appleseed (Photo credit: mike r baker)

Hello, Folks! Sorry I’ve been remiss on posting the last few days, but something has come up. Something good.    Remember the book review I did on “Better Known as Johnny Appleseed?” Well, as a result of that review I’ve been recruited to do a bit of writing on another Johnny Appleseed book. It’s not a long piece, but I am under a deadline. So, for the next week postings will be sparse. I apologize, but this is a great opportunity and I want to do the best job I can. I’ll tell you all more when I can.

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In other news, I’m still turning pages on that novel “The Darwin Conspiracy.” I’m now on page 135 and I still am no closer to figuring out what the conspiracy is all about. Heck, I’m having trouble figuring out what this book is about.

There are three story-lines running along here. First, the adventure of Charles on the Beagle as he prepares to make history. Second, the investigation of Darwin’s family life by Hugh and Beth, researchers from our own time. Third, excerpts from a diary kept by one of Darwin’s daughters in the back of a financial ledger, which for some unknown reason no one has ever seen before. Yeah, right.

I don’t know what is worse, the dialog between Hugh and Beth, postmodern caricatures or the incessant whining of dear old Charles. Talk about your dysfunctional family head. The only interesting and intelligent voice in this book is Darwin’s daughter, Lizzie. Unfortunately, she doesn’t get as much time as the others.

I don’t know how much longer I can keep turning pages on this thing. If someone were to drop me a comment with the ending and spare me the labor of reading “The Darwin Conspiracy” to the conclusion, I would not be at all upset. So . . .

. . . please?