A literary trip on the high seas of deception.
928660
As an old Ship's Engineer with 18 ships under me, the atmosphere, the detail, the ambiance of shipboard life all came to life in this exceptionally well researched book. Also a child of WWll from Germany, all the detail seemed real and palpable, having me try to reach out to touch the storyline. Also, having just finished my own autobiography, I am pleased by the effort of Alan Furst must have expended to create a worthwhile document of the time.

Klaus V. Luehning
718011
After Herman Melville's tales of mountainous waves, disease, apparitions, murders, suicides, cannabalism, tropical storms, tsunamis, hallucinations, lightning strikes, hangings, volcanic eruptions, starvation, giant whales and every form of terror possible on the high seas and land, "The Confidence Man" is Melville's most violent work.

It begins with an April day, the first, "April Fool's Day" on a paddle-wheeled river boat heading downstream from St. Louis, Missouri to New Orleans, Louisiana.  The river is wide, 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) at certain points, but a river boat is generally thought to be a reassuring form of travel.

This is not the case, not once in the 45 chapters which follow.  The concentration of psychological violence is so intense that the reader is unaware of its insidious presence which manifests itself continually in its different disguises.

In Chapter 14, in a brief aside, Melville gives the reader a kind of passepartout to his novel, when he describes the first stuffed platypus from Australia, the so-called "duck-billed beaver", which many naturalists refused to recognize as a separate species and preferred to conclude that the bill had been ably glued on.

In a letter to his friend, Nathaniel Hawthorne, in 1851, Melville writes: "Let any clergyman try to preach the Truth from its very stronghold, the pulpit, and they would ride him out of his church on his own pulpit bannister."

Obviously for many this is a totally unacceptable view of the human race.  Incomprehension and
denial are natural defensive reactions.  But considering that 153 years have passed since the
publication of "The Confidence Man" and considering the accumulated evidence we have at hand, this prophetic novel provides the ONLY credible conclusive appraisal of the human condition.
3193565
Dali & I, a memoir of the wild ride Stan Lauryssens experienced as a high-flying dealer of Salvador Dali's artwork, sketches Dali as a grotesque human incarnation of the twisted surrealism that inspired his art.  By placing his own name alongside Dali's in the title and acknowledging his own moral shortcomings as a trafficker in fraudulent Dali art, Lauryssens seeks to redeem himself (or at least rationalize his misdeeds) as the inevitable byproduct of the aging Dali's lack of artistic integrity and the greedy consumerism of wealthy art investors.

The beginning of the book is a major hoot, recounting with how Lauryssens rose from a menial job punching holes in Emmentaler cheese, to a stint as a writer for a bogus Hollywood magazine, to a millionaire reseller of Dali art.  His conversational writing style, peppered with anecdotes from close associates of Dali, makes for an easy, engaging read.  And the descriptions of Spain's Catalonia region, along with its impact on Dali's art, have a poetic quality about them.

Some of his swindling war stories carry a strong whiff of exaggeration, yet I have little doubt that greed and gullibility generated many easy marks for his fraudulent transactions.  The author's often second- or third-hand accounts of Dali's wild orgies and penchant for signing his name to voluminous amounts of art he did not produce are still harder to accept at face value.  Though Lauryssens undoubtedly traveled in Dali's circles, writes with convincing detail, and is not the first to question the authenticity of some of Dali's later works, he would have us believe that the majority of Dali's body of art is inauthentic, including many famous paintings on display in museums around the world.

A tad too convenient of a theory, perhaps, serving the twin purposes of minimizing the import of the author's own fraudulent acts (how guilty can he have been if the entire post-1930s Dali collection is suspect) and generating controversy and buzz for his book.  And with a major movie starring Al Pacino as Dali in the works for release in 2009, I can't help but wonder if Dali & I represents yet another sleight of hand from this master of the trade.  My advice: read the book (it's a lot of fun, after all) and judge its veracity for yourself!
4648376
One of the most original and delightful novels of the year, Borges and the Eternal Orangutans is simultaneously a literary thriller, a parody of the detective story, and an anti-detective story.  Taking its title (and one of its primary images) from Elizabethan writer John Dee, who wrote that if an orangutan were given enough time, he would eventually produce all the books in the world, the novel takes place in Buenos Aires, where an international group of Edgar Allan Poe specialists gathers for a meeting of the mysterious Israfel Society.

The narrator, Vogelstein, a 50-year-old man who has led a cloistered life, "without adventures or surprises," believes that he has been called to the conference by destiny--"some hidden Borges"--and the convenient death of his cat confirms this belief. For years Vogelstein has wanted to meet author Jorge Luis Borges, who is attending the meeting.  He once translated a Borges story for "Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine," creating and tacking on a new conclusion--a "tail"--to "improve" its inconclusive conclusion.  He has been trying to make amends with the horrified author ever since.

Addressing the novel to the blind Borges, Vogelstein describes how, during the conference, he discovered the bloody body of Rotkopf, the most argumentative speaker, in Rotkopf's hotel room.  Two other speakers wanted Rotkopf dead.  Borges and Vogelstein eventually team up, applying their talents to solving the cryptograms Vogelstein believes are hidden within the murder scene and in the position of the victim's body.  Throughout the investigation, Vogelstein and Borges study the tales of Poe for help, while they simultaneously explore the origins of language, the work of John Dee and the "Necronomicon" (publicized by H. P. Lovecraft), the Kabbala, the occult, the Gnostic gospels, apochrypha, and the "eternal orangutan."  "Everything is a message," Vogelstein declares, "even the shape made by the hairs in your bar of soap."

Wildly imaginative, this literary detective story fully engages the reader with its tongue-in-cheek humor, its erudition, and its parallels with Poe.  Like some of Poe's protagonists, Vogelstein proves to be an unreliable narrator, always saying what he believes will impress his idol, Borges.  Acting like an excited child, Vogelstein serves as a blundering foil, both for the more august Borges and for the criminologist Cuervo, who wishes the dead man had "simply told [Vogelstein] the name of the murderer over the phone, instead of making such a complicated game of it." Scholarly in its allusions and in the concepts which underlie the investigation, the novel's earnest tone and enthusiastic pursuit of arcana create a fun-filled mystery/parody sure to delight lovers of literary fiction.  Mary Whipple
1640315
I just finished reading this one for a class.  It is a very complex novel that I think would benefit from multiple readings.  The novel is extremely discriptive and tells the story of two women from different parts of the world and how their paths ultimately cross.  Brand's prose is intricately woven with a combination of confusion, wonder, and anger that emminates through fresh use of voice and perception.  The book illustrates the impact of the imperialism and the slave-trade in the Carribean and takes place in both the islands and Ontario.  I recomend this one but caution that it is a book that takes effort to really get into it.
1874991
Sam Gayton's Lilliput is a fantastical novel based in 18th century London. The tale, heavily inspired by the classic Gulliver's Travels, opens on the mythical island of Lilliput, home to a kingdom of miniature people, the Lilliputians. All is marvelous on the island until Lily, a three-inch-tall Lilliputian child, is kidnapped by the "giant" Gulliver and whisked away to London to be exhibited as evidence of Lilliput's existence. However, Lily has plans of her own: escape. With the help of an enslaved clock maker's apprentice, a jolly chocolate chef, and a Spanish parrot, will Lily ever see her home and family again? How far will her desperate determination guide her, and what sacrifices will be made along the journey?
 This thought-provoking novel is an action-packed adventure to read. Compared to the innumerable futuristic tales of modern literature, Lilliput is uniquely set deep in history. In addition, the book is remarkably engineered for readers of all ages; its simple vocabulary and plot line pertain to young children, whereas its vivid themes and cryptic metaphors will quench the thirst of even adults. Lilliputs vast affluence in morals encompasses a wide array of topics, spanning to include the powers of hope, the comforts of religion, the necessity of sacrifice, the products of anger, and even the lethality of ignorance, a quite impressive enumeration for a childrens book.
 Despite Lilliputs wondrous foundations, though, the novel is noticeably flawed. Throughout his writing, Gayton portrays multiple grammatical errors as well as gaping holes in the plot structure. Also, the author is explicitly detailed and realistic at times, while at others he seems absurd and vague. Nevertheless, the books blemishes are easily vanquished by a beautifully maneuvered, unexpected resolution.
 Conclusively, Lilliput is an imaginative adventure that will undoubtedly draw a smile to your face, and you may even learn a thing or two along the way.

Isabella T., 14, Memphis Mensa
2301814
Fact or fiction?  I read this book over the course of two days, reading late into the night and using up a rainy day.  Who would imagine that 247 (or however many) days at sea could be so captivating?  I had to keep reminding myself that this was a work of fiction - a fantasy, almost - born of a writer's mind and delivered up in paper, not flesh and blood.  The enduring lesson is simply endurance; or maybe it's hope.  Or maybe - as the twist is delivered in the end - it's about how we shield ourselves from the unbearable by devising a more bearable, though surely less credible tale.  I found myself invested in the Life of Pi so much that I did not want to read the 'alternate' version he told to assuage the skeptical Japanese men.  How could I care so much?  This is, after all, just fiction...
1740099
The author takes us on a journey through the world with his eyes. He shows us the reality often deceived by perception in such a compelling way that you can only face it head on. -FS
2202367
Ted Ksomatka's enigmatic offering takes us into an alternative history in which science and Darwin never hooked up. The novel offers a commentary on intelligent design and how keeping it as an accepted truth might entail a colossal, violent conspiracy. Into this world steps Paul, an abused child who grows up to be an archaeologist. His discovery sets in motion a fairly exciting sequence of events as the full implications of the conspiracy unfold. The novel is a fine beach read and a cogent critique of a theocratic domination of intellectual life.
3837068
Theroux has written a tome, shrinking the font and expanding the page margins to appear as a (deceivingly!) palatable 528 page trade paperback. He has much to tell in this rather ambitious effort, chronicling his travels through a sizable chunk of the Pacific--from New Zealand, Australia and Papua New Gunea, the island dots in between, to Easter Island--before comfortably concluding in Hawaii. Thankfully, the book includes detailed maps, and I found myself referencing them often. Theroux is fierce as he is funny, a divorce and removal of a melanoma providing the impetus for this oceanic journey, a journey informed in images and exchanges of the immediate in the wider context of a Polynesia past. Imagine Polynesians eating Tyson Chicken from Arkansas and snacking on Cheez Balls...
2137572
This is an adventure story, a heroic quest, a buddy book and a mock travel story to the imaginary Asian country of Panga. The hero (Francis) is a disenchanted writer looking to escape himself and instead falls into "partnership" with an African diabetic searching for his pirate grandfather's buried fortune. Through many twists and turns, meeting many fabulous characters, Francis' desired disengagement is challenged. I read the book "straight" - just for pleasure - though there are many who might enjoy some of the deeper ideas that run through it.

The novel is playful yet self-reflective. It's fun to read, drawing you into the characters and their lives and hopes. For the literary reader, it offers a lot more (and I would recommend the accompanying "Ludic Mode of Pangamonium," which is a full exegesis of the novel), with allusions to a very broad range of authors and writing.
434338
I rarely read books of over 400 pages in a single sitting, but this investigative expos of the Church of Scientology had me riveted to my chair from the first page to the last. The narrative was compelling throughout, as was the accretion of completely believable specifics and heartbreaking personal stories. This is non-fiction that doesn't come across as dry or academic; it reads more like a complex mystery thriller. And it's a bracing antidote to the exaggerations and outright lies that the organization publishes about its founder, tenets of faith, effectiveness, and overt and covert conduct.

The story begins with the 1911 birth of L. Ron Hubbard, an ambitious, charismatic oddball who became an inveterate conman. We get a tour of his brief naval career, his evolution into a pulp sci-fi novelist, and his creation in 1950 of "Dianetics," a combination of do-it-yourself psychoanalysis and pseudo-scientific mumbo-jumbo that was rechristened "Scientology" when it became a religion. From the establishment of Hubbard's empire, development of religious "technology," and war on psychiatry to his life at sea as a self-appointed "commodore," disappearance from public life, and 1986 death as a paranoid recluse, we learn the details from insiders, many of whom were cruelly used and abused during their years within the group.

The book explains Hubbard's posthumous apotheosis at the hands of the Machiavellian David Miscavige, who has run Scientology with an iron hand for the past 25 years. Miscavige continues the transformation of the founder's biography into an absurd hagiography, one that is almost as over-the-top as his comical alien mythology (Thetans, Engrams, Xenu, etc). We read about the tragic death of a mentally ill member named Lisa McPherson, the ongoing enslavement of brainwashed believers like Tanya and Stefan Castle, and the sycophantic recruitment of Hollywood stars with deep pockets like Tom Cruise and John Travolta.

This pyramid scheme claims to have millions of adherents, yet reliable surveys put the actual membership in the tens of thousands. It approaches prospective converts with offers of a free "stress test" using a crude device called an "E-Meter," but all further services from counselors (called "auditors") carry high fees since they work on commission. This profitable religion is, of course, blessed by the US government with tax-exempt status. Converts enter a psychological pressure cooker in which their every move and word is examined; the higher their position, the more regimented and monitored they are.

Leaving is unthinkable, and anyone expressing a desire to do so is at first intimidated and then punished. Those who succeed in escaping are utterly shunned, and any secrets they may have revealed to the church are used to defame them. As the author points out, the perfection that the organization promises is ultimately a narcissistic one, devoid of compassion and consumed by fear of failure, obsessed with the paradoxical goals of secrecy and self-aggrandizement -- and money, money, money. The untrammeled greed and lavish lifestyles of Scientology's upper echelons and celebrity supporters beggar description.

I'm clearly not a fan of religions or secret societies that rob members of their wills, program their behavior, drain their bank accounts, forbid all criticism, and treat doubters as enemies, but this book is no mere hatchet job. It's a well-written, fair-minded, clear-eyed look at a wealthy, powerful, vindictive group of fanatics; their bizarre doctrines, arcane jargon, manipulative methods, and totalitarian hierarchy; and their gullible followers, who are desperate for certainty and approval. The author's scholarship is supported by five years of extensive research and many pages of exhaustive annotation (and a lot of raw courage, since the "church" regularly harasses and sues its critics). Look no further for the definitive history of and truth about the Cult of Scientology.
520039
"Old Scores," by Will Thomas, deals with closely-guarded secrets, past wrongs that can never be forgotten, and power struggles among competing factions. In 1890, Japanese dignitaries (who have expressed an interest in establishing an embassy in London) visit private enquiry agent, Cyrus Barker, to tour his magnificent garden. Later, when one of the delegates is shot to death, the Japanese military ambassador hires Barker and his twenty-six year old assistant, Thomas Llewelyn, to find the perpetrator. Cyrus and Thomas delve into a possible conspiracy that could have international implications.

At first, Barker underestimates his opponents, some of whom mask their evil intentions behind a web of lies. Violent assailants pounce on our heroes who, to their woe, become human punching bags. For those who have followed this series since its inception, this novel is a must-read for its fascinating revelations about Barker's mysterious and closely guarded past. In addition, the author reacquaints us with such colorful characters as Ho, whose tearoom serves up covert information along with exotic dishes; Mac, Barker's fussy butler; Harm, Barker's strident but affectionate Pekinese watchdog; and K'ing, a crime boss who oversees an extensive gambling and opium empire.

Llewelyn, the narrator, is as witty, amusing, and sarcastic as ever. He admires his employer's intellect and strategic genius, but wishes that Barker were more forthcoming and less stubborn. Adding to the book's appeal are its intriguing subplots involving Barker's beautiful Chinese ward, Bok Fu Ying; Thomas's protracted engagement to Rebecca Cowan; and a showdown between Barker and a person he has reason to despise. Will Thomas recreates the ambiance of Victorian London beautifully, and engages us with his clever plot, evocative figurative language, fast-paced prose, and animated dialogue. Here is one particularly vivid image: "The general watched the wind blow through the maple leaves as if he wanted to slash them with his sword." "Old Scores" is an exotic, enlightening, and entertaining work of historical fiction.
1161396
The Navigator is a beach read . . . and a pretty entertaining one.  Mix in a little history, add a few Biblical references, season with a maniac villain, fold in a little sexual byplay, and tilt the odds in unexpected ways and you've got The Navigator.

The ancient Phoenicians had a valuable secret that they decided to hide away, far from where anyone would find it.  Later, Thomas Jefferson caught a whiff of the secret and decided to track it down.  Both the Phoenicians and Jefferson left behind coded clues.

Into this labyrinth enter Kurt Austin and Joe Zavala of NUMA when they encounter a high seas hijacking aimed at stealing a statue called the Navigator that had earlier been taken from the Baghdad museum during American invasion in 2003.  In the process of foiling the theft (and other, more major, harms), Austin makes the acquaintance of the bewitching Carina Mechadi, an Italian expert in recovering stolen art works.

At the same time, an assistant librarian in the archives for the American Philosophical Society, finds misfiled some papers that seem to have been written by Thomas Jefferson.  Before long, others are riveted by this find.

Austin and Mechadi take on the challenge of tracking down the Navigator after it is stolen again.  At the same time, they sense the deeper riddle involving the Phoenicians and work on that puzzle as well.

Before the book's end, both will be severely tested and unexpected secrets will be revealed.

The ancient sea-going references make this book unmistakably a Clive Cussler creation.  The NUMA technology and experience double that certainty.  The presence of Kurt Austin and Joe Zavala convince you this is a Clive Cussler plot.  From there, the book has a strong seasoning of tongue-in-cheek as the villain shows his preferences for jousting and ancient religions.  I felt at times like this was "The Wild Wild West" meets the 21st century.

Although not as good as the earliest Dirk Pitt books, The Navigator is a book worthy of your time if you are looking for some light action-based reading with an occasional "what if?" thought injected.

As I read the book, I was concerned for some time that it was going to end up with some anti-Christian plot development or message.  But the resolution of the story seemed to me to fall within the real of what is possible and still fit in with mainline Christianity.  I only mention that point because some fiction these days chooses to plot out stories that are anti-Christian.

Have fun!
2474102
I really enjoyed reading through Gulliver's Travels, I recommend it to anybody who's trying to get a good grasp on the classics and learn to enjoy some literature, but for those of you who just want to sit down at the beach and relax, this might not be the book for you.  Despite the numerous versions of Gulliver's Travels flying around billed as Adventure Stories, you must remember that Swift was a satirist and Gulliver's travels is really just a large allegory.  Keep in mind it's a satire from a few hundred years ago.  You may find yourself lost in names and connections that would have been obvious (and perhaps very clever) to the original audience but keeps the modern day reader flipping through to the foot and end notes.  The most interesting parts are the first, second and fourth parts, while the third gets a little dry. When he gets into the narrative of the story, it is very interesting and again a very important piece in literature.
3416243
The book begins by telling the reader right up front that the protagonist, Lily, is a liar. We also learn immediately that the hero, David, is married, and his wife is having a miscarriage, after several fruitless attempts to get pregnant. The chapters alternate between the present and flashbacks, as told to a muckraking journalist, and switch between Lily and David's point of view. The plot of the story is simple--there's a plane crash and David and Lily are stranded on a deserted island. The true events of what happened on that island, however, are a far cry from the web of lies Lily and David spin once they are rescued. The truth is slowly revealed piece by piece, like a dance of the seven veils performed by Susan Lucci (of soap opera fame, because the truths I'm sure have either been or will be depicted on some soap opera at some time). So, that gives you some idea of what kind of truths are being hidden, but if you are able to pierce all these veils before the author drops them, you're more perceptive than I. I liked the book. It was well written, although the author gets a little clever, writing about the present in past tense and the past in present tense. I'm sure that's symbolic, but she trips herself up sometimes, and uses both tenses together, at least once in the same sentence (and not correctly, either). As more and more lies are revealed, they become increasingly melodramatic, and in the end (somewhat SPOILER*****), no one suffers any consequence of these lies, which I actually found to be the most unbelievable thing in the story. Despite these flaws, I did enjoy the story, and I would take a chance on this author again.
2210106
Only a former Navy spook-turned-investigative reporter could have created the one-eyed Creole John Rodrigue, a rum-drinking modern-day Jean Lafitte in a 25-foot fiberglass outboard. Rodrigue operates a seagoing wrecker service in the Gulf of Mexico, and after sinking an abandoned ship for $2,000, finds himself up to his gunwales with drug smugglers, the feds and shady Louisiana politicos.

His friends end up dead. The feds drug him to extract information, but call off their probe when a silver-haired Louisiana politician and a Republican fat cat are implicated. But Rodrigue doesnt back off, stalking the killers across the Caribbean.

The only thing that slows the storys fast pace are a few Dostoyevskian meditations on crime and punishment and some details about Rodrigue's boating maneuvers that may leave the queasy reader rifling the galley for a bottle of Dramamine. But its certainly worth the ride. From the marinas of Galveston to islands around Belize, Drop-Off puts you on the sea like few novels do.