Book Post: Clanchy, Smith, Galgut, Gaiman, Austen and Headley
Last six books from 2021. I will write up a summary book post for the year next but I just wanted to finish up some thoughts on these ones.
From Memory to Written Record: England 1066-1307 by M.T. Clanchy, 334pp
This is a classic medieval history book that I read some off but I always wanted to read the whole thing. Clanchy traces the rise of documents and the types of documents and how mentality changed from relying on memory to relying on documents and trusting documents. It was no means a predetermined progress, but a change in technology and adaptation to technology that we take for granted. I like books that challenge what we think is normal or what we take for granted. I read about 10 pages each morning on the train so it took a while to finish. It was a while since I read a really proper history book. I do miss it. And I'm happy to finally have read this in whole.
Will by Will Smith with Mark Manson, 412pp (Dec 14)
Will Smith's autobiography which he cowrote with Mark Manson. It was a lot more honest than I thought it would be. He really has a lot of clearsighted clarity on his past. He worked with a therapist before and you can tell as he is really paying attention to motivations and what drives him to succeed, without whitewashing people or his past. There is a lot he leaves out but his drive for this book is to show his emotional growth and examining how he got to where he did - which was very deliberate study and act. I found this an interesting book overall.
The Promise by Damon Galgut, 239pp (Dec 19).[Booker]
This was this year's Booker Award so I picked it up. It was ok. It was good prose, I see why it won really but it was just ok for me. This is a story of a South African family over the years who gather periodically when someone dies. Some of it is brutal, some not. They just don't seem to like each other very much. And I didn't like most of the characters, so I couldn't love this book. It is a well written book with some nice underlying story and themes but I couldn't care much about the people. Also the ending was very predictable to me when I was promised (hee) more. Last year's Booker was also just ok for me.
The Sandman Act II by Neil Gaiman [Audible audiobook, for Sandman books 4 to 6] (Dec 21).
Book 6 is my favorite Sandman volume so I was looking forward to it, but it took me two months to get through the audiobook. I'm just not a big audiobook person - it is hard to for audio to hold my attention. I need to be cooking or cleaning or doing something like that. It was nice to revisit the stories but I think I liked the Act I audiobook more. I will buy Act III, since it is an interesting way to revisit this material but I just have a hard time paying attention.
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, 291pp (Dec 29) [reread].This was more comfort read. I read it a long time ago but the 1995 miniseries is such a definitive version for me that it felt I reread it many times before. And rereading I could only read it in the actor's intonations (Lydia will always be the miniseries Lydia for me - she so captured that spirit) And of course I was surprised at all the little details from the book I forgot. I do think I can understand more motivations now that I'm older but it is still a really fun book to read. Elizabeth is a lot more introspective than I remembered. Persuasion is still my favorite Austen but this is was a nice world to revisit. And I really want to rewatch the miniseries again. I own it, I just need to find the time.
Beowulf translated by Maria Dahvana Headley, 136pp (Dec 31). [translated from Old English]
All the alliteration! So much alliteration! She warned about it in the introduction but still, so much alliteration. This translation worked for me - I liked the little modern colloquialisms she was throwing in. I really liked the last section with the dragon - old Beowulf about to die was moving. It is a nice version of the story. (of all the TV/movie adaptations, for some reason, I really liked what Star Trek Voyager did with it - that hall and Harry Kim was just coming back to me).
From Memory to Written Record: England 1066-1307 by M.T. Clanchy, 334pp
This is a classic medieval history book that I read some off but I always wanted to read the whole thing. Clanchy traces the rise of documents and the types of documents and how mentality changed from relying on memory to relying on documents and trusting documents. It was no means a predetermined progress, but a change in technology and adaptation to technology that we take for granted. I like books that challenge what we think is normal or what we take for granted. I read about 10 pages each morning on the train so it took a while to finish. It was a while since I read a really proper history book. I do miss it. And I'm happy to finally have read this in whole.
Will by Will Smith with Mark Manson, 412pp (Dec 14)
Will Smith's autobiography which he cowrote with Mark Manson. It was a lot more honest than I thought it would be. He really has a lot of clearsighted clarity on his past. He worked with a therapist before and you can tell as he is really paying attention to motivations and what drives him to succeed, without whitewashing people or his past. There is a lot he leaves out but his drive for this book is to show his emotional growth and examining how he got to where he did - which was very deliberate study and act. I found this an interesting book overall.
The Promise by Damon Galgut, 239pp (Dec 19).[Booker]
This was this year's Booker Award so I picked it up. It was ok. It was good prose, I see why it won really but it was just ok for me. This is a story of a South African family over the years who gather periodically when someone dies. Some of it is brutal, some not. They just don't seem to like each other very much. And I didn't like most of the characters, so I couldn't love this book. It is a well written book with some nice underlying story and themes but I couldn't care much about the people. Also the ending was very predictable to me when I was promised (hee) more. Last year's Booker was also just ok for me.
The Sandman Act II by Neil Gaiman [Audible audiobook, for Sandman books 4 to 6] (Dec 21).
Book 6 is my favorite Sandman volume so I was looking forward to it, but it took me two months to get through the audiobook. I'm just not a big audiobook person - it is hard to for audio to hold my attention. I need to be cooking or cleaning or doing something like that. It was nice to revisit the stories but I think I liked the Act I audiobook more. I will buy Act III, since it is an interesting way to revisit this material but I just have a hard time paying attention.
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, 291pp (Dec 29) [reread].This was more comfort read. I read it a long time ago but the 1995 miniseries is such a definitive version for me that it felt I reread it many times before. And rereading I could only read it in the actor's intonations (Lydia will always be the miniseries Lydia for me - she so captured that spirit) And of course I was surprised at all the little details from the book I forgot. I do think I can understand more motivations now that I'm older but it is still a really fun book to read. Elizabeth is a lot more introspective than I remembered. Persuasion is still my favorite Austen but this is was a nice world to revisit. And I really want to rewatch the miniseries again. I own it, I just need to find the time.
Beowulf translated by Maria Dahvana Headley, 136pp (Dec 31). [translated from Old English]
All the alliteration! So much alliteration! She warned about it in the introduction but still, so much alliteration. This translation worked for me - I liked the little modern colloquialisms she was throwing in. I really liked the last section with the dragon - old Beowulf about to die was moving. It is a nice version of the story. (of all the TV/movie adaptations, for some reason, I really liked what Star Trek Voyager did with it - that hall and Harry Kim was just coming back to me).