Book Talk

 So, after last week’s mammoth post I was wondering what I’d be writing about this week. I’m compiling notes for an indepth review of the game Cyberpunk 2077; I thought I could write that this week, but I don’t think I’m ready yet. I haven’t talked about books I’ve read for a while, and now seems as good a time as any. So I’m just going to go through some of the few recent books I’ve read. 

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

Madeline Miller’s first novel, this is a retelling of Greek myth that canonizes the speculated romantic relationship between Achilles and Patroclus during the Iliad. It’s a perfectly fine, but truth be told I wasn’t really into the central relationship. If you’re familiar with the Iliad, you’ll be relieved to see that the circumstances of Patroclus’ death remain mostly the same, with only a few deviations. Miller goes into greater detail for the cause of Achilles and Agamemnon’s feud. The real genius of the story, and the reason I’d recommend the book at all, is that  fictionalized account of Patroclus’ childhood. It bleeds seamlessly into rest of the story, and creates a compelling character out of an ancient archetype

Side Note: I really should reread the Odyssey before Nolan’s adaptation comes out. That would be fun. 

Carol or The Price of Salt by Patricia Highsmith

Patricia Highsmith published this lesbian love story under a pseudonym in 1952. While lesbian / queer fiction was nothing new at the time, it was mostly relegated to under the counter, pulply pornography that usually ended badly for all characters. Carol defies it’s peers by being a non-pornographic romance with a relatively happy ending which has proved vital to it’s enduring charm. It’s a dreamy story of a young woman pulled off her feet by her first true love, and I won’t lie, it feels amazing to finish the story and realize that she could continue that love affair. 

Practical Demonkeeping by Christopher Moore

Christopher Moore’s niche is quirky, comedic fantasy novels that draws humor from a Lynchian juxtaposition of the supernatural and the frustrating. It’s very Terry Pratchett, come to think of it. Practical Demonkeeping is about a 90 year old teenager who has been the personal master of a demon since 1919. openly hating the demonic fucker, Travis tries to get rid of it in a variety of ways when he stumbles into the Northern Californian town Pine Cove. Hilarity, witches, genies, and a whoooooole lotta murder ensue. It’s fine. I didn’t laugh as often as I have with Terry Pratchett books, but I still think you should read it. 

Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman 

Speaking of Terry Pratchett. This was a reread for me as I was anticipating the third season of Good Omens and I wanted to refresh for the story. As it happens, the series adapted the book almost perfectly within the first season, and the second and third were built off an idea Pratchett and his writing partner Neil Gaiman had for a sequel. I’ll discuss it more when I review the show (possibly my next post.)

The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro

Did you enjoy Downton Abbey but thought that its endless melodramatic plotlines needed reining in? Well here’s a novel about only a few dramatic plotlines set in the generations after Downton Abbey official ended. It follows the prim and proper Stevens, butler to the late Lord Darlington. Stevens narrates the last few years of Darlington’s life - slowly revealing that Darlington had been a Nazi sympathizer who fell into disgrace following the end of WWII. Told in parallel is the tale of Stevens’ doomed romance with his fellow servant Miss Kenton, a romance doomed because Stevens is unable to be personable in any way shape or form. It’s a sad story, watching a man unable to admit the faults of the man he had pledged to serve or to see him painfully unable to admit his obvious feelings. It’s a good book and will probably end up on my best of the year list. 

Nine Dragons by Michael Connelly

I’ve been a fan of Michael Connelly’s Harry Bosch novels for a few years now, and I’m pleased to say that this one remains as taught as the previous entries. I kinda prefer the Lincoln Lawyer books, so I’m happy to see Mickey Haller make a brief appearance in this entry. Despite some heavy subject matter and a slightly unbelievable plot, this is a decent entry in the Bosch series, and if you want a rip-raoring crime yarn, here you go. 

Leonardo da Vinci by Walter Isaacson

Although this is the first one of his books I’ve read, I’m not the biggest fan of Walter Isaacson. Something about his Steve Jobs and Elon Musk biographies haven’t really struck a chord with me. I dunno why, I think that they seem a little “great man theory” on the surface. Fortunately, Isaacson’s biogrpahy of Leonardo da Vinci is a good introduction to his writing style. It’s perfectly serviceable as a life story, even if it does occasionally feel like a TED-Talk on how much the modern world owes Leonardo. 

Faggots by Larry Kramer

This one... this was a lot and I’m not entirely certain how I feel about it. Faggots by Larry Kramer is the story of New York’s gay scene in the 1970’s. Yes, plot wise it’s about only a few people searching for love, but in all actuality, it really is about New York’s gay scene. It’s a deeply unpleasant satire about how flippant, image obsessed, and sex-hungry gay culture was in the 1970’s. Kramer’s characters obviously want something deeper. Noble goal for any character, hell, any person. The problem is the book has more than a whiff of self-loathing homophobia in it. It’s hard to say that any of the characters in the story feel like anything other than characters. It’s also chock full of gratuitous sexual content that’s clearly not meant as pornography. This is a heavily mixed recommendation for me. 

Moby-Dick by Herman Melville

I’m surprised I got through this one in a week, but I’m glad I did. It’s as good as everyone says it is. Strongly recommend. 

The Carpool Detectives by Chuck Hogan 

This was a surprise. A true crime story that’s not overly sensationalized, that focuses on the investigation processes, and features down to earth investigators who are likable and not at all exploitative of their subject matter? “There’s no fucking way,” you scoff. ‘Oh yes there is,’ I say. It’s a story we’ve all heard before: A group of people become obsessed with a 15 year cold case murder, and become determined to crack it after meeting with the surviving family members of the victims. The catch? The investigators are four mothers who are bored during COVID lockdown. In between raising their families and dealing with the stress of the pandemic, they spend a hall of a long time digging up this cold case as a way of staying sane. The best part? - Outside of this being a true story? They succeed. Great read, highly recommend.