Paperback 1992 (Dover Thrift Editions), 122 pages
Cape Coral, FL. April 19, 2010.
Play written between 1599 and 1601.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Monday, March 22, 2010
A Grief Observed by C.S. Lewis
Paperback 1962, 76 pages.
Kunming, China. March 20, 2010.
With Foreword by Madeleine L’Engle, and Introduction by Doughlas H. Gresham.
Written under penname of N. W. Clerk after the death of Lewis’s wife.
Kunming, China. March 20, 2010.
With Foreword by Madeleine L’Engle, and Introduction by Doughlas H. Gresham.
Written under penname of N. W. Clerk after the death of Lewis’s wife.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Bones by Jonathan Kellerman
Paperback, 2009, 429 pages
February 22, 2010 Enroute UA870 SYD-SFO
Alex Delaware is a clinical psychologist consultant for the LAPD. In this novel he helps to track down the killer(s) involved with a series of murders discovered at a marsh in the city run by the “Save The Marsh” organization. The killers turn out to be a rich lady Simone Vander and her lover lawyer who started off murdering victims of their sexual bondage games. Eventually they turned on the lady’s father, step-mother, and step-brother (although they spared the child). Helping in the investigation was the original prime suspect Huck who worked as an aide to the family; he was the prime suspect because evidence was planted by the perpetrators to frame him (unsuccessfully).
The plot of the book is simply too complicated compared to how good the book is. Since I read it during a trip, I picked it up and put it down multiple times and at first got quite confused as to where the story was going. Some elements of the story are beyond reasonable belief: like serial killers suddenly find they can use that crime to frame another person and hope to inherit a huge fortune from it. The title “Bones” refers to the right hands that are chopped off and stored in a box. One might expect this to have great significance, but actually it was an elaborate but credibility-straining scheme to stage events so the LAPD will take the investigation in a particular direction.
Kellerman, a psychologist himself, supposed writes great psychological detective stories; this book must be an exception to the rule. Delaware could pass himself off as a regular detective; and I do not get any more insight into what turns people into serial killers from the book. Toward the end Delaware also got into a bit of heroic act by trying to help Huck when he was being stabbed by Vander. No doubt the author sees a bit of himself in Delaware.
The book if written better would be average. As it is, it doesn’t make the grade.
February 22, 2010 Enroute UA870 SYD-SFO
Alex Delaware is a clinical psychologist consultant for the LAPD. In this novel he helps to track down the killer(s) involved with a series of murders discovered at a marsh in the city run by the “Save The Marsh” organization. The killers turn out to be a rich lady Simone Vander and her lover lawyer who started off murdering victims of their sexual bondage games. Eventually they turned on the lady’s father, step-mother, and step-brother (although they spared the child). Helping in the investigation was the original prime suspect Huck who worked as an aide to the family; he was the prime suspect because evidence was planted by the perpetrators to frame him (unsuccessfully).
The plot of the book is simply too complicated compared to how good the book is. Since I read it during a trip, I picked it up and put it down multiple times and at first got quite confused as to where the story was going. Some elements of the story are beyond reasonable belief: like serial killers suddenly find they can use that crime to frame another person and hope to inherit a huge fortune from it. The title “Bones” refers to the right hands that are chopped off and stored in a box. One might expect this to have great significance, but actually it was an elaborate but credibility-straining scheme to stage events so the LAPD will take the investigation in a particular direction.
Kellerman, a psychologist himself, supposed writes great psychological detective stories; this book must be an exception to the rule. Delaware could pass himself off as a regular detective; and I do not get any more insight into what turns people into serial killers from the book. Toward the end Delaware also got into a bit of heroic act by trying to help Huck when he was being stabbed by Vander. No doubt the author sees a bit of himself in Delaware.
The book if written better would be average. As it is, it doesn’t make the grade.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Impressionism: 50 Paintings You Should Know by Ines Janet Engelmann.
January 9, 2010; South Amboy, NJ
Softcover, 2007; 135 pp.
We picked this book up when we visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art a couple of weeks ago. I couldn't find out anything about the author, so she may be a well-known art historian, or just an amateur (hopefully a knowledgeable one). Also, the 50 were picked by her, or via a survey, or is common knowledge among people who "know"? The book doesn't tell us. Neither do we know if they were chosen because they were significant artistically or historically.
I thought I had a pretty broad exposure to Impressionist paintings since I, like millions others, like work from the period a lot. I learned quite a few things from reading the book:
Many artists struggled financially, although some could afford to paint because they came from a rich family.
There were quite a few painters that were not French: van Gogh, of course, was Dutch, although he lived in France for a long time; there were several Germans also.
Many paintings took a long time to complete. I knew about van Gogh's sketches when I went to the Met for a van Gogh exhibition, but I didn't know the extent to which the artists spent time creating their work.
Gaugin's work eventually evolved to be 2-dimensional.
The artists often worked together, and painted each others' portraits. Sometimes they would paint the same objects. Examples are Renoir and Monet painting La Grenouillere, van Gogh and Monet painting sunflowers.
In any case, still a good book to read since I'm sure Ms. Engelmann knows a lot about the subject than I do. If I were to pick (even from the painters I know reasonably well) I would have made a few different choices, though.
Softcover, 2007; 135 pp.
We picked this book up when we visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art a couple of weeks ago. I couldn't find out anything about the author, so she may be a well-known art historian, or just an amateur (hopefully a knowledgeable one). Also, the 50 were picked by her, or via a survey, or is common knowledge among people who "know"? The book doesn't tell us. Neither do we know if they were chosen because they were significant artistically or historically.
I thought I had a pretty broad exposure to Impressionist paintings since I, like millions others, like work from the period a lot. I learned quite a few things from reading the book:
Many artists struggled financially, although some could afford to paint because they came from a rich family.
There were quite a few painters that were not French: van Gogh, of course, was Dutch, although he lived in France for a long time; there were several Germans also.
Many paintings took a long time to complete. I knew about van Gogh's sketches when I went to the Met for a van Gogh exhibition, but I didn't know the extent to which the artists spent time creating their work.
Gaugin's work eventually evolved to be 2-dimensional.
The artists often worked together, and painted each others' portraits. Sometimes they would paint the same objects. Examples are Renoir and Monet painting La Grenouillere, van Gogh and Monet painting sunflowers.
In any case, still a good book to read since I'm sure Ms. Engelmann knows a lot about the subject than I do. If I were to pick (even from the painters I know reasonably well) I would have made a few different choices, though.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
The Poor Will Be Glad by Peter Greer & Phil Smith
December 11, 2009; Somerville, MA
Hardcover, 2009; 279 pp.
Subtitle: Joining the Revolution to Lift the World Out of Poverty.
Photography by Jeremy Cowart.
Hardcover, 2009; 279 pp.
Subtitle: Joining the Revolution to Lift the World Out of Poverty.
Photography by Jeremy Cowart.
When Helping Hurts by Steve Corbett & Brian Fikkert
December 10, 2009; South Amboy, NJ
Paperback, 2009; 230 pp.
Paperback, 2009; 230 pp.
Monday, November 9, 2009
The Clinic by Jonathan Kellerman
October 31, 2009; Jinhua, Zhejiang, China
Paperback, 1996; 465 pp.
I know Kellerman from the TruTV appearances he has made, but this is his first book I read. I read this book during my Hong Kong/China trip.
Alex Delaware is a psychologist retained by the LA police department in the case of the murder of Hope Devane. We find out eventually that four murders are committed by the same person Reed Muscadine to avenge his kidney’s being harvested for an organized crime boss. Three of the victims (Devane, Mandy Wright, and Casey Locking) were involved with the drugging and surgery on Muscadine; the fourth, a bartender, was a somewhat innocent bystander.
The story leads the reader down many dead ends such as the novel written by Hope Devane. Perhaps that’s how real life investigations work, but some people read fiction to escape real life. The actual plot could have been developed better. The climax all happened in the span of a few chapters. I kept wondering if I missed anything, and at the end I decided I didn’t; it was just a poorly constructed novel.
And I didn’t like the way the story ended: without resolution. The novel isn’t good enough to qualify for that sort of an ending.
All said and done, however, I rate Kellerman as a better author than Patterson.
Paperback, 1996; 465 pp.
I know Kellerman from the TruTV appearances he has made, but this is his first book I read. I read this book during my Hong Kong/China trip.
Alex Delaware is a psychologist retained by the LA police department in the case of the murder of Hope Devane. We find out eventually that four murders are committed by the same person Reed Muscadine to avenge his kidney’s being harvested for an organized crime boss. Three of the victims (Devane, Mandy Wright, and Casey Locking) were involved with the drugging and surgery on Muscadine; the fourth, a bartender, was a somewhat innocent bystander.
The story leads the reader down many dead ends such as the novel written by Hope Devane. Perhaps that’s how real life investigations work, but some people read fiction to escape real life. The actual plot could have been developed better. The climax all happened in the span of a few chapters. I kept wondering if I missed anything, and at the end I decided I didn’t; it was just a poorly constructed novel.
And I didn’t like the way the story ended: without resolution. The novel isn’t good enough to qualify for that sort of an ending.
All said and done, however, I rate Kellerman as a better author than Patterson.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)