treasure island

I think I read Treasure Island for a book report in middle school--which was called junior high school where I grew up. This was before I was a reader and I recall this book, like the others I was forced to read at the time, was a slog. Not so this time around! Robert Louis Stevenson wrote this, in the 1880s; it was originally published serialized in something called Young Folks under a pseudonym in 1881 and 1882, and first published in novel form by Cassell & Co., of London, under the author's name.

The story is set in the 1700s, and is one of the first to popularize pirates and buried treasure. According to the Wikipedia article, a lot of what we think of when we think of pirates, namely "deserted tropical islands, treasure maps marked with an "X", and one-legged seamen with parrots perched on their shoulders" comes from Stevenson's depiction of buccaneers in Treasure Island.

The version I read is a handsome volume published by Grosset & Dunlap of New York, copyrighted in 1942, but printed in 1972, as part of what they called their Illustrated Junior Library.* It has a number of full color plates, and many pen & ink vignettes throughout, done by Norman Price. Price's illustrations are warm and vibrant. The sketches help to fill in some of the imagery, that probably helps sell the story to the younger audience it was intended for. They certainly weren't worried about violence in stories for young people. It seems like folks may have had a better understanding about what teens can handle than we do today. 

 

Norman Price Illustration

 

The story follows the adventures of a young man named Jim Hawkins, who is referred to as a boy by others in the story, but because most of the story is told in first person from Hawkins' point of view, he never says exactly how old he is. Depictions of him in movies, plays, TV shows, radio plays (there are a lot!) have shown him at varying ages from about 12 to his middle teens. I'd say he is on the older end of that range, given what he gets up to, but considering that John Quincy Adams was asked by the new U.S. emissary to join him on his trip to St. Petersburg as his personal secretary and translator when he was 14, I think its safe to say that what we consider "kids" when this story was set, were often more capable than we train them up to be now.

Hawkins joins the ship on a hunt for treasure as the cabin boy, which I think is part of pop culture now and not a spoiler for folks. He takes a bold and heroic, one could say, view of his roll and I'm sure the idea is to inspire young readers, especially young men, to do the same in their lives, and to look for adventure. 

This was a goody. Read this book. Or better yet, give it to one of your kids and tell them to read it outside. 

 

* More pictures here from a similar volume, printed a year or two later, for sale online. 

 

 

 

book that held her heart

The third and final book of the Library Trilogy by Mark Lawrence is called The Book that Held her Heart. I was hopeful, as I mentioned in my review of book 2, that Lawrence would fill in some more details about the mechanics of the library, and put a little more flesh on the bones of the title book, and why it poses such a threat, and more importantly, hope it actually does that.

I didn't get that.

What I did get, didn't, in some cases, make sense to me. Are they plot holes, or is the author taking an easy way out. I'm not sure, but it can't just be me. This book was shorter than the others, and included a whole subplot that I'm not sure was originally even intended to be part of the story. Maybe I'm wrong, but it this was a television series, some of that stuff was filler episodes. Did it ask important questions? Sure. Did it help tie the fantasy of the first two books more firmly to our own shared reality? You betcha. Did it need to do those things, especially if they were done in lieu of resolving some other things that seem to have slipped by? Nope.

The ending of this one, reminded my of the end of The Firm, by John Grisham. Link has spoilers, but you know... it was written in the 90s. Not my favorite, and a little bit of a disappointment given the time Lawrence and his readers put into this. I would go as far as putting on my 'myeh' list, but it could have been better.

 

book that broke the world

The Book that Broke the World is book 2 in the Library Trilogy by Mark Lawrence. I mentioned that I was reading this in my review of the first book, but then forgot to write about it. That was a month or so ago,* but I actually purchased this book at a used book sale so I have it, and could give it a flip through to remind myself about it.

This books helps to explain what exactly is up with this book that is so dangerous has done, and how its doing it. Maybe I read over that part too quickly, but I'm not sure I got the explanation in the kind of detail I was looking for. I understand that this universe Lawrence has created is different, and has different rules, but as a reader, I don't understand those rules unless you explain them to me, and I'm not sure I left this one completely satisfied. 

I also think (if I remember correctly) that I was hopeful that the third installment would provide that clarification I was looking for. Now that I've read book 3 as well, I can confirm that this book was Lawrence's opportunity to explain it to me, and I don't think I got it.

This was a fin book in any case, and I certainly didn't give up on the series because of my confusion. Would I have if I'd known that the third book wouldn't provide the full answer to my niggling question? I don't think so. Maybe I'm not the only one?

 

* Okay, its more than a month ago now, I just found this when I opened this to get caught up. I've also finished the 3rd book in this series, as well. 

 

 

dark mirror

I may have cried about this before, but I normally like to wait until all the books are out in a series before digging into it. I've been burned a few times yeah, George R. R. Martin, I'm looking at you When I started to read the Bone Season, I was under the impression it was a 3 book series. It wasn't until a few books in did I realize there were 7, and then only recently, did I learn that the other two books out there in this series were NOT part of the series, but addenda, and short stories--outtakes that were cut from the main books is my guess--and that I need to wait for tow more to come! Yeah, that's right, altho started back in 2013 or something, the sixth book is due out next year and then the seventh... at some point after that. Assuming there isn't an eighth, or whatever.

She even took a break to crack out another series, which was pretty good!

Book 5 is called The Dark Mirror, and in the preface, Shannon points out that after working on this series for close on 15 years, starting when she was pretty young, she's found that some of the earlier things she wrote either don't hold up or have become problematic as the story arc, the characters, or maybe both, have evolved, so she has released revised, and updated versions. The preface includes a link to her site where you can go read a summary of the changes, or find links to the updated texts.*

This was an interesting installment, and includes both new things, as well as the return to some older things. Fans of the series will likely enjoy this book, is my prediction, and I thought that it was pretty well put together. When it started up, I wasn't sure where we were going, but Shannon has crafted a way to maintain the tension and the action, and keep it interesting enough to make us look forward to the next volume. Do I think it would have been possible to tell this story in less than 7 volumes? Sure, but Shannon has created some likeable characters and an interesting alternate universe for them to inhabit so I can see hardcore fans looking forward to as many volumes as they can get. I recall hearing that Tolkien said that his only regret about The Lord of the Rings, was that it was too short. I also think that if he had lived longer, we probably would have seen more from him. So on a related note, lets hope George of the familiar R.R. moniker, doesn't kick it before he gets done what he'd like to.

This was a fun one. 

 

* If you haven't read the books, the Revision Guide Shannon has put together, linked above, may have spoilers. 

 

 

first commandment

The First Commandment by Brad Thor is apparently book 6 in the Scot Harvath series. I've read a few of these now, and I had a feeling this was an earlier adventure, just because there were some things that didn't seem to sync up with some of the other stories I've read, but because I've only ever read these with passing interest; my wife typically will read them, and I will go through and try to grab something I haven't read before, so I haven't paid much attention to publishing order. I suppose that would help keep track of the overall story arc that follow through on most character based series.

Scot Harvath is a lot like some other characters that series are built around in similar spy thriller books. Some similarities or characteristics that I don't think will surprise anyone may include something like: ex-military, special forces, apex predator with a heart of gold and plenty of righteous patriotism, who has had some personal loss or trauma that keeps them centered, and has later made his or her way through the CIA, the FBI, or the Secret Service, or maybe all three before being recruited to some super-secret, off book or even private espionage entity, that may or may not have direct oversight from the president, a prime minister, the director of the CIA, or some similar big wig who needs to get things done with credible deniability, for the good of the citizens and a free world. There are a bunch of them, and they are typically all fun to read. Brad Thor and Scot Harvath are not my favorite team, but they aren't the worst and I typically enjoy a read through one of their adventures. I just don't ever feel the need to run out and buy the next one (or even read the teaser chapter at the end of most paperbacks like this).

Looks like I've read book 11, 14, and 19. And I may have read book 1, The Lions of Lucerne * just recently, but didn't write here about it. Its possible I read some of the others as well, it looks like there are 25 books in the series so far.

 

* Yeah, I definitely read Lions a little while ago, but didn't write about it on the blog. 

 

 

 

a certain justice

Commander Adam Dalgliesh and his team have been called upon to solve another murder, in this later book in P.D. James' series of mysteries featuring the detective. A Certain Justice was first published in 1997, a few years after James was created Baroness James of Holland Park. She died just about 10 years ago, well into her 90s.

The format follows that of some of her other Adam Dalgliesh mysteries, that is the story focuses on the people surrounding, involved in, or otherwise impacted by the murder. This sets the stage, allows us to get to know the people involved, and typically the murder victim, prior to the deed. The deed itself is not shown to us, so we must work alongside Dalgliesh and his team while they try and sort it out.

James does a good job, and its clear why she's so popular. Lots of her books have been made into movies and television shows, including one of this book, in the UK. There are a fair number of English terms that may hang up American English readers, but that's pretty typical I think and context clues certainly help in most cases, but there are some things that just don't come across; Is that a clue or lunch they're taking about?

Some of the more complicated words have to do with the law and the courts. We're all familiar with what a barrister is, and that they wear wigs in court, and what robes? A gown? Not sure what those terms are. That doesn't prevent a good read however. 

the chemist

I've never read Stephenie Meyer before, and I don't think I've seen any of the various movies and television programs (?) made from her earlier, sexy vampire books. I think I have that right, the Twilight phenomenon seemed to have taken over the world for 10 or so years, and weren't they all young and make-outey? Like a bitey 90210 or something?* Whatever. The Chemist is not that.

I picked up a hardcover copy of The Chemist at, you guessed it, a used book sale at the library. I don't remember if it was my library or one of the libraries I visited at work. I think it was the latter. This book, published about 10 years ago, is a spy thriller. The main protagonist, a molecular biologist, referred to as a chemist for short, has had to learn to become self-sufficient in order to protect herself, and in the years she's had to live this way, she's developed a skill set that will really be put to the test when the threat escalates. That's the premise of this one. It does read a lot like a movie script. I'm not sure what it is about some writers, but the it may be something about scene setting, and brevity or efficiency of the prose that keeps the story moving forward? I may have said this about Andy Weir, or at least I was thinking it, but that maybe because he and Meyer have had movies made from their books.

The main protagonist is a great character, who takes advantage of the fact that adversaries will underestimate her, because she's a woman, because of her small stature, and because they don't understand what she can do with her skills. She uses this to maximum advantage, and it always satisfying to see someone laugh her off, and then get beat. It was also fun to watch this character grow outside her comfort zone as the pressures of what she is up against grow, and develop in ways she wasn't anticipating. This was a fun read.

 

* Didn't see that either. 

 

 

book that wouldn't burn

Yes, I've changed gears. After learning that Samantha Shannon has book 6 of her Bone Season series due out next year, and who knows when book 7 will be out (or if there will be more!) I decided to swap over to Mark Lawrence's Library Trilogy. I bought book 2 at some point at a used book sale, and didn't realize it was the second in a trilogy until I got home and cracked it open to read. So I borrowed book 1 from the library; The Book that Wouldn't Burn. I haven't read any of Mark Lawrence's stuff before and this was pretty good. The story arc is built around a library, that in the point of this story, seems to have been developed thousands of years ago, but a much more advanced society than the current one, but the reasons for that may be that the culture the present story takes place in is either new to the library or is possibly a newer culture that is developing after some post-apocalyptic event, or something. Its a little vague, but I wouldn't tell you what it was here in any case as I try to avoid spoilers.

The library itself reminds me a little of the library in Asimov's Foundation Series, but only in its abstract, font of all knowledge, people in service of the library vibe that story gave me, at least as far as I can recall. its been a while!

I actually finished this a few days ago, and I've been working on book 2. Its a smaller volume, so I don't think it will take me too long before I go grab book 3 from the library. I guess this probably fits into the fantasy genre, but there are also SciFi aspects to it as well, and it also reads a little like historical fiction, but that may be because the culture in which this takes place is slowly transitioning from edged weapons to firearms, and the customs, dress, architecture, societal norms, nobility etc. seem to reflect a historical era.

The writing is pretty tight, and there are some interesting twists and loops that creep in that I wasn't expecting, and some others I could see coming, but I think I could see them because Lawrence wanted me to. 

mask falling

Paige Mahoney is at it again. The Mask Falling is the 4th book in the 7-book Bone Season series by Samantha Shannon. In the dedication, Shannon notes that this is the middle book. I guess I didn't realize how many there were when I started, as I've probably mentioned in the past. The 6th book has been announced, and just recently revealed it's cover art on Shannon's website. That book is due out early next year. The 7th book? Who knows. And will Shannon decide that she needs an 8th to really wrap things up? I know, sorry, but... maybe. it's like, art, and stuff

Paige Mahoney is, of course, the main protagonist in this series, and you just can't keep a good woman down. After making serious and significant inroads on the UK battlefront, Mahoney has decamped to Paris for the majority of this installment. Many of the same characters we met in the first 3 books still appear, but many for only short periods, or mentions, as they are still in England. This book does take the overall story arc onto a more global stage, with implications mentioned for Portugal and Spain as well, altho we don't visit those places. Perhaps a foreshadowing of some future book's setting?

The series framework is a kind of sawtooth shaped story arc or increasing tragedy, conflict, or obstacle,  which ratchets up the tension, and when resolved drops the anxiety back down again for a beat, before the next thing comes along that needs to be overcome. The seem to come pretty regularly (hence the sawtooth analogy) in large part because the Mahoney character runs toward trouble rather than away. Its in her DNA to fight injustice and oppression and putting herself in harms way not only comes naturally, but appears to be her preferred modus operandi. i'll just let it eat me, and cut my way out from the inside *

So would I recommend that you read this series? Its not really SciFi, and its not Swords & Sorcery. Magical Realism? Is that even a thing? Maybe just call it Speculative Fiction. If you like that kind of thing, with some clairvoyance and some rebels-against-the-evil-empire action then you'll probably enjoy this series. You could wait until she's done, so you don't have to hang around waiting for the next installment, but some folks like that, so, you do you!

 

* That's not an actual quote from this book, but a trope we've all seen a number of times. I just read the exact thing in the book I'm reading right now. Which is NOT, by the way, the next book in this series.

 

 

 

song rising

The Song Rising is the third book in the Bone Season series by Samantha Shannon, which I am currently cracking through. However, as I said in my last post--written when I was about halfway thru this book--it looks like there is another volume coming next year. Maybe that's it, or...

I read the American hardcover, from my local library, and it appears that the English versions may have different cover art. Who knows why that happens, but I assume its because the American affiliate of the British publisher thinks that a different cover may do better in the US? Not sure, but I don't think this cover is it, chief. If you click on the image you can get a better look at it. or click on the annotated detail below for even more complainin' It looks to me like they've either assumed that because this series sells so well that they don't need to try all that hard--and if that was the case, why not just go with the UK cover art? Okay maybe there is a rights thing or agreement that obligates the cover art to be different. Or, maybe because sales are good, whoever was in charge gave it to their teen (tween?) who is really, like, talented in art class? I mean, look at the flames... yeah, click right in there and take a look.  They just wiggled the stylus around on their iPad. And the reflections on the crown? A crown that doesn't look anything like any crown described in the books, by the way. What? Is that the only reflective spot on this shinny metal object, and are those little bits of flame skipping across the front of the image too, or are those rust stains on a domed glass cover over the center part? What's that for? Jacket Design David Mann, images from Shutterstock, by the way. yes, i'm looking at you And why, you may ask, have I written an entire, long and rambling paragraph about the cover art? Simple: because it stinks. Its embarrassing. Do better Bloomsbury USA.

This book is shorter than the first two at 363 pages (including the backmatter*) so I worked through it pretty quickly, and just before I sat down to write this review, I checked at the library to see if they had the next volume, The Mask Falling, on the shelf, and they do, so I'll probably pick that up today. The Song Rising was pretty good, but perhaps not as good as the first two. It definitely moved the story forward, and there are a few good moments, but it did feel a bit like a connection between the beginning of the story and the end, if you know what I mean.

It didn't suck, or I wouldn't be going to get get book 4 later today**, but not great either. What did suck?The cover. Did I mention that? Look at it!

 

Maybe its fan art of the One Ring put together with clip art of a crown. Jacket designer is listed, but no artist is named, hmm. Is this an AI image? I can't get over it. They used Shutterstock; just do a search on Shutterstock for 'flaming ring' and you get a hundred images*** that look better than this.

 

* Backmatter includes a glossary and acknowledgments.  The frontmatter includes some maps, a listing of the Mime Order, and a prelude.

** Update: I started this yesterday, on Saturday, and didn't make it to the library. Today is Sunday and by the time I finished what I was doing, the library is closed again, so maybe tomorrow. 

*** My search turned up 47,000+ images, and most of the images on the first page were better that what they did here. 

**** Yes, I know that a double asterisk is as far as you're supposed to go when using typographic symbols for footnotes. Depending on who you ask, you could go to a double asterisk before changing symbols.† Here is the list of what seems like the commonly accepted order:

Asterisk (*) - Shift-8 

Double asterisk (**) - Shift-88 

Dagger (†) - Option-T on Mac

Double dagger (‡) - Option-Shift-7 on Mac

Section mark (§) - Option-6 on Mac

Parallels (||) - Shift-Backslash-Backslash

Octothorpe (#) - Shift-3

Pilcrow (¶) - Option-7 on Mac

 

† The UN actually allows up to fours asterisks, and then they follow with dagger (or Obelisk), double dagger (or Diesis) and Section mark (or Silcrow). That's it. Their standard is no more than seven footnotes using symbols, if you have more than seven footnotes, you should be using numbers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

mime order

The Mime Order is the second book in what Samantha Shannon refers to as a 7-book series known as the Bone Season series, after the first book. Two of the installments are novellas, which sound like they may or may not be critical to the overall story arc. My guess, based on nothing other than what I know--and that is limited to their titles and the fact that they’re novellas--is that they are based on background material Shannon prepared in the writing of the main books in the series.* Here’s my thought process: The Bone Season is Shannon’s first book, and it sounds like she is self-taught, and has been writing since adolescence. So, her editor gets ahold of The Bone Season draft and says, hey (I speculate, wildly) what’s all this exposé about the main character? Let's cut all this out. Then, said editor runs across all this background material that Shannon has stuffed in between the chapters which is presumably a pamphlet written by a supporting character, and says, hey (again) let's cut all this out.

Those cuttings are the raw material spun up into the two novellas. How’d I do? Maybe Samantha Shannon will read this and respond… that was me waiting.

Book two picks up after the events of the first book, but the end of the first one wasn’t so much of a cliffhanger, as the end of this one is. When I got to end of this one, I logged on to my local library and put a hold on the third book. I mean, come on, it was like, her hair was on fire and 14 people in the room had just pulled knives and started to run and then…

Tune in next week for another excited episode of…

Shannon’s work is fun to read. After reading The Bone Season a while ago, I also read some of her other stuff, so I had a pretty good feeling that going back to this series was going to work out okay. So far so good. As I write this, I’m almost halfway through book three; The Song Rising. Shannon has created an interesting alternate universe in a future London, which connects to another dimension (?) called the aether which is also where spirits of the dead go, and the folks that can connect to the aether are, as you might expect, called clairvoyants. But the aether has inhabitants of its own, and what are they exactly?

Love, anger, oppression, rebellion, friendship, justice, solitary, prejudice, class warfare, and communing with spirits (and other things) is all mixed up in this fast moving, and action-forward series. I get the feeling that when I’m getting close on the one I'm reading now, I’ll be reserving the next one at the library too. If and when I do, I’ll let all six of you know.

 

* So if you looked up the link above on the Main Series of books on Shannon's website, you may find that there is a placeholder for another book called The Moth Reborn, which is due next year. So I guess that makes it 8-books... Nope, wait, there is another novella on her website called The Dawn Chorus, so 9? But wait, the other book** I talked about coming from background material isn't listed on her site, so maybe we're back down to 7, or I guess 8 with the upcoming book? yeah, I'm confused too

** The other 'novella' from background material isn't a novella, its a 50 page pamphlet called On the Merits of Unnaturalness. My thoughts about its origins hold however, and I guess I'll add The Dawn Chorus novella mentioned immediately above to that group of edited out material, altho that novella fits between The Song Rising (reading now) and the next book, The Mask Falling.

 

 

spellbook of katrina van tassel

The Spellbook of Katrina Van Tassel: A Story of Sleepy Hollow may be the first book by Alyssa Palombo, but I guess I can check that. nope, she wrote a few other things before this  Maybe she’s too young to remember the Tim Burton movie "Sleepy Hollow" from 1999 with Johnny Depp as Ichabod Crane and Christina Ricci as Katrina Van Tassel but she is certainly aware of Washington Irving's short story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" from 1820, and she's a big fan. I don't recall the Tim Burton movie that well, but it came out in 1999, and I'm guessing she was a kid then. "Sleepy Hollow" was more of a murder mystery with spooky ghost tie-ins, a la Scooby Doo.

The spellbook in the title is just about the only place you'll find a spellbook in this novel. I get the creeping suspicion that someone (editor, publisher ?) suggested the title, or at least that part of it. Van Tassel does keep a diary, and I guess she may have scribbled the ingredients for an herbal tincture that her friend, the healer, gave her, but I'm not sure that makes it a spellbook. Certainly not enough of a spellbook to name a novel after. oooo, maybe this is the spellbook? nope

Otherwise, this book was okay. I thought Palombo may have been a little more detailed during the sex scenes--which showed up a little more frequently--than she needed to, which gives the whole story an little bit an Historical Romance* vibe. Van Tassel is a strong female lead, and does what she needs to do to stick up for herself in a time and place where women aren't typically given the opportunity to stand up for themselves. Palombo set this book in Sleepy Hollow, of course, but at an earlier time period that other interpretations. Washington refuses to run for a second term, and John Adams takes over as the second president during this story arc of this novel.

 

* See my note about 'bodice ripper' romance novels and the associated footnotes and links on this recent post.

 

 

lying game

 

The Lying Game is by Ruth Ware, and English author who brought us The Woman in Cabin 10. I saw this book at my library's book sale and because I thought the Cabin book was good I picked this one up.

The book cover, which is similar to the illustration shown here,* also notes that this book was featured in a book club with Reese Witherspoon's name on it. I'm not sure what that means, I didn't know she had one, and this book is from 2017, although the paperback was probably printed a year or so later, and I'm not sure if Witherspoon still has a book club or not. Looks like she does and it looks like the club features books by women authors, so good on you Reece.

Not only is this book written by a woman, it focuses on the story of four women, that have know each other since their high school days at a boarding school near the coast, not too far from London. The story is about friendship, secrets, and lies, and how they shapes the young women in the story into the adults they become, and what it means when part of their youth, that they may have been hoping would stay in their past, catches up with them.

Its tightly written, with tension, mystery, and an interesting look at the things we share, and the things we don't. Ware did a pretty good job with this one too.

 

* Mine looks like this; the badging is different. 

 

 

eye of the needle

Eye of the Needle is a Ken Follett World War II novel from 1978. I picked this up from the book sale at the Bigelow Free Public Library in Clinton, MA. The Bigelow is a pretty little library built with Guastavino vaults about 100 years ago. It was built with funding from the Andrew Carnegie Foundation, and opened in 1902. The library director gave me the thumbs up on this book, and altho I've read Follett's cathedral stories, I haven't read any of his spy thriller work (or maybe anything else he's written?)

Anyhoo, this is a well paced, inspired by reality kind of thriller, and it certainly checked off all the boxes for me. It was exciting, believable, seemingly well researched, tense, and in some cases brutal, and in other cases sad, and still others, sweet. The story is set mainly in the UK, toward the end of WWII, with glimpses of what was happening in Germany at the time, or at least what Follett speculated could have happened based on the information we do have, both about the events in the UK and Germany. He comes right out and says up front that we all know the results, but it was close there for a while, and while we don't know all the details something like this could have happened. I'm paraphrasing. because I didn't want to get up and get the book

 Its crazy to imagine that in 1978, the world was much closer to the end of WWII, than we are now to 1978. Follet wrote this just 30 or so years after the end of the war, and its getting close to 50 years since he wrote it. The story holds up however, probably because its set in an earlier period and it seems that Follet was careful to avoid modern terms and lingo in his writing (at lest to my eye.) This is James Bond without the tuxedos. Its gritty, and the story is wrapped up in everyday life, and the struggles of people living through a war, and doing the best they can in crummy circumstances.

dombey and son

Dombey and Son is not a book I’d heard of before. It was written by Charles Dickens beginning in 1846, and published as a serial, with pamphlet size installments issued once per month for 19 months between 1846 and 1848 by Bradbury & Evans, with illustrations Henry Clarence Pitz. Shortly after the last (double-issue) pamphlet was released, the entire book was published in hardback. Serialized books read differently than other books, in my mind anyway, as they can be had in one go without having to wait. And because one had to wait, there could be cliffhangers at the end of a monthly installment; but there also needs to be a way to make sure your readers will remember where they are in the story, and who the characters are. This is why, I believe, the characters are almost caricatures, or archetypes, which makes their personalities so striking, especially when contrasted to other characters in the story. The character names are also a clue, and consequently can be very amusing. One can imagine that a gruff imposing landlady named Mrs. MacStinger, should not be crossed without some consequence.

Reading a serialized novel is similar to spamming a television series that was designed to be broadcast once per week. The regular pacing of a weekly TV show, its alignment with holidays, and the passing of seasons, felt in many ways that you were following these characters along in their lives at the same pace you were living along with them. While Dombey and Son takes place over a longer story arc than the 19 months in which it was originally published, I’m sure that span of time helped with the pacing as the story stretched through the years. Reading it all in one volume is the 1840s equivalent of the spamming.

I picked up this volume at the book sale in my local library. It had no book jacket, although I assume it probably did,* and there was a small leaflet tucked inside the front cover which I thought was a found bookmark. Because I didn’t know about it, and had no book jacket to consult, I read the first line and I was sold. Between that first line, and the handsome binding, it was clearly worth the $2.00 I paid for it. After getting it home, I found that it is a Heritage Club edition. The Heritage Club published books with quality bindings, using their own editing staff, illustrators, and bindery, and made them available at an affordable price to their members. The leaflet tucked into the front is a small newsletter to the club members called  "Sandglass" that discusses the book, the printing, and Dickens himself.

The original title was Dealings with the Firm of Dombey and Son: Wholesale, Retail and for Exportation. yeah, glad they shortened that up It’s a big book but I really enjoyed it. I can’t say that I couldn’t put it down but I did find myself picking it up more often that my usual reading times at breakfast and before bed. Not only that, Dickens had me emotionally tied up with these characters. It may be because of the serial format, or it may just be a literary tool, but the characters had such clear personalities that you could almost guess what they might do, and when wrong, it was either much worse or much better, depending on the character, than you may have guessed.

There are some familiar themes here that Dickens is examining. Themes that we’ve seen him mull over before in books like A Christmas Carol, and David Copperfield. Paul Dombey could be compared to Ebenezer Scrooge, and James Carker would give Uriah Heep a run for his money. What I especially liked is how Dickens examined insidiousness in his evil characters. They aren’t as smarmy or blatantly vile as they are in more modern stories; Dickens’ baddies use the very etiquette of a polite and civil society, especially the higher class norms, as the pool in which he has these creatures wriggle about like eels or prowl like sharks, outwardly smiling and nodding as they watch their prey twist in agony. By contrast, Dickens’ good characters are personifications of the divine upon the earthly plane. It doesn’t matter what happens to them, how terrible their misfortunes, how bleak their outlook may be, they smile or simply tighten their belts, and push on, with endless reservoirs of love, kindness, understanding, and forgiveness. Maybe that’s putting too fine a point on it, and perhaps it’s a bit of a spoiler, but if you’ve read Dickens, I don’t think this will come as a surprise.

I really enjoyed this one, and I can imagine reading it again at some point to see if it still holds up, like I’ve done with similar books, like The Count of Monte Cristo. After a quick look online, it seems as though Dombey and Son is not unknown in the UK; I found many different adaptations of the novel in British movies and television programs. 

Read this book. Maybe twice!

 

 

 

* After writing this, I discovered the Heritage Club edition came in a red slipcase as shown in the photo. This wasn't there at the library box sale, where I got mine.

 

 

 

 

 

murder room

The Murder Room is an Adam Dalgliesh mystery novel by P. D. James. This isn't the first of her mysteries I've read, and they've all been headed by Commander Adam Dalgliesh. This popular figure has apparently inspired a British TV series called "Dalgliesh", which appears to have begun at some point between the time of my last read of one of his stories, and the time previous. clear as mud

The Murder Room sounds like an archetype murder mystery where everyone is locked in a room, and someone gets killed, but that is not the case here. James takes her time with the first few chapters introducing the cast of characters, which gets a little dry, frankly. while I'm waiting to get to the fun, frigging, part of the game Once we got into the thick of it, the story moved right along for me. 

Altho the characters were saying to one another that it was all pretty clear to them, I only had some suspicions, but not enough for it to be clear to me, but then I'm not a big mystery reader, or a detective, so it was interesting to read the whodunit part.

This was another great installment in the Dalgliesh series and you can see why they've done a TV show, which may still be running in the UK. If you're a mystery fan, especially a British mystery fan--yep, they read differently--then look up P.D. James.

 

 

nerax 2026

The New England Real Ale eXhibition (NERAX) was held again at the Lithuanian Club in South Boston. I went twice again this year, on Wednesday and Friday nights, but unfortunately, I lost my Friday notes somewhere between NERAX, dinner, and the uber ride home. 2026 is the 27th year of the NERAX, and the program points out that NERAX is the longest running cask conditioned ale festival in North America.

As usual, after the cover or entrance fee ($10  this year) and a $5 deposit for a glass (you can keep the glass, if they can keep the deposit) you're in. We got there early on Wednesday, but not as early as on Friday. On Friday we got into the hall before they rang the bell for the tap opening. Picture one of the older volunteers running around the room with a hand bell, like schoolmarms used to ring at the end of recess.

Lets get to it, and at the end, I've tried to cobble together some memories of what I tried on Friday night after reviewing the program, scribbled with Wednesday's notes, and some photos of the individual menu boards my son took. [Good thinking, son!]

American casks are listed in Blue on the white boards above the bar, UK casks are in Red, and ciders are listed in Green. No cider for me this year., altho they did have a lager or two! Up first, I went to the shortest line, and picked the lowest ABV beer on the UK list. The plan was to try as many as I could without falling over, so I sampled quarter pints (Imperial) so that about 5 ounces per sample, which were $3 each.

I tried 6. Well, 7 after I gave the 6th one back (see below for why). Most were from the UK, which is usually my goal, given that my opportunities for UK cask conditioned ales are limited. 

WEDNESDAY NIGHT 

The Taps on Wednesday Night

Guardsman - Windsor & Eton Brewery, Berkshire, England (ABV 4.2%) - Best Bitter

Clear, deep honey, maple syrup color. Bright, fresh bread on the nose. The taste kept that brightness with a sharp bitterness with smooth, dry breads and pizza crust finish. It was a great start!

Haggis Hunter - Harviestoun Brewery, Alva, Clackmannshire, Scotland (ABV 4.3%) - Amber Ale

I was going to try one from Amory, but the line was too long, so the name caught my eye! Huge, thick, foamy head with an almost undetectable scent of floral and fruit, Beautiful golden yellow color, which sparkled in the setting sun. Smooth and refreshing, with a pleasing sour bitterness that reminded my of the Belgian beer taint (basement) on the first sip, but which evaporated by the second sip. Soft and tangy mouthfeel, and a long, long bitter astringent finish. {this one kicked partway thru Friday's session, with a visit from the reaper.}

Not Now, Chief - Amory's Tomb Brewing Co. /Clover Road Brewing Company, Hudson, MA, USA (ABV 4.6%) - Best Bitter

The line was shorter so it was time for the Amory/Clover joint. Loose, lacy head on a deep gold, brassy orange cloudiness with a bread on the nose and is that musk? A second opinion from my kids and they agreed that the scent was that of a wet (but clean) dog. I'm glad that wasn't what I smelled. Lingering tang, semi-sweet with mango tartness and a sharp, bitter finish. After a short chat, I had one last sip--had it warmed a little in my hand?--the scent on the last sip: soup. What a ride!

Rowan - Deciduous Brewing Company, Newmarket, NH, USA (ABV 5.5%) - Irish Stout

Black. No head (ring of micro bubbles around the glass) on thus long pour [Thanks Bro!] Creamy, melted snow and malty molasses on the nose. Clean, dark chocolate, the 93% kind! Lush, velvety mouthfeel with a soft sparkle. Where is that carbonation hiding? Dark fruit, boiled cherries and preserves.

Fen Skater - Papworth Brewery, Earith, Cambridgeshire, England (ABV 4.0%) - Pale Golden Ale

Honey color with a fine, cream colored head. Bright fruit, lemon and pithy citrus. Clean and crisp, with a dry cracker and jam finish, balanced with a pithy bitterness.

Shere Drop - Surrey Hills Brewery, Dorking, Surrey, England (ABV 4.2%) - Best Bitter

No review 

I don't know if it was me, but I brought this back after one sip. There was a strong sulfur taste to this. When I'm making wine, that sulfur smell means something has gone wrong. I was looking forward to this one, but unfortunately, things happen with real ales sometimes. No review.

Black Grouse - Loch Lomond Brewery, Dumbarton, Dunbartonshire, Scotland (ABV 4.0%) - Black Forest Mild

Deep brown-black with glints of rose in the light and a fine, white head. Burnt caramel on the nose. Barbecue sauce which fades to Pepsi on the first sip! What sorcery is this? [That taste profile/description was confirmed by all three others in my party after a sip.] Fruits, sauce, glaze, molasses, and malty goodness. Clingy, juicy mouth feel with a syrupy, sticky finish, which then disappears in frost and snow. What a way to end. It was like dessert before dinner. Magic.

 FRIDAY NIGHT 

After a look through the program, here's what I can remember trying. I know I had 6 samples again, but I don't recall the order, and whatever came to memory I put down here. Next time, I'll be prepared with a spot in my clothes to tuck the program away with my notes. It ended up hanging out of my back pocket, and was easily lost it seems. Again, mostly UK beers for me.

Moonshine - Abbeydale Brewery, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England (ABV 4.3%) - Pale Ale

Schiehallion - Harviestoun Brewery, Alva, Clackmannshire, Scotland (ABV 4.8%) - Lager

This was rich and deep colored, with a complex flavor that still had the bones of a nice lager.

Sneck Lifter - Jennings Brewery, Cockermouth, Cumbria, England (ABV 5.1%) - Dark Ale

Described as polished mahogany in color. Don't say that to a woodworker; it was maple syrup color at best. It was good, and we were sad when it kicked. My son more than I as he hadn't tried it yet.

Planet Caravan - Remnant Brewing, Somerville, MA, USA (ABV 5.5%) - Smoked Porter

Double Stout - Hook Norton Brewery, Hook Norton, Oxfordshire, England (ABV 4.8%) - Stout

Dark and chocolatey.

The People's Smoke - Idle Hands Craft Ales, Malden, MA, USA (ABV 5.9%) - Rauchbier

Something is on fire in Malden! More smoky than the Black Grouse from Wednesday night. Wet wood smoke flavors. It was wild, in a good way.

 

Don't Fear the Reaper!

We went to Capo to eat after BOTH nights. [Great idea, Alessia!] Its just across the street, and what a treat. Loud on Friday night however, when its more of a night club after 9 it seems, but the food was really good. On Wednesday night we sat at the back where it was quiet, near the stone fireplace, with a huge elk's head hanging there. The house made pasta alla Bolonese was great, as were the apps. The wine on Friday was also great. The chef there is just one degree of separation from my oldest, who went to school with his spouse, and knows them both. He wasn't in on Wednesday.