Circles : Fifty Roundtrips Through History, Technology, Science, Culture... by James Burke

Circles : Fifty Roundtrips Through History, Technology, Science, Culture...
James Burke
5/5 stars

Circles is a sort of "six degrees of seperation" in which Burke begins with an idea or person (history, technology, science, culture, the like) and through connections with other ideas or people, circles back around to the beginning point.

This is a witty, interesting, and informative book that reads like having a conversation with the author.  Most lead me to want to research further on my own.  Some of the links are more tenuous than others, but that doesn't lessen the entertainment value of the essay.

The important thing to remember about Circles is that it is not intended to be read straight through.  One or two essays at time, at most, should be read, digested, enjoyed before proceeding to another.  Trying to read multiple chapters at a time will result in an overdose of Burke's humor, and an inability to remember any of the details.

I highly recommend Burke in general, and Circles in particular for the lay-historian.

(And yes, I have, and have had since the early 1990's, a painful schoolgirl-crush on Burke.)

The Classics Club: Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut

(about the Classics Club)

Slaughterhouse Five, or the Children's Crusade: a Duty-Dance with Death
Kurt Vonnegut
published 1969

Vonnegut self-portrai

This was a reread for me, and I found it just as bizarre and incomprehensible and fantastic as I did the first time around.  I can't explain what makes it a 5 star read for me.  I know a lot of readers disagree--it appears to be a book one either loves or hates.

For those that haven't read it, Slaughterhouse Five tells the story of Billy Pilgrim, "unstuck in time",  who lived an ordinary life except for witnessing the bombing of Dresden during WWII, and being kidnapped by aliens from the planet Tralfamador.  Like Billy, the narrative jumps from point to point in his life, never in the right order, always returning to his WWII experience.  It is full of philosophy--but does Vonnegut believe any of it, or is he just playing with the reader?

Vonnegut was himself, as prisoner in Slaughterhouse Five, a witness to that bombing.  Is he the intrusive narrator of the book, the one who says "that was me" and "I was there" about certain events?  That is one of the great questions the book poses, and, for me,  it gives an extra layer of enjoyment to the novel.

Despite the choppy narrative, the strange story, and the feeling that the reader is being played with, I find Slaughterhouse Five to be an engrossing, compelling, fascinating read.  I don't recommend it universally, though, as it's earthiness and weirdness will put off many readers.

Notable Passages, Ideas or Themes:
After every death, in the Tralfamadorian tradition: "So it goes".

Lots of repetitions of "And so on."

The profound: "Everything was beautiful, and nothing hurt."

Poirot

Goodbye Days by Jeff Zentner

Goodbye Days
Jeff Zentner
expected publication date: March 7, 2017
4/5 stars

Carver's three best friends, Mars, Eli, and Blane, die in a car crash.  In the wreckage, Mars' phone is found replying to a text from Carver, and Carver can't stop blaming himself.  Neither can Mars' Judge father, whose influence opens a criminal investigation against Carver.  Carver finds himself ostracized at his high school and suffering from panic attacks.  His only allies outside of family are Eli's girlfriend who needs support herself, and Blane's grandmother who requests that Carver have a "goodbye day" with her.

This "goodbye day" would be a day where she and Carver do all the favorite things that she did with Blane, to find closure.  Unexpectedly, Eli's parents, and later Mars' father, ask for a goodbye day, as well, but their motives might be different.

Carver faces deep emotional turmoil as he examines his role in the accident, and tries to come to grips with his grief.

Goodbye Days is written for a Young Adult audience, with the intention of providing a realistic example of dealing with grief.  Zentner does this well. He also does an excellent job portraying the depth of grief, panic attacks, and the different reactions that grief can cause.  His writing is strong, his characters lifelike, and the plot believable.

That being said, I must confess that I had no connection with any of the characters in the story.  I didn't find Carver's memories of his friends funny or touching, nor did I become emotionally invested in his grief.  Furthermore, I found the descriptions of the goodbye days to be off-putting and slightly creepy.

 I have read other reviews of this book on Goodreads, and I know that my reaction is the atypical one, so I'll stress that this review, as is any review, is simply my personal opinion.

The Girl From His Town by Marie Van Vorst

The Girl From His Town
Marie Van Vorst
3/5 stars

In this light Edwardian novel (published 1910), a young American millionaire, Dan Blair, falls prey to a fortune-hunting Duchess, then falls in love with an actress from his town.

There is nothing unusual about this romance; it follows an established formula, and is quickly forgotten.  The period detail and atmosphere is charming, however, and will make it enjoyable to fans of the Edwardian era.

It is available for free from Project Gutenberg.

Happy Birthday, A. A. Milne

She and Allan by H. Rider Haggard

She and Allan
H. Rider Haggard
3/5 stars

Published in 1921, She and Allan brings together Haggard's two most popular characters: Allan Quatermain and Ayesha.  Allan seeks out Ayesha, through the encouragement of the witch doctor Zikali, in hopes of finding answers about dead loved ones.  He becomes involved in the rescue attempt of a young Portuguese-Scotch woman, as well as a battle between Ayesha's followers and her enemies.

I thoroughly enjoyed She, which introduces Ayesha, and am a long-standing fan of the Quatermain books.  I found this one to be sub-par for Haggard, as there is frequent pseudo-philosophical screed that was often mind-numbingly dull for me.  I did like, though, how different Ayesha's relationship was with Allan as compared to that with Leo and Holly.  I also liked that she told Allan a just-sightly different version of her history that than which was told in both She and Ayesha.

 Allan's skepticism, though, kept the preternatural abilities of Ayesha from being fully enjoyed, leaving the reader to figure out the truth in between her speeches and his thoughts.

The action was, as is usual with Haggard, excellent and exciting.  Allan Quartermain is a hero I particularly enjoy reading about, and I think Haggard has done a wonderful job of developing his character.  I also liked getting to know Umslopogaas and wish that I had read his story in Nada the Lilly prior to this, and look forward to reading it later.

Sadly, I can't rate She and Allan any higher than 3 stars, due to the long, dull speeches and explanations of Ayesha.  If one is willing to skim over those bits, though, and focus on the rest of the plot, this is a good yarn.