parlementum

• Rated 5 stars

“One of the best historical fiction novels ever. It closely intertwines history & speculation to bring the early days of Imperial Rome to life. You'll want to read it over and over again.”

parlementum wrote this review Saturday, April 9, 2011. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“I can only agree with Graham Greene, who said it was the best spy novel he ever read. No fancy gadgets, no cast of hundreds, this book is just a battle of wits between a few agents. Who is spying for who? Who is a double agent, a triple or more? It's a fascinating mental thriller set against the backdrop of the coldest days of the Cold War.”

parlementum wrote this review Friday, August 20, 2010. ( reply | permalink )

1 of 1 members found this review helpful.

• Rated 5 stars

“A marvelous adventure story and a hero quest. The best book to read during the Summer. It combines faerie mythology, Native American mythology, baseball, an island in Puget Sound, a most unlikely hero and personal airships into a wonderful, fast paced story.”

parlementum wrote this review Wednesday, August 18, 2010. ( reply | view 1 replies | permalink )

• Rated 3 stars

“I hadn’t read it before because it was written in the mid 1990’s and I had a prejudice that Le Carre was really a cold war espionage great. I am happy to say I am wrong. Not only was it still an intense, emotional, brainy thriller, it was surprisingly topical today.

It deals with the former Soviet republics in the Caucusus Mountains, such as Georgia, Chechnya, and Abkhazia. Yes, the same countries in the news today over ethnic unrest, foreign influence, the Mafia, and Oil. With the bonus of money laundering thrown in for good measure.

It’s a fast read, a real page turner. I give it 3 out of 5 stars.”

parlementum wrote this review Tuesday, August 10, 2010. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 4 stars

“This is a fast paced, fascinating account of Count Galeano Ciano, who was Mussolini's son-in-law and Foreign Minister. Ciano kept a diary in the period up to and including World War II. From it we get an inside account of the personalties and events leading up to World War II, and Italy's disasterous alliance with Germany.

This book makes the tragedy of World War II even more apparent. A few strong willed individuals overpowered many weaker men and pulled the world into a calamity that cost over 50 million lives and whose consequences shape our lives today.

The book is not just a fascinating account of the supreme insider Ciano. It's a warning. Never was the old saying more true, all that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.

Ciano understood early on that Germany was doomed to fail, and the alliance would destroy Italy. He wasn't strong enough to consistently speak out and stop Mussolini. For this failure Ciano, Italy, and the world paid a heavy price.

I recommend this book. It highlights some overlooked areas of the war. It is very accessible and well written. You will definitely have a lot to think about when you finish it. ”

parlementum wrote this review Saturday, August 7, 2010. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“see my review at: http://rothreviewofbooks.blogspot.com/2010/01/precis-review-day-world-ended-at-little.html”

parlementum wrote this review Sunday, August 1, 2010. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 4 stars

“It was a great read.

He is an amusing and exciting writer. He quickly draws you in to the adventure and romance of the story.

Even though the story is firmly rooted in the time and the politics are complex, you don't need to be familiar with them to enjoy the story. The hero, Edward Waverley, is enough to draw you in and keep your attention until the end. The book makes a strong argument too for the importance of traditional culture. As a result of the rebellion that is the background for the novel, Scottish culture, dress, and language had been suppressed for 60 years at the time Scott was writing.

He makes a subtle yet effective argument for the beauty and necessity of the Gaelic culture and the irreplaceable nature if it is lost. Read it for the adventure and romance, and ponder its message relevant today about the price of victory on winners and losers alike.”

parlementum wrote this review Sunday, June 6, 2010. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“The simplest, most accurate review would be simply: READ THIS BOOK!

In American Gods Neil Gaiman is posing the simple question: in this land of immigrants what happened to all the gods and magical creatures of our cultural folktales & legends. His answer is that they are all here, but not doing so well in these shrunken times. Some are taxi drivers or prostitutes, others are grifters or just hard working men and women trying to get along in a country that’s tough on its gods.

Neil Gaiman is a master storyteller and in his hands this mash up of stories and legends becomes a ride that just keeps accelerating from the first page to the last. He effortlessly fuses the ancient heroism of Homer with the modern cynicism of the late 20th/early 21st centuries and makes it work.

It’s also a search for roots, a meditation on what America means and what it means to be an American. It’s also a reminder that we are all immigrants here, even the first peoples came across a land bridge. Only the land, the plants & the animals are native here.

The tale of Shadow and his search for himself is gripping in its own right. It’s also a lot of fun to try and guess the identities of the “people” he is meeting. I enjoyed the sheer exuberance of the variety of gods, goddesses, nymphs, foxes, thunder birds, con men, and SOB’s that populate the book. Nobody is who they seem, and yet they are also exactly who they seem.

The interplay of belief and identity is another theme explored for rich results in the novel. Do gods exist if we don’t believe in them? Can people live up to others expectations? Which side do you choose when there are no “good guys?”

Like the best literature, American Gods creates a fully imagined world. It envelops you as you read, you are in the book along with the characters. This was a book I literally couldn’t put down. Each page had its own revelation. My only regret was reaching the end.

http://booklover206.tumblr.com”

parlementum wrote this review Monday, May 17, 2010. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“See my review at my book review blog:

http://rothreviewofbooks.blogspot.com/2010/02/chinese-maze-murders-by-robert-van.html”

parlementum wrote this review Friday, February 26, 2010. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“a rare, worthwhile reinvention of Sherlock Holmes. Caleb Carr not only does a masterful job in recreating Sherlock, Mycroft, and Watson, he also invokes a centuries old mystery and brings it back to life.

Well worth the read, and if you are like me, it will send you back into the history section to learn more about the episode it covers.”

parlementum wrote this review Monday, February 8, 2010. ( reply | permalink )