the Happyplace

Winterdance: The Fine Madness of Running the Iditarod by Gary Paulsen

Rated: 5/5 stars

I made the grave mistake of trying to read this book while on a public bus. It wasn't long before I realized the folly in this, as I repeatedly had to stifle the wild guffaws that threatened to pour forth without my consent. The other passengers probably came to the conclusion that I was either very sick or slightly deranged as I rocked back and forth in my seat and tried to pretend that I was, in fact, merely coughing. Gary Paulsen has offered us one of the most hilarious accounts of running the Iditarod that I have ever come across.

Living in Minnesota, Paulsen had a small team of five dogs that he used to work his traplines. Over time he became more and more entranced with mushing, until he eventually realized that wanted to, needed to, run the Iditarod - the 1,100+ mile dogsled race stretching across the state of Alaska between Anchorage and Nome. The first half of the book deals with his preparation for the race - finding more dogs, training the dogs, getting the right equipment, etc. We soon see that he has quite a bit to learn. Over the course of this training period, Paulsen finds himself attacked by dogs, run away with by dogs, and often spending many miles being dragged along on the ground behind his sled by dogs. He manages to break his sled repeatedly, get separated from his team, and one night, get sprayed by five different skunks in rapid succession. He is, in short, one of the least qualified of all possible Iditarod candidates.

The second half of the book takes us through the race itself. In the beginning, he makes every possible rookie mistake. He gets lost before even leaving the city of Anchorage, after putting the wrong animal in the lead-dog position:

"We went through people's yards, ripped down fences, knocked over garbage cans. At one point I found myself going through a carport and across a backyard with fifteen dogs and a fully loaded Iditarod sled. A woman standing over the kitchen sink looked out with wide eyes as we passed through her yard and I snapped a wave at her before clawing the handlebar once again to hang on while we tore down her picket fence when Wilson [the lead dog] tried to thread through a hole not much bigger than a housecat. And there is a cocker spaniel who will never come into his backyard again. He heard us coming and turned to bark just as the entire team ran over him; I flipped one of the runners up to just miss his back and we were gone, leaving him standing facing the wrong way barking at whatever it was that had hit him" (pg. 145).

Much of the first half of the race is a series of such uproarious follies. Unbeknownst to him at the time, the other mushers had voted Paulsen the least likely competitor to get out of Anchorage. But he eventually did, and he ultimately manages to muddle his way through the entire race. As the journey goes on, the book becomes a little more serious as we see Paulsen undergo a transformation. He learns about himself, about the dogs, and about life. He feels himself become one with the frozen world of the north, eventually feeling more at home there that he had with his wife and family in Minnesota.

There are sad parts, too. We see a beloved dog trampled to death by a moose before the first day is over. Unfortunately, this is not an uncommon occurence. Moose do not yield the right-of-way to dog teams, and can be extremely dangerous when upset. We also see a maddened musher kill one of his own dogs in a fit of rage. Killing or abusing dogs during the race is strictly prohibited, and the man was duly disqualified, but I still found this the hardest part of the book to read.

'Winterdance' is a magnificent story of a man following his dream and gaining a wealth of knowledge about himself and the world. Paulsen's easy, self-deprecating humor and vivid verbal imagery bring the story to life. I have rarely found a book that has made me laugh so hard, or that has moved me so much by the end. Growing up in Alaska, I always watched the Iditarod start in Anchorage. I've met some of the winning mushers. But Paulsen's story is entirely unique. He was not a race champion or mushing hero, but the rankest rookie out there. And yet he endears himself to our hearts. For any fan of dog mushing, wilderness survival stories, or both, I recommend this book without hesitation.

Return of the Wolf by Steve Grooms

Rated: 5/5 stars

The wolf has long both entranced and terrified humans. It wasn't long ago that most of America harbored an intense wolf-hatred, and it was routine to kill as many of them as possible, as quickly as possible. Ranchers saw the wolf as the ultimate danger to their livestock, and offered bounties to wolf-hunters. Such policies quickly led to the depletion or eradication of entire wolf populations in many parts of the continent. Folk tales like "Peter and the Wolf" and "Little Red Riding Hood" are evidence of an even more long-standing fear and hatred of the wolf. Wolves are a predator at the top of the food pyramid, just like humans, so they can seem quite threatening, as our "niches" tend to overlap.

More recently, public opinion has seen a dramatic swing in the opposite direction. With the advent of environmentalist groups, the wolf is now seen by many as a symbol of the wild. It is often idolized and viewed as the epitome of nobility. Yet the author of this book asserts that neither this idealized depiction of the wolf, nor the previous view of wolves as bloodthirsty, ruthless killers that should be eradicated at all costs, are accurate perceptions. He states: "People used to view wolves imperfectly through filters of greed and fear; they now view them imperfectly through filters of guilt and romance" (pg. 31). For instance, wolf advocates have often said that wolves will never attack humans, but this is not entirely accurate. While such incidents are rare, "never" is not the correct word to use here.

Steve Grooms works to dispell the myths that have evolved around the wolf. He begins by describing its history, the stereotypes attached to the wolf, and the long-standing tradition of persecution. It's not a pretty picture. The book offers several very graphic examples of human brutality toward wolves (some are quite disturbing). Grooms goes on to describe the wolf itself and how it lives. He explains the pack system, a wolf's physical traits, what a wolf eats, where they live, etc. The main portion of the book is devoted to the various issues and controversies surrounding wolves today. Unlike other publications, he does not focus on any one particular breed of wolf, or any one particular issue concerning them. Rather, he goes through and describes each of the breeds on the continent - the Red Wolf, the Gray Wolf of the Great Lakes region, the wolves of the Rocky Mountains, the Mexican Wolf, and finally the large Gray Wolf of Alaska. Grooms explains the controversies surrounding wolves in each area, and the various reintroduction programs (some successful and others not) that have made attempts to reestablish the wolf where its numbers have been severely depleted or entirely wiped out. The most notable of these programs are the restoration of the Red Wolf in the southeast, the Mexican Wolf in the southwest, and Gray Wolves in the Great Lakes Region and in Yellowstone.

I found Grooms' presentation to be very fair and balanced. He acknowledges the concerns of all human parties, be they ranchers, hunters, or environmentalists. He does not ignore arguments on either side, and validates many on both sides, making corrections when necessary: "Because some wolf groups have deified and romanticized the wolf, today it is sometimes as necessary to correct the myths of wolf advocates as the distortions of wolf haters" (pg. 183). He obviously admires and respects wolves, but he takes a realistic look at the consequences of sustaining wolf populations in close proximity to humans. When he speaks of environmentalists, he makes two subdivisions - idealists and pragmatists. Idealists tend to see all management (the term being used to mean killing troublesome wolves) of wolf populations as bad. Pragmatists concede there are circumstances where such management may be necessary. He even shows how these two pro-wolf groups have conflicted and sometimes hurt their own cause.

As a former Alaska resident, I found Grooms' treatment on wolves in the state to be particularly pleasing. I can say with certainty that he accurately captured the essence of the issue here. Alaska is the only place in the United States where the wolf has not been considered endangered. An estimated 7,000-10,000 wild Gray Wolves make the state their home. Such large numbers have led to a concern opposite that found for wolves in the Lower 48. How can the wolf population in Alaska be effectively kept within an environmentally sustainable limit? Many more radical wolf supporters have expressed outrage at any sort of management program, and even to hunting game animals such as moose. They accuse Alaskans of having "sold out" to the income generated by leading tourists on guided hunting trips. Having lived there, I know for a fact that most Alaskans have a deep respect for the wolf and most other animals. I was very glad to see that Grooms has accurately represented this outlook: "Alaskans typically have a strong attachment to the natural world, but are less sentimental and more utilitarian in their wildlife values than citizens of the Lower 48. . . . [Alaskans] tend to see hunting as a natural, time-honored way of putting meat on the table" (pg. 164). Having grown up on wild moose-meat and fish, I can testify that this is true of most Alaskan hunters.

At the end, Grooms provides a nice summary, including an overview of well-reputed wolf advocacy groups. He gives a short description of each, as well as providing website addresses for further reference. This is particularly nice since the book, published in 1999, does not have the latest information on the various wolf programs and related disputes that are still ongoing. Furthermore, the book contains an abundance of beautiful photography. There are full-color pictures on almost every page, some of them full-page images. And finally, Grooms' writing style is simple and fluid, making the book accessible to the layman. The book holds a wealth of good information, and I recommend it most highly.

The Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio

Rated: 5/5 stars

'The Decameron' is a fascinating example of classic literature that remains fresh and entertaining today. Written in the mid-14th century, it concerns the first major outbreak of the black plague in Europe, which first emerged in Italy in approximately 1347. Boccaccio begins, in the prologue, by stating his purpose for writing the book - namely, to entertain literate women with nothing else to do with their time. The story itself concerns ten young Florentines (seven women - Pampinea, Filomena, Neifile, Fiammetta, Elissa, Lauretta, and Emilia; and three men - Panfilo, Dioneo, and Filostrato) who flee the city in hopes of escaping the plague. To occupy themselves during this time, they tell each other stories, with each person telling one story per day to make a total of 100 stories over the course of the entire book. At the beginning of the first day, Boccaccio provides an excellent and detailed description of the plague itself. The book ends with the refugees returning to their homes, and a closing epilogue from the author.

I very much enjoyed 'The Decameron.' It is interesting and easy to read. The characters in the various stories are ordinary people and this makes them seem very real. Many of them actually are based on real people. Some of the stories, too, are inspired by actual events, though not all. This particular edition is an excellent translation. It is very user-friendly while still retaining the 14th century 'feel' of it. I also liked the organization of the book, as it was always very easy to find a 'stopping place.' With some novels, it's hard to set them down, but since The Decameron is a collection of short stories, one can always stop at the end of any particular story and come back later.

Boccaccio claims that his goal in writing 'The Decameron' was to entertain and 'provide succour and diversion' (Prologue 3) to young women who are in love - presumably those whose love lives are not going well at the moment. He says he wishes to 'offer some solace' (Prologue 2) to these women, and also 'some useful advice' (Prologue 3). While this sounds like a noble aim on first glance, I have to wonder about his sincerity. A good many of the stories involve characters who go to rather immoral ends to achieve their aims, and I find it odd that such examples would be given in a book intended to instruct a young lady.

Nevertheless, the book is great fun to read. The stories are lively and colorful, and often quite humorous. It provides an excellent insight into the everyday lives of people during this time period. I will caution, however, that most of the stories involve sexuality in some way, and many revolved around it completely. If you are easily offended by bawdy humor, this may not be the book for you. Nearly all the characters of the various tales are sexually active, most with more than one partner. There are also homosexual and bisexual characters. Sexual infidelity is treated here as not only acceptable, but widely encouraged. Characters who cheat on their spouses regularly come out on top, while those that are cuckolded are laughed at and made to look like fools. The unfaithful partner is rewarded and the faithful one shamed and called a prude.

The one thing I do wish Boccaccio had talked more about is the ten people who were actually telling the stories. There are hints of Filostrato having a romantic interest in fellow-storyteller Filomena, but this is never followed up on, except to hint that Filomena is herself interested in someone else not of the company. I would like to know if anything more ever came of Filostrato's interest. I would also have liked to know more of what happened to the ten storytellers upon returning to Florence at the end of the book. Had the plague passed? What had happened to those they left behind? Did any of the ten themselves catch the plague? All of this is left out and I found the ending to be somewhat abrupt.

Perhaps most unclear to me, however, is how the ten were even able to flee the plague as they did. There is no talk of preparation, and it seems that they just dropped everything and left. The places they stayed were abandoned estates that they simply happened upon. Boccaccio says of the second place they stayed, 'she brought them [. . .] to a most beautiful and ornate palace. [. . .] They explored it from end to end and were filled with admiration for its spacious halls and well-kept, elegant rooms, which were equipped with everything they could possibly need, and they came to the conclusion that only a gentleman of the highest rank could have owned it' (Introduction, Third Day, 189). Why were places such as this abandoned? Had its owner/s died of plague? Or if the owners were not dead but had instead fled from the plague, why did they not take some of their things with them? Why was everything left in these places as if nothing was amiss? It all seems a bit unreal to me.

Overall the book is written very well for what it is - a collection of short stories. It is, however, lacking in character development. Most of the storytellers were very flat emotionally, and it would have been nice to see them fleshed out a little more. But in the context of a short story or group of short stories this lack of depth is more forgivable than it would be in a novel. With the exception of Dioneo, who seems to be the most creative and fun-loving of the ten, and Filostrato, who seems absorbed in moping and self-pity for much of the book (presumably over his unrequited interest in Filomena), I found it hard to distinguish one storyteller from another. But the focal point of the book is the stories themselves, and these are all highly entertaining. Though the frequent sexual references may make the book inappropriate for younger audiences, I would highly recommend it for any mature reader.

The Man Who Listens to Horses by Monty Roberts

Rated: 5/5 stars

This is a fascinating autobiography of one of the most sought-after horse trainers in the world. Monty Roberts takes us from his childhood, growing up on a ranch in California, all the way up through the years right before the book was first published in 1996. He learned to ride at a very young age and was quite successful on the rodeo circuit and in reined cow horse competitions. But what really gave him his ambition to develop a method of communicating with horses was the abuse with which he saw his father treat horses, and the the abuse he himself received from his father. Convinced that there must be a better way to train horses, he observed the behavior of mustangs, and ultimately came up with a technique he calls 'join-up'.

'Join-up' involves working with a horse in a round pen, first encouraging the horse to flee around the perimeter by making steady eye contact and assuming an imposing stance. The handler then watches for three tell-tale signs that the horse wishes to communicate - first the horse will lock his inside ear on the handler, then begin licking and chewing, and finally lower his head near the ground as he travels around the pen. Once the horse has given these signals, the handler takes his/her eyes off the horse and shifts away from from the animal. At this point the horse will usually come up behind the handler and stand very close, allowing the handler to touch him. Then the horse can be saddled, bridled, and at last, mounted and ridden. (This is a very truncated explanation - the book goes into much more detail.)

Of course Roberts was not the first to use methods like these. Some other reviewers here have complained about this fact, accusing him of taking undue credit. But Roberts himself admits this in his book. He points out that there were trainers in previous centuries that tried (and had success with) similar methods, but that for whatever reason these methods did not take a firm hold on the general equestrian population. So yes, Roberts does do a lot of self-promotion here (another thing some have complained about), but this is because he's attempting to spread the word about his method of training. He is using the book first and foremost to sell his technique, but this is because he wishes to make the training experience a better one for horses.

This book takes us through Roberts' journey of learning, and all the trials and triumphs that led him to where he is today. He tells us of his experience with mustangs, his successful childhood riding career, the encounters with his father that helped shape his own way of thinking, the development (and narrowly-avoided disaster) of his Thoroughbred racehorse facility Flag Is Up Farms, various success stories of his 'join-up' method, his meeting with Queen Elizabeth II of England, his many tours to demonstrate his techniques, and even his succes in using 'join-up' with wild deer. He also introduces us to the horses that have shaped his life and carved a place for themselves in his heart - Brownie, his childhood mount; Johnny Tivio, his all-time favorite; and Dually, his most recent mount.

Toward the end of the book there is a 'How To' appendix describing in detail the 'join-up' technique. Roberts lists all the necessary equipment (nothing fancy is needed - everything is standard equipment that any horse owner should already have; the only thing you may have to 'borrow' is the round pen itself if you do not have one), and takes us through the procedure in a clear step-by-step fashion. He explains the purpose of each aspect of 'join-up' and how the horse will perceive the handler's actions. He also explains the meaning of the horse's responses to these actions. The appendix is very easy to follow and the technique is simple enough that it is easy to remember afterward, without having to lug the book to the arena with you.

The book concludes with an afterword by Lawrence Scanlan, the author of 'Riding High' and co-author (with Ian Millar) of 'Big Ben'. Scanlan describes his experience observing the 'mustang project' that Roberts embarked upon in 1997. This takes us briefly into the story of Shy Boy, a small mustang stallion Roberts attempts to gentle (in the wild, not in a pen) with his 'join-up' technique. The afterword is very short. Roberts went on to write about his experience with Shy Boy in his next book 'Shy Boy: The Horse that Came in from the Wild'. I have not read that one yet, but plan to soon, as I was very impressed with 'The Man Who Listens to Horses'. I would highly recommend it to anyone involved with horses.

Thoroughbred Champions: Top 100 Racehorses of the 20th Century by The Blood Horse

Rated: 4/5 stars

This book, compiled by a panel of seven from The Blood-Horse, provides an excellent run-down on 100 of the greatest horses to grace the Thoroughbred racing scene in America during the 1900s. Each horse is honored with a brief biography (the top 20 horses get four pages each, and all the rest get two) that describes his/her history, racing career, and any notable offspring or other key accomplishments in clear and easy-to-read language. In addition, a race record, pedigree, and one or two nice photographs of each is provided.

At the back of the book one will find a few more helpful resources. A table of the chosen 100 provides a nice quick-reference to year of birth, owner, breeder, and trainer. There is also a "Leaders List" with interesting statistics, including horses with the most wins, unbeaten horses, once-beatens, horses with the most starts, Kentucky Derby (and Triple Crown) winners, multimillionaires, geldings, top trainers, top breeders, and the foaling years that produced the most champions.

The 100 horses included are ranked as follows:

(1) Man O'War; (2) Secretariat; (3) Citation; (4) Kelso; (5) Count Fleet; (6) Dr. Fager; (7) Native Dancer; (8) Forego; (9) Seattle Slew; (10) Spectacular Bid; (11) Tom Fool; (12) Affirmed; (13) War Admiral; (14) Buckpasser; (15) Colin; (16) Damascus; (17) Round Table; (18) Cigar; (19) Bold Ruler; (20) Swaps; (21) Equipoise; (22) Phar Lap; (23) John Henry; (24) Nashua; (25) Seabiscuit; (26) Whirlaway; (27) Alydar; (28) Gallant Fox; (29) Exterminator; (30) Sysonby; (31) Sunday Silence; (32) Skip Away; (33) Assault; (34) Easy Goer; (35) Ruffian; (36) Gallant Man; (37) Discovery; (38) Challedon; (39) Armed; (40) Busher; (41) Stymie; (42) Alysheba; (43) Northern Dancer; (44) Ack Ack; (45) Gallorette; (46) Majestic Prince; (47) Coaltown; (48) Personal Ensign; (49) Sir Barton; (50) Dahlia; (51) Susan's Girl; (52) Twenty Grand; (53) Sword Dancer; (54) Grey Lag; (55) Devil Diver; (56) Zev; (57) Riva Ridge; (58) Slew o' Gold; (59) Twilight Tear; (60) Native Diver; (61) Omaha; (62) Cicada; (63) Silver Charm; (64) Holy Bull; (65) Alsab; (66) Top Flight; (67) Arts and Letters; (68) All Along; (69) Noor; (70) Shuvee; (71) Regret; (72) Go For Wand; (73) Johnstown; (74) Bald Eagle; (75) Hill Prince; (76) Lady's Secret; (77) Two Lea; (78) Eight Thirty; (79) Gallant Bloom; (80) Ta Wee; (81) Affectionately; (82) Miesque; (83) Carry Back; (84) Bimelech; (85) Lure; (86) Fort Marcy; (87) Gamely; (88) Old Rosebud; (89) Bewitch; (90) Davona Dale; (91) Genuine Risk; (92) Sarazen; (93) Sun Beau; (94) Artful; (95) Bayakoa; (96) Exceller; (97) Foolish Pleasure; (98) Beldame; (99) Roamer; (100) Blue Larkspur

Of course there will be debate over the rankings. The top three - Man O'War, Secretariat, and Citation (rated in that order) - in particular will fuel heated and unending dispute. But one must take into account that these horses raced in different times, under different conditions. Track surfaces, weight carried, equipment used, living conditions, diet, training methods, quality of the competition, types of races entered, and more all varied greatly. Some were dirt horses and some turf horses. Some were sprinters and some ran longer distances. Some were pacesetters and some were come-from-behind horses. The only way to know for sure which ones were better than others would be to line them all up and race them against each other. But we can't do that. So the rankings given here should be taken rather lightly, and not be the focal point of the book. Rather, it is a nice, concise overview of a group of 100 very good racehorses, and that is all it should be taken for.

The book is not a completely comprehensive reference - those looking for in-depth information on one particular horse would need to read additional sources, as the biographies here are just very brief overviews squeezed into a couple pages - but it makes for interesting reading and the statistics and pedigrees given can be quite useful. On the whole I would highly recommend this to any Thoroughbred racing enthusiast.

Father of the Iditarod - The Joe Redington Story by Lew Freedman

Rated: 5/5 stars

Joe Redington, Sr., may not have been an Alaskan by birth, but any resident of the state would agree that he was, and remains, a symbol of the Alaskan spirit. Born and raised in Oklahoma, Redington always had a fascination with the rugged far-north, and read every book on Alaska he could get his hands on. In 1948, at the age of 31, he finally made the decision to pack up his family and move there. They homesteaded in Knik, off the Parks Highway, on the northwestern side of Knik Arm, and that's how Redington got involved with sled dogs. Mushing was an effective way to get from place to place, and Knik Kennels was born. By chance, the property opened directly onto the historic Iditarod trail, which by that time was in poor shape owing to disuse. Redington cleared a section of the trail for his own use, and soon became caught up in the route's historical significance. The famed 1925 "Serum Run" had followed that trail when there was no other means of rushing life-saving medication to diptheria-stricken Nome.

Redington decided it was high time the trail be restored and brought back into regular use, proposing a 1,000-mile dogsled race from Anchorage to Nome. Everyone thought he was nuts. But the first Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race was held in March of 1973, on a shoestring budget, but a resounding success nonetheless. The first few years of the race's existence were rocky at best, but this was Redington's baby, and he nursed it along with unwaivering confidence and energy. Today it is an internationally famous sporting event, with mushers arriving each spring from all over the globe to compete. Though Redington himself never won the race (he participated in it almost every year), not having time enough left to properly train his dogs after all the effort he expended in organization of the event, he did help many eventual Iditarod champions get their footing. Two such notable figures are five-time winner Rick Swenson and four-time winner Susan Butcher. In addition, Redington, along with Susan Butcher and Ray Genet, brought the first dog team to the peak of Mount McKinley in 1979. In 1993 he organized the first Iditarod Challenge, an opportunity to follow the trail for fun rather than competition, with Redington as guide. He also participated in a special dogsledding trial at the 1994 Olympics in Norway.

The title "Father of the Iditarod" has been applied to Joe Redington for years, and he has engraven himself upon the hearts of all Alaskans. I grew up in Anchorage and he was always a household name. He was an amazing man. Redington had unquenchable enthusiasm for everything he did, and never let age slow him down. He ran his last Iditarod in 1997, at the age of 80. When he was diagnosed with cancer of the esophagus in 1998, he fought it with the same determination and confidence that he had exhibited when fighting for the creation of the Iditarod, and he beat it. He even got back to mushing, though he would not compete again, and eventually the cancer returned and claimed his life in 1999.

This book does every possible justice to the pioneering man who revived dogsled mushing as a popular competitive sport. It is a delightful read, descriptive and engaging. Even a reader not familiar with Alaska or dog mushing will be able to capture the essence of it here. The book is also filled with great black-and-white photos of Redington, his family and fellow mushers, his dogs, and other images that bring the story to life. My one criticism would be a lack of sufficient editting. There are a few too many typos that should have been caught, and hence I don't feel quite right about giving an unconditional five-star rating. It also appears as if the very end of Chapter 18 may have been cut off, as it leaves off with what appears to be the beginning of a new sentence, but when the reader flips to the next page, it is the beginning of the next chapter. Other than this, however, the book flows very nicely and is easy to read. I would highly recommend it to just about anyone, Alaskan or not, and regardless of experience with dogs or mushing. A thoroughly delightful book!

The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien

Rated: 4/5 stars

This book is essential reading for any serious Tolkien fan. Be prepared for a slow start though. The first 130 pages are rather like going through a very dense textbook - there are too many names, places, and events crammed into too tight of a framework, allowing for little or no character development. Because of this it can be rather hard to get into the earlier stories, and even harder to retain the information afterward. After about 80 pages I was sincerely beginning to reconsider my decision to read the book, but I'll tell those who may be having similar problems - keep going! It does get better, I promise.
The Silmarillion begins with a shorter sub-book, the Ainulindalë, which is the Creation story of Middle-Earth. It tells how Eru, or Ilúvatar, the god of Tolkien's mythology, created the Ainur, holy beings who shape the world through their song. The Ainulindalë goes on to speak of the Ainur who went to dwell in Arda, the earth, and became known as the Valar; the two races created by Ilúvatar to inhabit Arda - the immortal Firstborn (Elves), and the mortal Followers (Men); and also of how the first evil came to be, as the Ainu known as Melkor and later Morgoth challenges the will of Ilúvatar and falls out of favor, eventually to become the first Dark Lord of Middle-Earth.

Next is the Valaquenta, a short section which defines and describes the Valar, the Maiar (the slightly lesser "servants and helpers" of the Valar), and the Enemies (namely Melkor and those he manipulates to do his will).

The main body of The Silmarillion, the "Quenta Silmarillion," is the history of the Silmarils, sacred jewels created by the elf Fëanor, and all the events that take place around them. It is divided into chapters which take the form of short stories. As I mentioned earlier, the first several of these can be rather difficult to wade through - the abundance of character and place names alone will throw the reader for a loop. These early stories cover topics such as the shaping of the world by the Valar, the coming of the Elves into Middle-earth, the creation and loss of the Silmarils, the unleashing of the evil of Melkor, the rebellion of the Elves against the Valar, and the general layout of Middle-earth at that time.

If after this the reader is a bit overwhelmed, don't despair! I found that, beginning with Chapter 16 "Of Maeglin" which begins on page 131, the stories really begin to pick up. From here on the tales are easier to follow and the characters are more fully developed and easy to identify with. Subsequent chapters deal with the coming of Men into Middle-earth and their migration westward, the continued malice of Melkor and the battles between his followers and the Elves and Men that remain good, the famous love story of Beren and Lúthien (the first joining of man and elf), the tragic life of Túrin Turambar, the ruin of the realm of Doriath, the eventual overthrow of Morgoth, and of how the Silmarils came to their final resting places in the earth, the sea, and the sky.

Following the main body of the text are two more sub-books, the first of which is the Akallabêth, which tells the story of the Númenóreans, the race of men that dwelt on the island of Númenór, closest to the sacred realm of Valinor in the far west. Ultimately the temptation to seek out Valinor overcomes them, and in punishment a rift is opened in the sea, swallowing Númenór and forever cleaving Middle-earth and Valinor apart. A few of the Númenóreans survive and dwell in Middle-earth, and from these is descended Aragorn, who appears in The Lord of the Rings.

The final section of the book is entitled "Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age," and concerns just that. It speaks of the rise of Sauron, who had been Morgoth's primary servant and ally, and who comes into power of his own following Morgoth's downfall. The book provides a brief overview of the battles between Sauron and the peoples of Middle-earth, which come to a temporary halt when Isildur cuts the One Ring from Sauron's hand. The events thereafter are picked up in the stories of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.

This second edition of The Silmarillion includes at its beginning a letter written by author J.R.R. Tolkien to good friend Milton Waldman in 1951. I found the letter very interesting, as it provides a nice overview of the material covered in the book, tying it all together in condensed form and helping to provide a framework that holds the stories together as the reader goes along. At the end of the book are supplementary materials that are equally valuable, including lineage tables of the key characters, a brief treatise on pronunciation, and an extensive index that also serves as a useful dictionary of names, places, and other Middle-earth terms. At the very end there is a map of Middle-earth as it looked at the time of these stories.

The Silmarillion is not what I would call an easy read, but for an attentive and interested reader, it should not be overwhelmingly difficult either. The information within provides a very detailed background for the events of Tolkien's most famous work, The Lord of the Rings. Some of the stories in The Silmarillion are excellent, self-standing short tales even without benefit of the rest of the history, and could probably have made very engaging books in and of themselves had Tolkien decided to develop them to that extent. Overall I would highly recommend this book to anyone wishing to learn more of the history of Middle-earth, though I strongly suggest finishing both The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings beforehand.

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

Rated: 3/5 stars

I picked up a copy of Emily Brontë's classic after being very much impressed with her sister Charlotte Brontë's novel Jane Eyre. However, while I did find much to be meritted in Wuthering Heights, I also feel that it fell short of my hopes. The story initially focuses on the lives of Catherine and Heathcliff, childhood sweethearts forced apart by their families. Catherine marries another man, vainly thinking she can love and be loved by both Heathcliff and her husband Edgar at the same time. As an act of revenge, Heathcliff married Edgar's sister Isabella. What ensues is a dark and stormy emotional battle between many very troubled people.

Catherine dies halfway through the novel, starving herself to insanity and death when she realizes that the two men in her life will not share her and instead demand that she make a choice. She leaves behind her a daughter of the same name, young Catherine. Heathcliff and Isabella in turn produce a son, the weak and sickly Linton. The remainder of the novel concerns the love affair that develops between Linton and young Catherine, and Heathcliff's violent, vengeful manipulation of their lives.

I thought the book was very well written (as it ought to be, to have achieved a rank among classic literature), and I was able to read it with no trouble. Some of the words and terms are a bit antiquated, but someone familiar with works of the time should not find these too daunting. Though keeping a dictionary close at hand is a surefire way to avoid trouble. Brontë has excellent word choice and creates very vivid imagery. My one criticism of the writing itself regards the manner in which Brontë has chosen to express dialects. The Yorkshire accent of Heathcliff's servant Joseph (and later of young Catherine's cousin Hareton) is nearly impossible to read, with phrases like "ut's soa up uh going" intended to mean "who is set on going". My copy of the book has an appendix that "translates" the most incomprehensible of his words, but it is a great irritation to constantly flip to the back (sometimes several times per paragraph) for explanation, and even the notes there do not decipher everything.

The found the story itself to be profoundly disturbing. Wuthering Heights undoubtedly contains one of the largest collections of mentally unbalanced characters I've ever come across in any novel. It is choc full of sadists, masochists, and otherwise troubled and violent personalities. The whole book has a very dark, opressive feel about it, and there were times I found it downright unsettling. I must tip my figurative hat to Brontë for her skill in creating atmosphere and invoking feeling in her readers.

However, the storyline is a bit weak in my estimation, as the characters' feelings about and behavior toward each other is often quite illogical. The different culture of the time can explain some of this, but there remains, I believe, a general unrealistic quality about the plot. Why, for instance, would Catherine and Heathcliff have ever fallen in love in the first place? Their childhood attraction is easy to explain as the passing fancies of the very young, but their relationship as adults is more troubling. Heathcliff is moody, egocentric, obsessive, and extremely violent; Catherine is vain and naive, narcissistic, and given to wild emotional tantrums when she does not get her way. What would posses anyone to fall for either of the two? Even harder to understand is the timid Edgar's proposal to Catherine. She abuses him repeatedly, mentally and physically, and yet he claims to love her. Why?

The next generation of characters is equally unbalanced and ill-matched. I think young Catherine is probably the only main character with some claim on a sound mind, though even she is not without issues. Though she is intelligent and generally strong-minded, she is for some reason a complete pushover when it comes to the frail, sniveling Linton's outbursts of self-pity. Even when Catherine herself recognizes Linton's problems and appears to have lost her romantic interest in him, she still obeys his every whining command when there is no incentive whatsoever for her to do so. Heathcliff is even more violent in the second part of the novel than the first. He physically abuses nearly all who cross his path, including his own son, taking his only pleasure from the misery of others. Another relationship that raises questions in my mind is Catherine's attraction to young Hareton following Linton's death. Catherine has been brought up as a proper young lady with manners and education, and Hareton is a slovenly, shadowy figure whose speech is has difficult to comprehend as the servant Joseph's. The two young people seem to have absolutely nothing in common.

On the whole, I recognize the literary merits of Wuthering Heights - as I said it is very well written and invokes strong reactions in the reader. The character development is excellent, even if those characters are mentally and emotionally unbalanced in the extreme. The book explores the themes of love, jealousy, and obsession, and provokes thought. However, it is by no means a feel-good book and I can't say I'd recommend it for recreational reading. This one is probably best left in the academic discussion circles and not brought home to read before bedtime.

The Perfect Ride by Gary Stevens

Rated: 5/5 stars

I have long held a great measure of respect for Gary Stevens as a professional racehorse jockey. I've watched him ride some great races on television (having grown up in an area with almost no horse industry at all, I have not had the fortune to see one of his races live). My respect for the man only grew when I saw the movie Seabiscuit (where he plays jockey George Woolf, who rode Seabiscuit in his famous match race with rival War Admiral) and realized he had a bit of acting talent as well. So when I saw his autobiography in the store, I snatched it up right away and am certainly glad I did. Reading it, my estimation of this great athlete went even higher.

Stevens begins with his early childhood, living in Idaho. His father worked with Appaloosas, then moved on to Quarter Horse racing, and later to Thoroughbreds. Gary's older brother Scott began a career as a jockey, and Gary soon followed in his footsteps. He was riding Quarter Horses in races (under Scott's name) before he was legally old enough to obtain a jockey's license. The boy fell in love with the sport, and soon made the switch to riding Thoroughbreds. At seventeen, he left home for California, rode a dismal season, and returned to Idaho. There he got married, and over the next few years his career began to take flight and the book describes all his significant wins, losses, and other experiences.

Though his career soared over the years, Stevens talks of his constant battle with pain. A series of riding accidents over the years left him with terrible knees, requiring frequent surgery. He endured many breaks from riding in order to undergo rehabilitation, and often returned to the track prematurely, riding despite the pain. He even retired for a short time and tried his hand at training, but found he just couldn't stay away from riding. Stevens' frank discussion of his pain is one of the most inspiring things I've ever read. No matter how much he was hurting, he kept pushing forward, and made more than one amazing comeback in the sport.

In addition to race riding, Stevens discusses other major events that helped shape his life - his children, his divorce, his remarriage, and the death of a fellow jockey and close friend, Chris Antley. He also talks of his relationships with various trainers and jockeys; how he makes decisions on which mounts to accept, how to ride his races, and what directions to take with his career; and he evaluates some of the great horses he has ridden, including Thunder Gulch, Point Given, Winning Colors, Serena's Song, Silver Charm, and others. He talks about his struggle with weight, and how he has managed to stay in shape for riding. Stevens has ridden in the United States, Hong Kong, and Great Britain, and he compares the atmosphere and racing procedure in these very different places. All in all, this book is an excellent inside look at the life of a top racehorse jockey.

The epilogue touches briefly on Stevens' acceptance of a role in Seabiscuit, the new movie based on author Laura Hillenbrand's best-stelling book. He mentions a few things about the early stages of filming - what it was like to act for the first time, to work with co-star Tobey Maguire, to see an inspiring true horse story come to life on film, etc. My one criticism here is that he does not tell us enough. I really wish he had delayed the publication of this book another year so that he would have been able to include more about his work on the movie.

A few reviewers here have commented on a lack of accuracy in the book. Stevens himself tells us early in the book that his accounts are based largely on his own memories, which are fallible. He acknowledges the fact that he may have made some mistakes in his recollections. I don't really hold this against him. I suspect that any autobiography will contain some inaccuracies. The author is relying largely on personal memory, spanning a very large period of time. Stevens' goal here wasn't to provide us with a data sheet on the races he's ridden; he wanted to share the experiences of his life - to show us what's brought him to where he is today. And I think he's done an excellent job at just that. Having a date off by one year here, or not being entirely clear on the legalities surrounding building rights on a certain racetrack there don't detract from the messages the book has to offer. I would highly recommend this book to any horse racing enthusiast.

Plan 9 wrote:I just read the first one, Moinkers: Winterdance. It's a wonderful review! I must read this book ASAP!
But not on the bus, that's for sure!
Thank you so much for posting your reviews. Your reviews are far superior to the ones published in our newpaper! You have no idea how good you are, do you?!! Fortunately, I do!