The Dream of Perpetual Motion by Dexter Palmer

This Book is incredible.

Dexter Palmer's Dream of Perpetual Motion captures the disillusion of living among machines. In about 350 pages that feel like a complete and fantastic lifetime, Palmer gives us an alternate history of the early 20th century, where gears and levers work with electricity to create a familiar-yet-different world- where computer technology doesn't exist, only the intricate clock-maker's wheels and cranks to drive mechanical men and automated aspects of every-day life. It is a classic, yet realistic hero's journey, following the struggles of would-be hero Harold Winslow (the name is intensely perfect) and the inventor-genius villain Prospero Talgient.
I haven't read The Tempest but Prospero is the mad Magician, Miranda is his daughter, and Caliban is enslaved by Prospero. They are stranded, not on an island, but in a giant tower. Ah Ferdinand also plays a part! (Thank you Wikipedia)
Apart from that the story is genius, the world is realistic, the writing is awesome, and the characters are believable. Perhaps Palmer is gifted with a story-teller's mind but I'm sure his doctorate in literature helped him quite a bit as well. Thank god for education. Thank god for Dexter Palmer. I can't wait for his next work to hit the shelves.

Here is a picture of me reading this book.


5/5!

Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell

Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell is the 800+ page, historical fiction, 1st novel from Susanna Clarke. The plot, though as twisted as a King's Road, fulfilled every complex question and desire the reader could have while creating the vivid worlds (both Fairy and Christian) of the early 19th century. Clarke incorporates real events, such as the war against the French, with her fantasy world of practical magicians so beautifully, it's almost hard to tell exactly where the history stops and the fantasy begins. It's dark without dwelling on the darkness, and light without being silly. Perhaps my favorite thing about this novel was the language. She stays true to the almost-stuffy banter of 19th century gentlemen and ladies while occasionally changing the spelling of certain words. Whether it is the old way or her own way of spelling, I cannot say, but it is fun to read a word like "connexions" on the page of a modern book. The characters are all complex, the story moves along like a river, never stopping or slowing, and the magic is restrained for the sake of realism. I loved this book. I'm not sure if there is anything that could have made it better. I will probably read it again, even with the near 1000 page commitment.

Here is a picture of this book on my head.

5/5