|
Dune (1965)
| ♥♥♥♥ |
| by Frank Herbert |
Finished January 4, 2008 |
An excellent science fiction novel. I was hooked within a few pages, and soon
realized that this book was the source for lots of derivative works and
references I've seen in various video games and science fiction movies. The
really phenomenal thing about the book is the psychology, in my estimation.
The story involves a semi-religious order of women with extraordinary
perceptive abilities, and one boy with even greater perception. This leads to
fascinating interchanges such as a dinner party scene early on where there are
as many thoughts recorded as bits of dialogue at the table. The next great
feature of the book is some real quality science fiction, where Herbert thought
out many implications of life on a desert planet that are the backdrop for
plausible cultural issues and plot intricacies.
The final chapter in the Harry Potter series. An enjoyable read, and it
impressed me as I came to realize the power for good or evil that Ms. Rowling
held in her hands with this book. With all those attentive youthful minds, she
could have used it to espouse some poor philsophy of the day, but instead
built up worthy themes of courage, forgiveness, and redemption.
[Also attempting to read a little of the Russian text.]
Love and deception among upper class Russians in Moscow and St. Petersburg.
|
Peter the Great (1981?)
| ♥♥♥ |
| by Robert K. Massie |
Audio book, finished September 7, 2007 |
A deep and fascinating look at Peter the Great's life, but also at the
world environment he grew up in. The first part spends a lot of time on his
1.5 year tour of Western Europe early in his reign. It gives background on
Holland, France, and England, and their kings, to do so.
The second part spends most of its time on the young king Charles of Sweden
and his long war with Peter. Peter's success allows him to create his dream
city, St. Petersburg, on captured land.
The third part deals with Peter's trouble with the Byzantine Empire and his
return to Russia, and final years there trying to make sure his reforms
would last to influence the future of Russia.
|
Dragonflight (1968)
| ♥♥ |
| by Anne McCaffrey |
Finished August 20, 2007 |
Fantasy book about humans that ride dragons to protect the land of Pern from
a periodic planetary even that could otherwise destroy all vegetation. First of
a series of three. Plot and characters are interesting enough, but nothing
spectacular.
The Westminster Catechism begins with this question: What is the chief end of
man? The answer: To glorify God and enjoy him forever. John Piper makes a
strong case that this is exactly what we were made for, and that to avoid this
path is to waste your life!
Christians have something that outweighs all the riches of this world, and it's
time we started acting like it. We shouldn't be spending our money and time
pursuing comfort and entertainment, but trying to glorify God, enjoy him, and
help others to find this same joy.
Jimmy Crocker is a free-spirited young man who is increasingly an embarassment
to his idle rich extended family. The plot thickens when he falls for a girl
who despises but doesn't recognize him, so he hides his identity from her.
An intricate and clever, if absurd, plot, amusingly written.
Interesting data that most European countries have birth rates far below
"replacement level" mean that those societies are likely to wink out of
existence. Russia and Italy lead the way, losing almost half their population
each generation now. Steyn suggests this is going to make their pyramid-scheme
socialism untenable in the near future. It also leaves the question of who will
replace them. A bummer for me, as I am learning Russian!
Steyn's writing is very witty and he makes some interesting arguments. I'm not
sure I believe that America is as safe from this European doom as he suggests.
It seems to me that affluence breeds self-indulgence, and that results in
wanting to amuse yourself rather than the hard work of raising kids, and we
will be just as vulnerable to this. Also, it seems to me that families that
have a strong family culture (like mine) will eventually be all that's left,
so the birth rates have to rise again at some point. But I guess if the
populations get too low, those cultures will fade into the background of the
dominant, childbearing ones.
Roland and his entourage attempt the final stage of the journey to the Dark
Tower. It took me a year to get through volume five because I found it very
dull; this was more entertaining and I read the last 80% of it in perhaps
three weeks. Overall there are enough gross-out scenes, crudities, and
gratuitous sexual references in the series that I cannot recommend it. That
became clear to me in book four, but I had already read not only the first
three books but around eight of his others with some relationship to the
series, so I couldn't see stopping. But the last volume was better than most
of them and had some satisfying aspects.
Three sons of the unpleasant Fyodor Karamazov get to know each other and their
father again after childhood estrangement. After a murder, the oldest son is
put on trial. Fascinating plot and character development.
|
The Gambler (1866)
| ♥♥♥♥ |
| by Fyodor Dostoyevsky |
Audio book, finished February 2007 |
A young man takes up gambling in the hopes of gaining status to propose to the
woman he loves. He observes the ruinous effects of gambling in others' lives
but succumbs himself.
Copyright © 2007, Geoff Gustafson. All rights reserved.
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