August Readings
This article is a month late; I only realised I hadn't published it as I was publishing my September Readings. Eddie's Monthy Readings Inc. takes full responsibility for the damages — physical and mental — incurred.
L'étranger – Albert Camus
“Today, mom died. Or maybe yesterday, I don't know.”
I won't provide a summary of this book, which you have to read. The style is very striking and it is something that stuck to me. It is fairly short and an easy read, but still “rich” in content — it is wild that this was Camus' first book. I won't say too much about the book but I will say this: you are doing yourself a disservice by not reading it.
Microméga – Voltaire
Microméga is a giant from a planet of Sirius. He was banished from his court by the clergy for asking too many questions and decides to set on travels to study the world. On one of his travels, he meets a giant from Saturne and after talking together, they set off for Jupiter, then Earth. Here they find a boat and question the humans on it.
This is a philosophical fable, touching on relativism and of course theology. It's a neat little story and more a critique of the humans than a tale about philosophy. Here Voltaire mocks a couple of personalities of the time, but also institutions like the clergy. He takes a couple of jabs at other philosophers and also displays his passion for science with a healthy dose of Newton's theories. This tale is very much inscribed in the “Lumières” and thus advocates for tolerance, openness of mind and chastises religious fanaticism and preconceptions.
Dracula – Bram Stoker
Not sure if this will come out after Nick's presentation (or even if he's presenting it) so I won't say too much.
I wasn't sure how the epistolary style would work out, but it's actually well done. The prose is decent if a bit obnoxious at some points, especially in the very not-to-the-point way the characters talked. There was a bit where I had to push through because the intensity in the story just severely crashed, but I'm glad I hung on. Due to the time period, there are a couple of things that one could find interesting, such as the emphasis on gender roles and differences, but I will leave it at that.
Chroniques des Temps Obscurs: Frère de loup – Michelle Paver
Chroniques des Temps Obscurs (Chronicles of Ancient Darkness) is a book series I read again and again and again as a kid. I was reminded of its existence when I went back to my parent's place this summer — and after googling if it would be worth re-reading it as an adult, or if it would shatter my perception of it — I discovered that there were three new books that had been written. This convinced me to go back and re-read the entire series.
The books take place during prehistoric times, think Unga Bunga and Mammoth. Torak lives with his father in the forest, isolated from the other tribes that share this forest. That was until a bear killed his father and forced Torak to run for his life, but before dying, his father made Torak promise to seek the Spirit of the World, a mysterious mountain nobody had ever found. During his journey he is captured by the tribe of the Crow, will they prove to be friends or foes?
The “magic system” is very original here and very esoteric, and the deity system (mostly nature being personified) is also interesting and every clan/tribe has different aspects they respect most; it is nice to not have a homogeneous belief system. The story is not super intricate but what can you expect from books destined for early teens. There is a bit of overreliance on deus ex machina, and the usual “people not simply talking to each other creating some drama”, but it's not egregious. The dialogue between the two main characters can be a bit frustrating for the reasons mentioned previously, but they are also both 11 in the story so what can you expect with respect to emotional intelligence. The story moves very fast and sometimes too fast; the tension rises and falls within a couple of pages. World-building is surprisingly thorough and coherent throughout the series and the descriptions are also engaging. Overall I'm enjoying reading through it, and I hope it's one of those series that grows with their audience as the books go on.
Chroniques des Temps Obscurs: Fils de l'eau – Michelle Paver
Nothing new here, refer to the previous review
Thanks for reading my logorrhea, Eddie