#49: Richard III by William Shakespeare

Tags

100 books, book review, books, drama, literature, Shakespeare

Tonight I wrapped up Shakespeare’s War of the Roses tetralogy with Richard III.  This is the play that inspired me to read the entire saga.  I read an article a few weeks ago that described Kevin Spacey’s recent performance as the titular Richard III.  I am a huge fan of Kevin Spacey.  The guy is amazingly versatile, and the picture of him as Richard had me hooked.  When I discovered that this was the last in a series of four plays, I decided to tackle the entire group.  I enjoyed them all, but Richard III is definitely my favorite.

Kevin Spacey as Richard III

I have previously discussed Shakespeare’s amazing psychological insight and masterful depiction of politics. I won’t revisit those themes.  Instead, I will focus on the title character.  Richard is easily one of my favorite Shakespearean villains.  This guy is like Darth Vader and Michael Corleone combined.  Machiavellian doesn’t even begin to describe him.  Richard is the bad guy who you can’t help but like.  The only thing I would change about the play was the ending.  I wish Richard had won in the end.  This isn’t Shakespeare’s fault, as he was restrained by historical events.  Despite the ending, this was an outstanding play and well worth the effort.  Take the time to read all three parts of Henry VI first in order to get the entire back story.

The Current Count:

49 Read, 51 To Go

#48: Henry VI, Part 3 by William Shakespeare

Tags

100 books, book review, books, drama, literature, Shakespeare

Henry VI, Part 3 continues the War of the Roses saga where Part 2 left off.  The forces of the house of Lancaster, nominally led by Henry VI, have been defeated by the forces of Plantagenet, led by Richard, Duke of York.  York pursues Henry and Queen Margaret to London, where he forces the king to adopt him as heir.  Henry will be allowed to rule for the duration of his life.  After that the regal power will pass to Richard and his sons.  Needless to say, Henry’s wife and son are less than thrilled.

What follows is a series of battles between the two sides, with each faction trading victories.  Richard is killed in battle and his title passes to his eldest son Edward, who assumes the titles of both king and Duke of York.  Together with his brothers, he continues the struggle against Henry and the forces of Lancaster.  After several vacillations of fortune, the Plantagenets emerge victorious.  Henry is killed and Edward appears secure on the throne.

I loved this play.  Shakespeare is a master of portraying political intrigue.  The various motivations that drive the actions of every character are expertly presented.  These motivations set the stage perfectly for the final part of the tetralogy.  I look forward to finishing the saga with Richard III.

The Current Count:

48 Read, 52 To Go

#47: Horns by Joe Hill

Tags

100 books, book review, books, literature

My final Florida book was Joe Hill’s second novel, Horns.  I previously read and reviewed Hill’s debut novel, Heart Shaped Box, which I enjoyed.  Horns tells the story of Ignatius Perrish, who awakens after a night of heavy drinking with horns growing out of his forehead.  Perrish had been suspected of raping and murdering his long-time girlfriend a year prior to the opening of the book.  His horns come with demonic powers that allow him discover a person’s most deeply held secrets.  This power leads him to discover the true killer’s identity about a fifth of the way through the book.  The rest of the book is composed of flashbacks narrating the events leading up to the murder, and contemporary scenes depicting Ig’s quest for revenge. 

This book was so-so.  The plot was intriguing and the characters were interesting, but after a certain point the book became a bit predictable.  I knew by about halfway through roughly how the book would end.  I think revealing the killer early in the book was a mistake.  It does allow for better character development, as the reader is better able to appreciate each character’s motivations knowing what the end results will be.  That said, this book is a thriller, not a literary classic.  A thriller works better with more mystery.  The book was enjoyable but unremarkable.

Another issue that detracted from my enjoyment was the language.  I am not a prude.  I don’t mind occasional profanity or obscenity.  What I do mind is when profanity becomes a substitute for genuine wit or well-crafted prose.  Hill leans way too much on the f-bomb.  The story also features some overly graphic sexual material.  Again, it doesn’t bother me if it seems necessary for the story.  Unfortunately, it felt too gratuitous in Horns.  The book clearly deals with some religious themes, and Hill is not tremendously friendly towards Christianity.  This didn’t bother me, but some readers might be offended. 

Ultimately I enjoyed Horns.  It wasn’t the greatest book I have ever read, but is far from the worst.  I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a quick and interesting read who doesn’t mind some very obscene and graphic language. 

The Current Count:

47 Read, 53 To Go

#46: The Story of the Malakand Field Force by Winston Churchill

Tags

100 books, book review, books, Churchill, history

My third vacation book was written by my favorite historical figure, Winston Churchill.  The Story of the Malakand Field Force was published in 1898 and was Churchill’s first book.  It chronicles an 1897 campaign in the Northwest Frontier of British India (modern-day Pakistan) to punish hostile tribes for an attack on British positions, particularly the camp at the Malakand Pass.  Churchill was a young cavalry subaltern during this campaign and requested to be attached to the force as an observer.  He would eventually serve as an active officer during the campaign, taking the place of a wounded man. 

The historical value of this book is somewhat limited.  The campaign was a relatively minor one and is rarely studied.  The chief interest in this book is connected to Churchill himself.  Even as a very young man, Churchill displays a rare natural ability in composing English prose.  The circumstances of his early life are very interesting, as he travels from war zone to war zone in an effort to make a name for himself.  Malakand is also interesting as a glimpse at the Victorian British Empire at its height.  The attitudes Churchill expresses towards natives are typical of gentlemen of that time, and are the foundation of many of the struggles that the 20th century would see in relation to Indian and African independence.  Churchill believes wholeheartedly in the destined superiority of the Empire, and it is easy to see how that belief would eventually help him push through to victory in World War 2.

Beyond the historical significance, this book was extremely enjoyable as a piece of writing.  Churchill is a master at building interest and excitement.  His depictions of battle are outstanding.  This book stands in sharp contrast to McCaslin’s Tainted Breeze.  Whereas that book was a boring look at a very significant historical event, this book is a very exciting look at an event of limited importance.  If you enjoy military history and strong English prose, Churchill’s Malakand Field Force is an excellent choice.

The Current Count:

46 Read, 54 To Go

#45: Knulp by Hermann Hesse

Tags

100 books, book review, books, Hesse, literature

The second of my vacation books was Knulp by Hermann Hesse.  This book is made up of three short stories about a wanderer named Knulp.  Each story presents a single episode in Knulp’s life, with the first two set in the prime of his life and the last set at the end of it.  The first two show Knulp happy in his vagabond life.  The last finds him dying of tuberculosis and angry at God for not allowing him to accomplish anything of consequence in his life.  Knulp meets God in a forest during a snowstorm and demands an explanation.  God replies that Knulp’s purpose in life was to bring joy to others and give them a longing for freedom.

I have said numerous times on this blog that Hermann Hesse is one of my favorite authors, and this novel is the perfect example of why.  Hesse is a storyteller with an incredible knack for illuminating the lives of his characters with a minimum of explanation.  Three isolated incidents in Knulp’s life, spanning only 114 pages, make him completely relatable to the reader.  I got the sense I was hearing stories about an old friend that I hadn’t seen in a long time.  Hesse’s ability to create people rather than characters make his works truly remarkable.

The Current Count:

45 Read, 55 To Go

#44: Deliverance by James Dickey

Tags

100 books, book review, books, literature

I have returned from vacation in Florida, where I survived a vicious attack by a baby shark (it didn’t break the skin, but the psychological trauma is significant).  I read four books during my week at the beach and will be posting reviews over the next few days.  The first of those books was Deliverance by James Dickey.  This is one of the many cases where a book has been overshadowed by a popular movie.  The movie, starring Burt Reynolds and Jon Voight, is excellent.  The book is better by far.

Four middle-aged men from the city go on a canoeing trip down the wild Cahulawassee River before a new dam backs it up into a lake.  One of the men, Ed, narrates the book and takes the reader through the events of the weekend.  What is supposed to be an invigorating trip into the untamed wilderness to shake the men out of their complacent urban routine turns into a nightmare when Ed and one of the other men, Bobby, are confronted by shotgun wielding hillbillies.  One of the hillbillies rapes Bobby and the other is about to sexually assault Ed when the other two city men arrive.  One of them kills a hillbilly with his bow and arrow and the other pervert flees.  This triggers a sequence of events that includes the death of one of the men, the murder of another man who may or may not have been the other hillbilly, and death-defying confrontations with Mother Nature in the form of the river.

Having seen the movie before, I knew what to expect with the plot of this book.  What I didn’t expect was the incredible use of language by the author.  James Dickey began his literary career as a poet and it shows.  He is a master of the Southern vernacular.  His sentences have a fluidity that perfectly capture the riparian setting.  What really sets this book ahead of the movie is the psychological aspect.  Whereas the movie feels more like a standard action/thriller, the book is much more an exploration of the psychological effect of extreme situations on an average man.  The character of Ed is a wonderfully dynamic character who develops in response to the action in a natural and believable way.  Ed does not seem like an invented man at all.  The book is a quick and engaging read, and I highly recommend it.

The Current Count:

44 Read, 56 To Go

#43: Tainted Breeze- The Great Hanging at Gainesville, Texas by Richard B. McCaslin

Tags

100 books, book review, books, Civil War, history

In October 1862 a vigilante court in Gainesville, Texas condemned 42 men to hang due to suspected participation in a Union plot.  This sparked a cycle of violence and vigilantism that would haunt the North Texas region long after the end of the Civil War.  Tainted Breeze by Richard B. McCaslin is a systematic treatment of the Great Hanging.  It chronicles the events leading up to the hanging, the hanging itself, and the aftermath.  I moved to the Gainesville area during the summer before my freshman year of high school, so this book had an added interest for me.  Oddly enough, I never heard anything about the Great Hanging while living in Gainesville.  It was only after I had gone off to college that I heard of these events, and only now that I have actually taken the time to learn about them.  McCaslin’s book certainly satisfied my curiosity.

Tainted Breeze deals with an interesting subject very thoroughly.  That said, it suffers from the dryness and dullness that often plague academic histories.  Popular histories are usually more interesting but less thorough, while academic histories sacrifice interest for thoroughness.  It is the rare historian that can accomplish both.  Unfortunately, McCaslin is not one of those historians.  Parts of the book are very interesting, but others drag on painfully.  If you are interested in Civil War history or the North Texas region, this book is worth reading.  If you are only mildly interested, this book is too dry to hold your interest.

Programming note–  I will be on vacation for the next week, so there will be no new blog posts for a while.  I will be reading during vacation, but I won’t be posting reviews until I get back.

The Current Count:

43 Read, 57 To Go

#42: Henry VI, Part 2 by William Shakespeare

Tags

100 books, book review, books, classics, Shakespeare

I finished the second play in Shakespeare’s War of the Roses tetralogy today, Henry VI, Part 2.  Where Henry VI, Part 1 dealt with the dwindling fortunes of the English in the Hundred Years’ War, Part 2 deals with the disputes plaguing the English court under Henry VI.  Henry is a young and pious ruler, but is too weak to put a stop to the various machinations going on around him.  As the intrigues come to a head in the final two acts, England is torn apart by civil war.  The Duke of York raises an army and defeats the forces loyal to Henry at the Battle of St. Alban’s.  I enjoyed this play even more than Part 1.  Shakespeare is a master at building suspense and weaving together the various plots of the nobles into a unified storyline.  Add to that his mastery of the English language, and you have a winner.

The Current Count:

42 Read, 58 To Go

#41: Suttree by Cormac McCarthy

Tags

100 books, book review, books, Cormac McCarthy

I am a skeptic when it comes to books or movies recommended by others.  When one person recommends a book, I actually think about reading it.  When two people recommend a book, I consider it doubtfully.  If three people recommend a book to me, it has no chance.  That is one of the many reasons I will never read the Harry Potter books.  They are just too popular.  Certain books and movies somehow acquire a popular momentum that seems to be based on their popularity rather than their quality.  Take Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code.  It was an entertaining book, but it was not the kind of groundbreaking literature you would expect from the tremendous public reaction it received.  I don’t want to feel like I am reading a book because the current of pop culture has forced me into it.  I’m not saying it’s right, but that’s the way I am.

For this reason I have always been a tiny bit sceptical of Cormac McCarthy.  Too many people seem to like his books.  Too many of his books have been turned into movies.  It helped his case that I actually enjoyed the movies based on his books that I have seen (The Road and No Country For Old Men).  I have thought about reading his work previously, but never overcame the hesitation caused by his popularity.  That changed when my good friend Daniel Ogletree of Surf Waco loaned me Suttree.  Here was a McCarthy novel of which I had never heard, recommended by someone even more reluctant to embrace pop culture than I am.  I am glad to have overcome my resistance, because Suttree is one of the most original and captivating books I have come across.

Cormac McCarthy

Suttree tells the story of Cornelius Suttree, a young man in Knoxville, Tennessee.  He has turned his back on a well-to-do family and a life of apparent ease to become a poor fisherman living in a houseboat.  He moves among a circle of downtrodden outcasts and rough-edged members of society’s dregs.  The book is written in non-linear form with numerous flashbacks and without the use of many conventional elements of grammar and punctuation.  The result is a story that happens rather than one that is told.  The events assume a reality and the characters a sincerity that is amazing.  McCarthy uses language like an artist with a charcoal pencil.  He creates people with fuzzy edges and shadows across their faces.  They are at once clear and mysteriously undefined.  The reader feels an understanding of them despite knowing very little about them.  This is especially true of Suttree himself.  As much of his life as McCarthy shows, the reader is left with so much unknown.  This mirrors the truth of all relationships– no matter how much you know about someone else, there is always more you don’t know.

Elements of this book are definitely depressing.  It takes place amidst squalor and despair, and a sequence of unfortunate events plagues Suttree throughout the book.  That said, the triumph of Suttree is that it is actually optimistic and laugh-out-loud funny.  Suttree fashions a happy life amongst his fellow outcasts that makes his misfortunes seem bearable.  The supporting characters are absolutely hilarious and include a melon rapist (yes, I said melon rapist).  The ultimate message of Suttree  for me is a double-edged blade.  On the one side, Suttree fashions a life worth living out of almost nothing.  On the other hand, it implies that he could not have fashioned a life of happiness in the world of plenty most of us inhabit.

The Current Count:

41 Read, 59 To Go

#40: Henry VI, Part 1 by William Shakespeare

Tags

100 books, book review, books, classics, Shakespeare

As part of both my quest to read 100 books and my quest to read all of Shakespeare’s plays, I have decided to read the War of the Roses tetralogy.  Henry VI, Part 1 begins the cycle and introduces the waning fortunes of the English in the 100 Years’ War.  It also sets the stage for the political machinations that will ultimately lead to the crowning of Richard III.  This play is often criticized for its reliance on battle scenes to advance the action, rather than subtlety and dialogue.  I disagree with this criticism.  I understand the notion that a talented playwright can describe action better than it can be shown, but description can sometimes make the action seem too remote.  At this particular point in English history, war was the central feature of all aspects of life.  The only way to communicate the absolute dominance of the martial sphere over all other elements of society is to put the action front and center.  Shakespeare does so wonderfully in Henry VI, Part 1.  I look forward to reading the rest of the cycle.

On another note, I will be using these plays as relief from longer works when I need a break.  I don’t want Shakespeare to dominate the blog too much, but occasionally I need some time off from 500+ page books.  Shakespeare seemed like a good choice.

The Current Count:

40 Read, 60 To Go