2021 Reading efforts of PGMCC - Third instalment.

Read in 2021

I start the year with four in-progress reads.

Title; Author; Status; Start/end date; Number of pages

It was the best of sentences, it was the worst of sentences. by June Casagrande 17/02/2020 -
The Dragon Waiting by John M. Ford 26/10/2020 -
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel 17/12/2020 - 03/01/2021 333 pages
Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely 20/12/2020 -

Books started in 2021:

Title; Author; Status; Start/end date; Number of pages

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens 04/01/2021 - 07/01/2021 pages
Reynard the Fox by Anne Louise Avery 07/01/2021 - 17/01/2021 479 pages
Castle Rackrent by Maria Edgeworth 17/01/2021 - 31/01/2021 170 pages
The Lusitania Waits by Alfred Noyes 28/01/2021 - 28/01/2021 5 pages (Short story)
Call for the Dead by John Le Carré 31/01/2021 - 04/02/2021 156 pages
London Centric edited by Ian Whates 04/02/2021 - 15/02/2021 278 pages (Short stories)
"The House of Asterion" by Jorge Luis Borge 06/02/2021 - 06/02/2021 3pages (short story)
Bluebeard by Kurt Vonnegut 21/02/2021 - 01/03/2021 256 pages
The Dark Frontier by Eric Ambler 01/03/2021 - 07/03/2021 258 pages
Orlando by Virginia Woolf 08/03/2021 - 20/03/2021 Abandoned after 118 pages of 235 pages
The Hand by Guy de Maupassant 14/03/2021 - 14/03/2021 12 pages
Uncommon Danger by Eric Ambler 20/03/2021 - 26/03/2021 256 pages
The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler 29/03/2021 - 02/04/2021 193 pages
Africa's Top Geological Sites by Richard Viljoen 02/04/2021 - 290 pages
Cause for Alarm by Eric Ambler 03/04/2021 - 05/04/2021 267 pages
Actress by Anne Enright 05/04/2021 - 224 pages ROA*
Epitaph for a Spy by Eric Ambler 07/04/2021 - 11/04/2021 240 pages
"I Spy" by Graham Greene Short story published in 1930. 11/04/2021 - 11/04/2021 4 pages
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke 11/04/2021 - 21/04/2021 ? pages
Red Harvest by Dashell Hammett 16/04/2021 - 24/04/2021 187 pages
Skytip by Eric Ambler 25/04/2021 - 26/04/2021 181 pages.
Judgment on Deltchev by Eric Ambler 26/04/2021 - 02/05/2021 291 pages
River of Gods by Ian McDonald 02/05/2021 - 20/05/2021 583 Pages
Fathers and Sons by Ivan Turgenev 21/05/2021 - 25/05/2021 212 pages
Quiller: The Striker Portfolio by Adam Hall 25/05/2021 - 04/06/2021 197 pages
Snowdrops by A.D. Miller 26/05/2021 - 30/05/2021 273 pages
Seven Demons by Aidan Truhen 05/06/2021 - 07/06/2021 344 pages

*ROA: Risk Of Abandonment due to lack of interest or pure boredom.

Congrats on the new thread!

>2 Karlstar: Thank you!

You didn't sound all that excited about Piranesi. I started slowly, as you mentioned doing, but I really flew through the second half and ended up liking it pretty well.

>4 Jim53: The slow start did influence me at the beginning, a good place for a slow start to have an effect. I think it was the intimations that 16 was going to visit that heated it up for me. I liked the structure with its occasional reveals and the non-linear presentation of the timeline.

Your comment on my not being “all that excited” about the book would be an accurate description of how I felt while reading the book and at the time I finished it. I did not find any quotes or comments that I felt worth noting, or ideas that excited me. I wrote no notes at the back of the book.

Having had a few days to reflect on it and the fact that I did enjoy it once it warmed up, my view of the book has improved. I was going to give it 3 stars, which is a good book in my rating, but now think I will give it 3.5 stars as I think about the elements I enjoyed. I was not WOWed by it but am glad I read it. I am not sure who I would recommend it to.

>4 Jim53: I think you're linking to a different title.

>4 Jim53: >5 pgmcc: >6 Meredy: it’s a difficult title to get the right touchstone for. Too many books with “Piranesi” in the title, and I think even several with it as the title.

Interesting. I pour my inner feelings out about the book to Jim53 and the following comments are about the Touchstone. :-)

>6 Meredy: thanks, fixed.

>8 pgmcc: yeah!

I have finished Red Harvest and started Skytip by Eric Ambler.

Posting from my phone so more detail to come when I get on my laptop.

Ambler is still rewarding me with wit and intrigue. His work is a turn-to comfort read.

E.T.A. This story is set in Cornwall and the local pub is called, “THE GREEN DRAGON!”

>10 pgmcc: Excellent.

Currently sitting in the garden, enjoying the sunshine, reading Skytip, and sipping a gin and tonic. I cannot help thinking that Eric Ambler would approve.

:-)

>12 pgmcc: Enjoy! I had a bit of gin yesterday myself.

Sunday was basically a DNBR day. There were a couple of chores like laundry and eating, but the majority of my waking hours were spent reading Skytip by Eric Ambler. Apparently this was one of the books he published under the nom de plume of Eliot Reed with Charles Rodda. The books are now republished solely under Eric Ambler. Consequently I only have 30 pages of the 181 pages to read to finish the book. Work is getting in the way of this final dash to the winning line.

Work is also curtailing my time for this post. :-(



For the curious amongst you, "Skytip" refers to a large cone of waste material resulting from the extraction of kaolin for use in making China cups and saucers.

I enjoyed Red Harvest very much. It was a real throwback story and had all the Detective Noir elements: a hero detective who didn't mind bending the rules to get things done but whose heart is in the right place; gangsters who stopped at nothing to get what they wanted; a woman who may or may not have interested him personally; a Mr. Big money-man; bent coppers; guns; knives; shady streets; etc...

While the beginning of the story was relatively low in its humour it did warm up in this regard with fun and sarcasm making more appearances as time went on.

I was warned that the title was a reference to the body count in this story. I can vouch for the validity of that, but unlike some more recent books, and like many films of today, there is no gore. Someone gets shot and they are down. No gruesome descriptions of injuries. I prefer it this way. Gruesome descriptions of injuries or graphic movie scenes showing how clever the special effects people can be, are like broken pencils: pointless.

Has this book encouraged me to read more Dashiell Hammett stories?
Yes!

Would I recommend this book?
Yes!

Who would I consider recommending this book to?
Anyone who likes murder mysteries.

>15 pgmcc: "unlike some more recent books, and like many films of today, there is no gore. Someone gets shot and they are down. No gruesome descriptions of injuries. I prefer it this way. Gruesome descriptions of injuries or graphic movie scenes showing how clever the special effects people can be, are like broken pencils: pointless."

Agreed. My first "graphic" novel was Jaws, which I read in 1975, when I was a naïve 15. The sex and gore upset me greatly. I also read The Godfather as a teenager, and learned all about what happens physically to someone who dies violently. I could have done without that education.

>16 fuzzi: I have had more education than is comfortable to live with, in terms of the terrible things that people can do to one another, through my non-fiction reading. I have no interest in revisiting that information "for fun".

On the other hand, I have read 9, by Andrzej Stasiuk, which portrays the junkies, dug dealers and petty gangsters of immediately post-Communist Warsaw; it is a bleak portrayal of a society that has lost hope and morality, and terrible things are done. But not described. It is not necessary.

I have finished Skytip and am thoroughly happy with Eric Ambler.

Skytip by Eric Ambler was published in 1950. As in the other Ambler stories I have read the story involves someone going about their normal everyday life when they inadvertently get involved in some dark events. So far these events have involved international gun-running, espionage, big-business trying to influence politics to gain benefit for its shareholders, and the repercussions of past mistakes. Skytip is set primarily in Cornwall where the main character, Mr. Ackland, a workaholic architect, is sent by his doctor to relax and de-stress.

Let the confusion, mistakes, and misunderstandings begin.

Ambler includes humour, and his pen sketches of people conjure up images that come to life as you read.

I read 125 pages of the story's 181 pages in what turned out to be basically one sitting. It was a beautiful sunny Sunday, and apart from stopping for meals, doing some laundry and setting the dishwasher going, I did nothing but read, sitting in the garden, enjoying the sunshine, ... see post #12 for the rest. :-)

Will I read more by this author?
Yes! I have already started Judgement of Deltchev, the story of a journalist sent to cover the trial of a former head government in an Eastern European country for treason.

Would I recommend this book?
Yes!

Who would I recommend this book to?
Anyone who likes stories of espionage, political intrigue, mysteries, and who is happy to experience a world bereft of today's technological gadgets.

April 2021 is turning out to be a bumper reading month for me. So far I have finished six books, namely:

Red Harvest by Dashiell Hammett
The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler
Cause for Alarm by Eric Ambler
Epitaph for a Spy by Eric Ambler
Skytip by Eric Ambler
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

Eric Ambler appears to be dominating April. I am on a role with his works. As mentioned in #19 I have started another of his books. At this stage I believe I have copies of all his novels, either in physical or electronic format. My current read, Judgement of Deltchev, is Kindle.

None of Ambler's books has disappointed me. I have learned something from every one of them, be it about politics between WWI and WWII, living conditions at the time, or the geography, physical, economic or human, of the region and time.

>20 pgmcc: Am glad to see you getting around to that one... ;)

>21 -pilgrim-:
It is the next one by chronological publication date. As with many of his books I see modern day parallels if not exact repeats of history in the content.

>22 pgmcc:
Plus ça change, plus ça même chose.

And it sent me to review Bulgarian history too.

>23 -pilgrim-: I am about half-way through Judgement of Deltchev. It is fascinating. As you said, nothing changes. His books really hammer home the message of people repeating the mistakes of the past. The events in his books are so relevant to the present that it is scary. There are sections of it that could be lifted out and put into a story, or even newpaper report, of today with only having to change the names of the protagonists. Frazer was right; "We're doomed, Captain Manwaring! We're doomed!"

Yesterday I realised that it was nearly a week since I used my reading room. I was worried the neglect may have caused it some harm so I was determined to test that it was still working.

At 16:15hrs I entered the reading room, sat down and started to read.

At 18:30 hrs I awoke.

The reading room appears to be in perfect working order.

>25 pgmcc: And Deltchev is still in prison?

>26 -pilgrim-:
Does he get out?

>27 pgmcc: Do you really want want to know? He is executed. Naturally.

I am sitting in the post vaccination area awaiting release after my first AZ shot.

I just finished Judgement of Deltchev. I did not read #28 before finishing the book.

>29 pgmcc: And could it have ended any other way?

I hope the AZ after-effects don't get you to badly.

>29 pgmcc: Congrats on getting the first shot!

>31 Busifer:
Thank you. I am glad to have the first step taken. I hope your recovery speeds up and gets you back to a semblance of comfortable wellbeing.

Today I am starting something I should have started long ago. I love the Ian McDonald books I have read to date but, despite having a copy of River of Gods since visiting Worldcon in Glasgow in 2005 I have not yet read the novel.

What has brought me to this momentous occasion?

Well, I have only heard good things about River of Gods. That was until a few days ago when I believe it was Sakerfalcon confessed to not having been bowled over, or words to that effect, by the book. Busifer immediately added an enthusiastic recommendation that I read it.

I am now taking the bit between my teeth and advancing with the task. I must establish my own opinion on Ian's book and look forward to sharing my views with you as I journey through the 583 pages of the story.

I may not manage to read as many books this month as I did in April.

>30 -pilgrim-:
And could it have ended any other way?

I would say not.

As for the AZ after-effects I am currently fine. My wife's arm got a bit numb and they kept her back for about 40 minutes observation and she was seen by a doctor twice before being released. They were waiting to see if a rash appeared. None did and my wife is feeling fine now. Tomorrow could be a different story.

On the way home we stopped to have 99s as a little celebration.

>29 pgmcc: Congratulations! I love hearing about people getting vaccinated. Every shot done gets us that much closer to getting back to some semblance of life as we knew it!

>35 NorthernStar: Thank you, and how right you are.

Congrats on the shot! Hope you have zero side-effects.

>33 pgmcc: Is now the time to admit that I remember almost nothing from reading River of Gods, 11 years ago? I only remember how much I enjoyed it.

>38 Busifer: I read it about nine years ago, and I would say the same. I gave it five stars at the time, and I don't give that rating very often. But from here, remembering it in any detail would be like trying to remember the shapes of the pieces in a jigsaw puzzle I've done. I just remember the picture.

>39 Meredy: One gets somewhat afraid of the suck fairy! I do hope it holds up to time.

>29 pgmcc: Congrats on getting the first dose!

I'm looking forward to following your reading journey down the River of gods!

And congratulations on joining the ranks of the semi-vaccinated!

Glad to hear you're getting vaccinated. I'm sad and disgusted that so many Americans ae refusing the vaccine that we're unlikely to achieve herd immunity. I hope your folks will be more sensible.

It sounds as if the Ambler fellow is worth a look. Where should I start?

>30 -pilgrim-: >31 Busifer: >35 NorthernStar: >37 clamairy: >41 Karlstar: >42 Sakerfalcon:
Thank you all for the good wishes and congratulations on the AZ vaccine. Monday was a write off with headache, nausea, aches & pains, and dizzy spells. Today was much better. I ate virtually nothing on Monday and still do not feel like eating anything.

My wife felt lathargic all day and had a few aches and pains.

Concentration was hit on the head so I have not managed to read anything since Sunday with only a few pages read in River of Gods.

Those side effects for a short period of time are a small price to pay for protection against a full-blown dose of COVID. Between Busifer and some work colleagues I have heard how dreadful the illness is and I am glad the vaccine roll-out is making progress, albeit slowly in some places.

Our "not-fit-for-anything" Monday also meant we had a chance to sit and watch movies all day as we were not fit for anything else. The ones I remember are:
Spenser (Favourite quote from film: "Hawk is the name of the guy with shotgun; Spenser is the name of the guy that does your tax returns." Used by the character "Hawk" to justify why he should have the shotgun and Spenser should settle for the revolver.)
The Game
In the Line of Fire

There were about three other films between Monday and Tuesday but I cannot remember what they were called. We enjoyed them all, but as I said, concentration was shot so title recall suffers.

On Saturday we went to the neighbouring village, Maynooth, to meet up with my son and his girlfriend whom we have not seen since Christmas due to the lockdown travel restrictions. We are still not allowed to enter their apartment but we were able to meet up and go for a walk along The Royal Canal. It was a beautiful day and it was lovely to take a stroll in the fresh air and sunshine.

An excellent weekend all told.

>43 Jim53: His books are stand alones. Or at least, I have not found any reappearing characters.

>43 Jim53:
Hi, Jim. Thank you for your good thoughts on the vaccination.

I noticed an article yesterday stating that the US may not reach herd immunity. That is very disappointing. It means that the US is likely to have rolling lockdowns for sometime. We have our own anti-vaxers and lockdown protesters here. Thankfully the numbers attending their protests, which are in breach of the health regulations, are shrinking. I refer to them as the pro-death campaigners.

When I started with Ambler The Mask of Dimitrios was the first one I read. That was just a matter of fortune as I picked it up not knowing anything about it and only having a vague recollection that someone had said it was good. Having read it and a couple of others I decided to go back to his earliest book and read them chronologically. Had I known what I know now I would have done that from the start. It is not necessary to read them in chronological order as each book is a different story and there is limited continuation of characters, but each book is set in the time it was written and given that they start in the 1930s and continue into the 1990s I think it would be beneficial to read in that order.

The book titles* and publication dates are:

The Dark Frontier 1936 Read
Uncommon Danger also titled Background to Danger 1937 Read
Cause for Alarm 1938 Read
Epitaph for a Spy 1938 Read
The Mask of Dimitrios also titled A Coffin for Dimitrios 1939 Read
Journey into Fear 1940 Read
Skytip+ 1950 Read
Judgement on Deltchev 1951 Read
Tender to Danger+ also titled Tender to Moonlight 1951
The Schirmer Inheritance 1953 Read
The Maras Affair+ 1953
Charter to Danger+ 1954
The Night-Comers also titled The State of Siege 1956
Passport to Panic+ 1958
Passage of Arms 1959
The Light of Day also titled Topkapi 1962
The Ability to Kill and Other Pieces 1963
A Kind of Anger 1964
To Catch a Spy 1964
The Intercom Conspiracy also titled The Quiet Conspiracy 1969 Read
The Levanter 1971
The Siege of the Villa Lipp also titled Send no more Roses 1974
Doctor Frigo 1974
The Care of Time 1981
Waiting for Orders 1991

*Some books were published under different titles in the US and UK. I have noted the ones I know.

+These books were written under the name, Eliot Reed (with Charles Rodda)

Ambler appears to have been quite accomplished in writing screenplays. The two that jumped out at me were, "The Cruel Sea" and "A Night to Remember".

The short answer to your question is, The Dark Frontier.

>45 -pilgrim-: Ah ha!

There are reappearing characters. Not many, but there are.

I will leave that thought with you.

Hee! Hee! Hee!

Well done on getting vaccinated, Peter. I’m a little surprised though that it hit you so hard—I’ve now had both shots. Nothing with the first one, precious little with the second.

I had a conversation last week with my neighbor who doesn't want to be vaccinated. Her brother-in-law is a doctor and is resentful that he was forced to be. She worked for Baxter - one of the largest healthcare companies in the world. She said that this method of vaccination hasn't been used on humans because it couldn't get out of animal trials. And that it isn't a broad-strain vaccine in the sense that regular flu shots are. That this particular strain of COVID-19 has already mutated and the vaccines haven't been made to deal with that. She also maintained that the new strains are weaker and less of a threat than the original that had a very low mortality rate as it was.

I haven't fact checked the veracity of anything she said, but she was in earnest. She isn't an 'anti-vaxxer' - she has had herself the regular complement and also had both her children done as well. She would go for a non-RNA transcription vaccine if one was available, but there isn't. She did mention a broad-based immunization...I forget the name...that she would get if forced to get something. She felt it was a better move than an unproven method.

Just thought I'd add this since I think a lot of people who are skeptical are painted as evil or stupid and my neighbor is neither. I've had both Moderna shots (with nothing but sore shoulders for side effects) and I feel like I'm part of a giant experiment; which I am. Which we all are. I've put aside my misgivings and gone ahead and it's take a big dose of trust. Trust in the system, in the professionals who developed the drugs and in the safe-guards, such as they are, that this is the right thing to do. I really hope my trust isn't misplaced.

>46 pgmcc: Wow! Thank you for all that work. My library system does not have The Dark Frontier so I'll start with Background to Danger.

I also noticed that he has a piece in Howdunit : a masterclass in crime writing by members of the Detection Club, which sounds interesting and which I see Jillmwo has already added. It's described as "In celebration of the Detection Club's 90th birthday, ninety of its esteemed members share their experiences and advice about the art and craft of successful crime writing. From G. K. Chesterton's timeless exploration of the value of detective fiction to Len Deighton's insightful explanation of how different problems can be met with different solutions, Howdunit takes the reader on a guided journey through all aspects of crime writing and the painful pleasures of motivation, character, setting, dialogue perspective, humour and suspense." It has quite an impressive list of contributors.

>50 Jim53:
Very clever and subtley done. Chalk that one up as a hit. Well done, Jim. Good shooting.

>49 Bookmarque: thank you. It's uncomfortable being called names and vilified about not taking a Covid shot. I work in a medical facility and did a lot of research before deciding to forego being part of a clinical trial.

>49 Bookmarque: The J&J vaccine is a traditional vaccine, which is why it doesn't need refrigeration, etc.

The Moderna and Pfizer vaccines use mRNA technology, and the Johnson & Johnson vaccine uses the more traditional virus-based technology.

Thanks, clam. I didn't realize there were different paths taken. Maybe my neighbor doesn't realize either. I'll have to talk to her. Glad there is some choice in the matter.

>54 Bookmarque: The information is all available, unfortunately too many people don't know how or where to look, or only look in places that will confirm what they want to believe.

If I had an auto-immune disease I would be hesitant about getting any of these shots unless it was on the advice of multiple specialists. Luckily I have no health issues, so it was a no-brainer for me. I live in an area that is still considered at very high risk, and over 50,000 people in my state have been killed by Covid. I was online looking to book a shot as soon as my age bracket was OKed.

I believe there are three different methods used for the covid vaccines presently in use: traditional, which is AZ and J&J, mRNA, which is Pfizer and Moderna, and a third, used by Sputnik and Sinovac.
I don't know anything about this last group except that they appear to work slower than the others, ie takes longer for protection to build up.

I have had a chance to get into River of Gods and Ian's writing style and descriptive abilities has brought me back into the zone where I can see his story unfolding before me. It is reminding me of The Dervish House and how I felt when reading that.

Thank you everyone who had a role in getting me to finally pick this book up and read it.

>50 Jim53: I have updated post >46 pgmcc: to indicate which of the Ambler books I have read. I will be reading Tender to Danger when I have finished River of Gods and the two books selected for our May book club.

The book club books are:

Fathers and Sons and Snowdrops

>52 fuzzi: Are people doing that? No one should be pressured into a clinical trial.

>49 Bookmarque: I think it is a mistake to talk about getting "the vaccination".

I appreciate that for most people in a given country, there will only be easy access to one particular vaccine (Moderna for you, AstroZeneca for me), but they operate by different methods.

So, if, after researching the methodology and its effects on specific groups, you decide that you are unhappy with the vaccine that you are being offered, I strongly suggest looking into the others, rather than giving up on vaccination.

Both AstroZeneca and Moderna have now been tested to the same levels as any other new medication. (Even the outcomes of Sputnik V, which WAS used on the Russian population before normal testing procedures had been completed, appear to be good.)

There is not zero risk with any medication. But the risks of abstaining are - for most people - much higher.

The only safe alternative is becoming a hermit.

I took the vaccine - even though I still feel like crap a month after my second dose - because the medical conditions which predispose me to having a bad time with the vaccine also predispose me to having a fatal outcome if I catch Covid-19.

And I do consider it one's moral duty to get vaccinated IF one falls into a category for which it is safe. Because there are a significant number of people in high risk groups for whom vaccination still not be safe. So until herd immunity is developed, those citizens will have to continue to self - isolate.

I have been doing that for much longer than most of you. Because, even before the first whisperings about a pandemic, I have had to isolate whenever receiving chemotherapy (effect of chemo in addition to autoimmune condition). I exist. It is miserable. But unavoidable. I would not wish this life in anyone else, let alone in perpetuity.

(edited to tidy up - screen is very erratic at present, so it can black out before I see mistypes!)

>56 Busifer: Sputnik V and Sinovac use different methodologies.

Sputnik V uses the cold virus vector, and is therefore similar to the AZ and J&J.
Although controversial because of being put into use before clinical trials were completed, the tests are now complete, and it is not NOW one of the most effective vaccines available.

Russia has two other vaccines in development that have not yet completed clinical trials, EpiVacCorona and CoviVac and are not generally available.

CoiVac incorporates an inactivated cold virus in “whole virion” technology, similar to the vaccines developed by Sinovac and the Indian company Bharat Biotech. It is intended to produce broader spectrum response, and be better at dealing with Covid variants.

EpiVacCorona uses no live virus and instead relies on synthetic peptide antigens, based on a selection of those found within SARS-CoV-2.
https://www.bmj.com/content/372/bmj.n743

Edited for typing error!

>46 pgmcc: Very useful list, Peter.

>47 pgmcc: I know you are taunting me.

I refuse to up my Ambler reading schedule. I will not be swayed.... I will not be swayed....

>59 -pilgrim-: the Covid shots are not approved or licensed, but have been granted a temporary approval to use due to an emergency. It's called an EUA, Emergency Use Authorization under the Federal Drug Administration here in the USA.

EUA means that they cannot require people to have the shot, it's not approved, so it is experimental. And the clinical trial is happening right now, with everyone who is taking the shot, they are part of the experiment.

Dr. Amanda Cohn of the CDC's Advisory Committee said that "vaccines are not allowed to be mandatory. So, early in this vaccination phase, individuals will have to be consented and they won't be able to be mandatory". Even hospitals are not allowed to make Covid shots mandatory. Fact sheets are supposed to be given to recipients stating that "It is your choice to receive or not receive the Covid-19 vaccine...if you decide to not receive it, it will not change your standard of medical care"

It will take about two years of data collection and analysis before a ruling can be made that the shots are safe and effective, and therefore worthy of licensing.

Here in the USA it is illegal to make Covid shots mandatory. For my friends elsewhere, I refer you to the Nuremberg Code.

>60 -pilgrim-: Ah, thanks for the clarification. I had the impression that they were similar.

>61 -pilgrim-: I know you are taunting me.

Would you have it any other way?

>64 pgmcc: I would probably be worried if you stopped.

The consequences are usually interesting.

>62 fuzzi: Could you clarify a couple of things please? I am finding your post difficult to follow.

By "Covid shots" are you referring to all vaccines, or just the Moderna version? (Which vaccines are available in the US anyway?)

EUA means that they cannot require people to have the shot, it's not approved, so it is experimental
I thought you said that NO vaccine is compulsory in the US, so what difference does EUA make?

I don't understand the distinction that you are making.
The Moderna vaccine has completed Stage III trials, so it is not experimental.
It has been authorised for use by the FDA, so it is approved.
What it is not, is it is not licenced.

It will take about two years of data collection and analysis before a ruling can be made that the shots are safe and effective, and therefore worthy of licensing.

That is a generic protocol established as suitable for all medications. No vaccine (for any condition) has demonstrated ill effects that have not manifested within the first couple of months.
Is it better to endure the current death rate for two more years, on the hypothesis that these vaccines will operate in manner different to all other vaccines?
That hypothesis might be valid with those Covid-19 vaccines that do not operate along traditional modalities (which I was asking earlier as to which of the Covid-19 vaccines you encompassed in your opening statement). It does not seem reasonable when applied to a traditional vaccine such as AZ or J&J.

I admit that personally I prefer to base my decisions on the results of internationally peer reviewed studies of the results of the clinical trials, rather than the regulatory procedures of one country or another - which may (or may not) be influenced by the agenda of their respective governments. This issue should never be used an excuse for making political capital, at either the international or the internal level.

Here in the USA it is illegal to make Covid shots mandatory. For my friends elsewhere, I refer you to the Nuremberg Code.
Do you know of anyone, or any country, that IS either proposing or implementing this?

>66 -pilgrim-: I'm not an expert by any means. This is just a layman doing some research on vaccines. If you can find a counterpoint to my specific example please send me links to articles because I'd like to read them.

No vaccine (for any condition) has demonstrated ill effects that have not manifested within the first couple of months.

The French pharmaceutical company Sanofi Pasteur spent 20 years to develop Dengvaxia, a vaccine for dengue.

General information including challenges of a dengue vaccine that are understood now: https://www.who.int/immunization/research/development/dengue_vaccines/en/

Published in 2015 the original safety study which included, if I understand it right, 3 years+ of two phase 3 trials where things were looking pretty good: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1506223

The story of what happened when they inoculated 100,000 children in the Philippines - spoiler, 600 died due to the vaccine: https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2019/05/03/719037789/botched-vaccine-l...

In 2017 Sanofi had found evidence that the vaccine increases the risk of hospitalization and cytoplasmic leakage syndrome in children who had no prior exposure to dengue, regardless of age, and updated their safety recommendation: https://www.sanofi.com/en/media-room/press-releases/2017/2017-11-29-17-36-30

The FDA approved the vaccine in 2019 though it comes with caveats: https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/first-fda-approved-vaccine-p...

Dengue is not a corona virus and the above example has absolutely no relation to the safety of covid-19 vaccines. It does highlight the complexity of creating vaccines. It's not a surprise that rushing new vaccine technology gives some people an uneasy feeling and/or hesitancy when you've done some searching.

Apologies for hijacking your thread pgmcc. If this is too much let me know and I'll wipe out my post.

>57 pgmcc: I'm glad to hear you are enjoying River of Gods. I read it last year and greatly enjoyed the experience. I heartily recommend exploring the Cyberabad Days collection as a follow-up, should you have the chance to do so.

Unrelated question: Did you have any inkling of Aidan Truhen's real identity prior to this week's reveal?

>68 ScoLgo:
I have Cyberabad Days so will have the opportunity.

In relation to your unrelated question:
Yes.

>57 pgmcc: >68 ScoLgo: Chiming in with ScoLgo, glad to hear that River of gods has aged with grace, and please do, as to Cyberabad days.

>67 Narilka: very interesting, thank you for adding this.

I recently read about the Philippines vaccination event, so very sad.

>50 Jim53: Your bullet arrived today.

Have a great weekend.

>69 pgmcc: I'm truly not surprised to hear that. I am now on the hunt for copies of Aidan Truhen's books as I have greatly enjoyed his 'other' works.

>73 ScoLgo:
You will need to buckle up well and not be too sensitive. I hope you enjoy them. I am waiting for the new one to be delivered.

>74 pgmcc: Well... I also really enjoy Kameron Hurley's material so I think I will manage... ;)

Aidan Truhen reveals his true identity, here.

He is inteviewed by Charles Finch here. This is a great interview.

The latest Aidan Truhen book, Seven Demons, had a virtual launch at 7pm on 4th May, from Powerhouse Books. This launch is here. Liberty Hardy was a great interviewer for the launch. She was knowledgeable about the author's books and her enthusiasm for the subject brought the session alive.

>75 ScoLgo:
I presume you know what you have done. I hope you realised what you have set in train.

It is now incumbent upon me to hunt out a Kameron Hurley book and read it. This is, of course an action I will take for the sake of your wellbeing. By reading this I will be calibrating how safe you are reading Aidan Truhen books. This all for your own good.

Just stopping by to say hi and drop a star. Congrats on getting the second jab. Sorry for all the side effects. I had side effects too after my second shot (Moderna), but they only lasted a few hours (chills, a slight headache, and the worst joint pain - heck, forget joint, it was full-body pain - I've ever experienced). A couple of Tylenol plus a solid 9-hours of sleep did the trick. On a related note, I'm almost done with The Code Breaker, a story of the development of the science of gene editing/CRISPR. I'm now at the part in the book that describes how the scientific community quickly swung into action, cooperating to create the new sort of vaccines - utilizing RNA manipulation for the first time in vaccine technology - that's now being used to combat Covid. It's very enlightening.

>78 Storeetllr: Uhoh... That one got me right between the eyes. Will have to decide if I want to read it or listen to it. Are there many diagrams and illustrations?

>79 clamairy: I listened to it, but, actually, I think it might be better read as text.

In fact, I was stalled partway through during a section that talked about legal wrangling with regard to patents amongst the scientists who worked on/discovered/figured out how to use CRISPR. It was so boring to me, but that may be because I worked in the legal field for 35-plus years and find most legal stuff incredibly boring and/or annoying. Anyway, I got to the part that started to talk about how it ties into the Covid vaccine when whoosh! It disappeared off my tablet. So I immediately went to the library page and requested it again, and also requested the text version. If I get it soon, I'll let you know if there are a lot of illustrations/tables.

>78 Storeetllr: U-hu, that would be a direct hit, but the author... no. There's something with Walter Isaacson's style that doesn't really sit well with me, though it sounds as he might have evolved for the better?

>77 pgmcc: That's very good of you, Peter. I truly appreciate you going to all that trouble on my behalf. Having not yet read a Truhen book, I don't know how the style might compare to Hurley. OTOH, I am a big fan of Nick Harkaway and there are elements in both of their styles that do appeal. Harkaway, I would say, is more overtly funny. Hurley's humour, what there is of it, is darker.

That being said, may I suggest her latest book, The Light Brigade, as a good place to start with Hurley's work? There are echoes of Starship Troopers and The Forever War but it is very much its own thing. It is also a challenging read because, as she is wont to do, Hurley drops the reader into the midst of things with little explanation. The world-building and plot reveals occur as the story progresses, using very little exposition. The Light Brigade was nominated for the Hugo, Locus, and Clarke awards. Deservedly so, IMHO.

Another author that works in similar dark corners is Paolo Bacigalupi. Have you read him?

>82 ScoLgo:
I have not read Baciglupi but have read and enjoyed The Forever War.

Starship Troopers is another unread book but I have read other Heinleins.

>83 pgmcc: Well... according to The Literature Map, I might have been way off in bringing up Kameron Hurley. When entering her in the search, Nick Harkaway does not show up in the swarm. Slightly more puzzling, Aidan Truhen doesn't show up in the Harkaway swarm either. Other authors, (Lauren Beukes, for example), do show up in the swarm for both Harkaway and Hurley, so there may be a tenuous connection after all. In the Hurley swarm, there are a few authors that I don't care for so I can't speak to the reliability of The Literature Map, but it is nevertheless a cool thing to look at.

>84 ScoLgo:
The Literature Map is interesting, but I will have to think long and hard about how it groups authors as I have been puzzled by some of the swarms I have seen around authors I have entered. Still, a thought-provoking distraction for when I am supposed to be working. :-)

>82 ScoLgo: Harkaway, I would say, is more overtly funny. Hurley's humour, what there is of it, is darker.

When I consider Harkaway's description of sheep on a battlefield in The Gone-Away World I am left wondering how Hurley's humour can be darker. You are certainly forcing me to try some of their work.

A while ago I stated I was in a quandary regarding my reading because I had so many books that I wanted to read immediately and yet I was in the middle of a book I was enjoying very much. Here I am again. I am really enjoying River of Gods and yet Aidan Truhen(Nick Harkaway)'s new book arrives today. Also, I have my Eric Ambler books to read, and a plethora of other great tomes to read immediately, many of them the result of book bullets from my friends here. MrsLee even took to facebook to hammer home her BBs. ScoLgo is using an interesting website (The Literature Map) to look for firing options based on my known weaknesses. Jim53 has been using my Ambler preference to snipe at my non-fiction side; that is non-fiction about writing fiction. Busifer has been pushing me to read more Ian McDonald. Also, I have a string of BBs to read following earlier strikes by -pilgrim-, Meredy, Sakerfalcon, Jillmwo, fuzzi, NorthernStar, tardis, Clamairy, haydninvienna, and hfglen, to name but a few.

>86 pgmcc: Shows how popular you are!

>87 hfglen: …as a target. :-)

I just checked the number of LT members currently signed on. The number is at the bottom of the home page. There were 16 signed on. Up until now the lowest number I have seen was 70.

>86 pgmcc: no rush with any of my suggestions...

>85 pgmcc: Yes, Harkaway does delve into some dark imagery but... in the case of The Gone-Away World, I was reminded throughout much of it of Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow, not the writing style or the story itself so much as the occasional madcap derring-do episode, (the oddball wedding mission in TG-AW and the aerial pie-in-the-face fight in GR, for instance). In both books there are horrendous war things going on but it's occasionally broken up by goofy flights of fancy that lend a dose of comic relief.

Hurley, OTOH, goes dark in a gritty, grisly way that turns some readers completely off. But underlying that darkness is a thread of sarcastic humour that probably doesn't see the light of day in some reader's minds. Her characters are very human with self-deprecating doubts and regrets. That gritty, gross darkness pervades The Stars Are Legion, which is a large part of the reason I didn't recommend that you start with that one - even though it was my own first Hurley book. For an example of her sense of humour, you can buy a copy of The Stars Are Legion with an additional dust jacket showing the alternate title of Lesbians in Space, (for which there is understandably no LT touchstone). Explaining the joke would constitute a spoiler but suffice to say, some people probably won't find it funny. Having already read the book and 'getting' the joke, it made me laugh, so I bought the extra DJ with my signed copy of the book.

The other writer I mentioned before, Paolo Bacigalupi, doesn't really do humour. He pretty much just dives into the muck, drags you in with him, and then splashes you in the face with it. Some people enjoy that. Others strongly dislike it. I would say that Bacigalupi is closer in style and delivery to Hurley than to Harkaway. But neither author shows up in his Lit Map Cloud. You know who does though? Ian McDonald and S. A. Chakraborty. Make of that what you will.

>86 pgmcc: I'm with Busifer on Ian McDonald. Hard to go wrong with his books, IMHO.

>89 pgmcc: Thanks! I hadn't noticed that statistic before. It does seem to wildly fluctuate. A few minutes ago, it was 74. When I re-checked just now it stood at 15. Refreshing less than a minute later reported 52.

>91 ScoLgo:
I have loved all the Ian McDonald I have read and I have several of his books that I have not read yet. I bought his first Luna book and it looked like there was a whole world building thing and multiple clans to get to know, as well as some jargon. I felt tired and have not managed to get back into his work until now, with River of Gods which I am enjoying a lot.

S.A. Chakraborty is a great favourite of mine. You may have noticed my raving about her trilogy and how much it meant to me.

>92 pgmcc: Yes, I had. That's why I mentioned that author in particular. I've never read Chakraborty so cannot make any comparison to Bacigalupi. I do plan to try The City of Brass at some point but this year's reading is almost fully planned out, (and nearly halfway over already!).

Though The Literature Map is sometimes suspect because it will list authors I have tried and not enjoyed at all next to some of my favorite writers, I still think it can be a useful tool as a jumping-off point to explore the potential of a new-to-me author. YMMV...

>86 pgmcc: Happy to be of assistance ;-)

On Bacigalupi and Chakraborty I have a hard time seeing any overt similarities. The latter do epic fantasy, with a dose of romance to help the story along: the themes are not very overt, though for me they struck a chord close enough to my heart to make me overlook some of the things that I usually avoid in my reading.
I'd say Chakraborty is closer to G G Kay than to Bacigalupi. But that might just be me: I have only read Windup girl, plus some of the stories in Pump six and other stories and that was some time ago.

On Ian McDonald's Luna I felt the series was harder to warm up to than his previous works, but I did enjoy it well enough. Somehow felt a bit reminiscent of KSR's Mars trilogy, though.

>89 pgmcc: Interesting, that number is really hard to read, but it is 32 at this time.

>93 ScoLgo: Where does The Literature Map get its information on people liking authors? I must have a look into this.

You have provided me with another Internet time-sink. Hours of fun may ensue.

I hope you enjoy The City of Brass when you eventually get to it.

>94 Busifer: I bought Red Mars around the time it came out. I started it but did not get far. That was a long time ago. I am now in a mood of preferring the more immediate satisfaction of shorter, standalone books than enormous tomes that are the first of three or, come to that, any number greater than two. (Charkraboty's trilogy immediately puts the lie to my comment.)

Let us just say I have so many books and authors I want to read that I will not be short of good reading material for some decades to come. The fact that I appear to have acquired some 50 new books so far this year is neither here nor there. The fact that of those 50 I have read 10 is not worth mentioning.

When I started looking at Luna, McDonald I read the bits about families and language and just felt I did not need to start a long trek of learning strange names and words.

>97 pgmcc: Haha, I read the first part and thought "Chakraborty"!

There is really no need to read KSR's Mars trilogy if one is not up for pages and pages of info-dumps - I merely compared it and McDonald's Luna trilogy.
They are both heavy on exposition mixed with short bursts of action; they both tell what happens with humanity and humans when we are placed in an environment that don't bend easily to our needs; and they both try to tell about something systemic through the eyes of various interests, represented by different characters.
I can't say either of them pulls it off, not fully. I still enjoyed both trilogies, but maybe I'm a bit crazy ;-)

>96 pgmcc: "Where does The Literature Map get its information on people liking authors?"

From the 'About' link:

"The Literature-Map is part of Gnod, the Global Network of Discovery.

It is based on Gnooks, Gnod's literature recommendation system. The more people like an author and another author, the closer together these two authors will move on the Literature-Map.

I had never clicked into Gnod before today. I really should be working. Speaking of other distractions...

I have just completed an eBay transaction for Aidan Truhen's The Price You Pay. The Price I Paid was $0.99 for the hardback in 'Like New' condition plus shipping of $3.99. It should arrive in a few days. His new book, Seven Demons appears to only be available in trade paperback. I wonder if it will be released in hardback later?

>86 pgmcc: I have that "problem" from time to time. It's a very good one to have. Sometimes I do get quite impatient with the book I'm in, when there are a bunch staring at me, but I have to remind myself that there will be planty of time fro reading.

>100 Jim53: I am enjoying this problem. It is preferable to the occasions when I finish a book and I cannot muster up the enthusiasm to read anything.

I am organising a quiz for my team to mark the departure of one of our members. He has been working remotely for the last fourteen months and restrictions mean we cannot meet up to mark the occasion, so Zoom it will be.

There will be four participants and I bought them all copies of Literary Walking Tours of Gothic Dublin by Brian J. Showers. It describes the parts of Dublin that were part of the lives of Charles Robert Maturin, Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu and Bram Stoker, three famous Dublin writers of the Gothic. The quiz will be based on the contents of this book. One of the participants is from Dublin, another is from England, a third is from Hong Kong, and the fourth is from Texas. Our quizzes in the past have been great fun.

>86 pgmcc: Oh, you do so make it worth our while.

>103 Meredy: Are you saying I am an easy target?

:-)

>104 pgmcc: What would be fun about an easy target?

Work and other barriers to a happy reading life are contriving to minimise my reading time. I am on page 196 of the 583 pages of River of Gods. I am enjoying it a lot but am frustrated I am not making faster progress through the book.

>106 pgmcc: Ah, yes. Reality. Hope you get some time to read soon, Peter.

>106 pgmcc: I hear you. Presently mired in, well, best not mention, but anyway it's work, and at this stage it requires a lot of finding and reading reports that might or might not prove valid to the topic I'm researching.
And so I'm on page 177 of 546 of Chaos vector...

Here's to things turning around, soon!
/pushes cheese platter your way/

>107 clamairy: & >108 Busifer:
Thank you for the empathy. Also, >108 Busifer:, thank you for the cheese platter.

I finished River of Gods and have really enjoyed it. It lived up to the high level of writing and story that I have come to expect from Ian McDonald. He obviously does a lot of research about the cultures he is setting his stories in. I noticed that with Brasyl and The Dervish House too.

Unfortunately there was evidence of some sloppy proof reading, but the story was strong enough to ensure this did not throw me out of the zone, but I felt that Ian's publisher had let him down a bit in this regard. There were a few small words missing, some duplicated, and some with additional letters. Examples would be "an" spelt "and"; "be" missing from "they need to be careful". Irritating but I still gave the story five stars.

I found Ian's consideration of the world of sentient AIs being totally different from that of humans interesting. His argument was logical and the conclusion that such AIs would not compete with humans because humans would be so intellectually irrelevant to their existence was something different and well thought out. It reminded me of Ken MacLeod's Newton's Wake in which he looked at the concept of people's minds being backed up and when the person died their mind was downloaded into a clone body. Ken MacLeod looked at the passing of the original, which could in itself have been a previous clone, an brought out the concept that someone did die and that the new cloned person was not actually the same person, even if they thought they were. Newton's Wake was the first story I came across that emphasised this point. It was the same type of situation they had in a Star Trek episode in which due to a transporter malfunction two versions of Reicher co-existed. (Two Reichers? I know some people who would quake at the thought.)

Thank you for the push to read it.

Next up is Fathers and Sons by Ivan Turgenev.


This one of two Russian books for discussion at our next Lockdown Book Club session, which is next Thursday. I have from now until then to read Fathers and Sons and Snowdrops.

>110 pgmcc: I dare not confess his long Fathers and Sons had been on my TBR pile for! Hopefully you will inspire me onward.

>111 -pilgrim-: I have copies of Quiet Flows the Don and The Don Flows Down to the Sea that I bought in 1978 and have not read yet. I would suggest you need not be ashamed about how long you have had a book and not read it when you are in my company. My Sholokhov purchases occurred in the summer after my undergrad years when I tried to teach myself Russian and broaden my reading of the classics. I did manage to read Vanity Fair* that summer.

*The novel by Thackery. Not the magazine.

>112 pgmcc: I now have 2 copies of Quiet Flows the Don. One belonged to my father, and I remember him enthusing about it to me, when I was a child. So, as and adult, I bought my own copy. Some day soon, I hope, I will read one of them.

I am only ten pages into the 200 pages of Fathers and Sons and I am liking the style. This might be a book club book that I appreciate.

>114 pgmcc: Would that be a first?

>115 -pilgrim-: Apart from To Kill A Mockingbird and the books my wife and I proposed, yes!

E.T.A.
I do have high hopes for the current two books, Fathers and Sons and Snowdrops. Fathers and Sons is a classic Russian novel and I have only had good experiences with any classic Russian novels I have read.

The good vibes hit me about Snowdrops when the person who suggested it got very defensive when we agreed to it as the second book. She had suggested it earlier on saying she had enjoyed it and thought it was a nice light read. Once we picked it she almost panicked saying it would probably not be suitable, it is only a bit of light reading. I think she thought it was not snobbish enough for the group and I thought, "Yes! Maybe we have a book that will be a bit of fun rather than a lot of pretentiousness with little or no story."

I am thinking of suggesting Nick Harkaway's Angelmaker for next month. They would not know how to take it. :-)

>116 pgmcc: That could be interesting!

Also Snotdrops is obviously a typo, but seems rather apposite, given the themes in the description.
:-)

>117 -pilgrim-: I would probably enjoy a novel called Snotdrops. I am that low. :-)

Thank you for pointing out my lysdexic fingers.

I'm a little sad he corrected that. :/

>119 clamairy:
Just for you!
Snotdrops! Snotdrops! Snotdrops!
:-)

This evening we watched a film called "The Honest Thief". We enjoyed it quite a bit. However, the thing that struck us as most significant was the dog. The first image we saw of the dog was this:



That made us sit up and ask our dog why she never told us she had appeared in films. This is her reaction to our question:



She probably has millions stashed away in a bank somewhere.

Last weekend we took advantage of the relaxation of the pandemic restrictions to go to a shop in the next village for the grocery shopping. It tends not to have too many people in it. While we were there someone joined us and said they wanted to go and live with our youngest grandchild. They would not take "No!" for an answer and jumped into the backseat and strapped in for the journey home.

George has taken to joining me in the Reading Room. He likes hopping up on the window ledge and showing off his tail.

You definitely have a thing for black and white animals!

>124 MrsLee: We like things to match.

>120 pgmcc: Many thanks.

Your pets are lovely. 🤍🖤

<123 George has a tail worth showing off!

>127 NorthernStar: His mother and brother had magnificent tails too.

>126 clamairy:
Thank you. They are a matching set, purely by accident.

Quote from my current read.

“He wasn’t a nihilist for nothing.”

Fathers and Sons

Your pets and newest family member are adorable :)

>131 Narilka: Thank you!

>122 pgmcc: awww...

>123 pgmcc: >121 pgmcc: I detect a pattern here... 😁

At one time we had two black house cats, a black dog, and several tuxedo feral cats!

>123 pgmcc: That is one of the proudest tails I have ever seen.

We used to have a cat who always seemed to be striking poses while waiting for the photographer. Your cat could give modeling lessons.

(An art director friend of mine only has black, white, and the odd red, piece of clothing. He once told to me it was because his biggest fear - we were very young back then, about 27 yo, and fears were perhaps different back then ;-) - was to wake up one day being totally colour blind... and he wouldn't want to risk putting on unmatching clothes. Your animal pictures reminded me of that story.)

>135 Busifer:
Lol!

I will have to get a Red Setter after that story.

>136 pgmcc: LOL! The importance of matching pets ;-)
A red setter would fit perfectly with the rest.

I am almost half way through Fathers and Sons and am enjoying it. The characterisation is good, as is the description of scene settings. The humour is good, and it lightens what otherwise could be quite a turgid read. I would not describe the book as turgid at all.

For those that have read the story:
I see the uncles sad life-story being repeated by the friend who was so disparaging about the uncle. I see Karma working its way towards him. Of course, being only at the half way point I could be totally wrong.

The story does bring out the generation-gap, something I found with my own parents, my father in particular, and that I have seen with my own children, particularly my youngest. History repeating itself, once again.

That last paragraph makes this book sound heavy and philosophical, but I must say it is an easy read and does not wear the reader down with high ideals, even though it does include a conversation about nihilism.

>137 Busifer: I have had close knowledge three red setters (neighbour's dogs) in my life. Unfortunately all three were not very bright and eventually went crazy. Apparently this is a common occurrence with the breed.

I have just had a cat lie down on my keyboard and had to type the previous sentence three times.

The red setters that I've know were all hunting dogs, so not dogs that I got to know that close. No issues with their psyches, but they were kept well occupied with birds and I'm sure you're right: I know very little about dog breeds.

Lol at the cat-keyboard thing. None of my cats have done that. They pestered me in other ways, such as chewing on books. That one especially was VERY irritating, and I learned not to leave books lying around.

Be sure to keep your towel close by tomorrow.

>141 pgmcc: You're a cool frood, Peter. I hadn't remembered.

>141 pgmcc: Aye. Good that someone remembers for us ;-)

I have finished Fathers and Sons. It was a marvelous book and left me very emotional on a couple of occasions.

I've never read any Turgenev, and I think you might have shot me... my friend.

>145 clamairy:
:-)

>145 clamairy: Yes, Peter makes it sound a lot less bleak than I was expecting.

>138 pgmcc: Who was the translator, please?

>147 -pilgrim-: Who was the translator, please?

Peter Carson.

As you know, my Russian is limited to "Yes", "No", "I do not speak Russian", and whatever Google Translate tells me, so I am not qualified to comment on the fidelity of the translation to the original text, even if I had a copy of the original text, but I can say that the translation was easy to read and, whether inserted by the translator or placed there by the author, the humour came through nicely.

In terms of "bleakness", I did not have a feeling of overbearing oppression or darkness. There was obviously the socio-political conditions of the times and the standards of living of the age, but they were merely the backdrop to the story; they did not provide an ominous presence of dread or impending doom. The author was telling the reader about the impact on relationships of one generation growing up while the previous generation is still around. As I mentioned in an earlier post these are tensions that I noticed in my relationship with my father, and that I have witnessed with my own sons, so the theme of the book is as relevant today as it was back in the 1800s. Note, I referred to my relationships with my father and my sons, not to ignore my relationships with my mother and my daughters, but to maintain comparison with the main theme of the book. I understand the Russian title can be, and has been, translated as "Fathers and their Children" rather than specifically sons, but the focus of the book is on the inter-generational differences between fathers and sons.

Women are not ignored in this book. They are shown to be treated as inferiors, but, and here I engage the cloaking device, one of the themes of the book is the treatment of women and the demonstration that women are not the inferior beings the primary nihilist in the story is convinced they are. If anything, this book could be considered a feminist text in that it shows the plight of women in society, but at the same time shows strong women who make their own way in what is a less than favourable social setting for female equality. A main element of the book is the growth of the nihilist in relation to his attitude to women, the result of his having his core beliefs about women torn asunder by his meeting one woman who was his intellectual match.

Would I read another book by this author?
Most definitely.

Would I recommend this book to others?
Most definitely.

Who would I recommend it to?
Any one who likes a good read with not only good writing, but also historical context, and commentary on themes that affect us all and that are as relevant today as they were when they were first written.

I have mentioned that many of the books I have been reading in our Lockdown Book Club have been fancy writing with little substance, well, this has the fancy writing and plenty of substance. This is one of our Book Club reads and I regard it as the best book of the recommendations of the other members that I have read so far.

I have started Quiller: The Striker Portfolio. This is the third book in Adam Hall's Quiller series. So far it is living up to the quality and tempo of its predecessors.

I should be reading Snowdrops for tomorrow night's book club session but my wife is currently reading it.

I have managed to grab Snowdrops for a short while and have managed to read about 20 pages before my wife grabbed it back. My wishful thinking is proving to be the case. The book has captured my interest and is an easy read. I have enjoyed it so far and anticipate enjoying the entire book. I will not have much more of it read before our book club virtual meeting tomorrow night but I will say favourable things about it and I plan to finish it soon.

I am also making good headway with Quiller: The Striker Portfolio.

E.T.A. I have just realised the Kindle edition of Snowdrops is only 99p on the UK Amazon. Now I can read in parallel with my wife. :-) Who needs a marriage counsellor to resolve these marital conflicts.

>150 pgmcc: Snowdrops sounds like a book I might enjoy. Amazon.com here in the states wants $12.99 for the kindle edition. Good thing I was able to borrow it from Overdrive just now. Tax dollars FTW!

>151 ScoLgo: Good result! I hope you enjoy it. I am finding it flows along quite nicely.

I am hopping back and forth between The Striker Portfolio and Snowdrops. Yes, I am going to get muddled. One is about an British investigator sent to Germany while the other is about a British lawyer living in Moscow. Both involve mystery and meeting different people in what could turn out to be dangerous situations. What could possibly go wrong?

:-)

I am enjoying both.

Finished Snowdrop and have returned to The Striker Portfolio.

Snowdrop was an interesting glimpse at post Soviet Russia when Western banks were trying to gain position in the country recently converted to Capitalism. It is a well written tale and feels authentic. One of the ladies at our book club is a lawyer who spent a lot of time in Moscow in the period when the story was set. She said it ties in exactly with her experience of the corruption when she was there. Being a story about corruption in a place where we are led to believe a low price is put on human life, the story is not about nice things and people behaving well. It is a good read but be prepared for some people to do not nice things.

>154 pgmcc: How much detail is given on the "not nice things"?

>155 -pilgrim-: There is no gore, if that is what you mean.

It also gives good descriptions of Winter and Summer and the transitions between the seasons.

>153 pgmcc: >154 pgmcc: Trying to dodge that one. After the books I've read on Russia, and especially the one about Bill Browder, it's calling my name. I'm already wondering how to wriggle out of my promise of today not to acquire any more books. Egad, how in the world can I keep a pledge like that?

>156 pgmcc:
That is sort of what I mean. I have encountered enough of the reality of the specifics of what human beings can do to one another, not to wish to add the contents of someone's imagination. I have come to the conclusion that the urge to give such details usually evinces lack of skill in an author (cf. the discussion on my review of Monstress) and is therefore a useful flag for other possible reasons to avoid.

You are tempting me... So far, I am resisting...

>157 Meredy: Egad, how in the world can I keep a pledge like that?

Egad, how in the world did you let yourself make such a pledge?

>158 -pilgrim-: You know, resistance is futile.

>157 Meredy: Egad, how in the world can I keep a pledge like that?

Really?! How on Earth did that pledge come to be?!

>159 pgmcc: >161 Busifer: I've just posted an explanation on my journal thread. It's not good news.

RL has been getting in the way of my GD posting.

I finished Quiller: The Striker Portfolio.



This is the third of the "Quiller" series by Adam Hall. Adam Hall was a nom de plume of Elliston Trevor. The first two books were:
The Berlin Memorandum filmed as "The Quiller Memorandum", and
The Ninth Directive.

I have always liked the film, "The Quiller Memorandum", and that led me to seek out the book, which I then discovered is the first of 19 novels. I have started reading them in chronological order.

Quiller: The Striker Portfolio is about an investigator, "Quiller", who was sent undercover to investigate over thirty mysterious crashes of a West German military aircraft. It is a Cold War espionage story that was published in 1968. It is an ok story but I feel some of the writing coould have been a bit less frenetic. I think I have to mark the book down because of the writing and am awarding this book 2.5 stars. 3 is a "good book" score for me but I feel the writing has to be taken into consideration. I think this may have been written with a view to being a screenplay, but the author forgot that his readers cannot see the images which have not been shot yet. Sometimes it took a bit of time to work out who was talking to whom and where the scene was taking place.

Will I read more books by Adam Hall?
Yes, but I have been buying them one by one rather than charging out and buying the whole series like I have done with other authors. The stories are good but not blow-away good. If the fourth book is not better written I will probably slow up my reading of the Quiller books. Let me say they are a good holiday read but not stories that I would be passionate about.

Would I recommend this book?
Only if someone is interested in Quiller. That is probably a "no".

Who would I recommend this book to?
I think I have already answered this.

I am finally getting round to reading Seven Demons by Aidan Truhen. Aidan Truhen is the alter ego of Nick Harkaway. The first Aidan Truhen book was The Price You Pay which would not have been everyone's cup of tea and Seven Demons promises to be just as roudy.

In post >76 pgmcc: I have provided a link to a video of Aidan Truhen/Nick Harkaway being interviewed by Charles Finch about the first two Aidan Truhen books and the difference between a Truhen book and a Harkaway book. The interview is great fun and if you are thinking of risking a Truhen book I suggest you view the interview as part of your decision making process.

There is also a link in that post to the virtual book launch at Power Books in New York in which Liberty Hardy interviews Aidan Truhen about his books. This is also a great interview to watch. The video also includes "The Big Reveal" when Aidan Truhen is unmasked to reveal Nick Harkaway underneath.

The clock is approaching 1am so I am heading to bed with Seven Demons. Wish me luck.

>164 pgmcc: "... I am heading to bed with Seven Demons."

In light of my own reading of late I'm thankful there are no Puritans left to harass you for such things.

>165 clamairy: Actually, in this country, there are. Plymouth Brethren are still a thing.

Fortunately, the extreme ones are unlikely to be reading a secular website. Peter is safe enough (probably).

>166 -pilgrim-:
I grew up with an Exclusive Brethren family next door and another a few doors down. They were wonderful neighbours. They never pushed their beliefs or practices on anyone and were always there if you needed help.

Not once did they try to lynch or burn us for what we did.

>167 pgmcc: That is why I specified "extremist" members, NOT the denomination in general.

I too have had good relations with members of various Brethren denominations. However some of them later expressed unhappiness at the pressure - a sort of "social lynching", I suppose - placed upon them by other members self-appointedly policing their activities. (Note: they were not disaffected with their beliefs, nor were they actually breaking any tenets of their faith.)

Bigotry is a subsection of all groupings (religious or otherwise). Unfortunately the Puritan ethos encourages the bigot minority to get a little more interventionist - in the turning up on doorstep uninvited sense.

I am glad you remain unincinerated.

>168 -pilgrim-:
I am glad you remain unincinerated.

I am pleased about that myself. I consider it one of my most pleasing achievements.

>169 pgmcc: Do you remember the comment about Charles Williams by one of his fellow Inklings: Eminently combustible.

>170 -pilgrim-: What are you incinerating?

>171 pgmcc: I am rather more concerned with evading Inklings with matches.

I have finished Seven Demons by Aidan Truhen/Nick Harkaway.

As with the first Aidan Truhen book, The Price You Pay, this novel comes with warnings to the sensitive and, let's face it, adult amongst us. I think I have to list Aidan Truhen books as a guilty pleasure. The language is not what one would hear in polite society and the characters are rogues and criminals. I do not like book summaries in a review, but without spoilers I can say this story is about Jack Price, The First of the Seven Demons, and his efforts to save the Demons from boredom. The Demons are a group of international assassins and criminals with a range of technical skills who now follow Jack and, as Jack does not believe in killing people if it can be avoided, the Demons are at a loose end and Jack thinks the unique skills of the Demons can lead to a dangerous situation if the skill owners are not occupied on a project. To that end he seeks work for the group; something that will involve creativity and the use of their unique skills; robbing a bank.

While this book was written for laughs, the serious messages of Aidan Truhen's alter ego slip through now and again. When a fatality happens to a main character it is not treated lightly. It is highlighted as a terrible thing. There is part of the book where personal reactions to a lost friend are addressed and it is obvious the author has thought about these feelings in real life. Given the author's loss of both his parents in a recent three month period (Dec '20 - Feb '21) we know he is familiar with the thoughts expressed.

Corruption and fascism come in for some criticism, not always something you expect to find in a book written for the laughs.

This is comedy, but quite Noir, but not in a Sam Spade kind of way.

Would I read more books by this author?
Yes!

Would you recommend this book?
Yes!

Who would you recommend this book to?
This book has to be approached with an open mind and the ability to withstand the onslaught of some "bad language". In many ways it is grotesque, but it meant to be wild. I hesitate to say it is a bit school-boyish in its approach, but the more I come to see of the "younger generation" I would say it is more millennial than school-boyish. I know quite a few millennial ladies who would be very happy with this book and the ideas expressed.

I would recommend this book with a big warning that the reader may find things in it that make them feel uncomfortable. If they are comfortable with that then they can read on. :-)

You have been warned.

>173 pgmcc: Thank you for the relatively spoiler-free write up. I received my copy of Seven Demons, last week. It is sitting on the shelf next to The Price You Pay. I expect to get to both of these books soon. As much as I have enjoyed the Harkaway books I have read, (still haven't gotten round to Tigerman but it's on the soon-to-be-read list too), I expect these will be right up my street. Harsh language and violence, done right, does not bother me in the least. When it becomes gratuitous, well... that is another matter.

>174 ScoLgo: I hope you enjoy them.