Loot, Literature, and Lies

I promised I was going to talk about my Christmas loot, and I shall.

I asked for a few things and was really looking forward to getting some, if not all of the books on my list. The ones I requested were:

“Brothers in Battle, Best of Friends” by Bill Guarnere , Edward “Babe Heffron” and Robyn Post. This, for those of you who aren’t familiar with those names, is a companion book to Band of Brothers by Stephen Ambrose. It was written by two of the central contributors to that book. I didn’t get this one but it will stay on the must buy list.

“Tenacious” by Julian Stockwin. If you are a fan of Patrick O’Brian you’ll be hooked. I much prefer this series of novels, which follow Thomas Kydd into the golden age of the Royal Navy, over both the Hornblower and Bolitho series. I also didn’t get this one, but will eventually.

“In at the Death” by Harry Turtledove. This falls into the Sci-Fi category for some reason although I would call it more general fiction and alternative history. There is no Sci-Fi or Fantasy in the book whatsoever. This is the end of a series that begins with a book called “How Few Remain” which begins with the supposition that the South won the civil war and 2 countries, hostile to one another, now occupy the land between Canada and Mexico and deals with the Spanish-American War. “In at the Death” takes us up through the end of the Second World War and is an interesting, if somewhat uncomplicated, exercise in what if. I read this one in about 5 days.

“The Darkest Evening of the Year” by Dean Koontz. I like the books although they are getting a little formulaic. Part of me thinks Koontz wrote this one just to mess with his publisher. Still, it was a decent story but I think it could have been fleshed out a little. I read this in 2 days.

“Confessor” by Terry Goodkind. This one is the end of a series of Sci-Fi / Fantasy books that go back quite a way. The first books in the series I thought were very strong. There were interesting characters, solid plots, good twists and just generally good reading. Later books started to get a little “preachy” in my opinion. One seemed completely tangential to the whole thing and appeared to be the authors’ thinly veiled vehicle for explaining his personal political and moral philosophy. This final book was basically a series of philosophical arguments strung together with a minimum of care. Everything seemed to me to wrap up just a little too easily. Characters that were miles apart for book after book just conveniently reappeared with trite little plot devices. Story lines were wrapped up almost as an afterthought to, again, the authors’ explanation of his world view. This one took me about 4 days.

This brings me to something that has been bothering me for some time. Why does it seem like so many authors, once they get a few best sellers under their belts, feel the need to blatantly interject their opinions into their writing? Even when I agree wholly or partially with them it drives me crazy.

Tom Clancy did it when he made Jack Ryan President. Want to know Clancy’s view on how to fix government? Buy Executive Orders. Ann Rice went into some kind of existential meltdown when she wrote Memnoch the Devil. Goodkind, who I mentioned seconds ago just about bludgeons his readers with his personal philosophy. The only way he could be any more heavy handed is for him to show up to my house, force his way in and then start lecturing me like some sort of zealot missionary. And for the most part, I agree with his general outlook. Dean Koontz is similar but at least he’s a lot less preachy.

Not every author falls into this trap, but it seems many do. I don’t think Stephen King ever did, but he should have stopped writing at either “Hearts in Atlantis” or “Dreamcatcher”, whichever came first. Cell was a decent book however.

One of my other favorites, Robert Jordan (real name James Rigney), got so big that his publishers let his wife edit his books. The result was four or five books introducing more characters than the Iliad and the Odyssey combined and a plot that moved so slowly it might almost have been a text book. Two or three whole books could easily be edited into a single volume. Unfortunately Jordan passed away this summer with his series unfinished. I’ve heard that he left copious instructions for the wrapping up of the series but I’m not holding my breath.

Is it the isolation of writing? Is it the adoring public hanging on every word? Is it the huge royalty checks? What?

Sure, I realize that I’m doing the same thing that I’m bitching about but I think there’s a subtle but important distinction. This is a blog, which means it’s supposed to be somewhat autobiographical and filled with opinion. You know that going in. Writers who suck you in to a book or series of books and then start using those books to tell you what they think are performing, in my opinion, a bait and switch. If I want to be lectured I’ll pay for the privilege by the credit hour. If I want to be preached to I’ll make an appointment on Sunday mornings. Just entertain me.

As for the rest of the loot, socks, slippers, a new drill (which is pretty cool), some sweats and a couple of knives from a cousin who always gets me knives. I’ll explain that some other time.

What about you? Any good stuff? I’m interested to know.