Tag Archives: 20th Century

My Father’s Moon by Elizabeth Jolley

Australian Literature February 23, 2010 Superfast Reader 2 Comments

Synopsis: An unwed mother tries working in an impoverished boarding school and finds herself yearning for the nurse she fell in love with back when both were working in a military hospital in England during WWII. Review: My Father’s Moon is the first of three books in The Vera Wright Trilogy, an autobiographical series that has long been out-of-print. Highly praised in its time, Elizabeth Jolley‘s work wasn’t widely known outside of her native Australia until now. Based on My Father’s Moon, I daresay Ms.…

Seventh Son by Orson Scott Card

American Literature December 28, 2009 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: The seventh son of a seventh son, Alvin Miller is destined for greatness if he can only survive the plots of the Unmaker who stalks him. Review: I loved the alternate America created by Orson Scott Card in Seventh Son, where folk magic abounds and George Washington had himself executed as a traitor after liberating the colonies. The American Indian tribes are the seventh state in the compact creating America, and the French are nowhere to be found. It’s lovely to read a work…

The Killing Doll by Ruth Rendell

British Literature December 28, 2009 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: A lonely young man sells his soul to the devil so that he will grow tall, but it’s his troubled sister who falls under the sway of the occult. Review: The Killing Doll is an odd little book, with more horror elements than can usually be found in a Ruth Rendell crime novel. I’m used to the pettiness of her characters, but usually there are one or two who engage me. I really didn’t connect to any of these people, and was glad when…

Just An Ordinary Day by Shirley Jackson

American Literature December 24, 2009 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: A collection of unpublished and previously uncollected short stories by the reigning queen of gothic Americana. Review: Short stories are not usually my cup of tea, because they’re over far too quickly. But I’ll read anything that Shirley Jackson writes, and I really enjoyed the stories found in Just An Ordinary Day, which I’ve been reading in fits and starts for several months. Oddly enough, my favorites were among the unpublished pieces. In particular, I greatly enjoyed “My Recollections of S.B. Fairchild,” about a…

Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer

American Literature December 12, 2009 Superfast Reader 3 Comments

Synopsis: The true story of a young man who gave up everything to live off the land in Alaska, only to die a painful death by starvation. Review: Into the Wild was a quick, fast-paced read that left me both satisfied and wanting to know more. Christopher McCandless’s decision to go his own iconoclastic way towards a wanton death seems crazy to most of us, yet author Jon Krakauer paints such a full picture of his personality that there doesn’t seem to be anything more…

No Night Is Too Long by Barbara Vine

British Literature December 5, 2009 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: A love affair turns murderous during a voyage among desolate Arctic islands. Review: No Night Is Too Long was not my favorite Barbara Vine. While I found the central murder to be wonderfully original, I didn’t care for the characters and felt like some of the plot was a bit too contrived. The book appears to be out of print, so someone will get a lucky treat at my local thrift store this week!

The Comedians by Graham Greene

American Literature November 2, 2009 Superfast Reader 2 Comments

Synopsis: A hotelier, a nominal candidate for the US presidency, and a conman’s lives converge in Haiti during the height of the reign of Papa Doc Duvalier and his Tontons Macoute. Review: While I was captivated by Graham Greene’s remarkable prose prowess in The Comedians, I wasn’t as enthralled by the story as I wanted to be. My interest never dipped below the purely intellectual into the realm of emotion. There was something much too male about the story’s tone and construction for my tastes,…

Oath of Gold by Elizabeth Moon (The Deed of Paksenarrion)

American Literature October 19, 2009 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: In her final adventure, soldier turned coward turned paladin Paksenarrion finds herself on a quest to crown the true king, a quest that will bring her face to face with darkest evil. Review: Oath of Gold concludes the Deed of Paksenarrion trilogy in a most satisfactory manner, no matter how trite my one-liner may seem. (Have I mentioned lately how hard it is to summarize epic fantasy?) I was thoroughly satisfied by the breadth of the journey upon which Elizabeth Moon sets her intrepid…

Divided Allegiance by Elizabeth Moon (The Deed of Paksenarrion, Book 2)

American Literature October 5, 2009 Superfast Reader 1 Comment

Synopsis: A free lance after leaving Duke Phelan’s company, Paksenarrion finds high adventure and faces an evil that changes her irrevocably. Review: Divided Allegiance was much darker than Sheepfarmer’s Daughter, with Elizabeth Moon taking Paksenarrion to some very dark places. Yet Moon never loses her connection with the ideals of goodness, courage, and loyalty that made Paks such an appealing heroine, even as she’s shaking that idealism to its very foundation. I always find middle books in trilogies difficult to discuss. I don’t want to…

Sheepfarmer’s Daughter by Elizabeth Moon (The Deed of Paksenarrion)

American Literature October 1, 2009 Superfast Reader 4 Comments

Synopsis: A country girl enlists as a recruit in a band of mercenary soldiers, where she excels–and may be receiving supernatural aid from a saint she doesn’t know about or believe in. Review: Oddly enough, Sheepfarmer’s Daughter reminded me a lot of Battlestar Galactica, with its preoccupations over military honor and what makes for goodness in wartime. And anyone who knows me will let you know that this is a compliment of the highest order. There are no starships or robots in the first book…

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