This review originally appeared on Goodreads on April 12, 2012.

Bulfinch's Mythology

By Thomas Bulfinch – Lee & Shepard – 1867

Review by Robin Marx

While a very ambitious work, Bulfinch's Mythology didn't quite live up to my expectations. Assembling it was clearly a major undertaking, but the spotty coverage and uninspiring presentation hinder the overall quality of the work.

The book starts off fairly strongly, with an exhaustive chronicle of Greek mythology. Here Bulfinch's enthusiasm for the topic is clearly visible. Not only does he relate the stories, but he also points out allusions to the characters and themes to them in literature and poetry (Romantic verse in particular).

However, despite spending a great deal of attention on the Greeks, the Arthur myth, and stories related to Charlemagne, his perfunctory handling of the Norse and Hindu mythologies as well as the legends of Beowulf and Robin Hood leave a lot to be desired. The story of Robin Hood is boiled down to a single brief anecdote (the archery contest), and I would have preferred he omit these stories entirely than give them the uninspired coverage seen here.

His matter-of-fact retelling of the myths also harms their impact. Here he is, discussing stories of epic heroes, fierce monsters, and world-changing magic, but it's all relayed in a bland, sleep-inducing tone. If you're not already a mythology enthusiast, this book won't turn you into one.

However, Bulfinch deserves a great deal of credit for the scope of this work and the depth of his research. Well over a century has passed since the writing of this book, and no one has come close to creating such a monumental work in this field.

★★★☆☆

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This review originally appeared on Goodreads on January 15, 2013.

Japanese Colour Prints

By Jack Ronald Hillier – Phaidon Press – August 12, 1998

Review by Robin Marx

This book was a bit of a disappointment. The opening essay offered a decent overview of the history of ukiyo-e, but those readers without a background in art history (and ideally some knowledge of Japanese art) are likely to find it confusing and unhelpful.

While most of the most notable artists are present and accounted for, the example prints selected were lacking in several instances. Harunobu, Utamaro, Hokusai, and Hiroshige were all incredibly influential artists, yet the prints chosen for them are far from their best work.

The commentary accompanying the prints is also spotty. Rather than providing some much-needed cultural context for Kabuki scenes, allusions, etc., featured in the print, Hillier tends to go off on extraneous tangents about that artists' pupils.

I also felt Hillier's decision to exclude late period prints (after the introduction of foreign aniline dyes) was pure snobbery. He argues that “...few of the later prints rise above either ineffectual prettiness, or violently colored melodrama,” but Yoshitoshi was one of the giants of the art form, and dismissing his work is unforgivable.

In the end, this book offers a decent, unspectacular survey of the ukiyo-e art form, with commentary that goes into a little too much detail in arcane areas. Who is the audience for this book? Pairing introductory artwork with beginner-unfriendly text seems like a strange editorial decision. The artwork is nice, but I'd recommend those interested in ukiyo-e either look elsewhere, or supplement their reading with additional books.

★★☆☆☆

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This review originally appeared on Goodreads on February 26, 2018.

A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy

By William B. Irvine – Oxford University Press – November 4, 2008

Review by Robin Marx

This book is simple and effective, with clear explanations and methodical organization. Irvine argues that, unlike the ancient Greeks and Romans, modern people tend to lack a philosophy for living, and that people can benefit from incorporating philosophical principles into their daily life. He makes the case for Stoicism in particular as a philosophy with special utility in helping people manage negative emotions and attain a greater sense of tranquility.

Throughout the book he introduces the major figures in Stoic history, their teachings, and advises how to apply them to modern life. Dealing with insults, aging, and grief are all topics covered in the book. While Stoicism today is somewhat obscure and misunderstood, many readers will see familiar parallels in Buddhism (which also understands that desire and attachments are a source of frustration and misery) and the literature about mindfulness.

While I discovered and adopted Stoicism on my own two decades ago (I'm what the author terms a “congenital Stoic”), I appreciated the history lesson and the systematic presentation of the philosophy's tenets and their application. While an interest in history is a plus, I'd recommend this book wholeheartedly to anyone seeking more equanimity in their daily life, especially if they're skeptical of religion.

★★★★☆

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This review originally appeared on Goodreads on September 2, 2015.

A Curious Man: The Strange and Brilliant Life of Robert “Believe It or Not!” Ripley

By Neal Thompson – Crown Archetype – May 7, 2013

Review by Robin Marx

While a somewhat obscure figure these days, this biography shows how Robert Ripley went from humble beginnings to world-famous cartoonist and one of the richest men in America.

Ripley lived the life of a pulp hero, and the book often has the same sort of breathless voice found in the old adventure magazines. I found it interesting that the narrative focuses more on his life in New York (and later Florida) than the details of his overseas excursions. Despite the adventurer mystique, it turns out that he tended to spend his many trips in relative comfort and surrounded by other Westerners, rather than do much in the way of trailblazing. It turns out that his life in America—as a somewhat awkward figure thrust into the celebrity spotlight—is every bit as interesting as his travels, however.

Ripley is represented as an interesting and conflicted human being, and the book doesn't shy away from presenting some of the more negative aspects of his personality (alcohol abuse, womanizing, and a propensity towards fits of rage as his health declined later in life).

The book makes an effort to parallel his unlikely life with the subject matter of his “Believe It or Not” newspaper cartoons, with occasional sidebars mentioning unusual coincidences or people mentioned in passing who later went on to do notable things. While these sidebars are interesting, they didn't feel frequent enough to fully carry off the conceit.

“A Curious Man” is a brisk read. Just like the man whose life it chronicles, the narrative is always on the move. Recommended for those with an interest in early 20th century Americana and world travel.

★★★★☆

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This review originally appeared on Goodreads on July 13, 2017.

Substance: Inside New Order

By Peter Hook – Dey Street Books – January 31, 2017

Review by Robin Marx

The third book written by ex-Joy Division and New Order bassist Peter “Hooky” Hook, this is also his best. While over 700 pages long, this was a gripping read that was simultaneously both expansive and incredibly detailed.

Joy Division and New Order are bands surrounded by a lot of mystique and mythology, a great deal of it cultivated by the band themselves. They avoided the press and only grudgingly promoted their own albums. I hoped lead singer Bernard Sumner's Chapter and Verse: New Order, Joy Division and Me would shed some more light on the inner working of the band, but I was left disappointed. Much as he did with his previous Joy Division memoir, Hooky stepped up to deliver the nitty gritty details—the Substance, so to speak—that Sumner's book lacked.

Hooky covers the story of the band both on-stage and off-, and he refuses to shy away from painting himself and the others in an unflattering light with tales of their intoxicated revels, property destruction, womanizing, and other rock star antics. There's also a great deal of information provided about the music-making process, the evolution of the equipment used, and set lists for individual gigs.

The core of the book, however, is the deteriorating friendship between Sumner and Hooky. Both were childhood friends and the first members of Joy Division, but it's clear that life in the music industry changed both of them. Hooky has always come off as combative and competitive, and he paints a picture of Sumner as becoming gradually more controlling and diva-like in his interactions with the rest of the band. I suspect that both members are equally to blame for the falling out. Now sober for ten years, Hooky speaks frankly about his damaging addictions to cocaine and alcohol, and it appears that Sumner was equally prone to substance abuse, and perhaps still is. Hooky chalks up the cause of much of his own bad behavior to his struggle with drugs, but seems curiously unwilling to extend the benefit of the doubt to his former best friend.

Regardless of how the blame for Hook's departure from the band should be best assigned, rather than simple hate Hook seems more hurt and wounded by how things have turned out than anything else. New Order fans who read this book might end up learning too much about their favorite band, seeing how fractured the internal dynamics were and how petty the members could be, but even provided by a biased storyteller I found this deeper understanding adds an extra layer of appreciation when listening to New Order's iconic music.

★★★★☆

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This review originally appeared on Goodreads on September 25, 2020.

Record Play Pause

By Stephen Morris – Constable – February 7, 2019

Review by Robin Marx

This book made an interesting contrast to the memoirs by Peter Hook and Bernard Sumner. It was more entertaining than I thought it would be, but a bit lacking in other respects.

As the drummer of Joy Division, Stephen Morris was generally silent and stuck in the back. As a result it was difficult to know what to expect from this book. While not as entertaining a storyteller as Hooky, this memoir has a wry, self-deprecating sense of humor throughout that caught me off guard. While Hooky and Sumner more or less grew up together, Morris was a later addition to the band who joined through Ian Curtis, giving him a slightly different perspective on events. Both Hooky and Sumner’s memoirs are largely about how they related to Ian Curtis and secondly how they related to each other, so insight into Morris himself was also in short supply in the previous books. Hooky portrayed him as semi-autistic and Sumner didn’t mention him much at all. Morris relates his own story in a humorous and engaging fashion.

Morris offers his own perspective on Curtis, humanizing this much mythologized figure of post punk music. He also shares his experiences with manager Rob Gretton, Factory Records co-founder Tony Wilson, and record producer Martin Hannett. The frustrating thing about this book is that Morris’ living band mates remain mostly ciphers. Apart from some amusing anecdotes about drug-fueled pranks, he fails to portray Hooky and Sumner in the same depth as his deceased musical collaborators, and some more detail about the band’s internal dynamic would have been greatly appreciated. Perhaps we’ll get more of that in the soon to be released follow-up volume, covering the New Order era.

★★★★☆

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This review originally appeared on Goodreads on February 27, 2018.

Life on a Mediaeval Barony: A Picture of a Typical Feudal Community in the Thirteenth Century

By William Stearns Davis – Harper & Brothers – 1923

Review by Robin Marx

Although published in 1923, this book is an engaging and eminently readable survey of various aspects of life in medieval France. Davis handles the text like a cinematographer wields his camera, panning over expansive scenery before zooming in closely to various scenes of interest.

While the barony and its inhabitants described are fictional, serving as a sort of amalgamation of typical elements from the time period, numerous footnotes compare and contrast aspects with specific named holdings and personages from history. The result is an entertaining and enlightening presentation of the “gist” of life in this era, rather than a potentially dry summation of events and lineages and so forth.

Highly recommended to both history students and fans of fantasy fiction hoping to learn a bit more about how things were in the real world.

★★★★☆

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This review originally appeared on Goodreads on July 14, 2012.

Wizardry and Wild Romance: A Study of Epic Fantasy

By Michael Moorcock – UNKNO – March 16, 2004

Review by Robin Marx

This is an interesting and erudite overview of epic fantasy by one of the genre's living masters. The breadth of Moorcock's knowledge is impressive, particularly when it comes to pre-Tolkien fantasy and it's roots in gothic literature. It's also incredibly opinionated; there's something in here to irritate any serious fantasy fan. I delighted in his notorious portrayal of Lord of the Rings as safe and bland “Epic Pooh,” but I thought he gave Robert E. Howard short shrift in places, especially since he appeared to be working from one of the inferior products resulting from L. Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter's tampering. For the most part everything is well-argued, however. This is a worthwhile read for serious fantasy fans.

★★★★☆

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This review originally appeared on Goodreads on July 28, 2015.

Chapter and Verse – New Order, Joy Division and Me

By Bernard Sumner – Corgi Books – September 10, 2015

Review by Robin Marx

I read this book in parallel with Peter Hook's Unknown Pleasures: Inside Joy Division, and the two books could not be more different.

Chapter and Verse is appealing in that it covers the history of New Order as well as Joy Division, but it felt like the narrower scope of Unknown Pleasures allowed a much more satisfying level of detail. Hooky really got into the nitty-gritty of Joy Division's history, full of juicy anecdotes. This book was still very interesting, but written in a brisk, breezy style that ended up feeling shallower than Hooky's book.

The portions about Sumner's childhood, the gradual failure of the Hacienda, and his falling out with Peter Hook were the most fleshed-out and, perhaps consequently, the most intriguing parts of the book to me. While Hooky's book was mostly dismissive of Sumner, Sumner seems genuinely hurt and puzzled about the reasons behind the deterioration in their three-decade friendship. Fans hoping for much insight into individual events in the band's history or the story behind many of New Order's most famous songs (apart from the rather dispensable World Cup theme “World in Motion”) are likely to be disappointed. That being said, I felt like I gained some insight into Sumner's life, and that was enough for me.

★★★☆☆

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This review originally appeared on Goodreads on March 12, 2018.

Some Fruits of Solitude

By William Penn – 1682

Review by Robin Marx

Part of the Harvard Classics reading list, like the Journal of John Woolman this is the work of a colonial era Quaker. Apart from founding Pennsylvania, William Penn was a principled and devout theologian and worked to spread religious tolerance in his community. (He was also the original face of the Quaker Oats brand, until they rebranded to a more generic figure later.)

The book itself is a collection of homilies and observations, generally having to do with personal improvement and faith. A lot of them are well trodden ground, but others remain good advice today. That being said, I found it a bit ironic that someone who extols the virtue of humility would write a book that aims to provide moral instruction. To me, that seems to be the epitome of “holier than thou.”

The passages about “servants” also didn't sit very well, as Penn was a slave owner. Those sections made me reflect fondly on fellow Harvard Classics member John Woolman's abolitionist fervor, but perhaps it's unfair to judge Penn by the merits of a Quaker who wasn't born until two years after Penn's death.

Overall this book was an interesting look at the values of Penn's time, but modern readers will find a lot of the advice either obvious, outdated, or too tied to specific aspects of religion.

★★★☆☆

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