- Joined
- Apr 26, 2007
- Messages
- 8,087
I love jewelry: I love to read; I love to multitask! So, fiction about the world of gems tops my list of favorites. The problem is, it's so hard to find good ones ... here's an off-the-top of my head list of authors and books I've loved and hated:
Sidney Sheldon's Master of the Game is sort of inspiring this list: I vaguely remembered reading it as a kid and hating it, so when I came across it in my folks' boxes of Stuff-Circe-Left-Here, I figured I'd take a look at it again: maybe I'd just been a judgemental kid, right? WRONG. Dear Spaghetti Monster, that thing is awful: it's a family dynasty book that's putatively set against the backdrop of diamond-mining, but it's basically a progressive journey of each generation getting dimmer and more more malicious. Erk: I feel dirty after reading this.
Also trashy, though better than Master of the Game: Elizabeth Lowell's The Diamond Tiger. It's soppy romance, but it looks like she actually did some research on diamonds (more on mining than cutting). Lowell is okay in general: she has a whole series of gem-themed books, most of which are pretty shlocky/get away from plot for ****, but I will recommend Pearl Cove really highly. That one stands head and shoulders above the rest as a recognizable picture of the gem world.
Johanna Kingsley's Treasures, Judith Michael's Possessions, and a book that I can't remember the author of right now, though I believe it's called Bijoux (ring any bells?) all give good if romantic pictures of female designers and jewelers.
Gerald Browne wrote a great book called Stone 588: an action-packed look at 47th St. and the 80's. I wish I could find more of his work but, alas, mostly out of print.
And, my top favorite on the subject ... Ellen Steiber's A Rumor of Gems. It's this great magical realistr novel set in a city that's half Venice and half fantasy, where a magician with a special understanding of gems comes to town, leaving enchantment in his trail. Beautifully researched, beautifully written, and betraying a real love for gems of all kinds.
That's all for now ... do you guys have any favorites, or, for that matter, books to warn us away from?
Sidney Sheldon's Master of the Game is sort of inspiring this list: I vaguely remembered reading it as a kid and hating it, so when I came across it in my folks' boxes of Stuff-Circe-Left-Here, I figured I'd take a look at it again: maybe I'd just been a judgemental kid, right? WRONG. Dear Spaghetti Monster, that thing is awful: it's a family dynasty book that's putatively set against the backdrop of diamond-mining, but it's basically a progressive journey of each generation getting dimmer and more more malicious. Erk: I feel dirty after reading this.
Also trashy, though better than Master of the Game: Elizabeth Lowell's The Diamond Tiger. It's soppy romance, but it looks like she actually did some research on diamonds (more on mining than cutting). Lowell is okay in general: she has a whole series of gem-themed books, most of which are pretty shlocky/get away from plot for ****, but I will recommend Pearl Cove really highly. That one stands head and shoulders above the rest as a recognizable picture of the gem world.
Johanna Kingsley's Treasures, Judith Michael's Possessions, and a book that I can't remember the author of right now, though I believe it's called Bijoux (ring any bells?) all give good if romantic pictures of female designers and jewelers.
Gerald Browne wrote a great book called Stone 588: an action-packed look at 47th St. and the 80's. I wish I could find more of his work but, alas, mostly out of print.
And, my top favorite on the subject ... Ellen Steiber's A Rumor of Gems. It's this great magical realistr novel set in a city that's half Venice and half fantasy, where a magician with a special understanding of gems comes to town, leaving enchantment in his trail. Beautifully researched, beautifully written, and betraying a real love for gems of all kinds.
That's all for now ... do you guys have any favorites, or, for that matter, books to warn us away from?
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