Only Orangery

Review: There but for the

2012-02-22T06:19:00.003-05:00

There but for the
Ali Smith
Publication: 2011
Rating: 4.5 Stars

“There but for the” is the second book I’ve read by Ali Smith, and I must confess I’m developing a bit of a literary crush on her. She’s totally in anarchy against everything your high school English teacher ever taught you…and she does it with brilliance and grace.

In “There but for the,” a man named Miles locks himself into the guest bedroom of a home where he is attending a dinner party. But that’s not really the plot. It’s more like the glue that holds the story together. The book is divided into four sections, which each focuses on one of the words in the title: “There,” “but,” “for,” and “the.” The narrator of each section is someone who in some way has a connection to Miles.

Written in stream of consciousness style, the novel is filled with clever word play and acute observations of life. It is an emotive and funny meditation on relationships and existence, memory and history. Difficult to describe and impossible not to love, “There but for the” is a masterful and unforgettable novel.

Read my review of "The Accidental" HERE.

Review: Gillespie and I

2012-02-18T20:28:00.004-05:00

Gillespie and I
Jane Harris
Publication: 2011
Rating: 5 Stars

“It would appear that I am the first to write a book on Gillespie. Who, if not me, was dealt that hand?” These words are penned by Harriet Baxter, the narrator of “Gillespie and I,” in 1933, as she begins to write a memoir about events that transpired in Scotland in the late 1880s.

Harriet, an unmarried woman of ‘independent means,’ decides to travel to from London to Glasgow for the International Exhibit. While there, she becomes friends with the Gillespie family - Ned, a talented artist who is beginning to make a name in the Glasgow art world, Ned’s wife Annie, their two daughters Sibyl and Rose, and assorted extended family members. When tragedy strikes the family, Harriet is in the midst of it all, and this is the story she reveals in her memoir.

It is a spellbinding tale, and Harris is a gifted and dazzling storyteller. Harriet is most definitely an unreliable narrator, a daunting task that the author handles with remarkable dexterity. In fact, it is this that makes “Gillespie and I” the phenomenal book that it is. The reader is always left to wonder what is truth and what is not, a fact that becomes more and more obvious as the story unfolds. Nothing about the book is predictable. Just when you think you have something figured out, the author twists it ever so slightly and leaves you puzzled. And the ending….well, it’s just perfect in a way that is decidedly oblique and creepy.

I completely loved “Gillespie and I” and recommend it to anyone who enjoys Victorian gothic, twisted plots, and good storytelling. (And, really, how can you not enjoy those things?)

Sidenote #1
I much prefer this cover art:

It appears on the author's website (and a few other places) but there doesn't seem to be an ISBN connected to it. Maybe it was just a prototype?

Sidenote #2
I purchased a copy of this book (brand new, published Jan 2012) for only $1.97 (plus shipping). I've got mad online shopping skills. Just had to brag on that. :)

Blogger and Comments

2012-02-12T09:01:00.002-05:00

I seem to be having a problem with blogger and comments. On other people's blogs, when I click on the icon to leave a comment, it tries to open a new page and just spins and stays on a blank page. I hope no one is having the same issue on my blog. It's not every blog, but it is quite a few. I dunno what's wrong. :(

EDITED TO ADD: I downloaded the Google Chrome browser and it seems to have eliminated the problem.

Review: The Voluptuous Delights of Peanut Butter & Jam

2012-02-12T08:57:00.001-05:00

The Voluptuous Delights of Peanut Butter and Jam
Lauren Liebenberg
2008 NW/SL
Rating: 3 Stars

“The Voluptuous Delights of Peanut Butter and Jam” is the story of Nyree and Cia O'Callohan who live on a remote farm in Rhodesia in the late 1970s. Told from the viewpoint of eight-year-old Nyree, the story is an evocation of a childhood filled with African folklore, family legends, fairy tales, and politics. As their country is being torn apart by war, so are the sister’s lives being shattered by their sinister older cousin.

Before reading this book, I probably could not have found Rhodesia on a map and knew nothing of the country’s history and relationship with Britain. However, sometimes it felt like information overload, with facts taking precedence over plot. And I frequently found it difficult to believe that an eight year old would be so knowledgeable about the history and politics of the country where she lives.

For the most part, I enjoyed “The Voluptuous Delights of Peanut Butter and Jam” but it was definitely not a book that wowed me. This is the author’s debut novel, for which she was nominated for the Orange Prize for New Writers Award, and I’m curious to read more by her in the future.

Review: Half Blood Blues

2012-02-08T18:10:00.002-05:00

Half Blood Blues
Esi Edugyan
Publication: 2011
Giller 2011 winner; Booker 2011 shortlist
Rating: 5+ Stars

It is 1939 and a group of young jazz musicians receive an invitation to meet Louis Armstrong in Paris. This is the beginning of a saga of racism and war, music and dreams, friendship and betrayal.

“Half Blood Blues” is simply phenomenal, and nothing I can write can do it justice. The characters come vividly to life - their personalities, their voices, their appearance, their motivations. It is richly atmospheric, a painting with bold strokes and brilliant colours, of this era of jazz and of war torn Europe. Edugyan is a masterful storyteller and a fiercely talented writer.

This book consumed me. I stayed up late reading. I was late to work in the morning and I cancelled plans in the evening. And as soon as I read the last sentence, I wanted to read it all again. It is certainly worthy of the awards it has received and is quite possibly one of the best books I’ve ever read.

Europa Challenge 2012

2012-02-05T08:37:00.000-05:00

I've been debating for over a month about whether or not to sign up for this challenge. I already have so many books that I plan to read this year that I don't think it's possible I'll really get to them all. And I failed at this challenge last year. But I'm fascinated by Europa publications, and I already own several that are getting all dusty and whiny on the bookshelf.

Soooo...I have decided that in 2012 I am going to be a cappuccino-drinking passport-holding Europa Reader. (What that means is I am signing on for the Cappuccino Level, which is six books. And I'll be doing the Passport Holder Specialty Challenge, which is "books from different countries or original languages.")

My idea is to read one book from each of seven continents/regions: North America, Europe, Asia, Oceania, Africa, South America, and the Middle East. This is based on either the book setting and/or the author's nationality.

My tentative reading list is as follows:

North America/USA: Treasure Island!!! by Sara Levine
Europe/Greece: The Jasmine Isle by Ioanna Karystiani
Asia/Sri Lanka: Mosquito by Roma Tearne
Oceania/Australia: Sorry by Gail Jones
Africa/Rwanada: Three Weeks in December by Audrey Schulman
South America/Chile: Tierra del Fuego by Francisco Coloane
Middle East/Israel: Love Burns by Edna Mazya

Book squeals

2012-02-04T10:06:00.003-05:00

I have a temp/seasonal job at a book distributor. (It was supposed to last 6 weeks but I'm still there almost 6 months later...hooray for employment!) The job isn't as glamorous as you may be imagining. My primary task is to scan the ISBNs of books and put them into the appropriate boxes to return to the publishers (yawn). But I spend 40 hours a week touching books, and for this book freak, that's wonderfulness. :)

One of the job perks is the Free Shelf in the lunchroom. This is where the People Who Have Special Offices and Important Booky Titles dump the ARCs and overstocks and stuff. Us plebeians fall on those things like savage animals on a fresh carcass. The shelf is usually picked bare before I'm aware of the feasting, but this week I scored! I was squealing as I grabbed these ARCs...

Birds of a Lesser Paradise

by Megan Bergman

This collection of short stories is scheduled for publication in March. I came across the title a few weeks ago while browsing online and thought it sounded interesting. When I read on the author's website that she is a fan of Lauren Groff and that she loves swing music, I knew that I ~~wanted to be her best friend~~ had to read her book.

Treasure Island!!!

by Sara Levine

This quirky sounding book was published by Europa Editions in January. I laughed out loud when I read the summary on Goodreads: "When had she ever, like Jim Hawkins, broke from her friends, raced for the beach, stolen a boat, killed a man, and eliminated an obstacle that stood in the way of her getting a hunk of gold? Convinced that Stevenson's book is cosmically intended for her, she redesigns her life according to its Core Values: boldness, resolution, independence and horn-blowing." Oh yeah, that's a must read!

The Angel Esmerelda: Nine Stories

by Don DeLillo

I recently heard about this collection when it was shortlisted for The Story Prize. DeLillo is one of those authors that I've always intended to read but have never actually purchased any of his books. So, now at last, DeLillo is on my bookshelf.

Review: No One Is Here Except All of Us

2012-02-03T06:36:00.004-05:00

No One is Here Except All of Us
Ramona Ausubel
Publication: February 2, 2012
Rating: 4 Stars

I received an ARC of this book for review from Goodreads First Reads program.

“You cannot find peace by avoiding life,” wrote author Virginia Woolf.

The time - 1939. The place - a small village in Romania. The residents of the village are hearing news of the war that is spreading across the globe, and when a stranger washes up on the shores of their river, the villagers learn firsthand how dreadful things are “out there.” They decide to re-invent the world, to create an insular place that is safe from the war. For years, guided by the strength of their denial and their imagination, they abide peacefully. Not even the best-laid plans, though, can stop the forward march of war, and the novel crashes to a heartbreaking collision with reality.

“No One is Here Except All of Us” is a fabulist story that requires a suspension of disbelief to be fully enjoyed. It is not meant to be logical or truthful, but instead conveys a thematic moral about reality versus illusion. The writing is poetic, casting a soporific spell that captures the reader in a sea of dreaminess. The author deftly tells the story from multiple viewpoints, and the pacing is both languorous and compelling. And what reader doesn't identify with that longing to be like an ostrich with its head in the sand, ignoring a problem in the hope that it will vanish?

I enjoyed every second I spent with this book, and its profound message is one that will stay with me. Ausubel’s debut novel is unlike any other book I have ever read, and is a stunning achievement that I highly recommend.

Review: Miss Garnet's Angel

2012-02-02T06:46:00.000-05:00

Miss Garnet's Angel
Salley Vickers
Publication: 2000
Rating: 4 Stars

Julia Garnet is a spinster, an atheist, a recluse. When her flatmate Edith dies, she impulsively decides to take an apartment in Venice. In the magical city, Julia slowly blossoms into a different person, changed by religion, art, first love, and friendships. She becomes fascinated by the apocryphal tale of Tobit, and this myth is re-told in alternating chapters with Julia’s story.

‘Miss Garnet’s Angel” is a wonderful book. The plot is complex and multi-layered, and the corollaries between Julia and Tobit are subtle yet compelling. The author’s tone and style are perfect. Julia’s story is told in a way that brought to mind vintage books, somehow quaint and classic. Tobit’s story uses another style altogether, more antiquated and reminiscent of a folk tale.

The religious aspect does not come across as heavy handed at all, but is very much the theme of the novel. Julia’s discovery of faith and angels, through the story of Tobit, is lovely and moving without ever dipping into sentiment. And I loved how the author conveyed that Truth can be discovered in ancient tales and that these stories are relevant to our lives in the present.

Julia’s character development is marvelous. Her transformation, as radical as it was, could have seemed unbelievable, but the author handled it well. I understood Julia, I knew Julia, I wanted to be Julia’s friend. This made the book immensely readable for me.

“Miss Garnet’s Angel” is not flawless. There were a few things that didn’t quite ring true, occasionally places were the story dragged, and some characters that seemed underdeveloped. Overall, though, it was a very good book that I enjoyed immensely. I will certainly be reading more work by this author.

This was my first book for the Venice in February reading event.

My cover of this book is from the Harper Perennial Collection, a series of modern classics featuring art work by Petra Borner. The designs are actually one large illustration that was then divided into 15 different book covers. You can read more about it HERE. I also own "Eve Green" and "The Stone Diaries" in this collection.

Oscar nominations

2012-01-24T18:57:00.001-05:00

Midnight in Paris received an Oscar nom for Best Pic! I LOVED this film! Read my post about it HERE.

I was really hoping to see Jane Eyre on the list, and it was nominated for Costume Design. It deserved much more recognition than that, though. Read my movie review HERE.

Those are the only two movies on the list that I've seen. Well, and The Muppets, which was nominated for Best Original Song for "Man or Muppet," which is a laugh-out-loud funny tune.

Review: Arcadia

2012-01-21T17:35:00.002-05:00

Arcadia
Lauren Groff
Publication: March 2012
Rating: 4.5 Stars

I received an ARC of this book for review from Library Thing’s Early Reviewers program.

Beautifully written, masterfully crafted, and deeply melancholic, “Arcadia” is a gem of a book. It is the life story of Ridley ‘Bit’ Stone, divided into four sections highlighting particular periods of his life. The story begins in the 1970s when Bit is a toddler growing up in a commune in New York State, and continues through his teenage years. The middle portions are when Bit is in his 30s, living in New York City and working as a professor while raising his daughter alone after his wife mysteriously vanishes. The final section of the book, set in 2018, is about Bit caring for his mother when she is stricken with ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease).

Groff’s prose is lovely and rich in imagery. Just as an example: “Pigeons sit heaped on the roofline, buttoning house to sky.” The characterizations are marvelous, slowly evolving over the course of the story until everyone in the novel has become as fully fleshed as a real person. “Arcadia” is quietly philosophical, exploring the meanings of freedom and community, and the importance of friendship, family, and love.

What I thought was especially brilliant was how Groff tied in the key points of Bit’s life with the larger world at the time. When Bit is a toddler - naïve, hopeful, trusting - this is also the attitude within the commune. Bit moves on to adolescence, a time of upheaval and confusion, and again this is what happens in the commune. Bit’s middle years are a time of loneliness and choices and loss, which is all mirrored in the yuppie culture and consumerism of the 1980s. And as Bit’s life as he knew it slowly crumbles, the world is also falling apart, from the events of 9/11 to a global pandemic. None of this is overtly stated or intrusive in the story at all. “Arcadia” remains wholly Bit’s story, with this theme of interconnectedness slowly drifting through the book.

It took me a while to become fully engaged in the story, partly because I struggled to understand the story from the viewpoint of a toddler, and partly because the pacing of the book is languorous. But when “Arcadia” finally captured me, I was spellbound. I fell in love with Bit, I cried through the last pages, and I was disappointed when the book ended and I had to let Bit go.

“Arcadia” is all I believed Groff capable of after reading her first novel “The Monsters of Templeton” and I’m already anxously anticipating her next book.

Review: The Monsters of Templeton

2012-01-21T17:30:00.000-05:00

The Monsters of Templeton
Lauren Groff
Shortlisted for the Orange Prize New Writers Award in 2008
Rating: 3 Stars

After a disastrous relationship with her professor and dissertation advisor, Willie Upton comes home to the small town of Templeton. When her mother reveals that she has lied for years about who Willie's father is, Willie embarks on a quest to discover the truth. During the course of her research, Willie learns the secrets of the town and her family, all cleverly included in the book in the form of letters, journals, photographs, and genealogical charts. Oh, and there's a ghost...and a lake monster....all tied up in the story as well. "The Monsters of Templeton" is not without flaws, but it is enormously readable. Groff is fiercely intelligent and enormously talented with a promising literary career ahead of her.

Oranges in 2012

2012-01-20T19:58:00.002-05:00

I'm not at all certain what will be on the longlist for the 2012 Orange Prize for Fiction that will be released in March. But I am beginning to think that the 2013 list is going to be phenomenal. I can't believe how many authors who have previously been nominated for the Orange have new books being released in 2012.

All is Song by Samantha Harvey (shortlisted in 2009 for The Wilderness)
Arcadia by Lauren Groff (shortlisted in 2008 for the New Writers Award for The Monsters of Templeton)
Archipelago by Monique Roffey (shortlisted in 2010 for The White Woman on the Green Bicycle)
The Farm by Haven Kimmel (longlisted in 2003 for The Solace of Leaving Early)
An Honourable Man by Gillian Slovo (shortlisted in 2004 for Ice Road)
The Knot by Jane Borodale (shortlisted in 2010 for the New Writers Award for The Book of Fires)
Mateship with Birds by Carrie Tiffany (shortlisted in 2006 for Everyman's Rules for Scientific Living)
No Time Like the Present by Nadine Gordimer (longlisted in 1998 for The House Gun)
The Road to Urbino by Roma Tearne (longlisted in 2011 for The Swimmer)
Toby's Room by Pat Barker (longlisted in 1996 for The Ghost Road)
A Trick I Learned from Dead Men by Kitty Aldridge (longlisted in 2002 for Pop)
The Uninvited Guests by Sadie Jones (longlisted in 2010 for Small Wars; shortlisted in 2008 for The Outcast)
Untitled by Paullina Simons (longlisted in 1997 for Red Leaves)
Various Pets Alive and Dead by Marina Lewycka (shortlisted in 2005 for A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian)

And from authors who have been on the list three times:

The Beginner's Goodbye by Anne Tyler
Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel
The Greatcoat by Helen Dunmore
Home by Toni Morrison
NW by Zadie Smith

Of course, when these books appear on the Orange Prize list will be determined by the UK publication date. Some might be eligible in 2012, others may not be until 2014.

Are you particularly excited about any of these titles? Are there any 2012 publications by Orange authors that I've not heard about yet?

Review: Bel Canto

2012-01-15T15:11:00.005-05:00

Bel Canto
Ann Patchett
2002 Winner
Rating: 2 Stars

“Somewhere in South America at the home of the country's vice president, a lavish birthday party is being held in honor of a powerful Japanese businessman. Roxanne Coss, opera's most revered soprano, has mesmerized the guests with her singing. It is a perfect evening until a band of terrorists breaks in, taking the entire party hostage. What begins as a life-threatening scenario slowly evolves into something quite different.” (summary copied from Goodreads)

“Bel Canto” is poorly written and sweeter than cotton candy. The only reason I bothered to finish it was because it won the Orange Prize for Fiction. Otherwise, I would have tossed it on the Did Not Finish trash heap.

Based on a real event that happened in Peru in 1996, this could have been a suspenseful novel exploring the history and socio-political climate of the country and the back-stories of the characters who are involved. Instead, Patchett created a story with no forward momentum that is laced with romanticism and lacks depth.

SPOILER ALERT

What I did not like:

The opening scene sets the tone for the rest of the book. The lights go out, the terrorists arrive, and what people remember about the moment is a kiss. No screams, no fear, no violence, no insurrection. The tone of the book is sentimental and dreamy, and it put me off.

There is absolutely no background about the politics of the country or the motive for the terrorists’ attempted kidnapping. Why are there all these guerilla groups? What are they fighting against? Why (and how) do they recruit teenage boys (and girls) to join? It made it all seem so pointless and was a huge hole in the plot. I really don’t care if one of the leaders has shingles and another is missing fingers (which is mentioned over and over and over again). I want to know what they are so angry about.

It’s written in third person omniscient, a narrative mode that drives me utterly batty because it makes everything feel cold and removed. I felt that I didn’t know the characters or understand them at all, and since the book is very much about the characters, this was a huge fail. This could have a much stronger book told in first person from multiple viewpoints.

The grammar made me want to hurl the book across the room. Stringing together phrases and clauses with commas is a comma splice; it is NOT a sentence. Please read “The Elements of Style,” Ms. Patchett.

The whole adoration of opera is utterly ridiculous. I understand the emotive power of music. I appreciate opera. But to believe that everyone involved in the story loves opera, and will do things totally out-of-character for it and because of it is absurd.

Roxane Coss. Gah, how I hated her. She’s a self-centered self-important bitch. And the way all the men swoon over her because she’s a petite and beautiful opera singer…good grief! Would they still have been falling at her feet if she’d been an ugly Amazonian who sounds like a dying cow if she sings?

Speaking of Roxane…how on earth does she not know that her accompanist is a fragile diabetic? They’ve worked together for years and are traveling the world together, so it is completely impossible to accept that she is unaware of his illness. If his condition is so grave that he could die within 12 hours without medical treatment, it is only logical that this is information he would share with the people in his life.

And there are other “That is not even remotely probable” things. When the terrorists arrived and the electricity was cut, why did the flames on all the candles go out? Why was the Japanese piano player still wearing a tuxedo two weeks after being taken hostage? Why were the negotiators willing to procure the most ridiculous of items for the hostages, like expensive eye cream from France, gourmet orange chocolates, lemon shampoo from Italy?

Finally, the epilogue. Oh my stars, the epilogue made me gag. What kind of romantic nonsense is that?!?

What I liked:

At one point in the story, the negotiators stop sending prepared foods and instead send groceries that Thibault, a French ambassador, uses to prepare meals for the hostages and their captors. And then there is this: “Ignacio, Gaudalupe, and Humberto were at the breakfast table cleaning guns, a puzzle of disconnected metal spreading out on newspapers before them as they rubbed oil into each part. Thibault sat at the table with them, reading cookbooks.”

Oh, that’s just perfection. It completely captures the dichotomy and incongruity of the situation. It says so much without saying too much. The 75 pages or so after this are also reasonably good, and feature a glimpse into the lifestyle that the hostages and captors develop, and how blurred the line between them becomes. It’s clean and simple, with almost no flowery prose or fawning over Roxane or rhapsodizing about music. It sets the stage well for the resolution (although that felt rushed and anticlimactic).

Review: The History of Love

2012-01-14T10:30:00.000-05:00

The History of Love
Nicole Krauss
Orange Prize 2006 SL
Rating: 5 Stars

"The History of Love" is about an old man named Leo Gursky, a teenager named Alma Singer, and a novel titled The History of Love. And that's really all that can said about the plot without revealing the intertwined mysteries that the author adeptly unravels through the course of the book. The characters of Leo and Alma are brought vividly to life and the writing style is clever without being pretentious. There is an overarching atmosphere of despair and longing throughout the book which resolves to a perfectly poignant conclusion. "The History of Love" is masterfully crafted, beautifully written, and utterly unputdownable. A stellar novel in every way!

Review: The Leper's Companions

2012-01-14T10:29:00.002-05:00

The Leper's Companions
Julia Blackburn
Orange Prize 1999 SL
Rating: 3.5 Stars

Homer’s “The Odyssey.” Greek mythology. “The Canterbury Tales.” Echoes of each of these whisper through the pages of the mythopoeic "The Leper’s Companions." A present-day woman, struggling with grief over a lost loved one, imagines herself into a medieval village. In the early chapters, she is an observer, watching the villagers as they struggle for daily survival against nature and each other. When some of the villagers - a leper, a priest, a shoemaker’s wife, and a widow - embark on a journey to Jerusalem, the woman joins them, though her role is still only the narrator and she never directly interacts with the characters. “The Leper’s Companions” is totally unique in styling, and the author has created an almost myth-like world filled with superstition, religion, and mortality. It wasn’t a book that I enjoyed to any great extent, but it certainly is a testimony to the author’s talent and creativity.

Review: The Seas

2012-01-11T05:34:00.001-05:00

The Seas
Samantha Hunt
Orange Prize 2011 LL
Rating: 4 Stars

"The Seas" is a darkly surreal re-imagining of Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Little Mermaid.” Hunt spins a fairy tale web of unrequited love and grief and the power of language, all told from the viewpoint of a 19 year old girl who believes she is a mermaid. Anyone familiar with mermaid mythology knows the direction the story will take, but the author leads the reader there in a way that is utterly spellbinding. Reading “The Seas” is like being captured in a dream where nothing makes sense yet everything seems perfectly logical. Mesmerizing, hypnotic, existential, romantic, heartbreaking, calamitous - these are the adjectives that best capture all that is fantastic about “The Seas.”

Review: 22 Britannia Road

2012-01-08T07:23:00.000-05:00

22 Britannia Road
Amanda Hodgkinson
Time period: 1940s
Location: England; Poland
Publication: 2011
Rating: 4.5 Stars

World War Two has ended, and Silvana and Janusz, a Polish husband and wife, and their son Aurek, are reunited in England after six years of separation. They soon discover, though, that those years have been filled with horrors and secrets that threaten to destroy their marriage and family.

Through a series of flashbacks, told from the perspective of each of the characters, the reader learns what each has endured during the war. Janusz joined the Polish army, but when he was separated from his regiment, he undertook a difficult trek across Europe and eventually fought alongside the British forces. Silvana fled Warsaw with other residents as the German forces overtook the city, and endured years of deprivation and brutality in the forests of Poland before arriving at a British refugee camp.

Hodgkinson tells the story masterfully, with perfect control over the multiple changes in viewpoint and time period. Her prose is spare, but not without emotion and clarity. The characters are brilliantly portrayed and their motivations obvious but not overstated.

I especially appreciated the ending. The author slips into a more symbolic tone to convey what each character must surrender and what they must embrace in order to achieve a resolution to the conflict that has been constructed throughout the story. This change in style could have seemed abrupt, awkward, or wrong, but somehow Hodgkinson makes it work perfectly, and I found the last portion of the book to be deeply moving.

“22 Britannia Road” is a compelling read and a remarkable achievement for a first novel. I enjoyed it immensely and would recommend it without reserve.

Review: The Accidental

2012-01-08T07:21:00.003-05:00

The Accidental
Ali Smith
Orange Prize 2006 SL; Whitbread/Costa Winner 2005; Man Booker Prize 2005 SL; 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die list
Rating: 3.5 Stars

Two words: Bizarre. Brilliant.

A family - 12 year old Astrid, 17 year old Magnus, their mother Eve, and their step-father Michael - is spending the summer in a rented house. A woman - Amber - shows up at the house, and because everyone in the family assumes she is there in relation to someone else, she stays for several weeks and insinuates herself into their lives.

What is truly stellar about this book is how it is constructed. It is divided into three parts - The Beginning, The Middle, and The End - and each part is then further divided into four parts, each told from the viewpoint of one of the family members. And it is all told in a delightful stream-of-consciousness style (or, more accurately, free indirect style). I was amazed and amused at the author's ability to convey these "brain ramblings" and to capture each character's unique voice and personality. And each chapter begins in the middle of a sentence, as though you've caught the narrator in the middle of a thought. There is even one part, told from Michael's viewpoint, that is written in sonnet form.

Amber is "the accidental" of the book's title. In music, an accidental, indicated by a sharp or flat notation added to a note, raises or lowers the tone from it's normal pitch. Amber, through her interaction with each of the family members, takes them out of their "normal" ways of thinking and interacting, and alters them in a way which could be seen as "better" (raising the tone) or "worse" (lowering the tone).

Ultimately, the book is about brokenness, which Amber, in her own special way, reveals to each of them. As Magnus thinks to himself one night when the family is having dinner, "Everybody at this table is in broken pieces which won’t go together, pieces which are nothing to do with each other, like they all come from different jigsaws, all muddled together into the one box by some assistant who couldn’t care less in a charity shop or wherever the place is that old jigsaws go to die."

The question the book asks is whether a broken family can be repaired, or if they must accept that they are simply individual pieces that each belong to a different whole.

"The Accidental" is cerebral and not an easy read, but it is certainly unique and worthwhile. Ali Smith is a remarkably talented author who deserves the many accolades this book received.

Review: The Russian Dreambook of Color and Flight

2012-01-08T07:19:00.000-05:00

The Russian Dreambook of Color and Flight
Gina Ochsner
Orange Prize 2009 LL
Rating: DNF (read to page 184 of 384)

I've finally encountered an Orange book that I was unable to finish. "The Russian Dreambook of Color and Flight" is a grammatical disaster. Often, I had to read paragraphs numerous times to try to figure out what she was trying to say. For example:

"Dream. She could do that. Staring out the narrow window, Tanya imagined the taste of cloud, swallowing every fluffy hope, consuming and digesting and rising beyond body, beyond reason. Her trouble: she did not yet possess a fully inflatable super-buoyant self-esteem. A theme song would help. Supersonic anti-gravity jump boots. Coiled springs. Wax wings. A flight manual."

It's not poetic or lyrical, not magical or whimsical. It's just exhausting. Combine that with a meandering plot line and several unlikeable characters, and I was more than done with this book by the halfway point.

2011 in Review

2011-12-31T23:58:00.014-05:00

BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR

The Art of Disappearing

by Ivy Pochoda

I read "The Art of Disappearing" back in February, and I knew the minute I finished it that it would be on the Favorite Books of the Year list. All these months later, it still holds the #1 spot. I can still visualize certain scenes and remember particular passages. It's just a very very lovely book.

From my original review:

Toby Warring is a magician. Not a "pull a rabbit from the hat" magician, but one who has the ability to reach into other dimensions and produce real magic. He and Mel Snow meet and marry quickly, and their life journey follows the consequences of Toby's magic. It is a story about losing things, and the price one is willing to pay to find what has been lost.

The storyline is utterly original. There are echoes of Alice Hoffman, but the story is completely the author's own. This is no formulaic plot, but one that kept me in a constant state of fascination.

The writing is gorgeous. I am in awe of the author's ability to use words. The author paints word pictures using every dazzling colour in the universe. Each sentence is a masterpiece of art. I feel that it is this use of words, even more so than the plot, that leads the reader from the first sentence to the last.

A theme of lostness runs through the story like a river, sometimes a gentle babbling brook and other times a raging creek that threatens to burst its banks. And in the end the river empties into the sea, a vast expanse that both hides and exposes the essential meaning of "lost."

"The Art of Disappearing" is Pochoda's first novel. She can't write a second one soon enough for me!

The White Woman on the Green Bicycle

by Monique Roffey

I just read this in December, and it catapulted itself to the top of the Favorite Books of the Year list and easily replaced other contenders. Brilliantly executed, utterly compelling. Profound and heartbreaking. I just loved everything about it.

From my original review:

The plot is simple: a newly married English couple moves to Trinidad in the late 1950s when the husband accepts a job there, and their lives are altered by the politics of the country as it declares independence from British rule.

The execution of this simple story is utterly brilliant and totally captivating. Richly atmospheric with vivid descriptions of the Trinidadian landscape and culture and peoples. Complex and mesmerizing characters. Profound, yet subtle, probings into race and class and colonization.

Intertwined with this story of a country in tumult is George and Sabine's marriage which is filled with misunderstandings and complicated passion and opposing opinions of Trinidad. And at the very heart of it all is Sabine, who struggles to understand herself as a woman, as a British citizen, as a wife. She grows and evolves, becoming bitter and resigned yet also more completely her whole true self. Sabine learns how to define "power" and "compassion" and "revolution," and it is this that is the theme of "The White Woman on the Green Bicycle."

"The White Woman on the Green Bicycle" was shortlisted for the 2010 Orange Prize. Roffey is also the author of "August Frost" (also titled "Sun Dog") which I plan to read soon, and she has another book - "Archipelago" (also titled "Romany") - scheduled to publish in 2012.

Hunting and Gathering

by Anna Gavalda

I read this book, which was a bestseller in France, for the Paris in July blog event. When the lives of four people - an emotionally damaged artist, a shy aristocrat, an angry drifter, a neglected elderly lady - intersect, they are all challenged to confront their inner demons and in the process find their way to hope and self-actualization. (Ok, that sounds hokey. But it's not. Really!)

From my original review:

It's a quiet, simple book. Not much of a plot. No creative use of literary devices. Not a writing style that really impressed me. But the characters! This book is all about them, in all their raw and beautiful humanity. I honestly think it's the best cast of characters I've ever met in a novel.

It's one of those books that I didn't want to end. I hated to turn the last page. I cried my way through the last two chapters. And I really can't find a way to put my any of my thoughts into words.

Gavalda is the author of several other books. I hope to read at least one of them ("Consolation") this year.

BOOK THAT I LOVED MORE THAN I THOUGHT I DID

Drop City by T.C. Boyle

When Drop City, a commune in California, is threatened to be shut down by the government, the group's guru, Norm, decides to relocate to Alaska where he has inherited land from his uncle. In Alaska, they discover how hostile Nature can be and how difficult it is to live peacefully with humankind. "Drop City" is the story of the commune members, especially Star, Marco, and Pan, as well as Alaskan natives Sess and his new bride Pam.

When I first read this book in February, I rated it 3 Stars. A good, solid, enjoyable read. But "Drop City" haunted me. The imagery. The word choices. The characters. Months later, I was wondering about Marco and Pan and Sess. I was still able to vividly recall certain scenes from the book. I've bumped the rating up to 4 Stars, and I almost wonder if it's not worthy of even more than that.

A few favorite lines from my original review:

"...her eyes were like rooms you could live in..."

"The air was thick, the sun tortured the water. Birds dropped like meteors out of the sky."

"The night was a dense and private thing, working through the motions of its own unknowable rhythms."

"Ravens stirred like black rags thrown down out of the night."

NEW FAVORITE AUTHORS

Irène Némirovsky, author of

Suite Française

and

Fire in the Blood

Irène Némirovsky was born in Russia in 1903. Her family fled to France in 1917 during the Russian Revolution. She studied at the Sorbonne and was the author of over a dozen novels. By 1940, her work could no longer be published because of her Jewish ancestry, despite the fact that she had converted to Catholicism. In 1942, she was arrested as a "stateless person of Jewish descent," because of her ancestry and Russian citizenship. She was executed in the gas chamber at Auschwitz.

"Suite Française" is a translation of a manuscript she entrusted to her daughter before her death. "Fire in the Blood" is one of her original French novels that was recently translated into English. Némirovsky is a very talented writer and I will definitely be reading more of her work in the future.

MONIQUE TRUONG, author of

Bitter in the Mouth

and


The Book of Salt

"Bitter in the Mouth" (5 Stars) is the story of Linda, who has a secret...she can "taste" words. And by the end of the book, the reader learns an even more shocking secret about Linda.

From my original review (because I can't say it any better today than I could then):

I was completely mesmerized by Linda's story. I could not put this book down. Everything about her and her life was just so real. The book is so well-written. Not in a complicated literary sense. It's just very very good and exceptionally beautiful.

And when the author throws in the unexpected twist....wow. Just, wow. I was completely surprised. It made me want to go back to the first page and re-read it all again with the perspective of this new information.

Also, in the first part of the book there are all these tidbits of history and mythology and legend, and it seems so random and pointless. Then in the second part of the book it all ties up together, and you can see how all of this seemingly useless rambling is connected to Linda's story - who she is and how she understands herself and what her life has meant.

"Bitter in the Mouth" is sad and compelling and bittersweet and raw and and and....just incredible in a hundred different ways.

"The Book of Salt" (4 Stars) is about Binh, who has fled his native country of Vietnam and is employed as cook for Gertrude Stein and Alice Toklas in Paris. As I said when I first read it, "The prose is exquisite, the narrative is masterfully rendered, and the attention to detail is superb."

I'm anxiously anticipating Truong's next novel.

MORE BY AUTHORS I'VE LOVED IN THE PAST

Sarah Hall totally impressed me with "The Electric Michelangelo," a wildly creative and wonderfully written historical fiction novel. In 2011, she revealed the diversity of her talent in covering a range of genres - "Carhullan Army" (dystopia/apocalypse) and "How to Paint a Dead Man" (literary fiction). Click HERE and HERE for reviews.

"The Lost Garden" by Helen Humphreys is one of my all-time favorite books. In 2011, I read "Afterimage" (click here for review) and "The Revinvention of Love" (click here for review), both of which comfirmed that Humphreys is one of my favorite authors.

BOOKS THAT COMPLETELY SURPRISED ME

"Sarah Canary" by Karen Joy Fowler. Based on the author's most well-known book, "The Jane Austen Book Club," I had categorized her as a writer of chick lit and dismissed her. Fowler actually began her career with a collection of short stories that fall under the heading of sci-fi/speculative fiction, and "Sarah Canary" is in the speculative genre as well.

From my original review:

"Sarah Canary" completely captivated me. It is very well-written in every way, from grammatical styling to story structure. And it has so many different angles - a fantastical journey that is a metaphor or a fable; examination of cultural differences and feminism; legends and history. As soon as I finished it, I wanted to read it again.

"Replay" by Ken Grimwood. This one caught my attention at a yard sale...mention time travel in the synopsis of the book and you've got me hooked. The cover looked like it might be a cheesy 80s science thingy, but for only 10 cents, I decided to give it a try. That dime, my bloggy friends, was very well spent!

From my original review:

Why isn't this book more well known?!? It's simply amazing! It's wildly creative, very well written, and thoroughly engaging. Grimwood draws the reader into the repeating lives of Jeff Winston (and eventually Pamela Phillips, another "replayer") with intricately detailed stories of possibilities and journeys and hope and disappointment. Ultimately it becomes an exploration of the very meaning of life: Why are we here and what is the point of it all? Grimwood messes with your head and stirs your heart, and challenges you to think about what is really important about our existence.

NEVER READ A BOOK LIKE THAT BEFORE

Two forays into new writing styles.

"Ella Minnow Pea" by Mark Dunn. An epistolary style book.

On a fictional island off the coast North Carolina, the residents revere a statue of the man who invented the pangram The Quick Brown Fox Jumps Over The Lazy Dog. When the letters spelling out this phrase began to fall from the statue, the government bans the residents from using those letters.

How the author conveys the conundrum of a decreasing alphabet through notes and letters written by the islanders is completely and utterly brilliant. Oh how I adored this book!

"The Emperor's Babe" by Bernardine Evaristo. A novel-in-verse.

"The Emperor's Babe" is the story of Zuleika, the daughter of poor Sudanese immigrants living in 3rd century Londinium who, at the age of 11, becomes the wife of a Roman senator. Dissatisfied with the marriage, she has an affair with the emperor, Septimius Severus. This completely original, wildly anachronistic novel-in-verse was an absolute delight. It is both brutally honest and laugh-out-loud funny, and Zuleika is one of the sassiest protagonists I've ever encountered.

OTHER BOOKS I REALLY ENJOYED

Kindred by Octavia Butler
Lark and Termite by Jayne Anne Phillips
The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender
Atmospheric Disturbances by Rivka Galchen
East Wind, Rain by Caroline Paul
Lives of the Monster Dogs by Kirsten Bakis
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
The Hottest Dishes of the Tartar Cuisine by Alina Bronsky
Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie
Winner of the National Book Award by Jincy Willett
The Lonely Polygamist by Brady Udall
Flowers for Mrs. Harris by Paul Gallico
Kissing Adrien by Siri Mitchell
His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman

FINALLY READ - AND LOVED - THESE CLASSICS

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Awakening by Kate Chopin
La Dame aux Camélias by Alexandre Dumas fils

STATS

In 2011, I read 151 books and a total of 45,341 pages.

First book of the year: The Dead by James Joyce
Last book of the year: The Postman by Antonio Skármeta
Interesting fact: I began and ended the year with novellas. I didn't plan that.

Shortest book of the year: The Dead by James Joyce (91 pages)
Longest book of the year: Angélique by Sergeanne Golon (790 pages)

Oldest publication date: La Dame aux Camélias by Alexandre Dumas fils (1844)
Most recent publication date: I Am Half-Sick of Shadows by Alan Bradley (Nov. 2011)

Review: How to Paint a Dead Man

2011-12-30T23:12:00.000-05:00

Title: How to Paint a Dead Man
Author: Sarah Hall
Publication: 2009
Rating: 4.5 Stars

Four characters - an art curator grieving the loss of her twin brother, a dying artist, a blind florist, and a famous landscape artist - tell their interconnected stories in alternating chapters. “How to Paint a Dead Man” is a deeply melancholic and philosophic novel that explores the power of art, the essence of beauty, and the universal longing for meaning. The narrative is utterly gorgeous - poetic, transcendent, intimate and evocative - and the story is beautifully constructed. It was unlike anything I’ve ever read, and I completely loved it.

Review: The Carhullan Army

2011-12-30T23:11:00.000-05:00

Title: The Carhullan Army
Author: Sarah Hall
Publication: 2007
Rating: 3.5 Stars

The entire societal and govermental structure of England has collapsed. In the city of Rith, the Authority is in control of everything - where you live, where you work, when you may have children. And no one is allowed to leave Rith.

However, “Sister,” the protagonist of the novel, decides to escape to Carhullan Farm, an all-women commune in the northern hills of Cumbria. She has been fascinated by Carhullan since before the end of the world, so she is thrilled when she is accepted into their society. “Sister” soon learns, though, that Carhullan is not the utopia she imagined it to be.

“The Carhullan Army” is a very well written book. Hall depicts a believable scenario and writes with a tightly controlled and perfectly paced narrative. It’s a thought provoking work that could provide for hours of discussion. My only complaint is that it seems to mimic “The Handmaid’s Tale” just a bit too much, and the whole Girl Power thing comes off too strongly at times.

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-25T08:46:00.000-05:00

Wishing the most happiest of holidays to my bloggy friends!

Around the World in 80 Books: South America

2011-12-21T18:48:00.008-05:00

An attempt to read my way around the world - 80 books from 80 countries.

Click HERE to see a map of this part of the trip.

SOUTH AMERICA

GUYANA

The Ventriloquist's Tale - Pauline Melville

Set in the Guyanese capital of Georgetown and on its distant savannahs, Melville's first novel turns on the tragic absurdities of colonialism, capitalism, and fanaticism, not to mention a pair of very illicit relationships. The novel was shortlisted for the 1998 Orange Prize.

RATING: 3.5 Stars

VENEZEULA

Keepers of the House - Lisa St. Aubin de Terán

Lydia and her husband Diego return to La Bebella, her huband's neglected estate upon which years of drought and disease have taken their toll. Only Benito, her husband's retainer, remains and when her husband becomes depressed and a virtual recluse, Lydia has to take on the management of the estate.

RATING: 3 Stars

COLUMBIA

Delirium - Laura Restrepo

Aguilar, an unemployed literature professor, returns home from a short trip to discover that his wife, Agustina, has gone mad. He doesn’t know what has happened during his absence, and in his search for answers, he gradually unearths profound and shadowy secrets about her past. "Delirium" was awarded the 2004 Premio Alfaguara, the 2006 Grinzane Cavour Prize in Italy, and was shortlisted for the prestigious Prix du Meilleur Livre Etranger in France for best translated fiction.

RATING: 3 Stars

BRAZIL

Max and the Cats - Moacyr Scliar

Max, through his youthful innocence, becomes embroiled in an ill-judged love affair that causes him to run afoul of the emerging Nazi party. He flees Germany, only to become stranded mid-ocean after the freighter on which he has found passage founders off the coast of South America. Max is trapped in a dinghy with a hungry jaguar, and believes his days are numbered until he washes ashore on the coast of tiny Porto Alegre, Brazil, prepared to begin anew in the tropical clime.

RATING: 3.5 Stars

ARGENTINA

Atmospheric Disturbances - Rivka Galchen

When Dr. Leo Liebenstein’s wife disappears, she leaves behind a single, confounding clue: a woman who looks, talks, and behaves exactly like her, While everyone else is fooled by this imposter, Leo knows better than to trust his senses in matters of the heart. Certain that the original Rema is alive and in hiding, Leo embarks on a quixotic journey to reclaim his lost love. With the help of his psychiatric patient Harvey, who believes himself to be a secret agent who can control the weather, Leo attempts to unravel the mystery of the spousal switch. Galchen was selected as one of the 20 under 40 authors by The New Yorker.

Rating: 4 Stars

CHILE

The Postman (Il Postino) - Antonio Skármeta

Unlike the other men of his village, Mario balks at the prospect of life as a fisherman, choosing instead to become the postman for a beautiful island, just off the mainland. Mario has only one postal customer - Chile's most beloved poet, Pablo Neruda. The friendship between the postman and the poet blossoms, and Mario begs Neruda for advice on how best to woo the voluptuous young barmaid, Beatriz, with whom Mario has fallen in love.

Rating: 2.5 Stars

PERU

Bel Canto - Ann Patchett

A lavish birthday party is being held in honor of Mr. Hosokawa, a powerful Japanese businessman. It is a perfect evening until a band of terrorists breaks in, taking the entire party hostage, but what begins as a life-threatening scenario slowly evolves into something quite different. This novel was the winner of the 2002 Orange Prize and was nominated for the 2003 Impac-Dublin Award.

Rating: 2 Stars

(All summaries copied from Goodreads.)

Venice in February

2011-12-19T20:49:00.003-05:00

Dolce Bellezza and Snow Feathers are co-hosting the Venice in February reading event.

I had oodles of fun with Paris in July, so I simply cannot resist participating in this. And the grand thing is that I won't have to add books to my Reading Plan, because this works well side-by-side with other challenges I'm undertaking!

The one book I know with absolute certainty that I'll be reading for Venice in February is...

Miss Garnet's Angel

by Salley Vickers

A retired British professor of history takes an apartment in Venice, where she falls in love with an art dealer and befriends three boys who are restoring a 14th century cathedral. She also discovers art panels depicting the apocryphal story of Tobias and the angel Raphael, and as she learns more about this myth she finds the key to understanding herself.

Review: The Housekeeper + the Professor

2011-12-19T20:15:00.002-05:00

The Housekeeper + the Professor
Author: Yoko Ogawa

“The Housekeeper + The Professor” is about a woman who becomes the housekeeper for a brilliant mathematician with a startling problem - because of a brain injury, he lives with only 80 minutes of short-term memory. The professor and the housekeeper learn about each other and the world through discussion of mathematics, and the professor and the housekeeper’s 10 year old son share a mutual love for baseball.

There aren’t words to adequately express how wonderful this book is; I simply adored it. The characters are so vivid, and the relationships that develop between them are perfectly executed. The writing style is beautiful and lyrical; who knew that mathematics could sound like poetry? “The Housekeeper + The Professor” is original, compelling, and heartbreaking.

RATING

I read this book for the Japanese Literature Challenge.

It also counts for the 12 in 12 Challenge for the translated literature category.

The White Woman on the Green Bicycle

2011-12-17T10:28:00.000-05:00

The White Woman on the Green Bicycle

by Monique Roffey

shortlisted for the 2010 Orange Prize

Ah, yes, THIS is why I adore the Orange Prize. I probably would not have even heard of this book if it had not been nominated for the prize. And to be honest, I might have skipped over it except the location fit for the Around the World in 80 Books challenge. And to think I might have missed this gem, which has catapulted itself to the top of my Favorite Orange Books List AND the Best Books of 2011 List.

The plot is simple: a newly married English couple moves to Trinidad in the late 1950s when the husband accepts a job there, and their lives are altered by the politics of the country as it declares independence from British rule.

The execution of this simple story is utterly brilliant and totally captivating. Richly atmospheric with vivid descriptions of the Trinidadian landscape and culture and peoples. Complex and mesmerizing characters. Profound, yet subtle, probings into race and class and colonization.

Intertwined with this story of a country in tumult is George and Sabine's marriage which is filled with misunderstandings and complicated passion and opposing opinions of Trinidad. And at the very heart of it all is Sabine, who struggles to understand herself as a woman, as a British citizen, as a wife. She grows and evolves, becoming bitter and resigned yet also more completely her whole true self. Sabine learns how to define "power" and "compassion" and "revolution," and it is this that is the theme of "The White Woman on the Green Bicycle."

RATING

New in '12

2011-12-14T22:13:00.002-05:00

Authors just keep writing, and I just keep getting behinder and behinder. Here are some 2012 publications that I'm excited about, although I probably won't get around to them until 2036. (I think I may be wrong on the publication date on a few of these...they may have been released in late 2011. Ah well, they're newish. :) )

At the top of the list

"The Flight of Gemma Hardy" by Margot Livesey

A variation on Jane Eyre set in Scotland in the 1960s. This could be very good...or very bad.

Also by Livesey - "Eva Moves The Furniture" (owned by unread)

Two sequels, and one more in a series

"Sarah Thornhill" by Kate Grenville

Historical fiction set in Australia

sequel to Booker nominated "The Secret River" (owned but unread)

Grenville won the 2001 Orange Prize for "The Idea of Perfection"

"Bring Up the Bodies" by Hilary Mantel

Tudor England, Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn

sequel to "Wolf Hall" which won the 2009 Booker Prize and was nominated for the 2010 Orange Prize

It seems everyone has read Mantel but me. I need to do something about that.

"Death of Kings" by Bernard Cornwell

9th century, Vikings, England

Book 6 in the Saxon Series (I own the first five books in the series; they are gathering dust in the closet. Behinder and behinder...)

Authors who interest me

"Arcadia" by Lauren Groff

New York state, 1960s, utopian community

"The Monsters of Templeton" (owned but unread) was nominated for the 2008 Orange Prize for New Writers

"An Honourable Man" by Gillian Slovo

historical fiction, Sudan

"Ice Road" by Slovo was shortlisted for the 2004 Orange Prize

"The Last Nude" by Ellis Avery

Paris, 1920s (Paris? 1920s? Oh, this one HAS to be good!)

I own (but haven't read) "The Teahouse Fire" by Avery

"Carry the One" by Carol Anshaw

Over a span of 25 years, a group of characters deals with the aftermath of a drunk driving incident.

Anshaw's novels always sound so interesting but I have yet to read anything by her. I own "Aquamarine" and plan to read it soon!

"Come In and Cover Me" by Gin Phillips

Explores a connection between a modern day archaeologist and a 12th century potter.

Like Anshaw, Phillips is an author I want to read, but haven't.

A little bit of time travel....and magical realism....and fantasy....

Q by Evan Mandery

A man is visited by future selves who advise him about important life choices. Intriguing, but it could just play out as The Butterfly Effect in novel form.

(Isn't the cover lovely?)

"No One is Here Except All of Us" by Ramona Ausubel

1939, Romania. A group of villagers decide to "deny any relationship with the known and start over from scratch." Did the author watch The Village by M. Night Shyamalan too many times, or does she really have something original going on here?

"The Snow Child" by Eowyn Ivey

Read Fleur's lovely review HERE. That's all I have to say about that.

"The Man Who Rained" by Ali Shaw

A love story between a girl named Elsa and a boy named Finn in a village called Thunderstown. Sounds like heaps of whimsy and magical realism and the fantastical.

I've been intrigued by Shaw's "The Girl with Glass Feet" but never quite enough to actually read it. He is sounding more and more like an author I would enjoy, though.

Do I still love Anne Tyler?

"The Beginner's Goodbye" by Anne Tyler

It's been years since I read anything by Tyler, but I thoroughly enjoyed several of her works - "Breathing Lessons," "The Amateur Marriage," and "Ladder of Years" - and she's been nominated for the Orange Prize a few times.

Tea & Books: A Reading Challenge

2011-12-11T20:04:00.002-05:00

Ah, it's that time when the online book world is all a'flurry with reading challenges for the upcoming new year. I'm trying not to succumb to the allure because I'm already hugely committed with the 12 in 12 Challenge - 98 books!

But when I read about the Tea & Books Challenge on Fleur's blog, I was intrigued. This challenge is all about BIG books - behemoths, door stoppers, bricks - with a minimum of 700 pages. Big books, yes, but with a small participation requirement. At the lowest level, "Chamomile Lover," readers only have to conquer two books to declare success.

Why, you may ask, am I intrigued by the challenge of reading Big Scary Monstrous Behemoths? Well, for awhile, I've had a random thought rattling around in my brain. Those classic books (the ones that could also serve as a weapon in dire circumstances) were originally published serially. Back in the day, people bought small portions of a book at a time. When they were done with that month's publication, they had to wait. They couldn't just plow through all 900-some pages of a Dickens tome.

Thanks to wikipedia, a lot of the serial publication schedules are available, so we know how much of a certain classic was available to people at any one time. What if I approached these types of books in the same way that they were originally read? Maybe less scary, no?

So, I plan to read......

Vanity Fair

by William Makepeace Thackeray

768 pages

using the serialized publication schedule, as posted on wikipedia. The schedule runs for a year and half, so I'll have to cheat and do two months at once.

January: Ch. 1 – 4, Ch. 5 – 7
February: Ch. 8 – 11, Ch. 12 – 14
March: Ch. 15 – 18, Ch. 19 – 22
April: Ch. 23 – 25, Ch. 26 – 29
May: Ch. 30 – 32, Ch. 33 – 35
June: Ch. 36 – 38, Ch. 39 – 42
July: Ch. 43 – 46, Ch. 47 – 50
August: Ch. 51 – 53, Ch. 54 – 56
September: Ch. 57 – 60, Ch. 61 – 63
October: Ch. 64 – 67

For my second selection, I plan to read a book I already have on the list for the 12 in 12 Challenge.

The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters

by Gordon Dahlquist

760 pages

This steampunk mystery adventure book looks like so much fun I don't think I'll even mind how ridiculously long it is. I hope!

Well, here's to a wonderful year of tea and big books, because as C.S. Lewis said, "You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me."

I Am Half-Sick of Shadows

2011-12-10T20:48:00.000-05:00

I Am Half-Sick of Shadows by Alan Bradley
Time period: 1950s
Location: The Buckshaw Estate in Bishop's Lacey, England
Publication: 2011

2.5 Stars

I was intrigued by the premise of the book because when I was young I was very much a fan of the Trixie Belden books. There's still a special place in my heart for girl detectives, and Flavia did not disappoint me in "I Am Half-Sick of Shadows." The 11 year old Flavia is an utterly delightful character, and in this book (the fourth in which she is featured) she uses her chemistry skills to attempt to capture Father Christmas and her sleuthing talent to solve a murder that occurs on her family's estate.

The characterization is well done and the writing is solid. However, the pacing is slow and the plot formulaic. I have not read the earlier books in the series, but I didn't feel that this would have been a better read if I had. I enjoyed "I Am Half-Sick of Shadows" well enough that I do plan to try the first book in the series, if only for the pleasure of spending more time with Flavia.

Orange January

2011-12-10T08:27:00.009-05:00

It's almost time for Orange January, a month-long reading event that focuses on books which have been nominated for the Orange Prize for Fiction. You can sign up at the hosting blog (The Magic Lasso), join in the discussion at the Library Thing group, or RSVP to the event on facebook.

I have a teetering tower of unread Orange Prize books, so it's difficult to decide what I'll read in January. I've narrowed the list down but I could change my mind at any time. :) The top ~~three~~ four, which I will definitely be reading, are...

Oryx and Crake

by Margaret Atwood

2004 shortlist

(also nominated for the 2003 Booker Prize and the 2003 Giller Prize)

"Snowman is struggling to survive in a world where he may be the last human, and mourning the loss of his best friend, Crake, and the beautiful and elusive Oryx whom they both loved. In search of answers, Snowman embarks on a journey – with the help of the green-eyed Children of Crake – through the lush wilderness that was so recently a great city, until powerful corporations took mankind on an uncontrolled genetic engineering ride."

Oryx and Crake is the first in a trilogy. The Year of the Flood was published in 2009. No info is yet available on the third book.

A Visit from the Goon Squad
by Jennifer Egan

2011 longlist

(Winner of the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction)

"Bennie is an aging former punk rocker and record executive. Sasha is the passionate, troubled young woman he employs. Here Jennifer Egan brilliantly reveals their pasts, along with the inner lives of a host of other characters whose paths intersect with theirs. With music pulsing on every page, A Visit from the Goon Squad is a startling, exhilarating novel of self-destruction and redemption."

The Seas

by Samantha Hunt

2011 longlist

"The narrator of The Seas lives in a remote, alcoholic, cruel seaside town. Awkward and brave, wayward and willful, she is in love with a war veteran thirteen years her senior. He is returned from Iraq a distracted man, haunted by what he has witnessed on the seas. Her dead father told her that she came 'from the water'. Convinced that she is a mermaid, she is troubled by what the old myths tell her about the doomed nature of love between mortals and mermaids. What she does to ease the pain of growing up lands her in prison. What she does to get out is the stuff of legend."

Great House

by Nicole Krauss

2011 shortlist

"For twenty-five years, the simple, handsome desk had been her writing nook; then one day, a woman claiming to be the daughter of its previous owner appeared at her door to retrieve it. That woman was an impostor and her theft the first falling domino in Nicole Krauss' elegant new tale of secrets, subterfuge, and recovery."

all summaries copied from Goodreads

Review: Galveston

2011-11-30T21:45:00.001-05:00

Galveston

by Paul Quarrington

Why I read this book
I initially found this book when searching for an author whose last name began with Q for an alphabet challenge. I abandoned that challenge, but realized this book would also work for the Around the World in 80 Books challenge and for the Canadian authors challenge.

About the book
"Galveston" is the story of three storm chasers and two tourists who come to the fictional island of Dampier Cay in the Carribean, the former in the hopes of experiencing a hurricane and the latter for a vacation in the tropics. The book chronicles the experiences of these five characters, as well as a few island residents, when a hurricane hits. The title of the book is a reference to the hurricane that hit Galveston, Texas in 1900 which is the deadliest natural disaster in U.S. history.

My thoughts

I found "Galveston" compulsively readable; in fact, I finished all 247 pages in one day. It is very much a character-driven novel and Quarrington created a cast of very believable individuals to populate the story. I was shocked when the secrets of two of the characters was revealed, and intrigued by the motivations that drove the others. There is nothing greatly profound about the novel - no suspense, no symbolism, no great life truths - but it is a strong psychological exploration of the hearts and minds of people. My only complaint is that there is quite a bit of graphic sex. Even though the concept was somewhat necessary for story development, I thought it could have been expressed differently.

"Galveston" was shortlisted for the 2004 Giller Prize.

RATING

and 1/2

Around the World in 80 Books: The Caribbean

2011-11-30T21:23:00.008-05:00

An attempt to read my way around the world - 80 books from 80 countries.

Click HERE to see a map of this part of my trip.

THE CARIBBEAN

DAMPIER CAY

Galveston - Paul Quarrington

Few people seek out the tiny Caribbean island of Dampier Cay. But this weekend, three people will fly to the island deliberately, because they have reason to believe that they might encounter something there that most people take great measures to avoid -- a hurricane. The novel was shortlisted for the 2004 Giller Prize.

RATING: 3.5 Stars

Review HERE

CUBA

The Messenger - Mayra Montero

In June 1920 a bomb exploded at the Teatro Nacional in Havana at the very moment that Enrico Caruso was singing in the opera Aida. In a panic, he fled the theater and disappeared into the streets of Havana. As Caruso tries to escape the murderous agents of the Black Hand, he is drawn into a passionate love affair with Aida Cheng, a woman whose godfather is the powerful Afro-Cuban santero José de Calazán.

RATING: 2.5 Stars

BAHAMAS

Fire on Dark Water - Wendy K. Perriman

On the island of Nassau, Lola earns her keep as a prostitute until she lands a place on the Revenge, a ship captained by the infamous Blackbeard, the greatest buccaneer who ever lived. To survive the lethal treachery of a pirate's life Lola must use every hard-earned skill in her arsenal and become the woman she was always meant to be.

RATING: 3.5 Stars

HAITI

The Farming of Bones - Edwidge Danticat

Memorializing the forgotten victims of ethnic cleansing in Haiti in the 1930s, this novel revolves around a Haitian-born servant girl and her lover, an itinerant sugarcane cutter, as they struggle against the violence. The novel is written by the award winning author of "Breath Eyes Memory."

RATING: 4 Stars

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

Before We Were Free - Julia Alvarez

Anita de la Torre never questioned her freedom living in the Dominican Republic. But by her 12th birthday in 1960, most of her relatives have emigrated to the United States, her Tío Toni has disappeared without a trace, and the government’s secret police terrorize her remaining family because of their suspected opposition of el Trujillo’s dictatorship. Using the strength and courage of her family, Anita must overcome her fears and fly to freedom, leaving all that she once knew behind.

RATING: 3 Stars

TRINIDAD

The White Woman on the Green Bicycle - Monique Roffey

When George and Sabine Harwood arrive in Trinidad from England as young newlyweds, they have with them just a couple of suitcases and Sabine's prized green bicycle. Their intention is to stay for not more then three years, but George falls in love with the island. George and Sabine become more entangled in their life on the island – in all its passion and betrayals. One day George make a discovery that forces him to realize the extent of the secrets between them. This novel was shortlisted for the 2010 Orange Prize.

RATING: 5 Stars

Review HERE

(All summaries copied from Goodreads.)

Confession

2011-11-05T21:34:00.002-04:00

Not only have I not written a blog post in almost a month, I haven't been reading either. I know...GASP!

The cause has been a combination of things. The weather - Northeast Ohio recently broke a record for most annual precipitation. As of October 19, we'd had 53.84" of rain (almost 20 inches more than the normal annual average). All that darkness and gloom and wet really leads to a serious battle with restlessness and depression.

And I've kinna burnt myself out this year, averaging about 12 books a month, and stressed myself out trying to compete in challenges. Plus I've had a horrific work schedule since mid-August, which has enabled me to perfect my zombie impersonation. AND my sister-in-law introduced me to pinterest.com (which one can do quite well even while in a zombie state).

Check it out. I doubledog dare you.

So, I missed out on the Discovering Daphne Event, and I failed to read the pile of awesomely gothic books that were perfect for October. Oh well, we'll see what happens in November.

I've missed all my bloggy friends! I'll try to get 'round to visiting all of you soonish!

Review: The Woman in Black

2011-10-09T19:15:00.001-04:00

The Woman in Black

by Susan Hill

Just a few quick thoughts: "The Woman in Black" is a typical ghost story - a sad tale, a vengeful ghost, a creepy haunting. What impressed me most was the quality of writing. It could easily have been written in 1883 rather than 1983, so perfectly does Hill capture the gothic tone and style. Richly atmospheric and perfectly paced, "The Woman in Black" was a darkly enjoyable read.

Review: The Keep

2011-10-09T10:24:00.001-04:00

The Keep

by Jennifer Egan

WHY I READ THIS BOOK
Egan won the Pulitzer for "A Visit from the Good Squad" (which I haven't read yet), so I'm curious about her as an author. "The Keep" was longlisted for the 2008 Orange Prize...and it seemed appropriately creepy for October.

ABOUT THE BOOK
"Two cousins, irreversibly damaged by a childhood prank, reunite twenty years later to renovate a medieval castle in Eastern Europe. In an environment of extreme paranoia, cut off from the outside world, the men reenact the signal event of their youth, with even more catastrophic results. And as the full horror of their predicament unfolds, a prisoner, in jail for an unnamed crime, recounts an unforgettable story that seamlessly brings the crimes of the past and present into piercing relation." (summary from Goodreads)

MY THOUGHTS
I found the book utterly fascinating. Usually when I feel that way it's because I am, in some way, relating to the characters or story, but that wasn't the case with "The Keep." I connected with this book in a way that was more intellectual than emotional. What really dazzled me was Egan's talent; she is the shining star in this book. It's highly original, very experimental, and suspenseful & twisted...and she makes it all work so well that I was rather in awe.

I'm not necessarily sure this should be the case, however. I think it's more important to say, "That was a fantastic book!" than to say "Wow, what an amazing author!" (Of course, ideally, one should be able to make both those statements.) Anyway, for that reason alone, I'm only rating this 3 Bookmarks, after much deliberation, because my initial impulse was to rate it 4 Bookmarks.

RATING

Around the World in 80 Books: Central America

2011-10-01T08:22:00.002-04:00

An attempt to read my way around the world - 80 books from 80 countries

Click HERE to a map of this part of my trip.

Starting the journey in North America:

CALIFORNIA

Queen of Dreams - Chitra Divakaruni

Rakhi, a young painter and single mother, is struggling to come to terms with her relationship with her ex-husband, and with her dream-teller mother, who has rarely spoken about her past or her native India.

RATING: 2.5 Stars

Then I'm off to Central America to begin my journey 'round the world.

CENTRAL AMERICA

MEXICO

Stones for Ibarra - Harriet Doerr

In this award winning contemporary classic, Richard and Sara Everton leave friends and country to settle in the Mexican village of Ibarra. Their dream is to reopen Richard's grandfather's abandoned copper mine.

RATING: 2 Stars

GUATEMALA

The Long Night of White Chickens - Francisco Goldman

Roger Graetz travels to Gautemala to investigate the murder of Flor de Mayo, a Guatemalan orphan who had worked as a maid for his family in Boston. There he is reunited with Luis Moya, a childhood friend, and together they venture on a quest that will prove to have unexpected, and unforgettable, repercussions.

RATING: 2 Stars

EL SALVADOR

Bitter Grounds - Sandra Benitez

Spanning the years between 1932 and 1977, this epic follows three generations of the Prieto Clan and the wealthy family they work for on a coffee plantation. The novel was longlisted for the 1998 Orange Prize.

RATING: 3 Stars

HONDURAS

The Mosquito Coast - Paul Theroux

An inventor takes his family to live in the Honduran jungle, determined to build a civilization better than the one they've left. But his utopian experiment takes a dark turn when his obsessions lead the family toward unimaginable danger.

RATING: 3 Stars

(All summaries copied from Goodreads.)

Review: The Manikin

2011-10-01T08:17:00.002-04:00

The Manikin

by Joanna Scott

Why I read this book

I discovered this book because it was a finalist for the 1997 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and I decided to read it because the plot sounded interesting.

About the book

"The Manikin is the estate of the late Henry Craxton Sr., the Henry Ford of Natural History and founder of Craxton's Scientific Establishment. The Manikin is full of the Founder's handicrafts and it is here that young Peg Griswood arrives with her mother, the new housekeeper, in 1917, and where she will spend her formative years amid the staring, silent creatures and among a staff of eccentric servants and groundskeepers." (summary from Goodreads)

My thoughts
"The Manikin" is similar in style to two other Pulitzer nominees I've read recently - The Plague of Doves and Evidence of Things Unseen. Lyrical writing, strong sense of time and place, large cast of characters, almost excessive information that isn't exactly related to the plot.

The thing I most disliked about "The Manikin" was the third-person omniscient narrative. While it is understandably necessary for the way the novel is constructed, it made the characters feel one-dimensional. I did not like being told what the characters were doing and thinking and feeling...I wanted to experience those things through them. There was also something about the writing style that detracted from the creepy/gothic element, like the difference between going to a haunted house and being told about someone else's trip to a haunted house.

Rating
"The Manikin" is just an okay book. I would not enthusiastically recommend it to anyone.

Review: Artificial Things

2011-09-25T12:31:00.000-04:00

Artificial Things

by Karen Joy Fowler

After discovering that Fowler, the author of "The Jane Austen Bookclub," also wrote science fiction, I read and thoroughly enjoyed "Sarah Canary" (review) and was curious to read more by her. "Artificial Things," a collection of short stories, was her first published work.

I was not overly impressed with any of the stories in "Artificial Things." The stories are not particularly creative or ingenious, and the writing style is only mediocre. It's not really a bad collection, it's just unremarkable.

RATING

Review: What I Loved

2011-09-25T09:13:00.000-04:00

What I Loved

by Siri Hustvedt

Why I read this book

It was longlisted for the 2003 Orange Prize, and it's on the list of 1001 Books Everyone Should Read Before They Die.

About the book

"What I Loved begins in New York in 1975, when art historian Leo Hertzberg discovers an extraordinary painting by an unknown artist in a SoHo gallery. He buys the work; tracks down the artist, Bill Wechsler; and the two men embark on a life-long friendship. Leo's story, which spans twenty-five years, follows the evolution of the growing involvement between his family and Bill's." (summary from Goodreads)

My thoughts
I hated the writing style with massive huge large hate. Meandering. Wandering. Digressing. Rambling. The characters were unlikable, and everything and everyone had this distant feel so I could never engage with the story or the people. And then there's this dark mysterious ending that doesn't flow with the rest of the story.

Rating
The story is really only worthy of 1 Bookmark, but I do have to bump it up to a 2 Bookmark rating. Hustvedt is obviously a talented author; I just don't like her.

Review: Afterimage

2011-09-21T19:39:00.002-04:00

Afterimage

by Helen Humphreys

WHY I READ THIS BOOK

Previous reads by this author: "The Lost Garden" (5 Stars) and "The Reinvention of Love" (3 Stars - review).

ABOUT THE BOOK

"Inspired by the life of Julia Margaret Cameron, Afterimage is the bold and provocative story of Annie Phelan, a maid in the home of Isabel and Eldon Dashell. Isabel is experimenting with the new medium of photography, and is inspired by Annie, who becomes her muse." (summary from Goodreads)

MY THOUGHTS
As always, Humphreys' use of language is lovely, and she excels at creating a sense of time and place. "Afterimage" is a very quiet novel, with much greater emphasis on characters than plot. There is an overarching theme of longing - Isabel with her desire to be appreciated as an artist, Annie with her need to be accepted, Eldon (Isabel's husband) with his thwarted dreams for a life filled with adventure. I loved how vividly Humphreys portrayed these characters, and the ways in which she had them interact with one another.

COMPANION READ

This fantastic collection features all the photographic work of Julia Margaret Cameron, the inspiration for "Afterimage." In addition to the photos, there is extensive technical details about the production of the photographs and biographical info about Cameron. (compiled by Julian Cox; ISBN 9780892366811)

RATING
(for both books)

Review: The Emperor's Babe

2011-09-21T11:29:00.001-04:00

I'm participating in an ongoing historical fiction challenge on Library Thing. This is a copy/paste from over there. I feel lazy. :)

SEPTEMBER 2011: ANCIENT WORLD
from the beginning of recorded human history to the Early Middle Ages

The Emperor's Babe by Bernardine Evaristo
Time period: 211 AD
Location: Londinium, Britannia
Publication date: 2001

4 Stars

"The Emperor's Babe" is the story of Zuleika, the daughter of poor Sudanese immigrants living in 3rd century Londinium who, at the age of 11, becomes the wife of a Roman senator. Dissatisfied with the marriage, she has an affair with the emperor, Septimius Severus. This completely original, wildly anachronistic novel-in-verse was an absolute delight. It is both brutally honest and laugh-out-loud funny, and Zuleika is one of the sassiest protagonists I've ever encountered.

Catching Up

2011-09-18T15:47:00.000-04:00

I've fallen terribly behind in my book reviews, so this a quick recap to get caught up.

Replay by Ken Grimwood
5 Stars

Read a synopsis HERE

First: Ignore any reviews you might have read that compare this to the movie "Groundhog Day." Other than a vague similarity in plot (a man repeating a portion of his life) there is nothing alike about this book and that movie. Most notably different is the tone; whereas "Groundhog Day" was rather corny, "Replay" is profoundly existential.

Second: Why isn't this book more well known?!? It's simply amazing! It's wildly creative, very well written, and thoroughly engaging. Grimwood draws the reader into the repeating lives of Jeff Winston (and eventually Pamela Phillips, another "replayer") with intricately detailed stories of possibilities and journeys and hope and disappointment. Ultimately it becomes an exploration of the very meaning of life: Why are we here and what is the point of it all? Grimwood messes with your head and stirs your heart, and challenges you to think about what is really important about our existence.

Third: Read this book. I recommend it without reservation.

Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn
4 Stars

Read a synopsis HERE

Completely and utterly brilliant. The author is a genius! Completely entertaining and wholly original.

The Devil's Arithmetic by Jane Yolen
2.5 Stars

Read a synopsis HERE.

Even taking into consideration that this is a young adult book, I felt that it was too oversimplified and that too much was left unexplained.

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
Did not finish

The story never caught my attention, and there was too much about it that annoyed me - plot development, characters, writing style, etc.

Evidence of Things Unseen by Marianne Wiggins
Did not finish

It was like slogging through mud in cement-lined boots. Very slow and very heavy.

Discovering Daphne

2011-09-15T06:00:00.007-04:00

Savidge Reads and Novel Insights will be hosting the Discovering Daphne read-a-long in October. Participating bloggers will be reading at least one of five pre-selected books by Daphne du Maurier (The Loving Spirit, MaryAnne, The House on the Strand, Don't Look Now & Other Stories, and Rebecca). Visit the hosting blogs for complete details!

I first learned of du Maurier from a Stephen King book (maybe Bag of Bones?) in which he quotes the famous line from Rebecca, "Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again."

Curious, I looked it up, and found a book with a cover much like one of these:

which all look suspiciously like one of these 70s gothic delights:

I went through a phase, when I was about 15, of reading many of these lovely bits of...um, trash. But I really had no desire to go there again so du Maurier was dismissed.

And then I entered the Online Book World. And discovered that du Maurier is featured on the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die List. And on the Virago Modern Classics List. And everybody loves her. Never judge a book by its cover, eh?

So, I picked up "Rebecca" and "The House on the Strand" at a library book sale for almost free. Even though Virago now has lovely covers for the du Maurier books, the books I purchased have hideous covers. (Literary karma?)

They've sat - forlorn and unloved - on my bookshelf for awhile now. The "Discovering Daphne" read-a-long has inspired me to dust them off and....well...discover Daphne.

Back in Print!!! Cloven Hooves by Megan Lindholm

2011-09-04T16:00:00.002-04:00

I think any avid reader has a few books that, for whatever reason, remain indelibly imprinted on our hearts. For me, one of those books is "Cloven Hooves" by Megan Lindholm.

Winter 1991 and I was living in Norfolk, Virginia. During one of my weekly shopping trips to Walden Books at the mall, one of the clerks, who was familiar with my reading habits, suggested a recently published book - "Cloven Hooves." I purchased it, and fell in love.

I probably read the book a dozen times during that winter. On the bus to work. While drinking coffee at the diner. Late into the night, cocooned in blankets. It was pure magic and I couldn't get enough.

In retrospect, I think a large part of the appeal was simply a matter of the perfect story at the perfect time. "Cloven Hooves" is the story of Evelyn who, as a lonely young girl living in the wilds of Alaska, spent hours in the woods playing with the mythological Pan. When she endures a tragedy and heartbreak as an adult, she returns to those woods...and to Pan. Like Evelyn, I spent countless hours in the woods as a child (though none of my playmates were as exotic as Pan). And at the time I read the book, I was an adult woman living an unhappy life who longed for those enchanting days of childhood.

I read "Cloven Hooves" a few more times over the years, but I eventually lost my copy of the book somewhere along the road of life. I never forgot it, though, and sometime in the last few years I've found myself really wanting to read it again. It's long been out of print, though, and very difficult to find.

I cannot adequately express how utterly thrilled I was to discover that Harper Voyager is reissuing it, with publication expected April 2012. The only place I can find it online is AmazonUK. I'm definitely buying it as soon as possible!

Megan Lindholm is a pen name for an author who also writes under the pseudonym Robin Hobb, who is the author of several popular (and very good) fantasy series - Liveship Traders, Farseer Trilogy, and Tawny Man Trilogy. A collection of short stories by both Lindholm and Hobb - The Inheritance - was published in 2011.

The Golden Compass: What Would Your Daemon Be?

2011-08-31T09:02:00.011-04:00

The entire time I was reading the His Dark Materials trilogy I wondered what my daemon would be if we had them in this world. I found a quiz to answer that question!

Your result for The Golden Compass Daemon Test...

SIBERIAN TIGER

You are calm and logical, but not unemotional. You are an introvert at heart, preferring to read alone than be subjected to the crush and noise of a big party or bar. You have a few friends and family, whose presence you welcome - to a point. Even they can wear on your nerves eventually, and you need to retreat back into your personal space for a while so you can recharge. Your energy comes in bursts, after which you need a long nap or a couple of evenings at home to recuperate.

You are comfortable with yourself, and reasonably confident. You want the friendship and goodwill of others, but you are not willing to sacrifice your principles in order to get it. If your close friends need something that you can provide, however, you will be the first to offer it.

You are a good and sympathetic listener, and are aware of your friend's emotional states. With your very close friends, you will open up, but rarely - you don't like to burden people with your problems. At the same time, though, you are honest and are not willing to alter the truth for the sake of convenience.

Among strangers you are reserved, and may resort to making jokes to disguise your true feelings. While you are not afraid of conflict, you do not seek it, either. When you are hurt or insulted, you feel that you have a choice to make. You can choose to take them up on it and defend yourself, or you can let it pass. Your decision may depend on how well you know the person, how personally you take the insult, or simply what mood you are in that day. Your friends may not always know how you are going to react, for that reason. Whatever you reaction, though, you will be logical, rational and unnervingly accurate: a measured strike.

Your daemon's form would represent your calm, introverted nature, your cool logic, and your impatience with crowds of people. He or she would probably whisper ironic comments in your ear, give logical advice and try to hide his or her soft side from everyone, even you.

Suggested forms:
Siberian Tiger, Snow Leopard, Peregrine Falcon, Snowy Owl, Osprey.

Take The Golden Compass Daemon Test at HelloQuizzy
(Warning: You do have to sign up for an account at the site to get the results if you take the quiz.)

Read my review of The Golden Compass HERE and my reviews of The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass HERE.

Review: UFO in Her Eyes

2011-08-28T14:06:00.000-04:00

UFO in Her Eyes

by Xiaolu Guo

WHY I READ THIS BOOK

Because I had read "A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers" by the same author. (Read review HERE)

ABOUT THE BOOK

When Kwok Yun supposedly sees a UFO, investigators from the National Security and Intelligence Agency launch an in-depth investigation and the event leads to dramatic changes in the village of Silver Hill.

MY THOUGHTS
The book is constructed entirely of investigative reports and other official documents. I was impressed at how the author was able to vividly tell the story and convey a strong sense of the characters involved using this method. It was intriguing and entertaining and very readable.

The UFO sighting is merely the launching point for a message about culture and progress and change, and I think I would have been able to better appreciate this political statement with a stronger understanding of Chinese history, especially Chairman Mao's Cultural Revolution.

RATING

Review: A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers

2011-08-28T13:45:00.000-04:00

A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers

by Xiaolu Guo

WHY I READ THIS BOOK
It was shortlisted for the 2007 Orange Prize.

ABOUT THE BOOK
Twenty-three-year-old Zhuang, the daughter of shoe factory owners in rural China, has come to London to study English. She meets an English man who changes everything and from the moment he smiles at her, she enters a new world of sex, freedom, and self-discovery. But she also realizes that, in the West, “love” does not always mean the same as in China, and that you can learn all the words in the English language and still not understand your lover. (from Goodreads)

MY THOUGHTS
I really enjoyed that it was written in "broken English," and though at times this seemed uneven to me, it is the first book the author had written in English, so I am certain that she has a better understanding than I do about this matter. And it was an interesting (and sometimes amusing) examination of the vast differences between Chinese and English cultures, covering everything from food choices to life philosophies.

I did not like the protagonist and this was a huge stumbler for me. She is just so whiny and clingy and needy, and I couldn't get into her head at all. And when she toured Europe, I wanted to smack her. She had this awesome opportunity (that I would kill for) to sightsee and discover all this culture and history - but all she does is complain and hook up with random men.

And that was the second thing I didn't much like about the book: there is a lot of sex. I'm not a total prude, but this was just major overkill. I mean, comparing a lighthouse to a certain part of the male anatomy? Completely unnecessary.

If the book is supposed to illumine the differences between cultures, is the author saying that all Chinese women are overly dependent on men and obsessed with sex?

RATING
somewhere between a 2 and a 3

Review: Sarah Canary

2011-08-22T11:19:00.000-04:00

Sarah Canary

by Karen Joy Fowler

WHY I READ THIS BOOK

Fowler is best known as the author of "The Jane Austen Book Club." Based on that book, I had dismissed the author as a chick lit writer and never so much as glanced at her other work.

Several months ago, there was an ongoing online discussion about why female authors were rarely nominated for a certain sci-fi book award. (Unfortunately, I didn't bookmark any of the articles, and now I can't find them.) As a result of that discussion, some well-known authors posted lists of what they considered underappreciated sci-fi books by female authors, and "Sarah Canary" was on one of those lists.

Fowler wrote sci-fi? Really? Yup. In fact, she began her writing career publishing sci-fi short stories. (Artificial Things, 1986) My understanding, though, is that she doesn't write hard sci-fi with spaceships and robots and such. Wikipedia defines her style as "eccentric tales of implausible history." I guess it's more like science fantasy.

And I must confess I'm a little more interested in "The Jane Austen Book Club" based on this statement from Wikipedia: "Although it is not a science fiction or fantasy work, science fiction does play an integral part to the novel's plot."

ABOUT "SARAH CANARY"
It's almost impossible to summarize the plot of "Sarah Canary" without giving away too much. This is how it is described on the back of the book: "When an enigmatic woman cloaked in black wanders into a Chinese labor camp in the Pacific Northwest of 1873, one man is chosen to lead her out into the woods. But soon, he becomes the enchanted follower. Thus begins a magical journey."

MY THOUGHTS
Oh. my. goodness. Wow.

And to think I might have missed this book based on a false assumption about the author.

"Sarah Canary" completely captivated me. It is very well-written in every way, from grammatical styling to story structure. And it has so many different angles - a fantastical journey that is a metaphor or a fable; examination of cultural differences and feminism; legends and history.

As soon as I finished it, I wanted to read it again. There is so much going on in this book that I could read it over and over to analyze it and dissect it.

I wish I could say something incredible to convince you to read this, but I really can't find the words except to say this: "Sarah Canary" is a treasure and I highly recommend it.

RATING

Review: Journey by Moonlight

2011-08-21T21:09:00.000-04:00

Journey by Moonlight

by Antal Szerb

translated from the Hungarian; first published in 1937

WHY I READ THIS BOOK

Szerb was a well-known Hungarian author before his death in a concentration camp, and this book has received high ratings from other readers, so I thought it would a good selection for Hungary for the Europe reading challenge.

ABOUT THE BOOK
"Anxious to please his bourgeois father, Mihaly has joined the family firm in Budapest. Pursued by nostalgia for his bohemian youth, he seeks escape in marriage to Erzsi, not realising that she has chosen him as a means to her own rebellion. On their honeymoon in Italy Mihaly 'loses' his bride at a provincial station and embarks on a chaotic and bizarre journey that leads him finally to Rome. There all the death-haunted and erotic elements of his past converge, and he, like Erzsi, has finally to choose." (from Goodreads)

MY THOUGHTS
Honestly, I didn't like anything about this book - not the story, not the characters, not the writing style. I tried to make allowances knowing that it was written 70-some years ago and that it's translated, but it just did not work for me.

RATING

Review: Zoli

2011-08-20T10:38:00.001-04:00

Zoli

by Colum McCann

WHY I READ THIS BOOK

McCann's "Let the Great World Spin" is rather popular, so I recognized his name on the cover of this book when I saw it at a library book sale, so I tossed it in the "Bag o' Books for $2."

ABOUT THE BOOK
Loosely based on the life of poet Papuszam, Zoli is a Gypsy woman living in Slovakia in the 1930s. Her poetry attracts the attention of a translator, who publishes her poems, and Zoli enjoys a brief period of fame. Facism is spreading across Slovakia during this time, and when the gypsies are persecuted, Zoli is blamed becaue she has publicized the Gypsy way of life, and she is ostracized from her clan. No longer a poet, no longer a Gypsy, Zoli must find a new life in a region that is torn apart by politics and war.

MY THOUGHTS
The story sounds amazing, doesn't it?

Unfortunately, the execution just didn't work for me. The pace is very slow and the tone is dark. I suspect this was intentional to create the mood of the book, but it prevented me from becoming involved in the story. It seemed much longer than 350 pages and I really just wanted it to be over.

Also, the historical details were often vague, and I had to do some additional research to figure out exactly what was going on. Sometimes in historical fiction, the author can gloss over some aspects and still create a strong story. In "Zoli," though, those missing details were usually integral to the story, and I was left with a sense that the author did not have a complete grasp of his subject.

One strength of the book was the poetic writing style and vivid imagery. But even this didn't always work, because it at times seemed forced, as though the author was thinking, "I'm writing about a poet so this MUST be poetic."

RATING

Review: The Man in the Wooden Hat

2011-08-16T15:27:00.000-04:00

The Man in the Wooden Hat

by Jane Gardam

WHY I READ THIS BOOK

I first discovered Gardam in my teens when I read (and fell in love with) "A Long Way from Verona." I later also enjoyed her Booker-nominated "God on the Rocks" so I've always meant to read more of her books.

ABOUT THE BOOK

"Old Filth" told the story of Sir Edward (Eddie) Feathers QC, aka Filth, his colonial upbringing and career, his long and comfortable marriage, his rivalries and friendships. "The Man in the Wooden Hat" picks up these threads from the perspective of Filth's wife, Betty. An orphan of the Japanese internment camps, a free spirit, a clever code-breaker at Bletchley Park, Batty has her own secret passions. No wonder she is drawn to Filth's hated rival at the Bar, the brash, forceful Veneering. (from the back of the book)

MY THOUGHTS

Big huge massive DISAPPOINTMENT! Betty has had this amazing life - growing up in China, spending time in the Japanese internment camps, a career in espionage. Do we get to read about any of that? NO! The book begins when she is 28 years old and newly engaged to Filth. There's no back story at all. Just the vaguest hints of what her life was like in the 27 years Before Filth.

And so all it is is this vague boring story. There's very little plot and virtually no character development.

Filth and Betty don't really know each other, but they decide to get married for some reason, and once they're married there really isn't a relationship because Filth is always away on business. Betty supposedly has an affair with Filth's career rival, Veneering, but it's all kind of distant and obscure and you're never really quite sure if there was an affair or not. And Filth becomes a famous lawyer, and they're ridiculously rich, and they live in Hong Kong, and they live in England, and Betty plants tulips. The End.

Reading "The Man in the Wooden Hat" is kind of like eating celery. It's not exactly bad, but it would be a whole lot better if you had the ingredients to make Ants on a Log (celery stuffed with cream cheese and garnished with raisins).

RATING

And one more challenge - Europa Editions

2011-08-16T13:25:00.001-04:00

The purpose of this challenge is read books published by Europa Editions. According to the publisher's website "Europa Editions is a New York-based publisher of literary fiction, high-end mystery and noir, children’s illustrated fiction, narrative non-fiction, and memoir. Approximately two-thirds of the titles on our list are works of literature in translation."

I really look forward to taking part in this because I have many Europa Editions on my TBR list.

There are several ways one can participate in the Europa Challenge. There are yearly challenges (with different levels), topical challenges, and a perpetual challenge. You can find out more information, and sign up to participate, HERE.

The 2011 Challenge runs from July 1 - December 31. I am going to commit to the Europa Ami Level, which requires me to read 4 books published by Europa Editions during that time frame.

This is actually going to be really easy, because I've already read 2 and am currently reading another, so I'll just need one more to finish. But after that I plan to be a bit more daring, by either accepting the Perpetual Challenge or going for a higher level in 2012.

Review: Bitter in the Mouth

2011-08-15T21:03:00.001-04:00

Bitter in the Mouth

by Monique Truong

WHY I READ THIS BOOK

I enjoyed "The Book of Salt" by this author (read review here), and I thought this book sounded interesting.

ABOUT THE BOOK

"Bitter in the Mouth" is a story about growing up in the south in the 70s. It's about family and secrets and identity. Linda knows she has one secret - she can "taste" words. By the end of the book, Linda learns an even more shocking secret.

MY THOUGHTS
Have you ever loved a book so much that you can't even begin to try to explain all that is wonderful about it?

That's how I feel about "Bitter in the Mouth."

I was completely mesmerized by Linda's story. I could not put this book down. Everything about her and her life was just so real.

The book is so well-written. Not in a complicated literary sense. It's just very very good and exceptionally beautiful.

And when the author throws in the unexpected twist....wow. Just, wow. I was completely surprised. It made me want to go back to the first page and re-read it all again with the perspective of this new information.

Also, in the first part of the book there are all these tidbits of history and mythology and legend, and it seems so random and pointless. Then in the second part of the book it all ties up together, and you can see how all of this seemingly useless rambling is connected to Linda's story - who she is and how she understands herself and what her life has meant.

"Bitter in the Mouth" is sad and compelling and bittersweet and raw and and and....just incredible in a hundred different ways.

RATING

Review: Lives of the Monster Dogs

2011-08-13T09:42:00.003-04:00

Lives of the Monster Dogs

by Kirsten Bakis

WHY I READ THIS BOOK

It was shortlisted for the 1998 Orange Prize in Fiction. And I was very intrigued by the plot!

ABOUT THE BOOK

A race of "monster dogs" - fitted with prosthetic hands, modified to be able to walk upright, genetically altered to be super intelligent, and equipped with voice boxes so they can speak - arrive in New York City after escaping from the isolated trapped-in-time town where they were created.

MY THOUGHTS

"Lives of the Monster Dogs" is wildly creative, not only in concept, but also in construction. The story is pieced together from a variety of sources - the journals of the scientist who designed the dogs, the notes of the dog who is recording the history of the Monster Dogs, stories and articles written by a woman (Cleo) who the dogs have befriended, narrative by Cleo, and even an opera that one of the dogs has composed.

The book does require a certain suspension of disbelief, not only for the general premise, but for certain details as well. Cleo was initially noticed by the one of the dogs because she is similar in appearance to the mother of the scientist who created the dogs. Based on this alone, she is invited into the dogs' inner circle and given exclusive rights to their story. She is a college student and waitress, but somehow manages to write stories and articles for big name publications like Vanity Fair. And Cleo's immediate trust of the dogs and willingness to abandon her life for their cause seems a bit farfetched. Also, there seems to be a notable lack of interest in the Monster Dogs by scientists and the media.

But I don't think these things were mistakes, or the result of a poorly constructed novel. It may be what one would expect from a book like this, but it's not the point the author wanted to make. "Lives of the Monster Dogs" is almost (though not quite) magical realism in style, and reads somewhat like a parable.

It's a deeply ethical novel that explores the thin line that divides human and beast. Is the "mad scientist" human simply because he is homo sapien? Or should he be classified as a beast because of his behavior? Are the "monster dogs" beasts because they are canine? Or can they be classified as human because of how they have been modified and how they choose to live? And can the base nature of a thing ever truly be altered?

"Lives of the Monster Dogs" is a brilliant book, and is certainly a novel that is worthy of attention. In addition to being shortlisted for the Orange Prize, it also won the Bram Stoker Award for Best First Novel and was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. Although it's been almost 15 years since the book was published, the author has not written anything else.

RATING

For a really great professional review, READ THIS.

Review: The Hottest Dishes of the Tartar Cuisine

2011-08-10T15:38:00.000-04:00

The Hottest Dishes of the Tartar Cuisine

by Alina Bronsky

translated from the German

WHY I READ THIS BOOK

I really don't remember how this book ended up on my TBR list. It was published in April of this year, so perhaps it was from some list of new/upcoming books.

ABOUT THE BOOK

"Told with sly humor and an anthropologist's eye for detail, The Hottest Dishes of the Tartar Cuisine is the story of three unforgettable women whose destinies are tangled up in a family dynamic that is at turns hilarious and tragic. In her new novel, Russian-born Alina Bronsky gives readers a moving portrait of the devious limits of the will to survive." (from Goodreads)

MY THOUGHTS
Alina Bronksy is a genius.

The narrator of the book is Rosa, who is quite possibly the nastiest character I've ever encountered. She's hateful and judgmental and manipulative and narcissistic. But it's utterly brilliant how Bronsky makes this story highly readable, and how she stays in Rosa's head throughout.

Sometimes, as you're reading, you really wish you could experience someone or something from the perspective of another character, but Bronsky never does this, and by employing this technique, she has created a book that is utterly unique and amazing.

How the other characters relate to Rosa is very interesting. Rosa is like crack to some people. They know she's destructive, and not really enjoyable, but like the addict, they just can't stop going back for more.

Bronsky strongly illustrates the horrors of living in Russia in the late 80s/early 90s - the lack of food and utilities, the extensive documentation or craftiness required to obtain anything, sharing living space with strangers. Rosa's "grit your teeth and survive" mentality almost makes her a heroine. In fact, you begin to understand Rosa's philosophy of "the end justifies the means."

I know virtually nothing about politics, but I almost wonder if Rosa is a representation of communism. Like, the concept of "Nothing we do makes sense, and we may seem like monsters, but really...it's all gonna be okay in the end."

I cannot say that "The Hottest Dishes of the Tartar Cuisine" was an enjoyable read. But it is immensely readable and thought-provoking. And it's worth reading just to appreciate Bronsky's genius in creating this story.

RATING

Review: The Reinvention of Love

2011-08-09T11:52:00.000-04:00

The Reinvention of Love

by Helen Humphreys

WHY I READ THIS BOOK

When I first heard about this book, which was just published last month, I got a bad case of "I want." The author's "The Lost Garden" is one of my favorite books, and "The Reinvention of Love" is about Victor Hugo, the author of another favorite book, "Les Misérables."

ABOUT THE BOOK

"The Reinvention of Love" is set in France in the 1800s, and is based on real people and historical facts. Charles Sainte-Beuve is a book critic, and after reviewing the work of Victor Hugo, he is invited to the author's home. Charles and Victor become friends...and Charles begins an affair with Victor's wife, Adèle. The book explores the lives and complicated relationships of these three characters.

MY THOUGHTS

"The Reinvention of Love" is much more a character study than a plot-driven novel.

It is told almost exclusively from the viewpoint of Charles, who is not a very likable character. He's arrogant, pompous, selfish, vain, and critical. He's also irrationally jealous of Victor, who has all that Charles wants - a successful writing career and a beautiful wife.

A few chapters are told in Adèle's voice. She seems like such a lonely sad woman who is a victim of the time period, when women could do little more than live in the shadow of a man. Victor is a background character, and is portrayed as having many of the same character defects as Charles - arrogant and selfish. Is this accurate, or is Charles projecting his own faults?

Jealously, identity, and sexuality are all themes in "The Reinvention of Love" and the author explores each of these in intriguing and thought-provoking ways. Motives and actions are not explained but are left open for interpretation.

The book is well-crafted, and the author employs various writing styles as fits the situation. Sometimes it is beautiful and philosophical; at others times, it is terse and spare.

"The Reinvention of Love" is a unique book that was a complete enjoyment to read. It is a book I would like to re-read to more fully explore the character development and the technique used by the author to present the story.

RATING

3 1/2 Bookmarks

Review: The Xibalba Murders

2011-08-09T10:55:00.000-04:00

The Xibalba Murders

by Lyn Hamilton

WHY I READ THIS BOOK
I first picked up this book because of the X title - the only letter I was missing to read titles from every letter of the alphabet. And then I realized I could count the book for the country (Mexico) for the Around the World Challenge, and that the author was Canadian so it would work for the Canadian Book Challenge also.

ABOUT THE BOOK
"The murder of a renowned expert in Mayan history lures Lara into the jungles surrounding Merida, Mexico. For in this lush paradise are the temples of the Mayan gods--and the camps of modern-day rebels fighting to save their Mayan heritage. As the body count escalates, Lara must uncover the secrets of the Mayan underworld known as Xibalba--and the journey into the very heart of darkness." (from Goodreads)

MY THOUGHTS
Typical genre fiction - formulaic plot, stock characters, mediocre writing. Lots of ridiculous situations and impossible coincidences. And the author seemed determined to prove that she had Done Her Research! so there was a lot of historical and cultural detail that was extraneous and irrelevant.

RATING
1 1/2 Bookmarks

Challenge Update: Completed & New

2011-08-08T13:35:00.003-04:00

COMPLETED CHALLENGES

I have completed the "Where Are You Reading?" challenge (books from all 50 states). Challenge officially ends on December 31, 2011.

Click HERE to see the MAP on which I logged all the books.

Click HERE to see the list of all the books I read with ratings and links to reviews.

I also have finished the Foodies Reading Challenge at the Epicurean Level (7 Books). You can see the list of the books I read HERE. Challenge officially ends on December 31, 2011.

AND I have completed the TwentyEleven Challenge (20 books in 11 categories)! You can see the list of categories and the books I read HERE. Challenge officially ends December 31, 2011.

I'm also very nearly done with the Around the World in 80 Books challenge at Goodreads, which ends on September 30.

NEW CHALLENGES

The Japanese Literature Challenge, hosted by Dolce Bellezza, runs from June 1, 2011 to January 30, 2012 and requires the participant to read at least one book of Japanese literature.

Hosted by The Book Mineset, the Canadian Book Challenge is an attempt to read 13 books by Canadian authors. The challenge runs from July 1, 2011 to July 1, 2012.

And I plan to do the Around the World in 80 Books challenge again and that begins on October 1.

Reviews: The Subtle Knife & The Amber Spyglass

2011-08-08T13:23:00.001-04:00

The Subtle Knife

The Amber Spyglass

by Philip Pullman

(Books 2 and 3 in the His Dark Materials trilogy)

Read my review of The Golden Compass (Book 1 in the trilogy) HERE

"The Subtle Knife" is the story of Will, a heroic young boy who goes on a quest for his missing father, and discovers his destiny as the bearer of a magical knife that can create portals to other worlds.

"The Amber Spyglass" is the breathtaking conclusion to this epic saga of good versus evil. It's impossible to say more than that without revealing entirely too much.

Of the three books, I thought "The Subtle Knife" was the weakest. I didn't find it as compelling or thought-provoking as the others, but it was still quite good.

"The Amber Spyglass," however, was magnificent. All that I loved about "The Golden Compass" was evident again in this book. Pullman is a masterful storyteller, his plot crafting is astonishing, and his characters are complex and utterly believable. And even while the author is mesmerizing the reader with a compelling story, he is also challenging them to consider deep questions of theology and philosophy.

The entire series is brilliant and extremely well-written.

RATING

The Amber Spyglass

The Subtle Knife

In the His Dark Materials trilogy of books, everyone's spirit/personality is represented by a "daemon" - an animal that accompanies them everywhere. This quiz reveals what my daemon would be if we had them in this world. (Very accurate...and what a fantastic animal!)

Review: A Crime in the Neighborhood

2011-08-08T12:46:00.000-04:00

A Crime in the Neighborhood

by Suzanne Berne

WHY I READ THIS BOOK

1. Orange Prize for Fiction 1999 Winner

2. 50 States Challenge - Washington, D.C.

ABOUT THE BOOK

"A Crime in the Neighborhood centers on a headline event - the murder of a twelve-year-old boy. At the time of the murder, 1973, Marsha was nine years old and as an adult she still remembers that summer as a time when murder and her own family's upheaval were intertwined. But it is Marsha's own suspicions about who committed this crime that has the town up in arms and reveals what happens when fear runs wild." (from Goodreads)

MY THOUGHTS
I read this book at the end June, but I didn't write the review immediately because I wasn't sure how to express my thoughts. In fact, I'm still not sure. There is a psychological complexity to the book that is difficult to grasp and even more difficult to comment about.

Marsha, the protagonist, is not a very likeable character. She spies. She steals. She lies. But, in context, her actions make sense. She's a young girl with no direction or guidance in a time of tumult. And the story is told in retrospect by Marsha as an adult, so there is the question of whether she's being remarkably honest about herself, or if her memories of this particular time in her life have been adjusted to fit the circumstances.

Questions like this - what is truth? what is real? - permeate the book. Are our actions and choices dictated by reality...or by what we perceive as reality? Are we governed by fact...or by fear? What is innocence, and what does it mean to lose it?

Yes, this is a book that makes your brain hurt. I finished reading with a muddled sense of "Huh?" But it is highly readable - compelling storytelling, strong characters, a vivid sense of the time period in which the story is set.

RATING

Do Anything But Read

2011-08-07T21:16:00.000-04:00

Yesterday (Saturday) was the official Do Nothing But Read Day. Unfortunately, it was both a disappointment and a failure.

Disappointment? I've seen bloggy friends be involved in Reading Marathons which had lots of updates and interaction and challenges. I was hoping this one would be like that. It wasn't. At all. In fact, there was not much of anything except a logo and an announcement.

Failure? I pretty much had a Do Anything But Read Day anyway. Just some life stuff got in the way, and I didn't get hardly any reading done this weekend.

Oh well. I'll be back on track this week with reading and posting.

Do Nothing But Read

2011-08-05T16:17:00.002-04:00

I have really not felt like reading or blogging this week. (Perhaps I was burnt out from the 20 books for Paris In July?) But tomorrow - Saturday - is officially Do Nothing But Read Day! (Click the picture for info.) I doubt I'll be reading every second of the day, but hopefully I'll make up for my lackage this week!

Review: The Book of Joe

2011-08-01T15:25:00.002-04:00

The Book of Joe

by Jonathan Tropper

WHY I READ THIS BOOK
1. 50 States Reading Challenge - Connecticut
2. Curious about author (He's written several popular books, most of which have been optioned for film.)

ABOUT THE BOOK
"Joe Goffman has just learned that his estranged father is in a coma. Now the thirty-four-year-old author must return to the town and family he turned his back on seventeen years ago. So with nearly two decades of emotional baggage packed into the trunk of his shiny new Mercedes, Bush Falls's most notorious prodigal son is coming home." (from Goodreads)

MY THOUGHTS
I spent the last month reading books for Paris In July and 99% of those were translated, classics, or both, which require more than a few extra brain cells. So "The Book of Joe" was a good transition from that. It's a simple comfortable book - no literary devices, no experimental styling, no profound philosophies. It's just a good story.

It's not an especially original plot, but I enjoyed it because I could relate to it on some levels (and I think that might actually have been intentional on the author's part). Being a teenager in the 80s. The small town where athletes are revered and homosexuals are shunned. Those were my high school years. That is my hometown. The book felt like a story about people I know, or once knew, which made for a nostalgic bittersweet read.

Also, there were certain sentences and passages that were just uniquely brilliant, such as:

"We sit quietly as the conversation limps off to wherever it is that conversations go to die."

"The day is a run-on Henry James sentence that makes no sense."

"I sit down beside him, my arrival momentarily dispersing the congregation of moths and mosquitoes worshipping in furious circles around the overhead porch light. We both spend a few seconds batting them away with lethal force, the survivors ultimately regrouping in frenzied congress under the naked bulb, reviewing their battle plan, discussing their options."

"The rain beats manically against the window, and I feel the urge to run outside and dissolve."

The one thing that I disliked about the book is that there is a lot of s*x. I mean, a lot. If all the references to s*x - memories, fantasies, discussions, actual acts - were removed from the book, I think you'd be left with only about 20% of the text. I do have to admit, though, that the author handled it well - like, it's just part of life. You eat, you go to work, you have s*x, you sleep. It never felt as though he was throwing s*x into the story just for a cheap thrill or for book sales or whatever. And, well, it's a male author, and men think about s*x 13 times a day.

RATING
I enjoyed "The Book of Joe," but I'm certainly not telling anyone to rush out and find a copy as soon as possible.

Au revoir Paris!

2011-07-31T00:28:00.000-04:00

Paris In July was magnifique...splendide...fantastique! Thank you so much to Karen and Tamara for hosting this blog event! Here's a summary of all the wonderfulness.

FILMS AND FOOD

"Midnight in Paris" (and French appetizers and salads at a charming little bistro)
"A Very Long Engagement" (and a decadent toasted cheese sandwich as only the French can do it)
"Amélie" (and dark chocolate truffles from Vosges Haut-Chocolat)
And a stage adaptation of "The Little Prince"

GREAT FRIENDS, GREAT BLOGS

I made some new bloggy friends and discovered many new blogs. There was so much to discover! Everyone read such great books...I added lots to my TBR list. And there were a few unexpectedly delightful posts as well like...

French music at Just One More Thing
Visual poetry at Biliolathas
A French graphic novel at Wordy Evidence of the Fact
Just a few French films at The Editor Unedited
All about "Amélie" (including the soundtrack) at And Then They Start to Sparkle

BOOKS

Mais oui...oooh la la...ZE BOOKS! I had so so so many great reads in July! Here they all are, sorted by rating, with links to the reviews.

5 Bookmarks - Excellent!

Suite Française by Irène Némirovsky (review)

Fire in the Blood by Irène Némirovsky (review)

Flowers for Mrs. Harris by Paul Gallico (review)

4 Bookmarks - Very Good

Hunting and Gathering by Anna Gavalda (review)

Fair Stood the Wind for France by H.E. Bates (review)

Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald (review)

La Dame aux Camélias by Alexandre Dumas fils (review)

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Süskind (review)

Kissing Adrien by Siri L. Mitchell (review)

The Book of Salt by Monique Truong (review)

Angélique by Sergeanne Golon (review)

Entre Nous: A Woman's Guide to Finding Her Inner French Girl by Debra Ollivier (review)

3 Bookmarks - Good

Gourmet Rhapsody by Muriel Barbery (review)

The Lollipop Shoes by Joanne Harris (review)

Wandering Star by Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clézio (review)

The Four-Chambered Heart by Anaïs Nin (review)

Just Like Tomorrow by Faïza Guène (review)

2 Bookmarks - Okay

The Vagabond by Colette (review)

The Stranger by Albert Camus (review)

The Oxford Book of French Short Stories

~LOOKING FORWARD TO PARIS IN JULY 2012!~

Review: Angélique

2011-07-30T23:56:00.001-04:00

Angélique

by Sergeanne Golon

translated from the French; first published in 1958

I know. Just look at the cover, right? Please allow me to explain.

I was reading a review for some book (I've forgotten which one), and one of the reviewers said her favorite French authors were _______, ________, _________, and Sergeanne Golon. Who? I recognized all the names except that one.

I hunted, and discovered that Golon was the author of Angélique. The cover art made me want to run away, screaming, but the summary made it sound like very interesting historical fiction. I read some reviews on various sites, and was shocked.

Angélique led to the choice of college majors and career directions. She inspired vacations and relocations to France. One 80-year-old reviewer claimed it was the best book she'd ever read. And more than one person loudly announced, "Ignore the cover art!"

I was more than a little intrigued.

Angélique is the first in a series of books, though not all of them were translated into English. The Angélique books tell the life story of Angélique de Sance de Monteloup and are set in 1600s France.

The first book begins when Angélique is 12 years old, a tomboy and the daughter of a noble but impoverished landowner. It continues through her marriage to Comte de Peyrac de Morens, the birth of her two children, the death of her husband, and her struggle to survive as a single mother. (And there's lots of secrets and deceptions and witchcraft and torture and murder plots and...)

I really wonder what could have happened to this book if it had had a different marketing plan. Everything about how it is presented is just so wrong. The cover art of the slutty woman draped in purple velvet, the cover blurb describing Angélique as "the lusty barefoot gutter wench (who) becomes the dazzling mistress of rogues and royalty," the almost-like-a-bodice-ripper extract which is featured on the first page.

That is NOT Angélique!

Readers expecting a bodice ripper with a bit of history would be very disappointed. Yes, there are a few (like maybe 4) s*x scenes, but they are not at all graphic and not smutty in the least. This is an intricate multi-layered story and very well written. I think it even almost qualifies as a literary novel. The writing is well done, the characters are well developed, the storytelling is compelling, and the historical detail is superb.

Though I wouldn't go so far as some reviewers and claim that it is life-changing or the best book I've ever read, I will say that I thoroughly enjoyed every page of this epic tale.

RATING

I read this book for the Paris In July blog event.

Review: The Oxford Book of French Short Stories

2011-07-28T22:32:00.002-04:00

The Oxford Book of French Short Stories

edited by Elizabeth Fallaize

ABOUT THE BOOK
"Spanning the centuries from the late eighteenth to the late twentieth, the collection opens with a rumbustious tale from the Marquis de Sade, takes in the masters of the nineteenth century, from Stendhal and Balzac to Maupassant, and reaches to Quebec, Africa, and the French Caribbean in the twentieth century." (from Goodreads)

MY THOUGHTS
I don't know enough about French literature to say whether or not this is a comprehensive collection, or if the stories the editor chose are the best ones to represent each author. What I do know is that I was not particularly impressed with any of the stories I read.

I read 14 of the 28 stories. Here are summaries and my thoughts on each of them.

A Simple Heart - Gustave Flaubert (3)
A woman named Félicité spends her life working as a maid for Madame Aubain.
Very well-written. Simple and uncomplicated but enjoyable.

The Husband Who Said Mass - The Marquis de Sade (3)
A priest resorts to devious measures to seduce a woman.
Bawdy. Somewhat witty. Very readable.

Public Transit - Monique Proulx (3)
A man saves a woman from an attempted suicide attempt.
In only 1 1/2 pages, Proulx makes a powerful statement. Vivid imagery, well-written.

Story of a Madman - Emilie Zola (3)
A man goes mad because of the plot of his wife and her lover.
Enjoyed the writing style. Interesting premise of the power of the mind and the influence of group-think.

Gribiche - Colette (2)
A music-hall performer becomes ill.
I’m not overly fond of Colette’s writing style. She uses so many words to say nothing at all. Her writings are, however, an interesting glimpse into women’s lives in the early 20th century.

The Guest - Albert Camus (2)
A man is entrusted to deliver a prisoner to the authorities.
I enjoyed Camus’ writing, but I didn’t understood his point.

Vanina Vanini - Stendhal (2)
A woman falls in love with a - political activist? soldier? - and enacts manipulative machinations to claim him as her husband.
It read like an outline sketch for a novel. Very complicated and involved.

The Coffee Pot - Theophile Gautier (2)
A man spends the night in a room in which the paintings come to life.
Typical 19th century gothic. Not particularly impressive.

At Sea - Guy de Maupassant (2)
A man is injured in a boating accident.
The execution was very flat. Somewhat interesting theme about greed and priorities.

The Lady with the She-Wolf - Renee Vivien (1)
A man woos a woman who ends up dying when the boat they are on capsizes.
Very odd.

The Man on the Street - Georges Simenon (1)
A lot of policemen chase a guy for some reason.
There are way too many characters for one short story, and I never did figure out what they were doing.

The Check-up - Herve Guibert (1)
A young boy insists a doctor wear a blindfold while examining him.
I think I really missed something in this one.

The Underwear of the Woman Up Above - Frederic Fajardie (1)
A police lieutenant who is obsessed with the woman who lives in the apartment above him commits an act that jeopardies his job.
Bizarre. I really didn’t get it.

Do You Remember the Rue d’Orchampt? - Christiane Baroche (1)
A woman goes somewhere with a red door. And then she visits a man who used to be her lover. Then she leaves and she’s creeped out because the man is watching from the window.
I don’t have a clue what it was about, and the writing style was strange.

RATING
Average is 1.9

I read this book for the Paris In July blog event.

Review: Fair Stood the Wind for France

2011-07-26T15:53:00.000-04:00

Fair Stood the Wind for France

by H.E. Bates

first published in 1944; original book cover shown

I discovered this book via Suze at Packabook, who shared this review posted at Reading Matters.

ABOUT THE BOOK
"When John Franklin brings his plane down into Occupied France at the height of the Second World War, there are two things in his mind - the safety of his crew and his own badly injured arm. It is a stroke of unbelievable luck when the family of a French farmer risk their lives to offer the airmen protection. During the hot summer weeks that follow, the English officer and the daughter of the house are drawn inexorably to each other." (from Goodreads)

MY THOUGHTS
"Fair Stood the Wind for France" is contradictory in effect. The pace is slow, but it never languishes. The tone is distant in a very vintage British way, yet it is still emotionally powerful. The plot is predictable but the author never failed to surprise me.

And the two main characters - Franklin and Françoise - are amazing and perfectly rendered. Franklin is heroic and strong and selfless; Françoise is quietly courageous and passionate. Bates excelled at conveying these personality traits through action rather than words. As the book progressed, I felt like I was becoming acquainted with real people, rather being told about two characters in a book.

Everything about the book was nearly perfect. I am quite surprised that this book is so obscure.

And you know that question you see posted at various places around the internet: "What book would you like to see made into a movie?" I never had a definite answer until now. "Fair Stood the Wind for France" would be an incredible film!

RATING

I read this book for the Paris In July blog event.

Review: The Vagabond

2011-07-25T00:05:00.001-04:00

The Vagabond

by Colette

translated from the French by Enid McLeod; first published in 1910

ABOUT THE BOOK
"Thirty-three years-old and recently divorced, Renée Néré has begun a new life on her own, supporting herself as a music-hall artist. Maxime, a rich and idle bachelor, intrudes on her independent existence and offers his love and the comforts of marriage. A provincial tour puts distance between them and enables Renée, in a moving series of leters and meditations, to resolve alone the struggle between her need to be loved and her need to have a life and work of her own." (from Goodreads)

MY THOUGHTS
One thing was a major irritant: lovely lyrical passages are continually interrupted by words and phrases that just felt "wrong." It was like listening to a symphony and having one musician constantly making mistakes. For example...

"One can gaze full at the tarnished sun because its light is filtered by a fine rosy mist. A quivering, silvery incense, smelling faintly of mushrooms, rises from the open stretches of grass."

"You poor boob of an amateur! You've always got ants in your pants."

And the protagonist always refers to the man who is courting her as the "Big Noodle." How ridiculous does that sound?

Renée and her story are vaguely interesting. What it meant to be a single woman at the beginning of the 20th century. Her employment as a music hall entertainer, and the people she worked with. How she dared to love again after a marriage to a man who was abusive and unfaithful. The choice she makes to live as an independent vagabond.

But there was something about the book that was just....boring. There's more conversation than action. More philosophy than emotion. More description than story development.

A lot of people rave about Colette. Maybe I picked the wrong book? Or maybe a different translation of "The Vagabond" would be better? (The McLeod translation is copyright 1955.) There is a 2010 translation by Stanley Appelbaum from Dover Publications (ISBN 9780486475851) that might be worth considering.

RATING

I read this book for the Paris In July blog event.

How sweet it is

2011-07-24T08:44:00.001-04:00

Amélie. Ah, sweet Amélie. This film is most definitely on my list of favorites. Every time I watch it, I love it a little bit more.

The movie "tells the story of a shy waitress who decides to change the lives of those around her for the better while struggling with her own isolation." Directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet and starring Audrey Tautou, the 2001 film won four César Awards and was nominated for five Academy Awards.

Everything about it is just superb. The screenwriter was a creative genius. The acting and directing are perfection. The cinematography and special effects are brilliant. Amélie...it's sweet and adorable and quirky and charming. And that almost final scene when Nino appears on Amélie's doorstep? I cry every single time.

If you haven't seen it, you must. If you have seen it, you must watch it again.

And the perfect sweetness to enjoy with an evening of Amélie? Chocolat et vin! La Truffe Chocolat Nature from Vosges Haut-Chocolat and a (very not French) Elysium wine from Quady Winery. I've had both stashed away since my birthday in March, and a viewing of Amélie seemed the appropriate time to indulge!

Review: The Book of Salt

2011-07-23T22:50:00.001-04:00

The Book of Salt

by Monique Truong

ABOUT THE BOOK
"Binh, a Vietnamese cook, flees Saigon in 1929, disgracing his family to serve as galley hand at sea. The taunts of his now-deceased father ringing in his ears, Binh answers an ad for a live-in cook at a Parisian household, and soon finds himself employed by Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas." (from Goodreads)

MY THOUGHTS
"The Book of Salt" is Binh's story, and is not really about Gertrude Stein or the writers and artists of the Golden Age in Paris. Though I was somewhat disappointed by that, I was completely mesmerized by this book.

Binh's story is a sad one. He is disowned by his family and exiled from his home country because of his homosexuality. He becomes a wanderer, spending time as a galley hand at sea and as a chef at various homes in Paris. Binh is always on the outside - because of language barriers, because of social structure, because of his homosexuality. Binh's desperation, his misery, his self-hatred is so poignant and moving.

I thought it was ironic - and very meaningful - that Binh's life has been destroyed by his lifestyle choice, and yet he is serving two women (the "Steins") who are in an openly lesbian relationship and never face any condemnation or ostracization. Though the author never points out this discrepancy, I felt it was always there as a quiet undercurrent.

RATING
The prose is exquisite, the narrative is masterfully rendered, the attention to detail is superb. All in all, it is an impressive first novel.

I read this book for the Paris In July blog event.

Review: The Four-Chambered Heart

2011-07-22T08:31:00.001-04:00

The Four-Chambered Heart

by Anaïs Nin

July 21, 2011 was a wicked hot day here in Ohio. Temperatures reached nearly 100 degrees, with a heat index well over the hundred mark. And with no air conditioning in my apartment, the thermometer was registering in the mid-90s. The only way to avoid Death by Hot was to take Anaïs with me to the local diner for a couple hours.

And that was exactly the perfect atmosphere for reading this book. Suddenly, I was 20-something years old again, sitting in Frisch's, eating piles of French fries, drinking gallons of coffee, and falling in love with Anaïs and her diaries. Present day, it was iced tea & salad and "The Four-Chambered Heart," but the feeling was the same.

ABOUT THE BOOK
"The Four-Chambered Heart" is a semi-autobiographical novel about a woman named Djuna and her affair with Rango. It is the third book in the five-volume Cities of the Interior sequence.

MY THOUGHTS
I really didn't understand why Djuna was in a relationship with Rango. He's selfish and lazy and jealous. And he has a wife who is a crazy hypochondriac, who knows about the affair and supposedly approves but still acts like a jealous manipulative shrew.

But this question of why we love who we love is what the author is exploring in this book. "We love shadows of our hidden selves in others." She also explores the question of whether we can - or should - love with our whole heart, or if the heart is "four-chambered" for divided love and loyalties.

This book is very much philosophy-driven. There is not much plot and not a great deal of character development. Nin uses the loosely drafted story as a framework for musings about the meaning of love. Though the book lacks in literary strength, the prose is evocative and lyrical.

"The drug of love was no escape, for in its coils lie latent dreams of greatness which awaken when men and women fecundate each other deeply. Something is always born of man and woman lying together and exchanging the essence of their lives. Some seed is always carried and opened in the soil of passion. The fumes of desire are the womb of man's birth and often in the drunkenness of caresses history is made, and science, and philosophy."

RATING
I did enjoy the book, though not nearly so much as Nin's diaries or Collages.

I read this book for the Paris In July blog event.

Review: Hunting and Gathering

2011-07-21T21:12:00.000-04:00

Hunting and Gathering

by Anna Gavalda

translated from the French

Sabrina at Thinking About Loud raves about this book, so much so that I just had to pick up a copy. This is one of the books that had been on the bookshelf for awhile. Paris in July was an excellent motivator to finally read it.

ABOUT THE BOOK

In this novel, which was a bestseller in France, "Gavalda explores the twists of fate that connect four people in Paris. Comprised of a starving artist, her shy, aristocratic neighbor, his obnoxious but talented roommate, and a neglected grandmother, this curious, damaged quartet may be hopeless apart, but together, they may just be able to face the world." (from Goodreads)

MY THOUGHTS
It's a quiet, simple book. Not much of a plot. No creative use of literary devices. Not a writing style that really impressed me. But the characters! This book is all about them, in all their raw and beautiful humanity. I honestly think it's the best cast of characters I've ever met in a novel.

It's one of those books that I didn't want to end. I hated to turn the last page. I cried my way through the last two chapters. And I really can't find a way to put my any of my thoughts into words.

It's wonderful. Read it.

RATING

I read this book for the Paris In July blog event.

Review: Kissing Adrien

2011-07-18T15:33:00.001-04:00

Kissing Adrien

by Siri Mitchell

"Kissing Adrien" has many elements that I avoid in a book. Tacky cover. Chick-litty summary. Published by an inspirational fiction publishing house. BUT...

My friend Jeanne recommended it, and she has impeccable taste. Books, movies, music, art, fashion, food...if Jeanne says it's good, it is.

ABOUT

The summary from Goodreads, in all its chick-litty horror:

"In this fresh and humorous tale, 29-year-old Claire agrees to supervise the renovation of the Paris apartment her parents have inherited. Ignoring her romantic surroundings, Claire is all-business and in a hurry to return to her job, home, and an "almost dating" relationship with Brian, an associate pastor.

When Adrien, a handsome and flirtatious friend of the family, agrees to help Claire, his spontaneity and joie de vie drives her crazy. But in time, even Claire cannot resist the City of Lights’ offerings, including the Rodin museum where the sculpture The Kiss raises the questions…who will be the love of her life? And will she ever learn to enjoy the life God has placed right in front of her."

MY THOUGHTS
Was Jeanne right? Bah oui! Certainment! She was, she is, she always will be. :)

"Kissing Adrien" is simply delightful. It's a masterful blend of cute storytelling and thought-provoking existentialism. Though not "literature," the quality of writing is most certainly superior to the usual "inspirational fiction." The character development and the plot structure are both well done.

I loved Claire - her insecure awkwardness, her snarkiness, her American misconceptions about life. I loved all the descriptions of food and dining and fashion and shopping. I loved how Claire interacted with art, and allowed it to speak to her and teach her. I loved the insights into the Parisian lifestyle - their work ethics, their views on politics and religion, their basic life philosophy.

And just as "Entre Nous" did, "Kissing Adrien" made me question my beliefs and my ideals. I was very impressed with the author's ability to include Christianity in the story without being didactic or conventional.

Claire's religion is about doing what's "right" and avoiding people who do what's "wrong." It's inclusive and judgmental. Adrien's religion is about joie de vivre and beauty and love. It's expansive and curious.

Is what Claire believes the Americanized version, while Adrien's beliefs are the French interpretation? Are they both just influenced by their culture, rather than the Bible? Can religion be influenced by a culture? Should it be?

Though the discussions on religion intrigued me, it was really a small portion of the book. It was just a part of what was involved in Claire's transformation into a woman who was willing to dare to fall in love and pursue her dreams and believe in her own beauty.

RATING
I have to give it a 4 simply because it is so much better than what is typical for this genre.

I read this book for the Paris In July blog event.

An engaging movie & a yummy dinner

2011-07-17T08:45:00.004-04:00

Starring Audrey Tautou, the star of Amélie, A Very Long Engagement "is a fictional tale about a young woman's desperate search for her fiancé who might have been killed on the battle of the Somme during World War I." The 2004 film was directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet and is based on the novel by Sebastien Japrisot.

Tautou is stellar (and beautiful), and there is a lot of other great talent as well. The cinematography is utterly enchanting and breathtaking. I was particularly impressed by the use of colour and lighting to create mood.

There are quite a few violent war scenes and graphic sexual situations, both of which are things I don't especially like in a movie. I found the plot somewhat complex, and felt a bit overwhelmed trying to follow the story and read the subtitles and enjoy the art of the film. I think it is a movie I will enjoy much more the third or fourth time I watch it.

And for dinner? Crazy cheesy French yumminess - croque-monsieur. (Tranlated? Mr. Crunch! lol) It's essentially a toasted ham-and-cheese sandwich, with cheese sauce.

For the exact recipe from Julia Child, click HERE. If you don't want to read the recipe, here's the basic idea: Take two slices of bread, and spread one side of each slice with mayo and Dijon mustard. Add some ham (or smoked turkey - that's what I prefer) and some Swiss cheese (Emmental or Gruyère is best). Melt some butter in a skillet and toast the sandwich on both sides until it's crispy and the cheese is melted. While the sandwich is cooking, make a Mornay sauce - a basic Béchamel (white sauce) with Swiss cheese. Pour the Mornay sauce over the sandwich, and place under the broiler until bubbly and brown.

I served this with a simple salad of garden-fresh tomatoes tossed with olive oil, white wine vinegar, fresh tarragon & mint, and cracked black pepper.

Review: Gourmet Rhapsody

2011-07-16T18:01:00.000-04:00

Gourmet Rhapsody

by Muriel Barbery

also published as The Gourmet; translated from the French

ABOUT
"Revered by some and reviled by many, Pierre Arthens has been lording it over the world’s most esteemed chefs for years, passing judgment on their creations, deciding their fates with a stroke of his pen. But now, during these his final hours, his mind has turned to simpler things. Thus begins a charming voyage that traces the career of Monsieur Arthens from childhood to maturity across a celebration of all manner of culinary delights." (from Goodreads)

MY THOUGHTS
Barbery is also the author "The Elegance of the Hedgehog," which is one my favorite books. Though "Gourmet Rhapsody" pales in comparison to that masterpiece, both books are evidence that Barbery is an extraordinarily talented author.

The way she uses words to describe food in "Gourmet Rhapsody" is utterly brilliant and profoundly eloquent.

"Yes, it is like a fabric: sashimi is velvet dust, verging on silk, or a bit of both, and the extraordinary alchemy of its gossamer essence allows it to preserve a milky density unknown even by clouds."

"If bread suffices unto itself, it is because it is multiple, not because it is exists in multiple variants but in its very essence: bread is rich, bread is diverse, bread is a microcosm. Bread contains such stunning diversity; it is akin to to a miniature world which reveals its inner workings if consumed."

"Oh, Mephistophelean whisky, I loved you from the first swig, and betrayed you from the second - but nowhere else did I ever find, amidst the tyranny of flavors imposed upon me by my position, such a nuclear expansion capable of blasting my jaw away with delight."

"No one was the least bit hungry anymore, but that is precisely what is so good about the moment devoted to pastries: they can only be appreciated to the full extent of their subtlety when they are not eaten to assuage our hunger, when the orgy of their sugary sweetness is not destined to fill some primary need but to coat our palate with all the benevolence of the world."

*sigh* Isn't that just wonderful?

Pierre is pompous, supercilious, arrogant...and just altogether unlikeable. But I thought Barbery excelled at revealing the underlying cause for his attitude. Pierre has been on a lifelong quest for...something...and this is shown through his childhood memories and his philosophical musings about food.

Using a "It's A Wonderful Life" tactic, Barbery shows Pierre's life through the eyes of others - his wife, his lovers, his children, his servants, even his cat. All of their view points are different and it portrays Pierre as a complicated multifaceted individual.

RATING
It's a profound beautiful read, most notable for the strength and quality of writing. If you haven't read "The Elegance of the Hedgehog," I recommend you read that instead.

2 1/2, rounded up to a 3.

I read this book for the Paris In July blog event.

Review: Wandering Star

2011-07-15T23:45:00.000-04:00

Wandering Star

by Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clézio

translated from the French

ABOUT

"Wandering Star" is the saga of a young Jewish girl named Esther who lives in a small village in France in the 1940s. When German troops march into the village, the Jewish residents are forced to flee to Italy to avoid being taken captive. Esther and her mother, separated from Esther's father, spend a year in an Italian village and then live for a time in Paris, before making an arduous journey to Israel.

MY THOUGHTS

"Wandering Star" is a powerful book, and I was swept up in the flow of the storytelling. It's raw and gritty and harrowing, yet also hauntingly beautiful.

"Through the kitchen window, she saw Mr. Ferne's silhouette leaning over the piano. The notes slid smoothly out, hesitated, started up again, as if it were a language, as if Mr. Ferne wasn't really sure where to begin anymore. Then the music truly began, it sprang from the piano all of a sudden and filled the entire house, the garden, and the street, it filled everything with its power, its order, and then it grew soft, mysterious."

"For the first time, Esther knew what prayer was. It was the muffled sound of voices, suddenly bursting forth with the incantation of language, the rhythmic rocking of bodies, the star-flamed candles, the warm darkness filled with smells. It was the vortex of words."

Esther is an amazing heroine - strong, inquisitive, brave, optimistic - and the author brilliantly captures her tone and emotion. She experiences the horrors of war, discovers the beauty of her religion, and lives a life of heroic grace.

There were aspects of the book that I did not like, however. The sentence structure is frequently awkward, as if the English grammar was sacrificed to preserve the French syntax. (For example: "Brao was a fifteen-year-old boy, he'd been placed at the children's home, he was one of the difficult cases." A better translation would be: "Brao, a fifteen-year-old boy, was one of the difficult cases who had been placed at the children's home.") It was very difficult for me to lay aside the mental red editing pen.

There are frequent shifts from first person to third person, often with only a paragraph break between the changes. A few chapters are told from the perspective of secondary characters, which didn't flow well and seemed unnecessary.

When Esther arrives in Israel, she encounters a Palestinian girl on the road and then there is a section about this girl, Nemjam. It's a poignant emotional story but it felt like it got dropped randomly into the book.

The author is the recipient of the 2008 Nobel Prize in Literature, and if that prize is viewed from a political standpoint - "championing human rights on a broad scale" - this recognition is understandable. Based on this particular book, though, I do not believe the author deserves any literary awards.

RATING
For what I liked about the book, it's a 4, but for what I disliked, it's a 2, so it balances out to a 3.

I read this book for the Paris In July blog event.

Review: La Dame aux Camélias

2011-07-13T22:57:00.003-04:00

La Dame aux Camélias

by Alexandre Dumas fils

Translated from the French by David Coward

first published in 1844

ABOUT THE BOOK
Set in 19th century France, "La Dame aux Camélias" is the love story of Marguerite Gautier and Armand Duvall. Their relationship is passionate, but it ends tragically because of Marguerite's lifestyle as a courtesan and the manipulations of Armand's father. The book is based on the true story of the author's relationship with French courtesan Marie Duplessis.

THE OPERA

La Traviata by Rafał Olbiński

I love Olbiński's work. You can see more of it HERE.

Giuseppe Verdi's 1853 opera "La Traviata" (which I adore) is based on "La Dame aux Camélias." This clip features Anna Netrebko and Rolando Villazon in a spectacular modernized version of "La Traviata."

MY THOUGHTS ON THE BOOK
It's maudlin and melodramatic. Armand is immature and impetuous. Marguerite is imperious and materialistic.

So why did I like it?

I was fascinated by the glimpses into this society and the lifestyle of the courtesan. Even though the main characters are not especially likeable, they are a reflection of this society. I found myself believing in their love story, and desperately hoping it could somehow work out. It's immensely readable and beautifully written.

"When your life has become so dependent on a habit as strong as our habit of loving, it hardly seems possible that the habit can broken without also demolishing everything else which buttresses your life."

The ending is heartbreaking and lovely, as Marguerite reveals in a letter to Armand all that transpired to lead to the end of their relationship. And even though Marguerite's eventual death is revealed in the first chapter, when it finally happens it is almost unbearable.

RATING

I read this book for the Paris In July blog event.

Review: Fire in the Blood

2011-07-12T18:05:00.000-04:00

Fire in the Blood
by Irène Némirovsky

written in the late 1930s

translated from the French by Sandra Smith and published in 2007

ABOUT
Némirovsky was a prominent French author who was executed at Auschwitz in 1942. Before her death, she entrusted some of her writing to her daughter, which became the novel "Suite Française." (Read more about this, and my review, HERE.)

Papers that were given by Némirovsky to her editor were found by Olivier Philipponnat and Patrick Lienhardt, who had been commissioned to write a biography of Némirovsky. Included in this collection was the manuscript of "Fire in the Blood" which was translated by Sandra Smith and published in 2007.

"Fire in the Blood" is set in a rural village in France and is narrated by the elderly Silvio. The story revolves around two young woman - Colette, the newly married daughter of Silvio's cousin Hélène, and Brigitte, a young girl who was raised by Hélène's half-sister Cécile.

Without giving too much away, "Fire in the Blood" is about love and passion, betrayals and secrets, loyalty and integrity.

"How is this fire lit within us? It devours everything and then, in a few years, a few months, a few hours even, it burns itself out. Then you see how much damage has been done."

MY THOUGHTS
Némirovsky's writing style is at times poetic and evocative.

"For I sometimes feel I’ve been rejected by life, as if washed ashore by the tide. I’ve ended up on a lonely beach, an old boat, still solid and seaworthy, but whose paint has faded in the water, eaten away by salt."

At other times, it is spare and precise.

"We've had a very cold summer and not much fruit. Nothing new has happened locally."

These sharply contrasting styles are precisely what gives the strength and structure to the book. These are the bookends that hold together the opposing wild fire of passion and the chilling ice of conflict.

"Fire in the Blood" is a profound and philosophical story. What is right? What is wrong? Is betrayal always wrong? What constitutes loyalty? Are all dreams meant to be chased, or should some of them be laid aside?

And the last passage? Oh. my. goodness. Most beautiful, most amazing, most perfect ending to a book EVER.

RATING
I want to read it again. Immediately.

I read this book for the Paris In July blog event.

Read another review of "Fire in the Blood" at The Novel World.

Review: Tender is the Night

2011-07-11T18:20:00.001-04:00

Tender is the Night

by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Original publication date: 1933

ABOUT
"Set on the French Riviera in the late 1920s, Tender Is the Night is the tragic romance of the young actress Rosemary Hoyt and the stylish American couple Dick and Nicole Diver. A brilliant young psychiatrist at the time of his marriage, Dick is both husband and doctor to Nicole, whose wealth goads him into a lifestyle not his own, and whose growing strength highlights Dick's harrowing demise." (from Goodreads)

MY THOUGHTS
I simply adore Fitzgerald's writing style. (His earlier book "The Great Gatsby" is one of my all-time favs.) His descriptions are spellbinding; he weaves webs of magic with words. Certain sentences and passages I just want to read over and over again. Brilliant metaphors, striking imagery, complex characterizations. It's all just incredible.

"Tender is the Night" starts off very slowly, I must admit. If not for the strength of Fitzgerald's writing, it would have nearly unbearable. He brings together the whole cast of characters that will populate the book, and the early pages are filled with lazy afternoons on the beach and long nights filled with parties.

The story builds to a pivotal plot point, and with that Fitzgerald takes the story back in time to when the key characters, Dick and Nicole Diver, met. This was definitely the strongest portion of the book. It is more bourgeois - and believeable - than the beginning, and Dick and Nicole became characters that I understood and cared about.

Fitzgerald then brings the story back around to the pivotal plot point. Everything begins to fall apart for Dick and Nicole, and for the other characters as well, and things turn bleak and desperate. The end is not a happily-ever-after, but it is the inevitable conclusion that Fitzgerald has built toward.

RATING

I read this book for the Paris In July blog event.

What Time Is It In Paris?

2011-07-10T08:00:00.004-04:00

It's "Midnight In Paris" - the charming witty new movie by the incomparable Woody Allen.

The movie opens with gorgeous camera work spotlighting all the beauty of Paris, accompanied by this melancholy tune:

Perfect...perfect...mood setter. I was totally primed to fall in love with the film...and fall I did.

Gil - screenwriter, aspiring novelist, avid Francophile - is visiting Paris with his fiancé, Inez, and her parents. Inez is an extremely unlikable character - shallow, materialistic, and condescending. (Irrelevant comment: And her wardrobe is dreadful and unflattering! Frumpy dresses that look like nightshirts, accesorized with hideous belts.) Inez's parents are not particularly pleasant, either.

And then one evening Gil goes out to stroll the streets of Paris, and as the clock strikes midnight, an antique roadster pulls to the kerb and invites him to go for a ride. Magically, he is transported to the 1920s, the Jazz Age, when the clubs and cafes of Paris overflowed with writers and artists and musicians who are all well-known in today's world.

Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald. Ernest Hemingway. Salvador Dali. Gertrude Stein.

For Gil, it's a dream come true. To share his novel with Gertrude Stein. To discuss art with Salvador Dali. To dance to the music of Cole Porter. And to fall in love with Pablo Picasso's mistress, Adriana.

Every night at the stroke of midnight, Gil returns to this Paris of yesterday, and more and more, he longs to stay there. But can he? Should he? It is these questions that become the riddle that Gil must solve, and the lesson he must learn.

Oh, it's just indescribably delightful. All the familiar names. The literary references. The quotes. The discussions. The costumes. The music. Whimsical and funny and vastly entertaining.

The ending felt a bit rushed, the theme a bit heavy-handed, but this didn't detract from all that was wonderful about the film.

Two thumbs up and definitely recommended.

We also enjoyed dinner at the ooh-la-la bistro, 56 West. We dined on "A Night in Paris" (of course!) - French baguette and assorted fresh cheeses & olives, and "Bread & Spread 3 Way" - more French baguette with olive tapenade, oven-dried-tomato relish, and herbed goat cheese spread, and "French Kiss" salads - wild field greens, caramelized pears, goat cheese, and fresh berries.

Review: Suite Française

2011-07-09T23:45:00.004-04:00

Suite Française
by Irène Némirovsky

written in the early 1940s

translated from the French by Sandra Smith and published in 2004

ABOUT
I heard about this book when it was first published, and thought, "Historical fiction. Paris. World War Two. Sounds interesting." I added it to my To Be Read list.

It was only recently that I learned that it is not historical fiction. It was written in the 1940s and is "possibly the earliest work of literary fiction about World War II."

Irène Némirovsky was born in Russia in 1903. Her family fled to France in 1917 during the Russian Revolution. She studied at the Sorbonne and was the author of over a dozen novels. By 1940, her work could no longer be published because of her Jewish ancestry, despite the fact that she had converted to Catholicism. In 1942, she was arrested as a "stateless person of Jewish descent," because of her ancestry and Russian citizenship. She was executed in the gas chamber at Auschwitz.

Before being deported to the concentration camp, Némirovsky entrusted her daughter, Denise, with a notebook. Denise didn't look at the writing contained in the notebook until the late 1990's, and when she did, she discovered the rough draft of a novel her mother had never completed.

Suite Française is the translation of that notebook. Though intended as a five part sequence, Némirovsky had only completed it in part; Suite Française is comprised of the first two novellas.

"The first part opens in the chaos of the massive 1940 exodus from Paris on the eve of the Nazi invasion, during which several families and individuals are thrown together under circumstances beyond their control. In the second part, we enter the increasingly complex life of a German-occupied provincial village. Coexisting uneasily with the soldiers billeted among them, the villagers - from aristocrats to shopkeepers to peasants - cope as best they can." (from Goodreads)

MY THOUGHTS
Honestly? I'm speechless. I think it may take months to fully formulate my thoughts about this remarkable novel.

The story is chilling, and although it is fiction, it is based on what was happening in the world and in the author's life. This is history written while it was occurring. I am just stunned by that.

The writing style is both beautiful and brilliant. What fame Némirovsky might have achieved if she had not died at Auschwitz! Strong story structure, vivid sense of time and place, complex characterizations, masterful storytelling. It is nearly a perfect book, and it was only a rough draft. That's incredible.

RATING
Suite Française was mesmerizing and totally un-put-down-able. I was horrified in an all new way by the atrocity of World War Two. Even though the book provoked intensely uncomfortable emotions, it is a book I know I will have to read again. And again. It is, quite simply, a masterpiece.

I read this book for the Paris In July blog event.

Also by this author: Fire in the Blood (review)

Review: Just Like Tomorrow

2011-07-08T22:13:00.000-04:00

Just Like Tomorrow

by Faïza Guène

also published as Kiffe Kiffe Tomorrow; translated from the French

ABOUT
A child of Moroccan immigrants in France, the bellicose Doria is a cynical Muslim teenager in a Parisian suburb. Abandoned by her father, she and her mother inhabit a small flat in a concrete project far from the glamour, culture, and good schools in Paris. Out of this clash of cultures, Doria struggles to find her place and escape the malaise she feels about her life. (from Goodreads)

MY THOUGHTS
Two facts impress me about this book: the author wrote it when she was 19 years old, and it's a translated work. It really reads like neither of those things are true.

"Just Like Tomorrow" takes the reader to the shadow side of Paris. Away from the beauty, the culture, the nostaglia, the chic-ness. This is Doria's world - a Paris of poverty and crime and discrimination. To be honest, this was eye-opening for me. My mental image of Paris is certainly one of idealized perfection.

Doria is an angry teenager. Angry at her father for rejecting her simply because she's female. Angry at fate for her impoverished life. Angry that she's always the outcast. Angry that she really has no hope for a better life in the future. All of this is captured in sharp prose that intermingles despair and hopeful longing.

RATING
"Just Like Tomorrow" is a simple 'slice of life' book. This is Doria. This is her life. Nothing really happens, and it doesn't end with any kind of resolution. I enjoyed the book, but at the end, I had a sense that it was unfinished. I'm interested to read more by the author to see how her style improves as she matures and ages.

"Just Like Tomorrow" is another one of those books that makes me wish I gave half ratings, because it falls solidly between a 2 and a 3.

I read this book for the Paris In July blog event.

Review: Flowers for Mrs. Harris

2011-07-07T20:23:00.000-04:00

Flowers for Mrs. Harris

by Paul Gallico

(also published as Mrs. 'Arris Goes to Paris)
Original publication date: 1958

(First, I have to thank Relish for the discovery of this book, which she mentioned in a review of another book by the same author.)

ABOUT
Ada Harris is an elderly British charwoman (maid/domestic help). When she falls in love with a Dior dress owned by one of her clients, she becomes utterly determined to purchase her very own frock created by the famous French designer. After much plotting and saving (and a little bit of luck at the football polls), she arrives in Paris. She is able to make her intended purchase, but more importantly, she has a dramatic effect on the lives of many Parisians.

MY THOUGHTS
"Flowers for Mrs. Harris" is utterly adorable and wonderful. I loved the story, I loved Mrs. Harris, I loved Gallico's writing. Even though everything that happens is ridiculously impossible, it's totally charming in the manner of a fairytale, and the story concludes with a beautifully sigh-worthy moral.

RATING
It's just perfect.

I read this book for the Paris In July blog event.

Review: The Lollipop Shoes

2011-07-06T20:12:00.001-04:00

The Lollipop Shoes

by Joanne Harris

(also published as The Girl with No Shadow)

"The Lollipop Shoes" is the sequel to "Chocolat." Read my review of "Chocolat" HERE.

ABOUT
Seeking refuge and anonymity in the cobbled streets of Montmartre, Yanne and her daughters, Rosette and Annie, live peacefully, if not happily, above their little chocolate shop. Then into their lives blows Zozie de l’Alba, the lady with the lollipop shoes, and everything begins to change. (from Goodreads)

MY THOUGHTS
As a sequel, this book was a disappointment. Aside from a few character that appear in both books, there is very little similarity. "Chocolat" was profound, intricately layered, gorgeously written. "The Lollipop Shoes" is none of those things.

As a stand-alone book, though, it's okay. It's a reasonably well-crafted story and it was an enjoyable read. There are no intriguing plot twists, no complex characters, no lyrical descriptions. Not remarkable. Just averagely good.

I greatly disliked the ending, though, which felt very contrived. The Bad Witch Goes Away, the Good Witch Lives Happily Ever After, and everything's puppies and sunshine and daisies. Blech.

RATING
"The Lollipop Shoes" is very solidly a 2 1/2. But I don't give half ratings, so I'll be generous and round up to a 3.

I read this book for the Paris In July blog event.

Review: Perfume

2011-07-04T10:12:00.003-04:00

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer

by Patrick Süskind

translated from the German by John Woods; first published in 1985

ABOUT
In the slums of eighteenth-century France, the infant Jean-Baptiste Grenouille is born with one sublime gift - an absolute sense of smell. He apprentices himself to a prominent perfumer who teaches him the ancient art of mixing precious oils and herbs. Then one day he catches a hint of a scent that will drive him on an ever-more-terrifying quest to create the "ultimate perfume" — the scent of a beautiful young virgin. (from Goodreads)

MY THOUGHTS
A few words: Odd. Dark. Creepy. Unique. Brilliant.

More than historical fiction, "Perfume" is written in a magical realism style, perhaps even mythic. A surreal haunting atmosphere permeates the story. It is both compelling and repelling, and that is what I found so brilliant. The creepiness is understated and overwhelming, all at the same time.

Somewhere I read about a lecture given by (I think) Mary Higgins Clark, and she asked the audience what would be the most terrifying thing to hear if you were alone in a house. Several people offered their answers, and then Clark suggested her own: the sound of a toilet flushing.

Take something common and mundane and put it in the wrong situation and it becomes a thing of horror. That's what I felt Süskind did in "Perfume." He took a Dickensian character, gave him an unusual gift and a commonplace life as a perfumer's apprentice, and twisted it all up into something darkly chilling. I was caught up in the life of 18th century France, in all the details of the art of perfumery...and then...a toilet would flush somewhere in the house and I knew I wasn't alone.

The protagonist, Grenouille, is perhaps one of the most uniquely crafted characters I've ever encountered. He is a plethora of enigmas and paradoxes. He is servile, and he has delusions of grandeur. He is slow-witted, and he is a genius. He is repugnant, and he inspires compassion. To say that he is a tragic or Byronic hero is to simplify it a bit too much. In Grenouille, Süskind has created a protagonist that defies typology.

The writing is not without flaws, though. I often felt bogged down by overly long descriptive passages which were written in a manner too straightforward to be particularly mesmerizing. Entire paragraphs are devoted to lists of things - objects used in the practice of perfumery, flowers, etc. There is a notable lack of dialogue. And the part of the story when Grenouille lives in a cave felt like it was only there for plot advancement.

RATING
"Perfume" is definitely not a book that will appeal to everyone. It certainly is not the type of book that can be enjoyed as genre fiction, with the focus entirely on the plot. And there are those who will find the story too repulsive to appreciate the literary aspects of the book.

I liked the book well enough to rate it 4 Bookmarks, but cannot recommend it to others without certain caveats.

I read this book for the Paris In July blog event.

The Little Prince Takes the Stage

2011-07-03T00:30:00.014-04:00

The Little Prince from Alexis Macnab on Vimeo.

Every July, the local college offers free performances by a dramatic touring company. This year one of the plays is an adaptation of "The Little Prince," written in 1943 by French author Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.

The "The Little Prince" is about a man who once dreamed of being an artist.

But instead he became an aviator, and when the story opens he crash lands in the Sahara Desert, where he meets the Little Prince.

The Little Prince is from another planet, where he is the only resident and has to tend the volcanoes and the boab trees. One day, the Little Prince discovers a Rose.

The Rose convinces the Little Prince to leave the planet, and he travels the galaxy, learning lessons from the inhabitants of every planet he visits. At last, he comes to Earth, where he meets a Fox

and a Snake.

And then the Little Prince meets the Aviator and shares with him the tale of the journey.

Both the Little Prince and the Aviator learn important lessons, about the necessity of dreams, and the magic of friendship, and what life is really about underneath all those careful rules set by The Grown-Ups.

I went to see the play yesterday afternoon with my sister-in-law, niece, and nephew...and it was FABULOUS. Everything was just perfection - script, sets, special effects, staging, directing, acting. It was a visual feast of beauty and a thought-provoking philosophical fable.

In this article, director Alexis Macnab says, "Ultimately, it's about the importance of hope as a life-saving force; it's a complicated and adult journey. But if you can't explain it to a six-year-old, you're not saying it simply or deeply enough."

After the play, my 6 year old niece spontaneously declared, "That was awesome!" so Macnab succeeded in effectively conveying a complex message. She also succeeded in creating a very well-done piece of art.

Video and all photos from the Oberlin Summer Theater Festival facebook page.

AND attending the play was a marvelous opportunity to wear my Eiffel Tower earrings, which I received from Tamara as a giveaway for the Paris In July blog event! Thanks Tamara.