Historical Fiction, what?? But...isn't this George? The cover says it's George!
So, some groovy 70's college professor let Martin hand in a story as a Historical Fiction, what?? But...isn't this George? The cover says it's George!
So, some groovy 70's college professor let Martin hand in a story as a history assignment on the siege at Sveaborg. The narrative voice feels strong as it incorporates known history into the speculation of what brought about Finland's surprise surrender to the Russians in 1808. It manages to include some strong characterization.
It's a nifty little piece that ultimately feels vanilla only because of the author who produced it. It's so...grounded in the real world. It must have given him twitches, too; apparently George heavily rewrote this short later on with the title “Under Siege” and went ahead and added all the fantastical elements we expect from him. But the Clever Boots included it in the second volume of Dreamsongs, which I don't have yet. Dang it, Martin....more
Being a bit of a GRRM vet by this point, I made a solid projection of the flow of this short story by the time the first paragraph was done.
A skilled Being a bit of a GRRM vet by this point, I made a solid projection of the flow of this short story by the time the first paragraph was done.
A skilled enough piece, I guess. It is solid in its premise: war commercialized, and sold as high-stakes adventure holiday. This one told through the eyes of a resentful participant, trying to impress his boss.
Interestingly, if you had told me the plot points without any character details, I might have guessed it was from the Bachman oeuvre of Stephen King. The character details, however, make this unmistakably Martin's story.
Ok in the real world, but lower on a George-specific scale, I'll round this out to a three star rating....more
A quick read for my little book club that is making its way through GRRM's shorts.
The Hero is a stark little tale about a soldier in Earth's conquerinA quick read for my little book club that is making its way through GRRM's shorts.
The Hero is a stark little tale about a soldier in Earth's conquering army. He's been recruited from one of the War Planets and has spent decades as an efficient cog in the machine that has been forcibly claiming planets in the quest for human expansion and the hunt for resources to exploit. Now, as his contract is set to run out, our soldier is thinking about retiring to Earth to live out his remaining years as a celebrated hero on the planet he has been fighting for but never seen.
As Martin's first published short story, this is illustrative of the atmosphere and themes that will pervade the bulk of his work. It is dark and gritty and bleak, with much commentary on war and the nature of man and his greed. Women don't seem to exist. There is (quite literally) crushing disappointment. Happiness is probably a myth.
A statement piece, but he does it better more than once later in his career.
Listen, in a couple of years I am going to reread this whole series...because, overall, it really is pretty good. I'm going to bet that my reread will Listen, in a couple of years I am going to reread this whole series...because, overall, it really is pretty good. I'm going to bet that my reread will end with a more convicted endorsement of this third volume. I really think it will. This time around, though, I have to say that I only just landed on the positive side of 'happy to be done'. It was like a big glass of my favourite soda, slowly losing its fizz. I was excited at the first sips, but by the time I got to the dregs I had definitely had enough.
I dunno. There's some fantastic potential for Takeshi's personal arc, but we've spent so long at an emotional remove from him. Though Morgan has built up Kovacs through a remarkably wide range of experiences, the Harlan's World events of Woken Furies really lost my interest. I've been waiting for this very personal part of his storyline to finally come into focus, so I'm disappointed that I was blowing impatiently-bored raspberries through the second half of this book.
This (early 2021) has been a weird stretch for my reading energy levels, so I suspect that some of my reaction has little to do with the writing at all. In fact, my appreciation of the series overall demands that I try again someday. I guess I'll see what that looks like when I get there....more
While I happily delve into historical fiction on an occasionally regular basis and also enjoy some rousing Remarkably engaging, and remarkably bloody!
While I happily delve into historical fiction on an occasionally regular basis and also enjoy some rousing battles in the more speculative genres, I've never found historical military fiction to be particularly entertaining. This buddy-read turned out to be an outlier. I found Gates of Fire to be nuanced and thoughtfully appealing.
This is the battle of Thermopyle (think 300) recounted by Xeones – a servant of the Spartan army – to the invading Persian emperor Xerxes. Xeones is the only survivor found among the many Greek corpses after the notorious battle, and he is saved from death so that the Persians can get a better idea of the spirit behind the incredible valor and skill of the incredibly efficient Spartans. Xeones' perspective is an interesting one: after being driven from his own home and losing most of his family in a more localized territorial battle, the young boy Xeones ultimately chooses to place himself into servitude in Sparta for the opportunity to learn to fight and model himself after the renowned warriors of that land. His narrative spans many years prior to the big battle at the titular gates, and gives great context about the politics and fighting that precede it. Approaching the story from this angle is great for a reader like me, who is about as far away from a military mindset as a person can be. It also gives observational insight into Spartan ideologies that form the foundation of the unity of their brotherhood.
And ultimately that is what this book is about, though the battle at the Gates of Fire is given gruesome spotlight for the final third-ish of the story. It is about patriotic urges, the philosophies of heroics and fear, and the incredible bond that ties the defending army together. This is powerfully conveyed in Pressfield's writing. It is little wonder that this novel is cited as a favourite of many a Serviceman.
Overall, a moving book to read, though the field of battle is horrific and gory and sad. There are a few slow moments in the middle which still add to the characterizations that are vital for this story to be as affecting as it is.
Having stepped away from the immediate experience, I can feel myself start poking at it with my own ideals and questions and curiosities, but the writing is good, and the tale is both gripping and anthemic enough that I didn't stop to be my own objectionable and critical self while I was reading. I think that is a pretty strong achievement by the author.
If I allow myself to pick away at it in the back of my mind then an eventual reread might fare differently, but I really appreciated Gates of Fire and would absolutely recommend it to any fan of Historical War Fiction....more
A nice short distraction about both sides of an intergalactic war. The execution as an audiobook was quite good, though in this instance I was missingA nice short distraction about both sides of an intergalactic war. The execution as an audiobook was quite good, though in this instance I was missing the nuance that comes with narration. Conversation alone comes close to carrying this tale, but ultimately misses a few of the finest points that the author was trying to make.
A slight stumbling block was the juxtaposition between humour and statement. This certainly feels like the story itself is meant to be a “Messenger”; it has a point to make about the misunderstandings and blind hate in conflict. While billed as a 'dark comedy', the humour itself isn't so much dark as it is somewhat slapstick and, at times, heavy handed. Not to say it isn't funny, though. I found myself chuckling often, but it was just a bit too much. The simplicity of it seemed to lessen or lighten the impact of the more serious goals of the story.
Still, it was an easy listen with good intentions. I appreciated its aim and felt it was the perfect length for a one-sitting consumption....more
I find myself in the same boat as I did with Red Rising: I listened to the (honestly fantastic) audio version of this book, when I know darn well thatI find myself in the same boat as I did with Red Rising: I listened to the (honestly fantastic) audio version of this book, when I know darn well that something about its style demands that I physically read it. I don't feel like I gave it the attention it deserves, so I don't feel right doing a proper review.
I know that I like it. Enough that I've already used a credit for the final book in this first trilogy, because I must. But someday I willread read it, and have a ton of opinions.
I can say that I liked it even better than the first. And I will say that I respect the motivation of the main character, a leader of a galaxy wide rebellion. It's not the almost unware indifference of the forced-into-it Katnisses, nor the prophesized savior-type hero. He's not an anti-hero or the bumbling apprentice altruistic savior-in-the-making. He's angry. He's motivated by rage and loss and unfairness. He is deliberate, and ruthless, but also full of depth. I like it....more
Too much pretty-pretty in this book. Honestly, the language and the love story is gorgeous, and I want to reread it, but my brain just doesn't have thToo much pretty-pretty in this book. Honestly, the language and the love story is gorgeous, and I want to reread it, but my brain just doesn't have the energy for it this year at all.
I found myself wanting to know about all the things that were sidelined in favour of the romance, because the setting and the mechanisms seem so clever...
I know I can be a better reader for this story when I have the right energy for it. It's layered in beautiful words and smart allusions and the whole 'power-of-love-through-time' stuff. So, for now, I'll say that it wasn't what I wanted. I'm willing to try again to find the reward in what it offers. Some other time.
Editing to try and make the review show up on my timeline. ...more
A journal kept by Duke Roger of Lunel, during his journey of the First Crusade. In 1096, Roger left his estate in Lunel, France to join with the ProveA journal kept by Duke Roger of Lunel, during his journey of the First Crusade. In 1096, Roger left his estate in Lunel, France to join with the Provencal army under Raymond of Gilles. The entries span the three years of the conquest, and follow the march through Italy, Byzantium and the Middle East to the ultimate goal of Jerusalem, and finally ends back in France. The entire novel is contained within the journal, aside from a brief pre- and post- script from the author, as well as some footnotes tossed in for historical clarification.
This has been languishing in my collection for many years. I get a bit apprehensive of historical fiction, assuming I will grow detail-glazed and skimmy by the time I reach the halfway point. A Booke of Days totally held my interest throughout, though. It is a well crafted blend of the larger (Crusade) journey and the personal journey of Sir Roger. It is a stark imagining of the conquest, giving an up-close view of violence, politics and religious fervor. Roger reveals the inner demons that prompted his own devotion to the quest, and we travel with him through his hopes, his questionings, his guilt, his theological insights and his defeats.
The whole thing is surprisingly engaging and obviously well researched. As a story on its own, I was well pleased with it, and learned much as I read. I totally empathized with Roger's flawed personal evolution. He was any easy character to become attached to.
If I think too hard on things, I begin to question how likely a character of Roger's enlightenment really would be at that time. And also I wonder : who actually records full conversations in their journal, word-for-word-like? Anyone actually?...but these are ultimately just fun thought exercises, in this case, and not detractors.
Well written and perfectly balanced. Good read....more
I always approach late 70's/early 80's fiction (especially if it comes with stark covers with big words and little-to-no ornamentation) with trepidatiI always approach late 70's/early 80's fiction (especially if it comes with stark covers with big words and little-to-no ornamentation) with trepidation. Somewhere in the back of my mind I am always imagining these to have been written by some slightly-tubbied, largely-moneyed, grossly-mustachioed, tinted-glasses-wearing-cigar-smoking-Playboy-reading-middle-aged white dude.
They never are.
With little to go on besides a tacky cover and an excited “romantic thriller” designation, I admit it was my amusement at the one-word author appellation (Travanian!) that pushed me past my caution. I was sincerely expecting douchebaggery.
Once again, I'm happy to say that my (patronizing) preconceptions were wrong.
The SoK ended up being one of those stories that flirts with a handful of genres without ever committing to one exclusively. It starts slow and feels like a fictional memoir, a “last steps toward adulthood” type of tale. Our main dude Jean-Marc is recounting his first summer as a full fledged Doctor, apprenticing in a small town to a colorfully quirky mentor, still flush with his own innocence, arrogance and dreams.
As Jean-Marc is a writer in his spare time, in love with the idea of art and embracing his fascination with the workings of the inner mind, we assume that this is going to slide into some dramatic reflection of the upcoming war (wwII) and how it contrasted with this last idyllic and innocent summer.
But then our rock-star Trevanian introduces Katya, and it becomes an intriguing romance. Her innocence and her family's reclusiveness add an element of curious mystery that starts fresh but darkens as the summer deepens.
And Jean-Marc's innocence is suddenly ruined before we expected, as Mystery quickly becomes Thriller and then Tragedy. This all happens smoothly rather than ditheringly and the progression feels remarkably natural. There is a notably considerate treatment of mental health issues and the effects of trauma that is worth mentioning.
The Summer of Katya was a quietly impacting and engrossing read. A nice surprise....more
Michelle F
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