Is everything that I write here fact? Is it possible that I write some things to provoke a reaction? Is it possible that parts are exaggerated or completely fictitious? Am I writing this post to stay out of jail? Am I a perverted, old drug addict who will do anything to get a cock in my mouth? I'm not going to answer these questions, unless you are willing to give me a lot of money, piss and or cum. Answeres may be true, but I offer no guarantee.
Thursday, November 29, 2018
Thoughts on Five Books
I have not posted anything since reading these five books: The Rule of Four by Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thomason, Salvador by Joan Didion, White People by Allan Gurganus, Dark Rivers of the Heart by Dean Koontz and Laments for the Living by Dorothy Parker. This is a mixed assortment of books. There is some entertaining reading, some mediocre reading and some poor writing. At least one book is a mix of mediocre and terrible writing.
The Rule of Four by Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thomason is an entertaining, well-written book about students and scholars who are trying to disentangle the mysteries behind Hypnerotomachia Poliphili, an Italian book published during the Fifteenth Century. A couple of people who are studying the book are murdered along the way. It is a book that kept my interest. The main characters are likable, and I came to care about them. I would like to read other books by Ian Caldwell.
Salvador by Joan Didion has been compared to The Jaguar Smile by Salman Rushdie. The latter is an excellent book, but the book by Joan Didion has been overrated. The book does contain some excellent writing, but those parts are quotations from the works of other writers. The writing of Ms. Didion ranges from poor to mediocre. There are parts that, even after reading several times did not make any sense. She write, "There were a number of metaphors to be found in this earthquake, not the least of them being that one major building to suffer extensive damage happened also to be the major building most specifically and elaborately designed to withstand earthquakes." How is this a metaphor? In one place she wrote about documents being given to the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligent. At first the wrote that these documents had belonged to one man, then she said that they were given to him by someone else. In the notes on the dust jacket it is said that because of this book the author was seen as "one of the most distinguished and acute observers of people, places and feelings in American writing today." The author wrote, "I am indebted most of all to my husband, John Gregory Dunne, who was with me in El Salvador and whose notes on, memories about, and interpretations of events there enlarged and informed my own perception of the place." I wonder how many ideas expressed in the book were her own. I did learn some from this book in spite of the low quality of the writing.
White People: Stories and Novellas by Allan Gurganus is an example of why, in my opinion, creative writing classes tend to harm the creativity of the writer. The writing of people who teach and/or study these classes seems to lack something. There are some pieces that are almost enjoyable. They fall short though. "Blessed Assurance" is a novella about a man who sold funeral insurance to poor African Americans. This novella is the closest to be a satisfying read. I am not really interested in reading anything else by the author. The writing in these pieces tends to be prudish. I think that the title of the book is a poor choice.
Dark Rivers of the Heart is the first book that I have read by Dean Koontz. It is mostly an entertaining book. How two of the main characters meet seems a bit shaky, but they are likable. The plot is interesting even though some descriptions are more detailed than necessary. The ending is unsatisfactory. It seems that the author realized that the book was long enough, and he brought it to an abrupt end. I am interested in writing other of his novels, but it is not a high priority.
Laments for the Living: Collected Stories by Dorothy Parker is excellent reading. There is her usual mix of wit, sadness and thought-provoking writing. The stories deal with relations between the sexes, race relations and other topics. There seem to be characters that are gay and lesbian even though this is not explicitly stated. It is interesting to see how much American English has changed over the years. I think that is a shame that not paid to her writing today.
The Rule of Four by Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thomason is an entertaining, well-written book about students and scholars who are trying to disentangle the mysteries behind Hypnerotomachia Poliphili, an Italian book published during the Fifteenth Century. A couple of people who are studying the book are murdered along the way. It is a book that kept my interest. The main characters are likable, and I came to care about them. I would like to read other books by Ian Caldwell.
Salvador by Joan Didion has been compared to The Jaguar Smile by Salman Rushdie. The latter is an excellent book, but the book by Joan Didion has been overrated. The book does contain some excellent writing, but those parts are quotations from the works of other writers. The writing of Ms. Didion ranges from poor to mediocre. There are parts that, even after reading several times did not make any sense. She write, "There were a number of metaphors to be found in this earthquake, not the least of them being that one major building to suffer extensive damage happened also to be the major building most specifically and elaborately designed to withstand earthquakes." How is this a metaphor? In one place she wrote about documents being given to the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligent. At first the wrote that these documents had belonged to one man, then she said that they were given to him by someone else. In the notes on the dust jacket it is said that because of this book the author was seen as "one of the most distinguished and acute observers of people, places and feelings in American writing today." The author wrote, "I am indebted most of all to my husband, John Gregory Dunne, who was with me in El Salvador and whose notes on, memories about, and interpretations of events there enlarged and informed my own perception of the place." I wonder how many ideas expressed in the book were her own. I did learn some from this book in spite of the low quality of the writing.
White People: Stories and Novellas by Allan Gurganus is an example of why, in my opinion, creative writing classes tend to harm the creativity of the writer. The writing of people who teach and/or study these classes seems to lack something. There are some pieces that are almost enjoyable. They fall short though. "Blessed Assurance" is a novella about a man who sold funeral insurance to poor African Americans. This novella is the closest to be a satisfying read. I am not really interested in reading anything else by the author. The writing in these pieces tends to be prudish. I think that the title of the book is a poor choice.
Dark Rivers of the Heart is the first book that I have read by Dean Koontz. It is mostly an entertaining book. How two of the main characters meet seems a bit shaky, but they are likable. The plot is interesting even though some descriptions are more detailed than necessary. The ending is unsatisfactory. It seems that the author realized that the book was long enough, and he brought it to an abrupt end. I am interested in writing other of his novels, but it is not a high priority.
Laments for the Living: Collected Stories by Dorothy Parker is excellent reading. There is her usual mix of wit, sadness and thought-provoking writing. The stories deal with relations between the sexes, race relations and other topics. There seem to be characters that are gay and lesbian even though this is not explicitly stated. It is interesting to see how much American English has changed over the years. I think that is a shame that not paid to her writing today.
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