Collected Miscellany

Susan Cokal in the NYTBR:

Sensual and intellectual, “Angelology” is a terrifically clever thriller — more Eco than Brown, without the cloudy sentimentalism of New Age encomiums or Catholic treatises. It makes no apologies for its devices, and none are necessary. How else would it be possible to bring together the angels of the Bible and Apocrypha, the myth of Orpheus, Bulgarian geography, medieval monastics, the Rockefellers, ­Nazis, nuns and musicology? And how splendid that it has happened.

And Janet Maslin in the NYT:

These details are brought to mind by Ms. Trussoni’s first novel, “Angelology,” a class-obsessed, scholarship-spouting, minutiae-strewn thrill ride that follows the “Da Vinci Code” model as loftily as it can. In fathoming the grandiosity of Ms. Trussoni’s escapism, maybe it helps to recall the world from which she had to escape.

[...]

This novel is neck deep in mumbo jumbo and will do its tireless best to conflate fact and fiction. Obscure theories? Nonexistent historical events? Exact anatomical details about otherworldly beings? Complaints about the naysayers who have “distorted angelic reality”? Yes, “Angelology” has them all.

Confused? Never fear, dear reader, Angelology is in the TBR pile. In the not too distant future I will offer what I am sure will be the definitive take on this polarizing novel …

Dangerous radicalism? Subversive? Ironic commentary?

The Family is the cradle of the world’s misinformation. There must be something in family life that generates factual error. Overcloseness, the noise and heat of being. Perhaps something even deeper, like the need to survive. Murray says we are fragile creatures surrounded by a world of hostile facts. Facts threaten our happiness and security. The deeper we delve into the nature of things, the looser our structure may seem to become. The family process works toward sealing off the world. Small errors grow heads, fictions proliferate. I tell Murray that ignorance and confusion can’t possibly be the driving forces behind family solidarity.  What an idea, what a subversion. He asks me why the strongest family units exist in the least developed society. Not to know is a weapon of survival, he says. Magic and superstition become entrenched as the powerful orthodoxy of the clan. The family is strongest where objective reality is the most likely to be misinterpreted.  What a heartless theory, I say. But Murray insists it’s true.

– Don De Lillo, White Noise (Penguin Classics Deluxe Editio)

Tongue planted  firmly in cheek, Lev Grossman offers this enlightening explanation for bad reviews of The Magicians:

Sometimes people point out to me that although The Magicians gets some good reviews, it also gets its share of hate as well, and what’s up with that? I’ve looked into this, and I think I’ve figured it out. See, sometimes demons ascend from a lower realm to this one, possess a human and devour him or her from within, like some hideous larval parasite, leaving behind a hollow, ambulatory man-rind in that person’s place, a humanoid mockery of all that is good and true. Those demons then head straight for a keyboard and review The Magicians online. And some of those demons have really crap taste in books. So I hope that clears that up.

I tried to adjust the title to account for snowmageddon but I am not sure it works …

The reference is to a phenomenon some of you bookish types might experience.  I was in one of those moods where I can’t decide what to read. Despite a mountain of ARCs/review copies and shelves of unread books I was having a hard time figuring out just what I was in the mood for.

Well, I got onto a bit of a Young Adult run, and found some authors whose backlist I wanted to read, and so I got out of my rut and left my melancholy behind. But at the expense of the never ending – and always growing – TBR pile.

Whilst this was going on I had some publishers sending me emails and is their wont – and their profession – they made these books seem like must reads. So I said: “Oh, sure. Send that one along.”  And “Yes, please.” Etc. Etc.

So here I sit with a growing backlog of fascinating books that I have promised to read.

But at least I will have no trouble figuring out what I want to read for awhile …

If you are reading this blog it should not come as a shock to you that I like to read. And yes Mr. FTC man, I do get a decent amount of review copies. But I also buy far too many a great many books. I also own and very much enjoy my Kindle.

What does all this mean? It means by the ancient rights of the Internets I get to step up on my soapbox and unleash a diatribe of my choosing. [OK, I made that part up ... but it sounds good doesn't it?]

But I do, however, feel like I might have some perspective on the whole e-books pricing issue both as a consumer and as someone with philosophical opinions on the matter.

So let us use this handy-dandy notebook! New York Times article on the subject as a jumping off point shall we? If you are game, see below.

Read the rest of this entry »

Substitute “books” for “the mail” and this is how I frequently feel.  Just not enough hours in my day to get to all the books I want to read and let alone review.

Libraries use video games to attract teens:

The electronic ding-ding-ding of Sonic the Hedgehog collecting coins became familiar background noise in the teen section of the Main Branch of the Toledo-Lucas County Public library downtown recently as video games were introduced for young patrons.

[...]

Within the last decade, libraries nationwide have embraced gaming as a way to get teens through their doors, said Linda Braun, president of the Young Adult Library Services Association.

Video games were once criticized by parent groups for promoting violence and childhood obesity. But studies now suggest that video games may have a positive impact by fostering literacy as well as team-building and problem- solving skills in young gamers.

“The literacy aspect is huge,” Ms. Braun said. “Many video games have books related to them. And there is a lot of reading that goes on with actual game play.”

My first thought was: “Boy, those budget cuts must have been brutal!”

In all seriousness, call me an old foggey but it does bug me a little that libraries spend valuable time and money on offering video games, movies and popular music and then complain about funding cuts as some sort of cultural suicide. Are libraries cultural and educational institutions or are they public babysitting and entertainment zones paid for by public dollars?

I also love the absolutely ridiculous rationalizations quoted above.  I am sure the kids will be tricked into the library to play video games and suddenly find themselves absorbed into literary culture. The video games are about books!

This isn’t about reading but about getting kids in the library so the library can argue it is important and therefor shouldn’t be cut.  But I think the argument over library funding shouldn’t be tied to getting kids to come play video games no matter how educational.

What do you think? What is the role of a library and what is going to far in terms of offering entertainment rather than literacy and ecuation?