Astonish Me by Maggie Shipstead

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

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To say that this story had a subtle beginning would be a radical understatement.  The story builds almost painfully gradually as a love story between Joan, an aspiring ballet dancer, and the world-famous ballet-dancing Arslan, who has mysteriously chosen her to assist him in his defection from Russia in the 1970’s. Ultimately jilted by Arslan, she turns to her truest friend, Jacob, who has always loved her, and builds a life with him instead.  But about half way through, there are gradual revelations that ramp up the momentum and twist the plot around on its tail such that it ultimately becomes a book that you cannot put down.

What is as beautiful about the book as the story is the writing, which is crisp, clear, and full of pretty imagery.  The author carries the reader through changes in time and date as well as voice of narration with the utmost of grace, avoiding any flicker of confusion, but adding richness from additional perspective in doing so.  I also felt I learned quite a bit about ballet, something about which I am quite ignorant.  It gives the inside perspective on just how hard and demanding a lifestyle it is to be a professional dancer.

The moral of the story is:  Don’t give up!  This gets so very much better with every turn of the page that its worth staying with it.  Enjoy!

The Last Summer of the Camperdowns by Elizabeth Kelly

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

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LOVED this book!

Riddle, a woman shunned by a man from her past during a momentary encounter, looks back on the summer that changed her (and his) life forever.  At the age of 12, Riddle was an accidental witness to a crime, but was quietly terrorized into remaining silent about what she heard and saw.  As her fretting over her own silence mounted, so did the confusion and mystery around the crime, and the circle of guilt enlarged like the rippling of water from a stone.  Riddle saw her own family become entangled in the mystery, and she saw first hand, how keeping secrets can haunt you and endanger you in the end.

What shines in this book is the writing – it is absolutely resplendent, with richly painted imagery and razor-sharp dialogue.  The banter between Riddle’s father, a war-veteran and politician running for office, and her mother, an actress who’s taken a break from acting but not from being glamorous and cynical, is full of jabs at each other that are biting and callous and occasionally laugh-out-loud hilarious.   The setting is also near and dear to my heart – it takes place in Wellfleet, on Cape Cod, on a beautiful estate overlooking the Atlantic.  The characters are rich – figuratively and literally – and are adored and detested as the rich often are, and there is frequent commentary on both the power and the vulnerability of money.  There is also the component of the coming of age of Riddle, who is thrust into the lives of adults as she turns only 13, and her character is extremely sympathetic.

From glamor and romance to suspense and thrill – and especially fantastic literary sheen — this book has it all!  Highly recommended for that Cape Cod vacation – and any other time as well.

Boy, Snow, Bird by Helen Oyeyemi

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Things are not what they appear to be, is the message of this story.  Boy, a teenage girl (actually!), runs away from her abusive father and finds a new life in a small town in New England.  In this town of craftsmen and artists, she falls into a relationship with a jewelry designer whose family has secrets that she only discovers only after they have impacted her very personally.  But she also lives to discover that her own family has secrets as well.

The story, taken at face value, is somewhat fantastical and remote, bordering on the bizarre.  Some scenes are actually briefly disturbing.  However, I think there is a lot of symbolism here.  The story really is, in my mind, a story of rebellion – rebellion against evil, against racial prejudice, against gender stereotyping, even against what is expected based on general physical appearance.  There is recurring mention of mirrors and what is or is not seen in them, which echoes this theme.  In this, the book has great value.

Unfortunately, though, while the message is important, the delivery is somewhat off.  Because of the mystical quality of the story, there is a distance between the writer and the characters, as if even the writer doesn’t love her own characters. I also found choppiness in the writing that lead to confusion in the actual details of the story.  In changing the voice, which I usually love, the author skips over details that tell the story, and it takes too long and, honestly, too much work to connect the dots.

So while I did love the message of this book, the delivery could have been tighter.

Once Upon a River by Bonnie Jo Campbell

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

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Margo, a strikingly beautiful, quiet teenager with a talent for shooting as accurately as any sharp shooter in Michigan, was content as long as she was near the river she lived on.  Even as her own small family dwindled, with the departure of her mother, she was able to be helpful to her father and enjoy her extended family across the river.  Unfortunately, a frightening incident with her uncle led to the collapse of the world she knew and only her survival skills enabled her to move on and save herself from the many dangers around her.

This was an intriguing but slightly implausible story.  The writing is excellent – simple, quiet, and pensive, as one imagines Margo to be.  She is of the earth and the river, and the descriptions of the natural habitat around her are beautiful.  The story is tragic, however.  Even when there are good things happening to Margo, there is still a sadness to the story that sort of hangs over the words.  And there are many moments during which I felt the story went beyond what one might believe could actually occur.

Nevertheless, the almost dreamy quality of the descriptions of Margo’s life on the river make this book absolutely a worthwhile read.

In the Unlikely Event by Judy Blume

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Miri is a teenager in Elizabeth, New Jersey.  She lives with her single mom and her grandmother and uncle and has as ordinary a life as she is able to, having never met her father and now knowing very much about him.  One day, as she is coming out of a movie theater with her mother, she witnesses the first of 3 airplane crashes within a span of a few months, and it turns her life upside down.  Not only does it create anxiety for Miri, but it also has a profound effect on her best friend, Natalie, whose whole personality seems to transform.

I’m having a hard time writing this blog entry.  Ever since reading Are You There God It’s Me Margaret a hundred years ago, I’ve loved Judy Blume.  Her writing was groundbreaking in so many ways — speaking about topics that were so taboo —  bringing them into the conversation and normalizing them.  Her contributions have been monumental.  On the other hand, though, I did not love this particular book.  While the story is interesting and it does build up to a crescendo that kept me reading, there are just too many characters, the narrator voice switches too often, and the characters are drawn a little stiffly and without much warmth.

I think the book is still worth reading — as a time piece.  It does capture an era, with subtle references to McCarthyism and Packards and the dress of the 1950’s.  It does capture a time when life was considered simpler, although I think that she makes it clear that it was not necessarily so.  And of course, it’s still the iconic Judy Blume!

Best Friends Forever by Jennifer Weiner

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

6066819This is the quintessential summer read!

I love Jennifer Weiner!  Her writing is always witty, sarcastic, entertaining and full of heart – and this book is yet another example of this.

Addie and Valerie, who although are very different, grew up as best friends, living across the street from each other and sharing all their childhood secrets.  Unfortunately, their paths diverged when an incident in high school sent them spinning in very different directions.  Suddenly, now, many years later, just after their high school reunion, Valerie shows up at Addie’s doorstep asking for help after what may have been a serious crime.  Almost in spite of herself, Addie is drawn in to the drama and their adventure begins.

What I love about Weiner’s writing is the building of characters that the reader loves.  The reader cannot help rooting for Addie in this story – she’s an underdog who you can’t help adoring for her steadfast loyalty to her friend and her family.  Even Valerie, who is vain and materialistic, is sympathetic and entertaining in her own right.  Each of the characters is written with tenderness and self-deprecation and you can’t help wanting to know how it all ends for each of them.

I think I may have a deeper appreciation for Jennifer Weiner, also, since I had the amazing opportunity to be present during BookCon (a few weekends ago at the Javits Center), when she interviewed Judy Blume.  There was such a great rapport between the 2 of them ,as they spoke about everything from writing to sex and to the size of their respective chests.  They were both warm, funny, smart and respectful of each other’s talent —  I could have listened to them converse for hours!

Bottom line, I’d take this with me to Cape Cod if I hadn’t already read it!

The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simsion (migrated from bookblogger)

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This is the sequel to The Rosie Project and is almost as cute and charming as the first one.  This takes the main character, Don, and his new wife, Rosie, to New York to continue his research at Columbia while his wife is a medical student there.  To his surprise, Rosie is suddenly pregnant and he is led by a series of comical errors to believe that he will be unsuited for the role of father.

I think it would be a good idea, if others are considering reading this sequel, to maybe wait awhile before reading it.  I think reading it too soon after the first was a mistake, because as much as I was enamored of the main character and his very endearing voice in the first book, I think I actually got almost as annoyed as Rosie was with him in the second.  It is still an engaging and sweet book, however, and I do recommend it.

Most importantly, I think, the book enlightened the reader about Asperger’s.  I think it tells, in a very straight-forward way, both the difficulties and the virtues of those who have this type of personality.  Don, in his own very direct and humble way, does so much good for others, even when it puts him in danger, and he is very much a hero in his own way.  Without even thinking about the consequences, he does the right thing so often, when one who is more emotional, might not have.  It is an interesting perspective on a condition that most think is a negative.  Here, in many ways, it demonstrates how positive this condition can be.  And anytime a book expands our insight into another way of being, I feel this is a good thing.

 

Together Tea by Marjan Kamali (migrated from bookblogger)

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Mina is in business school and only fantasizing about being able to pursue art, just as a good Iranian-American girl should be.  Her mother, Darya, is looking for a husband for Mina, as a good Iranian-American mother should be doing.  They are each struggling with their identities after growing up in Iran and having lived through the Iranian Revolution in the 70’s.  The family had fled Iran in fear at that dark time, but particularly Darya had held on to the idea that the Revolution would be a temporary state and they’d return one day to their home.  When they were still there 15 years later, it almost felt like a shock that they were actually Americans at this point.  After the most recent disastrous attempt at a matchmaking, Mina finally reaches a turning point in her life and suddenly, she needs to return to her roots.  And suddenly at that point, Darya decides she needs to go with her.  The two of them don their hair coverings and the traditional covering for their whole bodies, and fly home to visit their family and friends Iran.  What they learn there changes their lives.

This book gave the reader a great understanding of the turmoil and trauma that occurred in Iran in the 70’s when the Islamic fundamentalists gained control over what was a very colorful, even progressive culture.  The institutionalized suppression particularly of women is very apparent in this story, where women who very clearly are smart and work in professional capacities cannot even go out by themselves and are kept closeted.

Unfortunately, I think the actual writing in the book is weak.  The story is never surprising and remains entirely predictable.  Analogies are tired and trite and there is no poetry in the words here even where the author is trying to portray the cultural beauty that is suppressed.  It is unfortunate because the idea of the book is great – it is just never taken to where it should’ve gone.  A disappointing rendition of a good idea…

 

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins (migrated from bookblogger)

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Rachel, whose alcoholism has cost her the life she once had with her ex-husband, Tom, watches a couple from her commuter train each day.  Jason and Jess are her idea of the perfect couple and she idolizes them with these Rachel-given names.  Suddenly, when she learns that Jess (really, Megan) is missing, she can’t help but get involved.  As Rachel is sucked in to what becomes a dangerous situation, she learns that alcohol has cost her more than just her marriage.

This book deserves the acclaim that it is getting.  It is an excellent portrait of a self-hating, depressed woman whose life is drowned in drink.  It also builds into a thriller with just enough suspense to keep the pages turning.  The characters are not lovable but they are interesting and complex.  It also keeps you guessing and has a twist near the end that I did not see coming.

Thumbs up!

A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler (migrated from bookblogger)

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This was one of those books that keep you waiting for something explosive to happen… and waiting… and waiting…  I’ve now finished the book and I’m still waiting!

The story centers around Abby and Red, who are married and aging and their 4 children are trying to help care for them.  There are difficult relationships among the children, particularly with Denny, who is mysterious and has always been “difficult.”   What I did like about the book is that the writing is extremely authentic.  The descriptions of scenes of ordinary life among the family members are so realistic that you feel as though you are in the room with the characters living it.  The dialogue and the actions are very familiar.

Unfortunately, the plot was extremely vague and meandering and did not rise up to anything truly interesting.  There is an event that changes the course of the story, but it is somewhat anticlimactic.  The most potentially interesting character, Denny, ends up being a missed opportunity.  Throughout the book I was waiting to learn more about him but never really did.

I think the author was going for subtlety, but only achieved a lack of substance.  Disappointing!