Thursday, December 30, 2010
Saturday, December 18, 2010
A Review of Freedom by Jonathan Franzen
Freedom is a sweeping expanse of a novel, covering many decades, locales and trips around the country. It is the story of Walter and Patty Berglund, a married couple living in Minnesota and trying to navigate their marriage through parenthood, nature conservancy, infidelity, politics, more infidelity, religiosity, depression, need I go on? This is a seriously heavy novel, both literally and figuratively. At 560 pages, it covers quite a bit. It is told from multiple perspectives; twice Patty writes an "autobiography" in the third person. The rest is told from the perspective of several of the main characters: Walter, Richard Katz (Walter's college roommate, best friend and worst enemy) and Joey Berglund (Patty and Walter's cold, calculating son).
This story covers so many wide and varied topics that it is hard to describe in a succinct manner. The Berglund's marriage is extremely flawed; they eventually separate partway through the novel. Walter is very much into his convictions about conservation on the planet, especially of varied bird species. But he also is very into a "nonpopulation" approach, encouraging people not to have children. He is almost radically concerned with world overpopulation.
While this story is quite a masterpiece it was also one of the most tedious books I have ever read. The author has an amazing command of the language. But he is overly verbose, using as many 50c SAT words as he can in each sentence. He takes far to long to get to the point, and often, after an entire paragraph or even a whole page of set up, he would finally make his point, which was usually somthing very simple. This was irritating to read over and over.
I enjoyed some parts of this story, and it was not at all predictable (which is it's most redeeming aspect, in my opinion). It was very difficult to get into the flow of the story, 100 pages or more, and I was struck by how much of the dialogue was fighting between the characters. One part of the story, a fight between Walter and Patty, was multiple pages of capital letter screaming. Again, the word tedious comes to mind.
I do feel that Jonathan Franzen is quite a talented writer, and I know his writing has been lauded by many, but this book was not my favorite.
This story covers so many wide and varied topics that it is hard to describe in a succinct manner. The Berglund's marriage is extremely flawed; they eventually separate partway through the novel. Walter is very much into his convictions about conservation on the planet, especially of varied bird species. But he also is very into a "nonpopulation" approach, encouraging people not to have children. He is almost radically concerned with world overpopulation.
While this story is quite a masterpiece it was also one of the most tedious books I have ever read. The author has an amazing command of the language. But he is overly verbose, using as many 50c SAT words as he can in each sentence. He takes far to long to get to the point, and often, after an entire paragraph or even a whole page of set up, he would finally make his point, which was usually somthing very simple. This was irritating to read over and over.
I enjoyed some parts of this story, and it was not at all predictable (which is it's most redeeming aspect, in my opinion). It was very difficult to get into the flow of the story, 100 pages or more, and I was struck by how much of the dialogue was fighting between the characters. One part of the story, a fight between Walter and Patty, was multiple pages of capital letter screaming. Again, the word tedious comes to mind.
I do feel that Jonathan Franzen is quite a talented writer, and I know his writing has been lauded by many, but this book was not my favorite.
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Friday, November 12, 2010
The Return
This is a story I wrote for my writing class:
“Why am I here?” Kate thought to herself as she drove the car into the garage. She got out, closed the bay door and retrieved her briefcase. “Honey? I’m home!” she muttered as she walked into the house. It was as empty as it had been the day she left it; the furniture gone, the big bay window sporting only one faded green curtain panel.
Kate dropped her briefcase and looked around. “What a joke,” she sighed. “Why would anyone want this house? We were so miserable here.” She walked into the kitchen to see if any of the appliances remained. Maybe she could sell them for cash. Technically, she still owned the house, even though she didn’t live in it anymore, hadn’t been back, in fact, since that last night. A haze came through her mind as soon as the thought materialized. She often found that this happened to her. In fact, it was happening more and more lately. She just needed more sleep. That was all.
She shook it off, continued forward. And brushed by something. When she turned to see what it was, she realized that she was upstairs in the main bedroom. Confused, she went to the window to look outside. She had stood in this spot often when she still lived in the house. Kate couldn’t remember coming upstairs, but she went to look anyway.
Curiously, outside the window, fog had rolled in. The fog was so thick that she couldn’t see past a foot or two. “That’s odd,” she thought to herself. “It was sunny and warm when I came in.” She stepped back from the window and found herself in the kitchen. She blinked, confused, and walked forward toward the sink to see if the vision outside the downstairs window was any clearer. Again, she saw only fog.
“That’s enough! I’m outta here. This house is giving me the creeps!” Kate went to grab her briefcase so she could get back into her car. But her briefcase wasn’t where she had dropped it just a few minutes ago. “What’s going on?” she sobbed. “I don’t know what’s happening!” She began wailing. He wouldn’t let her go. Again, he wouldn’t let her leave. “Please, I can’t do this anymore, John. I can’t be married to you anymore.”
She ran toward the stairs, intending to go back into her bedroom and lock the door. She saw John, blocking her way up the stairs. He reached for her. Again, he reached out with his fists. And with the knife that he held in his right hand. The fog descended over everything this time.
**********
Sarah Jones was sitting at the table in the kitchen. She turned to her mother. “Didn’t you hear the lady scream that time, Mommy? It was just like the last time I heard it. And the time before,” she commented matter-of-factly. Molly Jones cast a worried glance at her husband. “What lady, Sarah?” she asked her daughter.
“Kate. The lady with the briefcase. Her name is Kate. John won’t let her leave. He says they will be together forever,” Sarah continued coloring in her coloring book. She smiled at her mother and father.
“Sarah,” said Bill Jones, “who are Kate and John?” Sarah looked up at him. “They live here, too, Daddy. Kate tries to leave all the time. But she keeps coming back. Over and over she comes back. And he makes her scream, Daddy. She screams every time.”
“Why am I here?” Kate thought to herself as she drove the car into the garage. She got out, closed the bay door and retrieved her briefcase. “Honey? I’m home!” she muttered as she walked into the house. It was as empty as it had been the day she left it; the furniture gone, the big bay window sporting only one faded green curtain panel.
Kate dropped her briefcase and looked around. “What a joke,” she sighed. “Why would anyone want this house? We were so miserable here.” She walked into the kitchen to see if any of the appliances remained. Maybe she could sell them for cash. Technically, she still owned the house, even though she didn’t live in it anymore, hadn’t been back, in fact, since that last night. A haze came through her mind as soon as the thought materialized. She often found that this happened to her. In fact, it was happening more and more lately. She just needed more sleep. That was all.
She shook it off, continued forward. And brushed by something. When she turned to see what it was, she realized that she was upstairs in the main bedroom. Confused, she went to the window to look outside. She had stood in this spot often when she still lived in the house. Kate couldn’t remember coming upstairs, but she went to look anyway.
Curiously, outside the window, fog had rolled in. The fog was so thick that she couldn’t see past a foot or two. “That’s odd,” she thought to herself. “It was sunny and warm when I came in.” She stepped back from the window and found herself in the kitchen. She blinked, confused, and walked forward toward the sink to see if the vision outside the downstairs window was any clearer. Again, she saw only fog.
“That’s enough! I’m outta here. This house is giving me the creeps!” Kate went to grab her briefcase so she could get back into her car. But her briefcase wasn’t where she had dropped it just a few minutes ago. “What’s going on?” she sobbed. “I don’t know what’s happening!” She began wailing. He wouldn’t let her go. Again, he wouldn’t let her leave. “Please, I can’t do this anymore, John. I can’t be married to you anymore.”
She ran toward the stairs, intending to go back into her bedroom and lock the door. She saw John, blocking her way up the stairs. He reached for her. Again, he reached out with his fists. And with the knife that he held in his right hand. The fog descended over everything this time.
**********
Sarah Jones was sitting at the table in the kitchen. She turned to her mother. “Didn’t you hear the lady scream that time, Mommy? It was just like the last time I heard it. And the time before,” she commented matter-of-factly. Molly Jones cast a worried glance at her husband. “What lady, Sarah?” she asked her daughter.
“Kate. The lady with the briefcase. Her name is Kate. John won’t let her leave. He says they will be together forever,” Sarah continued coloring in her coloring book. She smiled at her mother and father.
“Sarah,” said Bill Jones, “who are Kate and John?” Sarah looked up at him. “They live here, too, Daddy. Kate tries to leave all the time. But she keeps coming back. Over and over she comes back. And he makes her scream, Daddy. She screams every time.”
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
A Review of Fly Away Home by Jennifer Weiner
This is a "ripped from the headlines" type story about a Senator's wife who finds out her husband has cheated on her by hearing it on the news. Sylvie, a lawyer herself, has given up her entire life, even given up taking much of an interest in her two girls, for her husband and his career.
The story is told from the perspective of these three women, Sylvie and her two daughters. Diana, an emergency room physician who can't stand her own husband, and is having a torrid affair herself with a younger man. Her son, Miles, is really what she cares about, and on whom she would prefer to focus. The third daughter, Lizzie, is the mess-up. Newly out of rehab, she is making the best of her wasted life by caring for Miles and trying to become a "normal" person.
While this story was an interesting one, it was largely forgettable. The characters were well-developed, as was the story, but it didn't hold my interest past the last page. Unlike other books I've read and reviewed here, Fly Away Home, flew right out of my head as soon as I finished it. It was a decent story, but not one I enjoyed all that much. I would still recommend it to others, as it was well-written and the characters were not one-demensional or cliched, which they could have been. But I was not wowed.
The story is told from the perspective of these three women, Sylvie and her two daughters. Diana, an emergency room physician who can't stand her own husband, and is having a torrid affair herself with a younger man. Her son, Miles, is really what she cares about, and on whom she would prefer to focus. The third daughter, Lizzie, is the mess-up. Newly out of rehab, she is making the best of her wasted life by caring for Miles and trying to become a "normal" person.
While this story was an interesting one, it was largely forgettable. The characters were well-developed, as was the story, but it didn't hold my interest past the last page. Unlike other books I've read and reviewed here, Fly Away Home, flew right out of my head as soon as I finished it. It was a decent story, but not one I enjoyed all that much. I would still recommend it to others, as it was well-written and the characters were not one-demensional or cliched, which they could have been. But I was not wowed.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Are Celebrities Entitled to Private Lives?
This is an article for my writing class:
We see the pictures every day: a female celebrity getting out of a chauffeured car flashing a body part best left to the imagination; a male celebrity casually running shirtless on the beach; a celebrity couple leaving the most current trendy L.A. restaurant, not holding hands, protesting the idea that they were on a date, and then driving away together in a large, black sedan.
It begs the question, are celebrities entitled to be left alone when they are not working? But this is not the first question we should ask. Why are we as a culture so obsessed with celebrities? This question is one that has been bounced around by many writers in recent years, its importance rising exponentially in direct proportion to how many tabloid magazines there are in circulation. Celebrities have become the de facto representation of the American dream. So it is only natural that we would want to know what their “real lives” are like outside of movies and television.
But are we entitled to know? Many would argue that when a person chooses to live this sort of life, they should accept giving up their privacy in exchange for money, fame and the perks they receive.
I find this to be a strong case of sour grapes. Just because someone else has money, beauty, fame and ostensibly everything that Americans want in life, does not mean that everyone else is entitled to know their business, or that they are required to “give up” their privacy to have these things.
As a teacher, I could argue that in many ways I am also not afforded a “private life”. If I choose to go to the supermarket in my gym clothes without makeup (something I am sure a celebrity would never do), it is likely I will run into at least one student with his or her family, who will then pin me down for a 20 minute conversation. If I go out to a restaurant or bar and order an alcoholic drink, I am always aware if a student’s parent is around, and limit myself accordingly. There are situations in which I could get into trouble, or even fired, if it is witnessed that I have engaged in a certain behavior publicly. Alas, I am also not compensated monetarily for the loss of this privacy, nor do I get many perks, other than those intrinsic inspiring moments I have from day to day and the fulfillment I get from my career.
So, as for the celebrities private lives? I think they should be left alone. However, it seems that the rest of the country doesn’t necessarily agree. Now, where’s my People Magazine?
We see the pictures every day: a female celebrity getting out of a chauffeured car flashing a body part best left to the imagination; a male celebrity casually running shirtless on the beach; a celebrity couple leaving the most current trendy L.A. restaurant, not holding hands, protesting the idea that they were on a date, and then driving away together in a large, black sedan.
It begs the question, are celebrities entitled to be left alone when they are not working? But this is not the first question we should ask. Why are we as a culture so obsessed with celebrities? This question is one that has been bounced around by many writers in recent years, its importance rising exponentially in direct proportion to how many tabloid magazines there are in circulation. Celebrities have become the de facto representation of the American dream. So it is only natural that we would want to know what their “real lives” are like outside of movies and television.
But are we entitled to know? Many would argue that when a person chooses to live this sort of life, they should accept giving up their privacy in exchange for money, fame and the perks they receive.
I find this to be a strong case of sour grapes. Just because someone else has money, beauty, fame and ostensibly everything that Americans want in life, does not mean that everyone else is entitled to know their business, or that they are required to “give up” their privacy to have these things.
As a teacher, I could argue that in many ways I am also not afforded a “private life”. If I choose to go to the supermarket in my gym clothes without makeup (something I am sure a celebrity would never do), it is likely I will run into at least one student with his or her family, who will then pin me down for a 20 minute conversation. If I go out to a restaurant or bar and order an alcoholic drink, I am always aware if a student’s parent is around, and limit myself accordingly. There are situations in which I could get into trouble, or even fired, if it is witnessed that I have engaged in a certain behavior publicly. Alas, I am also not compensated monetarily for the loss of this privacy, nor do I get many perks, other than those intrinsic inspiring moments I have from day to day and the fulfillment I get from my career.
So, as for the celebrities private lives? I think they should be left alone. However, it seems that the rest of the country doesn’t necessarily agree. Now, where’s my People Magazine?
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Sunday, September 26, 2010
A Review of The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood
This is the sequel to Oryx and Crake, reviewed previously on this blog. In this part of the continuing tale in the MaddAddam trilogy, we meet Ren (short for Brenda) and Toby, two of God's Gardners, neither of whom feels worthy of being in the greenie sect, mostly organized by Adam One, but truly and more honestly by Zeb. All of the leaders of GG are named Eves or Adams, and Adam One has missives that begin each chapter, or each change of narration between Toby and Ren. Each of these ladies has survived the Waterless Flood, foretold by Adam One to be forthcoming. Ms. Atwood weaves in Jimmy and Glenn/Crake from the first story, but deepens the story and adds more narration of the time after the virus has wiped most of humanity out. We discover that there are quite a few survivors, other than Jimmy/Snowman, who only emerges at the end of this book.
This tale has a lot less of the originality of the first one, but in many ways is more satisfying, as a story of a terribly fragile, SeksMart worker (Ren) and an extremely resilient Eve Six (Toby). Amanda Payne, Jimmy's girlfriend from the first book, is Ren's best friend, and quite an interesting character in this story. We learn her origins and her survival afterward, mostly from Ren's tale.
While this book was enjoyable, I liked it both more and less than the first book. At the beginning of each section, Ms. Atwood writes Adam One's sermon for each "saint" that the Gardeners worship. Everyone from Dian Fossey to Karen Silkwood is a saint to the Gardeners. These "sermons" followed by a hymn from The God's Gardeners Oral Hymnbook, were abundant, and quite boring. I stopped reading them halfway through, except to skim in case I missed any narrative detail. I didn't enjoy that part of this story. I understand that it was important to understanding the God's Gardeners, but it was uninteresting and irrelevant, except to sermonize.
Overall, I liked this story. It was different and similar to Oryx and Crake, but less depressing with a lot more hope at the end, and truly all the way through. In this tale, we are given more narration and understanding of all that has occurred, and less of the hopelessness of the situation. Not all of humanity is dead; many have survived, and other humans besides the Crakers.
I do intend to read the final tale in the MaddAddam trilogy.
This tale has a lot less of the originality of the first one, but in many ways is more satisfying, as a story of a terribly fragile, SeksMart worker (Ren) and an extremely resilient Eve Six (Toby). Amanda Payne, Jimmy's girlfriend from the first book, is Ren's best friend, and quite an interesting character in this story. We learn her origins and her survival afterward, mostly from Ren's tale.
While this book was enjoyable, I liked it both more and less than the first book. At the beginning of each section, Ms. Atwood writes Adam One's sermon for each "saint" that the Gardeners worship. Everyone from Dian Fossey to Karen Silkwood is a saint to the Gardeners. These "sermons" followed by a hymn from The God's Gardeners Oral Hymnbook, were abundant, and quite boring. I stopped reading them halfway through, except to skim in case I missed any narrative detail. I didn't enjoy that part of this story. I understand that it was important to understanding the God's Gardeners, but it was uninteresting and irrelevant, except to sermonize.
Overall, I liked this story. It was different and similar to Oryx and Crake, but less depressing with a lot more hope at the end, and truly all the way through. In this tale, we are given more narration and understanding of all that has occurred, and less of the hopelessness of the situation. Not all of humanity is dead; many have survived, and other humans besides the Crakers.
I do intend to read the final tale in the MaddAddam trilogy.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Update
Hello all,
I recently began another school year (I am a public school teacher for any of you who don't know me personally). I also switched grade levels. It's been interesting and quite busy. I have not had as much time to read, so it may be a while until I get to something I can review. My writing class begins again on the 30th, so I should definitely have some things to post then. Looking forward to it....
Regards,
GBG
I recently began another school year (I am a public school teacher for any of you who don't know me personally). I also switched grade levels. It's been interesting and quite busy. I have not had as much time to read, so it may be a while until I get to something I can review. My writing class begins again on the 30th, so I should definitely have some things to post then. Looking forward to it....
Regards,
GBG
Monday, September 6, 2010
A Review of The Passage by Justin Cronin
Funny enough, The Passage is a post-Apocalyptic tale in much the same vein as Oryx and Crake- life after a virus has destroyed most of the world. Unlike Oryx and Crake, the virus in Mr. Cronin's book is one that changes human beings into vampires with one bite. These are not the typical suave and sexy vampires that have been depicted since Bram Stoker wrote Dracula, these are beasts. Mindless, bloodthirsty, rip people into literal pieces beasts.
This book was interesting on several levels. First, it was nearly 800 pages long. That's a lot of set up, and a lot of post-virus world. This story is apparently part of a trilogy as well, although this first story was just published. The story is broken into many sections, and written in many different formats, which was both interesting and annoying. The story is not narrated by any one character, perhaps because their lives are often so fleeting. There are sections written as journal accounts, written by different characters.
The best part about that is that the story doesn't get boring because you are only hearing from one character. The "main" character in the story, if there is one, is Amy. Amy is both from the "Time Before" (our time now- the story begins about 8 years from now) and the "Time After". Before and After refer to the virus wiping most everyone out. Amy is young girl purposely infected with the virus in the Time Before and who is still around in the Time After. She is the one piece that gives the story its continuity and she is the least understood character.
I know I normally write a summary of the story, but I find that the scope of this book is such that I would have to write quite a lot- too much really- to explain adequately without giving things away that the reader should find out for him- or herself.
I will say that the second half of the book was better than the first. I enjoyed the characters and the story better in the Time After than the setup for how the virus has come to be and how it escapes.
There are clear good and bad guys in this story, and truly, it is a tale of good versus evil. But the last third contains a group of friends who set out on a mission and this is the part that was the most entertaining.
I feel it is necessary to point out a few specifics about this story. One of the things I enjoyed the most was the author's writing style. His writing is truly beautiful. He has a real talent for making it easy to visualize his world and for making you feel the intense pain and suffering his characters feel. He is an extremely talented writer. However, this story borrows heavily from quite a few other books I've read, and while this is an original story, it is also not original. There was quite a bit of The Stand, Lord of the Rings, A Game of Thrones and even The Lottery, for those of you who remember that short story from high school English syllabi. While Mr. Cronin makes the story work, it also feels like he borrowed too much at times.
I really can't explain much more than that. I do intend to continue whenever the next book comes out (too much suspense not to!). I would recommend it, but be prepared.
This book was interesting on several levels. First, it was nearly 800 pages long. That's a lot of set up, and a lot of post-virus world. This story is apparently part of a trilogy as well, although this first story was just published. The story is broken into many sections, and written in many different formats, which was both interesting and annoying. The story is not narrated by any one character, perhaps because their lives are often so fleeting. There are sections written as journal accounts, written by different characters.
The best part about that is that the story doesn't get boring because you are only hearing from one character. The "main" character in the story, if there is one, is Amy. Amy is both from the "Time Before" (our time now- the story begins about 8 years from now) and the "Time After". Before and After refer to the virus wiping most everyone out. Amy is young girl purposely infected with the virus in the Time Before and who is still around in the Time After. She is the one piece that gives the story its continuity and she is the least understood character.
I know I normally write a summary of the story, but I find that the scope of this book is such that I would have to write quite a lot- too much really- to explain adequately without giving things away that the reader should find out for him- or herself.
I will say that the second half of the book was better than the first. I enjoyed the characters and the story better in the Time After than the setup for how the virus has come to be and how it escapes.
There are clear good and bad guys in this story, and truly, it is a tale of good versus evil. But the last third contains a group of friends who set out on a mission and this is the part that was the most entertaining.
I feel it is necessary to point out a few specifics about this story. One of the things I enjoyed the most was the author's writing style. His writing is truly beautiful. He has a real talent for making it easy to visualize his world and for making you feel the intense pain and suffering his characters feel. He is an extremely talented writer. However, this story borrows heavily from quite a few other books I've read, and while this is an original story, it is also not original. There was quite a bit of The Stand, Lord of the Rings, A Game of Thrones and even The Lottery, for those of you who remember that short story from high school English syllabi. While Mr. Cronin makes the story work, it also feels like he borrowed too much at times.
I really can't explain much more than that. I do intend to continue whenever the next book comes out (too much suspense not to!). I would recommend it, but be prepared.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Saturday, August 21, 2010
A Review of Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
What a terrifying tale of the future that Margaret Atwood has envisioned for humanity. The story of Oryx and Crake is actually the story of Snowman, whose real name is Jimmy, and is the narrator of this post-Orwellian nightmare. I was not aware that this is the first book in a series, called the MaddAddam Trilogy, until after I had begun reading it, but I will most definitely continue with the other two books.
Snowman is narrating this tale as one of the very few humans left alive. Some ravaging disease, something engineered by man and has Ebola-like tendencies to reduce its victims to a liquified, bloody mess, has eliminated everyone, at least as far as Snowman knows. He is not sure whether there are any other humans like him left, but there are the Children of Crake living nearby, or Crakers as Snowman calls them, humanoid beings engineered by Crake, who was a "frenemy" of Jimmy's before the plague.
The flashbacks of life before, told from Jimmy's perspective, narrate a world divided into areas of science, known as Compounds, whose inhabitants are those brainiacs who engineer all of modern medicine and who live isolated, perfect lives away from the rest of humanity (Jimmy's first home is in the compound HealthWyzer). Everyone else lives in the "pleeblands" (LOVE that term!), areas where life is not much different than the here and now that we enjoy. Jimmy and Crake live in one such compound growing up, and there they enjoy a sheltered existence. Eventually they both go away to colleges and Crake becomes a scientist at the most wealthy and well-known compound, RejoovenEsense, while Jimmy is a low-earning copy writer for AnooYoo.
The main story narrates Jimmy's so-called life after the plague, and mainly shows his struggle to remain sane as he is alone on earth, even though he is not technically alone.
This story is one of the most creatively written stories I have ever read. Ms. Atwood's ability to build upon reality and successfully weave her fantasy is refreshing. One of my favorite aspects of the novel were the various animals that she had the scientists invent. Pigoons, for instance, are quite prominent in the tale. A pigoon is a genetically-modified pig that is used to grow transplant organs, but Jimmy suspects that they are used for food as well, which brings up an interesting canibalistic overtone. This very clearly reminded me of another terrific book, Never Let Me Go, by Kazuo Ishiguro. That had a similar theme and was also quite a nightmarish tale, but very different from this one. One main difference is Ms. Atwood's ability to inject humor into such a dark story. It is, of course, dark humor, but unlikely all the same.
To some extent, this story reminded me of The Stand by Stephen King. The Stand was more focused on the aftermath, rather than building the world which spawned the before. I am wondering if the other two books will focus more on the after. It did seem that the main question that arises from the reader (how humanity got wiped out) was indeed answered, but the after story line, that of Snowman rather than Jimmy, was left unanswered.
If you like a good, cautionary tale, one with a lot of imagination and quite a bit of social commentary mixed in, I would highly recommend this book. I am looking forward to reading the rest of the MaddAddam series.
Snowman is narrating this tale as one of the very few humans left alive. Some ravaging disease, something engineered by man and has Ebola-like tendencies to reduce its victims to a liquified, bloody mess, has eliminated everyone, at least as far as Snowman knows. He is not sure whether there are any other humans like him left, but there are the Children of Crake living nearby, or Crakers as Snowman calls them, humanoid beings engineered by Crake, who was a "frenemy" of Jimmy's before the plague.
The flashbacks of life before, told from Jimmy's perspective, narrate a world divided into areas of science, known as Compounds, whose inhabitants are those brainiacs who engineer all of modern medicine and who live isolated, perfect lives away from the rest of humanity (Jimmy's first home is in the compound HealthWyzer). Everyone else lives in the "pleeblands" (LOVE that term!), areas where life is not much different than the here and now that we enjoy. Jimmy and Crake live in one such compound growing up, and there they enjoy a sheltered existence. Eventually they both go away to colleges and Crake becomes a scientist at the most wealthy and well-known compound, RejoovenEsense, while Jimmy is a low-earning copy writer for AnooYoo.
The main story narrates Jimmy's so-called life after the plague, and mainly shows his struggle to remain sane as he is alone on earth, even though he is not technically alone.
This story is one of the most creatively written stories I have ever read. Ms. Atwood's ability to build upon reality and successfully weave her fantasy is refreshing. One of my favorite aspects of the novel were the various animals that she had the scientists invent. Pigoons, for instance, are quite prominent in the tale. A pigoon is a genetically-modified pig that is used to grow transplant organs, but Jimmy suspects that they are used for food as well, which brings up an interesting canibalistic overtone. This very clearly reminded me of another terrific book, Never Let Me Go, by Kazuo Ishiguro. That had a similar theme and was also quite a nightmarish tale, but very different from this one. One main difference is Ms. Atwood's ability to inject humor into such a dark story. It is, of course, dark humor, but unlikely all the same.
To some extent, this story reminded me of The Stand by Stephen King. The Stand was more focused on the aftermath, rather than building the world which spawned the before. I am wondering if the other two books will focus more on the after. It did seem that the main question that arises from the reader (how humanity got wiped out) was indeed answered, but the after story line, that of Snowman rather than Jimmy, was left unanswered.
If you like a good, cautionary tale, one with a lot of imagination and quite a bit of social commentary mixed in, I would highly recommend this book. I am looking forward to reading the rest of the MaddAddam series.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Saturday, August 7, 2010
A Review of Little Bee by Chris Cleave
Little Bee is primarily the story of two women, Little Bee and Sarah, who met under extreme circumstances in Bee's home country of Nigeria. Sarah was there with her husband, Andrew, and met Little Bee and her sister Nkiruka, on the beach where they were being chased by "the men who come"- army men intent upon killing them. The story begins with Little Bee's incarceration as an illegal immigrant in England, two years after her fateful meeting with Sarah. She is attempting to escape the murderers of her entire village, unluckily built upon an oil field.
This story contains many secrets; the secret of Little Bee's escape from the "men who come", the true nature of Andrew's suicide, which happens at the beginning of the story, the secret of why Charlie, Sarah and Andrew's four year old son, will only wear his Batman costume, and the secret of Little Bee's true name. It is told chapter by chapter, alternating narrators between Sarah and Bee.
While this story was extremely powerful and had a terrific message, it was not especially to my liking. I found it very sad, and while the story redeemed Sarah as a character (she is particularly flawed, but not unrealistically so), Little Bee was not given the same redemption. Perhaps this is simply true to life; that a sixteen year old girl who lived through atrocities in her own country, escaped illegally to try and seek refuge in England, and was not truly helped by anyone she came across is an accurate portrayal of this type of situation. It is true that Sarah did try to help Little Bee, and more than once. Again, this seems to be to Sarah's credit, but not as much to Little Bee's.
This story is well-written and engaging, in a sad sort of manner, but in all, I did not truly enjoy it. It lacked some fundamental element that can make a depressing story seem worthwhile. I am reminded of my favorite novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston. This tale is also quite sad, but is so encompassing, so amazingly joyful at the same time, that you are left (as I was, all 10 times I read it) with an uplifted feeling at the end. That is what I felt was missing from this story.
This story contains many secrets; the secret of Little Bee's escape from the "men who come", the true nature of Andrew's suicide, which happens at the beginning of the story, the secret of why Charlie, Sarah and Andrew's four year old son, will only wear his Batman costume, and the secret of Little Bee's true name. It is told chapter by chapter, alternating narrators between Sarah and Bee.
While this story was extremely powerful and had a terrific message, it was not especially to my liking. I found it very sad, and while the story redeemed Sarah as a character (she is particularly flawed, but not unrealistically so), Little Bee was not given the same redemption. Perhaps this is simply true to life; that a sixteen year old girl who lived through atrocities in her own country, escaped illegally to try and seek refuge in England, and was not truly helped by anyone she came across is an accurate portrayal of this type of situation. It is true that Sarah did try to help Little Bee, and more than once. Again, this seems to be to Sarah's credit, but not as much to Little Bee's.
This story is well-written and engaging, in a sad sort of manner, but in all, I did not truly enjoy it. It lacked some fundamental element that can make a depressing story seem worthwhile. I am reminded of my favorite novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston. This tale is also quite sad, but is so encompassing, so amazingly joyful at the same time, that you are left (as I was, all 10 times I read it) with an uplifted feeling at the end. That is what I felt was missing from this story.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Saturday, July 17, 2010
A Review of Shanghai Girls by Lisa See
Shanghai Girls is a novel set in both China and America. It is the story of two sisters, Pearl and May, who are "beautiful girls" in the 1930's in Shanghai. They have traditional Chinese parents, and although they are educated, really don't do much besides hang out with "artists and intellectuals" and pose for one particular artist who paints pictures of them for calendars that sell different products, hence the term "beautiful girls". They argue, as any sisters do, but are always friends. Eventually, various circumstances force them to leave China for America, not the least of which is the invasion of Shanghai by the Japanese, who Pearl and the other Chinese feel much vitriolic hatred for and refer to as "monkey people". The girls survive a terrible ordeal on their journey, as they try to make it to San Francisco. They are detained at Angel Island as new immigrants and must try to outwit the government employees there in order to continue on to Los Angeles, where the two girls have husbands through arranged marriages.
This novel is one that incorporates some very difficult themes, including racism, sexism, traditionalism and the clashing of religions and cultures. But ultimately, this is the story of sisterhood, which is something that truly trancends all of these heavy issues. The sisters go through everything together, even childbirth, and although they each harbor jealousy for the other- who was loved more by their parents, or by Pearl's daughter, Joy?- but realize at each point of heartbreak or change throughout the story that the love of a sister is one that is more lasting than the love of parents, husbands or children. All of those aforementioned will leave or disappoint, May argues to Pearl, but your sister is with you forever.
This novel is written with a strong narrative drive. The story pushes through every issue, every terrible situation Pearl and May face. Even the end of the story is not a wrap-up type ending, but simply continues. That being the case, it is a very realistic tale, as it is meant to be. I was struck by both its highs and lows, the stark reality that these women had to face; the reality of being a woman in Chinese culture, of losing everyone, including yourself to circumstances beyond your control, to leaving everything you have ever known to move to a foreign country that treats you with contempt, even hatred. And yet these women love, but they especially love one another.
In all, I found Shanghai Girls to be a fast-paced story; although heavy in subject matter at times, it was an easy read and a fascinating tale. I would recommend it to all readers.
This novel is one that incorporates some very difficult themes, including racism, sexism, traditionalism and the clashing of religions and cultures. But ultimately, this is the story of sisterhood, which is something that truly trancends all of these heavy issues. The sisters go through everything together, even childbirth, and although they each harbor jealousy for the other- who was loved more by their parents, or by Pearl's daughter, Joy?- but realize at each point of heartbreak or change throughout the story that the love of a sister is one that is more lasting than the love of parents, husbands or children. All of those aforementioned will leave or disappoint, May argues to Pearl, but your sister is with you forever.
This novel is written with a strong narrative drive. The story pushes through every issue, every terrible situation Pearl and May face. Even the end of the story is not a wrap-up type ending, but simply continues. That being the case, it is a very realistic tale, as it is meant to be. I was struck by both its highs and lows, the stark reality that these women had to face; the reality of being a woman in Chinese culture, of losing everyone, including yourself to circumstances beyond your control, to leaving everything you have ever known to move to a foreign country that treats you with contempt, even hatred. And yet these women love, but they especially love one another.
In all, I found Shanghai Girls to be a fast-paced story; although heavy in subject matter at times, it was an easy read and a fascinating tale. I would recommend it to all readers.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Monday, July 5, 2010
A Review of Leaving Unknown by Kerri Reichs
Leaving Unknown was a book I chose for no other reason than the blurb on the back sounded interesting. I had pegged this novel for a beach read, a decent-sounding chick lit story. It is in fact, just that.
Let me start by saying that I have absolutely no problem reading beachy chick lit. I love it, especially if I happen to be on summer vacation, or actually on the beach.
This was the engaging story of Maeve Connolly, a slightly neurotic twenty-something who can't seem to get past her consistent "bad luck". Maeve is scattered, always trying to seek something beyond her simple existence living in North Carolina. She has taken 7 1/2 years to graduate college, is in serious debt, lives with a foul-mouthed cockatiel named Oliver, and drives an ancient car she names Elsie.
Seemingly on a whim, she decides to drive across country to make a new life in LA. She has a "friend" that she can stay with so she sells all of her belongings to set out. Along the way, she breaks down a few times, but Elsie truly breaks just outside Unknown, Arizona. Maeve is forced to stay until her car can be fixed, but becomes enchanted with the people and the atmosphere. Without ruining the story, we learn that there is a lot more to Maeve than the bubbleheaded scatterbrain that she appears to be, and she becomes an entirely engaging character, right along with the others the author presents.
Honestly speaking, I found myself very irritated with Maeve in the beginning of the story. She was a likeable character, but her actions were so irresponsible that I wasn't sure I was going to enjoy her as the heroine of the story. However, it turned out that the author was skillfully hiding Maeve's true story as well as who she truly is, mostly because Maeve herself doesn't know. Events in Maeve's life have changed it's original course and honestly, although the author had quite a bit of hinting in the story, I didn't see it. But it was a pleasant surprise to find that this tale had more depth than expected.
The supporting characters in this story are quite colorful, if fanciful, but they lend an air of credibility to Maeve's escapades that would be somewhat difficult to swallow otherwise. There is one particular scene in which Maeve acts particularly heroically that while not out of character for her, is a bit far-fetched.
But the fanciful bits of this tale are what lends it its charm, and made it a fun, easy read. I would suggest it for those who like this type of fun, easy story to read on the beach, or really anywhere you want to be entertained.
Let me start by saying that I have absolutely no problem reading beachy chick lit. I love it, especially if I happen to be on summer vacation, or actually on the beach.
This was the engaging story of Maeve Connolly, a slightly neurotic twenty-something who can't seem to get past her consistent "bad luck". Maeve is scattered, always trying to seek something beyond her simple existence living in North Carolina. She has taken 7 1/2 years to graduate college, is in serious debt, lives with a foul-mouthed cockatiel named Oliver, and drives an ancient car she names Elsie.
Seemingly on a whim, she decides to drive across country to make a new life in LA. She has a "friend" that she can stay with so she sells all of her belongings to set out. Along the way, she breaks down a few times, but Elsie truly breaks just outside Unknown, Arizona. Maeve is forced to stay until her car can be fixed, but becomes enchanted with the people and the atmosphere. Without ruining the story, we learn that there is a lot more to Maeve than the bubbleheaded scatterbrain that she appears to be, and she becomes an entirely engaging character, right along with the others the author presents.
Honestly speaking, I found myself very irritated with Maeve in the beginning of the story. She was a likeable character, but her actions were so irresponsible that I wasn't sure I was going to enjoy her as the heroine of the story. However, it turned out that the author was skillfully hiding Maeve's true story as well as who she truly is, mostly because Maeve herself doesn't know. Events in Maeve's life have changed it's original course and honestly, although the author had quite a bit of hinting in the story, I didn't see it. But it was a pleasant surprise to find that this tale had more depth than expected.
The supporting characters in this story are quite colorful, if fanciful, but they lend an air of credibility to Maeve's escapades that would be somewhat difficult to swallow otherwise. There is one particular scene in which Maeve acts particularly heroically that while not out of character for her, is a bit far-fetched.
But the fanciful bits of this tale are what lends it its charm, and made it a fun, easy read. I would suggest it for those who like this type of fun, easy story to read on the beach, or really anywhere you want to be entertained.
Monday, June 28, 2010
A Review of Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
Cutting for Stone is the sweeping, vibrant story of twin boys, Marion and Shiva Stone. The book begins with a history of how their parents, English physician Thomas Stone and Indian nun Sister Mary Joseph Praise, came to know each other while working in "Missing" hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. We as the readers are mostly unaware of any romantic relationship between these two characters, but Sister Mary begins a complicated labor that results in her death and the abandonment of the twin boys by their father. The first part of the story is told by these two characters, as well as the eventual parents of Shiva and Marion, Missing physicians Hema and Ghosh. Both of these doctors are originally from India, but live and work in Ethiopia, treating the destitute when no one else will. The rest of the story is told from Marion's point of view; his childhood with brother Shiva and de-facto sister, Genet. Marion eventually leaves Ethiopia where he's been training to be a doctor, as is Shiva. The remainder of the story, the last 1/3, takes place in New York City.
This book was quite interesting on several levels. First, the author is himself a physician. He writes with a great deal of medical perspective, which is both fascinating, and a bit off-putting to the average lay-person. His analogies can be quite graphic, as he compares movement to swarming maggots, or graphically depicts the reconstruction of a vaginal fistula. Personally, I am very interested in medicine and surgery. Most of these similies and descriptions didn't bother me, but I could see how they might be a turn off to some. Also, Dr. Verghese's use of language is erudite in the extreme. He is obviously an accomplished writer, but again, your average reader might be turned off by the numerous trips to the dictionary just to understand a couple of pages of text.
I found the first section of this story, at least 100 pages, to be very slow moving. The author was telling the story of a very violent, bloody birth and took an absurd amount of pages to get to the point. I was not optimistic for the rest of the story, but I found that after that point, it was a much smoother tale.
I did very much enjoy the unpredictability of his story; nearly everything was a surprise. Perhaps if I had some background knowledge of Ethiopian history, I might have been better able to predict some of the events. I did get to learn a bit about a different culture, which is always enjoyable. Dr. Verghese must be intimately familiar with the cultures and languages of this African country and capital city that he depicts in such rich detail.
In all, I would recommend this story but with caution. Some of the issues I noted might cause readers to become discouraged or bored reading this tale. I found it worth the diligence that was needed to get through the beginning, as well as the vocabulary. I was very glad to have spent time with these characters.
This book was quite interesting on several levels. First, the author is himself a physician. He writes with a great deal of medical perspective, which is both fascinating, and a bit off-putting to the average lay-person. His analogies can be quite graphic, as he compares movement to swarming maggots, or graphically depicts the reconstruction of a vaginal fistula. Personally, I am very interested in medicine and surgery. Most of these similies and descriptions didn't bother me, but I could see how they might be a turn off to some. Also, Dr. Verghese's use of language is erudite in the extreme. He is obviously an accomplished writer, but again, your average reader might be turned off by the numerous trips to the dictionary just to understand a couple of pages of text.
I found the first section of this story, at least 100 pages, to be very slow moving. The author was telling the story of a very violent, bloody birth and took an absurd amount of pages to get to the point. I was not optimistic for the rest of the story, but I found that after that point, it was a much smoother tale.
I did very much enjoy the unpredictability of his story; nearly everything was a surprise. Perhaps if I had some background knowledge of Ethiopian history, I might have been better able to predict some of the events. I did get to learn a bit about a different culture, which is always enjoyable. Dr. Verghese must be intimately familiar with the cultures and languages of this African country and capital city that he depicts in such rich detail.
In all, I would recommend this story but with caution. Some of the issues I noted might cause readers to become discouraged or bored reading this tale. I found it worth the diligence that was needed to get through the beginning, as well as the vocabulary. I was very glad to have spent time with these characters.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Reading as fast as I can!
Ok, I am reading Cutting for Stone, but I have to admit, it's slow going. The book is around 700 pages, and I am only up to 100 pages. I am finding it hard to get into, so I am not sure if that bodes well for the rest of the book. I will try to finish it and post my review. I have many other books to read and review for the summer. Looking forward to it!
Regards,
GBG
Regards,
GBG
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Friday, June 11, 2010
Next?
Hello everyone,
These next couple of weeks are the end of my school year. I am not going to be able to post much. I am still looking for my next book to review or perhaps a topic to write about. As soon as the year is out, you will definitely be hearing from me again!
Regards,
GBG
These next couple of weeks are the end of my school year. I am not going to be able to post much. I am still looking for my next book to review or perhaps a topic to write about. As soon as the year is out, you will definitely be hearing from me again!
Regards,
GBG
Sunday, June 6, 2010
A review of Delivering Happiness by Tony Hsieh
After reading Delivering Happiness, by Tony Hsieh, I only have one word to say. WOW! Mostly, I read fiction. One of the things I enjoy the most is living in the world the author has created for a while. Usually, the more unrealistic the world, the harder time I have 'reintegrating' back into the real one. Well, the world of Zappos, the online shoe empire, is a real one. And after I finished reading this account of the life of Tony Hsieh and the creation and rise of Zappos, I want to live in his world!
Tony Hsieh and I are exactly the same age. We went to college at the same time, in the same state even, but my experiences were very different from his. His desire to recreate a tribe of people who support each other is an admirable one, and one I remember having myself after college was over. I would never have believed it possible to sustain this sort of experience, but he has done exactly that. He has created the ideal business world in Zappos, one in which the individual is valued and seen as a valuable commodity to be invested in, rather than squeezed for every last drop of life before the person quits from burnout.
The descriptions of Tony's early childhood experiences as an entrepreneur are very vivid, and for a (I hesitate to use the word, since it doesn't quite feel accurate) contemporary, I can picture his labors over worm farms, lemonade stands and the like while picturing my own childhood endeavors (a jewelry business with my sister, and once even a junk store on vacation in Canada!).
Tony claims to be a terrible writer, but contrary to that claim, he tells his story with both flair and vivid detail, engaging the reader right away. The story begins with his personal life and how it evolved into his early business, LinkExchange. It then begins to detail the early years of Zappos and how it came to be, utilizing interesting bon mots from employees as well as the other honchos of the business.
Toward the end, the book felt less like a story, and more like a manual of how to make your business one like Zappos, which is a fine thing to strive for, in my opinion. I don't personally work in corporate America; I have heard the stories from others of situations and work environments that sound mind numbing and horrible. It is one of the reasons why I did not lean in that direction for a career. However, while reading about the "culture" of Zappos, one of the things that the company prides itself on very strongly, I found myself wondering if I'd fit in, if the people there would see me as a good fit. I think that is a huge accomplishment for someone who is not interested in working in a corporate environment to wonder if it wouldn't be a fine idea to work for this corporation. It shows that they must be on to something very special.
The title, Delivering Happiness, has a dual meaning. As a steady patron of Zappos myself, I was unaware of their "culture" as a company. I love shoes, and they definitely delivered that happiness to me on multiple occasions. The description of this culture in the book reminds me of the old saying that it takes a village to raise a child. Tony Hsieh delivers happiness to his customers while simultaneously encouraging his employees to find it within their work. The emphasis is on customer service, but it is clear that he is also very interested in his employees finding happiness of their own, not just delivering it to others.
This book is inspiring; I found myself thinking of ways I could incorporate Zappos 10 Core Values into my workplace, although in education, many of these are integral to what we do already. My favorite core value is definitely "Create Fun and A Little Weirdness". That sounds a lot like what I strive for on a daily basis, and it's nice to know others do, too.
I was sent two advance copies of this book by the Delivering Happiness team after hearing of the promotion from another blogger. I admit, I thought it was a bit too pushy, but after reading this book, I am wholeheartedly advising others to visit Tony Hsieh's world as well. I recommend this book to shoe lovers, corporate workers, and pretty much everyone else. You won't be sorry after visiting the world of Zappos. I promise.
See below for a link to the book at Amazon.com
or visit:
http://www.deliveringhappinessbook.com
Tony Hsieh and I are exactly the same age. We went to college at the same time, in the same state even, but my experiences were very different from his. His desire to recreate a tribe of people who support each other is an admirable one, and one I remember having myself after college was over. I would never have believed it possible to sustain this sort of experience, but he has done exactly that. He has created the ideal business world in Zappos, one in which the individual is valued and seen as a valuable commodity to be invested in, rather than squeezed for every last drop of life before the person quits from burnout.
The descriptions of Tony's early childhood experiences as an entrepreneur are very vivid, and for a (I hesitate to use the word, since it doesn't quite feel accurate) contemporary, I can picture his labors over worm farms, lemonade stands and the like while picturing my own childhood endeavors (a jewelry business with my sister, and once even a junk store on vacation in Canada!).
Tony claims to be a terrible writer, but contrary to that claim, he tells his story with both flair and vivid detail, engaging the reader right away. The story begins with his personal life and how it evolved into his early business, LinkExchange. It then begins to detail the early years of Zappos and how it came to be, utilizing interesting bon mots from employees as well as the other honchos of the business.
Toward the end, the book felt less like a story, and more like a manual of how to make your business one like Zappos, which is a fine thing to strive for, in my opinion. I don't personally work in corporate America; I have heard the stories from others of situations and work environments that sound mind numbing and horrible. It is one of the reasons why I did not lean in that direction for a career. However, while reading about the "culture" of Zappos, one of the things that the company prides itself on very strongly, I found myself wondering if I'd fit in, if the people there would see me as a good fit. I think that is a huge accomplishment for someone who is not interested in working in a corporate environment to wonder if it wouldn't be a fine idea to work for this corporation. It shows that they must be on to something very special.
The title, Delivering Happiness, has a dual meaning. As a steady patron of Zappos myself, I was unaware of their "culture" as a company. I love shoes, and they definitely delivered that happiness to me on multiple occasions. The description of this culture in the book reminds me of the old saying that it takes a village to raise a child. Tony Hsieh delivers happiness to his customers while simultaneously encouraging his employees to find it within their work. The emphasis is on customer service, but it is clear that he is also very interested in his employees finding happiness of their own, not just delivering it to others.
This book is inspiring; I found myself thinking of ways I could incorporate Zappos 10 Core Values into my workplace, although in education, many of these are integral to what we do already. My favorite core value is definitely "Create Fun and A Little Weirdness". That sounds a lot like what I strive for on a daily basis, and it's nice to know others do, too.
I was sent two advance copies of this book by the Delivering Happiness team after hearing of the promotion from another blogger. I admit, I thought it was a bit too pushy, but after reading this book, I am wholeheartedly advising others to visit Tony Hsieh's world as well. I recommend this book to shoe lovers, corporate workers, and pretty much everyone else. You won't be sorry after visiting the world of Zappos. I promise.
See below for a link to the book at Amazon.com
or visit:
http://www.deliveringhappinessbook.com
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Still Waiting
I am told by Tony Hsieh's book team that my copies of Delivering Happiness are on their way, but I have yet to receive them. Unfortunately, the review is supposed to be posted on my blog by June 6! I do read fast, but if I don't actually have the book, I'm thinking I won't be getting it up there by then. I will try to post some other things in the meantime.
Regards,
GBG
I wanted to edit this to write that when my books didn't arrive as promised, I emailed the people several times, and they always responded personally and courteously. I think that is the perfect example of the customer service Zappos is famous for. And I wasn't even buying shoes!
Regards,
GBG
I wanted to edit this to write that when my books didn't arrive as promised, I emailed the people several times, and they always responded personally and courteously. I think that is the perfect example of the customer service Zappos is famous for. And I wasn't even buying shoes!
Friday, May 28, 2010
Thursday, May 27, 2010
A review of The Girls of Cincinnati by Jack Engelhard
The Girls of Cincinnati begins with a zinger of a one liner. “Anyway, I hired her.” I actually thought for a moment that I had missed something that came before. When I realized that it was what came after, I was hooked. The “I” in question is Eli Brilliant, and the “her” is Sonja Frick, a psychic, and possibly psychotic, telemarketer. Eli, the manager of the telemarketers in a carpet store, hires Sonja despite the fact that she threatens his would-be girlfriend, Stephanie Eaton. Eli and Stephanie broke up eight months earlier, after she proposed marriage, which Eli declined for fear that his acting career would be sublimated to working in the Eaton family business. He realizes his mistake, especially after he spends several months in New York City, trying unsuccessfully to be an actor, and possibly murdering a man who was beating his son on the street. Eli has returned to Cincinnati with his tail between his legs. Stephanie, who went to California during that time, has returned having had “experiences” outside her sheltered rich-girl life.
Cincinnati is enhanced by the secondary characters, notably Fat Jack, a salesman at the carpet store who continually berates Eli about work, while also trying to play matchmaker with Stephanie. He, along with Eli, provides a jaded view of the business world, one in which business is always failing. At one point, Eli comes into work and finds Going Out of Business signs in the window. He is both sad and relieved, perhaps because he would at that point be forced into change, but Fat Jack explains that this is just another way to sell, and the business is fine.
The story is part character sketch and part social commentary, all written with a tongue-in-cheek flair. The story has a less modern feel to it, as if the characters are living in the 1950’s rather than today. Eli chases women, or rather, they chase him, but he doesn’t seem to mind. Quite a few different women wind up in his bed “by accident” or at least after Eli tries to tell them they can’t come home with him. Of course for most women, as soon as a man professes his disinterest for them, that whets their appetites, making them want him all the more. Perhaps this is the strategy Eli uses, albeit unconsciously.
Eli is an interesting mixture. He is a modern man, not unwilling to sleep with pretty much any woman around, but he professes disdain for most of these women, especially those from Kentucky, who are, in his mind, low class. Eli finds most women “moody” but seems almost fascinated by their moodiness. Marie, one of his telemarketers, doesn’t speak to him for weeks, and he is intrigued as to the reasons behind this. Sonja is genuinely crazy, and yet Eli hesitates to fire her, for fear of what she might do, especially to Stephanie. Eli is very passive, allowing life to happen around him, but unwilling to do anything to choose his path. This is frustrating to the other characters of the story, all of whom want Eli to make a choice; a career choice, a marriage choice, any choice at all.
On the whole, I found this story to be a fascinating one. It is written without frills, in a rhythm that is smooth and lacking in melodrama. The big events of the story are told without overstating the obvious, and without any sappy emotional scenes. It is refreshing to read a story that is boiled down, one that doesn’t get itself mired in extraneous information or analysis. I would recommend this book to all readers.
Cincinnati is enhanced by the secondary characters, notably Fat Jack, a salesman at the carpet store who continually berates Eli about work, while also trying to play matchmaker with Stephanie. He, along with Eli, provides a jaded view of the business world, one in which business is always failing. At one point, Eli comes into work and finds Going Out of Business signs in the window. He is both sad and relieved, perhaps because he would at that point be forced into change, but Fat Jack explains that this is just another way to sell, and the business is fine.
The story is part character sketch and part social commentary, all written with a tongue-in-cheek flair. The story has a less modern feel to it, as if the characters are living in the 1950’s rather than today. Eli chases women, or rather, they chase him, but he doesn’t seem to mind. Quite a few different women wind up in his bed “by accident” or at least after Eli tries to tell them they can’t come home with him. Of course for most women, as soon as a man professes his disinterest for them, that whets their appetites, making them want him all the more. Perhaps this is the strategy Eli uses, albeit unconsciously.
Eli is an interesting mixture. He is a modern man, not unwilling to sleep with pretty much any woman around, but he professes disdain for most of these women, especially those from Kentucky, who are, in his mind, low class. Eli finds most women “moody” but seems almost fascinated by their moodiness. Marie, one of his telemarketers, doesn’t speak to him for weeks, and he is intrigued as to the reasons behind this. Sonja is genuinely crazy, and yet Eli hesitates to fire her, for fear of what she might do, especially to Stephanie. Eli is very passive, allowing life to happen around him, but unwilling to do anything to choose his path. This is frustrating to the other characters of the story, all of whom want Eli to make a choice; a career choice, a marriage choice, any choice at all.
On the whole, I found this story to be a fascinating one. It is written without frills, in a rhythm that is smooth and lacking in melodrama. The big events of the story are told without overstating the obvious, and without any sappy emotional scenes. It is refreshing to read a story that is boiled down, one that doesn’t get itself mired in extraneous information or analysis. I would recommend this book to all readers.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Coming Soon!
Do you like shoes? Do you use Zappos? Well, a book is coming soon by the man behind the business. It's called Delivering Happiness. I will be receiving two copies, one for myself, which I will read and review, and one for someone else. Interested? Let me know!
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Still Reading...
I am into The Girls of Cincinnati but I haven't finished reading it yet. I will try to get it finished in the next couple of days so I can write my review. I am enjoying it quite a bit so far!
Regards,
GBG
Regards,
GBG
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Next Up
As per a follower's suggestion, I wanted to let you know the next book I will be reading and on which I will be posting a review. The next book is The Girls of Cincinnati, by Jack Engelhard. Read it with me, if you'd like!
Regards,
GBG
Regards,
GBG
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
A Review of Winter Garden and True Colors by Kristen Hannah (see below for Amazon book information)
Although Winter Garden was published after True Colors, I read it first for my book group. I enjoyed the book quite a bit as the story was very compelling. What I didn’t like as much were the characters. I don’t know that I would have read True Colors on my own, but my 4 year old son picked it out for me as a birthday present because of the pink cover. He thought I’d like it. Turns out, he was right.
What is most interesting here are the similarities between the characters in both books. In WG, there are two daughters, Meredith and Nina, an extremely loving and doting father and a completely emotionally absent mother, Anya. When the father passes away, the two adult girls are forced to deal with their mother, who has been extremely distant and unloving toward them their entire lives. She is cold and refuses to communicate with them almost at all. Subsequently, Nina lives her entire life elsewhere as a photojournalist, while Meredith constantly seeks her mother’s approval or attention as she takes care of everything on the family orchard. Meredith is an exceptionally annoying character; no matter how often faced with the truth of things, she refuses to see it or deal with her emotions. Her marriage is in trouble and she just ignores it while remaining convinced that forging ahead will make everything better. The sections of the story from Meredith’s point of view in the first half of the story were very irritating. WG starts slow, but eventually, once Anya begins to tell her story, and her daughters and the reader get an idea of why she behaves the way she does, the narrative drive of the story makes the reader unable to put it down. The second half of this book was a huge tearjerker. The characters themselves become more compelling and less one-dimensional. Meredith’s obtuseness melts as she becomes a more aware character, which was a relief. She was the main thing I disliked about the story.
True Colors felt very much the same as the author began sketching the characters. Although the plots of these two stories are nothing alike, except for both taking place in the Pacific Northwest, the characters felt very similar. In TC, the mother has passed away at an early age from cancer. The three daughters, Winona, Aurora and Vivi Ann, are left behind with their emotionally absent father. Here, Winona constantly seeks her father’s approval or attention as she tries to keep his ranch from going bankrupt. Her defining characteristic in her own mind is that she’s “fat”. She is very smart, but completely blind to other people’s emotions and unable to gauge what any of the other character’s reactions will be when she constantly intervenes in their lives. She is incapable of saying things that don't alienate her family and there are many emotional rifts between her and her sisters. They are not all caused by her, but each time the story is told from her perspective it is frustrating to the reader. This aspect of the story is very similar to WG. The fact that there is another sister in the middle, Aurora, should somehow change the feel of the story from WG. However, Aurora is a largely undefined character. There are no parts of the story from her perspective, as there are for Winona and Vivi Ann. Winona eventually changes, as Meredith does in WG, and becomes a wholly more likable character.
What is truly redeeming about both of these stories is that both have riveting plots. In reading both stories, the second half is truly more compelling than the first. Both take a while to warm up while getting their characters introduced, which for me was difficult since I was not fond of either Winona or Meredith. In WG, the flashback from Anya’s past in 1940’s Russia was well written, well researched and the best part of the story. In TC, the love story between Vivi Ann and her husband Dallas Raintree was very compelling. The courtroom and legal parts of the story and the small-mindedness of the townspeople make the reader want to keep reading. The second half to this story is also a tearjerker, emotionally fraught and written in haunting detail.
I enjoyed both of these books. I think Kristen Hannah’s talent lays in storytelling. I am not as overjoyed with her characterizations. It’s not that they are badly written; she changes perspective quite a bit, telling the story from different character’s points of view. While I enjoyed the changes, especially in TC when Noah, Dallas and Vivi Ann’s son, was writing in his journal, I think it leaves the other characters a little flat. Both of the dead parents from each story don’t seem nearly as real as the ones who are alive. In TC, the mother who died is barely referenced at all, except to illustrate how messed up the rest of the family is in her absence.
I would recommend reading both of these books. Both take a while to grab you, but when they do, it is quite a story on both counts. Readers who enjoy Jodi Picoult will probably enjoy these stories. Ms. Hannah can keep you reading in the same way, wanting to find out what happens next.
What is most interesting here are the similarities between the characters in both books. In WG, there are two daughters, Meredith and Nina, an extremely loving and doting father and a completely emotionally absent mother, Anya. When the father passes away, the two adult girls are forced to deal with their mother, who has been extremely distant and unloving toward them their entire lives. She is cold and refuses to communicate with them almost at all. Subsequently, Nina lives her entire life elsewhere as a photojournalist, while Meredith constantly seeks her mother’s approval or attention as she takes care of everything on the family orchard. Meredith is an exceptionally annoying character; no matter how often faced with the truth of things, she refuses to see it or deal with her emotions. Her marriage is in trouble and she just ignores it while remaining convinced that forging ahead will make everything better. The sections of the story from Meredith’s point of view in the first half of the story were very irritating. WG starts slow, but eventually, once Anya begins to tell her story, and her daughters and the reader get an idea of why she behaves the way she does, the narrative drive of the story makes the reader unable to put it down. The second half of this book was a huge tearjerker. The characters themselves become more compelling and less one-dimensional. Meredith’s obtuseness melts as she becomes a more aware character, which was a relief. She was the main thing I disliked about the story.
True Colors felt very much the same as the author began sketching the characters. Although the plots of these two stories are nothing alike, except for both taking place in the Pacific Northwest, the characters felt very similar. In TC, the mother has passed away at an early age from cancer. The three daughters, Winona, Aurora and Vivi Ann, are left behind with their emotionally absent father. Here, Winona constantly seeks her father’s approval or attention as she tries to keep his ranch from going bankrupt. Her defining characteristic in her own mind is that she’s “fat”. She is very smart, but completely blind to other people’s emotions and unable to gauge what any of the other character’s reactions will be when she constantly intervenes in their lives. She is incapable of saying things that don't alienate her family and there are many emotional rifts between her and her sisters. They are not all caused by her, but each time the story is told from her perspective it is frustrating to the reader. This aspect of the story is very similar to WG. The fact that there is another sister in the middle, Aurora, should somehow change the feel of the story from WG. However, Aurora is a largely undefined character. There are no parts of the story from her perspective, as there are for Winona and Vivi Ann. Winona eventually changes, as Meredith does in WG, and becomes a wholly more likable character.
What is truly redeeming about both of these stories is that both have riveting plots. In reading both stories, the second half is truly more compelling than the first. Both take a while to warm up while getting their characters introduced, which for me was difficult since I was not fond of either Winona or Meredith. In WG, the flashback from Anya’s past in 1940’s Russia was well written, well researched and the best part of the story. In TC, the love story between Vivi Ann and her husband Dallas Raintree was very compelling. The courtroom and legal parts of the story and the small-mindedness of the townspeople make the reader want to keep reading. The second half to this story is also a tearjerker, emotionally fraught and written in haunting detail.
I enjoyed both of these books. I think Kristen Hannah’s talent lays in storytelling. I am not as overjoyed with her characterizations. It’s not that they are badly written; she changes perspective quite a bit, telling the story from different character’s points of view. While I enjoyed the changes, especially in TC when Noah, Dallas and Vivi Ann’s son, was writing in his journal, I think it leaves the other characters a little flat. Both of the dead parents from each story don’t seem nearly as real as the ones who are alive. In TC, the mother who died is barely referenced at all, except to illustrate how messed up the rest of the family is in her absence.
I would recommend reading both of these books. Both take a while to grab you, but when they do, it is quite a story on both counts. Readers who enjoy Jodi Picoult will probably enjoy these stories. Ms. Hannah can keep you reading in the same way, wanting to find out what happens next.
Monday, May 17, 2010
White Noise
This story was an assignment for my writing class. The idea given to us was a person driving down a highway that they couldn't get off. This was my entry:
White Noise
Driving always calmed him down. No matter the situation, there was something about the movement of the car, the feel of the wind rushing through the windows that always settled him. As he drove down the deserted highway, he reflected that perhaps it was the white noise generated by the tires. On some highways, the seam of the macadam would punch a rhythm over and over, one that soothed his nerves.
He couldn’t believe he had missed his target. In the 12 years he had been working in the field, he had never once missed a target. He had meticulously researched the woman, determining schedules, family entanglements and anything that might get in the way of completing his business. He had followed her for longer than usual, nearly 6 days, before attempting to complete the job. His blood pressure started to rise, so he cut off the thought and concentrated on the driving for a moment.
He had been driving for the better part of the day. It had been early morning when he left, and now the sun was getting low over the mesas that he could see to his right. He sighed, realizing that he had not stopped for many hours. He looked at his gas gauge finally, realizing he’d probably need to fill the tank. To his surprise, the gauge was nearly full. Pleased, he remembered that the car he had rented got terrific gas mileage for highway driving.
Thinking again about his work, he pictured for the thousandth time the front of the woman’s house. His employer didn’t care where, only that the work got done. He thought again of her front door, the bushes that surrounded the walk. He had wanted to strike as she came out of the line of bushes, but suddenly, a small child- her daughter- had been there, and he had quickly aborted. The girl was too much of a distraction, and he didn’t want to be sloppy.
He realized that he was hungry. His stomach had been growling for quite a while, but he had been so preoccupied with calming himself down, that he hadn’t noticed. He hadn’t eaten in close to 24 hours.
The man began to look for a turnoff. He was in the middle of the desert, so there probably wouldn’t be very many. He tried to think back to the last one he had seen, and he began concentrating on his surroundings. There were no other cars in sight and he couldn’t remember the last time he had seen one in his rearview mirror or on the opposite side of the road. It suddenly struck him as odd, being completely alone on this highway.
He continued on his way, thinking to turn off at whatever the next exit was, no matter how remote. As he felt that same frustration from his work surfacing again, he forced himself to concentrate on the white noise.
The girl had come running out of the house to her mother, handing her a bag of some sort, a lunch perhaps? He had to walk by them, instead of stopping, and continued around the block to where he left the rental. He had dropped his bag on the passenger seat and drove to the nearest highway entrance. He knew at that point that he needed to get far away.
As he continued driving, he realized he hadn’t seen any signs. Not even the mile markers you normally see on the side of the road. No signs, no exits, just the noise of the car driving down the highway. It no longer seemed soothing, that noise; the rhythm took on an ominous tone, as if the thumping noise was counting down to the end, but the end of what he didn’t know.
He decided to stop the car, perhaps wait until another car passed. He could flag it down, pretending there was a problem with his rental, get a ride. He suddenly didn’t want to be alone. But when he tried to press the brake, nothing happened. He pumped it frantically, even stood on it with both feet, but the car just kept on. He wrenched the wheel to the right, and again, nothing.
The highway, the noise, it had lulled him too far. Panic gripped him. “But I’m doing God’s work!” he shouted out the window. “Why is this happening to me?” The only response was the continued rhythm from the car. Frantically, he yelled out the window what he had been about to say to his target, “Hello, I’m making just a brief call to share an important message with you! Please note what it says about accepting Jesus Christ in the Bible. What do you think about that?! Does it sound good to you?!"
On the seat next to him sat his bag, which began to unzip itself, revealing its contents. The pages of The Watchtower rippled in the breeze as the man began to scream.
White Noise
Driving always calmed him down. No matter the situation, there was something about the movement of the car, the feel of the wind rushing through the windows that always settled him. As he drove down the deserted highway, he reflected that perhaps it was the white noise generated by the tires. On some highways, the seam of the macadam would punch a rhythm over and over, one that soothed his nerves.
He couldn’t believe he had missed his target. In the 12 years he had been working in the field, he had never once missed a target. He had meticulously researched the woman, determining schedules, family entanglements and anything that might get in the way of completing his business. He had followed her for longer than usual, nearly 6 days, before attempting to complete the job. His blood pressure started to rise, so he cut off the thought and concentrated on the driving for a moment.
He had been driving for the better part of the day. It had been early morning when he left, and now the sun was getting low over the mesas that he could see to his right. He sighed, realizing that he had not stopped for many hours. He looked at his gas gauge finally, realizing he’d probably need to fill the tank. To his surprise, the gauge was nearly full. Pleased, he remembered that the car he had rented got terrific gas mileage for highway driving.
Thinking again about his work, he pictured for the thousandth time the front of the woman’s house. His employer didn’t care where, only that the work got done. He thought again of her front door, the bushes that surrounded the walk. He had wanted to strike as she came out of the line of bushes, but suddenly, a small child- her daughter- had been there, and he had quickly aborted. The girl was too much of a distraction, and he didn’t want to be sloppy.
He realized that he was hungry. His stomach had been growling for quite a while, but he had been so preoccupied with calming himself down, that he hadn’t noticed. He hadn’t eaten in close to 24 hours.
The man began to look for a turnoff. He was in the middle of the desert, so there probably wouldn’t be very many. He tried to think back to the last one he had seen, and he began concentrating on his surroundings. There were no other cars in sight and he couldn’t remember the last time he had seen one in his rearview mirror or on the opposite side of the road. It suddenly struck him as odd, being completely alone on this highway.
He continued on his way, thinking to turn off at whatever the next exit was, no matter how remote. As he felt that same frustration from his work surfacing again, he forced himself to concentrate on the white noise.
The girl had come running out of the house to her mother, handing her a bag of some sort, a lunch perhaps? He had to walk by them, instead of stopping, and continued around the block to where he left the rental. He had dropped his bag on the passenger seat and drove to the nearest highway entrance. He knew at that point that he needed to get far away.
As he continued driving, he realized he hadn’t seen any signs. Not even the mile markers you normally see on the side of the road. No signs, no exits, just the noise of the car driving down the highway. It no longer seemed soothing, that noise; the rhythm took on an ominous tone, as if the thumping noise was counting down to the end, but the end of what he didn’t know.
He decided to stop the car, perhaps wait until another car passed. He could flag it down, pretending there was a problem with his rental, get a ride. He suddenly didn’t want to be alone. But when he tried to press the brake, nothing happened. He pumped it frantically, even stood on it with both feet, but the car just kept on. He wrenched the wheel to the right, and again, nothing.
The highway, the noise, it had lulled him too far. Panic gripped him. “But I’m doing God’s work!” he shouted out the window. “Why is this happening to me?” The only response was the continued rhythm from the car. Frantically, he yelled out the window what he had been about to say to his target, “Hello, I’m making just a brief call to share an important message with you! Please note what it says about accepting Jesus Christ in the Bible. What do you think about that?! Does it sound good to you?!"
On the seat next to him sat his bag, which began to unzip itself, revealing its contents. The pages of The Watchtower rippled in the breeze as the man began to scream.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
What Else?
I feel it is necessary to let all (one!) of my followers know that I intend to post some original writing here as well. I would not say I am new to creative writing, or its process; I have been writing since I was a child. But the web has made it easier to "self-publish" in the words of Jack Englehard, my current writing teacher. He is a well known and prolific writer himself, perhaps best known for "Indecent Proposal" which he wrote before it was captured by Hollywood. He has told us that self-publishing is no longer considered vanity, and that blogging is a great way to start. I really enjoy writing, almost as much as I do reading. All of the writing I will post on this blog is original, written by me. I expect that it will not be stolen and passed off by anyone else as their own. I do fully admit, however, that I occasionally ask for help in editing. I hope you enjoy what you read here.
Regards,
GBG
Regards,
GBG
Friday, May 14, 2010
A Review of Bufflehead Sisters by Patricia J. Delois
The book Bufflehead Sisters is one in which a child in crisis, Sophie, is taken in by her friend, Janet, and Janet’s family. The two girls meet in kindergarten. Sophie is a strong, vibrant presence, even at five. The events of her childhood will shape the woman she is to become. Janet‘s parents are welcoming to Sophie at first, when she is simply Janet‘s friend. But eventually, serious events in Sophie’s home compel John to want to bring her into their home, as a semi-permanent member of the family. It is suggested that he was not satisfied with having only one child, and so Sophie becomes a surrogate in that sense. Janet’s mother is always trying to bring Sophie to heel. She tries to enforce appropriate manners at the dinner table, wants Sophie to wear shoes, and take baths. Sophie, who appears to be mildly psychic, passively resists all endeavors to change her behavior, whether in school or at home.
This continues as she and Janet grow up. Janet is the good student, the well-behaved child, the conventional daughter. Sophie does go back to live in her father’s house, although he is rarely home. Her lack of direct parental authority contributes to her free-spirited attitude and subsequently, Sophie never gains direction in her life.
I felt the characters were very one-sided. Janet is the quintessential early sixties daughter, always doing what she’s told. Janet is a “good girl”. Sophie is a “bad girl”. She was drawn that way as a child, bucking authority in school and with Janet’s parents, and it continued into her teenage years. She sleeps around, gets into drugs and generally is an outcast, while somehow still being part of the crowd.
As this story warmed up past the introduction of the characters and the girls’ lives, it became clear that there was a “big secret” in the story. Unfortunately, the author does not do a very good job of hiding it. I was aware very quickly what the “big secret” was going to be, even before it happened, and it was intended that the audience not know what it was. The author even planted a few seeds early on, a sort of foreshadowing that wasn’t at all subtle, and it was clear exactly what took place.
In some ways, I was reminded of The Lace Reader, by Brunonia Barry. Towner Whitney, the main character in that story, has flaws similar to Sophie’s. But The Lace Reader is a well-crafted tale, more so than Bufflehead Sisters. That story, too, contains a “big secret”, but was completely surprised when I figured it out, unlike this tale.
While Patricia Delois’s writing style is fine, even lovely in parts, I was not overly impressed with the story.
This continues as she and Janet grow up. Janet is the good student, the well-behaved child, the conventional daughter. Sophie does go back to live in her father’s house, although he is rarely home. Her lack of direct parental authority contributes to her free-spirited attitude and subsequently, Sophie never gains direction in her life.
I felt the characters were very one-sided. Janet is the quintessential early sixties daughter, always doing what she’s told. Janet is a “good girl”. Sophie is a “bad girl”. She was drawn that way as a child, bucking authority in school and with Janet’s parents, and it continued into her teenage years. She sleeps around, gets into drugs and generally is an outcast, while somehow still being part of the crowd.
As this story warmed up past the introduction of the characters and the girls’ lives, it became clear that there was a “big secret” in the story. Unfortunately, the author does not do a very good job of hiding it. I was aware very quickly what the “big secret” was going to be, even before it happened, and it was intended that the audience not know what it was. The author even planted a few seeds early on, a sort of foreshadowing that wasn’t at all subtle, and it was clear exactly what took place.
In some ways, I was reminded of The Lace Reader, by Brunonia Barry. Towner Whitney, the main character in that story, has flaws similar to Sophie’s. But The Lace Reader is a well-crafted tale, more so than Bufflehead Sisters. That story, too, contains a “big secret”, but was completely surprised when I figured it out, unlike this tale.
While Patricia Delois’s writing style is fine, even lovely in parts, I was not overly impressed with the story.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Loved this book!
A Review of This Is Where I Leave You, by Jonathan Tropper
While reading This Is Where I Leave You, a novel by Jonathan Tropper, I was struck by both the similarity to other books in a genre rising in popularity, and its uniqueness within that genre. This novel is about a fractured family comprised of two parents and four siblings who have grown up and apart due to many family issues. It includes a therapist mother, Hillary, who feels it is best to shame her children into adulthood and an emotionally absent father, Mort. The story is centered around the three brothers, Paul, Judd and Phillip, and the sister, Wendy, who nurse various childhood traumas into adulthood as reasons to dislike each other as adults. The family is brought together once again in grief after Mort passes away, his dying request that his wife and children sit shiva in mourning for an entire week.
In hearing this synopsis, I was expecting a tired, overused plot, but was pleasantly surprised by both the incisive humor used to depict the characters and by situations that seemed so absurd and yet entirely realistic. The author tells the story from Judd Foxman’s point of view. Judd is the second to oldest son, whose non-Jewish wife has recently been discovered in bed with his boorish, radio shock-jock boss. The day his father passes away, as Judd is about to go to his family’s home, his estranged wife comes over to tell him she’s pregnant with his child. This is how Judd begins his week of mourning. It evolves into a revelation of family issues, both real and imagined, as well as a resumption of and ultimately an emergence from the roles they played as children.
Jonathan Tropper layers extremely weighty subject matter on his characters, including, but not limited to, infidelity, infertility, homosexuality, violence, loss of childhood dreams, masturbation and brain damage. He does this with unflinching directness: “When I was twelve years old, [my mother] unceremoniously handed me a tube of KY Jelly and said that she could tell from the laundry that I’d begun masturbating, and this would increase my pleasure and prevent chafing….My siblings did joyous spit takes into their bowls of chicken soup, and my father grunted disapprovingly and said, ‘Jesus, Hill!’ He uttered those two words so often that for a long time I thought Jesus’ last name was actually Hill. In this particular case, I was unsure if it was masturbation my father condemned or the relative merits of discussing it over Friday-night dinner.” The simultaneous view of the family unit, the mother’s outrageous behavior, the father’s lack of intervention, and the dark humor of this improbable and yet plausible situation is characteristic of this book.
This Is Where I Leave You evoked other writers, such as Augusten Burroughs and David Sedaris, memoirists who mine their family stories without shame, so that their readers will be both amused and reassured of their own relative normalcy. The fictionalized genre of this story is reminiscent of the style of these writers as well as Adam Langer, author of Crossing California, who depicts characters who came of age in the 1970’s and 1980’s. This is perhaps the reason this type of story has become popular. Readers who are currently in their 30’s and 40’s will find many hilarious experiences that feel similar to their own childhoods. At one point, Judd and his brothers smoke pot in a synagogue classroom during the reading of kaddish, the prayer for the dead, and set off the fire alarm. All is forgiven since Rabbi Grodner is an old family friend, who the Foxman boys nicknamed “Boner”. They describe him as practically a member of the family who was always “’jerking off’, ‘trying to touch my boobs’ [and] ‘smoking weed’” in the house of the Foxman family.
Jonathan Tropper’s story is expertly woven, and is one of the funniest books I have ever read. It is true that few people are as unlucky as Judd Foxman, but his family’s dysfunction is reminiscent of many that I have seen. What could be a harsh story is modified by humor, tenderness and even hopeful feelings for its hapless main character. It is definitely worth the read.
While reading This Is Where I Leave You, a novel by Jonathan Tropper, I was struck by both the similarity to other books in a genre rising in popularity, and its uniqueness within that genre. This novel is about a fractured family comprised of two parents and four siblings who have grown up and apart due to many family issues. It includes a therapist mother, Hillary, who feels it is best to shame her children into adulthood and an emotionally absent father, Mort. The story is centered around the three brothers, Paul, Judd and Phillip, and the sister, Wendy, who nurse various childhood traumas into adulthood as reasons to dislike each other as adults. The family is brought together once again in grief after Mort passes away, his dying request that his wife and children sit shiva in mourning for an entire week.
In hearing this synopsis, I was expecting a tired, overused plot, but was pleasantly surprised by both the incisive humor used to depict the characters and by situations that seemed so absurd and yet entirely realistic. The author tells the story from Judd Foxman’s point of view. Judd is the second to oldest son, whose non-Jewish wife has recently been discovered in bed with his boorish, radio shock-jock boss. The day his father passes away, as Judd is about to go to his family’s home, his estranged wife comes over to tell him she’s pregnant with his child. This is how Judd begins his week of mourning. It evolves into a revelation of family issues, both real and imagined, as well as a resumption of and ultimately an emergence from the roles they played as children.
Jonathan Tropper layers extremely weighty subject matter on his characters, including, but not limited to, infidelity, infertility, homosexuality, violence, loss of childhood dreams, masturbation and brain damage. He does this with unflinching directness: “When I was twelve years old, [my mother] unceremoniously handed me a tube of KY Jelly and said that she could tell from the laundry that I’d begun masturbating, and this would increase my pleasure and prevent chafing….My siblings did joyous spit takes into their bowls of chicken soup, and my father grunted disapprovingly and said, ‘Jesus, Hill!’ He uttered those two words so often that for a long time I thought Jesus’ last name was actually Hill. In this particular case, I was unsure if it was masturbation my father condemned or the relative merits of discussing it over Friday-night dinner.” The simultaneous view of the family unit, the mother’s outrageous behavior, the father’s lack of intervention, and the dark humor of this improbable and yet plausible situation is characteristic of this book.
This Is Where I Leave You evoked other writers, such as Augusten Burroughs and David Sedaris, memoirists who mine their family stories without shame, so that their readers will be both amused and reassured of their own relative normalcy. The fictionalized genre of this story is reminiscent of the style of these writers as well as Adam Langer, author of Crossing California, who depicts characters who came of age in the 1970’s and 1980’s. This is perhaps the reason this type of story has become popular. Readers who are currently in their 30’s and 40’s will find many hilarious experiences that feel similar to their own childhoods. At one point, Judd and his brothers smoke pot in a synagogue classroom during the reading of kaddish, the prayer for the dead, and set off the fire alarm. All is forgiven since Rabbi Grodner is an old family friend, who the Foxman boys nicknamed “Boner”. They describe him as practically a member of the family who was always “’jerking off’, ‘trying to touch my boobs’ [and] ‘smoking weed’” in the house of the Foxman family.
Jonathan Tropper’s story is expertly woven, and is one of the funniest books I have ever read. It is true that few people are as unlucky as Judd Foxman, but his family’s dysfunction is reminiscent of many that I have seen. What could be a harsh story is modified by humor, tenderness and even hopeful feelings for its hapless main character. It is definitely worth the read.
First Time
Good morning fellow book lovers. This is my first attempt at blogging. I have been a lifelong reader and lover of books. I recently made a more formal foray into writing. I have been taking a class on American Writing just for fun, and one of the assignments was to write a book review. I enjoyed it quite a bit, as I enjoy reading and discussing books, so I thought I might start a blog about reading, books and writing. I plan to include book reviews and my opinions, which anyone is free to comment on in any way they would like. I hope you enjoy it!
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