Books Archives - The Story of David Kaspar

The Dark Tower VII: The Dark Tower by Stephen King

David Kaspar — Fri, 10 Feb 2006 19:14:34 +0000

“The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed…”
It was with mixed feelings that I finished The Dark Tower VII which is the last instalment in the Dark Tower series by Stephen King.
Yeah it was nice to see Roland Deschain finally reach the Dark Tower and conclude the many started mysteries. It was also a bit sad to say a definitive farewell to the characters that I had followed for nearly 10 years.
A true Stephen King fan will appreciate the Dark Tower series due to its many connections with King’s other work. Characters and themes from other books are craftfully fused into the Dark Tower story.
Salems Lot, The Stand, It, The Talisman, Hearts of Atlantis and Insomnia being some of the more important ones. Favourite characters like Father Callahan, Ted Brautigan and several others get a second life and their stories continue within the Dark Tower.
The Dark Tower VII is in my opinion the best out of the whole series which consists of Gunslinger, Drawing of the Three, The Wastelands, Wizard and Glass, Wolves of the Calla, Song of Susannah, The Dark Tower.
“Go then, there are other worlds then these.”
The other highlight in the series was the Drawing of the Three which may be the most suspense book I have ever read (yes, it easily beats The Da Vinci Code).
Wizard and Glass on the other hand felt long winded, misplaced and was tedious to get through. I know it was supposed to elaborate on Roland’s background and childhood but that did not help the feeling of it being a series filler.
The ending of this series is very creative. It is grand, very fitting but also sad.
Many readers will likely complain about it not being fair or being a disappointment after all these years and books. I however bow to King’s imagination.
“Those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it…”

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I Am David by Anne Holm

David Kaspar — Thu, 23 Oct 2003 09:45:02 +0000

If you have come here looking for information about the book I Am David by Anne Holm unfortunately this web site is about me, David Kaspar.
You can buy “I am David” at Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk.
Or take some time to read my blog which is about the Internet, photography, gadgets and my daily ponderings.
David Kaspar
Update
Due to comment abuse, the comments have been disabled. Please use the I Am David by Anne Holm forum for any discussions.

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She Went to the Field: Women Soldiers of the Civil War

David Kaspar — Sat, 20 Sep 2003 21:47:52 +0000

Written by an old friend Bonnie Tsui, this is a book about the unrecognised envolvement of female soldiers during the American Civil War.
I have always enjoyed her colorful writing, be it emails or recent articles in various magazines. This book is then an extra long treat. The book has grounds in her academic work but is aimed at general audience due to her lively way of writing.
You will be presented with in depth biographies as well as daily lives of soldiers during the Civil War.
Some of the featured women were in male disguise; Sarah Rosetta Wakeman (a.k.a. Private Lyons Wakeman, Union) and Sarah Emma Edmonds (a.k.a Private Frank Thompson, Union) being two. Others were participating in more traditional ways, eg like nurses or spies.
Having finished only the very first pages, bit too early for an in depth review but it will follow.
Amazon

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Best of Young British Novelists 2003 – Granta

David Kaspar — Fri, 19 Sep 2003 20:29:41 +0000

The other day I was in need of a literature fix. I browsed around in a book store but was not keen on any long novells or even longer multi book epics. In fact, I didn’t even feel like reading an entire book.
That is when Best of Young British Novelists 2003 published by Granta came to my rescue. It consists of 20 short stories by young British writers that have not yet hit the main stream.

It is the third time Granta publishes stories from young novelists and previously (1983, 1993) they have been successfully in picking writers that later received worldwide fame.
What really made me like the book and finding it hard to put down was the very varied language, pace and themes between the stories.
You will be told stories about the motivations of a computer hacker, common problems between lovers (gay females this time), view of the world by an amnesiac, one week of Ph.D. research work and more. See how varied the book is 🙂
If you want to pick up a fresh book and be swooped away by a new generation of writers then don’t miss out on this book.
PS If you managed to understand the story The Hare by Toby Litt then please let me know.
Buy the book on Amazon.

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