It should not be so hard to write both poetry and fiction. Both arts, after all, make use of the same materials, words and punctuation. Poems...
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Beloved Vagabond is a delightful romance of a type rarely seen today. The perspective is that of a nineteenth-century ragamuffin from London's streets, who is adopted--purchased--by the title character. The Vagabond chooses to follow his whimsy, and one whim inspires him to educate his young charge. In large part, the education consists of taking a grand tour of Europe, a vagabonding tour that rubs noses--and forks manure--with the peasantry. Beloved Vagabond is less a bildungsroman focused on the young man's coming of age than a swift-moving homage to a bourgeoisie-scorning, philosophical gentleman whose chosen arenas are disreputable cafes and the road. Another thread of the plot hints at this soft-hearted gentleman's well-buried past, which recaptures him--or does it?--as we approach the conclusion.
In addition to the charm of character and travelogue, of high culture and low,I enjoyed succumbing to the temptation to turn every so often to my French dictionary as a word, a phrase, a saying, was interjected, and teased me.(The tidbits of Latin I left alone.)
After too much time spent rereading old science fiction, of leafing through today's cruel murder mysteries, I was delighted to dance innocently through the Europe that was, following a hero whose type I no longer see.
Absorbing writing and story . . . but I had to work through dozens of pages before the plot began to engross me. I look forward to the sequel, in part because as long as this volume is, it does not conclude the story.
"By Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett," the listing should read. A delicious introduction to the other author, if you are only a fan of the one. The most important thing to know about the book is that the attitude is benign, positive. Finish reading it and you feel better about the world; if you've identified with the protagonist, you feel better about yourself as well.
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(2 of 4 readers found this comment helpful)
Pratchett continues to entertain us masterfully. Accepting his illness, he tells a story that makes me content to take my leave of a favorite character, Tiffany Aching.
A fascinating book. I would give it a 4 or a 5, except for one fact: I know that I cannot trust the fascinating (purported) facts it reveals.
Dr. Levitin is a legitimate scientist, and an honest-to-god music authority. Anything he reports out of his experience in the industry or his own lab research I am happy to take on faith, and the same is true when he reports what he has read in peer-reviewed journals. However, I think a rabbi friend may have pulled his leg without subsequently owning up to the fact, or he may have misheard a rabbi and not adequately confirmed his impression. Levitin states, without either documentation or reservation, that many rabbis or Jewish scholars perform feats of memorization that simply are implausible. While plausibility and implausibility prove nothing, I made a modest attempt to confirm or falsify the claim; the indication was that his statement is quite invalid.
Subsequently, I checked Levitin's errata site; nothing on this claim. I tried to upload a comment, but was blocked. This is not an area I deal with professionally; consequently, I don't need a documented conclusion.
So. . . nothing final, but enough to provisionally convince me not to put overmuch faith in the documentation Levitin's charming essay uses to support his theses. This one disappointment does not indicate the undocumented sources for statements in other areas were unreliable, but it does raise doubt that I would not have had, given his obvious expertise as a music industry figure and as head of the McGill research team.
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david shapiro has commented on (6) products.
The Beloved Vagabond by William J. Locke
david shapiro, January 17, 2012
Beloved Vagabond is a delightful romance of a type rarely seen today. The perspective is that of a nineteenth-century ragamuffin from London's streets, who is adopted--purchased--by the title character. The Vagabond chooses to follow his whimsy, and one whim inspires him to educate his young charge. In large part, the education consists of taking a grand tour of Europe, a vagabonding tour that rubs noses--and forks manure--with the peasantry. Beloved Vagabond is less a bildungsroman focused on the young man's coming of age than a swift-moving homage to a bourgeoisie-scorning, philosophical gentleman whose chosen arenas are disreputable cafes and the road. Another thread of the plot hints at this soft-hearted gentleman's well-buried past, which recaptures him--or does it?--as we approach the conclusion.In addition to the charm of character and travelogue, of high culture and low,I enjoyed succumbing to the temptation to turn every so often to my French dictionary as a word, a phrase, a saying, was interjected, and teased me.(The tidbits of Latin I left alone.)
After too much time spent rereading old science fiction, of leafing through today's cruel murder mysteries, I was delighted to dance innocently through the Europe that was, following a hero whose type I no longer see.
A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
david shapiro, September 1, 2011
Absorbing writing and story . . . but I had to work through dozens of pages before the plot began to engross me. I look forward to the sequel, in part because as long as this volume is, it does not conclude the story.Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch by Terry Pratchett
david shapiro, September 1, 2011
"By Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett," the listing should read. A delicious introduction to the other author, if you are only a fan of the one. The most important thing to know about the book is that the attitude is benign, positive. Finish reading it and you feel better about the world; if you've identified with the protagonist, you feel better about yourself as well.(2 of 4 readers found this comment helpful)
I Shall Wear Midnight by Terry Pratchett
david shapiro, January 1, 2011
Pratchett continues to entertain us masterfully. Accepting his illness, he tells a story that makes me content to take my leave of a favorite character, Tiffany Aching.The World in Six Songs: How the Musical Brain Created Human Nature by Daniel J. Levitin
david shapiro, March 1, 2009
A fascinating book. I would give it a 4 or a 5, except for one fact: I know that I cannot trust the fascinating (purported) facts it reveals.Dr. Levitin is a legitimate scientist, and an honest-to-god music authority. Anything he reports out of his experience in the industry or his own lab research I am happy to take on faith, and the same is true when he reports what he has read in peer-reviewed journals. However, I think a rabbi friend may have pulled his leg without subsequently owning up to the fact, or he may have misheard a rabbi and not adequately confirmed his impression. Levitin states, without either documentation or reservation, that many rabbis or Jewish scholars perform feats of memorization that simply are implausible. While plausibility and implausibility prove nothing, I made a modest attempt to confirm or falsify the claim; the indication was that his statement is quite invalid.
Subsequently, I checked Levitin's errata site; nothing on this claim. I tried to upload a comment, but was blocked. This is not an area I deal with professionally; consequently, I don't need a documented conclusion.
So. . . nothing final, but enough to provisionally convince me not to put overmuch faith in the documentation Levitin's charming essay uses to support his theses. This one disappointment does not indicate the undocumented sources for statements in other areas were unreliable, but it does raise doubt that I would not have had, given his obvious expertise as a music industry figure and as head of the McGill research team.
(1 of 2 readers found this comment helpful)
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