BANGKOK, THAILAND
Books I've read in the past week (hey, there's not much to do in the islands):
The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown: I know, I must be the last person on Earth to have read this! I'd managed to avoid it for so long, but I finally figured I might as well see what all the fuss was about before watching the movie, which I've heard isn't that great. I have to say the book was entertaining, although of course now I'm curious about how many of the shocking "facts" in the book were just made up for the story.
Celtika by Robert Holdstock: Holdstock is one of my favorite fantasy authors, and this is part one of his latest trilogy, which unfortunately means it just sort of ends without a satisfying conclusion. It's not a bad book, although not quite up to his masterpiece Mythago Wood. Holdstock is an expert on combining myths and legends from different cultures and time periods in a really poetic way--this book actually mixes Arthurian legend with the story of Jason and the argonauts, which would be completely ridiculous in the hands of anyone else, but he actually makes it work pretty well.
The City and the Stars by Arthur C. Clarke: Clarke may be the best science fiction writer of all time (with the possible exception of Jules Verne). I found this at a book exchange in the Perhentians, and although it's an early work, it holds up pretty well. It's interesting to see how he accurately describes virtual-reality computer games back in 1956.
On the Road by Jack Kerouac: Had to throw in a classic. I thought this might be somewhat appropriate for an extended trip, although the setting is a little different from what I'm encountering in my travels! The style is brilliant--it's rambling and schizophrenic at times, but somehow it all holds together. Kerouac's travels with his buddies (who are all absolutely batshit crazy) remind me of road trips with some of my friends--should I be worried?
Books I've read in the past week (hey, there's not much to do in the islands):
The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown: I know, I must be the last person on Earth to have read this! I'd managed to avoid it for so long, but I finally figured I might as well see what all the fuss was about before watching the movie, which I've heard isn't that great. I have to say the book was entertaining, although of course now I'm curious about how many of the shocking "facts" in the book were just made up for the story.
Celtika by Robert Holdstock: Holdstock is one of my favorite fantasy authors, and this is part one of his latest trilogy, which unfortunately means it just sort of ends without a satisfying conclusion. It's not a bad book, although not quite up to his masterpiece Mythago Wood. Holdstock is an expert on combining myths and legends from different cultures and time periods in a really poetic way--this book actually mixes Arthurian legend with the story of Jason and the argonauts, which would be completely ridiculous in the hands of anyone else, but he actually makes it work pretty well.
The City and the Stars by Arthur C. Clarke: Clarke may be the best science fiction writer of all time (with the possible exception of Jules Verne). I found this at a book exchange in the Perhentians, and although it's an early work, it holds up pretty well. It's interesting to see how he accurately describes virtual-reality computer games back in 1956.
On the Road by Jack Kerouac: Had to throw in a classic. I thought this might be somewhat appropriate for an extended trip, although the setting is a little different from what I'm encountering in my travels! The style is brilliant--it's rambling and schizophrenic at times, but somehow it all holds together. Kerouac's travels with his buddies (who are all absolutely batshit crazy) remind me of road trips with some of my friends--should I be worried?
posted by John Kuge at 5:39 PM
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