Changed my book to 'DARKNESS AT NOON' by Arthur Koestler

I was suppose to be reading "THE ELECTRIC ACID KOOL-AID TEST" but instead I read "DARKNESS AT NOON" by Arthur Koestler. It was written in 1941. It opens with quotes from Machiavelli's DISCORSI and Dostoevsky's CRIME AND PUNISHMENT. The author explains that the central character is based on a composite of people that he knew and what happened to them. The author was born in Budapest, educated in Vienna, a communist in 1930's, disillusioned with party in 1938, captured, sentenced to death, released, arrested, released, goes to England, writes, dies in 1983. This book is written to reflect what happened after the Revolution in Russia, during the 1930's. It's central character is named Rubashov, and he is arrested and put into prison, where he is urged to write a confession. The person who is in charge of the prison has been a friend and a comrade during the revolution. Why is Rubashov imprisoned, for very much the same reason our author was imprisoned, disagreeing with the Party. Rubashov was a leader in this Party, but started seeing things he disagreed with, killing of people because they had a different vision than the Party. Though he let people die to save his neck on several occasions. I remember taking my Soviet Studies class in the 1970's, we studied Russia and the revolution but I do not remember studying about the Oppositionist party. Those who felt that the Party had taken a turn from being for the people and had become a dictatorship. The people who were suppose to raise to the top still became trampled. It was a very eye opening book, similar in a way to the book "ONE DAY IN THE LIFE OF IVAN DENISOVICH" by Solzhenitsyn. When I had read that book I learned all about the Siberian labor camp, now I learned about a different type of prison. The difference is in the cell type and the circumstances of imprisonment. In fact it made me want to read Solzhenitsyn's book again. If you have not read either book I suggest that you do. There were several quotes that intrigued me in "DARKNESS AT NOON", "The ultimate truth is penultimately always a falsehood. He who will be proved right in the end appears to be wrong and harmful before it...But who will be proved right? It will only be known later..." My husband sometimes say, "Do the deed first, then ask for forgiveness later," or something to that effect. I think of war and how war crimes are determined. The losing side always pays for the what they did wrong, but sometimes the winning side has done the same thing as the losers, but the winners do not have to pay for their wrongs. To be even more specific, we gave arms to Iraqi's but then we found out the person we supported was a monster. We thought we were doing something right, but in hindsight it became a disaster. A disaster we are still paying for with innocent lives. Okay, maybe I should not read anymore political books, my next book is GRAVITIES RAINBOW in addition to rereading ONE DAY IN THE LIFE OF IVAN DENISOVICH.

Started reading again

Okay, so my eyes are not falling out of my head anymore, so I can read without getting a massive headache. Colds are no fun, especially when they go into the sinuses. Well enough of the icky stuff. I decided to read a book that does not have much thought behind it and I was able to follow the story line. This means that I can get back to reading "THE ELECTRIC KOOL-AID ACID TEST", I hope. It is beside my chair and when I get a chance to actually sit-down I will get back to the text. So hopefully I will be finished this book by the weekend. Hope you all had a very Happy Thanksgiving.

NO I HAVE NOT FINISHED

I thought I would be through with the ELECTRIC KOOL-AID ACID TEST but I have been nursing a cold and reading hurts my eyes, so I am not done with the book. SO sorry, I know you were eagerly awaiting my blog, but I am afraid this is all you get. LOL. I hope that you have or will be having a lovely Thanksgiving and I hope that I am able to get back to reading soon.

Wish You Well: review

WISH YOU WELL, written by David Baldacci, he resides in Virginia. As a resident of Roanoke, VA for the past 18 years, I really enjoyed reading this book, though the expert witness from the Psych clinic seemed a total idiot, but that is further in the story. This is a book about struggles that seem insurmountable. A family is torn apart with death, trauma and the need to leave their home and move to the mountains of Virginia. It is also about major companies coming in and disrupting life on the mountain for gain and then abandoning the newly formed towns. This same thing is happening now, with blasting of the mountains. What we are left with is the ugly remains of a once beautiful and majestic mountain. It reminds me of the greed people feel when they feel they have nothing. It almost reminds me of how to stand strong and persevere with the strength all of us have to survive. This story touches many emotional strings and I hope that they do not botch the movie. I

Electric Kool-aid Acid Test review

All ready I am enjoying this book better than NAKED LUNCH, maybe because I have seen the movie, maybe because I know the character, maybe because it is written so that I can follow it better. Whatever the reason I am going to finish it before the end of November, that is my promise. Books that will follow that are also on the 100 list are: GRAVITY"S RAINBOW, by Thomas Pynchon- 775 pages, I might have to renew this several times DARKNESS AT NOON, by Arthur Koestler-272 pages Those two will be finished by the end of the year, I have currently 50 of the 100 read and these three books will bring it down to 47 left to read, I think. I will have to check again. Anyway, I will write a brief synopsis about the ones that I have read and am not planning to reread at the beginning of the 2014. Some books I am having trouble finding at my library so I need to look into some of my friends collections or find a used copy. I will also continue reviewing other books I read, so it is a work in progress,(this was accompanied by a shoulder shrug).

Figured out what book to read next of the 100

My next reading adventure from the list is THE ELECTRIC KOOL-AID ACID TEST by Tom Wolfe. I went looking through my stacks of books and found it on my son's stack. He must of had to read it for class when he was in high school. So that is my next adventure into the book list, I hope that it is not like THE NAKED LUNCH, but if nothing else I can look at the psychedelic colors on the front cover. I am a child born on the cusp of the 60's. Scared to death of the older kids in my elementary school who snuck to the back of the school at recess to smoke. I was only in third grade and still had a rosy view of the world. In middle school it was worse because now there was no recess, pot was introduced and no way anyone was going to the bathroom with out having second hand smoke. As my allergies kick in when I am near cigarette smoke, I was glad I had a very healthy bladder. It should be an interesting read and I promise I will read the whole thing. Okay, I will promise to try to read the whole thing. I will also promise to read it before the end of November as I need to get through this list. I will also give my brief opinion on books that I have read in the past that are on the list. Please be patient. After this I think that I will try to do my own challenge of 100 books and vow not to make them all mysteries or fluffy books.

WHAT TO READ NEXT

I am stumped, I have read several books but none of them on the reading the 100 list. will give a brief review on those but I need to pull out my list to see what I want to read next. After my deciding not to read "NAKED LUNCH", it came up in a book I was reading as part of their reading list. I thought that was funny but did not really want to start reading it again. Plus it is hard to get a book that the library only has one copy of in the entire area which encompasses at least 10 libraries. How instrumental could this book possibly be if no one has it. Back to my list: THE BALLAD OF TOM DOOLEY, by Sharyn McCrumb- great historical fiction, her take on the events seems very plausible. She did tones of research and actually visited the places where the events took place. Very enjoyable read. She really made me want to smack the real life characters in the head and shake them up a bit and of course ask "What were you thinking." THE BLACK HOUSE, by Peter May- Mystery with some twists set in UK, the detective who is central to this story in Fin short for Fionnlach. I probably spelled that wrong, I had to take the book back today. I really liked this book and am upset that I cannot find the two other books here in the States. I really good way to get a look at life on some of the islands. BLUE TWILIGHT, by Jessica Speart- Mystery based on poaching butterflies, with Rachel Porter as the Fish and Wildlife person taking on the case. This author is getting better and better with each book. I wish my library carried her books, so I would not have to keep buying them. RUN FOR YOUR LIFE, James Patterson- Another detective book, but I love a fast read when I am traveling, so that if you need to leave it behind you can. I have the third book in this series waiting in the wings. When I read a series book I have to read them all and then I put them aside for awhile, it is an addiction. NEXT NON-LIST BOOKS: WISH YOU WELL by David Baldacci (Book Club Choice) AMONG OTHERS by Jo Walton MY HEART IS BOUNDLESS: Writings by Abigail May Alcott, Louisa's Mother, by Eve LaPlante So what am I going to read next on the list, I will let you know as soon as I figure it out.