Journal 1 - History, Fantasy, Humor

 

8/2/2000

A Distant Mirror  by Barbara Tuchman

               Changed mind.  Couldn’t get into it.

 

8/2/2000

Household Gods by Judith Tarr and Harry Turtledove



                The characters is a whiny yuppie at the beginning of the novel.  She should have shown more concern for her children during her time in the past.  Yet one can see the changes that the past caused in her.  How her view on men shifted, how she becomes less of a prude, more social. Her going after Frank the back support has it seeds in her freeing Julia and going to the emperor after her rape.

               By the end of the book, she has learned to take things far less seriously.  You can see the progressions throughout the book if you read it closely.

               While showing hoe she knew Latin weas while done, her quick acceptance of what happened was not really very realistic.

               Weak book in some areas, good in others.

 

8/5/2000

Heart Beast by Tanith Lee

               Somewhat like a wrapped Wuthering Heights.  Laura is the object of lust for two men, the only thing is that Hyperion loses her because of his goodness, he seems to lack passion, no matter what we are told of his sex life.

               Laura herself seems so passive till at the very end of the book when she determined to kill Daniel.  She lets the men do what they want to her.  Even though she does get please from Daniel, she does not go to him, but obeys his lust for her.

               Her beauty is her symbol.  Each man tries to possess her.  But if anything possess her it is the lamb.

               Hyperion’s only fault seems to be the fact the he does not excite Laura and puts her upon a pedestal.

               Does either  man truly know her?  No. 

               We are sympathetic to Daniel at the beginning of the novel, especially when the reader knows he killed his father in order to protect his mother.  But sympathy slowly vanishes for him because his lack of remorse at the killing. He kills too many innocent people.  We are glad when Laura kills him.

               Otherworldly quality as the rest of Lee’s books.  Alternate England.  Shades of Gormengast as the house and surrounding lands become deserted and with Jerome and the cats.

8/6/2000




Myth-Nomers and Im-pervections by Robert Asprin

               Not my favorite Myth book [Note – the series Myth Adventures].  I like the books much better when the whole crew is there. My favorite character is Tananada and she didn’t make an appearance in this one.

               Pew is aptly described by Marsha as like Manhattan only more so.  Pew didn’t seem that bad compared to the stories and rumors one reads about in the earlier books.   But then anything was bound to be a disappointment.

 

8/7/2000

Sweet Myth-tory of Life by Robert Asprin

               Wish Skeeve would stop treating woman as things.  He seems to want some sort a servant/wife.

               The premise of the novel doesn’t work and the plot becomes nothing more than a treatise on love.

               The appearance of Kalvin is wasted and the whole book seems to be trying to reach some conclusion.  But you know what the conclusion is  for Skeeve would ever marry Hemlock.  So the book lacks a plot.  Skeeve’s questions com to no point because at this point the reader knows Skeeve better than Skeeve knows himself.  Again no Tananada.

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