The Last Dickens by Matthew Pearl

You might want to label this book by Matthew Pearl as a novel about a novel. The novel, which lies at the heart of this story, is Charles Dickens' last, but incomplete, novel, The Mystery of Edwin Drood. Dickens died of a stroke at the age of 59, before he could complete the final installments of this novel.

Matthew Pearl weaves a tremendous tale involving the authorized U.S. Publisher of all Dickens' works, Fields, Osgood & company, as they scramble to determine if Dickens left any indication as to how the Mystery of Edwin Drood will be resolved. The first six installments of the novel are stolen from Osgood's trusted clerk, Daniel Sand, who is killed before he can deliver the manuscript to the publishing house, and the manuscript disappears.

Could Osgood's publishing rivals, using bookaneers (book pirates), have stolen it, or is there an even deeper mystery going on? Accompanied by Daniel's sister, Rebecca, Osgood travels to England to search for clues about how Dickens planned on finishing Drood, unaware his enemies are close at hand. Pearl enriches his story through extended flashbacks, the inclusion of actual historical figures, including Osgood himself, and an in-depth knowledge of Dickens' career and literary works. I strongly recommended this one.

Other good reads from Matthew Pearl include: The Dante Club and Poe's Shadow. There is also another book that paints a scenario on Dickens' last novel, entitled: Drood by Dan Simmons. I haven't read it yet, but it is now on my ever growing list of books to read.

A Story of Espionage, Love and Betrayal

Tamar by Mal Peet
Having visited the Dutch Resistance Museum in Amsterdam a few years ago, I was interested in reading this story of two English trained Dutch resistance fighters. This story flashes back and forth between the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands in 1945 and England in 1995, as fifteen-year-old Tamar, grief-stricken by the puzzling death of her beloved grandfather, slowly begins to uncover the secrets of her grandfather's life in the Dutch resistance during the last year of the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands, and the climactic events that forever cast a shadow on his life and that of his family.

While there are moments of suspense, especially during the final year of occupation in Holland, it does not sustain that suspense as Tamar is trying to unravel the mystery behind her grandfather's role in World War II. In fact when she follows a map of Northern England, left to her by her grandfather, the story slows down, almost like a travelogue in slow motion.

Tamar received glowing reviews from Booklist, VOYA, Kirkus, School Library Journal, Library Journal, Horn Book. As a young adult novel, it will keep the reader in suspense. I enjoyed the portion of the book that takes place in wartime the Netherlands, but personally I found the behavior of one of the main characters (Dart) to be somewhat juvenile or childish, not the type of behavior you would expect from a resistance fighter trained by the British. I will leave the final verdict on this book up to the intended audience. On a scale of 5 stars, I would give it 3.

Welcome Back Sherlock Holmes

Dust and Shadow by Lyndsay Faye
Simon and Schuster, 2009.

Step aside Professor Moriarty, Holmes takes on Jack the Ripper in this tremendous debut novel by Lyndsay Faye.

Sherlockians will relish this return of the super sleuth. Faye does an excellent job of recreating the mood, the atmosphere, the characters and the setting that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle introduced to readers in the late 19th century.

In this case, Inspector Lestrade calls upon the unconventional Sherlock Holmes after the savage killing of two prostitutes in London in 1888 that are attributed to Jack the Ripper, and Holmes is forced to break a few rules when a journalist accuses him of being the very villain he is trying to catch.

According to Library Journal, Faye writes effectively in Watson's voice. "She is faithful to both the Holmes oeuvre and the Ripper case, and she successfully evokes 1880's London. The secondary characters are interesting and believable."

I for one Sherlock Holmes fan is hoping that Faye continues with the reincarnation of the world's greatest detective, and will be looking forward to her next adaptation of SH & JW.

Tilt: a Skewed History of the Tower of Pisa

Continuing in the architectural realm, I decided to try Nicholas Shrady's cleverly designed book, Tilt: a skewed history of the Tower of Pisa. Grant you the design of the book is a marketing gimmick, but it works. This is an entertaining and quick read. Shrady quickly recounts the history of the bell tower that was begun in 1173 and not completed until 1370. The tower today continues to captivate the world's imagination.

He summarizes the tower's history, including its importance for the city of Pisa, explains why the story of Galileo's use of the tower to conduct experiments on falling objects was probably fabricated by one of the master's disciples; discusses the 19th-century Romantic poets' fanciful idea that the tower's tilt was deliberate; and tells the story of the tower's near destruction by the Allies in WWII after they discovered that the Germans were using it as an observation post. Perhaps one of the more intriguing aspects of the tower's history is that the original architect is unknown. He probably did not want his name connected to the structure, because the tower was built on unstable subsoil, and started to lean toward the south shortly after construction began.

Shrady also discusses the numerous commissions throughout the tower's history that have studied the problem and outlines a series of unsuccessful stabilizing attempts, until the most recent commission in 1997, which successfully stabilized the tower's TILT through a soil extraction process on the North side of the tower.

Eiffel's Tower

Anyone who has visited Paris would probably have put this icon of France on their itinerary. The Eiffel Tower is one of those wonders of the world that everyone recognizes and could tell you where it is located. It is also one of those wonders that you actually have to see to believe. Just as it marveled those who attended the Paris World's Fair in 1889, it continues to be awe inspiring today.

But it was not a very popular choice in Paris to serve as the main attraction for the World's Exposition. In fact there was even tentative plans to tear it down after five years. Since the state would only agree to fund a part of it, architect Gustave Eiffel had to commit his own resources to assure it was completed on time for the opening of the Exposition universelle de 1889 in Paris, France.

This book by Jill Jonnes is more than just a history of the tower. Not only does it discuss the difficulties in getting the tower constructed, but it also presents developments in the arts, globalism, technology, and journalism in the late nineteenth century as represented at the event.

Her book is similar to Erik Larson's "Devil in the White City", which discusses the preparations and construction of the Chicago World's Fair, but without a serial killer in the neighborhood. Both great reads for architecture and history buffs.

The Legend Lives

How many of you are fans of the Robin Hood legend? As a kid I enjoyed watching the Robin Hood series on TV. I also made sure I caught any new films on the Robin Hood legend from the Robin and Marian movie with Sean Connery and Audrey Hepburn to the Kevin Costner production. Well now the literary tale of Robin Hood has been revived by Stephen Lawhead with his trilogy, The King Raven Series. The first of the three novels is Hood. But Lawhead does not place Robin Hood in Sherwood Forest during the reign of King Richard the Lionheart. Instead Lawhead sets Robin in the time of the Norman invaders of England and under the reign of King William II or William the Red (William Rufus) in 1093. Instead of Sherwood Forest, Robin (Bran ap Brychan) is in Wales.

Steeped in Celtic Mythology and political intrigue, all the characters are gradually introduced: Little John (Iwan), Friar Tuck, Marian and Will Scarlet, Guy de Gisbourne and the Sheriff. This trilogy is a fun read.

First in the Trilogy. Introduces you to Bran, heir to his father's kingdom and forced to flee to the greenwood, after the Normans attack and kill his father and his knights as they are traveling to Lundein (London) for an audience with King William II.

Second in the Series, introduces Will Scatlocke (Scarlet). After losing everything at the hands of the Normans, forester Will Scarlet becomes a refugee and embarks on a search for the now legendary King Raven (Hood).

According to a synopsis of the series, Lawhead conjures up the ancient past and holds a mirror to contemporary realities.

I am waiting for the paperback copy of Tuck, the third book in the trilogy, to come out.

In Memory of Frank McCourt

In memory of this former teacher and prize winning author, I would highly recommend, if you have not already read his Pulitzer Prize winning memoir, Angela's Ashes, to pick it up and read it. Or if you have already read it, it would be worth rereading. It will bring tears to your eyes both from laughing out loud and crying. Frank McCourt revolutionized the memoir genre with his story.

After reading Angela's Ashes, pick up his sequel, T'is, and the final installment of his life story with the Teacher Man. Copies of Angela's Ashes and Teacher Man are both available in the RHS library.

Currently reading The Defining Moment by Jonathan Alter, an editor and columnist for Newsweek. While very readable and enlightening about FDR's leadership abilities during the Great Depression, I have read where the book contains several minor factual errors. These should have been caught by Alter, if not, then by the book's editor before going to press.