Search
Search results
Deborah (162 KP) rated The Mythology of Richard III in Books
Dec 21, 2018
As usual, Ashdown-Hill has given us a well-written and accessible book with an extensive index and bibliography and reasoning well backed up with factual evidence; I find his books are always worth reading an a refreshing change from a lot of the nonsense there is out there. In this particular book he looks at myths and legends, both old and rather worryingly modern, that surround one or our best known monarchs.
Early chapters deal with the mythology perpetuated by Tudor propagandists and blinkered 'traditionalists' despite lack of evidence in many cases and even explicit evidence to the contrary in others! He looks at how some stories, such as the 'body in the river' became perpetuated over time so that they eventually become accepted as 'truth' by the uninformed. Even I had taken rather at face value the story of the White/Blue Boar Inn, but as Ashdown-Hill points out, it would be much more logical for Richard III to have stayed at Leicester Castle, as he had on a previous occasion, and also there is no evidence that an inn with a boar in its name existed at all in Leicester at this time!
The latter part of the book deals with more modern myths and I was really rather saddened and disappointed that it was necessary to have to set the record straight on many aspect of the rediscovery of the king's grave. I completely understand Ashdown-Hill's need to do so. After reading his earlier book 'The Last Days of Richard III' I was thoroughly convinced by his well reasoned arguments and never for a moment did I seriously doubt that that is where Richard III's resting place was. I was almost ready to go and dig the car park up myself! Whatever the rights and wrongs of it, I did find all the arguments over a final resting place to be somewhat distasteful, with some people sinking very low in voicing their opinions. It is disheartening that a British University PR department is less interested in truth than in trying to keep all the kudos for itself and I hope that people will read this and know the truth. With all its apparent misinformation I doubt I will be bothering with the visitor centre in Leicester any more than I have bothered to visit the putative site of Bosworth.
Early chapters deal with the mythology perpetuated by Tudor propagandists and blinkered 'traditionalists' despite lack of evidence in many cases and even explicit evidence to the contrary in others! He looks at how some stories, such as the 'body in the river' became perpetuated over time so that they eventually become accepted as 'truth' by the uninformed. Even I had taken rather at face value the story of the White/Blue Boar Inn, but as Ashdown-Hill points out, it would be much more logical for Richard III to have stayed at Leicester Castle, as he had on a previous occasion, and also there is no evidence that an inn with a boar in its name existed at all in Leicester at this time!
The latter part of the book deals with more modern myths and I was really rather saddened and disappointed that it was necessary to have to set the record straight on many aspect of the rediscovery of the king's grave. I completely understand Ashdown-Hill's need to do so. After reading his earlier book 'The Last Days of Richard III' I was thoroughly convinced by his well reasoned arguments and never for a moment did I seriously doubt that that is where Richard III's resting place was. I was almost ready to go and dig the car park up myself! Whatever the rights and wrongs of it, I did find all the arguments over a final resting place to be somewhat distasteful, with some people sinking very low in voicing their opinions. It is disheartening that a British University PR department is less interested in truth than in trying to keep all the kudos for itself and I hope that people will read this and know the truth. With all its apparent misinformation I doubt I will be bothering with the visitor centre in Leicester any more than I have bothered to visit the putative site of Bosworth.
Debbiereadsbook (1449 KP) rated Fox Tale (Sacred Emblems #0) in Books
Apr 27, 2024
great reading about Japan.
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
Ava is in Japan, writing a travel article. Meeting Chase, with his wonderful tales of Japanese myths and legends, helps her write a different take. But she never expected to meet up with her ex, Rafe, who left her two years ago without a word. Both men are hiking things. Can Ava choose?
I don't read reviews before I read a book, not anymore, but I will read them AFTER I've read said book, but before I write my review for one reason only: did they feel the same about this book as I did.
In this case: nope. They all loved this book and I . . . didn't.
I'm not saying I didn't like this book, I just found it hard work.
It's almost all written from Ava's point of view, in the first person. Rafe gets two very small bits, not even a chapter, in the third. I needed more from Rafe, and Chase, to be fair, to offset Ava.
There is a huge amount of repeated wording. Mostly around how Ava feels and thinks about Chase. "Apart from his silver hair, he looks young" or words to that effect are the most common. It began to get a bit much. "Seven hundred and seventy *something*, next winter" is another. The same things about the fox stories from Japanese lore pop up time and again too.
Apart from that, I liked this book. I couldn't see where it was going, nor how it was getting there, so when it did all go down, I was surprised and I liked the way it all happened.
Although there is the repetition of the lore, I did enjoy reading about the Japanese traditions and myths and legends.
There are some difficult topics here: death of a spouse, suicide, mental health issues and readers do need to be aware. Things are not how they seem, however, but the warning still needs to be made.
This is the first I've read of this author, and I always ask myself, will I read more? Not at this time. I won't say no to reading something else at a later date though.
3 good stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
Ava is in Japan, writing a travel article. Meeting Chase, with his wonderful tales of Japanese myths and legends, helps her write a different take. But she never expected to meet up with her ex, Rafe, who left her two years ago without a word. Both men are hiking things. Can Ava choose?
I don't read reviews before I read a book, not anymore, but I will read them AFTER I've read said book, but before I write my review for one reason only: did they feel the same about this book as I did.
In this case: nope. They all loved this book and I . . . didn't.
I'm not saying I didn't like this book, I just found it hard work.
It's almost all written from Ava's point of view, in the first person. Rafe gets two very small bits, not even a chapter, in the third. I needed more from Rafe, and Chase, to be fair, to offset Ava.
There is a huge amount of repeated wording. Mostly around how Ava feels and thinks about Chase. "Apart from his silver hair, he looks young" or words to that effect are the most common. It began to get a bit much. "Seven hundred and seventy *something*, next winter" is another. The same things about the fox stories from Japanese lore pop up time and again too.
Apart from that, I liked this book. I couldn't see where it was going, nor how it was getting there, so when it did all go down, I was surprised and I liked the way it all happened.
Although there is the repetition of the lore, I did enjoy reading about the Japanese traditions and myths and legends.
There are some difficult topics here: death of a spouse, suicide, mental health issues and readers do need to be aware. Things are not how they seem, however, but the warning still needs to be made.
This is the first I've read of this author, and I always ask myself, will I read more? Not at this time. I won't say no to reading something else at a later date though.
3 good stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
Eilidh G Clark (177 KP) rated The Testament of Gideon Mack in Books
May 14, 2017
Gideon meets the Devil and he's not quite what he expected
This was a really good read. The novel is written in the style of a memoir and is pretty convincing. There are layers and layers of myths and legends throughout the novel and truth and lies become so merged that the reader is left wondering about the clarity of the protagonist and the statements and evidence of the editor and journalist who represent the story. The novel explores the life of Gideon Mack, who, like his father become a minister of the Christian church. Gideon however, has no real faith in god until his accident leads him on a journey of discovery in which he claims he meets the devil.
I thought the description of the devil was excellent and the significance of the shoes has baffled me a little, however, it may be the old, 'What is it like to walk in my shoes', I am undecided. I thought the book was well written and kept me hooked until the end. Good plot, good narrative voice and convincing read.
I thought the description of the devil was excellent and the significance of the shoes has baffled me a little, however, it may be the old, 'What is it like to walk in my shoes', I am undecided. I thought the book was well written and kept me hooked until the end. Good plot, good narrative voice and convincing read.
Rachel Maria Berney (114 KP) rated Norse Mythology in Books
Dec 4, 2018
A little informative and interesting
Contains spoilers, click to show
I love Neil Gaiman. I was so excited to read this book as I really enjoyed American Gods and jabe a love of Viking history. Right before reading this I read Stephen Fry's Mythology, unlucky for Neil and me. I can't help but compare the two and Gaiman's Norse Mythology comes up short. Whilst we do have access to more information of Greek myth than Norse myth, I don't think that's the entire reason that Norse Mythology is a hard read. The telling of the Norse stories doesn't have the flow I have come to expect from Gaiman, there is a strangled growth to it that makes for a choppy reading that is just hard work and not that enjoyable. Gaiman's style and what I enjoy about him is too constrained in this retelling of Norse myths, this may be due to a lack of evidence of Norse myth and history. I think it would have worked well online, as blog posts etc. As a book it is something easily put down, forgotten about and never finished.
David McK (3562 KP) rated Dark Prince (Greek Series, #2) in Books
Jul 25, 2020
Sequel to David Gemmell's earlier Lion of Macedon, with more emphasis on the mystical elements this time around: whereas that earlier novel was perhaps 90/10 in favour of history, this is (IMO) closer to 40/60.
As the novel starts, Alexander is but a 4 year old and Parmenion is out of favour with Philip of Macedon, who is jealous of the Spartan general's success in battle. Alexander is still plagued by the Chaos Spirit, and - at around the 1/4 mark - is magically transported into an alternate Greece, where the myths and monsters of Greek legend are all real. With a little help from Aristotle and the Siptrassi stones, Parmenion is soon off on a rescue mission, accompanied by Philip's assassin Attalus (without Philips knowledge). The bulk of this novel - parts 2 and 3 (of 4) - then takes place in that alternate Greece, with Parmenion - again - reliving his past and playing a key role in proceedings, before it returns to 'our' Greece for the final part of the novel.
As is standard for Gemmell, lots of musing on the nature of Good and evil throughout, and with a conflicted central protagonist.
As the novel starts, Alexander is but a 4 year old and Parmenion is out of favour with Philip of Macedon, who is jealous of the Spartan general's success in battle. Alexander is still plagued by the Chaos Spirit, and - at around the 1/4 mark - is magically transported into an alternate Greece, where the myths and monsters of Greek legend are all real. With a little help from Aristotle and the Siptrassi stones, Parmenion is soon off on a rescue mission, accompanied by Philip's assassin Attalus (without Philips knowledge). The bulk of this novel - parts 2 and 3 (of 4) - then takes place in that alternate Greece, with Parmenion - again - reliving his past and playing a key role in proceedings, before it returns to 'our' Greece for the final part of the novel.
As is standard for Gemmell, lots of musing on the nature of Good and evil throughout, and with a conflicted central protagonist.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2355 KP) rated Listening Woman in Books
Aug 24, 2024
Solving a Stalled Case
Joe Leaphorn is tackling several cases that have grown cool over the last few months. At the forefront is the case of the double murder or an old man and a teenage girl who were murdered near the man’s hogan. The only witness is the teenager’s aunt, a listening woman, who is blind. Unfortunately, she doesn’t have much she can add to the case, but Joe follows the few pieces she has given him. Will that be enough for him to figure out what really happened?
I wasn’t surprised when the various cases Joe was investigating played into this case, but I did feel like things were a little unfocused early on. Still, everything came together well, and the last third is a page turning thriller. While I like Joe, we still know very little about him or his personal life. Likewise, the rest of the cast isn’t fully developed, but they are real enough given the page time they have. I do appreciate how Joe balances the Navajo myths versus the reality of police work. It’s easy to see why these books are so well loved, and I’m glad I’ve picked them up.
I wasn’t surprised when the various cases Joe was investigating played into this case, but I did feel like things were a little unfocused early on. Still, everything came together well, and the last third is a page turning thriller. While I like Joe, we still know very little about him or his personal life. Likewise, the rest of the cast isn’t fully developed, but they are real enough given the page time they have. I do appreciate how Joe balances the Navajo myths versus the reality of police work. It’s easy to see why these books are so well loved, and I’m glad I’ve picked them up.
David McK (3562 KP) rated Arthur (The Arthurian Tales #3) in Books
Jun 30, 2024 (Updated Jun 30, 2024)
This is the final entry in Giles Kristian's 'Arthurian Tales' trilogy, set after both 'Lancelot' and 'Camelot', and now told in the third person instead of the first person view of both those former works.
It's also the first one - I believe - to so heavily rely on flashbacks, paralleling the 'now' of the story with the background to one of the main characters Beran (whose identity I, personally, found quite easy to grok early on).
As a whole, I have to say, this trilogy is one of the best retellings of the Arthurian myths I have come across although retelling, however, may be too strong a word; perhaps a better on would be re-imagining as there's no mystical Green Knight (reimagined in 'Camelot'), search for the Holy Grails (again, see 'Camelot'), or mysterious women lying in ponds and distributing swords ("that's no basis for sound government..."), but which does cover the whole Arthur/Lancelot/Guinevere love triangle (see, in particular, 'Lancelot') and the fall out thereof.
In short, all three novels are well worth a read - personally, I found I enjoyed these more than the 'Blood Eye' series by the same author.
It's also the first one - I believe - to so heavily rely on flashbacks, paralleling the 'now' of the story with the background to one of the main characters Beran (whose identity I, personally, found quite easy to grok early on).
As a whole, I have to say, this trilogy is one of the best retellings of the Arthurian myths I have come across although retelling, however, may be too strong a word; perhaps a better on would be re-imagining as there's no mystical Green Knight (reimagined in 'Camelot'), search for the Holy Grails (again, see 'Camelot'), or mysterious women lying in ponds and distributing swords ("that's no basis for sound government..."), but which does cover the whole Arthur/Lancelot/Guinevere love triangle (see, in particular, 'Lancelot') and the fall out thereof.
In short, all three novels are well worth a read - personally, I found I enjoyed these more than the 'Blood Eye' series by the same author.
Mothergamer (1568 KP) rated God of War III in Video Games
Apr 3, 2019
I finished God Of War 3 tonight and I have to say this was my guilty pleasure. Not only did I love the story, but I loved all the brutally filled action sequences such as decapitating centaurs or smashing stone statues with giant hammers. There is also the love of mythology and enjoying the presence of various characters from said myths throughout the game as well as gods. I also liked that there was a little more character development with the hero Kratos and the idea of redemption and hope.
The game play is pretty tight and the same as the previous two games, with a few odd camera angles here and there, but over all the controls handle very well. There are even some new weapons to add to the artillery with some very interesting tweaks on the old ones making for a fun siege on the gods. There are bonus items that are unlocked once you beat the game and some fun costumes.
I will be playing through God Of War 3 again just for those bonuses and to check them out. If you haven't played the game yet, I suggest you do especially if you like an action game with a lot of punch.
The game play is pretty tight and the same as the previous two games, with a few odd camera angles here and there, but over all the controls handle very well. There are even some new weapons to add to the artillery with some very interesting tweaks on the old ones making for a fun siege on the gods. There are bonus items that are unlocked once you beat the game and some fun costumes.
I will be playing through God Of War 3 again just for those bonuses and to check them out. If you haven't played the game yet, I suggest you do especially if you like an action game with a lot of punch.
Sarah (7800 KP) rated Guards! Guards! Discworld Novel 8 in Books
Mar 19, 2018
A great introduction to the City Watch
You've got to hand it to Terry Pratchett, he knows how to write a good fantasy novel.
Guards! Guards! is yet another great Discworld novel, and the first to introduce Captain Vimes and the City Watch. Vimes himself is a loveable anti-hero who develops greatly over the course of the novel and the same too can be said for the other members of the Watch. Carrot the 'dwarf' provides a real introduction to the Watch and also a lot of the humour from his exploits, and I loved seeing a lot more of the Librarian.
The plot itself on the face of it is a fantasy fairy tale filled story of dragons, maidens and heroes. But with every Pratchett novel, beneath it lies dark wit and humour, and a slightly sad social commentary on human greed and corruption. There are a lot of references in this to other media, like The Hobbit, which really poke fun at the myths and lore used in the fantasy genre.
A great read with some very engaging characters. A little rambling at times, but fortunately the rest of the book makes up for it! Discworld books are the only books that can really make me laugh out loud.
Guards! Guards! is yet another great Discworld novel, and the first to introduce Captain Vimes and the City Watch. Vimes himself is a loveable anti-hero who develops greatly over the course of the novel and the same too can be said for the other members of the Watch. Carrot the 'dwarf' provides a real introduction to the Watch and also a lot of the humour from his exploits, and I loved seeing a lot more of the Librarian.
The plot itself on the face of it is a fantasy fairy tale filled story of dragons, maidens and heroes. But with every Pratchett novel, beneath it lies dark wit and humour, and a slightly sad social commentary on human greed and corruption. There are a lot of references in this to other media, like The Hobbit, which really poke fun at the myths and lore used in the fantasy genre.
A great read with some very engaging characters. A little rambling at times, but fortunately the rest of the book makes up for it! Discworld books are the only books that can really make me laugh out loud.
A World Full of Animal Stories: 50 favourite animal folk tales, myths and legends by Angela McAllister is a beautiful and interesting book of folktales and legends that celebrate animals and culture. These stories are brought to life as the reader travels the globe to Africa, Asia, North and South America, Europe, Australia and Oceania.
It is a book full of cultural stories, with strong messages and wonderful illustrations. Familiar stories such as The Billy Goats Gruff, The Nightingale, and The Ugly Duckling are in the book so the reader will learn where those stories came from. In the contents guide it has each of the stories listed under the continent they belong to, with the country that relates to the story in brackets next to its title, which is useful for finding a specific story or learning about a certain region.
The stories are not long, which makes it perfect for bedtime stories. One story a night will give your child something to think and talk about. This would also would be great for the classroom, particularly when learning about different cultural stories and traditions.
I received an ARC of A World Full of Animal Stories from NetGalley via Quarto Publishing Group and Frances Lincoln Childrens.
It is a book full of cultural stories, with strong messages and wonderful illustrations. Familiar stories such as The Billy Goats Gruff, The Nightingale, and The Ugly Duckling are in the book so the reader will learn where those stories came from. In the contents guide it has each of the stories listed under the continent they belong to, with the country that relates to the story in brackets next to its title, which is useful for finding a specific story or learning about a certain region.
The stories are not long, which makes it perfect for bedtime stories. One story a night will give your child something to think and talk about. This would also would be great for the classroom, particularly when learning about different cultural stories and traditions.
I received an ARC of A World Full of Animal Stories from NetGalley via Quarto Publishing Group and Frances Lincoln Childrens.