Ooh... Book week!
Okay, so since I'm sick, I'm probably going to ramble incessantly. I'm sorry in advance.
I had the good fortune of a relatively light homework load this week, and found myself finishing three books! Hooray!
Captain Blood by Rafael Sabatini
Good old swashbuckler story! A former soldier, turned doctor, is sold into slavery unjustly. He escapes with some friends and becomes the captain of his own pirate crew. He spends the rest of the story tortured with trying to act 'honorably' while being a pirate, driven only by a somewhat illogical affection for his former owner's niece.
Generally, this book was wonderful. It was light, fun, and exciting. It is true, Sabatini has the tendency to ramble a little bit... not unlike yours truly... but his characters do have real depth and he really goes into what's happening around them as well as inside of them - plus he wrote in late 1800s/early 1900s. If you want a unique swashbuckler served with a dollop of history, Sabatini is definitely a good author for you. This one focused on the succession post James II of England (1600s) and the Great Revolution that put William on the throne. However, the history is very clearly the backdrop, and the actual focus of the story is the characters and there daring exploits.
4.5/5
Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Whoa... what the heck is this about? It's well written and a fascinating read, but I had a lot of trouble figuring out what the point of the story was. I still don't think I get it. But I did enjoy reading it, I just wish I had a discussion group to accompany it.
4.25/5
Ishmael: an Adventure of the Mind and Spirit by Daniel Quinn
Um... okay, a gorilla is teaching a guy how to save the world. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed reading this, I just don't fully understand it. The entire book was pretty much a debate on human nature and how things came to be how they are, and why things will go up in flames if life goes on as it is, and how we can possibly fix it. But even more than that, I think it's a debate on the purpose of humanity, and WHY everything is the way it is, and WHY things even exist. It challenges a lot of ideas that you don't even realize you have, but it's a lot of fun to read. Then again, I'm the type who likes having beliefs challenged. It is definitely worth a try though, and Ishmael made me smile.
4.5/5
Now I need to go figure out what I'm going to read next. If anyone has any insight into any of these books, believe me, I would welcome it.
I had the good fortune of a relatively light homework load this week, and found myself finishing three books! Hooray!
Captain Blood by Rafael Sabatini
Good old swashbuckler story! A former soldier, turned doctor, is sold into slavery unjustly. He escapes with some friends and becomes the captain of his own pirate crew. He spends the rest of the story tortured with trying to act 'honorably' while being a pirate, driven only by a somewhat illogical affection for his former owner's niece.
Generally, this book was wonderful. It was light, fun, and exciting. It is true, Sabatini has the tendency to ramble a little bit... not unlike yours truly... but his characters do have real depth and he really goes into what's happening around them as well as inside of them - plus he wrote in late 1800s/early 1900s. If you want a unique swashbuckler served with a dollop of history, Sabatini is definitely a good author for you. This one focused on the succession post James II of England (1600s) and the Great Revolution that put William on the throne. However, the history is very clearly the backdrop, and the actual focus of the story is the characters and there daring exploits.
4.5/5
Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Whoa... what the heck is this about? It's well written and a fascinating read, but I had a lot of trouble figuring out what the point of the story was. I still don't think I get it. But I did enjoy reading it, I just wish I had a discussion group to accompany it.
4.25/5
Ishmael: an Adventure of the Mind and Spirit by Daniel Quinn
Um... okay, a gorilla is teaching a guy how to save the world. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed reading this, I just don't fully understand it. The entire book was pretty much a debate on human nature and how things came to be how they are, and why things will go up in flames if life goes on as it is, and how we can possibly fix it. But even more than that, I think it's a debate on the purpose of humanity, and WHY everything is the way it is, and WHY things even exist. It challenges a lot of ideas that you don't even realize you have, but it's a lot of fun to read. Then again, I'm the type who likes having beliefs challenged. It is definitely worth a try though, and Ishmael made me smile.
4.5/5
Now I need to go figure out what I'm going to read next. If anyone has any insight into any of these books, believe me, I would welcome it.