Book Review - Theda Bara, My Mentor by Joan Craig

Theda Bara is one of the most iconic stars of all time.  If you bring up the famous stars of the Silent Era, she is certainly one of the very first names that comes up.  Unfortunately, while her image may be familiar to many, her acting and the lightning impact she made on society is not.  Time has not been kind to her nitrate films, most are lost.  Mysterious and intriguing, she became the Vamp, THE sex symbol of the era.  Even though she was active a mere decade, she has an amazing 44 credits to her name.

Book Review: League of Frightened Men by Rex Stout

Sydney Greenstreet as Nero Wolfe

When I think Nero Wolfe, I envision Sydney Greenstreet, since the only exposure I've had to Nero Wolfe is the radio program he starred in. I wasn't sure I'd enjoy the books, so I've waited to give this one a try. Another case of should not judge a book by its cover. The book follows Paul Chapin and a group of men who had been responsible for his crippling when they went to college. The group has formed a league to try to make amends for their prank gone wrong, but begin to get scared when members of the league starts to turn up missing or dead. 

The League of Frightened Men by Rex Stout

What I found interesting about this book was from the very beginning, you were basically given the killer. The rest of the book involved trying to find ways in which to convict Paul Chapin. The journey was a fascinating exploration into human nature and psychology. I found the thought process of Wolfe, his helper Archie, and the surrounding characters intriguing. The characters were so fully developed that I found their eccentricities completely believable and endearing.  Stout has a real gift for language, and that became one of the great features of the book. I enjoyed Stout's voice immensely, and I can't wait until I have the chance to read another Nero Wolfe book. I found myself only reading a bit every day because it was a treat, a little morsel of mystery goodness I felt privileged to read.

The League of Frightened Men by Rex Stout

The League of Frightened Men
Rex Stout
Pyramid Books R-919
1935

Book Review: Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind: A Bestseller's Odyssey from Atlanta to Hollywood

Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind: a Bestseller's Odyssey from Atlanta to Hollywood
Ellen F. Brown and John Wiley, Jr.
Taylor Trade Publishing
2012
1589796926

This book was amazing! I wished I wouldn't have waited so long to read it. This is the engrossing story of how a national bestseller was made. I adore Gone With the Wind, and I found the process of how it was created enthralling. I never would have guessed that a book about the publishing and management of a book's copyright could keep me up until 3 in the morning. Margaret Mitchell created an American classic in Gone With the Wind, a book that if not everyone has read, most nearly everyone knows the reference or has seen the film. Mitchell did not publish any other books, and after reading this I understand why.

Margaret Mitchell wanted desperately to remain a private person in the midst of a bestselling juggernaut. She and her husband went to great lengths to insure her privacy and the protection of her literary masterpiece. Having unwillingly been thrust into the public spotlight at one time myself, I felt a great empathy and kinship with the Margaret Mitchell of this book. She and her husband suffered poor health, yet were the subject of gossip, intellectual theft, and the machinations of greedy people through the wonderful story she created.

One of the aspects of the book I found particularly intriguing was the problems of international copyright - especially during World War II. I was troubled by how little an author's intellectual property is respected in other countries. Mitchell and her husband's efforts to protect her novel were fascinating, yet troubling. I've seen some foreign covers for famous books which appear to be poorly made and the cover having absolutely nothing to do with the novel, and it all makes sense after reading this book. She and her husband were definitely ahead of their time in trying to protect their property.

Mitchell also was ahead of her time when fighting for quality printing. She fought for better bindings and paper on several occasions. I find this admirable, being a book collector myself. Granted, she had the clout to do so, but this is a very pressing problem. I imagine many don't see it since we apparently are supposed to read only e-books, but I adore the paper book for many reasons and for a play on a famous Charlton Heston quote "you have to pry it from my cold, dead hands."

Having not heard of Mitchell's tragic end and the fallout from it, I found it particularly distressing after I felt so much a part of their world during the reading of this book. After Mitchell and her husband's deaths, the path of the rights of the novel was fascinating and disturbing at the same time. The quest for a sequel and commercialization were fairly recent additions to the Gone With the Wind story. I read Alexandra Ripley's Scarlett, which I found out of character with the original book and coarse. I couldn't bring myself to read Rhett's People, having been so disappointed with Scarlett. The rights were supposed to travel through the family, but Mitchell's brother gave them to his law partners. In the past 20 years or so, Gone With the Wind has been so highly commercialized, I find it sad. Mitchell clearly did not want sequels or film adaptations, yet that is clearly what the estate is doing today. They seem more interested in making money than protecting the story Margaret Mitchell and her husband fought so hard for so many years to protect.

I found this book a wonderful tale of a surprise bestseller as well as a tale about what happens to someone who becomes an unwitting celebrity. Brown and Wiley created a very readable book that was very well researched and plotted out to perfection. I was drawn into Mitchell's world and followed her along the path from relative unknown reporter to superstar author. This is the best book I've read in a while, and I never thought I would find such delight in a book about a book. This one is definitely staying in my library, for it is a fascinating tale of love, money, war, and intrigue. What more could you ask from a classic American success story?

Book Review: Tomb of the Ten Thousand Dead

I have to say I have never read any of L. Ron Hubbard's books. Not a huge fan of sci-fi and there is that whole Scientology issue, but I have to say this was a ripping good read. I'm glad I received an Early Review copy because I had no idea what an exciting author Hubbard was. "Tomb of the Ten Thousand Dead" is an action-packed adventure ride centered on a treasure map from Alexander the Great. He left jewels in the Indian desert in a tomb which has yet to be found. Captain Charles Gordon's quest is incredibly exciting and fast paced. Loved it.

The book also includes two other short stories, "Price of a Hat" and "Starch and Stripes". In "Price of a Hat", a Russian hat brings death wherever it goes, but what is the mysterious secret it hides? The fall of the Russian Monarchy takes center stage in a classic question of "What if?". I found this story utterly fascinating and a wonderful read. I'm not much of a fan of military stories so I wasn't a huge fan of "Starch and Stripes", but it was well written.

On the whole, this was a great adventure read and a must for anyone who is a fan of pulps, life myself. The cover looks exciting and definitely captures the feel of the book. A wonderful glossary and section of L. Ron Hubbard's contribution to pulp literature accompanies the book. A definite keeper. I can't wait to read the rest of the series!

Book Review: Relic Master: The Dark City by Catherine FIsher

I have to get a bit off topic for the minute. I won an advance reading copy from Penguin books and all I have to say is Wow! This is one of the best books I have read in a while. Relic Master: The Dark City brings the reader to the world of Anara, a crumbling world run by a police state controlled by The Watch. The Watch's sole purpose seems to be the obliteration of The Order or Keepers (those able to control power by themselves and can be amplified through the use of Relics). The reader enters the world through Raffi, a four year student of the Order and his teacher Galen, who surprisingly has lost his use of power. Galen and Raffi seek to find others like them and restore the world to the way of the past. Along the way, they are "befriended" by Carys Arrin, a 16-year-old member of The Watch. I sympathized most with Galen, who had something that was such a part of his life taken away from him. His very purpose on the planet was taken away from him for no reason. The dichotomy of wanting to die, yet needing to live for the greater purpose made Galen an incredibly compelling character. This book was intense in the best sense of the word. I couldn't put it down. It sort of reminded me of a cross between the Septimus Heap series by Angie Sage and the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan. I can't wait for the rest of the series to be released here in the US!

It comes out May 17th, 2011. Get at Amazon or Barnes and Noble.