If one wishes to read a book in which Mt. Baldy plays a role then read- 'Crazy for the Storm' by Norman Ollestad an incredible true story.
The Feral Detective-
I am a fan of detective novels containing a flawed leading character (aren’t they all) and my two favorites are books by Michael Connelly and Jo Nesbo; each who include an honest description of the geography as a key component of the story. Connelly, in Los Angeles, and Nesbo in Oslo (both also in Hong Kong). I have spent time in these cities and the descriptions are very accurate and add texture. I grew up in Mt. Baldy and that was the reason the book was suggested to me. The author teaches at Pomona College, less than ½ hour away, and Mt. Baldy is tiny compared to the cities mentioned above yet he fails to adequately capture any of it. He takes the time to dismiss the area below the mountain as unlivable, except for some faint praise regarding Claremont (a wonderful college town with many well-kept craftsman houses) yet fails to adequately describe this stunningly beautiful, dramatic canyon with mountains steeply thrusting up on three sides: a site rarely seen in most mountain villages. The village is surrounded by Forest Service land so there is no modern growth or condos scaling the hillsides leaving a delightfully unchanged village inhabited by wonderful families who have lived there for many years. The Mt. Baldy Lodge is a log, washrock and glass structure with a waterwheel built in the early 1900’s and it’s rustic charm is not described. His description of the denizens in the Mt. Baldy lodge is accurate but these people do not represent the local villagers as some of these lodge customers are many times bikers and other miscreants from the flatlands; it would be fair to note that.
I like the reference to Leonard Cohen and his study of Buddhism at the Zen Center as a reason Arabella might visit Mt. Baldy, it is true and an excellent set-up to the narrative. The Zen center is up above the village, maybe four miles, near the ski lifts, initially properly placed and described in the book, in the Harwood lodge across the streambed from Snowcrest Resort and they have been there since 1971. However, when Heist wants to leave Phoebe’s rental car, he states that the Zen center (Zendo) is in, or near, the village; totally wrong. There is a reference to Goat Ridge Road and, while there is a street named Goat something it leads only to a house on the hillside overlooking the village. The lapis Lazuli mineral is in Barrett Canyon below the village and perhaps he has renamed it Goat Ridge Road. There are other references to Places that I am not sure exist, but the author deserves credit if it turns out that he is correct and my apologies will follow. Artistic license that adds to the story is fine, but these lapses do not appear to do that.
Heist becomes more believable and his task admirable once his background is explained. The initial visit to his office is a bit surreal and initially off-putting. This section between Claremont and Upland is correctly described.
I cannot determine if Phoebe is being a typical hyper-critical New Yorker visiting and dissing California or........ she is being made fun of for having a stereotypical New Yorker reaction. There is a certain conflicted verbal and mental narrative stream from her throughout that I did enjoy and, when viewed carefully, is revealing and endearing. Her speech in the restaurant at the Spa Resort at the end of the book capsulized her shifting positions and insecurities. In the end was she also escaping the cult of her own regional groupthink?
Will she stay with Heist, not sure, but she will not return to her former existence. I think she is attracted to him and his cause could add meaning to her self -described former shallow existence. She does indicate that, like her mother’s guidance regarding her university choice and Heist leading her out of the restaurant during her frazzled soliloquy that she sometimes requires some guidance.
Maybe we are all in a cult of some type uncritically believing our selected leaders and news sources. Maybe that is the essence of the book.
If we are, in fact, blinded by our own bubble causing groupthink, I recommend a book called Factfulness written by a Swedish doctor who spent much time with Doctors without Borders on the African continent dealing with devastating health issues, written by Hans Rosling; It is uplifting as the world is better off than commonly acknowledged and cautionary as our trusted leaders are not that well informed.
Despite my criticisms I found it an enjoyable experience
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An Enjoyable experience despite my criticisms.
Reviewed in the United States on November 29, 2019
If one wishes to read a book in which Mt. Baldy plays a role then read- 'Crazy for the Storm' by Norman Ollestad an incredible true story.The Feral Detective-I am a fan of detective novels containing a flawed leading character (aren’t they all) and my two favorites are books by Michael Connelly and Jo Nesbo; each who include an honest description of the geography as a key component of the story. Connelly, in Los Angeles, and Nesbo in Oslo (both also in Hong Kong). I have spent time in these cities and the descriptions are very accurate and add texture. I grew up in Mt. Baldy and that was the reason the book was suggested to me. The author teaches at Pomona College, less than ½ hour away, and Mt. Baldy is tiny compared to the cities mentioned above yet he fails to adequately capture any of it. He takes the time to dismiss the area below the mountain as unlivable, except for some faint praise regarding Claremont (a wonderful college town with many well-kept craftsman houses) yet fails to adequately describe this stunningly beautiful, dramatic canyon with mountains steeply thrusting up on three sides: a site rarely seen in most mountain villages. The village is surrounded by Forest Service land so there is no modern growth or condos scaling the hillsides leaving a delightfully unchanged village inhabited by wonderful families who have lived there for many years. The Mt. Baldy Lodge is a log, washrock and glass structure with a waterwheel built in the early 1900’s and it’s rustic charm is not described. His description of the denizens in the Mt. Baldy lodge is accurate but these people do not represent the local villagers as some of these lodge customers are many times bikers and other miscreants from the flatlands; it would be fair to note that.I like the reference to Leonard Cohen and his study of Buddhism at the Zen Center as a reason Arabella might visit Mt. Baldy, it is true and an excellent set-up to the narrative. The Zen center is up above the village, maybe four miles, near the ski lifts, initially properly placed and described in the book, in the Harwood lodge across the streambed from Snowcrest Resort and they have been there since 1971. However, when Heist wants to leave Phoebe’s rental car, he states that the Zen center (Zendo) is in, or near, the village; totally wrong. There is a reference to Goat Ridge Road and, while there is a street named Goat something it leads only to a house on the hillside overlooking the village. The lapis Lazuli mineral is in Barrett Canyon below the village and perhaps he has renamed it Goat Ridge Road. There are other references to Places that I am not sure exist, but the author deserves credit if it turns out that he is correct and my apologies will follow. Artistic license that adds to the story is fine, but these lapses do not appear to do that.Heist becomes more believable and his task admirable once his background is explained. The initial visit to his office is a bit surreal and initially off-putting. This section between Claremont and Upland is correctly described. I cannot determine if Phoebe is being a typical hyper-critical New Yorker visiting and dissing California or........ she is being made fun of for having a stereotypical New Yorker reaction. There is a certain conflicted verbal and mental narrative stream from her throughout that I did enjoy and, when viewed carefully, is revealing and endearing. Her speech in the restaurant at the Spa Resort at the end of the book capsulized her shifting positions and insecurities. In the end was she also escaping the cult of her own regional groupthink?Will she stay with Heist, not sure, but she will not return to her former existence. I think she is attracted to him and his cause could add meaning to her self -described former shallow existence. She does indicate that, like her mother’s guidance regarding her university choice and Heist leading her out of the restaurant during her frazzled soliloquy that she sometimes requires some guidance.Maybe we are all in a cult of some type uncritically believing our selected leaders and news sources. Maybe that is the essence of the book.If we are, in fact, blinded by our own bubble causing groupthink, I recommend a book called Factfulness written by a Swedish doctor who spent much time with Doctors without Borders on the African continent dealing with devastating health issues, written by Hans Rosling; It is uplifting as the world is better off than commonly acknowledged and cautionary as our trusted leaders are not that well informed.Despite my criticisms I found it an enjoyable experience
Reviewed in the United States on November 29, 2019
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Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 29, 2019
The Feral Detective-
I am a fan of detective novels containing a flawed leading character (aren’t they all) and my two favorites are books by Michael Connelly and Jo Nesbo; each who include an honest description of the geography as a key component of the story. Connelly, in Los Angeles, and Nesbo in Oslo (both also in Hong Kong). I have spent time in these cities and the descriptions are very accurate and add texture. I grew up in Mt. Baldy and that was the reason the book was suggested to me. The author teaches at Pomona College, less than ½ hour away, and Mt. Baldy is tiny compared to the cities mentioned above yet he fails to adequately capture any of it. He takes the time to dismiss the area below the mountain as unlivable, except for some faint praise regarding Claremont (a wonderful college town with many well-kept craftsman houses) yet fails to adequately describe this stunningly beautiful, dramatic canyon with mountains steeply thrusting up on three sides: a site rarely seen in most mountain villages. The village is surrounded by Forest Service land so there is no modern growth or condos scaling the hillsides leaving a delightfully unchanged village inhabited by wonderful families who have lived there for many years. The Mt. Baldy Lodge is a log, washrock and glass structure with a waterwheel built in the early 1900’s and it’s rustic charm is not described. His description of the denizens in the Mt. Baldy lodge is accurate but these people do not represent the local villagers as some of these lodge customers are many times bikers and other miscreants from the flatlands; it would be fair to note that.
I like the reference to Leonard Cohen and his study of Buddhism at the Zen Center as a reason Arabella might visit Mt. Baldy, it is true and an excellent set-up to the narrative. The Zen center is up above the village, maybe four miles, near the ski lifts, initially properly placed and described in the book, in the Harwood lodge across the streambed from Snowcrest Resort and they have been there since 1971. However, when Heist wants to leave Phoebe’s rental car, he states that the Zen center (Zendo) is in, or near, the village; totally wrong. There is a reference to Goat Ridge Road and, while there is a street named Goat something it leads only to a house on the hillside overlooking the village. The lapis Lazuli mineral is in Barrett Canyon below the village and perhaps he has renamed it Goat Ridge Road. There are other references to Places that I am not sure exist, but the author deserves credit if it turns out that he is correct and my apologies will follow. Artistic license that adds to the story is fine, but these lapses do not appear to do that.
Heist becomes more believable and his task admirable once his background is explained. The initial visit to his office is a bit surreal and initially off-putting. This section between Claremont and Upland is correctly described.
I cannot determine if Phoebe is being a typical hyper-critical New Yorker visiting and dissing California or........ she is being made fun of for having a stereotypical New Yorker reaction. There is a certain conflicted verbal and mental narrative stream from her throughout that I did enjoy and, when viewed carefully, is revealing and endearing. Her speech in the restaurant at the Spa Resort at the end of the book capsulized her shifting positions and insecurities. In the end was she also escaping the cult of her own regional groupthink?
Will she stay with Heist, not sure, but she will not return to her former existence. I think she is attracted to him and his cause could add meaning to her self -described former shallow existence. She does indicate that, like her mother’s guidance regarding her university choice and Heist leading her out of the restaurant during her frazzled soliloquy that she sometimes requires some guidance.
Maybe we are all in a cult of some type uncritically believing our selected leaders and news sources. Maybe that is the essence of the book.
If we are, in fact, blinded by our own bubble causing groupthink, I recommend a book called Factfulness written by a Swedish doctor who spent much time with Doctors without Borders on the African continent dealing with devastating health issues, written by Hans Rosling; It is uplifting as the world is better off than commonly acknowledged and cautionary as our trusted leaders are not that well informed.
Despite my criticisms I found it an enjoyable experience
An Enjoyable experience despite my criticisms.
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 29, 2019
If one wishes to read a book in which Mt. Baldy plays a role then read- 'Crazy for the Storm' by Norman Ollestad an incredible true story.Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 29, 2019
The Feral Detective-
I am a fan of detective novels containing a flawed leading character (aren’t they all) and my two favorites are books by Michael Connelly and Jo Nesbo; each who include an honest description of the geography as a key component of the story. Connelly, in Los Angeles, and Nesbo in Oslo (both also in Hong Kong). I have spent time in these cities and the descriptions are very accurate and add texture. I grew up in Mt. Baldy and that was the reason the book was suggested to me. The author teaches at Pomona College, less than ½ hour away, and Mt. Baldy is tiny compared to the cities mentioned above yet he fails to adequately capture any of it. He takes the time to dismiss the area below the mountain as unlivable, except for some faint praise regarding Claremont (a wonderful college town with many well-kept craftsman houses) yet fails to adequately describe this stunningly beautiful, dramatic canyon with mountains steeply thrusting up on three sides: a site rarely seen in most mountain villages. The village is surrounded by Forest Service land so there is no modern growth or condos scaling the hillsides leaving a delightfully unchanged village inhabited by wonderful families who have lived there for many years. The Mt. Baldy Lodge is a log, washrock and glass structure with a waterwheel built in the early 1900’s and it’s rustic charm is not described. His description of the denizens in the Mt. Baldy lodge is accurate but these people do not represent the local villagers as some of these lodge customers are many times bikers and other miscreants from the flatlands; it would be fair to note that.
I like the reference to Leonard Cohen and his study of Buddhism at the Zen Center as a reason Arabella might visit Mt. Baldy, it is true and an excellent set-up to the narrative. The Zen center is up above the village, maybe four miles, near the ski lifts, initially properly placed and described in the book, in the Harwood lodge across the streambed from Snowcrest Resort and they have been there since 1971. However, when Heist wants to leave Phoebe’s rental car, he states that the Zen center (Zendo) is in, or near, the village; totally wrong. There is a reference to Goat Ridge Road and, while there is a street named Goat something it leads only to a house on the hillside overlooking the village. The lapis Lazuli mineral is in Barrett Canyon below the village and perhaps he has renamed it Goat Ridge Road. There are other references to Places that I am not sure exist, but the author deserves credit if it turns out that he is correct and my apologies will follow. Artistic license that adds to the story is fine, but these lapses do not appear to do that.
Heist becomes more believable and his task admirable once his background is explained. The initial visit to his office is a bit surreal and initially off-putting. This section between Claremont and Upland is correctly described.
I cannot determine if Phoebe is being a typical hyper-critical New Yorker visiting and dissing California or........ she is being made fun of for having a stereotypical New Yorker reaction. There is a certain conflicted verbal and mental narrative stream from her throughout that I did enjoy and, when viewed carefully, is revealing and endearing. Her speech in the restaurant at the Spa Resort at the end of the book capsulized her shifting positions and insecurities. In the end was she also escaping the cult of her own regional groupthink?
Will she stay with Heist, not sure, but she will not return to her former existence. I think she is attracted to him and his cause could add meaning to her self -described former shallow existence. She does indicate that, like her mother’s guidance regarding her university choice and Heist leading her out of the restaurant during her frazzled soliloquy that she sometimes requires some guidance.
Maybe we are all in a cult of some type uncritically believing our selected leaders and news sources. Maybe that is the essence of the book.
If we are, in fact, blinded by our own bubble causing groupthink, I recommend a book called Factfulness written by a Swedish doctor who spent much time with Doctors without Borders on the African continent dealing with devastating health issues, written by Hans Rosling; It is uplifting as the world is better off than commonly acknowledged and cautionary as our trusted leaders are not that well informed.
Despite my criticisms I found it an enjoyable experience
Images in this review
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