I highly recommend this book. If you like history and you like SciFi/Fantasy, you'll love it.
The book opens with you getting to meet the author of this book and a vampire by the name of Henry. Henry happens to be in possession of secret diaries Lincoln kept, as well as various letters, all dealing with vampire hunting. He has just found the right person to use these materials to compile a complete and accurate biography of Lincoln.
I admit that I didn't know much about Lincoln's life beyond that fact that it was very tragic. He lost so many people; his mother and his first love, his sister and his sons. Within the story you see how many of his losses were brought about by vampires. Grahame-Smith crafts a believable reason for this gentle giant to become the most prolific vampire hunter in America. His letters, speeches, and diary entries are interspersed with the narration. His known life is seamlessly integrated with his life as a hunter.
The vampire myth he creates uses traditional limitations of sunlight, for the younger vampires. The vampire Henry also talks about the reality of being an eternal creature. Once there are no limitations on how much wealth you can amass, the places you can visit, or the experiences you can have, then what do you have to live for? What would drive you?
Henry is also the first to plant the idea in Lincoln's head that not all vampires deserve death. Or, at least, that some deserve it sooner. "Judge us not equally."
A very enjoyable read.
Monday, October 17, 2011
The October Daye Series
I've read (or am currently reading) all of the books in this series to date. And I honestly don't know why.
They are like a guilty pleasure, or an inexplicable addiction. There are many reasons why not to read the series, including a character that I usually don't care about, or am actively annoyed with. October Daye, a changeling private detective who works for humans, which you never actually see, and fae alike. She has a very high success rate, although how I wouldn't know because she is a little slow on the uptake. I understand it is difficult to create an investigator who is the right balance of smart, intuitive, and lucky without them becoming all-knowing. That is why I don't write mysteries. And any good character must have some flaws. October's flaw seems to be not solving the puzzle until at least several, on in the case of the second book, nearly every person immediately involved has died or is nearly dead. Women, children, innocents, barely introduced characters and well developed secondary characters are all fair game here. (Yet, because fairies are immortal, until killed, they are unaccustomed to death. You would think that they would be getting used to the idea, since at least four people die per book.) No book is complete without Toby's own death/near death experience as well.
And yet I keep reading them.
All of these (mostly unnecessary) deaths lead to a lot of enemies for October in the form of loved ones seeking revenge for those she has "let down." This theme runs in every book, earning three frequently reoccurring characters free to pop up to say, "I hate you. You let me down/ruined my life/killed my (insert loved one here." You see two of these instances happen in the first book, while the third enemy blames October for a long-standing failure from 14 years ago.
After offering bland platitudes, such as "I didn't kill them, (actual bad guy) did. It's not my fault," the revenge seekers are understandably unmoved. In the fourth book, Late Eclipses, this kind of drivel actually persuades two of Toby's sworn enemies that she isn't actually at fault. Completely unbelievable. No slow understanding, releasing of blame and their own feelings of guilt.
And yet, I'm reading the fifth book, One Salt Sea. I think the reason I keep reading them is the hope that the books will get better. October will get less annoying or more perceptive. People won't be killed off without an actual reason. But I have to admit to myself that I also enjoy the minor characters, which are well developed, and I enjoy the world she has created. Within this world there are many different races with their own special talents. There is a certain level of soap-opera like fascination with their politics and inter-racial relationships.
I realize that after this book, I'll probably read the next one too. So...read the series, or don't, but you can't say you were not forewarned.
They are like a guilty pleasure, or an inexplicable addiction. There are many reasons why not to read the series, including a character that I usually don't care about, or am actively annoyed with. October Daye, a changeling private detective who works for humans, which you never actually see, and fae alike. She has a very high success rate, although how I wouldn't know because she is a little slow on the uptake. I understand it is difficult to create an investigator who is the right balance of smart, intuitive, and lucky without them becoming all-knowing. That is why I don't write mysteries. And any good character must have some flaws. October's flaw seems to be not solving the puzzle until at least several, on in the case of the second book, nearly every person immediately involved has died or is nearly dead. Women, children, innocents, barely introduced characters and well developed secondary characters are all fair game here. (Yet, because fairies are immortal, until killed, they are unaccustomed to death. You would think that they would be getting used to the idea, since at least four people die per book.) No book is complete without Toby's own death/near death experience as well.
And yet I keep reading them.
All of these (mostly unnecessary) deaths lead to a lot of enemies for October in the form of loved ones seeking revenge for those she has "let down." This theme runs in every book, earning three frequently reoccurring characters free to pop up to say, "I hate you. You let me down/ruined my life/killed my (insert loved one here." You see two of these instances happen in the first book, while the third enemy blames October for a long-standing failure from 14 years ago.
After offering bland platitudes, such as "I didn't kill them, (actual bad guy) did. It's not my fault," the revenge seekers are understandably unmoved. In the fourth book, Late Eclipses, this kind of drivel actually persuades two of Toby's sworn enemies that she isn't actually at fault. Completely unbelievable. No slow understanding, releasing of blame and their own feelings of guilt.
And yet, I'm reading the fifth book, One Salt Sea. I think the reason I keep reading them is the hope that the books will get better. October will get less annoying or more perceptive. People won't be killed off without an actual reason. But I have to admit to myself that I also enjoy the minor characters, which are well developed, and I enjoy the world she has created. Within this world there are many different races with their own special talents. There is a certain level of soap-opera like fascination with their politics and inter-racial relationships.
I realize that after this book, I'll probably read the next one too. So...read the series, or don't, but you can't say you were not forewarned.
Clan of the Cave Bear
I know this is hardly a new book, but with the last installment being released earlier this year, I became curious. Now that I've read Clan of the Cave Bear, I understand why it is a name in literature.
Jean Auel creates a fascinating world among the Neanderthal people, with a complex society based on sexual divergence. They use their racial memory to build on tradition. I liked the idea that they died out, not because they weren't as "advanced" as the Cro-Magnon people, but that their evolutionary path made them unable to adapt. If their racial memory did not contain information for them to deal with a situation, they were thrown into uncertainty.
The main character in this series, Ayla, is a highly likable character. You understand her uncertainty and frustrations in dealing with a culture that limits women. She must learn to submit to any man about anything, act meekly, and curb her exuberant spirit. As Ayla becomes accepted by the clan, she gradually wins enough support to break with some of the Clan's long standing traditions. With each victory you cheer and look for the next, and while a little voice may say that this should not be so easy for her, you don't want her to suffer. As the book goes on Ayla's struggles become more realistic.
From the outside Clan life seems strange and unnecessarily restrictive, but through Clan leader Brun's eyes you can see how their society came to be this way. He is the first among leaders, wise and thoughtful, drawing on the racial memories and wisdom of his line to help him deal with new problems. He tries to teach a sort of fairness to his son Broud, Ayla's nemesis. (As you can imagine, this does not go well, or else he would not be the major hurdle in her life.)
Every aspect of the book is well detailed. Ayla is trained as a medicine woman, in selecting the proper plants or treatment for ailments as well as the spiritual rites associated with healing. The constant descriptions of "primitive" healing are amazing.
Considering the end of the book, I had a good idea as to where the series was going regarding the beginning of the human race. I searched at work for the rest of the series and hungrily read the synopsizes hoping for confirmation of my theory. According to the other reviewers, the rest of the series focuses on Ayla, her sexual escapades, and her run-ins with other Cro Magnon people. The Neanderthals that made the first books so interesting are hardly seen again, only cropping up briefly in a couple of books. None of the other books have the acclaim of the first. And while Ayla is likeable, she is not necessarily interesting. She is "every woman." Through her struggles with the male dominated Neanderthal society she becomes the first female in most of their racial memory to take on certain tasks. She grows to the their wise woman and healer, and a true example of servitude to other women, while becoming the working woman. As the series continues she personally thinks of nearly every human advancement, from domesticating and breeding animals to the more equal and democratic running of their clans to the concept of art. While I appreciate following Ayla's life as the story for how humans as a whole have adapted, I would have been happier if she encountered some of these ideas instead of coming up with all of them herself.
But I cannot be too damning, as I haven't read the rest of the series myself. I may someday, but the idea of reading five other hefty books that have barely a mention of what I found so interesting in the first, just to see how Ayla and her line continues has little appeal at the moment.
Overall I would definitely recommend The Clan of the Cave Bear.
Jean Auel creates a fascinating world among the Neanderthal people, with a complex society based on sexual divergence. They use their racial memory to build on tradition. I liked the idea that they died out, not because they weren't as "advanced" as the Cro-Magnon people, but that their evolutionary path made them unable to adapt. If their racial memory did not contain information for them to deal with a situation, they were thrown into uncertainty.
The main character in this series, Ayla, is a highly likable character. You understand her uncertainty and frustrations in dealing with a culture that limits women. She must learn to submit to any man about anything, act meekly, and curb her exuberant spirit. As Ayla becomes accepted by the clan, she gradually wins enough support to break with some of the Clan's long standing traditions. With each victory you cheer and look for the next, and while a little voice may say that this should not be so easy for her, you don't want her to suffer. As the book goes on Ayla's struggles become more realistic.
From the outside Clan life seems strange and unnecessarily restrictive, but through Clan leader Brun's eyes you can see how their society came to be this way. He is the first among leaders, wise and thoughtful, drawing on the racial memories and wisdom of his line to help him deal with new problems. He tries to teach a sort of fairness to his son Broud, Ayla's nemesis. (As you can imagine, this does not go well, or else he would not be the major hurdle in her life.)
Every aspect of the book is well detailed. Ayla is trained as a medicine woman, in selecting the proper plants or treatment for ailments as well as the spiritual rites associated with healing. The constant descriptions of "primitive" healing are amazing.
Considering the end of the book, I had a good idea as to where the series was going regarding the beginning of the human race. I searched at work for the rest of the series and hungrily read the synopsizes hoping for confirmation of my theory. According to the other reviewers, the rest of the series focuses on Ayla, her sexual escapades, and her run-ins with other Cro Magnon people. The Neanderthals that made the first books so interesting are hardly seen again, only cropping up briefly in a couple of books. None of the other books have the acclaim of the first. And while Ayla is likeable, she is not necessarily interesting. She is "every woman." Through her struggles with the male dominated Neanderthal society she becomes the first female in most of their racial memory to take on certain tasks. She grows to the their wise woman and healer, and a true example of servitude to other women, while becoming the working woman. As the series continues she personally thinks of nearly every human advancement, from domesticating and breeding animals to the more equal and democratic running of their clans to the concept of art. While I appreciate following Ayla's life as the story for how humans as a whole have adapted, I would have been happier if she encountered some of these ideas instead of coming up with all of them herself.
But I cannot be too damning, as I haven't read the rest of the series myself. I may someday, but the idea of reading five other hefty books that have barely a mention of what I found so interesting in the first, just to see how Ayla and her line continues has little appeal at the moment.
Overall I would definitely recommend The Clan of the Cave Bear.
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