Giliad by Marilynne Robinson

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This very beautiful novel is written as a letter from an elderly, dying Reverend, John Ames, to his very young son.  The Reverend is the third generation leader in his small congregation in his smaller town on the American Plains.  As he reflects on his own life, and those of his father and grandfather, he also is visited by his friend’s son, who is in trouble and seeking help of some sort.  There is clearly a very unusual relationship between this man and John Ames, and this creates the little story line that carries the novel.

This is not the kind of book that grabs you  with action and holds you to the end.  This is more the type of book that you have to read slowly, to let the words wash over you so that you can absorb the wisdom within these pages.  It is reflective and pensive and peaceful, and I found myself re-reading many passages in order to appreciate them fully.  And while it is religious, in a sense, it is also universal and I feel that anyone from any background can appreciate the beauty in the words written here.

Read this, take your time, and re-read the lines so that you, too, can love this book as I do.

 

A Hundred Summers by Beatriz Williams

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

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Lily has always felt as if she were in the shadow of Budgie, the worldly one in the center of all the attention.  Having spent summers together on the small peninsula of Seaview, RI, although she’s grown and at Smith College, she still feels inferior to Budgie who is able to navigate the world of men so smoothly – or at least, that is what is feels like.  As Lily begins her romance with a football star from Dartmouth, Nick, she learns gradually, as we do, that things are not exactly as they appear to be.

The author utilizes a back and forth, between time periods 7 years apart, which tells the story from 2 sides and maintains a great aura of suspense. The characters are beautiful, the writing is elegant and the story whips into a twisted plot and a stormy ending.

Another beautiful story by Beatriz Williams!

Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

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It is difficult to start to write about a book that has consumed me for the past 2 months.

This 1079 page book (about 100 pages are footnotes) takes place in a futuristic country which is a conglomerate of the US, Canada and Mexico.  There has been a restructuring and a Canadian faction is secretly trying to win back independence.  We meet 2 spies, each for the “other side” during a conversation they are having about their philosophical and political views.  We meet Hal, a student at a private tennis academy which happens to be the one his recently deceased father established.  We meet Gately, a former drug addict who is a counselor at a residential drug rehab facility that happens to be near the tennis academy.  And so on.   Gradually, what starts as a series of random-seeming vignettes is verbally knit into a fabric of intense and dense story.

The writing in this book is both brilliant and poorly edited, in my opinion.  The author has an encyclopedic knowledge of the world and his vocabulary, both real and invented, is extraordinary.   Scenes that he creates with his words become so tangible you feel you can touch and even smell the characters in them.  At times he changes the writing style to fit a character so drastically you wonder if you’re reading the same book.   And each character, whether tangential or not, is given a full description and many have their own minor “word-binge” about an event that sort of defines them as a character.  What detracts from this, though, is that sometimes these word binges are too long, too dreary or just too repetitive.  There are many times I felt that details could have been edited out.  More might have been relegated to the footnotes, although those were complicated enough as it was (the footnotes have additional story lines – not just explanations of the terms and abbreviations use, although some did).

And while there are some very funny and clever scenes, the tone of the book is pretty sad.  Most of the characters are depicted as having come from families with bizarre or abusive issues, who are trying to live their lives but who end up spinning their wheels and never get where they want to go.  Almost no one is happy, almost no one is fulfilled.  Most are searching and working to move ahead and are thwarted in some way.  Drugs and sexual abuse are pervasive and there is a feeling of hopelessness underlying much of the action in the story.

The inspiration for my reading this book stemmed both from the movie, The End of the Tour, which depicted the true story of the author’s book tour to promote this book in the mid-1990’s.  A young writer for Rolling Stone Magazine decided to follow him and write an article about the experience and the movie is about the philosophical conversations the 2 writers have about everything and the relationship that develops between the 2 of them.  It is a very touching movie and extremely well-acted and aroused an interest in the book, which got enormous critical acclaim.  The other factor was that my son proposed that we read it together so that we could discuss it along the way.  It was really his persistence that kept me honest and reading it till the end.  (Thanks Michael!)

So while this is not a “fun” read or a “light” read, or even a short read, it is an intense, educational, and literarily broadening read for anyone with a lot of time!

I challenge you!

 

 

Thank You For Smoking by Christopher Buckley

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

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You may have seen this movie – I did years ago and really loved it.  But if you want to read something really fun, you’ll try the book!

Nick Naylor has one of the most challenging and unpopular jobs in the country – he is the primary spokesperson for the Academy of Tobacco Studies (a lobbying group for cigarette companies) in Washington.  In other words, he is a professional spin doctor who makes his living trying to convince others that there really is no proof that cigarettes can hurt you.  He is generally ok with being unpopular and brushes off his hate mail fairly callously; that is, until, during an appearance on a popular daytime TV talk show, his life is threatened by a particularly venomous caller who appears to be – and ultimately is – a true threat.  How Nick gets through this calamity brings the reader through plot twists that are wickedly and absolutely fun.

The best part of this book, for me, was the writing.  It is full of dark humor, sarcasm and wit.  Nick meets regularly with two other spokespeople (alcohol and gun lobbies), who call themselves the “Mod” Squad – only the MOD stands for Merchants of Death.  Their conversations alone are worth reading!  There is so much self-deprecation and funereal humor that I laughed out loud.

It is a crazy premise for a book, really, but it works – and it works really well! Highly recommend it!

The Secret Life of Violet Grant by Beatriz Williams

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This was my favorite book of the summer!

Vivian has stumbled on the makings of a news story from her own family, when she receives a suitcase from an aunt she’s never heard about before, who is rumored to have killed her husband and run off with her lover.  In tracking down the details of her aunt’s romantic history, she also becomes embroiled in a romantic “situation” of her own.  And what starts as a simple tale of the heart actually broadens to a historical fiction saga of more worldly proportions.

I’m being vague about the description here because I don’t want to give anything of this twisting and turning novel away.  The author throws curve balls when the reader least expects them and I don’t want to ruin it for anyone lucky enough to read this book.

The writing of this book is exquisite!  The voice of Vivian is delightful – with a playful and biting edge and air of self-deprecation.   And the voices switch from Vivian to her aunt Violet, as the time switches back and forth as well.  I found myself giggling throughout, even as the plot thickens and becomes quite suspenseful, there is always humor to lighten the tone.

Between the writing, the gorgeous characters, and the story itself, this is a great read for all.  A definite “Must 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!

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah (migrated from bookblogger)

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This is a MUST-read!

Vianne and Isabelle, sisters living in France during the late 1930’s, could not be more different from each other.  Vianne is calm, very settled and contented;  while Isabelle is impulsive, daring and always desperately seeking attention and love.  Both, however, had their lives completely disrupted by the German invasion into France during the advent of the second world war.  And both resisted the Germans each in her own very brave way.  Through their miserable experiences during the war, they each came to understand each other and respect each other for who they really were and who they each became.

This book, while extremely emotionally difficult to read, was outstanding.  The writing was clear and fluid and just explicit enough to get the sordid details across.  The characters are beautifully drawn; both sisters became real people for whom I felt a powerful empathy.  It also was descriptive but still kept the action moving so that there was never a lull, never a single sentence I wanted to skim over.  It is a story that keeps your heart beating at high speed until the very last page.

Once again – a MUST-READ!

Together Tea by Marjan Kamali (migrated from bookblogger)

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

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…

 

Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline (migrated from bookblogger)

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

I’ve been hearing about this book for awhile now… some have said, “Nah, don’t bother” and others have said, “You must read this!”  So I finally read it to see what the fuss was about…  And I’m actually somewhere in between on this one.

The story is an historical fictional account of the orphan trains, the trains that ferried hundreds of orphans under the care of the Children’s Aid Society in NYC to the midwest, to find homes for them.  The children were taken by a few adults who would stop at various train stations and would show the children on a stage, like an auction, and people would come to take them in.  Many were given good homes and an education, but probably many more were used as free labor on farms and in private homes, mistreated and misused.

This particular story is about Molly, who is a foster child who is sentenced to do community service working for an elderly woman, Vivian, helping her to clean out her attic.  As the two delve into the boxes in the attic, Vivian shares her memories of what lies in them and divulges her experiences, through flashbacks, of being an orphan and where her orphan train led her.  The two come to form a close friendship based on their shared experiences.

I think the value of this book does not lie in the quality of the writing, which is only fair,  or even in the character development, which I think is unexpectedly flat.   While Vivian’s story is interesting, it is told in a very clinical, detached way that did not fully engage me; and Molly, who started out as a really interesting character, remained superficial.

The value of the book is really the description of the orphan trains themselves.  I think it is important to know about this dark spot in our history.  The Children’s Aid Society does some extraordinary work with children in foster care today, but its roots are tainted by this cold history.

FOOTNOTE:  If you want to learn about the orphan trains, another book to read is The Chaperone by Liane Moriarty.  It gives slightly less detail about the trains, but it is a beautifully written story that is sure to completely engage you!

Snowflower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See (migrated from bookblogger)

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

I was supposed to love this book!  I was embarrassed that I hadn’t read it yet…

I did not love this book.

This story is about a girl, Lily, raised in China during the 19th century, who is pledged to be the “lautong” of a girl of higher social standing, Snow Flower.  A lautong is a sort of soul sister, to whom a friendship is pledged that transcends any other commitment, including marriage, and is to last their entire lives.  The story takes the reader through the girls’ very difficult lives together, as they experience the excruciating pain of foot-binding, the preparation of their dowries for marriage, and their experience as married women of differing statuses.

What I did not like about this book was that it was unrelentingly depressing.  Just when you think it can’t get any sadder, worse tragedy strikes.  There is a constantly nagging foreboding throughout the book which makes it just onerous to read.   I also felt as though the main character, also the narrator, was not very likeable, which made it more of a chore to read about her plight.

I did appreciate learning about the Chinese customs and traditions that are described in the story.  It was painful to learn about the nightmare of footbinding and how women were only valued based on the men they birthed.  Girls are described as worthless and a burden on their families, when they were the ones to do all the work to maintain the households.  The marital traditions are extremely colorful and interesting, however.

I know this is book is a favorite of many… but not mine.