Last Empress

I am in the middle of reading The Last Empress by Anchee Min. I am having a hard time really getting into the book. The writing is just as good, the attention to detail is still there but it has a detatchment that Empress Orchid didn't have. I have a feeling part of the reason is that this book is plowing through a longer time period than Orchid. Orchid was more about the title character than the last empress. Both books have a lot of palace intrigue (which is really fun when done right) but Orchid was really about Orchid, not so much politics. Empress is almost all politics and history. Heck, it's almost like one of those new Star Wars movies. It's different from a new Star Wars movie in that reading it has not caused me to want to gouge my eyes out.

I think I'll finish this book but I'm disappointed because I will nto be able to use this as enthusiastically in book talks as I was hoping. Using this book and its predecessor for book talks was my plan. I guess I still can do that but I like to talk about books I really like.

I'm a little bummed because I really wanted to like this book.

Another disappointment

Another piece of art that I really wanted to enjoy was the new album by the Stooges. I had a real good feeling about the album and I bought it right when it came out. I have to say that I am underwhelmed. I was expecting better riffs, lyrics and energy.

It's not a shitty album, it's just not something that I am going to pull out and play over and over again. I don't want to compare it too their old stuff, that's not fair to any rock and roll band. A few people like Neil Young Tom Waits and Dylan are over fifty and puttting out material that compares well to their old stuff. I wasn't expecting Fun House II but I sure didn't want something that sounded like an Iggy solo album.