The Paris Architect by Charles Belfoure (migrated from bookblogger)

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

This very suspenseful novel celebrates the many gentiles who sacrificed their security and sometimes their lives in order to hide Jews during the second World War.  This fictitious gentile, an architect named Lucien, was initially engaged by a man named Manet, to design unusual hiding places for Jews in various residences in and around Paris.  Manet outwardly managed construction projects for the Germans during their occupation of France, but simultaneously and secretly worked tirelessly to save innocent Jews from the Germans.  Lucien was initially enticed mainly by the glory and the money of the large German construction projects and resented having to go along with the smaller although still strategically challenging projects for the Jews.  However, as the story unfolds, this changes and his anger with the Germans mounts and he becomes emboldened by what he is able to accomplish.

While the writing in this book is not flowery or beautiful in any way, the story is told with frank boldness.   The crudeness of the writing I believe is trying to match the crudeness of the characters and while it lessens the quality of the book it does get a point across.  That said, there are a lot of unexpected turns to the story and suspense does gradually build and build to the point that I was truly unable to put the book down.

I think there is a lot of historical significance to this book as there are not too many stories that involve the French perspective on WWII.  In light of the current surge in anti-semitism in France, this is a timely novel.

I Always Loved You by Robin Oliveira (migrated from bookblogger)

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

This is a really interesting story about the relationship that both intrigued and tortured the artists, Mary Cassatt and Edgar Degas.  While each of them battles their own internal cravings to achieve greatness as artists, they also battle each other, their critics, and often the other artists that surround them.  The setting is, of course, Paris in the later 1800’s, when the Impressionists were also doing battle with the infamous Salon, which shunned them.  And the strain of all of these battles comes through and affects all of them in their own way.

There is also the theme of the battle between art and love; that is, the artists struggle to determine whether the two are interdependent or mutually exclusive.  For Degas, especially, it is a constant strain. In this, he differs greatly with Mary Cassatt and it seems as if this is the essence of their difficulty.

It’s a fun read, especially if you love the Impressionists as I always have.  To feel you know a little more of their lives brings their paintings even more to life.  I can’t wait to get back to the Met now!

The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd (migrated from bookblogger)

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

Wow!  This artistically written book begins in the early 1800’s in Charleston, as Sarah, at her 11th birthday, is presented with the gift of her own slave, Handful.  Repulsed even at this young age at the thought of owning another human being, she commits her first radical act by attempting to grant Handful her freedom.  Thwarted by her family and by the entire culture of the South of that time, Sarah is unable to accomplish this, but her desire remains steadfast.  As she grows, so do her beliefs in the evils of slavery.  Likewise, Handful, inspired by her very tough “mauma” Charlotte (a rebellious, inspired, and complex character in her own right), has the urge that she must be destined for something better than remaining the chattel of another.  She, too, has an independent spirit and she reaches out to achieve more.  As their lives unfold, both Sarah and Handful remain tied by their past experiences and united in their pursuits of breaking from their past.

The writing in this book is stunning.  As the narrative voice changes back and forth from that of Sarah to that of Handful, the story is enriched by the telling from both of their perspectives.  There is stark imagery and a spiritual and spirit-ful undertone that winds through this tale.  Religion and the Bible are frequently discussed as the author strives to depict the hypocritical use of the Bible to promote slavery and its evils.  But it is hard to depart from your home and your history and Sarah struggles with this.  It appears that both Sarah and Handful are slaves to their respective societies until they are able to break through in their own ways.

Their lives are full of great sadness, but of great hope as well.  This is a beautiful story that no one should miss!

The Family Fang by Kevin Wilson (migrated from bookblogger)

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

Strange, strange book!  Camille and Caleb Fang are performance artists who create a chaotic scene and find the “art” in the reaction to the chaos they create.  Unfortunately, their art often involves their 2 children, “A” and “B” or Annie and Buster as they are known to the rest of the world.  As Annie and Buster are now grown and feel the effects of being the props of their parents, they feel their lives falling apart and come home to reconcile their lives.  Suddenly, while they are home, their parents go missing, leaving a bloody crime scene.  It is up to Annie and Buster to find them, unsure as they are that they really do want to find them.

This story is totally bizarre if taken at face value; however, it rings true and familiar in many ways.  There are many funny, even quotable lines that are actually very poignant.  And the characters of Annie and Buster are endearing and sympathetic.

If you are open to the slightly off-beat, very allegorical book, this is one to take a look at.  I’d love to discuss it with someone, if anyone does!

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt (migrated from bookblogger)

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

This book grabs hold of you right from the first word and does not let go of you until the last.  Theo Drecker has been raised primarily by his mother, as his father, an alcoholic, has abandoned them.  So when his mother is suddenly killed in an act of terrorism, Theo’s life is completely upended.  The trajectory of his life goes into twists and turns that are often sad, occasionally shocking, and always riveting.

The writing in this book is so detailed and realistic that you feel it must be autobiographical (but of course, it is far from that), but it is descriptive without being overly ornate.  The story is also utterly tragic, but the characters do not wallow in their tragedy–  they trudge through it and the story moves on with persistent force.  The characters are genuine and complex, with charm and humanity and frailties that make them utterly real.  And you love and hate and empathize with these characters just as Theo does.  It feels like Theo himself becomes an actual person.

At the end of the book, Theo waxes somewhat poetic and philosophical as he reflects on his experiences.  I rarely quote the books I read but I can’t help quoting this:

“… That life — whatever else it is — is short.  That fate is cruel but maybe not random.  That Nature (meaning Death) always wins but that doesn’t mean we have to bow and grovel to it. That maybe even if we’re not always so glad to be here, it is our task to immerse ourselves anyway: wade straight through it, right through the cesspool, while keeping eyes and hearts open.  And in the midst of our dying, as we rise from the organic and sink back ignominiously into the organic, it is a glory and a privilege to love what Death doesn’t touch.”*

Evidently, this book, too, is being made into a movie (by the team that has produced The Hunger Games, no less).  So hurry and read this quick before the movie comes out!  Because as you know, the book is always better!

*This quote refers to Theo’s love of beautiful things, especially his love for a particular painting which is critical to the story line.  But I think it can be applied to almost anything we love.

London Falling by Emma Carr (migrated from bookblogger)

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

Admittedly, I was looking for something mindless when I chose this, but I got more than my fair share of mindlessness with this choice.  It is the silly tale of Aimee, who finds herself in London, with all her money and possessions having been stolen.  Seeking a way to pay for her ticket home to Seattle, she finds her way to the estate of Simon, a handsome, rich, and of course, tender-hearted bachelor and begs him to hire her as a housekeeper.  Because he’s seeking the account of the Royal Family for his family-owned bank, he cannot be perceived to do anything illegal, including hiring anyone with no working papers.   Predictably, they figure out a sort of compromise, and of course, fall in love and become somewhat embroiled in a situation because of Simon’s father who reigns over him with a strong arm.

While it actually was a cute premise, the rather weak writing combined with the lack of imagination in the plot line kept it only at that.  It remained only superficial and did not really go anywhere significant.  I downloaded it for only $2.99 and even at that price, it was more than it was worth!

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand (migrated from bookblogger)

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

I was really not sure I was going to make it through this one, but a dear friend encouraged me to complete it and I’m glad I did.  This true story is at once disturbing and inspiring, hard to believe and hard to endure.  It is the story of Louie Zamporini, who was an Olympic track hopeful who was drafted into the Air Force, based in Hawaii during World War II.  From a downed plane, to weeks on a raft in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, to being captured as a POW by the Japanese, his journey took him through years of torment and torture.  Survival was a mixed blessing and his journey afterwards through PTSD brought him eventually to a place where he was able to confront his past and come to terms with it.

The story has parts that are relentlessly heart-wrenching and depressing for the reader.  I nearly gave up because I felt I couldn’t bear to read it anymore.  In fact, I downloaded another, mindless book to read to distract myself and lighten my heart a bit.  I did return to it, though, and I am happy that I did.

What is so inspiring about this story is not only the bravery and the tenacity with which the POW’s lived through their experience, but also the ability to ultimately forgive and relinquish the hatred of the enemy.  I only read about their experiences and I have trouble forgiving the individuals responsible.

This is a painful, torturous book but it does inspire and give hope of healing.  Not advised if you have a weak stomach, though!

P.S.  The movie, directed by Angelina Jolie, comes out in December!

The Lowlands by Jhumpa Lahiri (migrated from bookblogger)

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

Once again, Jhumpha Lahiri has constructed another periscope into the world of Indian history, enabling an outsider like me a glimpse of what it is like to move from the congested, poverty-stricken lowlands of India to the blended and perhaps more bland culture of the West.  This tale begins with 2 brothers, Subhash, who is older and cautious, and Udayan, who is youthful and restless and daring. Although they are extremely close and share almost everything as children, they grow up toward divergent paths.  Subhash stays the course in academia, while Udayan becomes involved in the communist undercurrent that is taking place in India in the 1970’s.  The story unfolds as their paths determine their respective fates, with, of course, a woman and then a child who are caught in the middle.

While this book is well-written, it did not really grab me until deeper in to the story.  The characters are difficult to love.  They are kept at an arm’s length and are not easily accessible.  They are very complicated, though, and it is their depth that intrigued me and kept me with the story.

What I did love about this book is the history that is taught within its pages.  I did not have any prior knowledge of the political landscape of India during the ’70’s and this was enlightening.  It certainly presents a different perspective on the communism of Marx and Mao than I ever hear of as an American.

(I also have to admit that being from Rhode Island, it was really fun to read the many travels around some of my favorite territory — southern RI with the beaches and the marshes.  It was the RI of the 1970’s which is the RI that I lived and even such details as a shopping trip to the Warwick Mall made me smile and remember the shopping outings of my youth.)

Once again, Lahiri has written a winner.  Hope you all enjoy it too!

Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri (migrated from bookblogger)

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

This is an excellent book of short stories; nevertheless, it reminds me why I don’t like short stories — I always want more!  This one is unique, though, as (SPOILER ALERT:) there ultimately is a connecting thread to the stories at the end, which satisfied my “need to know!”

And as usual, Lahiri’s writing is beautiful.  Her stories are a window into American-Indian culture, with the recurrent themes of traditional vs. modern, Indian vs. American, and arranged marriages vs. marriages for love.  The writing is very descriptive and one can easily picture each scene as it plays out.  Each character is built so lovingly that the reader has to know what happens and is personally affected by each outcome.

This is a great collection of stories — she could develop a whole book from each one…  I wish she would!

Joy Comes in the Morning by Jonathan Rosen

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

Thumbs down for this book by Jonathan Rosen.  The character development at the outset of this book was encouraging.    An elderly man, seeing that he was likely to have another stroke that might dampen his quality of life seeks to end it with dignity. A Reform Rabbi who happens to be a woman feels great reward from visiting the sick and meets this man in the hospital when his attempted suicide has failed.  With this beginning, the reader expects that it might lead to an interesting adventure in literature.  The reader is sorely disappointed…

The writing is frighteningly weak.  For example, as opposed to having the story told from one voice, or even from alternating voices in each chapter, this author volleys from character to character every few paragraphs. Very confusing!  There is little dialogue and much too much detail about what the character is thinking.   Better to leave some of this to the imagination of the reader, with more subtle suggestion from dialogue.   (The author should give the reader more credit for figuring some of this out!)  And unfortunately, even the plot gets a little ridiculous (the boyfriend poses as a rabbi and conducts an entire funeral??  Really??).

It was a struggle to finish reading this, so my advice is not to even start!