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1margad
What are you guys reading? Any fodder for off-the-wall quickie comparisons of the last 2 books you read?
I'll start: One of the best books I've read recently was Maria McCann's As Meat Loves Salt, about a young man with serious anger issues during the English Civil War. A novel on a similar subject that I've gotten bogged down in is Luther Bissett's Q, which is about the 1525 Peasant War in Germany. While I still hope to finish that one, I've taken a break from it to read Vladimir Bartol's Alamut, a 1939 novel about the Hashishin, a group of twelfth century soldiers trained as suicidal assassins through their use of hashish and their belief in a paradisical afterlife.
Similarities: all historical novels, all about warfare
Distinctions: Q and As Meat Loves Salt were published relatively recently, in 2000 and 2001, respectively (but before the current war in Iraq began). Alamut was originally published in 1939 by an Eastern European writer concerned about the rising tide of totalitarianism, and is now out in a new edition. The former two novels are about revolutions by impoverished common people against aristocrats whose lifestyles had become increasingly opulent. Alamut involves the quarrels of Middle Eastern aristocrats who use others as pawns in their personal vendettas and quests for power - and is eerily reminiscent of Al Qaeda.
Reading all three of these novels together makes me wonder to what extent all wars may involve instigators and leaders motivated as much by the desire for personal power or vengeance as by the desire to correct injustices. If I had read these in isolation, I'm not sure the question would have arisen. In all three novels, the leaders are greatly admired by the common soldiers. In Q and As Meat Loves Salt, the leaders don't appear as major characters, while in Alamut the supreme leader is a cynic who consciously and deliberately sets out to mislead and use his soldiers for his personal ends. Neither Cromwell nor Thomas Müntzer (the cleric who led the Peasant Rebellion) appear to have been cynics - quite the contrary, they were true believers motivated (at least consciously) by their religious beliefs. I wonder, though, what one might find if it were possible to plumb the depths of their subconscious motivations.
I'll start: One of the best books I've read recently was Maria McCann's As Meat Loves Salt, about a young man with serious anger issues during the English Civil War. A novel on a similar subject that I've gotten bogged down in is Luther Bissett's Q, which is about the 1525 Peasant War in Germany. While I still hope to finish that one, I've taken a break from it to read Vladimir Bartol's Alamut, a 1939 novel about the Hashishin, a group of twelfth century soldiers trained as suicidal assassins through their use of hashish and their belief in a paradisical afterlife.
Similarities: all historical novels, all about warfare
Distinctions: Q and As Meat Loves Salt were published relatively recently, in 2000 and 2001, respectively (but before the current war in Iraq began). Alamut was originally published in 1939 by an Eastern European writer concerned about the rising tide of totalitarianism, and is now out in a new edition. The former two novels are about revolutions by impoverished common people against aristocrats whose lifestyles had become increasingly opulent. Alamut involves the quarrels of Middle Eastern aristocrats who use others as pawns in their personal vendettas and quests for power - and is eerily reminiscent of Al Qaeda.
Reading all three of these novels together makes me wonder to what extent all wars may involve instigators and leaders motivated as much by the desire for personal power or vengeance as by the desire to correct injustices. If I had read these in isolation, I'm not sure the question would have arisen. In all three novels, the leaders are greatly admired by the common soldiers. In Q and As Meat Loves Salt, the leaders don't appear as major characters, while in Alamut the supreme leader is a cynic who consciously and deliberately sets out to mislead and use his soldiers for his personal ends. Neither Cromwell nor Thomas Müntzer (the cleric who led the Peasant Rebellion) appear to have been cynics - quite the contrary, they were true believers motivated (at least consciously) by their religious beliefs. I wonder, though, what one might find if it were possible to plumb the depths of their subconscious motivations.
2berthirsch
I recently read Edgar Allan Poe's novella the Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym and was struck with a conncection to the fiction of Stephen King.
Both write with great descriptive talent of the terror one might feel in a trapped situation. As one reads the hairs on the back of the neck tingle with anticipation and droop with the overwhelming sense of dread.
Also the Pym tale reminds one of tales written by Robert Louis Stevenson who , interestingly so, was born one year after Poe died at the early age of 40.
Both write with great descriptive talent of the terror one might feel in a trapped situation. As one reads the hairs on the back of the neck tingle with anticipation and droop with the overwhelming sense of dread.
Also the Pym tale reminds one of tales written by Robert Louis Stevenson who , interestingly so, was born one year after Poe died at the early age of 40.
4margad
LOL, Gene! You're right, Bert, King does have a certain something about his novels that resembles the aura of dread in Poe and, IMHO, has a more literary quality than the usual run of horror fiction. I know some people look down their noses at King for being too "popular", but I find the novels of his that I've read to be quite thoughtful. I'm thinking especially of The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, Carrie, The Stand, and Misery (this last of special interest to writers).
Meanwhile, I've discovered a fun website that pairs books that which might be interesting to read and compare: www.steelypips.org/paired/pair3.
Meanwhile, I've discovered a fun website that pairs books that which might be interesting to read and compare: www.steelypips.org/paired/pair3.
5CarlosMcRey
margad - Is Alamut about the Hashisim/Assasins? IIRC, that was the name of their mountain fortress.
My reading is sort of all over the place. I have been reading a collection of shorter Irene Nemirovsky works. Right now, I'm working on David Golder which reminds me a bit of The Great Gatsby mostly for its portrayal of the lifestyles of the noveaux riche in the Roaring '20s.
I've also been slowly reading The Other Nineteenth Century which is a collection of short stories by a lesser known sci-fi/fantasy author. I'm sort of intrigued by his style, which can be frustrating but also sort of hypnotic. I don't know how to describe it exactly, but it's a little like if someone were to hand you jigsaw puzzle pieces one by one and then at the end let you glance at the picture on the box.
My reading is sort of all over the place. I have been reading a collection of shorter Irene Nemirovsky works. Right now, I'm working on David Golder which reminds me a bit of The Great Gatsby mostly for its portrayal of the lifestyles of the noveaux riche in the Roaring '20s.
I've also been slowly reading The Other Nineteenth Century which is a collection of short stories by a lesser known sci-fi/fantasy author. I'm sort of intrigued by his style, which can be frustrating but also sort of hypnotic. I don't know how to describe it exactly, but it's a little like if someone were to hand you jigsaw puzzle pieces one by one and then at the end let you glance at the picture on the box.
7kiwidoc
#2 If you enjoyed Poe, you might like to read Peter Ackroyd's biography Poe: A life cut short which is well worth the read and gives good insight into his very depressing life (poverty, alcoholism, etc).
Also, if you are on a detective kick, The Suspicions of Mr Whicher by Kate Summerscale detailed in erudite fashion, a real murder in England in 1860 and expands on the development of the detective novel - from Poe, to Wilkie Collins (whose The Moonstone has elements of the murder in it) through to the more modern. Well worth the time.
Also, if you are on a detective kick, The Suspicions of Mr Whicher by Kate Summerscale detailed in erudite fashion, a real murder in England in 1860 and expands on the development of the detective novel - from Poe, to Wilkie Collins (whose The Moonstone has elements of the murder in it) through to the more modern. Well worth the time.
8margad
Yes, Carlos, Alamut is about the Hashishin assassins. I finished reading it the other day - the last few chapters are the most interesting - and have posted a very brief review on my profile page and a longer review at www.HistoricalNovels.info. The website also offers suggestions for other novels and nonfiction works on the subject.
I visited Philadelphia a couple of years ago for a writers' conference and during a couple of free hours walked a few blocks away from the downtown hotel to visit the house where Poe lived. It had an eerie basement that could well have inspired some of his stories. The Park Service employee that takes care of the house was great, and there were hardly any visitors. Well worth a visit anytime you're in Philadelphia!
I visited Philadelphia a couple of years ago for a writers' conference and during a couple of free hours walked a few blocks away from the downtown hotel to visit the house where Poe lived. It had an eerie basement that could well have inspired some of his stories. The Park Service employee that takes care of the house was great, and there were hardly any visitors. Well worth a visit anytime you're in Philadelphia!
