Category Archives: Recommendations

All the King’s Men

By terje | Published: July 18, 2009
This is one of the most realistic portrayals of politics I believe I have ever seen. Sean Penn stars as a populist politician who goes at the corrupt Louisiana state elite, and once elected state governor turns out to be ruthless in his pursuit of his idealist agenda.
Also posted in American stuff, Annoyance, Goosebumps!, History, Movies, Review | 2 Comments

The Fog Of War

By terje | Published: July 18, 2009
Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara.
Also posted in American stuff, Awe, History, Movies, Politics, Review | 5 Comments

The books of 2009, so far

By terje | Published: July 13, 2009
As I’ve been fairly absent from my blog in the past six months, to say the least, I thought I’d post a quick summary of any recommendable books — and not only novels this time – I’ve read since I was last observed round this neck o’ the woods. Also, I’ll include some not-so-recommendable books, [...]
Also posted in History, Impressions, Lists, Literature, Opinions, Review, Roman stuff, Speculative fiction | 20 Comments

Stranger than Fiction

By terje | Published: March 30, 2009
Watched Stranger than Fiction again tonight, and I was happy to discover that it was as good on the second viewing and in company as it was on the first and alone. The plot is a bit hard to describe without ruining it all, as discovering what the hell is going on is one of the [...]
Also posted in A Moistening of the Eyes, A Praise Chorus, Art, Awe, Bliss, Glee, Goosebumps!, Love, Movies, Pimping, Pleasant surprises, Review, Speculative fiction, Television stuff, Yay! | 9 Comments

Terje’s Best of 2008

By terje | Published: January 20, 2009
Okay, so I had intended to choose the ten best books I read in 2008, the ten best movies I saw for the first time, and the ten best albums I bought, right? Unfortunately, it turned out I hadn’t really read as many as ten great books this year, so I decided to throw in [...]
Also posted in Impressions, Lists, Literature, Movies, Music | 33 Comments

Fight Club

By terje | Published: December 30, 2008
I watched Fight Club again, a couple of weeks ago. It’s been a few years since the last time I watched it, but I still clearly remembered the plot. What struck me this time was how well the movie has kept; for a movie with such a major plot twist, it is remarkable how great [...]
Also posted in A Moistening of the Eyes, A Praise Chorus, Art, Awe, Bliss, Goosebumps!, Irony, Love, Movies, Music, Pimping, Pleasant surprises, Revelations, Review, Whoa | 5 Comments

The Histories by Herodotus

By terje | Published: November 18, 2008
[Approximately 435 BCE] 2003. Translated by Aubrey de Sélincourt (1954). Introduction and notes by John Marincola (1996, 2003). 600 pages of main text. 166 pages of paratext.
Also posted in A Praise Chorus, Art, Awe, Boredom, Collections, Conflicting emotions, Education, Glee, Gloating, Great Expectations, Greek stuff, History, Impressions, Literature, Loki, Pimping, Pleasant surprises, Pride, Review, Strategy/Plans | 3 Comments

The Gilded Chain by Dave Duncan

By terje | Published: November 18, 2008
1998. 396 pages. Eos Fantasy Paperback. First published novel in the Tales of the King’s Blades series. In the kingdom of Chivial, it is the task of the Loyal and Ancient Order of the King’s Blades to supply the king and his chosen servants with bodyguards. Boys, unwanted troublemakers for the most part, are taken in around the age of [...]
Also posted in Collections, GRRM, Literature, Optimism, Pleasant surprises, Review, Speculative fiction, Yay! | 11 Comments

The Broken Sword by Poul Anderson

By terje | Published: November 10, 2008
1954. 274 pages. Gollancz Fantasy Masterworks. Paperback. Skafloc, kidnapped when he was a child and raised by the elves, received the sword Thyrfing as a naming day present from the Aesir. This was considered a perverse gift by most, as the sword has been broken by Thor to prevent it from being used to cut the roots of Yggdrasil [...]
Also posted in Collections, Literature, Medieval stuff, Norse stuff, Poetry, Religiousity, Review, Speculative fiction | 16 Comments

Curse of the Golden Flower

By terje | Published: October 18, 2008
I had myself a small movie marathon last night, and as a couple of the movies I watched might be of interest to my readership (I do after all have a fairly good estimation of both you gentlemen’s tastes), I though I’d review them. First one out is Yimou Zhang’s Curse of the Golden Flower.
Also posted in Awe, Goosebumps!, Great Expectations, Links, Loki, Lotta, Megalomania, Movies, Pleasant surprises, Potential, Review, Whoa | 3 Comments