The Known World- It's a non-depressing book about slavery. Yay!

Did you know that, at one point, there were black slaveowners in America?

I didn't. 

When I read "The known world", it totally blew my mind. Because, seriously. Black Slaveowners. 

 It's about a black plantation owner dying, and the consequences. 

The entire book gives a sick, twisted logic to how a black man, barely one generation away from slavery would think, "Hey, this terrible thing my father spent his life working his way out of? It sounds like a pretty good gig. I'm going to get into it."

It's a sad story, essentially, but it isn't written like one. It's written in such a matter-of-fact manner that you're left feeling amused and in a state of wonder, rather than the soul-crushing depression that usually accompanies any book about slavery. 

There's also a lot of interesting random anecdotes about how places got their names in modern America (Totally false. Author's messing with you.) and excellent non-linear storytelling. It's almost like picking up a book and starting to read it from somewhere in the middle and then picking chapters at random and continuing. 

It's a great book. It's by Edward P. Jones. 

Also, it's won the Pulitzer Prize. 

More highbrow stuff, bro. Highbrow without the highbrow headache. Don't you just love my recommendations? 

You're welcome.

Wolf Hall/Bring up the bodies

I was going to buy 'Bring up the bodies' from the bookstore because

1. Cool name.

2. Cool quote from the book on the back  

"My boy Thomas, give him a dirty look and he'll gouge your eye out. Trip him, and he'll cut off your leg. But if you don't cut across him, he's a very gentleman. And he'll stand anybody a drink"

I thought, hey, this is a character I'd like to read about. 

Then I figured that it had a prequel. And that both books had won Booker prizes (That must be a record of some sort. I generally avoid Booker winners because every time I pick one up, I feel like I'm wading through a swamp.)

But the blurb was interesting and the subject seemed interesting as well, so I picked them both up. 

First off, very worth it. 

Historical fiction is best, I feel, when you don't know that period in history very well. Everything's a surprise.The books are about Thomas Cromwell, Chief Minister to Henry the Eighth. The guy's a total badass. 16th Century England is controlled by the landed gentry. And he's a blacksmith's son. But through sheer brains and will and a face that looks like a murderer's, he pushes his way up the ranks. And if Hilary Mantel is to be believed, he's mostly responsible for the way England is today. 

A great character to root for. Great writing. Not overly complex and given to monologues on the human condition like most Booker novels are. It feels like any other good yarn. 

And the best part is, you can act snooty about reading it afterward. Because, you know, Booker winner and everything. 

What's this thing?

Hi. 

I'm insufferably snooty. People who know me will agree. I correct everyone's grammar. I think I'm better than everyone else. Smarter. Better read. More accomplished. You get the drift.

Which is why I hate it when people talk down to me.

Especially people writing reviews of things. They use big words. Unnecessarily big words. Say unnecessarily obscure things. 

To them, I say- shut up. 

I know what a reviewer means when he says "his suble commentaries on the cultural paradigm interwoven through the text using metaphor and implied meaning breathe a delicate, bittersweet life into an otherwise sordid saga".

 I just don't want to hear that tripe from him. 

I want to know what a book's about. I want to know if you think it's good. Why you think it's good. Just give it to me straight. 

I don't like reviews that scream "Look, I'm smarter than you. That's why you're reading my reviews."

I can't find a blog that's reviewing stuff the way I want it reviewed. So I'm going to do it myself.

I cannot promise that this will be only about books. I may also review movies. Restaurants. Places. 

I promise that I will respect your intelligence. That's all. 

Here goes.