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leventmolla's reviews
1640 reviews
1356 by Bernard Cornwell
3.0
Bernard Cornwell is telling the story of the Battle of Poitiers in this historical fiction. I had not read him before but picked the book up randomly at the Library when I saw the genre of historical fiction. It also had the premise of a historical relic, namely the sword of St. Peter (known as "La Malice") which is supposed to bring victory to its bearer.
I found out that a known copy of this sword was in Poznan, Poland but it was treated as a successful copy by most scholars and none of the supernatural powers was ever attributed to it. Although it is the main plot device in the novel, the main plot does not really evolve to give it any importance. I think the strength of the novel is in its realistic depiction of battle scenes and the description of many devices/techniques used in war in the 14th century. The description of the motives of all the hired soldiers/gangs that can switch allegiances like changing a glove is also interesting.
Describing a very turbulent period in the English/French history where Edward the Black Prince is devastating the French country with his forays and has culminated his successes with a win in the Battle of Poitiers in which he has imprisoned the French King. Although it is peculiar that he could not ascend the English throne since he dies a year earlier than his father, this era of the English History is rather interesting.
What failed in the novel is perhaps the disconnect between the plot device and the development of the novel. It is as if the sword becomes really unimportant, when you ask yourself why that device was used at all, since there is enough material in the book to develop a very rich plot.
I found out that a known copy of this sword was in Poznan, Poland but it was treated as a successful copy by most scholars and none of the supernatural powers was ever attributed to it. Although it is the main plot device in the novel, the main plot does not really evolve to give it any importance. I think the strength of the novel is in its realistic depiction of battle scenes and the description of many devices/techniques used in war in the 14th century. The description of the motives of all the hired soldiers/gangs that can switch allegiances like changing a glove is also interesting.
Describing a very turbulent period in the English/French history where Edward the Black Prince is devastating the French country with his forays and has culminated his successes with a win in the Battle of Poitiers in which he has imprisoned the French King. Although it is peculiar that he could not ascend the English throne since he dies a year earlier than his father, this era of the English History is rather interesting.
What failed in the novel is perhaps the disconnect between the plot device and the development of the novel. It is as if the sword becomes really unimportant, when you ask yourself why that device was used at all, since there is enough material in the book to develop a very rich plot.
The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton
4.0
This is an interesting novel in the 17th century in the prospering city of Amsterdam. 18-year old Petronella (aka Nella) is the daughter of a farmer in Assendelft. When her father dies and the family is in dire straits, a marriage is arranged and she gets married to a 40 year old wealthy merchant. Johannes Brandt is one of the stars of the prospering Amsterdam market, he's importing luxury goods from far-away locations and makes a good profit.
When Nella joins her husband in Amsterdam, she finds a nice house, a maid and a servant, but also her husband's sister-in-law Marin. Johannes is frequently away on trips and he does not show any interest in his new bride. Nella tries to get used to her new life and in the meantime tries to arrange some miniature objects for her new cabinet house, a small replica of the actual house they are living in. She orders some miniature objects from a miniaturist and is surprised when she gets objects that she did not order. As more and more orders arrive, these objects take a sinister character and seem to prophesy events that will occur. As she's trying to find out who is behind these unsolicited gifts, she will discover a terrible secret about her husband that will bring the family quickly to the brink of destruction.
This is a very well-written period novel, providing a very realistic description of Amsterdam and the ultra-conservative Dutch Society in the heydays of the Dutch East India Company. Unfolding events show us how intolerant the society is about people or events that are outside the norm. However, I finished the novel with a sense of missing accomplishment. I felt that Nella's story was not really completed, albeit with a lot of revealed secrets and unexpected events. Namely the focus has shifted from Nella's story to another axis and I'm not totally convinced that this is the right literary approach to take. I felt that Burton did a very good job and carried the story well into its conclusion, but then dropped the ball in the last moment. Still a very interesting story and an intriguing era and an interesting debut novel (published in 2015) from a young British author.
When Nella joins her husband in Amsterdam, she finds a nice house, a maid and a servant, but also her husband's sister-in-law Marin. Johannes is frequently away on trips and he does not show any interest in his new bride. Nella tries to get used to her new life and in the meantime tries to arrange some miniature objects for her new cabinet house, a small replica of the actual house they are living in. She orders some miniature objects from a miniaturist and is surprised when she gets objects that she did not order. As more and more orders arrive, these objects take a sinister character and seem to prophesy events that will occur. As she's trying to find out who is behind these unsolicited gifts, she will discover a terrible secret about her husband that will bring the family quickly to the brink of destruction.
This is a very well-written period novel, providing a very realistic description of Amsterdam and the ultra-conservative Dutch Society in the heydays of the Dutch East India Company. Unfolding events show us how intolerant the society is about people or events that are outside the norm. However, I finished the novel with a sense of missing accomplishment. I felt that Nella's story was not really completed, albeit with a lot of revealed secrets and unexpected events. Namely the focus has shifted from Nella's story to another axis and I'm not totally convinced that this is the right literary approach to take. I felt that Burton did a very good job and carried the story well into its conclusion, but then dropped the ball in the last moment. Still a very interesting story and an intriguing era and an interesting debut novel (published in 2015) from a young British author.
Tulipomania by Mike Dash
4.0
Mike Dash has told the story of the first Market Crash in modern history, in which the commodity was not stocks or currencies but... tulips! Smuggled from the Ottoman Empire in the 16th Century, the tulip quickly became one of the most coveted flowers and botanists were able to produce wild varieties with unbelievable colors. It would be only in the 19th century that this erratic behaviour of tulips to suddenly display wild colors was finally discovered to be due to the mosaic virus.
In the 17th century, the demand for rare tulips grew so high that the so-called "tulipomania" happened within just two months: December 1636 and January 1637. Tulips started to change hands with frenzy and the price of a rare tulip could grow ten-fold within days. This crazy boom was brought to a halt when buyers started defaulting and the whole market crashed.
Mike Dash has narrated the history of the tulip, the events leading to the tulipomania and the aftermath in a flowing narrative. He's compiled a wealth of references for his book and seems to have covered all aspects of the crisis.
The book is interesting for history buffs and those who would like to understand irrational economical behaviour.
In the 17th century, the demand for rare tulips grew so high that the so-called "tulipomania" happened within just two months: December 1636 and January 1637. Tulips started to change hands with frenzy and the price of a rare tulip could grow ten-fold within days. This crazy boom was brought to a halt when buyers started defaulting and the whole market crashed.
Mike Dash has narrated the history of the tulip, the events leading to the tulipomania and the aftermath in a flowing narrative. He's compiled a wealth of references for his book and seems to have covered all aspects of the crisis.
The book is interesting for history buffs and those who would like to understand irrational economical behaviour.
Voices From the Street by Philip K. Dick
4.0
This is one of the first books Philip K. Dick wrote in the 50's, but he was never able to publish it. His early novels were all mainstream, he had not started his famous run of SF novels he produced in the 60's and 70's. However, his early mainstream books show the signs of his future obsession: he constantly questions the world around him, either believing that it is an artificial image that is being used to keep mankind in oblivion (a bit like the humans in Matrix) or feeling an existential angst he tries to find the reason for. He frequently ends in conclusions that bring him to the brink of insanity and he has freely discussed the possibility that he is insane in his Exegesis, among other publications.
Voices from the Street is narrating the story of Stuart Hadley, who is a salesman in a TV Sales and Repair shop in California in the 50's. He's constantly worried about the job he is doing, he can not assign much meaning to his life. Although he is married and his wife is expecting their first child, he can not use this event to have more positive thoughts about his life and his future. The novel follows Stuart in his descent to his private Hell, slowly self-destructing. Some of the passages in the book have the style of existential crisis his protagonists have in his SF novels, but instead of having supernatural or extraterrestrial causes, his angst is just the result of his ill-behaved existence in this post-war era and the lack of any values his life can bring him to enjoy.
With the portrayal of life in California in the 50's, the religious sects, McCarhtyism and other evils of the era, Dick has created a grim environment and is obviously getting ready to launch his wide imagination to cover the only theme in his multiple novels over 30 years: we live in a universe which is an illusion.
Voices from the Street is narrating the story of Stuart Hadley, who is a salesman in a TV Sales and Repair shop in California in the 50's. He's constantly worried about the job he is doing, he can not assign much meaning to his life. Although he is married and his wife is expecting their first child, he can not use this event to have more positive thoughts about his life and his future. The novel follows Stuart in his descent to his private Hell, slowly self-destructing. Some of the passages in the book have the style of existential crisis his protagonists have in his SF novels, but instead of having supernatural or extraterrestrial causes, his angst is just the result of his ill-behaved existence in this post-war era and the lack of any values his life can bring him to enjoy.
With the portrayal of life in California in the 50's, the religious sects, McCarhtyism and other evils of the era, Dick has created a grim environment and is obviously getting ready to launch his wide imagination to cover the only theme in his multiple novels over 30 years: we live in a universe which is an illusion.
Constantinople by Edmondo de Amicis
3.0
This is a surprise from an unlikely author. Most of us in Turkey know Edmondo de Amicis from his famous book "Cuore" which was translated literally as "Child's Heart" and was a very popular children's book in my youth (in the 60's). It was written in the 19th century and was promoting the newly emerging nationalist values in a novel from a child's perspective.
Constantinople is de Amicis' travelogue, written in the late 1800's. It shows his fascination with the city, with its multiple cities with differing populations, a surprise waiting around each corner. He undoubtedly uses an orientalist point of view, but that was the default in his time. The only thing which reduced the value of the book in my perspective was the fact that he does not narrate everything directly from his several weeks' visit, but also takes descriptions from previous works and relates stories that he was told by others. The style is quite good (of course I could not read the original Italian but I'm assuming the translator has captured the style) and the narrative flowing. However I would prefer something coming more from first-hand experience rather than using his obviously superior narrative skills.
One thing he is really good at is reflecting the truly cosmopolitan nature of Istanbul in late 1870's. This nature has been lost in the following decades, making it nowadays devoid of the minorities which gave the city its real soul.
Constantinople is de Amicis' travelogue, written in the late 1800's. It shows his fascination with the city, with its multiple cities with differing populations, a surprise waiting around each corner. He undoubtedly uses an orientalist point of view, but that was the default in his time. The only thing which reduced the value of the book in my perspective was the fact that he does not narrate everything directly from his several weeks' visit, but also takes descriptions from previous works and relates stories that he was told by others. The style is quite good (of course I could not read the original Italian but I'm assuming the translator has captured the style) and the narrative flowing. However I would prefer something coming more from first-hand experience rather than using his obviously superior narrative skills.
One thing he is really good at is reflecting the truly cosmopolitan nature of Istanbul in late 1870's. This nature has been lost in the following decades, making it nowadays devoid of the minorities which gave the city its real soul.
The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side by Agatha Christie
3.0
This is a somewhat interesting whodunit from Agatha Christie featuring Miss Marple. Miss Marple is my least favourite protagonist in Christie's books. This particular one is about a murder committed in a party for an American actress and the effort to find the culprit. I found it a little bit slow-paced and not so interesting as compared to other books of hers.