50bookchallenge, 15000pages

Book #106 -- Neil Gaiman, The Sandman, Vol 9: The Kindly Ones, 352 pages.

The penultimate and climactic volume, not to mention the longest. What can I say? It was brilliant, of course. Although it has been too long since I read the earlier volumes, and I had a hard time remembering the stories of some of the older characters who returned. The sense of inevitability throughout was *very* well done such that, despite the many myriad ways it could have gone differently, what actually did happen never felt random. And of course the last scene with Death was appropriately poignant, and a wonderful distillation of their characters. That said, no matter how brilliantly it was done, I didn't *like* the ending. I get it. I do. Dream changed. And because he changed, he had to die, or be reborn, into something that could incorporate the change. And on from a mythological standpoint I understand the significance of that. But from a purely personal, human standpoint, I don't like it. Because I'm a strong believer in self-determination and I wanted Dream as Morpheus to be able to change without destroying himself. Ah well. It was still excellent. Only one more to go - I'll be interested in the kind of tribute Morpheus is given.

Progress toward goals: 314/366 = 85.8%

Books: 106/150 = 70.7%

Pages: 28363/50000 = 56.7%

2008 Book List

cross-posted to 15000pages, 50bookchallenge, and gwynraven

Twittering

• 13:04 It's nice working on a weekend with someone fun to talk to. #
• 14:12 The Hamptons and the Wades in colonial Virginia apparently liked each other a whole lot. #
• 15:47 My wrist hurts. #
• 16:06 Only two more hours left to work, and I'm almost done pinning down the Hamptons. #

Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

Definitions

raffia: (n) 1. A palm of the large-leaved tropical genus Raphia, especially one of those whose young leaves yield the fibre known as raffia; specifically R. farinifera of East and Central Africa, which is cultivated in Madagascar for this purpose.
2. The soft fibre from the leaves of any of the raffia palms, used extensively as garden twine, in handicrafts such as basket-making, and to make coarse cloth (rabanna) or matting.



rabanna: (n) A coarse fabric woven from raffia, made chiefly in Madagascar; an item made from this.



rennet: (n) 1. A mass of curdled milk found in the stomach of an unweaned calf or other animal, used for curdling milk in making cheese, etc.; also, a preparation of the inner membrane of the stomach used for this or other purposes.
2. Anything used to curdle milk, especially the plant Galium verum, Lady's Bedstraw.
3. One of a large class of dessert apples of French origin, of which the most esteemed varieties are round or flattish in shape, small or medium sized, firm fleshed, and good for keeping; also formerly applied to a pippin grafted on a pippin-stock.
4. A farrier's tool, used for probing the hoof of a horse.



pippin: (n) 1. A seed or pip of any of various fleshy fruits.
2. A part of a pea embryo, perhaps the radicle.
3. In extended use: a grain of gold, resembling a pip in size and shape.
4. A grape.
5. Formerly: a kind of sweet apple, typically late-ripening, fine-flavoured, and having good keeping qualities. Now (frequently with distinguishing word): any of numerous fine-flavoured varieties of dessert apple.
6. A person. Originally derogatory: a young, foolish, or naive person. In later use chiefly as a term of endearment: a dear; a darling; a pet.
7. An excellent, pleasing, or beautiful person or thing.



litotes: (n) A figure of speech, in which an affirmative is expressed by the negative of the contrary; an instance of this.



clausula: (n) 1. In Music: The conclusion or ‘close’ of a musical movement or phrase.
2. A polyphonic composition using as a cantus firmus a short melisma of a chant.
3. The close or end of a period, especially one in ancient or medieval Latin having a definable cadence.



cantus firmus/canto fermo: (n) 1. The simple unadorned melody of the ancient hymns and chants of the church; plain-song.
2. Hence applied to any simple subject of the same character to which counterpoint is added.



melisma: (n) A melody or melodic sequence of notes. Usually specifically (in singing and vocal composition): the prolongation of one syllable over a number of notes; an instance of this.



cadence: (n) In Verse and Music: 1. The flow of verses or periods; rhythm, rhythmical construction, measure.
2. The measure or beat of music, dancing, or any rhythmical movement; e.g. of marching.
3. The fall of the voice; sometimes, the general modulation of the voice.
4. Local or national modulation, ‘accent’.
5. The rising and (especially) falling of elemental sounds, as of a storm, the sea, etc.
6. In Music: The conclusion or ‘close’ of a musical movement or phrase.
7. In Horsemanship: An equal measure or proportion which a horse observes in all his motions when he is thoroughly managed.
8. Harmonious combination of colours.
9. In the Latin sense of 'falling': Falling, sinking down; mode of falling.
10. The falling out of an occurrence; chance.



augural: (adj) 1. Of or pertaining to augurs or augury.
2. Significant of the future; betokening either good or ill; lucky or ominous.



imperium: (n) Command; absolute power; supreme or imperial power; empire.



plaudite: (n) 1. An appeal for applause at the end of a play, etc.
2. A round of applause; an act of hand-clapping; an audible expression of praise or approval. Hence more generally: any emphatic expression of approval.



syncretism: (n) 1. Attempted union or reconciliation of diverse or opposite tenets or practices, esp. in philosophy or religion; specifically the system or principles of a school founded in the 17th century by George Calixtus, who aimed at harmonizing the sects of Protestants and ultimately all Christian bodies (almost always in derogatory sense).
2. In Philology: The merging of two or more inflectional categories.
3. In Psychology: The process of fusing diverse ideas or sensations into a general (inexact) impression; an instance of this.



veridical: (adj) 1. Speaking, telling, or relating the truth; truthful, veracious.
2. Specifically in Psychology: Of hallucinations, phantasms, etc.: Coincident with, corresponding to, or representing real events or persons.



forensic: (adj) Pertaining to, connected with, or used in courts of law; suitable or analogous to pleadings in court.



holmgang: (n) A duel to the death. (Norse)



freshet: (n) 1. A small stream of fresh water.
2. A stream or rush of fresh water flowing into the sea.
3. A flood or overflowing of a river caused by heavy rains or melted snow.



claque: (n) An organized body of hired applauders in a theatre; hence transf. a body of subservient followers always ready to applaud their leader.



Quirinalia: (n) Roman festival to Quirinus, celebrated on February 17, on the Quirinal Hill in Rome.



demagogue: (n) 1. In ancient times, a leader of the people; a popular leader or orator who espoused the cause of the people against any other party in the state.
2. In bad sense: A leader of a popular faction, or of the mob; a political agitator who appeals to the passions and prejudices of the mob in order to obtain power or further his own interests; an unprincipled or factious popular orator.