Empire Falls, Maine: once a thriving hub of industry, this small town nestles in a bend of the vast and winding Knox River, and has always been the empire of the wealthy Whiting family. Now the last Mrs Whiting presides like a black widow spider over its declining fortunes. She harbours a grudge against her employee Miles Groby, who runs the Whiting-owned Empire Grill, but hopes one day to own it himself. Miles, gentle and hopeless, has other problems: his wife has run off with his worst customer, he frets about his adored teenage daughter, and his drunken father sponges off everyone.
As the novel builds to a shocking climax, Russo constantly surprises with characters who will disarm you, a plot with as many twists and falls as the Knox River itself, and an ending that will make the hairs stand up on the back of your neck.
Currently reading three things at once, hoping one of them catches on:
I got this because it seemed interesting and was on sale for $1.99 at kindle. I really need to stop doing that because I have such a huge backlog of interesting seeming books. Anyway, I'm having a hard time getting into it because the author seems a bit excessively verbose. Too many big words to say small things. Which I guess I should have known from a book with "vicissitude" in the title. It's not that I'm opposed to improving my vocabulary; it just feels a little awkward or clumsy. Like I can't see the story for the sentences.
I loved Eating the Dinosaur, but this one isn't doing it for me. Maybe it's a little past it's expiration date? I mean, what is The Real World? Who is Pamela Anderson?
Probably the winner of the three. Available free from Small Beer Press, and like all of the Small Beer Press collections I've read (this is my fifth; and I owe thanks to someone here for Small Beer Press) it's full of short stories that go nowhere I thought possible. The second story in was a continuation of Flannery O'Connor's "A Good Man is Hard to Find" from the point of view of the Killer, well sort of.
@Dr. Mutex, I wasn't a nerd in the '70's; well ok I was but I only reached age 7 that decade; but I'm willing to bet a lot of those nerds lusted after hot counterculture girls even more than an Altair whateveritwas, and you know the military guys wanted that too, so maybe there is a connection there after all.
@Dr. Mutex - "I'm typing this on a keyboard made in China, so clearly emusers is connected to evil global companies and oppressed workers." Love this line. Should be the new tagline for emusers.
@Dr. mutex, lol, yeah, the three line summary's easy to refute, though the keyboard from China thing's a straw man in relation to the actual argument, which is not about objects coming from other countries (or evil empires). Like I said, however, the Mardi Gras thing is just a passing example and there certainly are gaps in the discussion of that. Interesting (and perhaps a bit more telling than you'd like) though.
Just got this in my hot little hands. I've been meaning to get this FINAL book in the series since its release on Jan. 8, but hadn't managed it yet. A co-worker loaned it to me today. She finished the 900+ pages in record speed - it had her up reading all night Monday (literally - she was still reading when her alarm clock went off), and finished the final 60 pages the following night. She said the first 250-300 pages is a little slow, but once you hit around the 300-mark, you can't put it down.
I will read this with great anticipation and also a little trepidation. I want it to end, yet I don't want it to end.
@Kez infinite gold stars for finishing the Wheel of Time Series (soon). Maybe sometime I'll do it, but not for awhile. Sadly, the takes 250-300 pages to warm up sounds like a typical Jordan novel from this series.
I'm reading Octavia Butler's "Lillith's Brood" scifi trilogy, the first of which is "Dawn", which I'm half way through and loving. When I google image searched for the cover a lot of pics of the original release (which was only 1987, not that long ago) came up. Sadly telling that despite the main character being African-American (as is the only other human character in it so far, and Butler herself) this is what they slapped on the front. The more recent ones at least seem to feature Lilith as she is described.
@kargatron - I know some authors. "Quiet desperation" is more like it for the covers. The authors are resigned to the fact that the publishers are the experts at moving product. If you're a rock star like Stephen King, you can get what you want on the cover, although if you're King, the only thing you need on the cover is "Stephen King" and the title. Lesser beings can ask nicely, but rarely get much say. The cover of the DeMarco book I'm reading is part of a painting by DeMarco. He's definitely a rock star in his field and as an author.
Speaking of Dancing With Bears, @choiceweb0pen0 said he was disappointed it wasn't a book about dancing with bears. While the title makes the comparison between the two activities, it's not a theme in the book. The title comes from the Dr Seuss song, My Uncle Terwilliger Waltzes with Bears which begins:
My Uncle Terwilliger waltzes with bears.
It's a terrible, terrible state of affairs.
Every Saturday night, he creeps down our back stairs,
Sneaks out of our house to go waltzing with bears.
@Germanprof - I've not read the book so it's not surprising I went astray. As for telling more than I might like, I am an unabashed liar and a master of deception. You shouldn't believe anything I say, especially this sentence.
I realize there are few if any other comics people on this board, but:
Edward R Hamilton has all 3 vols for 10 bucks a pop. We are living in the Golden Age of comics reprints, in case you didn't know it.
@elwood - I hope you enjoy, it is great, but quite expensive. An appartment is therefore a good idea, as eating out is really expensive. But the scenery is amazing. One place , Pingevar I think, you can actually have one foot in America and the other in Europe geologically speaking. We want to go back to go all around the coastal route. If you get the chance go out ot the waterfalls as they arre amazing (But maybe not if you have seen Niagara...) I'll see if I can add one or two photos later.
Iceland! I spent a day and a half there in 2001 thanks to using Iceland air to get to Europe and not having quite enough time to get two flights that flew on the same day. Other than when I ordered a cold, creamy fish dish by mistake/ignorance, I had a great time. I was especially taken back by the alien landscapes when I took a Golden Ring tour.
@Bad Thoughts, thanks for reminding me that I need to get a more complete set of the Sagas, I have a __very__ abridged version that includes some verse as well. While searching I stumbled on The Icelandic Saga Database which has them available as epubs so I can toss them on my Nook, though I'm thinking for the trip itself a proper book would be nice. Also, looking at picking up Independent People by Halld
Independent People is basically my favourite novel so I heartily recommend a read. Also know who is Iceland's only Nobel Prize winner is a great trivia question. ;-)
Just finished the 14th and final volume of the Wheel Of Time series (that's a lot of subway commutes) and am pretty well satisfied with the finale. The three posthumous volumes, coauthored by Brandon Sanderson, redeemed the series for me after the doldrums of volumes 7 through 10 where it was kind of dragging and feeling overly drawn out. Was very happy that the last three were written in a straight timeline, as opposed to many of the previous volumes where major characters would not be seen hardly if at all for a whole book or two while the focus was elsewhere and then a lot of time was wasted rehashing events. @Kez - although I've now had enough fists of Trollocs for a lifetime, I am sorry to say goodbye to some of these characters, especially since we've gotten to know some of them better over the last volumes.
Next subway project might be the delayed re-read of A Dance With Dragons, to see if my initial ambivalence about it's content and direction have changed.
I've only just started learning French but part of the reason is because I listen to so much Cajun/Zydeco/Creole/Quebec folk music (yes, yes I know they're not exactly the same but you have to start somewhere. Alliance Francaise de Sydney doesn't offer Cajun classes alas ...) so I'm dipping into this:
I am reading an advance copy of this very weird fiction, very weird, but I have enjoyed it. The Gulag Archipelago with a hint of Exorcist filtered through a Philip K. Dick bad acid trip just about sums it up.
EDIT - OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!(delivered a la Sam Kinison).
I take back all the good feelings I had about this book, and they were good, right until the ending - oh, wait it doesn't really have an ending. It's a freaking bridge to nowhere. WTF!
Maybe someday I'll find out that they left it out of the advance copy by mistake. But I'm not optimistic.
Comments
Empire Falls, Maine: once a thriving hub of industry, this small town nestles in a bend of the vast and winding Knox River, and has always been the empire of the wealthy Whiting family. Now the last Mrs Whiting presides like a black widow spider over its declining fortunes. She harbours a grudge against her employee Miles Groby, who runs the Whiting-owned Empire Grill, but hopes one day to own it himself. Miles, gentle and hopeless, has other problems: his wife has run off with his worst customer, he frets about his adored teenage daughter, and his drunken father sponges off everyone.
As the novel builds to a shocking climax, Russo constantly surprises with characters who will disarm you, a plot with as many twists and falls as the Knox River itself, and an ending that will make the hairs stand up on the back of your neck.
I got this because it seemed interesting and was on sale for $1.99 at kindle. I really need to stop doing that because I have such a huge backlog of interesting seeming books. Anyway, I'm having a hard time getting into it because the author seems a bit excessively verbose. Too many big words to say small things. Which I guess I should have known from a book with "vicissitude" in the title. It's not that I'm opposed to improving my vocabulary; it just feels a little awkward or clumsy. Like I can't see the story for the sentences.
I loved Eating the Dinosaur, but this one isn't doing it for me. Maybe it's a little past it's expiration date? I mean, what is The Real World? Who is Pamela Anderson?
Probably the winner of the three. Available free from Small Beer Press, and like all of the Small Beer Press collections I've read (this is my fifth; and I owe thanks to someone here for Small Beer Press) it's full of short stories that go nowhere I thought possible. The second story in was a continuation of Flannery O'Connor's "A Good Man is Hard to Find" from the point of view of the Killer, well sort of.
Just got this in my hot little hands. I've been meaning to get this FINAL book in the series since its release on Jan. 8, but hadn't managed it yet. A co-worker loaned it to me today. She finished the 900+ pages in record speed - it had her up reading all night Monday (literally - she was still reading when her alarm clock went off), and finished the final 60 pages the following night. She said the first 250-300 pages is a little slow, but once you hit around the 300-mark, you can't put it down.
I will read this with great anticipation and also a little trepidation. I want it to end, yet I don't want it to end.
Speaking of Dancing With Bears, @choiceweb0pen0 said he was disappointed it wasn't a book about dancing with bears. While the title makes the comparison between the two activities, it's not a theme in the book. The title comes from the Dr Seuss song, My Uncle Terwilliger Waltzes with Bears which begins:
@Germanprof - I've not read the book so it's not surprising I went astray. As for telling more than I might like, I am an unabashed liar and a master of deception. You shouldn't believe anything I say, especially this sentence.
Nice to meet you. I'm an attorney.
Craig
Made me double down on my marathon beard which is now a healthy three inches long, hoping for six by race day.
Reading at the moment...
Pretty much a Spanish Bladerunner.
Tickets have been bought, apartment booked, car rental secured, now to wait the longest wait for April to arrive.
I realize there are few if any other comics people on this board, but:
Edward R Hamilton has all 3 vols for 10 bucks a pop. We are living in the Golden Age of comics reprints, in case you didn't know it.
Needs more Grice. Although you could be from Malagasy.
Almost through this now on a sporadic dipping basis. Thrift store find. Several really good ones.
This collection is itself one of my favorite pieces of literature. However, if you are an attorney, you should check out:
Then:
now
and
I certainly could. Some people call me Maurice.
We all lie. Only the least trustworthy members of society deny it*. The best liars write novels, act, practice law, or go into politics.
*As a general rule the ones who think they have no faults are the ones you need to watch the most carefully.
Every Spy a Prince: The Complete History of Israel's Intelligence Community by Raviv and Melman.- (hardcover). As I mentioned earlier, the new book, Spies Against Armageddon came out last year.
@Kez - although I've now had enough fists of Trollocs for a lifetime, I am sorry to say goodbye to some of these characters, especially since we've gotten to know some of them better over the last volumes.
Next subway project might be the delayed re-read of A Dance With Dragons, to see if my initial ambivalence about it's content and direction have changed.
Reynolds is almost always a treat. This was a good one.
EDIT - OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!(delivered a la Sam Kinison).
I take back all the good feelings I had about this book, and they were good, right until the ending - oh, wait it doesn't really have an ending. It's a freaking bridge to nowhere. WTF!
Maybe someday I'll find out that they left it out of the advance copy by mistake. But I'm not optimistic.