Archive for the ‘Arts & Humanities’ Category
Book reviews: Practical Demonkeeping, by Christopher Moore
“Practical Demonkeeping”, released in 1992, was Christopher Moore’s first published novel. Since then, he’s released many others, including “Lamb” and “The Stupidest Angel”. After reading Practical Demonkeeping, it’s easy to see why Moore has gained a loyal following in a world where reading for entertainment is becoming less and less common.
Normally, Pine Cove is a quiet, peaceful small town near Big Sur, California. That all changes the day Travis O’Hearn and his companion arrive. Catch is his companion, a man-eating demon that Travis accidentally summoned up in his youth during World War I. One of the benefits of summoning up random demons from the netherworld is that Travis enjoys eternal youth and immortality. However, Travis detests the fact that Catch Read the rest of this entry »
No CommentsBook reviews: The Castle of Crossed Destinies, by Italo Calvino
Tarot interpretation depends upon a paradox: the translation of a visual, symbolic language into verbal language. In truth, it can no more be done than a song can be described in words; all we can do is strive towards it. Once a symbol can be fully expressed in words, it ceases to be a symbol. Thus, it is interesting to see how a master novelist weaves words from the Tarot. .
The Castle of Crossed Destinies is perhaps the best-known literary work based on the tarot. The novel was written in the early seventies by the Cuban author, Italo Calvino. It was originally planned as three parts: The Castle of Crossed Destinies, The Tavern of Crossed Destinies and The Motel Read the rest of this entry »
No CommentsBook reviews: Strangers, by Dean Koontz
Best-selling author Dean Koontz is best known for his innumerable mystery and suspense novels. For the last several decades, Koontz has left readers gripping the edges of their seats with his thrilling, page turning fiction novels. Published in 1986, “Strangers” is one of Koontz’s earlier novels, and arguably one of his best.
The book tells the tale of six individuals who are separated by hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of miles when they begin to be inflicted with symptoms of a series of serious and strange diseases, phobias, and other uncharacteristic behaviors.
In Massachusetts, a gifted young physician, Dr. Ginger Weiss, suffers from a number of unforeseen panic attacks that are making her unfit to practice medicine and leaving her anxious Read the rest of this entry »
No CommentsBook reviews: The Hanging in the Hotel, by Simon Brett
Introduction
Simon Brett’s name is familiar to me as the author of the bestselling How to Be a Little Sod, which I thoroughly enjoyed, so when I found out that he also wrote crime fiction, I was intrigued. It didn’t take me all that long to get through the book, but every minute was great fun. As a piece of literature, it doesn’t really show up on the radar, but as entertainment, it deserves full marks.
The plot
Suzy Longthorne, former model, now runs an exclusive country house hotel in Sussex. Short of staff, she calls in her long-term friend, Jude to help out with the waitressing for an important meeting of the Pillars of Sussex, a sort of Masonic society. Read the rest of this entry »
Book reviews: Motor Mouth, by Janet Evanovich
Getting the inside scoop on NASCAR was never so much fun as when you ride the circuit with Alex Barnaby, a rooftop spotter for driver, Sam Hooker. Alex first impressed Hooker in METRO GIRL. She had grown up in her dad’s garage in Maryland, her mechanical skills learned very young and matured along with her refreshing beauty. A fresh face often bedecked with oil stains. Evidently, that initial impact took root when her mechanical talents were put to use, among other things. She’s all female and he can’t help it if he’s an irresistible hunk in the driver’s seat for Stiller Racing, a hunk without an ounce of mechanical ability. Put him in the car, Read the rest of this entry »
No CommentsChallenges to the Civil Rights Act of 1964
The main challenges came to this legislation by the Southern States and most notably the Chair of the Rules Committee, who stated that the bill would never leave the committee, was the concern whether or not this was constitutional. The concern was whether or not the Federal Government was taking away the States rights that they considered exclusive. In fact there was a civil rights bill of 1863 that the court had ruled were unconstitutional because of those very same concerns. In addition the civil rights act of 1875 was also struck down as unconstitutional on the basis that the Act regulated actions of private companies rather than actions of the state governments
No CommentsBook reviews: Bad luck and trouble, by Lee Child
Jack Reacher is in for some “Bad Luck and Trouble” in the 11th adventure/thriller by Lee Child. Reacher is a man with a heroic past and an uncertain future. Armed with his folding toothbrush and take-no-prisoners attitude Jack is an adversary not to be underestimated.
“You can get a couple of buddies and jump me three-on-one when I’m not looking for it. But choose your buddies carefully. Don’t pick anyone who can’t afford six months in the hospital.”
Ten years before Reacher had walked away from a military life that was the closest thing to family he had ever known. Now he lives his life in seedy motels, his only luggage a toothbrush, and deals only in cash Read the rest of this entry »
No CommentsThe effects of art on perception and emotion
So this past Sunday, TCM (Turner Classic Movies) played Fiddler on the Roof. I hadn’t seen the movie in years, but I loved it and just had to see it despite the fact that I’d be late for my second job.
I was watching it, enjoying it, but not much more. I walked away to get a cold drink, then I got up to put my clothes on for work. When I sat back down, the wedding scene with Motel and Tzietel was on and they began to sing Sunrise, Sunset. I burst into tears. I literally started falling apart. It wasn’t anything I could really describe. I still can’t tell you why. Read the rest of this entry »
No CommentsBook reviews: Promised Land, by Robert B. Parker
This is another great book in the Spenser series by Robert B. Parker. On a long rainy highway out of Boston, near the middle of the night, Spenser and Susan start their commitment ceremony. “For as long as we live,” Spenser says to her, “Or until you can’t bear me anymore.”
“For as long as we live will come first,” Susan says.
The book is called Promised Land. Parker relates the ideal of a promised land to Cape Cod, to the Pilgrims’ dream, to the pure and distant sight of the Boston skyline from the Blue Hills, and alludes to the origin of the phrase in the Pentateuch. Promised Land is also the name of a real estate development that drags a Read the rest of this entry »
No CommentsPlot summary: COMA, by Robin Cook
As the anesthesiologist has you sign the multiple forms that list all the things that can go wrong, most of us don’t really think they will. But in Robin Cook’s Coma, patients are not waking up. We discover this frightening fact through the eyes of Susan Wheeler, a third year medical student with “that American, Californian style that made eyes turn and hypothalamuses awaken.” She’s not only pretty, but very bright obviously brighter than the senior physicians who haven’t noticed that there are way too many patients who aren’t waking up from minor procedures. There are two in particular that catch her attention Nancy Greenly and Sean Berman, both young and healthy having simple surgeries. They Read the rest of this entry »
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