Game of Thrones: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R.R. Martin

For the past several years, Mark and I have enjoyed watching the HBO series Game of Thrones. Mark had read all of Martin's books up to the time of the TV series premiere, but I never had. Everyone says how great the books are, so I finally decided to give the first book a try. I loved it so much I tore through all 800 pages and am already a third of the way through book 2!

Martin's prose is relatively simple and straightforward, but his world is vividly portrayed in all 5 senses and his realistic character depictions make the courtly intrigues and ancient mysteries come alive brilliantly. One of my favorite characters is Lord Tyrion, a little person and son of the powerful house of Lannister. In a world where warriors rule and a disabled man is worth less than a woman, Tyrion uses his wits and humor to remain relevant and preserve his dignity in a society that has derisively termed him "the Imp." Fond of drink and whores, Tyrion is nevertheless the source of many of the book's words of wisdom. He gives several valuable pieces of advice to Jon Snow, the bastard son of powerful Lord Stark, who holds a similarly low place in their world's hierarchy. One such quote is when Tyrion explains his love of reading by saying that "a mind needs books as a sword needs a whetstone, if it is to keep its edge.”

Martin famously kills off nearly every major character (and many minor ones), and it is a strong storyteller indeed who can hold the reader's interest in the events of the world, not just in specific people.

Very exciting and more food for thought than in your usual "light reading."

Great Harry - Carrolly Erickson

Another tremendous biography by Ms. Erickson. Like Bloody Mary, Great Harry is a vibrant, engaging portrait of life in 1500s England, both the intrigue and lavish splendor of the court, and the violence, ignorance, and squalor of the poor. Ms. Erickson is a master storyteller - King Henry VIII is convincing portrayed as a highly intelligent and ambitious (though flawed) ruler, who is here shown in all his facets and stages - charismatic, handsome, idealistic and beloved in his youth, irascible, peevish, and self-important in his old age, always majestic and awe-inspiring. Hundreds upon hundreds of contemporary quotes are seamlessly woven into this tale, giving it a very rich and authentic flavor of the period and of "Great Harry," as he was called by his adoring subjects in the early years of his reign. A brilliant work, and I can't wait to read more Erickson!

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court

In contrast to The Prince and the Pauper, this gorgeous Folio Society Edition is Twain at his most critical, sarcastic and mordant.  The title suggests a romance or comic adventure - the tack taken by the gauzy 1949 movie starring Bing Crosby - but from the very beginning, though wildly funny in places, this is a fierce critique of human nature and society.  And the illustrations, by David Hughes, are perfectly married to this dark text.

Twain wrote the sweet and simple Prince and the Pauper in 1881, followed by Huck Finn - not so sweet or simple - and then Connecticut Yankee in 1889.  While Prince and the Pauper celebrates human mercy, Connecticut Yankee emphasizes

The truth was, the nation as a body was in the world for one object, and one only: to grovel before king and Church and noble; to slave for them, sweat blood for them, starve that they might be fed, work that they might play, drink misery to the dregs that they might be happy, go naked that they might wear silks and jewels, pay taxes that they might be spared paying them, be familiar all their lives with the degrading language and postures of adulation that they might walk in pride and think themselves the gods of this world.  And for all this, the thanks they got were cuffs and contempt; and so poor-spirited were they that they took even this sort of attention as an honor.

There is much humor - some sly (The chapter titled Morgan le Fey starts, "If knights errant were to be believed, not all castles were desirable places to seek hospitality in.") and some uproarious:

It was a very fine show.  In a gallery a band with cymbals, horns, harps, and other horrors, opened the proceedings with what seemed to be the crude first-draft or original agony of the wail known to later centuries as 'In the Sweet By and By'.  It was new, and ought to have been rehearsed a little more.  For some reason or other the queen had the composer hanged after dinner.

But the foundation of the book is the brutal and callous treatment of poor or powerless people by the lords and Church.  Some of these episodes are heart-rending.  And, without spoilers, the conclusion of the book is that in general, men are powerfully molded by society, making it nearly impossible to reform the oppressor or free the oppressed.

This is a powerful and wonderful book, simply but beautifully written, portraying, with love, sympathy, humor and horror, the full range of human behavior.

The Prince and the Pauper

This is one of Twain's "softer" books - although there is some social criticism and a few sad episodes, by and large this is a delightful story with many humorous incidents.  And the overall theme of the book is a paean to mercy - sympathy for one's fellow man and a willingness to help.  The device of virtual twins, one from the highest and one from the lowest station of life underscores that, as the Phil Ochs folksong says, "there but for fortune go you or I".  And Twain is a masterful storyteller with a powerful ability to build a mood and then demolish it suddenly with a piercing incident (no spoiler quote to follow!)  Very highly recommended.

Bloody Mary: The Life of Mary Tudor

I am a member of goodreads.com (check out my profile here) and was dismayed to realize I only read 13 books in 2013. I have set myself a slightly more ambitious goal of 65 books for 2014, and am happy to say that it's a week into the new year and I just finished my second!

Carolly Erickson's Bloody Mary is a history that reads like an action adventure. This book was thoroughly engaging and immensely interesting.

Adored and publicly admired by her father as a young child, Mary's peaceful home life was destroyed when her father, always flirtatious, suddenly decided to pursue his love affair with Anne Boleyn beyond the bedroom, and with cold indifference and evident scorn cast aside his former wife, daughter, and religion. Mary was stripped of the title "Princess" and of all her fine clothes and possessions, tormented by Anne and her courtiers, denied medical treatment when sick, and kept for years as a veritable prisoner in a run-down and drafty old house.

Although Mary rose above seemingly insurmountable obstacles to become Queen, and was an impressive scholar who spoke excellent Latin and ruled with wisdom and moderation, and even compassion and clemency (by the standards of the day), she was never accorded the respect she deserved while she was alive, due to the "imbecility of her sex," and was later condemned in the public memory as a bloody tyrant.

This book illustrates the flavor of life during the period very colorfully, and portrays Queen Mary with perhaps greater subtlety and nuance than has been accorded her in the past.

Highly recommend!