C.J. Sansom's "Lamentation" - A Shardlake novel - A review

This is another great novel from Shardlake series set in the 16th century England ruled by Henry VIII.

It is the year 1546 and old King Henry is getting a bit paranoid. Reformation has stalled and conservative faction dominates the court decisions. Fear is palpable everywhere. People are afraid to express their religious views because no one is certain what King's views are in any given day.

It is in such an atmosphere of censorship that Shardlake, a respected lawyer, is summoned to investigate the disappearance of the book secretly authored by Henry's latest Queen, Katherine. The book contains lots of Queens' private thoughts and its existence could jeopardize her situation and could bring downfall to her and her extended family.

Shardlake has to find a book to save her, again. It is a very good novel that perfectly describes how people were coping in living in a surveillance state that tried to control its inhabitants' religious beliefs.

posted by David

               

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Iain Pears' "The Dream of Scipio"- a review

This is a novel about how an individuals actions determine the course of history. It is set in the same geographical place but in three different historical periods, 5th century (fall of the western Roman empire), 14th century (black death) and 20th century (Nazi-occupied France) and tells the three separate but interconnected stories. 

These time periods are chosen deliberately to illustrate upheavals that people were facing at that time and how they deal with it. More precisely, it is a novel about 1500 years of anti-semitism in Western Europe and how some unscrupulous people exploited it for their own advantage. How to overcome hatred? It is not cool heads or intellectuals or wise people but love. If anything saves the world it is through love, love of nature, love of neighbors, love of women or man, love of everything.   

posted by David

   

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What actually happened in Munich in 1938?

This is a great novel. Its 1938 and everyone in Europe is scared that another war is coming. How to stop it?

It looks like no one in Europe wants or are ready for war except Nazis. WWI was such a shock to people in West Europe that they are willing to go to great length to "appease' Nazis as much as they can rather than to take a risk for another WW. 

But was it really an appeasement what transpired in Munich in 1938? Harris tries to show in vivid details that it is not what actually happened. It is true that Munich did not solve the problem of Nazi expansion in Europe but it gave 1 extra year that was essential to prepare the countries to fight Nazi in WWII. It is possible that 1 year saved humankind and led to defeat of Nazi Germany in WWII.

posted by David       

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what would happen if AI program takes over?

As usual Harris is great in creating feeling of suspense without saying or showing much. 

In this book Harris imagines what would happen if investment fund is run by AI. This fully autonomous AI is a brainchild of asocial physicist/computer programmer with some mental issues (even Harris could not escape from this cliche). This AI does high speed trading and makes lots of money.

But after upgrade to newer version, strange and scary things start to happen to programmer.

It is a fine fiction though little bit confusing. It is not clear if things are done by AI or programmer's deranged alter ego. Its scary.

posted by David   

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"Martin Luther" by Eric Metaxas -- Reformation: Why in Germany and why Martin Luther?

This is a biography of Martin Luther, a monk in 16th century Germanic state of Saxony whose ideas about Bible started a religious reformation of catholic church. 

This is a story about a private person and his ideas and how he evolved to think that way. 

The book is too big with some unnecessary repetitive information. It is fine to read it if book is available in a local library. It has lots of interesting stuff about Luther himself. Even picture we now recognize as Luther is very different from young Luther people saw when reformation started in 1517. But ultimately I think the author failed to truly explain a political and economical background that prompted  Luther to do what he did. 

The most important question is why reformation started in Germany. Why not in France or Italy or Spain?  Luther himself said it briefly in one of the notes in the book it is because the power the Pope had over Germanic states was more widespread and chance of abuse higher than it was in other parts of Europe. By 16th century Spain, France were already consolidated their statehood and interference in their internal affairs by the Pope was minimal. But Germany was different. It consisted of small principalities and the Pope were able to easily get involved in their internal affairs. Luther's religious reformation was in fact a political turning point in western Europe.

posted by David Usharauli  

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Dan Brown's 'Origin' reads like a flying air balloon that deflates before reaching stratosphere

This book truly disappoints. It is another book from Robert Langdon series. It starts great but the climax and revelations are so anticlimactic that you are left feeling as if time spent reading it was totally wasted. I had not expected such weak ending from "The Da Vinci Code" author.

The actual "villain" behind the plot is immediately recognized from the conversations that follows Kirsch's presentation and his tragic end.

Only reason to continue reading is to know what was it that actually Kirsch discovered. But when his discoveries are revealed you are left asking yourself "what? its all? Are you kidding me".     

 posted by David Usharauli

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