poison pen

The reality, the erudition, and the use of language

Revisado: 08-10-24

This is the second time that I’ve listened to this book in five days. McCarthy saved his best for last. I will listen again to his ultimate novel, with much anticipation. For this book is not only his penultimate novel, but his best prose thus far. It’s become poetry to my heart. Anyone who cannot relate and embrace all of the characters contained herein has need of a heart transplant.

I have listened to all of McCarthy’s books Audible has in its library and have downloaded all of the lesser known books onto my Kindle app, to read later. I did not listen to all of them in order. I had listened to a few following McCarthy’s death in the spring, and was engrossed by all of the reality and earthiness every character
brings.

What got me started listening to all of his works in order, was after seeing “No Country For Old Men”, for the umpteenth time, After the film ended, I immediately listened to the book, and as Wikipedia said, it was almost a complete screenplay with minor exceptions. That put me on Cormac McCarthy binge ever since. I have not listened to “The Road”, which I shall listen to after his ultimate novel, which is not only his last novel, but his best,

The psychological dance between the narrators is incredible. I have pages of quotes and many bookmarks of McCarthyisms, which are either very odd, quaint, profound, or funny. Move over “War and Peace”, which I have listened to five times already.And the sixth time I shall listen and follow along in the same version of the book.

Undoubtedly, McCarthy has moved into my “my stranded on a lost island”, book list along with Tolstoy, Doychoefsky, Bryce Courtney, Don Winslow, Thomas Pynchon, Dickens, Manuel Carcia Marquez, Edward Whittemore, Robert Graves, James Joyce, Melville, Kafka, David Foster Wallace, Ibsen, Mary Shelly, Steinbeck, and the list goes on. My guess is that the plane carrying my books and I crash together on that desert island. Oh what a happy time, as long as there are plenty of coconuts and at least one volleyball.

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Inspector Sean Duff’s backstory

Revisado: 02-09-24

This is my second time listening to the series, and I just purchased the next in the series. Adrian McKinty does a fantastic job at weaving a believable and sometimes incredible story that never leaves you feeling bored. Listen to the series in order and you will be rewarded accordingly.

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All Inclusive

Revisado: 01-30-24

Of all the Sherlock Holmes books that I have either read or listened to, this is by far the absolute best. It includes all the Sherlock Holmes works that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote, but as importantly, Stephen Fry adds the context of where and when the works were written and published, and the circumstances of Doyle’s life that dictated the publication of those works.

Stephen Fry is the quintessential Holmes narrator. Doubtlessly, there are other narrators that are wonderful in their narrations of other Sherlock Holmes collections, but this collection is well served by his narration that allows you to get completely lost in the story. My favorite of the entire collection was that of the Molly McGuire’s. It is a singular story that I have found no where else in my reading.

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So grateful that I listened to this audiobook

Revisado: 12-09-23

I listened to another audiobook of “Silver”, that was incredibly difficult to understand. The narrator must’ve had gravel in his mouth.

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Wonderfully narrated

Revisado: 12-02-23

This is the second audiobook of Treasure Island that I’ve listened to in the past month. My negative comments of the first was the performance; the narrator was almost incomprehensible. Not so with this one, the narrator is excellent.

Only criticism of this version of Treasure Island is that there is to much dead air between chapters. I liked the music at the beginning and end of each chapter, but the wait for the next chapter is annoying.

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So glad I heard this one again

Revisado: 10-29-23

I have owned all of Whittemore’s books in hardcovers and all the audiobooks, which I have read or listened to numerous times. My listening of this book completely surpassed me, because of all of his titles, this is the one that I least remember. I must have been asleep when I previously read it, since this book is now my favorite of all his books.

I’ve read reviews that suggested that Whittemore had run out of steam by the time he wrote this one. I must disagree. I believe that he was able to write the first three in alternative history form which has been compared to Pynchon’s Gravity’s Rainbow in order to give a fairly accurate overview of the past. It was also compared to Tolstoy’s War and Peace which I again agree, as I am listening to it for the sixth time as I follow along in a Kindle edition matching the audio book.

However, in Jericho Mosaic he wrote about the present as historical fiction, based a real person who lived in Whittemore’s present. I shall continue to reread his works many more times in my lifetime, and I continue to pick up parts of the story I’d completely forgotten.

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Narrator kin’a grows on ya

Revisado: 06-20-23

This was my second MxCormac McCathy book, “Blood Meridian” being my first. While this book is of singular difference to the above, it has a way of drawing you into before you know it. Now I have to start the next of his books.

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OUTSTANDING

Revisado: 05-22-23

Without a doubt, this is up there with my top ten books. I think that it ranks up there with Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Gabriel Garcia Marquis, Steinbeck, Capote, Gore Vidal, John le Carre.
And a resounding ? for being far better than the film.

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Encyclopedic

Revisado: 02-26-23

Wow, I just finished this astounding book. I’ve watched the film with Sean Connery more times than I remember.

As I listened my thoughts were that it was brilliant prose , a comprehensive history the horrors of Medieval Catholicism, and a review of the Bible. Take your pick. Myself, I prefer to think of it as one of the greatest literary achievements.

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Gratuitous sex?

Revisado: 01-10-23

John Rain books are the NC-17 rating for the new Bond, James Bond. At least folks should give him credit for not being a slam-bam-thank-you -ma’am lover.

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