"Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell" by Susanna Clarke

"Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell" by Susanna Clarke (2004)

This was one of those random books I picked up at a used bookstore. I had seen it at new bookstores when it was published and it looked to be very popular, but I never heard anything about it, good or bad. After reading it, I can say without reservation that it was a pleasure to read and I highly recommend it.

I saw a fine reasonably priced (cheaper than a paperback) hardcover edition and after reading the front flap, decided to risk buying it. Later that week, I heard that a friend was reading and enjoying it. It sat on my bookshelf for quite a while, waiting for me to work up the state of mind for reading such a heavy tome. Finally, after burning myself out on reading all of the Dune series (1965-2007), I decided I was ready.

"Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell" was a joy to read. It is the story of how two practical (rather than theoretical) magicians work (with and against each other) to bring magic back to 19th-century England. In this England, the classic English fairy tales (sources for George MacDonald, Andrew Lang and inspiration for J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis) are historical. And so are many of the events of our world, such as the Napoleonic wars, in which one of the magicians assists Wellington in his campaigns.

Most of the story centers around the magic of John Uskglass, the king of Northern England from about 1100 to 1400; also known as the Raven King. He is credited for developing a systematic method for practicing magic. Most of the spells used by later magicians were invented by him.

Stephen R. Lawhead, an excellent author, has written a retelling of the legend Robin Hood called The Raven King Trilogy. I am very curious if there is any historical significance connected to the title The Raven King and if Clarke and Lawhead drew upon the same legends in telling their tales. I haven't been able to find anything on the internet besides these two books. If you know of any tales or legends or even mentions of a Raven King in English history, I'd be very interested to know about them as well. Please leave a comment or send me an email.

This was Susanna Clarke's first novel but it felt like it was written by a seasoned author. It was written in a style that reminded me of classic English literature, like that of Jane Austen and Charles Dickens. It also reminded me of Neal Stephenson's The Baroque Cycle (2003-04), focusing on magic instead of science. To add to the realism, Clarke added many elaborate footnotes to the text, filling in references to other texts in her world, even quoting sections of them to flesh out the world for the reader. It reads like historical fiction, fantasy and classical literature all in one.

Clarke has also written "The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories" (2006), a collection of short stories that take place in the same world as "Jonathan Strange" but dealing instead with women and magic. In interviews she has said that she is working on a sequel that follows two of the minor characters in the first book. Now my copy of "Jonathan Strange" sits upon it's shelf, waiting with me for the rumored sequel to be published.

Next: "Tales Before Narnia: The Roots of Modern Fantasy and Science Fiction" edited by Douglas A. Anderson (2008).

Reviving the Blog: Books I've Read

It's been a long time since I've written anything here; two years to the day. I'm going to make an attempt to start making regular posts again. One problem with having a blog is figuring out what to write about. My plan is to write something about the book I've just read soon after I finish it. Since I read every evening before I go to sleep, I tend to finish books regularly and this should keep me on a good writing schedule.

My purpose is three-fold:

1. To hone my writing skills by writing regularly. And you all know they need some work.
2. To keep a record of what I've read and when and what thoughts I might have had at the time. Not for any specific reason; just in case I am ever curious later.
3. To offer to my friends and family recommendations of books to read or stay away from. I value my friend's recommendations when deciding what book to read next and I hope others find my opinions useful as well.

Recently I have been reading a lot of fiction: science fiction and fantasy mostly. Although I have plenty of non-fiction books on my shelf, I can never bring myself to start reading one. I think this is because I spend all day reading scientific papers and textbooks related to my research. When I get home I want to let my mind wander in another world for a while. I guess physics has ceased being recreational. So for the time being, I'll mostly be writing about fiction. Your suggestions will always be welcomed.

If you're reading this, it means I've started writing about the first book and it should be posted soon.

Up Next: "Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell" by Susanna Clarke (2004).

Finally

finals are over
and this haiku is as long
as it needs to be

Post-Prelim

Wow, it's been a long time since I've posted anything of length here. A lot of things have happened since my last major post in December.

The primary reason I haven't been posting updates is that I had to take the prelims this semester. The prelims consist of four, five hour written exams covering the major areas of physics: Classical Mechanics, Electromagnetic Theory, Quantum Mechanics and Thermodynamics. Following the written portion, there is a two hour oral exam covering anything from physics that we have studied this far. The purpose of this test is to determine whether or not I am qualified to begin working towards my PhD.

I spent this semester working problems, going over class notes and old assignments and doing my best to prepare. It was rough, and I really hate studying.  

Last Thursday, I received my results. I had passed. Yea! Now to give some attention to the rest of my life.

All that work for a little piece of paper...

Since I've spent the semester studying like a madman, I haven't been keeping up in the one class I'm taking. The professor has been lenient, requesting that all the homework be turned in by the end of finals week, which is next week. This week, I've been working on a presentation I will be giving in class tomorrow on the two-dimensional Ising model. I still have a ways to go before the semester is over.

One of the more interesting slides from my presentation

As for the summer, I'm going to Japan for a week to visit my good friend Tim Marston who is studying there. I'm not a world traveler, and barely a state traveler. But I'm really excited to go and to hang out with Tim. Hopefully we'll do some cool Japanese things as well as play some Worms and BZFlag for old times sake. Feel free to suggest things I should do or get while I'm in Japan.

After Japan, I'm hoping to jump headfirst into research. Right now the plan is to do some work looking at chemical changes under shock using spectroscopy. Beyond this general idea, I have no idea what I will be doing or where I will end up. I will be working on a hard, but interesting problem; that much is certain.

Welp, thanks for reading. Check back later for some Japan stuff and hopefully some interesting summer physics.

τ: Characteristic Relaxation Time

after studying
intensely for weeks and weeks
it's strange to be done

[ X , P ] = iħ ?

prelim number three
has shown that I am not a
quantum mechanic

Spring Break!

Two prelims, one week
At 8 am every day
Vacations are rough.

Chain Blog Game Fun !!!

Finals are wrapping up, all the snow is almost melted, and I'm getting ready to go home for the Christmas holiday. Sorry for not posting earlier; I meant to write about Dad's weekend over a month ago. Maybe I'll get to it before the end of the year.

Apparently I've been 'tagged' by my good friend Tim and his sister. Silly humans and their games. Personally I dislike these sorts of things, but since I was asked nicely by two Marstons, I will oblige. You brought it on yourselves.

Four Jobs I've Had:

1. Professional Weed-puller and Bark-spreader on the Lang Estate
2. Dish washer in Gwinn, SPU's cafeteria
3. Backroom Team Member at Target
   
4. Graduate Student at WSU (finally they are paying me to go to school)

Four Movies I Could Watch Over & Over

1. Arsenic and Old Lace
2. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
   
3. Star Trek VI
4. TRON
   

Four Places I have Lived

1. Kent, WA
2. Seattle, WA
3. Pullman, WA
4. Kent, WA
   

Four TV Shows I Love

1. Firefly
2. Stargate SG-1
3. Star Trek
4. Mr. Rogers

Four Places I Have Been for a Vacation

1. Camping!
2. Victoria, BC, Canadia
3. My Grandparents Cabin
4. My Uncle's house in Virginia
   

Four Websites I Visit Daily (or when I'm at work)

1. Tim's Blog
2. My email/calendar
3. FoxTrot: http://www.foxtrot.com
4. OSNews: http://www.osnews.com

My Four Favourite Foods:

1. LAMB
2. Baklava
3. My Mom's cooking
   
4. Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup, oh the simplicity

Four Places I would Like to Be (I can't count):

1. Home with my family, friends and books
   
2. Japan, to visit Tim
3. England, since it is so British, and that means awesome!
4. Exploring some untouched forest far from what we call civilization
5. In orbit around some unsuspecting planet (I'd settle for Earth)
   

Four People I'm Tagging:

1. A family member
2. A friend from home
   
3. A friend from WSU
   
4. The poor, unsuspecting person that stumbled upon this atrocity by accident

Thinkpad

One of the many reasons I am glad to have a Thinkpad: Stinkpads will never change. It's a good read.

Other reasons include:

• Linux compatibility, it Just Works^TM
  
• Simple, yet appealing design
  
• Durable construction
  
• Powerful, yet small and portable
  
• Reliable, no downtime unless I ask for it
  
• The Trackpoint, fondly referred to as a 'nub'

If only I could have another... not out of necessity, but for fun.

❄ ☃ ❆

First Snowfall of the Season!

Yea!

the counsel of friends
is a gift from God Most High
brings peace to my soul

Thermal Ponderings

I've heard it said that the human body loses a significant portion of its heat through the top of the head. Anyone know why this is? Does the brain generate more heat than the rest of the body, causing a greater thermal gradient resulting a a greater heat flow? Or are there convection currents in the body that carry thermal energy up through the head like a chimney? Does the skull have a greater coefficient of thermal conductivity than the rest of the body, allowing thermal energy to flow more readily out of the heat? Or maybe there's another reason that the biologists out there can share.

In any case, I'm glad I have my hat because its starting to get cold here.

Tim-

sighs of relief, the
candidacy is over
now bound for Japan

write of your travels
of the acoustics and fun
i'll call if its cheap

know that in all things
my prayers will be with you, and
that God will be too

«sigh»

Congratulations and God-speed.

Assignment

procrastination
is not the only answer
when homework is due

LIGO

Last weekend the Physics and Astronomy Club went on a field trip to Hanford, WA to see LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory). I went on this trip last year also, but this year I drove instead of doing homework (no more contour integrals!). This year we did not get a chance to look at the equipment making up the interferometer, but we did get to see the control room and hear how the gravitational wave detection was going. There have been no signals yet, which is ok, since they don't expect to see any until their sensitivity improves. It was a good time and I was certainly not disappointed since the trip was worth it just for the Greek food we ate for lunch. Definitely a welcome distraction from studying for my E&M exam.

LIGO on Google Maps

Driving to LIGO

Greek food... Tasty!

x-arm of LIGO

Blue skies and tumbleweed(?)

∇ · E = 0

the Tempest has passed
with waves and radiation
but did i pass it?

is it over yet
or is this a lull before
the final death blow?

shall i survive it?
the integrals will tell all
what could not be found

the weekend comes soon
will i find my solace there
in the midst of friends?

Exams

exams always come
bringing stress and frustration
but never candy

udev Woes

In addition to school, frisbee golf and dealing with burglers, I've been helping with the latest release of Dropline GNOME for Slackware Linux. I'm responsible for building, testing and troubleshooting packages related to integrating digital camera support into GNOME. Usually my meager knowledge of the underpinnings of a Linux system is enough for me get it all working but this release cycle is different. Finally, after over a year of development Slackware 11 was released on last Monday. With it came some rather large changes to the system boot process and how hardware is managed with newer kernels. Specifically, if you decide to use a 2.6 kernel, linux-hotplug is disabled and device support must be handled entirely by udev. The problem is that with older versions of Slackware, linux-hotplug handled the creation and permissions of device nodes but since linux-hotplug will most likely be disabled (most of our users will be using a 2.6 kernel) I need to figure a way to get udev to create the proper nodes and more importantly, set the permissions on those nodes so that the appropriate users can access their camera. This involves deep understanding of the how Linux manages devices and how to write udev rules. In short, this problem is way over my head, especially while I'm in school and don't have an internet connection. There's some pretty smart guys on our development team, so I'm hoping they can figure it out. Hopefully it won't be too long before we get this and a few other bugs worked out and can release our final product. I"ll keep you posted...

"Shock¹"

(shǒk) noun. 1. A non-linear, high-amplitude disturbance in a material that typically induces conditions of high pressure and temperature. 2. The logical response to coming home and finding two girls watching TV in your apartment. 3. A famous musical drama in Japan. Syn: seismic disturbance, daze, stupor, concussion, trauma. Ant: settle, comfort.
{French choc, from choquer, to collide with, from Old French chuquier, perhaps of Germanic origin}

Avast Mateys

Arr! Today be "Talk like a Pirate Day". So find y'self a bottle o' rum an' start the pilligin'n an ' plunderin'. Me thinks I'll fin' me some landlubbers to walk the plank...

Here's a piratey haiku for you all, not me own invention, it be pirated from elsewhere. I challenge thee to best me.

Arrg arg aaaarg arg aarrgggh
Aaarg hhharr har aarrggh har rrar har
Yo Ho ho HHo Ho!