Bookends

Unnatural death by Dorothy L. Sayers

Are you are looking for some fun summer reading?  How about trying out Lord Peter Whimsey? 

Unnatural Death, also published under the title The Dawson Pedigree is the third one of the series.  Lord Peter stumbles on a story about a wealthy old woman succumbing to cancer who dies a trifle sooner than her doctor expected. Intrigued Whimsey sets out to uncover the truth of the matter.

It's a gripping read that moves right along. This series is a prime example of the Golden Age detective fiction where intricate plots give clues while counting on misdirection to keep one guessing at who the murderer really is. This particular story, along with being a "who done it?" it's also a how was it done?. Sayers' use of language is wonderful and the characters make this book shine through it's twists and turns.

Dorothy Leigh Sayers was a renowned British author, translator, student of classical and modern languages, and Christian humanist.  She is  best known for her mystery series set between the two world wars that feature English aristocrat and amateur sleuth Lord Peter Wimsey. We have several from the Lord Peter Whimsey series along with other of Sayers' works.  She herself thought her best work was her translation of Dante's Divina Commedia, which we have at PQ4315.S3 1949.

TIGER Link: PR6037.A95 1964 

 

Cutting for stone: a novel by Abraham Verghese

This is an epic novel. From the mystery of his birth until recovery after a life-saving operation, we learn of Marion and his life both as a child in Ethiopia and as a medical intern then surgeon in a New York City hospital.

Marion and his twin grow up under strange circumstances in a clinic-hospital. Their mother, a nun and a nurse at said hospital dies in child birth while unknown to their biological father, a surgeon at the same hospital, is forced into delivering them. This begins the mystery at the core of this story as it unfolds in both tragic and joyful ways.

This is a long book and it took me awhile to warm up to it. However, the writing was good and kept me doing while my interest in the characters and events kindled. Along with the interesting setting and history, the medical scenes are spot on; the author is a doctor himself and knows how to describe all things medical from study to diagnosis to treatment to cure to recovery.

There are many interesting and thought provoking scenes and it is easy to understand why this is getting such rave reviews.

And it ties into the previous Around the World in 8 Books post adding yet another country.

TIGER Link; PS3622.E744 C87 2009 

Around the World in 8 Books

Here's a selection of titles to take the reader far from home and the present. Which ones have you read?  Where would you go?  If you can't go anywhere soon in person, try an arm-chair vacation combined with time-travel via a book. This is a very short list, only 8 titles. 

Japan - Sh¯ogun : the epic novel of Japan
PS3553.L365 S56 2009 

James Clavell’s epic book brought the world of feudal Japan to life. Seen through the eyes of John Blackthorne, the first Englishman in Japan, the novel opened up a whole new culture to Western readers. Though the metropolis of Toyko is nothing like the Edo of the book, many areas surrounding the city still hold links to the old ways. Tours based on the book are available from a variety of groups, many of which are based on the movements of William Adams- the inspiration for Blackthorne.

 

Ural Mountains, Russia - Dr. Zhivago
PL2869.N565 Z47713 2008 

Russian literature often features tales of doomed love and conflicted souls. Dr. Zhivago, with its sweeping love story set during one of Russia’s most tumultuous time periods, has tugged at heartstrings and captured imaginations since it was published in 1957. It has been made into films for the big screen and television for decades since. Companies offer tours of varying itineraries for fans to experience Russia through the lens of Boris Pasternak’s timeless love story. From a Trans-Siberian train trip to bus tours from Moscow, Perm (the real Yuriatin) is the destination for those who wish to retrace the footsteps of Yuri and Lara.

Transylvania region, Romania  - Dracula
PR6037.T617 D7 1993 

Whether you are a lover of Dracula, history aficionado, or just like to travel off the beaten path there is a tour for you in the Transylvanian region of Romania. Vlad Dracul, the infamous inspiration for Bram Stoker’s timeless villain Dracula, ruled over what was then Wallachia and left his mark on many places in the region. From this birthplace, Sighisoara, to his tomb at Snagov Monastery and the haunting Bran Castle, the curious can take tours by car, bus, or train to explore the land where gruesome fact meets romantic horror.

 

Paris, France - Les Miserables
PQ2286 .A39 1992

Even if someone has never been to Paris, nearly everyone can conjure up an image of the city from novels, art, or film. The legacy of the French Romantics can be thanked for that and Victor Hugo was probably the most well known of those artists. With characters from all social casts loving, fighting and struggling together forging a new republican France, Hugo turned Paris itself into a romantic hero. No work of his encompasses the scope of his vision as Les Miserables. You can tour the city and see all the scenes from this classic, nearly all much as they were then.

 

Edinburgh, Scotland, UK - Standing in Another Man’s Grave
PR6068.A57 S73 2013 

Ian Rankin’s John Rebus ranks with Sam Spade and Philip Marlowe as a great in the realm of hard boiled detectives. Like Los Angeles in 1940’s noir, Rebus’ Edinburgh is his real partner throughout the series. The city often associated with its castle and arts festivals is laid bare in the Rebus books, exposing the dark side as well as its everyday customs. Fans of Rebus are no doubt rejoicing with the publication of his return last month in Standing in Another Man’s Grave. Celebrate by taking a Rankin approved tour through Edinburgh and see it through Rebus’ eyes.

 

Pamplona, Spain  - The Sun Also Rises
PS3515.E37 S8 1996 

Ernest Hemingway had a knack for capturing the essence of any place he committed to paper. From Paris to Petoskey, Michigan, where he wrote, local tourism boards are more than happy to chart his time in their region. Of all his haunts, perhaps the one with the most romantic appeal is Pamplona. The Sun Also Rises, often considered his finest novel, is full of passion against the backdrop of the city. The rich details of the bullfight, the affairs, and the unfettered machismo are all enriched by the pageantry of the Festival of San Fermin. Follow in Hemingway's footsteps in Pamplona.

 

Galapagos Islands, Ecuador - The Origin of the Species
QH365 .O2 1979c 

The Galapagos Islands might be one of the most important destinations in a book. It was here Darwin made observations that were key to his theory of natural selection. A trip to the islands is anything but a typical day at the beach. Visit with Nova's multimedia map, see the islands as they are today and learn how they inspired Darwin.

 

Prince Edward Island, Canada - Anne of Green Gables
PZ7.M768 An 1998 

Lucy Maud Montgomery drew on the island that was her home to create one of literature’s most memorable young adult characters. The Canadian government has taken care to preserve much of what inspired Montgomery’s books, giving tourists a fairly authentic experience.

 

Have you been inspired to travel to a place you’ve read about? Or, has your travel inspired you to read books that previously might not have been on your reading list? What is your favorite literary locale?

(Title and some links suggested by Bookpublishing.com)

Critical survey of graphic novels : heroes & superheroes / editors, Bart H. Beaty, Stephen Weiner

Do you ever use the reference collection? 'Cause it's interesting what you might find there such as this latest acquisition. It's 2 volumes full of articles about graphic novels, comic books and comic strips, heroes and superheroes in literature.

I looked up Batman: year one.  It gave me the author, artists (the illustrator, colorist and letterer), the publisher and date.  The entry then went on to talk about the publication history, plot, characters, artistic style, themes, and impact. There was also a brief mention of related films, a further reading section along with a bibliography and completed with a see also note which listed other Batman related series.

So back to Batman. The entry explains that this series is delivered in 4 issues which cover the first year Batman takes on Gotham City's crime scene.  It starts with how he gets involved with fighting crime and his use of the bat image to coming under investigation by Lieutenant Gordon for attributed assaults of criminals.  The major themes are of corruption in Gotham and the growing trust between Bruce Wayne and Alfred and Batman and Gordon.  The series revises the Batman image (the darker and more ominous one) along with depicting a truer alliance with Gordon.  It also seeks to establish comics as a serious literary medium.

So if you want to know more about some of your favorite heroes and superheroes from the Green Lantern (2 entries) to the Watchmen check out this encyclopedia set.

TIGER Link: 1st floor North - Reference  PN6725 .C753 2012

The Weird: a compendium of strange and dark stories / edited by Ann and Jeff VanderMeer

 

Here is a truly wonderful collection of short stories for fans of the "weird horror" genre.  I haven't actually finished The Weird, a tome as big as a phone book.  But the first 333 pages were so deliciously good, I have to believe the rest of the book will hold up -- in fact I just ordered a copy for myself.

The collection runs the gamut from ghost stories to Lovecraftian yarns to impressionistic pieces. Style and reading level vary greatly. There are a number of classics you may have read before, such as Shirley Jackson's "The Summer People" and Saki's "Sredni Vashtar." But many stories are from now-obscure authors, have been translated into English, and/or were written by non-Western authors. Thus, The Weird gives the reader a broad sampling of the literature. Brief biographies for each author supply some background information for the reader who wants to know more about the author of a particularly resonant tale.

The book will be especially interesting to Lovecraft fans who would like to learn more about his literary predecessors, as several stories are included by authors who influenced him. And naturally, his literary successors are there as well.

To sum up: if you enjoy short horror stories of the unsettling kind, you will enjoy this book. Big fans of the genre would do well to snap up their own copies before it goes out of print.

Side note: In The Weird I rediscovered "Smoke Ghost" by Fritz Leiber, which I had read long ago. And here is the story again, as wonderfully scary as ever:  "... that sodden, distorted face of sacking and coal dust, that boneless paw which waved back and forth, unmistakably in his direction, as if reminding him of a future appointment ..."

The Weird: a compendium of strange and dark stories / edited by Ann and Jeff VanderMeer. 2012. Call Number: PN 6071.H727 W45 2012