|
|
By Eric Markowsky, on August 31st, 2009  Author: Hubert Selby, Jr.
Grove Press, 1965
Best ebook deal: Not available
Filed under Literary
| C4 Ratings.....out of |
10 |
| Language..... |
8 |
| Entertainment..... |
8 |
| Depth..... |
6 |
Not a book for the faint of heart. I cannot stress this enough. If scenes of extreme violence and sex or rape turn your stomach you might want to stop reading this review right now. You won’t want to read this book no matter what I say about it. Remember that movie “Requiem for a Dream”? Remember leaving the theater feeling like nothing would ever be good in the world ever again? The screenplay was adapted from the novel, which Selby, Jr. wrote back in 1978.
If you’re still reading, then I’m pretty sure this is a book you’ll be glad you picked up no matter how troubled you might feel after you put it down. Beyond shock value, which this book admittedly boasts in abundance, Last Exit to Brooklyn offers human portrayals of characters who could easily become caricatures of depravity: prostitutes, thieves, gangsters, alcoholics, abusers of narcotics and children. The novel manages to render its subjects with sympathy for their dreams without forgiving them, or asking the reader to forgive them, for their actions. …
Continue reading »
By Nico Vreeland, on August 28th, 2009 [UPDATE: In my reliance on Adobe Digital Editions, I overlooked the fact that Sony EBL nows does the Adobe DRM internally, so you will be able to use library ebooks and ebooks from non-Sony stores with your Mac-based Reader. That was my oversight, and I apologize for it.
There's one little annoyance left: you'll have to find a Windows machine and register your Reader with Adobe on it, and then you'll need to install ADE along with eBook Library on your Mac. A helpful TeleRead commenter has posted a step-by-step guide on what to do. I've revised the post below to reflect this information.
Also, a commenter mentioned below that these steps aren't necessary with the PRS-600 armed with a new firmware (I was using a PRS-505 for this test). I'm still trying to get Sony to specify what's needed by which devices.]
 Slightly prettier, at least in the main app When I first got my Sony Reader, I used Sony’s eBook Library software on my old laptop running Windows 7. The results were not good. In fact, it was pretty much unusable; in fact, the best part about eBook Library was how unnecessary it was to the Sony Reader. I introduced my Reader to Adobe Digital Editions and never look back.
In the 8 months between then and now, I’ve switched to a Mac laptop, and Sony’s had plenty of time to improve their software and finally, finally make a Mac version. So my first question is this: is it better? My second, more realistic question: is it even usable?
The short answers are no, and not really barely. Even worse, Adobe Digital Editions doesn’t recognize the Reader, so Sony’s newly hyped library ebooks won’t work on Macs. The long and the short of it is that Mac users should think long and hard about getting a Reader. so you’ll need to find a Windows machine to register your Reader with Adobe, and then you’ll need to install ADE on your Mac, even though you’ll never use it (a helpful TeleRead commenter has a step-by-step guide here). The long and the short of it is that Sony clearly doesn’t like Macs, but if you can put up with some hassle and confusion (as you can tell, this system confused me to no end), you can indeed get ebooks on your Reader through a Mac.
Let’s get into the details.
Library eBook support: B
Adobe Digital Editions, which enables the DRM on PDF and ePub library ebooks, doesn’t recognize the Reader at all. This isn’t a bug, or an oversight; this is a known issue, as Adobe said when I started a support thread on it.
This is slightly shocking, seeing as library ebook support was the issue of the day at Sony’s big announcement Tuesday. You’d think they’d at least mention somewhere that it won’t be available on Macs.
It also means that Sony’s vaunted content “relationships” are unavailable for Mac users. Without ADE, you can’t buy books from any store but Sony’s.
What Sony’s done instead is allow their eBook Library software to open and work with Adobe DRMed ebooks. But you’ll still to install ADE on your Mac to register your computer with your Adobe account and enable EBL to use Adobe DRM. And you’ll need to register your Reader with Adobe on a Windows machine before you can use it on your Mac. Sound confusing? It is.
[UPDATE: Once again, a commenter mentioned below that these steps aren't necessary with the PRS-600 (or presumably the 300) armed with a new firmware (I was using a PRS-505 for this test). I'm still trying to get Sony to specify what's needed by which devices.]
Stability: F
EBL for Mac crashes. A lot. Like half a dozen times in just my first session using it. I’ve never used a Mac program that crashes this much―granted I’m relatively new to Macs, but I’ve still tried at least 100 programs.
Also, if you use Camino and you click the download link directly from Sony’s page, it tries to open the .dmg file in a browser window and crashes Camino. It works in Safari, but that wasn’t a good introduction to the program.
It doesn’t get much better from here. …
Continue reading »
By Sean Clark, on August 27th, 2009  Author: Neil Gaiman
Harper Collins, 2002
Best ebook deal: ebooks.com (only $3!)
Filed under: Young Adult, Literary, Fantasy
| C4 Ratings.....out of |
10 |
| Language..... |
8 |
| Entertainment..... |
8 |
| Depth..... |
6 |
Neil Gaiman has a real knack for macabre young adult fiction. His characters are fleshed out and idosyncratic, his settings unique and vivid, and his plotting and pacing pitch perfect. This is the second of his novels I’ve read in two weeks, and this description holds true for both. They both won Hugos amongst other awards as well, so I’m not alone in thinking this.
Though it isn’t a direct adaptation like The Graveyard Book is, Coraline is a wonderful amalgamation of Alice in Wonderland and Hansel and Gretel with a substantial amount of creative originality stirred in. It is a short and marvelous story that at times channels Tim Burton and Roald Dahl, and at times surpasses them. …
Continue reading »
By Nico Vreeland, on August 26th, 2009 This’ll be my last Wednesday links post for a while. In September, I’m off to Madagascar for a few months, and hopefully getting some work done on my thesis along the way. I’m going to be prepping for the trip for the next few weeks, but I should be to turn in the odd post both in Sept. and from Madagascar, and I should be able to turn in some book reviews, too, as I won’t have Internet or TV. Anyway, let’s get to the news.
- If you haven’t heard, Sony announced a new wireless ereader yesterday, as well as support for Mac, and a partnership with the New York Public Library. Here’s my take on the announcement, including links to TeleRead’s excellent coverage of the event. Basically, I think Mac support is the big winner there. Most of the talk about library ebooks looks to be them rehyping existing features. Which is OK, I suppose, because nobody seemed to know about them. One other interesting tidbit is, as GalleyCat points out, the Netgalley/Sony relationship means that publishers and editors can send digital galleys, and presumably advance review copies (or ARCs) of books to each other and reviewers. Something that people have been asking for for a while.
By Nico Vreeland, on August 25th, 2009 UPDATE: The 3.0 version of Sony’s eBook Library, including a Mac version, is live here. A word of warning: if you use Camino, right-click and select “Download Link Target.” When I clicked the download link directly, it tried to open the .dmg file in a browser window and crashed Camino. Twice. So far my hopes are not high for this software. Original post follows.
 The 7-inch Sony Reader "Daily Edition" TeleRead has great coverage of today’s big Sony announcement, including
the full press release and a minute-by-minute account of the announcement itself.
The big news from Sony’s end was their $399 “Daily Edition” wireless-capable ereader, due in December (just in time to get upstaged by the Plastic Logic device, due early next year).
Personally, I’m not that excited about the Daily Edition, mostly because it has a touchscreen, and Sony Reader touchscreen have been notoriously glare-prone and low-contrast, because the touchscreen layer sits on top of the E-Ink screen. The widescreen design also looks a little weird (although it seems designed for the 2-page view, pictured), and Sony might have shot themselves in the foot with the price point. On the plus side, it’s a first competitor to the Kindle’s wireless, which is great for ebook consumers. We’ll see about all that in December.
Meantime, the best news of all is this tidbit, from Paul Biba’s report of the announcement: “Launching 3.0 library software today, including a Mac edition.” I believe that means that Sony’s releasing their eBook Library 3.0 software today, which will finally have a Mac version. It’s not live yet, though (here’s the link to the download page).
Other than that, there seems to be a lot of hype and a lot of misdirection. …
Continue reading »
By Sean Clark, on August 25th, 2009  Author: Robert Silverberg
Public Domain, 1958
Best eBook Deal: free
Filed under: Sci-Fi
| C4 Ratings.....out of |
10 |
| Language..... |
6 |
| Entertainment..... |
8 |
| Depth..... |
6 |
I had certain expectations when I downloaded a sci-fi novel from 1958. I figured with a book titled Starman’s Quest I was in for a Buck Rogers style romp across the asteroid belt chock full of ray guns, green aliens, war-era tech talk, and a plot concerning the destruction of the universe. I’ve got to admit that I was pleasantly surprised to read the book and find my assumptions were wrong across the board.
Starman’s Quest veils its age nicely. Unlike other old public domain adventure stories like King Solomon’s Mines in which the adventure is constantly filtered through a dusty, dated lens, this novel felt quite contemporary. Admittedly, I don’t read all that much sci-fi, but the plot seemed pretty original and even somewhat fresh, despite the book’s age. …
Continue reading »
By Nico Vreeland, on August 24th, 2009 UPDATE: I updated this to clarify the features the PRS-300 doesn’t have, added an entry about the Astak 5-inch ereader, and clarified that not all new ebooks are DRMed. Also added info that Sonys still don’t work well with Macs and link. Original intro follows.
This summer has seen a swarm of new dedicated ereaders. If you’re a little overwhelmed by all the new options, here’s a quick guide. I’ll supplement this in a few days with a look at upcoming and rumored devices.
 The PRS-300 also comes in black and white. Sony Reader PRS-300, $199
Quick verdict: Best device for the casual novel reader, no question about it. No ship date has been released.
[UPDATE: If you use a Mac, take a hard look at the limitations of the Reader on Macs before you buy one.]
It’s a dumb name (PRS stands for “portable reading system,” which could also describe, you know, a book), but for my money Sony makes the best casual ereaders on the market. I’ve had my 505 since February, and I’ve mostly loved it.
The 300 is basically an updated 505. It’s slightly smaller (with a 5-inch screen instead of 6 inches) and $100 cheaper, and that second part makes it the best deal in ereaders.
There are a few drawbacks, noticeably the lack of peripherals. The 300 doesn’t have an SD card slot, so you’re stuck with 440 MB (conservatively 200-300 books). It also doesn’t have audio out (although personally, after playing around with mp3s in ereaders, I’ve never actually used that feature, it kills battery life and I’ve already got an mp3 player).
The 300 still won’t get wireless, so if you really want that (for newspapers or magazines), you’ll have a tough decision. However, if you read mostly books, the Sony is for you. By the end of the year, Barnes & Noble and Sony should both be selling ePub ebooks for $9.99, ending the Kindle book price discrepancy. In the meantime (and afterward), ePub support means you can borrow library ebooks.
Sony’s software is abysmal, but they make it pretty easy to use Adobe Digital Editions, instead, and soon the Reader will be compatible with Macs. The bottom line is that Sony makes a great reading device, one that’s cheaper and more open than the Kindle. If you’re willing to give up mp3s and extra storage, this reader should provide a great reading experience at a great price.
Links: here’s the PRS-300 page at Sony (no word yet on when the 300 will ship); here’s a video comparing the screens of the 300, 600, and 505; check the PRS-300 entry in our ereader comparison for links to more resources as they become available. …
Continue reading »
By Nico Vreeland, on August 21st, 2009  Author: Thomas Pynchon
Penguin, 2009
Best ebook deal: Diesel eBooks (really pricey, though)
Filed under: Literary, Mystery
| C4 Ratings.....out of |
10 |
| Language..... |
8 |
| Entertainment..... |
7 |
| Depth..... |
5 |
Pynchon’s latest novel follows stoner detective Doc Sportello on his quest to find a missing millionaire somewhere in L.A., circa 1970, and to discover the nefarious mysteries behind the secret… something, the Golden Fang (it might be a gang, a ghoul, or just a boat).
Doc’s a great character, and real fun to follow. He’s got a slow but sharp tongue, a weakness for women and pot, and a lackadaisically acute way of investigating. The mystery he unravels, on the other hand, doesn’t make much of an impact.
If, like me, you want to read Pynchon, but you get intimidated by the likes of Mason & Dixon, this is a pretty good bet. Just don’t expect a fast-paced, no-nonsense detective novel’s plot.
…
Continue reading »
By Eric Markowsky, on August 20th, 2009  Author: Michael Cunningham
Picador, 1998
Best ebook deal: Mobipocket
Filed under: Literary
| C4 Ratings.....out of |
10 |
| Language..... |
7 |
| Entertainment..... |
6 |
| Depth..... |
7 |
Anyone who’s read The Hours might be interested in taking a look back at the beginning of the career of a contemporary master. Cunningham’s first novel never received the same attention as his later work, but it does contain one chapter that was excerpted as the short story “White Angel,” earning the young author a Best American Award. The excerpt, which I read before the novel, is now one of my all time favorite stories. In fact, it’s by far the best thing in the entire book. It’s the novel’s greatest asset and it’s biggest flaw; A Home at the End of the World never quite surpasses the watermark set by one of its earliest chapters. Still, it’s hard to judge a book too harshly for setting the mark so high. …
Continue reading »
By Nico Vreeland, on August 19th, 2009  Just saw this spot for the last Nicholas Sparks novel, The Lucky One, and on Jeopardy no less.
I knew Sparks wasn’t gunning for a Pulitzer (exhibit A: his titles), but this kind of thing always makes me sad, and makes me think of chain restaurants. The difference, I guess, is that restaurant commercials, despite obnoxiousness, have some kind of production value.
|
|
