The IBIC Guide to Books By Lawrence Block
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February 5, 1995
A
LONG LINE OF DEAD MEN, a Matthew Scudder novel by Lawrence
Block (William Morrow & Company), is Block at his best.
Harrowing, thought provoking, funny; Block's got great range and
he hasn't lost a step yet. Highly recommended.
December 25, 1994
I was surprised to learn that THE BURGLAR WHO TRADED TED WILLIAMS (Dutton)
is the first Bernie Rhodenbarr mystery by Lawrence Block in more than
ten years. It didn't seem like there had been such a long hiatus in
the adventures of one of the more entertaining series characters
in the mystery genre. And, after finishing this enjoyable romp in
the life of gentleman burglar Rhodenbarr, I'm still surprised. The series still
has its zip. Block is showing no signs of Alastair Maclean syndrome. Quite
the contrary, like Ted Williams, his technique is still impeccable, and he
shows every sign of being ready to hit the next one out of the park.
Warmly recommended for fans of light mystery fiction.
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Editor's Recommendations, Summer 1996
In this inaugural edition of IBIC's Featured Books, I'd like to
draw your attention to several titles which have helped to shape my life
and thinking.
- When I was around fifteen, I came across Larry Niven and
Jerry Pournelle's science fiction novel, INFERNO. This '70s remake of Dante's
classic describes science fiction writer Allen Carpentier's
descent into Hell. It's still a very fresh, accessible take on
the classic. What a great movie it would make!
- The Niven/Pournelle INFERNO
immediately inspired me to read the original Divine Comedy.
I've read a number of translations over the years, but my
favorite is the one by Dorothy Sayers (INFERNO;
PURGATORY;
PARADISE). The notes
are excellent, and Sayers had such a knowledgeable and witty mind that reading
her prose is a pleasure in itself. (For those interested in a more contemporary translation, I should mention that Robert Pinsky received excellent notices for his 1995 THE
INFERNO OF DANTE : A NEW VERSE TRANSLATION; it's a very handsome book.)
- I also want to tell you about the late Henry Fairlie's THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS TODAY,
which probably did more than any other single book to galvanize me into a lifetime interest
in Christianity that led me, eventually, to faith. Ironic, because Fairlie was a self-proclaimed agnostic socialist! But
reading between the lines of this insightful and deeply feeling book, one realizes
that the love of God cannot have been far from Fairlie's heart.
- Finally, I should draw to your attention a more recent
acquisition, the very handsome NIV
STUDY BIBLE (10TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION) from Zondervan, indexed and bonded in leather in
IBIC's theme color, burgundy (black
and brown
are also available). The notes to this Bible are amazing. They
appear to provide you with a very substantial portion of what you need to
know to have an intelligent layman's appreciation of the
linguistic and historical issues involved in understanding
Scripture.
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