Books- and Reader, Know Thyself Part 2
I have two books to talk about. This first one I heard about on the Currently Reading podcast. It’s a classic “whodunit” in the style of Agatha Christie, written in 1936 and reissued as a British Library Crime Classic. Reading this made me appreciate what Agatha Christie managed to do in her books. An Agatha Christie never meanders aimlessly- the writing is so tight.This book was a little clunky by comparison. E.C.R. Lorac (pen name for Edith Caroline Rivett) is no Christie, but who is? This was still very good, and I like mysteries from this time period, so I enjoyed this. I had a new and unusual source for this next book recommendation- my son’s girlfriend, Isabel! I’m just getting to know this woman, so when she recommended a series of books that she loves, The Dresden Files, I jumped right on it. This is the first book of the series, and is a mix of fantasy and mystery. One review I read described it as “Harry Potter for adults.” Well, I think Harry Potter IS for adults, and this book shouldn’t really be compared to the greatest books of all time (in my opinion, of course). But I did enjoy it, and according to Isabel, the first two books of this series are not as good as the rest. Well, I’m intrigued! I’ll definitely be reading on in the series. Also, I have something to add to the “Reader, Know Thyself” journey I seem to be on. I’ve heard people talk about “high fantasy” without really understanding what that means. I finally looked it up, and according to the AI overview, high fantasy takes place “in a world entirely separate from our own, with its own history, geography, and cultures. This world is often heavily influenced by magic and fantastical elements.” OKAY YOU GUYS. This is what I realized- I like fantasy, but not HIGH fantasy. I like it when the story takes place in our world, with magical elements woven in. This is called “low fantasy”, and it makes me feel like I’m not that smart. High fantasy sounds more sophisticated, and something I SHOULD like, but the truth is, I get overwhelmed when I have to learn about a completely different world. Don’t give me any of this “world building!” Just tell me a great story, but don’t make me think THAT hard. As I said, it kind of makes me feel like I’m not smart enough to enjoy high fantasy- but Harry Potter is actually low fantasy, so it’s not like low fantasy is bad, by any means. The Dresden Files series is definitely low fantasy- Harry Dresden is a private investigator living in Chicago, who, oh yes, happens to be a wizard. The story is funny and a solid mystery, and I love how the magic is woven in. Do you like high fantasy? Low fantasy? Both, or neither? Top photo by Jaredd Craig on Unsplash