Hello everyone,
Happy 2018!
Best wishes and may the force be with you!
It has taken a while but I'm finally done with the novel you see listed below:
This was a monster, truly and I'm proud of myself that I stuck with it, because the story isn't all that great.
It's basically a mystery cloaked in an essay of 14th century clergy. And I don't need to say I'm negatively biased when it comes to mysteries.
Yet, it was the truly skillful manner in which Umberto Eco could describe the abbey where "The Action" takes place. It reminded me a little off The Pillars of the Earth. The Name of the Rose isn't as good as Pillars, not as much depth, but it was entertaining enough to stick with it.
2017 wasn't as good a reading year as I normally have. I had set a goal of 48 books to read and barely got to 32. The thing that speaks in my favor is that most books were quite lenghty. It's easy to read enough flimsy little things, but I like to invest in something that takes a while to build up and delivers a spectacular finish.
I did read some very fine novels. The most remarkable were
Stoner by John Williams was one of those rare finds where a very simple story became mesmerizing in its rawness.
From Here to Eternity by James Jones which let me glimpse a life in the army when there's not yet a war to be fought.
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver which reminded me of the truly remarkable history of the Congo.
It could've been worse. 2017 was more about quality than quantity.
So I conclude this first post of 2018 with a wish for anyone to keep on reading and don't be afraid to try out something new. You might be amazed!
