Edward Carpenter (4)

The short tale of how Wickham prevented bloodshed between Willoughby and Colonel Brandon in hopes of ingratiating himself with Willoughby. I hate Wickham with a burning passion, but his villainy comes across as almost charming here. It's so unapologetic and irrepressible. And, unlike many spin-offs of Austen, Carpenter gets the dialog and social rules of the period right on the money.

Ho-B-52 by Eric Carpenter

This is a short story that I requested, and received, from Eric Carpenter via Librarything.com. It's a short story about a very small slice of the War in Viet Nan. I really don't know how to categorize this story. Usually when I read story, the author has painted a picture and I can visualize and put my own spin on it. THis is not the case here. This was like sitting down with the author and having him tell me the story. It was truly different and I really liked it. show more I was able to put myself in the cockpit of the B-52 and really feel what he imagined they must have felt. It is one thing to use the first person voice when writing, it's effective and good, but having some tell you what they thought the characters were feeling and doing is really something else.

The story ended with a question for me, which I am sure the author intended. Was the war in Viet Nam, or the American War, worth fighting. I watch travel shows, and the Amazing Race TV show, that showcase Viet Nam, I wear clothing made in Viet Nam, the nail techs in my neighborhood are Vietnamese, For me the answer is no. There was death and destruction, both military and civilian. In the end, no one really remembers what the fighting was all about, but this can be said about any war that has ever been fought. In the end, people become allies, the fanatics try to rekindle the flames and trade goes on. Mr. Carpenters short story made me think, and thatg, I believe, is the point of storytelling. I enjoyed this work. I am going to check out his others stories and see what they make me think about and how they do it. show less

This was a thrilling short story about two Japanese soldiers during the 1944 Battle of Saipan. It was full of sharp dialog, distinctive character voices, and action that didn’t drag. The writing style was fast paced with a tight narrative, which worked well with this story.

There have been a great many follow-up books to Jane Austen's work recently, ranging from the very good to the frankly badly written pornography. This one features characters from two of her books, George Wickham from Pride and Prejudice, and Mr Willoughby and Col Brandon from Sense and Sensibility. So far so good. I just wish the writer had done a little research, if only as far as reading a couple of the Regency romances of the splendid Georgette Heyer. In her meticulously researched books show more Almacks is a central location, and, far from being a gentlemen's gaming and drinking club, was run by the patronesses, stiff-necked matrons at the top of society, whose approbation was the entry to the top of the ton. To be refused vouchers to Almacks was social suicide. Strict dress codes, strict timings, tea to drink and no gambling. Perhaps a little gentle whist. The description of the duel is a bit hit and miss. As far as I can ascertain the paces were not marked out by the seconds, but by the protagonists, starting back to back and pacing off before turning and firing. A breakfast of fried eggs, sausages, and baked beans? Breakfast for the gentry consisted of slices of rare beef and ham. Baked beans were surely an American invention, and certainly hadn't reached English shores by that time. For someone reading this work without any prior knowledge, an interesting concept. For someone who has, the inaccuracies grate too much. A shame, because it is a good idea. show less