Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell
I finally finished Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke, which I really enjoyed. It’s about two magicians, set in England during the Napoleonic Wars. When the story begins, magicians are almost an anachronistic remnant of Britain’s past (according to the story, magic once abounded but has since disappeared). Instead, there are only theoretical …
Eat, Pray, Love
I started this book a year ago and finally got around to finishing it last week. I know it’s very pop-lit-y, but that actually doesn’t bother me. If it gets people to actually read books, I’m happy. In fact, I think elementary schools should encourage kids to read more stuff that’s just fun to read …
The Final Solution
The Final Solution, by Michael Chabon (who won a Pulitzer in 2001 for The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay), is like Encyclopedia Brown on crack. A novelette – it’s a brisk 144 pages – starring a famous unnamed detective (the book hints at his identity being Sherlock Holmes), The Final Solution is a story …
The Historian
The Historian, by Elizabeth Kostova, was longer than I thought it would be (the pages are thin). Luckily, it was also very enjoyable. I finished it a couple days ago, but I finally have time to come up with a quick review now. The primary thread through the story is a young woman who discovers …
Shalimar The Clown
It’s the oldest of stories told in the newest of ways. Recently rereleased in paperback, Shalimar the Clown is an inquiry into the most primal themes and perennial human conflicts – religion, love and revenge. It’s a novel draped in ancient mythologies and folklore, where Rumpelstiltskin dances alongside Indian princesses. Yet out of the reverie …