Comments for Vulpes Libris http://vulpeslibris.wordpress.com A collective of bibliophiles writing about books. Thu, 24 Dec 2009 17:15:44 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 Comment on From us to you … by Fruitjie http://vulpeslibris.wordpress.com/2009/12/20/from-us-to-you/#comment-10735 Fruitjie Thu, 24 Dec 2009 17:15:44 +0000 http://vulpeslibris.wordpress.com/?p=9657#comment-10735 i just discovered you, and thanks for being! i was surfing, looking for commentary about Maureen Freely's novel "Enlightenment." i finished it last night... contrary to Ariadne's opinion(s), i felt that Freely was fooling around with a fairly typical spy novel mostly to present her opinions and beliefs about Turkey in contemporary international affairs. the structure seemed to me unnecessarily complex, the characters seemed to come into focus and then out again, certain anonymous persons never were given a name... or perhaps i read it too quickly, didn't pay close enough attention to the clues, didn't honor the author's intent which was, apparently, to record the feelings and intellectual conflicts of a group of young people trying to formulate their own political philosophies. if anyone would like to read another novel dealing with political confusion, terror, mystery, i suggest "Child 44," by Tom Rob Smith, which concerns a serial killer being pursued by a dedicated KGB agent whose point of view toward his country takes a major shift as he tries to stop the killer's brutal murders. (there is a sequel which i have not read.) Ariadne didn't mention one aspect of "Enlightenment" which I found marvelous - and which kept me reading even when concern about Sinan and Jeannie had lost appeal - and that was the description of the Bosphorus, the colors, the air, and the magnificent views which were part of the characters' lives. as i have been reading a lot in Byzantine history recently, it was wonderful to read about how the Golden Horn actually looks today, with the shipping, the color of the water, the Asian coast opposite... still, after reading Freely's book, i'm paying more attention to Turkey than i did...and recognizing how important it could be in the increasing Islamization that seems to be taking place in the world. i just discovered you, and thanks for being!

i was surfing, looking for commentary about Maureen Freely’s novel “Enlightenment.” i finished it last night…

contrary to Ariadne’s opinion(s), i felt that Freely was fooling around with a fairly typical spy novel mostly to present her opinions and beliefs about Turkey in contemporary international affairs. the structure seemed to me unnecessarily complex, the characters seemed to come into focus and then out again, certain anonymous persons never were given a name…

or perhaps i read it too quickly, didn’t pay close enough attention to the clues, didn’t honor the author’s intent which was, apparently, to record the feelings and intellectual conflicts of a group of young people trying to formulate their own political philosophies.

if anyone would like to read another novel dealing with political confusion, terror, mystery, i suggest “Child 44,” by Tom Rob Smith, which concerns a serial killer being pursued by a dedicated KGB agent whose point of view toward his country takes a major shift as he tries to stop the killer’s brutal murders. (there is a sequel which i have not read.)

Ariadne didn’t mention one aspect of “Enlightenment” which I found marvelous – and which kept me reading even when concern about Sinan and Jeannie had lost appeal – and that was the description of the Bosphorus, the colors, the air, and the magnificent views which were part of the characters’ lives. as i have been reading a lot in Byzantine history recently, it was wonderful to read about how the Golden Horn actually looks today, with the shipping, the color of the water, the Asian coast opposite…

still, after reading Freely’s book, i’m paying more attention to Turkey than i did…and recognizing how important it could be in the increasing Islamization that seems to be taking place in the world.

]]> Comment on Bleak House by Charles Dickens by Jacob Russell http://vulpeslibris.wordpress.com/2009/12/15/bleak-house-by-charles-dickens/#comment-10734 Jacob Russell Wed, 23 Dec 2009 21:41:07 +0000 http://vulpeslibris.wordpress.com/2009/12/15/bleak-house-by-charles-dickens/#comment-10734 ... and spontaneous human combustion! Don't forget, spontaneous human combustion! … and spontaneous human combustion!
Don’t forget, spontaneous human combustion!

]]> Comment on Andrei Makine’s Human Love: Browbeaten by politics and terrified by cheese … by annebrooke http://vulpeslibris.wordpress.com/2009/08/12/andrei-makine%e2%80%99s-human-love-browbeaten-by-politics-and-terrified-by-cheese-%e2%80%a6/#comment-10732 annebrooke Wed, 23 Dec 2009 20:45:03 +0000 http://vulpeslibris.wordpress.com/?p=8074#comment-10732 "Than what I wrote"?!? Shocking! Standards are falling, I fear. Whatever next? :) And people are starting to talk, Jacob ... I fear we must be more secretive! Anne B “Than what I wrote”?!? Shocking! Standards are falling, I fear. Whatever next?

:)

And people are starting to talk, Jacob … I fear we must be more secretive!

Anne B

]]> Comment on Andrei Makine’s Human Love: Browbeaten by politics and terrified by cheese … by Jacob Russell http://vulpeslibris.wordpress.com/2009/08/12/andrei-makine%e2%80%99s-human-love-browbeaten-by-politics-and-terrified-by-cheese-%e2%80%a6/#comment-10731 Jacob Russell Wed, 23 Dec 2009 20:41:03 +0000 http://vulpeslibris.wordpress.com/?p=8074#comment-10731 RosyB I think neither more nor less of it than what I wrote. A witty lass, AnneB! Be well! RosyB

I think neither more nor less of it than what I wrote. A witty lass, AnneB!

Be well!

]]> Comment on Andrei Makine’s Human Love: Browbeaten by politics and terrified by cheese … by RosyB http://vulpeslibris.wordpress.com/2009/08/12/andrei-makine%e2%80%99s-human-love-browbeaten-by-politics-and-terrified-by-cheese-%e2%80%a6/#comment-10730 RosyB Wed, 23 Dec 2009 20:37:43 +0000 http://vulpeslibris.wordpress.com/?p=8074#comment-10730 I'm afraid, Jacob, you are leaving me no choice but to conclude that you must think rather more of Anne's review than you're letting on to be spending quite so much of your time "critiquing" it. ;) But, hey, don't let me stop you...carry on, carry on... I’m afraid, Jacob, you are leaving me no choice but to conclude that you must think rather more of Anne’s review than you’re letting on to be spending quite so much of your time “critiquing” it. ;)

But, hey, don’t let me stop you…carry on, carry on…

]]> Comment on Andrei Makine’s Human Love: Browbeaten by politics and terrified by cheese … by annebrooke http://vulpeslibris.wordpress.com/2009/08/12/andrei-makine%e2%80%99s-human-love-browbeaten-by-politics-and-terrified-by-cheese-%e2%80%a6/#comment-10729 annebrooke Wed, 23 Dec 2009 20:30:38 +0000 http://vulpeslibris.wordpress.com/?p=8074#comment-10729 Even worse - it could be that pesky Snowman! Raymond Briggs has a lot to answer for, sigh ... :) Anne B Even worse – it could be that pesky Snowman! Raymond Briggs has a lot to answer for, sigh …

:)

Anne B

]]> Comment on Andrei Makine’s Human Love: Browbeaten by politics and terrified by cheese … by Jacob Russell http://vulpeslibris.wordpress.com/2009/08/12/andrei-makine%e2%80%99s-human-love-browbeaten-by-politics-and-terrified-by-cheese-%e2%80%a6/#comment-10728 Jacob Russell Wed, 23 Dec 2009 20:28:22 +0000 http://vulpeslibris.wordpress.com/?p=8074#comment-10728 Best wishes to you for the horror... er .. holly daze... may you pass through them without once hearing the Little Drummer Boy! j Best wishes to you for the horror… er .. holly daze… may you pass through them without once hearing the Little Drummer Boy!

j

]]> Comment on Andrei Makine’s Human Love: Browbeaten by politics and terrified by cheese … by annebrooke http://vulpeslibris.wordpress.com/2009/08/12/andrei-makine%e2%80%99s-human-love-browbeaten-by-politics-and-terrified-by-cheese-%e2%80%a6/#comment-10727 annebrooke Wed, 23 Dec 2009 20:25:55 +0000 http://vulpeslibris.wordpress.com/?p=8074#comment-10727 Yes, always interesting to hear other people's views, Jacob. We're just critiquing your critique of the critique. In an utterly serious fashion of course! Don't be fooled by the humour ... That reaction is a common mistake. I didn't, however, expect such a mistake from you! :) Anne B Yes, always interesting to hear other people’s views, Jacob. We’re just critiquing your critique of the critique. In an utterly serious fashion of course! Don’t be fooled by the humour … That reaction is a common mistake. I didn’t, however, expect such a mistake from you!

:)

Anne B

]]> Comment on Andrei Makine’s Human Love: Browbeaten by politics and terrified by cheese … by Jacob Russell http://vulpeslibris.wordpress.com/2009/08/12/andrei-makine%e2%80%99s-human-love-browbeaten-by-politics-and-terrified-by-cheese-%e2%80%a6/#comment-10726 Jacob Russell Wed, 23 Dec 2009 19:34:10 +0000 http://vulpeslibris.wordpress.com/?p=8074#comment-10726 rosyb Everyone's entitled to his or her opinion, but no one is entitled to exemption from a critique of their reasoning and interpretation. All opinions are not equal, nor all readings equally strong and insightful. If you display your thoughts in public you can't beg off having someone look at them with a critical eye (and I don't at all have the impression Anne has done that). rosyb

Everyone’s entitled to his or her opinion, but no one is entitled to exemption from a critique of their reasoning and interpretation.

All opinions are not equal, nor all readings equally strong and insightful.

If you display your thoughts in public you can’t beg off having someone look at them with a critical eye (and I don’t at all have the impression Anne has done that).

]]> Comment on Andrei Makine’s Human Love: Browbeaten by politics and terrified by cheese … by Jacob Russell http://vulpeslibris.wordpress.com/2009/08/12/andrei-makine%e2%80%99s-human-love-browbeaten-by-politics-and-terrified-by-cheese-%e2%80%a6/#comment-10725 Jacob Russell Wed, 23 Dec 2009 19:27:25 +0000 http://vulpeslibris.wordpress.com/?p=8074#comment-10725 A critique of a critique is fair game.. and I think my comments were just. Nothing personal. As for reviewing Makine... I was thinking of reviewing Earth and Sky... (didn't think too highly of it) but found another review that said pretty much what I would have. <a href="http://jacobrussellsbarkingdog.blogspot.com/2008/01/my-name-is-red.html" rel="nofollow">HEARE</a> I chuckled when I read Anne's post... sort of Saturday Night Live parody of a review--( something that an intentional misreading and good sense of humor can work for any book... and this review was funny! ).. but when others, and then Anne, seemed to take it as a serious critique of the book, I had second thoughts. A critique of a critique is fair game.. and I think my comments were just. Nothing personal.

As for reviewing Makine… I was thinking of reviewing Earth and Sky… (didn’t think too highly of it) but found another review that said pretty much what I would have. HEARE

I chuckled when I read Anne’s post… sort of Saturday Night Live parody of a review–( something that an intentional misreading and good sense of humor can work for any book… and this review was funny! ).. but when others, and then Anne, seemed to take it as a serious critique of the book, I had second thoughts.

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