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sesana ([personal profile] sesana) wrote2011-02-01 04:02 pm

Book Challenge: 12-16

Think I'll ever get around to posting these at shorter intervals? Me either.

12. Peacock, by Christine Jackson
13. Elephant, by Dan Wylie
14. Whale, by Joe Roman
15. Lion, by Deidre Jackson

Now that I've read five books in the Animal series, I think I can give a general impression of them. They usually start out with a chapter or two dealing with the animal on an evolutionary and biological level. For me, the most boring part. Then they move on to the animal in relation with humans: folklore, mythology, customs, fine arts, and historical interactions with. The proportions aren't constant, and seem to make sense with the focus animal. There's a lot more focus on peacocks in fine art than lions, for example, and a lot less about peacock hunting. I like them for what I guess you'd call the social history aspect. So far, Peacock is my favorite book in the series.

16. The Three Musketeers, by Alexander Dumas (Not the edition I read, but close enough.)

I expected to like this, and I did. I was pleasantly surprised by how much more nuanced the book is than the many movie versions: the cardinal is not unmitigated evil and the four protagonists are not always noble. I'd never read anything by Dumas before, and I'm sure I will again. (I have read Lady of the Camellias by Dumas fils, and it was excellent.)

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