Books I've Read So Far This Year
Feb. 21st, 2022 09:03 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
x_losFire and Hemlock
Judge Death: The previous 'four horsemen' arc was a World Book Day title, and having read it then, I wished to know more of it. Also it was in my work library, and I needed a short one to keep up with my 'Book a Week' quest.
Leopoldstadt
Halo Jones
Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency: Reread. Still very good.
The Long Dark Tea Time of the Soul: Reread. Probably everyone says this but Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul's degraded Asgard is about post-empire England, yeah? Also, the extreme connections between this and American Gods (and between Ocean at the End of the Lane and DWJ's Fire & Hemlock) do make me think that Gaiman's popularity is shaped by the US publishing market's having been somewhat closed to British imports until the Aughties, expanding SF markets and short memories. Not that Gaiman's realisations of these themes are bad, but he's not bringing much to the table in terms of concepts. These themes and even these textures have been evoked in recent memory: he's picking up a conversation here rather than bringing a new thought.
The Saga of Erik the Red: 13th century Icelandic saga, in translation. Surprise sudden one legged man!! (Of the race of one legged men, you understand--no mere amputee.) Actually what's very surprising about this one is how many women are mentioned, how characterised they are and how much agency they exercise.
The Works of Li Qingzhao
Judge Death: The previous 'four horsemen' arc was a World Book Day title, and having read it then, I wished to know more of it. Also it was in my work library, and I needed a short one to keep up with my 'Book a Week' quest.
Leopoldstadt
Halo Jones
Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency: Reread. Still very good.
The Long Dark Tea Time of the Soul: Reread. Probably everyone says this but Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul's degraded Asgard is about post-empire England, yeah? Also, the extreme connections between this and American Gods (and between Ocean at the End of the Lane and DWJ's Fire & Hemlock) do make me think that Gaiman's popularity is shaped by the US publishing market's having been somewhat closed to British imports until the Aughties, expanding SF markets and short memories. Not that Gaiman's realisations of these themes are bad, but he's not bringing much to the table in terms of concepts. These themes and even these textures have been evoked in recent memory: he's picking up a conversation here rather than bringing a new thought.
The Saga of Erik the Red: 13th century Icelandic saga, in translation. Surprise sudden one legged man!! (Of the race of one legged men, you understand--no mere amputee.) Actually what's very surprising about this one is how many women are mentioned, how characterised they are and how much agency they exercise.
The Works of Li Qingzhao
