Category: Book Reviews
Blood Rites
Blood Rites by Jim Butcher, 3/5
An abundance of one-line groaners and an entertaining plot make this a fun read (albeit not one I’m proud to be seen with in public).
[Why I read it: this series is a guilty pleasure and gives my brain a welcome break from more serious literature.]
Barchester Towers
Barchester Towers by Anthony Trollope, 5/5
Simply put, this is one of the funniest and most entertaining books I have ever read; the characters, scenarios and author’s commentary (Trollope breaks the fourth wall frequently) had me laughing out loud throughout and I was sorry to reach the last page. Trollope’s delightfully fresh writing style and lack of idealized, stereotypical characters, combined with an unrelenting derision of organised religion’s faults make this novel stand out from others in its genre. The continuing trials of meek Mr. Harding, the romantic perils encountered by his widowed daughter, the clerical ambitions of hateful Mr. Slope, and a cast of other new and fascinating characters form a literary enterprise that is even more enjoyable than the first book in the series, The Warden.
[Why I read it: I enjoyed the first book in the series immensely.]
QED
QED: The Strange Theory of Light and Matter by Richard Feynman, 5/5
Most of this book hinges on the bizarre idea of adding amplitude arrows to calculate the probability of certain events happening. Probability equals the square of the length of an arrow, while the arrow’s direction is determined by the ending position of an imaginary stopwatch’s rotating hand, which turns during the event. Surprisingly, this unintuitive concept explains a number of phenomena, from iridescence to why light appears to travel in straight lines to the focusing effect lenses have on light.
Of this book’s four chapters, I found the first two to be challenging but reasonably accessible, while the following two became increasingly confusing as the concepts became more complex and Feynman’s patience for explanations seemed to wear thin (if straightforward explanations are even possible, which I almost doubt). I wish to reread the entire book at a later date and hopefully increase my understanding of the strange concepts it portrays.
[Why I read it: I love reading about quantum physics and have lately been on a Feynman binge.]
Death Masks
Death Masks by Jim Butcher, 2/5
Many fans promise that Butcher only starts to hit his stride as the series continues, but I felt that this fifth book was generally less appealing than its predecessors. The plot was thin, the characters lacklustre and overall I felt it was missing that “so bad it’s good” quality that made the earlier books enjoyable. Also, there were a couple pages where the “adult tone” mentioned in the commendatory cover quote was a little too adult for me.
[Why I read it: sometimes I need a break from the 19th century literature and books on quantum physics.]
The Warden
The Warden by Anthony Trollope, 5/5
This sweet little novel is about a mild churchman named Septimus Harding, whose quiet life and untested convictions are disrupted by scandal instigated by church reformer, would-be suitor to his daughter, and family friend, John Bold. The story is as simple as its characters, but this is no reproach: there is a sweetness and authenticity to Trollope’s style that charms and warms, while avoiding the over-sentimentality and contrivance that plagues much 19th-century literature.
[Why I read it: I seemed to encounter more Trollope novels on the shelves of bookstores in Hay-on-Wye than any other author (including Dickens), which made me curious.]
Alfred and Guinevere
Alfred and Guinevere by James Schuyler, 3/5
This short novel is told exclusively through the conversations and diary entries of eponymous siblings. I am always suspicious of the words adults put into children’s mouths (they never seem quite authentic to me) and found this effort dull overall, despite a few amusing interactions. Also, the consistent lack of dialogue tags made it difficult to keep track of who was speaking. I could imagine this book appealing to some people, especially connoisseurs of literature featuring children, but it just didn’t interest me at all.
[Why I read it: While perusing actor Bill Nighy’s filmography, I came across the movie The Young Visiters (also starring the fantastic Hugh Laurie), which is rather unique in that it is based on a story written by a nine-year-old. I loved the movie and, while researching the story, read a review that also happened to mention Alfred and Guinevere very positively, making me want to read it.]
The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat
The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Other Clinical Tales by Oliver Sacks, 5/5
This book provides a fascinating, if somewhat unscientific and possibly semi-exploitative, exploration of the myriad ways the human brain can go wrong. From the woman who suddenly lost track of her body’s whereabouts, to the one who lost all concept of “left” and the ex-sailor who was inexplicably stuck 30 years in the past—many of the illnesses described in this book are beyond imagination.
[Why I read it: an intriguing title and one of those famous books that has been on my radar for a while.]
Give and Take
Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success by Adam Grant, 4/5
This book explores the characteristics, strengths and weaknesses of “givers” (both “otherish” and “selfless”) compared to “takers” and “matchers,” analyzing why givers are more likely to experience extremes of failure or success. Grant illustrates his points with numerous interviews and psychological studies/experiments performed by himself and others, which he works skillfully into the text. This isn’t one of those unsatisfying, modern self-help books that have little original thought and substance to contribute–Grant has something to offer and he doesn’t waste your time.
[Why I read it: So annoying: I can’t remember what put this book on my radar!]
Mossad
Mossad: The Greatest Missions of the Israeli Secret Service by Michael Bar-Zohar and Nissim Mishal, 4/5
This book contains purportedly true stories that I would have thought only existed in the minds of spy-movie screenwriters. The writing style isn’t very polished and there are lots of dates and foreign names floating around, but I appreciated the long list of sources in the back and the fact that the authors conducted numerous interviews with people who had first-hand experience with the events described in the book.
It’s one thing to enjoy a cool story involving spies, assassination, and intrigue, but when it involves real people and events, ethical issues arise. I’m all for killing the baddies before they kill you, but car-bombing foreign scientists and their wives seems questionable. As does hunting down and murdering war criminals without trial. A couple times, the authors fell back on the Talmudic proverb: “If someone comes to kill you–rise up and kill him first,” but this seems weak justification, given Mossad’s tendency toward the preemptive. In saying this, I am questioning, not criticizing, the ethicality of many of the missions described in this book. I am in no position to understand Israel’s situation, surrounded by countries who actively desire to obliterate them. The U.S.’s neighbors are more kind; perhaps I would be out assassinating Canadian scientists with no compunction if their country were developing nuclear weapons and intended to destroy us.
Ethical concerns about specific missions aside, it is clear from this book that Israel is a kickass nation and their saga of survival is almost beyond belief.
P.S. I just came across this relevant bit of humour in the film The Constant Gardener:
Tessa: “I thought you spies knew everything, Tim.”
Tim: “Only God knows everything. He works for Mossad.”
[Why I read it: the title caught my eye while I was browsing in the library.]
Six Easy Pieces
Six Easy Pieces: The Fundamentals of Physics Explained by Richard P. Feynman, 5/5
This book contains six accessible, non-technical lectures from Feynman’s famous Caltech physics course:
1. Atoms in Motion
2. Basic Physics
3. The Relation of Physics to Other Sciences
4. Conservation of Energy
5. The Theory of Gravitation
6. Quantum Behavior
Feynman’s genius, contagious enthusiasm, conversational tone, ability to simplify concepts without dumbing them down, and knack for creating memorable explanations, combine to form a book that allows non-geniuses like myself an intoxicating glimpse into the dazzling world of physics.
[Why I read it: I admit I’m a bit addicted to having my mind blown by theoretical and quantum physics. Also, I had previously developed a minor crush on Feynman during a lecture by my college physics teacher, who had an even bigger crush on him. So when I came across this book in Hay-on-Wye, it was a no-brainer to buy it.]
OmniRambles 