 Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick SüskindMy rating: 4 of 5 stars A fantastic reflection on insanity, murder, childhood trauma, creative expressions of horror, god aspirations, degradation, torture, and just about every horrible thing possible. It is well written in that Germans hate French kind of way and has a lot of very helpful insight into the over all nature of human madness. I really liked it — likely maybe more then I should. View all my reviews |
Category: Book
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Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Süskind, Nigel Patterson (Goodreads Author) (Narrator)
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Complicity by Iain Banks
Complicity by Iain Banks
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
A fine fun read that rather falls apart at the end. The gonzo elements, the addictions — cigarettes, video game, excitement, sex — are all great. The murder killer mystery investigation is layered on top and not that engaging. The reveal is a lot and the post reveal denouement is not great. The time he spends in lock up being interrogated is really great. Recommended for Banks fans and readers of gonzo adjacent literature.
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The Maintenance Race by Stewart Brand, Richard Seyd (Narrator)
The Maintenance Race by Stewart Brand
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I love Stewart Brand. He has been one step ahead of me my entire life. I love this book–with a focus on the value of maintenance, something all of us in operations intuitively grok. A one-hour preview of the coming storm–brilliant and entertaining. I cannot wait for the final book!
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Solenoid by Mircea Cărtărescu, Sean Cotter (Translator), Paul Boehmer (Narrator)
Solenoid by Mircea Cărtărescu
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The book got massive online reviews. It was good–very long and sometimes repetitive. The basic premise rules and the writing is very engaging, but it did (in the end) feel like one trick pony if such a thing is possible in a 600-page surrealist novel.
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ABC of Reading by Ezra Pound
ABC of Reading by Ezra Pound
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Reread this recently and was once again amazed at Pound and his method of presentation–completely unique and wildly helpful for anyone interested in creating art–music, architecture, and most importantly poetry. A criticl work from a different time that I adore.
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Capote’s Women: A True Story of Love, Betrayal, and a Swan Song for an Era by Laurence Leamer
Capote’s Women: A True Story of Love, Betrayal, and a Swan Song for an Era by Laurence Leamer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Ok–this is a lot. There are these women born in the 1920s who are rich and beautiful–Capote calls them Swans. Yeah, Capote, America’s most excellent writer, after getting the Truth from murders, decides to investigate. They destroy him. His boyfriend beats him into the hospital in Florida. He dies in Johnny Carson’s ex-wives kitchen, who cremates him and steals his ashes. This book is dark. This book is about what happens when a genius fueled by hubris, attempts to connect to the historical entitlement to female power. It is not good. It isn’t good. It is alcoholic and tragic. It is a lot. A whole lot.
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The Wisdom of Fulton Sheen: 365 Days of Inspiration by Fulton J. Sheen, Cameron Smith (Illustrator), Matthew Kelly (Introduction)
The Wisdom of Fulton Sheen: 365 Days of Inspiration by Fulton J. Sheen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
A fantastic daily devotional from a different age–very helpful to go back and reflect on some foundational principles that are not as critical for my spiritual life today.
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A Sport and a Pastime by James Salter
A Sport and a Pastime by James Salter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I took A fantastic book to SARGE (my book club) from the Better than Food YouTube video. It is sexy in a kind of old-school James Bond type of way. Fun and easy to read–good European voyages.
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Introducing Go: Build Reliable, Scalable Programs by Caleb Doxsey
Introducing Go: Build Reliable, Scalable Programs by Caleb Doxsey
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I love O’Reilly Press–reading these books takes me back and joys me. I have many of them and have started reading a page or two days while logging in at the office. It brings me joy. This book was not great–a solid overview of the features but no exciting exercises or examples.
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ABC147
One of the great maladies of modern criticism is this first rush to look for the person, and the corresponding failure EVER to look at the thing.
David Given Schwarm 