[SPOILERS]
Preamble: Usually, I try to review books… to make an comprehensive argument for their merit and worth or lack thereof. In this case, however, it seems to be a somewhat pointless exercise. Collins’ trilogy thoroughly saturates the media these days, and with over 7000 reviews on Amazon, I’m unlikely to make a case that hasn’t been made before.… Read the rest
[NO SPOILERS]
Usually, I try to review books… to make an comprehensive argument for their merit and worth or lack thereof. In this case, however, it seems to be a somewhat pointless exercise. Collins’ trilogy thoroughly saturates the media these days, and with over 7000 reviews on Amazon, I’m unlikely to make a case that hasn’t been made before. … Read the rest
I find that the Wylie “Dummies” books are hit-or-miss; it really depends on the rigor and experience of the individual author and, to a lesser extent, the abstraction of the topic. Consistent strong points are a layman’s approach to any subject; you really are getting an introduction that doesn’t require a strong background or special knowledge.… Read the rest
The ’60s for Dummies, by Brian Cassity and Maxine Levaren Read More »
Penguin’s annotated edition of Count Magnus and Other Ghost Stories, representing approximately half the entries of the more comprehensive Collected Ghost Stories, is a fitting introduction to one of the most famous British ghost storytellers. This comes as a bit of a shock when reading the actual stories, however, for their perspective and narrative stylings are almost alien to what you’d find in more contemporary collections, whether these subscribe to the gory cult of horror or the more restrained evocation of suspense.… Read the rest
Count Magnus and Other Ghost Stories, by M.R. James Read More »
The Ghost Pirates is an interesting early case of polished, ambitious, evocative literature hiding in the guise of pulp horror. Some reviewers have likened William Hope Hodgson to both Joseph Conrad and H.P. Lovecraft, and both comparisons are apt. With titles like Heart of Darkness and The Secret Sharer, Conrad expressed the confusion and peril of a hostile environment, the mystery, the potential for exploitation, and the psychic toll of a life lived in marginal, undelineated spaces.… Read the rest
The Ghost Pirates, by William Hope Hodgson Read More »
There are a lot of nice things I could say about The Mosquito Song, written by fellow-U of Cer and Mathewsnik M.L. Kennedy. It’s short and fast, which will make it nice for plains and trains and brief reprieves from wrestling a squirming toddler. … Read the rest
The Mosquito Song, by M.L. Kennedy Read More »
No, unfortunately I don’t have that first edition with the magnificent cover.
So here it is: Jim Thompson’s most famous and notorious work. I’m a little surprised I made it this long without reading it, but life is short and there is a whole lot to read.… Read the rest
Review: The Killer Inside Me by Jim Thompson Read More »
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All children’s books do not age equally.
In some cases, like the nature stories of Eric Carle or the epics of Margaret Wise Brown, the date of the story is almost invisible, because the subject is so universal and well-told.… Read the rest
The Little Fire Engine, by Lois Lenski Read More »
My World, by Margaret Wise Brown Read More »
If you enter Chicago from the east along I-94 or I-90 you would cross city limits at the Indiana-Illinois border or at the Calumet River. According to this book, however, you would seemingly not enter Chicago until you reached Roosevelt Road after another dozen-or-so miles.… Read the rest
Monday Review: Lonely Planet Chicago City Guide, by Karla Zimmerman Read More »