I gave Tubb and Bulmer a miss this month so that I could fit in a long read by Moorcock. I won't do that again for some time. In fact, I only have one more Moorcock book on my shelf. As with Piers Anthony, I have likely run my full course with the author.
From the year 2000 comes Michael Moorcock's King of the City,
a 421 page small print hardcover that purports to be a novel. With 27
chapters, several of which are very long, it took me 10 1/2 days to get
through this mess. If you only read chapters 1, 25, 26, and 27 you
won't be missing a thing, and the story might actually make sense. I
think that Moorcock is attempting to channel Iain Banks, who wrote some
of the finest and much more timeless novels of contemporary times. He
fails miserably. Most of the book is filled with name dropping, which
won't mean anything today to many readers, and absolutely nothing to
younger readers. Moorcock's biggest fantasy yet is that he seems to
want to be a rock star and musician (the two often do not go together),
and so his drugged out avatar Denny Dover gets to play in the greatest
rock concert since Hitchhiker's Guide (oh wait, that might have been in
the future). But it's meaningless to him since the girl of his dreams
is giving him the frozen shoulder. The problem with "contemporary"
fiction, that is fiction that uses real people and real events, almost
immediately dates itself. Published a year before 911 events, the big
deal here is the death of Diana, Princess of Wales. The big war going
on is the Bosnian War, which most people today have completely forgotten
or never heard of. The big genocide event was in Rwanda, again mostly
forgotten today. Events in the story were upended by 911, the two
wars against Iraq, the Afghanistan affair, President Trump, the Russian
invasion of Ukraine, the civil war in Sudan, and on and on. Perhaps if
I'd read the story 25 years ago I might have felt different about the
book. But I doubt it. It is poorly written, a sad imitation of James
Joyce's Ulyssess in places, and mostly gives us the thoughts of a crude
though half intelligent paparazzi (Dennis Dover) and the people he most
interacts with. Though he makes continuous fun of magazines like Hello!
and People, the author gives us his own version of the same, and much of it is
incoherent. Sometimes writers write to impress other writers, friends,
and a certain type of (clueless?) reviewer. His audience for this
novel must be a very small one. Not recommended, though there are a few
very funny passages that break up the monotony. And the first chapter
and the last three are quite good. It even has a happy ending, a sort
of utopia that came about rather unexpectedly at the very end.
James Branch Cabell's sublime novel The Cords of Vanity is from 1909. I first came into contact with this author as a teenager collecting Lin carter's Adult Fantasy series. Carter published several novels by Cabell. At the time I didn't like them and didn't "get" them. Rereading them in later years I came to appreciate the incredible talent of this writer, almost forgotten today. I was so pleased when Delphi Classics came out with his complete works! This novel follows an idle and selfish young man in his various love affairs, and can seem at times like Oscar Wilde prose. The wit is similar, as well as the understatement when dealing with emotions. We begin with Robert (Robbie) Townsend's first love as a boy in his early teens, and follow him through to his disastrous 26th year. That is the year that Robbie (hopefully) grows up and becomes a man. The tragedy at the very end comes as a big surprise. I had to read it twice to make certain I'd read it correctly at first. I had. A stunning novel, and worth many readings.
Ashes of Empire continues the tale of the invasion of France and the siege of Paris by the Prussians in 1870-71. Robert Chambers' three novels give a complete chronicle and insider's view of those devastating events. This novel, from 1897, was the last to be written on the subject. However, to read them chronologically (I didn't) begin with Lorraine. Next comes The Red Republic and finally Ashes of Empire. Though Chambers is remembered more for his spine tingling tales, including The Yellow King series, his knack for historical fiction is quite amazing. What struck me again and again as I read these 3 novels over a period of about 2 1/2 years was how much of this kind of murderous nonsense still continues today. The novel is written in such a modern style that it hasn't dated much, and the basic facts of the war in France remain accurate. By adding fictional characters, in this case two American reporters and twin sister from Breton who are in Paris, the emotional depth of what was occurring really strikes home. The girls arrived in Paris to look after their uncle's pet shop after he died. While the birds were released just before the siege, the lion (very tame), monkey and tropical bird had to be sent to the zoo in order to be fed. One feels just as sorry for the lion as one does for the suffering people, as it is badly affected by the sound of canon fire. I highly recommend the entire series, available very inexpensively as part of the Delphi Classics series for Kindle. Then you can also read the King in Yellow, another must read.
Pearls Are a Nuisance is a novella from 139 written by Raymond Chandler. It's an amusing and quite short read, as the detective strives to find missing pearls, which he knows are fake. With very few characters in the story, it isn't too difficult to figure out who done it, but Chandler throws out all the roadblocks and red herrings that he can. A fun story to read, and though it isn't classic noir, the style is spot on. Recommended.
Uncollected Short Stories by Kate Chopin. There are 44 of these small treasures, and it will take them 11 at a time.
"Wiser Than A God" (1889) tells the story of Paula Von Stolz, who wishes to become a concert pianist. She is highly sought after by George, an agreeable man, who eventually proposes marriage. Paula realizes that if she accepts, it will likely be the end of her career chances. What will she do? Hint: this is Kate Chopin writing, one of the earliest female writers to stand up for women.
"Emancipation: A Life Fable" is the story of an unnamed creature accidentally freed from its cage and venturing out alone into the big wide world. The story can be taken as allegory for any number of situations, including and not limited to an animal becoming free to roam, a woman coming from from her closed environment, or a slave being freed and having to face life on his or her own.
"A Point At Issue" (1889) is a sweet tale of a husband and wife who appear to be in love and a perfect emotional and intellectual match for one another. While their post-marriage relationship appears strange to outsiders (including readers), it works out well for them, until the big change finally comes. A lovely story.
"Miss Witherwell's Mistake" (1889) is a humourous tale about a 19 year old girl suddenly showing up at her aunt's house, in a small town far from where she grew up. What is her reason for being there? The reasons she gives her aunt seem plausible enough, but eventually we learn the truth. Another sweet story and not without humour..
"With The Violin" (1889) is a truly Victorian tale, as a grandfather tells his young grandchildren a true story of how a handsome young musician and his music saved the life of someone who was at the very end of his rope.
"Mrs. Mobry's Reason" (1893) is a tragic tale of a woman's attempt to keep her son and daughter from marrying. Readers will assume that the woman is just being too possessive and selfish, but we don't find out the sad truth until the very end.
"The Going Away of Liza" (1892) Liza left her husband suddenly one day. This is the story of her unexpected return.
"The Maid of St. Philippe" (1892) is a tale of the early settler days. A French town musts evacuate as the land has been turned over to the English. One young resourceful woman and her father refuse to leave. When he dies she has several options from which to choose. She chooses the one that suits her best, alarming her friends.
"A Shameful Affair" (1893) A 19 year old girl visiting a farm becomes obsessed with a handsome young farmhand.
"A Harbinger" (1891) is a very short tale about an artist who paints a beautiful girl's portrait one summer. He thinks of her often over the winter and returns the following summer hoping to win her as his wife.
"Doctor Chevalier's Lie" (1893) A doctor in a poor and rough area of a town comes across a victim whom he had personally known. He writes to the parents regarding the bad news, lying to them about the cause of her tragedy.
I finished the month with another story by The Old Sleuth. A Desperate Chance, Or The Wizard Tramp's Revelation is from 1897. This is an adventure tale rather than the usual mystery story. It begins in the wilds of the Rocky Mountains as a young man teams up with an old timer to look for gold. They in turn hook up with a third member. The young man finds a stash of gold and he is sent back East to attend university. He has an adventure on the train ride home with some card sharps, and eventually makes it to university. This story is a bit unusual from the mystery stories I have read by the author previously, and not nearly as interesting.
I finished up the month with Meteor Menace, a Doc Savage adventure from 1934. A long time ago I purchased a ten-pack of these fun pulp SF novels, and read one of them occasionally. As a young teen I read nearly the entire canon, over 80 novels. This is one of the better entries in the vast series. An ancient meteor that crashed into Tibetan mountains has been harnessed for evil purposes by a brilliant professor, and Doc and his gang of 5 assistants have to stop him. A beautiful girl figures into the plot, and for a time readers are led to believe that Doc is engaged to her. As if. He even blushes slightly at one point. The tale begins in Chile before moving to Tibet for the finale. Doc's list of scientific gadgets and weapons would make James Bond envious. An exciting adventure, and Doc really does get his clothes tattered, too!
Mapman Mike
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