Book 30: Maus II
By Art Spigelman.
Pantheon Books
1991
Rating:
4
From Library Journal
Spiegelman's Maus, A Survivor's Tale (Pantheon, 1987) was a breakthrough, a comic book that gained widespread mainstream attention. The primary story of that book and of this sequel is the experience of Spiegelman's father, Vladek, a Polish Jew who survived the concentration camps of Nazi Germany during World War II. This story is framed by Spiegelman's getting the story from Vladek, which is in turn framed by Spiegelman's working on the book after his father's death and suffering the attendant anxiety and guilt, the ambivalence over the success of the first volume, and the difficulties of his "funny-animal" metaphor. (In both books, he draws the char acters as anthropomorphic animals-- Jews are mice, Poles pigs, Germans cats, Americans dogs, and French frogs.) The interconnections and complex characterizations are engrossing, as are the vivid personal accounts of living in the camps. Maus and Maus . . . II are two of the most important works of comic art ever published. Highly recommended, espe cially for libraries with Holocaust collec tions. See also Harry Gordon's The Shadow of Death: The Holocaust in Lithuania , reviewed in this issue, p. 164; previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 7/91.
- Keith R.A. DeCandido, "Library Journal"
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
What Do I Think?
Aweome. Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. It touched me in a way I never thought a Holocaust story could. Amazing.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Monday, June 21, 2010
Book 30: Maus
Book 30: Maus
By Art Spigelman.
Pantheon Books
1991
Rating:
4
Review. Thanks Amazon.com!
“A loving documentary and brutal fable, a mix of compassion and stoicism [that] sums up the experience of the Holocaust with as much power and as little pretension as any other work I can think of.”
–The New Republic
“A quiet triumph, moving and simple–impossible to describe accurately, and impossible to achieve in any medium but comics.”
–The Washington Post
“Spiegelman has turned the exuberant fantasy of comics inside out by giving us the most incredible fantasy in comics’ history: something that actually occurred…. The central relationship is not that of cat and mouse, but that of Art and Vladek. Maus is terrifying not for its brutality, but for its tenderness and guilt.”
–The New Yorker
“All too infrequently, a book comes along that’s as daring as it is acclaimed. Art Spiegelman’s Maus is just such a book.”
–Esquire
“An epic story told in tiny pictures.”
–The New York Times
“A remarkable work, awesome in its conception and execution… at one and the same time a novel, a documentary, a memoir, and a comic book. Brilliant, just brilliant.”
–Jules Feffer --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
What Do I Think?
Like many other books, I have read this and it's brother book many times. I've said it before and I'll say it again: This is my favorite graphic novel. Prove that there is a more interesting, captivating one out there.
Quite frankly, I could go on for hours about how much I appreciate this book. A good reviewist would do such, and I am not.
It's midnight, and I am sleepy. Goodnight.
By Art Spigelman.
Pantheon Books
1991
Rating:
4
Review. Thanks Amazon.com!
“A loving documentary and brutal fable, a mix of compassion and stoicism [that] sums up the experience of the Holocaust with as much power and as little pretension as any other work I can think of.”
–The New Republic
“A quiet triumph, moving and simple–impossible to describe accurately, and impossible to achieve in any medium but comics.”
–The Washington Post
“Spiegelman has turned the exuberant fantasy of comics inside out by giving us the most incredible fantasy in comics’ history: something that actually occurred…. The central relationship is not that of cat and mouse, but that of Art and Vladek. Maus is terrifying not for its brutality, but for its tenderness and guilt.”
–The New Yorker
“All too infrequently, a book comes along that’s as daring as it is acclaimed. Art Spiegelman’s Maus is just such a book.”
–Esquire
“An epic story told in tiny pictures.”
–The New York Times
“A remarkable work, awesome in its conception and execution… at one and the same time a novel, a documentary, a memoir, and a comic book. Brilliant, just brilliant.”
–Jules Feffer --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
What Do I Think?
Like many other books, I have read this and it's brother book many times. I've said it before and I'll say it again: This is my favorite graphic novel. Prove that there is a more interesting, captivating one out there.
Quite frankly, I could go on for hours about how much I appreciate this book. A good reviewist would do such, and I am not.
It's midnight, and I am sleepy. Goodnight.
Book 29: Mostly Harmless
Book 29: Mostly Harmless.
By Douglas Adams.
Pan Books.
1992
Rating:
3.5
Review by © 2001 by Thomas M. Wagner
After a gap of eight long years, Douglas Adams returned to the froody adventures of Ford Prefect and the perpetually bewildered Arthur Dent, for one final spin round space, time, and every probable and improbable universe out there. And this time, it's a tough one, folks. It has been said that Adams never wanted to write this book, that he was simply caving in to pressure from fans, and that in fact this book threw Adams into a black mood that lasted until his untimely death. If all those things are true, it's surprising that as much of this book is as funny as it is. In the end, though, the joke's on us. Adams gives his series a bleak if not altogether nihilistic ending that leaves you scratching your head and wondering what the point was. Okay, so we get to find out what the number 42 signifies, but you do come away from this story with the uncomfortable feeling that Adams has just flipped the bird at you, smiling all the while.
Earth, it would seem, occupies an area of space/time where the very fabric of the whole thing isn't exactly in the best shape it could be in. This, of course, is why the Vogons' plan to destroy Earth to make way for a hyperspace bypass appears not to have worked terribly well and, in fact, why Arthur finds himself travelling from one alternate Earth to another in a pitiful attempt simply to find a place he can call home. He eventually settles (well, his spaceship crashes rather spectacularly) in a bucolic community where he gains a social prominence he has never known before, as their Sandwich Maker. And this is the funniest part of the whole novel, the one sequence in which it seems as if Adams is recapturing the old magic. But when Trillian — the girl Zaphod stole from Arthur years back when Earth was a place he thought he understood — shows up, bringing a surprise in tow, Arthur's life is once again turned topsy turvy.
Ford Prefect, meanwhile, has discovered the Hitchhiker's Guide publishing offices have been bought out by an insidious corporation run by some insidious (and familiar) aliens, and he vows he'll hurt them any way he can. Which, it would seem, only means he starts overrunning his expense account. Here it's clear Adams is taking a swipe at himself and his own series, as he describes how the Guide has been corrupted by the forces of evil. Methinks he doth protest too much, really. I think a fellow with Adams' wit could have engaged in self-deprecating humor without lapsing into self-loathing.
Mostly Harmless is not irredeemably dreadful by any means, and at times sports Adams' most impressive writing and plotting in the entire series. Just when it seems as if absolutely nothing is going to make sense no matter how hard you try, the pieces of the puzzle begin to fit just so. Playing with the very concept of probability as if it were some perverse erector set he'd dug out of his attic, Adams' tale runs riot with ideas. But by the climax of the story, things have simply gotten chaotic, with Adams clearly in a hurry to finish the book and get it over with.
I heard a rumor (there are always rumors) that at the time of his death, Adams' frame of mind had improved markedly and he was considering a sixth book in the series to, in effect, apologize for this one and bring back the characters, crazy situations, and, most crucially, the humor that so many millions of fans had come to love. (And indeed, in 2002, a book entitled The Salmon of Doubt comprised of Adams' notes for that novel, as well as other personal papers, was released.) Had he gotten that chance, one can only imagine what extremes of imagination Adams would have been able to experiment with. The legacy that Adams left, however, is certainly nothing to disregard, and it shines through his work despite the shortcomings of books like this one. His wit may only have been mostly harmless, but it's the little elements that aren't so harmless that stick with you — that, and Adam's most important message: that no matter how senseless and out of control reality and life seem to be, for crying out loud...Don't Panic!
That is all.
By Douglas Adams.
Pan Books.
1992
Rating:
3.5
Review by © 2001 by Thomas M. Wagner
After a gap of eight long years, Douglas Adams returned to the froody adventures of Ford Prefect and the perpetually bewildered Arthur Dent, for one final spin round space, time, and every probable and improbable universe out there. And this time, it's a tough one, folks. It has been said that Adams never wanted to write this book, that he was simply caving in to pressure from fans, and that in fact this book threw Adams into a black mood that lasted until his untimely death. If all those things are true, it's surprising that as much of this book is as funny as it is. In the end, though, the joke's on us. Adams gives his series a bleak if not altogether nihilistic ending that leaves you scratching your head and wondering what the point was. Okay, so we get to find out what the number 42 signifies, but you do come away from this story with the uncomfortable feeling that Adams has just flipped the bird at you, smiling all the while.
Earth, it would seem, occupies an area of space/time where the very fabric of the whole thing isn't exactly in the best shape it could be in. This, of course, is why the Vogons' plan to destroy Earth to make way for a hyperspace bypass appears not to have worked terribly well and, in fact, why Arthur finds himself travelling from one alternate Earth to another in a pitiful attempt simply to find a place he can call home. He eventually settles (well, his spaceship crashes rather spectacularly) in a bucolic community where he gains a social prominence he has never known before, as their Sandwich Maker. And this is the funniest part of the whole novel, the one sequence in which it seems as if Adams is recapturing the old magic. But when Trillian — the girl Zaphod stole from Arthur years back when Earth was a place he thought he understood — shows up, bringing a surprise in tow, Arthur's life is once again turned topsy turvy.
Ford Prefect, meanwhile, has discovered the Hitchhiker's Guide publishing offices have been bought out by an insidious corporation run by some insidious (and familiar) aliens, and he vows he'll hurt them any way he can. Which, it would seem, only means he starts overrunning his expense account. Here it's clear Adams is taking a swipe at himself and his own series, as he describes how the Guide has been corrupted by the forces of evil. Methinks he doth protest too much, really. I think a fellow with Adams' wit could have engaged in self-deprecating humor without lapsing into self-loathing.
Mostly Harmless is not irredeemably dreadful by any means, and at times sports Adams' most impressive writing and plotting in the entire series. Just when it seems as if absolutely nothing is going to make sense no matter how hard you try, the pieces of the puzzle begin to fit just so. Playing with the very concept of probability as if it were some perverse erector set he'd dug out of his attic, Adams' tale runs riot with ideas. But by the climax of the story, things have simply gotten chaotic, with Adams clearly in a hurry to finish the book and get it over with.
I heard a rumor (there are always rumors) that at the time of his death, Adams' frame of mind had improved markedly and he was considering a sixth book in the series to, in effect, apologize for this one and bring back the characters, crazy situations, and, most crucially, the humor that so many millions of fans had come to love. (And indeed, in 2002, a book entitled The Salmon of Doubt comprised of Adams' notes for that novel, as well as other personal papers, was released.) Had he gotten that chance, one can only imagine what extremes of imagination Adams would have been able to experiment with. The legacy that Adams left, however, is certainly nothing to disregard, and it shines through his work despite the shortcomings of books like this one. His wit may only have been mostly harmless, but it's the little elements that aren't so harmless that stick with you — that, and Adam's most important message: that no matter how senseless and out of control reality and life seem to be, for crying out loud...Don't Panic!
That is all.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Book 28: So Long, and Thanks For All The Fish.
Book 28: So Long, And Thanks Dor All The Fish.
By Douglas Adams.
Pan Books.
1984
Rating:
3.5
Product Description
Back on Earth with nothing more to show for his long, strange trip through time and space than a ratty towel and a plastic shopping bag, Arthur Dent is ready to believe that the past eight years were all just a figment of his stressed-out imagination. But a gift-wrapped fishbowl with a cryptic inscription, the mysterious disappearance of Earth's dolphins, and the discovery of his battered copy of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy all conspire to give Arthur the sneaking suspicion that something otherworldly is indeed going on. . . .
God only knows what it all means. And fortunately, He left behind a Final Message of explanation. But since it's light-years away from Earth, on a star surrounded by souvenir booths, finding out what it is will mean hitching a ride to the far reaches of space aboard a UFO with a giant robot. But what else is new?
What Do I Think?
There isn't really much else to say from that, to be honest, other than Arthur gets laid in the air. I liked the first ones better, but I think I'm only confused because I'm reading it as one long book, instead of five shorter ones. Whatever, it's still amazing.
By Douglas Adams.
Pan Books.
1984
Rating:
3.5
Product Description
Back on Earth with nothing more to show for his long, strange trip through time and space than a ratty towel and a plastic shopping bag, Arthur Dent is ready to believe that the past eight years were all just a figment of his stressed-out imagination. But a gift-wrapped fishbowl with a cryptic inscription, the mysterious disappearance of Earth's dolphins, and the discovery of his battered copy of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy all conspire to give Arthur the sneaking suspicion that something otherworldly is indeed going on. . . .
God only knows what it all means. And fortunately, He left behind a Final Message of explanation. But since it's light-years away from Earth, on a star surrounded by souvenir booths, finding out what it is will mean hitching a ride to the far reaches of space aboard a UFO with a giant robot. But what else is new?
What Do I Think?
There isn't really much else to say from that, to be honest, other than Arthur gets laid in the air. I liked the first ones better, but I think I'm only confused because I'm reading it as one long book, instead of five shorter ones. Whatever, it's still amazing.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Book 27: Julius Caesar.
Book 27: Julius Caesar.
By William Shakespeare
-
1599-ish
Rating:
3.5
From School Library Journal
Grade 5-8-One of the marks of Shakespeare's greatness is the continued interest in adapting his enduring works. This recording of Julius Caesar is one in a series drawn from Leon Garfield's Shakespeare Stories. Liberally sprinkled with lines from the original play, the recording presents a condensation of all five acts in a little more than an hour. Beginning with a brief biography of the Bard, the recording then offers a thorough but not lengthy overview of the play. All this sets the stage for Simon Russell Beale's well paced narration. This Royal Shakespeare Company veteran moves so skillfully between story text and dialogue that at times it seems as though there are several actors reading. Classic lines such as "Et tu. Brute" and "Friends, Romans, Countrymen " are rendered with fresh vigor. At the conclusion of the play, an article on "Shakespeare Today" offers suggestions to help youngsters have fun with Shakespeare. Short selections of period music make a nice transition between sections of the recording. Though aimed at a middle school audience, both teens and adults will find this presentation a good way to learn about one of the earliest plays performed at the Globe Theatre.
Barbara Wysocki, Cora J. Belden Library, Rocky Hill, CT
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition
What Do I Think?
I've always been a fan of Shakespeare, and he never fails to impress me. We read this book for class, and most of them did not like it. It only bothers me that Bernard rushed through this book, giving no time to let it sink in. I actually really like this play. It shows how friends can stab your back (literally) and get a team of people against you. It shows the inner workings of man like nothing in today's literature could. If you think I differently, prove me wrong and send along a book.
By William Shakespeare
-
1599-ish
Rating:
3.5
From School Library Journal
Grade 5-8-One of the marks of Shakespeare's greatness is the continued interest in adapting his enduring works. This recording of Julius Caesar is one in a series drawn from Leon Garfield's Shakespeare Stories. Liberally sprinkled with lines from the original play, the recording presents a condensation of all five acts in a little more than an hour. Beginning with a brief biography of the Bard, the recording then offers a thorough but not lengthy overview of the play. All this sets the stage for Simon Russell Beale's well paced narration. This Royal Shakespeare Company veteran moves so skillfully between story text and dialogue that at times it seems as though there are several actors reading. Classic lines such as "Et tu. Brute" and "Friends, Romans, Countrymen " are rendered with fresh vigor. At the conclusion of the play, an article on "Shakespeare Today" offers suggestions to help youngsters have fun with Shakespeare. Short selections of period music make a nice transition between sections of the recording. Though aimed at a middle school audience, both teens and adults will find this presentation a good way to learn about one of the earliest plays performed at the Globe Theatre.
Barbara Wysocki, Cora J. Belden Library, Rocky Hill, CT
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition
What Do I Think?
I've always been a fan of Shakespeare, and he never fails to impress me. We read this book for class, and most of them did not like it. It only bothers me that Bernard rushed through this book, giving no time to let it sink in. I actually really like this play. It shows how friends can stab your back (literally) and get a team of people against you. It shows the inner workings of man like nothing in today's literature could. If you think I differently, prove me wrong and send along a book.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Book 26: Life, The Universe, and Everything.
Book 26: Life, The Universe, and Everything.
By Douglas Adams
Pan Books
1982
Rating:
4
Product Description:
"HYSTERICAL!"
--The Philadelphia Inquirer
The unhappy inhabitants of planet Krikkit are sick of looking at the night sky above their heads--so they plan to destroy it. The universe, that is. Now only five individuals stand between the white killer robots of Krikkit and their goal of total annihilation.
They are Arthur Dent, a mild-mannered space and time traveler, who tries to learn how to fly by throwing himself at the ground and missing; Ford Prefect, his best friend, who decides to go insane to see if he likes it; Slartibartfast, the indomitable vicepresident of the Campaign for Real Time, who travels in a ship powered by irrational behavior; Zaphod Beeblebrox, the two-headed, three-armed ex-head honcho of the Universe; and Trillian, the sexy space cadet who is torn between a persistent Thunder God and a very depressed Beeblebrox.
How will it all end? Will it end? Only this stalwart crew knows as they try to avert "universal" Armageddon and save life as we know it--and don't know it!
"ADAMS IS ONE OF THOSE RARE TREASURES: an author who, one senses, has as much fun writing as one has reading."
--The Arizona Daily Star
What Do I Think?
Come on, how can you beat that ?
I enjoyed this book, alothough confusing at times. there isn't really much else to say, other than what's in the product description. So, there. 26 done, 24 to go.
By Douglas Adams
Pan Books
1982
Rating:
4
Product Description:
"HYSTERICAL!"
--The Philadelphia Inquirer
The unhappy inhabitants of planet Krikkit are sick of looking at the night sky above their heads--so they plan to destroy it. The universe, that is. Now only five individuals stand between the white killer robots of Krikkit and their goal of total annihilation.
They are Arthur Dent, a mild-mannered space and time traveler, who tries to learn how to fly by throwing himself at the ground and missing; Ford Prefect, his best friend, who decides to go insane to see if he likes it; Slartibartfast, the indomitable vicepresident of the Campaign for Real Time, who travels in a ship powered by irrational behavior; Zaphod Beeblebrox, the two-headed, three-armed ex-head honcho of the Universe; and Trillian, the sexy space cadet who is torn between a persistent Thunder God and a very depressed Beeblebrox.
How will it all end? Will it end? Only this stalwart crew knows as they try to avert "universal" Armageddon and save life as we know it--and don't know it!
"ADAMS IS ONE OF THOSE RARE TREASURES: an author who, one senses, has as much fun writing as one has reading."
--The Arizona Daily Star
What Do I Think?
Come on, how can you beat that ?
I enjoyed this book, alothough confusing at times. there isn't really much else to say, other than what's in the product description. So, there. 26 done, 24 to go.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Book 25: The Restaraunt at the End of the Universe.
Book 25: The Restaraunt at the End of the Universe.
By Douglas Adams
Pan Books
1980
Rating:
4
From Library Journal
Warning! This second volume in the "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" series is definitely not a standalone book. Enjoying, or even understanding, the continuing adventures of Earthling Arthur Dent, his strange pal Ford Prefect, and the very, very odd Zaphod Beeblebrox requires previous study and preparation. Confusion and possible insanity awaits the poor soul who tries to figure out the second title without having read the first. Arthur and Ford, having survived the destruction of Earth by surreptitiously hitching a ride on a Vogon constructor ship, have been kicked off that ship by its commander. Now they find themselves aboard a stolen Improbability Drive ship commanded by Beeblebrox, ex-president of the Imperial Galactic Government and full-time thief. Narrated by Adams, this production is a treat for fans of the late author and others who enjoy British comedy. Be sure to buy all five parts of the "Hitchhiker" series or your patrons will storm your office. One caveat: this audiobook will need to be repackaged for library circulation.
Barbara Rhodes, Northeast Texas Lib. Syst., Garland
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
What Do I Think?
I did, in fact, really like this book. It was pretty good, but you wouldn't be able to understand what happens if you haven't read the first book. Seeing as it's a chronicle of sorts, that's a good thing. Although I am reading all of the books in one large book (which has been called a 'Bible' multiple times due to the size and gold-lined pages), so it is a little tough to remember where one books ends and one starts. It is very good.
I want to live in a house where if I say "I can't find my towel", everyone gasps. This was my first thought this morning.
By Douglas Adams
Pan Books
1980
Rating:
4
From Library Journal
Warning! This second volume in the "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" series is definitely not a standalone book. Enjoying, or even understanding, the continuing adventures of Earthling Arthur Dent, his strange pal Ford Prefect, and the very, very odd Zaphod Beeblebrox requires previous study and preparation. Confusion and possible insanity awaits the poor soul who tries to figure out the second title without having read the first. Arthur and Ford, having survived the destruction of Earth by surreptitiously hitching a ride on a Vogon constructor ship, have been kicked off that ship by its commander. Now they find themselves aboard a stolen Improbability Drive ship commanded by Beeblebrox, ex-president of the Imperial Galactic Government and full-time thief. Narrated by Adams, this production is a treat for fans of the late author and others who enjoy British comedy. Be sure to buy all five parts of the "Hitchhiker" series or your patrons will storm your office. One caveat: this audiobook will need to be repackaged for library circulation.
Barbara Rhodes, Northeast Texas Lib. Syst., Garland
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
What Do I Think?
I did, in fact, really like this book. It was pretty good, but you wouldn't be able to understand what happens if you haven't read the first book. Seeing as it's a chronicle of sorts, that's a good thing. Although I am reading all of the books in one large book (which has been called a 'Bible' multiple times due to the size and gold-lined pages), so it is a little tough to remember where one books ends and one starts. It is very good.
I want to live in a house where if I say "I can't find my towel", everyone gasps. This was my first thought this morning.
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