grendel: recommendations for book reviews

I gave him a mainstream page turner to do. Nothing deep, just a fun little book that'd make a good film. I think that's this week's meal. Remind Gren he's doing good work.

I have not read 'microserfs' by Coupland, or 'Infinite Jest' by Wallace (although now I plan to...bizarre and hinky. Sounds like one I was talking with Xymog about in the 'Readers Ideas' forum called 'Sewer, Gas, and Electric: The Public Works Trilogy, only weirder, which I didn't think possible).

Everything else above this post I have read.

Thank you, that is all.

And another thing: Umberto Eco makes me cry for my thesaurus...thesoaris...theseer--DAMMIT!, but yeah, he's a wordy bitch, ain't he?

The Island of the Day Before and Focault's Pendulum hurt my eyes.

'Flaubert's Parrot' is another weirdass book, but not by Eco. Just reminded of it because of 'Focault's' title.

Hey Gren, I too enjoy your review column

I was wondering, have you got House of Leaves? I remember a lil while back there were a couple threads on it.
I've bought it, picked it up, started reading it, and promptly put it down to re-start when I have more time to concentrate on it, I'm thinking along the lines of "Oh damn! I have the flu! Gonna be outta work for 2 weeks" kind of time. I was wondering if you'd considered reading it. I really wanted to finish it and perhaps write up a little piece on it for CHUD, but it's very....wacky. And I don't have the time to devote to it right now.

I'm reading a portion of an unpublished novel in progress that's pretty damned good ... more than that I can't tell you, or I'd have to kill you.

I'm also reading: Salvatore's Vector Prime (book one of the New Jedi Order); Cussler's Treasure; Hamilton's The Reality Dysfunction (book one); and Wilson's The Tomb (first Repairman Jack novel).

I'm alternating between Andrew Vachss' "Burke" books and Steven Brust's "Vlad Taltos" books.

Throw in an occasional Ellison short story and there you have it.

I'm happy tonight because I finally replaced my copy of "Taltos" after my frickin dogs ate it when I was about 3/4 of the way through.


GRENDEL!!!! Review "Legend". I'm still dying to know what you thought of it

I am reading CHUD. Heh.

No, seriously...I am RE-reading 'Among Madmen' (UNBEATABLE!), just finished 'The Tomb' (which is a bit odd, as Blo is reading it also...hmmm...coincidence?), and am working my way through 'The Number of the Beast' by the inimitable Heinlein.

Also I am working on an as-yet unfinished novel that is pretty damn good...I'd tell you more but I'd have to kill you.

Oh, and I just convinced HotPants to read 'Fool on the Hill', Matt Ruff's first novel...I was wondering whether you would know of the guy, what with going to Cornell and all, willko.

I would imagine that he would be somewhat of a local legend, what with 'Fool on the Hill' taking place there and all...if you haven't read Sewer, Gas, and Electric then by all means do so, and do so now. It is love.

Why are you not reading Blue Belle before Hard Candy? Hard Candy's entire story arc is based upon events in Blue Belle.

Please read Blue Belle first.

Thank you, that is all.

(P.S. Dune takes a shitter after the first one. Sad but true)

Huh. If I weren't a tool I would have recommended Strega BEFORE Blue Belle OR Hard Candy.

But I AM a tool, so there you have it. How did you like Belle (no spoilers...chenzzo ain't into it yet...he's still thumbing his way through Strega)?

I mean thematically. There AREN'T a whole lot of threads left hanging with Blue Belle, just some minor unresolved character stuff, but I think the reason I am always such an insistent bastard about reading them IMMEDIATELY, as a pair, is because as far as Burke's characterization goes it is as if there is no breaks between the books. In Flood, you get one Burke voice, in Strega he tries out another (which sucked), in Blue Belle and Hard Candy I felt that (even though I loved Flood and LIKED Strega) he had finally caught his stride with the character.

After Hard Candy we get another shift in character and mood with Blossom, and while I still feel Vachss had a handle on Burke, that hard killer edge was gone and didn't REALLY return until Footsteps of the Hawk.

Of the later books (post Blossom/Sacrifice), my favorites are (in order):

Footsteps of the Hawk
Down in the Zero
Safe House

I may be the only one here to have read that far, and if so, I understand that I am now talking to myself. However, if anyone out there can help me out with this, please do:

WHAT IN THE HELL WAS 'CHOICE OF EVIL' ABOUT?!??!

Don't get me wrong. I am not an idiot. I am also not a novice to Vachss, or psycho-horror-suspense novels, or novels with a confusing narrative.

Taking all that into account, though: WHAT IN THE HELL WAS THIS BOOK?! I mean, it had an intriguing story, odd plot, sense of tension...and then it ended.

WTF?

Man, I already told you I finished Strega, and like you I didn't like it as much as Flood. I just bought Blue Belle online, and hopefully I'llget it right about the time I finish Brust's Athyra.