This is straight up going to be one of those reviews where I don’t do the book justice, in this case it’s mostly because I feel kind of overwhelmed by what I just read. I wish I had time to sit down and re-read it, pen in hand, and then attend a series of lecture classes with likeminded people where we totally dissect it and wallow around in its lovely nuance. Maybe I just miss grad school. (The people and the atmosphere and the stimulating discussion, […]
Secrets, Secrets are no fun
Set in 1686, in the god-fearing yet gold-centric city of Amsterdam, The Miniaturist features a beautiful background, but very little enjoyment in the way of plot. The main character, eighteen-year-old Nella Oortman, newly married to a prosperous merchant, irritated the hell out of me, and the author seemed so intent on hiding and revealing secrets that not much else happened. “Amsterdam: Where the pendulum swings from God to a guilder.” Nella has arrived in Amsterdam to make a home with her new husband, whom she barely knows. Unfortunately, she continues […]
A year in the revolution.
This isn’t the book I wanted to read, or was expecting to read, but it was good nonetheless. What I was expecting: 1. A book about the first full year of the American Revolution (this part was accurate). 2. Insight into the causes of the Revolution (absent almost completely). 3. Portrayals of the way the two sides saw each other, and why (somewhat present). 4. Stuff about George Washington and the other founding fathers (there was some stuff on George Washington, mostly in his role […]
The silly cover really isn’t representative of the contents of this book
WARNING! There are some spoilers for the plot of this book in the review, so if you prefer to go into a book knowing nothing about it, you may want to skip this. Kestrel is the only daughter of Valorian general Trajan. They live in the province of Herran, formerly a bustling independent nation, invaded, conquered, enslaved and now occupied on orders from the Valorian emperor. The surviving Herrani are slaves, bought and sold at the mercy of the Valorians. As a Valorian woman, Kestrel […]
A play about physics, but not about physics.
In my binge on plays after viewing the sampler from the PBS special, I included Michael Frayn’s 1998 play Copenhagen, which promised to be set during World War II. As it turns out, the play is far more complicated than that. Based on historical figures and an actual historical event, Copenhagen covers the relationship between scientists Niels Bohr and Werner Heisenberg, with feedback from Bohr’s wife Margrethe. The play opens in an indeterminate time, because all three characters have died and are now talking in […]
More World War II
This is a dense book, but it’s easy to read. It’s an almost 400-page look at the four years when the Nazis occupied Paris. As someone raised in the U.S., I’ve heard jokes about how quickly the French surrendered during World War II, and how the U.S. liberated them. But that seemed a bit simplistic, so when I saw this in a book store I knew I wanted to read it. Mr. Rosbottom has done a ton of research and created a really interesting story. […]
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