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- Written by: Rod Boyle
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So this, the 1853 account of Victorian Explorer Sir Richard Burton's trip to Meccah, worthy in that he had to go very undercover, learn the manner and customs of the Al-Islam, and filled with footnotes that expand upon the locals and peoples he visits, the various holy stops, the wells, the mountains, the various tribes they encounter, the history and anecdote of every place and people going all the way back to the Prophet Muhammed, their superstitions, battles, etc, etc.
And of course there's the pilgrimage, and it's curious to me how all these different tribes and nations are making the pilgrimage to the holiest of holies, yet seem overwhelming obliged to tribal differences, banditry, thieving, murder, etc.
It's like they read the book but didn't understand the message.
Or - wait a minute, look about the world at the moment, all the different books and religion, and almost 200 years later we haven't changed a bit, from Israel to almost every damned church in the USA.
Anyways, he's covered Al-Madinah and is close now to Meccah, he's good company. I'm looking forward to volume II.
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
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This, a slender distraction from Sir Richard Burton's Narrative (which I'm loving, but sometimes it's good to take a break and read something light).
About a German, fleeing the Nazi's to Brazil, only trouble seems to follow him wherever he goes...
It was the inspiration for Yann Martel's "The Life of Pi". Well written, a mere 100 pages (and when confronted with Burton's 2 volumes of 400 pages apiece and copious notes as to Arab life and custom) a well earned break...
Picked up this morning, and will be back at the bookstore tomorrow...
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
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Or "A NARRATIVE of the DISCOVERY OF THE FATE of SIR JOHN FRANKLIN and HIS COMPANIONS".
This, read online at haste as I don't like reading books off of my computer.
Surprisingly informative, it's the journals and records of an expedition that ... well, the title has it. When they're not finding clues (most of the book) there are some interesting anecdotes, descriptions of the customs of the Esquimaux, hardships survived and overcome, descriptions of the geology and paleontology of Greenland and Canada's northern environs. It seems never an expedition went looking for Franklin without burying a few of it's members.
Anyways, I sped read it through; you can find it online here: https://archive.org/details/voyageoffoxinarc00mcli_0/mode/2up
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
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Found this in a book box, was pretty sure I hadn't read it, I was right.
Rightfully declared a masterpiece, and while looking at online criticisms (most invalid and centred around the colonizers interpreting their culture and influence in currently unacceptable ways) it is only that inasmuch as these readers clearly didn't understand Marlow's point of view.
It's influence on literature - well; of course the movie "Apocalypse Now", but as well Blaise Cendrar's "Moravagine" and Celine's "Journey to the End of the Night"; In "Alien" wherein the crew is set out upon a corporate mission whose architects have concealed the peril; there are more I'm sure and it reads like more than a couple of my family vacations.
Anyways; it appears he as he was remarkably prescient; the same year he published it the Vounet-Chanoine expedition was under way; and if you've not heard of it maybe review the wiki of it here.
Every bit of it terrifying, and every bit as uncomfortable, only this was - relatively recent - history.
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
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This was, of course, up to every standard I've come to expect of him. The names of the Characters and Institutions - W.A.S.T.E., N.A.D.A, an existential crisis; Yoyodyne industries, Scurvham, Oedipus Maas, Wharfinger, Invarity; Gengis Cohen; Inigo Barfstable; Oedipus Maas; Dr. Hilarius (The Therapist), Watus, imaginary people in imaginary places trying to puzzle out the mystery of their lives...blurred lines between fantasy and reality.
Masterpiece, no further reviews are possible.