“Warlock” by Wilbur Smith (Thomas Dunne, 2001)

Taita, the Wizard of Ancient Egypt

There is a new magician to be added to the pantheon where the likes of Merlin and Gandalf reside: his name is Taita, a former eunuch slave, who is now the mighty and much-feared warlock of ancient Egypt.

Wilbur Smith, bestselling author from South Africa, brings us his compelling sequel to River God, a novel of Egypt’s past, where a pharaoh and her eunuch slave evaded capture to fight against an evil conspiracy.  The premise originally arose from a papyrus scroll that was brought to Smith, where these two characters were show to have existed at some time in the past.  Smith then set about novelizing this account and creating the amazing world of River God.  He does exactly the same in Warlock, with just as much gusto and skill.

The lovely pharaoh Lostris is now long dead, but her slave, now a warlock – who must be over a hundred years in age – is still revered and feared by many.  A new pharaoh, the young prince Nefer, is about to take the throne, his father having been recently assassinated and the killers remaining unknown.  Since Nefer is too young to take the throne, Naja, the former pharaoh’s right hand man, automatically appoints himself regent of all Egypt.  He hatches a devilish plan, unbeknownst to the prince, where he will unite with the enemy, the Hyksos who control northern Egypt, and get rid of Nefer, and together they will rule, abusing their power in as many ways as they can, meanwhile gaining untold riches.

Wilbur Smith has a writing style that is entirely his own.  His imagery reaches the point of over-description but never passes it, keeping the reader so entrenched in the world, that once they put the book down, they wonder if they are not actually in Egypt during the time of the pharaohs.  Smith takes you through all the emotions, even if you don’t want to tag along for the ride, making you sad then happy by the turning of the page, appalled and shocked then satisfied and appeased.

There is a lot in this book, where any reader can get entirely lost, whether it be in the love between prince Nefer and his Mintaka, or the anxious deception concocted by Naja, or the great battles fronted by Nefer and controlled by Taita.  There is even some magic in there for all you fantasy buffs.  This book, quite simply, has it all.

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Originally published on November 5th 2001.

Originally published in the Long Beach Union.

“The House of Sight and Shadow” by Nicholas Griffin (Villard, 2001)

The era is the eighteenth century, London, and the time is when medicine is little more than a fancy form of alchemy, consisting mainly of remedies that vary from physician to apothecary.  But in these pages lies a haunting love story that can only end in one way.

Our main character is a Mr. Joseph Bendix.  After some years of wasting his father’s money at medical school, while spending his time with a countess, he retreats to London where he becomes the apprentice of a once-renowned doctor, Sir Edmund Calcraft, who has not really ventured from his home in ten years.  In time, Bendix discovers Calcraft’s true intention: to cure his daughter of her illness (she is unable to venture out into sunlight or bright light, otherwise her skin will blister and she will go blind).  An inevitable relationship takes place between Bendix and Calcraft’s daughter, Amelia.  Problems now arise for Bendix as he tries to control his loving urges for Amelia, and at the same time fighting with the doctor to find a cure for her disease; meanwhile in the back of his mind hangs the issue of how he is going to tell Calcraft of his love for his daughter.

The House of Sight and Shadow is a novel that does not do the time period justice.  The reader is not thrust into eighteenth century London, but there are merely characteristics here and there that signify the time.  Nevertheless the novel is filled with strong, interesting characters, as well as the likes of the infamous Jonathan Wilds and esteemed author Daniel Defoe.

Originally published on October 29th 2001.

Originally published in the Long Beach Union.

“Beyond the Edge of the Sea: Sailing With Jason and the Argonauts, Ulysses, the Vikings, and Other Explorers of the Ancient World” by Mauricio Obregón (Random House, 2001)

Have you ever wondered where exactly Ulysses actually sailed in the real world, when he met and conquered the Cyclops, multi-headed dragon, and the giant whirlpool?  How about where Jason and his Argonauts went  to find the Golden Fleece?  And how far across their respective oceans did the Polynesians and Vikings really get?

All these answers can be found in the small and compact book by Mauricio Obregón, Beyond the Edge of the Sea.  This book is laid out in eight succinct chapters, framed with an informative prologue and an illustrative epilogue.  It provides pools of information and details to those who are already familiar with tests of Homer’s Odyssey and Apollonius’ Jason and the Argonauts, as well as other important texts of the ancient world.

For those of you who have never read this renowned text, but are familiar with some of the happenings, do not fret.  Obregón does not fail in providing the uninformed reader with background and setting, so that he or she may receive the full potential of the facts that the author is imparting.

This book is filled with wonderful diagrams, pictures and chars that really aid in what is being read.  Every other page has a depiction of some sort, albeit a half-page or full page in size; lending further continuity to the book.

This book is recommended for all.  For those who have read the classics, it provides an excellent reference.  For those who are not so versed, this book may well serve as the impetus to make the reader tackle these fabulous pieces of literature.

Originally published on October 29th 2001.

Originally published in the Long Beach Union.

“The Rules for Marriage” by Ellen Fein and Sherrie Schneider (Grand Central, 2001)

Cult Fiction: Dime-Store Novels for the Thrifty Reader

They began with The Rules, a book that soon jumped to the top of the Times’ bestseller lists, following up with: The Rules Dating Journal, The Rules Note Cards, and The Rules II.  Now, fresh from the press, the dynamic duo brings us The Rules for Marriage, as if Ellen Fein and Sherrie Schneider haven’t done enough already on how a couple should pursue their relationship – now they give us rules on how to stay together . . . or rather how the wife should submit to the husband to avoid divorce.

The book is best summed up with a complete list of the rules, which are as follows, along with some italicized and perhaps sarcastic commentary:

#1 Relax during the engagement and wedding.

#2 Continue to be a creature unlike any other (a CUAO).

#3 Keep up the good looks – but don’t go crazy.

#4 Keep up your own interests (Have a life!).

#5 Lower your expectations in the first year (I like this one!)

#6 Be a team.

#7 Give him fifteen minutes alone when he comes home.

#8 Be supportive.

#9 Let him win (another good one!).

#10 Accept that some things are none of you business.

#11 Try not to call him too much at work (for the overly-dependent types).

#12 Rarely return his gifts.

#13 Don’t expect a lot of sympathy from your husband (so true).

#14 Rules for fighting (something that has potential?).

#15 Say what you mean, but don’t say it meanly (men are very fragile).

#16 Don’t use the D (Divorce) word.

#17 Don’t scream, speak softly (yeah, you noisy women!).

#18 To compare is to despair – don’t compare him with other husbands.

#19 Don’t ask your single friends for marital advice (No, let the authors tell you).

#20 Have a family dinner at least once a week.

#21 Don’t force him to talk.

#22 Don’t hang on his every word.

#23 Do things you don’t want to do.

#24 He can say anything about his family but you can’t.

#25 Make him feel like he’s the most important person in your life (so true).

#26 Listen to his advice and try to appreciate it.

#27 Don’t try to do it all.

#28 Have a date night.

#29 Rules for sex (could be interesting?).

#30 Rules for pregnancy (alarm bells!).

#31 Don’t complain about the kids (no, that’s his job).

#32 Keep it to yourself (yes, expression is a bad thing).

#33 Don’t expect applause for doing chores (you’re a woman, apparently it’s your job).

#34 Don’t nag (because you’re so good at it).

#35 Don’t find fault with things you knew about when you married him.

#36 It’s easier to stay married than get married (what?!).

#37 Go on the Boot Camp Nice Plan for a week.

#38 Don’t go changin’ or try to hard.

#39 Don’t think marriage counseling is the answer (but it’s easier than reading this book).

#40 Realize that your marriage is over if he cheats even once (finally making some sense).

#41 Divorce with dignity (unlikely).

#42 Date ASAP after you divorce (O . . . kay).

#43 Rules for second marriages (oh hell no!).

And just in case that wasn’t enough for you newly-wed wives, there is also a list of further Rules, as well as Fifteen Extra Hints.  So, if after going through all of The Rules For Marriage, you are unable to keep you marriage together, I think it really is time to call it quits.

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Originally published on October 22nd 2001.

Originally published in the Long Beach Union.

“Double Fold: Libraries and the Assault on Paper” by Nicholson Baker (Random House, 2001)

Attention college students: a great crime is being committed and right under our noses! It is no longer possible to enter reputed libraries like the San Francisco or New York Public Library, and call up a wonderfully preserved copy of say The New York World from 1912, because said issue no longer exists in its original form.  All that remains is a badly lit photograph of each page on low-resolution microfilm.  And what did the library do with the original copy they once possessed?  Why, they threw it away.

This is the heart and soil of Nicholson Baker’s latest work of non-fiction: Double Fold: Libraries and the Assault on Paper.  The title comes from the way libraries “test” whether a newspaper is to be kept or scrapped: the corner is folded back and forth repeated; if it remains, it is kept, while if it breaks off, the entire newspaper is thrown away.  And this is no joke; this is taking place in many libraries across the country, with only a few people being made aware of it.

Double Fold is an in-depth work and study on libraries and how the invention of the microfilm revolutionized the way many papers are kept.  This reaches all the way up to the Library of Congress.  And these libraries do not even do a thorough job of checking that the microfilm is clear and legible, so entire issues are lost and can never be recovered, because the originals have already been turned to pulp.

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Originally published on October 15th 2001.

Originally published in the Long Beach Union.