In his own words
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The Captive and the Fugitive (Volume 5)
Review: Proust. Sometimes he writes himself into a corner and then laboriously extricates himself. Leaving the reader puzzling over quadruple negatives and peculiar phrasing. Protagonist finally revealed as “Marcel”. He is still a bone idle pussy, but as always the descriptions of light and sunshine and landscapes and architecture are exquisite. Overall rating: How I…
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The Secret Agent
Review: Conrad is credited with his introduction of true realism to English literature, and this is a great example of that. Dirty, poverty stricken violent anarchists. Unlikeable protagonists, and everybody dies or wants to by the end. Loved this. Overall rating: How I discovered or acquired this book: Read a quote from it somewhere Noteworthy…
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The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loanna
Review: An investigation of memory and how our lives and events are largely our own. A beautiful exposition of nostalgia and how it shapes our memories. Very interesting to see war-time memories from an Axis country. Overall rating: How I discovered or acquired this book: Noteworthy experiences while reading this book: Discovering that Kindle illustrations…
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The Catalogue of Shipwrecked Books
Review: Hernando Columbus and his quest to build a universal library. Extraordinary research into an extraordinary man and an extraordinary project. Highly interesting and informative, both historically and scientifically. Books are our memories and need to be preserved and accessible to all. Overall rating: How I discovered or acquired this book: Libby suggestion Noteworthy experiences…
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Electra
Review: An excellent treatment of the Clytaemnestra/Electra myth. Justice prevails, but at a cost. Or rather, revenge versus justice is shown as a dichotomy. Overall rating: How I discovered or acquired this book: RNG4LRP Noteworthy experiences while reading this book: Check out author’s other books? Y Recommend this book? To whom? Ratings (1-10, 10 being…
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100 Years of Solitude
Review: Very well written but needed an editor. It just went on too long. Really exquisite prose, but it felt tedious near the last third of the book. Overall rating: How I discovered or acquired this book: RNG4LRP Noteworthy experiences while reading this book: World spiraling into chaos from Covid-19 Check out author’s other books?…
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The Sailor Who Fell From Grace With the Sea
Review: A very, very good book. Almost poetic in its tone and descriptions without being forced or contrived. A short, sad, glorious tale of a man, a boy, a woman, and the timeless eternity of the ocean. Overall rating: How I discovered or acquired this book: RNG4LRP Noteworthy experiences while reading this book: Coronavirus scare…
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Raid on St. Nazaire
Review: A very well written account of a daring raid in WWII. The first raid. A lot like the first bodybuilders, these first commandos had to make everything from scratch, including their units and themselves. It was a big eyeopener in that this was a real story, with real men, really dying. Not a movie,…
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Chariots of Fire
Review: An excellent treatment of my favorite movie. Overall rating: How I discovered or acquired this book: Noteworthy experiences while reading this book: Check out author’s other books? Recommend this book? To whom? Ratings (1-10, 10 being exceptional):
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Fathers and Sons
Review: Bazarov the Nihilist. Arkady the Starry-eyed Youth. Women of the Aristocracy. Men of the Aristocracy. Add vodka. Shake and pour into novel. It really works out well in terms of readability, pace, characters. It just works. Overall rating: How I discovered or acquired this book: RNG4LRP Noteworthy experiences while reading this book: Check out…