The Hunger Games completed

I finished the Hunger Games last night. What a ride, and what a wholly dissatisfying ending! I hate cliff hangers. And I'm not a big fan of sequels, when I finish a book I like to shift gears. For example I think I'll read Persuasion by Jane Austin next (Kelsha's recomendation)
For me the Hunger Games was the love child of Anthem, by Ayn Rand, and The Lord of the Flies. The HG (Hunger Games) inherited a crazy, post apocolyptic, completly controlling government from Anthem, and the pre- to teen, teenage death match from Lord of the Flies. All combined into a fantastic ride. I'm not afraid to admit that when one young, small and sweet character was brutally killed I openly wept. The intese level at which I felt the emotions the main and narrating character, Katniss, was going through was my favorite part of the book. She develops these relationships with other characters which are beautiful in the moment but you know, as does Katniss, that the relationship is doomed to failure because only one person can survive which means Katniss will have to at some point kill her friend. The only thing I'll say that I didn't like is the way in which the author tried to sucker me into a sequel. The basis for it makes me think that the sequel's foundation will be shaky and forced, but who knows. Also as of 3 minutes ago I'm wrestling with a very difficult personal dilema. While searching for a picture I read that this book is raved about by the worst possible person! We are all familiar with her and refuse to call her a sister in the gospel (I could base that on her graduating from BYU alone, regardless of her terrible books) Yes, Stephanie Myers raves about this book. But no matter I say this mostly to myself but if my struggles and resolve help the rest of you more the better. What I'm getting at is that I must accept that a book can be good and also endorsed by the dreaded SM, or for that matter as has also been my experience a book can be good and also be on Oprah's book of the month club. I shouldn't let these leaders of female fanatasism dictate what I do or don't read. Fortunatly I've found out about endorsement of these kinds after a recommendation by a reliable source. Given similar circumstances I think it ok to read anything, despite less than savory applause from less than savory clappers.

Death of a Snob

This last week I found myself in an odd situation.

My tire gave out on my way home, and I had a bit of free time on my hands..namely 3.5 hours. Thankfully, there are always a few random books in my car.

So I read this book.

"When Police Constable Hamish Macbeth is offered a holiday at Jane Wetherby's "Happy Wanderer" health farm on the Isle of Eileencraig, he accepts.

Unfortunately, it is not the holiday he hoped for. When one of the guests, stuck-up Morag, is found dead, Hamish must solve the death of a snob." --synopsis from here.

It was a quick read and quite predictable. The accents were really cool though!

They were actually the best part. The author literally writes in their Scottish accents, which makes for a fun reading experience.

At least I really liked it, but then again I am obsessed with cool accents.

Moral of the story. It passed the time while I was waiting for my estranged cousin to come fix my tire.

Lonesome No More!

The two big questions I ask when I am analyzing something I potentially love are these: “Does it make me laugh?” and “Does it make me think?” Slapstick, by Kurt Vonnegut, did both, in great quantities and with great quality.

Slapstick was an interesting experience. It is a surrealistic vision of Manhattan post-apocalypse, written from the perspective of the horrendously ugly former President of the United States of America, Wilbur Daffodill-11 Swain. However, most of the book is used to describe the unusual relationship between a brother and a sister, which Kurt Vonnegut reveals in the prologue is a parallel to his relationship with his own sister, Alice.

The book is actually officially titled Slapstick, or Lonesome No More!, because the latter phrase is the platform Wilbur was elected on when he ran for President. Wilbur, along with his sister Eliza, developed a system of reorganizing everyone in the United States into different, randomized families—effectively “eliminating” loneliness in America. While they are working on this, the Chinese are finding ways to cure cancer through the sounds of gongs, colonize Mars, and miniaturize themselves, and the Albanian flu is killing everyone

How can I describe reading Vonnegut, especially Slapstick? I can’t. It’s frenetic and fast-paced and jumbled and loud. It’s irreverent and unpredictable and hilarious. I’ve heard (several times) that it was Vonnegut’s least favorite thing he’d ever written; certainly, for someone who had never read any of his work, I would urge them to save it for later. (Maybe after they read Slaughterhouse-Five or Breakfast of Champions). I strongly suspect that it is the type of book where you love it or hate it; I am stuck firmly in the “love” category, which may or may not be entirely due to my deep respect for Kurt Vonnegut. I can only say this: it’s either the work of complete sheer genius, or the lunacy that Kurt Vonnegut scraped out of the corners of his brain and desk drawers.

This book is unique, and also jammed full of side stories and themes that I won’t take the time to flesh out. So, I will instead quote lines that made me laugh.

“I can think of another quickie education for a child, which, in its way, is almost salutary: Meeting a human being who is tremendously respected by the adult world, and realizing that that person is actually a malicious lunatic.”

“’History is a list of surprises,’ I said. ‘It can only prepare us to be surprised yet again.’”

“As far as they are concerned, the most glorious accomplishment of the people who inhabited this island so teemingly was to die, so we could have it all to ourselves.”

Hi-ho.

(Image from http://www.cs.uni.edu/~wallingf/teaching/061/archives/cat_2.html)

But...

I have decided to forsake The Filth in favor of The Dark Knight Returns, by Frank Miller. And the next book I will finish will be Slapstick, I believe.

The Canterbury Tales, part zwei

As I vowed, I finished The Canterbury Tales today, after no small effort on my part.

The Canterbury Tales is a collection of stories told by a group of pilgrims traveling to Canterbury. Each story has a moral attached, such as: don’t spread gossip. Avoid hypocrisy. And never, ever trust a woman.

My verdict on the old C-Tales is: they’re wordy. Very, very wordy. Dozens of verses in each tale were devoted to detailing authors of related texts, the ancestry of the characters, and the beauty, virtue, and wittiness of the heroes. It certainly was distracting from the stories themselves, and, I have to admit, my attention wandered more than once.

One thing to keep in mind if you read The Canterbury Tales is that they are incomplete. Chaucer worked at them for something like thirteen years and then just up and died without finishing them. Therefore, there are some mistakes in the voices of the story, a few of the tales are slightly jumbled, and not all of the characters have their chance to tell a story.

I do feel a bit more informed after reading these tales, though. I certainly have a lot of questions in my mind about medieval culture that will want answering as soon as I get around to it. I also made good use of Google Define and learned what fey, hagiologies, misapropism, petard, and perambulation mean. It’s a little gratifying to think that they didn’t just suck seven days of my life away without leaving me with anything to show for it.

On a note of finality, when I think of The Canterbury Tales I will just remember the astounding misogyny. I know it was a characteristic of the times, but geez, the women in the stories were either conniving, cheating temptresses or silent little pushovers. The only impressive woman character was St. Cecilia in the second nun’s tale, and she got her throat cut in the end. If Geoffrey Chaucer wasn’t so obsessed with sex, I would think that he was gay.

The moral of this story is: I’ve finally finished, and the second I was done with work I ran over to the library and switched the C-tales for The Filth. It’s a beautiful feeling.

the future conquests of mr.brown

so....i just finished one of two 12 page papers that i have to write, and may begin again to be a productive contributing member of society.

I have however in the past week been able to finish this little ditty on property rights. It's called Supreme Neglect and it's written by this incredibly brilliant law professor at Chicago name Richard Epstein. It's premise is that by abandoning subtle distinctions of property protection the Supreme Court has abdicated its responsibility to US citizens and it offers a road back. I loved it but I doubt it has much universal appeal to those without an interest in property law.

now....for the moment I've been waiting for (and if you had any common sense you'd be eagerly anticipating....) i shall decree the next ten books to be added to my literary conquests.

1) Collapse by Jared Diamond. His Guns, Germs and Steel was definitely worth the time spent reading it. Both are about the success and failure of societies and the proximate and ultimate causes of the destinies.

2) The Logical Foundations of Constitutional Liberty by James Buchanan. If i ever expect anyone to take me seriously when I tell them that men need to be free I need to read this book.

3) Capitalism, Socialism, and Democracy by Joseph Schumpeter. I've read it before, but I didn't understand it, and I want to be smart.

4) The Fortunes of War by Patrick O'Brian. Because he's the bomb.

5) The Surgeon's Mate by Patrick O'brian. See above.

6) The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism by Max Weber. His basic premise is that protestants make the best capitalists because we stress individual salvation and God blessing you for your works....yadayadayada. we'll see.

7) In Pursuit of Reason: The Life of Thomas Jefferson by Noble Cunningham. Because TJ is the man with the libertarian plan.

8) Democracy and the Rule of Law by two people I couldn't care less about. This is another book that's mandatory reading to be taken seriously.

9) Politics by Aristotle. Another one I've already read at a dumber stage of my life.

10) The Collected Works of J.R.R. Tolkien for when I need to escape reality and feel a little more....something....

So there it is. Kind of boring? Maybe. But I will get much smarter, and that brings a satisfaction all of its own.

Lovers whose stars tried to cross!

Lovers whose stars tried to cross!

One of the greatest literary destinations I've ever been priveledged to go has been Oregon! Or Washington state, I can't remember. Let me not forget a brief stint in Arizona. Nothing I've ever encountered could be more romantic than these two states (Arizona and/or Washington/Oregon(remember I can't remember)) At any rate these places are romantic because vampires live there. Oh and vampires are the most romantic entity in existance. Twilight is the literary masterpience, masterminded by the great and venerable Stephanie Myers (who is mormon KEN MORMON!). It is a brilliantly woven tail of two wouldbe star crossed lovers. I say wouldbe because nothing can stop true love, not even the racial perhaps even specieal boundaries that a cruel, unfeeling society would have created. Society just doesn't understand! -Which is why I shop at hot Topic- And society will never understand. But no matter Edward and Bella will be together! I write this entry as a result of this New Moon Movie coming out entitled "New Moon" All I hear from all my friends (Friends whose manhood I used to not question) is that they are "Team Jacob". Whose is Jacob? He's noboby! He doesn't even drink blood, which is a halmark of someone capable of the deepest love. Other signs include, but are not limited to, the ability to radiate in the sun as if one's skin is encrusted in diamonds, pale skin, and the ability to run up hills in cheesy 70's fasion while carrying one's lover on their back. Returning to the travisitc matter at hand "Team Jacob" how dare these infants challenge Edward's devotion!! How dare they blaspheme the love of an immortal. They critizie what they can't comprehend without the consideration of Edward's own pain. He loves Bella he loves her so much he leaves her! For once I wish society would believe a guy when he says "it's not you, it's me" Because this time it's true! He is selflessly denying himself, because if he doesn't HE COULD KILL HER! Allow me a moment to wipe off my keyboard. But this devotion is ruthlessly scorned! Just because another suiter appears with a six pax and a tan every gatabout turns their fickle selves on the one lover who loves most. I weeps inside. (the "s" on the end of weep was intentional(say it outloud to yourself while clenching your teeth)) And would die, inside, if I were not sure of Edward's self-surness. I have so much more to say but my grief for society's scorn of selfless love drives all thoughts from my mind. Leaving me to conclude:

That true love will conquer! As conquer it must! As conquer it shall!

The Next Ten (maybe)

You guys are really testing me. I usually don't plan past my next meal, but I will throw ten books that I would like to read out there, and we will see what happens.

This is in no particular order. Hence the bullet list instead of a numbered list. It's a document design thing ;)

• The Uglies- Scott Westerfield
• Les Miserables- Victor Hugo
• The House of the Seven Gables- Nathanial Hawthorne (I started it, but I need to finish)
• Women of the Old Testament- Camille Fronk Olson
• The Odyssey- Homer (I read it a long time ago and can't remember it.)
• The Hitchhikers trilogy-Douglas Adams (Though I have read the first one.)
• I am America and So Can You- Stephen Colbert
  
• The Joseph Smith Papers, Journals, Vol. 1: 1832-1839 (Mostly I will be reading this one out loud to my dad.)
• Wuthering Heights-Emily Bronte
• Tess of the d'Urbervilles- Thomas Hardy (I know Kelsi put it, but she copied off of me I just know it!)

I am also getting my Brit Lit Anthology back soon, so I will be looking at a bunch of poetry and the likes over Christmas, but that will be more of a sporadic event so I'm not putting it down here.

Kelsi's Reading List

I fully support the new assignment of posting our reading lists, however, I am tweaking the assignment a bit, since I want to read 19 new books before my birthday. (Thus far I have read The Shape of Things by Neal LaBute and I am slogging through The Canterbury Tales).

17. The Filth by Grant Morrison (a comic book I noticed in the library)

16. Mara, Daughter of the Nile by Eloise Garvis McGraw (one of my roommate’s favorites)

15. Jesus the Christ by James E. Talmage

14. A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving

13. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

12. The Princess Bride by William Goldman (another one of my roommate’s favorites)

11. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley (recommended by Ken)

10. Love’s Labors Lost by William Shakespeare

9. Middlemarch by George Eliot

8. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte (the least popular Bronte sister needs some loving too)

7. The Sorrows of Young Werther by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

6. Wise Blood by Flannery O’Connor

5. Slapstick by Kurt Vonnegut

4. Good Omens by Neil Gaiman

3. Tess of the D’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy

2. The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

1. The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky (and get it out of the frigging way)

Congress: The Electoral Connection

So....I've been reading <---this book, which has been a short and sweet treat of smarts. I've decided to include a picture of it, because Kelsha had pictures of her books (and I am not about to be outdone) and I think it makes for a contrasty image.

It's a good book, it's primary argument is to say that all political officers are primarily motivated by a desire to be reelected. Even if they want to do good as some ultimate goal, their proximate goal is to be reelected or else they won't be able to accomplish those ultimate goals.

This motivation affects the nature of the political processes and executions of the government and the behavior of the individual officers themselves.

It's also short, which is good.

reading lists

here's what i think. everyone post the next ten books that you want to read (school books don't have to count, but they can) and we can see if there's any inspiration due to our collective brilliance.

Holiday Reads

Ok, I feel like I'm behind, but currently I'm not actually reading anything. Finals and what not. Go figure.

However, every break I try to find a very simple book to accompany a more difficult read. So I will give you a glimpse at what is coming up over Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Uglies

For my simple choice I will be exploring the world of the Uglies by Scott Westerfeld. My sister recommended it. Apparently its about a future world where you don't count in society until you go through this surgery/procedure and become extremely beautiful and "perfect." Its supposed to have some good social commentary in it. I will be honest, I am skeptical, but I will let you guys know how it goes.

Les Miserable

Now for my more complicated choice. Its more of an on-going project. When I said I wasn't reading anything that's not entirely true. I am currently trying to finish off the beautiful Les Miserable (unabridged).

See, Tale of Two Cities is one of my favorite books and Les Miserable is along the same lines..sort of. Its complicated. Plus, I really like the music/movie of Les Miserable and the Abridged version I am familiar with is brilliant!

But, no more of this abridged stuff. For the first time I am going to make it through the whole thing.

For your amusement I will post a few of my favorite quotes thus far:

"For he knew how to do a little of everything--all badly. "

"A soul for a piece of bread. Misery makes the offer; society accepts."

"Laughter is sunshine; it chases winter from the human face."

"Symmetry is boredom and boredom is the foundation of grief. Despair yawns."

The Canterbury Tales, part eins

We all have individual reasons for reading books. My top three consist of:

1. Pure escapism

2. Curiosity

3. Bragging rights

When I picked up Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales, I was driven mainly by reasons two and three. My curiosity was piqued when we read Tim Gautreaux’s short story “Died and Gone to Vegas” in my Lit Analysis class, which was apparently a Cajun satire of said tales. The pure prestige that comes with reading these famously difficult collection of stories also made the package much more attractive, and, sadly, are a main factor in many of the books I read.

The translation I checked out from the library is 463 pages, and, at the time of this post, I am on page 270 (the summoner’s tale). What has jumped out immediately about The Canterbury Tales is:

1. They are not as difficult to read as I expected.

2. The true mastery of the story, or what I’m impressed most by, is the varying voices and tone that Chaucer chose to use for each character.

3. They are incredibly dirty.

You think I’m joking about that last one? I’m not. The Canterbury Tales are the dirtiest thing I’ve read in a long time. Old Geoffrey was a medieval pervert, you can bet your tuppence. He most certainly spent most of his time peeping under women’s tunics, when he wasn't pissing off John Gower.

I am hoping to be finished with these tales by Tuesday, the 24^th. We’ll see where the wind blows me. In the meantime, I encourage all to look up the short story "Died and Gone to Vegas" by Tim Gautreaux. It is a literary treat.

Hunger Games and Ivanhoe High mark

I started the Hunger Games last night. It was recommended to me by Kelsen. Actually she told Luke he had to get it while we were all at the book store. Luke didn't have any monitary methods of trade at the time so I said well I'll buy it. Not for Luke of course. First impressions: It's great, sweetly pyscotic.
Ivanhoe: I must say that Rebecca, the beautiful Jewess, is one of the greatest literary characters. Not that I'm saying she belongs on any top 10 list but she can hold her own. I looked up the movie based on Ivanhoe and Elizabeth Taylor was playing Rebecca, I would haved screamed but the vomit in my mouth prevented any sound escaping. This sensation came as I watched a bit on youtube. From a top window Rebecca looks down on Ivanhoe and the first thing I saw of Ms. Taylor's rendition was horrible. She quickly veiled her face. While Rebecca's veil is a big part of the story, the hasty and spazzy way Liz executed the motion was a polar opposite to the fluid and graceful motion I pictured Rebecca exhibiting.
I feel like exerpting the best part of Ivanhoe for ya'll because I can't wholly recommend it as a must read. So I'll just type it in and save you guys the trouble of reading the whole book. Though I will say getting to know Rebecca in order to fully appreciate this scene is, in my opinion, worth the effort.
The scene is Rebecca's witch trial, she is being tried for bewitching Brian de bois Gilbert, a knight templar:
At this period of the trial, the Grand Master commanded Rebecca to unveil herself. Opening her lips for the first time, she replied patiently, but with dignity, "That it was not the wont of the daughters of her people to uncover their faces when alone in an assembly of strangers." The sweet tones of her voice, and the softness of her reply, impressed on the audience a sentiment of pity and sympathy, But Beaumanoir, in whose mind the suppression of each feeling of humanity which could interfere with his imagined duty was a virtue of itself, repeated his commands that his victim should be unveiled. The guards were about to remove her veil accordingly, when she stood up before the Grand Master, and said, "Nay, but for the love of your own daughters-- alas," She said, recollecting herself, "ye have no daughters!--yet for the remembrance of you mothers, for the love of your sisters, and of female decency, let me not be thus handled in your presence: it suits not a maiden to be disrobed by such rude grooms. I will obey you," she added, with an expression of patient sorrow in her voice, which had almost melted the heart of Beaumanioir himself; "ye are elders among your people, and at your comand I will show the features of an ill-fated maiden."
She withdrew her veil, and looked on them with a countenance in which bashfulness contended with dignity. Her exceeding beauty excited a murmur of surprise, and the younger knights told each other with their eyes, in silent correspondence, that Brian's best apology was in the power of her real charms, rather than of her imaginary witchcraft. But Higg(a guy Rebecca healed who testified of the event but who's testimony was used as evidence of her witchcraft) the son of Snell, felt most deeply the effect produced by the sight of the countencance of his benefactress. "Let me go forth," he said to the warders at the door of the hall-- "let me go forth! To look at her again will kill me, for I have had a share in murdering her."
"Peace, poor man," said Rebecca, when she heard his exclamation, "thour hast done me no harm by speaking the truth; thour canst not aid me by they complaints or lamentations. Peace, I pray thee; go home and save thyself."
Higg was about to be thrust out by the compassion of the warders, who were apprehnsive lest his clamorous grief should draw upon them reprehension, and upon himself punishment. But he promised to be silent, and was permitted to remain. The two men-at-arms, with whom Albert Malvoisin had not failed to communicate upon the import of their testimony, were now called forward. Though both were hardened and inflexible villains, the sight of the capitve maiden, as well as her excelling beauty, at first appeared to stagger them; but an expressive glance from the preceptor of Templestowe (Malvoisin) restored them tot heir dogged composure . . . moving on . . . "There is yet one chance of life left to me," Said Rebecca, "even by your own fierce laws. Life has been miserable --miserable, at least, of late -- but I will not cast away the gift of God while He affords me the means of defending it. I deny this charge: I maintain my innocence, and I declare the falsegood of this accusation. I chalenge the privilege of trial by combat, and will appear by me champion."
"And who, Rebecca," replied the Grand Master , "will lay lance in rest for a sorceress? who will be the champion of a Jewess?"
"God will raise me up a champion," said Rebecca. "It cannot be that in merry England, the hospitable, the generous, the free, will not be found one to fight for justice. But it is enough that I challenge the trial by combat: there lies my gage."
She took her embroidered glove from her hand, and flung it down before the Grand Master with an air of mingled simplicity and dignity which excited universal surprise and admiration.
Even Lucas Beaumanoir(Grand Master) himself was affected by the mien and appearance of Rebecca. He was not originally a cruel or even a sever man; but with passions by nature cold, and with a high, though mistaken, sense of duty, his heart had been gradually hardened by the ascetic life which he pursued, the supreme power which he enjoyed, and the supposed necessity of subduing infidelity and eradicating heresy which he conceived peculiarly incumbent on him. His features relaxed in their usual severity as he gazed upon the beautiful creature before him, alone, unfriended, and defending herself with so much spirit and courage. He crossed himself twice, as doubting whence arose the snwonted softening of a heart which on such occasions used to resemble in hardness the steel of his sword. At lenght he spoke.
"Damsel," he said, "if the pity I fel for thee arise from any practice thine evil arts have made on me, great is the guilt, but I rather judge it the kinder geelings of nature, which grieve that so goodly a form should be a vessel of perdition." Blah Blah and he launches into this usual fair.
So there ya go the best part of the book!

Ivanhoe

It is very interesting that Ken is reading a book in the historical fiction genre. Interesting because Sir Walter Scott, the author of Ivanhoe, is credited with creating the genre. Super quick summary it's the story of Ivanhoe whose father disiherited him. The story is set in the time of King Richard's return from the crusades, and as such all of the characters of that time make their appearance. Robin Hood and his associates Friar Tuck, Little John is away on business. The relationship of this classic novel and I has been one of love and hate over the past few weeks. Hate because it is so unnessesarily wordy. Pages on the people's dress! Love because of the overall story and romance of the whole era, as well as the beauty of the characters. Another hate and probably most hateful of all is how Scott self narrates. He will say things like, "At this point in our narrative we must pause" or "If this situation were to occur in our age" Then with 20 pages left in the book Scott went off on a very, very, odd tangent. Our main heroin Rebecca has been tried as a witch and is awaiting a champion as her only possible salvation. It is at this point Scott takes us on a trivial account of an insignificant character Athelstane's supposed death and strange ressurection, he was just in a coma. Then when we get back to the same physical location where Rebecca is being held we get two pages of peasants recounting and arguing about the events of Athelstane's story, which we just experienced in first person. The only thing I can pull besides frustration from this interjection is that it could possibly be a allusion to Ivanhoe's own resurection as his father's son. But we get pages and pages of all this and the climax is done in one page. However, Scott hit his absolute high mark at the trial of Rebecca! Perfect amount of description and beautiful description at that of Rebecca's beauty and courage in the midst of ememies. I don't remember if I cried but if I did I wouldn't feel bad. Overall I enjoyed the whole thing very much, but I didn't exactly know why. It took me a little while to get used to the language but then I just fell in love with the whole story, despite its many flaws. A personal side note, since I was a kid we used to always watch Disney's live action Robin Hood movie from the 50's and that movie basically rips off all their details and settings from Ivanhoe. Which is considered responsible for creating and cementing our current idea of Robin Hood.

Patrick O-Brian

just so everyone knows, the Aubrey/Maturin novels are quite possibly the greatest historical fiction that has ever been penned. While I will freely admit that my experience is not particularly deep in this genre, the five books of the series that I have read so far have been absolutely captivating.
They are the story of Jack Aubrey, Lieutenant turned Captain turned Post-Captain (thus far), and his friend Stephen Maturin who is both accomplished surgeon and duplicitous secret agent (though in a very early 19th century fashion). The books so far have recorded their journeyings from the Mediterranean to the United Kingdom to the Indian Ocean and the Mauritius Islands and have been a sheer treat to read.
Though not particularly action-packed or quick moving in the contemporary fashion of our day, the novels portray life aboard a vessel in the great age of sail in as poignant and powerful of a way as I think possible for laymen. The monotony of sailing (which comprised 95% of the life of a sailor, with 4% being reckless revelry on land and 1% being ship to ship combat) is filled with interesting conversations and a continual deepening of acquaintance with characters (including the vessels Aubrey commands) that engrosses you from page one and leaves you with a sense of wonder at the adventure you have just concluded as you close its final pages.
The moral of the story, read these books. Though not filled with romance or gripping allegory, they are a great read and will help you feel more than ever that you have experienced something truly memorable.

kenny