The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas Pere

Blurb

This swashbuckling epic of chivalry, honor, and derring-do, set in France during the 1620s, is richly populated with romantic heroes, unattainable heroines, kings, queens, cavaliers, and criminals in a whirl of adventure, espionage, conspiracy, murder, vengeance, love, scandal, and suspense. Dumas transforms minor historical figures into larger- than-life characters: the Comte d’Artagnan, an impetuous young man in pursuit of glory; the beguilingly evil seductress “Milady”; the powerful and devious Cardinal Richelieu; the weak King Louis XIII and his unhappy queen—and, of course, the three musketeers themselves, Athos, Porthos, and Aramis, whose motto “all for one, one for all” has come to epitomize devoted friendship. With a plot that delivers stolen diamonds, masked balls, purloined letters, and, of course, great bouts of swordplay, The Three Musketeers is eternally entertaining.

My Perspective

The Three Musketeers follows d’Artagnan, a young Frenchman, as he journeys to Paris to join the King’s Musketeers. He soon becomes firm friends with three of the King’s Musketeers whilst entangling himself in the political war between the King, the Cardinal and the Queen.

I really enjoyed this book.

It was fairly slow to start off with and the language took a bit of getting used to however once d’Artagnan was in Paris, it started to flow a lot more smoothly.

Although young and a bit foolhardy, d’Artagnan is easy to like. His companions, Athos, Porthos and Aramis are extremely likeable and the more you read, the more you feel a part of their friendship group. They are both honourable and courageous as well as arrogant and pleasure seekers. I pitied the Queen, thought the King was spineless, and the Cardinal both cruel and intriguing. I absolutely loathed and abhorred Milady. I wondered what on earth happened to her to create such a monster of a person.

The story was long and fairly detailed and although it had a steady pace, most of the time it had me hardly able to put it down. It was quite complex due to its political nature and there were times that I got a bit lost however it was so interesting that I didn’t mind that at all. It had action, some romance, intrigue and drama – all what make a great novel.

I enjoyed the way in which it was written, it was fairly unique with the author’s tidbits throughout.

Overall I really enjoyed the story and I would definitely recommend it if you like historical fiction.

 

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Planet of the Apes by Pierre Boulle

Blurb

In the not-too-distant future, three astronauts land on what appears to be a planet just like Earth, with lush forests, a temperate climate, and breathable air. But while it appears to be a paradise, nothing is what it seems.

They soon discover the terrifying truth: On this world humans are savage beasts, and apes rule as their civilized masters. In an ironic novel of nonstop action and breathless intrigue, one man struggles to unlock the secret of a terrifying civilization, all the while wondering: Will he become the savior of the human race, or the final witness to its damnation? In a shocking climax that rivals that of the original movie, Boulle delivers the answer in a masterpiece of adventure, satire, and suspense.

My Perspective

This is the nineteenth book I read from my post Credit Where Credit’s Due. I read about Planet of the Apes by Pierre Boulle from Bradley at The Recommenders. Unfortunately you can’t read his thoughts on the book as the post seems to have been deleted.

Planet of the Apes is the story of three astronauts who land on a far off habited planet. Much to their horror, it is a planet where the roles of apes and humans seem to have been reversed.

Oh my! What a horrifying read! Wonderfully horrifying! I couldn’t put it down.

I don’t know if i can say i enjoyed this book. It was SO interesting and fantastically written yet the thought of what had happened was so horrifying that enjoyment is not what i got out of it.

The main character, Ulysse, is easy to like and relate to. He is well learned with a lot of knowledge, which definitely helps him in his situation. He presents his story as very factual although he does express his thoughts and emotions, he just doesn’t let them get in the way of recounting his experience. It was easy to like Zira and her fiance, Cornelius, and of course Nova, however some of the other characters you couldn’t really warm to…

This book gives SO much thought to the way we treat apes and animal rights. It doesn’t preach to you at all, nor give a solid opinion on for or against. It simply gives you a way to think about it in such a tangible way. Almost too tangible.

I would have liked if there had been a lot more explanation on the history. It seemed a bit quick and skimmed over compared to the rest of the book.

Overall this book was a great read. It was well written, thought provoking, exciting, and horrifying. I almost screeched when i read the end. I would definitely recommend it if you’re looking for a story outside the “norm”.

The Importance of Being Ernest by Oscar Wilde

Blurb

Cecily Cardew and Gwendolen Fairfax are both in love with the same mythical suitor. Jack Worthing has wooed Gwendolen as Ernest while Algernon has also posed as Ernest to win the heart of Jack’s ward, Cecily. When all four arrive at Jack’s country home on the same weekend, the girls to fight for Ernest’s undivided attention and the “Ernests” to claim their beloveds, pandemonium breaks loose.

Only a nursemaid and an old, discarded hand-bag can save the day!

My Perspective

I actually read this because i was impatiently awaiting April 1 so i could read Draekora, the third book in The Medoran Chronicles. I’d seen the movie with Colin Firth so knew the general story line however i actually didn’t realise it was written as a play!

The story is about two young gentlemen friends who get themselves in a bit of a pickle when their fictional alter egos fall in love, their lovers think their names are Ernest and they won’t accept a lover with any other name.

The characters are all equally lovable as well as irritating, which works well for the story.

I couldn’t help but giggle all the way through the story, knowing what was coming yet still laughing like it was a complete surprise.

Obviously as the story was written in 1899, the language is a bit heavy however like I’ve said before, i don’t mind that at all. Also as it was written in the format of a play, some might find it stilted because it doesn’t flow like a novel however I’ve read quite a few plays and i don’t really even notice it anymore.

Overall i thoroughly enjoyed reading The Importance of Being Ernest and it was a nice, quick read that left me unhindered to start reading Draekora as soon as it was released. I would definitely recommend it if you like classics and comedy.

The Sea Wolf by Jack London

Blurb

The novel begins when Van Weyden is swept overboard into San Francisco Bay, and plucked from the sea by Larsen’s seal-hunting vessel, the Ghost. This ship’s evil captain, Wolf Larsen – The Sea-Wolf – is a murderous tyrant who uses his superhuman strength to torture and destroy, his brilliant mind to invent sick games, and his relentless will to control his mutinous crew. Pressed into service as a cabin boy by the ruthless captain, Van Weyden becomes an unwilling participant in a brutal shipboard drama. Larsen’s increasingly violent abuse of the crew fuels a mounting tension that ultimately boils into mutiny, shipwreck, and a desperate confrontation.

My Perspective

Having just read and enjoyed Treasure Island, I was definitely looking for something similar so I browsed all the classics that I’ve downloaded onto my Kobo and The Sea Wolf caught my eye. It wasn’t what I expected though!

The Sea Wolf is the story of Humphrey Van Weyden, a gentleman who becomes shipwrecked and is rescued by the sealing schooner, The Ghost. Rather than being dropped at the nearest port, he is put to work as cabin boy under Captain Wolf Larsen, who is known as one of the meanest captains in the sealing industry. Who he discovers is much more than simply a cruel man though and through his own intellect and previous study, he is able to connect with Wolf unlike any other person has before.

I quite liked Humphrey. At first i found him to be a bit insufferable however he soon got over himself and embraced his circumstances to the best of his ability. I respected him all the more with how hard he worked and the strength of character that he developed was very satisfying. Wolf Larsen was a completely fascinating character. I could not bring myself to hate him despite his evil ways. I found it hard to love Miss Brewster however i had to remind myself of the era in which she came from and when in context, she showed a lot of courage and bravery.

This book is not just a “sea faring tale”. The philosophical aspects it explores are intense and extremely challenging to one’s ideals. As i had no idea that the book involved any of that, i was a little bit unprepared however soon adjusted.

I enjoyed the basic story and adventure and i felt that it was written at quite an even pace. I did find it ended quite abruptly however really, it ended as it should have.

Overall it was an extremely well written book twisting adventure with philosophy. It certainly isn’t for the fainthearted of words and if you think, like i did, that it’s another “Treasure Island” – think again. This is more like a Tolstoy crossed with Treasure Island! I would definitely recommend this as a great classic and if you like stories that actually have a bit of substance to them.

Kobo Touch eReader

For Christmas my Mum and Step-Dad gave me a Kobo Touch eReader. I have never had an eReader before. I must admit that i quite like owning one.

I still really enjoy holding a book in my hands and physically turning the pages. I enjoy the smell and feel of a brand new book; all crisp and fresh. And in the same breath i love the smell and feel of an old book; musty, yellowing and fragile.

I don’t want eBooks to ever replace paper books completely. However i suppose it is inevitable. At the moment i can enjoy the best of both worlds. Now, when holidaying, i don’t have to worry about how heavy my suitcase is because of all the books i have in it (and yes i am very guilty of this – i worry whether I’ve packed enough books because i don’t want to run out of reading material). Also i live in a country area and there is a local library half an hour away however we don’t really go there very often and i feel guilty about driving all that way and back again just to borrow or return books. Now, did you know that a lot of libraries lend eBooks? And that you can do it all from the convenience of your own home? I did not know this until a couple of days ago. HOW EXCITING IS THAT???!!! (As you can tell – i am very excited). I just borrowed The Help by Kathryn Stockett, easy as that. And i don’t need to even worry about when i have to return it because it just expires. I am literally sitting here trying not to jump up and down shouting about how excited i am.

I really like my Kobo, however i was expecting the library to work like iTunes where you have all of your music (or in this case books) in your library and then you can choose to automatically sync it to your device or manually sync it. Meaning that you can have your entire collection or just what you want. I know that eBooks don’t take up much room and there is space for at least 1000 books on my Kobo, i guess I’m just thinking of when i get to the point where I’ve read all the eBooks on my Kobo and I’ve already deleted all the ones that I’m happy to have read but won’t read again. What will i do? If i want to download another book will i have to delete a book i like and will want to read again? Some people never reread a book so they do not have this problem. I am not one of these people. I will regularly reread a book that i love even if i practically know it off by heart. Granted, this won’t be for awhile if it does happen, however i’m just one of those annoying people that looks at the future possibilities and has to have a solution for it now so that if it happens, i am prepared. It’s funny actually, when my husband and i were merely coworkers (in fact he was my manager) it was one of the things about me that really annoyed him. We worked at a restaurant together where he was the chef and i was the waitress and i would come into the kitchen and ask questions like, “So with the special, if someone wants it as a main rather than an entree, is that okay?” and he’d reply, “Does someone want that?” and i’d reply, “No, i just want to know in case someone asks.” Anyway one day after an interchange similar to that, i walked out of the kitchen and i overheard him venting to the kitchen hand how annoying i was when i did that etc. Well! I can tell you. I was extremely indignant and was only ever civil to him after that. Until we obviously became great friends, fell in love and got married. We joke about it now. Anyway, back to my point. I would like the option to manually sync my books onto my Kobo. And i know i could get around it if i wanted to, i just think it would be a good option for them to have. I also find it annoying that i cannot use it when it is charging. And i didn’t realise how much Wi-Fi drains the battery. I have turned it off and i’m testing how long the battery lasts – hopefully for a month like they state it does.

I’m really looking forward to downloading for free a lot of the old classics. There are quite a few of them i’ve been wanting to read for awhile but because they are quite wordy and lengthy, i haven’t wanted to borrow them from the library and feel rushed. Maybe i will even download Moby Dick and conquer the only book that conquered me. Now that is a goal i want to achieve.

Here’s to reading – in whatever form you desire.

“If one cannot enjoy reading a book over and over again, there is no use in reading it at all.” – Oscar Wilde

I apologise for my less-than-wonderful photo quality – they were taken on my phone.