July 27, 2020

From Gerald R. Lucas

New Book? covid-19: day 139 | US: GA | info | act

Scalzi-old-mans.jpeg

I finished Scalzi’s Old Man's War early this morning, and I really liked it. It had a number of great ideas, and many of them were nuanced without being didactic. This has much to do with the narrator, I think. Scalzi used a first-person narrator, so the events are relayed through the filter of his interests. Whereas you might be disappointed that some of themes weren’t fully developed, you can blame John Perry and his limited perspective for that. I was pleased by the end.

I want to read the second book in the series, The Ghost Brigades. I don’t want to pay $8.99 for the Kindle edition, but, more importantly, I don’t want to indulge a lazy choice for a next novel. I really should read something different, as this may be my last opportunity before the fall semester begins.[1]

Speaking of the fall semester: I’ve been working on my syllabi, and it’s slow going. I like the way it’s going, but I’m having to write new content, and that’s what’s time consuming. I worked on World Literature today, and I still have a lot to finish.



Note

  1. In fact, I’m supposed to be reading Ibram X. Kendi’s How to Be an Antiracist for a faculty discussion group beginning in a couple of days. That’s really what I should be doing.