Completed Carl's R.I.P. Challenge with 9 books read. Of course, I still have one in progress, but it will have to be a November book as I'm going to continue with a few more gothic or spooky books.
Here are the books I read for the challenge; some of which were on my original list and some of which were not:
Renfield: Slave of Dracula by Barbara Hambly
Homebody by Orson Scott Card
Rebel Angels by Libba Bray
The Last Apprentice by Joseph Delaney
The Sisters Grimm by Michael Buckley
The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins
Season of the Witch by Natasha Mostert
A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray
Dissolution by C. J. Sansom
My favorites are highlighted. These three were far and away the most enjoyable reads.
Great fun once again, Carl! Thanks!
Showing posts with label R.I.P. II. Show all posts
Showing posts with label R.I.P. II. Show all posts
Thursday, November 01, 2007
Friday, October 05, 2007
Renfield Addendum
Something I intended to mention in connection with the novel was the fact that Hambly introduces Wotan (Odin) in the manifestation of Renfield's madness, especially in connection to Wagner's operatic version.
Odin, Odhinn, Woden, Wotan - Ruler of the Æsir, God of the runes, inspiration, shamanism, magic and war. God of the hanged and the Wild Hunt; God of storm, rain and harvest. A shape-shifter, he makes men mad or possessed with a blind raging fury. He produces the battle panic called "battle-fetter". Three different frenzies or madness are his gifts to humankind: the warrior in battle, the seer in trance, and the poet in creativity. Subtle, wily, mysterious and dangerous, he often ignores pacts made in honor with humans. Attended by his two ravens, two wolves and the Valkyries. Feared by ordinary people and worshiped only by princes, poets, the berzerkers, and sorcerers. Unpredictable when invoked... (from Norse Gods, Goddesses, Giants, Dwarves and Wights)
There are certain similarities that make Hambly's choice of Wotan in connection with Renfield's first obsession a good one as Renfield functions as a harbinger of Dracula, and the Wotan myth presages the Dracula myth. Another interesting aspect is the subtle connection Hambly makes with Germany's preoccupation with Wagner, especially The Ring cycle, (and Wagner's Wotan is the Wotan to whom Renfield refers) to the minor character Gelhorn who has an obsession with the superiority of the German race and a makes an almost throw-away prediction to future historical events.
Odin, Odhinn, Woden, Wotan - Ruler of the Æsir, God of the runes, inspiration, shamanism, magic and war. God of the hanged and the Wild Hunt; God of storm, rain and harvest. A shape-shifter, he makes men mad or possessed with a blind raging fury. He produces the battle panic called "battle-fetter". Three different frenzies or madness are his gifts to humankind: the warrior in battle, the seer in trance, and the poet in creativity. Subtle, wily, mysterious and dangerous, he often ignores pacts made in honor with humans. Attended by his two ravens, two wolves and the Valkyries. Feared by ordinary people and worshiped only by princes, poets, the berzerkers, and sorcerers. Unpredictable when invoked... (from Norse Gods, Goddesses, Giants, Dwarves and Wights)
There are certain similarities that make Hambly's choice of Wotan in connection with Renfield's first obsession a good one as Renfield functions as a harbinger of Dracula, and the Wotan myth presages the Dracula myth. Another interesting aspect is the subtle connection Hambly makes with Germany's preoccupation with Wagner, especially The Ring cycle, (and Wagner's Wotan is the Wotan to whom Renfield refers) to the minor character Gelhorn who has an obsession with the superiority of the German race and a makes an almost throw-away prediction to future historical events.
Thursday, October 04, 2007
Finished, In Progress, and TBR
I've been busy lately and am trying now to catch up with my blog reading (and posting, I guess).
Finished Renfield (thanks, Chris, for this recommendation!) Will review soon, but if you are a fan of Bram Stoker's Dracula, this one should be on your list. An excellent R.I.P. Challenge book.
I've been reading more of Flannery O'Connor's letters (The Habit of Being: Letters of Flannery O'Connor) and am determined to finish this one before the end of the year. The letters retain their zest and with each return to them, after either brief or lengthy absences, O'Connor charms me anew. I've posted at least 10 times about these letters, and my book is full (FULL) of sticky notes and highlighting. I know that some of you cringe at highlighting and annotation, but this book will never leave my possession, and I need to be able to refer to some of the funny, humane, fascinating stuff that catches my attention. She flat-out amazes me and my admiration only grows each time I return to the book.
M.F.K. Fisher's The Art of Eating has been sidelined for a while. I'd rather eat than read about eating at the moment. As mentioned previously, this one is a long term project, nothing like the novels I (excuse the metaphor) gobble up.
Started The Lace Reader last night, and I'm enthralled. An ARC from Gary at Flap Jacket Press, I picked it up at random after finishing Renfield, because I didn't have the energy to think about choosing the next book to read, then found I couldn't put it down.
I received a copy of The Thirteenth Tale from Simon & Schuster, and since I'd read Diane Setterfield's wonderful novel last year and loved it, I passed it on to my sister-in-law. Hopefully, it will make its way through the teachers' lounge and gain wider prominence. As those of you who have read and enjoyed it know, the book is a delicious play on all of our favorite Gothic novels, from The Woman in White to Rebecca (and many others). I gave a short review here. My thanks to the folks at Simon & Schuster for sending me a copy so I could share the pleasure.
New books received from Anna at FSB: Definitive Guide to Cancer: An Integrative Approach to Prevention, Treatment, and Healing (hopefully, only to be used because of an interest in the use of alternative and integrative medicine) and The Dead Guy Interviews: Conversations with 45 of the Most Accomplished, Notorious, and Deceased Personalities in History. The first one I expect to find both interesting and enlightening. The second, I think, may need to be taken in very small doses.
From Monica at Beacon Press: 60 On Up: The Truth About Aging in America. Well, of course, this one speaks to me! On the other hand, it may also have much to offer even to those who are nowhere close, but whose parents and grandparents fall into this category. As I have a little over a year left to go before reaching that marker, I am looking not only at my own entry into this group, but at my father, aunts, uncles, friends, and teachers who have reached the "on up" portion. Sobering.
This is hilarious. Found it at Basset Knitter.
Finished Renfield (thanks, Chris, for this recommendation!) Will review soon, but if you are a fan of Bram Stoker's Dracula, this one should be on your list. An excellent R.I.P. Challenge book.
I've been reading more of Flannery O'Connor's letters (The Habit of Being: Letters of Flannery O'Connor) and am determined to finish this one before the end of the year. The letters retain their zest and with each return to them, after either brief or lengthy absences, O'Connor charms me anew. I've posted at least 10 times about these letters, and my book is full (FULL) of sticky notes and highlighting. I know that some of you cringe at highlighting and annotation, but this book will never leave my possession, and I need to be able to refer to some of the funny, humane, fascinating stuff that catches my attention. She flat-out amazes me and my admiration only grows each time I return to the book.
M.F.K. Fisher's The Art of Eating has been sidelined for a while. I'd rather eat than read about eating at the moment. As mentioned previously, this one is a long term project, nothing like the novels I (excuse the metaphor) gobble up.
Started The Lace Reader last night, and I'm enthralled. An ARC from Gary at Flap Jacket Press, I picked it up at random after finishing Renfield, because I didn't have the energy to think about choosing the next book to read, then found I couldn't put it down.
I received a copy of The Thirteenth Tale from Simon & Schuster, and since I'd read Diane Setterfield's wonderful novel last year and loved it, I passed it on to my sister-in-law. Hopefully, it will make its way through the teachers' lounge and gain wider prominence. As those of you who have read and enjoyed it know, the book is a delicious play on all of our favorite Gothic novels, from The Woman in White to Rebecca (and many others). I gave a short review here. My thanks to the folks at Simon & Schuster for sending me a copy so I could share the pleasure.
New books received from Anna at FSB: Definitive Guide to Cancer: An Integrative Approach to Prevention, Treatment, and Healing (hopefully, only to be used because of an interest in the use of alternative and integrative medicine) and The Dead Guy Interviews: Conversations with 45 of the Most Accomplished, Notorious, and Deceased Personalities in History. The first one I expect to find both interesting and enlightening. The second, I think, may need to be taken in very small doses.
From Monica at Beacon Press: 60 On Up: The Truth About Aging in America. Well, of course, this one speaks to me! On the other hand, it may also have much to offer even to those who are nowhere close, but whose parents and grandparents fall into this category. As I have a little over a year left to go before reaching that marker, I am looking not only at my own entry into this group, but at my father, aunts, uncles, friends, and teachers who have reached the "on up" portion. Sobering.
This is hilarious. Found it at Basset Knitter.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Homebody (R.I.P & Cardathon - Becky said we could start early)
Card, Orson Scott. Homebody. A haunted house, a ghost, and a man still grieving over the loss of his daughter are the central elements in this novel. Don Lark makes a living by renovating houses, bringing them back to life, and then buying another to renovate. The Bellamy Mansion, however, which Lark purchases with this end in mind, is powerful in its own right and is capable (to a certain degree) of healing itself.
My problem with this book is that the twists and turns did not always seem to have a genuine purpose. Cindy, the real estate agent, is initially quite interesting, but for some reason, the plot turns, and she becomes merely pathetic before disappearing entirely. The neighbors seem to have deserved their own novel (I liked the characters of Miz Judy and Miz Evvie better than any others), but their circumstances were not sufficiently explained for me. Maybe Card himself wasn't sure where the story was going and let it develop as he wrote; but editing (both eliminating false leads and/or expanding certain aspects including the Bellamy family) would have led to a more cohesive novel. Don and Sylvie were almost too ambivalent about anything and everything.
When I finished, I remembered that Chris said that this was not his favorite Card novel, so I looked at several reviews and found that many Card fans were less involved with this one. Of course, any author as prolific as Card is going to have a flawed novel here and there.
Fiction. Suspense/ supernatural. 1998. 432 pages.
Saturday, August 25, 2007
R. I. P.
Here is a list of some of the books I'm interested in forSeason of the Witch by Natasha Mostert (finished)
The Last Apprentice by Joseph Delaney
The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins (in process)
Dissolution by C.J. Sansom (finished)
New Moon by Stephanie Meyer
The Uses of Enchantment by Heidi Julavits
A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray (finished)
Clermont by Regina Maria Roche
Homebody by Orson Scott Card
Ghostwalk by Rebecca Stott
A Beautiful Blue Death by Charles Finch
The Book of Air and Shadows by Micahel Gruber
A Good and Happy Child by Justin Evans
The Savage Garden by Mark Mills
The Monster Hunter's Handbook: The Ultimate Guide to Saving Mankind from Vampires, Zombies, Hellhounds, and Other Mythical Beasts by Ibrahim Amin
I am looking forward to this challenge. My first book will be Season of the Witch, but after that I'm not sure which direction to take. Carl offers several variations or Perils, but I'm just going for the first Peril, and will read whatever I choose that fits the eerie, Gothic, ghostly, suspense, terror category (as determined by moi).
This is reading indulgence of the first caliber. It was great fun last year and should be even better this year! In fact, last year my reading went on after the challenge ended because November is surely a Gothic Month.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)