Epic Park & Drive for an Espresso

Epic, Maud and Other

category: Trips Out, author:

Agamedes

26 August 10 and even earlier, on 11 August 10)

day one: 11 August 2010

It all started quietly enough, with an arrangement to meet at Epic Espresso in West Perth. Best coffee ever! is one opinion. Will it be as good as my usual instant? I wondered.

We agreed to meet at 3:30. Epic, at the corner of Outram and Hay.

I was there a little early. I walked up Outram to Hay and searched the intersection. No Epic. I walked along Hay. No Epic. Walked back along Outram -- and there it was...

I had walked straight past Epic, without even noticing.

So we had a coffee and chat. And picked up my souvenir cafe sugar packets. Nothing very exciting, just bulk-buy packets of sugar. The coffee, however, was very pleasant.

And so was the chat :-) So pleasant, in fact, that we ignored the obvious signs that the cafe was closing... You know, outside tables being brought in, inside chairs being stacked, floors being swept... But it was too difficult to ignore the waiter who -- apologetically -- told us that the cafe was now closed.

Another coffee, perhaps?
We wandered back towards Hay Street and into Miss Maud's. Picked up some sugar samples but decided that one coffee was enough for now. A bit disappointing, to the budding sugar collector, that Miss Maud did not provide Miss Maud-branded sugar. Still, it's all a part of the rich provenance of the sugar collection!

And so we wandered along Hay Street... avoiding most of the light drizzle... and enjoying a wandering conversation. Which brings the story wandering along to...

---

... day two: 26 August 2010

This Sunday is race day: the 2010 City to Surf "fun" run. The Thursday before the race is a good day to pick up our race packs.

This is our fourth year in the event and we have generally supported -- joined -- my wife's employer's team. Year one, they had a free t-shirt and a sausage sizzle at race end. Year two, there was a sausage sizzle and they picked up the race packs for all team members. Year three, they picked up race packs. This year... there is a team name. That's all.

Ah well. The difficulties of working for the public service. Supporting healthy employees is all very well. Actually spending money on employees keeping healthy, well, that's subject to too much public criticism.

So, Thursday, off to the city to collect our race packs. It is all very carefully planned.

We park on Spring Street. There's a quiet little garden off Spring Street which, apparently, contains a hidden geocache. Apparently? Well, we do not find it.

Mind you, it's in a difficult location:

First up, the park is closed outside business hours. As we found out, the first time we thought of searching. Next... We're not very good at looking foolish in public.

Don't get me wrong -- we may be very good at looking foolish in public! It's just that we don't like to do it deliberately.

When you're in a public park -- even though there are very few other people -- but there are signs saying, This area is under constant video surveillance... Well, you feel a bit silly, poking and peering around and under all sorts of fixed objects.

We poke and peer, for a while. Then carry on to pick up our race packs.

Across a couple of roads. Traffic lights with a pedestrian crossing in the cycle. Very, very busy roads but no trouble for patient pedestrians.

At the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre we can see the room that we want. Through glass doors. Glass doors which are locked. We walk all the way up to an open door then back again. Bag pickup is very efficient.

Push our way through the crowds in the compulsory buy-me section of the room... there's no other way out. All the way back to the open doors then back along the outside. Ah well, the City to Surf is all about fitness and exercise :-)

We have another quick look around the very pleasant park -- no geocache -- then back to the car.

As we drive home I think, What about a cup of coffee? Of course! We can drive through West Perth and stop at Epic.

There is even an empty parking spot, very near the cafe. Okay, almost empty. A Post Office courier bike is parked at one end.

The postie has parked carefully and left plenty of room. I park with one wheel on the kerb and one corner of the car just poking out of the marked parking area. Close enough, I think. Then the postie reappears.

I point up the road, say, You order and I'll tidy up the position of the car.

The postie is very, very slow. I wait. Suddenly I realise -- there are two cafes!

I rush up the road, say, Wrong queue, it's the next cafe up -- and rush back to the car. That was close!

By now the postie has left. The parking space is clear. I move the back wheel off the footpath, decide that the nose is not too far into the traffic -- and find one more problem.

We are parked in a ticket parking zone.

But wait! Cast our minds back to Spring Street:

Spring Street was also ticket parking. We paid for two hours -- in a machine which did not give change -- and paid 30 cents too much. That ticket still has twelve minutes to run. Twelve minutes! Excellent :-)

I put the ticket back on the dashboard. "City of Perth"? West Perth? Probably the same... Close enough, anyway. "Spring Street"? Well, I'm sure that a parking inspector will not look that closely.

With a light heart and an almost clear conscience, I go off to enjoy my flat white and half a friand. Very tasty! Though I have to admit that my conscience is a little bit tense.

Plus the knowledge that the parking ticket -- no matter whether it is in the same city or not -- is very soon to expire.

We enjoy our coffees but do not linger. And then we head back home.

An enjoyable outing. Multi-purpose. And a very effective use of time.

..o0o..

These reviews are provided by Agamedes Consulting. For an independent and thoughtful review of your processes, problems or documents, email nickleth at gmail dot com.

The Beast House / Richard Laymon

The Beast House

category: horror, author:

Richard Laymon

published by Dorchester,
original copyright 1986, read in August 2010

Agamedes' opinion: 8 out of 10

Eight out of ten? Well... If you like stereotypical horror, sex -- consensual and otherwise, scanty clothing and sudden death -- this is a very good book!

"What you need," Nora said, "is a good ..." The very first sentence of the main story includes a word which does not belong in a friendly blog. And the story continues in that great low vein.

There is another type of horror novel, the horrible horror. The horrible horror (my own phrase) is one where the aim is, apparently, to leave the reader with a nasty memory: violence, death and a nasty ending. Laymon often provides a twisted ending but it is usually satisfying. The Beast House is typical Laymon:

Sure, "the beast" will rise again. That's almost a given, for horror. But it's not a threat to the survivors of this book. There are happy endings all round, with a strong likelihood of happy ever after. The monster survives? No worries -- that will be a problem for a new group of characters.

I like a happy ending. Laymon provides a happy ending. Beast is happy for heroes and even happy for the beast. Laymon's Island was happy... in a somewhat warped fashion. Laymon does not leave you with nightmares of the story after the final chapter...

What more can I say?

If you enjoy sex, horror, violence and a happy ending, read The Beast House. If you think that that all sounds rather awful, well, there are plenty of other good books in the world :-)

..o0o..

These reviews are provided by Agamedes Consulting. For an independent and thoughtful review of your processes, problems or documents, email nickleth at gmail dot com.

Urn Burial / Robert Westall

Urn Burial

category: science fiction, author:

Robert Westall

published by Mammoth,
original copyright 1987, read in August 2010

Agamedes' opinion: 6 out of 10

Science fiction for juniors. Not too junior -- mid to late teens, perhaps. The teenage hero kisses his girlfriend, doesn't do "that" but will do... very soon after the end of the book.

It's a lot of fun but very simplistic. There's also a very strong pro-environment message.

Actually, there's a great pro-environment passage which has very little to do with the plot: it's the ramblers' day out in the countryside. The only purpose is to allow the hero to mix with the rambling crowd. But the author points out that a sudden influx of ramblers may also drop litter, trample pasture and disturb the sheep... The sort of thing that makes you look at popular activities in a different way.

Apart from that, it's teenagers saving the world from evil aliens. Except that the teenager does very little. He just makes sure that the good aliens are then when the bad aliens attack. Then -- after a major battle with lots of death and destruction -- the good aliens fix everything up, bring the dead back to life and clear all memories of the battle.

Still, it's easy to read and quite enjoyable. An enjoyable book. Not great. Enjoyable.

..o0o..

These reviews are provided by Agamedes Consulting. For an independent and thoughtful review of your processes, problems or documents, email nickleth at gmail dot com.

A Day in Pompeii

category: Trips Out, author:

Agamedes

31 August 2010

The City to Surf fun run was last weekend -- so our training regime has finally collapsed. Time to relax at last! So we went to the city to see A Day in Pompeii.

We parked at the Cultural Centre carpark and walked upstairs. Looked around, admired the cultural demographic of the area: Youngish, scruffyish, arty... We were in an area with art galleries, museum, state library, TAFE... Definitely not our usual suburban haunts.

Raining, too, but not too hard.

"Where," we wondered, "Is the Pompeii exhibition?! Perhaps in the Art Gallery?"

The Art Gallery was closed. It's Tuesday. No-one wants to look at Art on a rainy Tuesday... The Art Gallery coffee shop was open, though... Later, perhaps...

Luckily enough we could see a very large sign... across the damp concrete concourse of the cultural centre... A very large sign advertising the Pompeii exhibition. The sign covered the entire wall of the Museum. The exhibition was in the Museum.

As we walked towards the Museum we noticed a strange little building. Glass walls front and back. A single room, empty except for a washing-up area at one end. Hmmm... cultural, perhaps?

Inside the Museum we bought our tickets. Twenty dollars each, the next show starts at 11:06... "The next show"? A Day in Pompeii starts with an eight minute 3D movie; the next showing starts at 11:06.

Have you ever looked at the "legal contract" on the back of a ticket?

There's a lot there, isn't there! Still -- if I remember my Contract Law lectures -- the conditions only count if they are pointed out to you. Being on the back of the ticket is not enough to include them in the contract of sale. If I remember correctly. If the law has not changed.

We went to the Museum coffee shop for coffee and cake. The coffee shop area extends outdoors and has been extended (or sheltered) with a marquee. Heated with gas burners (this is winter) and given a very slight Roman theme. A pleasant spot to pass the twenty minutes while we waited.

We waited with the help of latte, cappuccino and a Tuscan Grape cake (with cream) to share. Delicious cake! No time to dilly dally, though... Just enough time to eat, drink and walk rapidly back for our 11:06 movie.

And the movie is excellent! It's an animated view of Vesuvius erupting. Time lapse, sort of, with a minute or so from 6pm then 8pm then 1pm and so on. A view over Pompeii to Vesuvius, with birds, buildings, smoke, ash, fires and collapse. Very effective!

Out of the cinema, walk through the museum -- past the stuffed animals -- and into the main Pompeii display. Which was also excellent!

The display was crowded but not too crowded. We were able to move around and see all the various exhibits, with just occasional delays to wait for a clear view.

What is in the exhibit? What can I say! Just go and see it...

And so -- after a good long browse -- we left.

But it was raining, so we went upstairs again. Chose the right branch just before the stuffed animals -- and we looked at the butterflies. Amazing! So many butterflies -- and so beautiful!

Of course there were also the West Australian butterflies. Including the ones from the Perth area, with very small ranges which have largely been destroyed. Very sad.

One type of butterfly lives (or lived) in the Perth area. It fed only from one type of bush and only when a particular species of ant was nesting nearby. The butterfly spent each night sheltering in the ant nest, giving nectar in exchange. Its last habitat was bulldozed several decades ago. What are the butterfly's chances? Buckley's or none.

Ah well.

We went back to the Art Gallery cafe for lunch. Coffee and soup... Very nice soup, too: cauliflower & broccoli. Perhaps just a bit salty.

The cafe is a Caffissimo, with its standard branded sugar. But there were also some non-Caffissimo sugars, so I sampled some of them. I collect cafe sugar packets -- and this is my first Elite sugar! So. Standard cafe franchise, interesting location, good location and new sugar brand -- a good lunch all round :-)

From there it was back to the car and off to Como. Zigging and zagging through the city, working our way from Northbridge to the Narrows Bridge.

With a convenient stop on Terrace Road to use a public convenience. More than convenient, in fact -- it was a lucky stop. I took a wrong turn and had to do a U-turn. As I made the turn I spotted the toilet block. Aha! I thought, Never miss an opportunity!

From there it was an easy drive to Como. Did our minor business, said hello to Joe the property manager, headed home again.

We were almost sorry that we had not brought the GPS... we could have looked for a couple of geocaches. But no -- it was still raining. It had been enough excitement for one day, so... home again with no cache searches.

Just a quick stop at a shop.

And home.

..o0o..

These reviews are provided by Agamedes Consulting. For an independent and thoughtful review of your processes, problems or documents, email nickleth at gmail dot com.

The Book of Dave / Will Self

The Book of Dave

category: science fiction, author:

Will Self

published by Penguin Group,
original copyright 2006, read in August 2010

Agamedes' opinion: 6 out of 10

This is traditional what if science fiction: What if a post-apocalyptic society struggles out of barbarism with a state religion based on the rantings of a mad with grief, misogynistic, London taxi driver? All of Dave's hatred and despair is poured into his book of rules for "family" living. All of this is taken as gospel...

And yes, the Dave-based society is as bad as -- or worse than -- you expect.

The Book of Dave combines "what if" with jibes at social control through religion, deeply negative views of human-kind and disgust at the London of today. Is this a miserable book?

Dave himself is, if not likable, at least a sympathetic character. Even in his darkest moments, his basic humanity survives. Okay, he's a wife- and child-beater; you can blame that on the pressure forced on him by an uncaring world. No, that's no excuse.

Nevertheless, Dave -- with the help of Phyllis, drawn to Dave by his efforts to help others, despite his own despair -- gains redemption. Dave is dragged, and drags himself, back from the abyss. Only to be killed.

The story is written in multiple strands. The post-apocalyptic future jumps back and forwards in time before settling into a "now in the future" main story. These story strands are interspersed with present-day Dave, whose story also jumps backwards and forwards. For help following this confusion, chapter and page headings include the date... Take careful note!

The story is written -- in the future strands -- in future-speak. Mostly, this is fine. But when characters speak in "Mockni" -- phonetic Cockney -- it can be slow going for the non-London reader. Still, that's part of the enjoyment of the book.

The present and future stories run in inverted parallel: As the present Dave drags himself through despair to almost-happiness to death, Carl of the future travels from an island paradise to depraved New London then back to a now destroyed paradise.

And that's where the author loses me.

If this were a "proper" novel, the author would present a ray of hope at the end. Some form of conclusion. Some means by which at least some of the characters could live, perhaps happily, ever after. But no...

Having painted a picture of gloom and despair, the author sees no way to alter the gloom and despair. "Here's a picture of misery," he writes. "And look, it ends in the same misery."

I call that lazy writing.

It's very easy to point out that the world -- or some aspect of it -- is awful. Will Self has done that. And done it very well, too. The book is heavy going but I read to the end, wanting to see what would happen.

And, in essence, nothing happened.

Dave was doomed at the start and he was killed at the end. The state and religion based on Dave's book were cruel at the start and cruel at the end. Carl's mini-paradise was doomed at the start and destroyed at the end. So what?

It's like writing about a train wreck: "The train crashed. Everyone was killed. Here is how each person died..." So what?! People want to read about the survivors. Writing a detailed description of each death is gruesome, morbidly fascinating and lazy. Could anyone have survived? That is what makes a good novel! But it takes a lot more effort by the author.

I read The Book of Dave with interest and hope. I sympathised with several of the characters and wondered how they would escape from their various predicaments.

But they did not escape.

So the book is well written. So what.

---

PS: There is, I admit, a vague possibility that all is not doomed. After all, Carl stands up and makes a very short speech. Having gone with the flow for several hundred pages, perhaps he is about to do something. And one of the residents of paradise has stated his willingness to fight for survival.

So what?

Carl has, so far, just drifted. Beaten, jailed, raped, hopeless, saved by one of the very few people who remember the messages of peace and harmony. So there he is -- with perhaps two supporters -- facing a team of violent opponents. Will Carl's people -- who rejected him when told to do so -- now stand strong and free and fighting for their lives and freedom? Or am I just thinking of Blazing Saddles...

After hundreds of pages of growing despair, I need more. The author is too lazy to tell me what is about to happen. From many pages of lost hopes I can only fear the worst. So I believe the worst, that all is -- still -- lost.

A despairing end to a story of hopes, crushed.

..o0o..

These reviews are provided by Agamedes Consulting. For an independent and thoughtful review of your processes, problems or documents, email nickleth at gmail dot com.

Moving Target / Elizabeth Moon

Moving Target

category: science fiction, military, author:

Elizabeth Moon

book 2 of Vatta's War
published by Orbit,
original copyright 2004, read in August 2010 (and before, in August 2009)

Agamedes' opinion: 8 out of 10

Okay, I've read this book before. Reviewed it before. Given it 8 out of 10, before. Why?!

This book is published in different countries under different titles. I recognised the author but not the title. Picked it up, started reading, realised that I had already read it -- and carried on reading.

This is a great book: lots of fun, lots of action, heroic and likable characters.

Read Marque and Reprisal for my original review. Sure, my earlier reviews tended to have far fewer words than my more recent reviews. Now, I would write more. But I agree with what I wrote then.

A fun book, an exciting book, a book to read for enjoyment.

..o0o..

These reviews are provided by Agamedes Consulting. For an independent and thoughtful review of your processes, problems or documents, email nickleth at gmail dot com.

The First Men in the Moon / H.G. Wells

The First Men in the Moon

category: science fiction, author:

H.G. Wells

published by Gollancz,
original copyright 1901, read in August 2010

Agamedes' opinion: 5 out of 10

My rating for this book is five out of ten: readable, but only if there's nothing else. That rating is based on my enjoyment as I am reading the book... and I read largely for escapism. If you are a science fiction (or literature) fan and interested in the development of the genre -- rate this book as eight: really quite good.

For me, the book suffered somewhat in comparison with the next book on my list, Moving Target. Moving Target is Horatio Hornblower in space: non-stop action, adventure and heroism. The First Men in the Moon is more imagination but less fun.

First Men describes the efforts of two men to get to the Moon, and the civilisation that they discover on the Moon. As far as the Moon civilisation goes, it could have been found by Tarzan in the depths of the jungle, or by John Carter on Mars.

On the plus side: The Moon people are entirely at peace, yet they are neither perfect nor stupid. The narrator is shocked at some of the practices which maintain the Moon civilisation. Then, when the Moon people discover the warlike and predatory nature of Earth humans -- the Moon people use trickery and deceit as they prepare for a preemptive strike against Earth.

Compare this with Out of the Silent Planet, by C.S.Lewis. Wells imagines a peaceful but lively civilisation. On the surface all runs smoothly but there is an underlying cost. Moon people have no war but quickly accept the need for a strong defence. Earth people are inventive, active, belligerent and threatening. Dangerous but not all bad.

Lewis, on the other hand, describes a civilisation of idiots. Well, that's my memory of the book, from reading it in late 2008. Idiots who -- according to Lewis -- are the perfect models for an ideal society. As opposed to Earth -- the "silent planet" -- which has been isolated due to the unutterable evil of its inhabitants.

Wells' opposing civilisations -- Earth and Moon -- each have their good and bad. Wells presents some interesting and valid messages -- without preaching.

The characters, too, are more than two-dimensional. Sure, the scientist is an absent-minded genius who sees new knowledge as the one and only goal. But the narrator is not the standard straight-talking, two-fisted, battle-the-baddies hero. He is an undischarged bankrupt, in for the money and too quick to use violence.

In terms of speculation -- the heart of good science fiction -- the plants of the Moon are excellent. Wells has taken the actual situation, of two weeks day, two weeks night and extreme temperature changes, and built an environment of rapid growth and equally rapid decay. This is good: an ecology which could not occur on Earth.

Interestingly, my copy of the book has someone's pencilled comments. A student, perhaps, forced to read an old book. The student has made a "correction" to the text -- and got it wrong. Fortunately enough, Wells knew the facts of his science.

Even more interesting, was an article in a recent newspaper. Apparently some scientists have now decided that there may, in fact, be some water at the centre of the Moon... Probably not enough to support all of Wells' Selenite civilisation -- but better than nothing!

As I write these quite positive comments I wonder, should I adjust my rating upwards? No... There is a lot of good material in this book. But it fails to make a ripping yarn. The Sleeper Awakes, also by Wells, has just as many good ideas. But Sleeper is also a very enjoyable and easy-to-read book.

One final point. A paragraph that I love. It's either quintessentially British -- or Wells poking fun at lots of other books:

It is within the right of every British citizen, provided he does not commit damage nor indecorum, to appear suddenly wherever he pleases, and as ragged and filthy as he pleases, and with whatever amount of virgin gold he sees fit to encumber himself, and no one has any right at all to hinder and detain him in this procedure.

Absolutely, old chap!

..o0o..

These reviews are provided by Agamedes Consulting. For an independent and thoughtful review of your processes, problems or documents, email nickleth at gmail dot com.

Fix It and Flip It / Katie Hamilton & Gene Hamilton

Fix It and Flip It:

how to make money rehabbing real estate for profit

category: self-help, author:

Katie Hamilton & Gene Hamilton

published by McGraw-Hill,
original copyright 2004, read in August 2010

Agamedes' opinion: 7 out of 10

This is an American book, which limits is relevance to Australian real estate. Nevertheless -- there are some useful chapters.

First up I was struck by the pricing examples...

Buy a house for $100,000 then sell it for $115,000... Where will you get a house that cheap? Not in my market, certainly! Still... it's easy to multiply by five or ten, to get good information. My advice would be: read the figures to get ideas but don't get over-excited by the actual figures quoted!

(I wonder if those are actual prices from America? Or if they are several years out of date? Or if there is -- or was -- a solid real estate market in the very low end of the US market?! Anyway...)

(Interesting... I see that the 2008 edition of this book has an even longer title: Fix It & Flip It: How to Make Money Rehabbing Real Estate for Profit Even in a Down Market. Good to see that "even in a down market" there is money to be made. Even if the money is mainly for authors of how-to books. Anyway again...)

A highlight of the book -- for someone considering entering this market... Hmmm... "This market" being, buy a house, clean it and fix it, sell it for a profit. That said, a highlight is the list of suggestions for fixing up an old house.

A fresh coat of paint is obvious. I once checked over an old house where a fresh coat of paint was its main feature: The painter had sprayed everything, including various weeds which were now glued to the house by fresh paint.

Fix It and Flip It also advises a lot more fixes which are -- really -- in the cosmetic category: Make sure that all doors open and close, oil all hinges, clean the kitchen and bathroom, remove all rubbish... Minor items, largely cosmetic, perhaps, but all help to give a good first impression to the potential home-buyer. Many pages of good advice.

There is similar advice for buying the property. A room-by-room list of items to check. Plus the advice to record what you find -- against the checklist -- for future reference. Nothing worse that trying to remember which house had the water stains below the hot water tank!

Some of the advice is not so important in Australia. Some would need to be adjusted, for our style of houses, our legal requirements and our building standards. That's easy enough, with experience and some research.

This book provides several chapters of good advice on buying, fixing and reselling houses. It's not the ultimate answer -- no book is. But it's a worthwhile read.

..o0o..

These reviews are provided by Agamedes Consulting. For an independent and thoughtful review of your processes, problems or documents, email nickleth at gmail dot com.

The War of the Flowers / Tad Williams

The War of the Flowers

category: fantasy, author:

Tad Williams

published by Orbit,
original copyright 2003, read in August 2010

Agamedes' opinion: 7 out of 10

Lost of pages -- but good enough to keep on reading.

Although I did find it a bit of a slow start. That's because I don't go in for the personal angst introduction to a story... Not unless personal angst is the central theme of the story, anyway. And if it is -- I will probably not want to read the book at all.

This book is good fantasy. Once the good fantasy began -- the book improves.

The Faerie of The War of the Flowers is a good variation... with we-are-ruining-the-world overtones. Faerie has followed the mortal world into an industrial revolution, using magic rather than electricity as the industrial fuel. The care-for-the-environment message is there -- but it does not detract from the story.

The all-human-like-creatures-should-have-equal-rights message is also there, even more strongly. This is a standard theme of fantasy (and science fiction). The variety of magical creatures (or aliens) makes equality of thinking creatures a natural. Again, however, the theme does not overpower a good story.

Good characters, good character development, a good mix of action and wonder (that is, the new-to-the-reader world of Faerie), all adds up to a good book.

Overall, the best part of this book is the "modernisation" of the traditional Faerie. It is essential to the plot, there are some clever ideas and the power of magic is not overdone. I would have liked -- and I expected to see -- the hero's musical ability linked more closely and more often to the plot. The music was underplayed to the extent that its final power had a touch of deus ex machina.

Still... there is plenty of time for that. I guess... [pause] Well, that does surprise me! A quick Google and I find that there is, in fact, no sequel to The War of the Flowers!

The last few chapters of the book are clearly setting the scene for more adventures in "post-modern" Faerie... Don't worry, the last few chapters also nicely wrap up the plot and provide closure for key characters. Still... the potential for a sequel is clearly there.

Maybe it's still being written. Or planned. War is a big book, it could take a while to write another.

Meanwhile: read this book. Nothing fancy, but it's a book which provides a very enjoyable and quite long read.

..o0o..

These reviews are provided by Agamedes Consulting. For an independent and thoughtful review of your processes, problems or documents, email nickleth at gmail dot com.

The Girl who Played with Fire / Stieg Larsson

The Girl who Played with Fire

category: thriller, author:

Stieg Larsson

translated from Swedish by Reg Keeland
book 2 of Millennium
published by Maclehose Press,
original copyright 2006, read in August 2010

Agamedes' opinion: 8 out of 10

This book begins in a similar fashion to the first: slow, plodding, detailed. Then the excitement cranks up a notch... then the book reverts to its detailed plodding. But with a sharp edge of suspense because the threat has suddenly become more real.

Am I trying to say that this is a boring book?

No way!

Sure, it's written in a unique style. The author was an investigative journalist, the book is about an investigative journalist, the style is of detailed investigation. Nevertheless, the book is a thriller. Yet the enjoyment of this book is not just in it's "thriller" nature...

This needs an aside: "Thrillers are mostly characterised by an atmosphere of menace, violence, crime and murder by showing society as dark, corrupt and dangerous, though they often feature a happy ending in which the villains are killed or arrested" (from Wikipedia.) The Girl who Played with Fire is definitely a thriller. At times, a thriller in slow motion...

I enjoyed the book as a thriller. I also enjoyed it as a fictional expose of man's inhumanity to, well, women and girls. And I like the characters.

The good guys and gals are nice. There are people supposedly on the side of good who are really bad but, because they are on the side of good... they are just troublemakers. Only the nominated baddies are really evil. The Girl and her hero friend are both nice and sympathetic. The Girl, in particular is troubled but -- because her troubles are explained, and she does have a strong moral code -- she is extremely easy to cheer for.

Aside: In the front of the book are a number of excerpts from reviews of this book. One excerpt says, "Larsson's writing managed to make [Salander] intriguing, admirable, even sympathetic..." Even sympathetic?! Did that reviewer even read the book?!

To me, Salander (the heroine, the Girl) is wholly sympathetic. There is no way that you can read her history -- as revealed in this book -- and not be sympathetic to her character. Or is there?

Perhaps because Salander is a girl -- a woman, actually -- and has some power, and a willingness to use it... Perhaps that is threatening to some readers. Salander is highly intelligent, highly independent and has been punished for both of these. Perhaps her resilience and intelligence and strength is a threat, to at least one book reviewer. Perhaps the social message of the book is very, very necessary.

Perhaps -- I hope -- I am reading too much meaning into one word in a review.

One minor drawback to Fire -- which I actually liked -- was the existence of a third book. With a third book already published, there was no way that the heroine could be killed. For some, that would remove suspense. For me -- I like the solid expectation of a happy ending!

Fire is interesting for another reason: it is Swedish. Not many Swedish books published in English! It's interesting to read about a culture which is different enough from my own to be distinct.

Where else would a character spend all day shopping -- to completely furnish a new flat -- in Ikea?! Where else would a vicious thug drive a Volvo? Where else would an author name every street that his characters drive along -- and they nearly all end with 'vagan?! (Or something; I can't find a page to check my memory.) It all adds interest to a great story!

Fire has far more characters -- and story points of view -- than the first Millennium book, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. After a while I almost gave up trying to follow the various characters. Still, the main plot was clear even if I was often confused by the variety of people. Many with strange Swedish names, too... though "Jerker" sounded almost Australian :-)

Fire unfolded several layers of plot, some so unexpected (perhaps only to me?) that they seemed almost deus ex machina. These were not related to the action, more to the motives. Hmmm... I do wonder... Were some of these revelations unexpected simply because I missed clues that would be obvious to someone who knew more about Sweden? Possibly... or possibly not.

And one further point where I am unsure: Is there a theme to the Millennium series?

Yes, books one and two are thrillers. With great characters. But is that the true point of the books?

As I was reading Fire I began to wonder, Did Larsson write these as thrillers? Or did he really write them as exposes of social injustice...

Either way, great books. I'm looking forward to the third.

..o0o..

These reviews are provided by Agamedes Consulting. For an independent and thoughtful review of your processes, problems or documents, email nickleth at gmail dot com.

Short Story 101: Proof of the Non-Existence of God

Proof of the Non-Existence of God

category: Short Story 101, author:

Agamedes

Here's a bit of fun: the first 101 words of a short story. Where is it going? What's going to happen? After just 101 words -- do you care?

---

It had been a great day, a marvellous day, a day of amazement and inspiration. Arthur Pursnitz was feeling on top of the world. More than that: Arthur knew that he really was on top of an entire solar system... It may have been a model solar system – but what a model it was!

"What you see here is an absolutely perfect model, a model of our entire solar system," he told his group of guests.

Arthur watched the group. Many of them were staring wide-eyed, first at Arthur then at the model. It was difficult to comprehend the absolute perfection...

---

..o0o..

These reviews are provided by Agamedes Consulting. For an independent and thoughtful review of your processes, problems or documents, email nickleth at gmail dot com.

Nine Layers of Sky / Liz Williams

Nine Layers of Sky

category: fantasy, author:

Liz Williams

Published by Tor,
original copyright 2003, read in July 2010

Agamedes' opinion: 6 out of 10

I enjoyed this book. Nothing wrong with it... Just not great.

I do worry about people who discover a new idea, a new culture, a new whatever, and write a book with that new thing as a driving force in the book. In this case, Williams has -- apparently -- spent time in eastern ex-USSR, in the various -stan countries. Her experiences form the basis of this book. So what?

So, how true is the author's perception of the culture? And how relevant is the culture to the plot?

First, I have no idea of the truth or otherwise of Williams' view of the people and myths and culture. Nor do I have problems with it: it is interesting and different, for me. This is no fairytale of a culture that is so much better than our own... Nine Layers gives a good and bad picture of a different culture. So that's all good.

How relevant is this culture? Very relevant! The culture -- current situations, peoples, old myths -- are central to the plot. Could the plot fit into, say, an Australian situation? Possibly... but only by an enormous stretch of adaptation.

Which leads to a conclusion: Williams has taken her experience in a "foreign" culture and used it as a valid basis for an interesting story.

On the other hand the interesting story is not great. An enjoyable book. Read it. Don't expect it to be anything extraordinary.

Of course, you could read Nine Layers as an insight into the myths and culture of the part of the world where the story is set. From that point of view -- if that's what you want -- read and enjoy!

Which leads me to one point which struck me: a lesson, or insight, into life in the -stan countries.

It's just a casual part of the background to the story: Russians hate name-your-stan, -stan people hate Russians. Russians are the invaders, the invaders are now in their third generation but are still treated as invaders. Moslems distrust Christians and vice versa. Some of the distrust is pure religious difference, some is based on historical persecution going both ways.

Cross a border and tolerance gives way to distrust or hatred...

It's really an insight, for an Australian to read about these casual and eternal hatreds. We may think that our neighbour is a bit of an idiot. That's nothing, compared to the ingrained views which are casually demonstrated in this book.

..o0o..

These reviews are provided by Agamedes Consulting. For an independent and thoughtful review of your processes, problems or documents, email nickleth at gmail dot com.