Comments | oyceter: Anderson, M.T. - The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation: The Pox Party

oyceter

Anderson, M.T. - The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation: The Pox Party

Jan 26, 2008 20:36

First of all, if you don't know anything about this book, I would suggest reading it just like that. If you do know the premise, it doesn't spoil the book at all, as the book is brilliant, but I think the extra frisson of discovery would be awesome. I'm still a little sad that I saw the Library of Congress categories the book was in when I checked ( Read more... )

recs: books, books: historical fiction, a: anderson mt, books: ya/children's, books

Comments 12

takumashii January 27 2008, 04:47:31 UTC

Yes, exactly! Especially the depiction of science and scientists; there's something really postmodern about the way the book exposes the possibilities of horrible bias in the name of objectivity and science. It's just such a fantastic book.

oyceter January 27 2008, 05:18:06 UTC

Yes! It's so awesome! I want to make more people read it, but I can't figure out how to do it without spoiling them!

coffeeandink January 27 2008, 05:07:09 UTC

YES!

Volume II due Fall 2008.

oyceter January 27 2008, 05:18:26 UTC

Cannot wait! And oh man, I feel like I left out so much!

keilexandra January 28 2008, 03:29:00 UTC

I found this book a while back through random means (i.e. so I didn't know the LoC keywords, though I still figured out the premise pretty early), but it's strange: reading your review, the book sounds like just my thing. Yet when I read it, I wasn't hooked by the narrative at all. I appreciated the themes of the book, loved what it was trying to accomplish--but it didn't work on the entertainment level.

I had not planned on reading Book Two, but I may after all to compare with a more recent opinion.

oyceter January 29 2008, 00:43:29 UTC

Hey, YMMV as well! I suspect sometimes reactions just depend on mood and time and lots of random things.

oracne January 29 2008, 16:15:48 UTC

It is a BRILLIANT book.

oyceter January 29 2008, 19:23:43 UTC

I know! It is so excellent! I want to make everyone read it!

bravecows February 2 2008, 14:04:53 UTC

I just -- it's SUCH a good book. Unlike the other commenter, I felt it worked on every single level -- as entertainment, as critique, just, everything. That particular view of the American Revolution especially is fantastic. The last book I'd read about the American Revolution, when I was about 7, went on about Paul Revere and courageous farmers etc. etc., so this was enlightening.

the later letter praising the report because Gitney had been crying at her side.

I actually read Trefusis's letter (it was Trefusis who sent it, right?) as being savagely ironical, pointing up the inhumanity that lies in crying by a woman's deathbed and then dissecting her. Perhaps am being too inclined to read this stuff in a positive light.

oyceter February 4 2008, 21:31:00 UTC

I actually read Trefusis's letter (it was Trefusis who sent it, right?) as being savagely ironical

Oh, interesting! I couldn't remember who wrote the letter; if it ended up being the guy who helped Octavian in the end (that was Trefusis, right?), your reading makes sense!

And just... yeah. The book is just so good! On so many levels!