Charming Billy by Alice McDermott (migrated from bookblogger)

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

This book caught my eye because the premise was clever:  it is the story that begins with the death of the main character, Billy, and almost works backwards to tell his life story.  Unfortunately, it loses some of its charm, so to speak, in the telling.

Billy was a charmer, yet the story tells of how he was broken, in a way.  An alcoholic, he was clearly nursing a broken heart and takes it out on his wife, Maeve, and his best friend and cousin, Dennis.  Dennis, however, is intertwined with the reason for Billy’s heartbreak and it is up for discussion (and an interesting discussion it would be) who is to blame.

What is disappointing is the writing, which is stilted and somewhat confusing.  The story is told from the perspective of Dennis’s daughter, but it takes a long time to figure this out.  Furthermore, there are a few details that are rehashed too many times, so as to become redundant.

The overall story, though, has its poignant moments, though, and it does hold the reader’s attention.  A dramatically mediocre book, I’d say…!

Home by Toni Morrison (migrated from bookblogger)

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

This very quick read is profound in its simplicity.  It is the story of a black veteran of the Korean War named Frank Money, who has returned to the U.S. emotionally scarred.  Suddenly he is called back to his home town because his younger sister is in danger.  As he makes his way to rescue her, both his story and hers are divulged.

There are 2 voices used to tell the story.  While most of the story is a narrative, the beginning of each chapter starts with a short passage that is coming from Frank himself, as if interviewed for the story.  It is these intro sections that really get to the heart of who Frank is; it’s a very powerful effect, making Frank more human and real.

You also can’t help loving the relationship between Frank and his sister, Cee.  It’s a sad, beautiful love they have for each other.  During their difficult childhoods, they really only had each other, Frank always being the protector.  As the story unfolds, there is a shift in their relationship to balance it out a bit.  Lots of growth from a traumatic experience…

This would be another great book to read in an English class — there would be a great deal to discuss in these few but intense pages!

 

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck (migrated from bookblogger)

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

There is little doubt as to why this book has become a classic.  Not only does it exemplify brilliant writing, but the story itself reaches down into your soul and twists your heart so that it hurts.  Steinbeck follows the Joad family, a typical “Okie” family of the 1930’s,  as they lose their farm and are enticed by all the flyers posted to move out West.  Heeding the promise of work and beautiful land and opportunity, they leave everything that is familiar to cross the plains and the desert to go to California.  Tragically, what they find there is that hundreds of thousands have also been enticed there as well, leaving very little work actually available and what is available is paid in cut wages because of the very glut of workers that the flyers have accomplished.  So while the large farmers reduce their cost, the thousands of workers have reduced wages, not even enough to feed themselves and their families.  It is a slice of history about which our country should be deeply ashamed.

The writing is powerfully authentic.  Steinbeck’s chapters alternate between a description of the general state of affairs in the country and what is happening with the Joad family on a personal level.  The more general chapters broaden the scope of the story and remind the reader that this is not just happening to the Joads but to thousands of “Joads” throughout the middle of the country.  The personal chapters bring it down to the individual and remind the reader that these are real people to which these tragedies are occurring — real people, with children, and parents, and love for each other who have personal dignity to lose.

Steinbeck makes a heartfelt plea in this story for the unions and it is clear why they were essential at this time.  It was a very brave move on his part and this book is a testament to his courage and brilliance as an historian and an author.

If you haven’t ever read this book, you are missing out on an important piece of literature and history.

Body Surfing by Anita Shreve (migrated from bookblogger)

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

I am not sure why, but I am bothered by the writing of novels in the present tense.  I guess that when someone is telling a story, by definition, it’s happened already, so why tell it as if it’s happening RIGHT NOW?   I do usually get past it and just get into the story, but I think that it took me an inordinate amount of time to get past it in this particular book.  It may be that it just took a bit of time to get into this story in the first place, but I’m not sure.

Anyway, this story is about a young woman, Sydney, who is living with a family at their beach house because she’s tutoring their 18 year old daughter, Julia, to prepare her for the SAT’s.   During the course of the summer, Sydney is introduced to Julia’s two older brothers, one of whom she becomes romantically involved and the other becomes alienated from the family.  There are interesting twists of events that bring the family closer and tear them apart and Sydney becomes very entwined in these events.

I think what finally drew me in is the relationships that develop among the different characters.  Julia’s father and Sydney, for example, grow to have a very warm, mutually respectful relationship and there are a few very tender moments between the two of them.

 

Bottom line:  in my opinion, it’s an interesting story but if you don’t have a lot of time to read, I wouldn’t put this as a priority.

 

High Fidelity by Nick Hornby (migrated from bookblogger)

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

You may have seen the movie years ago, as I did, but my son recently read this and loved it and I love reading what my kids have read.  I can see why my son loved it — it is basically the musings of a 35 year old man-child.  It’s a coming-of-age story of a typical commitment-fearing, self-absorbed, regular guy, Rob, who realizes that his life is falling apart, after his girlfriend leaves him and his record store is failing.   As he seeks to sort himself out, by running through his various older failed relationships, he works his way back to finding himself and actually growing into the adult he’s supposed to have been all this time.

What is engaging about this book is the humor.  The sarcasm is great and there are some extraordinarily memorable lines.  (A particular favorite:  “I’ve been thinking with my guts since I was fourteen years old, and frankly speaking, between you and me, I have come to the conclusion that my guts have shit for brains.” page 315)   And a recurring theme is the top 5 lists that Rob shares throughout the story, which are fun.  Many relate to music, as he is the owner of a record store (during the days of transition from LP’s to CD’s) and this is fun.

It’s less of a story (as not all that much actually happens), and more of a continuous stream of thoughts, but they are fun thoughts and very relatable (if that is even a word).  Enjoy!

 

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao (migrated from bookblogger)

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz

This book is excellent, the author a well-deserved recipient of the Pullitzer Prize.  On one hand, it is the story of Oscar, an overweight, gaming, fantasy book-writing nerd to the nth degree, who is obsessed with his goal of losing his virginity.  Oscar is also Dominican, which gives his whole nerdiness a more complicated cultural context.  On the other hand, it is the story of the Dominican Republic and its complicated, bloody history.  As the setting of the story travels back and forth from New Jersey to the DR, the reader develops an understanding of the culture and the people surrounding poor Oscar.

Most poignant is the character development in this book.  Oscar and his family members become intimately understood by the reader and their often tragic experiences shape who they are and how they behave.  Lola, Oscar’s sister, was a favorite character of mine because she was cool and yet always and  unapologetically stood by her nerdy brother.  She even assigned her boyfriend, one voice in the telling of this story, to protect him when she could not.  Her fierce loyalty was a shining light in this sometimes brutal and raw tale.

The writing is colorful and vivid.  The voice changes from section to section but each voice becomes one you hear whispered in your ear, it is so authentic.  And I would encourage you to read the footnotes (there are probably too many of these).  In the footnotes, you will find important historical explanations that give meaning to what is happening in the story.  I admit I did not read every word in every one, but they are often amusing.

The only complaint I have is that I did not understand the Spanish that is written into the flow of the book and not translated.  Unfortunately since I took French instead of Spanish in high school, I was screwed on that front.  I am sure I missed out because of this.

 

The Assistant (migrated from bookblogger)

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

The Assistant by Bernard Malamud

This is the mid-1900’s, Jewish version of the Russian novel, where nothing really happens and everyone is depressed.   Morris and Ida have worked all their lives to build a grocery business, but it is failing miserably.  Suddenly, an Italian wanderer has made his way to the store and offers his help with running the store.  The daughter of the grocers, Helen, catches the eye of this non-Jewish wanderer and the plot thickens.

The writing is very authentic and gritty, in spite of there being almost too much detail in the everyday.  Because of the detail, though, the book does have a sort of an existential feel to it.  The mundane, repetitive life of an ordinary man who is struggling to be an individual and striving for meaning and just about accomplishing the basic necessity of working to make a living so that he can work.  The yearning for doing something “big” and never getting around to it.  There is that sense from almost every character in the story.  This gives it a literary context, but it also makes the story overwhelmingly gloomy.

I think this book would be valuable in a literature class where it could be dissected for its merits; meanwhile, as a reading experience for an individual, it was devoid of humor and of hope and hard to get through.

Where’d You Go, Bernadette? (migrated from bookblogger)

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple

This book was surprisingly fun to read!  It is written by an author who has written for Mad About You, Ellen and Arrested Development, so you can guess that the humor in it was sharp and utterly sarcastic. The story is about a teenage girl, Bee, who has done so well in school over the year that her parents agree to take her on her dream trip — to Antarctica.  The problem is that Bee’s mom, Bernadette, has become something of a recluse and does what she can to avoid going out of their house and seeing people.  Because of a number of crazy incidents, including a dispute with the neighbor gone haywire and the use of an online assistant, to accomplish the simplest of tasks, by Bernadette, Bee’s father becomes concerned that Bernadette really has lost it.  The story sort of takes flight and goes so much further than you expect it to.  Maybe some of it is even just a little too out there, but I have to admit that it is still just fun!

What I like also about this book is the various voices that are utilized.  It is mainly told from the perspective of Bee, the daughter.  However, there are also letters and emails and even police reports that piece together the story.  Each one gives the reader a fresh view of the characters and it really enhances the telling of the story.

This is certainly not going to be on the reading list of a classics English course, by any means, but it’s definitely good for a few giggles and a happy read!

The Traitor’s Wife (migrated from bookblogger)

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

The Traitor’s Wife, by Kathleen Kent

I came upon this book in my favorite bookstore, the Strand.  It had not been recommended to me by anyone and I’m not sure how popular it ever was/is, but I found this book intriguing.  It is the story of a strong-headed, outspoken woman, Martha, who gets involved with a mysterious man with a complicated past in the mid-1600’s in the British colonies of New England.  It seems that the man has a connection to the uprising and killing of the British King Charles I by Oliver Cromwell and the current King Charles is seeking revenge.

It is a time that I’ve rarely read about and the history here was fascinating to me. (I am a poor student of history — a baby, really!– and need to be fed the details of history within the context of a personal story.)  There is romance and intrigue and suspense in this story but it is based very closely on real events.  It is also written in a sometimes flowery and sometimes very coarse language that matches the goings on in the story.  The author also creates some wonderful and some evil characters that are extremely engaging.  I particularly loved Martha, whose fault was that she spoke her mind in a time when woman were seen as witches when they did so.

I found it to be a quick, intriguing read and learned a lot from it.  Hope you enjoy it!

Love in the Time of Cholera (migrated from bookblogger)

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

This book had been recommended from so many sources and it’s even won the author a Nobel Prize — but I’m sorry to say that it did not impress me.  On the contrary, I felt it was work to read this book.  In fact, I could not wait to finish it in order to move onto something more engaging.

     I will grant that the author has a great imagination and that his writing is very lyrical.  He goes about describing this love story in a very detailed, sometimes poetic and sometimes graphic prose.  He does create imagery that is vivid and stark.  Unfortunately, there is really not much substance to the story and a great deal of it does not make much sense, in my mind.  It is the story of a man who falls in love with a young girl, really from a distance, and they begin this love affair all with letters.  They have not met even once directly and have not had a single conversation.  When they finally are able to get together, she decides just in a split second that no, she really isn’t in love with him and it’s all over for her.  For him, on the other hand, it is not over and he pledges his love to her in his mind.  He lives his whole life in waiting for her even as she continues living her life without him.

   I guess I’m just a realist and feel, as I did with Romeo and Juliette, that a lasting, true love cannot be founded on a glance or an image of someone and that it has to grow from really knowing the person.  And since the premise of the book is based on such a dreamer’s fallacy, I think the whole book is something of a farce.  More importantly, the story gets a bit lost in the quagmire of details that the author heaps upon the reader.  There is also a paucity of dialogue, and I love hearing what a character actually has to say.

   All in all, I was sorely disappointed and would not recommend this book, in spite of its auspicious awards!