22 Feb 2015
I did not actually read this whole book between today and the completion of Shadows Linger! I've been working on this book since before Christmas and finally finished it. I've not read many Dickens' books, but this might be my favorite of the few I have. Nicholas Nickleby was entertaining, but not something I could wrap myself up in. This is similar in that some of the dialogue is too drawn out, but that was also the style of the time.
Dickens creates some dramatic characters that I did enjoy greatly. John Harmon shutting down Wegg was satisfying and Eugene Wrayburn is perhaps my favorite character created in the 1800's after Elizabeth Bennett. The way he runs Headstone rabid and doesn't give a shit about anything is fun to see in an otherwise straight-laced book.
I would recommend an abridged version of this to most avid readers.
Sunday, February 22, 2015
Saturday, February 14, 2015
Shadows Linger - Glen Cook (Annals of the Black Company, Bk 2)
14 Feb 2015
This is the second book of the Black Company series and it was far better than the first. Cook finally reaches his stride with this one. Enough is going on with a goal and you actually have something to worry about and characters to invest in. Better pace, more purpose comes out in this book that did not appear in the previous. While important things happened in the first, the events of this book were more enthralling, even if they were, mostly, less important for the development of the long term story.
I will definitely go onto the third after this one. I was dubious after the first, but I'm glad I tried out another.
This is the second book of the Black Company series and it was far better than the first. Cook finally reaches his stride with this one. Enough is going on with a goal and you actually have something to worry about and characters to invest in. Better pace, more purpose comes out in this book that did not appear in the previous. While important things happened in the first, the events of this book were more enthralling, even if they were, mostly, less important for the development of the long term story.
I will definitely go onto the third after this one. I was dubious after the first, but I'm glad I tried out another.
Sunday, February 8, 2015
The Black Company - Glen Cook (Annals of the Black Company, Bk 1)
8 Feb 2015
I found this book at the library while searching for authors similar to Jim Butcher. Once I got into the book, I realized by "similar to Jim Butcher" it meant his Codex Alera stuff, not his Harry Dresden stuff. But I'm rarely one to put down a book, so I continued if for nothing else than the experience of a new (to me) author. It started out slow. I had a hard time getting involved in the story. I was about 80% of the way through before I finally reached that attachment stage.
This is a long-time-ago-fictional-magic-happening land, which isn't really my thing but it is well written and the characters are very real. I wasn't a fan of the style of magic he created, but it was used in appropriate measure.
I did get the feeling that this was a lot of running around pointlessly and mostly just preparation for the following books.
I found this book at the library while searching for authors similar to Jim Butcher. Once I got into the book, I realized by "similar to Jim Butcher" it meant his Codex Alera stuff, not his Harry Dresden stuff. But I'm rarely one to put down a book, so I continued if for nothing else than the experience of a new (to me) author. It started out slow. I had a hard time getting involved in the story. I was about 80% of the way through before I finally reached that attachment stage.
This is a long-time-ago-fictional-magic-happening land, which isn't really my thing but it is well written and the characters are very real. I wasn't a fan of the style of magic he created, but it was used in appropriate measure.
I did get the feeling that this was a lot of running around pointlessly and mostly just preparation for the following books.
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