, and Prenna has an emotional reserve in her. You will understand where that comes from, once you read the book.<br />
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I recommend the book for anyone who likes a good time travel story, and especially those who like a well written YA story. Most YA stories don't inspire me, and I feel, create needy, narcissistic adolescents. Not this one. And that's a compliment of the highest order.<br />
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Three and a half stars.<br />
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M.P. Andoneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01470972197953423108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1010971287061069115.post-36400581563905845892014-04-10T02:00:00.001-05:002021-02-10T12:42:19.949-06:001143. The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0316399612/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0316399612&linkCode=am2&tag=herculesnotes-20" target="_blank"><img alt="The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August photo The_First_Fifteen_Lives_of_Harry_August.jpg" border="0" src="https://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x171/Hercules67/Book%20Covers/The_First_Fifteen_Lives_of_Harry_August.jpg"></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316399612/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0316399612&linkCode=as2&tag=herculesnotes-200" target="_blank">The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August</a> is a Time Travel story. It is also a story about re-incarnation (or at least a form of it). It also a story about living one's life over and over again. But, unlike what the publisher will have you think, this is not the first book to do so. Claire North is a pseudonym for a very well know British Author... and apparently, no clues have surfaced, as of yet, of who this author is.<br />
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First, a little jaunt down memory lane about what has gone on, in this type of genre fiction. The following titles are very similar to this one, despite the publisher's claims:</span><br />
<ol><li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/"><span id="goog_799543830"></span>Time and Again<span id="goog_799543831"></span></a> by Jack Finney</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0684818442/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0684818442&linkCode=as2&tag=herculesnotes-20" target="_blank">From Time to Time</a> by Jack Finney</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0765361396/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0765361396&linkCode=as2&tag=herculesnotes-20" target="_blank">Somewhere in Time</a> by Richard Matheson</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/015602943X/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=015602943X&linkCode=as2&tag=herculesnotes-20" target="_blank">The Time Traveler's Wife</a> by Audrey Niffenegger</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316176494/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0316176494&linkCode=as2&tag=herculesnotes-20" target="_blank">Life after Life</a> by Kate Atkinson</span></li>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> and the classic, and still the best book in the genre:</span>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/068816112X/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=068816112X&linkCode=as2&tag=theherculesno-20" target="_blank">Replay</a> by Ken Grimwood</span></li>
</ol><div><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">There are other similar books, I am sure, but for now, these are the ones that come to mind easily.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I want to be upfront and mention, that I have not read Kate Atkinson's book, although it has come to my attention recently. It is on my TBR. I also, never read Jack Finney's follow up to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0684818442/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0684818442&linkCode=as2&tag=herculesnotes-20" target="_blank">"Time and Again"</a>. From the simple synopsis of the books, thematically, the books that are the most similar with <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316399612/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0316399612&linkCode=as2&tag=theherculesno-20" target="_blank">"The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August"</a> are <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316176494/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0316176494&linkCode=as2&tag=herculesnotes-20" target="_blank">"Life after Life"</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/068816112X/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=068816112X&linkCode=as2&tag=theherculesno-20" target="_blank">"Replay"</a>. For me, as a reader, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/068816112X/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=068816112X&linkCode=as2&tag=theherculesno-20" target="_blank">"Replay"</a> is a masterpiece in the specific subject matter and the context in which it addresses it. It gives you a sort of wistfulness, a sort of remembrance of years gone by, dredging up an opportunity to think about all those times you could have went "right" went you went "left" in your life and vice-verse.<br />
<br />
But, this is NOT a review of that book, "Replay". This is a review of a brand new book. And it turns out, despite my apprehension that thematically the two books were going to cross into similar territory, the two books are actually very dissimilar. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316399612/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0316399612&linkCode=as2&tag=herculesnotes-20" target="_blank">The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August</a> turns out to be <b>an exceptional book and stands out on its own,</b> as a very successful science-fiction book. Although it bills itself as a Time Travel story it turns out to be more of a parallel universe story, or more precisely, it resides in that special area where string theory says higher dimensions allow for the existence of multiple Universes and our Universe is born and dies again, over and over, and so is everyone in it. Including some very special people. These people are called Ouroborans or Kalachakra. Who get to live through every iteration of the Universe.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Harry August is born in 1919. And he is a Kalachakra. Not until he dies and is born again in the same circumstances does he realize his predicament. He has lived this life before, and he remembers everything that he did, so, is there something he can do to improve his predicament? But, this is only the second life. After you've relived a few more times, you realize there are other things you can do to improve your lot, and maybe even the life of those around you. Your immediate family? How about your wife? And as it turns out, Harry is not the only Kalachakra. Ouroborans have been born throughout the ages, and they have created what is called the "Cronus Club" (Cronus = Time), with charters in most major cities of all the major continents. Knowledge is passed on from generation to generation and century to century.<br />
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There is only one major rule for Ouroborans. Do not mess with history. Allow the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arrow_of_time" target="_blank">Arrow of Time</a> to flow as it always does without interference and foreknowledge of events to come passing to normal humans. (In other words, you can't kill Hitler, for example). That is why it is important for Harry and the other Ouroborans to hide their identities, remain secretive, protect their kind and punish those of their kind who try to change history. But how do you change time, if your time span within one Universe is finite? As a Ouroboran, you have the ability to live multiple lifetimes across multiple Universes as you are reborn again and again.<br />
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This then, sets-up thematically, the main conflict of the story. Harry and his arch-enemy and sometimes friend Vincent Rankis. Vincent is also an Ouroboran that Harry meets in one of his early lives when he becomes a professor of Physics. But Vincent has some big plans. And these plans not only affect all Ouroborans, they affect the entire Universe, they effect reality, they effect the entire Universe. Harry is determined to stop him from the first page... There is also something else special about Harry and Vincent which most Kalachakra do not possess. Will this ability serve him or hinder him as it does one of his Kalachakra lovers?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This is simply an extraordinary novel. A powerful, fantastic novel. I went into it with a lot of trepidation and hesitation, because of so many previous examples in the genre. And maybe, that is the reason why the author decided to remain anonymous and use a pseudonym. I do not know. However, judging by the success of this book, I bet, the name Claire North will become known very soon. I sure hope so. Because, I'd like to see more works by this author. Not necessary in the same milieu. That almost never works. Case in point, Jack Finney's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0684818442/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0684818442&linkCode=as2&tag=herculesnotes-20" target="_blank">From Time to Time</a>. It's just that I kept expecting another great novel from Ken Grimwood, but then, the author disappeared. Leaving us with a masterpiece, yes. But just the one.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">A very easy five star book. Highly recommended. Go, buy it. NOW. READ IT. You will not regret it.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
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</span></div>M.P. Andoneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01470972197953423108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1010971287061069115.post-82609142040568716372014-03-20T15:00:00.001-05:002021-02-10T12:44:37.348-06:001142. The Collector of Dying Breaths<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/1451621531/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1451621531&linkCode=am2&tag=herculesnotes-20" target="_blank"><img alt="The_Collector photo The_Collector_of_Dying_Breaths.jpg" border="0" src="https://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x171/Hercules67/Book%20Covers/The_Collector_of_Dying_Breaths.jpg"></a><br />
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I have never before read what you would consider <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gothic_fiction" target="_blank">"Gothic Fiction"</a>, unless a couple of forays into the works of Anne Rice are considered "Gothic" in their nature or really, depending on the definition if you count "Frankenstein" and so on. I suppose it takes a certain kind of individual to appreciate that type of fiction. I have personally always been interested in <a href="http://www.mjrose.com/content/" target="_blank">M.J. Rose's fiction</a>, from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0778328279/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0778328279&linkCode=as2&tag=herculesnotes-20" target="_blank">"The Reincarnationist"</a> to the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0778326632/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0778326632&linkCode=as2&tag=herculesnotes-20" target="_blank">"The Memorist"</a>, although I have only read the prior one (I do own the second one, but have not read it yet), and I suppose at some time, a review of it, might appear on this blog. As you know, that book spawned the short lived FOX TV Drama <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Past_Life_%28TV_series%29" target="_blank">"Past Lives"</a>. I have always been interested in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ressurection" target="_blank">"Resurrection"</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reincarnation" target="_blank">"Reincarnation"</a> and "Past Lives", and of course the search for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immortality" target="_blank">"Immortality"</a>. These concepts have fascinated not only me, but great sages, philosophers, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gnostics" target="_blank">Gnostics</a> and agnostics, Religions the world over and even scientists. Many a great fiction writer has tackled the subject with various degrees of success as well.<br />
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In <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1451621531/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1451621531&linkCode=as2&tag=theherculesno-20" target="_blank">"The Collector of Dying Breaths"</a>, <a href="http://www.mjrose.com/content/" target="_blank">M.J. Rose</a> superbly handles all of the above subjects and delivers a powerful novel that must be read to be believed. One other thing before I proceed with this review! Do you like fragrances? Do you have a strong sense of smell? Does your sense of smell get overwhelmed when you go inside a perfume store or a Yankee Candle Shop? How strong is your imagination? When someone describes the scents of roses, cinnamon, carnation, jasmine, patchouli and a little pepper can you smell them -- not just picture them? The beauty of Great Literature is the ability to bring to life the things you read on the page (or in this case on the screen, since I was afforded the opportunity to read an advanced preview of this e-book by the publisher). And the beauty of a Great Imagination is the ability to bring to life that of which you read.<br />
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M.J. Rose deftly and capably delivers in every respect. While reading this book, I was transported to Sixteenth Century France. <span style="font-family: inherit;">Then, I was whisked away to present day France from the </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;">L’Etoile estate outside Paris to the hidden chambers within </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px;">Fontainebleau were secret portions are assembled and prepared according to archaic formulas with ingredients that are very hard to procure. <span style="font-family: inherit;">The plot is a simple whodunit that spans two lives and 500 years. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;">René le Florentin is the perfumer for </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catherine_de_Medici" style="font-family: inherit;" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;">Catherine de Medici </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">who was </span><span style="color: #0b0080;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Queen of France</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"> from 1547 until 1559, as the wife of </span><span style="color: #0b0080;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">King Henry II</span></span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">. But Rene is not just a simple perfumer. He is also an Alchemist on a lifetime quest </span>bequeathed<span style="font-family: inherit;"> to him by his teacher, Brother Dom Serapino who he was </span>apprenticed<span style="font-family: inherit;"> to while in Italy. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;">René has collected Brother Serapino's "last breath", an act which sets him and us on a quest to find a way to bring back, to reanimate, to reincarnate, the soul of a departed person.<br />
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And so this quest links Rene and Jac </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 22.399999618530273px;">L’Etoile when her brother dies quite unexpectedly, leaving the family perfume business without someone to run it. Jac discovers Robbie's research and those who were funding it and who now want Jac to continue it. But how is Jac connected to </span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.399999618530273px;">René le Florentin? And why is </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Fontainebleau important in the investigation of this research?</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Hundreds of years, passion, the loves of many lives, connected through the past and the present and the sheer will to find answers drive Jac in the present and Rene in the past towards answers. Sometimes the answers we seek are not possible. Indeed, unlike some of the books that I have read that have tackled immortality and reincarnation as a subject this one does not offer easy, happy answers. And this is just as well. The world we live in is not a bright colored, easy world. It has many hues, many interpretations, but it also has some obvious things to like, things to strive for. We strive for knowledge of that which is greater than ourselves. We strive to achieve that something and sometimes we succeed. HOW? Well... For one of the answers, READ THIS BOOK! You won't be disappointed.<br />
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This was easily a 5 star read, and now I am looking forward to more great books from M.J. Rose.</span></span></span><br />
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M.P. Andoneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01470972197953423108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1010971287061069115.post-62948528673187305572013-09-06T15:30:00.001-05:002021-02-10T12:45:46.326-06:001130. Dixie City Jam<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0786889004/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0786889004&linkCode=am2&tag=herculesnotes-20" target="_blank"><img alt="Dixie_City_Jam photo Dixie_City_Jam.jpg" border="0" src="https://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x171/Hercules67/Book%20Covers/Dixie_City_Jam.jpg"></a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>This is the first <a href="http://www.jamesleeburke.com/" target="_blank">James Lee Burke</a> that I have read, and there are many others before it and after it. I was given the book after a recommendation from a family member. Since, I have recently started reading more Crime Fiction, this was a natural fit for me. There a few things to note however about this book as you read my review of it. First, while this is a stand alone adventure of Detective Dave Robicheaux (I still don't know how to pronounce his last name), this is really the seventh book in a series of books with him as the main character. Second, the novel takes place in 1994, so if this puts you off, and you need something more current, this might not be your cup of tea. There is no mention of cell phones, and other modern contrivances. Finally, thirdly, and more importantly, this book is not for the faint of heart. I am not talking about violence or blood and guts. There is some violence, but compared to what we see on our TV screens today it is beyond mild. No, what I am talking about is the multi threaded, multi person character arc. This is something only a SERIOUS NOVEL can achieve, and only a serious writer can pull off. You see this in some of this year's better TV Crime or other Dramas: <a href="http://www.amctv.com/shows/the-killing" target="_blank">The Killing</a>, <a href="http://www.bbcamerica.com/broadchurch/" target="_blank">Broadchurch</a>, and <a href="http://www.fxnetworks.com/thebridge" target="_blank">The Bridge</a>. If you don't have the ability to follow multiple story threads then this book is not for you.<br />
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If you do have the ability to follow multiple story threads, this book, after a short introduction from the past, finds Detective Dave Robicheaux trying to get his ex-partner Clete (Cletus) Parcel out of some trouble he got himself in with some local New Orleans (N.O.) mobsters. This is all set against the background of the search for a sunken Nazi sub. The sub was sunk off the Louisiana coast at the mouth of the Mississippi. Apparently, the Nazi's, back in the World War II days, heavily patrolled these waters as a lot of shipping left these shores bound for Europe. But, this ship may or may not have something in it to hide. And it's connection to Detective Robicheaux is as follows: when he was a teenager, diving off a shrimping boat, working summers on the coast, he had seen the wreck of the sunken sub. Years later, he saw it again at a different location, possibly a place where the sub would have drifted with time and tides. Dave Robicheaux now owns a bait and tackle shop along with a boat rental business. He was in one of his boats when he saw the sub for the second time.<br />
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There is a local New Orleans hotel entrepreneur who knows Dave's sub story and wants Dave to help him find the sub and raise it. He goes by the name of Hippo Brimstine. Hippo is Jewish. So, is this the reason he wants to raise a Nazi sub? Or is there a hidden reason? One of the mobsters in town also wants to give Dave money to get the location of the sub. But what is his interest? Was his family connected with Nazi's back in the 30s and 40s. Is it because he is Irish-Catholic? Is it some other reason?<br />
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Racial politics and race relations play a huge role in this story, as Dave Robicheaux is a "by the numbers" detective who does not break any rules, or does he? Yet, he does bend them to the extent of needing to achieve his goals. Especially when he and his family are threatened by Neo-Nazis and by other N.O. mobsters. Do they find the sub? Are the threats against Dave, his family and his friends countered? Answers are provided in time..... But something more important to consider.<br />
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There is a flavor and a smell to this Novel, and it's all Southern and it's all Louisiana and New Orleans. The prose grabs you and drags you in and does not let you go. When you start reading this book, you feel and breath and taste and smell everything. When Dave Robicheaux buys Po 'boy sandwiches, you smell them in the bag he's holding. When Dave's neighbor is burning his sugarcane fields, you smell it too. You feel the Palm fronds waving in the breeze, you sense the breeze off the Gulf, you experience every single sensation. THIS is a book to immerse yourself in. And this is writing to revel in.<br />
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James Lee Burke is a gem of writer and I am sad it took me so long to discover him. I have no problem recommending this book, or this writer, based on just this one book. Easily, a four star book.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi77LAKisui23nUW9LWGRrZEt_aT7gUhICgzVTClZ8_goVN6icWEL1ORwOBwL3-prFm1K6uppEwp4TnpvGrnANW0HvVVHJWfacug766axXcHEXRF3R836d_ONvtDu67JcaHYiKg7cGijzs/s1600/4-stars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi77LAKisui23nUW9LWGRrZEt_aT7gUhICgzVTClZ8_goVN6icWEL1ORwOBwL3-prFm1K6uppEwp4TnpvGrnANW0HvVVHJWfacug766axXcHEXRF3R836d_ONvtDu67JcaHYiKg7cGijzs/s320/4-stars.jpg"></a></div>M.P. Andoneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01470972197953423108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1010971287061069115.post-58683540449412244402013-07-14T00:00:00.001-05:002021-02-10T12:46:23.396-06:001126. The Absent One<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0142196835/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0142196835&linkCode=am2&tag=herculesnotes-20" target="_blank"><img alt="The_Absent_One photo The_Absent_One.jpg" border="0" src="https://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x171/Hercules67/Book%20Covers/The_Absent_One.jpg"></a><br />
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Jussi Adler-Olsen's "The Absent One" is not the first "Department Q Novel". Events take place in Denmark with most of the action occurring in Copenhagen and surrounding areas. Carl Morck is a Detective for Copenhagen's Unsolved Murder Cases Unit, the Eponymous, Department Q. Although the author has written previous books in this series featuring this Detective and associated supporting characters (but different cases), this was the first book about Detective Morck that I picked up to read.<br />
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Detective Morck works with very minimum resources -- he has only a staff of two. An overeager assistant of Middle Eastern descent and heritage who is not a full-fledged detective and a Secretary who finished the Police Academy but flanked out as a Police Officer, yet is highly organized. With these impediments in mind, a case lands on Detective Morck's desk about a twenty year old murder of a brother and sister. What becomes immediately apparent is that even though there is someone in jail serving time for this crime, he might not be the person who committed the murders, and might have been murdered or set-up to take the fall. Involved in this conspiracy are some of Denmark's most influential business people and a homeless woman seen wandering the streets of Copenhagen day and night in different outfits, sometimes dressed nicely, sometimes dressed in rags, called Kimmie. She has something in common with the businessmen who are trying -- or have tried -- to cover the twenty year old murder.<br />
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In some ways, this book is similar in themes with Steig Larsson's "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo". It discusses themes of social strata, the morals (or sometimes lack thereof) of upper society, the differentiation of people based on their upbringing and schooling. Does this social stratification, and the fact that Detective Morck's assistant is from the Middle-East play a role in the way he handles this case? That's for every individual reader of this book to decide. Personally, I enjoyed the interplay of the morality in this novel against the foreign (to me) culture. Morals are universal. Good and Evil, and the Great, Wide, GREY in between, should be universal to all cultures, however, the way that each culture approaches them differs, and that interplay made this book very interesting.<br />
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Two things threw me off about this book. It is sold as a somewhat "humorous" or "funny" novel. I did not find any of the antics humorous. It's possible that my understanding of the Danish culture prevented me from enjoying the humor. Secondly, some of the translation seemed broken, like words were jumbled. Then again, it's possible that the author's writing itself is what is jumbled, and it comes out across that way in the translation.<br />
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Because of these two things, I can only give this book three and a half stars. I did enjoy the story. And I recommend it. Maybe others, will find the humor I missed.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcnlKvcjTE32opxI-jjYURd5_kRgIrEXZw0bMKNAO36qEbT89JClfgRfwJQTxJ81MeMOqJ0s7wmIsrsX9RHjuzSK0M9zencCdHMho7ZoDK3BSUx4cw6grJWsBUXOOfxYYtvpoNo0eeyLg/s1600/3.5-stars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="97" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcnlKvcjTE32opxI-jjYURd5_kRgIrEXZw0bMKNAO36qEbT89JClfgRfwJQTxJ81MeMOqJ0s7wmIsrsX9RHjuzSK0M9zencCdHMho7ZoDK3BSUx4cw6grJWsBUXOOfxYYtvpoNo0eeyLg/s320/3.5-stars.jpg" width="320"></a></div>M.P. Andoneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01470972197953423108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1010971287061069115.post-15048873007213868422013-05-16T19:00:00.003-05:002013-05-16T19:00:27.009-05:00My Short Fiction Collection # 1 ("Death")<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Over the next couple of weeks, I will be posting some of my fiction pieces with the intent to ask for input. My question is really two-fold:</span></div>
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<li><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Is my fiction worthy, that is, is it something enjoyable, something that you would be willing to read in a magazine (if published), or in an e-Book, if I published one of my longer pieces?</span></li>
<li><span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Should I continue the story in the particular piece you're reading now, or would you call this a self-contained piece, and are you satisfied with this story? Do you want more pieces like this one?</span></li>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: justify;">So, without further ado, here is the first piece, which I wrote many years ago. Let me know what you think in the comments:</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Death</u></span></i></div>
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<i><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> On a dark Sunday afternoon, it was overcast and muggy, the heiress came to New York. For the first time in her life she could do anything she wanted. She was rich in more ways than money.</span></i></i><br />
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<i><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Rick was the first guy she met. He was an average kind of guy with an overbearing attitude. But, as everyone said: "he's a great son of a ..." He helps out people when they don't expect it. Mrs. Whitmore can attest to that. Anyway, Julia got an apartment above him, so, they were next ceiling neighbors. He figured she was rich; this was at the time he was expanding his business. So they met and started seeing each other regularly.</span></i></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">Julia didn't have any sisters or brothers, but her cousins flocked to New York trying to milk her dry of her money. She got Rick to turn them all away. Then Peter showed-up.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> She was still in love with him, although she hadn't seen him since she first left Iowa, two years before. "They were made for each other," she thought back then. Now though, she wasn't so sure. And what was love anyway, but a passing fad. How could she explain it to Peter without breaking his heart?</span></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> "This is Rick," she introduced the current man in her life to Peter. "He is my boyfriend."</span></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Peter wasn't impressed by Rick, but of course he was an SOB anyway, right? You could almost feel the electricity sparkle between them. Something was going to happen, something bad.</span></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> It was the night of the third. Julia was out with Rick. They were presently drinking at a local pub. Rick said, "I want your body." He didn't for goodness sake say, "I want your money," which is what he meant. Peter showed-up with a gun. It was a .45 with a silencer. He used it and the poor SOB Rick was dead. And then he killed Julia, the idiot. The heiress was gone along with her money.</span></i></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So, what did you think of this short fiction piece?<br />
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Please write your reviews in the comments section. </span><br />
<br />M.P. Andoneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01470972197953423108noreply@blogger.com0United States41.640078384678937 -88.4179687535.160955384678935 -98.745117249999993 48.119201384678938 -78.090820250000007tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1010971287061069115.post-24918281225294211522013-01-25T15:00:00.000-06:002020-04-23T19:25:00.267-05:001113. The Silk Code<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0812567757/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0812567757&linkCode=as2&tag=theherculesno-20" target="_blank"><img alt="The Silk Code photo The_Silk_Code.jpg" border="0" src="https://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x171/Hercules67/Book%20Covers/The_Silk_Code.jpg"></a><br />
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There are a number of <span style="background-color: yellow;"><i>FIRSTS</i></span> associated with this book. This was the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Levinson" target="_blank">author's</a> (<a href="http://paullevinson.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Paul Levinson</a>)<i> first</i> Published Novel. This was my <i>first</i> e-Book read on my new NOOK Reader. This was also the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Levinson" target="_blank">author's</a> preferred edition of his work (which as always I assume to mean has been reworked sort of like a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Director%27s_cut" target="_blank">"Director's Cut"</a> for a book)....It also marked the first appearance of forensics detective Dr. Phil D'Amato in "novel" form (he had appeared in the author's short stories).<br />
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So, with all that in mind and out of the way, let's lay out some background info. But before we do, it's important to understand what kind of book this is. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0812567757/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0812567757&linkCode=as2&tag=theherculesno-20" target="_blank">"The Silk Code"</a> is a Science Fiction novel with elements of a Scientific Mystery and a Detective Story. If your science fiction tastes run in the Space Opera category then this book is not for you. But you can look at it another way: Science Fiction does not only encompass classic Space Opera, Star Trek and Star Wars or Space Battles and Aliens; sometimes the Aliens are us, and the scientific discoveries are next door to us OR even in our own back-yard, here on planet Earth, the place we call home. And in the best, good Science Fiction, the Science part is just as important as the Fiction and you learn something from both, because in that story, and in its telling, you learn something about "yourself" and about what makes you human.<br />
<br />
The story in this Novel centers around Phil D'Amato, a forensics doctor/detective for the NYPD, sort of a cross between a medical examiner and a guy who gets out on the street to look for answers about the bodies that cross his lab table at the examiner's office. It all starts innocently enough when Phil and a friend are visiting the Amish people in Amish country in rural Pennsylvania at the request of his friend. His friend has something to show him. <i>{Ed: If you, dear reader, haven't gone to Amish country, you owe yourself the trip. Getting back to the review then.}</i> But for Phil and his friend, the trip is a little more than he bargained for, as he uncovers a shocking secret that the Amish have kept for hundreds of years, if not thousands. As one Amish Leader essentially tells Phil, not all human technology has to be of the shiny, mechanical variety. And some things (and people) are more advanced than we expect. Some technology is biological. The answer may lie within our own DNA. But who or what holds the key to that answer?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Paul Levinson spins a masterful yarn that spans over 1300 years from 750 AD to the present and it involves the Amish, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tocharians" target="_blank">Tocharians</a> and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neanderthal" target="_blank">Neanderthals</a>. This book was written at the close of the last century, and even with this revised edition, there are some things that will trip you up. For example, cell phone usage is not what you read or see in fiction today. On the other hand this novel (as all good science fiction novels should) was completely prophetic in acknowledging that <a href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/evolution/decoding-neanderthals.html" target="_blank">we know nothing about the Neanderthals</a> and they were not in fact the brutes that they have been portrayed in recent scientific literature (last 100 years or so). They were in fact more like us: they were artists, and singers, and fathers and mothers, and <i>THEY</i> survive in us today. There are people walking among us today carrying up to 4% or more of Neanderthal DNA.<br />
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Taking all these elements and spinning a tale out of them would be a feat for any writer. Building a tale and a world that is both believable, accessible to the casual reader -- and with that, I mean someone without a PhD in Biology -- can only be described as a major victory for a first Novel. This novel achieves what it sets out to do. It solves the two main mysteries at its core. It answers some major questions that are revealed along the way. It has a solid and believable cast. It is very entertaining and for me the right blend of suspense and exposition. Finally, it has an underlying mystery with enough unanswered questions left in the back of your mind, and Phil D'Amato's mind not to make you feel cheated, or to make you think that there is a sequel coming, but rather, to <b><i>make you THINK.</i></b> All great books achieve this symmetry. If all your questions were answered by great literature, would you continue to read after the first book, the second, the third? At what point would you stop? This book does this exceptionally well, and for this alone I would have recommended it. This is one of the best books I read in the last year and one of the best science fiction novels of all time, especially because of how it has predicted the last 10 years or so of Neanderthal discoveries. And Phil D'Amato is my kind of detective. Just the right blend of smarts and macho. Taken as a whole? I give this five stars -- easily. <br />
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M.P. Andoneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01470972197953423108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1010971287061069115.post-60435317879346635292012-11-28T15:38:00.001-06:002020-04-23T19:35:40.325-05:001110. Telegraph Avenue<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061493341/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0061493341&linkCode=as2&tag=theherculesno-20" target="_blank"><img alt="Telegraph Road photo Telegraph_Avenue.jpg" border="0" src="https://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x171/Hercules67/Book%20Covers/Telegraph_Avenue.jpg"></a><br />
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<br />
Right off the bat, I want to apologize to the Author, <a href="http://michaelchabon.com/" target="_blank">Michael Chabon</a> and to the publisher of this novel, Harper Collins. You see, I borrowed this book, based on reviews, and the reviews were awesome...(jeez, who uses awesome in a book review?) So off I went to my <a href="http://hmcpl.org/" target="_blank">Public Library</a>, and put my name on the waiting list. And after a long wait, the notification came that the book was ready for me to pick-up and read. So I did.<br />
<br />
I sat down, and I loved the prose. The language was beautiful. But before I get into any of that, let me just say, this book, is really my first <a href="http://michaelchabon.com/" target="_blank">Michael Chabon</a> book... Yes, I know a huge oversight. But believe it or not, I actually own ALL of his other works, I just have not had an opportunity to read them yet. And why not? Well, all of his works have been at one stage or another recommended to me, so I have scooped them up with the intent to read, but this was more immediate, because it was a Library Book, and I was on a schedule, and I needed to be done with it within a certain time frame.<br />
<br />
So maybe, that's the reason I did not like it and no other reason at all... I abandoned the book on page 64... I just could not get into these characters. The build-up of their story and their struggles, and the closing of the record shop on Telegraph Avenue just did not pique my curiosity enough to continue reading in the time allotted. Did I give the book a fair shake? I don't know. Did I give the author a fair shake? I don't know. I do plan to read the other <a href="http://michaelchabon.com/" target="_blank">Michael Chabon</a> novels that I own, and I plan to finish those... whenever I get to them. But as for this book, I don't know whether I'll have the time to go back to it, regardless of the build-up the book had as the "Great American Novel".<br />
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Since I did not finish it, I am not giving it any rating.<br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><i><b>PS. </b></i></span> <span style="color: purple;">Harper Collins: You're more than welcome to send me a copy of this book in Paperback and I'll give it another try, this time, I won't be constrained by time.</span>M.P. Andoneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01470972197953423108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1010971287061069115.post-30459822315729143632012-10-18T14:30:00.000-05:002020-04-23T19:35:15.206-05:001106. Gone Girl<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/030758836X/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=030758836X&linkCode=as2&tag=theherculesno-20" target="_blank"><img alt="Gone_Girl" border="0" src="https://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x171/Hercules67/Book%20Covers/Gone_Girl.jpg"></a><br />
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Sometimes what we think of as a successful marriage is not, and sometimes when we think people are putting on appearances, they're doing just that. They are putting on a show to hide how they really feel inside. The voice inside might be crying, might be yelling obscenities or bloody murder towards a loved one or the whole world, but sometimes a calm person walks on by you, bathed in the thin veneer of nothingness. Is this person shallow? Or have we just crossed paths with a sociopath or worse, a psychopath? We have many examples in real life of seemingly normal people "snapping" and hurting those next to them, whether coworkers, fellow students or random people. But what makes people sociopaths? Art, and fiction in its many forms have tried over the years to explore this issue. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Hitchcock" target="_blank">Alfred Hitchcock was really successful in exploring it</a> in some of his films, such as <i>Psycho</i>. Over the years, many writers have written some great and some not so great novels to investigate the issue, and explore it along with us. Into this space, comes <a href="http://gillian-flynn.com/about-gillian/" target="_blank">Gillian Flynn, a former Entertainment Weekly reporter</a>, writing her third published novel.<br />
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Considering that this is <a href="http://gillian-flynn.com/about-gillian/" target="_blank">Gillian Flynn's</a> third novel, and that both of her previous novels were successful commercially and with critics, there was little possibility this would be a flop, or a bad novel. The reality is that this novel has been on the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/best-sellers-books/2012-10-21/hardcover-fiction/list.html" target="_blank">best seller list for over 18 weeks</a>, a remarkable achievement which suggests that people really like the book. But more importantly, it suggests that the book is successful in navigating the subjects it tries to explore.<br />
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The story begins simply enough when housewife Amy Dunne disappears in the middle of a warm summer morning (I believe it's the 4th of July weekend). It's also Nick and Amy Dunne's Anniversary. <span style="color: #351c75;"><i>{ed: Why do so many people get married around the 4th of July?}</i></span> Nick returns home to find that Amy has disappeared and finds clues of a struggle. This is when he calls the police. Soon, two detectives arrive on the scene and the circus begins. Because you know or have seen or heard of cases like this on TV. After Amy's parents arrive, and the cops close in, secrets are revealed, and the tension builds as we, along with Nick, and everyone else, are marched forward to a dramatic precipice. The 24/7 climate of today's news and Internet culture takes cases like this and spins it out of control. There are TV pundits out there who would advocate for the missing wife, missing girl or boy, missing teenager, and have their picture on TV all the time, every night with guests who completely agree with her, prosecuting a case before an arrest is even made. This is an important factor in real life and Gillian Flynn incorporates it deftly into her book. Personally, I found it a bit distracting, but it does add to the characters' tension a bit, and in a way it provides a conduit of expression. Both Nick and Amy express themselves through how others perceive, so this is an important aspect of their personality.<br />
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I cannot give up any more of the plot and its twists and turns. It is very tense, and engaging. Is this a literary novel? Of course it's not. If you wanted a literary novel, you'd be reading <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_and_Punishment" target="_blank">"Crime and Punishment"</a>. I also would not recommend this book for anyone under age 21. Although it not a grisly novel, with blood and guts, and only mostly has a lot of language, it is very psychologically intense with a very mature subject. A well explored subject, but one that if someone who has not experienced certain aspects of life or is not familiar with them, would not be able to grasp what the book is saying. You can't ask a 16 year old girl to understand the give and take of marriage. Maybe she knows what goes on in a relationship at her age, but what makes a real, live, marriage work? The good and the bad? No. I am not saying a non-married person, a single person would not get this novel... Of course they would. But it gets some seasoning in life to really get it. A teenager would be completely lost in this book in my opinion.<br />
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And what about the sociopath, the psychopath? Who is the greatest among us? Is it the one who chooses to stay in an Epic Failure of a Marriage, an Epic Disaster of a Life, or the one that endures it all? Is this person a Hero instead? Does the book answer that question to your satisfaction? To me, it gives a voice to few things and makes me ponder some others in my own life. In other words, <span style="background-color: yellow;"><span style="color: purple;"><i>what else do you want from a great piece of fiction?</i></span></span><br />
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And easy 4.5 out 5 stars.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiqoIkf9v_Ef5DwspepCWnRyvLh7ynhyphenhyphendAL8dhyphenhyphenKcpLkrhQhASdEpLYqRiCsj58cS5X8m6ore0948AiOKwJhpUzK_r6LV8rVhbe1TGjFIQMvyA00gTwCFmih4arJlJnG7owiuS3p9MYn8/s1600/4.5-stars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="89" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiqoIkf9v_Ef5DwspepCWnRyvLh7ynhyphenhyphendAL8dhyphenhyphenKcpLkrhQhASdEpLYqRiCsj58cS5X8m6ore0948AiOKwJhpUzK_r6LV8rVhbe1TGjFIQMvyA00gTwCFmih4arJlJnG7owiuS3p9MYn8/s320/4.5-stars.jpg" width="320"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyiIIUKWLWwnfh6jWcXVQMrw7gHgoGwjuGaDEFKkyKdULdAPP9A_93BT1aeoLxxr7-XqUyqo7Z9U0IGvxb4wx1QT60P9BL7bQU-MUdXdsRozXPoLDMEDy9B-8YNSSXX7OwFFgCN8UBWW4/s1600/4-stars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
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M.P. Andoneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01470972197953423108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1010971287061069115.post-6921351914607067662012-07-17T17:54:00.000-05:002012-07-21T11:18:03.519-05:001101. A Gentleman's Game: A Queen and Country Novel<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0553584928/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thehernot01-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0553584928" target="_blank"><img alt="A Gentleman's Game" border="0" src="http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x171/Hercules67/Book%20Covers/A_Gentlemans_Game.jpg" /></a><br />
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I have never previously read any books by <a href="http://www.gregrucka.com/wp/" target="_blank">Greg Rucka</a>, a rather prolific writer who is well known for his Comics/Graphic Novel writing. He also has a recent novel out that has received some pretty good reviews, and on that alone, I put it on my "Want to Read" List, but have not purchased it. The characters in this novel are based on some <a href="http://www.gregrucka.com/wp/queen-and-country/" target="_blank">Comics he wrote for Oni Press</a> back a few years ago. Once again, I have to say that I have no knowledge of these Comic Books (more appropriately "Illustrated Books", because "comic" is such a childish term, but that's a discussion for another time....)<br />
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The book is the story of an espionage agent of the British Secret Intelligent Services (SIS) by the name of Tara Chase. She holds the position of Minder One, sort of a 001 (yes, even better than 007). She's not only a spy, she's also an infiltrator, an assassin, a lover when she needs to be and more. Tara does not play by any rules, but her own -- yes, I know, that's from the cover blurb, but it is apropos. In this book, we're living in a post-9/11 world, and the London subway is attacked... I wonder when <a href="http://www.gregrucka.com/wp/" target="_blank">Greg Rucka</a> wrote the book and published it in October of 2004, if the London authorities were paying attention to the vulnerabilities of their subway system. Within 10 months, the system was actually hit for real.<br />
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At any rate, the SIS is called upon by the HMG (Her Majesty's Government) to respond to the attacks by the radical Islamist faction that is responsible for carrying them out. That's when the real high stakes game begins. There is a lot of political back and forth, because of the players involved, but some back-stabbing takes place as well. Will the British Government do what's necessary in the end? How about the Americans? Where do they stand in this? In an interesting twist, the terrorists are not painted in simple tones and wide brushstrokes, but are actually fleshed-out a bit. There are even a couple of Israeli Operatives with roles to play.<br />
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Yes, there are things not to like about this book, but overall, this is a pretty good adventure/thriller/spy novel. Tara Chase is a convincing character, and you believe in her capabilities. In the end, this was a highly enjoyable read and I recommend it without hesitation. 4 stars out of 5.<br />
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<br />M.P. Andoneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01470972197953423108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1010971287061069115.post-17070599895252213672012-06-26T20:04:00.000-05:002020-04-23T19:31:24.168-05:001098. Under The Dome<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1439148503/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&tag=theherculesno-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1439148503" target="_blank"><img alt="Under The Dome" border="0" src="https://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x171/Hercules67/Book%20Covers/Under_The_Dome.jpg"></a><br />
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There is a very simple term to describe a book like this: <b>A "tour de force". </b><br />
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What would be the best way to describe a book, which in some ways is similar to the Author's, The Stand? A long book, a very long cast of characters (the cast includes all the residents of a small town in Maine, 2,000+ plus a couple of "dogs of note"), a decent plot, but most importantly the relationships that are put in strain when all these people are put (or forced to live) for a few days "Under the Dome." At the outset, it's also important to discuss a couple of really large <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elephant_in_the_room" target="_blank">"elephants in the room"</a>, related to this book. The first of these is the length, or size of this book. Now, I personally, have no problem with books exceeding 1,000 pages, but it must be said, a lot of readers are rather not interested in tackling such beasts. Would it interest you to know that I finished the last 250 pages of this book in one afternoon's sitting? That's like reading one novel in one day!<br />
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The second unmentioned thing of course it that this is a <a href="http://www.stephenking.com/index.html" target="_blank">Stephen King book</a>, so therefore, it must be scary, or gory, attributes that accompany most, if not all of his stories. It's hard for me to answer this one objectively, because of my personal experience with this author, and because of my personal belief that every author (especially a good author) is an evolving creature, that is, he or she is not born a GREAT writer, but even if he is a Great writer, can change over time, can alter his craft, can transform his craft to match the times, the era his writing addresses or to reflect the changes in his own personality. That's not to say that many great writers have not written garbage in their later years, or that many others have not produced brilliance for years on end. But to expect the same from an author every time something of his gets published is a big mistake. I enjoy this variability, and this is why I found some comments when this book came out baffling: "I won't read this book, because like all Stephen King books, it's going to be scary." That makes no sense. And so what if it's gory? Weren't some of Stephen's most gory novels, also the most psychologically taught? And that's assuming that I liked (or you, the reader liked) all of his other books. (For the record, I didn't -- but that's a different subject.) With all of that said, let's move to the story.<br />
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The story begins, innocently enough when Dale Barbara, a short order cook, formerly a lieutenant in the US Army is trying to leave "Chester's Mill", Maine. While this a fictional town, populated by fictional characters, as always, the things that happen to them have some roots in reality. Dale, or "Barbie" as his friends call him, is someone who served in Iraq and was a vital cog in the war effort there. But he has some difficult memories from his time while enlisted, and it is those memories that have made him a drifter. In this book, Barbie becomes the town's scapegoat, but at the same time maybe it's hero and savior? He starts of as a hunted man because of a fight outside the diner where he worked. This because he supposedly "raped" one of the waitresses, the ex-girlfriend of someone fairly important to the town, as we will find out.<br />
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Juxtaposed with Dale is the town's main Villain, James "Big Jim" Rennie, or is he the hero and savior of the town. Big Jim, is the town's Second Selectman, and is therefore elected to public office by the people of Chester's Mills. He is also a Used Car Salesman. As the<b> Second </b>selectman, he should not be that powerful, but he really is the power behind everything in Chester's Mills. From the banks, to the pharmacies, to the Funeral Home, to the Hospital, to the Christian Radio Station with the most powerful transmitter in the whole of New England. And it is at this Radio Station that one of this town's big secrets lies. Because you see, "Big Jim" is involved in some shady business dealings, and he uses patsies, that is, he uses others to cover his tracks.<br />
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On October 21, the day that is to be forever called "Dome Day", a powerful "force field" of some kind descents around the town practically following the exact outlines of the town limits. It's almost like taking a glass cup and trapping a fly or other bug under it on a flat surface. Only those trapped here are human beings. The top of the Dome extends high into the Atmosphere so that birds, insects and of course airplanes can not get in or out. As you imagine, there are plenty of "casualties" when "the Dome" first blinks into existence, whether human, or animal, and these, the author takes some time describing, including their implications. This exposition is classic Stephen King, but overall, considering what I said at the beginning is not that gory. And it really helps build the tension and draw you into the story.<br />
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Immediately following the appearance of "the Dome" comes the realization of its existence and what that implies. This again takes some time to work through, and involves some more mayhem, especially since people don't know how the "Dome" limits them (physically, but also socially). The town's Police Chief dies at this time when it's discovered that electronic devices (such as heart pacemakers) do not fare very well near the "Dome". This leaves Barbie with one less "ally" in town, since he is now trapped in Chester's Mill for the foreseeable future. One of the people who beat him, was Big Jim's son, Junior Rennie, and as the town convulses in the aftershocks of "Dome Day" it becomes apparent that Barbie has become public enemy number one.<br />
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What follows, apart from a great cast of characters, a great whodunit, because we're really interested in knowing the origin of "The Dome", and a simple power struggle between two people for the control of a town, is a great commentary on the last 10 to 12 years of American politics and sociology. Both the things that unite us and the things that divide us. There are references to the current President, references to the Iraq War, and references to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_war" target="_blank">"Culture War"</a>. Yet, none of that is as important as what shines through and what becomes the book's ultimate message. Man's struggle to overcome his circumstances, however overpowering those might be at any one time, and survive, despite what the odds might be. In the scheme of things, heroes, and goats, fight for what they believe is theirs, fight for theirs' and their family's stake and survival and achieve their 15 minutes of fame. They do so, because the whole world gathers outside the "Dome" to witness the events evolving in this little town in Maine.<br />
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I would like to place this book among some of the "great" books I have read in the past. It's strength does not lie in a great, "over-arching" idea, or a great, world-changing character. The strength of this novel lies in the myriads of day to day interactions of the thousands of residents of Chester's Mills, Maine, leaving us all to wonder how would you handle <b>"The Apocalypse?"</b><br />
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For me, an easy 5-star review: <br />
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M.P. Andoneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01470972197953423108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1010971287061069115.post-5501867565781084892012-06-12T18:45:00.000-05:002012-06-29T20:42:31.118-05:001097. End of Days<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0765329921/ref=as_li_tf_il?ie=UTF8&tag=thehernot01-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0765329921" target="_blank"><img alt="End Of Days" border="0" src="http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x171/Hercules67/Book%20Covers/End_Of_Days.jpg" /></a><br />
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It's hard to categorize this book by <a href="http://robertgleasonbooks.com/index.htm" target="_blank">author Robert Gleason</a>, a self-styled expert on all things apocalyptic, or things related to the end of the world, and the myth of <i>"2012 as the end of the world."</i> In simple terms, you can say that it is a Science-Fiction novel and it belongs in that sub-genre called Dystopian or Post-Apocalyptic Fiction. I have read a number of Dystopian novels in my time (especially lately), and this one does not crack my top 10, top 100, or top 1,000 (if I had read that many dystopian novels). It's execution leaves a lot to be desired. But let's take things from the top, shall we?<br />
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First of all, I was taken-in by the title of the book and the premise of the story. Additionaly, when I flipped to the back of the book jacket, I was hoodwinked (if I can be allowed to use that colloquialism) by such luminaries as Douglas Preston, an author I like, Stephen Coonts, ditto, and Steve Berry. There is more praise by Larry Bond and others. Honestly, having read these praises, I am not sure, if these folks actually read the same book I did, or were paid to say these things, because I seriously wonder about these opinions. But it's not for me to question another man's opinion. What I can do is tell you what I thought of this book.<br />
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The book started innocently enough by introducing Kate Magruder, a newsperson (anchorwoman?) of a major cable news outfit. The Cable News Outfit (not CNN, but MTN) is owned by her mother Lydia Lozen Magruder who is the great-granddaughter of a female Apache war-shaman. Lydia owns a multimedia empire (kinda sorta, a latter day Rupert Murdoch), and a bunch of other businesses, so she in effect entangled with the US Government who she supplies weapons to, and of course knows all the power players, all the way to the President. Her daughter Kate happens to be in Saudi Arabia covering the Hadj (the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca). While in Mecca, Kate sees her ex-husband, John Stone another journalist and employee of MTN who works directly for Lydia as he disappears into the crowd around Mecca.<br />
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This is important, because before John Stone disappears he informs Lydia via e-mail of some nefarious plans by a Russian general (who's name is Vladimir Malokov), obsessed with nuclear Armageddon. It becomes clear that even the Russian establishment does not know of his whereabouts. There also two Middle Eastern princesses who are the ones that have captured John Stone and have infiltrated the US Government at its highest levels. Meanwhile, there are forces moving unseen by everyone in the background, poised to strike. We are made aware, from the beginning of Russian Subs, maneuvering in the Atlantic full of nuclear weapons, being hunted by their own forces.<br />
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Now, all this seems like a fine story and it would be a pretty good story, on the face of it, BUT, (there is always the proverbial BUT, isn't there). Kate is an impudent child, who does not listen to her mother when she repeatedly asks her to come home, because she feels the "End" coming. Lydia of course keeps having those apocalyptic visions , and I would have appreciated that aspect of the book if it wasn't for so much else that went wrong... We're introduced to John Stone's ex-teammates (Baseball). One is in the Air Force, and is heading to an orbiting Space Station where an A.I. is in control. The other one is being transferred to a jail outside of Houston. Both of them end-up playing a prominent role in events. But so do, a rat <i>(yes, a rat),</i> the AI, someone named Cassandra who is some sort of seeress or prophetess, and the various weapons traveling this way and that.<br />
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So let's summarize, we have: <i>intelligent humans,</i> <i>Artificial Intelligence (computers),</i> and then, <i>intelligent Rats,</i> <i>a Seeress,</i> <i>Intelligent Weapons,</i> and in the end, a book that makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. Because I still don't understand the motivations of the people in the jail in Houston. What part do they serve in all of this? What drives Kate Magruder. Other than disobeying her mother, I see no motivation in her, She is a completely useless Human Being, and if the survival of the Human Race depended on her, we're doomed. But even more important that this, what motivates the people who initiate Armageddon? Do they do it for religious reasons, something else? Religion is mentioned, but I guess, only in passing. The people firing those weapons from their submarines end-up being just caricatures of humans. Their weapons, flying "in-glee" over the Earth, are more intelligent than them. All-in-all, a disappointing read, and a waste of my money. I would instead recommend the following:<br />
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<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/One-Second-After-William-Forstchen/dp/0765327252/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1341019618&sr=1-1&keywords=one+second+after" target="_blank">One Second After</a> by William Forstchen</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Without-Warning-John-Birmingham/dp/0345502906/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1341019723&sr=1-4&keywords=john+birmingham" target="_blank">Without Warning</a> by John Birmingham</li>
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These are just two of the Dystopian or Post-Apocalyptic books that I have read, that handle the subject matter <b>much, much better</b> than this book. As for this book, it is with a sad heart that I can only give it a one star out of five:<br />
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<br />M.P. Andoneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01470972197953423108noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1010971287061069115.post-41544022849602879242012-04-10T02:48:00.001-05:002012-04-10T02:48:30.987-05:00When the credits roll on a TV show...It used to be that the length of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Television_program" target="_blank">an hour long TV Drama was around 50 minutes</a> (or even 53 minutes for some episodes of The Original Star Trek Series). Sitcoms could last for as long as 25 to 30 minutes.<br />
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In today's modern, advertising friendly world, this is completely unacceptable. As advertising space has increased, actual running time, actual story space (the essence of what happens in the drama) has gone down to as little as 42 minutes for an hour-long show and 18 to 19 minutes for a sitcom that is supposed to be 30 minutes long.<br />
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A similar trend has been observed on Documentaries or even Faux-Documentaries as seen on The History Channel. Case in point the show "Ancient Aliens".<br />
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The problem, however, is not so much the reduction in content, which conceivably could cause a decrease in quality, <span style="font-size: small;"><i><b>but rather what happens when the credits roll in the end...</b></i></span><br />
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Too many shows─as of late─have been using the end (closing) credits to actually conclude the show. By that, I mean, they finish telling the story that has been running throughout the episode during the closing credits. I find this astounding and distracting as well as in bad form. The biggest culprit of this is the ABC show: <a href="http://beta.abc.go.com/shows/suburgatory" target="_blank">Suburgatory.</a><br />
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However, other networks do this quite a lot. I mentioned the History Channel previously. They do this on almost all of their shows, including <a href="http://www.history.com/shows/ancient-aliens" target="_blank">Ancient Aliens.</a><br />
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Why are TV Networks doing this?<br />
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The only thing I have figured out is that it's a tool they use against the users of DVR recording like myself. They actually want people to watch their shows LIVE. What a concept! Watch a TV show LIVE? That is so outdated and outmoded! With DVR technology and time-shifting and the power to watch what I want, when I want, YOU, the TV Networks will never have that power over me. If you continue to insist and play these game with the closing credits, one of two things are going to happen:<br />
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<li>I, and many viewers like me, will give up on your stupid show.</li>
<li>Or, we will continue to time shift, ignoring your pathetic attempts to block us.</li>
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Please understand, the technology is here, the tool is powerful, and it give us control over our lives. And control is all about making our lives better. So no, we will not give in to you. So, give up this obsession of running your show during the closing credits.<b style="color: #4c1130;"> IT'S ANNOYING!</b> Thanks.M.P. Andoneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01470972197953423108noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1010971287061069115.post-68587760114842002612012-04-10T02:01:00.001-05:002012-04-23T00:36:31.776-05:00Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN Contributor has a best sellerWhy doesn't that surprise me? Of course he does! His name is Dr. Sanjay Gupta! Oh look, he wrote a novel! And oh look, we constantly advertise it and promote it on our crawl at the bottom of all our stations, there fore it becomes a best-seller:<br />
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<a href="http://www.usatoday.com/life/books/news/story/2012-03-12/sanjay-gupta-monday-mornings/53490624/1" target="_blank">Monday Mornings</a><br />
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Of course one has to answer the question: If he was not a CNN contributor / reporter, would his book be promoted as much? Probably not. And if it was not promoted as much, would people buy it to make it a best-seller? Probably not!<br />
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<a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2012/03/13/health/gupta-novel-show-kelley/" target="_blank">Dr. Gupta's New Novel</a><br />
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I am not going to make any qualitative statements about this book, and neither am I going to read it or review it, unless CNN and/or Dr. Sanjay Gupta sends me a FREE copy. why the heck should I read it? What makes it such a great read after all? Because some TV personality wrote it? How about the two novels I've written? How would they become best-sellers? See how that works?<br />
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Precisely...No one, at least in the real world, cares.<br />
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<br />M.P. Andoneehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01470972197953423108noreply@blogger.com0