ThreeGuys1Book has 1605 followers | By Dennis Haritou There is a fine old novel by Iris Murdoch called “The Black Prince” (1973). The dark prince referred to is our sleeping friend. Murdoch understood the old traditions well and she knew how to make them telling in contemporary life. (the only kind of course) But I also recall what Virgil said about Dido and how she was commanded by the god to fall for Aeneas. Nowadays we would want an explanation for this crush like: maybe Aeneas reminded Dido of her father. But I think the ancient view is wiser: she fell in love because she was commanded to: end of story. Continue reading Narrative Magazine Story of the Week 3 By Jason Rice  Photograph by Jason Rice Continue reading Everybody Needs One of These By Jason Rice  When I looked at the work of Robert Adams in this reissue I noticed immediately that it had created a strong set of images that I would apply to a type of fiction that I’ve been keen on for many years. The legendary John Szarkowski, Director, Department of Photography at The Museum of Modern Art writes a nice opening salvo that reminds me why he loves photography so much. To be honest I was raised on Winogrand, Frank, Friedlander, Cartier-Bresson, the real chestnuts of the modern and post modern photographic world. I’m sure someone out there will argue my theory on post-modern/modern photography and the canon it falls in, but what would be the point? Continue reading The New West: Robert Adams By Jason Rice  Photograph by Jason Rice Continue reading A Beautiful Day In Our Neighborhood By Jason Chambers  When I was a freshman in high school, I terrified my classmates and greatly discouraged the dating process, by reading William Shirer’s massive “The Rise and Fall of Nazi Germany” in class. But I still remember how much I enjoyed that book. As I have mentioned before, I read all books as if they were fiction and most of the great stories in the world are to be found in the pages of the works of the great historians. Continue reading Briefly Noted Wise-Ass Remark: Hitler’s Empire by Mark Mazower By Dennis Haritou The story is told in second person: “You entered the room, did this, did that.” Where the “you” is this poor smuck trying to cope with a society that doesn’t want him but still needs him. How well this works, I guess, is a matter of taste. I found it wearying after several pages. Especially where the narrative voice enters the guy’s head. “You wondered….” Who is talking here and who is the reader supposed to identify with? Continue reading Narrative Magazine Story of the Week 2 By Dennis Haritou  Photography by Dennis Haritou Continue reading Tell Me Again Sir, Why I Should Care By Dennis Haritou I started reading Ludwig Wittgenstein’s Tractatus when I was about 21 and recovering from a breakdown. (It’s truly amazing what we can feel nostalgia for.) I read a lot of philosophy in those days which always had a soothing effect, like taking your brain out to a spa. Philosophy was a form of fiction and that I considered praise. Abstract ideas like “logic” and “the mind” took on the role of characters in some novel that we were all appearing in. Continue reading Narrative Magazine Story of the Week – Atomic Facts By Jason Rice  Photography by Jason Rice Continue reading If I Knew You…We’d Already Be Friends By Jason Chambers  Leo is a Soviet war hero in post-WW2 USSR, where his service and loyalty to the state has put him in a postion to care for his family in ways unfamiliar to the other citizens and provides him the opportunity to use the political system to oust traitors to the state. In a state where empty accusations can be the equivalent of guilty proof, it also makes him a target to political rivals. Continue reading Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith By Jason Rice  Photography by Jason Rice Continue reading Sexy Time By Jason Rice  The problem was making readers believe it. To say the least, it’s an unusual situation, particularly since I didn’t want to use religiosity or fraud as a Pietro’s motivation for becoming a doctor. (These seemed too easy and familiar, for me if not for the character.) Also, I needed the back story to be not only plausible but also capable of generating sympathy for a character who has been a cold-blooded killer. So I clearly had to do some explaining. Continue reading Interview with Josh Bazell By 3G1B  I like this as a development in the criminal-focused sub-genre of crime novel, like the Leonards and the Westlakes, where so often the protagonist is a likeable thug, or thief or murderer. The current success of the Dexter TV (and book) series is another exemplar. A lot of the books in this area are fun and action-packed, to go along with suspenseful, and I think this book fits perfectly in that crowd. Continue reading Beat the Reaper by Josh Bazell By Jason Rice  Photography by Jason Rice Continue reading Can I Put This In There? | |
Recent Comments