Review: Ransom: A Novel

Ransom: A Novel by Daniel Silva
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Considered on its own terms, Ransom is an excellent spy thriller. Exotic locations, financial and political intrigue, last minute heroics, and daring escapes. Some of the plot elements are a bit over the top, but that’s all part of the genre. Silva’s story-telling chops are impeccable. I would love to give it 5 star review but I cannot.

It is shameful and cowardly that Silva completely ignores October 7, the rise worldwide of antisemitism, and the reality that faces an Israeli in Europe. There is not a single mention or hint of anything remotely connected to any of this. Early in the book Allon is feted at a swanky art event in England – and yet there is not a single protester outside or near the event. Gal Gadot can’t film a movie in London without protests and attacks, but a well-known former Israeli spy can be featured and celebrated in art circles? That detail is far more unbelievable than the book’s preposterous climax.

The word ‘Israeli’ is used maybe twice in the novel, and I don’t think ‘Jewish’ is used once. None of the recurring Israeli characters from the first dozen or more of the Allon books remain. Silva has totally jettisoned any connection in these books to Israel or the Jewish people more broadly. This move away started a few books before October 7 but its absence is just too obvious now. It is not necessary that the plot revolve around October 7 or the war that follows; but it is beyond believability that none of this would ever be mentioned or cross the mind of Allon. He was the avenging angel of Israel and now couldn't care less?

Silva should just stop writing Gabriel Allon and instead just spin off a character like Christopher Keller and write about his exploits. That he continues to write books with an Israeli as the central character and not at all engage with that fact of the character is moral blindness or worse.



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Review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I remember reading the The Deathly Hallows on a trip to Italy, finishing it in the hall of the hotel in Venice so I wouldn't spoil it for my wife. I was riveted by it: how was Rowling going to end it? I was satisfied at the time, and now relistening, I am even more impressed and satisfied. Though seeming to just be McGuffins at first, the hallows end up playing such important roles: without them Harry would not have been able to defeat Voldemort. I've always liked how the horcruxes help tie together the books in the series. The courage of the main characters from Harry, Ron, and Hermione to Neville and Ginny is impressive and heroic. The revelations from Dumbledore and Snape are heartbreaking; and there are death scenes that left in me tears. (however, I never cared for the epilogue. It's sweet and it's fun, but also felt unnecessary)

I have thoroughly and completely loved the Full-Cast Editions of Harry Potter. It was wonderful to revisit the books after so many years; and the voice acting and audio scene setting helped to bring the books to life. I'm sad to be done! I might just have to start over!


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Review: The Psychology of Sports Fans

The Psychology of Sports Fans by Aaron C.T. Smith
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A very short introduction to key ideas in the psychology of sports fans. I found it a bit too thin and repetitive. It provides a good overview and summary of the ideas relevant for sports fan psychology, but there is not much in the way of argument for these claims. The author doesn't go into any great depth of explanation-- after all the book is only about hundred pages long. There are some good references and recommended readings. However, I didn't care for the way the citations were used in the text. The author makes a claim and provides a footnote to a citation. But these are too loose/generic: the citation could be to a book but there is no page number. It is often not clear how the cited work connects to the claim in the text insofar as the title of the article or book doesn't necessarily connect in an obvious way. I would have liked some more context and specific page numbers to see if the work is worth checking out myself.

I think this book is a nice quick overview of ideas relevant for a discussion of the psychology of sports fans, but I think for any one looking for something more substantial, there are other books better suited to that task.

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Review: Last Argument of Kings

Last Argument of Kings by Joe Abercrombie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Abercrombie doesn't pull any punches in this last book of the trilogy. It's gritty and violent -- a bit too violent for my taste. It is surprising but in that great way that is obvious once it happens but that you don't really see coming. The characterization and story telling are top-notch. The last third of the book or so is mostly mopping up, tying up ends and that can get a bit tedious at times. The specific ending, the circularity of it, was near perfect. It wouldn't not have made sense to have a fairy tale ending of any kind, and this is not. And it would have been too much for it be a complete wipe out. There is an edge to nihilism here, though, that bothers me: nothing really changes, no one matters, so just get as much power as you can and survive. There are some glimmers of hope and a few of the main characters try to better and do seem to genuinely care; but in the end this hope and caring mostly don't play enough of a role.

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