Lord of the Flies (William Golding)

Title: Lord of the Flies

Author: William Golding

Date Published: 1954

Genre: Allegory

A lone island lies in the center of the blue sea. Suddenly, a loud crash. The wings of the airplane above splinter and crash onto the land. From the wreckage, figures emerge. Not, this is not an episode of Lost. The survivors are all preteens, ages 5 to 12. And nearly all of them are hideously flawed.

This incident initiates one of the most disturbing survival stories I have read yet. What seems to be every boy's dream, being stranded with no adults and no rules on a solicitous and kaleidoscopic paradise, soon turns into the darkest of nightmares. Ralph, the clear protagonist, represents man's attempt at moral order in his endeavor to be rescued. His lieutenant Piggy, the voice of reason, refocuses Ralph on that goal continually. However, the antagonist Jack (ironically the choirboy leader, a position created by adults and civilization) devolves to represent all that is base in society. Jack and Ralph's ultimate battle represents what civilization would become with no imposed order.

Although Golding's philosophy is slightly obtuse and dire, this book does serve as an admirable study of the human heart, unchecked by moral restraint or regulation. The plot asked much suspension of belief from the reader, but once I eradicated the nagging questions of how the boys survived the plane crash and why the island had nothing but pigs and mice, I was able to move on with the story and accept whatever happened. Though I anticipated the deaths of some of the characters, this by no means denigrated the chilling and sickening effect of their demises. The one apparent fault of the book was its fragmented writing style, which was slightly difficult to read and somehow managed to throw my gaze off the page into space. However, this style oddly suited the narrative and contributed to the general aura of horror. This story, though not a light read, remains a gripping warning of the darkness of the unregenerate human heart.

Plot: 8 (out of 10)

Style: 7 (out of 10)

Difficulty: 4 (out of 10)

Overall: 9 (out of 10)

The Mill on the Floss (George Eliot)

Title: The Mill on the Floss

Author: George Eliot

Date Published: 1860

Genre: Historical, Romance

Yet again, I find myself thoroughly awed by the unconventional woman who was so very prolific and insightful in her writings. Since I had just finished reading Middlemarch and was loath to leave the provincial worlds created by Eliot, I decided to descend into another of her well known works, The Mill on the Floss. This story, unlike the former, is a tragedy and explores the conflicts a passionate young English lady has with her family, community, and the world in general. Maggie Tulliver is a precocious child, loving deeply and forever in trouble. She adores her brother Tom, but her affection goes largely unreciprocated. Tom is as realistic and practical as Maggie is fanciful and aesthetically bent. As they grow up, brother and sister drift farther apart, until a misconstrued action on Maggie's part sunders their relationship completely. Only through divine Providence and the unpredictable nature of the river on which they reside can bring them into accordance again.

Although all her works are superb, this is perhaps my favorite, as it resonated with me personally. I found myself continually sympathizing with Maggie, despite her obvious flaws, simply because I also (as well as many others, I am sure) have felt keenly the emotions she experiences in the novel. Also, Eliot's portrayal of the Dodson relatives, especially the thoroughly thrilling Aunt Glegg, gave bright sparks of humor and wry laughs to an otherwise serious and contemplative narrative.

This is definitely a novel I will purchase as soon as I can escape from my to the nearest bookstore. Though, I admit, the final flood is somewhat of a hasty deus ex machina, it provides a fitting conclusion to a meandering, tumultuous (almost Brontë-esque) novel that codifies and corroborates the inmost emotions all have felt at some point in life.

Plot: 9 (out of 10)

Style: 10 (out of 10)

Difficulty: 7 (out of 10)

Overall: 10 (out of 10)

Middlemarch (George Eliot)

Title: Middlemarch

Author: George Eliot

Date Published: 1871

Genre: Historical, Romance

"...For the growing good of the world is partly dependent on unhistoric acts; and that things are not so ill with you and me as they might have been, is half owing to the number who lived faithfully a hidden life, and rest in unvisited tombs."

This quote from the novel encapsulates the theme of the entire book; it is essentially a charming account of the interwoven lives of the denizens of a fictitious English town. The narrative consists of eight stories and jumps back, forth, and about gracefully from one to another.

A short plot synopsis is impossible, but I will attempt it anyway. Wealthy Dorthea Brooks marries her studious love Edward Casaubon, against the wishes of her father. The marriage is unhappy, and she meets Will Ladislaw, Casaubon's cousin. Dorthea and Ladislaw's meetings arouse the jealousy of Casaubon. When he dies, his will forbids Dorthea from marrying Ladislaw. Meanwhile, a wealthy doctor named Tertius Lydgate causes quite a stir in Middlemarch with his revolutionary practice and marries Rosamond Vincy. He incurs much debt. Fred Vincy, Rosamund's brother, is equally irresponsible with money, but he resolves to change his ways. A mysterious man, Mr. Raffles, appears in the town, exposing the secret past of the town banker, Mr. Bulstrode. Raffles becomes ill soon after Lydgate asks Bulstrode to help him pay off his debts. Reluctantly, Bulstrode gives Lydgate the money, but the doctor fails to save Raffles due to Bulstrode disobeying Lydgate's orders. The town thinks that Bulstrode bribed Lydgate to kill Raffles, but Dorthea persuades the key members of the town otherwise. She and Ladislaw express their mutual love and move to London to start a new life.

Beautifully written and expertly balanced, this novel is a must read for any serious literary connoisseur. It has all the essential ingredients - death, love, betrayal, vice, and virtue - but comes dressed in all the glory and masterful power of Eliot's quick pen. I could almost smell the golden mist of the province filling my lungs as I eavesdropped on the domestic intrigues of the residents of the town. This is definitely one I foresee reading again many times.

Plot: 10 (out of 10)

Style: 10 (out of 10)

Difficulty: 6 (out of 10)

Overall: 10 (out of 10)

Note: Sorry, I'm a sucker for anything by George Eliot!

The Maltese Falcon (Dashiell Hammett)

Title: The Maltese Falcon

Author: Dashiel Hammett

Date Published: 1930

Genre: Mystery

This thoroughly engrossing tale is the epitome of the hard-boiled mystery. Sam Spade, a Los Angeles detective, must discover the whereabouts of a valuable gold avine statue while solving a trio of murders. Along the way, he encounters into the usual suspects: Brigid O'Shaughnessy, femme fatale; Joel Cairo, sleazy cohort; Kasper Gutman, wealthy treasure hunter; and Wilmer, a foul-mouthed grunt.

Hammett's style of writing is in keeping with the noir genre but has its own idiosyncrasies that make it thoroughly unique. The title's namesake is the classic MacGuffin, leading the plot along but otherwise apparently useless. Also, the tone of the novel is unfeeling. For instance, Hammett never reveals what any of the characters are thinking. Even Spade's thoughts remain a mystery. This almost gives the story the dry air of a criminal report. Additionally, Hammett's moral ambiguity is striking. He never judges a character's actions, but presents the facts as they are and lets the reader form the opinion. And almost every character has flaws: Spade has an affair with Archer's wife; O'Shaughnessy kills a man in cold blood; Gutman betrays the boy he regards as "his own son." All these are presented in a cold, unfeeling light, and most are never retributed.

Overall, this is now one of my favorite detective novels. I'll never hear the term "wolfish grin" again without thinking of the geometric face of Sam Spade. The book's fast pace, singular style, and unsatisfying (or inconclusive) conclusion all make it an exciting ride through the good ole days of the past.

Plot: 8 (out of 10)

Style: 9 (out of 10)

Difficulty: 4 (out of 10)

Overall: 9 (out of 10)

Rainbow Six (Tom Clancy)

Title: Rainbow Six

Author: Tom Clancy

Date Published: 1998

Genre: Thriller

Rainbow Six marks my foray into the works of Tom Clancy. As I had heard much of this prolific author and done some research about his stories, I had moderate hopes about this book. I was not disappointed.

The ninth book (by publication date) in the Jack Ryan (Ryanverse) series, Rainbow Six is very interesting. It details the attempt of a radical environmentalist group's endeavors to save the world by killing most of the earth's population. They engineer a modified strand of the Ebola virus (nicknamed Shiva) which they plan to release at the Sydney summer Olympics. To accomplish their grand plans, the group hires a former KGB officer to organize several hostage situations to raise the global awareness of terrorism. Jack Ryan (under the code name John Clark and Rainbow Six) must save the world once again with his covert team of elite forces.

Overall, this book was a fun summer read. It did not overtax my mental facilities, but it had enough techno argot that I felt like I was not completely wasting my time. The accounts of the hostage situations were intense and one was even a little sickening. I did like Clancy's humorous, although brief, accounts of Jack's "midlife crisis," when he struggles to comprehend where his youth has gone. Also, Clancy has obviously done his research in regards to pathology and psychopathology. His detailed analyses of a terrorist's thought processes are only outmatched by his meticulous account of how the environmental group engineered the Ebola.

This last description contributes to only real downfall of the book - the anticlimactic end. Clancy spends most of the book describing the effects of Shiva and how the radical group's maniacal plot will transpire. By the end of the book, I almost (sadistically) hoped that the virus might be released and cause widespread pandemonium. Instead, the book ended typically with a shootout and virtually all the "good guys" living to see another day. With the plethora of gore, violence, and (mostly gratuitous) language, this novel is nothing more than a flashy, explosive, R-rated blockbuster fata morgana - fun while it lasted but easily forgotten.

So here's my rating:

Plot: 6 (out of 10)

Style: 6 (out of 10)

Difficulty: 4 (out of 10)

Overall: 5 (out of 10)

The Seed Sprouts...

Well, here's my new blog. Actually it's the only blog I've ever had. Kinda cool!

I definitely plan on "redecorating" the place....