November 18, 2008
Wandering through the captivating pages of Ben Boos' Swords: An Artist's Devotion, I suddenly recalled a section from the preface of E.R. Eddison's praiseworthy translation of Egil's Saga in which he states that "of Egil's personal character the saga and the specimens of his own poetry which it preserves can speak more eloquently than any latter-day translator. I will only say that the school of criticism which questions the veracity of the saga on the ground that (for example) the gouger out of Armod's eye could not in nature be also the tender and sublime poet of the Sonatorrek, is a school which knows little of humanity. In his pride, his reckless violence, his selfishness, as well of his love of his art...he stands side by side with Benvenuto Cellini."  The same may be said of Ben Boos' Swords.
The unmistakable depth of history and artistry which is bound up in these
weapons illustrates not only the singular importance of swords in world
cultures, but also the complex wellsprings of humanity which are bound
up in their making. The beauty of the book is oddly moving, as though the book has captured not a dichotomy or an enigma, but a profound layering of passion, artistry and purpose, a book which is truly an extension of its subject.
Here they are! Our weekly picks for the two best: two hardcover, two paperback, and two children's books. The very best new arrivals to leap out of the box and onto our shelves this week. Call or email us if you want more information on any of these titles, or to have us hold you a copy. Or stop in and check them out in person. We'd love to see you. Thanks as always for sharing your reading with us! |
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Outliers: The Story of Success
By Gladwell, Malcolm 2008/11 - Little Brown and Company 9780316017923 - Hardcover List Price $27.99 - Your Price: $22.39
Malcolm Gladwell, author of the recent bestsellers, The Tipping Point and Blink has sallied forth this week with his latest book, Outliers: The Story of Success. Always an entertaining and original thinker Gladwell argues here that there are historical and sociological patterns to be found in the lives of successful people which bear study. Readers will, of course, have to be able to get over their initial disappointment at not being included as a subject in the book. To attempt to gauge how much of a barrier that will be I'll test things out on Karen.
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Sacred Places
By Hind, Rebecca 2008/11 - Overlook Press 9781590201213 - Hardcover List Price $35.00 - Your Price: $28.00
Sacred Places is a truly exquisite coffee table featuring a photographic tour of sites of spiritual significance around the world. The book is organized by continent and does everything a coffee table book should do in the way of making one ooh and ahh. One nice thing is that the book is not a composite of the usual suspects, but includes many unexpected sites such as the Serpent Mound, and Wrangell National Park, which keep the reader on the edge of the coffee table....More
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The White Tiger
By Adiga, Aravind 2008/10 - Free Press 9781416562603 - Trade Paper List Price $14.00 - Your Price: $11.20
The White Tiger, won The Man Booker prize this year. Set in India, and set up with a narrator along the lines of a Dostoevsky protagonist, the book appears well worth having a go at in paperback....More
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Other Colors: Essays and a Story
By Pamuk, Orhan 2008/11 - Vintage Books USA 9780307386236 - Trade Paper List Price $15.95 - Your Price: $12.76
This collection of short stories and essays by Orhan Pamuk, the Nobel prize winning author of many fine books, including Snow, and Istanbul, has just come out in paperback. Pamuk is a very elegant writer, and very well served in this wide ranging collection of interesting literary, historical and political pieces....More
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Ranger's Apprentice: The Sorcerer of the North
By Flanagan, John 2008/11 - Philomel Books 9780399250323 - Hardcover List Price $17.99 - Your Price: $14.39
TheRanger's Apprentice fantasy series has an unusual history. Flanagan, an Australian author, began the series as short stories written for his twelve year old son. He ended up crafting a seven part series, which has been published already in Australia. Young readers in the United States have corroborated the verdict of their Australian counterparts, namely that this is an excellent series. The Sorcerer in The North is book five, and is being published in the U.S. for the first time....More
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Masterpiece
By Broach, Elise Murphy, Kelly 2008/09 - Henry Holt & Company 9780805082708 - Hardcover List Price $16.95 - Your Price: $13.56
Masterpiece features a mystery in the art world. Someone has been stealing a set of impossibly detailed 15th century miniatures made by Albrecht Durer. A lonely young boy is given a gift by his father, an ink set for drawing. The boy does not have his father's artistic talent, but a young cockroach, whose family lives beneath the sink, does. The cockroach, dipping his foreleg in the ink, sketches a miniature drawing worthy of Durer. The boy and the cockroach become friends, and get drawn up in helping catch the art thief by executing a near perfect forgery. Masterpiece is happily reminiscent of the classic fiction of E.L Konigsberg and George Selden, not just in the plot details, but in the warmth and character of Broach's fine prose and delightful drawings....More
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