Hoang Nguyen Nguyen itibaren Belmonte, Portekiz
King's Dragon is more of a fantasy novel, a surprising departure from his popularity as a horror fiction writer. Taking place in a medieval kingdom, it employs familiar archetypes and motifs: a monarch in decline, sibling rivalry, an evil, menacing wizard, and of course, a dragon. That may sound bland to both fans and non-fans of the genre, but King doesn't disappoint. It's a tale with finely etched characters, of suspense and intrigue, and ultimately heroism and triumph. His merit as a writer is the subject of much divided criticism, but Dragon proves that King is still a master storyteller.
Herman Melville is an incredible author. His writing is dense, so much so that the traditional Picture-Words exchange rate cannot apply to his novels. His prose positions itself so as to increase the resolution of all images it evokes; his thousand words portray but a corner of an intricate, focused picture. Within each short story he, like an artist well versed in the trade, paints such a believable slice of the 19th century that his readers must engage. Of all these short works, my favorite by far is I and My Chimney, a tongue-in-cheek account of an autobiographical man's battle with his wife over an enormous chimney. Of course, this is followed closely by The Encantadas and many, many others.
It happens everyday, but it still sucks when your husband leaves you for another woman. The story is heartbreaking and illuminating at the same time. I felt like I was having a conversation with Isabel Gillies over coffee, rather than reading about how her life was crumbling. Beautifully written.