Author: aldhamwriting
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Review of John Updike’s ‘Rabbit, Run’
I finished reading John Updike’s ‘Rabbit, Run’. I disliked it more every page. ‘Dumb’, thinks Harry Angstrom, Rabbit, of his wife Janice. But Harry is dumb. As are all of the characters. They are inarticulate uneducated lumps. Is this how Updike sees Americans, or are they really like this? Everything Harry does is driven by…
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Review of Catherine Hernandez’s ‘The Story of Us’.
Continuing my series of book reviews for writers:‘The Story of Us’ is about, MG, or Mary Grace, who has taken the job of caregiver to a person who is suffering from Alzheimer. The person, Liz, is a Trans-woman. Really a biological man, she has lived as a woman for much of her life. The bio…
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Review of ‘Why Nations Fail’
Review of ‘Why Nations Fail’ by Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson I find economics fascinating. I studied some in university if just a few courses. I have traveled around the world, and have always wondered, why are some nations so rich, and some so poor? This book provides a good economic theory to answer…
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Review of ‘Still Writing’ by Dani Shapiro
Continuing series of book reviews for writers, with a review of Dani Shapiro’s ‘Still Writing’. I am seeing an exhibitionist element to her work which I am ambivalent about. I suppose most writers want to have their work read. So that ‘look at me’ element is always there. Lately I notice social media posts that…
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Writers Review of Tolstoys’ ‘War and Peace’
Writers Review of Tolstoys’ ‘War and Peace’Continuing series of book reviews for writers.How does one possibly criticize Leo Tolstoy’s ‘War and Peace’? Well, treat it like a modern book appearing today for the first time, and what might someone think? First, there are too many characters. Even with a printed list I kept beside the…
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Review of ‘How Do You Live?’ by Genzaburo Yoshino
This book was originally written as part of a series of essays on ethics and culture for young people, especially boys. I admire that goal, but am ambivalent about a book that feels more like a didactic essay masquerading as a novel. It is almost pedantic in its approach. Although all novels reflect the beliefs…
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Book Reviews for Writers: John Vaillant’s ‘Fire Weather’
After reading ‘Fire Weather’ I was depressed and demoralized. I think of walking through Angkor Wat in Siem Reap Cambodia, impressed by the temples and stone buildings surrounded by huge stone walls miles out, that would have been the city limits centuries ago, and while marveling at the immense wonders, the craftsmanship, and the stories…
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War and Peace
Okay, so I am biting the bullet. I am going to TRY to read Tolstoy’s ‘War and Peace’. I love ‘Anna Karenina’ and have read it 3 or 4 times. But this one has always intimidated me. If you have read Russian literature, you know that every character seems to have three names. Just to…
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Trudeau and Trump. Two Peas…
I drive past a house on Dollarton that has a ‘F*ck Trudeau’ flag flying in the front yard. It makes me laugh. I have often thought about how Trudeau and Trump are so similar. How here in history, both Canada and the US are cursed by these terrible men. Besides being elected, both have accomplished…
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Review of ‘The Writer’s Process’ by Anne H. Janzer.
Sometimes writers need affirmation that we are on the right track. Although we are climbing a mountain, alone, we need to hear that others have done it before and that it can be done. The trail is poorly marked, or we wander off on what seems interesting tracks (and maybe easier), so we are often…