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# 9 9 Of BRAZOS VALLEY
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AGGIELIFE
Thursduy. Noveink K
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Killing Time
Caleb Carr
Published by Random Hon;
TONIGHT
The InternationaUAssignment
Hong Kong
Antoine Black
Published by S Affiliated
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Mr. Styles is the modern equivalent of Shaft —
or so the author would like readers to believe. The
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Julian Styles, an African-American businessman
with an affinity for beautiful women and shoot-
’em-ups in exotic locations. Sound familiar? Un
fortunately, this book does not live up to either the
James Bond or Shaft characters.
The author concentrates on making his charac
ter a new-age Renaissance man — highly educated
and sophisticated, but quick with his fists, or guns,
as the case may be. This technique would be mere
ly hackneyed if not for the author’s incorporating
one more facet to the character — a cool hip side.
This aspect might have been endearing on the big
screen, but in print it falls flat. Lines like “baddest
mutha in the sea” just do not work in print.
Overall, the author does little to set moods for
events, relating them in chronological order like a
laundry list rather than making the reader feel like
a part of the action. The characters are so stereo
typical they are unbelievable in an age of unbe
lievable characters. Every element in the book is
meant to create an atmosphere of opulence and
splendor far beyond the reader’s life. This is the
only part of the book that creates any atmosphere
at all. But for those who cannot afford Jaguars, the
book comes off sounding pretentious rather than
glamorous. (Grade: D)
— Jason Bennyhojf
Caleb Carr is quickly establishing
utation as the consummate crime rae
of his first hit. The Alienist, wouldef:
latest work. Killing Time. Carr retains
highly detailed writing style that mad
previous writings so engaging, 1
setting his detective drama in the past
moves it 23 years into the future.
This book is filled with plot twists
surprises enough to keep even theta
tentive reader spellbound. A departure:
his Alienist series, the plot centersnm
the influences of technology on socies
on crime. In the futuristic setting Can
scribes, the Internet is the primary®M ras t_ en
information and disinformation
world. Carr explores the degree to v4
such misinformation could ultimately heart w;
ceive people and the effect it could has 0 p an ,
world politics and economies.
Dr. Gideon Wolfe, the protagonistrj
book, is a psychiatrist and criminolm
mirrors the doctor in the Alienist send
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Learn More
Do More.
Chang and Eng
Darin Strauss
Published by Penguin Books
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Darin Strauss’ first novel,
Chang and Eng, the product of
three years of research, weaves
the tale of conjoined twins from
Siam, better known as Chang
and Eng.
Although their names proba
bly do not ring any bells, the
book is based on the actual lives
of the twins, whose canvassing
of two continents in the 1800s
left such a mark on people that,
to this day, conjoined twins are
still called Siamese twins.
The book is historical fiction,
meaning that while most of and
perhaps all the characters in the
story existed, the dialogue is
merely Strauss’ account of what
Eng may have thought or felt.
Strauss is a talented writer.
However, he falls into the same
role he is trying to vilify —
spectator — and reduces the
twins’ story into the same fluff
that Eng grates about for 23
chapters in the novel.
The most infuriating element
of the novel is that, because the
language of the novel is lyrical
and well-structured, readers
might get the impression they
are better than the leering, cat
calling spectators Chang and
Eng catered to during their lives
and can understand and sympa
thize with their grotesque bond.
No, no, no. Through Chang
and Eng, Strauss is playing a
21st century barker, cajoling
readers into the tent, letting them
feel the 5-inch band of cartilage
and then spilling the twins’ dirty
laundry of alcoholism and adul
tery all over the stage as a finale.
While the novel does attempt
to present the twins in a respect
ful and unremorseful way, it fails
them by throwing in enough cal
lous, tabloid bits to make the
novel trying. Strauss shows him
self to be a gifted writer, but his
first novel is a bust. (Grade: D)
— Beverly Mireles
qu
his brilliant but enigmatic personality
gins the story searching for thecriminalti
sortium that ordered the doctoringofara
puter disc that showed the assass
the first female American president,
tries to prove the assassination theorytlaj|
world believes is a hoax, but he soonfc
himself trapped in the organization hei
hunted. The rest of the novel centers ot
self-examination about whetherheisu
mately doing the right thing by teaching:
pie the evils of misinformation,ont
he has merely been brainwashed by these!
aggrandizing criminals who surround him
This is truly a novel for this modema»]
of information and technology s
may be overly paranoid, it is an
read. (Grade: B+)
—Jason Bern 1
A = Literary classic
^ = A cut above
^ = Passable reading
Q = Don’t buy it
F = Waste of pape
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Bring your smiling faces to AR Photography to get your
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The Texas A&M Debate Society
PRESENTS.
Resolved: The United States should significantly alter its
system of electing a President.
Date: Thursday, November 16
Time: 7:30pm !||
Place: Rudder 308
Come and enjoy this public debate brought to you by the Texas A&M
Debate Society and the Department of Spdech Communication.
Aggieland Ducks Unlimited
Fall 2000 Banquet
November 16, 2000
Brazos Center 6 pm
Aggieland Ducks Unlimited
www.geocities.com/tamu_du/index.html
Presale tickets available @
Sullivan's Outfitters, MSC Box
Office, or Burden and Sons
Outfitters
Presale tickets $25/person or
$40/couple
$30/person or $50/couple at the
door
Ticket price includes Membership
to Ducks Unlimited
For more info email
iamt i du€*Hiotmat1 .com
The Brazos Center is located on
Briarcrest: l A mile past Highway 6
J.