B's Book Blog

QUEEN OF KINGS: The Immortal Story of Cleopatra. Headley, Maria Dahvana. c. 2011

2011-11-22T20:33:00.001-06:00

This is the first novel published by Maria Dahvana Headley. It is a retelling of the story of the death of Cleopatra and Antony, imagining if Cleopatra had placed a spell on herself to remain immortal. The narrative is fast-paced and in the style of a thriller, although full of rich details about the period, and it's fusion of different cultures and religions across the Mediterranean and northern Africa. There is plenty of magic and witchcraft in this story, all while fleshing out each character, even the minor ones, with a fresh, modern realism.

The one problem I had with the book was that, at times, it was TOO fast-paced and breathless. The narrative rushes headlong to the story's final scenes. I felt like I had to catch my breath while reading it, and it became a little confusing keeping track of who was where, and when, etc.

Overall, though, this was an enjoyable read. Not boring in the least. Finally, the historical note by the author in the back was very helpful. It directed me to another novel about Octavian, which I've only begun, and the recent non-fiction book ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA, by Adrian Keith Goldsworthy. I'm currently making my way through the latter, and it is well written and fascinating.

I do recommend this for fans of historical fiction, of Antony and Cleopatra, and anything regarding ancient Rome.

THE LACUNA. Kingsolver, Barbara. 2009.

2010-09-25T17:18:00.004-05:00

I read this, or tried to, this past winter, 2010.

I have loved Barbara Kingsolver's previous books. THE POSIONWOOD BIBLE is a contemporary masterpiece, and her other novels have been compelling and well written as well.

THE LACUNA - not so much. And I'm not sure why.

Once again, Kingsolver creates a character and sets him in the midst of history being made - in this case, in the household of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, Mexico City, early twentieth century. It is a politically and artistically radical household, contrasted with the mild-mannered-fade-into-the-background narrator and main character, one Harrison William Shepherd. Shepherd is an American citizen, son of a single mother that uses men for social climbing, being raised in the current turmoil of Mexico City and the rising specter of socialism. He becomes a household assistant and errand boy for Frida Kahlo and later, Leon Trotsky.
However, Kingsolver renders her main character too pale and passive amongst his brightly colored surroundings, I think. Shepherd spends his days recording and observing the ideas and actions of those he works for - the Riveras and Leon Trotsky - but does not reveal enough of himself amid this narrative. This, in my opinion, makes for a very boring story and a boring narrator. In the latter half of the novel, when Shepherd is living on his own, it seems he isn't fleshed out enough to really care about. I honestly couldn't finish the book, simply because I was so bored with it and didn't care what happened to Shepherd. We already know what happened to Trotsky, Kahlo and Rivera. In order for this novel to be successful, we have to also care about Shepherd too in his role as narrator. What does he learn, what does he become, what does he love? Kingsolver makes William so wishy-washy and passive, one really never discovers the answers to the above, as well as what he seeks in the first place. He's homosexual and hides it. So what? It doesn't define who he is, and niether, really, does the lives of his artist/revolutionary friends.

That's the best I can do to describe why the story fails to compel me to keep reading. I was disappointed as I bought the 1st ed. hardcover of this, certain that Kingsolver would be worth it. It wasn't.

Not recommended, even if you're really, really into B. Kingsolver. Definitely do not make this your first read by her. I'm hoping this is just an uncharacteristic snag for her and she will once again grace us with one of her compelling, insightful novels.

COLLAPSE. Diamond, Jared. 2005

2010-09-25T16:53:00.003-05:00

I read this last winter, but forgot to post a review here.

The complete title reads Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed.

The book chronicles the rise and fall of the following civilizations: the Anasazi of the American Southwest, the Vikings of Greenland, Easter Island, and the Mayans.

I mainly read this book because I wanted to learn more about Easter Island and it's demise, and I did glean some pertinent, yet too brief, information from this book.

However, the book's premise is not really to be a detailed history of the above civilizations, yet to give an overview of their strengths and weaknesses, especially in terms of how they used their surrounding environment. In the above cases, the societies collapsed or, more accurately, dwindled away to nothing, because of their gradual, yet unrelenting depletion of natural resources.

One of the things that strikes me, personally, about Easter Island, is the question of when the inhabitants finally realized their days were literally numbered, and their resources would, indeed, disappear by the very next generation (if not sooner) - and they had to have undoubtedly realized it at some obvious point - why they didn't try and do something to turn the situation around. Why weren't some trees set aside to make rafts or boats to escape to another island? There is apparently no indication of it. All evidence suggests that the inhabitants simply bided their time while continuing to do the very same things that brought them to their demise - cut down trees, raise pigs and chickens and non-native crops in an environment that was not naturally set up for it, engage in petty tribal warfare and build huge, time and labor-consuming monuments that no one today really understands.
Sound familiar?

COLLAPSE apparently has offended quite a few folks, I'm not sure why. Doomsday predictions based on true events hurts?

Overall, a well-researched book, clearly and concisely written for the layman, with some hard lessons to swallow. I recommend it whether it depresses you or pisses you off.

The Book of Job

2010-05-21T11:23:00.001-05:00

Like in the Bible - *that* Job.

Maybe I should put this in my book blog, but thought, since Job is - well- he epitomizes Everyman, in a great sense - that I'd post my thoughts on Job here. Because I know everyone's dying to know what I think of Job, :).

I read Job recently with a study group at the UU church I attend. I've read Job before, partly in eighth grade, then again, my senior year in high school. both of those times I was at different places in my life. I'm not sure how much I got out of it in eight grade at all, but I have to admit, in high school, reading Job (and Exodus) was one of the factors in my ultimately "losing my faith". I realize now, after a third reading at the age of 44, how my current interpretations of Job might even have left me a believer, after all - although not at all in the same way I was,then.

One thing I never understood about Job was why God - all-powerful, all-knowing - could allow Job to suffer so, then finally appear, after much pleading on Job's part, to say, "Hey, stuff happens - stop your belly-aching and enjoy the things you have left." Because that's basically what He says! And Job's like, "Oh, yeah, sorry, God, never really thought about it like that - I'll try that approach." And all gets better. Until Job dies.

We read Ecclessiastes before this, and that's basically a long-winded, yet poetic and beautifully written question(s) about the meaning of life. Why are we here, what are we supposed to do now that we are here, never mind how we got here in the first place... ? Questions, questions, where are the answers? Does God provide them? Well, according to both Ecclessiastes and Job, yes - and no. Both books remind me of the question/statement posed by Jesus later in the New Testament - "Consider the lilies of the field..." Meaning (to me, anyway) the lilies of the field just are - they are lilies of the field, they live within the context of the field, they survive, they thrive, then at the end of their season, die, like everything else. Like us. But do they question God for their ultimate withering and dying, for their being trampled upon or picked or eaten, perhaps? No. Then, why do we?

In Job, this last question is addressed throughout the book. God makes a bet with Satan that, if Satan inflicts Job with all kinds of horrors and tragedies - the death of all of his livestock, crops, servants, and even all of his children, AND a nasty rash to boot - Job will still never denounce Him. And God wins the bet. Throughout Job's extreme suffering, three friends visit him and accuse him of being sinful and unjust - why else would God allow these terrible things to befall him? But Job defends himself throughout that no, he is very just, he has never sinned against God, he is undeserving of his punishment, and would God please show up somehow and explain why He is allowing one of his faithful servants to suffer? Because Job trusts that God has some good explanation for this.
After God doesn't show up for a long, agonizing time, however, Job loses it - sorta. He does not denounce God, but he questions, more and more adamantly, what the heck God is trying to prove. Basically "What did I ever do to you?" He still defends himself as being just and undeserving of such punishment.

Then, near the very end of the book, God shows up in a "whirlwind". And he basically says to Job - Life sucks. Get over it - and what do you want ME to do about it? Alleviate your suffering? Hey, your friends were here, that's what they were for. Do special favors for you to save your family and livestock from suffering and death? Hey, I just created the world and let it be - I don't have time for micro-management. And besides, now that you've suffered, you'll appreciate your future good health and your future children and wealth even more. In short, you'll know and appreciate real joy, because you know now what it is to suffer and to lose this joy.

Wow. Reading this now, when I'm 44 and had my own share of minor tragedy and loss - as all of us have by this age - I get this. I get Job's point of view, but I get what God is saying, too. (Of course, I paraphrased and I highly recommend you read the actual text - it's also very poetically written.) There's a long chapter in which God says, Look, I created the world, the universe and I created the good with the bad, everything coexists and that's how it is. I let it be. I let you, Man, be. Yes, I'll take care of the logistics - the air, the soil, the food chain... but the rest is up to you, really. Life is what you make it. And bad things happen to good people. And what you take from that, from your own suffering, is up to you - but, BUT - if you can take all the bad stuff that happens in the world and still think highly of the world and other men, i.e., still be "good" - then you will understand. And when you understand, you will accept life, even when you know and understand you will one day die.

Yeah, this is some heavy stuff and it reminds me of Buddha's fourth Noble Truth - the Eightfold Path, that says, Yes, we all suffer but here is the "middle path" that will let you go on and deal with the suffering. Not - here is the ultimate answer to the question why we all suffer - no, here is the path that will help you accept life with it's joy and suffering together - here is the WAY.

I also learned, in this class, that the books of the Old Testament were gathered together around 400-500 BCE (or B.C. if you're old-school) around the same time that Buddha was alive and teaching the Eightfold Path, the Middle Way. It was also the time of the "great" Greek philosophers such as Plato. In other words, the work of inventing agriculture and architecture is done, now it's time to sit and reflect. What have we gained? What have we lost?

SHUTTER ISLAND. Lehane, Dennis.

2010-04-16T08:33:00.003-05:00

Read in early March 2010.

SHUTTER ISLAND is the suspense novel the Martin Scorsese movie was based on. I saw the movie first. The movie was, of course, excellent.
However, I wanted to read the book, as Scorsese usually does a great job of translating novels into film (and he did so here, as well) and the novels he uses are usually good.

SHUTTER ISLAND was good - not great. Nothing life-changing or genre-shattering. A quick read, and very engrossing. It is also has several thought-provoking moments that resonate throughout the story. So, it is what I'd call a "substantial" read. I didn't feel like I wasted my time reading it.

The narrative consists of two federal marshalls in 1954 who are sent to a mental institution on Shutter Island, a somewhat remote island off the mid-atlantic coast. The marshalls have been requested to help find an inmate/patient that has escaped. What ensues from here is a mystery shrouded in the storms of both the physical world and the psychological.
The setting is perfect and reminiscent of the best Poe mysteries - an old, spooky hospital that was once a POW camp in the Civil War; a remote island fraught with thunderstorms, blowing tree limbs and wet leaves, and much creeping around dark, dripping hallways and abandoned sea-caves. Ghosts, in the form of dreams - or are they? - float in and out of the narrative. Rats even make an appearance.
The story itself, too, is very reminiscent of Poe's stories, where the stormy, violent scenery becomes a metaphor for the protagonist's mind.

All in all, SHUTTER ISLAND is very well done. I was never bored reading this.

Just one last note - I happened to have liked the movie's ending better. Although the movie closely follows the book, the ending is slightly different and more ambiguous. Personally, I feel that is more in keeping with the tradition and ambience of the gothic mystery. The novels' ending is a little more clear-cut.

I would read more of Lehane's novels, if I had a weekend or a few days in between reading something else. In my opinion, this is good airplane/beach/pool/vacation reading. Extremely entertaining, careful and thoughtful narrative, and engaging, likable characters.

REcommended for a quick, painless read.

The New Oxford Annotated Bible

2010-03-04T08:01:00.005-06:00

I just bought this Bible from B&N online,** and have had it for a week now. I bought it because I'm taking a class on Scriptures at the Unitarian church I attend, and this season's class focuses on Ecclesiastes and Job. I'll comment later on these two texts, but for now I want to comment on this Bible as a whole.

Anyway, I am exceedingly pleased with this version of the Bible. The translation is the "New Revised Standard Version", includes the Apocrypha, and it is beautifully - and, seemingly, thoroughly - translated. So much nicer to read than my copy of THE WAY, a contemporary translation I own, published in the 1970s. I think THE WAY has it's merits and uses, being intended for a younger audience, but after reading through some of the New Oxford, I can easily see where much is left out of the translation in THE WAY.
As for the King James version - well, it's also beautifully translated, but, let's face it, it was a very political translation, and there really isn't any need for the biblical texts to be read in Shakespearean English. Although it sounds real nice. . .

The best thing about the NEW OXFORD Bible, however, is the commentary and footnotes on every single page, and the commentary before each book. This commentary focuses on the social, cultural, and political climate of the period in which a book was written, as well as citing any evidence of WHEN the book was first written. There is commentary on the translation(s) as well. All of this, of course, makes for a much easier, more comprehensive, and therefore, enjoyable read of the Bible.

I highly recommend this version of the Bible for anyone wishing to read the Bible, Christian or not.

** This is the Augmented Third Ed. by the way.

BREAKING DAWN. Meyer, Stephanie. c.2008

2009-12-09T19:00:00.006-06:00

If I didn't know any better, I'd think that BREAKING DAWN, the fourth and final book in the Twilight series, was a parody of the series itself. It is so ridiculous and badly written it almost must be on purpose.
But, it's not. This is, indeed, the finale to the saga of Edward, Bella, and Jacob. And it's unbelievably bad. So much so, I do believe it is the worst book I have ever read. Ever. I am serious. I don't mean Robin Cook bad, or Danielle Steele bad. Meyer's first three books in this series, which I reviewed below, were actually on par with Cook's and Steele's writing. I mean, it's seventh-grade tortured, rambling diary entry and submit it to a fiction contest bad. It's THAT bad and then some.

While some of the writing in Meyer's first three books was often mediocre and amatuerish, I really enjoyed reading them because of the truly intriguing love story she wove. The story itself had depth and the characters were believable and well-developed. By the third book, ECLIPSE, the reader expected certain things from the characters and we knew their motives and desires.

In BREAKING DAWN, not only is the writing terrible, but the events that unfold are ridiculous, unbelievable, and serve no purpose to the story but to fill up pages. The greatest travesty - and the book's major flaw- is that the characters are suddenly mere shells of their former selves. Jacob and Edward no longer fight for Bella and her soul, but give into her every whim. Bella is no longer afraid of anything and does not even struggle as a new vampire. She gives birth to a creepy promiscuous baby who drinks human blood - but the babe isn't a vampire herself and is actually very sweet. Um - why? What purpose does this serve? Well, it serves the same purpose as Jacob then imprinting with Bella's baby, and Bella becoming the best and sweetest and most angst-free vampire in the world. That is, everyone gets a happy ending.

And I, the reader, am so damned bored and disappointed. What happened to Edward wanting to save Bella's soul? What happened to Jacob at all? BREAKING DAWN has minimal conflict, maximum fairy-tale happy resolutions, and zero arc.

I really wish Meyer had ended the series with ECLIPSE.

BREAKING DAWN is not recommended at all (except for a compost heap or bonfire), even if - and especially if - you read TWILIGHT, NEW MOON and ECLIPSE. Just pretend the fourth book doesn't exist and imagine your own ending for Bella, Edward and Jacob. Anything you can think of will be better than this book, trust me.

TWILIGHT Series; TWILIGHT/NEW MOON/ECLIPSE. Meyer, Stephanie. c.2005, 2006, 2007.

2009-12-08T19:48:00.007-06:00

So I finally caved and read the Twilight series. My daughter, who is eleven, owns these books and read them herself. I was never interested in them myself until I took her and her friend to see the movie NEW MOON (the movies are worth the cinematography and soundtrack, but nothing else). Although the acting and narrative pacing in the film left much to be desired, I did become intrigued with the story, so decided to read the books, especially after my daughter - who is herself an avid reader - highly recommended them. (I should have paid more attention when she professed disappointment in the series' final book, though, BREAKING DAWN - and that book will be reviewed separately from the first three.)

I'm lumping the first three books into one review, because, honestly, it's all one story, one narrative. (And I should note here that the story encompasses three books due to very large print and redundant dialogue and mise en scene - but more of that later.)
I did notice that Meyer's writing improves a bit (only a bit, though) with NEW MOON and ECLIPSE, and the taut web of Bella's relationship with both a vampire and a werewolf becomes more entangled and mesmerizing with each book.

First, the things I really enjoyed about the first three books -
All three novels are fast and engaging reads. Meyer weaves an incredibly compelling story of the tumultuous love triangle of Bella, Edward and Jacob, a story reminiscent of Wuthering Heights, yet narrated in a voice familiar to contemporary 21st c. adolescents.

TWILIGHT, the first book, introduces us to Bella and the community of Forks Washington - a landscape under a constant cover of cloud, mist and lush green forest. Bella has just moved here from perpetually sunny Phoenix AZ and the contrast is sharp and significant. She meets Edward Cullen, a strange classmate at her new school. Edward acts in ways she should interpret as red flags - but instead, Bella is intrigued, entranced, even. At the same time, Bella befriends a Native American boy, Jacob Black, who lives on a nearby reservation. Jacob is everything Edward is not - easygoing, bubbly, lighthearted, and playful. Edward is mysterious, dark, serious, almost brooding - and extremely pale. Guess which one Bella falls inexplicably in love with?
Jacob and Bella become fast and close friends, though, due to Jacob's honest, open nature and this is where the tension rides. Jacob falls in love with Bella, but Bella is so obsessed with Edward - and Edward so obsessed with her that he practically stalks and controls her - that she finds herself unable to return Jacob's affections despite her almost unconditional love for him.
Jacob is clearly - even after certain events in New Moon - the better, "safer" candidate for Bella. The reader can see that, yet, at the same time, we are just as drawn to the romantic, tortured figure of Edward.
Meyer is quite adept at sustaining this tension throughout all three books. The tension builds in NEW MOON when Edward is mostly absent but Bella pines for him - literally - and Jacob feels the sting of unrequited love. And it runs headlong into a climax in the third book, ECLIPSE.

I read all three books in a week. I could not put them down, and could not wait to discover what would happen. Would Bella come to her senses and be afraid for her mortal life? Would she ever see the good, mortal guy (Jacob) right in front of her? Would Edward ever do the truly noble thing and leave Bella forever or would he continue to torment her and himself forever? And, finally - would he actually go so far as to make her one of the undead, simply because he cannot live without her?

The story, throughout each book, held me in it's grip as I agonized along with the three main characters.

I was disappointed in the writing, however. Throughout all three, much of the dialogue is repetitive and almost seems to be used as filler, as if Meyer had a contract to write so many pages and struggled to do so. This frustrated me, furthermore, because I craved more details to the story. For such a thick book, so much seemed to be missing. I would have loved to have read flashbacks from Edward's point of view regarding his long history as a vampire and his ongoing struggle to remain "good". As it was told here, I felt many things, including this, were explained away too simplistically. I wanted to feel more the internal struggle Edward had with himself and with the knowledge of his power over Bella. I wanted Bella to question her own motives more. From the very beginning, she simply resigns to the fact that Edward is a vampire, but, hey - she loves him, no worries. Uhh, yeah. It's never fully explained why Bella is NOT afraid of Edward, even though some of his early behavior (before she realizes what he is) bothers her - and why she so readily accepts that he is a vampire. There should have been scenes and dialogue exploring this further. As is, the narrative feels rushed and sloppy at times.

However, there's seemingly no end to the descriptions of the many ways Edward kisses Bella's throat and lips. Not so much in NEW MOON (and it's the best book of the three, I think) but in both TWILIGHT and ECLIPSE, a good deal of the narrative takes place in Bella's bedroom at night, where Edward protects her - from herself and other vampires - and watches over her while she sleeps. Of course, before her slumber, there is much anguished, controlled kissing and cold-hard skin in the midst of burning desire. It got to the point where I was a little bothered by it - especially considering it's marketed to teen girls. It's an effective technique for conveying the prolonged anguished desire of teenagers trying to be noble, but - why is it constant? Is this Meyer's idea of Mormon soft-core porn or is it a morality tale that got away from her?

Overall, I really enjoyed the first three books. These are not life-changing books, however, and I can honestly say you're not missing anything by not reading them. In fact, you may save yourself some frustration if you don't as you won't then feel compelled to read the final book - BREAKING DAWN - which is arguably one of the worst books ever written. But that's my next review, and that's why it's separate. The first three - TWILIGHT, NEW MOON AND ECLIPSE - were highly entertaining and even thought-provoking at times. I just wish Meyer had stopped with ECLIPSE and let us draw our own conclusions about what finally happened to Bella. She let us draw our own conclusions about so many other missing details. . .

ANGELS & DEMONS. Brown, Dan. c. 2000.

2009-11-12T19:12:00.003-06:00

I read this early summer 2009.

This was the novel Dan Brown wrote before he wrote THE DA VINCI CODE. Ill assume everyone's at least heard of THE DA VINCI CODE unless you've been living under a rock for the past ten years.
Like DA VINCI CODE, this one's what I'd call a "potboiler". You know, something fast and easy to read while you have more complicated things on the stove. . . So, for a "potboiler", it's decent. Not as compelling and surprising as DA VINCI CODE, but I'd still say more original. (A lot of THE DA VINCI CODE was based on the non-fiction book, HOLY BLOOD, HOLY GRAIL - in itself a fascinating book, but a whole other book review). Brown's narrative pacing is good, but a bit relentless. I could have used a breath here and there.
Again, a msytery regarding Vatican/Catholic Church secrets.
This is a good airplane/train ride read. (If you're Christian/Catholic, just remember, it's fiction, and whatever you do, don't read HOLY BLOOD, HOLY GRAIL - your head will implode.)
Overall, good, by no means great. (And I'd say the same for DA VINCI CODE which I read a couple summer back.)

BEYOND THE HORIZON. Angus, Colin. 2007.

2009-07-15T13:51:00.003-05:00

Read: May 2008.

Reading Time: 1 and 1/2 days.

Despite the reading time, this book is a little bland, for what it is. It is a retelling of the author (and friend and girlfriend's) circumnavigation around the globe by human power, in 2003-2004. He was the first, apparently to ever accomplish this awesome feat. And, despite my not thinking the book is all that great, I do recognize this as something awesome.

However, if you like adventure/trekking stories (and I'm a sucker for them - I must have been a little British boy in my former life), you'll like this. However, I've read better-written accounts.

A couple of things turned me off about this book - the author's whiny, defensive tone, as he spends half the book lambasting his friend and once fellow traveler; and the lack of comment and detail about the places and cultures they traveled through. While I enjoy hearing about the techniques and logistics of hiking and biking trips, it's not exactly entertaining reading for others. I guess I was hoping for more of a story.
And the incessant whining about his friend who ultimately bailed on him is a little unbelievable. Maybe the author needed some scandalous element to enliven an otherwise dull story, or maybe he actually has recieved a lot of flak which he feels he doesn't deserve. Either way, I don't care, and it left a bad taste to the read.

I recommend you read a magazine article about Colin Angus's trek, instead of this book. Look for it on OUTSIDE online, or National Geographic, something like that.

CONFESSIONS OF A FAILED SOUTHERN LADY. King, Florence.

2009-07-15T13:35:00.003-05:00

Read this just before Christmas 2008.

Autobiographical account of a young woman coming of age in Washington D.C. in the the thirties through fifties. Needless to say, she discovers she's a lesbian.

This is a very entertaining and quick, enjoyable read. I read it in two days flat, which, for me, means I couldn't put it down. (Because I rarely have time to read like that anymore, what with wifedom/motherdom/suburbandom. . . )

I find that the best autobiographies are the funniest ones, and the most self-deprecating. It takes a fairly objective eye to turn it on oneself and find humor among the trivial tragedies of our lives. This book reminds me of ANGELA'S ASHES in that regard.
If you've ever lived in, or known folks from, the South, you'll appreciate how incredibly funny - and true - this book is in portraying the "old-school" southern woman.
It is also a frank and unflinching look at the irrationality behind sexism, racism, and homophobia.

There are some frank descriptions of lesbian (as well as heterosexual) sex, so if that sort of thing bothers you, well - These descriptions are also side-splitting hilarious, though.

Recommended for anyone looking for something lighthearted, yet poignant, that will make you laugh and think.

DESPERATE PASSAGE. Rarick, Ethan. Read: April 2008.

2008-09-04T21:55:00.000-05:00

Revisionist account of the tragic Donner Party story.
Past accounts have traditionally portrayed the pioneer party unsympathetically. Rarick's account is more forgiving, while still critical of the party's fateful blunders - starting the journey too late in the season; underestimating the potential perils of their journey; and underestimating the American Western landscape in general.

In all, a very enjoyable, engaging read. I read this in about three days, which, for me, always means I could hardly bear to put the book down. This is the kind of history book I love and crave more of - factual and rich in detail, yet the narrative pace is fluid and seamless.
I highly recommend this to anyone interested in the history of the American West. It's more than just a tale of what forces good citizens into horrid circumstances like cannibalism. Rarick succeeds in showing how the Donner Party really embodied the essence of the first pioneer FAMILIES trying to push through the desert and mountain barriers to the coast.
Very good read.

Updating past posts. . .

2008-09-04T21:51:00.001-05:00

I'm in the process, tongith and tomorrow, of updating (i.e., filling in details) my past posts on this blog. I refer to those posts with only the title of the book. My intentions for this blog is to at least indicate if I liked the book or not, if I recommend it, for whom, and a brief synopsis and analysis of the book.

So, if you scroll down (you know, YOU, the sole person besides myself to ever read this blog) the page you'll see a few details about the books I've read.

THE ROAD. McCarthy, Cormac. Read: August 2008.

2008-09-04T21:21:00.000-05:00

"A father and his son walk alone through burned America. Nothing moves in the ravaged landscape save the ash on the wind. It is cold enough to crack stones, and when the snow falls, it is gray. The sky is dark. Their destination is the coast, although they don't know what, if anything, awaits them there."

So states the blurb on the back cover of the paperback version of THE ROAD by Cormac McCarthy.
This is the first - and, so far, only - book I've read by McCarthy, and I'm terribly impressed. I read this in two days flat. I simply could not put it down. I stayed up late reading it in bed, and I never stay up late reading anymore.
The gist of the story is stated above, but although the tale is universal and so general, really, that we're never informed why the world is the way it is - in fact, we're never even told the man and boy's names - it is also an immensely personal story, a common story shared between a child and his parent.

Highly, highly recommended. One of the best novels I've ever read, period. I am in awe of McCarthy's narrative genius. So much that it's hard to define.

A warning that it's somewhat depressing.

LETTER TO A CHRISTIAN NATION. Harris, Sam.

2008-04-19T20:27:00.001-05:00

I'm in the middle of reading THE GOD DELUSION (did you know God was a delusion??!! :) ) by Richard Dawkins, which I like enough, but someone recommended Harris's book as well (they also recommended THE END OF FAITH by Harris. Haven't read that yet.)
This is a very quick read, intended, I guess, not for the likes of me. (agnostic/atheist) Or maybe it is, as Harris argues against tolerance for religious people near the end of the book. (I tend to be very forgiving of others' mumbo-jumbo - hey, I was once guilty of it. Granted, I wasn't old enough to order a drink, but it takes some folks longer. . )
The "letter" is addressed to U.S. Christians, and his arguments are compelling and well thought out. His tone is calm and fluid, and he drives his points about disproving the existence of any god consistently and with eloquence.
That being said, I consier myself agnostic and don't need much convincing, but I was taken aback by his arguments against religious tolerance. After having read it, though, I must admit agreeing with him.
If you're Christian, or Muslim or Jewish, you may find this book offensive, and for good reason. Harris' main intent is to attack the foundations of your belief system. But I'm all for confronting the ideas that frighten you. It's how I managed to become a "free-thinker", myself.
Recommended for those who enjoy a good, but polite rant about the hazards of religion, and for those considering crossing over to the dark side.

MY LOBOTOMY. Dully, Howard. 2007.

2008-04-12T10:39:00.000-05:00

This is one of those books I happened upon while perusing the New Books aisle at the library. Intrigued by the title, I picked it up, read the inside jacket, started reading the first page and couldn't put it down.

It's a compelling and heart-wrenching story. Although Dully, now a tour bus driver in his fifties, had help writing the book, his own voice seems to shine through so well that it seems he's right there in the room with you, telling his story.

Oh, of course, the book is about Dully's front-orbital lobotomy at the age of twelve, because he had behavorial issues at home. Interesting and scary. Relevant to today's "issues" and concerns with children, i.e., the whole ADHD thing.

This is a quick, engaging read - I read it in two days, couldn't put it down - and you'd be brain-dead yourself if you didn't find this fascinating. A very sad story, yet hopeful and inspiring. Highly recommended, especially for an "interim" book if you're like me and read a lot of dry non-fiction and need a quick break from that.

THE SHELTERING SKY. Bowles, Paul.

2008-03-11T14:57:00.000-05:00

January 2008.

VEGAN FREAK. Torres, Bob. March 2008.

2008-03-11T10:02:00.001-05:00

It states on the back cover the authors are Bob and Jenna Torres("tattooed vegan freaks themselves.")

Damn, I have to get a tattoo?

And really, not a good precedent for the likes of me to be endeared to this book or it's author(s). (I'm not a fan of the aesthetics of tattoos.)

Well, I didn't like this book. While I happen to be vegan, I don't really feel like a freak about it, and no one's made me feel like one. And believe me, I have the most conservative family around, and all bona-fide meat-eaters, and I've found everyone to be very nice and even accommodating of my choice to be vegan.
But then again, I'm not an angry, paranoid tattooed vegan freak. Which is what the authors seem to be. Their writing style implies it anyway. (Actually, most of the book is written by Bob Torres.)
When a student of the Bob Torres (he is a university professor) asks him what vegans eat, saying "So, do you like, just eat apples and shit?", the author replies sarcastically, "Yes, I eat nothing but apples. I alone keep the economy of Washington State going." I'm paraphrasing here because I don't have the book in front of me. But this is pretty close to the actual quote from the book. The author does say here that he should not have been angry and sarcastic in his response but he thought it was a stupid question.
Really?
I don't. See, this is the thing. Most people are not vegan, and hence, really don't know what vegans eat. Because they don't eat that way - in fact, it actually goes against everything they've been taught about how to eat. So, you tell someone you're vegan and you expect them to understand that immediately? Well, many people simply don't. And it's not because they're mean, or stupid, or trying to argue with you. When I get questions like this, I assume they're simply curious. I was, once. They'd like to know how you've managed to get by and be healthy consuming no milk or meat. Hey, what's for dinner?
There are several passages throughout the book where the author relates his frustration with family members and friends because of their failure to innately understand his veganism. He is judgmental and holier-than-thou when he speaks of his non-vegan friends and colleagues.
The book should be called VEGAN ASSHOLE.

It is also not written well. The tone is repetitive and too high-school conversational and actually does not succeed in informing us how to deal with being vegan in a non-vegan world.

Not recommended.

DOWN AND OUT IN PARIS AND LONDON

2008-03-11T10:01:00.001-05:00

Orwell, George.
February 2008.

ANIMAL VEGETABLE MIRACLE

2008-03-11T10:00:00.002-05:00

Kingsolver, Barbara. February 2008.

VEGANOMICAN

2008-03-11T10:00:00.001-05:00

Christmas Day, 2007 and ongoing. . .

A LAND SO STRANGE: THE EPIC JOURNEY OF CABEZA DE VACA

2008-03-11T09:57:00.000-05:00

Dec. 2007

SAVAGE KINGDOM. Woolley, Benjamin.

2008-03-11T09:56:00.000-05:00

Subtitled, "The True Story of Jamestown, 1607, and the Settlement of America."

Well, sometimes, the truth is tedious, and complicated, and really, somewhat boring.

I looked forward to this book coming out and when I finally saw it on the New Books shelf at the library, I couldn't wait to read it.
It is not a quick read.

Woolley seems to leave no trivial detail unturned in the story of Jamestown's founding. There is an adventure tale, and a morality tale, both present in this story but they are both clouded over by tedious details of the capitalist undertakings of the business men and politicians who really made Jamestown happen. I realize they made it happen, but - that part is just not very interesting. Unless you're an economics historian or something. Does such a tedious person exist? Well, if so, this book is for them.

Only recommended for History of Economics professors. Everyone else should watch Disney's POCAHONTAS with their kids.
Okay, or find a better book about Jamestown. Then, please tell ME about it, so I can read it, too.

FOUR QUEENS. Goldstone, Nancy. Viking, 2007.

2007-11-06T21:06:00.000-06:00

Subtitled "The Provencal Sisters Who Ruled Europe".

I learned a lot from this book, but I was disappointed in the writing style, which is that of a long-winded, repetitive, high-school research paper. The subject matter is incredibly interesting, however, and propelled me forward to finish the book.

The book narrates the lives of the four daughters of Raymond Berenger of Provence (southern France) in the mid-13th century. The daughters were, from eldest to youngest: Marguerite, who wed Louis IX (Saint Louis) and endured two seperate crusades to the Holy Land; Eleanor, who would wed Henry III of England; Sanchia, who wed Richard of Cornwall, Henry III's brother and eventual Holy Roman Emperor; and, finally, Beatrice, the youngest, who would inherit her father's lands and title in Provence. Beatrice wed Charles d'Anjou, Louis IX's younger brother.

All four sisters did, in fact, become queens - of France, England, the Holy Roman Empire, and of Sicily. Which means they were married to kings, whose lives were, of course, much more interesting. The depiction of the queens' lives unwittingly highlights the limited roles of women, even powerful women, during the Middle Ages. There is much conniving, back-stabbing, second-guessing, and whispered manipulations from these women, mainly because it was not acceptable for them to do anything outright. In Beatrice's case, even her own sisters and mother begrudged her inheritance of her father's estate, believing it could not be rightly hers, being both the youngest and female. Beatrice stood up for herself and was subtly ostracized for it.
At least, none of them were dragged through the streets by a wild stallion, the fate of that other "powerful" queen from Southern France, Brunhild. And it would be another three centuries before Elizabeth I of England would prove herself more than capable of ruling the most powerful empire in the Western World. But, of course, she kept all her male suitors at bay.

Overall, a so-so read, and not even as full of information as I'd like. I feel a lot was glossed over and maybe even "dumbed down" for a mainstream (possibly mostly female?) audience. I would have liked more details about everyday life, such as dress and cuisine. Reading this, however, has piqued my interest in Louis IX and Beatrice of Provence, as well as the Holy Roman Empire. And of course to fill in the gaps between the Merovingians and 13th c. France.
I recommend this to anyone interested in European History and the roles of women in 13th c. European royalty.

TWO OF US. Giuliano, Geoffrey. 1999, Penguin Studio.

2007-10-23T22:00:00.000-05:00

The subtitle reads: "John Lennon and Paul McCartney, Behind the Myth."
I'm not sure what the myth(s) the author's referring to. That they hated each other? That they co-wrote each and every song together? That they themselves were the myth?

Anyone reading this who's known me for a while, also knows I'm slightly obsessed with the Beatles for reasons I, myself, cannot explain. Well, except I love their music, and unlike some of the music from my youth, when I replay any given Beatles CD, it sounds fresher than ever.
I enjoyed this book so much I read it in one evening and the following morning. I could not put it down. The book portrays both the professional and personal relationship between Lennon and McCartney. Despite having listened to their songs for years, I found the author's insight enlightening and refreshing. Most of the information was gleaned from interviews over the past thirty years with the subjects, as well as their peers and family. It follows the two songwriters from the time they met as teenagers until the formal breakup of the Beatles.
After I finished the book this morning, I played almost all of my Beatles CDs through. I found THE WHITE ALBUM immensely refreshing, esp. the Lennon songs that I hadn't cared for all that much when I was thirteen. I have to still, after all this time, disagree with my Dad in his assessment that the Beatles' best stuff was pre-1966. No way, Dad. It is amazing how innovative, even today, the post-1966 music is, and how original and unique. There's still nothing like it.

Currently Reading:

2007-10-13T13:26:00.000-05:00

FOUR QUEENS, by Nancy Goldstone.
and soon to read: SAVAGE KINGDOM, a book about settling Jamestown.

The World Without Us. (August 2007)

2007-10-13T13:25:00.000-05:00

Peeling the Onion. Grass, Gunter.

2007-10-13T13:15:00.000-05:00

Gunter Grass's infamous memoir revealing details about his involvement with the Waffen SS during WWII.
That's right, folks. The author of one of the most beautiful novels ever written and a winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature served in the auxiliary for the Waffen SS. Ain't life rich?
Ok, well he was drafted into the SS and pleads ignorance on having known about the real dirty work of the SS at the time - his service was at the end of the war, as the Russians invaded Germany, including his hometown of Danzig, now part of Poland again. The real scandal about his memoir was that Grass had never revealed this information before. I understand his reasons for doing so, but I'm not sure I agree with his choice to keep it secret all of these decades. However, that may be easy for me to say, having never been drafted into anyone's war, much less the SS, and never having had my mother and sister raped by foreign troops, and my homeland completely devestated and annihalated. I, for one, see THE TIN DRUM as Grass's redemption.

I recommend this to only die-hard Grass and TIN DRUM fans, as it may be boring otherwise, even the parts detailing the war.

Books Read for the Summer Reading Program

2007-08-07T21:37:00.001-05:00

There is no theme here.

Books read between early June and early August. I'll expand commentary later this week.

1. THE HARD WAY. Jenkins, Mark. Personal essays about travelling, trekking and the outdoors. The author is primarily a mountain climber.

2. THE PLAGUE. Camus, Albert.

3. BACKWOODS ETHICS. Waterman, Guy and Laura. The most boring book ever about Leave No Trace hiking and camping. Still relevant, but it ha ssince been written about in a much more interesting manner. Read THE COMPLETE WALKER by Colin Fletcher (may God rest his wandering soul) instead.

4. THE MAN FROM THE CAVE. Fletcher, Colin. Hard to put down. Read this in three days. Fletcher narrates his decade-long quest to discover the identity and origins of a man who left his camp and some belongings in a desert cave near Las Vegas in the nineteen tens when Fletcher discovered it on a solitary trek through the same area in the mid 'sixties. Definitely recommended.

5. THE LAST SEASON. Blehm, Eric.

6. THE BEAN TREES. Kingsolver, Barbara. Fiction. Her first novel.

7. UNCOMMON ARRANGEMENTS. Roiphe, Katie.

8. INTO THE WILD. Krakauer, Jon. A 2nd read for me.

Ethan Fromme

2007-08-07T21:35:00.000-05:00

Read sometime after Age of Innocence, and before June. Maybe in March.

THE AGE OF INNOCENCE

2007-04-11T20:11:00.000-05:00

by Edith Wharton. 1920. Winner of the 1921 Pulitzer Prize.

This is the first book I've read by Edith Wharton and I was so pleasantly surprised. I confess that I saw Scorsese's film first - which is very faithful to the book, I found - and love it so much I watch it almost every time it's on cable.

The book is even better, though, really.
This is the story of Newland Archer, a very young attorney in very old New York. He leads a slow, stale and ultimately unsatisfactory life amidst incredibly sumptuous surroundings. Wharton writes in such fluid, rich detail, the reader sees and feels the glow of fireplaces in large, shadowy rooms lit only by candlelight; the clamminess of pale skin sticking to a satin bodice in the summer.

It is also the story of Newland's attempts to alleviate his boredom and fulfill his desires, and how the rich trappings of his own heritage thwart him at every turn.
The ending in the book is even more devastating than Scorses portrays it in the film.

I would also say this is Wharton's comment on social institutions and traditions that seem to have forgotten their original purpose - and those citizens that blindly follow them.

I rate this novel - excellent. I defintely want to read more Wharton (and since I received three collections of her work for my birthday recently, I shall).
Recommended for those who like period fiction, probably more for older people (I doubt I would have felt the sting of some events in Newland's life if I'd read this before my thirties.)

Note to Jenny

2007-02-06T08:07:00.000-06:00

Jenny,

Bless your heart for checking out my blog. I've been busy this winter with a respiratory illness, a torrid love affair, and an ongoing search for the perfect anti-aging cream. For once - and this cannot last long, I know - my own life is as exciting as a Fitzgerald novel.

I have, however, been reading - Hurakami's latest short fiction, Borges essays in SEVEN NIGHTS, and the advice column at salon.com. No re-reading of Fitzgerald, though I'm sure it'd knock some sense and fresh air back into me.

Just for you, though, Jenny, I will take a few peeks at THE GREAT GATSBY today and make some comments. I may even finish the Hurakami anthology. Comparing those two would be interesting. . .

Take care, and thanks again for checking in.

SEVEN NIGHTS

2007-01-22T21:46:00.000-06:00

I am re-reading SEVEN NIGHTS by Borges with a friend. I wonder if he's making any progress. I may urge him to write his comments here, as I'm obviously too lazy to do so myself.

I hope to take some time soon to finish the Top Ten. SEVEN NIGHTS is on the list, simply for the one lecture, "Nightmares".

"I, for example, always dream of certain corners in Buenos Aires. . . I know exactly where I am, and I know that I must head toward some far-off place. These places in my dreams have a precise topography, but they are completely different. They may be mountain paths or swamps or jungles, it doesn't matter: I know that I am on a certain corner in Buenos Aires. I try to find my way."
- "Nightmares", SEVEN NIGHTS. Borges, Jorge Luis.

Click title above for more info on Borges and his work.

2006-11-25T19:30:00.001-06:00

Books I Hate

Well, actually, I got the idea for this list from Salon.com TableTalk/Books.

(Feel free to leave a comment re: the book(s) you truly hate. )

1. Bridges of Madison County. Waller, Robert James.
Is an explanation really needed?

2. A Moveable Feast. Hemingway, Ernest.
Hemingway, otherwise one of the finest writers in American Literary history, pretends to feel compassion for his fellow expatriates in 1920's Paris. Instead, he unwittingly reveals himself to be a huge misogynist ass preoccupied with his own self-importance. The anecdote about Fitzgerald's body parts is so obviously hateful, it's unbelievable. He is obviously jealous of everyone he writes of, including both Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, and Gertrude Stein. This is some of the most vitriolic stuff ever written about real people.

3. What to Expect When You're Expecting. Murkoff, Heidi.
Of the three or four self-help pregnancy books given to me as gifts, this one was the worst. The author should be ashamed of herself. What pregnant woman on earth can follow the so-called "Best-Odds Diet" of plain whole-grain bagels smothered in plain yogurt? Christ. Morning sickness, anyone? Worse yet, she actually admonishes those who would dare cheat and sneak a potato chip or two.
The rules and regulations here are too numerous and overwhelming. If you are pregnant, do yourself a favor and get "The Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy" instead, written by a former Playboy playmate, chock full of advice like remembering to paint your toenails before your due date. I am completely serious here - this is the stuff pregnant women really need to hear, not a bunch of preachy, self-righteous dogma sure to make one a nervous, paranoid, guilt-ridden wreck way before you've even made it to post-partum blues-land.

4. On The Road. Kerouac, Jack
First of the confessional drug-laced wanderlust stories, obviously meant to shock and very boring. Read THE ODYSSEY instead. Read THE GRAPES OF WRATH instead. Hell, read GO ASK ALICE instead. Not a sympathetic character in sight, mainly because Kerouac writes of himself and fellow "beat" Neal Cassidy.

5. Naked Lunch. Burroughs, William S.
OK, I just don't care for the Beats. For one thing, I'm not blessed with an addictive personality. If you are, and you enjoy incoherent rambling with no theme or reason, you'll get this. I didn't. Please read Faulkner's LIGHT IN AUGUST instead. Hell, read Anne Rice's INTERVIEW WITH A VAMPIRE instead.

6. BREAKING DAWN. Meyers, Stephanie.
Yeah, pale whiny pink is an appropriate font for this post.
The fourth in the Twilight series of books. The first three are not bad. They're not very good, but they're not really bad, either. (Meyers does have an incredible talent for character development, I will credit her for that.) She also weaves a lot of (sometimes ridiculous) details together, and manages to keep track of all of them and fit them nicely into the plot. And the latter is why BREAKING DAWN is so very, very bad. It is beyond bad, it is a travesty, and a betrayal of the author's readers and fans. It is a betrayal to the characters themselves, and to the genre of tragedy, in general -which Meyers obviously does not understand in the slightest.
In BREAKING DAWN, Meyers takes all of her little details and rules given in the first three books and throws them out the window. Then, she throws in details and plot twists more ridiculous than ever. But the biggest flaw in this book is Meyers' complete failure to understand why happy endings are often not the stuff of great literature - because it would be BORING.

2006-10-22T09:10:00.000-05:00

I discovered Edward Abbey (now deceased, and supposedly buried in a remote area of the Cabeza Prieta Nat'l Wildlife Refuge, in far southwestern AZ) through an article in BACKPACKER magazine. Mr. Abbey was a "desert rat" and hailed as the Thoreau of the American Southwest, where he lived, although he apparently made a practice of throwing his empty beer cans out the car window during regular drives along AZ's Interstate 10. He argued that the landscape was already decimated by the building of the road itself. . .

DESERT SOLITAIRE was the first book I read by Abbey, and it was his first book published, in 1968. ("Everything's free today!". . . ) * Abbey had accepted a job as a temporary ranger at Arches Nat'l Monument some years earlier and this little book describes his life and work there. It was the transition point for Arches, just before it's inclusion into the National Park system, just before new, maintained roads and trails would be built. In DESERT SOLITAIRE, we get an intimate glimpse at a rough and raw place that we now know as sacred to us, and, therefore, controlled and sterile.

BEYOND THE WALL is a collection of his essays published in various journals throughout his career. One of the most striking pieces depicts his hiking/rafting adventures in Glen Canyon before it was dammed. Abbey says he wrote the piece to commemorate those remote, sacred places forever hidden to us now because they're under water. But it also his plea for leaving natural places alone, and not make them into "National Parking Lots".
Most of the essays are about the Southwest, except one, about a foray with several other strangers into a remote area of Alaska, reachable only by plane or helicopter. Apparently, Abbey always wanted to see a grizzly bear in the wild, but never did. He refers to it as "the alleged grizzly." This was the essay that was reprinted in BACKPACKER, and I think this piece, more than the others, reveals how Abbey is his own man, with his own unique and personal opinions, that were often at odds with other "environmentalists".
Of the two, I enjoyed DESERT SOLITAIRE more, but I really cannot say why. DESERT SOLITAIRE almost reads like an epic poem, although his journey is over time, in the same place. He shows the place - Arches National Monument - from many different angles - personal, historical, geological, botanical . .
Abbey's writing style, in general, is quiet, but tense, and rambling. I think both books would appeal to pink 'n green types, as well as libertarians tainted in either color.

This describes Abbey's work more eloquently than I have done here.

*quote from a Godard film, (I think, TOUT VA BIEN is the title, but I'm not sure.) Anyway, in the film, it's post -May 1968 and a group of students storm a supermarket and declare "Everything's free today!"