Stitches: A graphic novel. Excellent illustrations. Depressing story. If you are interested in a memorable book that will quickly, competently, yet artfully deflate your mood, this is it.
Showing posts with label Book Snapshots. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Book Snapshots. Show all posts
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Book Snapshots: "Her Fearful Symmetry" by Audrey Niffenegger.
I was so looking forward to reading Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger that perhaps disappointment was inevitable. The story is about twin sisters from the Chicago area, Julia and Valentina, who inherit a sizable estate and a London apartment from their aunt, Elspeth. Elspeth and the twins' mother, Edie, were themselves twins.
As the book begins, we learn that Edie and Elspeth have long been estranged, although they corresponded in the final months of Elspeth's life. Why the estrangement? Well, it is a big secret, by gum. We eventually do find out what the deal was, and story line it is one reason I became exasperated with the last part of this book.
Anyway, Elspeth dies and Julia and Valentina, who bear an annoying resemblance to real life twins Mary-Kate and Ashley Olson, inherit. The two young women, having just turned 21, proceed to London to take up residence in their new apartment, which is located in a three-flat building next to Highgate Cemetery. They meet the other flat owners. One of these is Robert, a historian writing his doctoral thesis on the Cemetery and who was Elspeth's long-term, significant other. The other neighbors are a married couple. He has obsessive compulsive-disorder; she can't stand living with it anymore. But they are in love; what to do? (Hint: One theme at work in this book can be summed up as "can't live with you, can't live without you".)
The plot proceeds along nicely for the first two-thirds of the book as relationships develop and are explored, and some of the interesting history of the Cemetery is explained. Unfortunately, things get odd at the end. As you might imagine in a story featuring a cemetery, death, souls, and ghosts are on the scene. That's fine; this is fiction, after all. However, instead of being pulled into these elements, I instead thought "oh, for god's sakes" and was annoyed. I ended up skimming along to the finish, impatient with the story and, after waiting so long to read this book, hurrying to wrap it up.
In sum, while I enjoyed a great deal of Her Fearful Symmetry, I ultimately found it to be a disappointment.
As the book begins, we learn that Edie and Elspeth have long been estranged, although they corresponded in the final months of Elspeth's life. Why the estrangement? Well, it is a big secret, by gum. We eventually do find out what the deal was, and story line it is one reason I became exasperated with the last part of this book.
Anyway, Elspeth dies and Julia and Valentina, who bear an annoying resemblance to real life twins Mary-Kate and Ashley Olson, inherit. The two young women, having just turned 21, proceed to London to take up residence in their new apartment, which is located in a three-flat building next to Highgate Cemetery. They meet the other flat owners. One of these is Robert, a historian writing his doctoral thesis on the Cemetery and who was Elspeth's long-term, significant other. The other neighbors are a married couple. He has obsessive compulsive-disorder; she can't stand living with it anymore. But they are in love; what to do? (Hint: One theme at work in this book can be summed up as "can't live with you, can't live without you".)
The plot proceeds along nicely for the first two-thirds of the book as relationships develop and are explored, and some of the interesting history of the Cemetery is explained. Unfortunately, things get odd at the end. As you might imagine in a story featuring a cemetery, death, souls, and ghosts are on the scene. That's fine; this is fiction, after all. However, instead of being pulled into these elements, I instead thought "oh, for god's sakes" and was annoyed. I ended up skimming along to the finish, impatient with the story and, after waiting so long to read this book, hurrying to wrap it up.
In sum, while I enjoyed a great deal of Her Fearful Symmetry, I ultimately found it to be a disappointment.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Book Snapshots: "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett.
The Help is set in early 1960s Jackson, Mississippi, the deep South. In Kathryn Stockett's novel, a young white woman named Skeeter Phelan is living with her parents on their cotton plantation and adrift after graduating from college without either a job or husband. She has ambitions for a career in publishing, and decides to write the real story about the experiences of black women employed as domestic workers in the homes of the white community.
During this time in Mississippi and the country there is a lot going on: Freedom Riders, sit-ins, assassinations, marches, murders and arson. Skeeter is presented as being aware of these events but focused on her book, her dating life, her friends, and so on. Progress occurs with the book after Skeeter convinces Aibileen, a woman employed by one of Skeeter's friends, to participate in the project. Aibileen, who basically writes her own chapter of Skeeter's book, subsequently recruits other women to participate in the project.
The Help follows Aibileen and her friend Minny, as well as Skeeter and her girlfriends and family during the period in which the book is being written, and then when it is published (anonymously, with names and locations changed). Over the course of the book, Skeeter wakes up to the violence that is going on in her world; and then jets off to live her life elsewhere.
Given the topic and setting of this novel the question must be asked: Is The Help good literature? Is it yet another great work by yet another Southern writer? Well, no. There isn't real intellectual power in Stockett's writing. And there are elements to the story that, when you sit back and think about it, seem pointless. The Help is, however, extremely readable. If you are looking for a book to rip through over a weekend, this is it.
During this time in Mississippi and the country there is a lot going on: Freedom Riders, sit-ins, assassinations, marches, murders and arson. Skeeter is presented as being aware of these events but focused on her book, her dating life, her friends, and so on. Progress occurs with the book after Skeeter convinces Aibileen, a woman employed by one of Skeeter's friends, to participate in the project. Aibileen, who basically writes her own chapter of Skeeter's book, subsequently recruits other women to participate in the project.
The Help follows Aibileen and her friend Minny, as well as Skeeter and her girlfriends and family during the period in which the book is being written, and then when it is published (anonymously, with names and locations changed). Over the course of the book, Skeeter wakes up to the violence that is going on in her world; and then jets off to live her life elsewhere.
Given the topic and setting of this novel the question must be asked: Is The Help good literature? Is it yet another great work by yet another Southern writer? Well, no. There isn't real intellectual power in Stockett's writing. And there are elements to the story that, when you sit back and think about it, seem pointless. The Help is, however, extremely readable. If you are looking for a book to rip through over a weekend, this is it.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Book Snapshots: "A Carrion Death" by Michael Stanley.
My grandmother liked her soap operas. As a little girl, I recall being impressed by the florid opening music and video for her programs, including The Secret Storm and The Edge of Night (This is THE EDGE (dramatic pause) OF NIGHT). Reading A Carrion Death reminded me of those old programs: Slow plot, racy bits, lots of characters, and while not a spellbinding page turner, you stick with the story to find out what happens.
The book, co-authored by Michael Sears and Stanley Trollip, is set in Botswana. The protagonist is David "Kubu" Bengu, a detective with the Botswana Criminal investigation Department. The mystery begins with the finding of the dead body being eaten by a hyena in the desert sands of a remote tourist camp. Kubu, which means hippopotamus in Setswana, investigates. Someone has gone to a great deal of effort to insure that the body cannot be identified. As Kubu tries to solve this first mystery, more bodies accumulate. Soon the crimes begin to link together and point to the goings-on at one of Botswana's largest businesses, the Botswana Cattle and Mining Company.
The involvement of the mining company brings political headaches to Kubu's investigation. And if murder, mining, and political shenanigans aren't enough for one book, the story also sweeps in Bushmen and a witch doctor (forcing my tolerant spouse to put up with a week of me humming Sha Na Na's witch doctor song ("I told the witch doctor I was in love with you, dum dum dum dum. . .")).
Like Sha Na Na's music, the style in which this story is told feels out-of-date. Also, there is a bit of redundancy in the telling; information is provided, and then repeated again on the next page as if this were a scholarly explanation of a problem rather than fictional police procedural. However, despite it's flaws I stuck with A Carrion Death for its entire 462 pages. Kubu is a good character and the setting is interesting. And like soap opera fans who understand that they aren't watching Masterpiece Theater but tune into their program anyway, I'll probably read subsequent books in this new series just to find out what happens next.
The book, co-authored by Michael Sears and Stanley Trollip, is set in Botswana. The protagonist is David "Kubu" Bengu, a detective with the Botswana Criminal investigation Department. The mystery begins with the finding of the dead body being eaten by a hyena in the desert sands of a remote tourist camp. Kubu, which means hippopotamus in Setswana, investigates. Someone has gone to a great deal of effort to insure that the body cannot be identified. As Kubu tries to solve this first mystery, more bodies accumulate. Soon the crimes begin to link together and point to the goings-on at one of Botswana's largest businesses, the Botswana Cattle and Mining Company.
The involvement of the mining company brings political headaches to Kubu's investigation. And if murder, mining, and political shenanigans aren't enough for one book, the story also sweeps in Bushmen and a witch doctor (forcing my tolerant spouse to put up with a week of me humming Sha Na Na's witch doctor song ("I told the witch doctor I was in love with you, dum dum dum dum. . .")).
Like Sha Na Na's music, the style in which this story is told feels out-of-date. Also, there is a bit of redundancy in the telling; information is provided, and then repeated again on the next page as if this were a scholarly explanation of a problem rather than fictional police procedural. However, despite it's flaws I stuck with A Carrion Death for its entire 462 pages. Kubu is a good character and the setting is interesting. And like soap opera fans who understand that they aren't watching Masterpiece Theater but tune into their program anyway, I'll probably read subsequent books in this new series just to find out what happens next.
Monday, September 7, 2009
Book Snapshots: "The Manual of Detection" by Jedediah Berry.
The Manual of Detection was not what I expected it would be. The novel was more of a curiosity than a suspenseful read. As I slowly plodded my way through it, intrigued but not really engaged, I wondered whether it was supposed to be a mystery or science fiction. In either case, it is a peculiar story that gave me odd dreams at night, including a dream featuring H.R. Pufnstuf walking a Briard down a street in Grand Case. Yes, it's that kind of book.
The time and location in which The Manual of Detection is set is unknown, but it has a bit of the ambiance of the old 1960s television program, The Avengers. The protagonist, Charles Unwin, is a clerk at a large, mysterious investigative agency that ostensibly works to protect the city from crime. Unwin is promoted after Travis Sivart, a star agency detective, disappears. This promotion is not what Unwin wants, and he seeks to reverse it by tracking down Sivart. Along the way to finding Sivart, Unwin encounters more surreal puzzles: Masses of sleep walking citizens, stolen alarm clocks, and old cases that were thought to have been solved by Sivart found to be solved incorrectly.
Reading The Manual of Detection reminds me a bit of a trip I took years ago to an odd tourist destination in Wisconsin, The House on the Rock: I was glad I went to see it, wished the tour was over well before it was finished, and am lukewarm about recommending a visit by others. Similarly, I'm glad I read The Manual of Detection, but don't insist that you do so.
The time and location in which The Manual of Detection is set is unknown, but it has a bit of the ambiance of the old 1960s television program, The Avengers. The protagonist, Charles Unwin, is a clerk at a large, mysterious investigative agency that ostensibly works to protect the city from crime. Unwin is promoted after Travis Sivart, a star agency detective, disappears. This promotion is not what Unwin wants, and he seeks to reverse it by tracking down Sivart. Along the way to finding Sivart, Unwin encounters more surreal puzzles: Masses of sleep walking citizens, stolen alarm clocks, and old cases that were thought to have been solved by Sivart found to be solved incorrectly.
Reading The Manual of Detection reminds me a bit of a trip I took years ago to an odd tourist destination in Wisconsin, The House on the Rock: I was glad I went to see it, wished the tour was over well before it was finished, and am lukewarm about recommending a visit by others. Similarly, I'm glad I read The Manual of Detection, but don't insist that you do so.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Book Snapshots: "Border Songs" by Jim Lynch
Border Songs, a novel by Jim Lynch, is set in Washington State, along the U.S. - Canadian border. It is a story about order and chaos, with dashes of humor and a gloss of magic.
Newly minted Border Patrol Agent Brandon Vanderkool is a unique character trying to fit into the world of law enforcement. A huge man, 6'8" and 232 pounds, 23-year old Brandon is an artist, a quirky ornithologist, and dyslexic. He is self-conscious, often unsure how to act around other people, yet he is uninhibited in the pursuit of birds, in making art, and in nature. It turns out that Brandon's quirks are what turns him into a star with the Border Patrol.
While Brandon grapples with smugglers and crossers, his father, Norm, continues to run the dairy farm on the international border where Brandon grew up and still lives. Norm has a long list of problems including, but not limited to, sick cows, the EPA, jabs from his Canadian neighbor about American policies, his wife's developing Alzheimer's disease, and the angst of getting old.
In fact, things seem to be going south, so to speak, for many of the characters in Border Songs, as they face illness, addiction, and, for a surprising number, arrest after succumbing to what looks like easy money smuggling bud. Author Lynch restores a bit of order for some folks by the end of the story. Readers know, however, that this is just a respite, that there is no real fix in the immediate future for many of their problems. But there is hope.
Border Songs is a creative work. Lynch sets down a group of interesting characters grappling with contemporary social problems while surrounded by the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest. It's a very nice book.
Newly minted Border Patrol Agent Brandon Vanderkool is a unique character trying to fit into the world of law enforcement. A huge man, 6'8" and 232 pounds, 23-year old Brandon is an artist, a quirky ornithologist, and dyslexic. He is self-conscious, often unsure how to act around other people, yet he is uninhibited in the pursuit of birds, in making art, and in nature. It turns out that Brandon's quirks are what turns him into a star with the Border Patrol.
While Brandon grapples with smugglers and crossers, his father, Norm, continues to run the dairy farm on the international border where Brandon grew up and still lives. Norm has a long list of problems including, but not limited to, sick cows, the EPA, jabs from his Canadian neighbor about American policies, his wife's developing Alzheimer's disease, and the angst of getting old.
In fact, things seem to be going south, so to speak, for many of the characters in Border Songs, as they face illness, addiction, and, for a surprising number, arrest after succumbing to what looks like easy money smuggling bud. Author Lynch restores a bit of order for some folks by the end of the story. Readers know, however, that this is just a respite, that there is no real fix in the immediate future for many of their problems. But there is hope.
Border Songs is a creative work. Lynch sets down a group of interesting characters grappling with contemporary social problems while surrounded by the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest. It's a very nice book.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Book Snapshots: "Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie" by Alan Bradley
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley is set in the English countryside in 1950. Eleven-year old Flavia de Luce finds a dead body in the garden of her family's home. Clever Flavia, budding chemist with a particular interest in poison, conducts her own investigation. The resolution of the matter becoming all the more urgent after the police arrest her father for the crime.
This book is a fresh combination of the elements I enjoyed in Agatha Christie's work and the Nancy Drew stories. A smart and funny story for adults, with an entertaining young sleuth as the protagonist. A fun book.
Winner of the 2007 Crime Writers’ Association Debut Dagger.
This book is a fresh combination of the elements I enjoyed in Agatha Christie's work and the Nancy Drew stories. A smart and funny story for adults, with an entertaining young sleuth as the protagonist. A fun book.
Winner of the 2007 Crime Writers’ Association Debut Dagger.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Book Snapshots: "The Good Thief" by Hannah Tinti
The Good Thief , a novel by Hannah Tinti. Set in 19th Century New England. Orphan with one hand adopted by grave robber.
Odd little book. Is it for adults or youth? Why is one character's dialogue spelled with a New England accent ("She'd walk fah miles inta tha forest and disappeah.")? Wouldn't most folks in that place, at that time, have some sort of an accent? The story also features a dwarf, a young girl with a cleft palate, and a hard-of-hearing widow whose dialogue IS IN CAPITAL LETTERS BECAUSE, APPARENTLY, SHE IS TALKING IN A LOUD VOICE.
Although my interest in the story dropped significantly about halfway through, I was curious as to what would happen and skimmed to the end.
In sum, The Good Thief is no threat to Oliver Twist.
Odd little book. Is it for adults or youth? Why is one character's dialogue spelled with a New England accent ("She'd walk fah miles inta tha forest and disappeah.")? Wouldn't most folks in that place, at that time, have some sort of an accent? The story also features a dwarf, a young girl with a cleft palate, and a hard-of-hearing widow whose dialogue IS IN CAPITAL LETTERS BECAUSE, APPARENTLY, SHE IS TALKING IN A LOUD VOICE.
Although my interest in the story dropped significantly about halfway through, I was curious as to what would happen and skimmed to the end.
In sum, The Good Thief is no threat to Oliver Twist.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Book Snapshots: "Nobody Move: A Novel" by Denis Johnson
Nobody Move: A Novel by Denis Johnson. Good writing. Fast read. Crime, corruption, gamblers, bikers, hit men. A bit raunchy; the material first appeared as a number of short stories published in Playboy. Airplane book.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Book Snapshots - "Small Crimes" by Dave Zeltserman
Small Crimes by Dave Zeltserman. Read a third of the book. Didn't like it; couldn't finish it. Life is short and there are books with better writing and better plots out there to be read.
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