Tim Reviews: Books

Since the first day of 2011 I have only read 3 fiction books.  I thought that nonfiction might be more interesting for a while.  I don't think that I have read as many good books in any stretch as I have since I have been almost exclusively reading non fiction.

Lets start with the books of fiction I have read recently:

My Man Jeeves, by PG Wodehouse

I picked up this book because both Vox Day and Ann Coulter had said that they liked his writing.   It is an amusing book, and I am partway through another by this author.  The stories are about a wealthy Englishman and his butler, or manservant, who saves the day with his wit an knowledge of the world.

The books are simple and easy to read.  The English witticisms are cute and amusing.  Jeeves' problem solving is interesting to read about.

All in all, I can see why someone would like to read PG Wodehouse.  I would even recommend that if you have high school age children who like to read  Have them read these books for some experience reading books from an English author who speaks how we'd hope the English spoke.

The Lost World, Sir Aurthur Conan Doyle

Written by the same author who wrote Sherlock Holmes.  The Adventures, and so on, of Sherlock Holmes are all interesting and easy to read books.  In those books you can get a feel of turn of the last century London was like.

With this book, however, you can tell that the author had never done exploring, or visited South America before writing this book.  The story is interesting, but you may have to suspend your disbelief at how exploration worked a hundred years ago.

The story is about some scientists who have discovered a valley that is full of Dinosaurs, among other things.  And they go to have a look.

The story is interesting, but it does not really compare to Sherlock Holmes.


Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe

A benefit of reading classic books is that you can get them very cheap or even for free if you own a Kindle or simmilar.

This book was a lot different than I had expected. 

The story of the man landing on his island and not seeing another person for something like 28 years was more about the things that he needed to invent or discover in order to stay alive.  Planting corn, taming goats, making cheese, making clothing, building shelter, and so on.  If I were to write a book about being stranded on an island these too would have been my subjects for writing.

Robinson's adventures before and after his island ordeal also seemed to nearly as interesting as his stay on the island.

If you were to ask me which classic books are worth reading, and I've at least tried to read many of them, I'd say Robinson Crusoe, Sherlock Holmes, and Jane Austen's.