Who doesn't love Sherlock Holmes? The razor- sharp intellect, ascerbic wit, aching melancholy and mystery of his personality- I adore the character created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. I loved all the Holmes stories, and still enjoy watching the old Sherlock Holmes movies starring Basil Rathbone, the Young Sherlock Holmes movie, and the latest Holmes incarnation featuring Robert Downey, Jr. Yes, there have been many different actors playing Holmes and Watson, and I have enjoyed watching most of them.
I do, however, often take exception when writers attempt to ride the coat tails of highly successful authors of iconic books and characters. Everyone has read sequels to long-standing classics written years later that are grievously disappointing. Most attempts to extend the stories of beloved heroes and heroines fall very flat.
There are, happily, exceptions to these botched attempts. Laurie R. King has taken the beloved Mr. Holmes, Watson and others into their respective futures and done a commendable job of it. What if Sherlock Holmes were to meet and fall in love with a young (very young) woman who is as complicated and intelligent he is? Enter, Mary Russell, in Ms. King's book, The Bee Keeper's Apprentice. Mary Russell and Holmes meet under very interesting circumstances at a low point in each of their lives. They develop a mentor- student relationship which, over time, blossoms into a delightful and totally plausible romance given their shared interests, individual quirks, eccentricities and intelligence. And, perhaps best of all, THIS IS A SERIES! As I have written before, I hate coming to the end of a rollicking good tale with well-developed characters. It is just depressing to finish a book and wonder, "But then what happened to them? I am invested in these people, dammit!" Not to worry with Mary and Sherlock- there are quite a few books after the first one and they are fun to read. Ms. King gives little history lessons along the way, and many of the people to cross paths with Sherlock and Mary are straight out of the early 20th century. You've got to love it!
Purists, give this series a chance, I implore you. I, too, was skeptical of the concept, but these books have good characters, great atmosphere and plot development, and are not even slightly cheesy or silly.
I am told that some followers of this blog (do I actually have followers?!?!) are perusing it for possible book club selections. The Bee Keeper's Apprentice would be a perfect choice for group discussion.
But, that is, "Elementary, my dear Watson."
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Unbroken- A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption
Any books about World War II are very likely to hold my attention. My uncle, Brigadier General David Lee"Tex" Hill was one of the most highly decorated naval aviators of American military history flying as one of Claire Chennault's original Flying Tigers in the American Volunteer Group. His story, which has been the subject of many books and even a movie starring John Wayne was familiar to me from the time I was a very young child. Having the opportunity to meet other heroes of that era was an incredible privilege and honor. These friends of my uncle were invariably kind, interesting and, in my eyes, incredibly glamorous and brave. Some of them had been POWs during WW II or the Vietnam War. Colonel Bud Day, the most highly decorated military man since General Douglas MacArthur was my mother's lawyer and a close friend of Uncle David's. He is a remarkable man and I cannot fathom how he was able to survive the torture and degradation he was subjected to during his five years and seven months in a North Vietnam prison camp. His story has been recorded in several books and is definitely worth reading.
So, obviously, I am deeply moved by the stories I read about the men who served our country during the 2nd World War or any conflict in which our country has been involved. Over the past few months, many of my friends have told me that I had to read Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand. I read Seabiscuit by Ms Hillenbrand some years ago and was impressed by the depth of her research and the incredible detail she provided about the lives of the jockeys, trainers and horses during the 1930s. I knew, from that book and from the rave reviews of my friends, that Unbroken was equally well-researched. The author had the added advantage of spending many hours with Louie Zamperini to talk with him personally about his life.
I believe we all need heroes. If I have to look back 60 years to find those who I can really look up to, so be it. At least, thanks to Laura Hillenbrand, I have a new story of courage and grace to ponder.
Louie Zamperini grew up in Torrance, California, the son of Italian immigrants. From an early age, Louie was incorrigible. He was completely uncontrollable and, in present time, would undoubtedly be a prime candidate for any number of drugs to control his behavior. Eventually, Louie's brother, Pete, introduces him to the sport of running, and Louie Zamperini became one of the most famous collegiate and amateur runners of the time competing in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin and smashing records wherever he ran. When the war started, Louis left USC for the service and ended up a bombardier in the Pacific theatre. His plane was shot down, he and two others drifted thousands of miles on a life raft only to be captured by the Japanese. The torture and humiliation Louie and his fellow prisoners are subjected to is horrific. As I read the account, I was struck by two things- 1) How indomitable the human spirit is, and, 2) Man's inhumanity to man. Reading about the indoctrination of the Japanese people from earliest childhood to hate anyone who was not ethnically pure (read: Japanese), is appalling. Of course, the same sort of indoctrination was concurrently being applied to the German people. How, I wonder, do we continue to repeat this incredible, ugly sin of prejudice and bigotry? What is in the darkest part of ourselves, that longs to feel superior to others because of our skin color or the circumstances and place of birth?
Louie survives his incarceration, returns to the United States and tries to pick up his life again. Please read this book. It is incredibly well-researched, beautifully written and will give the reader much to ponder for quite a long time. What happens to Louie Zamperini after the war is a powerful testament to love, grace and forgiveness.
So, obviously, I am deeply moved by the stories I read about the men who served our country during the 2nd World War or any conflict in which our country has been involved. Over the past few months, many of my friends have told me that I had to read Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand. I read Seabiscuit by Ms Hillenbrand some years ago and was impressed by the depth of her research and the incredible detail she provided about the lives of the jockeys, trainers and horses during the 1930s. I knew, from that book and from the rave reviews of my friends, that Unbroken was equally well-researched. The author had the added advantage of spending many hours with Louie Zamperini to talk with him personally about his life.
I believe we all need heroes. If I have to look back 60 years to find those who I can really look up to, so be it. At least, thanks to Laura Hillenbrand, I have a new story of courage and grace to ponder.
Louie Zamperini grew up in Torrance, California, the son of Italian immigrants. From an early age, Louie was incorrigible. He was completely uncontrollable and, in present time, would undoubtedly be a prime candidate for any number of drugs to control his behavior. Eventually, Louie's brother, Pete, introduces him to the sport of running, and Louie Zamperini became one of the most famous collegiate and amateur runners of the time competing in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin and smashing records wherever he ran. When the war started, Louis left USC for the service and ended up a bombardier in the Pacific theatre. His plane was shot down, he and two others drifted thousands of miles on a life raft only to be captured by the Japanese. The torture and humiliation Louie and his fellow prisoners are subjected to is horrific. As I read the account, I was struck by two things- 1) How indomitable the human spirit is, and, 2) Man's inhumanity to man. Reading about the indoctrination of the Japanese people from earliest childhood to hate anyone who was not ethnically pure (read: Japanese), is appalling. Of course, the same sort of indoctrination was concurrently being applied to the German people. How, I wonder, do we continue to repeat this incredible, ugly sin of prejudice and bigotry? What is in the darkest part of ourselves, that longs to feel superior to others because of our skin color or the circumstances and place of birth?
Louie survives his incarceration, returns to the United States and tries to pick up his life again. Please read this book. It is incredibly well-researched, beautifully written and will give the reader much to ponder for quite a long time. What happens to Louie Zamperini after the war is a powerful testament to love, grace and forgiveness.
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