Mann's ambitious retelling of the Faust legend
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Thomas Mann poured his considerable knowledge of music into this biography of fictional German composer Adrian Leverkuhn, whose musical career spans the first thirty years of the 20th century. The result is one of literature's most ambitious attempts to portray the art of music in words. At the same time, this is a self-portrait of the narrator. Writing from the perspective of 1944, like Mann himself he is a representative of an older, humanistic Germany, who looks on appalled as the Red Army marches ever closer to the German border. Hating the Nazi regime, he struggles with the fact of the national catastrophe that looms ever closer. The result is perhaps Mann's most complex novel, ironies within ironies, all contained in the story of an artist who makes a pact with the Devil (or does he? or does he imagine that he did?) in order to achieve transcendence in his art. The language is thick, the narrative moves slowly, sometimes at a snail's pace, but the complexity of the story offers rich rewards. Not for the faint of heart.
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Stoker's classic is unique for many reasons - the unusual method of storytelling, the slow, solid building of plot and atmosphere, the juxtaposition of the supernatural and the "modern" world, and the exquisitely crafted characterizations.
The character of Mina, in particular, is worthy of noting. It is wonderful that at a time when women were thought of as weak and not particularly intellectual, Stoker created a such a strong and intelligent female character. (It is largely through Mina's efforts that Van Helsing and Co. are able to track and ultimately defeat Dracula.)
Sadly, modern film versions of the book do not reflect this - Mina is either depicted as ineffectual and helpless, or as a gullible creature who quickly falls in love with the title character.
Also, film versions neglect to emphasize one of the best parts of the book. Dracula is not only a story of supernatural horror; it is also a story of love, courage, and faith uniting a small band of heroes against a powerful evil.
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A fabulous retelling of a Classic Myth; with a steampunk twist.
Brian Myhre capture's the classic myth with excellent dialogue leading to a twisted retelling of the original plot.
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The story is a familiar one by now. Victor Frankenstein creates a man-like being from parts of dead bodies pilfered from graveyards. In giving life to this "monster," Victor has stepped into the world of the unknown. He is, at first, impressed with himself and his creation, but over a short period of time, he begins to realize that he has gone too far. In his fevered mind, he cannot stop what has been started, and he is overcome with madness as he tries to understand what to do --- but it is too late.

Long fascinated by Mary Shelly's story, Gris Grimly has interpreted his own, awe-inspiring version in graphic novel form. Using text from Shelly's original novel and his own wildly creative artwork, Grimly's FRANKENSTEIN is a graphic novel masterpiece. Some chapters are represented by letters exchanged between Victor and his love. In other chapters, the monster is given a voice by introducing his own point of view. There are pages with no dialogue --- just marvelous pictures, silently telling the story. Ultimately, this is not just Victor's story. Gruesome, twisted, and totally original, the book flows with the author's outrageous illustrations. The book vibrates with the intensity of images and beautifully designed format.

At times the language seems stilted and archaic, but as you get into the story it all flows. The sense of Victorian life and the narrow structures of their morals are all beautifully captured between dialogue and illustration.

With his own flair and possible influences from other artists like Tim Burton, Grimly weaves his magic throughout. His characters and costuming are delightful --- from the sculls on Victor's jacket to the shock of wild hair that wisps in one crazy tangle about his head. The monster is both hideous and distorted with an almost human face but most of the time is a terrifying patchwork. Victor's friend Henry Clerval is gaudy in red-stripped jacket with a car salesman's smile. His fianc, Elizabeth, has miles of puffed out hair with a dramatic white strip. The Steampunk cars are whimsical and rackety as they bump along the muddy roads. Each page is filled with these characters and images amid landscapes of gloom and darkness.

In the afterward, Grimly describes some of the struggles he faced as he worked on the book. In strange ways, he parallels this time (four years in the making) with the trials of the mad scientist and his monstrous creation. The emotional ups and downs, the disappointments, the dashed hopes and the breakthroughs wear on the author/artist. In the end, Grimly is a winner with his startling and fantastical creations.

Gris Grimly's FRANKENSTEIN will certainly attract anyone interested in the tortured story of Victor and his monster. Fans of Grimly's art are going to absolutely love the free, wild and marvelous interpretations on each page.

Reviewed by Sally M. Tibbetts
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Beautiful book, but what else would you expect from Faust? A model for how to write compelling and accessible academic histories.
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Thomas Manns claim that Joseph and his Brothers was his masterpiece always took me by surprise. Surely, this book isn't better than Death in Venice or Magic Mountain, critics respond. Well, perhaps not but it is in the same ballpark and thats no mean accomplishment. This sweeping, often comedic, novel was a joy to read despite some initial frustrations and one of the most rewarding books Ive come across in some time. John Woods translation brings this great book back to relevancy as Mann offers an interesting take on Genesis, life, death, family bonds, love and mythology. Woods introduction is stellar as well. Still, this is not a book for everyone and I suspect many readers will give up as they try to make sense of it all. Id encourage them to slog through though the introduction is a bit cryptic and there are often strange and bewildering asides that only become clearer as the reader continues. The payoff is worth it to say the least though Id advise readers to bone up on Genesis before reading this novel. Mann was one of the finest craftsmen to ever assemble a novel and readers will be swept up in his plot and characters. I finished this novel, which clocked in around 1,500 pages, and wanted more. Easily one of the best books Ive come across in years.
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THE MERMAIDS DAUGHTER is part love story, part fairy tale, and part magical retelling of the classic tale of the The Little Mermaid. It is a beautifully dark and passionate re-imagining which is only enhanced by the eloquence of the authors words. The well developed characters and their relationships to each other bring you deeper into a story that was originally told by Hans Christan Andersen. There is so much that I loved about this book, but what really grabbed me was the way the author presented this unbelievable tale and made it believable. There wasn't a moment that I didn't think that any of it was implausible. Then combine that with the mixture of operatic artistry, this tale is definitely one for those who love a magical yet not so perfect fairy tale.
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Interlacing two stories, that of Christ's crucifixion and a modern-day visit by the Devil to early 20th Century Moscow, the author creates a beautiful (and fantastic - witches and devils and spirits and talking cats galore!) portrayal of life under the then-new communist regime.

An excellent choice for anyone interested in the first few decades of communist rule in Russia, or satire, or just a ripping good read.
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This 2-for-1 is a great deal, as it contains the best of Faust's early work - So Far - an album for me only rivalled by the recent Ravivvando. The additional tracks, the three that comprise their first self-titled album, are full of anarchic oddities, a kind of musical dada, but they lack the more formed musicalities and dynamic, at times beautiful, at others relentless sonic assuault of So Far.
From the opening track (#4 here), "It's a rainy day, sunshine baby" - a heavy and twisted satire on the Beach Boys to my ear - the album builds and shifts into utterly amazing and original territory, from demented digs at mundane suburban existences ("I've got my car and my tv", "Mamy is blue") to electronic soundscapes.
The power, aural dynamics and humour of the music was illustrated by a series of wonderful paintings in the original So Far vinyl release (I have seen them on the Faust website)which perfectly underpinned the dark mood - as indicated by this cover, a music that looks under glamorous surfaces.
There's a touch of Monty Python and Frank Zappa in Faust's music, albeit with a strong experimental and electronic orientation, and this album, now an extended listening experience for enthusiasts, maintains interest and momentum from go to wow. This is quintessential Krautrock.
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The best way I know how to describe Nietzsche's "Antichrist" is....WHEEEEEEEEEE!!!!  Lots of fun; much better than Plato.  Old Freddy whacks merrily away at Christianity with the eloquence of the Tasmanian Devil.  And he's *way* beyond good and evil--he can't even decide which is which.
A debate between Nietzsche and his fellow German of another era, Luther, would be a sight to see.  Luther's witticisms would contrast nicely with Nietzsche's bug-eyed snarling.  And would the sparks ever fly...
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Anne Rice's second vampire novel is both a prequel and a sequel to her original story "Interview with the Vampire". A sequel because it is framed by a sequence of events in contemporary times, and a prequel because it recounts the history of the vampire Lestat, the sire of the protagonist Louis in "Interview". After waking from centuries-sleep in 1980's New Orleans, Lestat discovers the "Interview" manuscript and goes about setting the story straight, recounting his mortal life as a young French aristocrat, his transformation into a vampire, and his ongoing quest to find the answers behind his new condition. Stretching from the French Revolution to Egyptian myth to the modern day world, his journey is one that only an immortal could take, and we're lucky enough to be taken along for the ride.

Lestat is perhaps Rice's most popular creation, and it's easy enough to see why: he is charismatic, merciful, deep-thinking and tormented; in other words a truly three-dimensional character and possibly the most relatable member of the undead in the huge vampiric canon of books and movies (well, with the possible exception of Angel and Spike). His moral crisis on becoming a vampire is especially intriguing, with his reluctance to destroy innocent mortals.

More than this however, is Rice's (and consequently Lestat's) exploration into the mythos of the vampire and the search for the origins of the vampire. She ingeniously melds the legends of ancient Britain, Greece and Egypt to tell the complete history of the vampire creatures, making especially good use of the myth of Osiris and Isis, whose existence bears a fascinating similarity to the making of a vampire. Finally Lestat gets to the heart of the matter after tracking down different vampires of increasing age, and the full truth behind the vampire and the creation of the first vampires. It is one of the most interesting and thought-provoking theories on the subject that I have ever read, and yields further revelations and connections on each re-reading.

As well as this, Rice includes Lestat's complex relationships with his mother and best friend who become privy to his vampiric secret, and toward the end Louis and Claudia are mentioned also (so make sure you've read "Interview" as Lestat gives away the details of their life together).  Fellow vampires such as Armand, Marius and Magnus make prominent appearances, all of whom had later novels dedicated to their characters and serve as "stepping stones" to Lestat's journey of discovery, each yielding more clues and information to the intellectual path that he takes.

Rice's language is gorgeous to read, rich and poetic and full of sublime passages and descriptions. Sometimes she can go a little overboard: on more than one occasion I found myself reading a passage and realising I had no idea what was going on, but her rich detail and extensive knowledge of history sets her vampires in an utterly realistic and mysterious world. Concepts such as "the conversation", the Savage Garden and the wolf killer echo through the novel, adding resonance and extra meaning to the unfolding story where the smallest detail can hold the greatest importance.

All in all, an immensely rich and rewarding read at times scary, beautiful, intriguing, and exceptionally clever. Rice has created a new breed of vampires that are both similar and extremely different from those of traditional folklore. Usually I dislike books that make vampires "good guys" and thereby strip them of any potency or menace whatsoever, but Rice is the only author that I know of (with the exception of Angel and Spike of course) who makes this work. I can't wait to read more.
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Yalom's magic still shines and if you are a fan you'll enjoy this one too. If Schopenhauer and Nietzsche were heavy, the subject matter here is even more so. Still, the two main characters Spinoza and Rosenberg are masterfully contrasted even if the link between them may be imaginary. You'll find yourself going back and forth between the book and Wikipedia, trying to figure out where historical facts stop and where imagination takes over. At the end you'll say to yourself that this book was worth reading.
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Written in a classical style, much deeper and more compelling than the Hollywood style rebranding of the story
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In twenty-eight riveting chapters, medieval scholar Carmen Butcher makes this sixth-century Christian come alive. Her sinewy writing and animated dialogue take us back in time to the beautiful Umbrian landscape and the violent wars of Benedict's day. We relive the moment when the proud Ostrogothic King Totila comes face-to-face with this humble saint, and we see how the king's life is changed forever. We also encounter lessons of trust and spiritual growth as Abbot Benedict turns to God in times of drought and conflict. Butcher makes this old story twenty-first-century relevant in her dynamic re-telling. Bonus features include a map of Benedict's Italy, a chapter-by-chapter summary of Benedict's "Rule," and a list of former popes with the name "Benedict." Butcher also tells us the meaning of the name "Benedict" and why the current pope chose this name. This hardback is beautiful and definitely worth reading. A sampling from the last chapter is below:

  One summer, many years later, a deeply troubled woman found

  herself wandering day and night, up and down and through the

  mountains and valleys and forests and fields near Benedict's

  cave in Subiaco. Like a strayed lamb, she was completely

  confused. Nothing was familiar. All of her life's usual

  emotional and physical signposts had vanished and, because

  of this, her mind had totally lost its bearings. She could

  no longer think logically. Once her best friend, analysis

  had become her greatest weakness and biggest foe. . . . .She

  had been wandering randomly, but she had not missed the

  right way, for this unremarkable-looking cave was Benedict's

  old home at Subiaco. Here the young hermit had spent three

  long years praying alone with God and cultivating the garden

  of his soul. This was where Benedict had learned about the

  mysterious, unending nature of God's kind, agape love. But

  this soul-sick woman did not know this. She did, however,

  understand she could lie in this inviting space and escape

  the summer heat and rains. She was also somehow drawn to its

  emotional warmth. She entered its blessed walls and slept

  there that night.

What happens next is proof of the wonderful healing of God!
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Bone Welder is more than an homage to Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, certainly more than a simple reworking of her tale. You will find echoes of her story, to be sure, as well of movies and other offspring of the original, but it brings that tale and those characters into wholly new realms. Kishbaugh's voice is engaging, his imagery vivid, his characters fully developed, and his movement full of surprising turns. The book offers a remarkable and entertaining tale as it also explores issues with import for all of usloneliness and connection, the meaning of life, the incredible benefits and utterly terrifying wages of scientific discovery, and the struggle between evil and hope for a better world.  It is a story well worth readingthough maybe not right before bed.
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To write the story of Camille Claudel, one of the most enigmatic figures in the history of art, is an ambitious and bold undertaking. Claudel, who was born in France in 1864 and died in an insane asylum in 1943, was arguably one of the most gifted sculptors of her time and one of the first distinguished female sculptors of the modern era. Alma H. Bond's book Camille Claudel: A Novel, though written as a fictionalized biography, is a thorough portrait of Claudel.

Written from the perspective of the aged Claudel, confined to the Montdevergues Asylum for over thirty years, the story begins when the child Camille shows an interest in making shapes out of mud, much to the chagrin of her conventional mother. The recounting of Camille's formative years through her early education in Paris and apprenticeship to the sculptor Auguste Rodin, is filled with detail and awareness of how the interrelationships of her family members shaped her personality. As she begins her career as a sculptor, as well as her role as both muse and lover to Rodin, the story is meticulous in recounting the development of her art and her unique and independent personality.

Bond has done an impressive job of researching her subject and her descriptions of the places Camille lived, studied, and worked are thorough and exacting. The author's portrait of the fiery and temperamental artist and the many personalities who filled her world are rich. Bond's knowledge of Claudel's day-to-day life and the growth of her art is breathtaking in its scope and completeness. She paints a vivid portrait of a ferociously independent and rarely talented young artists struggling to overcome the prejudices of her era and to deal with her passionate and ultimately obsessive love for Rodin, her mentor and the great love of her life.

Written in the first person, Camille has a "voice" that is at times elusive, the only flaw in this otherwise richly-crafted story. The author's use of contemporary expressions and figures of speech and some American slang seem somewhat out of place coming from the pen of a seventy-nine year old French artist raised in the Victorian era. Still, Camille was a woman out of time and perhaps some readers will find the contemporary voice more accessible.

Though Bond's research on Claudel's early years is impressive, she is at her best and most authoritative as she describes Camille's slow and painful descent into madness. Bond, herself a psycho-therapist, describes a surprisingly fragile psyche traumatized by her inability to accept Rodin's choices and the increasingly intense paranoia that led her to believe that Rodin was persecuting her even after his death. Complicated by a painful relationship with her mother and a possibly incestuous relationship with her brother, Camille slipped deeper and deeper into self-destruction until she was removed to an asylum where she remained for thirty years.

Camille Claudel: A Novel is an ambitious work in both detail of the life of the artist and in a study of her decline. The world will never know the extent of Camille's genius as an artist because she destroyed so many of her own work but Bond has given us a sensitive and richly detailed account of a life that was too afflicted by tragedy to achieve the greatness that was its right.
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This is a rare and beautiful piece of writing by an author with an unpredictable and exceptional command of language and mood. To create a dark masterpiece such as this one, not only must you look into the darkness, but also fish out the corners of your own soul, delving into dangerous narrative waters to create such a powerful tone. The combination of musical knowledge, history, dramatic storytelling, and a world-spanning tale made this impossible to put down, and the Faustian brilliance of the plot was a true pleasure to read. I can't tell you the last time I so enjoyed a story about musicians - perhaps because this one was about so much more - but I look forward to reading more by Cappa. This was a symphony in itself, a powerful statement to follow up the Dazzling Darkness.  I couldn't be more impressed or pleased, and look forward to the rest.