Books 33-34

Storm Front - Jim Butcher

The first in the Dresden Files series, we meet Harry Dresden, modern day Private Investigator and Wizard. Yeah. No relation to the other famous wizard named Harry.

This was the perfect book to follow Frankenstein with because, gosh golly, I needed something that I could read quickly and properly enjoy. Don't get me wrong, this is by no means The Great American Novel, nor is it a striking piece of fine literature. It's a formulaic mystery with a twist of the supernatural and, gosh darnit, that's entertainment.

So, Harry is a PI who does side work for the Chicago PD when they come across a case that smacks of being based in the supernatural. And they've come across a real doozy when two bodies are found with their hearts outside their bodies, as though they exploded out of their chests. Then a housewife hires Harry to find her husband who is dabbling with dangerous magic.

So if you liked any of the Sookie Stackhouse books, you'll like Storm Front (and, I'll wager, the rest of the series which I am looking forward to reading). If predictable, silly murder mysteries don't crank your engine, then you wont.


Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen

I doubt I really have to do any sort of summary for Pride and Prejudice, but in case you have been living in a cave on Mars, here it is:

The Bennet family has five daughters and will lose the family estate with Mr Bennet dies as it passes down the male side of the family only. So it is imperative that the daughters marry into money. Mrs Bennet is a scatterbrained, society seeking ninny and Mr Bennet hides in his library every night. Jane is mild mannered and thinks the best of everyone. Elizabeth is outspoken, intelligent willing to stand up for herself. The other daughters are mostly background fodder but are certainly individuals. When a Mr Bingley takes residence in a nearby manor the girls are all atwitter at the prospect of a new suitor... everyone except Elizabeth who is even less impressed on meeting Bingley's best friend Darcy who is impossibly rude and full of himself. Aaaand drama ensues.

I did have a lot of trouble getting into this book at first. It didn't seem to be about anything, and I was constantly losing who the hell she was writing about at any given time. Was that Mrs Bennet, one of the
Miss Bennets, Miss Bingley or Mr Bingley that said that? And if it was Miss Bingley, was it Lydia or Jane or one of the other three? GAAAH!!!!


But my ability to follow got better, I think it was just a case of getting used to Austen's writing style and vocabulary, since we're not exactly dealing with a contemporary piece of literature. And, it actually started to get kind of good. Yes, it was hard to not hate some of the characters, their only concern being station in life, social status, and income. All the more reason to like Elizabeth because she doesn't really care.


What surprised me most about this book is that it's funny. I actually found myself laughing out loud occasionally. I'll be glad to get to something a little more modern again, though.


****
Book Count: 34/50