Priceless Paintings from W7

In all my reading of fantasy literature, I find it interesting to observe a common understanding of some fundamental building blocks that make magic:

• Magic is ancient, often related with the old language or the old tongue.
• Dragons are, or were, the grand masters of magic.
• The first law of thermodynamics holds; a magician exercising magic loses energy in the process.

I guess you could also argue this demonstrates the limited fantasy of fantasy writers, and I guess there’d be some truth in this claim. It’s just incredibly hard to come up with novel ideas that are original and intriguing.

These days, I take pleasure in reading Anne Bishop’s Black Jewels Trilogy. I struggle to describe these books as great fantasy and reserve this label for the insane craze of George R. R. Martin’s truly epic and insanely complex Songs of Ice and Fire. But, Anne Bishop brings in a new twist and a fresh air into the business. Saetan, the High Lord of Hell (and other places) is a pretty loveable and only very human figure. You’ll always be glad to be back in the safety of Hell. Many of the characters are delightful even though they all seem static, either good or bad, with little character development.

Ah well, that’s where George is needed. If you need to kill the time until A Dance With Dragons finally comes out, Anne Bishop’s Black Jewels isn’t the worst choice.

Books, Thoughts Books, fantasy

Some while ago, I recommended Michael Malone’s Handling Sin, a wonderfully hilarious novel about life’s most outer reaches of sanity. I have now read his latest offering, The Four Corners of the Sky. 

While not quite as hilarious, The Four Corners of the Sky is one of the nicest books I read in a long time. Amusing, engaging, with a good dose of good old romance. You won’t want to put it down until you’re done.

Highly recommended.

Books America, Books

I used to think nurses were women,
I used to think police were men,
I used to think poets were boring,
Until I became one of them.

The BBC quoted this poem in their Mastercrafts program on stained glass, and the poem is now cited in a new stained glass featuring in a school in Peckham, south London.

I was intrigued and consulted with a popular Internet search engine, and thus discovered a poet called Benjamin Zephaniah. What a great guy! Well worded, non-boring, non-traditionalist, inventive, fresh. I also like Wot a Pair.

Read it for yourself, and read it aloud. It’s right here.

Books, Thoughts BBC, BBC Television, book

In Educating Rita, the famous exam question is Suggest how you would resolve the staging difficulties inherent in a production of Ibsen’s Peer Gynt. (script)

I notice they have now turned Audrey Niffenegger’s brilliant novel The Time Traveler’s Wife into a movie. I can’t help wondering how they resolve the staging difficulties inherent in this book.

A good reason to watch the movie, and an even better reason to read the book again.

Books, Thoughts Books, movie

Here’s an excellent example how not to write a guidebook: John Macadam’s recently released official National Trail Guide to the South West Cost Path from Padstow to Falmouth (amazon) – yes, the exact book that covers the stretch we walked recently.

Much rambling, some background information, and close to nothing in terms of guidance is provided. While most of the path is well marked and the basics are simple (keep the water to your left when walking east to west), some sections are tricky. Finding the way out of town, or finding the right path amid a network of paths crossing the dunes, for example, can be tricky. This is where one likes consulting a guidebook, but this one fails to come to the rescue.

Since the map for each walk is spread over multiple pages, it is often difficult to judge the current position relative to the walk. Little hints like “you’ve reached the half-way point,”  “better don’t take lunch just yet. There’s a steep climb ahead and a brilliant Cafe in the next bay” or similar information of that nature is the kind of stuff I look for in a guide book.

I recall at least one occasion (which I fail to find and quote now), he talks about a nature feature or historic aspect, and then proceeds discussing the next feature or historic aspect, ignoring the 6 mile distance between the two.

A good thing each of the guidebooks which cover the entire path between them is written by a different author. Or maybe they should have sought someone who knows how to write a guidebook and given the job to that person. Oh, never mind.

Yes, you should be walking the South West Cost Path. Its brilliant. No, you should not be buying this book. Its a waste of money. Take your common sense instead, and an OS map, and you’ll be fine. 

Books, Out and About Books, coast path, cornwall, hiking

Fresh bread gives me a terrible heartburn, but since it is so very nice (the fresh bread, I mean), I am right in the middle of a bread making and baking frenzy. I keep both milk and Rennies in stock for the heartburn. I wanted to tell you about the bread, though.

Normally, I use a Panasonic SD-255 bread maker. It makes super bread and dough, and does it all for me. I throw yeast, flour, salt and water in the trough, select the program, set the timer, go to bed and awake to the most wonderful freshly baked bread. It’s quick, clean, simple, and delicious.

But.

I love little more than playing with my new oven, and I have recently discovered Richard Bertinet’s Dough (which is also available in German). He makes a couple of good points about the whole process, and has a lot of really nice recipes.

I made the most wonderful Focaccia, served Tomato Soup in eatable freshly baked bread bowls, made a variety of breads, tried (and failed) making the puff balls (green leaf salad inside a hollow bread ball). Roast tomato, garlic and olive bread, more Focaccia, more puffball experiments, more fresh and crispy bread are all coming up soon. 

So. Richard Bertinet. Highly recommended.

Books, Food and Drink Books, bread maker, cooking, Kitchen, recipe

You won’t believe it: On my old days, I had managed to overcome a temporary fantasy addiction (which had lasted for a year or two), only to suffer a setback:

I have started reading George R. R. Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire. I’ve done the first 500-something pages, and still know the main characteristics of most characters. That’s a lot, if you know me, and if you know the magnitude of George R. R. Martin’s epos.

There’s the likeable ones: several underdogs and some of those in power. Those with a sub-zero IQ and a mind focussed on appearances and, mostly, self. Some clever and some annoying ones. All together weave various nets of conspiracy and complications, it’s quite an accomplishment.

Of course, I know what outcome to expect. All I need to do now is read the remaining 6000-something pages to see my theory confirmed.

Easy!

Books, Thoughts Books, fantasy, reading

Speaking of grumpy old men, here’s a book warning, and a book recommendation.

The warning is about Paolo Coelho’s The Alchemist. I bought and read it, because I was lead to believe that this is a household essential in America. Poor America.

It’s a long time since I was so insulted by a book. The pretty thin book delivers a single morale, sickenly repeated and spread thickly more than anyone can endure, and it does make sure that you get the point. It goes like so:

Sentence one tells you what is about to happen, and why. Sentence two repeats part of the statements made in sentence one, just in case you didn’t get it. Sentence three describes what sentence one already announced, number four explains the moral (confirming the expectations raised in previous sentences). Then it moves on to repeat the same spiel over and over again, but doesn’t even bother changing the moral at all.

Try living your dream, is what the book says. It’s not very difficult to say, is it?

Now nice and completely refreshing on the other hand is Sarah Gruen’s Water for Elephants. A lovely story, told by a 91-year old man, who looks back on his live with a circus during the years of the Great Depression.

Water for Elephants. Highly recommended.

The Alchemist. You have been warned.

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Books, Thoughts Paulo Coelho, Sarah Gruen, United States

I like a good read. In particular at times when work takes a heavy toll, I like a book that doesn’t take much intellect but provides an enjoyable reading. So, have now finished all four of the currently published Dragonkeeper Chronicles by Donita K. Paul.

When The Golden Compass came out, some German critic wrote (quoting from memory here) What utter nonsense! Talking bears!

You’ll have to understand the basic concept of fantasy novels to appreciate the Dragonkeeper Chronicles, but if you do, you will find that the fit the bill perfectly. Not yet another Lord of the Rings rewrite, and quite a few novel and appealing ideas. Most appealing of course is the idea of the minor dragons; dragons no bigger than a small cat that vary in shape, colour and magical qualities.

The protagonists face difficult challenges which tend to dissolve; it’s all too easy when you are travelling with a group of senior wizards, apparently. The books are also too religious for my liking, but apart from those two negative points, they do make for great entertaining reading without drawing too much on my brains.

On the upside, nice and entertaining stories with some fresh ideas, and the almost complete absence of that pompous language that often dominates fantasy literature. Behold! The King! – none of that thanks goodness.

Books Fever

This one is for Karen R. of my favourite home away from home:

I read Ann Patchett‘s The Magician’s Assistant recently. I didn’t buy it on recommendation but purely when browsing a book store. When buying through browsing, my selection process is not very scientific: the front cover must be nice to look at, the title must sound nice and promising, and the synopsis on the back must not make me thing “not this subject (again).” So, it’s a bit of a hit and miss, although I have often done well and rarely failed miserably.

Same with Ann’s Magician and his assistant. A very well written and quite loveable novel with this melancholic atmosphere that always compare to the taste of very dark chocolate: its bitter and sweet at the same time. And so you fall in love with the magician’s assistant, who slowly discovers the truth about the magician’s life following his death, and ends up discovering much more about herself.

Very readable, and highly recommended, even though I thought the outcome a little predictable – a rare event for me. The Magician’s Assistant.

Books

When I started reading Joanne Harris‘ first fantasy and most recent offering, Runemarks, I thought in some dismissive way “Hmmm… She certainly read her Harry Potter and her Tom Holt.”

While she almost certainly has, she also pulls off a nice and unique story of her own.

None for the must-read list, but nice nevertheless.

Books Joanne Harris

I have just finished reading this book -quite literally a few minutes prior to writing this post-. The book is Dingley Falls by Michael Malone.  I reviewed another of his novels before, but this one is different achievement all by itself!

In Dingley Falls, Malone shows how much he understands human nature. While Handling Sin (the one that I reviewed earlier) really showed the fantastic and grotesque ways of life, Dingley Falls shows the reality of life in front of a grotesque -but nevertheless realistic- backdrop of -well.. life, really.

It’s hard to explain where the fascination lies. The story is funny in places and sad in others. There are chapters where you read and want the action to proceed, but he knows better and takes twenty extra pages to explain what goes on in the various minds. The major players, the minor ones, and in some strange way, your own. In retrospect, I think those are the most delightful ones, even though I had to chew hard through the first 100 pages or so. Don’t worry. There’re fire hundred more waiting for you.

Books Michael Malone

So, what kind of books do you like?

Oh my God. I envy those who like reading romance. Or crime, sci-fi, horror, comics, or even the phone book. I envy them, because they can simply say

I like reading romance (or crime, sci-fi, horror, comics, or the phone book. Replace as appropriate).

Truth of the matter is, I like reading those novels that go off into the bizarre, somewhat unreal, while not losing the plot entirely and staying with interesting characters. Novels like Handling Sin, Saving Fish from Drowning, or Kafka On the Shore make good examples for the kind of book that I like. Here’s another one:

Tom Holt’s Portable Door. Hugely enjoyable, and if you also prefer not to read romance or crime or sci-fi or what-not, then this should be high up on your list.

Books, Thoughts Tom Holt;

Have a look at your book shelf. Go on, look closely.

What do you see? Books. Good. Closer…No?

All right. Let me tell you. You see books with their titles printed on the spine. Some have a thick spine and the words run left to right (or right to left in some countries).

Most books you’ll find have the title running top to bottom. You need to tilt your head to the right in order to read the title. If you read English or American books, that is. If you read German books, you’d have to tilt your head to the left and read the print on the spine bottom-up. If you read both English and German books, your head violently shakes from right to left and back to the right again as you browse your book shelves.

How funny that there is this country or language-specific rule. I wonder if other countries also have a related preference and what that might be. Who’s the odd one out – Anglo-Saxons or Germans?

Books, Thoughts

I found another little treasure for you: Michael Malone‘s Handling Sin. It’s been a long time since I had so much fun with a book, and I mean this in a decidedly asexual way (huh?).

Michael Malone manages the delicate, and often hilarious, split between Tom Sharpe and John Irving. Or, maybe he’s just a fluent writer who manages to capture those completely over-the-top crazy farces of life. Stuff that makes me laugh out loud while reading (a rare event), then think "yeah yeah that’s a bit too far fetched," only then to think "hang on, maybe not."

Whether you find it crazy, or real, or crazy because its so real, or maybe even the other way round, I am pretty sure you will like this book. I couldn’t get enough of it.

photo © Natthawut Kulnirundorn for openphoto.net CC:Attribution-ShareAlike

Books John Irving, Michael Malone, Tom Sharpe;