All Consuming : owlies

Why I recommend "Lord of Light"

nobody@allconsuming.net (owlies) — Sun, 04 Jun 2006 05:42:29 GMT

Lord of Light

by Roger Zelazny

this is not only good sci-fi, it’s good literature.

A review of "This Immortal" (rated 4 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (owlies) — Sun, 04 Jun 2006 03:00:05 GMT

This Immortal

by Roger Zelazny

Gaaah! This book is HILARIOUS. Here, Zelazny’s wit was the sharpest it ever was. And this was his first novel! And it won the Hugo and and Nebula! And it tied with Dune for that year. I can see why—the novice Zelazny ties Herbert at his best.

Overall, a fun, fantastic, light read. Cover is kinda creepy though.

A story about "Ulysses (Vintage International)"

nobody@allconsuming.net (owlies) — Sun, 04 Jun 2006 02:48:42 GMT

Ulysses (Vintage International)

by James Joyce

like most of the consumers on here, I never finished Ulysses. I don’t know what this says about me, but I know I stopped around page 300, when I couldn’t take any more of Bloom’s rambling thoughts. But I do see why Ulysses is “ranked up there” in the great works of literature. Still, I would have better understood its complexities if a young, handsome Dublin professor had explained the book to me while we sat on the cliff coasts of Ireland.

A review of "The Dispossessed" (rated 3 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (owlies) — Sat, 03 Jun 2006 22:51:15 GMT

The Dispossessed

by Ursula K. Le Guin

The Dispossessed is actually my least favorite Le Guin book, because the rising action/climax disappoints, the characters aren’t as charasmatic as their ideologies, and the contrast betwen anarchism and capitalism is way too simplistic for the storyline. But I have to recommend it because even “bad” Le Guin is very, very good.

should have stopped after book 2 (rated 3 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (owlies) — Sat, 03 Jun 2006 22:46:40 GMT

His Dark Materials Trilogy: The Golden Compass / The Subtle Knife / The Amber Spyglass

by Philip Pullman

First two books were great—preachiness and contrivances in the 3rd book totally ruined the trilogy for me.

glorious! (rated 5 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (owlies) — Thu, 01 Jun 2006 23:01:24 GMT

The English Patient

by Michael Ondaatje

I could read this book over and over. The character Kip is one of the most believable and complex characters I’ve ever read. His reason for leaving the Villa gets to me every time. He risks his life but it all was wasted because of the one bomb he couldn’t disarm. I think of that line from the movie where Caravaggio says “thousands of people could have died,” and then Almasy says “thousands of people did die, just different people.” THAT is Kip’s “tragedy.” Almasy’s storyline is just as heartbreaking—he looses everything because he gives the wrong name! This book has a lot of bitter ironies like that. Also, the writing is so beautiful, you don’t feel like you’re reading what could have been a boring historical novel.

The only complaint I have is that it’s too short. Read it!!

A story about "Till We Have Faces: A Myth Retold"

nobody@allconsuming.net (owlies) — Thu, 01 Jun 2006 22:43:00 GMT

Till We Have Faces: A Myth Retold

by C.S. Lewis

I heard this book was C.S. Lewis’ favorite out of all the ones he’s written. The fact that it mixed greek mythology with christianity seemed intriguing, so I picked it up. In the end, I wasn’t disappointed. I loved the anguish and conviction expressed in the main character—an excellent anti-heroine. The end kind of freaked me out, because I simply didn’t understand what was going on, but overall, Lewis doesn’t hit you over the head with allegory like Narnia. That and the fabulous first person narrative made for a great read.

Why I recommend "The Great Book of Amber: The Complete Amber Chronicles, 1-10 (Chronicles of Amber)"

nobody@allconsuming.net (owlies) — Sun, 28 May 2006 22:56:20 GMT

The Great Book of Amber: The Complete Amber Chronicles, 1-10 (Chronicles of Amber)

by Roger Zelazny

This is one of my favorite books of all time. I read it when I was 16, and since then I’ve read everything Zelazny wrote. One of few authors to attempt a mash-up of sci-fi and fantasy—something that I’ve always felt worked better than the two genres by themselves. The result is like nothing you’ve ever read before. Once you’ve finished, proceed to Lord of Light….