Suffering The Benz

Returning to work tomorrow after 10 days of blocking work out. It’s been great, providing lots of time to read and post inane crap on this blog.

The latest reading is The Last Kingdom, an historical novel by Bernard Corwell. Overall, it was a great read, set in the 9th century when the Danes were running amok through Britain and conquering damn near all of England. It has a Little Big Man thing going on, with the main character, Uhtred, being from England but ending up with the Danes. He moves back and forth between the two camps, providing insight into each group and rubbing shoulders with the famous.

The think I found most amusing is the portrayal of Alfred and the rest of the English as a bunch of effete bozos who are enslaved by priests and Christianity. The Danes view of all this is pretty amusing, and they seem perplexed by these strange, largely ineffective warriors. But of course, the tables turn as Alfred makes his stand and begins turning back the Danish tide. Worth a read if you’re interested in this period. I’m assuming it’s pretty historically accurate. Cornwell provides detail on the history behind the novel and license he took in writing the book.

It moves quickly and is action packed. My one quibble is Cornwell’s reluctance to delve into the sexual situations behind a lot of the plot. I’m finding myself agreeing with Marlon James’ recent post on Space Break Sex, that phenomenon in literary fiction where two characters embrace and clearly are heading toward a sexual encounter. But all the reader gets is a space break and the after effect. I’d like to know more about Uhtred’s relationship with Brida and there are several other relationships that could do with more detail. Overall, the novel gets lost in all the action and the relationships get very little explication. Not a deal breaker here, but a bit of a disappointment.

Damn, I’m dreading that return to work … I already have travel scheduled through most of January. Back to the grind and the hell that is Delta Airlines. Happy New Year, I guess.

During my travels to Jamaica, it didn’t take me long to become fascinated by the John Crows that drift lazily on the beach breezes looking for an easy meal of carrion below. They inspired a haiku during one trip there, when they were circling the pool eyeing me hungrily.

So when I saw a review of John Crow’s Devil, I decided to pick up a copy. I’ve had a hard time finding contemporary Jamaican fiction. I know it’s out there. I’m just not finding it. This is Marlon James’ first novel, and overall, it’s a good one.

It’s set in a village in Jamaica and conjures a classic good vs. evil showdown. But it’s tough to tell who is on which side. The Apostle comes to town and drives the useless Rum Preacher out of his pulpit. Initially, it seems clear the good guys have come to rescue the village. But the book really isn’t that black and white. This isn’t Stephen King sending the good people to Salt Lake City and the evil ones to Vegas. There’s lots of gray area, and a fair amount of magic realism, too. James uses birds as a motif throughout, particularly doves and john crows.

The writing is solid and it’s a great effort for a first novel. I think the main theme that fascinated me was an exploration of how cults leach up out of the ground, slowly at first, only to erupt in passion and bloodshed. I hope James has more books on the horizon. (I just Googled him and realized he has a blog …)