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Unfortunately the two other books in The Passage Trilogy weren’t as good, but there’s a fantastic 100 or so page humanizing backstory on Fanning, Subject Zero, that I think you would love, @rome8180

*Oops, forgot to mention that was in the final book, City of Mirrors
 
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@physicsfactor I read 200+ pages of it last night. I never binge read like that anymore.

I just got to where it jumps way forward in time. I'm always iffy on big time jumps like that. The problem with them is that then you've got to get attached to a whole new group of characters and narrative.
 
Almost done with The Passage @physicsfactor

Only thing that has annoyed me:

when Amy destroys the vials of the virus. I thought it would have been super cool for them all to infect themselves. This felt like a cop out. It felt like a way to keep the characters weak relative to the virals and therefore up the suspense of the next book. Amy's rationale, "I don't want you to be like me," is so lame. If someone denied me superhuman strength and immortality, I'd smack the shit out of them.

I also feel like this is a move I've seen a lot in books where the character has a chance at real power. The implication is it's somehow noble to handicap yourself in the fight by turning down strength. But it's not like this is the one ring of power we're talking about. There weren't any negative consequences.
 
Any of you history/WWII buffs read Gitta Sereny? I'm reading Into That Darkeness now. It's incredible. It's based on interviews with Franz Stangl, who was the Commandant of Treblinka. I now want to read all her other books. Several follow similar formats. It's really a profound study into the nature of conscience, guilt, and bureaucratic evil.
 
This book continues to be amazing. I feel weird that I'm looking forward to getting home from work just so I can read about Nazi extermination camps.
 
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If you want to stick with uplifting Holocaust things when you're finished with that try Victor Klemperer's 2 volume diary of his life in Germany from 1933 on. He was a Jewish guy that converted to Protestantism in 1912 for job security and because it made him feel more German. He was married to a Christian, so he thought it would protect him. Runs through 1945. It's enthralling and depressing and a very fast read.
 
rome8180 said:
Any of you history/WWII buffs read Gitta Sereny? I'm reading Into That Darkeness now. It's incredible. It's based on interviews with Franz Stangl, who was the Commandant of Treblinka. I now want to read all her other books. Several follow similar formats. It's really a profound study into the nature of conscience, guilt, and bureaucratic evil.
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Just finished this last night. So odd. Was waiting, hoping to hate Stangl, but in the end, he seemed the perfect 'banality of evil'. Just a weak dude for the most part, more Walter White than Pablo Escobar. The allegations against/obfuscations of the Vatican were far more horrific IMO. As in most of these accounts, the most poignant parts were the tales of the heroes. The 'evil', while massive, seemed impersonal and mechanical while the 'strength' and focus of Glazar and the rebels was just amazing.

Will definitely read more from Sereny, certainly her book on Speer, who is the most intriguing man in the whole of WWII. Great recommendation.
 
Yeah, the heroism and resourcefulness the resistance fighters demonstrated was inspiring. We'd all like to think we'd be like those people, but very few of us are.
 
Been on a Westerns kick lately. The Sisters Brothers was an entertaining and quick read. The Son by Philipp Meyer was good, too, but definitely more depressing. I’m starting on El Paso by Winston Groom next. When I purchased this one, I had no idea it was written by the author of Forrest Gump, so I don’t really know what to expect. An eternally optimistic, retarded gunslinger could be fun.
 
physicsfactor said:
Been on a Westerns kick lately. The Sisters Brothers was an entertaining and quick read. The Son by Philipp Meyer was good, too, but definitely more depressing. I’m starting on El Paso by Winston Groom next. When I purchased this one, I had no idea it was written by the author of Forrest Gump, so I don’t really know what to expect. An eternally optimistic, retarded gunslinger could be fun.
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Sisters Brothers was a good read, Phys. Author is Canadian
 
See The Sisters Brothers movie if you haven't already. I can't judge how it compares to the book, but in a vacuum it's awesome.
 
physicsfactor said:
Been on a Westerns kick lately. The Sisters Brothers was an entertaining and quick read. The Son by Philipp Meyer was good, too, but definitely more depressing. I’m starting on El Paso by Winston Groom next. When I purchased this one, I had no idea it was written by the author of Forrest Gump, so I don’t really know what to expect. An eternally optimistic, retarded gunslinger could be fun.
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If you haven't already, read Lonesome Dove.
 
That's a great one. I'm pretty sure @physicsfactor has read a bunch of Cormac McCarthy, so I won't recommend that.

Also, read The Ox-Bow Incident and tell me if it's good. It's been on my bookshelf for years. It was made into a popular movie back in the 1940s.
 
I read all four of the Lonesome Dove books. The original was great. I remember hearing so many people talk about the mini-series from my childhood. I watched it a while back after reading the book. The TV series was so lame and shitty.
 
Just finished All the King's Men. While occasionally florid to distraction, and despite Warren apparently never meeting a simile he didn't like, I truly loved the book. Reminded me a lot of Dostoevsky. Will have to read a good bio of Huey Long in the near future.

Also read 'Rising Tide', about the 1927 Mississippi flood. Pretty cool book about the country's efforts to tame the river and their consequences. Highly recommend.
 
I haven't read it since high school, but I remember really liking it. I've always liked stories told by peripheral narrators. If you want to create a sense of mystery or heightened importance around your main subject, it's more effective to have someone else narrate about him. The Great Gatsby is another classic example that comes to mind.
 
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