The end of a good book often leaves me a little depressed. When I enjoy a book, I don’t really want it to end.
Recently, I finished a book…well, actually a set of three books and it felt more like liberation.
Then, within a few days I finished a computer game and…it felt much the same way.
I was actually both relieved and pleased to be finished with both and that was such an unusual experience that I felt the need to write about it. Plus, it makes an excellent opportunity to write a review of a popular game and an obscure book by a well-known Author.
Fallout 3 was a huge hit for Bethesda Softworks. For those who don’t know, in the game, the year is approximately 2270. 200 years before there was a nuclear holocaust, a war that devastated the planet. Your ancestors, or so you believe, hid in vaults to protect themselves from the radiation. After 200 gears of isolation you leave the vault and head out into the wasteland. I won’t give away more of the story in case you decide to play it.
My problem with Fallout 3 is that it is depressing. The game is well-crafted and well-written, but none of that can hide a depressing story. It doesn’t help that the game uses a rather muted color palette. In an attempt to be pithy, I would describe Fallout 3 as being gray, and I mean more than just the color, which to be honest is closer to sepia. There’s no green, no red except for blood, no bright colors at all.
A couple of times during the game I was tempted to quit, and having finished it, I have no desire to play anymore and no desire to get any of the downloadable content. Fallout: New Vegas looks a little better, but what does it say about a game if the sequel’s most appealing feature is that it doesn’t look as bad as the original?
I just cannot recommend it.
So, on to the books.
Many years ago, not long after it was published, I read C.D. Cheryl’s novel Rusalka. I had read several of her novels previously, most notably Downbelow Station and parts of the Chanur Saga. Rusalka, and the two novels that follow, Chernevog and Yvgenie, are based on Russian folklore. One review said they were based on Slavic Mythology, but I think folklore d better word than mythology, when applied to these stories. I enjoyed Rusalka and went on to buy Chernevog not long after. I didn’t like Chernevog as well as Rusalka, and so, while I still wanted Yvgenie, I never went back and bought a copy. In fact, I remember seeing it in hardback, but never saw a paperback copy.
And then it went out of print.
I spent over a decade watching Half-Price Books for a copy that never appeared. Finally, a few months ago I found a used copy of Yvgenie on Amazon and bought it. When my reading schedule cleared, I started again from the beginning.
Now, I read pretty fast. I have read over a hundred books some years and it usually takes no more than a couple of weeks to finish any book, usually it is measured in days, not weeks.
I didn’t like it as well the second time around. Rusalka went pretty fast, but during Chernevog I started to get bogged down. I finished it quickly enough, but when I jumped into Eveshka it seemed like I was stuck in mud. It took me forever to finish the third book.
Now, I think it entirely possible that Fallout 3 and the Russian Trilogy may have fed off each other. The books are often depressing and much of the stories seem to happen in a brown muddy rainstorm. It also doesn’t help that the books can be confusing at times as the author jumps back and forth between different viewpoints, and it gets worse as the series moves on.
In Rusalka, we jump back and forth between Sasha and Pyetr. In Chernevog she adds one move voice, Eveshka. In Yvgenie, the author just goes for broke and tells the story while swapping back and forth between the inner thoughts of all six characters in the novel.
It is just too much.
And I found the ending less than satisfying.
But, my dual ordeal is over. I’ve already moved on to another book and in just a couple of days I am more than a hundred pages in, and entranced with the story. So, I am happy to be out from under these two depressing stories and on to other things.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Thursday, January 20, 2011
The Great Austin Burger Hunt
Terra Burger
10611 Research Blvd.
Austin, TX 78759
(512) 382-5864
Before getting into the meat of my review, I need to point something out. I am in favor of organic produce. Now, that probably seems odd to say in a burger review, but if you know Terra Burger you will understand. Now, I am in favor of organic produce, but I don’t buy it very often. Why? Two reasons, one, the price and two, I can’t taste the difference. Okay, I should add the caveat…usually. I usually cannot tell the difference. I could go further and say that most organic produce is priced out of my range.
This needed to be said because Terra Burger’s biggest selling point seems to be their organic beef. That intrigued me enough to pull in.
I ordered my usual burger and fries, but when it came to a soft drink I was presented with a dilemma. They didn’t really have any diet drinks and being diabetic I avoid anything else. What they did have was came sugar sodas which fits very well with the organic billing. I chose a small cane sugar root beer. I love root beer and this was better than most. A&W fountain root been might be better, but not by much.
Unfortunately, that was the high point of the meal.
The burger was okay, but it was a very average burger at a very premium price. The bun was nice, soft with sesame seeds (I like those too) and with a little more tooth than most. The meat was tasty, a little on the dry side, but I don’t mind that. It came with lettuce which was not crispy and did little to improve the burger.
The fries were a disaster. They were limp and greasy. They tasted okay, but I couldn’t finish them.
Lastly, Terra Burger has no inside dining area. They do however have an outdoor dining and play area with a children’s playscape. One note…you have to cross the drive-thru lane to get from the order window to the picnic area.
I cannot recommend Terra Burger. I expect better when I pay $9 for a burger, fries and a soda.
10611 Research Blvd.
Austin, TX 78759
(512) 382-5864
Before getting into the meat of my review, I need to point something out. I am in favor of organic produce. Now, that probably seems odd to say in a burger review, but if you know Terra Burger you will understand. Now, I am in favor of organic produce, but I don’t buy it very often. Why? Two reasons, one, the price and two, I can’t taste the difference. Okay, I should add the caveat…usually. I usually cannot tell the difference. I could go further and say that most organic produce is priced out of my range.
This needed to be said because Terra Burger’s biggest selling point seems to be their organic beef. That intrigued me enough to pull in.
I ordered my usual burger and fries, but when it came to a soft drink I was presented with a dilemma. They didn’t really have any diet drinks and being diabetic I avoid anything else. What they did have was came sugar sodas which fits very well with the organic billing. I chose a small cane sugar root beer. I love root beer and this was better than most. A&W fountain root been might be better, but not by much.
Unfortunately, that was the high point of the meal.
The burger was okay, but it was a very average burger at a very premium price. The bun was nice, soft with sesame seeds (I like those too) and with a little more tooth than most. The meat was tasty, a little on the dry side, but I don’t mind that. It came with lettuce which was not crispy and did little to improve the burger.
The fries were a disaster. They were limp and greasy. They tasted okay, but I couldn’t finish them.
Lastly, Terra Burger has no inside dining area. They do however have an outdoor dining and play area with a children’s playscape. One note…you have to cross the drive-thru lane to get from the order window to the picnic area.
I cannot recommend Terra Burger. I expect better when I pay $9 for a burger, fries and a soda.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
P.G. Wodehouse
I believe it was my Dad who first introduced me to Wodehouse. I think that means that it must have been about 30 years ago, or more. What I can’t remember is which book I saw first. For some reason, I think it may have been one of the Psmith books. However, what I always truly loved most was Bertie Wooster. Later, I found other books, and recently I found a collection of Blandings Castle stories, which was another delightful find.
If you haven’t read Wodehouse, and I suggest you do, it can be hard to describe the appeal of the stories. The best word I can use to describe them is…fun. They are just fun. They certainly aren’t serious; at least I have yet to find a serious story by Wodehouse. Certainly, Jeeves and Wooster stories aren’t serious, and the most serious thing that happens in the Blandings Castle stories is that the prize pig goes off her feed. Usually, the stories are about one of Bertie’s friends trying to convince some girl to marry him, or Bertie trying to get out of some arranged marriage. Similar storylines abound in the Blandings Castle stories.
The second thing that makes them fun is the era. Well, at least I have fun with the era before the Second World War and after the First. In fact, most of the stories are set before the Great Depression, or at least the Great Depression seems to have little effect on Bertie Wooster.
Bertie leads a life of leisure. He obviously has a bit of money, but I would not actually say that he was rich. He has enough to live without working, to keep a house and a car, and most importantly, a servant. Jeeves, and I don’t believe that we ever actually learn if this is his first or last name, he is always just Jeeves. To continue, Jeeves is Bertie’s valet, his gentleman’s gentleman. Jeeves keeps his house clean, at least we never see a maid, though there may be someone who comes in to clean. Jeeves does occasionally cook, but he is certainly not hired to cook. He keeps Bertie’s wardrobe and generally takes care of Bertie, something which Bertie desperately needs.
The proper term for Bertie is a wastrel, but only if you can find a way to use that word without implying spendthrift, or drunk (though Bertie does drink rather a lot), or in fact, most of the negative connotations of the word wastrel. Bertie does no work, but he does not live extravagantly, except in that he has a personal servant. He makes no contribution, other than the contribution of funds to various clubs and restaurants, by his patronage. He enjoys the good life, but without being overly hedonistic.
Jeeves is the brain of the operation. Jeeves is always ready, with the proper drink, or the proper choice of attire, or good advice, or even a plan of attack for the many small problems provided by Bertie and his cast of friends and relatives, for it usually his old school friends, or his many aunts and cousins who provide the fodder for the stories.
Lastly, I must mention Wodehouse’s amazing prose. At least in the Jeeves and Wooster stories, he lets Bertie relate his story and the style of the storytelling is one of the joys of Wodehouse. In other stories, he may write in third person, but Bertie’s rather intimate narration of the story is always amusing. First is the manner of speech from the time, which I cannot hope to recreate in a few words here, but it is truly wonderful banter. Well, maybe I shouldn’t use the word banter, because that may conjure images of British WWII pilots speaking to each other in their indecipherable slang, but banter is what I mean. Rarely in these stories does Bertie speak in straight lines. I just cannot think of a better way to say it. Other characters are a bit more forth right in their speech, but there is always an sense of trying to work around subjects, rather than just coming out and saying it.
And, though this is not really a plug, you can read some of the stories for Free! Right now, I am reading them on my PC and my phone using Kindle software, and I found two books among the free titles on Kindle. So get out there and read something light hearted and fun. You’ll feel better afterward.
If you haven’t read Wodehouse, and I suggest you do, it can be hard to describe the appeal of the stories. The best word I can use to describe them is…fun. They are just fun. They certainly aren’t serious; at least I have yet to find a serious story by Wodehouse. Certainly, Jeeves and Wooster stories aren’t serious, and the most serious thing that happens in the Blandings Castle stories is that the prize pig goes off her feed. Usually, the stories are about one of Bertie’s friends trying to convince some girl to marry him, or Bertie trying to get out of some arranged marriage. Similar storylines abound in the Blandings Castle stories.
The second thing that makes them fun is the era. Well, at least I have fun with the era before the Second World War and after the First. In fact, most of the stories are set before the Great Depression, or at least the Great Depression seems to have little effect on Bertie Wooster.
Bertie leads a life of leisure. He obviously has a bit of money, but I would not actually say that he was rich. He has enough to live without working, to keep a house and a car, and most importantly, a servant. Jeeves, and I don’t believe that we ever actually learn if this is his first or last name, he is always just Jeeves. To continue, Jeeves is Bertie’s valet, his gentleman’s gentleman. Jeeves keeps his house clean, at least we never see a maid, though there may be someone who comes in to clean. Jeeves does occasionally cook, but he is certainly not hired to cook. He keeps Bertie’s wardrobe and generally takes care of Bertie, something which Bertie desperately needs.
The proper term for Bertie is a wastrel, but only if you can find a way to use that word without implying spendthrift, or drunk (though Bertie does drink rather a lot), or in fact, most of the negative connotations of the word wastrel. Bertie does no work, but he does not live extravagantly, except in that he has a personal servant. He makes no contribution, other than the contribution of funds to various clubs and restaurants, by his patronage. He enjoys the good life, but without being overly hedonistic.
Jeeves is the brain of the operation. Jeeves is always ready, with the proper drink, or the proper choice of attire, or good advice, or even a plan of attack for the many small problems provided by Bertie and his cast of friends and relatives, for it usually his old school friends, or his many aunts and cousins who provide the fodder for the stories.
Lastly, I must mention Wodehouse’s amazing prose. At least in the Jeeves and Wooster stories, he lets Bertie relate his story and the style of the storytelling is one of the joys of Wodehouse. In other stories, he may write in third person, but Bertie’s rather intimate narration of the story is always amusing. First is the manner of speech from the time, which I cannot hope to recreate in a few words here, but it is truly wonderful banter. Well, maybe I shouldn’t use the word banter, because that may conjure images of British WWII pilots speaking to each other in their indecipherable slang, but banter is what I mean. Rarely in these stories does Bertie speak in straight lines. I just cannot think of a better way to say it. Other characters are a bit more forth right in their speech, but there is always an sense of trying to work around subjects, rather than just coming out and saying it.
And, though this is not really a plug, you can read some of the stories for Free! Right now, I am reading them on my PC and my phone using Kindle software, and I found two books among the free titles on Kindle. So get out there and read something light hearted and fun. You’ll feel better afterward.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Move More
The page stares back at me, blank and empty. A week has passed and I have missed the deadline I set for myself. Now another week has passed, and still the page is blank. A new year has begun, and the page remains blank, but then again, the year is also blank.
January.
Janus is the roman god of beginnings and endings. January, a month of new beginnings. It also happens to be the month of my birth. So, as I contemplate a new year, I also contemplate getting one year older. I have reached the age where another birthday is not something I look forward to.
It was a tough year, and I don’t think the new one is going to be much easier, but we continue to slog on. The last few years I haven’t slogged quite as hard as I could have, and that brings me to my one resolution for the year.
Move more.
I have been more than a little sedentary over the last few years, and that is one thing I intend to change this year. I don’t believe in resolutions, so I won’t lay out some grandiose plan of exercise and healthy eating. I know myself too well. But, I have spent way too many nights parked in my chair in front of my computer, and that is part of what I mean to change. No plans to exercise several times a week. No plans on how much weight I want to lose. Simple.
Move more.
I suppose that I could also say, do more, but, I want to keep it truly simple. No goals that will fail before February and make me feel bad. No goals that I will look back on at the end of the year and feel a sense of failure over, just a simple proposal for how to end up in a little different place a year from now.
Move more.
Hopefully some of it will be moving the fingers, and this blog will get back on track. Hopefully, moving will include getting some work done and a few projects will move forward to completion. I hope for lots of things, but I won’t put them as goals, because I have always found that those goals fail. The goals that succeed are the ones that I hold in my heart. The goal that I have in my heart is to stop the slow…or not so slow…slide from middle age into premature old age. I am stiff and sore and out of shape and unhappy and bored and….I don’t know what else, but I feel the answer is simple.
Move more.
January.
Janus is the roman god of beginnings and endings. January, a month of new beginnings. It also happens to be the month of my birth. So, as I contemplate a new year, I also contemplate getting one year older. I have reached the age where another birthday is not something I look forward to.
It was a tough year, and I don’t think the new one is going to be much easier, but we continue to slog on. The last few years I haven’t slogged quite as hard as I could have, and that brings me to my one resolution for the year.
Move more.
I have been more than a little sedentary over the last few years, and that is one thing I intend to change this year. I don’t believe in resolutions, so I won’t lay out some grandiose plan of exercise and healthy eating. I know myself too well. But, I have spent way too many nights parked in my chair in front of my computer, and that is part of what I mean to change. No plans to exercise several times a week. No plans on how much weight I want to lose. Simple.
Move more.
I suppose that I could also say, do more, but, I want to keep it truly simple. No goals that will fail before February and make me feel bad. No goals that I will look back on at the end of the year and feel a sense of failure over, just a simple proposal for how to end up in a little different place a year from now.
Move more.
Hopefully some of it will be moving the fingers, and this blog will get back on track. Hopefully, moving will include getting some work done and a few projects will move forward to completion. I hope for lots of things, but I won’t put them as goals, because I have always found that those goals fail. The goals that succeed are the ones that I hold in my heart. The goal that I have in my heart is to stop the slow…or not so slow…slide from middle age into premature old age. I am stiff and sore and out of shape and unhappy and bored and….I don’t know what else, but I feel the answer is simple.
Move more.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)