One Book One Week One Year

A Year of Reading

2010-05-22T21:22:00.000-04:00

It is always a good feeling when you set a goal and then meet it. For example, my first goal of every morning is to actually get out of bed, and I'm usually successful. See, I start the day off by meeting a goal! The lesson in that, of course, is to aim low.

Reading a book a week is not aiming low for me. For my oldest, it would be backtracking. For book reviewers, tantamount to vacation. For me? Tough work! Not that I have not always been a reader. I love books. I like the way they look and feel (sorry Mr. Kindle), I like how they look on shelves, and clearly I like what they offer. Books (to borrow a cliche) take me to another world or help me understand my current world better. They bring new light to relationships, challenge conventional world views, and even strengthen my faith (and I'm not just talking books with a spiritual leaning).

So why was this a challenge? Having reached the ripe old age of 46 (now 47) I decided I was not reading as much as I wanted to, but the question was why not? I have four children, and even though two are now recent college grads, all together they take time. I have a lovely wife who cannot and should not be ignored. I work a full time job which calls for night hours on a regular basis, am involved with two non-profit boards, volunteer on the occasional community committee, and like to spend time collecting stamps and listening to accordion music (which would be a funny line if it was not true -- thus, it is just sad). Mix in watching my beloved Redwings whenever I can (and there are 82 games before post-season start), the occasional help I give around the house, and the carting of a 10-year-old to his plethora of extracurricular activities, the problem was clear -- lack of time. I'm a productivity kind of guy (ask my office mates and listen for the groan) so I knew I was making effective use of my time. The only solution? Make it a goal, thus making it a priority, and get reading.

My original idea was to reread a number of classics and dive into a few books I've been putting off too long. But life does not always go as planned, and that is usually a good thing. I started with a book I was reading out of self interest (Blink) and then jumped into a classic (Zorba), but before long I was all over the place. I found that by posting reviews on Blogcritics I could get free books (yes!) so I started requesting books which looked interesting and posting reviews. Needless to say, I was reading a range of books by authors I've never heard of, perhaps because for several it was a first novel. I also found myself reading a lot more non-fiction than I expected and on a range of topics I would not normally consider (e.g. surgery, eco-terroism). Friends and family recommended books, I found a great community of book bloggers who offered and inspired even more ideas, and I even moved into the social media world to share and learn more.

Being a data person, I thought I should figure out just what I read. Although the goal was a book a week, I actually managed to knock off 63 books in the 52 weeks. Here is a breakdown.

Books by men: 41 (65%)

Books by women: 22 (35%)

Fiction: 43 (68%)

Non-fiction: 17 (27%)

Poetry: 3 (5%)

U.S./British Writers: 52 (of minority background: 10) (83% -- 16% of total books by American minorities)

Other countries: 11 (17%)

Not surprising that most of the writers were from the U.S./Britain, although I was pleased that by adding American minorities and foreign writers I found that 43% of writers were non-white. Nothing against white people (I happen to be one), but I like to get other views on life and reading books by people who have had different experiences helps. I was surprised that the number of women was not higher since it felt like I was reading a lot of women writers, but the data does not lie. I think it was more the odds of what I was grabbing then anything since most of my favorite writers are women: e.g Jane Austen, Willa Cather, Danielle Steele (okay, I'm completely lying on this last one).

Only three books of poetry? Actually, that is less than I usually read. I felt a bit guilty reading poetry since it is "easy" to get through a book, so I found myself reading less this year. As a fan of poetry, this is disappointing, but I know that will increase now that the pressure to read certain books is off.

A few people have asked me what my favorite book is of the year. No answer. Jose Saramago completely caught me off guard and I loved both the novels I read. Cormac McCarthy's The Road is outstanding. And I reread Pride and Prejudice which is about as perfect as a book can get (although I'm currently rereading Sense and Sensibility and finding it even better than I have before). Jack Ridl's Losing Season was excellent and is the way to get non-poetry folks into poetry. I've also been asked about the worst book: Good Fairies of New York. Hey, I was stretching out on this one and I'm fairly sure I pulled some muscle in the process. Just not my style. And a collection of Walter Mosley short stories clumsily tied together in a novel was not pleasing either, and I really like Mosley.

So there is the data, a short analysis, and the rationale. But was it hard to accomplish? The fact that I finished 63 books in the year would clearly indicate it was not. Sure, there were a few tough weeks due to time, but no matter how busy, I found myself looking forward to and carving out time for reading. Even since I've finished my goal I'm still looking forward to reading, and now I can read some of the longer works I've had to avoid. Not that I read short books, but I do not like to be rushed with great writing. When work was stressful or too much was going on in the family, my book time was the balm I needed. I've rediscovered the pure joy of reading (and yes I know how that sounds). Just as important, I've also rediscovered the wide range of reading out there for me. Given my limited reading time in the past I was too selective, and as a result missed some great writing. So yes, I met my goal. I read my book a week. But I also met my unrealized goal of reintroducing the wealth of books back into my daily life.

Many of you have read my blog, commented on my Amazon or Blogcritic reviews, made comments in passing, or have simply given me encouragement. Thank you! It was much easier knowing many people were interested in my experiment.

I'll still be writing on my reading, but in different ways. I would love to hear comments so visit me at:

1) Amazon Reviews (and give me positive votes!)

2) Blogcritics

3) Goodreads

4) Facebook

...and now my blog is finished.

Happy reading!

Book Fifty-Two: The Secret Lives of People in Love by Simon Van Booy (and 52B: The Sign of Four by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

2010-05-16T09:26:00.000-04:00

Week 52! Victory is mine! One year ago I began my quest to read one book per week for one year, a task I have now completed. True, for some people one book a week is not a big deal, but it was my attempt to get more reading back into my busy life. Have I succeeded? Suffice it to say that I look forward to my reading time nearly every day and my list of what I plan to read grows exponentially. But I'll comment on that next week in my final blog post in the project. I intend to reflect on how a year of reading has impacted me, look at what types of book I have read, and perhaps sketch out some future guidelines.

But first, the final book. Hey what happened to Jane Austen? Well, I did get a good start on Sense and Sensibility, but I realized I would need to read very fast to get the book finished. Then I realized I need to read another book for a session I'm leading next week, so I was forced to abandon Jane for now. I simply cannot read any of Austen' works quickly. I know all the plots and characters, so when I read now I do it for the exquisite writing style and to pick up all the nuances I have missed before. So I turned my attention elsewhere.

I was so taken by Simon Van Booy's Love Begins in Winter that I decided to go to his first collection of stories, The Secret Lives of People in Love. As you can see, Van Booy likes love, which says quite a bit in today's world. This collection garnered praise and gathered fans, but it lacks the consistent strength of Winter. Many of these stories sound like an MFA student getting their bearings straight, and indeed Van Booy says that is when he wrote many of these (and won some awards). Some sound like typical slice-of-life scenarios looking for a big ending, and at times they work -- I'm just not too fond of this type of work.

Where Van Booy creates a unique voice is in his longer works. Winter really contains a couple of novellas, and in Secret Lives his slightly longer works offer more substance. "Where They Hide Is A Mystery" explores the life of a young boy whose mother dies and whose father grows more distant as a result. The somewhat stereotypic "wise Indian" character could be rewritten, but the story ends with a sense of hope which I like in Van Booy's work. So few writers today see any hope that it seems they are disconnected from the daily lives of most readers (and perhaps themselves). Van Booy sees potential in life.

One of the short stories that also accomplishes this is "Save as Many as You Ruin," which is one of the better titles I've seen in some time. Here we see someone quickly open himself to the possibility of happiness despite the tragedies he has experienced. That openness to happiness is a quality too few writers and people in general are open to.

Van Booy is apparently publishing his first novel in 2011 and I'm anxious to read it. The novel length will let him leisurely develop his characters and plot, which is where he seems at this best. In the meantime he is putting out three different works of philosophy which he has edited (and he has a children's book). To learn more visit his website.

The Sign of Four

My revisiting of the Sherlock Holmes opus continues with the second novel featuring the great detective. Here Holmes is caught up in a mystery which combines horror with crime, and where we meet Mary Morstan whom Watson is engaged to by the end of the story. (For those who saw the recent blockbuster Holmes film, that is the name of Watson's fiancée of the film). The story moves quickly and even includes a "high speed" boat chase -- as high speed as coal-burning boats get. Holmes' deduction powers get the full treatment, although they do include some racist stereotypes of aborigines which reflect the author and time more than intelligence. The story drags at the end as a flashback explains the backstory, but there is less patience since we know ending already. In the short stories Doyle manages to avoid this clumsy technique in most cases, or at least keeps them shorter. Still, all in all this is another fine read.

Up Next

I'm finishing up Sense and Sensibility and then I have a range of books to read. But next week will be my last blog post trying to sum up the year of reading.

Book Fifty-One: Einstein's Dreams by Alan Lightman (and 51B: A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conon Doyle)

2010-05-09T00:24:00.000-04:00

Einstein is often described as much as an artist as he is a scientist. His picture adorns the walls of many college students, quotes show up in a range of contexts, and most people seem to know some unusual fact about this unique and brilliant man. But what drives his work, especially as it relates to time?

Physicist Alan Lightman plays with this question in Einstein's Dreams, his 1992 "novel" centered around Einstein's dreams as he works on his theory of time. Of course, we do not know what Einstein dreams, so Lightman imagines the different scenarios we can play out with the concept of time.

The book is split into 30 short chapters each exploring a different concept of time (see below for the full listing). They are tied loosely together by "Interludes" where Einstein interacts with Michele Besso, a real life friend of Einstein. I put "novel" in quotation marks since this book raises the issues of what constitutes a novel, although I'm not going to explore that at this time. While the general concept ties this book together, this is more a collection of short explorations on time and its possibilities.

Many of these are interesting, but Lightman stops at raising ideas without exploring the outcome. Where this book could work best is for aspiring writers who want an idea to build on. For example, in "20 May 1905" he envisions a world without memory. People create life books in order to write down what happens so they can "remember" the next day. On the one hand there is the challenge of remembering what address you live at (and thus they write it down), yet you also get to experience your first encounter with your husband or wife as new every night. Lightman does this throughout, showing how time does impact our existence in every way.

In "11 June 1905" he explores what is in some ways the opposite, a life in which people cannot conceive of a future. From the simplicity of a man watching a storm approaching, but cannot fathom that it will rain (since that is the future), to a scene of two men embracing goodbye over and over since they cannot imagine seeing one another again. Lightman raises the issue of how does what we think about the future impact the present.

Apparently this book is popular in universities, and it is easy to see why. The book raises questions which lead to discussion, although he himself fails to explore the issues. If you want a classic "dorm room midnight discussion," just grab this book and read a quick chapter aloud. Professors can sit back and let students discuss the possibilities in class with little more direction -- that is where the book succeeds.

But on its own the book does not offer enough. Lightman could have made this book stronger by covering less, but in more detail. Borges and Saramago take similar themes and give them more consideration, and as a result offer more to the reader. But if you wish to have questions to ponder and need something to start the thinking, Lightman's book is the answer.

Lightman himself sounds like an interesting person. He is a novelist, essayist, physicist, and educator. In addition to his writing, he is the Adjunct Professor of Humanities at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He has written nearly 18 books, and they split between literature (fiction/poetry), science, and essays. Einstein's Dreams was his first novel and it received a great deal of praise, despite my somewhat tempered reaction. It would be interesting to see where his later work has led him.

You can read more about him at his website.

Here is a snyposis of all the chapters as explained on an academic website:

See full information here

14 April 1905 (8)

Time is a circle; individual experience endlessly repeats itself

16 April 1905 (13)

Time is like a flow of water, sometimes moving backward

19 April 1905 (18)

Time has three dimensions; each act has three possible outcomes

24 April 1905 (23)

There are two times, mechanical and body

26 April 1905 (28)

Time flows more slowly the farther one is from the center of the earth

28 April 1905 (33)

Time is absolute, an infinite ruler

3 May 1905 (38)

Cause and effect are erratic; at times effect precedes cause

4 May 1905 (43)

Time passes, but little happens

8 May 1905 (55)

Time is captured in its last moments, the end of the world

10 May 1905 (61)

Those trapped in time are alone, and no one is happy

11 May 1905 (66)

The passage of time brings increasing order

14 May 1905 (70)

Time stands still

15 May 1905 (75)

There is no time; there are only images

20 May 1905 (80)

People have no memories

22 May 1905 (85)

The world is a world of changed plans, leaving many things incomplete

29 May 1905 (90)

Time passes slowly for people in motion, thus everything moves

2 June 1905 (102)

Time flows backward

3 June 1905 (107)

People live just one day, but that day may be an eternity

5 June 1905 (112)

Time is a sense like taste

9 June 1905 (117)

People live forever, dividing into two populations: Laters and Nows

10 June 1905 (123)

Time cannot be measured; it is a quality

11 June 1905 (128)

There is no future; time is a line that terminates at the present

15 June 1905 (133)

Time is visible; one can step into the future or remain in the present

17 June 1905 (138)

Time is discontinuous, containing gaps and pauses

18 June 1905 (148)

There is a Great Clock in the Temple of Time

20 June 1905 (153)

Time is local; clocks separated by distance tick at different rates

22 June 1905 (159)

Time is rigid; every action and thought is determined

25 June 1905 (163)

Time and event may be copied infinitely with different futures

27 June 1905 (167)

In a world of shifting pasts, the past may be firm or forgotten

28 June 1905 (172)

Time is a nightingale, fluttering and flying, pursued by those who would stop time in a bell jar.

A Study In Scarlet

My revisiting of the Sherlock Holmes canon goes to the beginning with A Study in Scarlet, which features the immortal greeting of Holmes to Watson ("You have been in Afghanistan, I perceive") and the beginning of a long relationship between two friends. It is interesting to note that the 1887 appearance of this short novel did not exactly capture the public's attention. The next novel, which I'm about to start, is The Sign of Four and that one did not do much better. The interest arose with the short stories, of which the initial ones were later pulled together in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, which I reviewed last week.

A Study in Scarlet is interesting on many levels. The most striking part of it is the fact nearly a third of the book does not involve Holmes or Watson, instead focusing on a father and his adopted daughter who meet up with Brigham Young and the Mormons in the American West. An entire story builds in this section which includes Doyle's somewhat patronizing and stereotypic portrayal of American Indians, and the Mormons take a strong beating (in fact, quite literally). When I was younger and reading these stories all the time I began skipping that section, but this time I really paid attention and it shows that Doyle can create a suspenseful plot line, which he often fails to do in some of the stories. The dialogue is at times contrived and sentimental, but considering the time it was written this is not shocking.

Holmes comes off how I best like him: intelligent, self-absorbed, egotistical, and rude. Okay, not a recipe for a friend, but what excels here is his honesty. His is smarter than most so why not say it? I'm sure some Sherlockian literature in the recent past has tied his behavior to Asperger's Syndrome, and that would be interesting to read. He seems to clearly deal with Aspergers; it is what also allows him to focus so completely on a matter at hand.

What surprised me a few times was the mention of him being young. Watson is by now a doctor with time in Afghanistan and is likely around 30, so Holmes may be in his late 20s. Of course, reading this as a child I would see that as ancient, but as an old man now I see his youth for being just that -- youth. As the stories grow so does his age, and there is a maturing of the young, brash detective in the later works.

Next Up

The final week approaches and I end my project with Jane Austen's first novel, Sense and Sensibility.

Book Fifty: Celestial Navigation by Anne Tyler (and 50B: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

2010-04-30T23:04:00.000-04:00

I finally make it to Anne Tyler, one of my favorite writers who does not get the critical support she deserves. Okay, so she has a Pulitzer and National Book Critics Award for The Accidental Tourist (an excellent book), but she has many other novels which deserve attention.

Tyler's most recognizable feature is her unique characters. To say many of her characters are off center is being polite. Many are just plain strange, but almost always in an appealing way. Tyler loves people, especially those who choose to approach life with their own unique view despite what society tells them. She is not naive about people, and the eternally unhappy person usually makes an appearance, but it is the strange and wonderful which capture her attention.

Celestial Navigation is Tyler's 5th novel, published in 1974 -- long before praise started coming her way. It focuses on Jeremy, a 38-year-old bachelor who has lived with his mother while rarely leaving their house. At the outset we find the mother has died and Jeremy's sisters enter the picture. The mother had turned their house into a boarding house, so Jeremy has company, but over the years he strays less and less from home until he is nearly confined inside. He is an artist with a studio on the top floor, and although at times he is a teacher to some budding artist, his detached and strange ways usually finds them leaving.

In the midst of all the changes comes Mary. She has left her husband and moved to Baltimore with her daughter to be with her new lover, but that eventually ends. Jeremy, much to his surprise, falls in love. Despite his strange ways and unattractive appearance (and Tyler excels in this description), she falls for him as well. In one of my favorite lines, after she tells him no to his marriage proposal, he shocks with the casual line: "What hope do you have for a better life, if you keep on saying no to everything new?"

They have a brood of children and Jeremy begins to make small excursions out and becomes successful as an artist. But now that he has Mary and all he wants, he finds himself drifting once again. The title refers to how Jeremy gets through life, by following his path in the heavens. He steers by a force unseen by others and unknown to him, but it is a path nonetheless.

Tyler writes the book from the perspectives of many characters. Only when doing it from Jeremy's perspective do we get more of a 3rd person narrative. This inconsistency would get Tyler bad marks in a creative writing program, but it works because Jeremy lacks the self consciousness of other people. Tyler takes us through 13 years of his life and we see people sail in and out of his life, but he continues on as before. Characters like Jeremy serve well to make us reexamine our own choices, but Tyler does not use them as foils for our own self interest. Her unique people are to be accepted and even treasured for who they are individually.

Where Tyler is sometimes criticized is for romanticizing characters and lives (okay, she is also criticized for not having much in the way of sex in her books, but I always thought that was a stupid thing to say about anyone). But Tyler is not romantic about her characters, as this novel will show you, although she is hopeful for them. If that constitutes a weak writer, I hope she continues losing strength!

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

This is a great collection of stories which I've read many times since I discovered Sherlock Holmes in 5th grade. I actually read another collection first, but this is the first collection of short stories and one most people are familiar with. I've not read all of them together in quite some time and I certainly have a new eye. At times I was frustrated by Doyle's failure to bring clear closure to a story, and some hardly seemed mysteries at all. However, Holmes is as difficult as ever as a person, which makes him all the more interesting. He does some things for show early on, but his love of deduction is what really drives him. These are well worth the read.

Just for my own fun here is my ranking of the stories (Holmes fans are always ranking stories!).

1)"The Adventure of the Speckled Band"

2)"The Adventure of the Red-Headed League"

3)"A Scandal in Bohemia"

4)"The Boscombe Valley Mystery"

5)"The Five Orange Pips"

6)"The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet"

7)"The Man with the Twisted Lip"

8)"A Case of Identity"

9)"The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle"

10)"The Adventure of the Engineer's Thumb"

11)"The Adventure of the Noble Bachelor"

12)"The Adventure of the Copper Beeches"

This will probably change next time. Usually Red-Headed League tops the list.

Up Next

So close! Just two more weeks to reach my goal. As I said before, Jane Austen gets the final week. But for next week, my busiest week of the year in which I dare not fail in my goal when so close to the end. A friend of mine (who recommended an earlier book) suggested Alan Lightman's Einstein's Dreams as a short, but not light book. My eldest also warned me that it is not a quick read, but I take heart that I'll manage.

Book Forty-Nine: All the Names by Jose Saramago

2010-04-22T21:48:00.000-04:00

If you follow my blog, you'll know I'm open to changing my mind. Such is the case this week when I decided I liked Saramago's book from last week so much, I would try another one. So this week I moved on to All the Names, which features an excellent cover (and no, you can't judge a book by its cover, but then again...).

I am again impressed by Saramago's work and will make a point of reading more of his work. In this novel we follow Senor Jose, a clerk at the Central Registry (where all births, marriages, and deaths are noted) who suddenly decides to track down a woman whose card of information strikes him for some reason. The search takes this lonely 50-something man into terrain for which he is not prepared, yet he continually finds newfound courage with every step.

Saramago's setting is unidentifiable in terms of place, time, or even reality. There is an otherworldly feel to the story, and even the Central Registry is out of touch with its own time. We know there are answering machines and cars, but the Central Registry has one phone and everything is written down by hand. The description of the Registry is fascinating in its description of order without reason, creating a head person (the Registrar) who is almost godlike in his existence. Saramago creates an atmosphere which is dark, oppressive, and ruled by fear. This setting makes the end of the novel (which I will not reveal) even more surprising.

Have recently read Borges and reaching back in time to Kafka, there are clear echoes of both of these writers. The mystical and the absurd colliding to cast a light on our existence, depressing as it may be. In the end I cannot say "what this book is about," but I will doubtless be pondering it for sometime.

In my last blog I mentioned Saramago's writing style, which appears here as well. I found the following description of his writing in a NY Times article which sums it up well:
Saramago’s most distinctive trademark is his punctuation, or rather the lack of it. His fictions are constructed in run-on sentences disrupted by only commas, a flood of prose in which narrative observation, individuals’ thoughts and dialogue go unmarked. In addition, many of his books refer to one another, and all the characters talk exactly alike, giving their conversations the feel of an internal monologue. It is as if a continuous reel of a silent film were being projected in a movie theater that is empty save for one extremely garrulous spectator.

You can read the Article in The New York Times if you want more, or even read their review of the book in question here:New York Times Book Review of All the Names

Saramago himself seems to be an interesting character. He starting writing late in life (his late 50s) and is a committed communist and atheist who may be one of five people left in the world thinking Stalin had the right idea. He is described as hard to like, but apparently is hard to stop talking to once he starts.

Between the two I still go with Death with Interruptions, but also recommend this work as well.

Next Up

Okay, I really don't know. Three weeks left and the last two are figured out. I'll just have to surprise you next week.

Book Forty-Eight: Death with Interruptions by Jose Saramago

2010-04-17T14:06:00.000-04:00

Again I am reminded of why this idea of reading one book per week is such a good idea. I find myself stretching my usual reading and looking for something new. This week it is Death with Interruptions by Jose Saramago, who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1998. Although familiar with the name, I had never read anything by him. However, the premise of this book caught my attention and a week later I have a writer whose work I'll be pursing for some time.

The book focuses on the results of death's (note the small "d") decision to stop having people die at the start of a new year. This death (thus the small "d") is only responsible for people in one country, so of course this creates all kinds of interesting scenarios. At first people are ecstatic about their new found eternal life, but then reality sets in. People do not die, but they do not stay healthy. Those on the brink of death stay on the brink of death, and people who should die as results of accidents just live on in pain. Nursing homes suddenly find themselves with no room for new customers and undertakers begin specializing in burying pets (non-human deaths are handled by another death). People handling life insurance are the most creative in handling the crisis as they figure out a way to get people to buy their product with promise of an early payout. Even a newly formed "maphia" finds business in transporting the dying across the country's borders so that people can die. Of course the government (a monarchy) goes into crisis mode with calls for action from several groups, not the least of which is the Catholic Church.

As a Catholic I found this aspect most interesting. Saramago is not kind to Christianity in this book, but he does raise interesting points about the what the lack of death would mean to Christianity. Mine is a faith based on the overcoming of death, so when death ceases to exist, does faith lose its meaning?

What Saramago does in this novel is reintroduce the concept of death in society. While most of us work hard to put off the inevitable end, Saramago reminds of the natural and important role of death. He could have stopped at this point and been set, but he takes the concept a step further. Death reintroduces herself (yes, death is a woman) by contacting the government and announcing the return of death. But now, she'll send everyone a letter one week ahead of time so they can prepare.

At this point Saramago turns his attention to death herself, and the result is fascinating character who works without knowledge of why she does what she does. He plays on the all the stereotypes by having her be a skeleton dressed in a robe, the scythe nearby in her plain room where she writes the letters to those who will die. He acknowledges that her femininity is a traditional interpretation. But death's existence is thrown off when one letter refuses to be delivered. In other words, someone is refusing death, even though he does not know it. Saramago then takes us into death's response to this turn of events, but to say more would be to give away too much of the plot.

Saramago's novel is interesting for the wealth of philosophical questions it raises, but it is his writing style which appealed to me the most. A glance at the novel shows solid pages of text since all his conversations simply flow together in the paragraphs, yet without confusion on the speaker. Sentences, ignoring grammatical restraints, can go on for nearly a page at times. Like many contemporary novelists, Saramago is also not shy about addressing the reader. But this is not simply a post-modern experiment. The writing is plot driven and the flowing writing style moves us along smoothly throughout. What may surprise many (including me) given the plot is the amount of humor is the novel. Both the characters and the author recognize cliches and stereotypes, but embrace them with humor instead of avoiding them.

Saramago has created a solid novel throughout. A great premise, sense of humor, raising of good questions, and outstanding writing let me know why he won the Nobel Prize. I'll be searching out more of his works soon.

Up Next

I only have four weeks left in my experiment and I'm feeling unnecessary pressure on what to read. I think I'll finish with Jane Austen, which leaves just a few other books to chose from. Plus, in three weeks I have a week of 18 research papers to read, a daughter's college graduation to consider, and our local Tulip Time festival in which I am involved with daily this year. So what to read now? Anne Tyler definitely needs to get in the mix so one her novels may be next.

A few people have asked if I'll continue the blog after I'm done with my year. I've decided not to, although I'll continue to read a lot and write on Goodreads with some postings on Amazon. If you are on Goodreads (and

I recommend it) you connect with me at http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/638139

Book Forty-Seven: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

2010-04-11T00:28:00.000-04:00

Decided to go to the ultimate classic this week so I read The Great Gatsby for the, well, I have no idea how many times. I was required to read it for class in high school, college, and grad school. In between I've read it several times on my own and still find it a welcome book to return to. I read it this time since I was thinking of having a student read it who is taking my writing class as an independent study. She is from outside the U.S. and does not have a great deal of experience with American literature so I thought this classic novel would be a good place to start. Not so -- there is much to explain here of U.S. history, and most the characters are not ones I want to represent the U.S.

I found myself wondering why I like this book. One of the things I do not like about Hemingway is that his characters are often whiny, self-absorbed Americans. The same could be said here of Fitzgerald, although the narrator Nick Carraway has a better sense of self than most. The character that makes this all work is Gatsby, a self-made person in all senses of the word. He creates his own history, his own rules, his own goals, and even his own money. He is the American story taken to the extreme and not one we always like to claim as our own. People are enthralled with the character he has created, but not with him. One of the great scenes is of the nearly empty funeral. In the end he is left with his father, Nick, and one of the party goers. The rest see Gatsby's value in what he offers, not in who he is.

This approach to people finds support in today's world where "contacts" replace "relationships." In the business world you are encouraged to build contacts, but really we do better both personally and professionally with relationships. Gatsby uses his contacts as well, all in the goal of getting Daisy back in his life. That is perhaps one of the saddest themes we pull out of this book, that of using others. But is what all the characters do -- use others for their benefit. There seems to be little enjoyment of others in themselves, but only in what they provide, be it money, sex, status, comfort, or entertainment. Gatsby uses others and allows himself to be used in his search for Daisy. What is surprising is how willing all these characters are willing to work in such a fashion.

Which returns me to the question of why I like this book so much. To begin with, it is extremely well written. A relatively short book, it takes words, sentences, and plot seriously enough not to waste time. Fitzgerald quickly draws strong, recognizable characters and creates tensions on several levels. Add to that the romanticism of the 1920s and you have an irresistible draw. But if you look closely (or to be honest, not even that closely), you'll find Fitzgerald does not offer the romantic view of the decade he calls the "jazz age." Instead, this is a surprisingly moralistic look at human nature's worst side and the fall that will surely accompany it. A moralistic novel? Now that is American.

Read more about Fitzgerald at F. Scott Fitzgerald Page.

Up Next

I already started and am enjoying Jose Saramago's Death with Interruptions. He won the Nobel prize in 1998, but I've never read anything by him. His writing style is unique and challenging, but also intriguing.

Book Forty Six: The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid (and 46B: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan)

2010-04-04T22:12:00.000-04:00

I first reviewed Hamid 10 weeks ago with his novel Moth Smoke, which I enjoyed. The Reluctant Fundamentalist is a more recent work published in 2007 and his maturity shows. This is an outstanding, creatively imagined story which manages to give many of us non-Islamic folks a glimpse into what being Islamic in the U.S. must have been like after 9/11.

The story takes place in Pakistan (Lahore) as Changez, once a successful immigrant in the U.S., relates his story to an unnamed American. From a privileged, but poor family, Changez manages to get into Princeton and graduate with honors. He lands a highly sought after and highly paid position with a New York "valuation" firm which tells companies what they are worth. He loves New York, falls in love with an American woman, and has more money than he ever anticipated.

But after Sept. 11Changez not only finds himself being viewed differently, but begins to view himself differently as well. He suddenly decides to grow a beard which draws even more attention to himself and begins to question his role in the U.S. In the meantime, his relationship with the woman he loves changes for reasons not related to Sept. 11, but also makes him question some essential questions.

While the unnamed and unheard American in the cafe could be a mere foil, Hamid manages to create an interesting character we know only through the eyes of Changez. The American's own visit to Pakistan is questionable and Changez works hard to assure the man of his safety. By the end of the novel you are surprised to find yourself in a page-turning, suspense-filled plot (and I'm not giving away any endings).

Hamid's narrative is tight and well controlled. At times I questioned the strange romantic relationship, but at the end of the novel we see that it serves to show us another side of the U.S. and Changez's relationship to it. It also teaches about Changez as a person, although we can see how he may appear distant to others. His work at the "valuation" firm is a high stakes position in which his answers determine the fate of others. When this begins to bother him he is encouraged to separate himself from the results since anyone could produce them -- it is nothing personal and he does not make the decisions. But Changez recognizes his role in the process.

It is this role which we build out upon as Changez begins to see the role he plays in other areas of his life. What he recognizes is that passivity is not an option. To use the existentialist formula, "not to choose is to choose." In other words, he moves from passivity to action which seems to surprise many, including himself. But is he really changing or simply becoming for himself? That is up to the reader to decide.

Regardless of the answer, Hamid's book is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand more of what is happening in the world today. There are no simple answers, but there is insight.

The Lightning Thief

Not a lot to say on this one. It is a YA (Young Adult) book and I've not read too many to compare this one to. At a glance it seems like Harry Potter, but with the Greek Myths in the U.S.. Young boy with special powers he was not aware he had, goes on a quest to essentially save the world along with another boy and a girl, and saves the world but gets a hint of something more sinister at work (here comes Kronos and the sequels).

But despite all that, I liked the book. My ten-year-old read it and wanted me to read it before we go see the movie version. He enjoyed it and it has sparked his interest in the Greek myths as well. Riordan has fun imagining the Greek gods and demigods into today's world (Mars is a motorcycle man) and he has a sense of humor. Worth reading if you like YA books.

Next Up

Not sure and I really should know by now. It has hit me that I have just six weeks left in my goal to read a book a week for a year, and I'm surprised how quickly it went. I had plans to read a bunch of classics, and while I've read many, I've also stretched my reading quite a bit. So I'm debating several books as I near the end of my quest, but relax when I remind myself that I'm still allowed to read after the year is up.

Book Forty-Five: The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything by James Martin, SJ (and 45B: Walter Mosley's Fortunate Son) and (45C:Mark Haddon's The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime)

2010-03-28T10:18:00.000-04:00

Note: First, hope you enjoy the new layout. Second, I'm updating my reading blog and Goodreads info. on Facebook as well.

Religious, and specifically Christian, books can be a challenging lot. On the one hand there are plenty of great theological texts to read (Augustine, Aquinas, Calvin, Rahner, Barth, etc), but suffice it to say they are not the type of book you curl up with at the end of the day. On the other hand, there are too many "Christian-lite" books (I'll be nice and not name names) which touch on Christian themes, but lack the depth to really challenge the faithful.

With his rather bold title, The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything, James Martin, SJ looks like he would fall in the latter category. But happily, what we find here is a treatment of the Christian faith (through a Jesuit lens) which is not difficult to digest, but will challenge the reader to reexamine their stance toward faith. This is not just wordplay when I say "stance toward faith." Martin honestly and respectfully engages readers who may be atheists or agnostics, as well as any Christian still examining their faith. He does note that much of what he offers from his Jesuit life could be adopted by non-Christians. But give Martin credit for not being embarrassed of his faith and making a strong case for Christianity.

Martin acknowledges his own wordplay when he addresses his title. "It's not a guide to understanding everything about everything (thus the Almost). Rather, it's a guide to discovering how God can be found in every dimension of your life." The essence of the book is that every aspect of your life is spiritual -- faith is not just concerned with your thoughts on God, but what you say in those emails to a coworker. This is the first of four definitions that comes from Jesuit spirituality, namely, that everything in your life is important. The second idea is "contemplative in action," in which Martin outlines how a contemplative life translates into an active life. This theme plays a major role throughout the book as Martin explores how those of us who are not Jesuits can still actively incorporate spirituality into our lives. Third, not only is everything important, but God can be found everywhere. This carries the theological phrase of incarnational spirituality, but the idea is simple. Finally, many readers may be surprised to hear that people who pledge obedience see their spiritual life as one of freedom and detachment from distracting influences as opposed to a set of rules to follow.

Martin spends a great deal of time looking at the role of prayer in our lives. Again he is not afraid to challenge, as he does with the conventional excuse of "busyness," when it comes to why we find prayer challenging. One of Martin's strengths is that he understands the challenges of the working world. He came to his own faith decisions after a, ahem, active collegiate experience and after having a successful business career. He knows what many people deal with daily, and although not the head of a family, he understands the stresses the life of a parent has to contend with in addition to finding prayer time. But he points out that all relationships need nurturing, and our relationship with God is no different.

He offers several options, but his focus on "The Examen" is the most enlightening. This Jesuit prayer is central to the Jesuit way of life. Created by the Jesuit founder, St. Ignatius Loyola (and Jesuit spirituality is often called Ignatian spirituality), this prayer takes a person through five steps at the end of the day. The prayer focuses on the course of the day. In Martin's version (and we learn throughout that Jesuits are a pretty flexible lot on faith issues) we start with gratitude for what went well, and then review all actions of the day. When we recall events we are sorry for we have reached the third step, which leads naturally to seeking forgiveness, step four. Finally, we seek God's grace for the coming day.

Simple as it sounds, and it is simple, the prayer reinforces that idea of all aspects of your life are important to God. All our actions should reflect our faith, and when we fail, we should seek to remedy our wrongs. Regardless of one's faith inclination, a thorough review of the day and an accounting for one's actions is bound to create opportunities to move forward.

Martin's explanations of the vows of obedience, chastity, and poverty are enlightening in not only understanding what those vows mean, but what they have to do with the rest of us. No, he is not promoting worldwide chastity in the normal sense, but he does argue that loving chastely lets those even in sexual relationships realize there are many ways to express love. In a sex-obsessed culture, this rather obvious line of thinking is desperately needed.

This is how Martin works throughout the book. He explains how Jesuit's think and why, and then looks to tie it in with everyday life for the non-Jesuits of the world. While it sounds simple, it is challenging in both content and translation to life. If you just want an easy "feel good" book or "10 steps to live like a Jesuit," look elsewhere. If you want to think about faith and how it underlies your life, this is the place to start. But not to worry, Martin does all this with a sense of humor. He knows when some thinking sounds funny, and he points it out. He loves to tell Jesuit jokes, almost always at the expense of Jesuits, and the book is filled with real-life stories to illustrate his points. How often do you get to read a priest talk about being overwhelmed by sexual obsession just weeks before ordination? Martin does, and he spares himself little in the telling of tales. But his honesty and humor make all this thinking that more fun. And after all, if we cannot enjoy our faith, we must be missing something.

Martin also keeps a friendly, informative Facebook page where you can read about his other comments on life.

I dedicate this week's blog to my daughter who just accepted a placement to volunteer for one year through the Jesuit Volunteer Corp. I'm proud of her! Now she has to read this book.

Walter Mosley's Fortunate Son

Mosley is at times a "guilty" read, but often just a well written story. Fortunate Son falls more under the "waste of time." I've enjoyed Mosley's past forays into non-mystery writing, but this one was stretched with unbelievable characters who hint at more but never deliver. Read something else by him.

Mark Haddon's The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime

I read this again for class. My review of it was in November.

Next Up

On the lighter side I'm reading "The Lightening Thief," a young adult novel now made into a movie. My 10-year-old read it and liked it. He wants me to read before we head off for the movie version, so I'm getting into it now. Quite enjoyable! My "real" book will be another by Mohsin Hamid called The Reluctant Fundamentalist.

Book Forty-Four: Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser

2010-03-20T22:39:00.000-04:00

I understand the temptation. The food is cheap, tastes good, is ready on the fly, and fills you up. Eric Schlosser gets it too -- he loves the fries. But after reading Fast Food Nation you'll never look at the golden arches the same way again. That may be a good thing.

If this was just a book telling you how horrible fast food restaurants are to people, it would have disappeared shortly after its 2001 publication. But it became a New York Times Bestseller and was even turned into a film because Schlosser goes beyond mere name calling. In fact, one of my favorite lines comes at the end of the book. "The executives who run the fast food industry are not bad men. They are business men. They will sell free-range, organic, grass-fed hamburgers if you demand it." In other words, while he documents the overwhelming marketing pressure created by these companies (especially towards children), he also notes we have a say.

Schlosser is a journalist and he has done his research (the book includes nearly 60 pages of supporting notes), but he is not looking for the headline. There is no single culprit, no single problem, and no single solution. The book takes on not simply fast food, but the culture of fast food in the U.S. and how we have exported it around the world. At times the chapters start in an area which seem to have nothing to do with food, but it always ties into the the food industry. The group taking the biggest hit is the meat industry, and forget McDonalds, you'll never look at the hamburger on your own grill the same way anymore.

Schlosser takes on marketing tatics, meat processing techniques, cattle feeding methods, use of legal and illegal migrants, workplace safety, OSHA standards, FDA standards, USDA standards, school lunches, congressional acts, presidential appointments, franchise operations and contracts, and grass-fed beef. He travels to the restaurants, the factories, the fields around the U.S., to the McDonald's near Dachau concentration camp in Germany, and talks about fast food around the world. He covers so much information that it is clear that this is not some mass conspiracy whipped up in a smoky backroom, but instead the worst case scenario for capitalism which forgets the reason we support it -- for people.

I could offer many stomach turning anecdotes, although to do so would not only just turn you off (ask my family), but would miss Schlosser's point. He did not write this as a "gross out" bestseller, and he gets disgusting only when necessary. Unfortunately, his simply telling of facts is disgusting enough. Tie all this into our increasing obesity issues, which can be clearly tied to our increase in eating fast food (just check nutrition facts at McDonalds or Burger King), and you can see something should be done. Schlosser ends his book with some quick recommendations and I only wish he would have spent more time here. But the one basic one is to ban fast food advertising aimed at children. We banned cigarette advertising and saw a huge decline in smoking. We regulate alcohol advertising because of health issues. Yet food aimed at kids which give them all the calories they need for a day in one meal is allowed? And we wonder why kids are obese? Sure, we need to get kids moving more, but take the low-hanging fruit here and cut back on what kids are told to eat.

One of the best parts of the book is the afterword in which Schlosser quotes the bad reviews which met the original edition. He notes that while the industry and those related to it have called the book nothing but lies, none of them have offered a single refutation of any of the facts he relates. That should give anyone pause to wonder. I'm avoiding details because there are too many, but suffice it to say the book is required reading for anyone who eats. You can still eat whatever you want, but at least you'll be informed about what you are eating.

Oh, and the fries taste good because they were fried in beef tallow -- the Hindus and vegetarians were not pleased to learn that.

Next Up
Going a different direction as I read a new book about Jesuit life in the everyday world. A friend of mine is a Jesuit priest and my daughter has just signed on to volunteer for a year through the Jesuit Volunteer Corp, so this seems timely. Plus, I have not reviewed anything for Blogcritics lately so I should do that.

Book Forty-Three: A Lost Lady by Willa Cather and (43B-Food Rules by Michael Pollan) and (43C--Good Fairies of New York by Martin Millar)

2010-03-14T11:15:00.000-04:00

Yes, I have three books to report on this week, but do not be too impressed. Cather's novel is short, although I'll admit to reading her prose slowly because it is worth the time. Pollan's book is very short and intended to be a quick read. The fairies book has been my bedtime book the last few weeks, although I plowed through it this week just to get it over with (guess what my thoughts are on this one).

A Lost Lady

Willa Cather's work always fascinates me thanks to Mrs. Pepoy's introduction of her to my first-year college writing class through the classic O Pioneers! Both her novels and short stories are strong, but the short novel, A Lost Lady, had sat on my bookshelf too long.

It is a novel which brings in the familiar Cather themes of old vs. new, stagnation vs. growth, and to stretch the idea a bit, love vs. loyalty. Cather published the work in 1923 and in it we see a move away from the pioneers of My Antonia and O Pioneers! as the modern world makes itself felt on the Western expansion. As a result, the idyllic but harsh pioneer life Cather lived and captured are falling away.

The novel centers around Niel Pommeroy, a young boy living with his lawyer uncle in a small railroading town. The object of much of his attention is Mrs. Forrester, the young wife of a older man who has made a comfortable living based on his railroad work. As a growing boy Niel admires the Mrs. Forrester for her elegance, her ease with people, and her promise of something greater than the town. But like most railroad towns, the modern world begins to leave it behind and their social decline is mirrored with Mr. Forrester's financial decline. Niel is close to the childless couple and even takes a year off of college to help care for the ailing husband. The grim future is represented by Ivy Peters, a cruel kid who becomes (you guessed it) a cheating lawyer. He eventually buys up parts of the town including parts of the Forrester estate, and after the death of Mr. Forrester he takes a least temporary possession of Mrs. Forrester.

Niel's dedication to Mrs. Forrester is often described as a love interest by many critics, but I think that misses the point. He loves her, but not as a woman so much as an idea. She represents for Niel possibilities: passion for life, a wider world of experience, self confidence, and elegance not seen in a rural town. Even when he discovers she is having an affair he manages to overlook the reality which denies the possibilities. Only when he sees Ivy groping her in the kitchen does his idealism disappear, although his fondness for her does not since he is still in love with possibilities. What is interesting is that Mrs. Forrester never loses the appearance of these possibilities. She moves beyond Ivy Peters to settle comfortably in Buenos Aires as the wife of a rich Englishman. What Cather shows in that quick end stroke is the facade such possibilities often exist upon. Her life in rural Nebraska and her own struggles with her sexuality doubtless left her with little patience for anything less than reality.

Food Rules

Michael Pollan is a leading voice in making us think about what we eat, how we eat, and how our food is created/produced. His books, The Omnivore's Dilemma and In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto, (both on my short list) have become the bibles for people concerned about our food. Food Rules is like a "Dummy's Guide" to how to eat for the rest of us. The book contains 64 rules, most no more than a short page long, which are split into three categories: What Should I Eat, What Kind of Food Should I Eat, and How Should I Eat.

Pollan clearly expects you to take to some rules more than others, and he is quick to point out that much of what he says is common wisdom. Given our current state of food production and our health issues, I'm not sure the wisdom is too common anymore. The first two parts are what you would expect -- eat real (not processed food), eat more greens, eat meat less often and make sure it is healthy, and don't buy anything your grandmother would not recognize as food. It was the third section which interested me the most. He emphasizes the communal nature of food and notes that when we eat together, we tend to eat better. The French get extra attention because they do not eat the healthiest food, but are in better health than most. He notes they eat less, take longer at meals, and drink wine -- all good things. "Stop Eating Before You Are Full," is one that hits home as I just passed losing 30 pounds in the past three months. Just the other day I ate too much and felt "full," which made me realize how good it is to not fill stuffed. But my favorite rule in the book: "Don't Get Your Fuel From the Same Place Your Car Does." No more six packs of powdered doughnuts for me!

The Good Fairies of New York

This was a stretch book for me since fantasy does not get much of my attention. Some other bloggers highly recommended this book and since even Neil Gaiman loves it, I thought it would be worth the effort. Afraid I was wrong. While the premise is interesting, the writing is not. The narrative is disjointed and poorly organized, the story line longer than needed, and it even includes those elements which kill fantasy books for most (such as the approval of incest -- and I don't care if they are fairies).

The back cover promises:

When a pair of fugitive Scottish thistle fairies end up transplanted to Manhattan by mistake, both the Big Apple and the Little People have a lot of adjusting to do. Heather and Morag just want to start the first radical fairy punk rock band, but first theyll have make a match between two highly unlikely sweethearts, start a street brawl between rival gangs of Italian, Chinese, and African fairies, help the ghost of a dead rocker track down his lost guitar, reclaim a rare triple-bloomed Welsh poppy from a bag lady with delusions of grandeur, disrupt a local community performance of A Midsummer Nights Dream, and somehow manage to stay sober enough to save all of New York from an invasion of evil Cornish fairies.

All true, but Heather and Morag are just tiring, whining fairies. Heather helps Dinnie transform from an overweight, obscene, cruel, and untalented person into an object of desire in just a short time, and since it is mainly without magic we know why this is fantasy. There are about 15 plot lines in here and Millar simply puts an extra space between paragraphs to indicate we are jumping to something else completely. Some plots are built up only to fizzle out, others go on and on (fix the fiddle already! find the guitar! grow a new flower!), and some just push other plots forward. Perhaps I'm just not enough of a fantasy fan to comment more, so I'll hold my tongue. I'm also in the minority on this one since most reviews are glowing, so do not write this off just on my opinion.

Up Next
Every year I co-chair a critical issues symposium at my college and for 2010 our topic is food. Thus the Pollan interest. This week I'm reading Eric Schlosser's Fast Food Nation.

Book Forty-Two: Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson

2010-03-07T10:16:00.000-05:00

Housekeeping is one of those island books..."if you can take five books to an island..." I first read this book nearly 15 years ago in grad school, and it has never been far away since. My copy is so old I cannot even find an image of the cover! But the cover to the left is good since the railroad bridge plays a central role in the novel.

Robinson's book fits in with the long tradition of great American novels, but I will not pursue that thought here. Instead, as I consider using this novel for a college-level English writing course (in which we also read!) I want to explore the idea of approaching life. This short book is loaded with themes (memory, water, transience, death, existence, family, role of women, and the list goes on) that I could write a series of entries on this book alone.

The plot is deceptively simple. Ruth and Lucille are two young girls dropped off on the porch of their grandmother (whom they have never met) while their mother goes to drive a car off a cliff and into a lake. This same lake took the life of their grandfather when the train he worked on went off the bridge "like a weasel sliding off a rock." They are raised by their grandmother until she dies, and two spinster great aunts jump in but eventually recruit the girl's Aunt Sylvie to handle raising them. Sylvie is "a drifter" who is fond of riding in boxcars, only laughs when asked about her husband, and seems in no particular interest to move forward. Lucille eventually leaves the two to live with a teacher so she can be like other girls, but Ruth decides to stay with Sylvie.

Sylvie's approach to life, that of a transient, is reflective of how life truly is. It sounds cliche, but we are just passing through. Sylvie's life is one of working with that direction instead of fighting against it. "Housekeeping" is the attempt to bring order against this transience, but Sylvie shows no desire to fight against nature. In fact, nature itself begins to take over their house, which Sylvie accepts (but does not necessarily welcome or discourage). Her whole life revolves around her ability to move along with where life leads her. Perhaps because her father (Ruth's grandfather) dies when she is young, she understands the transient life. And she does not fear the end of that existence. At one point Sylvie and Ruth spend the night in a rowboat on this lake which has claimed their family and below the bridge which offers escape, yet also death (and the two are often intermingled). As Ruth dips her hand in the water and thinks about how easily they could capsize, Sylvie tells her "There is nothing to be afraid of...Nothing to be worried about. Nothing at all."

Of course, Sylvie draws the attention of the well-meaning townsfolk who do not follow nor understand this transient approach to life. They want her to conform to society, if not for her sake than at least for Ruth's, and for a short time Sylvie tries this approach. But it is not in her, and Ruth sees no reason for the struggle either. Lucille also does not understand their approach and thus goes into traditional society. One way in which this book rises above others is Robinson does not set up flat characters which make it easy for Sylvie to rail against society. Instead, both Ruth and Sylvie seemed awed by the way others can master the rules of society and live in an orderly way. We also see how Sylvie must look to others, with 14 cats living in the parlor with half eaten birds, cans piled to the ceiling, and window panes missing. At times Sylvie seems to wake up and see herself, but her attempts at fitting in are short lived and bound to fail.

So how should we approach life? Of course, Robinson does honestly think we should jump in boxcars and eschew our home and communities. But should we fight the transient nature of our existence? Is there a way to balance this awareness of our mortality with "housekeeping?" The answer may lie in community and relationships, which are also central to the novel. Sylvie may be a transient, but there is a whole community of transients who depend on one another. Ruth and Lucille are torn between two communities, but each makes a conscious choice on how to live. What binds them are those current relationships and the memory (another major theme) of old relationships.

This could go on for a while, so I'll stop. To put it simply -- read this book. Not only is the plot incredible for many reasons, Robinson's prose is, well, poetic. In fact, I remember being told she published parts as poetry before publishing the novel, but that may be grad school enthusiasm. However, the book received an endless amount of praise when it came out and showed up on more than one 100 best books of the century lists in 2000. It was almost 25 years before Robinson's next novel came out a few years ago and won the Pulitzer (and I have a signed copy from when I met her on campus for a reading!). She is a remarkably brilliant yet humble person who spent much of her "time off" educating herself, although she managed to publish two non-fiction works in between the novels. Anything she has written is worth reading, and as you may have figured out, she has not written all that much. But with any luck, she'll continue at a faster rate.

Up Next

Well, Houskeeping was not supposed to be the book of the week so I'm hesitant to venture what is next. I survived a very busy week while reading this (took just three leisurely nights) and next week is not much better. So you'll have to just handle the tension and wait to be surprised.

Book Forty-One: The Heart is A Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers

2010-02-28T11:58:00.000-05:00

Few things are more enjoyable than discovering a great book everyone else already knows about, but which you have passed over for years. Carson McCullers' The Heart is a Lonely Hunter has been sitting on my bookshelf for a few years, and this reading project of mine prompted me to pull it down.

McCullers became an overnight literary sensation when she published this novel at age 23, prompting no less than Tennessee Williams to call her "the greatest prose writer that the South [has] produced," and Richard Wright being impressed by her ability "to rise above the pressures of her environment and embrace white and black humanity in one sweep of apprehension and tenderness." But the praise can go further. McCullers goes deep into the human condition and explores what we miss as well as what we know. Most impressive is her portrayal of a range of people and cultures without appearing stereotypical or sentimental. Published in 1940, the novel is set in the 1930s and includes some insightful comments on the integration of Jewish people along with the rise of Hitler as seen through the eyes of Americans.

The book centers around John Singer, a deaf mute who becomes many things to many people, namely because he serves as a reflection of the people speaking to him. Although he is the unifying character in the story, the narrative moves away from Singer to focus on other stories. There is Dr. Copeland, an intellectually driven African-American doctor with hopes of raising his race through the lens of Karl Marx. His daughter, Portia, is a servant in the Kelly house and also plays a significant role in the novel, although she does center around Singer. The Kelly's are an Irish-American family, large but poor, who rent out rooms, including to Singer. Mick Kelly is one of the daughters who is separated by her intelligence and love of classical music, although the family cannot afford any instruments or even a radio. Biff Brannon owns the local cafe/bar where the white characters meet up at times. Finally, there is Jake Blount, a hard drinking labor organizer who shows up in town alone and tries unsuccessfully to unite the workers.

Singer loses his best friend, another deaf mute, early in the book. While Singer is devoted to his friend, it is clear to the reader that his friend is annoying, lazy, and just plain fairly unlikable. When he is sent to an asylum to live, Singer takes a room in the Kelly house. A engraver at a jeweler's store, Singer takes his dinners in Brannon's cafe, where Blount finds a willing listener. Blount is so wrapped up in his own thinking that he talks with Singer several times before he realized that Singer is deaf and mute. Singer can read lips and learns to keep up with the different ways the characters have of talking to him.

Eventually Mick, Biff, Dr. Copeland, and Blount all find there way to Singer's simple room where they talk with him about whatever they want. Blount sees Singer as a supporter of his cause to unite workers, Copeland him finds him to be the only white man who understands the African-American condition, and Mick finds him to be the man she would like her father to be (this could be debated, but it is my current thought). Biff has less to project on Singer because his life lacks clear direction -- he is simply lonely. Singer becomes almost god-like in who people view him, but as McCullers shows us with Singer's initial relationship, he too projects himself onto others.

Of course, as the title indicates, this book is about loneliness. All the characters are looking for a connection to others, but can only find it in a man who offers them no feedback. In a short, but remarkable scene, all the characters find themselves in Singer's room at the same time and fall strangely silent. Singer cannot understand why this happens, but it is clear to the reader that the characters can only connect to someone they think is like them. They are not united in their own uniqueness, but instead by their inability to reach out and connect with others. In some ways they have all been excluded by society, and in other ways they have separated themselves.

As important as the theme of loneliness is that of communication, and they tie into one another. All the characters find communicating difficult, thus they are left alone. Singer cannot communicate with others so he is lonely. Copeland cannot communicate his desires for raising his race to his family or community and feels alone. Blount hears only derision for his labor demands, and is thus isolated. Biff loses his wife early on and has no one to communicate with even though he often thinks of what could be. Mick is separated from her family by her intelligence and love of music, although she is not even fully aware of how lonely she is. By communicating with Singer they all find a way to temporarily connect, but only because he serves as a sounding board.

There are many other themes to ponder in the book. Race relations, religion, facisim, and sexuality are just some of the other themes to be explored. One of my personally favorite themes is a character as the reader, which I look at everytime a deaf and/or mute character (possibly representing the reader) appears. That McCullers put this all together at the age of 23 is astounding since it shows someone who has been closely observing society for some time. But clearly she knew what she was aiming for. In an interview she remarked:

"I do believe that anybody who makes his own life is to be lonely, and I think this loneliness implies a condition of moral isolation." [From an interview with Hans de Vaal, Litterair Paspoort (April 1953)]

The phrase "moral isolation" is applied to this story quite a bit, and it is a loaded phrase. It implies not the isolation of physical space, but of a common connection. Few stories can be summed up in two words, but in this case, it works.

Bio

As for McCuller's herself, allow me to steal from her publisher: Carson McCullers was born Lula Carson Smith on February 19, 1917, in Columbus, Georgia. A promising pianist, McCullers enrolled in the Juilliard School of Music in New York when she was seventeen, but lacking the money for tuition, she did not attend classes. Eventually she studied writing at New York University and Columbia University, which ultimately led to the publication of her first short story, "Wunderkind," in Story magazine. In 1937, Carson married fellow writer James Reeves McCullers. Less than three years later, when she was twenty-three, she published her first novel, The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter. She went on to write Reflections in a Golden Eye, The Member of the Wedding, The Ballad of the Sad Café, and Clock Without Hands, among other works. The recipient of two Guggenheim fellowships, McCullers also won awards for her Broadway stage adaptation of The Member of the Wedding. Plagued by a series of strokes, attributed to a misdiagnosed and untreated case of childhood rheumatic fever, Carson McCullers died in Nyack, New York, at age fifty.

Note on her photo: Melancholy is the best way to describe the images you see of McCullers (try a Google image search). But I chose a laughing picture, because anyone who is truly as sad as her pictures would have ended her own life quite early.

If you want more on McCullers visit www.carson-mccullers.com or Houghton Mifflin.

Up Next

I have two very busy weeks coming up with several night obligations and papers to grade. I'm looking at Wendell Berry's Jayber Crow, but may end up elsewhere. I also want to reread the The Scarlet Letter in the next few weeks since it was released around this time 160 years ago.

Book Forty: Peculiar Treasures--A Biblical Who's Who by Frederick Buechner

2010-02-21T10:18:00.000-05:00

Nobody claims there's a chuckle on every page, but laughter's what the whole Bible is really about. -- Frederick Buechner

As a Christian I'm as dismayed as many at the lack of joy we sometimes find in our own faith. As a Catholic living in a Reformed Church of America community, I'm fully aware of the sinfulness of all of us. I was raised in a Protestant church (Methodist) which was light on sin, but far too serious for a growing boy. As a Catholic I found joy in the Mass, but cannot deny it was the seriousness of theology which attracted me to the Church. But seriously, we Christians need a good laugh now and then (with an emphasis on the now).

Frederick Buechner offers us that option without the guilt of slipping from the faith. I reviewed Buechner's The Storm two months ago, and this week I returned to Peculiar Treasures: A Biblical Who's Who a book I read a couple of years ago and have given as a gift several times. Buechner is a Union Theological trained minister who studied theology after becoming a novelist. Peculiar Treasures shows a writer as comfortable with the ugly stories in the Bible as he is with the humor. This is a laugh-out-loud book which can make you reexamine your own faith at the same time.

Buechner takes on subjects big and small, and finds something worth celebrating everywhere. And he writes in a vernacular which pulls in the present as a way to explain the past. In discussing the prophet Elisha he chooses a story in which the prophet stops to get rest "when a boy scout troop broke ranks and surrounded him. They threw bottle caps at him and they made rude gestures...'Skin-head' and 'Chrome-Dome' and 'Curly' they called him till finally the old man had enough. He made a few passes at them, muttered a few words, and within seconds a couple of she-bears lumbered out from the trees...and mauled some of the slower members of the troop." Buechner notes that this "is not the most edifying story in the Old Testament" but says we realize that "the Lord does not call everyone to be Mister Rogers." He does not soften the tougher stories, but he sees in them something worth pondering. It may be that as novelist Buechner recognizes that there is more truth in the narrative than in fact.

Biblical literalists are too focused on the "word," as opposed to John's "Word." The truth is not in the words, but in the stories and lessons they communicate to us. When I teach Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried in class we talk a lot about this truth. O'Brien knows that a factual retelling of his time in Vietnam would simply be masquerading as the the truth. The truth is in the narrative, the story that reaches into us, grabs us, and forces us to look it in the face. Why else would Jesus tell stories? He knows that stories are what connect us and have a way of communicating the truth which is larger than the sum of the words. Buechner uses this as a way to imagine what some of the Biblical folks are thinking which may not be "factual," but are likely closer to the truth.

His discussions both of Mary, mother of Jesus, and Mary Magdalene are touching in his focus. For Mary it is on how her son called her "woman" and seemed to have no time for her, until dying on the cross he gives another disciple to be her son -- the son she never had. Mary Magdalene is, of course, the person Jesus chooses to first appear to after rising on Easter morning. When she goes back to the disciples who never really knew what to make of her, she tells them "I have seen the Lord" and Buechner says "whatever dark doubts they might have had on the subject earlier, one look at her face was enough to melt them all away like morning mist."

Much of Buechner's thought may be found in his summary of Sarah. He tells the story of how Sarah and Abraham laugh when the angel tells the old couple that Sarah is going to have a baby. Sarah laughs so hard she has to go in the tent so as to not insult the angel. But Buechner says they are not laughing at the message the angel carries. "The reason they laughed was that it suddenly dawned on them that the wildest dreams they'd ever had hadn't been half wild enough."

That is when laughter and joy become one.

Book 40B--I finally finished one of my bedtime reads, Walter Mosley's Six Easy Pieces. No lengthy review here. Mosley is almost always enjoyable and Easy Rawlins one of his best characters. This collection puts together six stories (and a 7th unrelated one) which were published one-by-one at the back of some reissues of Rawlins novels. A decent story, but because they appeared separately we get a lot of repeated information to set up the stories. The extra stories in the reissues was a ploy to get past readers to buy new editions -- hey, if it works, fine. But before putting them together they should have been edited to form one of Mosely's usually strong novels. If you have not read Mosley, start elsewhere.

Up Next

Well, I was going to read the John Marshall book, but that is going to take some time to get through. So I'll pick that off in smaller segments and as a whole focus this week on Caron McCullers' The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter. This is one of those classics always left unread on my list, so this week I read it! I'm also reading The Lightening Thief along with my 10-year-old; once we finish we'll go see the movie.

Book Thirty-Nine:The First Person and Other Stories by Ali Smith

2010-02-14T21:41:00.000-05:00

Ali Smith's world is at times bleak and lonely, at times rich and full, but in all cases a different take on life than we usually see. Smith has garnered a strong following in her short career, and this new Anchor books edition of The First Person and Other Stories solidifies the fact that she is a voice we will continue to hear from. Whether this book will be the one recommended to new readers of her work is another question.

Smith plays with the short story form, at times unsuccessfully. Her opening story, "True Short Story," is what the title says -- a true short story. The narrator overhears two men, possibly father and son, discussing literature. Their thinking drives the narrator to talk to her literary friend, battling cancer, to discuss if the short story is truly a slim nymph as described by the younger of the two men. But the story sounds more like a memoir than a short story, which is ironic since the story is a celebration of the short story.

But when she succeeds Smith proves she is worth the patience. "The Child" features a foul-mouthed, talking baby who simply shows up in the narrator's shopping cart one day. Despite her resistance to what is perhaps things to come, she finds herself drawn into caring for the sexist, racist, angelic-looking child. But in the end she finds another way to solve her problem.

While "The Child" features resolution, Smith is comfortable not finishing the story. Many of the selections show us the modern "slice-of-life" snippets, but they are not without future direction. Smith differs from many contemporary writers in that some of the stories have hope built in them as well. In "The Second Person" we watch a couple fight their way into separation, but in the end an accordion and its missing mate indicate a renewal of the relationship.

The eponymous final story is a touching love story in which one of the characters works hard to convince herself that her new relationship is nothing special. Her lover is not discouraged.

"You're not the first person who ever made me feel like this, you know, I say.
I'm the first person today, though, you say."

The passage is indicative of Smith's thinking, a focus on living in the present. It also shows hers fondness for quoting her characters with "I say -- you say -- he said -- she said" phrases as opposed to direct quotes. At times it can be confusing on who is speaking, but Smith is likely intentional here. She also often leaves genders, especially in relationships, unspoken. How the reader interprets these stories may say as much about them as Smith.

Overall we see Smith experimenting with the short story form, and like most experiments there are both failures and successes. But like most experiments, they are worth the effort.

Up Next
Finally going to finish my reread of Frederick Buechner's Peculiar Treasures: A Biblical Who's Who which is one of the most humorous books I've read. This will be an easy read, which I need since I have stack of essays to grade this week and the possible start of a hefty volume of prose I agreed to review.

Book Thirty-Eight: Ficciones by Jorge Luis Borges

2010-02-07T12:36:00.000-05:00

Perhaps I needed a reminder of "serious" literature. Perhaps my reading has become too easy. Perhaps I was feeling too much confidence in my supposed ability to decipher text. But my eldest son decided I needed to read Borges and brought "Ficciones" home from the library (an irony that Borges fans will enjoy). This rather unassuming 142-page book (the Everyman's edition -- not the edition pictured) holds plenty to challenge the more casual reader. For Borges, I think anyone who reads his work once is a casual reader, and this is where I fall.

Borges's collection of stories require and invite repeated readings, preferably in small doses. In my quest to read one book a week I did not have the luxury needed to appreciate this book, but I intend to own it soon and return to the stories one at a time. In fact, I find talking about this book a bit difficult.

There are many themes which arise over and over. Borges is clearly intrigued by materialism, in the sense of what (if anything) constitutes the material world. Time may belong to that material world (I'm not sure if this is his concept or my interpretation), but regardless the mutability of time is a focus in many of the stories. Then there is the recurring labyrinth, a stand in for life itself (Borges is clear about this), which reappears often and includes the hint of a straight lined labyrinth named in "Death and the Compass," one of my favorite stories. Finally, mirrors make appearances as reflections of reality or perhaps reality itself. Now take all of these elements, stir well, let simmer for a while, spread over six pages, and you have a Borges shorty story.

The stories vary greatly. Many appear as essays, but are in fact stories. Then Borges reaches into the detective genre on a couple of occasions, although these are not pulp fiction versions of his thought. These are mysteries of the mind and for Borges entire worlds can come out of the mind which are no less real than the one containing the thinker (if they themselves exist -- calling all Cartesians!).

Ficciones is split into two parts. I found the second part easier to delve into, but I'm guessing it has to do with my comfort level for Borges increasing. One of best stories, The Garden of Forking Paths, is also the name of the first part, so there is plenty in both sections to ponder. But I've decided to hold off on my thoughts until I have the time to read the stories again.

For those unfamiliar with Borges, allow me to present a short biography stolen from some site called "Great Writers, Suite 101." It was hard to find a short one since everyone likes to talk about him.

Jorge Luis Borges is the best known Argentinian writer of the 20th century. He is most remembered for writing short stories that explore the boundaries between what is real and what is fiction. His best collections include El hacedor and El libro de arena.He managed to inject humor despite using elaborate and complex mazes in his stories to dramatize difficulties of achieving knowledge and humankind's pursuit in unravelling life's mysteries.

Early life of Jorge Luis Borges
Jorge Luis Borges was born on August 24, 1899, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, into an established and wealthy family. He was educated in Buenos Aires, Geneva, and Switzerland, where his family lived for several years. He read widely in Spanish, French, German, Latin and English.

Borges the Young Poet
As a young man, aged 19, Borges lived in Spain and became involved with a group of radical young poets, avant-garde Ultraist literary group, who wanted to revolutionize Spanish poetry. After returning to Buenos Aires, aged 22, Borges became the center of a revival in Argentinian literature. He published his first poetry collection, Fervour of Buenos Aires, two years after his return. He continued publishing poems along with essays.

Seasoned Short-Story Writer
Borges turned his attention to writing short stories in the 1930s. His first important work in this genre was A Universal History of Infamy, published when he was 36. It is a collection of criminals' biographies. This mixture of reality (featuring real people) and fiction (characters he made up) became an important feature in his work.

Borges published his most famous stories in his 40s. Two of his best-known collections, The Aleph and Fictions, include tales about an infinite library and an infinitely small point in space from which the whole universe can be seen. Some of his stories from El Aleph also appeared in the collection of Labyrinths.

Later Years
Borges became director of the National Library in 1955. Later in life he slowly became blind and returned to writing poetry as well as short stories.

Final Years
Borges's last book Atlas was written with Maria Kodama, his companion, and with whom he married a month before he passed away. He died at the age of 86, June 14, 1986.

Read more at Suite101: Jorge Luis Borges Biography: Argentinian Short-Story Writer, Poet, Translator, Essayist http://great-writers.suite101.com/article.cfm/jorge_luis_borges_biography#ixzz0eipiTG9r

Sorry if I appear to be skipping out this week, but I would rather hold off until I feel like I know what I want to say. This book makes you think!

Next Up

Heading to another direction with a book I'm reviewing call The First Person and Other Stories by Ali Smith.

Happy reading!

Book Thirty-Seven: Start with Why by Simon Sinek (and I read Zorba the Greek again)

2010-01-31T10:06:00.000-05:00

The plethora of business and leadership books indicate a desire by many to improve either themselves or their business. While this is a worthwhile goal, a great many of the books published fail to address the fundamental issues which are behind successful people. Equally alarming is the number of them that not only miss the fundamental issues, but do it with deplorable writing in the process.

As a result, Simon Sinek's book, Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action, should be a welcome addition to those few books which leaders return to and pass on to others. Sinek's thinking may have been heard in different formats in different times, but his simple and concise explanation of how to improve as a leader is something that can have an immediate impact on the reader.

Sinek begins by saying what he has to offer does not attempt to supplant others, nor will he fix all the things that do not work. Instead, he notes "I wrote this book as a guide to focus on and amplify the things that do work." Therein lies one of the many strengths of this book, namely that it is a positive book. While he does point to some failures to show how situations could have been different, his focus is on what has worked and why.

"Why" is the essential question. Sinek describes how leaders and companies should work as a series of circles, which he describes as "The Golden Circle" playing off the mathematical relationship of the "golden ratio" The first and central circle is "why," surrounded by "how," and the final encompassing circle is "what." The "what" describes the products or services of a company; in other words, it is what they do. "How" explains how companies get to what they do. "Why" is the purpose or belief which underlies the how and what.

Given the title of the book we can see where Sinek is heading. His premise is that companies which do well focus on their "why," while many companies which fail have lost that focus. Sinek believes that if customers understand the why of a company, and they believe in the why, they will naturally end up buying the "what." In other words, people like companies with a vision which matches their own. One element of this thought which gives more credibility to Sinek's thesis is that not everyone will like the vision of a company. Sinek is not offering the golden egg which will bring you fortune by attracting everyone. He says be true to your own vision and the rest will follow if they like what they hear.

His primary example is Apple, Inc. and their leader, Steve Jobs. Sinek points out that Apple computers are more expensive than PCs, have less software available to use on them, and at times are even slower than the competition. So why do people buy them? Because they buy into Apple's "why." Apple has from the beginning marketed itself as the rebel, the individual, the unique voice. They market themselves that way because that is how they envision themselves. People who buy into that vision will pay more for a computer that reflects their values. By focusing on their why, Apple has also been able to easily branch out from computers and and develop the iPod and iPhones. Those products fit their image as the rebel. Sinek says their products may not even be the best or first on the market, but they quickly emerge as the leader.

When a company forgets their why to focus on the what, they often fail. Volkswagon has been the automotive equivalent of peace and love since the VW van ruled the 1960s. They put a vase for flowers on their Beetle's dashboard! So when they introduced the Phaeton, a high-end luxury car, it failed. Volkswagon's engineering is legendary and the critics loved the Phaeton, but it did not represent the "why" of Volkswagon which has attracted so many people.

Sinek is quick to show that a clear "why" not only helps sales, it helps employees. If leaders want to inspire others than they need to show a vision for what they are doing. Here he moves out of business to show how this translates into social issues as well. He says if Martin Luther King, Jr. gave an "I Have a Plan" speech instead of "I Have a Dream," we may have received more details on how to accomplish something, but without the why the civil rights movement could not succeed. Leaders need to inspire followers with their "why," and if they succeed they'll find that vision being translated into success.

The book offers a number of examples to support Sinek's ideas as well as providing ideas for how to check on if an action is following the "why." Sinek himself is a business consultant, but he avoids putting together a compilation of his favorite exercises (and of course, how they lead to success); instead, he focuses on his "why" and creates a book which is not about him. Apple is successful, but they did it without Sinek. What Sinek does is look at those who have succeeded, figures out why, and then passes those ideas on to us.

This is a must read for leaders of any type, but also for anyone wanting to get back to basics. While he resists the temptation to create a self-help book, it is not a stretch to see how making sure our personal actions reflect on our "why" will only lead to a fuller life. Sinek is new in the business publishing world, but with this start his future books will be eagerly awaited.

Sinek's website focuses on the concepts and offers some video links as well. His talk at Tedx is a great summary of the book -- but still read the book to get the full picture.

Up Next

My oldest gave me my next two reads. First, Jorge Luis Borges' "Ficciones," and then a book of poetry by (for me) a local writer, Greg Rappleye's "A Path Between Houses." I'm not sure I'll get them both done next week and I'm starting with Borges, but I'll try.

Book Thirty-Six: Moth Smoke by Mohsin Hamid

2010-01-23T17:12:00.000-05:00

I'm easing myself into the social networking world and this is one of the early successes. I post many of my reviews on Amazon and one reviewer commented on my review of Susan Choi's A Person of Interest. The discussion centered around truth and storytelling and I was intrigued enough to look up this reviewer's recommendations. I had not heard of Mohsin Hamid before, but Moth Smoke shows a promising beginning for a writer. This was written in 2001 and his more recent novel, The Reluctant Fundamentalist seems to be getting more press.

Hamid was born in Pakistan, went to college and law school in the U.S., and is now living in Lahore, Pakistan, where the novel takes place. As you can see from the photos below, this a beautiful city. Take a good look before reading this novel, because Hamid's Lahore hints at the wealth, but the focus is on those trying to get in rather than those how already have it.

The novel centers around Daru Shezad, a bright young man who lacked the means of his friends to travel to the U.S. to study. He ditches his dissertation in Economics and takes a mid-level banking job to make money. When his best friend, Ozi, returns home from the U.S. with a law degree and his father's money and connections, the two are reacquainted, but the relationship is no longer the same.

Although class issues were present before, the two overcame them as youths. Now the class differences are clear and Ozi throws parties for his new social setting, which does not include Daru. Ozi has also brought back a beautiful wife, Mumtaz, and their first child. But Mumtaz is not content with a "wifely" life and puts her journalistic background to use as an underground journalist writing under a pseudonym.

When Daru loses his job as a banker because of his unwillingness to grovel enough, he finds himself unable to find other work than dealing the hash he has occasionally used. As his life begins to spiral downward, Ozi pushes him aside more. But Mumtaz is increasingly frustrated with Ozi's privileged approach to life and turns to Daru. As their affair intensifies so does Daru's financial and drug addicted requirements and in the end we find Daru on trial for a crime he may or may not have committed.

Although it sounds like I just gave you the whole plot, this is really the setting. Hamid starts the book with Daru in jail so that surprise is gone. While a linear narrative certainly drives the plot, Hamid is clearly interested more in the characters and issues of his novel. He excels in this aspect as his main characters are richly drawn.

Hamid shows courage, especially for a first novel, of building his story around a man others may objectively call, well, a loser. But Hamid shows that even those losing control of their lives are sometimes the victims of the culture. Daru applies for nearly a 100 jobs, but in country that works on connections his bright mind is going to waste because he does not run in those circles. But his friendship with Ozi , in the past the opportunity to go to a private high school (thanks to an anonymous donor), only shows him what he is not allowed to have.

Mumtaz is a part of that privileged world he can have, but even her patience for him is tested despite her obvious love. She is the bridge between these two Pakistani worlds. U.S. educated and living the privileged life, her work as a journalist throws herself into the other world, including the web of prostitution which pulls young girls into the machine. As a journalist she is threatened because of her work, but her anonymity keeps her safe. Reconciling her two lives becomes increasingly difficult.

While I recommend this book, it is not a light read in terms of issues to be dealt with. Hamid's writing style is smooth and unpretentious, but his subject matter is gritty and harsh. As the U.S. turns more of its attention to Pakistan a book like this reminds of the humanity there as well. Politics do play a role as part of the book deals with Pakistan's successful test of a nuclear bomb and the excitement that creates in the city.

Hamid presents a Lahore where wealth and glitz exists alongside the crime and poverty. In a strange way the worlds depend on one another, but mainly at the expense of those in the depressed areas. This book will not only introduce many to the Pakistani culture, it forces everyone to address the more fundamental issues of morality, friendship, and justice.

Moshin Hamid's Website

Up Next
Complete change in direction here as I move to a leadership/business book which was highly recommended on another blog. Start With Why by Simon Sinek will be the upcoming focus. Plus, I'm rereading Zorba the Greek since I'm teaching it again in class -- I'll finish that this week as well.

Book Thirty-Five: Mennonite in a Little Black Dress by Rhoda Janzen

2010-01-16T16:57:00.001-05:00

Complete disclaimer here. Rhoda Janzen works at the same school I work at and since I teach one English class, we are even in the same department. Despite that, I've never actually met Rhoda (one class does not require me to attend department meetings). In fact, seeing her picture, I don't think I've ever seen Rhoda. What happened to my small school! I do know of her reputation as a good teacher with a passion for saving the English language from the grammatically illiterate, so I'm hoping she never reads my blog (although I can claim "blog grammar," whatever that is). So I am free to tear into this book and say all the nasty things I want with no fear of retribution. That said, this is a great book!

I approach memoirs with a great deal of trepidation. I'm not that social of a person and (this is a horrible thing to admit) not really interested in how some event has impacted people's lives. Sitting in a restaurant I would be open to hearing the story, but committing myself to reading a book about their rather normal lives does not appeal to me. To be fair, if I were to write a memoir and make some past issue my turning point in life, I would be loathe to read it as well.

Janzen has a book in which all the elements of woe are present for some serious whining. And she deserves to whine! She suffers and then beats cancer only to have her husband leave her for another man which is followed (by a mere few days) of being hit head on in her car by a young driver. But don't worry, this is no plot giveaway. Janzen tells you all this by page 14 -- now the memoir can get going. Janzen is going home to the Mennonites for a little rest and recovery. We watch as Janzen reacquaints herself with parents, siblings, friends, and even meets (and dates) some new people along the way. Much of this is humor waiting to happen, but Janzen's take makes it hilarious.

The valuable blurb on the cover from Elizabeth Gilbert (of Eat, Pray, Love fame) claims she rarely laughs aloud, but Janzen's voice "slays" her. Gilbert gets my backing on this one. Rare is the book which is laugh out loud funny, but Janzen has that gift. Her humor is dry, self-deprecating, and honest. Her scene of mom's dating advice in the Christmas checkout lane at Best Buy raises the bar in humor.

Janzen's mom is the real hero of the book as she goes through life with a faith which makes her see the positive in all situations, finds discussing "poop" while eating normal, and by the end of the book is farting loudly in Kohl's due to some medical issues. Farting is okay, figures mom, since that is what the body is supposed to do. This woman is real!

Janzen is aiming for "realness" herself. She is critically honest about her shortcomings and has no hesitation holding herself up as exhibit one in how to mess up your life. Perhaps she has inherited her mother's positive outlook, but so far she is using it to put a gloss on the past instead of the future.

She knows she has the sympathy angle sewn up with the cancer, the husband leaving her for "Bob on Gay.com" (which becomes Bob's name throughout the book), and the car accident. Plus, just for kicks, her husband's leaving places her in a financially tenuous position because of an expensive house he wanted to buy and she now owns, but can no longer afford alone. But she does not want your sympathy and seems to avoid people who would give it. The cancer causes her to wear a "pee bag" which provides Janzen with no end of amusement, and she passes on a support group because she is not really all that upset about having her uterus removed. Heck, she is not planning on kids anyway!

Her trip home reacquaints with her Mennonite upbringing (Janzen provide a helpful and humorous Mennonite primer at the end of the book). Her father was once the head of the North American Mennonite Conference for Canada and the United States...the Mennonite equivalent of the pope, but in plaid shorts and black dress socks." Her mother "does enjoy good health...Nothing gets this woman down." Janzen's brothers and sister have all headed in different directions. Her brothers are still involved in the Mennonite community and at one point she has a theological run in with one of them, while her sister lives outside of the community, but is still the sensible one. Her sister provides Janzen with much of the reflection we expect in a memoir, but coming in a dialogue it feels less self-indulgent than many memoir writers. Her brothers are not close to her, and it would be interesting to see that relationship develop. Janzen returns but manages to avoid much of the substance of the Mennonite community, which she refers to often but is usually engaged elsewhere. It is the one aspect of the book which could use more emphasis on. We get many traits of the Mennonites through her family, but her reflections on the larger community are usually based in childhood memories.

Of course, the childhood memories are no less humorous. Being one of two Mennonites in her class left her with plenty of unwelcome opportunities to stand out. While wishing for a Josie and the Pussycats lunchbox, Janzen brought to school a vinyl bag which on reflection she wonders if it was really a diaper bag. No expensive plastic sandwich bags in her lunch, instead she enjoyed stylistic used wax paper. But inside the lunches lay the greatest treasures, and Janzen ranks the top five embarrassing lunches, including the top-ranked Borscht. "The soup also has a distinctive smell, a noxious blast of savage fart." Needless to say, no one traded food with the Janzen family.

Food is an important part of the Mennonite community and Janzen carries the joy of food to present day. She still enjoys the hearty Mennonite staples, although her sister exposes her to the expanding cooking options now found on television. But Janzen does not shy away from what she once tired of, even describing the joy of sharing her childhood friends with friends and students.

Toward the end of the book Janzen begins to take stock of her current dilemma as she prepares to return home. Her ex-husband reenters the scene briefly and dramatically, but much of Janzen's drive is her own realization of why she is in the situation she finds herself. Yes, her Mennonite upbringing made her subservient to authority, especially men. Yes, a short time of her life could rival the Egyptian plagues. Yes, she has made her fair share of lousy decisions. But she is not going to dwell in everything that has gone wrong. Instead, she recognizes what she already knew -- the importance of community, of support, of singing in harmony as part of a large group. In other words, Janzen's reflections lead not to an obsession with herself, but a return to all of us.

Reading Challenges

This will now become an optional section because the challenges are fewer every week. Yes, I'm starting teaching again and have more night commitments, but the reading has become so second nature that I'm finishing books well ahead of my weekly schedule. I hope a good habit is hard to break.

Next Up

Moth Smoke by Mohsin Hamid. I've been circling some Middle Eastern literature lately and this one is recommended by many. It was published in 2000 to quite a bit of critical acclaim and the author has written more since then.

Book Thirty-Four: The Abstinence Teacher by Tom Perrotta

2010-01-10T20:19:00.000-05:00

My oldest son recently noted that I like most of the books I read. I would like to think this is because I'm open to all kinds of books and revel in my diverse mind. Of course, the reality is that I self select. I know what types of books I will like and I'm willing to read a few pages online before investing my time. True, there is the occasional one that slips in (see last week's blog), but this week brought home the reality of my "limited" tastes.

This week I read the "New York Times Bestseller," The Abstinence Teacher, by Tom Perrotta. While not liking the book is one thing, hating it is another. I hated this book! I'm actually angry about it and it has been nearly a week since I pushed myself through it in two days. Two days is plenty of time since it would appear it took that long to write (although Perrotta claims two years). What surprises me is my anger. I think, through no fault of his own, it's because this IS a New York Times bestseller. Can we do no better than this? This book is so bad it makes me want to write because I KNOW I can do better -- but I would still be embarrassed to see my name on a novel only "better" than this one.

So why do I hate it? Let me count the ways.

1) Ruth Ramsey. Ruth is the main the character and the teacher named in the title. I really do not like this person. In fact, she is much of what I do not like about people. Now let me state up front that I do not need to like the character to like the book (see Updike's Rabbit), but I'm not sure why we are subjected to this person. She simply does not grow throughout the book and I doubt her future life will turn out any better. Once the renegade, super-cool sex ed teacher, she is now forced to teach a boring and unrealistic abstinence course after some right-wing Christians (and yes, there are left-wing Christians) sue the school. So she shows up the first day in a slinky outfit to quietly protest this change. This would be humorous if she was 16 years old, but when you hit your 40s, well, grow up! She is a lousy mother more interested in her own life than that of her children, a whiny school teacher and person, and a fierce hater of Christianity possibly due to the right-wing opposition to her sex ed, but that is never clear. Seriously, her children going to church terrifies her and they know it -- she does not support anything they do which she does not also like.

2) Poor writing. I should have quit reading at Ruth Ramsey's reflection that in college "she majored in Psychology and minored in Doritos." Are you kidding me? Are there no editors left in the world. Who lets such a stupid line through! Apparently everyone since this book is full of such phrases.

3) It's called a plot line -- follow it. Perrotta fills space with plots which begin and are either never resolved or leave us wondering why it was there. So she has a bad sexual encounter with her high school fling 30 years later. Why did we need to know this? What purpose does it serve? Perrotta had already reached the pulp factor in number of pages, so why torment us some more? Ruth Ramsey's daughters are interesting, but we'll never know how much because he primarily uses them as foils for Ruth; he starts a story line with them and just drops them off at the end. On a side note, I'm really wondering how they will handle the mother's final love interest. She is working hard to mess these kids up.

4) This will add insight into the culture wars. Maybe this is where my anger really lies. In an interview with Perrotta at the back of my edition he is asked if this book will be a "grenade tossed into the culture wars?" He response includes "That's the part where you just cross your fingers and hope it's gonna happen." (He apparently speaks as well as he writes). I approached the book thinking this would be interesting. Teaching abstinence fails and all the research shows this. Perrotta has grabbed an issue which could make a phenomenal book and completely missed the chance. This book is not about culture wars, it is about some annoying people who have messed up their lives and will likely continue to mess up their lives. The battle over the sex ed is past history in this novel and we just get a quick summary. The woman running the new abstinence push is interesting, but there is no show down except for when Ramsey fails so often she is reassigned (she should be fired -- people like this [stupid] are dangerous to children and that has nothing to do with her attitudes toward sex). The closest we get to a showdown is when the coaches pray at the end of a soccer game a couple of times. Perrotta even tries to build up the climax (finally, I thought), but then the final praying scene does not even occur in the book. This is about culture wars? Sorry, wrong war.

I'll stop here at number four, but I could go on (e.g. stereotypes, excess verbiage) -- I just need to keep this book from wasting more time in my life.

So is there anything good about the book? Hmm...Tim Mason is an interesting character and (gasp!) he actually evolves in the book. He is supposed to be other half of the culture war, representing the right wing Christian angle. A recovering addict to several addictions his new found faith offers him some support, but even more guilt. But he is humble in his own way and in the end he is actually honest with himself. It is his humility and honesty which allow him to move forward while all the characters remain in one place.

Now I may be alone on this one. The New York Times blurb says "Perrotta is a truth-telling, unshowy chronicler of modern-day America." Time calls him the "Steinbeck of suburbia" (that one really hurts) and nothing less than Entertainment Weekly chimes in by saying this is Perrotta "at his rock star best." I'm willing to go down alone if need be.

And by the way, my oldest two are not off the hook for this. My oldest son gave it to my daughter for Christmas (mistake one) and my daughter thought I would like it (mistake two). My son is claiming the whole "I'm just the messenger" line, but anyone promoting this type of literature will need to spend extra time in purgatory. As for my daughter, lover of great classics including Jane Austen, the Bronte sisters, and so many other great works -- what were you thinking! I'm so disappointed. Fortunately, I'm a forgiving person.

Reading Challenges

See above. This book is a two-night read (and 358 pages) but I was pushing to get through it because I wanted to be done with it. After that it was smooth sailing and I'm already half way through...

Next Up

...Mennonite in a Little Black Dress by Rhoda Janzen. Not a big memoir fan, but the reviews were good and she actually teaches at the school where I work. The first couple of chapters were laugh-out-loud funny and after the last two weeks I was so happy to spend time with the well written sentence.

Happy reading!

Book Thirty-Three: Rooftops of Tehran by Mahbod Seraji

2010-01-01T21:05:00.000-05:00

Okay, I moved out of my comfort zone this week in my desire to read works from other cultures as well. Still interested in expanding my horizons, but I could have done so without this book. While there are many things to interest one in this book, it is not one which gains my oh-so-sought-after recommendation (like anyone cares).

Rooftops of Tehran offers us an important glimpse into Iran which most of us are not aware of in any real sense. Even now we are reading about the protests and killings happening because of many people's dissatisfaction with the ruling party. Rooftops also takes place during a time of frustration with the government, but this time it is with the Shah (which the U.S. put in power) and the outcome not seen in the book is the eventual overthrow of the government.

Here the time is 1973-74 and we follow the life of four high school students, two boys and two girls, working on the transition to adulthood. Yes, a coming of age story, but when the secret police taking people with reason and erasing their existence, the decisions are a bit more important.

The best part of this book for many non-Iranian readers will be the glimpse into the everday world of Iran. Many of us think of the Iranian woman in a burka as the common standard. But here the burka is worn only by one extremely religious relative, the Masked Angel, in another city. Arranged marriages do exist, but the main one in this novel is broken in the face of true love (Ahmed and Faheemeh) and the love of Zari and Pasha (the two main characters) is welcomed by both sets of parents.

The drama moves forward when Zari's "arranged boyfriend," Doctor, disappears after working as an activist against the government. SAVAK is the name of the secret police force which becomes a character in itself, always watching and controlling people even when they are not sure of when and how. We watch as Zari and the others deal with Doctor's disappearance, while Pasha deals with guilt of loving Zari despite her engagement and also because he is unintentionally responsible for SAVAK catching Doctor.

SPOILER ALERT: Usually I avoid spoilers, but since my biggest frustration with the story comes in the plot direction, allow me to spoil! Doctor is killed in prison and the families are told to not mourn him. Zari is, of course, distraught over his death. However, it is clear throughout the book that she does not love him (she likes him) and that she loves Pasha. So it is surprising and hard to believe when she sets herself on fire on the 40th day of his death (a special time of mourning) while running into the Shah's birthday parade. Not only does she do this surprising act (she is hardly a radical), but she brings Pasha and their friends along to watch -- much to their horror. Pasha ends up in a mental institution (which we knew he would end up in since some chapters take place there, although until this incident we never know why he is there). Zari dies in her protest and Pasha returns home to find that the Masked Angel has moved into Zari's home (they are neighbors) to care for her parents. It takes one meeting with the Masked Angel and her whisper of a voice to figure out that Zari is alive and living in disguise. Why? Well, reasons are given, but none are easy to buy. SAVAK knows she is alive, so why hide it from anyone else? It takes Pasha a while to come to this realization and we wait not so patiently for this to develop. When it does she sends him off to the U.S. to study so he can return to her.

This twist in the plot is unnecessary and way too "cute" to read without frustration. But the anti-climax of the revelation and the reunion of the "lovers" is also not worth the wait. This book makes a good story for the sappy romantics of the world, but they can find better stories than this to entertain them. I could be accused of a romantic leaning (I do love Jane Austen!), but this is too thick for me.

What the book did encourage me to do is learn more about this country I still remember best for holding U.S. embassy employees hostage. I'm getting a non-fiction book on modern-day Iran so I can learn more of its recent history and current state. If Seraji's intent was to interest us in Iran, he is successful. It his intent was to write a great story, maybe the sequel will be better

Reading Challenges

Happy New Year! I'm home with no night work, so finding time was not so hard. This is not a short book (345 pages), but the prose is light and easy to read. The plot drags at time so I was challenged to continue, but I managed to move along. Actually finished it in a few nights and ended my calendar year with 47 books read -- nearly three times what I've "officially" read the last few years (I know I missed a few books each year).

Up Next

The Abstinence Teacher by Tom Perrotta. My oldest son gave this to his sister for Christmas and being the reader she is she read it in a few days. She strongly recommended it to me so if I don't like it she will have to start renting our car every time she wants to use it.

Book Thirty-Two: The Storm by Frederick Buechner

2009-12-26T23:41:00.000-05:00

It takes a lot of nerve to update Shakespeare and I'm sure there have been failed attempts in the past. But Frederick Buechner takes it one step further and not only updates The Tempest, but adds a Christian element to it as well. Well, what you do you expect from a Presbyterian minister who is as comfortable with fiction as he is theology and has a sense of humor to boot.

The Storm uses Shakespeare's play as the basis, but Buechner avoids trying to recreate the scenario item by item. Considering the fantastical nature of much of the play, this is a good idea and someone unfamiliar with Shakespeare could read the book, find an interesting story, and never the connection make (or need). [Anyone wishing for a quick refresher on The Tempest could read the BBC's humorous, tabloid, 60-second version.]

Buechner's story centers around Kenzie (Prospero) who has left New York in disgrace after fathering a child with a young woman he should have been caring for (this episode alone could keep us talking for some time). His brother, Dalton (Antonio), in an effort at clarity exposes and shames not only Kenzie, but the young woman who gave birth to daughter named Bree (Miranda). It is the shame for the mother that Kenzie cannot forgive his brother. Eventually Kenzie finds himself living on an island after marrying Willow (wink, wink, nudge, nudge) who shares the house with her 40-something, wind surfing Averill (Ariel) and served by Clavert (Caliban). Dalton is called to the island by Miss Sickert (Sycorax), who owns the island and oversees much of what happens. He calls on his semi-estranged stepson, Nandy (Ferdinand), to accompany him.

Thus with all the characters assembled we have simply the action to take place, and it does. Perhaps because we know the ending already Buechner rushes this section along to quickly. It is not often I wish for a book to be longer, but the meeting of the brothers and the subsequent tempest could have been expanded. The strength of the book lies in the outset where Kenzie's wandering life as an author is pulled into focus as he begins to work with the homeless. He throws himself into this new understanding of life, even losing friends and a wife with his commitment, until finally he becomes to close to what he is learning about.

Buechner is a Christian, but this no "Jesus-in-a-box" type story. Kenzie's religious leanings are mystical rather than dogmatic, and much of what he believes is inspired by the saints he studied in writing one of his books. His new life is clearly that of a conversion, although he himself does not understand it. But he senses a greater power when describing his time in the "rich people's chapel" he notes that "[e]ven on the warmest, most breathless Sundays he sometimes felt a stirring of cool air about his nostrils. He could not make it happen although he had tried...He was not prepared to say where it came from or to what purpose, but what he took it to mean was that the weather of the world is as distinct from true weather as the sultry stillness is from the coming storm." This Prospero is no sorcerer, but he is tied into something more powerful than he is. More importantly, in a life seeking forgiveness he realizes he is already forgiven and has the power to forgive others, namely his brother. This is certainly an interpretation Shakespeare could live with.

If you are not familiar with Buechner's work he is certainly worth the effort. I've read some of his novels, and his work has been a finalist for Pulitzer and the National Book Award, so he gets the critical acclaim as well. His output is varied, but visiting the Buechner Institute is as good of starting place as any. I've read more than once and given more than once one of his non-fiction works, Peculiar Treasures: A Biblical Who's Who, which is hilarious, insightful, and thoughtful all at once. In looking into his life a bit lately I found that he studied at Union Theological Seminary with one of the most influential theologians in my life, Paul Tillich. This helps explains Buechner's confidence in God's message that he does not need to have an author screaming conversion every other page -- as Prospero would certainly know, God is not dependent on humanity.

Our revels now are ended. These our actors,
As I foretold you, were all spirits, and
Are melted into air, into thin air:
And, like the baseless fabric of this vision,
The cloud-capped towers, the gorgeous palaces,
The solemn temples, the great globe itself,
Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve,
And, like this insubstantial pageant faded,
Leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff
As dreams are made on; and our little life
Is rounded with a sleep.
The Tempest, 4. 1

Shakespearian Updates to Recommend?

After reading this I'm curious about what other updates of Shakespeare's work people out there have read and enjoyed. Jane Smiley's A Thousand Acres is a personal favorite. I read the book when it first came out and was into it quite a ways when suddenly I realized it was King Lear, one of my favorite plays. Let me know what other ones are out there and we'll all have a list to pursue.

Reading Challenges

It was Christmas just a few days ago (Merry Christmas!) so things were busy. I again chose well since The Storm is a short book (199 pages) and I knew Buechner was a good writer. I actually read this in a few sittings -- it was tougher getting the time to sit down and write this!

Up Next

Rooftops of Tehran by Mahbod Seraji, and actually I'm a bit apprehensive. It is a coming of age story set in Iran during the 1973 revolution, and I'm hoping to get more out of the Iran part of things then a romantic story. Some reviewers warn men not to be scared off by the pinkish cover withe the rose at the forefront, so I'm taking their word that my macho sensibilities will not be offended.

Happy reading!

Book Thirty-One: Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri

2009-12-20T23:23:00.005-05:00

Books like this are really the reason I started this one book a week challenge; a highly acclaimed, Pulitzer Prize winning collection of stories which has spent far too long sitting unread on my bookshelf. So with a busy week and the need for good reading I decided to grab something I should have read long ago. I wish I had since I now realize I've been missing a great writer.

Lahiri's first publication received almost too much success, but in reading this collection one can see what all the excitement is about. Lahiri examines the gulf for Indian/Bengali immigrants struggling to understand their new country (the U.S.), maintain a relationship with their place of birth or ancestral home, and find their place in life. What she is exploring is hardly new territory. In fact, she ends the collection with the narrator saying, "I know that my achievement is quite ordinary. I am not the only man to seek his fortune far from home and certainly I am not the first...As ordinary as it all appears, there are times when it is beyond my imagination."

Precisely in this "ordinariness" is where Lahiri manages to create a range of outstanding stories. There is simply not a weak link in the collection, although they refuse to follow any formulaic route. The title story actually takes place in India, but the immigrants in question are Indians who now live in the U.S. coming to the country as tourists. Lahiri sketches the characters quickly, but just when you think a flat, stereotypical character has emerged she shows a new depth to the person. Mr. Kapasi is driver taking them to their tourist destination, but he also makes money as an interpreter for a doctor (e.g. interpreter of maladies). It is this fact which awakens the mother/wife of the family he is taking along and she seeks to share her maladies in desperate search for a cure. Of course, her maladies are not physical, but symptomatic of the society in which she now resides.

But Lahiri is not by any means anti-American society -- it exists in so much as her characters interact with it. While it may give them freedoms that Indian society has not offered, we see that in the end it is up to the people to decide how that society will influence them. Some retreat into traditional lifestyles in which they find comfort, but little interaction. Others take to the new society and their new life reflects these choices.

In "This Blessed House" we see the conflicts with society in a humorous story surrounding the Indian owners of a house finding Christian artifacts in all parts of their house. The previous owners have left many small items behind which the wife finds fascinating and displays on their mantel, much to the surprise of her husband. But when a statue of Mary shows up when raking leaves, her insistence on displaying it goes against his concern of being thought Christian. A compromise is reached, but when they host a house warming party the husband realizes that his wife is also something that requires a new look as he begins to see her through the eyes of others.

No story is more moving than "A Temporary Matter" in which a couple deals with the loss of a stillborn son. As they attempt to move on with their lives they find themselves incapable of being honest with one another until a temporary evening blackout gives them the opportunity to face the truth. It is a touching story which completely skirts sentimentality and instead shows the pain such a loss brings to a young couple.

Overall the collection is outstanding for several reasons. Not only does Lahiri present the immigrant experience in a variety of interesting ways, she does so with respect to all the cultures involved. Her stories are about people and how life impacts them and how they respond, but she sees people as the driving force. In addition, the stories are incredibly well written without the clunky dialogue or plot shifts so common in first attempts.

The book won the 2000 Pulitzer Prize and since then Lahiri has published two novels, "The Namesake" (which was made into a movie) and "The Unaccustomed Earth" in 2008. She was born in London but raised in the U.S. and has dealt with many of the issues covered, although certainly not all given the range. You can read more about her at Jhumpa Lahiri's Website. A better bio and interesting story of her name is at The Asian Heroes Project.

Also, the Bengali culture is really at the heart of the collection. I will not claim to be familiar with the whole history here, so I visited the always reliable (?) Wikipedia and offer this summary (and the link to the site):

Bengal (Bengali: বঙ্গ Bôngo, বাংলা Bangla, বঙ্গদেশ Bôngodesh or বাংলাদেশ Bangladesh), is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent. Today it is mainly divided between the sovereign state of the People's Republic of Bangladesh (previously East Bengal / East Pakistan) and West Bengal in India, although some regions of the previous kingdoms of Bengal (during local monarchical regimes and British rule) are now part of the neighboring Indian states of Bihar, Assam, Tripura and Orissa. The majority of Bengal is inhabited by Bengali people (বাঙালি Bangali) who speak the Bengali language (বাংলা Bangla).

Reading Challenges

Even though I knew this would be a tough week, this was a tough week! I had 17 research papers to grade, one meeting late at night, and just the hectic pace of pre-Christmas issues to address. Lately I've been finishing books midweek and writing a day or two ahead of time, but here I sit at 11:14pm finally finishing my blog. I did start a minor expansion this week by including some info/links on the author and other information I've found interesting. I usually look at this information anyway so I should be better about sharing it.

Coming Up

At the moment, I'm not sure. I could not find the version of The Christmas Carol I wanted and am now just thinking of grabbing another book off the bookshelf. Anne Tyler needs to make it on this blog sometime since I do not think she gets the critical acclaim she should, but I'm not sure where I will end up. It will be a surprise -- how exciting!

Book Thirty: Assembling Georgia by Beth Carpel

2009-12-13T10:04:00.000-05:00

Moving back into the world of book reviews this week I approached this novel with a bit of skepticism. A debut novel with little publicity swirling around it and clearly published by a small publisher (self publisher?) with little publicity. Like the big companies know what they are doing?

Beth Carpel's debut novel reminds us of what so many authors today seem to lack -- the gift of storytelling. Why is literary fiction afraid of the mysteries we encounter in life, instead engaging in the backward recitation of a plot we later piece together. Few writers can handle that style with success. Carpel apparently missed the class on how a novel is supposed to work and instead turned out a novel which runs as smoothly as the motorcycle around which the story centers.

Like the motorcycle, this book has some crashes and parts which need to be repaired, but overall Carpel has turned about a well-oiled story. Georgia is the central character and her life of underachievement is interrupted by the weekly arrival of motorcycle parts to her home. With no clue as to who is sending her the parts or why, Georgia's final package includes an instruction manual and the next step is obvious. Not a mechanically inclined person (or so she thinks) she gets the help of her Uncle Emery, one of more interesting characters to show up in a novel in recent memory. Emery lives up north in the woods of Minnesota digesting a range of books and fixing things up in return for what he needs. He takes Georgia in and together they work on building the motorcycle and rebuilding Georgia's life, or as Carpel puts it "Assembling Georgia."

Carpel holds the mystery of who sent the parts hidden for quite some time, although in the end the discovery is as anti-climatic as life usually is -- some poetic license here would be allowed. Along the way we meet Georgia's good friend Corrine, which shows that level of friendship in which the relationship is always strong no matter what the distance between times connecting with each other may be. A childhood acquaintance, Frank, also gets a starring role as we get caught up on his past troubles and current struggles, all of which are encased in a likable man who seems to be as adrift as Georgia.

Once the bike is built Georgia does the quintessential road trip, giving her time to learn more about herself than she realized she was missing. Characters come in and out and Carpel manages to create strong characters with a few deft strokes. Once the ride is done she is again faced with life, but we now see a woman who is ready for future challenges. The readiness is good as Carpel is not done throwing challenges at her, but at the risk of spoiling the plot we leave that to the reader.

Carpel is not subtle about her intentions, and whether that is the result of a first novel writer trying to make a point or simply an honest writer, the result is a story which invites the reader along rather than daring them to continue. In fact, the unanswered questions in this novel keep the reader moving quickly since the element of suspense works well. We want to know how Georgia turns out. We want to know who sent the motorcycle. We want to know what demons Frank is facing but will not share with anyone. Carpel tells a good story and we keep wanting the story to go on. She recognizes this by giving us an epilogue, which fast forwards us seven years, but she could have left it out because we knew where her characters were going.

Even when the story stutters, as with some faltering dialogue and a few too many touching moments, the result is still endearing in its open attempt to draw the reader in to another person's life. Carpel's characters are real and easy for readers to relate to. They are complex people who make good decisions and bad decisions and sometimes no decisions at all. At times you want to yell at them, and at other times you want to be on the back of their motorcycle. There are no angels or demons here, just ordinary people not only making the best of what life offers them, but learning to create something when they do not like what they have been handed. Call it a coming of age story for the middle aged -- or for people of any age who need renewal. How many novels can you say that about?

Carpel's website is worth checking out, especially after reading the book since she gives the photo version of Georgia's motorcycle trip.

Reading Challenges

I really thought his book was going to be a challenge, but it was a fast and enjoyable read. Whenever I look forward to getting some time to read I know I'm on the right track. Now next week...

Coming Up

I wanted to get in the Christmas spirit with A Christmas Carol, but cannot find the edition I have that I really want to read. Plus, I get to read 17 research papers in the next week. Yikes! I forgot about that challenge when coming up with this book a week idea. This could be tough! But I'm choosing a shorter book which has just a bit of praise (including a Pulitzer), Jhumpa Lahiri's "Interpreter of Maladies" -- a collection of short stories. I already read and really liked the first story so it should all work out.

Book Tweny-Nine: A Mercy by Toni Morrison and 29(b) A Village Life by Louise Gluck

2009-12-06T09:41:00.001-05:00

Toni Morrison has already cemented her place in the literary world (the Nobel prize helps) and although not a prolific writer, she rarely misses. Beloved has to rank as one of best novels of the 20th century and makes my all time short list. It is the type of book which reminds you of the power of a story to physically wear you down -- reading that novel is an interactive experience.

A Mercy, Morrison's ninth and latest novel, is a short work (167 pages) that reaffirms Morrison's gift for drawing a reader in and not allowing them to simply "read." While it lacks the final impact of Beloved, it is nevertheless a moving addition to her legacy. This time Morrison takes us back to America before the U.S., when slavery is beginning to take hold but the slaves may be African, Native American, or indentured white Europeans. It revolves around the family that Jacob Vaark creates. Vaark has inherited land he does not know how to farm, but he has an eye for making money. While refusing to be involved directly in the slave trading business, he does own a Native American slave, Lina, has taken on a girl rejected by others, Sorrow, and finally takes a girl as payment on a debt owned whose mother encourages the deal to improve her daughter's lot. With his wife Rebekka they form a small, unusual family. Vaark's boys all die in infancy, and his daughter is killed after being kicked by a horse.

Morrison's characters are strong. This is a book without saints and sinners, instead populated by humans with a tendency toward inconsistency -- in other words, normal people. Vaark is a compassionate owner with a strong moral sense of the indecency of slavery, but he ends up making money in the rum business which he knows is built on the muscle of slaves elsewhere. Lina is for some years his coworker and equal, but she is not above drowning a new born infant to save her from a mother she considers unfit. Florens, the young girl he takes on, is content with life until love enters and defeats her.

By creating such characters Morrison challenges the stereotypes of people and institutions with which we are too familiar. Lina, the Native American, knows she should understand the art of healing, but she was taken too soon from her mother. The quiet Rebekka comes from a life where family entertainment consisted of watching hangings and quarterings. These people are more complex than they appear. We learn about them slowly as Morrison forgoes the traditional narrative timeline and instead presents the tale in a Faulkneresque style of letting different characters tell the story and the use of flashbacks. Indeed, like Faulkner (I'm not sure Morrison will like being compared to a white, Southern male, but oh well) we see the story as the crumbling of paradise. It is not just a crumbling of Vaark's paradise (although the serpants engraved on the gate clearly mean something!) but of the soon-to-be-born United States.

Although not a central character, the story of Sorrow (who later gives herself a new name), turns out to offer the most hope in this dismal landscape. Once her story is told we understand her why she is given such a name, but it is she who is successful in reinventing herself and forging a new future. Florens seems to have the most chance of success, but when she does truly own herself she loses her own value. Lina appears as the strongest, but she is tied to the family she cannot be part of and lacks the courage to step away.

Morrison's greatest accomplishment here is perhaps creating a novel which has the potential to be only bleak, but she shows hope and goodness trying to get through. While in the end most of it fades, characters like Sorrow give the hope we need to make such stories bearable. It is not because we like make-believe stories; instead, it is because hope is part of our fabric and we are drawn to its reality in Morrison's work.

Louise Gluck's A Village Life will continue Gluck's leading role in American poetry, although it presents a more narrative style than her earlier work. We are presented with a unnamed, vaguely Mediterranean setting in an unclear time. In other words, the focus here is on the people.

The theme is familiar, but Gluck's presentation is unique. Here people, you and old, are faced with the reality that life moves forward whether they are ready or not. Indeed, our own choices may move the direction slightly, but finding our ultimate destination is clearly something we do not control. While we expect this in the older people facing death, Gluck knows that such experiences are not lost on the youth.

In "Noon" we find the tale of a "boy and girl" heading out into the meadow where they talk and picnic.

The rest--how two people can lie down on the blanket--
they know about it but they're not ready for it.
They know people who've done it, as a kind of game or trial--
then they say, no, wrong time, I think I'll just keep being a child.

But your body doesn't listen. It knows everything know,
it says you're not a child, you haven't been a child for a long time.

As the poems move on we see that many of these youth listen to their bodies and find their life now laid out for them. Some go away and come back, but they only suffer more.

To my mind, you're better off if you stay;
that way, dreams don't damage you.

This theme of longing for what we cannot have continues with age.

My body, now that we will not be traveling together much longer
I begin to feel a new tenderness toward you, very raw and unfamiliar,
like what I remember of love when I was young--

While all this starts to sound like another aging poet becoming depressed over life, Gluck is not complaining. Instead, even as seen in the stanzas above she finds those moments in life to enjoy and sees change, no matter how much we resist it, as a normal part of life. These changes in our lives are inevitable, but not to be mourned. But she is intentional about recognizing where we are and living in the moment we have.

In "Walking at Night" we see an older woman who takes advantage of the fact that men no longer desire her to take her walks at night where "her eyes that used never to leave the ground/are free now to go where they like." She is rejuvenated by her age and situation and seeks nor needs any pity.

This joy is seen best in "Abundance," a glorious ode to spring which celebrates its newness while recognizing its transience. A boy touches a girl "so he walks home a man, with a man's hungers." The fruit ripens, "baskets and baskets from a single tree/so some rots every year/ and for a few weeks there's too much." The mice scamper through the harvest, the moon is full, "Nobody dies, nobody goes hungry" and the only sound is "the roar of the wheat." Gluck calls on us to revel in these moments without fearing what has preceded and what is to come.

Much of Gluck's intent is seen in three poems all entitled "Burning Leaves." As the leaves burn we are left with little, but the burning is important in creating room for the new. We are offered no promise of anything more.

How fast it all goes, how fast the smoke clears.
And where the pile of leaves was,
an emptiness that suddenly seems vast.

But while the fire is burning, it has life.

And then, for an hour or so, it's really animated
blazing away like something alive.
...
death making room for life

Gluck has created a volume that will benefit from repeated readings, and her easy, unhurried rhythm makes the return that much easier. She has the gift of all great poets in seeing the commonplace, and finding in it a celebration of life as it is.

Reading Challenges
Okay, this is starting to get old, but really this is not much of challenge with a good book. Morrison's book was a two night read and well spent time. I read Gluck's work over three nights and reread much of it as well.

Up Next
Back to a review book. Actually, I posted my review of Gluck on Blogcritics, but I (unfortunately) was using a library edition instead of a free book. Next week I'm reading "Assembling Georgia" by Beth Carpel, a debut novel.

Happy reading!

Book Twenty-Eight: Angry Candy by Harlan Ellison

2009-11-28T10:15:00.001-05:00

As we are about to enter into the season of Advent, how appropriate that I read a book themed around -- death? But for Harlan Ellison, death is not always the end of the story. In fact, in many cases death is the start of the adventure. I had not heard of Ellison before a friend of mine not only recommended him, but put this book in my hands. Prolific would be the defining word for this author who has over 1,000 stories, novels, screenplays, etc. to his claim. He has penned episodes for The Twilight Zone and Star Trek, and won numerous fantasy and science fiction awards.

This collection is, according to Ellison in his introduction, "the twenty-second or -third or -fifth book of stories I've done." With no disrespect to his fiction, the introduction is the best part of this collection. It opens with death of his friend, Emily (whose death also appears in a couple of the stories) and Ellison's "insensitive" but honest eulogy. Listed next to the text on two pages are 44 deaths which touched him in a two-year period. In some cases they were close friends and in other cases acquaintances, but the overwhelming amount of death clearly shook the hardened writer. He is angry about the deaths and the pain the losses create and this book is his attempt to come to grips with what he has experienced.

Which brings us to the last story, "The Function of Dream Sleep," in which the main character momentarily sees a mouth with teeth open near his stomach. When he goes to get help he eventually ends up with a group of people who take on the pain of others, but the character's pain is so great he actually kills several of them. Where does his pain come from? The loss of friends (including an Emily) which he has not been able to deal with in a positive way. He eventually seeks out a guru type figure who informs him the pain is from the dead whom he will not let go. He is told to "Let the mouth open...let the wind of the soul pass through, and take emptiness as a release." We end the book with "when he cried for them, he was, at last, able to say goodbye." The process is complete and Ellison seems to have worked through his anger and let his friends go.

The stories in between the introduction and final story hit a range of topics, times, and creatures, but they all deal with death. The problem with prolific writers is usually that the quality ranges as well, and Ellison is no exception. Some of these are forgettable ("Escapegoat") and Ellison is prone to the last sentence surprise ending, like the ending of some bad jokes. But when he hits a story well it is well worth the effort. "Laugh Track" is a creatively written story in which a man follows his deceased Aunt through the years as her laugh shows up on laugh tracks over the decades. The twist is that the laugh track keeps her alive and he is able to connect with her, setting her off in a new direction. The story not only has a interesting premise, but shows a sense of humor as well -- a welcome diversion in this heavy book.

The best story is the opening "Paladin of the Lost Hour," in which human temptation is all that holds us back from chaos as one person holds the key to a lost hour in time. Should the hour be used for personal reasons the time will disappear and the world will disappear. Ellison manages to make the holder of time both human and other worldly as he finds a new person to protect time.

One of the more disturbing, yet most powerful, stories is "Broken Glass" in which a woman combats a rapist who enters her mind. Trapped on a bus she knows one of the men on the bus has entered her mind and raped her, but she does not know which person it is and he continues to taunt her. In the end she realizes she must use her mind to combat him. "On the Slab" is another standout in which a creature on display shows it is not yet dead, but there are those who want him that way. The "owner" goes from seeing this as a money-making venture to true compassion for the creature, and the relationship is touching.

Of the seventeen short stories here a good editor could have dropped eight of them to make this a stronger book, but I get the impression that at this stage in his career Ellison calls his own shots. There are a couple of Ellison "essential" collections on his 35th and 50th writing anniversaries, which may be a better place start. But Ellison is definitely a writer who should drop into most people's reading lists at some point.

He has also led a lively existence full of controversy, wives, and general mayham which you can read more about at Wikipedia if interested.

Reading Challenges

Thanksgiving week actually means a slower week for me so this worked out well. The book is not short and some of the stories dragged (and tired me out), but the good stories flew by and the book ends with some strong pieces. Even managed to grade 2/3 of some papers I needed to get out of the way and read some other reading blogs on one night.

Up Next

Two books this week A Mercy by Toni Morrison. Beloved ranks as one of my all time favorite books and this books somehow ties into that and is getting strong reviews. I'm also going to get in a new collection of poetry from Louise Gluck.

Book Twenty-Seven: Love in Infant Monkey by Lydia Millet (plus a bonus Christmas CD recommendation)

2009-11-22T20:22:00.000-05:00

Lydia Millet has received a lot of praise for her work and is seen by many as one of the best writer's in the U.S. Stepping into her world for the first time with her collection of stories, Love in Infant Monkeys, shows a writer willing to take risks in her material. The collection revolves around animals, be they pets, circus elephants, or even the lions from the movie Born Free. Millet further layers the collection with real life celebrities or historical figures so in the course of the book we see David Hasselhoff, hear the musings of Madonna, learn of the religious leanings of Thomas Edison, and witness a confession from former President Jimmy Carter -- and there are more. Many of the stories are based on true stories of animals with famous people, although Millett takes artistic license and uses them as springboards.

The result is a strong, if uneven, collection with the famous names at times proving to be a distraction and at other times an annoyance. The book opens with Madonna pondering a range of ideas as she looks over a dying pheasant she has shot in "Sexing the Pheasant." The animal here serves as a catalyst for her thoughts, but the focus is on Madonna and her musings on celebrity life, her husband's friends, and her attempts to conquer English phrases. Madonna is such an easy target to make fun of that she is hardly worth the effort; this story could be written by some talented undergrads with a sense of humor.

Such entries are frustrating when you see Millet's skills in a story such as "Sir Henry," a moving tale of a dog walker who is forced beyond his dog world when he suddenly recognizes humanity which rises to the level of, well, dogs. Sir Henry, a dachshund, belongs to a famous performer, but this means nothing to the dogwalker. He likes the dog because of the dog itself, not any association. He walks the dog with "Blackie," who belongs to a dying violinist who asks the walker to take the dog after he dies, which by the violinist's own admission will be soon. The request goes against the walker's own protocol, but he is moved enough to consider it and begins to see the violinist and his caretaker in a new light. We do not hear the final decision, but it is the questioning which is enlightening. Toward the end of the story Millet reveals that Sir Henry's absent owner is David Hasselhoff, who bestows some glancing attention on the dog when he accidentally meets up with the walker in the park. The walker hears the excited reactions of those around him, but is clearly not moved by the connection. The question is, why throw this diversion in what is an otherwise strong story. Millet shifts the reader's attention in a way the dog walker himself escapes, and the rationale is not clear.

Millet does better with less "celebrity" people such as Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla. Although not as well known today, Tesla was a influential inventor who counts the radio among his creations. Millet focuses on his death as debt laden scientist living out his life in the Hotel New Yorker. Tesla develops a moving relationship with one of the maids, and the story is told from the viewpoint of another maid who knew both of them. In the story Tesla is devoted to pigeons who share his apartment, causing the maids to spend extra time with the man. Millet's building of the relationship is as light and touching as the relationship itself. That Tesla was famous does not impact the story significantly. Instead of celebrity watching we simply see humans at their best as they try to help one another. Millet has a gift for finding emphasizing the human emotion without cheapening it, in part because the animals serve as a foil to the human characters (and at times this is reversed).

Humor is also an important part of the collection, and is best seen in "Jimmy Carter's Rabbit," which takes on Carter's famous oar defense when a rabbit swam toward his boat at one point during his presidency. As a former President, Carter pays a surprise visit on a childhood friend who is now a psychologist. As children they were involved in an incident which caused the boy and his family to leave the town, and Carter has come to offer a belated apology. The humor comes as the psychologist tries to figure out Carter's real reason for visiting in what is a clearly an attempt not to focus on the incident Carter wants to discuss. A similar sense of avoiding reality shows up in "The Lady and the Dragon" where a billionaire Indonesian businessman purchases a Komodo dragon who had bitten Sharon Stone's husband at a zoo. The businessman hopes to use the animal to meet Stone, with whom he is obsessed, and when one of his employees cannot contact the real one he instead hires a sexually willing substitute.

The title story uses the real life experiments of Harold Harlow on monkeys as its basis. While Harlow is going against his colleagues in the 1950s and calling for mothers to be more loving, he gets his theories by isolating and thus torturing monkeys. While he claims no love for the monkeys, he pushes away his nightmares about the animals by drinking too much. With his own wife dying at home he spends all his time on his work, and the story ends with the nightmare of a mother monkey screaming for her baby. "He knew the feeling of loss that would last till she died."

Overall we can see Millet using the animals as a way for us to see ourselves differently. She shows a respect for animals most writers do not have by showing they are worthy of our attention as they are. In addition, as Millet any pet owner knows, animals often show us more about ourselves than we are comfortable knowing.

Reading Challenges

Tough motivational week! This is a short book so I though it would be an easy week, but you can see that although I liked the book I was not running to it every night. Perhaps it was post-six month anniversary depression? I also had a very busy week at work and was a bit exhausted in the evening, not to mention working two of the nights. So this is a week I read because I had to since I could have easily gone comatose in front of some movie (any movie) on t.v. But hey, who said this is all supposed to be easy?

Next Up

Harlan Ellison's Angry Candy. This came as a recommendation from a friend who thought I could use a bit of weirdness in life. He noted that Ellison wrote some episodes for the Twilight Zone and Star Trek, and promised a unique read. I asked my oldest son about him and he said the same things, so the weirdness was confirmed. I read the introduction standing up because what I thought would be a quick glance turned into a ten-page read. I've almost finished the first story and really like it, although the ending promises to be crucial.

CD Review: Hot Club of San Francisco's Cool Yule

I wrote this review for Blogcritics and thought I would include it for fun. Hot Club of San Francisco appeared on my artists series last year and were great! This CD is a fun listen and highly recommended.

Another Christmas recording? As certain as the rising of the Christmas tree is the annual release of a plethora of Christmas recordings from a variety of artists and genres. Classical guitar for Christmas? No problem. An accordion fan? Relax to Rudolph on the squeezebox. "Fill in the name" pop star doing the standards? Several available for your choosing. So here comes the Hot Club of San Francisco to add some gypsy jazz from the smoke filled bars of ...uh...San Francisco to the mix?

But relax. Here is a Christmas recording offering something a bit different and worth listening to in the midst of the season. The Hot Club of San Francisco may not be a mainstream ensemble, but they are generally considered one of the best gypsy jazz groups in the U.S. For those not familiar with the genre, gypsy jazz is an acoustic guitar dominated format created by the incredible guitarist Django Reinhardt with violinist Stephane Grappelli in the smoky bars of Paris in the 1930s. The name of their group was the Quintette du Hot Club de France, and gypsy jazz groups often attach the "Hot Club" title to their own city. The quintet arrangement holds with the Hot Club of San Francisco which is led by guitarist Paul Mehling and violinist Evan Price, along with bassist Clint Baker, and rhythm guitarists Jeff Magidson and Jason Vanderford.

Mehling's gift as a leader has been to honor tradition while not being afraid of stretching the genre. In this recording he clearly moves beyond the normal library and also employs several guest singers and other ensembles to offer some new sounds. The result is a wide ranging, but solid, recording of a variety of Christmas classics. The quintet takes on Vince Guaraldi's "Skating" from "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and pairs it with the traditional "Carol of the Bells," and then soon jumps to "Baby, It's Cold Outside."

While gypsy jazz music is not afraid of the scorching solos, it also relishes the slow, quiet rhythms of the late night. At times it is a bit too slow ("The Christmas Song"), but when balanced with the moving Applachian song, "I Wonder As I Wander," you can hear the power of the slower sound.

Those looking for the upbeat sounds which have captivated so many listeners will not be disappointed. Mehling's arrangement of "Jingle Bells," here called "Djingle Bells" in homage to Reinhardt, is a gem which should be a new Christmas standard. Even "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" benefits from gypsy sound as it finds new life in this rendition. They even manage to add a great deal of life to the difficult to like traditional song, "March of the Toys." These songs feature the Hot Club of San Francisco without their guests and the comfort of the band is clear -- they have a lot of musical fun with one another which shows a camaraderie extending beyond the music. They also extend the tradition with the best over-seven-minute version of "Auld Lang Syne" you may ever hear.

That this CD is successful comes as no surprise since the basis is five excellent musicians. Mehling is a gifted guitarist with an ear for the soulful and the skill to pull off some blistering solos bound to make most guitarists give up in frustration. Price is equally talented as a violinist and can either blend in the background or drive a song forward at will. But gypsy jazz also needs a strong rhythm section, especially since it does not include any drums. The percussive and bass sounds are amply handled by Baker, Magidson, and Vanderford.

So in the midst of the holiday chaos grab this CD to get a respite from the rush. Or if you know someone with an openness to some unique musical sounds, you have a stocking stuffer at hand. You are not likely to find this is mainstream CD outlets, but it is worth the internet search.

Book 26: Love Begins in Winter by Simon Van Booy (and 26A-C: Three Christmas Graphic Novels)

2009-11-14T22:21:00.000-05:00

Week 26. Half way to my goal! Of course you've already read my comments on this, but if not, see above! This week's main book reminds me of why I'm doing this. The excitement of finding a new writer which impacts your world view is rare, but worth the wait.

Love Begins in Winter is a collection of five short stories written around the theme of love. Yes, love. In today's cynical world it is hard to find many talented writers who can celebrate love without making it sound like a bad Hallmark card. Van Booy not only succeeds, he excels. These are exquisitely written stories which show us a writer with the ability to see the many shades of love through a variety of fully drawn characters with a variety of experiences.

The title story is a short masterpiece of writing. We meet a world famous musician who is cut off from the world and people as he remembers the loss of a young companion. We are also introduced to a woman who lost a beloved brother at a young age and has struggled with companionship since then. If you hope for love at first sight, you find it in this story in a way which is remarkably above any lustful look. Instead, kindred souls recognize one another and begin what is the process of loving. Van Booy knows love can happen quickly, but even a loving relationship takes time to develop. This does not give away as much of the plot as it sounds since the story's constant progress is its plot.

"Tiger Tiger" shows the surprising places and way love appears, even across generations. A young doctor and her boyfriend see the dissolution of his parent's marriage as they work on their own relationship. When she receives a book her boyfriend's family doctor had written years before she passes on reading it, but when she looks over it a few years later she realizes he had written about children with an insight and love not expected from a single man. In other words, love shows up in unexpected ways.

"The Missing Statues" is a beautiful short story about how the power of love from years before can move a young man to tears with a simple reminder. Van Booy explores the many ways love appears, and in this story we see the simple caring of the stranger as a gift of love. Love's intensity is seen most clearly in "The Coming and Going of Strangers," where the love of a Romany Irish gypsy for a Canadian girl he does not know is beyond reason. The end provides a unique twist, and while Van Booy is never above the surprise ending, upon reflection they are never as surprising as they seem.

He ends the book with "The City of Windy Trees" in which years after the fact a man a one-night stand has given him a child. As he seeks out to reconnect, the power of love to transform a person is nearly overwhelming. And here we see one of Van Booy's clearest themes as his characters move from isolation to love, seeing the gift of love for what it is -- an act of grace beyond our control, but open to our reception.

The fact that Van Booy pulls all this off without becoming sentimental is a testament to his understanding the topic he addresses. He avoids the idea of love sick strangers staring longingly into one another's eyes. Instead, his characters often resist the idea of love until the reality hits them, which emphasizes the power love has in our lives. How wonderful to find a writer who intelligently celebrates what so many of us do experience even in a world seemingly devoid of love.

Visit Simon Van Booy's Website

The publisher HarperCollins has created a new imprint called It Books to capture the popular culture audience, so it is no surprise they would release three graphic novel representations of three Christmas stories While their publicity claims these are Christmas classics, few will be familiar with L. Frank Baum's "A Kidnapped Santa Claus" which is adapted here by Alex Robinson. Baum, better known for the "Wizard of Oz," created a short fable about Santa who is kidnapped in flight by the demons Selfishness, Envy, Hatred, and Repentance. His work is carried on by four helpful assistants who know how to get the sleigh around, but mix up the presents the children are receiving. All could be lost, but never count out the magic of Christmas. Robinson adds a small love story and a great deal of humor to Baum's story, which seems perfectly suited for the graphic novel format. Robinson's stark black and white illustrations are either filled with details or clear in their simplicity, depending on how he wants to move the story forward. Of the three books released, Robinson's style will be the most familiar to those with a long history of comics with several panels on a page and balloon text throughout. His adaptations to the story are an improvement and worth seeking out.

The truly classic "The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry gets a retelling by Joel Priddy. The story of a young couple selling their prized possessions to purchase each other a gift is well known to most through a variety of adaptations. Priddy also keeps the colors simple, mainly black and white although at times with a bluish tint, that is until Della's legendary hair is revealed. From a black and white bun comes a wave of orange which cannot be contained in even two pages and only disappears slowly as the hair goes back into hiding. The impact is immediate and successful in its attempt to portray the beauty of the hair to the reader. He keeps very close to the story itself, omitting just a few lines which he can easily show, and he moves the story along at the leisurely pace in which it was written. Many pages contain no text as Priddy gives us a glimpse into the couple's private life which he plays out at times with full pages, at times with panels, and often a mix of arrangements. The book opens with several pages setting the scene without text as we see a store window version of the magi give way to the snow and our story; as the story ends he takes away from the domestic life and out into the stars as O. Henry's text puts the story in perspective. Priddy's adaptation rescues the story from the numerous sentimental versions in existence by allowing O. Henry's voice to be heard, and providing a vehicle which enhances the story.

Lilli Carre's adaptation of Hans Christian Anderson's "The Fir Tree" adds more than a splash of color to the trio. She also keeps very close to the text, which is too bad since the story of a short tree full of self pity sounds like just so much whinnying in today's world. Written over 160 years ago, Anderson's readers may have been more sympathetic than many of us to the "victim" format. But Carre takes Anderson at his word and her illustrations reflect his work with little comment. In fact, the book feels more like a picture book than a graphic novel as her simple, yet beautiful, illustrations reflect the text but stand alongside it rather than being involved. It is a lively book, but would benefit from having the illustrations frame the story.

If It Books is hoping to hit a more pop culture audience than this is the right method. The small books are created with the possibility of being stocking stuffers this holiday season, and they would be a good fit for many stockings.

Reading Challenges

As you can see I did plenty of reading and writing and actually finished all this by Friday. Van Booy's novel is a quick read because it is so good. Do not rush through his book because the writing is too good to miss, but be it still will not take long. I have a busier week coming up, but the collection I'm reading is short.

Next Up

Which brings me to the interestingly titled "Love in Infant Monkeys" by Lydia Millet. After this I'm caught up with my review books and I have a couple of others I want to read, but I'll get some new books ordered soon.

Happy reading!

The Half Way Point

2009-11-14T22:04:00.002-05:00

I'm well on my way to succeeding in my quest to read one book per week for a year -- half way there to be exact. The six months have not gone as expected, especially in my selection of reading material; overall, I could not be happier about that fact. Thanks to posting reviews on Blogcritics.org I have access to many free books to review and I've taken advantage of it to read books I would have otherwise passed by. As a result I've discovered some great new writers that I intend to follow for years to come. Originally I thought I would revisit a number of classics, and I've done some of that, but I like it when a project takes you in unexpected (yet pleasant) directions.

My reading has included fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and now even the world of graphic novels. I've always read a wide range of books, but I used to more selective because I read so little. With the promise of a new book every week I do not hesitate to reach beyond my normal interests -- I've been justly rewarded for the stretching.

As for the challenge of reading a book every week, well, it has become a matter of habit. A few times I've had to push myself to read, but I now find the reading to be my welcome escape from the world at the end of the day. My mind is challenged and refreshed, my views and opinions are reevaluated, and I still take joy in the simple pleasure of a well-crafted sentence (by others that is, I'm still hoping to write one such sentence someday).

My original reason for doing this was simply to read more than I have been the past few years. It is working! I'll have read as much in 2009 as I have the previous three years combined. I'm not sure whether I'm proud of how much reading I've done this year, or simply embarrassed by how little I've read in the past. And I'm aware that in the scheme of things one book a week is not a big deal for some. I see other bloggers doing similar things, and one of the links on my blog is to a woman reading Random House's 100 Best Books in a year -- and she teaches, has children, and started with Joyce's Ulysses! People like her are easy to hate. (Although she recently admitted she will not come close to her goal, so I feel better). But I'm not too ashamed to share my attempts (thus this blog) at improving myself.

So for myself I've broken down the books I've read so far by category. The books are for all off 2009, but since I started this in June I've read 29 books in 26 weeks.

Fiction:

1) The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien

2) The Sorrow of War by Bao Ninh

3) The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

4) Zorba the Greek by Nikos Kazantzakis

5) Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

6) The Music Room by Namita Devidayal

7) American Woman by Susan Choi

8) A Person of Interest by Susan Choi

9) My Antonia by Willa Cather

10) The Road by Cormac McCarthy

11) The Known World by Edward P. Jones

12) The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

13) Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith

14) Fear of the Dark by Walter Mosley

15) Pastoralia by George Saunders

16) A Map of Home by Randa Jarrar

17) Departing at Dawn: A Novel of Argentina's Dirty War by Gloris Lise

18) Broccoli and Other Tales of Food and Love by Lara Vapnyar

Poetry (this list is way too short -- but outstanding)

19) Losing Season by Jack Ridl

20) Strong Is Your Hold by Galway Kinnell

21) Selected Poems by Galway Kinnell

Non-Fiction

22) The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell

23) Blink by Malcolm Gladwell

24) Lifehacker: 88 Tech Tricks to Turbocharge Your Day by Gina Trapani

25) The Fred Factor by Mark Sanborn

26) Better by Atul Gwande

27) Fordlandia by Greg Grandin

28) Unquenchable by Robert Glennon

29) Direct Red by Gabriel Weston

30) QBQ: The Question Behind the Question by John Miller

31) Operation Bit Back: Rod Coronado's War to Save American Wilderness by Dean Kuipers

32) America's Prophet: Moses and the Spirit of a Nation by Bruce Feiler

33) The Firefly Effect: Build Teams That Capture Creativity and Catapult Results by Kimberly Douglas

34) Let's Have Lunch Together by Marshall Howard

35) Sherlock Holmes Was Wrong: Reopening the Case of the Hound of the Baskervilles by Pierre Bayard

36) One Small Step Can Change Your Life: The Kaizen Way by Robert Maurer

Graphic Novels

37) A Kidnapped Santa Claus by L. Frank Baum, Adapted by Alex Robinson

38) The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry, Adapted by Joel Priddy

39) The Fir Tree by Hans Christian Andersen, Adapted by Lilli Carre

...and the late addition of the latest fiction...

40) Love Begins in Winter by Simon Van Booy

And so I continue on. I'll get in A Christmas Carol before Christmas, although my plan of reading Lovecraft in preparation for Halloween was thwarted -- but he is really beyond the normal scare anyway. I still want to read Austen's other novels (again) and a few of the authors above also have books on my short list. In other words, I'm not going to get read what I "planned" in the next six months...and that is a good thing.

Thanks for your interest, support, and comments (well, if not on my blog but at least privately).

Derek

Book Twenty-Five: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

2009-11-08T21:48:00.000-05:00

...and 25(a) Let's Have Lunch Together by Marshall Howard

First, my main focus for the week. I've read Haddon's book before and found it interesting enough to build in to my college freshman writing class in which we talk about ways we approach life. Haddon's book allows us to have the discussion of what "limits" we may have in determining our outlook.

Told from the point of a view of a teenage boy with autism (perhaps Aspergers) this novel is a great way for us to recognize the predetermined ways in which we view the world. The idea that we are free to make whatever choices we want is an appealing thought (especially to first year college students), but indeed our choices are directed by physical, social, emotional, and even spiritual dilemmas. To steal from the speaker of the second book I'm discussing, he likes to quote "We are all prisoners in unlocked cells." In other words, we have created and have created for us our own boundaries and the only thing holding us back are our own decisions. Of course, this is only partially correct. As for Christopher (the main character in The Curious Incident) he has no choice in some of the walls which surround him. His creativity is in learning how to work within the limits he faces.

The story is a billed by Christopher himself as a murder-mystery, but since the murder is solved rather undramatically half way through the book, this is clearly not the focus. The story starts with murder of a neighborhood dog and Christopher's decision to solve the mystery. In the process we learn that his mother has died, his father raises him alone, and he is brilliant in the area of mathematics. He always never mixes the food on his plate, hates the color yellow, and has decided that color of cars he sees in the morning determines what kind of day he will have. I could say more, but as the plot unfolds the surprises are interesting enough to leave to those of you who have not read it.

A fan of Sherlock Holmes stories (as am I -- see week eight!) he decides to pursue the case through Holmesian methods. In fact, the title of the book is inspired by the short story "The Silver Blaze" in which a prize racehorse is stolen. When Holmes remarks on the curious behavior of the dog in night time, Watson asks what is so curious -- he did not even bark. That, says Holmes, is what is curious. In other words, look at the obvious and question it and look for what is not there. This makes sense since Christopher deals in logic and mathematics -- life is black and white to him. But of course, there is nothing logical about not liking yellow or letting car colors determine your day. In Christopher's mind this makes sense, but not to anyone else.

Once the murder mystery is resolved the focus becomes on Christopher's attempts to overcome his own limitations. Crossing a strange room is taxing for him, so he imagines a line leading across and then follows the way. Crowds overwhelm him so he waits them out until only a few people are around. He succeeds by handling each new situation one at a time and pulling back when he needs to think. In other words, he builds on his strengths and works around his walls.

The novel has garnered a lot of praise for a variety of reasons, including getting in the mind of an autistic person to see how the mind may work. Haddon worked with autistic children for some time so he may know more than most, but of course we need the autistic people to speak for the themselves (and this has been done). But that does not matter to Haddon because he does not see this as a work about autism. From his own blog: curious incident is not a book about asperger’s. it’s a novel whose central character describes himself as ‘a mathematician with some behavioural difficulties’. indeed he never uses the words ‘asperger’s’ or ‘autism’ (i slightly regret that fact that the word ‘asperger’s’ was used on the cover). if anything it’s a novel about difference, about being an outsider, about seeing the world in a surprising and revealing way. it’s as much a novel about us as it is about christopher.

And therein lies the strength. In many ways Christopher is like a poet seeing the world in new and unique ways and we see how the world treats and handles this uniqueness. What is great about Christopher is he never questions himself and how he sees himself. How many of us can say the same? He is different, it is frustrating at times, but in the end he works with what he has.

It is a book worth reading on many levels and for many reasons. But it should definitely be read.

Book 25 (a) Let's Have Lunch Together by Marshall Howard

Okay, I fully admit that last week I figured this book would fall into the worst category of my incredibly insightful breakdown of all business books into three categories (see last weeks blog to be reminded of my insight -- in case you forgot). Wrong! Despite the weak title, lousy layout, and large font, this is a book packed with great ideas.

Howard puts it in the context of a novel, but this is no literary masterpiece (nor was this his intent). Instead he puts his ideas in a large case study format and we can see how things would work out. The book is written to help with fund raising, but the focus is on relationships. Howard's refrain is "chase the relationship, not the money." While this may not seem incredibly insightful, Howard does well to remind us that success comes from our relationships. People truly need to trust us and we need to trust them if we want to move forward.

I went through a day long workshop with Howard last week and it was noted that this methods could also be used by a good con artist. Which of course is true -- con artists know that relationships are essential. But because evil may use it does not make it wrong. We can fall into our cynical selves and give up on treating people as they should be. The difference is motivation and the idea is that strong relationships will bring about good things. But if you build the relationships for monetary or power reasons, the relationship will never be strong because it is built on a weak base (all biblically-minded can think stone vs sand here).

Howard's emphasis on relationships makes this work for people in all areas of business. While not a fundraiser myself, it did remind me of how I take for granted some people's support when I should be seeking to find out why support my endeavors to begin with. I have nothing more "to gain" from them, but certainly strengthening those relationships will not only make the business side of things stronger, they may also impact my life. What a concept.

Reading Challenges

I graded all my class essays early so I was not as far behind as normal. However, I also was a bit under the weather this week (second eye/ear infection in just over a month) which also cost me a couple of nights of reading. But Howard's book is an easy one night read and Haddon's book makes you want to keep reading. All in all, a surprisingly productive week. How productive?...

Next Up

...I've already started Simon Van Booy's collection of short stories (okay, five longish type stories), Love Begins in Winter. The first story was either overwritten or simply one of the best things I've read in a long time. I was captivated and stayed up much later than I should have to see how it would end. And love wins! Why do so few people see such hope today? And (I know, like a reading machine) I've read 2 of 3 graphic novel adaptations of Christmas classics. Well, they are supposed to be classics but anyone who has read L. Frank Baum's "A Kidnapped Santa Claus" raise their hands...I thought so. Even my oldest son with the most eclectic tastes I know has not read it. I'm reviewing all four books mentioned plus I hope to get a CD review done this week as well.

Happy reading!

Book Twenty-Four: The Firefly Effect: Build Teams that Capture Creativity and Catapult Results by Kimberly Douglas

2009-10-31T18:48:00.000-04:00

About 18 months ago I went from working alone in a basement office to sharing space with five other people and a whole new host of responsibilities. As a result I've read more leadership/productivity/business books in that time than I have in my entire previous life. Half of them were quickly disposable, and only a few have been ones I recommend to others and return to myself. The books seem to fall in three main categories. First, you have the public speakers who need a book to sell after their talks and thus try to spin a good magazine article into a book (with short chapters and large font). The result is 20 good pages with another 100 pages repeating the same thinking (see The Fred Factor and QBQ). Second, you have speakers who know how to write, but tend to build their book by stringing together one story after another after another after another. Learning the importance of a thesis would benefit everyone greatly. Finally, you have leaders who know reflect on what they know and share those lessons in a humble, yet insightful, manner (see Max DePree's leadership books or Malcolm Gladwell's "thinking" books ).

Kimberly Douglas' work falls squarely in the second category. An experienced team building consultant Douglas decided to turn her experiences into a book we can all take home. She has some good ideas and event though her firefly analogy is stretched at times, the unique characteristics of these insects do provide us with a different way to look at the ordinary. While Douglas may get good results with her customers, this book tends to lose focus and requires to many "buy ins" along the way.

Douglas appears to be familiar with every training exercise and copyrighted team building activity ever created. The one she hangs her hat on is the Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument (HBDI), which she says is similar (but better) than the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), another well known assessment tool. With the HBDI you end up in one of four quadrants, labeled "Blue," "Yellow," "Green," and "Red." Since Douglas uses this in her consulting she refers to it often in the book. But if you are not familiar with the tool, or are familiar and do not find it effective, many of her examples will not work.

The book also contains strings of stories of dysfunctional teams (IT departments appear to notoriously bad) and how Douglas creates a strong team out of these unique individuals. At times she breaks down the exercises in detail, even indicating what you need to put on the flip charts. Much of this may be more interesting in the context of her presentation, but in a book it sounds like a "how to present" segment which grows quickly tiring.

One of the strengths of the book is the ability to refer back to individual chapters. You can focus on creativity, which she defines as "to be original...to do something no one else would think of," or review her thoughts on the "new role of leadership," which involves "leading through inspiration and collaboration." She spends a couple of chapters on the positive and negative aspects of conflict, others on creating a vision and direction, and more on how to run effective meetings. Even the QBQ (Question Behind the Question) book gets a plug in having team members to hold themselves accountable. Anyone familiar with these types of books will see that Douglas does not so much present anything original as much as cover familiar topics with techniques which have worked for her.

Her strongest chapter is where she lets loose with her own thoughts toward the end of the book. After sharing an interesting story in how an amateur naturalist unwittingly shocked scientists with her observation of fireflies working in sync, Douglas notes that "[w]hat this story shows us it that a single person has a substantial amount of power to truly make a difference in an organization by first believing in something, and then taking action on it." In today's world the story of the individual impacting a larger community is one that resonates and may be where Douglas should build on her next effort.

Reading Challenges

This was tough one! I was not enthralled by the book so I found returning to it at night a challenge. I knocked off a good chunk of it in one night, but after that it was a struggle. I'm also in the midst of grading some essays which took time out of this week's reading and will really impact next week.

Next Up

Rereading "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time," which I read last year so I have not commented on it yet. I'm teaching it in class so the reread has a purpose. In addition, I need to read a book which looks like category one in the business books, called "Let's Have Lunch Together." A board I am on is having a retreat with this author so we need to read this before that -- short chapters and large font so it should not be difficult.

Book Twenty-Three: America's Prophet: Moses and the American Story by Bruce Feiler

2009-10-25T10:15:00.000-04:00

Ask the average American for the most influential person in the Bible and you'll likely hear "Jesus." Not so, says Bruce Feiler, who has made a career of bringing new life to old (but beloved) texts. Feiler keeps his wandering closer to home this time (he has traveled religious lands extensively) as he explores the importance of Moses in American history. Actually, importance is an understatement. According to Feiler, "you can't understand American history...without understanding Moses." He misses little ground in laying out his case, tracing the role of Moses in the Pilgrims, the Revolution, George Washington, the Underground Railroad, the Civil War, the Statue of Liberty, Hollywood, Superman, and the Civil Rights Movement.

One of Feiler's strengths as a writer is seeking out new perspectives and discounting no one. He learns as much from scholars as he does from random conversations in part because he is interested in how issues impact people. Some of his ground here is well trodden, such as the United States founders interpreting their story as that of Moses, or seeing how the slaves found inspiration in the Moses story. But Feiler notes the slave owners used the same story for inspiration, especially as the Civil War approrached.

Therein lies a crucial argument for Feiler to address. Just because people have taken on the Moses story does not mean they were inspired by it. Indeed, some of what we see here is one of most common misuses of the Bible, where we appropriate scripture to justify whatever issue we wish to address. There is no doubt some of this is occurring with some of these examples, but that does not lessen the overall argument. But it is what makes Feiler's unusual subjects all the more interesting. His discussion of Cecil B DeMille's "Ten Commandments" movie shows how this was not just another movie for the famed director, but a chance to use the story of Moses to move American forward (as he felt it should). Even more interesting is the too short section on the creation of Superman as a modern-day Moses, a connection not missed by Hitler who banned the "Jewish" comic book.

By the end of the book the natural question is, so what? What do all these connections mean? Feiler anticipates the questions and summarizes his argument with three main themes. First, the story arises again and again because it tells of "the courage to escape oppression and seek the Promised Land." This aspect of the Exodus story is why so many people around the world can relate to the story. Anywhere and any time people are oppressed, the story of a people who break free from that oppression against all odds is inspiring.

Feiler's second theme is "the tension between freedom and law." Throughout the book this comes forth as one of Feiler's most interesting points. Moses realizes that freedom without law is chaos and receives the Ten Commandments. As the Pilgrims prepare to land they create their own set of laws, and during the Civil Rights movement they seek to overturn unjust laws but not escape the responsibility which comes with freedom. In the end the concept which best captures this is that of covenant, an agreement between individuals and their community, and for many, between their community and God. Current society clearly focuses on the idea of freedom over responsibility, and a reminder of this needed balance is important.

Finally, Feiler says a third theme is "the building of a society that welcomes the outsider and uplifts the downtrodden." This is not simply some left-wing interpretation of the Moses story. Instead, Feiler focuses on God's compassion to the Israelites throughout the Exodus story; if God shows such compassion, it is expected from the people as well.

So where is Moses today? Feiler and others offer no current models (Martin Luther King Jr. being the clearest, recent example). But then Moses is not meant to be around at all times. Instead, a Moses arises out of oppression when people need to be led forward, so it is certain that another Moses will appear at some point in the future. In the meantime, the Passover tradition is one which calls on people to remember the Exodus story, and now Feiler has given us the American Passover version of remembering this story and this person so we can be prepared for the next Moses.

Reading Challenges

Whew! Busy week at work, plenty of night time responsibilities, and a not-so-light read. Feiler's book is well written and interesting, but it takes time to ponder and he gives you many items to focus on. I went ahead of schedule and behind schedule and find myself writing this with the Red Wings (currently losing!) on tv. But again I'm reminded of how reading is a habit and I find myself anxious for my time to read.

Next Up

Continuing the non-fiction route with The Firefly Effect: Build Teams that Capture Creativity and Catapult Results. So much for good subtitles. This enters into my occasional reading area in the business/leadership/productivity world and is another books I was sent to review. My wife is getting jealous of all the packages I've been receiving in the mail, but hey, they are all free. I love free books!

Book Twenty-Two: A Person of Interest by Susan Choi

2009-10-18T20:44:00.001-04:00

Reading Susan Choi's novel American Woman made me anxious to read more. But if you are like me, approaching a second work by an author is a bit scary. Probably like a second date (though fortunately my long marriage makes that hard to remember) -- you hope those good "vibes" from the first date do not turn out to be misguided. Alas, second dates and second books are sometimes a disappointment.

Not so with Susan Choi's novels (I'm guessing the same with dates since she is married). A Person of Interest builds on the same model as American Woman where Choi adds a fictional side to a real life event. First it was the Patty Hearst story, and this time the Unabomber meets up with Wen Ho Lee who was falsely accused of espionage. But Choi is even less interested in tying into real life in this book than with American Woman. Choi's interest is in how the truth can appear to be a malleable substance, but in the end the truth appears as an objective source around which we all revolve.

I'm not sure Choi would buy into this thought, but that is how the book plays out. Her main character, Professor Lee, is an undistinguished math professor close to retiring from an undistinguished Midwest school when his "hotshot" colleague is killed by a mail bomb. Although slightly injured himself in the blast, Lee emerges as a "person of interest," as the FBI struggle to piece together the truth. As we watch this emerge we step back into Lee's graduate career, his two failed marriages, his estranged daughter, and his own sleeplike existence in life.

While the FBI try to make their theories work, and fail, Lee is brought into focus as someone who has tried to make life work the way he wants, and fails. The clearest example is the infant child his first wife has with her first husband, although she was soon after having an affair with Lee. He refuses to see this child as part of their existence and his wife allows the child to be taken by her ex-husband. Lee's reality is that the child does not exist, but of course the truth is the child does exist and Lee's attempt to alter reality fails miserably. In addition, like the FBI he cannot shake his own theory of the bombing when he discovers the person he is sure is the bomber has been dead for many years. When reality does not conform to our thinking, we try to ignore it. We attempt to define the truth, when in fact the challenge in life is to live with the truths we are faced with.

The FBI run into the same problem with handling a truth different than what they expect. Lee could work out so well as the Unabomber that they are desperate to make it work, despite the fact (truth) that Lee offers them little hope. In the end, even the Unabomber (here called the "Brain Bomber") is someone who attempts to alter reality in part by creating his own truths. This is not to imply that reality and truth are identical, but in this case the character's inability to face reality does correspond with their inability to handle truth.

It is not often I wish for more writing -- great writers are able to convey a great deal with minimum amount of exposition. However, Choi introduces some characters which would be interesting to hear more about as they interact with the story. The abandoned infant son reemerges with a new name (Mark) and the dawning realization that his past as told to him is not the truth (more examples of people, in this case Christians, trying to alter the truth and failing). He is introduced and she creates as strong storyline and character with him, but the sudden ending leaves more unanswered questions. The same goes for Lee's estranged daughter who appears on the last page with a wave of hello at the airport. But this need for more is not just a prurient interest in how these characters turn out. All of these characters are now on a search for truth and seeing more of that journey would be interesting.

Choi's characters are always well drawn and interesting, no matter what their role in the story. Her writing is quick moving, yet thoughtful. She manages to pull off a lot with little action, and she puts forward a great deal of information without falling back on soliloquies to pull it off. Plus, while her writing explores some big topics, she knows how to create a great storyline which pulls the reader in to stay.

She'll be on my campus reading in just a few weeks so I look forward to seeing what she has to say at her reading. I know I'll be moving on to another one of her novels soon.

Reading Challenges

This was a very busy week with soccer practices for one, a piano trio for me to oversee, and extra planning for class. However, I blew ahead of my reading schedule for Choi by reading this in just a few nights. Choi is a joy to return to and an enjoyable break from the "truth" of life. If I have not convinced you to read her yet, please do so soon.

Next Up

We return to non-fiction and another review book, Bruce Feiler's America's Prophet: Moses and the American Story. Feiler is making the argument that the story of Moses has been a moving force in the US. I've read Feiler before and enjoy his unusual approach to issues. This should be an interesting read.

Book Twenty-One: Broccoli and Other Tales of Food and Love by Lara Vapnyar

2009-10-11T22:32:00.006-04:00

Despite my promises to read Susan Choi's novel last week, I received Vapnyar's latest collection for a review so, well, I'm working on the review. Plus, if truth be told, it is a quicker read than Choi and you can see below for this week's reading challenges. Plus (plus), I really liked Vapnyar's first collection of stories, "There are Jews in My House," so I had high hopes for this one. I was not disappointed.

Lara Vapnyar has a fascination with food, although not of the type usually written about and praised. Vapnyar's selection of food resembles her approach to fiction, which is simple, straightforward, and sustaining. Her first collection of short stories ("There are Jews in My House") showed the promise of a gifted story writer, and this second collection (a novel was published in between) confirm earlier expectations. The Russian born writer, now living in New York, came to the U.S. when she was 23 but writes in English. Perhaps writing in a second language has granted Vapnyar an economy with words other writers may want to imitate.

Many of the stories deal with the Russian immigrant experience, especially in New York, where all the Russians are henceforth working as "computer programmers" no matter what their previous work entailed. Nina, the main character in the opening "A Bunch of Broccoli on the Third Shelf," actually was a computer programmer. Now she is obsessed with vegetable shopping, although she never actually gets around to cooking with them. Food, as in many of these stories, shows a hope for the future, of what people like Nina will someday accomplish. In the meantime, the vegetables rot in the refrigerator, another set of hopes turning moldy. However, while Vapnyar may deal in realism, she is not above seeing hope as the story ends with Nina standing on a chair above the broccoli finally steaming on stove as "the warm aroma of broccoli rose up, caressing Nina's face, enveloping the whole of her."

The realism also takes hold in "Salad Olivier" where we see the heroine challenged to find a husband which, according to a psychologist, will allow her father to rise from the couch and reenter life. When she discovers such a man she realizes he may be more for his parents than for her, although she likes everything about him. Tempted to move on, she maintains the relationship in way that may be more familiar to most than they are comfortable with.

Sex and food, never far apart since the creation of the novel (see Fielding's "Tom Jones") are also part of the landscape here; although in "Borscht" it is the lack of sex and in "Slicing Sauteed Spinach" it is the focus on sex for which food is always the backdrop. "Borscht" is a sentimental favorite in the surprisingly quick creation of two sad, yet forward moving lives. In many ways this story highlights Vapnyar's skill with the short story as it creates a range of emotions in just a few pages,all with little action.

But "Luda and Milena" stands out in the collection as a story which is bound to be anthologized in future collegiate readers. Here we find two older single women (one a widow) using food as a way to entice the lone, elderly Russian man in their ESL class. The Friday potlucks become battlegrounds in the war for the heart, made only more hilarious by the complete dislike of cooking each women holds. The ending creates a satisfying resolution, but one completely unexpected.

Vapnyar's not afraid of ending a story, although like many short stories written today they can be seen as "slices of life." But the reader gets a complete picture in each story and Vapnyar is usually willing to point the story in a direction which goes beyond her pages.

At the end Vapnyar even throws in some recipe's with her own stories, although cold borscht may not be on everyone's menu. More importantly, as a whole we have a complete collection of stories offering a unique voice to American literature and a great new writer of the short story.

Read the NY Times Feature on Vapnyar focusing on her food inclinations

Reading Challenges

Oh, the ugly head of illness raises its head and takes me out for a couple of days. In addition, 17 4-page essays from my students to read and comment on and several of them required a bit of commentary. Of course, I also had a full day and half symposium I co-chaired and quite simply a busy week. Hey, even the Redwings reappeared on tv (they won) so I was torn. I started Choi's novel and was worried about getting everything all done when Vapnyar's book arrived for a review. Problem solved and I keep up with my reviews. Oh glorious week!

Next Up

Ask me tomorrow? I still want to read Choi's "A Person of Interest" but also just received another collection of short stories to review. All in all, life is pretty good when faced with such choices. However, 50 pages into Choi's book and I know I need to finish it -- a slow start which has quickly picked up and drawn me in.

Book Twenty: Operation Bite Back by Dean Kuiper

2009-10-03T08:32:00.000-04:00

Book 20? Do I get some sort of prize? Well, at least it was an interesting book. I also snuck in book 20(a), entitled QBQ, The Question Behind the Question by John Miller. That was not so great, but it was little time wasted.

Kuipers' book explores a world known to few, but intensely followed by environmentalists on one hand and the FBI on another. Actually, it is not fair to paint this as an us vs. them book, since the actions of Rod Coronado, the subject of the book, splits even the environmentalists.

Coronado is an environmental activist who eventually began breaking into areas where animals were held and freeing them before burning down research centers. His radical beliefs have made him a folk hero among some, a terrorist to others, and an enigma to still more. Kuipers traces Coronado's life in such a way that we see his eventual criminal acts as a natural development of his ideals. He is raised with a love of nature, but moves from a hunter and fisher to become a vegan devoting his life to saving animals.

Coronado's radical beliefs are fostered early by Paul Watson of the Sea Shepherd organization. Along with another member. Coronado sank two whaling boats in Iceland, although they made sure no people were on board at the time. This daring action quickly propelled him to fame and he escaped prosecution since Watson claimed credit to protect the two involved. We then see Coronado's involvement with Earth First! and the Animal Liberation Front, two more aggressive organizations aiming to undermine industries exploiting nature.

Eventually Coronado develops Operation Bite Back, which focused on fur farms and the fur trading industry. The book takes off in Kuipers' descriptions of the operations, which read at times like spy thrillers as Coronado stakes out his targets and avoids detection. Kuipers is clearly an environmentalist himself, and his journalism has focused on this area, which may explain his ability to get so many people to talk about illegal activities. The reader gets a full description of the rationale, the action, and the reactions behind the different attacks.

One of the more interesting aspects of the book surrounds Coronado's "disappearance" from society once the FBI identifies him and his picture begins adorning post office walls. A Native American, Coronado takes the time to begin fully examining his own roots, which not surprisingly support his approach to life. Yet these new experiences lead him to a new understanding of himself and he begins to rethink some of his positions. We also get to see the paranoia which develops in someone who realizes that every new person could be an undercover agent or that a friend may turn him in for a reward. Coronado does not always handle the pressure well, but before he can break the FBI finally captures him.

Coronado's story is also caught up in the political debate of what constitutes terrorism, and after the 9/11 attacks his past actions are viewed in a new light. However, Kuipers paints the FBI as some evil force going after an innocent man, when in fact they are tracking down a multiple arsonist. Agree with Coronado or not, his work clearly fits something which the FBI does track down on a regular basis.

This is a story which has not ended, and Kuipers struggles with how to end the book which tends to fizzle out. Coronado is still actively involved in the animal rights movement, but some of his beliefs have changed. What Kuipers shows very well is that Coronado is a person who acts on his beliefs, but is also all too human. He makes mistakes in his work, in his relationships, and even in how he treats himself. While Kuipers clearly admires his subject, this is no hagiography.

For those unfamiliar with the radical environmental movement, this book will be eye opening and enlightening. For those who are part of that movement, they will find a person to emulate. For those somewhere in between, this book will leave you with more questions than answers, which is always the sign off a good book.

QBQ: The Question Behind the Question

This falls into my leadership/organization/productivity area of interest. Like so many of these public speaker books, this has enough for about 40 good pages. Unfortunately, it is more than 40 and quickly falls off focus and fills space with predictable advice. The concept is great and the first part is worth the read. After that, skip most of it or skim it, which is not hard. Some chapters are literally one-two lines long. This is about a 45 minute read if you take some time with it. I got enough out of it to make it worthwhile.

Reading Challenges

I thought this would be a tough week, but again it came easy. The reading is really something I seek out now. A couple of nights I recognized that I was reading because I "have" to, but after getting into it I was quite happy I was. Reading is clearly a habit to be created and with practice it becomes a normal part of the routine. I've now read more books this year than in any year in recent memory, and I'll still read another 10 or so before it ends. Of course, the number is not important, but the commitment to reading is important. In the midst of a busy and demanding world, reading allows me to control what world I enter and gives me time to swim in it.

Next Up

I'm going back to Susan Choi and reading her most recent work, "A Person of Interest." I'll have the chance to hear her read in another month and I'm looking very forward to it. I'll also be reading 18 4-pg research essays in the next few days, so that will challenge the book reading time. But four are done and I have a schedule to have them done by Monday night, so I should be okay.

Book Nineteen: Losing Season by Jack Ridl

2009-09-23T23:05:00.005-04:00

Yikes! A day late and I had written this several days ago.
Okay. Let me state up front that I'm hardly unbiased here. Jack was my poetry instructor oh so many years ago in college. The fact that I have yet to publish a single poem means this is my chance to take full revenge on him for failing to propel me to the Kinnellian heights of literature. The only problems with this idea are as follows: 1) He was/is an outstanding teacher who instilled in me a love of poetry that has lasted well over 20 years. 2) He also taught my son who is publishing some poetry, thus meaning the problem probably lies with me (as I know it does). 3) He is now a friend. 4) Losing Season is one incredible book.

In "Losing Season" Ridl has created a world which many of us know and the rest of us can enter. Here we follow the losing season of Wilson High School through the eyes of their coach, their players, the bus driver, the equipment manager's wife, the coaches' wife, the cheerleader, the ex-cheerleader, and more. Sport's fans (and everybody else) will love the conversational nature of Ridl's poetry, which has always been one of his strengths and why live readings by him are a never-miss opportunity. Ridl does not talk down to his readers, but lets his poetry speak with people. These characters are not abstract representations of some psychological angst; they are "real" people. Ridl knows that poetry is not so much created as found, and he has found poetry in the lives of people struggling through a losing season. Why losing? Because in the end we have another depressing, self-examination of a poet who finds writing cheaper than therapy? No. Ridl takes us through a losing season because such a season is what makes people pause and reflect on their roles in the game and in life.

The book reads like good records (the LP kind) used to be. Each poem can stand on its own, but as a whole we get an entire story which gets fuller and stronger as we move toward the end. Ridl divides the books into four quarters, putting the entire book in the context of a game. His main focus is the coach, the predominant voice in the book. He is a sympathetic character who seeks no sympathy. He can be tough on students, in awe of his daughter, overwhelmed by coaching, and bored by teaching. His emotions hit the range, yet he seems someone who is comfortable with himself if not his place in life. A history teacher, in the end he shocks his students. "'History is hell,'"/he says. The class/looks up. 'Go find a job.'" He notes that on his school mailbox he has gone from being "Mr. Daniels" to being "Coach." That role, that title, have now become his identity.

But Ridl shows the impact of that identity on everyone else around the coach. His daughter is the "coach's daughter" and his wife the "coach's wife." They are identified by him, suffer the losses and public humiliation with him, and dream alongside him of other alternatives in life. But here they are in the midst of a community, surrounded by an assistant coach who simply wants to be the head coach (a very funny character), a band director who has always been sidelines for sports, an an equipment manager's wife who eats alone instead of attending the games.

One student making several appearances is "Scrub," the eternal bench warmer who never gets in the game and whose main role is to play "tough defense" during practice. What emerges over several poems is a young man who goes home to a dad drinking beer and watching tv, but never goes the games. He dreams of injuries to gain him the sympathy of girls and ends up dancing to the "applause of the falling snow" in the light of a street lamp. When his little sister says she is "scared the sun will go out," he takes her hand but offers no argument as she notes "'But it's fire,' she said./ 'Fire goes out.'" Scrub is a person we want to reach out, but in the end we see that he will probably be fine in life even without our help.

The book is not all character studies, and Ridl has the master hand for the well turned phrase. The empty gym is warmed by "The furnace, reliable/as grace" and as the young cheerleader turns from the mirror "On the/way out, she turns and/looks over her shoulder." He manages the phrasing throughout so that it is never forced, arising naturally from his conversation with the reader.

Anyone familiar with Ridl's work, and it is all worthwhile, will hear a familiar voice. But this book strikes new ground in its overarching storyline and material. Ridl has written a book which is needed desperately in today's increasingly fragmented world of writing. This is a book of poetry for the poetry fans, but more importantly is a book that can bring people into poetry. Sports fans will recognize themselves and others and be able to interact with the poems. The non-sports people will also find plenty of characters to grab onto and a storyline to follow because in the end this is not a book about basketball, but about people. Ridl understands and expresses those other voices, allowing us insight into people we sometimes tend to see as two dimensional, whether it be the jock or the custodian. People are not two-dimensional to Ridl, and the book fills out because of his refusal to overlook anyone.

Ridl is well placed to write such a book. Not only is he a successful poet, he is the son of a basketball coach and played sports himself. He knows of whence he speaks and we all benefit as a result. Give this book to everyone you know and watch the world of poetry grow new followers.

Reading Challenges

Ha! None this week. I read the book twice and returned to parts at different times. This is great stuff and the reading was nothing but enjoyable.

Up Next
Dean Kuiper's non-fiction book: "Operation Bite Back: Rod Coronado's War to Save American Wilderness." Sounded interesting and I've already started -- learning plenty of new information about environmentalists with an...uh...aggressive bent. Read a short review on my favorite web email, The Very Short List, so off I go.

Book Eighteen: Departing at Dawn by Gloria Lise

2009-09-19T22:14:00.005-04:00

In an extremely well crafted first novel, Gloria Lisé has put a human face on the story of 30,000 "disappeared" people who lost their lives from 1976-1983 in Argentina. The military government which took over Isabel Peron's country proceeded to eliminate anyone felt to be a threat to their position. A lawyer and professor, Lisé must have been tempted to add yet another non-fiction account to a historical tragedy, but in this finely tuned work of fiction she manages to show the impact the government's hunting of dissenters has on one family and as a result show the human toll that numbers cannot reflect.

We follow the incidents surrounding Berta, a young woman studying to be a doctor who watches her lover thrown to his death from a balcony. A union organizer, he was rumored to have money set aside and government officials think Berta may have it and she is forced to flee her family and city to go to relatives she barely knows in the country. Where Lisé avoids another hero/heroine surviving the chaos of the times is by placing her main character in a serene, slow-paced setting. While all around her the country reels, in her ancestral home she finds safety and at times peace.

But of course, no family is without history either, and here Berta learns more of where she has come from and how she fits in her own tradition. She does not escape her own tainted past as she meets the Indians her family has forced into a small area of existence. She sees other current concerns as she travels with the Armenian midwife and learns of the miracle of birth in an area with little access to medicine. She learns of the personal failings and misfortunes of her own family, placing her own struggles in perspective.

Lisé's style is sparse, clean, and confident. She trusts her story enough to avoid creating judgments, instead letting the reader draw their own conclusions. At times the chapters seem to jump, but it becomes clear she is creating a backdrop for the world in which Berta finds herself. Early on we get a chapter entitled "This is My Family," and these are augmented later by character sketches in "Aunt Avelina," "Tristan Nepomuceno," "Lusaper Gregorian," and other chapters. Lisé brings to these characters a believable fullness which shows the lives of others trying to survive in a world turned upside down. Many of them survive quite well since they are comfortable with themselves and have seen other difficult times. Lusaper Gregorian, the midwife, is a refugee from the Turkish massacre of the Armenians, so her take on what is occurring is always influenced by what she has survived. These people also create a context for Berta and for how we view Berta.

The novel also succeeds because Berta is such an identifiable victim. She was not involved in any "subversive" activities herself, but the fact that her lover was makes her guilty. She does not face the government and become a martyr, but understandably runs for her life. Berta's time with her new family is slow and probably at times quite boring. While others may be looking for her, she is simply biding her time for approximately two years, waiting to know what to do next. But of course, this is the most important type of hero. An everyday person caught up in the midst of madness and making whatever rational decisions so she can to survive until another opportunity arises.

Lisé herself was 15 when the overthrow occurred, so she lived through this time and likely saw many such simple heroes. By creating a novel following the story of one person she has managed to make the tragedy of the government known while not letting us get lost in facts and numbers. In a similar vein Vietnam veteran Tim O'Brien has taught more about the realities of the war through his fiction than many non-fiction books have ever succeeded in doing. One hopes the Lisé will continue to use the novel as a vehicle to express her knowledge, since she does so powerfully.

Reading Challenges

Truly, I thought this was the week of failure. In addition to this book I reread the final 2/3 of Zorba the Greek, and even worse, was waylaid by a bad spell of allergies (and possibly a sinus infection, but I'm avoiding the co-pay right now). Usually a late night reader, I found myself in bed before 10:30pm on three nights, and Friday night I worked a concert and came home exhausted. Fortunately, not only is Lisé's novel relatively short, it is very interesting so I was anxious to continue. However, I did realize that one good illness could not me off target, but with a note from my doctor my readers may excuse me if I ever fail momentarily in my goal.

Next Up

I have received Jack Ridl's new poetry collection, Losing Season, and have already read (and loved) about 1/3 of it. I may just focus on this for next week as I tend to read poetry through a couple of times anyway. If I get time I may turn to "Operation Biteback," a non-fiction account of a radical environmentalist, or Lara Vapnyar's collection of stories, "Broccoli and Other Tales of Food and Love." I really enjoyed her first collection of stories entitled "There are Jews in My House."

Book Seventeen: A Map of Home by Randa Jarrar

2009-09-12T11:53:00.009-04:00

The coming of age novel is a traditional and logical starting point for any aspiring novelist. In this time of many books and fewer readers, the challenge is to create a unique voice which can be heard above the din. In Randa Jarrar's debut, "A Map of Home," we find a voice which rises above the din to give us a modern and insightful look at how more young people come of age. Jarrar's own international upbringing lends support to her creation of Nidali, born in Boston to a Palestinian father and Egyptian/Greek mother, raised in Kuwait, chased by the Iraqi invasion into Egypt and eventually landing in Texas all on her way to turning 16. While hardly the resume of most teenagers, Nidali's unusual journey reflects the growing international background of the United States. Children are no longer simply immigrants from one country, but instead a biological and geographical mix of many places.

Nidali is an honest narrator and the reader feels at times drawn and at times embarrassed by the decisions and actions of this young girl. Her father (her Baba) hits on her a regular basis, but Nidali sees this as normal for her culture and Jarrar withholds judgment. This is Jarrar's strongest trait as a writer -- her ability to trust her story and her narrator without creating explanations. A coming of age story in which we learn too many "lessons" will cease to be a coming of age story, instead resembling a how-to book for parents and their adolescents. Here we see things as Nidali sees them, and her view is wider than that of her family, in part because she is the sum of different parts. She is forced to examine herself in the context of different nationalities and cultures in order to understand herself and her family.

Much of her young life is spent in Kuwait where she excels at school, explores her sexuality, and deals with the drama of family life. Baba is a frustrated poet who works as an architect, and mother is a frustrated concert pianist who finally obtains a piano and spends her days playing Chopin and ignoring her "wifely" duties. A thinly sketched younger brother hovers in the background, but Jarrar never really fleshes him out so he tends to simply serve as a foil to others. When Iraq invades Kuwait they eventually flee to their summer home in Egypt. Along the way one car burns up, Nidali's first period arrives, and Baba bribes guards with whiskey or selections from his collection of silk ties.

After the war is over Baba is told he cannot return to Kuwait since he is Palestinian, and he eventually lands a job in Texas. When the family joins him they end up in a trailer home, Nidali finds her way through school, and her mother puts up with being asked if she speaks Spanish. Jarrar does an excellent job of pointing out how difficult this transition can be. Even Nidali, who is usually two steps ahead of her family in figuring out the cultural landscape, has to be dressed by some new found friends. We also find the familiar immigrant struggles of which language is to be spoken, the clash of old and new cultures, and the quicker acclamation of the culture by the youngest in the family. The story culminates in Nidali's need to decide between staying with her family or moving into yet another landscape for college.

The title, "A Map of Home," fits well for an understanding of the book. She realizes that her map, like that of Palestine, is constantly shifting and is at times of her own creation and at other times created by outside forces. But for such a constant traveler her map of home is something she carries within and redraws as she moves forward in life.

Jarrar pulls this off with a fast moving narrative style which does not shrink from the realities of growing up in what at times are life threatening circumstances. This book came out of Jarrar's work in her Master of Fine Arts program and at times it betrays the overwriting of a writer who may yet be seeking to trust her own voice. It is one which should be trusted since Jarrar has the potential to add a fresh voice to the literary landscape.

Reading Challenges

Reality has hit! This week became much more difficult to maintain my goal. I worked at night on a couple of film showings and had a jazz concert (the excellent Brubeck Brothers Quartet) to oversee as well. In addition, I had a final report to finish for a public school committee I'm co-chairing and I'm back at Zorba the Greek since I'm teaching it in class. "A Map of Home" is a pretty quick read so I made it, but this coming week does not look much better. I'm tougher than I thought on my students so the reading for Zorba is heavy. Plus, I've not taught the novel before so I'm now reading it and taking notes with class in mind -- slow going. In the end I made it, but without my goal this would have been a week to back off.

Next Up

"Departing at Dawn: A Novel of Argentina's Dirty War," by Gloria Lise. No idea how this will be, but it sounded interesting and I received a review copy so I'm ready to try it. Jarrar's book was also a review copy and I have another collection coming. Doing the reviews is helpful because even though I select which books to review, I'm still reading books I would not normally buy. As a result my reading is stretching out a bit and the reviews keep me focused on new writing. I expected to reread a few more classics by now, but I like the push for new writing. Lise's book also has an obvious advantage to me this coming week -- it is only 159 pages long!

Book Sixteen: Direct Red: A Surgeon's View of Her Life-Or-Death Profession

2009-09-01T21:17:00.007-04:00

The beauty of internal organs sliced open, the obsession with neatness surrounding an operating room, and the hypnotic and amplified sounds of paramedics rushing into a hospital. These could be elements in a horror novel featuring a sadistic surgeon, or they could be Gabriel Weston's descriptions of her foray into the surgical world.

Weston is a British surgeon who now works part time as an ear, nose, and throat surgical specialist, and her book offers a fascinating look into a world seen by few. This is not a "tell all" book in which she destroys the reputations of fellow surgeons, in fact she beats herself up more than anyone else, but instead an honest look into the humanity behind the surgeons' masks. And humans are what we find. All intelligent, but some more skilled than others. There are the male chauvinists who chase young women, the older women who have passed on family life to focus on their career, and a range of young surgeons in training all trying to gain the confidence they seen in their older colleagues.

Weston is a gifted writer who actually studied literature before deciding on a medical career. The combination works as she breathes new life into the medical genre with her unique approach to what she learned. Of her time in the emergency room, she takes away more than medical knowledge. "I came to see the ER as a sort of departure lounge in which every patient had come to say goodbye to someone or something, often with no warning, usually with no time or peace or preparation."

The book is arranged by themes, including sections on death, voices, beauty, ambition, children, changes, and home. At times she is hilarious as in the section on sex where she describes her first unsuccessful attempt to put a catheter on a male while being watched by a number of operating room staff. But she balances the humor with a touching story of being attracted to one patient who eventually offered her to share his bed, a line she dared not crossed and which ended their mutual interest. It is dangerous for a doctor to admit they may have romantic feelings for a patient, but Weston is honest in facing her challenges as a young surgeon.

She even admits to a general distaste for the entire childbirth routine, but can wax eloquently about the beauty of a body as it is opened for surgery. In fact, her one failing in the book is the detail she gives to some of her surgical experiences. Her description of a tonsillectomy going wrong gets lost in details a fellow surgeon may appreciate, but are hard for the layman to follow. But these instances are rare and she does pause to explain medical terminology in a way most readers can understand.

Nor are the larger lessons in life missed during her time in the hospital. She reflects back on a visit to Ben, a quiet 10-year-old boy who dies of a rare brain tumor. She visited him earlier in the week because his headache was getting worse and she settled for prescribing more painkillers to get him through the night. Later, after the birth of her own children, Weston better understands what her role was as a doctor that night. "I know now that when a sick child cries in the night, medicine is the last thing on his or her mind, and that what Ben needed from me that night was to give him whatever small amount of my heart's warmth I could afford." It is this reflective side of Weston which gives the book its greatest strength as she does not shrink from an honest appraisal of what she could have done differently. "I still feel ashamed of how I behaved that night," she says, a startlingly honest admission from anyone.

In the end we see her decision to narrow her scope of work in order to become a part-time surgeon and spend more time with her children. She has a schedule which gets her home just before her children were off to bed, and she is content. But one minor encounter changes her direction. Visiting the children's intensive care unit she sees one baby curled up tight and small. "So compactly, completely sleeping that I had felt something deepen, as if a single thin note in me has warmed into a major chord...I had experienced that sharp parental craving for nearness with a child." And thus she beings her life beyond the hospital.

Weston gives us a touching, funny, and most importantly, human look at the world of surgery and the people who inhabit it. It is a story which impacts us all not just because most will eventually face a surgeon, but because we all constantly face life.

Reading Challenges

Again, another easy week. This is a short, easy-to-read book and I had no problem getting it finished. All that is about to change. I'm now rereading Zorba the Greek as a I begin to discuss it in class, I've had a few night performances to handle now that school is back in session, and I'm trying to fit in my "extra" reading. I'm confident I'll get it all done, but I know it will be a bit more challenging.

Next Up

"A Map of Home" by Randa Jarrar. This is another book I received to review (as was Direct Red) so I'm trying to keep up with those. I like this approach since I'm reading books I would not normally pick up, although I still get to choose what I want to review.

And...the big news is that Jack Ridl's new book is out so I hope to get that this week as well.

Book Fifteen (and 15B): Pastoralia by George Saunders

2009-08-29T10:39:00.010-04:00

...and Fear of the Dark by Walter Mosley

The mind, as the saying goes, is a complex place. We have trouble keeping our own thoughts under control let alone knowing what others may be thinking. Even in our most rational moments our mind takes in a wealth of sensory information, makes sense of it, categorizes it, and then makes decisions as to where to focus. From there we get decision making followed by the input of more information.

A challenge for any good writer is to get inside the mind of a character and keep the character's individual voice unique. George Saunders excels at this challenge, bringing the reader into a dizzying swirl of thoughts from a variety of people. From a bullied child to a middle-aged barber living with his mother, Saunders focuses on thoughts in his novella and short story collection, Pastoralia. Infuse this with humor and a kind-spirited sarcasm and you have an outstanding collection of work.

Saunders' opening novella, "Pastoralia," is set in a cave, or better said, a replica of a cave. The narrator is part of the caveman exhibit which is part of a larger theme park which includes the Russian Peasant Farm, Wise Mountain Hermit, Sheep May Safely Graze, and the occasional feature of frontier pioneers caught in a flood. The male narrator and his female co-part have their separate living areas, but keep in touch with their families and supervisors through fax machines. Their real life dilemmas stand starkly against their "role playing," and whiffs of Sartre's idea of role-playing are strong in this piece. Saunders casts a sarcastic eye at our efforts to preserve an ideal which never existed, especially in the midst of own efforts at daily life. The fact that the theme park is struggling and cutting exhibits throughout the story shows us the crumbling edifice of our created ideals.

But the greatest strength in this and the other stories is his entry into the mind. No where is this seen better than in "The End of FIRPO in the World." Firpo is the derogatory nickname given by a stepfather to Cody, his bullied son who is going to end the time of "Firpo" through what he sees as a brilliantly executed revenge against some neighbors who bully him. In a speeding eight pages Saunders gives us the range of Cody's thoughts which bounce from his mother to past humiliation, to future triumphs, and even a place as a scientist in a floating science lab. That Saunders does this without losing the reader is a testament to his writing style.

While all the stories are strong, the other standout is "The Barber's Unhappiness" in which most of the action revolves around the barber's thoughts. His unhappiness is usually self-created when his elaborate plans for the future unravel into unhappiness and he has yet to physically move. This is a person entirely capable of ruining a good opportunity simply by convincing himself that it will go wrong. Of course, we see a person lacking self-esteem, and although Saunders likes to get us laughing at the barber's thinking, it will be hard for any reader to not recognize themselves in the story. Fortunately, in the end Saunders leaves us with the possibility of hope. It is this final trait that saves all these stories from smug, bitter sarcasm. Saunders likes people and he sees the possibility of hope. Which of us could use less of that?

Fear of the Dark by Walter Mosley
I will not spend long on this one, but let it be said that Mosley is not a writer to miss. Outside of my obsession with Sherlock Holmes I'm not much of a mystery reader, but Mosley is the exception. In addition to fast paced writing and story lines, you get a great view of race relations in the 1950s in Los Angeles. Mosley gives us an insight into why African Americans may choose to work "outside the system" to resolve issues both legal and illegal. He sometimes breaks from this genre in books like Futureland, a collection of science fiction stories which is great (and I never read science fiction) and The Man in the Basement, a book which would make my list of essential reads -- a philosophical exploration into humanity.

Reading Challenges

The last few weeks have been easy. I've noticed that my "required" reading is now anxiousness for my reading time -- the reading keeps me balanced as it puts me another world, challenges my thinking, and brings me simple pleasures. Saunders was a welcome presence to return to and I ended up reading way ahead of my mental schedule. In fact, I already finished half of the book I was planning for next week. As for Mosley, well, that is my bedtime book. I take a long time to knock off a book since I may read in bed just once or twice a week at most. I pick books I can quickly jump back into and have chosen another work by Mosley to have sitting next to the bed.

Next Up

Direct Red: A Surgeon's Story by Gabriel Weston. I would not have normally picked this up, but I'm really enjoying it so far. It is a nonfiction account about a doctor's entrance into the surgical world. This is my first "free" book in exchange for reviewing it on Blogcritics, although I have a couple of others already lined up (and the new Bruce Hornsby CD -- I'm branching out).

Book Fourteen: Unquenchable: America's Water Crisis and What to do About It by Robert Glennon

2009-08-22T23:01:00.007-04:00

There are no shortage of crisis situations facing our world, yet nothing seems so elemental as water. It is such an integral part of our daily existence that it can be hard to understand how deep our dependence on water really is. That we need to drink water is understandable, but that it takes 2,500 gallons of water to produce 1 pound of beef will make you look at that quarter pounder a bit differently.

Of course, concern about water is as ancient as life itself. In the United States water disputes have influenced settlements and governance, as any good Western movie will show you. More recently we've dealt with acid rain, but with the plethora of water bottles showing up on store shelves, do we really have a water crisis?

Robert Glennon's well laid out argument first establishes that there is a crisis and then offers suggestions on how to address it. The argument that there is a water crisis is becoming easier to make, in no small part thanks to Glennon's ongoing work in this area. Major media outlets are also now pointing out that the concern for water is not just an issue for other parts of the world, but the United States as well.

Glennon's strengths in this book are many. First, he lays out the arguments by telling stories and backing them up with facts. We not only see numbers, but more importantly we see the people impacted by the numbers. Glennon understands that this is not simply an environmental issue, but a human issue. Plus, he is not interested in browbeating naysayers into submission; he clearly wants to attract people to his way of thinking. While he does not suffer fools kindly, he assumes the reader is an intelligent person with an interest in understanding the issue at hand.

Second, Glennon is well organized in his presentation, something many people passionate about a subject forget to consider. He breaks the book into three sections ("The Crisis," "Real and Surreal Solutions," and "A New Approach") and he keeps them separate. When presenting the information he lets the data speak for itself, sometimes showing his hand toward the end, at other times leaving the reader to their own conclusions.

Third, Glennon knows that rational people can disagree. He refuses to demonize those he may disagree with, instead looking at their arguments and refuting as he sees fit. Several times throughout the book he acknowledges that there is no easy solution to a problem and that two opposing views both carry valid arguments. In other words, this is a scientist who understands in reality we do not have all the answers. He also does not expect everyone to adopt an extreme point of view and shows himself as a passionate, if not radical, water enthusiast. Toward the end of the book he notes his mother-in-law takes "navy showers" (get wet, turn the water off and soap up, and turn the water back on to rinse) -- he prefers the more wasteful but also more pleasant full shower treatment.

Finally, one of Glennon's surprising strengths is his sense of humor. While he never loses sight of the seriousness of his topic, he can rarely resist a good laugh; as a reader it is surprising to find yourself laughing at a "heavy" book. When discussing the race for a more powerful show head (with costs hitting $6,000) he cannot resist noting that Kohler, although their ad features a product with seven heads of water, "none...get the female catalog model's hair wet" (40).

His ideas for solving the water crisis are intentionally wide ranging. Sure, he wants you to turn of the water when brushing your teeth, but he also wants to talk about pricing models, buying water rights, using government incentives, and stimulating alternative waste technologies, just to mention a few. In other words, we cannot solve the water crisis by simply taking shorter showers, but it is a start. Glennon offers input to Congress and local and state governments, and offers a website for the reader to get water-saving tips (http://www.watercasa.org/genwatersavingtips.php)

As his subtitle implies, this is a book about the water crisis in the U.S., not the world. To see him apply this thinking to worldwide issues in water would be equally helpful, but this book is simply not that place. Instead, we get a well reasoned presentation of an issue with clear and reasonable ideas on how to address the problems, all with a well written and humorous style, which make this a must read.

Reading Challenges

This book took a bit more time than most, but it was so well written I did not find it too hard to get motivated for. I was, not surprisingly, a bit tired some nights so any reading can be tough, but nothing too bad.

Next Up

George Saunders' "Pastoralia," a novella and some stories. Saunders is another reader for the Jack Ridl Visiting Writers Series at Hope College this year. He is a MacArthur (genius grant) recipient so of course I have high hopes!

Book Thirteen: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith

2009-08-13T22:58:00.006-04:00

Note: My reviews of recent works are appearing at blogcritics.org first. My review for this book was featured on the front of the books section!! Please visit there and feel free to comment as well (they'll think I'm important).

If ever there was a good reason for eternal copyright laws this book may be it. Seth Grahame-Smith, free from such legal restrictions, takes much of Austen's masterwork, reproduces it, throws in some clumsily inserted sections with zombies, and gets a best seller. Seriously folks, we can do better!

While I am an unabashed fan of Austen, I'm also an unabashed fan of humor so the combination of zombies and Elizabeth Bennet sounds like a recipe for (some strange) success. But what this reminds us of is a Saturday Night Live skit someone decided to make into a movie -- a short dose is fine, but the extended version is predictable, repetitive, and boring. Indeed, the best humor is still Austen's work, and Grahame-Smith would have done better by replacing more of her work with his so he would suffer less by comparison.

His major fault is not being daring enough. He takes too few liberties with the plot or characters themselves, instead resigning himself to interrupt a walk in the countryside with the killing of a few zombies, and then back to Austen again. While he makes the Bennet sisters martial arts experts, he does too little with this twist. The strongest part of his work is his rewriting of the Charlotte/Mr. Collins episode, and while I'll avoid giving away the plot, suffice it to say that it differs greatly from Austen. This section could serve as a model for what he could do with other characters, but for some reason he hesitate. Grahame-Smith needs not be afraid of changing the plot since he has already decided to enter zombies in the picture.

But without a doubt the most frustrating aspect of the book is that too often he takes Austen's work verbatim, and then throws in one line about zombies. It rarely flows and only makes the reader wish he would jump into his plot or leave us to Austen. At other times his attempts at humor fall a bit short, such as his comment that Miss Darcy draws nude pictures of the male form. Again, do something with that angle or leave the single line out.

In short, this book does not go far enough in building off of Austen's plot to create a whole new book. Good advice for any writer -- be not afraid!

Reading Challenges

I thought this would be a tough week to get reading in, but an enjoyable book. Reverse that. Had the book finished by Thursday because I was in a hurry to get through the pain. I knocked off about half this book in one evening and can recommend it as an easy read (since I cannot recommend it as a good read).

Next Up

Going the non-fiction route with Robert Glennon's "Unquenchable: America's Water Crisis and What to Do About It." I'm on a committee creating a symposium on water this fall -- Glennon is someone we want to get in sometime during the semester even though he cannot come during our actual symposium.

Book Twelve: The Annotated Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

2009-08-09T22:06:00.003-04:00

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single reader in search of a pleasurable read need only turn to Ms. Austen. Such was the experience again when returning to a book I have read several times, yet find more interesting each time. There is little new to be said about Austen's work in general and Pride and Prejudice in particular. What is it about her work that has won her regard since this novel was published and which continues unabated today? If we are to judge by the movies made of the stories it is primarily the great romantic intrigue which is central to all her novels. But with the notable exception of A&Es long version of the novel (with Colin Firth creating the Mr. Darcy and my wife and daughter wishing they were Elizabeth Bennet), many of them miss what makes reading Austen so enjoyable.

First, there is her well-known wit. Excuse my play on the opening line with my opening line, but most readers are familiar with the famous opening. "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife." At the outset we get Austen's biting sense of humor and a preview of what is to come. There are few novelists who can encapsulate so much in a single line and carry off her humor in the midst of a "serious" novel. Austen is not a comic writer, but in the realist mode she knows that life does have humor and that some people are more humorous than others. The father, Mr. Bennet, is someone I would love to have an hour to talk with someday. He has quick insight into others, throws caustic lines at others in the cloak of humor, and enjoys nothing more than listening to a ridiculous person. He does not take himself seriously either, even noting that his guilt over Lydia's behavior will pass from him as well.

Which leads us into a second attraction of Austen -- her realist portrayal of characters. The entire novel is based on the misguided perceptions of the two central characters. "Pride" and "prejudice" are hardly two ways to induce people to like your central characters, but Austen pulls it off. She does so because she knows the best people fail to be the people they want to be at times, and for Austen that is acceptable. Darcy and Elizabeth both stumble several times throughout the book, but Austen forgives them, the reader forgives them, and ultimately they forgive each other (and true love reigns!). Her realistic portrayals extend to most other characters except for the younger sisters and Mr. Collins, although in many ways they simply serve as foils. Even the mother is shown to have something other than loudness when toward the end we see her intimidated by Lady Catherine de Bourgh and subdued by Darcy.

Of course, there are far more that two reasons to read Austen, but I will not suffer the reader any longer (hey, great Austen type language there!). If you have avoided Austen so far, please resist no longer. Yes, everyone reads her and loves her, but hey, sometimes the majority is right.

A quick note on this annotated version. As I "feared" it did slow me down, but David Shapard has put together a very comprehensive and interesting edition. The text is on the left and his annotations on the right -- at times they are quick definitions or explanations, and at times they are literary criticism. I agree with much of his reading of the novel and found many of his explanations most helpful. If you are a fan of this book this is an excellent edition to seek out. The only downside were several printing errors which left some sentences on the bottom of the page blank -- so keep you other edition handy in case you cannot guess what you are missing.

Reading Challenges

An unexpectedly tough week. I was on vacation from my usual job, but had something at church one night, a meeting another night, and worst of all, a garage sale to prepare for. I did so much physical labor during the day (which is not much in my world) that I was exhausted at night. Fortunately, the book provided a welcome respite from the day's concerns.

I will admit to thinking how nice a week off from reading would be -- or at least a week when I was not thinking about finishing. This is hard work and I have to be intentional, but once I sit down with the book I'm quite happy. I've never been a big tv viewer, but that is nearly nonexistent now (same goes for movies). But I've now completed three months without a serious threat to success, so I will continue forward.

Next Up

Elizabeth Bennet battles zombies. This will be interesting.

Book Eleven: American Woman by Susan Choi

2009-08-02T16:14:00.009-04:00

This is the type of book I typically avoid, but before I had a chance to run I was drawn in by this engrossing account of one fugitive trying to help three more people continue their evasion of the police. I was not far into the book (okay, chapter two) when I realized I was in a fictional account of the Patty Hearst story. For those younger than myself, Hearst is the grandaughter of media giant William Randolph Hearst (see: Kane, Citizen) who was kidnapped by the unknown SLA in 1974, then became devoted to their cause and turned to robbing banks. All but three of the SLA were killed in a shootout and Hearst was arrested about a year later.

But Choi avoids some simple fictionalized version of an already bizarre event (this is a time when the idea of truth being stranger than fiction is clearly true). Instead, the "American Woman" is Jenny Shimada, a Japanese-American who is in hiding because of her interest in bomb making, which has put her boyfriend in jail. Shimada has been avoiding exposure by living in a small town doing renovation work for an older woman. Now she is recruited to help these three and we quickly see that all "radicals" are not cut from the same cloth. While she likes to blow up buildings, she does so when no one is in them and she makes sure they belong to the government. The SLA members have kidnapped an heiress and are as interested in armed warfare as they are about their principles, which seem stretched at best.

Choi does not judge any of her characters and all are especially well drawn. Shimada is a complex person who seems to have it all figured out one minute, and is completely lost the next. In other words, she is a real person (and yes, she too is based on a real person). Pauline, the Patty Hearst of the story, is interesting not because she is supposed to by Hearst, but because we see how someone taken out of their element and thrown into the extreme opposite responds. She goes from pampered college student to bound, blindfolded, and gagged in closet for days. Her relationship with two of her captors is abusive and dependent, yet she is also drawn to Jenny. What she is not drawn to is her past life -- at one point her and Jenny drive by her old house, but she has no desire to return. That part of her life is gone.

Which raises the question of what happens when we do disappear. When they are captured (oops, late spoiler alert for those who did not guess it) they refer to Pauline's year of hiding as "the lost year." But who lost the year? Pauline certainly did not. This plays out as a modern version of if a tree falls in the woods does it make a sound? Choi is playing with the idea of how our lives are and are not dependent on others involved with us, others viewing us, and others we pass by in life. While it seems obvious that losing track of others does not mean they have lost themselves, we often make that assumption -- "they fell off the face of the earth." As Choi is showing, life continues even when the circumstances change. Jenny and Pauline disappear for different reasons, their circumstances both change, and they themselves change, but that does not equate with being lost. But it does raises questions about how we define ourselves when those around us who do define us are gone. What makes make Jenny who she is and which is the "real" Pauline.

Choi's prose is full and worth a slow read. The book is cinematic in its layout and she paints clear pictures everywhere she goes. The last section of the book loses some of the hold after the tension has disappeared, but it adds another interesting note to the story in comparing how fame impacts what should be similar situations for two people.

Finally, we can return to Choi's title and spend time defining the two words of the title -- American and woman. In what ways is a Japanese-American raised in Japan for many years and an acknowledged bomber of American government properties an American? As the story unfolds the ideas of "woman" are also explored with a range of options considered. In other words, Choi leaves us a lot to think about.

Reading Challenges
Another tough week to get all the reading in, but mainly because I was taking my time with the book. At 369 pages it is not a short book, but it should be easy to know off in a few nights. I just enjoyed the prose enough to move at a leisurly pace. This is a book I kept wanting to return to so I made time whenever I could.

Next Up
Oh wonderous joy, I'm returning to Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. I've read this book so many times that I remember it better than I should, but Austen's prose is so incredible I just love returning to it. Two twists on this one. First, I'm reading a fully annotated version which should slow me down tremendously, and second, the week after I'm reading the zombie version of Pride and Prejudice -- clearly I'm an Austen fan who her works can handle zombie versions.

Book Ten: Fordlandia by Greg Grandin

2009-07-25T23:10:00.006-04:00

This sounds like an urban legend gone bad (do any go good?), so I had to read about Henry Ford's attempt to build "the American Dream" in the jungles of Brazil. The financial impetus was to grow rubber for tires and other auto parts, but by the time he started rubber prices were low and the need was no longer there. But Ford still decided to create a town to help civilize the jungle and bring American happiness worldwide. It failed of course. The most interesting part of this book is the issue of Ford trying to create the ideal small town his production line had ruined. Thanks to affordable cars the American dream was on the road and Ford never seemed to reconcile with himself for killing what he loved.

Building towns was something of an occupation for Ford. Alberta and Iron Mountain in Michigan are two industrial examples, and his Greenfield Village was nothing less than his American version of his Fordlandia experiment -- sans rubber. Other companies had done this as well, but Ford was committed to recreating the Midwest in Brazil. He wanted straight roads, Cape Cod houses, a church, a town square, and a dance hall for all those square dances. He made the people overseeing it get rid of the thatched roofs and put on tin roofs, thus creating a plethora of house-sized ovens. I could go on, but picture everything you think ridiculous in such an attempt and it probably occurred.

Of course, the rubber plantations did not work out either. Rubber trees grow wild in the Amazon, but put them in a plantation and they share bugs and diseases quickly. Not that he gave up easily. In fact he never did give up -- it was his grandson who finally gave it all back to Brazil nearly 20 years after they started.

Grandin does a good job of avoiding the obvious themes of humanity vs nature, or the unbridled ego of a man who thinks his way of life fits elsewhere. Instead, he focuses our attention back on Ford in the U.S. and parallels how his failed attempts at building in Brazil mirrored the erosion of his company and the life he held dear.

Unfortunately, Grandin spends too much time on subplots and at times the book is a stuggle to read. He tends to repeat the same information too much, and if I read one more time about Henry Wickham's stealing of rubber tree seeds to create the Southeast Asia rubber industry, I swore the book was going threw the window. (Besides, what can you expect from a man sharing the same last name as the villain of a Jane Austen novel!) In one chapter he makes a half-hearted attempt to draw an analogy with Conrad's Heart of Darkness, but fails to make it stick. He is a professor and has done his research, so he figures he might as well share it with us. A bit more focus on the project without the extras would help.

However, all this gave me a fuller and much less pleasant understanding of Ford than I previously had. Grandin presents a balanced portrait of a bright, entrepurniaral person who cared about his workers on one hand, but was anti-Semitic and not opposed to having a union symphathizer beaten. Ford is a man of great contradictions who, because he had the resources, could make those contradictions into realities which everyone but him seemed to see. In the end the book is a tragic tale of Ford himself, with Fordlandia being just one of a list of things which went wrong in the final decades of his life.

If you are interested watch this 15 minute interview with Grandin and you'll get the gist of the book and the Fordlandia project.

Read this review at Blogcritics.

Reading Challenges
No doubt about, I thought I was going to fail this week. This was a tough book to read with a lot of information I was not all that interested in. Fortunately, just when I thought I would give in, Grandin would get back into it and I was interested again. The week itself was not too busy, so I'm glad I had the extra time needed to read this one. I can say that if I was not doing the book-a-week I would have either given up or at least spent another week on it. After my "reading high" of last week it felt a bit more like homework this week.

But the last two days brought an added bonus. Reading glasses! I'm already officially old, but now I have the glasses to prove it. The eye doctor told me reading glasses would do the trick and to save money by buying them at the drugstore. So I bought a pair and found the reading to be MUCH less tiring. Of course, my three-year-old still thinks I'm just goofing around when I put them on, but he'll adjust.

Next Up
So after a tough week I'm hoping Susan Choi's American Woman is a easy and enjoyable read. Choi is coming to Hope College this year as part of the Visiting Writers Series and I always try to read what our guests are writing (so I can tell people to attend with good reason).

PLEASE COMMENT SO I KNOW YOU ARE OUT THERE.

Happy reading!

Book Nine (and Nine B): Drinking Coffee Elsewhere by ZZ Packer

2009-07-18T22:40:00.012-04:00

...and Galway Kinnell's Strong Is Your Hold.
First, Drinking Coffee Elsewhere. This has one of best opening lines I've read in a long time. "By our second day at Camp Crescendo, the girls in my Brownie troop had decided to kick the asses of each and every girl in Brownie Troop 909." Clearly, Packer is not one to pull punches and this collection of short stories reflects life well -- there is humor, horror, and people good and bad. Packer is African American and her stories focus on African Americans working their way through the world. The ass-kickin' Brownie troop above is an African American group responding to a racist comment never uttered. It takes nerve to open her collection of stories with one showing African Americans "using" their status to create an issue, but that is one of Packer's strengths. Throughout the stories Packer calls everyone to account regardless of race, gender, age, religion, and just about any other category you can create.
She is a realist in the sense that she describes how life is, meaning she is not a writer to look to when you need a lot of hope. There is hope in the stories, because there is hope in life. Just not an overwhelming amount.

Her best story (and longest -- she knows how to develop a story) is "Speaking in Tongues." In the story of runaway church girl from the country looking for her estranged, drug-addicted mom in Atlanta, we see the ease in which a child is almost brought into prostitution. But we also see the courage of others when several prostitutes go after the pimp in order for her to escape their life. This is a story which takes us deep into despair and then brings us hope.

"Brownies," from which we get the opening line, explores the racial understanding of young children and how they are already responding differently. One interesting aspect of this story is that the main character and narrator is actually ostracized by the group, and has been for years. It made me wonder how often we see stories from the point of view of someone who has little impact on the narrative direction, yet avoids the third-person perspective.

No story in the collection is bad, although a couple did not have the punch of the rest ("The Ant of the Self" has potential, but just did not cut it in the end for me). Packer has the potential to create an impact down the road, and this first (and only) book has brought in a number of awards and a great deal of recognition. Visit her website to read about her and find some of the stories online.

Galway Kinnell's Strong Is Your Hold. Kinnell is quite simply my favorite poet, evidenced by the fact that I return to him again and again. This is his latest collection (2008) and I was pretty excited to find a version of it which includes a CD of him reading it for $3 (new!) on Ebay -- including postage. Poetry should never be that cheap, but I'll take it (I also scored Donald Hall's collection of past and new poems for just a few dollars as well). I have two Galway Kinnell stories I tell and should put into writing. The great poet and teacher Jack Ridl introduced me to Kinnell when I was a student at Hope college. The first story actually deals with Tom Andrews, a fellow student who went on to be a great poet and who passed away much too soon. Many of our class were poets-in-hoping and dressed the part, but Andrews always looked like he got lost on the way to an engineering class. But could he write! I'd hear his poems and think, well, I guess I could do something else in life. So it came time to read Kinnell and I was completely blown away by his earthiness, his directness, his un-pretentiousness. Andrews and I were talking before class about "The Bear" (my all time favorite poem) and he said "when I got to the part where he climbs into the bear I just had to put the book down and walk away -- I couldn't even finish it." I thought the poem was really "cool," but Andrews was physically moved by it. Probably why he was a great poet and I've been told that I could write great Hallmark cards.

My second story (in case anyone is reading). Jack (Ridl) created a phenomenal writing series (which now carries his name and I have the joy of working with, although I do NOT get to select the writers) and I told him please let me know if you ever get Kinnell to Hope. Sure enough, a few years later I'm in charge of housing at Hope College and Jack sends me a note saying he has Kinnell coming in. I was so excited, and then realized it was same day/time all the women on
campus came to a large room and selected their housing for the next year -- a very stressful event. I had already sent out all the information, but I made the decision to change the housing selection time to later and I sent a letter to every woman on campus explaining what I was doing and why. Over 800 women learned that poetry is more important than shelter. Not a single complaint, I got to see Kinnell read, and my signed copy of his Selected Poems is still my most prized book. (But my supervisor at the time was a bit confused by my actions!). [If you are not familiar with Jack Ridl, or even if you are, visit his website and read some great stuff].

Okay, so now I come to Strong Is Your Hold. Kinnell is aging and his writing reflects the life and concerns of an older man who still loves life and people. Don't get me wrong. He is not a "happy" poet, but one who truly values what he has.

I, who so often used to wish to float free
of earth, now with all my being want to stay... ("The Stone Table")

He writes of his children (as always) and his grandchildren, nature and sex, and a range of other topics. What strikes me about Kinnell is that he treats all subjects equally. Children have as much to offer as nature which has as much to offer as good wine. He draws and learns from everything, seemingly without judgment expect on himself. He is a humble writer, but he writes with such power it is easy to miss.

"Pulling a Nail" is a wonderful rumination on pulling a nail his father drove into wood the year Kinnell was born. He does not miss these interesting intersections of present and past, and in doing so he transcends time to create a now. In the hands of a lesser poet this scene could be one of my Hallmark cards, but Kinnell relishes the struggle as much as the connection.

Death is always a theme for Kinnell, and this volume includes works to friends that have died. But without a doubt the most moving, most challenging poem is his 9/11 response entitled "When the Towers Fell." You can read this poem online. The poem shows Kinnell's strengths: his unflinching gaze into evil, his empathy, his anger, his humility. This is not a polite poem. For people who lost friends in the towers it would be difficult to read. Thus his greatest strength: honesty.

In other words, another great book by Kinnell.

Reading Challenges
Another easy week to meet my goal and I got to read Kinnell's work (twice), although I had read it before. What has been happening the last couple of weeks is I find myself reading ahead of my schedule -- the reading is very enjoyable and is making life more focused (or put into perspective). I thought by now I would be getting tired of this idea, but at the moment I have not intention of stopping. My list of books to read grows longer and I'm excited about what I have on the list. In fact, I'm more willing to "risk a read" since I'm not committing to weeks of reading, just one week.

What is Next?
Back to some nonfiction which sounds fictional. Greg Grandin's Fordlandia, about Henry Ford's failed attempt at building the U.S. Midwest in the jungles of Brazil. The plot would be a bad novel, but since it is true it should be pretty interesting. In going through the introduction I've learned about other companies doing similar things (e.g. Hershey in Cuba), but not with Ford's plan to simply drop our lifestyle unaltered in the midst of another world. Suburbia Brazil?

Happy reading!

Book Eight (and Eight B): Sherlock Holmes Was Wrong by Pierre Bayard

2009-07-11T10:03:00.011-04:00

...and the Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle

I had high hopes for my reading this week and my expectations were exceeded. In preparation for Pierre Bayard's Sherlock Holmes Was Wrong I returned to my childhood favorite reading. Granted, the Hound has never been my favorite Holmes story, but I found it to be a fun, exciting, and an interesting read. The story is steeped in the gothic tradition with the large estate, deadly moor, oppressive fog, and desolate landscape. Doyle succeeds in creating a character out of the landscape in a way that Willa Cather's does (and you try fitting those two in the senetence.) The ending still tends to just fizzle out, but the steps in getting to the end are worth the effort. Most people know the story in one way or another (my oldest said he remembers it best as a Wishbone episode -- for fans of the literary dog), but just in case: Holmes is called in when a member of the Baskerville family dies. Although it appears a simple heart attack, a doctor and friend of Baskerville thinks he was frightened to death by a giant hound which has haunted the family as a curse. With a new heir arriving can Holmes solve the mystery of the hound before the next (and last) member of the Baskerville family dies? Watson plays a major role in this book in part because some scholars assert the novel was originally written without Holmes -- this was written after Doyle killed Holmes off and before he returned him in "The Empty House." When the publisherr offered double the royalties, Holmes was inserted. Doyle even throws in an insane murderer haunting the moor to throw everyone off track and there are is no shortage of clues to build a case upon. But I leave the ending to you.

Which leaves us Bayard's assertion that Holmes is wrong in this case. His book is in part a look at the Hound, but it is more a lively exploration of literary theory. His has applied his theory of "detective criticism" to Agatha Christie as well and what is appealing is his willingness to apply his theory to practical interpretations. Bayard's theory in general is not original: texts cannot be objective references since every reader completes the story with his/her own background. In fact, the same reader cannot read the same book twice since the second reading will be changed by the first (e.g. you cannot step in the same river twice). In practice someone employing "detective criticism pays close attention to the way the facts are presented, accepting no testimony without reservation and systematically calling into question everything that is reported to him" (70). He then calls into question much of what Holmes concludes and what Doyle writes. The Hound is not a tightly written novel, but then Doyle could not even keep the location of Watson's war wound in one spot -- details are not his strength, which make his success as a detective writer even more surprising. Without spoiling the ending, let it be said that Bayard falls prey to some of the same mistakes he charges Doyle as a writer and Holmes as a character with -- his idea of the real "murderer" has too many holes as well. In some ways Bayard is having fun, so I do not take his reading of the Hound too seriously -- is was an easy target for him.

One of the most interesting chapters is "Does Sherlock Holmes Exist?" in which he explores the the long standing debate about if fiction and reality can intersect. He places himself in the extreme side of the "integrationists," in which he believes that "literary characters enjoy a certain autonomy"(114). I tend to disagree rather strongly, but the disagreement has less to do with what he sees as opposed to how he interprets it. Bayard can argue that the outcry Doyle heard when he killed off Holmes shows the intersection of fiction and reality and thus makes the character autonomous. While I'm happy to play the literary theory game, I also know when people like their stories to continue and characters they like to live (see: Potter, Harry), but this does not give a separate life to the characters. In fact, the argument fails because they are dependent on the readers for the reaction. But his whole discussion of characters who seem to exist independent of their works is very interesting.

As you can see this book got me thinking and was one of the more creative approaches to literary theory I've ever read -- wish they gave me this one to read in my lit. theory class!

Reading Challenges
Dare I say, none? I read Hound of the Baskervilles in two nights and Bayard in another two. Both quick, enjoyable, and easy reads.

Next Up
ZZ Packer's collection of short stories, Drinking Coffee Elsewhere. I got a great deal on some books through Daedalus Books and this was one. I know next to nothing about her, but was intrigued by the strong blurbs she had, including John Updike saying "ZZ Packer tells it like it izz." Guess he could not resist the double zz.

Book Seven: The Known World by Edward P. Jones

2009-07-04T23:35:00.006-04:00

Slavery is an abhorrent reality that is hard to imagine being more despicable than what most of us have already learned about the "peculiar institution." Edward Jones throws a new twist at us when he writes a book about a slave-owning black man. Indeed, there are instances in which this did occur, but Jones notes in an interview (in my edition of the book) that it was likely rare.

This book is an intricately weaved story which breaks from a straight linear plot indicating that ideas are more important than the timeline. Henry Townsend is the slave owning black man and the book opens with his death, but his life comes back to us as times. He is, interestingly enough, a former slave bought from slavery by his father, who had earned his own freedom and that of his wife years before. These are people who understand the nature of slavery and have endured it, so the fact that Henry would choose to enslave others is surprising to say the least. We never get a good understanding of why he does this other than that is what people do -- it is not an issue of race, but of power.

His first slave and a central character is Moses, a person who embodies what slavery can do to a person's character. Jones does an outstanding job with how we as readers see Moses throughout the story, and the change we see can be attributed to us either learning more about him, or the fact that the person we see is changing. Either way, Jones avoids stereotypical portrayals of people throughout the novel which makes it more difficult to dismiss someone as ignorant because we disagree with them.

The new question this leaves us (okay, me) with is whether slavery is any more evil when practiced by a former slave? It seems especially insidious for someone who has served as a slave to subject others to this status. Yet what we see in this story and other narratives were that many slaves accepted the institution as a part of life, so why not continue in it from a power perspective when able? I return again to the idea of race vs. power. It was not the racism inherent in slavery which bothers Henry, it is the lack of power. If he focuses the experience as an individual struggle then he can simply see his position of master as evidence of someone overcoming the odds. If he were to focus on the nature of the institution, he could not rationalize what he has done -- he would now be a contributing member of an evil institution instead of a successful businessman.

A book well worth reading for many reasons. First, learning more about slavery makes us more aware of how our country was built. This book does not offer many happy endings, which is more reflective of slavery than some stories would have us think. Second, this is a well written book. As I mentioned, Jones does a great job with characters. He also has a knack for the well written sentence. It is not an "easy read," but it is a full read. Third, the book raises new ways to consider "old" issues, such as race and power. Fourth (and finally), anyone looking for strong women characters will find an abundance in this book (although I failed to mention them of course).

Reading Challenges
This turned out to be tougher than I thought and for a while I was worried I would break my one book per week goal. I was on vacation this week and that actually makes things tougher. Of course, visiting Traverse City where we had 49 hours of rain in the 48 hours we were there (with a high temp. of 60) meant that no one had a reason to stay up late so I was able to keep up. I spent more hours reading this book than any other one in the past couple of months and I've learned to steal 30 minutes here and there.

Next Up
A little fun and two books to boot! I'll be reading The Hound of the Baskervilles and then a book called Sherlock Holmes was Wrong about how Holmes messed up the Baskerville case. I went off on my Sherlock Holmes fascination last week so I'll not repeat it, but I'm looking forward to these two books.

Book Six: The Road by Cormac McCarthy

2009-06-27T20:54:00.011-04:00

Let me just get this out of the way -- read this book. It is well written, is powerful, is moving, and is haunting. McCarthy has established himself as one of the major contemporary writers, even though I was not convinced. Consider me convinced! The Road deals with a father and son traveling "the road" after life as we know it on earth is wiped out. There are people alive, but not many and few of them are the "good guys." Food is scare, forcing people into a nomadic existence in which they must fight for survival. In other words, the aftermath of whatever destruction was wrought looks a lot like how humans used to live, but with a lot less sunshine (and lots of ashes -- this is one bleak setting).

As a father this book carries some extra weight, but I cannot see anyone reading it and not being impacted. The father has taught the son how to kill himself with the one bullet left should something happen to the father. He has also made a commitment to kill the son if the he (the father) will no longer survive. This is not given as a central element, but unfolds during the book creating additional tension. The son is young, and although no age is given (that I remember) I place him around nine or ten, which is conveniently the age of one of my sons. The relationship is touching and as realistic as one could imagine in that setting. The love between them is made clearer because of the alien setting -- sometimes the familiar looks new when seen from a different angle.

To say more about the plot will give more away than I wish, so I'll avoid that. But the themes in this book are multiple and soul searching. What makes life worth living, or in other words, what is the meaning of life? Father and son are each others world, so is there a world if one of them ceases to exist? What is "good" and "bad?" What is the point of the journey if the path is so horrible? What is the point of the journey if the end is not what you want? What is the relationship between parent-child, father-son? Is there a God? If so, explain evil? What is our responsibility to others? What constitutes love? Are there limits to love?

I could literally keep going on and any one of these would destroy most writers. McCarthy does trip on the cliche now and then, but he has so little dialogue that he allows the reader to insert their thoughts. It would also be easy to superimpose a great deal of symbolism here, but I avoid symbolic readings whenever possible -- I've never been much of a riddle fan. Whenever you get a father, a son, and something they call "the fire" inside, well, the Christian symbols are screaming at you. But if someone tries to read that out then by the end of the book they will be greatly confused.

McCarthy succeeds because he has combined a great story with great ideas. If you want to focus on the story, you'll love it. If you want to use it as a springboard for greater thought, you'll love it. If you read it for all the answers, forget it. McCarthy raises questions that will stick with you for a long time, which defy easy answers (and in many cases answers at all), and which everyone needs to consider.

Reading Challenges
Good books make life easy. This is a short read (287 pages of large font) and I was way ahead of schedule. I was worried that the end of the week would get too busy so I read more up front and ended up just having a bit to finish on Friday (as opposed to Sunday). I was anxious to get back to it so this turned out to be an easy week.

Next Up
I really don't know! I just started a Chinese novel called Wolf Totem by Jiang Rong and I really like it. However, is over 500 pages of small font and the writing is, well--dense is not the right word, full (?) so it takes time and deserves time. I'm not going to finish this in a week so I toyed with just blowing my weekly read, but I'm not ready to do that. I'll read this book in parts until I get to a point where I can read what is left in a week.

I have two back to back book sets to tackle. First, Pride and Prejudice (which can never be read too often) and then the Zombie version of Pride and Prejudice after that (my oldest son has a knack for strange and unusual). I also want to read Doyle's Hound of the Baskervilles again because there is another book, Sherlock Holmes Was Wrong, about how Holmes blew the Baskerville case. I'm a huge Sherlock Holmes fan thanks to my oldest brother buying me the books at the Saugatuck bookstore "Call Me Ishamel" and leaving me to read while he spent a couple of hours looking at books. I read a lot of stories on Sunday afternoons in that bookstore. I may be able to read both of the Holmes releated books in one week, but I have yet to get the other book.

So...after perusing my bookshelf I've landed on The Known World byEdward P. Jones, which won the Pulitzer a few years ago. Actually not a whole lot easier than Wolf Totem, but I'm not afraid of a challenge. This will also break my fiction/non-fiction rotation which had unexpectedly crept in, and I'll get through that change without any counseling required.

Happy reading!

One Book One Week One Year

A Year of Reading

Book Fifty-Two: The Secret Lives of People in Love by Simon Van Booy (and 52B: The Sign of Four by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Book Fifty-One: Einstein's Dreams by Alan Lightman (and 51B: A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conon Doyle)

Book Fifty: Celestial Navigation by Anne Tyler (and 50B: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Book Forty-Nine: All the Names by Jose Saramago

Book Forty-Eight: Death with Interruptions by Jose Saramago

Book Forty-Seven: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Book Forty Six: The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid (and 46B: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan)

Book Forty-Five: The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything by James Martin, SJ (and 45B: Walter Mosley's Fortunate Son) and (45C:Mark Haddon's The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime)

Book Forty-Four: Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser

Book Forty-Three: A Lost Lady by Willa Cather and (43B-Food Rules by Michael Pollan) and (43C--Good Fairies of New York by Martin Millar)

Book Forty-Two: Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson

Book Forty-One: The Heart is A Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers

Book Forty: Peculiar Treasures--A Biblical Who's Who by Frederick Buechner

Book Thirty-Nine:The First Person and Other Stories by Ali Smith

Book Thirty-Eight: Ficciones by Jorge Luis Borges

Later YearsBorges became director of the National Library in 1955. Later in life he slowly became blind and returned to writing poetry as well as short stories.

Final YearsBorges's last book Atlas was written with Maria Kodama, his companion, and with whom he married a month before he passed away. He died at the age of 86, June 14, 1986.

Book Thirty-Seven: Start with Why by Simon Sinek (and I read Zorba the Greek again)

Book Thirty-Six: Moth Smoke by Mohsin Hamid

Book Thirty-Five: Mennonite in a Little Black Dress by Rhoda Janzen

Book Thirty-Four: The Abstinence Teacher by Tom Perrotta

Book Thirty-Three: Rooftops of Tehran by Mahbod Seraji

Book Thirty-Two: The Storm by Frederick Buechner

Book Thirty-One: Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri

Book Thirty: Assembling Georgia by Beth Carpel

Book Tweny-Nine: A Mercy by Toni Morrison and 29(b) A Village Life by Louise Gluck

Book Twenty-Eight: Angry Candy by Harlan Ellison

Book Twenty-Seven: Love in Infant Monkey by Lydia Millet (plus a bonus Christmas CD recommendation)

Book 26: Love Begins in Winter by Simon Van Booy (and 26A-C: Three Christmas Graphic Novels)

The Half Way Point

Book Twenty-Five: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

Book Twenty-Four: The Firefly Effect: Build Teams that Capture Creativity and Catapult Results by Kimberly Douglas

Book Twenty-Three: America's Prophet: Moses and the American Story by Bruce Feiler

Book Twenty-Two: A Person of Interest by Susan Choi

Book Twenty-One: Broccoli and Other Tales of Food and Love by Lara Vapnyar

Book Twenty: Operation Bite Back by Dean Kuiper

Book Nineteen: Losing Season by Jack Ridl

Book Eighteen: Departing at Dawn by Gloria Lise

Book Seventeen: A Map of Home by Randa Jarrar

Book Sixteen: Direct Red: A Surgeon's View of Her Life-Or-Death Profession

Book Fifteen (and 15B): Pastoralia by George Saunders

Book Fourteen: Unquenchable: America's Water Crisis and What to do About It by Robert Glennon

Book Thirteen: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith

Book Twelve: The Annotated Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Book Eleven: American Woman by Susan Choi

Book Ten: Fordlandia by Greg Grandin

Book Nine (and Nine B): Drinking Coffee Elsewhere by ZZ Packer

Book Eight (and Eight B): Sherlock Holmes Was Wrong by Pierre Bayard

Book Seven: The Known World by Edward P. Jones

Book Six: The Road by Cormac McCarthy

Later Years
Borges became director of the National Library in 1955. Later in life he slowly became blind and returned to writing poetry as well as short stories.

Final Years
Borges's last book Atlas was written with Maria Kodama, his companion, and with whom he married a month before he passed away. He died at the age of 86, June 14, 1986.