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viktor_haagMy book pile is getting out of control again. My current method of constraint is to allow only one exemplar of genre in the pile at a time. In a moment of weakness I threw that rule over: while I still haven't finished "Two for the Lions" on a whim I picked up "Knots and Crosses" by Ian Rankin (very handy for the latest imprint of his Rebus books to be numbered for us read-them-in-order obsessives).
Knots and Crosses
Rankin's introduction to this first of the Rebus series of mysteries/procedurals calls it right: it's not a very good mystery, really. But what it does do is open the door to a world populated by reasonably interesting characters. It's affecting without being overly melodramatic. The author clearly understands the "show don't tell" rule, as his characters' inner turmoil is, more often than not, revealed through activity rather than exposition (with one rather glaring exception: Rankin does set us up pretty much from page one to not be surprised at the narrative deus ex machina that hands us Rebus' past troubles, but it does seem a bit hokey and neatly tied up with a bow upon completion). If "Knots and Crosses" represents the high-point of Rankin's ability in his Rebus series, I'm not going to last very long reading them and they'll end up in the used bookstore. However, I did whip through this book in fairly short order (a good sign), and I thought it was a solid B-to-B+ read all the way through, and it did get me to plunk down cash for the second Rebus book. I still like Mankell better, but there's very much a similar feeling in Rankin's presentation of character and setting, and I find it pleasing enough to keep going.
Our Mutual Friend: an ongoing project
This year I have rejoined the Dickens reading group I attended in years past. The current selection is "Our Mutual Friend", a novel I had not heard of (apparently Dickens' last complete work). The schtick of the group is to read the book at a pace approximate to the actual release schedule of the original publication. Accordingly, we've already met to discuss the first two issues, and our task for next Thursday is to read the next two issues. The disdain of my youth for Dickens is fading. While I'm still not sure I should choose to read his books all on my own without some prompting (thus the reading group, which I see, at least in part, as a tonic for my reading habits), one can easily see the genius in Dickens' pure talent as a writer. Can I think of anyone since his days who matches up with him for sheer talent combined with output? I'm not sure I can. Can you?
Knots and Crosses
Rankin's introduction to this first of the Rebus series of mysteries/procedurals calls it right: it's not a very good mystery, really. But what it does do is open the door to a world populated by reasonably interesting characters. It's affecting without being overly melodramatic. The author clearly understands the "show don't tell" rule, as his characters' inner turmoil is, more often than not, revealed through activity rather than exposition (with one rather glaring exception: Rankin does set us up pretty much from page one to not be surprised at the narrative deus ex machina that hands us Rebus' past troubles, but it does seem a bit hokey and neatly tied up with a bow upon completion). If "Knots and Crosses" represents the high-point of Rankin's ability in his Rebus series, I'm not going to last very long reading them and they'll end up in the used bookstore. However, I did whip through this book in fairly short order (a good sign), and I thought it was a solid B-to-B+ read all the way through, and it did get me to plunk down cash for the second Rebus book. I still like Mankell better, but there's very much a similar feeling in Rankin's presentation of character and setting, and I find it pleasing enough to keep going.
Our Mutual Friend: an ongoing project
This year I have rejoined the Dickens reading group I attended in years past. The current selection is "Our Mutual Friend", a novel I had not heard of (apparently Dickens' last complete work). The schtick of the group is to read the book at a pace approximate to the actual release schedule of the original publication. Accordingly, we've already met to discuss the first two issues, and our task for next Thursday is to read the next two issues. The disdain of my youth for Dickens is fading. While I'm still not sure I should choose to read his books all on my own without some prompting (thus the reading group, which I see, at least in part, as a tonic for my reading habits), one can easily see the genius in Dickens' pure talent as a writer. Can I think of anyone since his days who matches up with him for sheer talent combined with output? I'm not sure I can. Can you?
