Thursday, December 01, 2005
Bookpages (and others)
A couple books recently to share:
Iain M. Banks's latest, The Algebraist, is pretty good but not up there with Consider Phlebas or Look to Windward. It isn't set in The Culture, but in a new universe, which is extremely interesting. Most intriguing is a species that lives in gas giants, called the Dwellers - they live for millions, even billions of years, and apparently have got just about everywhere in the universe. There are some great far-out sci-fi ideas through the book, but there's less humanity than in his better sci-fi works. Still, all Banks fans will enjoy it; those who haven't discovered him yet should read one of those two mentioned above to start.
Banks's sci-fi books always include a good dollop of warfare. I wonder if he's read John Keegan's A History of Warfare. This is a truly impressive book, looking at all we know about warfare over the last 15,000 years in a mere 50 pages. He's a truly original thinker and spends much of the book refuting Clausewitz's maxim that war is the continuation of politics by other means (though some think he actually reinforced that thesis). Apart from very fluid, readable writing, what sets it apart is some quite innovative categorisation. the chapters are called War in Human History, Stone, Flesh, Iron, Fire. I think that says a lot. His description of the brutality of the Aztecs is quite stunning, but we all know about that. What I never realised before is the sheer savagery and courage of the Greek fighters (hoplites and others), about whom he makes a plausible case that they were the first modern warriors. If you're interested in history at all, read it. (Thanks to Brad for the recommendation.)
In a totally different vein is Marcel Pagnol's The Water of the Hills: Jean de Florette and Manon of the Springs. I'd seen the really wonderful pair of movies years ago, and I took this book from Neil's shelf. (Ta, bru.) A lovely read, evoking the nature of rural life, its beauty, pride and pettiness. It's got a nice straight narrative: betrayal, revenge and reconciliation. Very beautiful and deserves to be called a classic. Also, if you haven't seen the movies, you must. Straight away.
While I'm talking about great Claude Berri movies, I was intensely moved by Germinal, about a coal miners' strike (see cheesy trailer). And the other Claude, Lelouch directed a phenomenal Les Miserables 10 years ago. It is set both in the 19th century and World War II in France (revolving around a Jewish family), and is transfixing. (For the oldsters out there, it has the added advantage of starring Jean-Paul Belmondo.) Rarely have I seen a book transformed so elegantly and intelligently. Truly an epic - it has 100 speaking roles. And here's a quote from the, um, Jewish Bulletin of Northern California: "For Jewish audiences, the film frequently transcends entertainment to achieve robust poignancy." Robustly poignant? Fair enough.
More kultscha later.
Iain M. Banks's latest, The Algebraist, is pretty good but not up there with Consider Phlebas or Look to Windward. It isn't set in The Culture, but in a new universe, which is extremely interesting. Most intriguing is a species that lives in gas giants, called the Dwellers - they live for millions, even billions of years, and apparently have got just about everywhere in the universe. There are some great far-out sci-fi ideas through the book, but there's less humanity than in his better sci-fi works. Still, all Banks fans will enjoy it; those who haven't discovered him yet should read one of those two mentioned above to start.
Banks's sci-fi books always include a good dollop of warfare. I wonder if he's read John Keegan's A History of Warfare. This is a truly impressive book, looking at all we know about warfare over the last 15,000 years in a mere 50 pages. He's a truly original thinker and spends much of the book refuting Clausewitz's maxim that war is the continuation of politics by other means (though some think he actually reinforced that thesis). Apart from very fluid, readable writing, what sets it apart is some quite innovative categorisation. the chapters are called War in Human History, Stone, Flesh, Iron, Fire. I think that says a lot. His description of the brutality of the Aztecs is quite stunning, but we all know about that. What I never realised before is the sheer savagery and courage of the Greek fighters (hoplites and others), about whom he makes a plausible case that they were the first modern warriors. If you're interested in history at all, read it. (Thanks to Brad for the recommendation.)
In a totally different vein is Marcel Pagnol's The Water of the Hills: Jean de Florette and Manon of the Springs. I'd seen the really wonderful pair of movies years ago, and I took this book from Neil's shelf. (Ta, bru.) A lovely read, evoking the nature of rural life, its beauty, pride and pettiness. It's got a nice straight narrative: betrayal, revenge and reconciliation. Very beautiful and deserves to be called a classic. Also, if you haven't seen the movies, you must. Straight away.
While I'm talking about great Claude Berri movies, I was intensely moved by Germinal, about a coal miners' strike (see cheesy trailer). And the other Claude, Lelouch directed a phenomenal Les Miserables 10 years ago. It is set both in the 19th century and World War II in France (revolving around a Jewish family), and is transfixing. (For the oldsters out there, it has the added advantage of starring Jean-Paul Belmondo.) Rarely have I seen a book transformed so elegantly and intelligently. Truly an epic - it has 100 speaking roles. And here's a quote from the, um, Jewish Bulletin of Northern California: "For Jewish audiences, the film frequently transcends entertainment to achieve robust poignancy." Robustly poignant? Fair enough.
More kultscha later.
