DUNE MESSIAH (1969) CHILDREN OF DUNE (1976) GOD EMPEROR OF DUNE by FRANK HERBERT (1981)

Third reading

I have read Dune, the first in this six-volume series, perhaps five times. These three are the second, third, and fourth books, and much inferior to the first, in my opinion. In Dune, Herbert created an entire universe, complete with the customs, the religion, the unique sound of the language, the people, and, importantly to this saga, the ecology of the planet. In these subsequent books, Herbert concentrates on the events, which are centered on political intrigue. He also provides a large dose of philosophical musings about power and how it can be manipulated. Much of this discussion reads like gobbledigook, frankly.

Dune (reviewed in June, 2011) ended as Paul Atriedes and the native Fremen defeated the Harkonnen troops who had subjugated the planet. As Dune Messiah begins, Paul has been deified and Fremen in his name have engaged in a jihad which has conquered most of the known universe. Gifted with the ability to see into the future, Paul knows of only one path that will lead to lasting peace but has not the courage to take it. Various factions join forces to hatch an elaborate plot against him. When he is blinded and his beloved concubine Chani dies in childbirth, he takes an alternate path which he hopes will lead to peace.

Children of Dune centers itself around the twin children of Paul and Chani, who are also prescient, Leto in particular. He sees what he calls the Golden Path to a peaceful future, the path that his father feared to take. Among plots and counterplots, Leto prevails by covering his body with sand trout, the precursors of the giant Worms of Dune, knowing that he will evolve and lose his humanity.

These two books serve as the inverse of the first book. While Dune ended on a grand note of triumph for Paul, these picture a tragic result of his actions. The plots are convoluted and dark.

The fourth volume of the series, God Emperor of Dune, takes place 3,000 years later. Leto is changing into what may become one of the Worms of Dune. Despite the fact that his reign as Emperor of the universe has brought eons of peace, plots abound against him. One plot involves the creation of the perfect woman to snare him into love, although physical expression of love is no longer possible for him. Much of this book is taken up by philosophical meanderings. Not much really happens until the end, which is quick and melodramatic. This is the weakest of the four novels.

I have the last two volumes of the series, but I will not read them now, perhaps never again. I believe Frank Herbert's legacy would have been enhanced if he had stopped after his first effort. I would recommend these only to hard-core Dune fans

THE GREAT FIRE by SHIRLEY HAZZARD (2003)

Second reading

I hardly know what to make of this rather melancholy novel about the aftermath of World War II. The central character, Andrew Leith, an acclaimed war hero, is engaged in a project to map the world-transforming changes in China. One of his wartime companions, Peter Exley, is busy in Japan prosecuting war crimes. Both are searching to discover a way to return to normal humanity. Both feel a paralyzing loneliness. This set-up led me to expect a more explicit examination of the effects of combat on the participants, yet, as it turns out, the background and the resulting personality of each of these men seem to be the cause of their sense of isolation.

Andrew Leith seeks for deliverance with an improbable love affair, while Peter Exley flounders in his search. This is the story of their quest.

I was put off by Shirley Hazzard's writing style, which seems extremely choppy to me, and by her tone, which is gloomy, even while depicting a budding love. Her habit of switching of point of view from one paragraph to the next without any indicator or division was often confusing and disconcerting, at least to me. Peter Exley's story is only sketched, so that I wonder why he is even included. I really did not enjoy reading The Great Fire, even though it is highly regarded. It received the National Book Award in 2003.

A LESSON BEFORE DYING by ERNEST J. GAINES (1993)

In 1940's Louisiana, Jefferson is a young black man who is sentenced to die for taking part in a robbery and shootout, never mind that he is innocent. During the summation to the jury at the trial, his court-appointed attorney portrays him as less than a man, too weak-minded to have planned the crime, saying, "...this skull here holds no plans....I would just as soon put a hog in the electric chair as this."

With this dramatic beginning, Gaines tells the story of the efforts of Grant Wiggins, the local teacher at the school for black children, to teach Jefferson how to die like a man. It's not a task he wants, but his aunt and Jefferson's godmother persuade (browbeat, actually) him to try. This is his story as much as it is Jefferson's. He has problems of his own, feeling the futility of his efforts to improve the life of his people or even to exist as a man in a South which continues to consider people of color as less than human. In the end, he learns as much from Jefferson as Jefferson learns from him.

This is a very moving novel, as pertinent now as when it was written. The attitudes portrayed in the 1940's setting are perhaps more camouflaged now, but they still exist, as evidenced by numerous current events. I recommend this novel. It won the National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction in 1993.

SHORT REVIEWS OF 6 CLASSIC NOVELS

This is a further installment of some of the books I read while without the internet. I often enjoy reading in bunches -- a bunch of science fiction and fantasy, a bunch of classics, a bunch of prize winners, etc. These are the classics I read.




SONS AND LOVERS by D.H. LAWRENCE (1913) Second reading
D.H. Lawrence is familiar to most people as the author of the once-banned Lady Chatterley's Lover, which is famous (or infamous) for its sexual frankness. The title of this novel would seem to point to like content, but that is not the case. This is more about a mother's obsessive love for her sons and the effect this has on their own emotional life. It's a very good book, although I do not care for the writing style.

OLIVER TWIST by CHARLES DICKENS (1838) Third reading
Most everyone is already familiar with the basics of this tale of a gang of thieves who try to lead an innocent boy into a life of crime. This is actually one of my least favorite Dickens novels. It is more than usual dependent upon coincidences and improbable happenings, but the characters are certainly memorable. Who does not know who Fagin is?

STUDS LONIGAN TRILOGY by JAMES T. FARRELL (1932, 34, 35) Second reading
This would be considered a second-tier classic, I think. It's the story of the life of an Irish-American boy in Depression-era Chicago, from his tough-talking but good-hearted youth until his untimely death from alcoholism. It is very depressing. Much of the novel is composed of long trivial conversations in which the participants try to show how tough they are, so it is not much fun to read from that aspect. I would not recommend this, even though the Modern Library list of America's Top 100 novels includes this as No. 29.

DAVID COPPERFIELD by CHARLES DICKENS (1850) Third reading
This is one of my favorite Dickens novels. It is widely considered to be partially autobiographical. It's a coming-of-age story, with the title character making many wrong turns in judgment and in his love life. It is a thoroughly satisfying read.

A FAREWELL TO ARMS by ERNEST HEMINGWAY (1929) Second reading
I don't like Hemingway. I read this again to see if I might not like it better, as I have advanced in age and experience. I still don't like it. Hemingway's prose is often described as lean and muscular. I think it sounds more like my first-grade reader -- "See Dick run. Dick runs fast. Run, Dick, run." This novel also contains some of the most insipid pillow-talk I have ever read.

NOSTROMO by JOSEPH CONRAD (1904) Second reading, Reviewed in June, 2011
This is one of the best novels I have ever read. On the surface, it is the story of the events in an unnamed South American country leading to the stealing of a whole boatload of silver bars, but it has many additional layers, which make it one of those books which can be read time after time, with new insights at each reading. It is perfectly put together, and the language is wonderful. I consider it the best of Conrad, which is saying a lot, considering the excellence of The Heart of Darkness and Lord Jim.

THE SECRET RIVER by KATE GRENVILLE (2005)

This outstanding novel is much more than just a graphic and detailed account of one family's experience as early settlers in Australia. It is also an allegory of the conflict, anywhere and always, when "civilized" groups of people come against a more primitive culture. The Secret River could have just as well taken place when pioneers arrived in early America or when Europeans discovered the islands of the Pacific, or, indeed, when Homo Sapiens met Neanderthals. The outcome appears to be inevitable.

In 1806 London, William Thornhill attempts to steal a load of wood and is sentenced to hanging. He is reprieved at the last minute and instead sentenced to be transported to Australia, his wife and children being allowed to go with him. What at first appears to him as a sentence as tragic as death instead offers him an opportunity to become what he never could have been in England -- a land owner. His small farm, tamed by back-breaking work, prospers, until he is confronted with those who had always considered the land their own, though they neither plowed nor planted, instead living on what the land freely offered. He considers himself a good man, but he realizes that in order for his family to prosper, he must use force to claim the land for himself.

This novel is unusual in that it is sympathetic to both sides of the conflict between settlers and indigenous people. The situation in Australia was different from other instances of similar conflict because these settlers did not choose to be there, and just had to do the best they could to survive. That adds a special poignancy to their story.

The writing here is most impressive, unobtrusively poetic. The descriptions of 19th century London rival Dickens' descriptions of the same era. Grenville's descriptions of this part of Australia (the fertile, river-fed area) are breath-taking. This might appear to be a success story, in some lights, but it is also very sad, because the winners also lost something irrecoverable of themselves.

I recommend this novel most highly. It was a finalist for the 2006 Booker Prize.

SHORT REVIEWS OF 16 FANTASY/SCIENCE FICTION NOVELS

For 3 1/2 months this spring/summer I was without internet or television. I had not realized previously that I spent (wasted?) so much time on electronic diversions. I suddenly found I had several hours more each day to amuse myself. I have always read every day, but without an alternative I read EVEN MORE. At the end of May, I finally got my books out of storage, where they had been for almost 4 years, so I began selecting from my own collection and re-reading. (Why keep a book if not to read it again?) I kept a list of the books I read (46) these three summer months and now I intend to write several groups of short reviews, mainly for my own benefit.

This first group I read right after I moved in and unpacked. Moving is a tense and busy time, so I was prompted to read escapist literature.

THE LITTLE COUNTRY by CHARLES de LINT (1991) Second reading
A mysterious book with magical powers is at the center of the conflict between a young female folk musician and a rich psychic. She has it and he wants it. Meanwhile, a witch shrinks a young girl into the size of a mouse. Adventure ensues. This is all rather predictable and the book reads at a Young Adult level. This is one I will put in a box to take to sell at Half-Price.


LITTLE, BIG by JOHN CROWLEY (1981) Fourth reading
This is one of my favorite escapist reads. It's about the strange Drinkwater family, who believe that they have a Destiny which involves the world of Faerie, and when I read about it, I absolutely believe it, too. This is a must-read for anyone who is at all capable of suspension of disbelief.


THE FOLK OF THE AIR by PETER S. BEAGLE (1977) Second reading
Another book about Faerie. I looked on my bookshelves for Beagle's best book, The Last Unicorn, but I must have lent it to someone. This one is a bit less immersive, but it is better than most of a similar vein. You are asked to believe that some of the people who participate in Live Role Play re-enactments actually have the magical powers they pretend to display. I almost believed, but not quite.


MYTHAGO WOOD by ROBERT HOLDSTOCK (1984) Third reading
LAVANDYSS by ROBERT HOLDSTOCK (1988) Third reading
Two brothers enter a magical wood where the mythical creatures of our collective unconscious come to life. I really liked these the first time I read them, less the second time, and this time I found many faults. The books do have a fairly original premise, so they are interesting as a one-off read for fans of fantasy.


THE PRYDAIN CHRONICLES by LLOYD ALEXANDER (5 short novels)(1964-66) Second reading
These are actually children's book (about middle school level). I think I intended them for my grandchildren and failed to pass them on. They follow Taran, an assistant pig keeper, from youth through maturity. He lives in a magical land and joins in the fight against the evil wizard Arawn, joined by a princess, a dwarf, a bard, and a man/beast helper (similar to Gollum of Lord of the Rings fame). The story is loosely adapted from Welsh mythology. I would highly recommend these for ages 10-14.


TITUS GROAN by MERVIN PEAKE(1946) Second reading
GORMENGHAST by MERVIN PEAKE(1950) Second reading
I love words and the way they can be put together to create an atmosphere and mood; Mervin Peake offers a veritable feast. He writes with a painter's eye, and his created world of Gormenghast Castle is visual to the mind's eye to the extent that I have even dreamed of it. His characters do Dickens one better; they are exaggerated and sometimes grotesque, but they are real. The story is suspenseful. The villain is deliciously evil. The hero is flawed, but learns from his experiences. The third volume of the Gormenghast series, Titus Alone, was written while Peake was suffering from diminished mental facility due to Parkenson's. I have not yet had the courage to read it, because I don't think I could bear the anguish of the dimming of his powers.


ROCANNON'S WORLD by URSULA LeGUIN(1966) Second reading
PLANET OF EXILE by URSULA LeGUIN(1966) Second reading
CITY OF ILLUSIONS by URSULA LeGUIN(1967) Second reading
These three shortish novels are bound together in a volume called Three Hainish Novels. They are not, however, three parts of one story, but three distinct plots all taking place in the imagined Hainish universe. The first one, Rocannon's World, takes place when the planet is first being studied by the League of All Worlds. Rocannon is an ethnologist who goes on a quest across the planet to alert the League of All Worlds to a threat from an invading species. In Planet of Exile, on another Hainish planet, indigenous humanoid natives and settlers from Earth live an uneasy separate existence until drawn together by looming danger. As in Game of Thrones, Winter Is Coming! The third volume, City of Illusions, takes place several centuries later, back on Earth, where a descendant of a character in Planet of Exile arrives with no memory of his past. His quest to learn his identity and then to overcome the Earth's new masters, the Shing, form the plot. These are LeGuin's first novels and are not as accomplished as her later efforts, but they are better-than-average science fiction/fantasy.


THE CHILD GARDEN by GEOFF RYMAN (1989) Second reading
In a world of the future, life-spans have been halved, global warming threatens, people are genetically engineered for their jobs, and children are instantly educated through the introduction of viruses. Milena, the central character, is immune to the viruses and has to learn everything the old-fashioned way. She falls in love with a genetically engineered female who looks like a polar bear. And so it goes. This book contains too much and thus loses any focus. This one will go to Half-Price.

THE ENGLISH PATIENT by MICHAEL ONDAATJE (1992)

A few weeks ago I reread Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms, which took place in wartime in Italy and tells of the love affair between an American volunteer ambulance driver and an English nurse. The English Patient is also set in wartime in Italy and includes a loves affair between an Indian bomb demolition expert and a Canadian nurse. There the similarity ends. This book is so much more than Hemingway's effort, in so many ways. It is so much better that they shouldn't even be included in the same category. I would consider The English Patient as a modern classic. (I am obviously not a Hemingway fan. I believe he is greatly overrated, and I have never understood why he is highly regarded.)

Gathered in a half-ruined convent as World War II is ending are a young Canadian nurse and her patient who is too burned to be moved. He is thought to be English, even though he insists he cannot remember who he is or where he came from. Then an Italian thief who had once been a friend of her father's hears of her plight and joins them. As the armies retreat, bomb and landmine disposal crews arrive, and an Indian Sikh attached to the British army comes to stay at the convent, as well. There each of their stories unfold. As they try to deal with the burdens war has left, they come to an erasure of national and partisan interests and relate to each other as individuals....until events intrude to remind them of their differences.

This author is a poet as well as a novelist, and this reads like a blending of the two. (In contrast, Hemingway's prose, sometimes described as "lean and muscular," sounds like a first-grade reader.) Ondaatje paints pictures with his words, and the entire novel has a dream-like tone, reflecting the surrealism of the time and place. It is a brief pause outside of a harsh reality.

This novel is an adventure, a mystery, a romance, and a philosophical novel all in one. It won England's Booker Prize in 1992, and in 2018 was awarded the Golden Booker Prize as the best winner of the award in 50 years. It is one of the best novels you will ever read.

(If you saw the movie, you got only a small piece of the story, and not the thrust of the book at all. It was a good movie, but it was not reflective of the book's contents.)

TYPEE by HERMAN MELVILLE (1846)

Although this was on my bookshelf, I don't recall ever reading it before. It is Melville's first book, and was the most popular during his lifetime (to his dismay). It is supposedly a true account of the author's captivity for about a month by the Typee natives on one of the Marquesas Islands, although there is some indication that he took parts of his material from accounts of other early mariners.

As an adventure story in an exotic locale, this account was popular particularly with a younger audience. I wonder what they made of the thinly veiled sexual content. I imagine they were titillated. I found Melville's criticisms of the "civilizing" efforts of Christian missionaries to be particularly interesting. In a scenario that has been repeated many times before and since, the efforts of governments and missionaries to turn native populations into mirrors of their own ideas and customs resulted in the degradation of the supposed beneficiaries. According to Melville, the Typee were happier and more harmonious than those in more "civilized" situations, even though they happened to be cannibals on occasion.

Though this account is well written and displays Melville's budding talent, it in no way prepares the reader for his great masterpiece, Moby Dick, or for his last book, Billy Budd. I believe it to be beneficial reading for admirers of Melville, but as general reading to be of little interest for most people.

THE ASSOCIATION OF SMALL BOMBS by KARAN MAHAJAN (2016)

Yet another depressing novel set in India, this one is unique in that it humanizes both the victims of violence and its perpetrator. Beginning with the detonation of a small car bomb, the author tells the stories of the Kashmiri man who built and planted the bomb, of the family of two brothers who were among the victims, and of a boy who narrowly escaped the blast which killed his two friends. The repercussions of this rather insignificant event (in comparison with acts of greater violence with more victims) extend forward for years. Mahajan seems to be indicating that the turmoil in India is daily escalated by even small events and that it is perhaps unsolvable.

To tell the truth, I read this just before I moved in mid-May, and when I set out to write this review, I had forgotten much of the plot and had to look back in the book to refresh my memory. I don't think my senior-memory is entirely responsible. I think this is just a very forgettable novel. This was a finalist for the 2016 National Book Award, so it impressed many people.