All Reviews by George
Yama (The Pit)
by Aleksandr Kuprin
Book is about tragic destiny of prostitutes of Kiev in the end of the 19th century.
Space Viking
by H. Beam Piper
This is a solid piece of golden-age science fiction. It has adventure aplenty along with the standard scifi conceits that seem rather primitive by today's standards (a robot controlled with an "infrared pencil," neutronium armor on ships, interstellar conquest). Nevertheless it's great fun.
If you fused Star Trek with Blackbeard the pirate, you'd get Space Vikings.
The Good Soldier
by Ford Madox Ford
This novel is truly a modern masterpiece. In structure it's a fusion of Henry James and Graham Greene's _The End of the Affair_. In tone, it's reminsecent of a WW1-era Jane Austen.
The story is exceptionally well-constructed and slowly changes, as you read it. It's full of twists and turns and revelations. But it's basically a quiet, though dramatic, story. Highly recommended.
Scaramouche
by Rafael Sabatini
Compulsively readable and truly a delight! I enjoyed this adventure story thoroughly. This is the first ebook that's kept me up late.
King Solomon's Mines
by H. Rider Haggard
Although the racism of the time is hard to stomach, Haggard's work is one of the best adventure stories I've ever read. It's like Indiana Jones meets Conan the Barbarian. Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys the adventures of Robert Louis Stevenson, or for anyone who likes stories set in colonial Africa.
A lot of fun -- a great read -- some truly memorable moments.
Stranger Things Happen
by Kelly Link
This is not your typical ebook -- it's not a "quick read," nor a "quick easy read." These stories are challenging and require some work on the part of the reader. I can't, for example, imagine reading them on an airplane. Dan Brown fans need not apply.
Nevertheless, Stranger Things Happen is a fantastic book. Each story takes the reader to a strange new world where unexpected things happen. Each story is like a piece of intricate jewelry unearthed at an archaeological site.
Is it for everyone? Absolutely not. Is it for you? If you love fairy tales, urban magic and Shirley Jackson, then yes.