Reading not writing 2009 #3
Still on the catch up from earlier this year. I didn't read all these books in a week!
21. Are we Rome? by Cullen Murphy. This was an interesting look at the similarities (and differences) between modern western culture and ancient Rome. The analysis on why Rome collapsed was particularly disturbing as the similarities with western Europe over the last thirty or forty years were very stark. Well worth a read.
22. The Elements of Murder by John Emsley. This wasn't as interesting as it should have been. One would have thought that a history of the way various toxic elements such as arsenic have been used for nefarious purposes throughout history would be fascinating. Sadly Emsley managed to make it tedious, which is a pity.
23. Why Shoot a Butler? by Georgette Heyer. Another of GH's marvellous contemporary crime thrillers. Well, contemporary when they were written seventy odd years ago.
24. The Brutal Art by Jesse Kellerman. Crime thriller set in the New York art world. An unknown genius is discovered. Unfortunately he's disappeared and may have a malodorous past, he's implicated in murder even. A real page turner, and a nicely ambivalent protagonist.
25. The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid. Provocative novel, told as a monologue, examining east/west relations. I'm told it's an allegory, but it's not overly intrusive.
26. Law and the Lady by Wilkie Collins. One of Collins' lesser known sensationalist novels. A newly-wedded wife discovers to her horror that her new husband had been accused of his first wife's murder. While he was not found guilty, because the case was tried in Scotland, the jury took the opportunity to find him 'Not Proven'. She determines to prove that he didn't do it and find out who did. Great stuff.
27. A short history of Ireland by Sean McMahon. As it says on the tin. Perhaps too short in places, as much was skimmed over, but I did learn a lot that I had not know before. Very readable.
28. The End of Mr Y by Scarlett Thomas. Marvellous fantasy/magical realist type novel involving obscure literature and of all things, homeopathy. Worth a read.
29. Testament by Alis Hawkins. Interesting debut set in the present and the middle ages. Unfortunately the author felt obliged to invent an entire university town to form a trio with oxbridge, which did detract from my enjoyment a bit, but otherwise it was very good.
30. The Interpretation of Murder by Jed Rubenfeld. Freud as detective! This was great fun, especially all the sniping between Freud and Jung. I thoroughly enjoyed this.
Crossposted from Dreamwidth
21. Are we Rome? by Cullen Murphy. This was an interesting look at the similarities (and differences) between modern western culture and ancient Rome. The analysis on why Rome collapsed was particularly disturbing as the similarities with western Europe over the last thirty or forty years were very stark. Well worth a read.
22. The Elements of Murder by John Emsley. This wasn't as interesting as it should have been. One would have thought that a history of the way various toxic elements such as arsenic have been used for nefarious purposes throughout history would be fascinating. Sadly Emsley managed to make it tedious, which is a pity.
23. Why Shoot a Butler? by Georgette Heyer. Another of GH's marvellous contemporary crime thrillers. Well, contemporary when they were written seventy odd years ago.
24. The Brutal Art by Jesse Kellerman. Crime thriller set in the New York art world. An unknown genius is discovered. Unfortunately he's disappeared and may have a malodorous past, he's implicated in murder even. A real page turner, and a nicely ambivalent protagonist.
25. The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid. Provocative novel, told as a monologue, examining east/west relations. I'm told it's an allegory, but it's not overly intrusive.
26. Law and the Lady by Wilkie Collins. One of Collins' lesser known sensationalist novels. A newly-wedded wife discovers to her horror that her new husband had been accused of his first wife's murder. While he was not found guilty, because the case was tried in Scotland, the jury took the opportunity to find him 'Not Proven'. She determines to prove that he didn't do it and find out who did. Great stuff.
27. A short history of Ireland by Sean McMahon. As it says on the tin. Perhaps too short in places, as much was skimmed over, but I did learn a lot that I had not know before. Very readable.
28. The End of Mr Y by Scarlett Thomas. Marvellous fantasy/magical realist type novel involving obscure literature and of all things, homeopathy. Worth a read.
29. Testament by Alis Hawkins. Interesting debut set in the present and the middle ages. Unfortunately the author felt obliged to invent an entire university town to form a trio with oxbridge, which did detract from my enjoyment a bit, but otherwise it was very good.
30. The Interpretation of Murder by Jed Rubenfeld. Freud as detective! This was great fun, especially all the sniping between Freud and Jung. I thoroughly enjoyed this.
Crossposted from Dreamwidth