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.