Recent Books — Misterioso, Orenda, Connolly, Grant

The_Orenda_(Boyden_novel)

  • Misterioso by Arne Dahl. I’m not sure what the state of the art in book translation is these days, but I am sure it is heavily automated. This story is ok, but feels like a rush translation job — some strange and stale structuring, some pronoun confusion at times. I suspect the original is better than this.
  • The Orenda by Joseph Boyden. Life during the 1600s in the Americas from the viewpoint of a Huron tribe. Fascinating milieu and great characters. Not for the squeamish, life was brutal.
  • The Gates by John Connolly. Suburban idlers accidentally open the gates to Hell, and it is up to young Samuel Johnson to save the day. Kind of funny but forgettable.
  • Rolling in the Deep by Mira Grant. Light Horror, don’t screw around with mermaids, they are not what they seem. Fun, but I mostly read because Grant has done such other good work.