I've started and stopped reading three books since the end of the Oppenheimer one and nothing is really striking my fancy.
Thankfully I'm well ahead even without having been as dedicated to reading as I like
Monday, March 30, 2009
Books 16: The Ruin of J. Robert Oppenheimer
I wrapped this several days ago and frankly there isn't much worth discussing here.
The book is fascinating and Oppenheimer got screwed, but this book spends much of its time setting up villains and praising Oppenheimer that you'd get the impression that he was a perfect little lamb while Teller was a fame thieving jerk.
You'd be better off watching the PBS Nova special The Trials of Oppenheimer than you would reading this book.
I saw it described as a Hagiography and that is the perfect terminology for this tome.
The book is fascinating and Oppenheimer got screwed, but this book spends much of its time setting up villains and praising Oppenheimer that you'd get the impression that he was a perfect little lamb while Teller was a fame thieving jerk.
You'd be better off watching the PBS Nova special The Trials of Oppenheimer than you would reading this book.
I saw it described as a Hagiography and that is the perfect terminology for this tome.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Book 15: A Pretty Face
Rafeal Reig has just put himself on my radar, and it's thanks to a suggestion by Jessa Crispin over at the NPR Book section. This is a very, very quick read (which somehow still took me nearly a week) that deals with a ghost who looks back on her life while also looking to see who murered her. But this isn't really a genre book by any means. This isn't about a crackling plot or last minute twists to keep you into the night.
It's really more about the life we live and the memories we leave behind. And as a ghost, would we have the ability to look back without romantcizing the elements which we've been familiar with.
The last two "chapters" (there are breaks, but not numbered chapters per se) are some incredible writing, which even in (the occasonally sloppy) translation struck true.
Any attempt to say much more would be a disservice to the book and to any potential readers.
The link above includes a good excerpt which should give you a good idea if you'd like to read the rest of it.
It's really more about the life we live and the memories we leave behind. And as a ghost, would we have the ability to look back without romantcizing the elements which we've been familiar with.
The last two "chapters" (there are breaks, but not numbered chapters per se) are some incredible writing, which even in (the occasonally sloppy) translation struck true.
Any attempt to say much more would be a disservice to the book and to any potential readers.
The link above includes a good excerpt which should give you a good idea if you'd like to read the rest of it.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Interlude: Good Reads
I keep forgetting I have a profile on this site, so I update it fairly rarely. I was hoping that intertwining this project with that website would lead to adequate enough reminders but that doesn't seem to be the case unfortunately.
Regardless, I just thought I'd share my profile should anyone want to "friend" me.
Regardless, I just thought I'd share my profile should anyone want to "friend" me.
Book 14: Apocalypse Movies
Just as I suspected. Well done, but shallow overview of the genre. It succeeded in making me add Kevin Costner's The Postman to my Netflix queue after making a somewhat passionate argument for it.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Interlude: stumbling toward prolifancy
Three back to back yet shallow posts. Amazing.
I am trying an experiment to purchase less books. I have a bit of an issue with buying something because it looks really interesting, then when I am available to devote my full interest to the book, my capricious nature has tended to move on.
I'm trying to avoid this rather expensive habit so I am not purchasing any books for the next two weeks, which means that I will have to make do with the many, many unread books I have until then.
I'm probably going to wrap Apocalypse Movies tonight, and was thinking of moving on to A Pretty Face, a surreal book from Spain about a woman trying to solve her own murder with the help of a mad scientist.
I am trying an experiment to purchase less books. I have a bit of an issue with buying something because it looks really interesting, then when I am available to devote my full interest to the book, my capricious nature has tended to move on.
I'm trying to avoid this rather expensive habit so I am not purchasing any books for the next two weeks, which means that I will have to make do with the many, many unread books I have until then.
I'm probably going to wrap Apocalypse Movies tonight, and was thinking of moving on to A Pretty Face, a surreal book from Spain about a woman trying to solve her own murder with the help of a mad scientist.
New Book: Apocalypse Movies
I've been a fan of Kim Newman for a while, having chanced across his Anno Dracula series in the 90's and have become aware of his excellent film writing in the past decade or so since I started to pick up Video Watchdog fairly regularly.
Apocalypse Movies is so far a largely shallow examination of films which deal with radical alterations to society. The chapters are broken down by thematic elements and some films will make repeated appearances due to their nature.
So far, there's nothing really mind blowing to me, no great original insights, but the writing is fast and breezy and it's an enjoyable way to spend a train ride.
If you're interested, yet unfamiliar, then this book may be an enjoyable read, however, my criteria with regards to film books being "good" or not is "Does the book make me add movies to my Netflix Queue?" This may not be fair criteria for this book as this is territory I have managed to cover on my own.
Apocalypse Movies is so far a largely shallow examination of films which deal with radical alterations to society. The chapters are broken down by thematic elements and some films will make repeated appearances due to their nature.
So far, there's nothing really mind blowing to me, no great original insights, but the writing is fast and breezy and it's an enjoyable way to spend a train ride.
If you're interested, yet unfamiliar, then this book may be an enjoyable read, however, my criteria with regards to film books being "good" or not is "Does the book make me add movies to my Netflix Queue?" This may not be fair criteria for this book as this is territory I have managed to cover on my own.
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