Books

Paradise Lost

Massively overpowered poet writes Book of Genesis fanfic.

The language lives up to the reputation. He’s right up there with Shakespeare for the pure music of the language.

But it’s fundamentally just an elaborate expansion on the first book of the Bible. And it has become so deeply ingrained in western culture that even if you’ve never heard of it before, you could probably tell the cliff notes version from heart.

Don’t show up for characters, plot, or anything you’d normally expect from literature. Aside from a handful of allusions to classical mythology, it’s pretty much just you, Milton, God, Satan, Adam, and Eve spending time in the garden.

I am completely without religious or spiritual inclinations of any kind, so any theological subtlety is lost on me. The world’s greatest sunset poem is just not going to hit a blind poetry enthusiast the same way it hits a sighted listener.

Leave it to PhDs in literature or divinity. You can safely skip it, despite the great writing.

The Killer Angels

A character driven novel that holds closely to the history of the Battle of Gettysburg. 

It adds enough depth to its characters for it to stand as just a novel, but it’s better to think of it as a work of history unburdened by the strictures of the academic mode of that pursuit. 

The result is a book that draws you in, informing you with remarkable details at every step without your feeling like you’re eating your vegetables. 

While I love military history, I am far from a civil war buff. I enjoyed it, and I think most readers will, too. 

Big thanks to @links for the recommendation.

Startup artist seeking inspiration.  Champion of /bcard

Btw @links I am also reading Endurance to my kids right now. It’s even better than I remembered. 

So you have any other recommendations for me?