Sean O > Recent Status Updates

The Count of Valois is a mystery. He’s competent, but greedy, he’s vain, but a good leader. Watching him die is both sad and satisfying.

Druon does two things very well:

He recapitulates the main elements of the plot, so you don’t have to scratch your head or reread books to remember what’s going on.

He also characterizes all the characters really well. I have no idea what the historical record actually says, but I believe these people really existed.

The only thing missing from this medieval fantasy is dragons.

Digression #1: history of the lumber industry.

I like the Internet. But all the really good shit is in books.

Don’t marry random women you find in the woods. They might be your sister.

Trying to get through the hour long Turin chapter.

Reader, I married her. A quiet wedding we had: she and I, our three children, were alone present. When we got back from dinner, I went into the kitchen of the apartment, where the cat was waiting for dinner and cleaning her claws, and I said —

"Ella, I have been married to Heather this evening."

The kingdom that couldn’t shoot straight. What a bunch of Morons.

Reread is going ok. I wish I could read the series in French. (I have the book, I just don’t have the skill.)

This is interesting and surprisingly on topic and relevant for Stephenson. It’s also only around 300 pages.

I enjoy how Stephenson can make an interesting story out of nearly anything that interests him. In this case, American radicals meet military Polo enthusiasts. In the 1930s.

I need a good book recommendation. Either a good microhistory or a fun fiction read that doesn’t insult my intelligence. My friends are good at this.

Author does a good job with facts. But a poor job with bias. I get that Edsel Ford was a good guy. You don’t need to polish the halo every page.