Winter's Tale (Mark Helprin, 1983)

(748 pages)

My third Helprin book. I was caught up in it and looked forward to picking it up, but didn't love it.

Here is a Google Gemini 100-word summary:

"Mark Helprin's Winter's Tale is a sprawling work of magical realism primarily set in a mythical, snowbound New York City spanning the turn of the 20th century into the millennium.

The narrative centers on Peter Lake, an Irish orphan and master-mechanic turned thief, who is pursued by the sinister gang leader Pearly Soames. Peter is aided by a mysterious, flying white horse named Athansor. Breaking into a mansion, he encounters and falls instantly in love with Beverly Penn, a wealthy, visionary young woman dying of consumption.

After Beverly's tragic death, Peter escapes his pursuers by vanishing into a timeless cloud wall. He re-emerges decades later with amnesia, his ultimate quest to shatter time, bring back the dead, and achieve a perfectly just city, guided by the enduring power of his impossible love."

It's pretty accurate for just 100 words. The limit doesn't allow mentioning other key characters, such as Virginia Gamely - resident in Lake of the Coheeries. This small upstate town, often snowbound, is where the Penn family (Isaac, father of Beverly and also of Harry - he ran a newspaper that was central to the story (The Sun) summered. There was a bridge builder named Jackson Mead, who isn't bound by time.

A problem is that the themes (mentioned above as "quests") just don't really go anywhere. But it's interesting to think about.

The Siege of Berlin and other stories (Alphonse Daudet, 1873)

Poking through the "Harvard Classics," I gave a try to this set of five or six stories. Rather patriotic in tone by this French author; stories are set in the Franco-Prussian was of 1870 (a disaster for France). Characters without much depth. Super easy read but not particularly recommended. 

Two Years Before the Mast (Richard Henry Dana Jr., 1840)

I enjoyed this book a ton, a favorite. I had heard of the movie (which doesn't seem to track the book all that closely) but was unfamiliar with the book.  Found it in a $0.99 edition of the Harvard Classics - thousands of pages mostly comprised of classics in the way we thought of them 50 years ago (meaning high quality, enduring content - unashamedly Western Civ focused).

Google's summary is below, it's good enough.

Absolutely unique in mostly being told from the perspective of the ordinary sailor - the unusual circumstance of a college boy taking on this role for health reasons.

All the detail one could want about shipboard life, the terminology, the tasks; the excitement going around Cape Horn; dealing with storms; adjusting rigging in ice (the expertise required to make the decisions that led to the commands that were so difficult to execute).

They are engaged in the "hide" trade in California. This is a rare description of California in those days - starting all the way down in San Diego and moving all the way up to San Francisco - interesting to read about places with which we are so familiar. Santa Barbara, Monterey.  The "hides" were acquired from the few ranchers established in this part of the world - difficult work collecting them and then getting them through the rocks and surf onto the landing vessels, then rowing to the main vessel anchored offshore.  I hadn't thought about this part before - life prior to docks and cranes and the like was so difficult for the sailors - they handled these duties on top of their usual sailing tasks. Picked up Sandwich Islanders (Hawaiians) for assistance with labor.

I really liked the postscript that was added about 20 years after publication - the author goes back to California and finds out that most everyone had read his book.  He learns that not a few of the persons named in the book were still there in California.

Great read, just what I like. 

_______________________

"Two Years Before the Mast is Richard Henry Dana Jr.'s famous 1840 memoir about his two-year voyage as a common sailor from Boston to California in the mid-1830s, detailing the harsh life at sea, the brutality of captains, and the culture of pre-Gold Rush California, making it a classic of American maritime literature. The book, based on his diary, offers a realistic and vivid account of the hardships, adventures, and the hide trade, and it served as a powerful commentary on the poor conditions for sailors. 

Key aspects of the book:

Author's motivation: Dana, a Harvard student, left for the sea due to eye problems, seeking adventure and a remedy for his ailment. 

Content: It vividly describes the treacherous journey around Cape Horn, the daily life of a sailor, the cruelty of officers, and the beauty of the natural world, including whales and icebergs. 

Historical significance: It provides an invaluable, firsthand look at the California coast before the Gold Rush, documenting the hide trade and the people of Mexican California. 

Impact: The book was an instant classic, influencing writers like Herman Melville, and remains a significant work for its realism and social commentary on the plight of sailors."

How the Spanish Empire was Built - a 400-Year History (Fernandez-Armesto and Lucena Giraldo, 2024)

(309 pages)

Pretty quick read; not as interesting as I expected.  Something it helped me think about - the incredible distances spanned by the "empire" - also the lack of local skilled workers or many components essential to building anything - just didn't exist in the New World. A real challenge to get anything done. 

Also interesting - we have spent a fair amount of time in areas of California, New Mexico, Arizona, Mexico that were part of the build-out effort - helps appreciate what was attempted, some of the challenges, etc.

I was reading "Two Years Before the Mast" on Kindle at the same time as reading this book, and it was quite interesting hearing the historians describe California areas and travel by ship while reading an account from early/mid 18th century. 

Here's Google Gemini's 150-word summary:

"The Spanish Empire, despite Spain's initial status as a relatively poor and disunited kingdom, grew into the largest realm the world had ever seen, spanning four continents for centuries. Beginning with Christopher Columbus's 1492 voyage, Spain's drive for wealth and Catholicism led to the conquest of the Aztec and Inca empires and vast expansion across the Americas, financed by American gold and silver.

This history highlights the crucial role of "engineers"—including soldiers, priests, and master craftsmen—who built the infrastructure of roads, ports, fortifications, and missions that managed communications and sustained the overstretched global monarchy. The empire was characterized by a complex mix of oppression and collaboration, with investments in infrastructure benefiting both the Spanish crown and local elites, ultimately shaping the cultural, social, and economic realities of the modern world."

A House of Gentlefolk (Ivan Turgenev, 1859)

I hadn't heard of this work but there it was in the "free" section on Kindle. Having a lot of time around the house what with radiation treatments etc., I gave it a run - and much enjoyed. Turgenev of course a great writer and I'm happy I ran across this.

Google Gemini's 200-word summary - 

"Published in 1859, Ivan Turgenev’s A House of Gentlefolk (also known as Home of the Gentry) is a bittersweet exploration of duty, lost opportunities, and the clash between Russian tradition and Western influence.

The Story

The novel follows Fyodor Lavretsky, a nobleman who returns to his Russian estate after discovering his wife Varvara’s infidelity in Paris. Seeking a quiet, meaningful life close to the soil, Lavretsky visits his cousin, Marya Kalitina, and becomes captivated by her daughter, Liza.

Liza is a deeply religious, morally steadfast young woman who represents a "pure" Russian spirit. Despite their age difference and Lavretsky’s marital status, they fall in love. When Lavretsky reads a report in a foreign journal claiming Varvara has died, he confesses his love to Liza, and they envision a future together.

The Turning Point

Their hope is shattered when Varvara suddenly arrives in Russia, very much alive and seeking money. Bound by religious and social duty, Liza refuses to build happiness on the ruin of a marriage. She enters a convent to seek redemption through suffering. Lavretsky, resigned to his fate, returns to his estate to age in solitude."

Those Days: An American Album (Richard Critchfield, 1986)

(419 pages)

I think I learned more about the day-to-day lives of my great grandparents and grandparents in this book than anywhere else. The author is a novelist who had the idea of writing up something of a family history - only he had the idea early enough to capture wonderful source materials from his grandparents and parents while they were still around, and his professional skill allowed him to put it together in book format that stayed interesting (one exception, below).

His parents' families were centered in Iowa and North Dakota, and most of the book's action ends up in North Dakota. But it mirrors (and greatly expands upon) so much of what I've heard about those generations in NW Iowa - details of farming; details of the way the households operated; activities in towns as those towns matured; all set against some pretty empty land that was filling up pretty quickly. Town baseball team. First car; first tractor. Threshing crews. Blizzards. Horses.

The author's father farmed for some years and the descriptions are great; then he was able to go to med school and he became the country doc.  Lots of descriptions here of making house calls, etc. The family moved into town so descriptions of that type of life.

The author's father developed a drinking problem and also was unfaithful to his marriage; for my taste, the author took too much time explaining all this, I didn't really care.  But it was an important factor in the family history, I suppose. 

This was a lucky find, much enjoyed.