Book Reviews

Books I've read recently:

• Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell (March '05): This is a symphony of a book, six nested novellas ranging from historical fiction to science fiction to potboiler thriller on what appears to be a single theme. I could not put down the book, and when away from it, spent an enormous amount of time thinking why the author wrote what he did, and why the genres were chosen, and what they meant. I do not think I have the answers, but the vivid writing, the incredible number of personae the author inhabits, and the brilliant (if creepy) projection of today's trends to the future make this a must read. If someone can figure out how the letters from the composer fit into the overall picture, please send me email -- I am still trying to figure this out! This is a rich, deep, disturbing book, and I think it will be well worth the time you will take to read it.




• Deception Point by Dan Brown (Jan '05): Another thriller by Dan Brown. Brown's characters are cardbard thin, as always, and I had no trouble identifying the smart young overachieving woman, the academic who knows how to dodge bullets and is handsome to boot, the senior government official who you think is the good guy but really is the bad guy, and the unstoppable killer who, neverheless, is outwitted by the academic and the smart young woman. Formula, anyone? Yet... the book is un-put-down-able, with clipped writing, rapid inter-cuts, and a plausible plot. The scenes in the Arctic are gripping, and especially relevant given the blizzard outside when I was reading this. I can probably read one more Dan Brown, but I think I have no more appetite for formula.




• Digital Fortress by Dan Brown (Jan '05): The book calls itself a thriller and that is a pretty accurate description. The technical details are mostly accurate (with a little suspension of disbelief). I found it a tasty diversion. Not very deep, though. Good beach reading.




• The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula Le Guin (Dec '04): I haven't read any science fiction for years, and I have been meaning to read this book for a long while, so I really enjoyed the chance to read this book over the 2004 winter break. The book is an extended meditation into the effects of hermaphroditism on society, and how it would affect nation states. A human visitor to a planet called Winter (which reminds me of Canada) deals with a semi-rural feudal and a collectivist communist society. The writing is superb and I can see why this book won both the Nebula and the Hugo awards. A must for any scifi afficianado.




• The Complete Feluda Vol II by Satyajit Ray (Dec '04): Besides being a filmmaker, Satyajit Ray also wrote a series of detective novellas for 'Sandesh', a children's magazine. Faithfully modeling Doyle, Ray still manages to bring his eye for detail, and a directorial sensibility to these stories.




• The Rule of Four (Dec '04): A gripping read. The authors make you feel that you are in Princeton, and the slow buildup of the novel is masterful




• The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown (Dec '04): This book got a lot of hype, and deservedly so. It makes clear the origins of much I found confusing about Western culture, and the line between truth and fiction is drawn with such impeccable precision that one starts to question everything! For instance, I never really paid attention to the fact that one of the apostles in the Last Supper is a woman. Did you?




• Smart Mobs by Howard Rheingold (Oct '04) : Rheingold has a long history of intuiting a technologie's impact on society well before anyone else. I used to read his articles in the Whole Earth Review with reverence in the late 80's and early 90's. So, it was with much anticipation that I read this book. Unfortunately, here, Rheingold has failed to put together a coherent vision. Each chapter, and sometimes, each page, brings a new idea that does not advance any particular thesis. You may end up, as I did, with a head bursting with new ideas, but no way to organize them. It is very useful as a source book, though I found the use of end-of-book notes particularly painful.