Following a conference in Newport Beach, Elaine and I are taking the opportunity to visit her mother in Los Angeles prior to heading back east for the holidays. Thus far, we've visited a number of old haunts, including the refurbished Griffith Observatory, Chinatown, and a number of other spots. We still haven't visited Santa Monica or the L.A. County Museum of Art yet, those are to follow soon.
Prior to moving to Virginia, I lived here for six and a half years (during college and immediately afterward). Elaine lived in L.A. off and on for most of her life prior to moving east. As she pointed out, it feels on some level like home for her. Although it's more like "a home" rather than "home" outright for me, I see her point.
Weather, cultural events, bookstores and beaches notwithstanding, the sprawl, the traffic, the unwalkability of it all makes me look forward to being back in Stornoway at the end of the month.
Thursday, 13 December 2007
Review: "Farnham's Freehold" by Robert Heinlein
I ran into a friend at a conference in California, he recommended "Farnham's Freehold" by Robert Heinlein, but pointed out that he had repeatedly failed to make it through the work (I now understand why, in addition to race issues, there is a conversation between father and daughter that most would read as "creepy").
The work deals (as much of the best Science Fiction does) with the end of the modern world and the beginning of something new. Heinlein in particular has used this device at least three times (in this work, in "The Doorway into Summer", and in "For Us the Living: A Comedy of Manners"). "Farnham's Freehold" reminded me most closely of "The Doorway into Summer". The main character in each travels back and forth through time, allowing a dual comparison in which the man of the present makes sense of the future and in which the man of the present, aware of the future, returns to make sense of the past.
The future in which Farnham finds himself inverts the historical race division of the United States such that whites are now slaves whose lives are controlled absolutely by "The Chosen" (who are the dark-skinned ruling class primarily of African descent). Whether you enjoy this book may boil down to the spirit in which you believe the work was written. If (as I do), you believe the work is a study in the tendency of power to corrupt, and the willing ignorance of the dominant culture of the abuses their power lends itself to, then the work is enjoyable. If instead you believe (as I have read elsewhere) that the work is an exercise in validating negative stereotypes, then at best you probably won't get much out of it, and at worst you may actively dislike the work and by extension the author.
If you want to find more discussion about the book, I'd suggest starting with the "Farnam's Freehold" entry in Wikipedia.
The work deals (as much of the best Science Fiction does) with the end of the modern world and the beginning of something new. Heinlein in particular has used this device at least three times (in this work, in "The Doorway into Summer", and in "For Us the Living: A Comedy of Manners"). "Farnham's Freehold" reminded me most closely of "The Doorway into Summer". The main character in each travels back and forth through time, allowing a dual comparison in which the man of the present makes sense of the future and in which the man of the present, aware of the future, returns to make sense of the past.
The future in which Farnham finds himself inverts the historical race division of the United States such that whites are now slaves whose lives are controlled absolutely by "The Chosen" (who are the dark-skinned ruling class primarily of African descent). Whether you enjoy this book may boil down to the spirit in which you believe the work was written. If (as I do), you believe the work is a study in the tendency of power to corrupt, and the willing ignorance of the dominant culture of the abuses their power lends itself to, then the work is enjoyable. If instead you believe (as I have read elsewhere) that the work is an exercise in validating negative stereotypes, then at best you probably won't get much out of it, and at worst you may actively dislike the work and by extension the author.
If you want to find more discussion about the book, I'd suggest starting with the "Farnam's Freehold" entry in Wikipedia.
Review: "The Stornoway Way" by Kevin MacDonald
On the trip across the Atlantic, I picked up a copy of the "The Stornoway Way", written by a Stornowegian author about Stornoway and Lewis. Through the character of R. Stornoway, we are treated to a choice selection of hard-drinking, devilish characters, all tinged with recognizable bits of the town in which (and island on which) Elaine and I live.
Like the main character in "Filth" by Irvine Welsh, R. Stornoway is at times hard to take, cruel to those around him, self-destructive. However, R. Stornoway has his genuinely romantic moments, and is thus much easier to sympathise with. The work as a whole is less an exercise in masochism for the reader than "Filth", which is a bit of a relief.
All in all, I'd say someone with a dark enough sense of humor and sympathy for somewhat unlikeable characters will hopefully get something out of it.
Like the main character in "Filth" by Irvine Welsh, R. Stornoway is at times hard to take, cruel to those around him, self-destructive. However, R. Stornoway has his genuinely romantic moments, and is thus much easier to sympathise with. The work as a whole is less an exercise in masochism for the reader than "Filth", which is a bit of a relief.
All in all, I'd say someone with a dark enough sense of humor and sympathy for somewhat unlikeable characters will hopefully get something out of it.
Review: "The Mauritius Campaign" by Patrick O'Brien
I read a lot when I travel, so there will be a quick flurry of mini-reviews of recent conquests...
I just finished the next novel in the Aubrey/Maturin series. Satisfyingly, each novel manages to build on the last without taking much for granted. "Mauritius Campaign" is no exception. In it we find Jack Aubrey moving out of his long-awaited domestic "bliss" and into the rank of Commodore. Maturin also plies his skills on a somewhat larger stage, and it is interesting to finally see him interact with a skilled (if flawed) peer whose medical expertise is more in the field of psychology.
Suffice to say, an enjoyable read, I plan to continue with the series after taking a wide detour through a bunch of Science Fiction.
I just finished the next novel in the Aubrey/Maturin series. Satisfyingly, each novel manages to build on the last without taking much for granted. "Mauritius Campaign" is no exception. In it we find Jack Aubrey moving out of his long-awaited domestic "bliss" and into the rank of Commodore. Maturin also plies his skills on a somewhat larger stage, and it is interesting to finally see him interact with a skilled (if flawed) peer whose medical expertise is more in the field of psychology.
Suffice to say, an enjoyable read, I plan to continue with the series after taking a wide detour through a bunch of Science Fiction.
Sunday, 18 November 2007
Review: "Celebrating Bosman"
In my recent trip to Inverness, I finished "Celebrating Bosman: A Centenary Selection of Herman Charles Bosman's Stories". I love short stories, as they are well suited to travel, and this collection was particularly satisfying.
The collection begins with a handful of pieces centered around Bosman's life and times, including edited selections from "Cold Stone Jug", which I read less than a month ago. The edited selections most notably omit the hallucinatory elements of the work, but are a good introduction to the material. I would still recommend taking the time to read the entire work. There are additional autobiographical pieces that give us a nice sense of Bosman's character, his willingness to seek out interesting people and circumstances both to amuse himself and to have a story to tell afterward.
The time spent seeking out grizzled old characters and listening to their stories was not wasted. In the bulk of the collection, Bosman demonstrates a deep love of South Africa, the landscape, its people, their culture, but also of storytelling itself, the skill and nuance that go into a good story.
The stories are rich and touch on love, war, family, loss, nature, and all with a uniquely South African perspective. It would be unfair not to mention the racism that pervades the culture in which Bosman's most famous character (Oom Schank Laurens) tells his stories. The best of the Oom Schank Laurens stories are those in which the divide between the races is most clearly highlighted, explored, challenged even. Here are a few of my favorites:
- "Sold Down the River"
- "Unto Dust"
- "Funeral Earth"
- "Makapan's Cave"
The collection begins with a handful of pieces centered around Bosman's life and times, including edited selections from "Cold Stone Jug", which I read less than a month ago. The edited selections most notably omit the hallucinatory elements of the work, but are a good introduction to the material. I would still recommend taking the time to read the entire work. There are additional autobiographical pieces that give us a nice sense of Bosman's character, his willingness to seek out interesting people and circumstances both to amuse himself and to have a story to tell afterward.
The time spent seeking out grizzled old characters and listening to their stories was not wasted. In the bulk of the collection, Bosman demonstrates a deep love of South Africa, the landscape, its people, their culture, but also of storytelling itself, the skill and nuance that go into a good story.
The stories are rich and touch on love, war, family, loss, nature, and all with a uniquely South African perspective. It would be unfair not to mention the racism that pervades the culture in which Bosman's most famous character (Oom Schank Laurens) tells his stories. The best of the Oom Schank Laurens stories are those in which the divide between the races is most clearly highlighted, explored, challenged even. Here are a few of my favorites:
- "Sold Down the River"
- "Unto Dust"
- "Funeral Earth"
- "Makapan's Cave"
Monday, 12 November 2007
Travel: Copenhagen
Elaine and I are finally putting up our photos from our recent trip to Copenhagen, so I thought I'd take a minute to write a little bit about it. You can see our photos from Copenhagen and a bunch of new panoramas in our space on Flickr.
We stayed in Copenhagen for about a week. Our hotel was a very modest place called the Cab Inn Hotel, which was relatively inexpensive, but fit the bill well enough. On our first day (a Sunday), many of the museums were open, so we ventured out and saw the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, which has a great collection of sculpture. After that, we visited the ruins under Christiansborg Palace. We also visited the Museum of Erotica, which was reasonably entertaining. We finished up the day with a tour and a 3D IMAX movie at the Tycho Brahe Planetarium.
On the second day, we went to Den Hirschsprungske Samling, a small museum of Danish art from the 19th century. We also did a fair amount of shopping, including a visit to my favorite knife shop (Henkels).
On the third day, we went to the Carlsberg Brewery in the morning, and then met up with my Aunt Evalin and cousin Lauren. We went on a canal tour together in the afternoon, and then walked up to the Rund Tarne, where I managed to shoot a pretty ambitious panorama.
On the fourth day, we went to the Cathedral and Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde. While we were at the cathedral, we were delighted to witness a crew carefully hauling a coffin out of a crypt for restoration, which was a fitting Halloween occurrence. While we were at the Viking Ship Museum, we got to dress up as Vikings and pose on a Viking ship, which was even better. We finished up the night by attending a live Jazz performance.
On the fifth day, we went to the Lousiana Art museum, the highlights of which were the Lucian Freud exhibit and the Islamic book illustrations. We then went to "Hamlet's Castle" in Helsingore. We finished up the day with a tour of Helsingborg, Sweden, where we had a nice dinner (fondue, yes it's Swiss, but it was good).
On the sixth and last full day, we met at Lauren's favorite bakery and sampled the local pastries. After that, we took the bus to the Assistens Kirkegaard, a large cemetary in Copenhagen. We saw Niels Bohr's grave as well as Hans Christian Andersen's grave, and took a number of photos of the scenery and statuary there. Before and after, we did a bit of shopping here and there, as Christmas is coming up. We had a final meal as a full group, and then said our goodbyes to Aunt Evalin and Lauren over coffee and very nice seasonal beer.
We stayed in Copenhagen for about a week. Our hotel was a very modest place called the Cab Inn Hotel, which was relatively inexpensive, but fit the bill well enough. On our first day (a Sunday), many of the museums were open, so we ventured out and saw the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, which has a great collection of sculpture. After that, we visited the ruins under Christiansborg Palace. We also visited the Museum of Erotica, which was reasonably entertaining. We finished up the day with a tour and a 3D IMAX movie at the Tycho Brahe Planetarium.
On the second day, we went to Den Hirschsprungske Samling, a small museum of Danish art from the 19th century. We also did a fair amount of shopping, including a visit to my favorite knife shop (Henkels).
On the third day, we went to the Carlsberg Brewery in the morning, and then met up with my Aunt Evalin and cousin Lauren. We went on a canal tour together in the afternoon, and then walked up to the Rund Tarne, where I managed to shoot a pretty ambitious panorama.
On the fourth day, we went to the Cathedral and Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde. While we were at the cathedral, we were delighted to witness a crew carefully hauling a coffin out of a crypt for restoration, which was a fitting Halloween occurrence. While we were at the Viking Ship Museum, we got to dress up as Vikings and pose on a Viking ship, which was even better. We finished up the night by attending a live Jazz performance.
On the fifth day, we went to the Lousiana Art museum, the highlights of which were the Lucian Freud exhibit and the Islamic book illustrations. We then went to "Hamlet's Castle" in Helsingore. We finished up the day with a tour of Helsingborg, Sweden, where we had a nice dinner (fondue, yes it's Swiss, but it was good).
On the sixth and last full day, we met at Lauren's favorite bakery and sampled the local pastries. After that, we took the bus to the Assistens Kirkegaard, a large cemetary in Copenhagen. We saw Niels Bohr's grave as well as Hans Christian Andersen's grave, and took a number of photos of the scenery and statuary there. Before and after, we did a bit of shopping here and there, as Christmas is coming up. We had a final meal as a full group, and then said our goodbyes to Aunt Evalin and Lauren over coffee and very nice seasonal beer.
Sunday, 28 October 2007
Travel: London
While preparing for our current trip to Copenhagen, I realized I hadn't put up the photos from our first trip to London, which can be found here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/elaineandtony/sets/72157602755780855/
Our first trip, we mostly hit the sights and a couple of museums. Elaine and I had wanted to visit the Tate Modern since its renovation in the 90s, it wasn't a disappointment.
We're planning another trip to see our friends in Cambridge at Thanksiving, and will have more photos from that trip soon.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/elaineandtony/sets/72157602755780855/
Our first trip, we mostly hit the sights and a couple of museums. Elaine and I had wanted to visit the Tate Modern since its renovation in the 90s, it wasn't a disappointment.
We're planning another trip to see our friends in Cambridge at Thanksiving, and will have more photos from that trip soon.
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