Current Non-Genre Reading III

[Westy]

Read the latest spy thriller by Daniel Silva, The Order - the pope is murdered and Israeli secret service head Gabriel Allon is seconded to find the murderer. This one doesn't have the action and scope of many of his previous novels, with much of the middle of the book on religious history (which was interesting but not the usual fast pace). It was still very readable, but not the usual standard.

 

[Westy]

I read Red Dragon by Thomas Harris, the first in the Hannibal Lecter series - I couldn't turn down the beautiful (artists gift) edition by Suntup Press.

A serial killer dubbed The Tooth Fairy has killed a second family, and profiler Will Graham is enlisted to help find him, by also using the help of imprisoned killer Hannibal Lecter.

This was, for the most part, a gripping story, the detailed forensic analysis, the deep dive into the psychology behind the killer's thinking, the gradual building of tension as the hunt gets closer. I found that when the story switched to the Tooth Fairy's point of view it was at it's most engaging; learning about his upbringing and twisted relationship with his grandmother, and the moment when an encounter with a blind woman causes doubt because she can't see his facial disfigurement and doesn't judge based on this alone.

Some of the investigative side with Graham slowed somewhat, especially when interacting with his family, but on the whole a very good crime detective story and, as I understand it, one that set the bar higher for future novels in the genre.

 

[Westy]

Just read Run to the Hills: Iron Maiden, the Authorized Biography by Mick Wall (after reading the quite good Metallica biography by him a while ago). It covers the period from their inception up to the Dance of Death album around 2003.

It was also quite good, based on interviews with present and past band members, and it goes into a lot of detail from the beginning of the band especially, which I found most interesting (and not so much in the later non-Bruce era).

A lot of it I knew already from other articles and videos, but there was plenty of extra material that made it a a worthy read for fans of the band.

 

[Vince W]

I'm a massive Maiden fan! I've seen them many times live and they never disappoint, even during their low of the Blaze Bailey years. I was upset when Di'Anno was booted out of the band, but it was for the best really. I've read several their 'biographies' and even though they tend to cover the same material I never tire of them. I've yet to read this one, but I will.

\m/ UP THE IRONS! \m/

 

[Westy]

One of the interesting things I didn't realise was after the World Slavery Tour promoting Powerslave, when the band were starting to contribute music for the next album, Bruce's contributions were primarily acoustic and it was rejected by all the band! This was the start of the friction that ultimately led to his departure a few albums later.

But also found (as I did with the Metallica biography), that the author was dissing songs and albums I totally disagreed with. Like he basically said Powerslave was an average album, even saying the title song didn't rate highly...it's one of my favourites! Anyway you get that I guess.

But yeah, one of the few bands I can go back and listen to (mainly their older albums) and never tire of them.

 

[Vince W]

The World Slavery Tour was classic. They had a lot of cash behind them and the stage show was amazing. Some might disagree, but I always thought that playing Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner a bold choice of songs. It's one of my favourite albums.

Edit: I just realised I have read this book. In 1998. I didn't notice that it was a 3rd edition of the same book.

 

[Westy]

I always thought that playing Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner a bold choice of songs.

Because of it's length? Maybe for newbies to the band, but for fans (and the band themselves) I think it's a favourite and is always welcomed!

It's one of my favourite albums.

Same. Actually for me one of my favourite sections of music of theirs is the song Powerslave from about 2:54 to 5:10. Including listening to Steve's bass. So good!

 

[Vince W]

Because of it's length? Maybe for newbies to the band, but for fans (and the band themselves) I think it's a favourite and is always welcomed!

Exactly. When other bands are playing songs at 3-4 minutes, they played one 13+ minutes long. I really like the way it starts out quick then slows down and then builds back up again. One of their best.

 

[pogopossum]

Hiaasen, Squeeze Me. It's a romp.
And a farce. And a run on satire on Floridian politics and society.
And on a certain orange haired figure who casts absentee ballots there.

 

[Westy]

Hiaasen,

He's great.

 

[JunkMonkey]

Currently wrestling my way through Libre d'aimer by Olivier Merle. A wartime romance of forbidden love (she's Jewish, and she's not, and they're both women). My French is obviously improving. I almost know what's going on without having to run to the dictionary all the time.

 

[Trollheart]

I find myself wondering if I should repost my Iron Maiden thread here.... comments?

As for reading, just finished Nicholas Nickelby yesterday (superb, just superb) and moving on to Hard Times this morning. Already love it.

 

[Westy]

I find myself wondering if I should repost my Iron Maiden thread here.... comments?

What Iron Maiden thread is that? (Maybe post in the Other Media section?) I can talk heaps on Iron Maiden, though mainly the 7th Son and prior years.

 

[Westy]

I read Red Pill by Hari Kunzu after seeing it mentioned by Jeff Vandermeer.

It basically follows the story of the narrator, a writer who arrives in Berlin to stay at a think-tank institute, as he gradually succumbs to writer's block, becomes obsessed with the writer of a detective show he likes (to the stage that he believes he's in his head), and general paranoia at the world around him.

It's quite well-written, easy to read, and structured in a way that keeps the reader's interest to see how the narrator will cope; how it will end. But the ending was a little disappointing/predictable, and on the whole not a novel I'd go back to, but the gradual decline in the narrator's mental health was quite affecting.

 

[Trollheart]

Moved on to Hard Times. Excellent, as usual, however I do wish Dickens had not so often tried to write in authentic dialect for the characters. In Nicholas Nickelby, just finished recently, he has a Yorkshireman talking, and I swear, it's hard to figure out what the guy is saying. This is bad enough if you're just reading it for yourself, but in my case, where I'm trying to read it, then translate it in my head and then read out an understandable version for my sister, it's doubly hard. When he does it with lisps and such it's really annoying too. He has a character in Hard Times - which is set in the fictional town of Coketown, but I would hazard is meant to represent Sheffield or Newcastle, one of the northern mining/steel towns - who speaks in that dialect and honestly, half the time it's impossible almost to know what the man is saying. To paraphrase Zaphod Beeblebrox: ten out of ten for authenticity but minus several million for readability!

 

[JunkMonkey]

Moved on to Hard Times. Excellent, as usual, however I do wish Dickens had not so often tried to write in authentic dialect for the characters. In Nicholas Nickelby, just finished recently, he has a Yorkshireman talking, and I swear, it's hard to figure out what the guy is saying. This is bad enough if you're just reading it for yourself, but in my case, where I'm trying to read it, then translate it in my head and then read out an understandable version for my sister, it's doubly hard. When he does it with lisps and such it's really annoying too. He has a character in Hard Times - which is set in the fictional town of Coketown, but I would hazard is meant to represent Sheffield or Newcastle, one of the northern mining/steel towns - who speaks in that dialect and honestly, half the time it's impossible almost to know what the man is saying. To paraphrase Zaphod Beeblebrox: ten out of ten for authenticity but minus several million for readability!

I can assure you that the Sheffield and Newcastle accents are very different one from the other, even these days (my wife is Sheffield born and bred). Back then, before the advent of radio television and other 'levelling' media, it would have been much more pronounced. (BTW if he was a Yorkshireman and from Coaltown then it wasn't a Newcastle accent. Newcastle isn't in Yorkshire. Pub fights have broken out for less.)

 

[Trollheart]

Obviously, being Irish, I have no idea what accent he was trying to depict, but the description of Coketown puts me in mind of the mills of Newcastle, Sheffield, other northern towns. I could be wrong; it's a fictional town. But the accent surely isn't made up. Read it some time and maybe you will be able to figure it out. I sure can't.

The Yorkshireman is in Nicholas Nickelby, and comes, rather oddly I thought, from, um, Yorkshire... I just mentioned the two separate cases as examples of when Dickens uses, or in my belief, overuses or even abuses, local dialects in his writing, to the point that anyone not from that area or country would be hard pressed to understand what's going on. In Hard Times, one of the main characters, Stephen Blackpool (not from Blackpool) talks like that, and when so much of the plot revolves around him, it makes it hard to get the idea of what is happening.

 

[JunkMonkey]

Ah. I'd misread. I thought the Yorkshire character was in Hard Times. Mea culpa.

I'm English born but live in Scotland and I have trouble distinguishing different Irish accents - or, on one specially memorable occasion, even understanding them. My ex's family is from Belfast. I once met her uncle at a family gathering and quite frankly couldn't understand a word he was saying. He was obviously speaking English but I couldn't fathom out what he was trying to tell me at all. (The beer didn't help.) Until that is he put on what he considered to be an 'English' accent and spoke very slowly. Gods that was an embarrassing night.

 

[Trollheart]

I'm sure nobody will be surprised to hear that Hard Times was excellent, though I do think the ending was rushed: reminded me of those movies that end "so-and-so went on to be president etc". I wonder was he a little rushed by his publisher? Maybe it's just me. Anyway we've now gone on to Martin Chuzzlewit, which I have to say I'm finding harder going. It's not as immediately accessible to me as the last few were. Still very good of course, but I hope it gets a little more interesting. Good for the social commentary at the moment but not so hot on the plot element. We'll see.

 

[Windshadow]

I am enjoying the Audible Plus perk that is a part of my current deal with them.
In the past there were quite a few shorter works less than 4 or 5 hours in length that I would never spend a credit on and unless they were priced under a buck an hour I would still give them a miss and most of the time they were still priced upwards of $12 for a one hour old radio drama.... but with most of the short works repriced and or put on the Plus free list I have been finding some fun shorter items....
These are just 30 min long just right to listen to over breakfast or during my walk int the village for the days newspaper. I toss these out as a example as Damon Runyon was a friend of my grandfather in NYC during the 30s and 40s. ( psst if you don’t have the free plus perk a bit of searching on YouTube will turn up quite a few of these gems)

Damon Runyon Theater: A Nice Price

Check out this great listen on Audible.com. At the Harvard-Yale crew race, three Runyonesque characters place a bet at some very nice odds. ©2014 Damon Runyon (P)2014 RSPT, LLC...

www.audible.com